Little Rock School District
Pulaski Heights Elementary School
2011-2012 Parent Involvement Plan
School Mission: The mission of Pulaski Heights Elementary is to educate and empower all children so they will be come contributing members of society. The staff, faculty, parents and community will provide a nurturing environment that will enhance opportunities for students to become proficient in literacy and mathematics while utilizing technology.
Principal: Lillie Carter Parent Facilitator(s): Barbara Hall
Alert Status: Math
Little Rock School District
Kindergarten through Fifth Grade Schoolwide Title 1
42% Free Lunch and 6% Reduced Lunch
Parent Involvement Committee Members
(A-Administrator) (SS-school staff) (P-Parent) (C-Community) (S-Student)
Lillie Carter-A
Barbara Hall-SS
Paula Kerr-SS
Tami Bean-P
Victor Davis-P
Erika Davis-P
Mac Huffman-C
Ross Kimbrell-S
Paige Mitchell-S
Pulaski Heights Elementary teachers communicate regularly with parents using weekly classroom newsletters, emails, teacher websites, social networking, and regular notes in student planners. In addition, the PHE principal distributes a weekly school newsletter, the “Thursday Express,” which includes weekly parenting tips and a link to the school’s web site for daily parenting tips. Also, the school publishes a monthly “Special Edition” newsletter featuring news from school staff and specialists.Teachers also update Edline weekly to provide information about student performance to families, and the Principal uses Parent Link to disseminate messages to parents. Additionally, the PHE Parent/Teacher Association sends out monthly newsletters, maintains a website, sends regular email blasts, and uses Facebook and Twitter to communicate with parents. The PTA also publishes a school directory to encourage communication between families and school.
The Parent Facilitator will provide two hours of professional development for teachers for the purpose of planning for effective parental involvement strategies. Additionally, the facilitator will provide one hour of professional development for school staff on building positive relationships with parents and community.
Pulaski Heights Elementary will plan the following meetings to increase parent involvement and build staff and parent capacity at Pulaski Heights Elementary.
1. PHE will conduct Parent Information sessions during Open House in September to report on the state of the school. Agenda items will include giving an overview of what students will be learning, discussing how students will be assessed and what parents should expect for their child’s education. In addition, parents will learn how they can assist in their child’s education and in the school community. We will host a Title 1 Annual meeting to inform parents of Pulaski Heights Elementary participation in Title 1 and Title 1 Funds Allocation. (Lillie Carter, Principal)
2. The school will host a Family Literacy Night and a Family Math Night to teach parent strategies to assist their child/children with literacy and math skills. Teachers will provide parents with literacy and math games and materials to “make and take” and conduct a technology workshop to demonstrate how technology can be used to increase student learning. (School committee and Barbara Hall, Parent Facilitator)
3. Teachers will schedule a minimum of two parent/teacher conferences in October and March to discuss academic achievement during which parents will be given a summary of the students’ test scores and an explanation of the interventions teachers are using to help their children reach their academic goals. Parents will be asked to put in writing how they will assist their children at home. (Classroom teachers)
4. The school teachers and staff will encourage parents in the following types of roles and activities to increase their involvement and support for student learning: tutoring, special parent lunches, Grandparents Day, awards day presentations, open house, book fair helpers, field day volunteers, family literacy and family math nights, Red Ribbon Week, Book Character Day, choir and grade level musical performances, various committees, field trips, orientation presentations, etc. (School staff and teachers)
5. PHE will engage parents in activities that will incorporate instructions relative to developmentally appropriate learning activities in the home environment. (Classroom teachers, Barbara Hall)
6. The school will purchase materials and supplies, and refreshments for Parent nights, as well as parent DVD and CD’s. Additional purchase of a conference table and chairs for the parent center.(Barbara Hall)
7. The school will support parents’ attendance in workshops and conferences available in the district and across the state, to the extent possible. (Barbara Hall and Lillie Carter)
8. The principal will arrange for teachers and other parents to lead training and seminars to help parents understand the importance of being involved in their child’s education and related decisions. (Lillie Carter)
Pulaski Heights Elementary will provide information to parents about volunteer opportunities in the following ways:
1. At Back to School registration and Open House, the school will provide a list of volunteer opportunities and ask for input from parents about what kinds of activities they would like to be involved with at the school. (Pulaski Heights PTA)
2. The school will recruit parents to volunteer in the classroom, library, computer lab, art, and music labs and develop a Volunteer Resource Book as a means of developing and maintaining partnerships with parents, community leaders, and agencies in an effort to strengthen the school, families, and student learning . The Parent Facilitator will record volunteer hours in the VIPs log. (Barbara Hall)
3. The school literacy specialist will recruit parents and community members to facilitate student book clubs. This will increase fluency and comprehension skills in reading for targeted students. (Laurie Harrison)
School Staff, parents and students will develop a school-parent-student compact. This compact outlines how responsibility for learning is shared by all three parties. The compact is signed by all three parties at the beginning of the year and kept in students’ permanent record files. (Lillie Carter)
Pulaski Heights Elementary will involve parents in the decisions that develop school matters such as the school improvement plan, discipline concerns, and the school handbook. All participation will be organized around committee efforts that do not prohibit larger group participation. (Lille Carter)
The following resources will be provided for parents at Pulaski Heights Elementary (Barbara Hall and Lillie Carter)
1. Parenting books, magazines, free brochures, and other parenting materials are available in PHE Parent Resource Centers. These materials are available to assist parents with homework and other related information regarding involvement in their child’s education.
2. Parents may check out materials, use the computer lab to check grades and visit educational web sites.
3. Parents will be encouraged to view the Title I Plan located in the parent resource center.
4. The school will make the technology lab available for parents three days per week before and after school.
5. The school will give out informational packets to parents which includes a copy of the school’s parental involvement plan, recommended roles for parents/ teachers/students and school, suggestions of ways parents can become involved in their child’s education, parental involvement activities planned for the current school year and information about the system that will be used to allow parents and teachers to communicate (notes, phone calls, e-mail…).
6. Include in the school’s policy handbook the school’s process for resolving parental concerns, including how to define a problem, whom to approach first, and how to develop solutions.
7. The principal has designated a certified staff member to serve as a parent facilitator.
8. The school will utilize the services of the Little Rock School District’s parent coordinator.
The school will develop and administer a parent survey to determine what activities parents would like to participate in and how they can contribute to the school community.
Pulaski Heights Elementary will use the parent interest surveys to select, plan and implement parental involvement activities. (Barbara Hall)
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