FMSD Parent & Family Policy

Policy KB Parent Involvement in Education
Issued 5/18

Purpose: To establish the board’s vision for the involvement of parents and families in the education of
their children.
The board believes that parent and family involvement must be pursued and supported by homes,
schools/colleges/universities, communities, businesses, faith congregations, organizations, and
government entities by working together in a collaborative effort.
The board believes it can impact student achievement by improving the quality and quantity of
parent/family involvement in the education of their children.
Therefore, the board commits to the following:

• Seeing that each school establishes a comprehensive parent involvement program that includes
• parent education programs and activities that will assist parents and families in supporting
• classroom learning.
• Providing support and coordination for staff and parents and families to make family involvement in
• education a priority.
• Establishing effective, two-way communication between all parents and families and schools that
• respects the diversity and differing needs of families and encourages the development of mutual
• support between home and school.
• Seeing that each school develops effective school planning/management teams that involve a
• broad spectrum of families, staff, and community representatives in school governance and
• decision making at the local and statewide level.
• Recognizing that improved student achievement must be an equally shared responsibility and
• ultimate goal of parents and families, teachers, the school system as a whole, and the community at
• large.

Parent Involvement in Their Children’s Education Act of 2000

Responsibilities of board
In order to heighten awareness of the importance of parent and family involvement in the education of
their children throughout their schooling, encourage the establishment and maintenance of parent-friendly
school settings and emphasize parent/school partnerships to assure a child’s academic success, the board
will do the following:

• Consider joining national organizations that promote and provide technical assistance on various
• proven parental involvement frameworks and models.
• Incorporate, where possible, proven parental involvement practices into existing policies and
• efforts.
• Provide parental involvement orientation and training through staff development.
• Provide incentives and formal recognition for schools that significantly increase parental
• involvement as defined by the State Board of Education.
• Require an annual report on school and district parental involvement programs including
• evaluations of the success of the programs.

Include parental involvement expectations as part of the superintendent’s evaluation.
Responsibilities of superintendent
The superintendent will do the following:

• Include parental involvement expectations as part of each principal’s evaluation.
• Include information about parental involvement opportunities and participation in the district’s
• annual report.
• Disseminate parental expectations as defined by law to all parents of the district.

The superintendent may also designate staff to serve as parent liaisons for the district, require each school
to designate a faculty contact for parental involvement efforts, require each principal to designate
materials and resource space within the school specifically for parents, and encourage principals to adjust
class and school schedules to accommodate parent-teacher conferences more conveniently.

Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA)

The board also recognizes the special importance of parental involvement to the success of its Title I,
Migrant (MEP), and limited English proficiency (LEP) programs. Pursuant to federal law, the district and
parents will jointly develop and agree upon a written parental involvement policy that will be distributed to
parents participating in any of these programs.
In keeping with these beliefs, it is the intention of the district to cultivate and support active parental
involvement and to set and realize goals for parent-supported student learning. The district will do the
following:

• Provide activities that will educate parents regarding the intellectual and developmental needs of their children at all age levels. This will include promoting cooperation between the district and other community agencies or school/community groups (such as parent-teacher groups, Head Start, First Steps, etc.) to furnish learning opportunities and disseminate information regarding parenting skills and child/adolescent development.
• Implement strategies to involve parents in the educational process, including the following:

- keeping families informed of opportunities for involvement and encouraging participation in
various programs, including literacy and parent education
- providing access to educational resources for parents/families to use together with their
children as well as training to assist parents
- keeping families informed of the objectives of district educational programs as well as of
their child’s participation and progress within these programs.

• Enable families to participate in the education of their children through a variety of roles. For example, family members should be given opportunities to do the following:

- Provide input into district policies.
- Volunteer time within the classrooms and school programs.
- Have reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s
class, and observation of classroom activities.
- Participate in parent-teacher conferences at least annually during which the compact is
discussed as it relates to the individual child’s achievement.
- Receive frequent reports about their child’s progress.
- Provide professional development opportunities for teachers and staff to enhance their
understanding of effective parent involvement strategies.
- Perform regular evaluations of parent involvement at each school and at the district level.
- Provide access, upon request, to any instructional material used as part of the educational
curriculum.
- If practicable, provide information in a language understandable to parents.

Title I parent involvement

The board recognizes that parent involvement is vital to achieve maximum educational growth for students
participating in the district’s Title I program. Therefore, in compliance with federal law and South Carolina
Department of Education guidelines, the district will meet with parents to provide information regarding
their school’s participation in the Title I program and its requirements.
The superintendent will ensure equivalence among schools in teachers, administration, and other staff and
in the provisions of curriculum materials and instructional supplies.
The board directs the superintendent to ensure that each of the district schools participating in the Title I
program meet annually. Parents of participating students will be informed of their right to be involved in
the development of the district’s parental involvement policy, overall Title I plan, and school-parent
compact.
The district will, to the extent practicable, provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with
limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, parents of homeless students, and parents of
migratory students. In cooperation with parents, the district’s policy, plan, and compact will be reviewed
annually and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school and distributed
to parents of participating students in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable,
in a language the parents can understand.
The superintendent will develop administrative regulations, as necessary, to implement this policy and
meet the requirements of law. 

Migrant Education Program (MEP) parent involvement

Parents of students in the MEP will be involved in and regularly consulted about the development,
implementation, operation, and evaluation of the program.
Parents of MEP students will receive instruction regarding their role in improving the academic
achievement of their children.

Limited English proficient (LEP) parent involvement

Pursuant to federal law, parents of LEP students will be provided notification regarding their child’s
placement in and information about the district’s LEP program.
Parents will be notified of their rights regarding program content and participation.

South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA)

Parental participation is an integral component of the clusters of study system mandated by the EEDA.
Beginning with students in the sixth grade and continuing through high school, each school will schedule
annual parent counseling conferences to assist parents/legal guardians or individuals appointed by the
parents/legal guardians and their children in making career choices and creating individual graduation
plans. These conferences must include, but not be limited to, the following:

• assisting the student in identifying career interests and goals
• selecting a cluster of study and an academic focus
• developing an individual graduation plan

A mediation process that includes parent advocates must be developed, explained, and made available
for conferences upon the request of the parent/legal guardian or the student.
The district may provide guidance and counseling sessions during hours that are not typically part of the
workday, such as in the evenings or on Saturday.
Cf. IG, IGCA, IHAK, IHAQ, IHBC, IHCA, IKF, JLD, KBB
Adopted 1/21/14; Revised 5/6/18

Legal References:
Federal Law:
Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Pub. L. No 114-95.
S.C. Code, 1976, as amended:
Sections 59-28-100 through 59-28-220 - Parental Involvement in Their Children’s Education
Act.
Section 59-59-160 - South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act; parental
participation, annual parent counseling conferences.
Section 59-139-90 - Strategic plans to include stated goals and objectives for parent
involvement.
State Board of Education Regulations:
R43-205 - Administrative and professional personnel qualifications, duties, and workloads.
R43-234 - Defined program, grades 9-12.
South Carolina State Department of Education:
South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act Guidelines (2006).

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