2024-2025
Tulsa Public Schools shall promote parent involvement in all schools as mandated by Title I, section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and work as equal partners with parents in inspiring and preparing every student to love learning, to achieve ambitious goals and to make positive contributions to our global society.
The Board believes and acknowledges that parent involvement raises the academic achievement level of students. Additionally, parents become empowered, teacher morale improves and communities grow stronger when parents take an active role in educating their children. To this end, schools shall involve parents in the education of their children at all grade levels. The Superintendent or his/her designee shall provide coordination, technical assistance and other support necessary to assist all schools in planning and implementing effective parent involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance.
Section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Title I Parent Involvement, establishes that to build the capacity for parent involvement within schools, a district is to “develop jointly with, agree with, and distribute to parents of participating children a written Parent Involvement Policy”. This policy includes six (6) critical elements to ensure that the school strives to build the capacity of parents to help their children achieve high academic standards.
BUILDING PARENTS CAPACITY FOR INVOLVEMENT
The Board believes that empowering parents to insist on improvement while giving schools the extra incentive to improve and by giving parents options regarding their children’s education helps the district to realize its vision to create Pathways to Opportunity for all of Tulsa Public Schools’ students. As a result of this belief, the Board shall create an environment of supportive and collaborative parent involvement.
DEFINITION OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Parent involvement is the support and participation of parents at home, in the community, and at the school site that directly and positively affects the educational performance offered to all children. Parent involvement is most successful when it is viewed, practiced, and promoted as a partnership between the home and school. Parental involvement ensures that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning; that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their student’s education at school; and, that parents are full partners in their student’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their student as described in section 1118 of the ESEA.
The Administration, Faculty, and Staff of Booker T. Washington High School believe that parental involvement is a valuable key to help our students succeed in school and later in life. As a result of this belief and in compliance with Title I, Part A, parental involvement requirements, as much as possible, we will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required under section 1111 of the ESEA in an understandable and uniform format and, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand. Additionally, as part of the ESEA, the Parental Involvement Policy, will be kept on file in the main office.
1) SHARED ACCOUNTABILITY:
The mission of Booker T. Washington High School is to empower all students to be inquirers and to meet high academic standards in a nurturing, enriching, supportive environment where individual differences and talents are respected; academic excellence is promoted; lifelong learning is strongly encouraged; critical, creative, and higher level thinking skills are developed; connections among all disciplines are provided; and, students are empowered to become productive citizens of the global community. Faculty and staff members at Booker T. strive to provide a quality learning experience for every student, every day, without exception. At Booker T., our tradition is excellence; our concept is diversity; our potential is unlimited; our future is global.
Booker T. Washington High School believes that this mission can be achieved by the active partnership of students, families, faculty and staff working collaboratively. Therefore, Booker T. utilizes various accountability measures to ensure that the needs of our students are being met. Parents, students, and teachers will acknowledge an “Accountability Agreement” during the fall of each school year that outlines the responsibilities each holds in the education of the student. Students and parents will receive written notification of the Code of Conduct, Student Dress Code, Attendance Polices, and the current edition of the Student Handbook at the beginning of each school year to make parents and students aware of acceptable behavior and the consequences of violating these expectations. Progress reports and/or grade cards will be sent to parents on a regular basis to monitor their student’s progress. Additionally, and most importantly, parents and students will have 24/7 access to their academic progress via the Power School on-line platform
2) COMMUNICATION:
Booker T. is committed to keeping parents informed of its activities. The school uses School Messenger (automated telephone calling and emailing system), Canvas (online learning platform) to post notifications and to email students, and Talking Points (email/text messaging system) to inform parents and students of school activities and recorded student absences. Booker T. also communicates with parents (and students) by using the following forms of communication: Remind Me app, Group Me app, Band app, personal telephone calls, handouts, daily/weekly updates on the school’s Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram social media websites, emails to parents, written notices, announcements at special events and parent meetings, and 24-hour access to both the Booker T. district sponsored website, the Booker T. parent sponsored website PTAvenue, and the BTW PTSA Facebook website. Progress reports are sent home on a quarterly basis and report cards are sent home in conjunction with the district’s semester rotation schedule. Again, parents also have 24- hour access to their students’ grades via the Power School grading system.
