Parent & Family Engagement Policy

GCA’s Parent and Family Engagement Policy is our Plan for Shared Student Achievement which describes how GCA will provide opportunities to improve family engagement to support student learning. GCA values the contributions and involvement of parents, Learning Coaches, and family members to establish an equal partnership for the common goal of improving student achievement. This policy describes the different ways that GCA will support family engagement and how parents can help plan and participate in activities and events to promote student learning at school and outside of the virtual classroom.  GCA provides reasonable support for parental involvement activities under Title I Part A Section 1116.

GCA invited all parents to attend our Title I Family Engagement End of Year Review & Input Meeting last spring to review and provide input on our Family Engagement Policy as well as our School-Parent Compacts, and our family engagement budget. We also distributed our annual survey online to all families to ask parents for their suggestions on the policy, School-Parent Compacts, and the use of funds for family engagement. Additionally, parent input and comments regarding this policy are welcomed throughout the school year through focus groups, survey feedback, email feedback, online meetings, and phone calls. The policy is posted on our website for families to view and submit feedback throughout the year. Parents and family members are also welcomed to give feedback during parent meetings provided throughout the school year. The Family School Partnership Coordinators reviews feedback annually to provide revisions for the Family Engagement Policy. We welcome Learning Coach, parent, and family feedback. If you would like to provide feedback, please email Michelle Gilyard, Family School Partnerships Coordinator at mgilyard@georgiacyber.org . All parent feedback received during the current school year will be used to revise the plan for the following school year.

At the beginning of the year, the policy is emailed to all families by the Family School Partnership Coordinators. The policy is also provided in our Annual Title I Meeting.  A printable copy can be downloaded by selecting the link below.

Parent and Family Engagement Policy

GCA will reserve 1% from the total amount of Title I funds to carry out parent and family engagement requirements.  Furthermore, at least 90% of the 1% will be reserved to support family engagement programs and activities. Family engagement programs and activities are to ensure that parents are provided opportunities and experiences that enable them to promote high student academic achievement and be involved in an effective partnership with the school.

GCA coordinates and integrates parent and family engagement strategies with the Georgia Department of Education through ongoing collaborations and continuing education. GCA is proud to have contributed to the Georgia Department of Education by providing technical assistance to the 2017-2019 Family-Friendly Partnership Schools Cohort.

Ongoing staff professional development is provided district wide by the Family School Partnership Coordinators to strengthen our staff’s family engagement practices. Some of the topics that will be covered are best practices in the value and utility of contributions of parents; how to effectively reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners; how we implement and coordinate parent programs; how to provide information in a language that parents can understand; and how to build ties between parents and the school. Parents are asked to participate and provide feedback on staff family engagement professional development. 

GCA staff and parents/learning coaches work collaboratively to develop the School-Parent Compacts as part of the Parent and Family Engagement Policy. This compact outlines how parents/learning coaches, school, staff, and students share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and how the school and parents/learning coaches will build and develop a partnership to help students achieve the state's high standards.  Copies of the School-Parent Compacts are located on our School Compacts page.

School Compacts

In carrying out the parent and family engagement requirements established by Section 1116 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Family School Partnership Coordinators will communicate and collaborate with the Title III Coordinator, Transitional Support Liaisons, and Student Support Services Team to ensure opportunities for participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents of migratory children, and parents with disabilities are provided information and school reports in a language parents can understand.

The GCA Annual Parent Survey is conducted each spring to evaluate the content and effectiveness of the parent and family engagement policy and programming in improving the academic quality of our school.  The survey is also used to identify barriers to greater participation by parents and to identify the needs of parents in how they can further assist with the learning of their student. Results from this survey are used in the planning of future parent and family engagement programming and documentation.

The purpose of the Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA) Parent Advisory Council is for parents to be positive ambassadors while providing meaningful input that impacts our students and their families. The primary focus for the advisory members is to increase parent and family engagement ensuring student academic success. The goal of the GCA Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is to ensure the effective involvement of parents while forming a partnership with the GCA community and supporting our Family-Friendly School environment.

 If you have questions or would like to apply for next school year, please contact Veronica Okpani, Family School Partnerships Coordinator at vokpani@georgiacyber.org.

The Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA) Student Advisory Council (SAC) provides feedback on our school from the student’s perspective. The council is comprised of students who represent GCA’s Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Grade Bands. The purpose of GCA SAC is to provide feedback on the social, emotional, and academic needs of our students with the goal of identifying any student concerns which will be shared with school leadership.  If you have questions or would like to apply for next school year, please contact Michelle Gilyard, Family School Partnerships Coordinator at mgilyard@georgiacyber.org.

