Title I Family-School Compact

Vision

Educating Future-Ready, Globally-Minded Thinkers

Mission

At Gar-Field High School, we develop reflective, open-minded, critical thinkers who demonstrate independence of thought while embracing collaboration in an evolving world. Learners engage in rigorous educational opportunities and rise to high expectations while exhibiting integrity and respect for themselves and others. Through diverse and authentic learning experiences, we empower students to become internationally-minded citizens who take pride in and contribute to their local, national, and global communities.

Student Agreement

I will … 

• Attend school regularly and on time for all classes. 
• Give our best effort daily. 
• Respect ourselves, and our school to include all materials, school property, and all within our school community. 
• Communicate concerns and ask for help when needed.

Family/Parent Agreement

We will …

• Make sure their child/children attend school regularly and on time. 
• Communicate with teachers and students about academic progress. 
• Attend family/community engagement events throughout the school year. 
• Log in to Parent VUE to check their child’s grades regularly. 

Teachers/Staff Agreement

We will … 

• Build relationships with students. 
• Provide high quality differentiated instruction to reach all students. 
• Communicate with parents and all stakeholders consistently. 
• Participate in professional development experiences that will promote and support our professional growth.

Administrators at Gar-Field will … 

• Maintain a safe environment. 
• Work with staff to provide quality instruction. 
• Support the needs of teachers/staff, parents, and students. 
• Keep parents, students, and teachers/staff informed through regular communication. 

Title I Parent and Family Engagement School Policy

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) Title I program is established to improve student achievement so that every student will graduate on time with the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind necessary to create a thriving future for themselves and their community.

Gar-Field High School will ensure effective involvement of families and will support a partnership among the school, parents, guardians, and community to improve student achievement in the following ways: 

School Family Engagement Policy

• Review the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy which is jointly developed and distributed to parents.
• Provide all parents with information about the schools’ participation in Title I at the Annual Meeting and inform parents of their right to be involved.
• Invite and encourage all parents to attend all Title I Family meetings and events. Inform parents that the school may provide support for them to attend meetings.
• Involve family participation in the planning, review, and improvement of the schools’ Title I Schoolwide/Continuous Improvement Plan
• Provide parents with information about the Title I program, the curriculum, academic assessments, and students’ expected proficiency levels.
• Notify the PWCS Title I Office if the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children. 

Shared Responsibilities for High Student Achievement

• Invite parents to volunteer, observe, and/or participate in their child’s class(es) and school.
• Include a schedule for parent-teacher conferences and progress reports.
• Invite parents to participate in events related to academics.

Building Capacity for Engagement

• Assist parents to understand the state’s academic content, achievement standards, and assessments.
• Communicate with families on a regular basis regarding their child’s progress in school; including school performance information and student assessment results.
• Provide materials and training to help parents support their children’s academic progress.
• Develop, in consultation with families, a Family-School Compact, stating how the school and families will share the responsibility for high student performance. Review the Family-School Compact annually with families and school staff.
• Educate teachers, pupil services personnel, principals, and other staff, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and how to communicate and work with parents as equal partners.
• Coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement programs and activities with other federal and state programs supporting preschool, multilingual students, and students with disabilities.
• Ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent to parents in a format that is practicable and in a language that parents can understand.
• Distribute annual parent surveys encouraging parents to respond to additional support needed to participate in parent and family engagement.
• Provide opportunities to participate in decision-making at Parent Advisory Council meetings, Parent Teacher Organization meetings, and meetings related to Title I program planning.

Accessibility

• Provide opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency and parents with disabilities, in a format that is practicable and in a language that parents can understand.

Important Dates and Upcoming Title I Events

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Elementary Schools

• November 6, 2023
• January 26, 2024

Middle Schools and High Schools       

• Touch base days will be scheduled by schools

Last Day of Grading Periods

• November 3, 2023
• January 26, 2024
• April 8, 2024
• June 7, 2024 

Title I Parent & Family Engagement Events (additional events may be added)

• Annual Title I Family Engagement Meeting: September 7, 2023
• Title I Family Engagement Meeting: Family Friday Events September 2023 - May 2024
• Title I Family Engagement Meeting: Having a Successful High School Transition TBD
• Title I “Summer Thrive” Family Engagement Meeting: TBD