Title I Program

 

Title I Definition

Title I is part of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. It was reauthorized under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 which has now been replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December of 2015.  

Title I is the largest federal education program that provides support to our nation's schools. Its purpose is to provide opportunities and services to students who attend schools with high levels of poverty and who are at risk of meeting the state's challenging performance standards. Individual schools determine the grade levels and specific subject areas to be served based on funding and personnel.

Use of Funds

Funds are primarily used to provide personnel to work with the most at-risk students at the Title I schools.  Aside from staff, Title I funding also provides materials to support student learning as well as professional development.

Every Title I school must create a specific plan that describes how funds will be utilized in compliance with federal and state guidelines and regulations. Title I serves children through schoolwide or targeted assistance programming.

Schoolwide Program Qualification

In order to be designated as a schoolwide Title I program, each school must complete at least one year of intensive planning and complete a comprehensive needs assessment that then must be approved by the district and the Indiana Department of Education for implementation. The comprehensive needs assessment involves an inquiry process, program design, and evaluation by a team of stakeholders including administration, staff, and parent input.  In schoolwide Title I schools, all students are considered Title I students, and all teachers are Title I teachers.

Program Design and Services

There is a commitment to encourage instructional decisions at the school level to provide a specific and individualized program to meet unique student needs and populations. Principals, program personnel, and staff assess the different components of the school’s program, consider parent input, and determine appropriate program design yearly.  As a result, intervention programs, instructional format, staffing, and grade levels served may vary from building to building.

Parent Rights and Responsibilities

Bailly Elementary encourages families to be actively involved in the education of their children. Title I further involves parents through a series of parent and family engagement components.

• Each school must convene an annual meeting to explain the Title I, Part A program, its requirements, and the rights of parents to be involved in those programs.  

• Parents have the right to know whether a teacher or paraprofessional is highly-qualified and to request those qualifications.

• Each school, with the input of staff and parents, will develop a school-parent compact to guide the partnership between home and school for the good of the student.

• In conjunction with parents, the district and each school will create a parent involvement policy and review those plans annually.

• Schools offer opportunities such as parent-teacher conferences, literacy and math events, and parent workshops to foster parent involvement and communication.

• Feedback and input from parents is used to improve Title I programming.  

• A written complaint procedure outlining the formal process for parent complaints regarding violations of the federal statute or regulation that applies the Title I, Part A program is available on the district website.  A copy of the complaint procedure policy is available upon request.  

Parent Resources

Title I Part A Program - U.S. Department of Education

Indiana Academic Standards

Indiana Department of Education Title I website

ESEA Network (formerly the National Title I Association)

Reading Rockets

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Each elementary school that is a Title I school in the Duneland School Corporation, will distribute this policy to parents/guardians of Title I students and update the policy as necessary.  To implement this policy, each school will make a commitment to carry out the following:
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• Invite, in a timely fashion, all parents/guardians to an annual fall meeting to explain the Title I program, the rights of the parents to be involved, the benchmark assessments given, expected proficiency levels, and curriculum to be used.  A flexible number of meetings and formats will be offered to encourage parent participation. 

• Make parents aware of parental involvement requirements in a timely manner and other relevant provisions of the program, which includes the planning, review, and improvement of the parental involvement policy.  Assist parents on how to access State Standards online.

• Provide a copy of necessary documents to parents/guardians.  Ensure that materials sent home are in a language understood in the home or offer assistance to those who may need added help to understand materials.

• Attend parent-teacher conferences of participating students and discuss their progress and methods parents can use to complement their child’s instruction.   

• Educate educators, with the assistance of parents, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school.

• Coordinate and integrate parent involvement programs and activities with local preschool programs, conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children.

• Encourage families to participate in their child’s education by providing opportunities for their involvement in the classroom and in the school.

• Provide families of Title I a monthly newsletter that will give ideas on helping their child learn and succeed in school.  

• Provide activities and access to a variety of math and literacy resources that can be used at home to promote educational enrichment,  if requested by the parent.

 

Education is the key to a bright future.  Once earned, it is something that no one can take away.  Research demonstrates that effective schools are a result of families and school staff working together to ensure that children are successful in school.  A learning compact is an agreement between the home and school that firmly unites them.

Student
It is important that I work to the best of my ability; therefore, I will strive to:

• Come to school each day ready to do my personal best.

• Attend school regularly, arriving on time.

• Be prepared for school each day with completed assignments and supplies.

• Follow school rules and procedures.

• Respect myself, my school, and other people.

• Work cooperatively with other students and adults.

Parent/Guardian
I want my child to achieve; therefore, I will encourage my child by doing the following:

• Believe that my child can learn.

• Set limits on the amount of time your child spends in front of a screen.

• See that my child attends school regularly and is on time.

• Support the school in developing positive behaviors in my child.

• Provide a quiet, well-lit place to study and monitor my child’s homework.

• Encourage my child to complete all homework assignments.

• Communicate with my child’s teacher on a regular basis.

• Stay interested in and aware of what my child is learning.

• Encourage my child to read at home and apply all their learning to daily life.

• Attend the annual fall parent/teacher conference.

• Volunteer in your child’s classroom if time and schedule permits.

School
It is important that all students achieve; therefore, we will strive to do the following:

• Provide high quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment.

• Provide assistance in understanding academic achievement standards and tests, how to track your child’s progress, and how to establish a successful homework setting and routine.

• Provide opportunities for regular communication between parents and staff through: parent-teacher conferences, frequent progress updates, opportunities to talk with staff, volunteer in class, and observe classroom activities, ensure regular communication between family members and staff to the extent possible, in a language that family members can understand.

• Hold high expectations for students, believing that all students can learn.

• Demonstrate care and concern for each student, respecting cultural diversity and learning differences.

• Conduct annual parent/teacher conferences and discuss the home/school compact.

• Provide a safe learning environment for all children.

 

Information about a Teacher’s Qualifications as Required by [Section 1111(h)(6) ESEA.] 

 

Dear Parent/Guardian, 

At Duneland School Corporation, we are very proud of our teachers and feel they are ready for the coming school year and are prepared to give your child a high-quality education. At our Title I schools, we must meet federal rules related to teacher qualifications as defined in ESSA. These rules allow you to learn more about your child’s teachers’ training and credentials. We are happy to provide this information to you in a timely manner. At any time, you may ask:

• Whether the teacher has met state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade level and subject areas taught; 
   

• Whether  the teacher is teaching under emergency or temporary status in which Indiana qualifications and licensing criteria are waived; 
   

• What undergraduate or graduate degrees the teacher holds, including graduate certificates and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration;
   

• Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals/Title I aides, and if so, their qualifications. 

If at any time your child has been taught for four (4) or more consecutive weeks by a teacher that is not highly qualified, you shall be notified by the school of this information.  

Our staff is committed to helping your child develop the academic knowledge and critical thinking he/she needs to succeed in school and beyond. That commitment includes making sure that all of our teachers and paraprofessionals/Title I aides are highly skilled. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school principal.   

Sincerely, 
 

Kevin Zeck
Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning