Lakewood City Schools District Level Parent Engagement Plan
Each of our Lakewood City Schools has a PTA or PTO among other parent groups providing ongoing support to our students and staff.
PTAs/PTOs meet monthly with teacher(s) and principal present to address plans, issues and items. PTA Council meets monthly with the Superintendent and administrative representation from elementary, middle and high school levels.
Parents are encouraged to volunteer as a part of Project MORE or in other less academic ways including engaging and participating in student and family events. Parents are encouraged to attend events such as Muffins with Mom, Donuts with Dad, Heritage Night, Math Night, career fairs and other educationally relevant offerings.
All buildings are engaged in the Ohio Improvement Process (OIP) and parents are given updates through the PTO/PTA standing agenda item. Parents are encouraged to offer their input on the continuous improvement process.
As a part of engaging parents in their children's education, each building offers a curriculum night or open house where parents can learn more about what goes on at school regarding structure of the day and ways in which the building addresses teaching the Ohio Learning Standards to all students. Parents also receive a copy of the building-level parent involvement plan.
Parents receive information regarding universal screening and if their student is not on track, parents receive information regarding the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and the Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans (RIMPS). That information includes what parents can do at home to support their child’s growth as a reader.
Parents are encouraged to engage with teachers via, email, phone calls and conferences. At least yearly parents are asked to attend a parent-teacher conference and more often for students with needs that warrant an IEP or 504 plan.
Parents are invited into buildings regularly to learn more about Title I services, programs used and instruction provided in a variety of ways. These include Open House, Curriculum Nights and other building specific opportunities. Parents are also encouraged to get school improvement process information through their PTA or via a direct link with their child’s principal for more information and ways to offer input into plans and processes.
Our Family Resource Coordinators at five Title I elementary buildings are social workers that engage families daily and help families to access needed supports. The Family Resource Coordinators hold a minimum of two district wide parent engagement events per year and hold regular parent drop-ins so that parents can learn more about services provided and how they can support the growth and development of their student.
At the District level we offer coordinator support, technical assistance, publicity and other supports to assist schools in planning and implementing effective parental involvement activities to improve student achievement. The District offers standards, assessment and curricular updates via our website as well as in person offerings. Progress monitoring info is communicated directly to parents via the student's teachers. Parents are offered direct literacy and technology training depending upon the age level of their child.
We have connections and linkages with our preschool parents whether those students attend LCS or other community preschools. All parents of preschool age children are invited to participate in our Kindergarten Information Night, which addresses early literacy and early numeracy skill development.
Parents are HIGHLY encouraged to participate in PTA and parent involvement offerings.
Those wishing to assist in the evaluation of this policy and wishing to provide input should contact the Department of Teaching and Learning, at 216-529-4023.
Families in which English is not their first language are encouraged to reach out to the child’s ESL teacher in order to access further supports.