The academic progress of students will be communicated to parents by phone calls, mail, and e-mail as necessary to ensure that parents are informed when any concerns arise. Guidance Counselors will provide parent-student conferences, when necessary, as well as community resources on parenting tips and topics.
3) MATERIALS AND TRAINING:
Booker T. will provide materials and training, to help parents work with their children to improve achievement. Teachers will provide parents with relevant web pages/sites that contain all pertinent information related to academic and social awareness. Talking Points and School Messenger messaging systems, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram social media posts will be utilized to inform parents of the issuing dates for progress reports, semester report cards and other pertinent information. Parents and teachers will also utilize the Power School App/log-in to monitor daily classroom assignments and homework. Additionally, students and parents can also use the digital on-line classroom platform Canvas to check for daily and weekly assignments and to gain a better understanding of assignments that students have submitted for grading.
4) EDUCATE EDUCATORS:
Booker T. will, with the assistance of the district and parents, educate its faculty, staff members, and administrators, in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to implement and coordinate parent programs and build ties between parents and schools by providing professional development opportunities for faculty and staff members to strengthen and enhance the “teacher/parent” relationship. Further, in conjunction with our PTSA, Booker T. will also house items for parents to utilize as resources in the library, the main office, and the counseling center will house informational fliers, information about college, and community resource information to provide parents with the tools necessary to help develop successful students.
5) ACTIVE PARENTS:
The school will, with the assistance of the district, provide materials and training to help parents work with their student’s to improve their student’s academic achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, applicable, and available, to foster parental involvement.
In many ways, parents are the most important teachers that their children will ever have. Studies indicate that when parents are actively involved in their child’s education, students perform better academically, are more disciplined and organized, and are more willing to and better able to communicate with their parents. At Booker T., parents are encouraged to volunteer as much as possible with teachers and student organizations, participate in school activities such as monthly PTSA Meetings, Fall and Spring Musical Programs, Back-to- School Night, Parent/Teacher Conferences, the Booker T. Washington Hall of Fame Induction ceremony and the Booker T. Washington Foundation for Excellence fundraiser event. Parents also have the option to volunteer to assist with the supervision of students, when applicable, during planned field-trips, make copies for teachers, mentor students, and assist with the proctoring of some of our standardized exams (PSAT, Pre-ACT, ACT, AP, IB).
6) FAMILIES – COMMUNITIES AS PARTNERS:
In following with the Tulsa Model, Booker T. Washington High School takes great pride in building and maintaining community support with parents and members of our community. Through activities such as Freshman Orientation, College Fair Night, Back-to-School Night, Gospel Grits and Gershwin (sponsored by the Booker T. Washington Foundation for Excellence), FAFSA night, IBMYP informational meeting(s), and other school functions, we continue to build our community relationships. In addition, we strive to have at minimum 80% participation in our PTSA. We also continue to maintain positive relations with our current Partners in Education.
ANNUAL TITLE I MEETING
Booker T. Washington High School will hold an annual Title I meeting to inform parents of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Accountability and student mastery of academics, Supplemental Educational Services, academic achievement, state testing, Title I programs at Booker T., school hours, dress code policy information, and the parents’ rights under Title I to be involved in the school program.
INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS
In order to promote positive and meaningful interaction between parents and staff, Booker T. will hold meetings throughout the school year at flexible and convenient times for parents.
These meetings include, but are not limited to: Freshman Orientation, Back-to-School Night, Parent-Teacher Conferences, Open House Showcase for prospective students and their parents, monthly Parent-Teacher-Student-Association Meetings, monthly Booker T. Washington Foundation for Excellence meetings, monthly Booker T. Washington Hall of Fame Foundation meetings, and an annual College Road-Map/Financial Aid night for graduating seniors as well as an NCAA Clearinghouse meeting for interested student-athletes and their parents.
OTHER REQUESTED ACTIVITIES
Booker T. Washington High School will proactively develop appropriate roles for community organizations and businesses in parental involvement activities and will provide additional reasonable services at the parent’s request.
