Rhea County's Family Engagement Plan

• To help families establish home environments to support children as students.

• To establish effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and children's progress.

• To actively recruit, organize, and support parental help and assistance.

• To provide information and ideas to parents and families about how to help students at home with homework, curriculum-related activities, decisions, and planning.

• To promote including parents in school decisions and developing parent leaders and representatives.

• To identify and promote the use of community resources necessary to strengthen school programs, family engagement, and student learning.

• To promote and support parent-teacher organizations, and community volunteers.

• To promote schools that welcome parents and other stakeholders to a friendly and service oriented environment

Across the nation, families, schools, communities, and employers are working together to improve student achievement. These efforts emphasize greater family involvement in children’s learning; building and supporting partnerships among families, schools, and communities; and sharing responsibility for learning so that students learn to high standards.  It is key for all stakeholders to be included in making these partnerships successful and long lasting.

The Rhea County Department of Education recognizes that a child's education is a responsibility shared by the school and family during the entire period the child spends in school. To support the goal of the school district to educate all students effectively, the schools and parents must work as knowledgeable partners. Above all it is the shared responsibility of families and schools that is key to strengthening student academic success.

Although parents are diverse in culture, language, and needs, they share the school's commitment to the educational success of their children. This school district and the schools within its boundaries, in collaboration with parents, shall establish programs and practices that enhance family engagement and reflect the specific needs of students and their families.  Strategies will take into account barriers confronting families, schools, and the community such as time and resource constraints, information and training, school structure, school-family differences, and external partnerships thereby securing ways to reduce the obstacles to effective family engagement.

To this end, the Rhea County School System supports the development, implementation, and regular evaluation of the Family Engagement program in each school, which will involve parents at all grade levels in a variety of roles. To facilitate the coordination and implementation, The Rhea County School System has hired a parent coordinator The Family Engagement programs will be comprehensive and coordinated in nature. They will include, but not be limited to, the following components of successful Family Engagement programs:

• Communication between home and school is regular, two-way, and meaningful

• Responsible parenting is promoted and supported.

• Parents play an integral role in assisting student learning through such strategies as homework help, discipline support and improved attendance.

• The course of study for Rhea County Schools is the TN State Curriculum which is available on the state web site (www.state.tn.us/education) For web access, computers are located in the public libraries, schools and district office.

• Parents are welcome in the school, and their support and assistance are sought.

• Parents are full partners in the decisions that affect children and families.

• Community resources are made available to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning.

• Coordination and integration of family engagement strategies with the public state funded pre-k program, Head Start, and Even Start by providing materials and technical assistance.

The Rhea County Department of Education supports professional development opportunities for staff members to enhance understanding of effective family engagement strategies. The school system also recognizes the importance of administrative leadership in setting expectations and creating a climate conducive to parental participation.  Training will be available for parent access as well as the pre-K staff.

In addition to the Family Engagement Plan at the school level, the Rhea County Department of Education supports the development, implementation, and annual evaluation of the District Family Engagement Plan to involve parents in the decisions and practices of the school district, using to the degree possible, the components listed above. Engaging parents is essential to improved student achievement. This school district shall foster and support active family engagement.  With input from parents, modifications and adjustments to the existing program strategies and plan shall be taken into consideration and revisions made as deemed appropriate by the Family Engagement Team.