One goal of Atlanta High School is to have effective parental involvement that leads to student academic success. Parent involvement takes many forms, including communicating, parenting, student learning, volunteering, school decision making and advocacy, and collaborating with the community. Research findings on parent/family involvement regarding higher student achievement show that:
• Students achieve more, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnic/racial background, or the parents’ education level;
• Students have higher test grades and test scores, better attendance, and complete homework more consistently;
• Students have higher graduation rates and greater enrollment rates in postsecondary education; and
• Student achievement for disadvantaged students improves dramatically.

We recognize that achieving effective parental involvement is also the responsibility of the principal and teachers. Actions that I can take as campus principal to directly affect parent involvement are:
• Provide educational leadership for all the key players – school personnel, students, parents and families, and other community members;
• Set the tone for the school climate as positive, friendly, open to the community, and serving all children equally;
• Recognize and affirm the fundamental premise of parent involvement (all children can learn, parent involvement is a valuable resource, and all parent/families can have an impact);
• Take time to get to know the community served by the campus;
• Assess school and community perception of needs and available resources; and
• Encourage opportunities for staff, parents, and other community members to get to know each other.
Finally, teachers will:
• Provide a variety of options for parents to collaborate in the teaching of the children (including homework activities, class projects, volunteer work in the classroom and field trips, fund raising, etc);
• Receive training on individual or group differences (e.g., ethnicity, cultural, socio-economic), and teach children to respect them;
• Establish and maintain open, two-way communication with parents and other family members; and
• Examine their own assumptions about student ability and interest based on behavior, nonstandard English or lack of English, physical appearance, or family background, and remain alert to negative stereotypes.

I look forward to developing relationships with our parents and community that will maintain the appropriate school environment to bring about continued student success. I will continue to evaluate A.H.S. opportunities that are currently offered and work toward improving areas of need. As always, thank you for the opportunity to work with you and your child in all that we do.

Sincerely,

Jon Almeida, Principal
Atlanta High School