Parents, school staff, and the building administrator will collaboratively revise this Parent and Family Engagement Plan during the 2026-2027 school year in alignment with the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Section 1116. The plan outlines how Avondale Middle School implements each required component to support meaningful parent and family engagement.

 

Developing Our School’s Parent and Family Engagement Plan Together ESSA 1116(b)(1)
AMS’s Parent and Family Engagement Plan was initially developed by Avondale Elementary School District for schools to use as a starting point for the 26-27 school year.  AMS will ask for input from parents, families, and school staff to revise this plan in order to meet the needs of our school community during Fall 2026. The plan is shared and reviewed during the school’s Annual Title I Meeting held in conjunction with Curriculum Night, sent out in the school newsletter, and is placed on our school website.  The website will allow the plan to be translated to all languages that Google translates.

 

Each year, parents, families, and staff will be provided opportunities to review the plan, provide feedback, and recommend revisions so that it continues to reflect the needs of students and families. This will occur within our Site Council at a meeting in which parents will be invited to attend. 

 

Learning About Title I: Our Annual Family Meeting ESSA 1116(c)(1)
An annual meeting is held which includes information for parents on: 

• Title I Requirements
  • School - Parent and Family Engagement Plan
  • School - Parent Compact
• Ways parents can partner with the school
• Title I parents’ rights 

How are parents encouraged to attend? 

• The Title I Annual meeting is held the same night as Curriculum Night to increase participation.
• A reminder will be provided.  
• An additional Title I Annual meeting will be provided on an athletics night with a reminder provided.

Possible additional ideas to answer the “How are parents encouraged to attend?”:

• Multiple reminders will be provided
• Invitations to the Title I Parent meeting will include specific benefits of attending
• The school will remove barriers to attendance
  • Offer childcare (This could be paid for through Title I)
  • Offer translation (This could be paid for through Title I)
  • Stream the meeting so parents can watch it from home

 

Making it Easier for Families to Participate ESSA 1116(c)(2) 

The Annual Title I Meeting presentation will be posted on the school website for families who are unable to attend in person.  Once it is available, all families will receive a link through the school newsletter so they can view the presentation at their convenience.

Other Meetings/Engagement events throughout the school year will be offered at varied times in order for all families to have an opportunity to attend at least one event.

Important Family Engagement Opportunities:

• Annual Title I Meeting 
• Family Education Events 
• Parent / Teacher Conferences 

 

Supporting Meaningful Family Engagement 1116(c)(3) 

Parents are involved in the development of the School Improvement Plan and Title I Program development in the following ways: 

School Parent and Family Engagement Plan and School-Parent Compact

• Review both the plan and the compact at the Title-I Annual Meeting with families
• Provide an in-person meeting option and a May Title I Annual survey to evaluate the content and effectiveness of the parent and family engagement policy.  

Schoolwide Program Plan 
(In Arizona, this is called the “School Improvement Action Plan” or “SIAP”)

• Include parent stakeholders in the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Process and SIAP development in the spring. 
• Include parent stakeholders in the SIAP review during the year.
• The focus of parent feedback will be on improving family engagement.

 

Sharing Information About Programs and Learning ESSA 1116(c)(4)(A)

Parents are provided information regarding the school programs through: 

• Annual Title I Meeting
• Parent / Teacher Conferences 
• Site Council meetings

 

Understanding Curriculum, Assessments, and Student Progress ESSA 1116(c)(4)(B)

Curriculum:
English Language Arts

StudySync ELA is the English Language Arts program used by our middle schools to help students strengthen their reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills. Students read a variety of engaging texts, participate in collaborative discussions, and complete writing activities that prepare them for success in school and beyond while meeting Arizona's academic standards.

Avondale Elementary School District will be adopting a new 6th - 8th grade ELA curriculum to be implemented during the 2027-2028 school year. Please look out for an invitation to participate in the adoption committee and when materials are available to review by parents.

Cllick this link to be taken to the StudySync website.

Math
Savvas Envision+ 6-8:  Savvas enVision Mathematics is the math program used by our schools to help students build a strong understanding of mathematical concepts and develop problem-solving skills. Through hands-on learning, real-world examples, and meaningful practice, students build confidence in math while developing the skills needed for success in future learning.  This curriculum was adopted to begin in the 2026-2027 school year.

Click this link to be taken to the Savvas Envision+ 6-8 website.

 

What will your child learn in each grade level?  Click this link to view the What Your Child Will Learn documents.

