GENERAL EXPECTATIONS [Section 1116 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Agora Cyber Charter School agrees to implement the following statutory requirements:

• ACCS will put into operation programs, activities and procedures for the engagement of families in the school with Title I, Part A programs, consistent with section 1116 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Those programs, activities and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with families of participating children.
• Consistent with section 1116, ACCS will work to ensure that the required school-level family engagement policies meet the requirements of section 1116(b) of the ESSA, and each include, as a component, a school-parent compact consistent with section 1116(d) of the ESSA.
• The school will incorporate these family engagement policies into its LEA plan developed under section 1116 of the ESSA.
• In carrying out the Title I, Part A family engagement requirements, to the extent practicable, ACCS will provide full opportunities for the participation of families with limited English proficiency, families with disabilities, and families of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required under section 1116 of the ESSA in an understandable and uniform format and, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language families understand.
• If the ACCS plan for Title I, Part A, developed under section 1116 of the ESSA, is not satisfactory to the families of participating children, ACCS will submit any family comments with the plan when the school submits the plan to the State Department of Education.
• ACCS will engage the families of children served in Title I, Part A in decisions about how the 1% of Title I, Part A funds reserved for family engagement is spent and will ensure that not less than 95 percent of the one percent reserved goes directly to the schools.
• ACCS will be governed by the following statutory definition of family engagement, and expects that it will carry out programs, activities and procedures in accordance with this definition:
  Family engagement means the participation of families in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring—
  1. a parent’s role in a child’s education is integral to its success;
  2. that families are encouraged to be actively engaged in their child’s education at school;
  3. that families are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees (School Improvement and School Board) to assist in the education of their child;
  4. the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA

DESCRIPTION OF HOW AGORA CYBER CHARTER SCHOOL WILL IMPLEMENT REQUIRED DISTRICT-WIDE PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT POLICY COMPONENTS [Section 1116 (a)(2), ESSA]

1. Agora Cyber Charter School will take the following actions to engage families in the joint development of its district wide parent and family engagement plan under section 1116 of the ESSA:
   • Offer Title I meetings that provide an open forum for additions/revisions of the Title I Policy drafts & School-Parent Compact
   • Provide a recording for families unable to attend the meeting. The Federal Programs Coordinator will post the Parent and Family Engagement Policies & School Parent Compact on the Title I section of the school website for continuous feedback. A link to the message board posting will be emailed to all enrolled ACCS caretakers
   • Annually review the parent and family engagement policies and make revisions based on recommendations
2. Agora Cyber Charter School will take the following actions to engage families in the process of school review and improvement under section 1116 of the ESSA:
   • Discuss School Performance Profile at our Title I meeting
   • Provide opportunities for families to take part in the ACCS School Improvement Team meetings. The consolidated application is developed and reviewed prior to submission each year as part of the end of school year meeting.
3. Agora Cyber Charter School will take the following actions to conduct, with the engagement of families, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parent and family engagement policies in improving the quality of its Title I, Part A school. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by families in parent and family engagement activities (with particular attention to families who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). The school will use the findings of the evaluation about its parent and family engagement policies and activities to design evidence-based strategies for more effective family engagement, and to revise, if necessary (and with the involvement of families) its parent and family engagement policies.
   • Families will be given an annual survey.
   • Agora Cyber Charter school will develop a survey for all Learning Coach participants. Content included in this survey will include both multiple choice selections and comment boxes to promote feedback.
   • The Federal Programs Coordinator will evaluate the survey once it is completed to design strategies for more effective parent and family engagement.
   • The results of this survey will be shared at workshops and through email.
   • The Parent and Family Engagement Policies will be reviewed annually.
   • The School-Parent Compact will be reviewed annually.
4. Agora Cyber Charter School will build the schools’ and parent’s capacity for strong family engagement, in order to ensure effective involvement of families and to support a partnership among the school, engaged families, and the community to improve student academic achievement. The school will help families of children served by the school to better understand topics such as the following:
   • the State’s academic content standards,
   • the State’s student academic achievement standards,
   • the State and local academic assessments including alternate assessments,
   • the requirements of Part A, regarding how to monitor their child’s progress (including where to
     find answer keys), and how to work with educators.
   • Agora’s School Performance Profile
5. Agora Cyber Charter School will, with the assistance of its families, educate its teachers, pupil services personnel, principals and other staff, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with families as equal partners, in the value and utility of contributions of families, and in how to implement and coordinate family programs and build ties between families and schools, by:
   • Providing annual professional development to all staff that focuses on working with families as equal partners (including school platform resources that are available to families).
   • Offering Learning Coach Workshops, designed based on family feedback and partnership with teachers, guidance counselors, and Agora staff and evaluated by survey at the completion of the sessions.
6. Agora Cyber Charter School will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate family engagement programs and activities with Head Start, and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities that encourage and support families in more fully participating in the education of their children, by providing:
   • Student and Family Services and Resources and Guides available online
   • Field Trips and School sponsored events
   • Learning Coach Outreach Sessions held throughout the year
7. Agora Cyber Charter School will take the following actions to ensure that information found below related to the school and family- programs, meetings, and other activities, is sent to the families of participating children in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the families can understand:
   • Emails
   • Messages on the school website
   • Correspondence with families from teachers

DISCRETIONARY AGORA CYBER CHARTER SCHOOL PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT POLICY COMPONENTS

• Involving families in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators
• Training learning coaches to mentor other learning coaches
• Providing Resources and Guides to families on topics related to student success
• Providing Family Committee options
• Arranging virtual school meetings at a variety of times
• Adopting and implementing model approaches to improving family engagement
• Developing appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses, including faith-based organizations, in family engagement activities; and
• Providing other reasonable support for family engagement activities [under section 1118 as parents may request.]

ADOPTION

The draft of this policy was posted on the Title I information page for family feedback. This district Parent and Family Engagement Policy has been developed jointly with Agora families who have children participating in programs at Agora Cyber Charter School.

This policy is reviewed annually at Agora’s Title I meetings and through a family survey.