Georgia Cyber Academy Parent-Teacher-Student Organization (GCA PTSO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support and enhance the educational experience for the children attending GCA. The PTSO provides an avenue of communication, offers volunteer opportunities, and fundraises to assist with school related programs and projects. To volunteer for the 2021/2022 school year complete this Volunteer Survey. More information about GCA PTSO and how you can be involved is located on the PTSO website at www.gcaptso.org.  If you have questions, please email Michelle Gilyard, Family School Partnerships Coordinator at mgilyard@georgiacyber.org.

Our school website has a wealth of information including faculty directory, school policies, school news, academic and events calendars, department information, Georgia Milestones resources, new family resources and much more. 

The GCA Calendar contains details about in-person/virtual events and online support sessions. In-person events are planned by our school, teachers, and parent leaders all over the state to provide educational and social opportunities with other GCA families.  Online support sessions cover a variety of topics.  View the GCA Calendar for details.

The Family School Partnership Coordinators hosts online open office help sessions at the beginning of the school year. Department leaders from Primary Grade Bands, Elementary Grade Bands, Middle Grade Bands, Secondary School Grade Bands, Counseling, Accountability, Strong Start New & Returning Parent Support, and Special Education & LIFE Program are available to help answer families’ questions and provide support. Learning Coach Live Help will take place daily:

• August 1-11, 2023 (Monday-Friday) 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

• August 14 - September 27, 2023, (Monday-Wednesday) 2023 - 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

For more information and to find the session link, please visit the GCA Parent Calendar

The role of the GCA Family Engagement Liaison (FEL) is to provide holistic support to each student and their family throughout each school year. The purpose is to guarantee that all GCA families have adequate support and individual communication to foster family-school partnerships that lead to increased student achievement. The Family Engagement Liaison is a gateway to many other resources and departmental support.

Input and suggestions from parents, family members, and community partners are an essential component of the district/school improvement plan that is developed each year. Georgia Cyber Academy invites our families and stakeholders to participate in developing a Consolidated LEA Improvement Plan (CLIP). Parents, family, community partners, and staff will be given the opportunity to volunteer on school improvement committees in the meeting and via email. If you would like to provide feedback at any time on our District Improvement Plans, please email Lucretia Nolan at lnolan@georgiacyber.org.

Family and Spanish language delivery of 02/13/2024 CLIP (District Improvement Plan) Family and Stakeholder Input Meeting content will be provided. Lucretia Nolan, Federal Programs Director, will be the guest speaker.  If you would like to provide feedback at any time on our District Improvement Plans, please email Lucretia Nolan at lnolan@georgiacyber.org.

We will review our Title I Family Engagement Program and evaluate its effectiveness for the 2022-2023 School Year. We will be providing the opportunity for feedback on how we can improve our documents and programming for the 2023-2024 School Year. Those items include: The District Wide/School Wide Plan, Title I Funding (including 1% set-aside for parent and family engagement activities), Parent and Family Engagement Policy, School-Parent Compacts, and Family Engagement Staff and Parent Trainings. If you would like to provide feedback at any time on our Title I Family Engagement Program, please email Michelle Gilyard at mgilyard@georgiacyber.org.

Spanish language delivery of 03/21/2024 Title I End of the Year Review and Input Meeting content will be provided. If you would like to provide feedback at any time on our Title I Family Engagement Program, please email Michelle Gilyard at mgilyard@georgiacyber.org.

An informational session regarding AP course expectations and details on how to sign up for AP exams.

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year with updates from district leaders and an open forum to ask questions and discuss concerns.

Join our Special Education Parent Orientation to learn how we serve you and your students at Georgia Cyber Academy and meet our team.

This information session Gifted Program department will discuss, the difference between advanced and gifted, eligibility and gifted testing, and placement for advanced and gifted classes. Followed by a Question-and-Answer session.

During this session, the Family-School Partnership Coordinators will provide materials and training to help parents to work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology including education about the harms of copyright piracy, email/internet safety, and plagiarism/honor code.

During each grade band’s Curriculum Night session, the Curriculum Instruction and Assessment Director along with the grade band Principals and staff will explain standards, assessments, monitoring progress, and working with educators. 

Join your Curriculum & Instructional Programs Department on September 12, 2023, from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. The team will provide information about GCA Curriculum for the 2023 - 2024 school year in all K - 12 classrooms at Georgia Cyber Academy.

In the Parent Meeting, we will discuss Parent Leadership opportunities and Attendance Awareness with our Attendance Department guest speaker. In addition, our Counseling department will provide information on our Dual Enrollment and Work-Based Learning programs. After the Parent Meeting, we will transition into grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12), Parent University Rooms where educators will review how you can help support your student in Math. Breakout rooms for a Special Education Information Session will also be available.

A parent informational session regarding the social and emotional aspects of giftedness and how it affects the whole child. We will discuss parenting tips and tricks, how to advocate for your gifted student, and host a question-and-answer session.

Spanish language delivery of 09/21/2023 parent meeting, parent university content will be provided in a translatable recording. A guest speaker from our Counseling Department will discuss our Dual Enrollment and Work-Based Learning programs.

