If you do not understand this information because of a language barrier, please contact your child’s school for a translation of the information. Thank you. 
Si usted no entiende esta información debido a una barrera idiomática favor de ponerse en contacto con la escuela de su niño(a). Gracias. 
Nếu quý vị không hiểu tin tức này bởi vì ngôn ngữ bất đồng, xin vui lòng liên hệ với trủờng học của con quý vị để được bản dịch của tin tức này. Thành thật cám ơn.
如果您由于语言障碍而无法理解此信息，请与您孩子所在的学校联系，以翻译该信息。谢谢。

Title I ECPS Parent and Family Engagement Plan (PFEP)

Provide a description of how the LEA will address Parent and Family Engagement.

2% of our Title I total allocation was reserved for Parent Involvement.  With the required 90% of the 1% going directly to schools ($135,243), we provided $139,581 directly to schools.

For the upcoming 2022/2023 year, our Title I district family engagement staff will include one Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA) and one Curriculum Resource Teacher.  This team, along with the guidance/assistance of Title I administration, will coordinate the following federal requirements and activities for our district: 

• Our Escambia County Public Schools (ECPS) Parent Engagement Committee, composed of parents from Title I schools representative of the school's demographics, and ECPS administrators will develop, implement, support, and review the ECPS Parent and Family Engagement Plan (PFEP). The ECPS committee will meet up to two times each school year to review revised plans and monitor progress of plans based on needs and feedback. This committee will also be involved in making decisions about how the Title I, Part A family engagement funds are spent. Title I schools were asked to nominate parents to serve on the ECPS Parent Committee. The committee will have representation from both elementary and secondary level schools. All parents nominated were invited to participate.

   

• The TSA for Family Engagement contacted all nominees of this committee to determine the best way to receive their input (phone, email, virtual meeting, etc.) into constructing the LEA PFEP. During each of these meetings, the LEA PFEP was reviewed and parent input on strategies and funding solicited. Input given during these calls, ECPS parent survey data, and feedback forms from our website were used in writing the LEA PFEP. A summary of evaluation results will be provided to Title I principals and discussed. Principals will, in turn, share results with parents and school-based Parent Engagement Teams/School Advisor Councils (SACs). Schools will consider the ECPS results when revising school-based plans, in particular, barriers to family engagement and ways to overcome these barriers, as well as best practices focused on the engagement of economically disadvantaged parents and family members. School review and improvement will be facilitated by the sharing of school assessment data both in written format and in School Advisory Council and PTA meetings at the school level. Annual meetings of School Advisory Council representatives with the Superintendent will allow review of ECPS-wide data and input from parents in planning for school improvement. Information from the ECPS and school-level meetings will be combined to develop the LEA plan and develop priorities.

   

• A summary of the ECPS Parent and Family Engagement Plan will be posted on the Title I webpage and provided to schools for dissemination to parents during the school year. The summary will instruct families on how to obtain hard copies of the complete ECPS PFEP (available at the school office, Title I office, ECPS and school websites, or a request can be made for a copy to be sent home with the child). Language needs of parents will be re-evaluated each nine week grading period. The most common language translations provided are Spanish and Vietnamese. Foreign Language teachers will provide translation services as requested. At this time, Title I has not been made aware of any parent notification needs related to parents with disabilities (i.e., hearing or visually impaired). Should such a need arise, Title I will work with FLDRS and the ESE Department to provide assistance.

   

• Families are invited and encouraged to participate in all levels of family engagement planning and activities. Families are notified of opportunities to participate in parental involvement planning and activities through PTA and SAC membership, letters and newsletters sent home, social media, automated call-out system, face-to-face invitations from teachers and administrators, and information posted on ECPS and school websites and marquees. Parental input and the evaluation of Parent and Family Engagement Plans will be documented through agendas, sign-in sheets, screenshots of virtual meetings, evaluation and feedback forms/surveys and detailed minutes recorded at Annual Title I Meetings, SAC Meetings, District Parent Engagement Meetings, and other parent engagement activities.

   

Title I staff will provide support and technical assistance to schools in the following ways:

• Title I will provide training (as needed) along with a newsletter (Director’s Dialogue) for Title I principals to review Title I, Part A family engagement requirements. Topics will include Annual Title I Meeting requirements, data collection methods (in person and virtual) for assessing family needs, documentation practices for recording family input, feedback and suggestions, regulations and procedures for use of funds, effective strategies to consider when developing Parent and Family Engagement Plans, translation services available and translation requirements, customization of School Compacts, program evaluation and parent notification requirements of all of the aforementioned. Title I staff will also provide extra support to new Title I schools including meetings with faculty and parents/families if needed.

   

• Title I Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA) and Curriculum Resource Teacher for Family Engagement will provide technical assistance to school principals as Parent and Family Engagement Plans are developed. Each school will develop, with input from parents/families, a plan which provides activities to increase the capacity of families to support student achievement based on evidence-based strategies. This plan will be submitted to the LEA for approval and then updated on ECPS and school websites. Family engagement resources will be available to principals as requested.

