Parent & Family Engagement Policy

This is the image of the New Hope Kodiaks mascot.

Contact

Rodney Shields, Principal
1111 New Hope Road
Dalton, GA 30710
(706) 673-2295
rodney.shields@wcsga.net

Parent & Family Engagement Policy and Plan for Shared Student Success

New Hope Middle is ROARing!

New Hope 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 sent home in both English and Spanish, sent in a Remind text, and posted on the school social media.
Provide four trainings per school year for staff during their planning periods on strategies to improve communication with families and ideas to increase family engagement.
Share information on the school website 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, on our marquee, 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 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 Partners in Education to improve awareness of the activities and events listed in the school family engagement policy.
Offer classes for families to help further enhance their various educational levels.
Collect feedback from families.

Resources

School Plan for Shared Student Achievement

What is it?

This is a plan that describes how New Hope Middle will provide opportunities to improve family engagement to support student learning. New Hope Middle values the contributions and involvement of families to establish an equal partnership for the common goal of improving student achievement. This plan describes the different ways that New Hope Middle will support family engagement and how families can help plan and participate in activities and events to promote student learning at school and at home.

How is it revised?

New Hope Middle School invited all parents to attend our annual FEP review meeting at schedule pickup to review and revise this family engagement policy, as well as compacts and the family engagement budget. Additionally, family 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 feedback received during the year will be used to revise the plan for the next school year. 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 family involvement. Families can also give feedback during several family meetings and 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. New Hope Middle will provide full opportunity for the participation of families with limited English, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children.

Where is it available?

At the beginning of the year, the plan is included in the compacts packet that is given to all students. The plan will be available for review at our Title I information night. The plan will also be posted on the school website. Families can also retrieve a copy of the plan in the Parent Resource Center.

2025-2026 District & School Goals

Whitfield County Schools must submit to the Georgia Department of Education a district improvement plan for approval. The district improvement goals for 2025-2026 are:

Goal 1: Increase the WCS graduation rate from 91.13% to 93.1% over the next three years for all students.
Goal 2: Reduce the achievement gap(s) in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
Goal 3: To increase the capacity of all WCS teachers and leaders to enhance student learning through evidence-based professional learning.

2025–26 New Hope Middle School Goals

Goal 1: Increase student achievement in ELA and Math based upon GA Milestones by 2% for the 25-26 school year.
Goal 2: Increase PBIS students’ participation in reward days throughout the year by 2%.
Goal 3: Increase parent involvement participation by 2% for 25-26 school year.

School–Parent Compacts

As part of this plan, New Hope 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 and available on our school website.

Parental Resource Center & Involvement

Parent Resource Center

Call to request items from our Parent Resource Center. You may check out books, study materials, and activities to use at home with your child. Computers are available for parents to explore the Parent Portal and educational resources. 706-673-2295

Parental Involvement

New Hope 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:

That families play 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 committees to assist in the education of their child.
The carrying out of other activities as described in this plan.

Parental Involvement Standards

New Hope Middle and our families 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

What is Title I?

New Hope 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 involve parents in developing the family engagement policy.

Parental Involvement Events

New Hope 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.

Annual Title I Meeting – Fall 2025

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’ requirements. Invitations will be on our website, Facebook page, and local media.

Open House – Fall 2025
Fine Arts Night - Fall 2025
Fall Festival – Fall 2025
Science Night - Spring 2026

Logo Image

Logo Title

In This Section