What is Title I?

1. West Central ElementaryTitle I Annual Parent Meeting August 25, 20161:00 p.m and 5:30 p.m.West Central Media CenterWelcome!Please sign in!

2. What is Title I? Correlates with 1. on agenda Title I is the largest federally funded program for elementary, middle, and high schools. Through Title I, money is given 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 most in need of educational help. The focus of the Title I program is on helping all students meet the same high standards expected of all children. Georgia Department of Education. (2012). A Parent’s Guide to Title I [Brochure].

3. Purpose of a Title I Schoolwide Program The purpose of schoolwide Title I program is to improve the entire educational program in a school which should result in improving the academic achievement of all students, particularly the lowest achieving students. The goal of such a program is to assist those students to demonstrate proficiency on academic standards. Georgia Department of Education. Implementing Title I Schools, A Handbook for Directors, June 2012

4. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires that each Title I School hold an Annual Meeting of Title I parents for the purpose of… • Informing you of your school’s participation in Title I • Explaining the requirements of Title I • Explaining your rights as parents to be involved

5. Questions so far?

6. How does our school spend Title I money? West Central spends Title I funds on resources designed to improve student achievement. These resources include: • Personnel such as academic coaches, 3 full-time paraprofessionals, and contracted Parent Liaison. • Resources for parents to use at home to help their children • Parental involvement activities such as workshops and training • Print and electronic materials that address improving student achievement

7. How does our school participate in the Title I Program? • Our school is designated as a Schoolwide Program which means that all students can benefit from Title I funding. • Our School’s Designation Status is a Title I Schoolwide Program.

8. West Central Elementary Schoolwide Program Our schoolwide goals are to improve academic achievement in the following areas: Math: • The school’s goals for mathematics are to be within 4 points or to be above the state’s performance level with the Georgia Milestones assessment. • Kindergarten: 85% of students will achieve 85% of the GKIDS Mathematics objectives by May 1.  • 1st Grade: 85% of students will meet or exceed on the Spring Mathematics SLO assessment given at the end of 1st grade. • 2nd Grade: 85% of students will meet or exceed on the Spring Mathematics SLO assessment given at the end of 2nd grade. 

9. English Language Arts Goals: • The school’s goals for English Language Arts are to be within 4 points or to be above the state’s performance level with the Georgia Milestones assessment. • Kindergarten: 85% of students will achieve 85% of the GKIDS English Language Arts standards by May 1.  • 1st Grade: 85% of students will meet or exceed on the Spring English Language Arts SLO assessment given at the end of 1st grade. • 2nd Grade: 85% of students will meet or exceed on the Spring English Language Arts SLO assessment given at the end of 2nd grade.

10. Science and Social Studies Science: The school’s goals for Science are to be within 4 points or to be above the state’s performance level with the Georgia Milestones assessment. Social Studies: The school’s goals for Social Studies are to be within 4 points or to be above the state’s performance level with the Georgia Milestones assessment.

11. What programs/supports are in place to help my child? • Reading and Math interventions provided during activity through for at-risk students • Literacy and math interventions provided during computer activity through the use of software and websites designed for remediation

12. What curriculum does our school use? • Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) • Georgia has adopted a set of core standards for kindergarten through sixth grade in English language arts and mathematics, and in grade 6 science and social studies. • Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) are used in K-5 science and social studies.

13. What tests will my child be taking? • Grades 3-6 • Georgia Milestones in math, reading, language arts, science, and social studies

14. Georgia Milestones Comprehensive • single program, not series of tests (e.g., CRCT; EOCT; WA); formative assessment tools to complement summative Coherent • consistent expectations and sufficient challenge to position Georgia students to compete with peers nationally and internationally • consistent signal about student preparedness for the next level, be it the next grade, course, or college/career • consistent signal about student achievement both within system (across grades and courses) and with external measures (NAEP; PSAT; SAT; ACT) Consolidated • combine reading, language arts, and writing into a single measure to align to the standards

15. Georgia Milestones Guiding principles stipulate that Georgia Milestones: • be sufficiently challenging to ensure Georgia students are well positioned to compete with other students across the United States and internationally; • be intentionally designed across grade levels to send a clear signal of student progress/growth and preparedness for the next level, be it the next grade level, course, or college or career; • be accessible to all students, including those with disabilities or limited English proficiency, at all achievement levels; • support and inform educator effectiveness initiatives, ensuring items and forms are appropriately sensitive to quality instructional practices; and • accelerate the transition to online administration, allowing – over time – for the inclusion of innovative technology-enhanced items.

