Parent and Family Engagement Policy and Compact

Title 1 Parent and Family Engagement Policy and Compact for 2024-25

Purpose of this Policy and Compact 

Efforts will be made to clearly articulate the school’s intentions to engage with and involve parents/caregivers in the educational process. 

Washington Mill Elementary, a Title I school within Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), utilizes Title I funding to enhance student achievement and help all students meet the objectives of the FCPS Program of Studies and the Virginia Standards of Learning. A strong partnership with families is essential to achieving this goal.

Under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, schools receiving Title I funds must work with families to develop and maintain a Parent and Family Engagement Policy. This policy outlines the school’s commitment to engaging families in their children’s learning, as well as a compact that establishes partnerships between staff, caregivers, and students to promote high academic achievement for all students.

Washington Mill Elementary collaborated with the school community to create this policy and compact for the 2024-2025 school year. The provisions outlined meet both state and federal expectations. The policy is shared with all caregivers in a language they understand, and they are encouraged to provide feedback by contacting school administrators or staff via email, phone, or in person. Feedback is included in submissions to FCPS and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and made available on the school’s website.

Important Dates 

Parent-Teacher Conferences 

  • November 4 &5
  •  additional dates, as needed. 

Interim Report Distribution

  •    September 26
  •    December 19
  •    February 27
  •    May 15

Progress Report Distribution 

  • November 14
  • February 6
  • April 10
  • June 11

School Events

  • Return to School Open House - August 16  
  • Principal Coffee Talk – August 19
  • Back to School Night - September 5
  • Annual Title I Meeting - September 5 
  • Wolf Pack Wobble – October 18
  • Trunk or Treat - October 24
  • Veterans Day Breakfast - November 8
  • Math Olympiad – November 16
  • Thanksgiving Lunch – November 21
  • PTA Holiday Event – December 18
  • Spelling Bee – February 27
  • After school clubs – March 12 - April 9
  • Spring Fling - April 24

Building Capacity for Engagement 

Efforts will be made to ensure parents/caregivers are actively involved in the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the school’s Title I program, including the following: 

  • Include family members in decision-making through committees like Title I Parent Advisory, School Improvement & Innovation Plan (SIIP), PTA Advisory, and Wolf Pack Wobble fundraising.
  • Engage caregivers in developing plans such as the SIIP, Comprehensive Needs Assessment, and Title I Family Engagement Policy, and in deciding how to use Title I family engagement funds.
  • Gather feedback from families on SIIP-related programs, and address concerns through multiple communication channels, ensuring feedback is sent to FCPS central offices.
  • Invite families to organize and participate in events like Trunk or Treat, Spring Fling, and the Wolf Pack Wobble, building shared ownership of school activities.
  • Offer opportunities for caregivers to volunteer in various school roles, including supporting the cafeteria, classrooms, and after-school programs.
  • Involve families in the annual evaluation of Title I policies to identify barriers to engagement, ways to assist with student learning, and strategies to improve family-school interactions.

Effective Communication with Parents 

Efforts will be made to ensure parents/caregivers receive meaningful communication in a timely manner, including the following: 

  • Using multiple communication platforms such as Twitter (@WashMillES), the school website, Washington Mill News You Choose, and neighborhood connections.
  • Encouraging families to attend monthly PTA meetings and the annual Title I meeting, where they can learn about Title I services, grant requirements, and their rights to involvement.
  • Sharing school and student performance data with families at PTA meetings, Advanced Academic parent nights, and other events to gather input on improving student outcomes.
  • Hosting events throughout the year, including science and literacy nights, where families can better understand academic goals and explore ways to support student learning.
  • Providing access to student progress through platforms like Schoology and Google Classroom and ensuring ongoing communication between families and teachers via email or phone.
  • Conducting parent-teacher conferences at least annually in the fall, with additional conferences

Shared Responsibilities for High Academic Achievement 

Efforts will be made to ensure parents/caregivers receive materials, training, and benefits from school partnerships with social and academic services, community-based organizations, and businesses, including the following: 

School Staff will:

  • Provide high-quality instruction aligned with state standards and use approved curriculum resources.
  • Offer ongoing professional development to ensure effective teaching practices.
  • Collaborate with specialists and the MTSS team to meet students' needs.
  • Foster a supportive, safe, and welcoming learning environment, implementing Responsive Classroom strategies.

