Parents/guardians have the right to information on the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teacher from the school district.

The federal education law put in place by the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires that all parents in a Title I school be notified and given the opportunity to request information about the professional qualifications of classroom teachers instructing their child.

In addition, a Title I school must provide each parent of a child who is a student in such school with information on the student’s level of achievement and academic growth on each Title I state academic assessment (if applicable and available) and timely notice that the student has been assigned (or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by) a teacher who does not meet applicable state certification or licensure requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher has been assigned.

It is the policy of the Dallas Center–Grimes Schools that parents of participating children shall have the opportunity to be involved jointly in the district’s review process for the purpose of school improvement. Recognizing that parental involvement is the key to academic achievement, we seek to involve parents in an effective home-school partnership that will provide the best possible education for our students. The district encourages parent involvement and supports this partnership through providing information about standards and assessments; providing training and materials for parents to help their children; educating school personnel about involving parents and the value of parent contribution; and developing roles for community organizations and businesses to work with parents and schools. Below are steps that our Title program engages in each year:

1. Each Title I school will develop and coordinate a parent advisory group that can provide meaningful feedback for the Title I program.
2. The Parent and Family Engagement Policy will be distributed to the parents of identified Title I students every year during our annual parent meetings.
3. Each year, DCG teachers and administrators will gain input from Title I parents and students so that the Parent and Family Involvement Policy is collaboratively developed and revised.
4. To keep our families informed of the Title I program, each Title school will hold at least one annual literacy meeting, along with parent/teacher conferences, to provide:
   1. technical assistance
   2. describe how the Title I program supports the students,
   3. explain the curriculum/state standards and its uses in the school,
   4. the forms of academic assessments used to measure growth and progress,
   5. explain the proficiency levels students are expected to meet,
   6. provide opportunities for parent input on the program,
   7. and provide information on how parents can support the literacy development of their children at home.
5. As DCG works with Title I students, teachers and administrators will work with other federally, state, and locally funded programs so that we are using funds wisely, effectively, and efficiently.  These programs include preschool, local library programs, and special education programs. Our homeless education program coordinates with the local backpack program to offer students support that are food insecure, especially over the weekends.
6. DCG conducts annual evaluations of the content and effectiveness of the Parent and Family Engagement Policy. 
7. DCG uses the findings from the annual evaluation to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parent and family engagement. 
8. A jointly developed school/parent compact outlines how parents and family members, the entire school staff, and students all share responsibility for improved student achievement. The compact also describes the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve our local high standards. It is distributed to parents of Title I students and is reviewed at the annual meetings.
9. The policy will be provided in English and Spanish and will be free of educational jargon. If a parent has a question regarding any terminology, please request additional information from the Title I teacher or coordinator.

 Providing all students of Dallas Center–Grimes Community School District with equal access to quality education is of primary purpose. It is crucial that all partners (students, parents, educators, and communities) have the opportunity to provide input and offer resources to meet this purpose. As these partnerships are mutually beneficial, developing cooperative efforts will ensure improved academic achievement for all students. To review the Parent/Family Engagement Policy in its entirety, please click HERE.

• Any student at designated buildings, with priority for first and second-grade students at the elementary level. We believe early intervention leads to increased success in school.
• The opportunity to be part of a Title I program is determined for each child based on information from many tools used by the Title I Reading teacher. Included are report cards, state reading screenings, and a child’s performance on several district measurements of reading. Classroom teacher and parent recommendations are important to Title I placement.
• Each student entering the Title I program is screened to determine at what level he or she is reading. Students are monitored closely for progress throughout the school year.