16. Georgia Milestones • Grades 3 – 8 • End of Grade (EOG) in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies

17. Online Tools Available for All Students • Blocking Tool • Eraser • Highlighter • Magnifying Glass • Mark for Review • Online Calculator – if allowable • Option Eliminator • Scratch Pad • Test Pause These tools are available to all students who test online and are therefore NOT considered accommodations.

18. Georgia Milestones Features include: • inclusion of constructed-response items in ELA and mathematics, in addition to selected-response items • inclusion of a writing component (in response to text) at every grade level and course within the ELA assessment; • inclusion of norm-referenced items in every grade and content area to complement the criterion-referenced information and to provide a national comparison; and • transition to online administration over time, with online administration considered the primary mode of administration and paper-pencil back-up until transition is completed. • Addition of technology-enhanced items beginning in 2016-2017.

19. Georgia Milestones English Language Arts [GSE Georgia Performance Standards] • will require close analytic reading to construct meaning, make inferences, draw conclusions, compare and contrast ideas, themes, etc., as well as synthesize ideas and concepts across multiple texts • will require students to develop informative/explanatory responses or narratives, produce opinions/arguments – citing evidence from text(s) and using standard language conventions, etc. Mathematics [GSE Georgia Performance Standards] • will require demonstration of conceptual understanding of concepts, procedural skills and fluency, problem solving, modeling, and mathematical reasoning

20. Georgia Milestones Science [Georgia Performance Standards] • will require understanding of the core concepts, ideas, and practices of science to explain scientific phenomena – with content and Characteristics of Science/Nature of Science standards serving as co-requisites Social Studies [Georgia Performance Standards] • will require understanding of the past and its influence on the present and future – including the interconnectedness of history, culture, geography, economics, and governments/civics

21. Questions?

22. What is required by law for parent involvement? • Rome City Schools is required to have a district Parent Involvement Policy that addresses student achievement. • West Central Elementary is required to have a school Parent Involvement Policy that addresses the goals we have for student achievement. • West Central Elementary is required to have a School-Parent Compact that includes ways that the school, parents, and students can help improve student achievement.

27. Basically, every event, remediation, dollar, or person, that falls under the Title I umbrella must be related to student achievement.

28. Highly Qualified Teachers • Every teacher and paraprofessional at West Central is Highly Qualified as determined by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. • If a teacher is not highly qualified, the school does not have to inform the parents of that teacher’s students.

29. How is Title I Parent Involvement money spent? • Materials for parent workshops and training related to student achievement • Printed materials related to student achievement • Grade-level books for distribution to students for use in their home libraries to promote literacy • Science and Social Studies vocabulary activities are sent home for parents and students to practice

30. What opportunities does the school provide for parent involvement? • Volunteer opportunities to help in your child’s classroom • Family Math, Reading, and Science/Social Studies Night workshops for parents and students • Parent-teacher conferences held twice a year or more frequently as needed • Frequent updates on your child’s academic progress • Opportunities for parent input about school programs through surveys administered twice a year • School Council and PTO participation • Title I Steering Committee participation

31. How responsive will the school be to my questions when staff is contacted? • Staff members can be contacted through email, phone calls, and scheduled conferences. • Messages left for staff members should be returned within 24 hours. • Each teacher’s email address is provided on the course outline sent home in August. • If you have any questions about this meeting, please contact Daphne Johnson, West Central Elementary Assistant Principal, at 706-235-8836 or dljohnson@rcs.rome.ga.us •  You can also contact Ruth Miller, Parent Liaison, at 706-235-8836 or rmmiller@rcs.rome.ga.us

32. Your involvement is Key to your child’s success! • You are your child’s first teacher. • You have the ability to influence your child’s education more than any teacher or school. • You and the school are a team. We welcome regular communication and parent involvement in the learning process!

33. Thank you for joining us today! Please take a moment to complete an evaluation form before you leave.