Title I, Part A Parent and Family Engagement, 2019-2020. Research Educational Program Report
Author: Houston Independent School District (HISD), Department of Research and Accountability
Date: 2020-10-16
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Poverty,Low Income Students,Parent School Relationship,Public Schools,Urban Schools,School Districts,Enrollment,Race,Ethnicity,Parent Surveys,Parent Participation,Family School Relationship,Family Involvement

The Title I, Part A program (Title I) is legislation included in the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA), the latest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Title I, Part A was designed to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and achieve, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and assessments. The program's goal is accomplished by providing supplemental funding for educational programs to Title I, Part A schools, which have high percentages of students living in poverty. This 2019-2020 report describes the level of parent and family engagement coded in Chancery Student Information System (SIS) at Title I schools within the Houston Independent School District (HISD) for the 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2019-2020 academic years. Key findings include: (1) Data obtained from Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) revealed that 191,257 students who received Title I status codes '6' and '7' were enrolled in HISD by the October 25, 2019 snapshot; (2) Districtwide, the overall parent and family engagement rate increased by 5.0 percentage points from 48.6 percent in 2017-2018 to 53.6 percent by the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. Increases in the district's overall engagement rate positively correlate with increases in engagement rates among parents of students identified as either Black or African American (from 39.4% to 46.4%) or Hispanic (50.5% to 54.9%); (3) Parents and family members of students identified as White have had the highest engagement rates for the past three academic years; (4) Data regarding vulnerable student populations revealed that parents and family members of students identified as either Black or African American, Economically Disadvantaged, Homeless, Immigrant, Migrant, or eligible for Special Education services had overall engagement rates that fell below the district average for three consecutive years. Black or African American families had the lowest overall engagement rates compared to other families of vulnerable student populations; (5) Regardless of academic year, school office association, or vulnerable student population status, parents and families were more likely to participate in Conferences than other engagement opportunities offered by their child's Title I campus; and (6) The North and West Schools Offices had overall engagement rates that exceeded the district average for three consecutive years. Conversely, the South and Achieve 180 Schools Offices overall engagement rates fell below the district average for the past three years. Recommendations for improvement are provided.