Parental Involvement Policy

Grover Cleveland Charter High School (CHS) encourages stakeholder involvement on multiple levels. Parent and community representatives do the following: serve on various decision-making bodies; provide input through advisory councils and boards; participate with planning events and assist with fundraising goals through booster clubs; and engage in active learning through Parent Center workshops.

CGC: Parent and community representatives play key roles on the Cleveland Governance Council (CGC) and comprise five of the 16 elected positions. The CGC has purview over nine areas, all of which are integral to the learning/teaching process: personnel; curriculum, instruction, assessment, and intervention; budgets; professional development; school discipline; scheduling; campus facilities; use of school equipment; and, staffing procedures.

Through the CGC, parent and community members discuss and reach consensus on school site policies and procedures. They also review and approve the professional development calendar. Some serve on interview panels and assist in the selection of staff. Further, they analyze school data and make recommendations on how Targeted Student Populations (TSP) and non-categorical school funds are used to meet Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and WASC Action Plan goals.

SSC: Representation on the School Site Council (SSC) provides another opportunity for parents and community members to participate in the shared-decision making process that impacts learning and teaching. Of the 12 elected positions on the SSC, one-quarter is reserved for parent and community representatives. The SSC oversees the implementation of the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) and determines how Title I Parent budgets are allocated in order to increase student performance outcomes. This includes funding for professional development, supplemental materials, classroom technology, curricular trips, and class-size reduction teachers.

ELAC: The ELAC advises the SSC on decisions affecting English Learners at Cleveland. This includes making suggestions on how funds should be used to support student achievement of academic standards and schoolwide learner outcomes. Both the EL Designee and classroom teachers bring forth funding proposals for SSC approval – such as curricular field trips, supplemental instructional materials, and tutoring activities.

PTSA: The PTSA provides parents an opportunity to share their concerns and to have them addressed. The organization also offers teachers a way to work with parents to ensure that other supplemental needs of students are subsidized when school funds are not readily available. Through school and specific teacher requests, the PTSA has funded eyeglasses for students, sponsored Grad Night, purchased an additional Automated External Defibrillator machine, funded buses for band competitions, and paid for individuals to compete in state and national academic contests, including Skills USA and robotics competitions. Clubs and organizations can request donations and grants from the PTSA as well.

Other Parent Associations: The GMS Magnet Parent Association and Humanities Magnet Parent Association offer roundtable discussions and workshops for parents to address specific concerns and teacher/student needs within the instructional programs. The Korean Parents Association provides a venue for parents to address cultural issues and how they impact the learning/teaching process. Friends of Cleveland serves as an umbrella booster club to fundraise for various student body athletic teams and co-curricular programs. The Band Booster Club helps with fundraising and provides volunteers for instrumental music program activities throughout the school year.

Board of Advisory: The Academy of Art and Technology (AOAT) Board of Advisory and the GMS Magnet Board of Advisors include community and business leaders. These advisors offer mentoring and job shadowing opportunities to students and assist with mock interviews. They also provide career technical education expertise to classroom teachers.

Parent Communication

Tours: Parent engagement and communication begin before students enroll at Cleveland. Throughout the school year, we offer schoolwide tours to introduce interested families to all of our academic and career pathways. This provides prospective students and parents with the opportunity to meet school staff, learn about program expectations, and ask questions. The Humanities Magnet, GMS Magnet, and SAS programs also offer tours for prospective students and their parents to get an “insider perspective” on the curricular offerings, instructional methodologies, and personalized support.

School Activities: Throughout the year, we hold Back-to-School Night, Open House Showcase, and fall and spring Predominantly Hispanic, Black, and Other Non-Anglo (PHBAO) parent conferences. Back-to-School Night affords parents the opportunity to meet with their children’s teachers to be informed of course expectations; Open House Showcase welcomes parents and community members to participate in and experience the teaching/learning activities – performances, demonstrations, exhibitions, simulations – that evidence student mastery of learner outcomes; and PHBAO parent conferences provide occasions to discuss one- on-one issues concerning student progress.

Parent Meetings: Monthly “Coffee with the Administrators” and “Cocoa with the Counselors” meetings provide an opportunity for parents to receive school updates, voice concerns, and ask questions. They also offer administrators and program coordinators a forum to disseminate and clarify information about District and school programs, policies, and procedures. Further, support staff use these gatherings to provide tips and strategies on how parents can support students academically, socially, and personally. Spanish translation service is provided, as needed.

Parent Portal/Schoology: Three progress reports and one final report card are issued each semester to keep parents abreast of student progress. Counselors, parents, or students may also initiate weekly progress and attendance reports to monitor student performance on a regular basis. Families are also encouraged to sign up for the District’s Parent Portal, which provides real-time student data in the following areas: class assignments, grades, and standardized test scores; progress towards graduation; daily attendance and attendance trends; and English Learner (EL) reclassification status.

Parents may log onto our website or Schoology to contact faculty and staff to discuss student progress.

School Website, Blackboard Connect, Social Media: The school website provides current events, bell schedules, calendar updates, school newspaper, athletic schedules, faculty pages, links to live-stream K-CAV student broadcasts, student handbook, and information about support services.

The Cleveland website further provides links to the websites for several of our academic and career pathways, as well as the library and the Career and College Center. Through these online forums, parents, and community members have access to information about the LCAP and SPSA, the charter renewal petition, the campus modernization project, curricula, activities, alumni information, and other resources.

Additionally, the Counseling tab on the website offers links for adult school, career and college resources, and mental and emotional health services. It also provides parents with a list of family resources, including food pantries, legal services, and parenting classes.

Our ConnectEd phone systems – in English and Spanish – keep parents informed about events on campus. Every Sunday, the principal also delivers a weekly update of reminders and activities via ConnectEd and the school website.

Official school Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook social media accounts are utilized to keep parents and community members informed of school news and activities, and to provide an interactive way to communicate and offer feedback to the school. Additionally, several academic programs and student organizations have their own websites and/or social media accounts that offer additional avenues for participation and involvement.