AESM Middle School at L'Ouverture

                                                      Getting to know Title 1

Program Description

1.     Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended (ESEA) provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

2.     The school must focus Title I services on children who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet state academic standards.

3.     Designed to help students served by the program to achieve proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards.

4.     Schools with percentages of students from low-income families of at least 40 percent may use Title I funds, along with other Federal, State, and local funds, to operate.

Section 1118: PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

A. LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY (LEA) POLICY

1.     An LEA may receive funds under this part only if the agency implements programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents.

2.     Each local educational agency that receives funds under this part shall develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to, parents of participating children a written parent involvement policy.

3.     Build the schools' and parents' capacity for strong parental involvement as described.

4.     Coordinate and integrate parental involvement strategies with related parental involvement strategies under other programs such as: the Head Start program, Reading First program, Early Reading First program, Even Start program, Parents as Teachers program etc.

5.     Conduct with parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy in improving the academic quality of the schools served. Identify barriers to greater participation by parents in activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). Use the findings of such evaluation to design strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary, the parental involvement policies.  

B. SCHOOL PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY

1.     Each school served under this part shall jointly develop with, and distribute to, parents of participating children a written parental involvement policy, agreed on by such parents. Parents shall be notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand.

C. POLICY INVOLVEMENT

1.     Convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents of participating children shall be invited and encouraged to attend, to inform parents of their school's participation under this part and to explain the requirements of this part, and the right of the parents to be involved.

2.     Offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide, with funds provided under this part, transportation, child care, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement.

3.     Involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under this part, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parental involvement policy and the joint development of the school wide program.

4.     A description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet.

5.     If requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children.

D. SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HIGH STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

1.     As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy developed: the entire school staff and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State's high standards.

2.     Describe the school's responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment and the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children's learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, and volunteering.

3.     Opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child's class, and observation of classroom activities.

E. BUILDING CAPACITY FOR INVOLVEMENT

1.     Ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement.

2.     Provide assistance to parents of children. In understanding such topics as the State's academic content standards and State student academic achievement standards.

3.     Provide such other reasonable support for parental involvement activities.

F. ACCESSIBILITY

1.     In carrying out the parental involvement requirements, full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports required shall in a language such parents understand.

G. INFORMATION FROM PARENTAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCE CENTERS

1.     a parental information and resource center is established to provide training, information, and support to parents and individuals who work with local parents, local educational agencies, and schools receiving assistance under this part, each local educational agency or school that receives assistance under this part and is located in the State shall assist parents and parental organizations by informing such parents and organizations of the existence and purpose of such centers.

H. REVIEW

1.     The State educational agency shall review the local educational agency's parental involvement policies and practices to determine if the policies and practices meet the requirements of this section

Parents’ Right to Know

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)  is a United States Act of Congress that is a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which included Title I, the government's flagship aid program for disadvantaged students. NCLB supports standards-based education reform based on the premise that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. The Parents' Right to Know provision requires that two types of communication be provided to parents of students in Title I schools:  

1.     Parent Notification by District: A district receiving Title I funds must send a notification to parents, informing them of their right to request information on the qualifications of their child's teacher. The information that the district must provide (if requested) includes the following:

§  Whether or not the teacher has met the certification requirements of the state.

§  Whether or not the teacher is teaching under an emergency or other provisional status.

§  The bachelor's degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher in the field or discipline of his or her certificate or degree.

§  Whether or not the child receives service from a paraprofessional and, if so, his or her qualifications.

2.     Parent Notification by School: Additionally, schools receiving federal Title I Funds must send parents certain information in a timely manner, in a language that is understandable, to the extent that is feasible. Title I schools must provide the following:

§  Information on the child’s level of achievement on state assessments.

§  Timely notice that the child has been assigned to or been taught by a teacher who does not meet the highly qualified teacher requirements for four or more consecutive weeks.