Caregivers will:

  • Be actively involved in their child’s education by participating in school decisions, volunteering as their schedule allows, and encouraging learning at home.
  • Support their child by reviewing assignments, monitoring technology use, and communicating with teachers as needed.
  • Ensure their child attends school on time and reads for 20 minutes each night.

Students will:

  • Take responsibility for their academic success by coming to school prepared, trying their hardest, and respecting classmates' learning time.
  • Ask for help when needed, follow school rules, and work towards achieving high academic standards.

Welcoming All Families 

Efforts will be made to ensure that all parents/caregivers are welcomed and provided opportunities to actively engage within the school, including the following: 

  • Create a welcoming atmosphere at the school with photos of students and families in all hallways, hiring qualified bilingual staff, engaging in the Positivity Project highlighting weekly positive characteristics.
  • Provide interpretation services for parent-teacher conferences, workshops, and meetings.
  • Translate or provide interpretation of all school documents and communication to make them accessible in the caregiver’s preferred correspondence language and for those with vision or hearing impairments.
  • Support two-way communication between families and staff through assistance of a parent liaison for parent-teacher conferences, headphones available for translation during schoolwide events, home-visits, and assistance with transportation.
  • Expand access for family participation in informational meetings and learning sessions through a range of schoolwide events. 

Compact Provisions 

School staff, parents/caregivers, and students must work together to ensure a student success.   

 The staff will:

Provide a high-quality curriculum and instruction that enables students to meet challenging academic standard through the following actions:

  • Teach all students according to the state’s challenging standards, using approved curriculum resources.
  • Provide ongoing professional development and support to all teachers to ensure effective instructional practices are used in all classrooms.
  • Collaborate with pertinent specialists in the school when needed as well as the MTSS team.
  • Participate in Collaborative Learning Teams (CLTs) two times per week with grade level teams.

Provide a supportive and effective learning environment for students through the following actions:

  • Provide clear expectations for student behavior and academic learning.
  • Offer a variety of resources to help students with their learning.
  • Promote a safe and welcoming environment, where each student feels like they belong.
  • Receive and implement Responsive Classroom strategies for community building.

Aid caregivers in understanding the school’s program through the following actions:

  • Hold an annual meeting to present information on the school’s Title I programs, state and division curriculum and assessments, and the school’s state and federal accountability status.
  • Provide multiple opportunities for caregivers to ask questions and give input into the Title I programs.
  • Respond to parents within 24 hours.
  • Update and monitor classroom Schoology site regularly with homework and academic information.

Build caregivers'  involvement in the school’s Title I program through the following actions:

  • Include caregivers as members of the School Improvement & Innovation Planning (SIIP)Committee and as collaborators in developing the Title I Schoolwide Plan and plans for the use of Title I family engagement funds.
  • Offer families a variety of ways to help students practice reading and math skills.
  • Allow for parents to volunteer in the classroom and other school areas throughout the school year.

 The parents/caregivers will:

Demonstrate understanding that participation in my child’s education will help his or her achievement through the following actions:

  • Participate in decisions related to school programs and my child’s education and share my questions or comments about the programs in my child’s school.
  • Volunteer in my child’s classroom or in school activities, as my schedule allows.
  • Encourage and support my child’s learning at home and at school. 
  • Go over my child’s assignments with him or her, monitor TV, computer, and phone use.
  • Respond when my child’s teacher tries to contact me.
  • Spend 20 minutes a night reading with my child.
  • Make sure that my child is at school on time and inform the school when my child will be absent.

 The student will:

Share the responsibility to improve my academic learning to achievethe state’s challenging standards through the following actions:

  • Get enough sleep every night and come to school on time unless I am sick. 
  • Try my hardest and work with my classmates to complete learning tasks, refrain from disrupting my peers from their learning
  • Give my parents all notes and papers from my teacher. 
  • If I have a problem, I will ask for help from an adult; try to make everyone feel safe.
  • Be responsible for my own behavior; follow classroom and WMES rules.
  • Try my best each day.