2013-14 Student/Parent Handbook - Nash-Rocky Mount Schools

Policy 1742/5060, Responding to Complaints, identifies these different processes and provides a mechanism for
resolving complaints in an informal manner.
While the board encourages informal resolutions, it recognizes that students and parents may want a formal process
for certain types of complaints or if an informal process was not satisfactory. Policy 1740/4010 provides a
grievance procedure that may be used.
Any parent or student who is unclear of the options for proceeding with a concern may contact the principal’s office
or the superintendent’s office for further information and copies of all applicable board policies.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY
A school-wide Open House will be held at the beginning of the school year to share this school year’s Title I
Plan/Budget, school and parent expectations, and complete accountability compacts. Schools are required to jointly
develop and maintain school-parent compacts that set out the respective responsibilities of the school staff, parents
and students in striving to raise student achievement. Schools will encourage and involve parents in the joint
development of the plan under section 1112, and the process of school review and improvement under section 1116;
provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist participating schools in planning
and implementing effective parent involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school
performance; build parent capacity, coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies, conduct an annual
evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parent involvement policy. More information can be
found in SEC. 1118 Parental Involvement of the Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as
Reauthorized by the NCLB Act. Also in the NRMPS Title I Parent Involvement Policy 1320/3560.
REPORTING AN INCIDENT
When a student reports to a staff member that he/she is the target of bullying, and/or cyber-bullying, harassment and
intimidation, hazing, and/or bias behaviors, the staff member will respond quickly and appropriately to investigate
and intervene, making every effort to provide the student with a practical, safe, private, and age-appropriate way of
reporting. These will be handled by the school principal in a timely manner and, if verified, will be followed up by
support from student services personnel for both the target and the student engaging in these behaviors, to ensure
that all students feel safe and supported. Policy Code: 1740/4010
Parents or guardians, close relatives, and students can report instance of these behaviors. You can report incidents to
the school administrator and/or by accessing the My Safe Schools Tip Line. These reports can be shared by text or
voicemail message by calling 252-220-0677 or by completing a form at www.mysafeschool@nrms.org.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
On May 29, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education approved North Carolina’s Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Request for waivers to thirteen provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLB). In exchange for the waivers, our state will continue to raise standards that help teachers and principals
focus on teaching and learning, graduate students for careers and college, and improve all schools, especially the
lowest performing schools and schools with the largest achievement gaps.
Beginning with the 2012-13 school year, LEAs are no longer required to identify Title I schools for improvement,
corrective action, and restructuring and are no longer required to take certain improvement actions as outlined in
ESEA section 1116(b) such as offering public school choice and supplemental educational services (SES). Although
the administration of SES under provisions of section 1116 of ESEA will no longer be required, districts may choose
to continue to implement before and after school tutoring services with State-approved SES providers.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROCESS
Each school in Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools has a School Improvement Plan (SIP) that is developed and
modified each year by the School Improvement Team (SIT), consisting of teachers, administrators, other school staff,
parents, and at the high school level, students. The SIP identifies school needs, and lists specific efforts that will be
undertaken to improve areas such as test scores and other measures of academic performance, student attendance,
school safety, community engagement, and equity.
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