2025-26 Family Engagement Plan

2025-2026 Family Engagement Plan

School Introduction:

Focus Beyond Transition Services provides special education services in the three pre-ETS (employment transition skills) areas: independent living, career and work, post-secondary and training to students with disabilities ages 18 to 22. Focus Beyond's mission is to provide transition services through collaborative partnerships that guide students through individualized pathways, promoting life-long learning as contributing members of their community.

The Family Engagement Plan (FEP) is organized into four impact areas. We will be working together this year to build positive and goal-oriented relationships in each area. Families and staff at school developed this plan together.

Welcoming Environment

Our school has staff member(s) available for families to discuss this plan and ask questions

Family Liaison: Jerrod Amadick

Our school communicates with families in many ways.

There are several ways that Focus Beyond staff communicates with students and families:

Focus Beyond website: https://www.spps.org/focusbeyond
School-wide family newsletter: Lighthouse Newsletter
Phone calls/emails from teachers and staff
Phone calls/emails/texts from Parent Link
Social media
IEP meetings

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FocusBeyondTransitionServices

Twitter: @spps_focusb

Instagram: @spps_focusbeyond

The achievement gap, or rather the “opportunity gap,” between students of color and white students in Saint Paul Public Schools is unacceptable. Our school is working to change practices and systems by identifying the barriers that make it harder for students of color to succeed and for their families to support their learning.

Focus Beyond engages in data analysis to align programming, services and supports to meet the needs of each student through a collaborative IEP process
Focus Beyond utilizes student voice to inform programmatic changes and improvements to support all students
Our teachers engage in professional learning communities to ensure that every student receives the instruction and access to resources to make progress toward their transition goals

Transitions between schools can be challenging, and we work to help families as their children start and leave our school.

For new students and families, we support the transition by:

Attending IEP meetings in the spring prior to the student attending Focus Beyond
High school students tour Focus Beyond in the spring
Hosting new student Open House in the Spring and the week before school starts
Hosting a community engagement night for all families in early November
Family and School tours

For students exiting Focus Beyond, we support the transition by:

Meeting as an IEP team to develop a Summary of Performance and to bridge the connection between program and community agencies
Using the IEP process to program for students 18-22 based on individual needs, including community and county supports the student will access after program completion
Increasing pre-ETS and independent living skills as a core component of the transition program

Family Partnerships

Our school-parent compact establishes the shared responsibility for student success between the school, families, and students. Families and teachers work together to develop the compact.

Copies of the compact are available: In the main office and on the SPPS Focus Beyond website.
Focus Beyond provides IEP progress reports twice per year, including the annual IEP.

There are many opportunities for families to build connections to the school and to each other.

Community Resource Night
Title I Annual Meeting where we will share information about school programs
Monthly Lighthouse Keeper Site Council Meetings
Spring Open House
National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) in February
Focus Beyond staff aim to return calls and messages within 48 hours on school days

We work to make these meetings and events available for every family in the school.

At most events and meetings, interpreters are available for families. Focus Beyond provides Hmong, Spanish, Somali, Karen and ASL. Focus Beyond has access to Language Line for other languages.
Focus Beyond will pay for transportation services to help families attend school-wide functions if transportation is unavailable
Focus Beyond sends out flyers for events that are translated.

Our school supports families as advocates and provides opportunities for parent leadership

If adult students or parents have concerns about the student’s learning, they can contact the special education case manager and/or the principal by phone, email or written note
Staff receive training to support continued growth needs based on student needs and adult student voice
Families are involved in planning for school improvement and family engagement through advisory meetings with the principal

Teaching and Learning

Focus Beyond engages in individualized learning plans as a key strategy to accelerate student skill development. Students and guardians can get more information in various ways. Some Focus Beyond students are their own guardian. Parents should work with their adult students regarding school process and the IEP when the student is the guardian.

Parent log-in information can be accessed at spps.org/onestop or by asking the school clerk
iPads - provide any information that parents need to know about iPads at your school
Schoology and/or Seesaw – provide information about the use of these learning management systems at your school
Hands-on community engagement
Hands-on work experiences and worksite reports
Progress/No-Progress Grading quarterly

Community Partnerships

Our school develops community partnerships to provide additional support for students and their families

Focus Beyond supports students and families with agency partnerships. Some of these include: Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Ramsey County, Nystrom & Associates, MICC, MCIL, Highland Friendship Group.

This plan is available as part of our school’s SCIP, or School Comprehensive Improvement Plan at spps.org/scip, is on our school website at https://www.spps.org/focusbeyond, and printed copies are available in the office.