School-Parent Compact
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 02:14PM SCHOOL-PARENT COMPACT
School Responsibilities
High Quality Curriculum in Nurturing Environment
- The primary role of Our World Neighborhood Charter School is to educate students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners. In keeping with the school’s mission as stated in the OWN Parent and Student Handbook, OWN provides a rigorous standards-driven curriculum that provides multiple opportunities for diverse assessments. Through an interdisciplinary, project-driven curriculum OWN will foster social and cultural awareness as the staff also individualizes instruction through the pedagogical practice of differentiation at the elementary level, and through progressive needs-based groupings by subject at the middle school level.
- The school also operates an Academic Intervention Services (AIS) program designed to help prevent student failure and to keep students functioning at their very best. AIS can be used to remediate as well as enrich. AIS is comprised of the following teams and departments: Guidance Counselor, Social Work, Dean of Students, Child Study team, Special Education, English as a Second Language (ESL), Reading Specialist, Literacy and Mathematics Coaches, and Reading and Mathematics Academies.
- The school uses several technology tools to give parents and students access to support and enrichment programs and assessment tools in and outside of the school. Each child has an account in Success Maker that is used to support reading and mathematics skills. Students who are enrolled in the Regents program also have access to the school’s online support and enrichment software programs.
- Each year the school has several informational sessions for parents to learn about the school’s curriculum and expectations for student achievement. Some of the programs are the Back-To-School Night, Curriculum Night, Middle School Orientation program, and Kindergarten Orientation. These meetings are held in the evening.
- Curriculum and other school programs aimed at creating a high quality learning environment that is safe and nurturing are also discussed and reviewed throughout the school year by the Education Committee of the Board of Trustees and the Education Committee of the Parent Teacher Organization. Information about curriculum, academic intervention services, special education, social work, English as a Second language are also provided at the monthly PTO meetings.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Formal parent/teacher conferences are scheduled twice each year to facilitate open communication between parents and teachers regarding students’ progress. Conferences are held at the end of the first and third quarters of the school year. Refer to the School calendar for specific dates. Parents may also schedule informal conferences or conversations with teachers or school leaders at any time throughout the year.
Student Progress
- OWN employs a variety of assessment tools including standardized tests, state mandated exams, assessments from publishers of school textbook series, teacher created tests and quizzes, and other formative and summative assessment tools. Expectations for performance on these varied assessments guide the development of curricula on each grade level, the development of student remediation, and instructional strategies aimed at improved academic achievement.
- Student progress will be formally communicated to parents and students at the end of each quarter through written report cards. There will be a parent-teacher conference to discuss the report card at the end of the first and third quarters. Parents may also request a meeting at the end of the second and fourth quarters to discuss their child’s report cards.
- Each year the school will provide information to parents about the school-wide performance on the Grade 3-8 New York State English Language Arts Exam and Mathematics Exam.
- Individual student reports will also be provided to each child’s parents about the performance of their child on the Grade 3-8 New York State Exams in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
Communication and Access to School Personnel
- Each OWN staff member is assigned a phone extension and an email address, which are communicated to parents. Parents are encouraged you to communicate with their child’s teachers. The school is committed to responding to each parent communication directly within two school days. In order to facilitate communicating with you the school will send home each year and once during the year a request that you update your contact information. It is only with the correct contact information that the school can communicate with you.
- The school will also provide a school directory and calendar each year.
- In addition to the formal parent-teacher conferences parents may request a meeting with school personnel when they feel it is needed. School personnel will work with parents to meet at mutually convenient times before and/or after school Monday through Friday.
- The school may also request direct meetings with parents and or guardians as are warranted to ensure the academic success and achievement of each child.
- The school will also hold an annual meeting to inform parents of the school’s participation in Title I, Part A programs, and to explain these programs, and the right of parents to be involved in Title I, Part A programs.
- Each year the school will host several parent information sessions focused on the curriculum, assessments, and all the components of the school’s Academic Intervention Services.
- The school will also use its School Messenger program to send both telephone and text messages to parents about school events.
- The school’s website www.owncs.org and the www.ownpto.org are also ways to learn more about the school’s programs, curriculum, and events.
Opportunities to Volunteer and Participate
- Parents are encouraged to participate in school-related activities. All parents are automatically members of OWN’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at no cost and are urged to become actively involved. PTO members volunteer as hall monitors, lunchtime assistants, office help, field-trip chaperones, and ambassadors of good-will to local businesses and politicians. The PTO also sponsors fundraising events such as Book Fairs and Carnivals
- Another way to participate is by working directly with their child’s teacher. This may involve reading to the class, sharing cultural information, careers, or anything else a teacher might like assistance with
- Parents may also arrange with the classroom teacher and the school leaders to sit in and observe a classroom
- Parents participate in many school wide planning activities
- Parents may serve on committees to develop the school’s strategic plan and will continue to play a role in the development of the school’s success.
Parent Responsibilities
Our World Neighborhood Charter School believes that parents are key partners in ensuring the academic success of children. To that end parents are committed to:
- Monitoring and ensuring optimal student attendance
- Ensuring that homework is completed
- Providing a space and time for the completion of homework
- Reading to and or with their child
- Volunteering at school and in their child’s classroom
- Participating in decisions relating to their child’s education
- Staying informed about their child’s education and communicating with the school by promptly reading all notices from the school either received by their child, or via mail and responding as appropriate
- Serving, to the extent possible, on policy advisory groups, PTO committees, and the NY States’ Committee of Practitioners
Student Responsibilities
The staff and teachers at Our World Neighborhood Charter School also believe that each student has an important role to play in his or her own academic achievement and to the goal of meeting and/or exceeding New York State learning standards. To that end each student is committed to:
- Doing homework every day and asking for help when needed
- Reading at least 30 minutes ever day outside of school time
- Giving parents or guardians all notices, school letters and information received from school every day
Parent Resources
New York City Department of Education, New York State Education Department, and the United States Department of Education provide information and resources for parents on how best to support their child’s success in school and information on workshops and programs to support parents and families.
The New York State Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. There are two (2) PIRC’s in New York State. Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and Every Person Influences Children (EPIC) in New York State provide resources, services and technical assistance related to family engagement and parental involvement for families and schools.
Family members looking for information, having specific questions or concerns about their child can contact and CCE-PIRC educator to discuss questions regarding parenting and educational issues can have consultations that are free and confidential by either calling (315) 788-8450 or via e-mail to info@nyspirc.org or arr27@cornell.edu.
For issues, concerns, and complaints about OWN Charter School and for additional information about the school, you may contact the following organizations.
SUNY, Charter Schools Institute New York State Education Department
41 State Street, Suite 700 Office of School Improvement
Albany, NY 12207 89 Washington Street, Room 462 EBA
(518) 433-8277 Albany, NY 12234
www.newyorkcharters.org (518) 474-1762
www.p12.nysed.gov/accountability/TitleI/
New City Department of Education
Office of Portfolio Development
52 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007
(212) 374-5550
