Arkansas § 6-15-1702 - Parental involvement plan.

§ 6-15-1702. Parental involvement plan.

Each public school district and each public school within its boundaries, in collaboration with parents, shall establish a parental involvement plan, including programs and practices that enhance parental involvement and reflect the specific needs of students and their families. The parental involvement program in each school shall: Involve parents of students at all grade levels in a variety of roles; Be comprehensive and coordinated in nature; Recognize that communication between home and school should be regular, two-way, and meaningful. To encourage communication with parents, the school shall: Prepare an informational packet to be distributed annually to the parent of each child in the school, appropriate for the age and grade of the child, describing: The school's parental involvement program; The recommended role of the parent, student, teacher, and school; Ways for the parent to become involved in the school and his or her child's education; A survey for the parent regarding his or her interests concerning volunteering at the school; Activities planned throughout the school year to encourage parental involvement; and A system to allow the parents and teachers to communicate in a regular, two-way, and meaningful manner with the child's teacher and the school principal; and Schedule no fewer than two (2) parent-teacher conferences per school year. The school may plan and engage in other activities determined by the school to be beneficial to encourage communication with parents; Promote and support responsible parenting. To promote and support responsible parenting, the school shall, as funds are available: Purchase parenting books, magazines, and other informative material regarding responsible parenting through the school library, advertise the current selection, and give parents an opportunity to borrow the materials for review; Create parent centers; and Plan and engage in other activities determined by the school to be beneficial to promoting and supporting responsible parenting; Acknowledge that parents play an integral role in assisting student learning. To help parents in assisting students, the school shall: Schedule regular parent involvement meetings at which parents are given a report on the state of the school and an overview of: What students will be learning; How students will be assessed; What a parent should expect for his or her child's education; and How a parent can assist and make a difference in his or her child's education; Provide instruction to a parent on how to incorporate developmentally appropriate learning activities in the home environment, including without limitation: Role play and demonstration by trained volunteers; The use of and access to Division of Elementary and Secondary Education website tools for parents; Assistance with nutritional meal planning and preparation; and Other strategies or curricula developed or acquired by the school district for at-home parental instruction approved by the division; and Engage in other activities determined by the school to help a parent assist in his or her child's learning; Welcome parents into the school and seek parental support and assistance. To welcome parents into the school, the school shall: Not have any school policies or procedures that would discourage a parent from visiting the school or from visiting a child's classrooms; Encourage school staff to use the volunteer surveys to compile a volunteer resource book listing the interests and availability of volunteers so that school staff may: Determine how frequently a volunteer would like to participate, including the option of just one (1) time per year; Include options for those who are available to help at home; and Help match school needs with volunteer interests; and Engage in other activities determined by the school to welcome parents into the school; Recognize that a parent is a full partner in the decisions that affect his or her child and family. To encourage a parent to participate as a full partner in the decisions that affect his or her child and family, the school shall: 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; Sponsor seminars to inform the parents of high school students about how to be involved in the decisions affecting course selection, career planning, and preparation for postsecondary opportunities; and Engage in other activities that the school determines will encourage a parent to participate as a full partner in the decisions that affect his or her child and family; Recognize that community resources strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning. To take advantage of community resources, the school shall: Consider recruiting alumni from the school to create an alumni advisory commission to provide advice and guidance for school improvement; Enable the formation of a parent-teacher association or organization that will foster parental and community involvement within the school. Leaders of this organization shall be utilized in appropriate decisions affecting the children and families; and Engage in other activities that the school determines will use community resources to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning; and Support the development, implementation, and regular evaluation of the program to involve parents in the decisions and practices of the school district, using, to the degree possible, the components listed in this section. The principal of each school in a school district shall designate one (1) licensed staff member who is willing to serve as a parent facilitator to: Help organize meaningful training for staff and parents; Promote and encourage a welcoming atmosphere to foster parental involvement in the school; and Undertake efforts to ensure that parental participation is recognized as an asset to the school. The licensed staff member serving as a parental facilitator shall receive supplemental pay for the assigned duties as required by law.