PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

It is the goal of the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education to develop strong partnerships between the System and home. Families and schools working as partners increase student achievement and develop positive attitudes about self and school.

The key factor in the home-school partnership is the relationship between the family and the teacher. Families are the child’s first teacher and are an essential resource in the continued learning process of their children. Teachers are professionals who manage a variety of instructional resources. Organizational support from the school board, district administrators, and building principals enables teachers to effectively develop the partnership.

The intent of this policy is to consciously continue the current practices in a more efficient, consistent, and effective manner as well as generating new ways of strengthening the partnership.

The partnership between home and school will be supported by:

1. The development of an infrastructure to continually assess, plan and implement strategies that build the partnership.
   1. A district-wide committee of parents, teachers, administrators and representatives from cooperative agencies will be formed to guide overall program efforts and to serve as a home –school partnership network.
   2. Coordination of activities through the staff development system in areas of communication with families, teacher in-service and assessment of teaching strengths toward creation of the best possible experience for each child.
2. 2. Self-study of family involvement practices by teams of family members, teachers, counselors, and administrators in each school using the following seven basic principles considered essential to home/school partnerships. Each school will develop a family/school policy localizing its program to meet the community’s specific needs.
   1. Every aspect of the school climate is open, helpful and friendly.
   2. Communications with families (whether about school policies and programs or about their own children) are frequent, meaningful, clear and two-way.
   3. Families are treated as collaborators in the educational process, with a strong complementary role to play in their children’s school learning and behavior.
   4. Family members are encouraged, both formally and informally, to comment on school policies and to share in the decision making process.
   5. The school encourages volunteer participation from families and the community at large.
   6. The principal and other school administrators actively express and promote the philosophy of partnership with all families.
   7. The entire school recognizes its responsibility to forge a partnership with all families in the school, not simply those who are more accessible.
3. Resources will be provided to families, teachers, counselors, and principals by the Parent Involvement personnel.

The Tuscaloosa City Schools Board of Education and Staff will provide leadership in the development of clear and meaningful avenues of family involvement. Full realization of the partnership will be achieved through the on-going commitment and active participation by both home and school.

SOURCE: Tuscaloosa City Schools, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
DATE: 3/17/03

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