Title I

Parent-Student-School Compact

New Center School
2026-2027 *Revisions

Updated May 2026

This compact has been reviewed and revised based on feedback collected through the annual Parent-Student-School Compact survey and stakeholder input. Identified areas of need included improved communication of progress reports, increased support for homework and reading at home, and greater awareness of family engagement opportunities.

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities

I want my child to achieve to the best of their ability. I will encourage them by:

Ensuring Attendance:
Getting my child to school on time every day and having them stay the entire day.
Planning Wisely:
Scheduling vacations and appointments during school holidays whenever possible.
Homework Support:
Assisting with homework and ensuring all school work is submitted on time. Parents are encouraged to seek guidance and resources from the school when additional support is needed to better assist their child with homework expectations.
Extracurricular Balance:
Promoting positive use of my child’s free time by limiting television and video game usage.
Daily Reading:
Encouraging my child to read for at least 30 minutes each day. Families are encouraged to utilize school-provided strategies and resources to support reading development at home.
Participation:
Attending parent-teacher conferences and parenting workshops offered by the school.
Community Engagement:
Visiting and/or volunteering in the school. The school will provide additional information and communication regarding volunteer opportunities and ways families can be involved.
Communication:
Reading and responding to school notices promptly.
Support:
Being an active supporter of the school faculty and staff.
Policy Awareness:
Reading and following the policies outlined in the school handbook.
Advisory Participation:
Serving on the Parent Advisory Council and other advisory groups to assist in educational decisions.

Student Responsibilities

To do my best, I will:

Perfect Attendance:
Strive for perfect attendance.
Timeliness:
Arrive at school on time and stay for the entire day.
Positive Attitude:
Be cooperative and maintain a positive attitude.
Preparedness:
Come to class ready to learn with all necessary materials and homework.
Work Submission:
Complete and turn in daily work and homework on time.
Limit Screen Time:
Reduce the time spent on television and video games.
Daily Reading:
Read at least 30 minutes each day outside of school.
Homework Commitment:
Dedicate time each day to complete homework and prepare for school.
Seek Help:
Ask teachers for help when needed. Utilize available supports such as tutoring or additional assistance when needed, especially in areas such as reading and math.
Respect:
Show respect to myself, peers, parents, and school staff.
Safety Commitment:
Keep the school safe by following rules and policies.
Communication:
Deliver all school notices and information to my parents promptly.
Substance-Free:
Remain drug-free.

Teacher/School Responsibilities

My goal is for students to achieve their best and experience success. I will:

Expect Excellence:
Encourage students to complete and turn in daily work on time.
Safe Environment:
Provide a positive and safe school environment, offering assistance to parents and students.
Respectful Treatment:
Treat all students and families with respect.
High-Quality Instruction:
Utilize research-based strategies and technology for effective teaching.
Progress Updates:
Keep parents informed of educational progress through weekly grade reports. The school will ensure consistent delivery of progress reports and provide support to families who may not be receiving them.
Fairness:
Treat all students fairly using effective classroom management techniques.
Engagement Opportunities:
Encourage parent involvement through meetings before/after school or during planning times. Additional communication will be provided regarding opportunities for involvement, including volunteer opportunities and advisory participation.
Regular Reviews:
Lead parent-teacher conferences to review this compact and student achievement every 6 weeks.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Offer parents chances to volunteer and participate in the classroom. The school will increase communication about volunteer opportunities and provide clearer guidance on how families can participate.
Accessibility:
Ensure parents can access staff before or after school or via email. Communication will continue to include multiple platforms such as ParentSquare, email, and phone to ensure accessibility for all families.

Administrator Responsibilities

Our goal is for each student to excel and perform their best every day. We will:

Support Learning Needs:
Strive to meet the educational needs of all students.
Welcoming Environment:
Greet students by name for a friendly atmosphere. School leadership will continue to strengthen communication and visibility of school-wide information to ensure all families feel informed and supported.
Safe Practices:
Enforce rules fairly and consistently to maintain safety.
Resource Provision:
Provide necessary resources for effective learning.
Protect Learning Time:
Safeguard academic learning time.
Attendance Enforcement:
Uphold the school attendance policy.
Comprehensive Support:
Assist students, parents, teachers, and staff as needed.
Stay Informed:
Keep updated on research-based teaching strategies.
Teacher Evaluation:
Regularly evaluate teacher performance to ensure state standards are met.
Open Door Policy:
Welcome students, parents, teachers, and staff to visit and communicate freely.

Thank You!

Thank you for choosing New Center School for your educational experience. Our exemplary school thrives due to a dedicated faculty, well-behaved students, and a supportive community. Remember, we have an open-door policy at New Center—students, parents, and stakeholders are always welcome

Parent and Family Engagement Policy

New Center Elementary School
2026-2027 *Revisions
Updated May 2026

Purpose

At New Center Elementary School, we are dedicated to strengthening student academic achievement through active Parent and Family Engagement. As a recipient of Title I, Part A funds, we collaboratively develop, agree upon, and distribute our engagement policy, adhering to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This policy has been reviewed and revised based on feedback collected through the annual Parent and Family Engagement Survey and stakeholder input meetings. Identified areas of need included improved communication methods, increased flexibility in scheduling, and expanded academic support opportunities for families.

Definition of Engagement

Parent and Family Engagement means families are actively involved in their child's education, ensuring:

Families play a vital role in their child's learning.
Families are encouraged to participate in school activities.
Families are partners in decision-making processes.
Additional activities as outlined in Section 1116 of ESSA.

Key Components of Our Policy

Notification: Parents shall be notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand.
- Parents will receive the policy in a clear format and, where possible, in their preferred language.
- Documents are available in English and Spanish, with translation assistance as needed.

Availability:Such policy shall be made available to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.

