ARAB
TITLE
I HANDBOOK
What
is Title I?
Title
I (pronounced “Title One”) is the largest federal aid program for elementary,
middle, and high schools. Through Title
I, the Federal government gives money to school districts around the country
based on the number of low-income families in each district. Each district uses its Title I money for extra
educational services for children who are behind in school.
You
may know Title I by its old name, Chapter 1.
But the new Title I is different. It is based on three important ideas:
1.
All students should work
toward the same high standards.
Title I’s job is to provide help to students who need it to make sure they reach the same standards as everyone else in their school or district. Standards describe what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Schools cannot have different standards for Title I students compared to other students.
2. Local districts, schools, and parents know best what their
students need to succeed.
Title
I allows parents to decide how to use Title I money to help students who are
behind.
3. Parents are partners in helping all students achieve.
Parents
have the right to be involved in the design and operation of their
school’s Title I program. At the same
time, parents have a responsibility to help their children succeed in
school.
How can Title I money be used?
Districts, schools, and parents and have a lot of choices
in how they set up their Title I program, as long as it helps low-achieving
students meet the same standards that have been set for all other
students. For example, Title I money can be used to:
·
provide
after-school or summer school programs;
·
train
teachers and other staff;
·
buy
equipment and learning materials;
·
support
parent involvement activities;
·
hire
tutors or aides in reading or math
Which students can get Title I help?
Title I programs are for the children who need help the
most----those who are furthest behind in school. Each school community decided which students
are most in need of Title I services.
How can Title I help me as a parent?
Title I money can be used for many types of parent
involvement activities. It can be spent
on:
·
Family
literacy activities;
·
Parent
meetings and training activities;
·
Materials
that parents can use to work with their children at home.
How can I find out what my Title I program offers
parents?
All Title I programs must have in place a plan for how it
will involve parents. This plan, called
a parent involvement policy, explain how the school and district support
the important role of parents in education.
The parent involvement policy must include a compact, which is a
written statement of what schools and parents are each supposed to do to help
students achieve. This document is sent
home each year. At our spring meeting,
the committee gives their input into any changes that need to be made for the
upcoming year.
If my child is in Title I, how can I help?
Parents can help their children be more successful by teaching
them in ways that add to what the teacher is doing…by learning more
about their school…by supporting their children and the school…and by making
decisions about their children’s education.
Here are some ways you can do all that:
-
Find out what your child is supposed to learn to meet the standards for
his or her grade
level;
-
Find out what your child is being taught;
-
Find out how the Title I program is helping your child meet
the standards;
-
Keep in close touch with your child’s teacher;
-
Make sure your child does his or her homework;
-
Attend parent-teacher conferences;
-
Talk with your child about school;
-
Become a school volunteer;
- Join your local parent-teacher organization.
How can I help my school’s Title I program?
There are many ways you can become involved:
-You
can help plan or review your school’s Title I program.
-You
can help develop your school’s plans for how parents and schools can work
together (its parent
involvement policy and its compact).
-
You can work on the committee that reviews your state’s Title I policies.
How will I know if the Title I program at my child’s
school is working?
Schools need to show that their Title I programs are
working. This means that their Title I
students are learning the same things and gaining the same skills as all the
other students. It is also means that
Title I students are making good progress each year to reach the standards set
by the school for all students. Parents
can get this information from the school profile, which is like a report card
on the school. States and districts are
required by law to improve programs that are not meeting the standards.
Parents’ Rights
1.
Parents must receive a copy of a written
parent Involvement Policy. This Policy
will describe how parents and the school staff work together to make sure your
child succeeds in school. The Policy
also describes in detail your rights as parents and what is expected of you. You can be involved in the writing/revising
of this policy. This policy is included at the end of this booklet.
2.
The school must hold a meeting to
explain the Title I program to all parents and what their rights are under the
program.
3.
Parents can be involved in the
writing of the school-parent compact in the spring. The compacts are agreements or contracts
between parents, school staff, and the children. It explains how parents will work together to
make sure their child is successful in school.
It should be used to help make sure everyone involved is doing what is
necessary for the child to succeed.
4.
Because communications between
teachers and parents are considered to be so important, parental rights include
at least one parent-teacher conference during the year. Also, parents have the right to receive
frequent reports from their child’s teacher(s) on their performance.
5.
Each year the school staff must
review with the help of parents the Parent Involvement Plan. The parent involvement plan can be changed if
certain activities are not working.
Parents can be involved in this review.
Evaluating Parent Involvement
A yearly evaluation of the parent involvement policy is
required. Parents should be involved in
this process. Both the content and
effectiveness of the parent involvement policy should be evaluated.
A questionnaire is distributed near the end of school year
and is sent home to all K-5 Title I parents.
You are asked to respond to questions and to provide additional
suggestions concerning parent involvement.
The findings are used to develop strategies for school improvement and
revisions to the Title I – Parent Involvement Plan.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
A parent/teacher conference is available for all parents
upon request. The conference is an
opportunity for parents to communicate with the classroom teacher or Title I
teacher about what is going on in the classroom.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
1.
Set up an appointment with the
classroom teacher or Title I teacher with a phone call to the school (
2.
Before the meeting, find out from
the teacher how much time you will have.
If you need more time or an additional appointment, let the teacher
know.
3.
Before the conference, write
questions and comments you wish to discuss and bring them to the conference.
4.
If child is having problems, focus
the conversations on what can be done for your son or daughter immediately and
in the future.
5.
At the conclusion of the conference
make sure that a written plan has been developed and agreed upon by parent and
teacher.
Highly Qualified Staff
Under No Child Left Behind every school receiving Title I
money is required to notify parents of their rights to receive information
concerning the professional qualifications of their child’s teacher(s)
including the degrees held, certifications held, and whether the teacher is
certified in the area he/she is teaching.
Parents may also receive information as to whether or not
their child is receiving instruction by a paraprofessional, and if so, his/her
qualifications.
Please send your written request for information about the
qualifications of your child’s teacher to:
Cynthia Green, Federal Programs Coordinator
Arab City Schools