   

Title I staff will coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies under this part with other relevant federal, state, and local laws and programs in the following ways:

1. Head Start - LEA co-funds Head Start classes for 206 children. These services are provided in schools with our highest poverty. Family events provide guidance and modeling of emergent literacy development activities.

    

2. Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten - Title I, Part A co-funds VPK services, by extending full day services in schools with our highest poverty. Family events provide guidance and modeling of emergent literacy development activities. VPK teachers are required to offer two Title I approved parent events each year.

    

3. Title I, Part C - Managed by the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium.

    

4. Title I, Part D - Resources are provided for parents whose children are enrolled in N&D programs.

    

5. Title IX, Part A - provides professional development for instructional staff, hygiene items, school supplies, enrollment assistance, and social work to support families. Assistance for housing, food, and other emergency support are available for families referred under Title IV.

    

6. ESOL-Title III - provides supplemental resources for English Language Learners (ELL) such as services and paraprofessionals.

    

7. Title IV, Part A - provides students with a well-rounded education, supports safe and healthy students, and supports the effective use of technology. Schools benefit through Capturing Kids’ Hearts training and the services of the secondary schools' guidance Teacher on Special Assignment. Suite360 (software) provides emotional and social support for students.

    

Title I staff will support schools so parent and family engagement funds are used to carry out activities and strategies as stated below:

• Supporting schools and nonprofit organizations in providing professional development for LEA and school personnel regarding parent and family engagement strategies, which may be provided jointly to teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, paraprofessionals, early childhood educators, and parents and family members.

  Title I Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA) for Family Engagement and Curriculum Resource Teacher will partner with designated school-based contacts to provide professional development (extra pay in Roll Forward) on best practices in family engagement. The professional development will include a book study of Closing the Loop by Patricia Weinzapfel that focuses on effective communication strategies with families. Designated school-based contacts will share highlights from this professional development with their site-based staff. ECPS funds (Roll Forward) will purchase supplies for this PD. Online PD will also be offered for those liaison who cannot attend the in-person meeting.

  Title I Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA) for Family Engagement, Curriculum Resource Teacher, and Title I TSA for Professional Development will provide professional development for our Title I ECPS FEAPS (alternative certification program), new instructional hires to ECPS, and other school-based personnel as requested. ECPS parent involvement funds will be used to purchase supplies. The focus will be strategies to support successful school and family interactions by overcoming barriers for greater participation by parents. These barriers will include (but not limited to) families who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, limited literacy, limited English proficiency, and of any racial or ethnic minority background. Book studies will also be available such as Disrupting Poverty, Emotional Poverty 1 and 2, and The Boy Crisis. These book studies provide a look at evidence-based strategies where participants will be equipped with best practices to implement at their school.

  Title I Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA) for Family Engagement and Curriculum Resource Teacher will attend ECTAC meetings up to two times a year to collaborate with other family engagement specialists across our state who have expertise in effectively engaging parents and family members in education. They will also travel within our county to schools for meetings as needed.

   

• Supporting programs that reach parents and family members at home, in the community and at school.

   

• Disseminating information on the best practices focused on parent and family engagement, especially best practices for increasing the engagement of economically disadvantaged parents and family members.

  Title I Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA) for Family Engagement and Curriculum Resource Teacher will work with school administration, charter schools, and school-based family engagement contacts to ensure all required Title I family engagement activities are implemented in the most meaningful way possible to help build the capacity of families with a focus on increasing the engagement of economically disadvantaged parents and family members. Onsite and virtual planning opportunities with school staff will be offered as needed. Extra pay is also budgeted by individual schools to cover planning and implementation of school-based activities including ELL teacher assistants to meet the translation needs of families. Some examples of this will be take home activities (in person and virtual) addressing ELA/Math for elementary and secondary schools as purchased with school-based allocations. These purchases could also include the following that assist in the production (i.e. - paper cutters, hole punch, printing), promotion of these activities (A-frame signs), and implementation of these family activities (projector/mount, taxi services for families to attend). ECPS funds (including Roll Forward) will also be used to supplement beyond these school allocations. Additional ideas/activities are shared in Google folders for convenient use at Title I schools. A key component of each activity is to receive feedback and discover ways to partner with families in the future.

  Schools have also budgeted funds to continue at-home opportunities for families including platforms for school apps, postage, and online periodicals.

   

• Collaborating, or providing sub grants to schools to enable such schools to collaborate, with community-based or other organizations or employers with a record of success in improving and increasing parent and family engagement.

  Title I Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA) for Family Engagement and Curriculum Resource Teacher will collaborate with the Boys and Girls Club located in a very high poverty Title I school for planning of future events for their families. The TSA has a position on their Parent Advisory Board where input is given into topics where families would like more information. Title I will conduct with the Boys and Girls Club up to two family events each year. Representatives will attend meetings (in person or virtual), share information and provide families activities for at home use.

   

• Engaging in any other activities and strategies that the local educational agency determines are appropriate and consistent with the LEA’s parent and family engagement policy.

   

• Schools have allocated funds as needed for substitutes to enable teachers to conduct conferences with families.