TITLE I PARENT

ACADEMY NIGHT
An Elementary Program Communication Event

Abstract
Green Elementary’s Title I PARENT ACADEMY was designed for parents with staff members and
community stakeholders. Designed to effectively communicate, educate, and address student’s
learning needs in the areas of Math, Reading, Writing, and to effectively teach families how to
properly combat student anxiety, increase focus and attention, while arming families with
effective means, free resources, and useful tips to help build social and emotional learning within
the home setting.

Meghan Ciacchella
megciacchella@gmail.com
PROGRAM RATIONALE:

The Title I students at Green Elementary, a Target Assist Title I building in L’Anse Creuse

Public Schools (LCPS), included approximately 39% (inclusive of all grades K-5) that received free

and reduced lunch as well as qualified for receiving additional Title funded academic support. In an

effort to comply with national guidelines and utilize specific allocated funding for Title I purposes

only, a team of three staff leaders were given the directive to plan, create, and coordinate a Title I

academic and social/emotional learning event for parents to attend in the spring of 2019.

PROGRAM PUPROSE:

The Parent Academy program was designed with the specific intent to effectively

communicate, clarify, and address academic and social/emotional concerns solicited from grades K-

5 Title I parents/families within our Green Elementary community. The purpose of our event was

twofold: to communicate and provide additional educational resources and support in the areas of

Math, Reading, and Writing for Title I families to utilize at home with their children, as well as to

address growing social and emotional concerns displayed by our students with Mindfulness. Using

Title I funding, parent perception survey results, staff perception survey results, and our district Needs

Assessment data, teacher leaders created three informative sessions by purchasing math games

focused on multiplication and addition, various genre and grade level specific books, and free

supplemental information to support math vocabulary, three genres of writing (narrative, informative,

and opinion), Reading comprehension book talks, and Mindful activities for focusing and calming.

PROGRAM DESIGN:

The program design was as follows: 6-6:30 free dinner catered for all those in attendance,

6:30-7:45 academic support breakout sessions for parents to attend while students enjoy free

babysitting services provided by our community outreach program through the local LCPS high

school National Honor Society and former Green Elementary Graduates (three sessions in total on
Math and Mindfulness: Minding our Minds, Reading, and Writing), 7:45 Raffle off of community

donated items, 7:50-8:00 parent perception post-event survey administered in the Computer Lab.

MARKETING and COMMUNICATION OF PROGRAM

The program invitation was given to selected and qualifying Title I student candidates. The

flyer was digitally distributed for staff members to attach in their newsletters or emails. Green

Elementary’s administrative and secretarial staff distributed surveys through school wide Remind

App for parents. In addition to the paper and digital copies, teachers were encouraged to specifically

remind parents in person during parent pick-up and drop-off through conversations. In order to

increase attendance, the Parent Academy team leaders solicited raffle items, offered free baby-sitting,

and catered dinner with leftovers provided for the community (a necessity for our Title base).

VERTICAL/HORIZONTAL PROGRAM COORDINATION

Faculty at Green Elementary met to coordinate and plan lessons specifically for all grades K-

5 that were represented at the Parent Academy event during the twenty-minute breakout sessions.

Prior to planning sessions, teachers coordinated with district and ISD leaders (LCPS Title I

coordinator and Literacy/Math Coaches) to gather free resources to pass out for families. The team

leaders then integrated the knowledge gained from analyzing our building’s Needs Assessment to

plan the event. Staff members represented in this evening had either demonstrated and/or completed

their Teacher Leader training or received full professional development leadership in Mindfulness

training during our August 2017 MindUp™ professional development.

Staff members coordinated with community outreach programs and connected with local

businesses residing within Chesterfield for possible raffle items communicating needs of our parents.

Training session professional development were provided for teacher leaders presenting at the Parent

Academy. Developmental meetings were scheduled along the way to budget, purchase items, create,

plan, and sort purchased items. Using the knowledge gathered from perception surveys in March 2019
 from both staff and community members, the Parent Academy team analyzed the social/emotional

concerns and curriculum support needed to create effective PowerPoint presentations, communicating

and demonstrating useful activities and tangible resources to provide for the parents in attendance.

Grade specific math games, books, and writing resources were both budgeted and purchased for the

parents in attendance along with Mindfulness music and activities.

CHALLENGES:

As our school has a history of transiency, many of the students’ families invited to participate

in the Title I evening had moved or struggled with obtaining transportation to this event. Spring break

posed a challenge with purchase deadlines as well. Coordinating with our local high schools also

proved challenging as it was necessary to work around our NHS students’ busy schedules. In addition

to this, we struggled with getting RSVPs from families; a QR scannable code was needed. Families

that participated in the Mindfulness component during the math session expressed their desire for this

session to be a separate event. Lastly, some students and families felt resentful and/or disappointed

that their child did not “qualify” to participate or attend this evening due to Target Assist.

TIMELINE OF PROGRAM COMMUNICATION:

01-19 02-19 03-19 03-19 03-19 04-19 04-19 04/25/19 05/19

Second Third
Third Week Third Week First Week Second Week First Week Fourth Week Second Week
Week Week
Meeting
Meeting 1 Meeting 2 Meeting 3 Meeting 4 Meeting 6 Meeting 7 Event Meeting 8
5
Budget
planning
Food Review
Teacher Teacher and PowerPoints
Invitation Meetings ordered. 1-hour survey
Leaders Leaders administer finished and
and with ISD Staffing and meeting for results. Sort
met with create ing of training for
surveys and training for setup and and label Title
principal Google surveys. staff PD
submitted district those preparation materials to
to submit staff and Results involved.
for coaches. attending. Administer distribute to
proposal parent reviewed RSVPs
approval. Items Decorations, Post event staff. Thank
for surveys next finalized.
Flyers ordered. raffle items survey. you notes for
academy and plan meeting. Sorting of
made and Folders gathered. Event from staffing.
ideas and possible Items items
sent. created. Post survey 6:30-8:00 Possible PD
events. purchases. ordered. purchased.
created. planned.
Catering
ordered.