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.

Woodley Hills  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 involving families in students’ learning and includes a compact expressing the partnerships among staff, caregivers, and students to reach high academic goals for every student.  

Woodley Hills  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 the opportunity to provide comments and feedback on the policy and compact through PTA Meetings, conferences, parent meetings, and school events. 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                                                

• Throughout October and November

Progress Report Distribution

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

School Events

• Back To School Night: September 11, 2024
• Turkey Bingo: November 21, 2024
• Family Science Night Hosted by the Children's Science Center: Dec. 10, 2024
• Winter Concert: December 18, 2024                          
• Literacy Night: January 28, 2025
• Math Night: March 16, 2025
• Spring Concert:  April 9, 2025

Building Capacity for Involvement

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 Family Engagement and School Improvement and Innovation Committee.  

• Engage caregiver input when developing the School Improvement and Innovation Plan (SIIP), Comprehensive Needs Assessment, the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy and Compact, and plans for use of Title I family engagement funding.  

• Seek feedback from families on programs within the SIIP, offer multiple methods for caregivers to submit comments about programs they may not find satisfactory, and submit any such comments with SIIP to FCPS central offices.  

• Invite family members to help in organizing and executing a variety of school events to build collective ownership, such as the Literacy Night, Math Night, AAP Information Sessions, Parent Coffees, After School Programs, Caregiver Information Sessions, and International Festival. 

• Provide opportunities for caregivers to volunteer within the school in various ways, such as support in classrooms, shelving books in library and bookroom, running field day stations, supporting SCA events, Picture Day, Thanksgiving Lunch, assisting with cafeteria supervision, and sponsoring after-school programs.  

• Encourage families to take part in the annual evaluation of the division-level Title I parent and family engagement policy 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 with families such as News You Choose, eNotify, Text, Teacher Newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, Flyers, Weekly Communication Folders, School newsletters, and Talking Points.  

• Encourage all caregivers to attend an annual meeting on September 11, 2024, at the school, to share information about Title I services, explain Title I grant requirements, and inform 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 parent-teacher conferences, Advanced Academic Parent Meetings, curriculum meetings, Caregiver sessions, and PTA (Parent and Teacher Association) meetings.   

• Provide opportunities throughout the year for families to better understand the school’s goals for students and find ways to improve student learning by placing information in the newsletter, Math, Literacy, and Science Curriculum Nights, Caregiver Information Night, and time during PTA meetings.  

• Maintain resources for caregivers to review student assignments and ongoing communication about student work, such as FCPS 24-7 Learning (Schoology), Beavergram, Tuesday Folders, Parent Vue, emails, caregivers conferences, 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.  

• Share student reading plans and progress with caregivers. 

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-based organizations, and businesses, including the following:

• Hold workshops connecting caregivers to tools and resources, such as Guidance and SEL 

• Information, Lexia and STMath, Literacy and Math, Advanced Academic Information, and  

• Executive Functioning Skills.                         

• Offer regular opportunities for families to learn directly from school staff about the school’s academic, behavioral, and social programming through eNotify messages, News You Choose, Teacher Newsletters, caregiver meetings, and curriculum nights. 

• 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 Literacy Night, Math Night, Family Science Night, and SEL events.  

• Provide ongoing access to resources in the school, such as use of the library and laptops, in addition to food and clothing items. 

• Provide mentors for students through the Buddy Club Program between staff and students, Woodley Gents sponsored by NoVA Alexandria chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Student Buddy and Peer Mediation, and a Girls Self Esteem Club.  

• Provide opportunities to donate and access supplies donated by others, such as school supplies, clothing, and food. 

• Leverage partnerships with local businesses and organizations to enhance school programs and events, such as Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Antioch Baptist Church, Celebration Church, Kids R First, Costco, Grand Involve, Neighborhood Networks, Woodlawn Garden Apartment Management, and Youth For Tomorrow.  

• Support parents in accessing county and community resources, such as Fairfax County Neighborhood & Community Services,  Family Resource Center, Department of Family Services, United Community Food Pantries, FC Fire and Rescue, Angel Tree 2023, Project Giveback, Summer Programs, and Youth for Tomorrow. 

• Offer outreach and training for targeted families, such as Alcohol and Drug Prevention, Technology, and Internet Safety, Academic Support, Special Education Parent Teacher Association, FCPS Parent Resource, and Social Service parent sessions.  

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 get-to-know-you parent meetings, Family Picnic, opportunities for parents to volunteer and join students for lunch, welcoming signs throughout the building, training for office staff, staff in hallways during arrival and dismissal, newsletters, staff members who speak different languages, as well as the use of translation services. 

• 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 the assistance of a parent liaison for caregiver meetings, newsletters, caregiver workshops, phone calls, and contacting caregivers about assistance programs.  

• Expand access for family participation in informational meetings and learning sessions through virtual meeting options, varying times and locations of meetings, and provide recordings when available.  

Compact Provisions

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

The staff will:

Provide a high-quality curriculum and instruction that enables students to meet the challenging academic standards through the following actions:

•  Teach all students according to the state’s challenging standards, using an approved curriculum        

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

• Facilitate and participate in collaborative learning team meetings twice weekly for planning and assessment analysis. 

• Participate in Quarterly Data Dialogue meetings and extended CT meetings around big concepts.

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.  

• Provide regular guidance classroom lessons as well as small and individual sessions. 

• Encourage student voice and decision-making through class meetings, forums, SCA, peer mediators, and patrols. 

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)

• Parent-caregiver-teacher meetings. 

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.  

• Establish a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere.  

• Foster open communication and collaboration. 

• Provide culturally relevant and accessible resources.

• Recognize and appreciate caregiver contributions.

• Address caregiver concerns promptly. 

• Celebrate cultural diversity and foster inclusivity.

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 school activities, as my schedule allows.  

• Encourage and support my child’s learning at home and at school.  

• Read to and listen to my child read daily as a way of building a lifelong interest and the joy of reading.

• Attend conferences to discuss my child’s progress.                 

• Attend events that showcase my child’s work and learning experiences.  

• Provide and maintain accurate information on my child’s records for contact.   

• Communicate openly with teachers and school staff: 

  • Keep teachers informed about any significant changes in your child's routine.

  • Promote high expectations and academic achievement

  • Advocate for your child

The student will:

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

•  Get enough sleep every night.

• Come to school every day and on time unless I am sick or have an emergency.

• Deciding who I interact with so I can stay focused.

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

• Speak up for myself and stand up for others.

• Turn in all assignments before or on the due date.

• Promise and be sure to give my parents all notes and return all signed papers back to my teacher.

• Share and participate in all group and independent instruction.

• Be respectful during instruction so that everyone in the class can learn.

• Support and encourage students who are struggling to build their confidence.

• Follow the Beaver Pledge.