Parent & Family Engagement Policy

A racoon dressed in a hat and bandana on a gray background with the words Dug Gap Bandits.

Contact

Dr. Laurie Harless, Principal
2032 Dug Gap Road
Dalton, GA 30720
(706) 226-3919
laurie.harless@wcsga.net

Parent & Family Engagement Policy and Plan for Shared Student Success

Updated May 14, 2025 — Dug Gap Elementary will take the following measures to promote and support parents as an important foundation of the school in order to strengthen the school and reach our school goals. We will:

Ensure that all information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent home with students, is posted on the school web site, and is included in the school newsletter for all parents.
Provide trainings for staff on strategies to improve communication with parents and ideas to increase family engagement. Staff will also share best practices during regularly scheduled faculty meetings.
Share information on the school web site, social media, parent teacher conferences, for parents to understand the school’s academic standards and assessments as well as the ways parents can monitor their child’s progress and work with educators.
Communicate with all families and the community on a regular basis regarding school- wide events and activities, through phone messages, social media, and flyers.
Work with our parents to develop relevant trainings and helpful presentations to educate our staff on the importance of parental involvement.
Provide necessary materials and handouts for parents to help them work with their child to improve their child’s achievement.
Use our School Council at Dug Gap to discuss ways to improve awareness of the activities and events listed in the school parental involvement policy.
Put parents in touch with various community resources such as literacy and computer classes to help further enhance their various educational levels.
Collect feedback from parents at events throughout the year.

Resources

School Plan for Shared Student Achievement

What is it?
This is a plan that describes how Dug Gap Elementary will provide
opportunities to improve parent engagement to support student learning.
Dug Gap Elementary values the contributions and involvement of parents to
establish an equal partnership for the common goal of improving student
achievement. This plan describes the different ways that Dug Gap Elementary
will support parent engagement and how parents can help plan and participate
in activities and events to promote student learning at school and at home.

How is it revised?
Parent input and comments regarding this plan are welcome during the school year. The plan is posted on our school website for parents to view and submit feedback throughout the year. All parent feedback received during the year will be used to revise the plan for the next school year. We also distribute an annual survey online to ask parents for their suggestions on the plan and the use of funds for parental involvement. Parents can also give feedback during parent meetings, including parent teacher conferences, and other activities during the school year.

Who is it for?
All students participating in the Title I, Part A program, and their families, are encouraged and invited
to fully participate in the opportunities described in this plan. Dug Gap Elementary will provide full
opportunity for the participation of parents with limited English, parents with disabilities, and parents
of migratory children.

Where is it available?
At the beginning of the year, the plan is made available to all students and their families at our Meet the Teacher event. It will also be posted on the school website. The plan and other important documents will be available at all parent/teacher conferences. Parents can also retrieve a copy of the plan by contacting the DGE Parent Resource Center, through the school office.

2025-2026 District & School Goals

2025-2026 District Goals

Goal 1: Increase the WCS graduation rate from 91.13% to 93.13% over the next three years for all students.
Goal 2: Reduce the achievement gap(s) in English Language Arts & Mathematics.
Goal 3: To increase the capacity of all WCS teachers and leaders to enhance student learning through evidence-based professional learning.

DGE School Improvement Goals

Goal 1: Increase the percentage of students in the average to high range on MAP reading from 57% to 60%.
Goal 2: Increase the percentage of students in the average to high range on MAP Math from 56% to 60%.

School–Parent Compacts

As part of this plan, Dug Gap Elementary and our families will develop a school-parent compact, which is an agreement that parents, teachers, and students will develop that explains how parents and teachers will work together to make sure all our students reach grade-level standards. The compacts will be reviewed and updated annually based on feedback from parents, students, and teachers at various times throughout the school year. Additional copies of the school-parent compacts are kept with each child’s teacher if parents need another copy.

Parental Resource Center & Involvement

Parent Resource Center

Resources are available in the Parent Resource Center. Parents have the opportunity to check out
books, study materials and activities to use at home with their child. Parents are invited to contact the school office for more information, Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Parental Involvement

Dug Gap Elementary believes that parental involvement means the participation of parents in
regular two-way, meaningful communication discussing student academic learning and other
school activities. We believe that parent involvement should ensure:

That parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning.
That parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education.
That parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.
The carrying out of other activities as described in this plan.

Parental Involvement Standards
Dug Gap Elementary and our parents have adopted the National PTA Standards for Family-School
Partnerships as the school’s model in engaging parents, students, and the community. These
standards are:

Welcoming All Families
Communicating Effectively
Supporting Student Success
Speaking Up for Every Child
Sharing Power
Collaborating with Community

Helping at Home

One of the most frequent questions we get from parents is, “How can I help my child at home?” Fortunately, there are lots of ways. Here are just a few:

Read to and with your child each day.
Find fun ways to apply skills being learned at school.
Utilize the Internet and other web apps with your child.
3rd-5th grade parents can access Infinite Campus to help keep track of grades throughout the year.

What is Title I?

Dug Gap Elementary is identified as a Title I school as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Title I is designed to support State and local school reform efforts tied to challenging state academic standards to reinforce and enhance efforts to improve teaching and learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support parental involvement. All Title I schools must jointly develop with all parents a written parental involvement policy.

Parental Involvement Events

Dug Gap Elementary will host the following events to build the capacity for strong family engagement to support a partnership
among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement.

Meet Your Teacher - Meet your child’s teacher and our friendly and helpful school staff for the year.
Annual Title I Meeting - We invite you to attend a meeting of learning about our Title I program, including our parental involvement policy, the school-wide plan, the school-parent compacts, and parents’ requirements. Notifications will be posted on our school website and Facebook page, posted in newsletters, and printed in the local newspaper.
Title I Family Night -Enjoy a night of activities with your child.
Fall Yard Sale - Join us for our yard sale! You may sell items or come and shop!
Fall Book Fair - Your child will love shopping for new books during our book fair!
Pumpkin Decorating Contest - It’s time to get creative! Students may bring decorated pumpkins to school for our pumpkin decorating contest.
Thanksgiving Lunch and Veteran’s Day Lunch - Come and enjoy lunch with your child!
Spring Book Fair - Visit the book fair and shop for books with your child!
PK – 2nd Field Day
3rd-5th Field Day

Be sure to check our Facebook page for updates, reminders, and pictures!

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