Parent & Family Engagement Policy

Contact

Tracie Dempsey, Principal
1382 Eastbrook Dr. SE.
Dalton, GA 30721
(706) 278-6135
tracie.dempsey@wcsga.net

Parent & Family Engagement Policy and Plan for Shared Student Success (REVISED August 7, 2025)

Eastbrook Middle 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 published in both English and Spanish, posted on the school website, included in the periodic school newsletter for all parents, and pushed out through social media.
Provide periodic 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 in English and Spanish on the school website and in the school newsletter 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 schoolwide events and activities through newsletters, phone messages, social media, and flyers.
Work with our families to develop relevant trainings and helpful presentations to educate our staff on the importance of family involvement.
Provide necessary materials and handouts for families at conferences, meetings, and activities to help families work with their child to improve their child’s achievement.
Use our community stakeholders to improve awareness of the activities and events listed in the school parental involvement policy.
Offer literacy and computer classes for parents to help further enhance their various educational levels.
Collect feedback from families at all events in order to respond to families’ requests for additional support for family involvement activities.
Provide opportunities and resources for students to learn about colleges and careers.
Share our rigorous curriculum standards: https://www.georgiastandards.org

Resources

School Plan for Shared Student Achievement

What is it?

This is a plan that describes how Eastbrook Middle will provide opportunities to improve family engagement to support student learning. Eastbrook Middle 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 Eastbrook Middle will support family engagement and how parents can help plan and participate in activities and events to promote student learning at school and at home. This plan will be written in an uniform format and provided in a language parents can understand.

How is it revised?

Eastbrook Middle School invited all parents to provide input on the Family Engagement Policy, School-Parent Compacts, and the budget for parent involvement by completing a survey which included links to the documents online for review. This was available at our schedule pick up during the first week of August. Additionally, parent input and comments regarding this plan are welcome during the school year through various means. 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. Parents may also request additional meetings to offer input as needed. We also distribute an annual survey online and on paper to ask parents for their suggestions on the plan and the use of funds for parental involvement. Parents can also give feedback during several parent meetings and activities during the school year. EMS will submit any parent comments to the district if the Title I Schoolwide Plan is not satisfactory to parents.

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. Eastbrook Middle School 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 sent home with students once all revisions have been made. As a reminder, we will have the plan posted on the school Web site under Resources Families. Parents can also retrieve a copy of the plan in the front office. Parents can request a copy to be mailed home or emailed to parents, as well.

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.

EMS School Improvement Goals

Goal 1: Increase the percentage of students achieving at a Level 3 and 4 in ELA/Reading and Math by 3% in grades 6-8 on Georgia Milestones as measured from the Spring 25 data.
Goal 2: Increase student overall academic performance as measured on Georgia Milestones by 3% through the technology equipment and infrastructure needed to support the integration of curriculum and technology for FY26.
Goal 3: Increase the capacity of all Eastbrook families to support students’ learning and healthy development both at home and at school by providing quality opportunities for families and community to continuously collaborate.

School–Parent Compacts

As part of this plan, Eastbrook Middle 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 throughout the school year. The school- parent compacts are sent home with students and are available on our school’s website.

Parental Resource Center & Involvement

Parent Resource Center

The Parent Resource Center, located by the conference room, contains books, study materials, and activities to use at home with your child. To request materials, please contact Dr. Mary Anne Fogle at 706.278.6135

Family Involvement

Eastbrook Middle believes that family involvement means the participation of families in regular two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring:

The family plays an integral role in assisting their child’s learning.
Families are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school.
Families 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.

Family Involvement StandardsEastbrook Middle supports 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:

Encourage your child to read each day.
Have meaningful conversations about your child's academics and social life.
Monitor your child's grades via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
Ensure your child is getting enough sleep each night.
Monitor your child's smart device and social media use.

What is Title I?

Eastbrook Middle 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 in 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

Eastbrook Middle will host the following events to build the capacity for strong parental involvement to support a partnership among the school, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement.

Open House – September – More information to come
Fall Book Fair - October 6-10
Spring Book Fair – March 2-6
Annual Title I Meeting - We invite you to an evening of learning and sharing about our Title I program, including
our parental involvement policy, the schoolwide plan, the school-parent compacts, and parents’ right to know, Georgia Milestones Testing, Georgia Standards of Excellence, and parent portal.
ESOL Parent Meeting - September 2025 - Learn about the services offered to our English Speakers of Other Languages.
Milestones and Making Plans for the Future Parent Meeting – March 2026 - Learn about the Georgia Milestones Assessment System and how your student will be tested. We will also ask parents to participate in roundtable discussions with the principal and staff regarding the school wide plan, family engagement policy, school-parent compacts and the parental involvement budget.
Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences - Fall / Spring / As Needed - Scheduled updates on your child’s progress. Parents will be provided with individual student academic assessment results and teachers will help interpret the meaning of the test scores.
Parent Input Meetings - Parents are invited to Parent Input meetings held at 2 different times of the year. Parents will be able to view important Title 1 documents, such as the, School Improvement Plan, School-Parent Compacts, Family Engagement Policy, in addition to giving input on funding for parent involvement activities, and more. We will also send out parent surveys during the year for those who cannot attend the input meetings.

We welcome parents to give feedback at each event.

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