STEP Academy School is committed to building stronger links between the school, the home, and the community, to increasing academic achievement for all students, and improving the quality of life for the students, their families, and the community. This Parent Involvement Plan, created with the STEP Academy’s Parent Involvement Committee, outlines our commitment.

Families will be encouraged to become active participants in Title I Family Involvement planning, decision-making, and school programs:

1. Parents and school staff will jointly develop the parent/student/school compact which describes how families and the school will share responsibility for improving student achievement
2. Parent involvement meetings, face-to-face communications, email and website feedback will give parents the opportunity to help the school make decisions about
   • the spending of Parent Involvement funds
   • the creation of the Parent Involvement Plan which will be distributed to all families in the fall and to new families as they enroll.
   • the review of the school-wide Title I program – parents will be allowed to submit comments on the plan in writing, face-to-face communication, or through email.
   • the education and professional development of teachers and para-educators to better educate students.
3. STEP Academy will hold an annual Title I orientation meeting to inform parents of Title one programs, requirements, ways the school will provide for parent involvement, and parents rights. It will explain MCA and NWEA, and academic achievement standards.
4. STEP will build capacity for parental involvement:
   • STEP will host parent involvement trainings/workshops to provide resources, guest speakers, and materials on subjects like parenting, and literacy at home · Conferences will help parents understand the academic content standards and help parents educate their students at home and improve achievement. Continued communication between parents and staff will help students’ work at home become more independent and purposeful.
   • STEP will, when feasible, give information in a format and language that parents can understand by providing Somali translations of newsletters, conference information, and important school/home information and providing interpreters at school and during school events.
5. STEP will provide other assistance as necessary by providing a variety of times for different events to promote parent involvement. Phone call, face-to-face, and flyer invitations in English and Somali will also be given

Any comments, questions, or feedback: please contact us at 651- 289-6120