Parental Involvement Policy

Research shows that greater parental involvement leads to greater student achievement irrespective of such factors of socioeconomic status or ethnic background. The most accurate predictor of student academic achievement is the ability of the student’s family to create a home environment that encourages learning; to communicate high, yet reasonable, expectations for achievement; and to become involved in the student’s education.

~ Alan Blankstein, Failure Is Not an Option (2004), p. 168

Review the full policy at the links below.

Póliza Sobre La Participación de Padres

Parental Involvement Policy

(REVISED July 2011)

Mansfield ISD believes education requires a partnership between the home and school. To encourage parental involvement, the district shall actively pursue the following goals, as stated in the District Improvement Plan (DIP):

Communication and Parental Involvement

Publicize to parents the availability of programs K-12.
Each campus will provide attendance requirements to parents in the campus handbook.
Assist parents with efforts to keep students in school and prevent drop-outs.
Create a positive and parent-friendly environment on all campuses.
Provide recognition for community/business partnerships through local media such as Public Information Office, PTA newsletters, District publications, district websites and campus communications.
Maintain and update campus/district websites throughout the academic year to provide parents, students, community with current information.
Utilize the automated phone call-out system to communicate mass messages to parents at the district or campus level.
Provide district-wide communications in native languages of the clientele whenever necessary.
Provide an interpreter for District meetings whenever necessary.
Encourage campuses to seek bilingual employees.
Continue ESL and adult continuing education for the parents of students in MISD.
Continue providing timelines to all high school students through report card mailings, web postings and newspaper announcements of important dates relating to college preparation requirements to include District-wide College Readiness Testing.
Encourage all parents and staff to join and participate in Parent Teacher Association/Parent, Teacher (PTA), Student Associations (PTSA) meetings and functions.
Continue to provide training and equipment in order to facilitate effective communication, such as Outlook, AESOP, Infinite Campus, and other technology integration including web pages and grade information.
Provide an annual survey to District stakeholders to evaluate the effectiveness of communication and client relations at the campus and district levels.
Maintain a district-wide “Safe Schools Committee” consisting of a diverse group of District stakeholders.
Encourage volunteerism and provide procedures for screening and enlisting volunteers.
Promote personal phone calls, emails, and live conferences with parents.
Distribute Parental Involvement Policy to parents and staff.

Student Support

Provide supplemental support to K-12 campuses who have a threshold of 40% or greater economically disadvantaged students based on a 4 Tier funding system.
Each campus will maintain a Student Support Team (SST) to provide intervention/strategies to address academic and/or behavioral concerns.
Provide programs and/or classes to meet the needs and interests of all at-risk students (including Pregnancy Related Services) and students with dyslexia.
Provide faculty and staff with crises intervention training and de-escalation techniques for at-risk students.
Pursue and maintain partnerships among positive community resources to help in district-wide student programs.
Use distance learning at current campuses.
Clearly communicate high expectations for discipline and student achievement.
Communicate course content and grading expectations to parents for every class.

Safe and Drug-Free Schools

Train and maintain a campus management team to be assigned by the Principal.
Provide emergency management training for all staff members.
Conduct and review a triennial safety and security site survey of each campus in conjunction with the various safety drills on each campus, including severe weather drills, fire drills, intruder drills, “Shelter in Place” drills, and other crisis management drills.
Provide a formal written evaluation with recommendations of the State-mandated security site survey to the “Crisis Management Team” on each campus.
Maintain, review and revise as needed a written “Crisis Management Handbook.”
Provide training in conflict resolution, crisis management, violence intervention, anger management, and gang resistance as requested.
Provide training necessary to comply with SB 1196 (time-out and restraint).
Ensure an effective emergency communication system among staff at each campus.
Implement and/or upgrade security devices throughout the district (CCTV, access control, security and fire alarms, and hand-held radios).
Utilize Raptor system to monitor entry and access to district facilities.
Provide materials for prevention of drugs, alcohol, violence, physical or verbal aggression, as well as individual and family counseling.
MISD Police will provide parental sessions on drug awareness upon request by the campus or PTA.
Provide a discipline management program for prevention of and education concerning physical or verbal aggression, sexual harassment (dating violence is included in this definition) and other forms of bullying.
Protect students from computer misuse by publishing an Acceptable Use Policy for staff and students, filtering inappropriate Internet content, and teaching internet safety as part of the technology curriculum.
Provide for adequate police coverage for all campuses and activities throughout the District.
Report illegal campus activity to MISD police at 817-299-6000.
Continue to provide diversity training and disability awareness.
Continue to provide students with opportunities to understand and value diverse groups.

Highly Qualified Instruction

Ensure that all core academic classes are taught by highly qualified teachers.
Continue the District KEEPS mentor program for teachers with 0-2 years experience and/or teachers new to the district/assignment.
Continue employee onsite child care for children ages 2-5 during teacher contract days.
Continue to recognize employee contributions through the Heart Beat Team Award and Shining Star Awards.
Implement District recognition of campus-selected Teacher of the Year, Non-Teaching Professional of the Year, and Paraprofessional of the Year.
Continue to recognize employee service time in the district, in 5-year increments at the Employee Recognition Banquet.
Provide high quality staff development based on campus need as required by the No Child Left Behind Act.
Each campus will continue a system to implement, evaluate, and communicate effective staff development supporting a highly qualified staff based on data-driven needs and district standards.
Provide a calendar that allows district-wide staff development opportunities, including diversity training, vertical planning, and other special programs.
District and campuses will align staff development based on needs assessment.
Maintain and revise an aligned and integrated district-wide curriculum framework.
Maintain recruitment strategies to ensure a highly qualified and diverse staff to best serve the needs of Mansfield ISD students.
Administer a district survey dealing with job satisfaction and employee morale at each campus with published results and address and monitor areas of concern.

What Parents Can Do

Tell your children that education is important to you and why.
Require regular and prompt school attendance.
Provide a time and location in your home conducive for completing homework.
Make sure the school has your current address, phone numbers, and email addresses.
Monitor available technology such as Infinite Campus, MISD District & Campus Websites, MISD Blog, Twitter, etc.
Help students eat healthy, get enough sleep, and exercise. Healthy students learn better.
Assist students to be organized (due dates, avoiding late/lost book fines, etc.) and have the supplies they need for school.
Know your child’s teachers. If you can’t attend Open Houses or conferences in person, contact the teachers by email or arrange for a phone conference.
Read information that is sent home (Code of Conduct, Student Handbooks, flyers, planners, etc.) and respond appropriately.
Volunteer in your child’s school to the extent possible and/or join PTA/PTSA.
Monitor your child’s progress in school. Know what they are expected to learn and how they are progressing. Hold them accountable for school achievement.
Support the school in developing positive behaviors in your child that foster a safe learning environment.
Do not hesitate to contact the school and ask for help.