• Belton Independent School District

    Parent and Family Engagement Plan

    Belton ISD is committed to empowering each and every learner to pursue their dreams and enrich their communities.  To accomplish this vision, partnerships must be established with parents and the community.  Neither home nor school can do the job alone.  Families’ support for their student, and for the school, is critical to their student’s success at every step along the way.

    Parent and Family Engagement Plan Components

    Involve parents in planning

    The Belton ISD Districtwide Educational Improvement Council (DWEIC) and Campus Improvement Teams are comprised of parents, community members, teachers, campus administrators and staff, and district administrators.  DWEIC, along with input from the Campus Improvement Teams, will annually review and revise as necessary the Parent and Family Engagement (PFE) Plan and program activities.  The PFE plan will be shared with parents at the campus and district level and posted on the Belton ISD website.

    Communicate with parents and families

    Belton ISD is committed to engaging parents and community through a variety of techniques.  Various methods of communication provide parents with timely and accurate information, building trust and confidence in the district.  Our district values both at-home contributions and those which take place at school and in the community.  Families will have opportunities for involvement through:

    • Volunteer, field trips, classroom support, homeroom parents

    • Campus PTA or PTO organizations

    • Advisory Committees including one for the ESL/SSL program

    Belton ISD will ensure that information related to the school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities, is provided to parents of participating students in an understandable and uniform format, and to the extent practical, in a language that parents can understand.  Public notification about meetings, trainings, and events will be distributed through the district and campus websites, email, notifications sent home with students, personal contacts, phone calls/text messages, and other means.  Communication is translated into Spanish where applicable and translations are provided at events when requested.

    Title I, Part A campuses in Belton ISD will conduct a flexible number of meetings to inform parents of the school’s participation in Title I, its requirements, and the right to be involved in Title I, Part A programs.  The school will convene the meetings, led by the campus principal, at a convenient time for parents and will offer additional flexible parent meetings to allow for the participation of as many parents as possible.

    Coordinate program support

    Belton ISD will provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parent engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance through the following:

    • Annual training on Title I parent and family engagement statutory requirements for campus administrators

    • Provision of strategies within the District and Campus Improvement Plans designed to support successful school and family interactions

    • Conduct district-wide, specialized training events for parents including the adult ESL/SSL class

    Evaluate the plan

    Belton ISD will assess the needs of parents and students in the school community using a variety of tools and processes.  The District will use the findings of the evaluation to design evidence-based strategies to revise both the Title I program and improvement plans to meet current needs.  Strategies and metrics for measuring success will be embedded in the District and/or Campus Improvement Plans. Feedback from parents will be considered in developing these plans.

    Build capacity

    Belton ISD will build the capacity of schools and parents to work together to improve their student’s academic achievement and school performance through the following activities:

    1. Belton ISD, with the assistance of its Title I, Part A schools, will provide assistance to parents in understanding topics such as:

    • The curriculum in use at the school

    • The state’s academic standards

    • The state and local academic assessments

    • How to monitor their student’s progress

    • How to work with educators to improve their student’s achievement 

    It will do so with the assistance of its Title I, Part A schools through the provision of:

    • Parent conferences and communication including virtual meetings

    • Open House and Meet the Teacher events

    • Family engagement events

    • Site-based decision making

    • Parent education on how to be involved in their student’s education

     

    1. Belton ISD, with the assistance of campus leadership, will provide materials and training to help parents work with their student engagement through:

    • BIL Parent programs

    • Reading strategies

    • Make and take activities

    • Training and awareness of Skyward Family Access

    • Providing strategies for parents to extend and enrich their student’s learning beyond the classroom

     

    1. Belton ISD will, with the assistance of schools and parents, educate teachers, principals, and other staff in the value of the contributions of parents and how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners.  Annual training for staff members at each Title I campus will address the critical importance of parent engagement in student success.

     

    1. The District will support Title I schools in the development of the School-Parent-Student Partnership Pledge which enables the school and parents to share the responsibility for student academic achievement.  The pledge will be shared annually with elementary school parents by campus principals.

    Provide for family engagement activities

    Because Belton ISD receives more than $500,000 in Title I, Part A funds, the district will reserve 1% of the funds received for parent engagement activities.  The funds will be divided among the Title I campuses and used to support activities deemed allowable by the campus principal and Director of Federal Programs.

    Coordinate parent involvement programs 

    Belton ISD will coordinate and integrate parental engagement strategies and activities with Head Start, Communities in Schools, public preschool and other community programs, and conduct activities that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their student.

    To avoid duplication of services and to ensure coordination of resources, the district will coordinate family engagement strategies and activities across programs.  Coordination will occur with campuses, departments within the district, and the various planned activities supported by local funds, state compensatory funds, and federal grants.

    Rev. 02.14.2022 clr