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.  

Cameron Elementary is a Title I school within Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) and utilizes the Title I grant to improve student achievement and help all students meet the objectives of the FCPS Program of Studies and the Virginia Standards of Learning. A partnership with families is essential to meeting this goal.  

Under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, schools that receive Title I funds are expected to collaborate with families to develop and maintain a parent and family engagement policy that describes the school’s approach to involve families in students’ learning and includes a compact expressing the partnerships among staff, caregivers, and students to reach high academic goals for every student.  

Cameron Elementary jointly developed this policy and compact with members of the school community and adopted it for the 2024-2025 school year. Several of the provisions specifically address state or federal expectations for the policy and compact.  

This policy and compact is distributed to all caregivers in a language that families can understand. Caregivers have opportunities to provide comments and feedback on the policy and compact through the Title 1 Annual Meeting. Comments are submitted with the school’s policy and compact to FCPS central offices and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). This policy and compact are made available to the broader school community through the school website.

Important Dates       

Parent-Teacher Conferences                                                 

• November 4th&5th
• Additional dates by appointment

Progress Report Distribution

• November 12, 2024
• February 4, 2025
• April 7, 2025
• June 12, 2025

School Events

• Back to School Night August 28th
• Parent Coffees September 16th, November 14th, monthly beginning in January
• No Sale Yard Sale November 14th
• International Night April 10th

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: 

◊ Provide family members a voice in decision-making on committees, such as the school boards’s Title 1 Parent Advisory Committee, School Improvement and Innovation Planning (SIIP) Team , and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). 

◊ Involve caregiver input in the development of the School Improvement and Innovation Plan (SIIP), Comprehensive Needs Assessment, the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Compact for use of Title I family engagement funding.  

◊ Engage families in organizing and executing a variety of school events to build collective ownership, such as Book Fairs, International Night, and other PTA/school events. 

◊ Partner with families in their child’s education via parent conferences, Talking Points, phone calls and other methods of communication.

◊ Provide opportunities for caregivers to volunteer within the school in various ways, such as PTA membership,  room parents, library helpers, and after school club facilitators. 

◊ Encourage families to take part in the annual evaluation of the division-level Title I parent and family engagement policy in order to identify:  

• barriers to greater family participation,  

• ways to help family members be better able to assist in student learning, and  

• strategies to support successful school and family interactions.  

Effective Communication with Parents

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

◊ Use multiple methods of communication to families such as FCPS News You Choose, Wednesday folders, phone calls, Talking Points, grade level newsletters, social media, and the school webpage.

◊ Encourage all caregivers to attend an annual meeting on November 11th. During this PTA meeting information will be shared about Title I services, explaining Title I grant requirements, and informing families of their right to be involved in the school.  

◊ Share school and student performance data with families in ways that seek their ideas about how to improve performance toward Virginia’s challenging academic standards, such as information nights, parent conferences, and PTA meetings. 

◊ Maintain resources for caregivers to review student assignments and ongoing communication about student work, such as weekly folders, interim reports, progress reports, emails, phone calls, and Talking Points.   

◊ Provide ongoing feedback on student progress through quarterly progress reports that show specific areas of proficiency and areas for continued growth.  

◊ Hold parent-teacher conferences for all students at least annually in the fall and more often, as needed. 

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 organizations, businesses, including the following:

◊ Hold workshops connecting caregivers with resources for topics such as internet safety,  advanced academics, and support families in building Literacy and Math skills.    

◊ Offer regular opportunities for families to learn directly from school staff about the school’s      academic, behavioral, and social programming through PTA meeting, Wednesday Folders, Grade Level newsletters, and social emotional resources. 

◊ Encourage participation in family learning events where caregivers learn strategies to support their child’s learning at home and have a chance to practice those strategies with their child, such as Math Night, Literacy Night, and SEL Night. 

◊ Provide ongoing access to resources in the school, such as the Family Resource Center, parenting classes, and HIPPY.

◊ Provide mentors for students though the collaboration of our school counselor. 

◊ Provide opportunities to donate and access supplies donated by others, such as the No Sale Yard Sale, school supply closet, and winter coat drive. 

◊ Leverage partnerships with local businesses and organizations to enhance school programs and events, such as Patient 1st. 

◊ Support parents in accessing county and community resources, such as health care, counseling, and tutoring.

◊ Provide various before or school enrichment opportunities such as; Math Olympiad, Science Olympiad, Chess, and Girl/Boy scouts.

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 courteous faculty and staff, welcoming signs, availability of resources in a variety of languages. 

◊ Utilize a family liaison to strengthen parent-community-school partnerships.

◊ 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 family liaison or United Language for interpretation, translation, and information about community resources. 

◊ Expand access for family participation in informational meetings and learning sessions through FCPS News You Choose, Monthly PTA Meetings and Curriculum nights. 

Compact Provisions  

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

The staff will:

Provide a high-quality curriculum and positive learning environment that enables and empowers students to meet challenging academic standards through the following actions.

◊ Teach all students according to the state’s challenging standards, using approved curriculum and resources.       

◊ Engage in  ongoing professional development and support to all teachers to ensure effective instructional practices are used in all classrooms.  

◊ Consistently review student data to inform decision making.

◊ Collaboratively meet as a grade level team to plan high quality instructional content as well as address SEL needs.

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.  

◊ Implement Responsive Classroom strategies to build positive relationships; including a daily Morning Meeting and closing reflections.

◊ Focus on collaboration, inquiry, and organization via the AVID approach.

◊ Provide assistance to 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 in the Title I program(s).

◊ Share information via flyers, parent nights, school events, and social media.

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

◊ Include caregivers as members of the School Improvement and Innovation Planning (SIIP) Committee and, as collaborators, in developing the SIIP and plans for the use of Title I family engagement funds.  

◊ Provide multiple opportunities for parents to receive an overview of the schools Title 1 program, including meetings that provide an opportunity for questions and input.

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. 

◊ Send my child to school on time, well rested and prepared for learning. 

The student will:

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

◊ Take care of their mind and body by eating well, staying hydrated, limit screen time,  and getting enough rest.

◊ Maintain good attendance. 

◊ Try my hardest and work with my classmates to complete learning tasks. 

◊ Share Wednesday folder information with their families.   

◊ Be an advocate for themselves and persevere through challenges