The purpose of this meeting is to provide our Parents, Learning Coaches, and stakeholders with information about our Title I Program and our parents’ right to be involved in their child's education. We will review items and documents such as the District Wide/School Wide Plan, Title I Funding (including 1% set-aside for parent and family engagement activities), Parent and Family Engagement Policy, School-Parent Compact, and Family Engagement Staff and Parent Trainings.

In this meeting, we will discuss the English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program at GCA and show parents of ESOL students how they can be involved in the education of their children as well as become active participants in assisting their children to attain English proficiency, achieve at thigh levels within a well-rounded education, and meet the challenging academic standards expected of all students. An interpreter will be in the session and slides will be delivered in both English and Spanish.

Spanish language delivery of 10/5/2023 Annual Title I Meeting content.

In the Parent Meeting, we will discuss Family Engagement Month. We will also share fundraising from-home opportunities, and how to work with educators to improve student achievement.  After the Parent Meeting, we will transition into grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) Parent University Rooms where educators will review how you can help support your student in Reading and English Language Arts. An Instructional Support Services Representative will be in each grade band breakout room.  There will also be a Special Education information breakout room, and a LIFE information breakout room.

Senate Bill 60 Sudden Cardiac Death Prevention Strategies and GCA health screening parent information session.

Spanish language delivery of 10/24/2023 parent meeting, parent university content will be provided in a translatable recording.

In the Parent Meeting, we will share how to engage and motivate your student, a Learning Coach guest speaker will provide tips and best practices on motivating and keeping your student engaged. In addition, our Counseling department will provide information on our Dual Enrollment and Work-Based Learning programs. After the Parent Meeting, we will transition into grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) Parent University Rooms where educators will review how to read MAP scores and encourage student MAP growth.  An Instructional Support Services Representative and Special Education Representative will be in each grade band breakout room. There will also be a LIFE breakout room.

Spanish language delivery of 11/9/2023 parent meeting, parent university content will be provided in a translatable recording. In addition, our Counseling department will provide information on our Dual Enrollment and Work-Based Learning programs.

Understanding Credit – Topics to include when should kids start building credit, how to help build good credit habits, how to be smart with money, and how to protect your child’s credit.

Paying Bills & Budgeting/ Saving & Investing – Topics to include investment accounts for kids, how to help your child earn income, and how to responsibly pay our bills.

Banking & Protecting Your Identity – Topics to include the importance of saving money, opening a bank account, saving incentives, and how to teach your children about internet safety.

District school leaders will provide updates and share important news for the New Year. An open forum to ask questions and discuss concerns will be provided at the end of the meeting.

During this meeting, we provide tips for improving literacy at home as well as how parents can reinforce English language development. We also review what ACCESS is, and the dates scheduled, and give out links to the DRC practice site.

We will discuss Parent Leadership Month and Growth Mindsets for Parents and Students in the Parent Meeting. In addition, our Counseling department will provide information on our Dual Enrollment and Work-Based Learning programs. After the Parent Meeting, we will transition into grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) Parent University Rooms where educators will review how you can help support your student with Science and Social Studies.  An Instructional Support Services Representative will be in each grade band breakout room.  There will also be a Special Education Information Session breakout room, a LIFE information breakout room, and an Access Testing Information breakout room.

Join our Special Education Parent Orientation to find out how we serve you and your students at Georgia Cyber Academy and to meet our team.

Spanish language delivery of 01/18/2024 parent meeting, parent university content will be provided in a translatable recording. In addition, our Counseling department will provide information on our Dual Enrollment and Work-Based Learning programs.

In the Parent Meeting, we will discuss Georgia Milestone Assessments and how your family can prepare for state-mandated testing. In addition, our Counseling department will provide information on our Dual Enrollment and Work-Based Learning programs. After the Parent Meeting, we will transition into grade bands (K-5, 6-8, 9-12) Parent University Rooms where educators will review how you can help your student prepare academically for Milestone Assessments and test-taking strategies. There will also be a Special Education breakout room and a LIFE breakout room.

Spanish language delivery of 03/12/2024 parent meeting, parent university content will be provided in a translatable recording. In addition, our Counseling department will provide information on our Dual Enrollment and Work-Based Learning programs.

Spanish language delivery of Senate Bill 60 Sudden Cardiac Death Prevention Strategies and GCA health screening parent information session.

Senate Bill 60 Sudden Cardiac Death Prevention Strategies and GCA health screening parent information session.

We will celebrate our 2023-2024 school year accomplishments and achievements.  District school leaders will share end-of-year updates and important information for the next school year. An open forum to ask questions and discuss concerns will be provided at the end of the meeting.

The Family School Partnership Coordinators send monthly reminders for families to utilize the GCA Student and Family Help Center for support with Student Technology, Accounts, and Software. Link to page https://support.georgiacyber.org/hc/en-us