 

Academic Assessments

English Language Arts:  

i-Ready Reading (Grades 3-8):  3rd - 8th graders take this digital test in August, December and May.  i-Ready Reading helps identify your child’s reading strengths and areas where they may need additional support. It looks at important reading skills such as phonics, vocabulary, and understanding what they read. Results help teachers plan instruction and monitor your child’s reading growth throughout the year.  Any parent can request the i-Ready parent report that is generated after each assessment by emailing their child’s teacher. 

i-Ready Math (Grades K-8):  Kinder - 8th graders take this digital test in August, December and May.  i-Ready Math helps identify your child’s math strengths and areas where they may need additional support. It looks at important math skills such as numbers and operations, algebraic thinking, measurement, and geometry. Results help teachers plan instruction and monitor your child’s math growth throughout the year.  Any parent can request the i-Ready parent report that is generated after each assessment by emailing their child’s teacher. 

Common Formative Assessments: Students are assessed throughout the year on the most important skills and standards for their grade level. These assessments help teachers monitor student progress, identify areas where additional support may be needed, and adjust instruction. 6th - 8th grade assessments are created by Navvy.

Informal monitoring:  Teachers will monitor students’ standard mastery through informal methods and with assessments built into the curriculum.

 

Opportunities for Families to Share Input and Ideas ESSA 1116(c)(4)(C)

Avondale Middle School will provide parents opportunities to participate in decision making related to their children’s education by: 

• Scheduled bi-annually Parent-Teacher conferences
• Additional Parent-Teacher conferences at the request of the parents or teacher
• Parent representatives for feedback on the School Integrated Action Plan
• Site Council
• Family Engagement Events
• IEP meetings, when applicable

 

Ensuring Families’ Concerns Are Heard 1116(c)(5)

If parents are not satisfied with the School Improvement Plan or Programs, they have opportunities to make comments by: 

Emailing the school principal, at sgonzal@chooseaesd.org along with the AESD Director of Grants Jessica Bartels at jbartel@chooseaesd.org.

 

Our School-Parent-Student Compact ESSA 1116(d)
Our School-Parent-Student Compact will be reviewed annually and revised based on feedback from families and staff. The compact outlines how the school, staff, families, and students share responsibility for supporting student learning and academic achievement. It also describes how our school will build strong partnerships with families by providing opportunities to communicate with teachers and staff, volunteer and participate in school and classroom activities, and observe classroom activities.

Helping Families Support Their Child’s Learning ESSA 1116(e)(1)

Avondale Middle School will provide families with information and support to help them understand academic standards, curriculum, assessments, and their child’s progress through:

• Curriculum Night -  September 3rd, 2026

• Click this link to view the What Your Child Will Learn documents outlining grade-level learning expectations

• Standards-focused parent nights during the school year, including opportunities to learn more about ELA and Math standards and ways to support learning at home
• Savvas Envision + Math Family Resources 
• Parent-Teacher Conferences to discuss individual student progress, strengths, and areas for growth
• i-Ready Reading (3rd - 8th) and i-Ready Math (Kinder - 8th) Parent Reports providing information about student performance, growth, and areas where additional support may be needed (By parent request)

 

Providing Resources and Training for Families ESSA 1116(e)(2)

Staff will provide parents with appropriate materials and offer training in our school to enable them to support their child’s
academic progress. These include:

• Annual Title I meeting
• Family Education Events
• Transition to high school meetings
• Parents can reach out to their child’s teacher and/or the school Parent Outreach Liaison ahernan5@chooseaesd.org to ask for additional support in working with their child

Training Staff to Partner with Families ESSA 1116(e)(3)

On-going professional development for staff on effective ways to increase parental involvement occurs annually, generally during staff meetings.

 

Connecting Family Engagement Programs and Resources ESSA 1116(e)(4) 

Coordination with other programs for parental involvement includes:

• Connecting families with the IDIA Hive, located next to the District Office, to increase access to technology, digital resources, and learning opportunities 
• Connect parents with community partners and resources, including the Avondale Public Library and Georgia T. Lord library in Goodyear, to expand opportunities for learning and family engagement

 

Making School Information Easy to Understand ESSA 1116(e)(5)

ParentSquare allows families to translate any communication to the family’s preferred language.  

Parents may request translation in advance for parent-teacher conferences and other communications outside of parent square by emailing their child’s teacher or the school’s Parent Outreach Liaison at ahernan5@chooseaesd.org.  

 

Supporting Families in Ways That Meet Their Needs ESSA 1116(e)(14)

Families may contact the school to request translation, interpretation, accessibility accommodations, or other assistance needed to participate in school activities and their child’s education.

• ParentSquare communications that allow families to select their preferred language.
• Interpretation/translation available upon request for meetings and conferences.
• Translated Title I documents and other important school communications.
• Accessible school facilities for family events.
• Alternative formats or accommodations for parents with disabilities upon request.
• Coordination with Title I Part C staff to ensure migratory agricultural families receive information and opportunities to participate.

The school will fulfill this request to the extent practicable.