Forest Ridge Elementary School Parent Involvement Plan 2008-09
School Parent Involvement Plan
2008/2009
Forest Ridge Elementary School
In the Schoolwide alignment document, the School Improvement Plan is cited as evidence
for components of parent involvement. This Parent Involvement Plan is a restatement of
the information and additional evidence.
1. The school has jointly developed with, and distributed to, parents a written parent
involvement plan. This includes how parents will participate in an annual
evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parent involvement program.
Forest Ridge Elementary (FRE) School Advisory Enhancement Council, which includes
parents, community members, and staff, participated in the development of the parent
involvement plan. This plan includes strategies that will improve student achievement.
FRE includes questions related to parent involvement events on its annual parent survey.
This helps the school evaluate the content and effectiveness of the parent involvement
plan. The survey addresses the areas of curriculum, discipline, communication and
school safety. The survey is sent to parents along with our monthly newsletter and is
available on our school website. The School Advisory Council and staff of Forest Ridge
then evaluate the survey results to determine the effectiveness of the parent involvement
plan.
2. There are strategies designed to involve parents in the planning, review, and
improvement of school programs and the education of their children.
FRE has many strategies to include parents in the planning, reviewing and improvement
of school programs and the education of their children. Students in grades pre-K through
second grade send home a daily folder. Third through fifth grade teachers communicate
with parents through a daily planner. The planners and folders contain a school calendar,
parent/teacher notes, daily schedule, special events, homework, and behavior evaluation.
Many teachers communicate with weekly newsletters to promote special activities and
student successes. FRE hosts family nights throughout the year. During the family nights
the parents are served dinner and invited to participate in a variety of activities. FRE
newsletters are sent home monthly to parents to communicate school events, programs,
school/student successes and curriculum. Every Fall, FRE holds a FCAT informational
meeting with the parents of children in grades 3. (All parents are invited to attend.) The
school website http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us/fre/ is another way to communicate with our
community and parents. The School Advisory Enhancement Council also plans, reviews
and helps makes decisions about our academic programs that involve the education of our
children.
Forest Ridge Elementary School Parent Involvement Plan 2008-09
3. The school has a school-parent compact that describes and outlines a partnership
for sharing the responsibility for improved student achievement.
FRE understands the importance of family involvement. We make the commitment to
provide opportunities for parents/families to become more involved in the planning,
review, and improvement of school programs and the education of their children. We
strive to develop partnerships with families for sharing the responsibility for improved
student achievement. As part of our Schoolwide Title 1 Plan, we are required to have a
signed Teacher, Student, and Parent Compact on file for students.
4. The school has an annual meeting to explain the school’s participation in the Title I
School wide Program.
FRE explains the school’s participation in the Title I School Wide Program during a PTA
meeting and at our SAEC meeting. We also include statements related to Title I status in
our monthly newsletters. At this time the following information is shared: explanation of
the Title I Program, Title I requirements, parent rights, plans for spending parent
involvement money and/or suggestions, and information about School Parent
Involvement Plan. A copy of our School Improvement Plan, SAEC minutes, SAEC
agenda, and SAEC meeting dates are available on our school website.
5. The school has provisions for parent –teacher conferences and frequent progress reports
sent to parents.
FRE has provisions for parent-teacher conferences. We have one day set aside during the first
grading period for teachers and parents to discuss student’s academic achievement. Throughout
the year, parents and teachers meet to discuss their child’s academic progress so that the
students’ strengths and weaknesses can be addressed. FRE sends home four report cards during
the year. Teachers conference with students who have Progress Monitoring Plans at least 4x
annually, either in person or over the phone. Parents are encouraged to discuss their child with
the teacher any time during the school year.
6. The school provides opportunities for parents to assist at school, volunteer, mentor, or
participate in classroom/school activities.
There are many opportunities at FRE for parents to assist at school, volunteer, mentor, or
participate in classroom/school activities. FRE has an active PTA, which provides fundraiser
activities, assemblies, family nights, “Dad’s Club” events, and other school-wide events. FRE
has a sound volunteer program. Volunteers work with students on academics, mentoring,
assisting teachers, and organizing activities. FRE encourages parents to chaperone on field trips
with the classroom teachers. FRE has a Veterans Program to which all Veterans, parents, and
community members are invited to honor our Veterans. FRE has many other events throughout
the year where parents are invited such as FOCUS graduation, 5th Grade Celebration, VFW
Awards, Outstanding Owls, Honor Roll, and Science Fair to name a few.