The policy is accessible on our website and presented at Open House and the Annual Title I Meeting.
It is updated regularly to reflect the evolving needs of parents and the school.

Annual Meeting: The school will convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school's participation under this part and to explain the requirements of this part, and the right of the parents to be involved.
- We hold an annual meeting to inform parents of their rights and the school’s Title I participation.
- This meeting is scheduled separately from Open House for convenience.

Flexible Meetings: The school offers a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement.
- Meetings are offered at various times (morning and evening) to accommodate families.
  In addition, the school will continue to expand opportunities for virtual participation and offer meetings on varied days to better support families experiencing scheduling conflicts or work-related barriers, as indicated in stakeholder feedback.
  Transportation, childcare, and home visits may be provided as needed.

Parents cited work conflicts + need for virtual options + different days

Ongoing Involvement: Parents are involved in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under this part, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parental involvement policy and the joint development of the schoolwide program plan under section 1114(b)(2), except that if a school has in place a process for involving parents in the joint planning and design of the school's programs, the school may use that process, if such process includes an adequate representation of parents of participating children.
- Parents are involved in planning and reviewing school programs, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making.

Timely Information: The school provides parents of participating children timely information about Title I programs.
- Parents receive up-to-date information about Title I programs through meetings, newsletters, and digital communication platforms.
  The school will prioritize the use of ParentSquare and text-based communication, as these were identified as the most effective methods by families, and will provide earlier notification of events to improve participation.

Parents overwhelmingly preferred text + ParentSquare + earlier notice

Curriculum Information: The school provides parents of participating children a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet.
- Parents receive a description of the curriculum, assessment methods, and expected proficiency levels through handbooks and grade reports.

Open Communication: Per parent request- opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any suggestions as soon as practically possible.

We encourage regular meetings with parents to discuss their child’s education and respond to suggestions promptly.
Additional communication efforts will include increased sharing of information through ParentSquare and improved visibility of engagement opportunities, including volunteer opportunities and school events.

Parents requested:

More ParentSquare use
More visibility of events & volunteering (page 4)

A process is in place to submit parent comments on the school wide program (SIP) if it is not satisfactory to the parents when the school makes the plan available to the district/LEA.
- We encourage regular meetings with parents to discuss their child’s education and respond to suggestions promptly.

Feedback Process: A parent school compact is jointly developed with parents and describes the responsibilities of each stakeholder as required by ESSA Sec. 1116.
- Parents can submit comments on the school-wide program and are encouraged to engage through various communication channels.

Building capacity for involvement- Assistance is provided to parents in understanding topics such as the State’s academic content standards, State student academic achievement standards, State and local academic assessments, and how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve student achievement.
- A compact outlining responsibilities of all stakeholders is developed and reviewed at meetings.

12. Building capacity for involvement- Materials and training are provided to help parents work with their children to improve their achievement, such as literacy training and using technology to foster parent and family engagement.

New Center has many family involvement events that build capacity for involvement. Each grade level has a program each school year that brings parents and the community into the school. New Center also has two school-wide family engagement events each year, most of which focus on literacy, STEM, or school/internet safety.
Based on stakeholder feedback, the school will continue to expand academic family engagement opportunities, including literacy and math nights, as well as workshops that provide families with strategies to support learning at home. Additional family fun events and student showcases will also be incorporated when possible.

Parents requested:

Academic nights
Workshops
Family events
Student showcases

13. Building capacity for involvement- Staff are educated, with the assistance of parents, in the value and contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, build ties between parents and the school.

Many of our school staff attended the school as children, have grown up in and remained in the school community. There is a deep feeling of family in the school that is translated to our parents and students. The parents are invited to participate in all activities and are valued in their professions and as productive citizens.

14. Building capacity for involvement- To the extent feasible and appropriate, Title I-A parent and family engagement programs are coordinated and integrated with parent involvement activities with Head Start, Reading First, Early Reading First, Even Start, , the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children.

The Head Start Program visits the school on an annual basis to help transition their students to the school for Kindergarten. Involvement and use of the Parent Resource Center is encouraged.

15. Building capacity for involvement- Provide other reasonable support for Parent and Family Engagement activities per parent request. (Example: transportation, childcare)

When families make their needs known to the school, every attempt is made to meet that need if possible. The school will also consider scheduling barriers and provide additional flexibility in engagement opportunities to better support family participation.

16. Accessibility-Local educational agencies and schools, to the extent practicable, shall provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.

The school provides equal access to all families to participate in the school programs. The school staff assists in completing paperwork for school needs.

17. The school will actively involve the families of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the funds reserved for parent and family engagement are spent.

The Title I budget is discussed and reviewed with stakeholders for joint decision-making and input on the spending of Title I funds for instructional equipment, supplies, materials, and family engagement resources. The school will continue to increase awareness of opportunities for parent involvement in decision-making, including participation in advisory groups and planning meetings.

Building Capacity for Involvement

Educational Resources:
We provide materials and training to help parents understand academic standards and how to support their child’s progress.
Family Engagement Events:
Our school hosts events focused on literacy, STEM, and safety, fostering community involvement.
Staff Training:
Staff is educated on valuing parental contributions and effectively collaborating with families.
Coordinated Programs:
We integrate our engagement initiatives with local programs, ensuring comprehensive support for families.
Support Services:
We strive to meet parents' needs for transportation and childcare, especially during challenging times.
Accessibility:
We ensure participation for all families, including those with limited English proficiency or disabilities.
Joint Decision-Making:
Families are actively involved in decisions regarding the spending of Title I funds, ensuring transparency and collaboration.

Conclusion

At New Center Elementary School, we value the partnership with families and are committed to creating an inclusive environment that fosters student success. Together, we can make a difference in our children’s education