Parent & Family Engagement Policy

Contact

Katherine Ford, Principal
2725 Cleveland Hwy.
Dalton, GA 30721
(706) 259-3920
katherine.ford@wcsga.net

Parent & Family Engagement Policy and Plan for Shared Student Success

Updated May 14, 2025 — Pleasant Grove Elementary will take the following measures to promote and support parents as an important foundation of the school in order to strengthen the school and reach our school goals. We will:

Ensure that all information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent home with students, is posted on the school web site, and is included in the school newsletter for all parents.
Provide trainings for staff on strategies to improve communication with parents and ideas to increase family engagement. Staff will also share best practices during regularly scheduled faculty meetings.
Share information on the school web site, social media, parent teacher conferences, for parents to understand the school’s academic standards and assessments as well as the ways parents can monitor their child’s progress and work with educators.
Communicate with all families and the community on a regular basis regarding school- wide events and activities, through phone messages, social media, and flyers.
Work with our parents to develop relevant trainings and helpful presentations to educate our staff on the importance of parental involvement.
Provide necessary materials and handouts for parents to help them work with their child to improve their child’s achievement.
Use our School Council at Pleasant Grove to discuss ways to improve awareness of the activities and events listed in the school parental involvement policy.
Put parents in touch with various community resources such as literacy and computer classes to help further enhance their various educational levels.
Collect feedback from parents at events throughout the year.

Resources

School Plan for Shared Student Achievement

What is it?
This is a plan that describes how Pleasant Grove Elementary will provide opportunities to improve parent engagement to support student learning. Pleasant Grove Elementary values the contributions and involvement of parents to establish an equal partnership for the common goal of improving student achievement. This plan describes the different ways that Pleasant Grove Elementary will support parent engagement and how parents can help plan and participate in activities and events to promote student learning at school and at home.

How is it revised?
Parent input and comments regarding this plan are welcome during the school year. The plan is posted on our school website for parents to view and submit feedback throughout the year. All parent feedback received during the year will be used to revise the plan for the next school year. We also distribute an annual survey online to ask parents for their suggestions on the plan and the use of funds for parental involvement. Parents can also give feedback during parent meetings, including parent teacher conferences, and other activities during the school year.

Who is it for?
All students participating in the Title I, Part A program, and their families, are encouraged and invited to fully participate in the opportunities described in this plan. Pleasant Grove Elementary will provide full opportunity for the participation of parents with limited English, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children.

Where is it available?
At the beginning of the year, the plan is made available to all students and their families at our Meet the Teacher event. It will also be posted on the school website. The plan and other important documents will be available at all parent/teacher conferences. Parents can also retrieve a copy of the plan by contacting the PGE Parent Resource Center, through the school office.

2025-2026 District & School Goals

2025-2026 District Goals

Goal 1: Increase the WCS graduation rate from 91.13% to 93.13% over the next three years for all students.
Goal 2: Reduce the achievement gap(s) in English Language Arts & Mathematics.
Goal 3: To increase the capacity of all WCS teachers and leaders to enhance student learning through evidence-based professional learning.

PGE School Improvement Goals

Goal 1: During the 2025–2026 school year, students at PGE will demonstrate a minimum 3% increase in reading performance, as measured by growth on the MAP assessment.
Goal 2: During the 2025–2026 school year, students at PGE will demonstrate a minimum 3% increase in mathematical performance, as measured by growth on the MAP assessment.
Goal 3: During the 2025 – 2026 school year, PGE will increase family engagement by 3%, measured through increased attendance at school events, parent/teacher conferences, and volunteering opportunities.

School–Parent Compacts

As part of this plan, Pleasant Grove Elementary and our families will develop a school-parent compact, which is an agreement that parents, teachers, and students will develop that explains how parents and teachers will work together to make sure all our students reach grade-level standards. The compacts will be reviewed and updated annually based on feedback from parents, students, and teachers at various times throughout the school year. Additional copies of the school-parent compacts are kept with each child’s teacher if parents need another copy.

Parental Resource Center & Involvement

Parent Resource Center

Resources are available in the Parent Resource Center. Parents have the opportunity to check out books, study materials, and activities to use at home with their child. Parents are invited to contact the school office for more information, Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Parental Involvement

Pleasant Grove Elementary believes that parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular two-way, meaningful communication discussing student academic learning and other school activities. We believe that parent involvement should ensure:

That parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning.
That parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education.
That parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.
The carrying out of other activities as described in this plan.

Parental Involvement Standards
Pleasant Grove Elementary and our parents have adopted the National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnerships as the school’s model in engaging parents, students, and the community. These standards are:

Welcoming All Families
Communicating Effectively
Supporting Student Success
Speaking Up for Every Child
Sharing Power
Collaborating with Community

Helping at Home

One of the most frequent questions we get from parents is, “How can I help my child at home?” Fortunately, there are lots of ways. Here are just a few:

Read to and with your child each day.
Find fun ways to apply skills being learned at school.
Utilize the Internet and other web apps with your child (Reflex Math, etc.).
3rd-5th grade parents can access Infinite Campus to help keep track of grades throughout the year.

What is Title I?

Pleasant Grove Elementary is identified as a Title I school as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Title I is designed to support State and local school reform efforts tied to challenging state academic standards to reinforce and enhance efforts to improve teaching and learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support parental involvement. All Title I schools must jointly develop with all parents a written parental involvement policy.

Parental Involvement Events

Pleasant Grove Elementary will host the following events to build the capacity for strong parental involvement to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement.

Meet the Teacher - August 4, 2025
Meet your child’s teacher(s) and learn helpful information to prepare for the upcoming school year.

Annual Title I Meetings & Open House – September 2025
We invite you to our Annual Title I Meetings, a video of learning and sharing about our Title I program, including our parental involvement policy, the schoolwide plan, the school-parent compacts, and parents’ requirements. Information will be posted in the school newsletter, on the school Class Dojo page, and on the school Facebook page, as well as local media. The video will be located on our school website and Facebook page.

Student of the Month Recognition - Monthly
Parents are invited to attend our monthly Student of the Month Recognition where we recognize our students who have shown exemplary character.

Scholastic Book Fair – Families are invited to shop the book fair with their children!

Thanksgiving & Christmas Lunch - November & December 2025
Families are invited to join us for a special lunch to celebrate Thanksgiving with their student. Parent-Teacher and Student Conferences– Conferences will be held in-person and virtually as needed to discuss your child’s progress.

Title I Family Nights- Fall 2025 & Winter 2026

Families are invited to join their students as they explore educational activities
and content together.

We welcome parents to give feedback at each event.

Pleasant Grove Elementary is committed to helping our parents attend the parental activities listed in this plan. Please call or email us if you need assistance with childcare or transportation in order to participate in our programs at (706) 969-0349 or katherine.ford@wcsga.net.

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