Forest Ridge Elementary School Parent Involvement Plan 2008-09
7. The school provides information to parents concerning State Assessments, school
performance profiles, and their child’s individual assessment results, including assistance
in understanding the results.
FRE provides parents with information concerning State Assessments, school performance
profiles and their child’s individual assessment results through a variety of communication
methods. FRE sends home report cards, progress reports and midterms to each parent/guardian
to communicate academic achievement. Communication with parents to discuss academic
strength’s, weaknesses, and assessment data (Star Reading, Star Math, STAR Early Lit, AR,
AM, DIBELS, CBAT and FCAT) is done through conferences, phone calls, or written
documentation. We hold an FCAT informational meeting to explain the FCAT and the No Child
Left Behind Act. FRE also sends home FCAT booklets to interpret the FCAT results distributed
from the Florida Department of Education to all our third through fifth grade parents.
8. The school provides materials and training for parents to help them work with their child
to improve achievement.
FRE provides materials and training for parents to help them work with their child to improve
achievement. FRE sends home student passwords for the Harcourt reading and science websites
so that students may access their textbooks, workbooks and other activities pertaining to science
and reading at home. FCAT Explorer is provided to students in grades 3-5 and can be accessed
at home. This program provides students reading, math, and science practice and monitors their
progress. FRE has a Parent Resource Closet with myriad reading and math resources parents can
check out to use at home to help build needed skills. FRE also sends parents who attend the
FCAT Parent Night home with practice materials to keep and use at their discretion. The school
website stores links to programs and resources for parents, too.
9. The school provides staff with appropriate education in how to work with parents as equal
partners.
FRE provides staff with appropriate education in how to work with parents as equal partners
through staff development, professional study groups and the Teacher Induction Program. FRE
prides itself in communication with the parents and community and we model that
communication through school newsletters, volunteers, and PTA. Daily communication is made
with our FRE parents through the student planner/folder that is signed each night by the parents.
10. The school provides Family literacy opportunities.
FRE provides family literacy opportunities throughout the school year. Some of our
programs are the Informational Family FCAT Night, Book Fair, Family Literacy Night
(“Reading around the World”), and the African American Read-In.
Forest Ridge Elementary School Parent Involvement Plan 2008-09
PARENT INVOLVEMENT PLAN 2008/2009
Activity Date Evidence
Parent Expo 9/25/08 (PK-2) Calendar
10/2/08 (3-5)
School Newsletter Monthly Newsletter copy
SAEC meetings September 16, 2008 Minutes
October 21, 2008
November 18, 2008
January 20, 2009
February 17, 2009
March 17, 2009
April 21, 2009
May 19, 2009
Family Fun Night October 2008 PTA Newsletter
December 2008
January 2009
April 2009
May 2009
Parent Conferences November 10, 2008 School Calendar
Report Cards October 31, 2008 Copies/School Calendar
January 23, 2008
April 2, 2008
June 5, 2008
PTA Meetings August 26, 2008 PTA Newsletter/Calendar
January 13, 2009
April 7, 2009
Chorus Presentations October, 2008 Programs
December, 2008
May, 2009
Parent Surveys Spring, 2009 Survey forms
School Wide Science Fair January 15, 2009 School Calendar/Newsletter
Kindergarten Pre- Orientation May, 2009 Sign-In Sheet
Veterans Program November 7, 2008 Program
Forest Ridge Elementary School Parent Involvement Plan 2008-09
PARENT COMMUNICATION SERVICES:
We provide various types of written communication to parents, which include:
Annual Welcome Back to school letter and Connect Ed. message.
A school year calendar
Notification of special programs (Gifted, Title I)
Notification updates on Progress Monitoring Plans, IEP's, and EP's
Notification of special parent programs/workshops
Monthly Newsletters
Notice of School Advisory Council meetings
Report cards
Student planners (grades 3 – 5)
Daily/weekly folders (grades PK – 5)
Monthly newsletter
Weekly classroom newsletters
The school link on the County School District web site
Student Code of Conduct
County School Parent Resource Guide
Parent workshops provided by Guidance and Curriculum