The Garland Independent School District
Title I, Part A Parent and Family Engagement Policy
2024-2025

Title I, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides federal funding for schools with a high percentage of students who qualify for the free/reduced lunch program. Sixty-seven campuses within Garland ISD receive Title I, Part A funding. Title I, Part A funds are used to ensure that all students meet the state’s high academic standards. Garland ISD (GISD) uses these funds to pay for additional teachers and campus support staff, technology and supplemental learning resources.

Each GISD campus that receives Title I, Part A funds must have a Parent and Family Engagement Policy that describes how parents and schools can work together to support student achievement. In addition, Garland ISD also has a District Parent and Family Engagement Policy that describes how GISD will support family engagement. Both the campus and district policies are developed with the input of GISD families and community stakeholders. The campus and district policies are reviewed and updated annually.

Garland ISD will collaborate with parents and families in the development of the District Improvement Plan, Title I, Part A Program Plan, the Parent and Family Engagement Policy, and the campus review and improvement process.

• Garland ISD jointly develops and approves the district improvement plan with parents and families through the District Education Improvement Committee.
• The district Parent Advisory Committee will take part in the development and approval of the Title I Program Plan and the District Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy.
• Campus Improvement Plans are jointly developed with parents through the Campus Improvement Team, which is composed of campus staff, parents, and community members.

Garland ISD will support Title I, Part A Program campuses in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance.

• The Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Department provides support to departments and campuses in their family engagement efforts as requested (training, collaboration, and consultation).
• The FACE Department provides assistance with the evaluation of the campus parent and family engagement plan through an annual Title I survey.
• The FACE Department provides training for staff and parents in the development of the campus parent and family engagement plan, assists campuses in identifying effective family engagement practices, and provides community presentations.
• The FACE Department provides professional development and ongoing support to designated campus Family Engagement Contacts to ensure that campuses can implement research-based family engagement initiatives.

Garland ISD will build the schools’ and parents’ ability to create strong family engagement.

• Parents may be assisted in understanding state standards, district, and school assessments, and how to monitor a child’s progress in the following ways:
  • The District will provide the Testing Calendar online so parents can stay informed of the testing schedule.
  • GISD assists parents in monitoring their child’s progress through Skyward and frequent reports of student progress. Training in Skyward is available through the local campus.
  • The district provides an assessment page on the district website to assist parents in understanding the assessments given, what they measure, and how the schools and families will use these to measure student academic progress and placement.
  • Each Title I Campus conducts activities designed to assist parents in understanding state and district assessments and achievement standards.
  • Each campus sends information to parents about standardized assessments to help them understand their child’s test results.
  • GISD will provide parent workshops that cover diverse topics such as supporting students, parenting, and partnering with schools.
  • The FACE Department will provide professional development to campuses to create a welcoming campus environment for parents and families.
• Garland ISD will provide materials and training to help parents work with their child, such as literacy training and using technology.
  • Each Title I campus provides training for parents according to the results of their Comprehensive Needs Assessment. This may include technology and literacy training as well as other topics identified.
  • To support shared reading at home, all GISD students will have access to a personalized, digital book library via MyOn.
  • The Family and Community Engagement Department provides resources to campuses and facilitates parent workshops that comply with state and federal requirements for family engagement.
  • GISD conducts district-wide parent-technology events to showcase tools and resources that families can access to support learning at home.
• Garland ISD will, with the assistance of parents and families, educate principals, teachers, and other staff in the value and utility of contributions of parents, how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, how to implement and coordinate parent programs, and how to build ties between parents and the schools.
  • Training is provided to schools on developing their campus parent and family engagement plan.
  • GISD provides professional development sessions for campus staff to support best practices for family engagement.
  • The district designates November of each year as Family Engagement Month to emphasize the importance of partnerships between families and schools.
• Garland ISD will ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is provided to parents in a format and language the parents can understand whenever reasonably possible.
  • Information and documents important to parents and families are located on the district website in appropriate languages.
  • Each Title I campus is required to document the manner in which it notifies parents in a language and format that is easily understood.
  • GISD notifies parents of district-wide parent events in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
  • Interpretation in Spanish and Vietnamese for district-wide events is provided upon request.

Garland ISD will coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies with other local parent involvement programs.

• Garland ISD will provide reasonable support for family engagement activities.
  • GISD will provide support to parent/student advocacy organizations PTA/PTSA board that meet regularly to support the parent and school relationship.
  • Booster clubs and other parent organizations may receive support for their activities through the neighborhood campus.
  • Campuses will work with local parent involvement programs to include them in their parent involvement activities as appropriate.

Garland ISD will develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses to take part in parent and family engagement activities.

• GISD works with businesses and the community to involve them in parent involvement activities at the campus and district level.
• GISD will maintain a volunteer website to improve communication between schools and community partners to link resources to needs.
• GISD will identify community agencies and facilitate referrals based on community needs and volunteers’ interests.
• GISD will provide opportunities to communicate district goals to stakeholders and provide updates annually.

Garland ISD will conduct an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the Parent and Family Engagement Policy in improving the academic quality of Title I, Part A Program participating schools. This evaluation, the Title I Family Engagement Survey, is distributed to parents and families and seeks to identify barriers that inhibit greater participation. The findings will be used to design strategies for more effective parent and family engagement, and the Policy will be revised as necessary.