Title I Annual Parent Meeting

1. Title I Annual Parent Meeting September 10, 2009 2009-2010

2. Welcome… • This evening we will review and discuss our Schoolwide Title I programs. • The agenda items are as follows: • Title I Program Overview • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) • Our Schoolwide Goals • School Improvement Status • Our Title I Plan for 2009-2010 • Our Title I Staff • Parental Involvement • Parent’s Rights • Parent Policies • Important Dates and Further Information • Questions and Closing

3. Title I Program Overview • Title I is a federally funded program under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. • It is the largest federal education funding program for schools. • It provides funding for high poverty schools to help students who are behind academically or at risk of falling behind to meet our state's academic content and performance standards.  • Schools qualify for Title I funds based on economic need. • Based on the school’s percentage of free/reduced price lunch. • The Title I program offers a variety of services for participating schools, which may include: additional teachers and support staff, extra time for instruction, a variety of teaching methods and materials, smaller classes and additional training for staff. 

4. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) • The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. • Education funds provided through ARRA provide a unique opportunity to jump start school reform and improvement efforts while also saving and creating jobs and stimulating the economy. These one-time resources should be spent in ways most likely to lead to improved results for students, long-term gains in school and school system capacity, and increased productivity and effectiveness.

5. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) • BCC ARRA funds: • Hired 2 class size reduction teachers • Purchase of SMART Boards • Supplies for individual classrooms • Software for previously purchased computers

6. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) • BCP ARRA funds: • 2 Additional Teacher Assistants • Kindergarten Tutoring • Instructional Supplies • Library Books • Computers, SMART Boards, Software • Teacher Training • Parent Involvement Activities

7. Our Schoolwide Goals at BCC: • Offer intervention opportunities during the school day to target students who are struggling in math and reading. Facilitate scheduling of support staff (literacy teacher, reading teachers, tutors, paraprofessionals) to provide as much additional assistance to teachers as possible to encourage small group instruction • Implement concept of Guided Math with all students to provide greater differentiation in meeting student needs • Development of reading and math center rooms/model classrooms, which will include multiple manipulatives that are sorted and arranged by skill and objective for easy access. • Collaborative Sessions which include common assessments, pre-assessments, bi-monthly flex grouping based on skill level and integration of curriculum

8. Our Schoolwide Goals at BCP: • Vertical Planning between grade levels and BCC to discuss common concerns with math & reading. • Kindergarten tutoring to begin after 1st Nine Weeks. • Integration of reading, math, writing with technology (smart board and digital story telling) • Continue to fully implement small group instruction (BAM) to differentiate math instruction

9. School Improvement Status • Because a major component of NCLB focuses on improving education for disadvantaged students, Title I schools that do not make Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) for two or more years in a row are identified as in need of school improvement. These schools will receive technical assistance and face sanctions.  • The ultimate goal of these sanctions is to improve academic achievement of students; however, the strategies to do so are more restricted and directed by authorities at district and state levels.  These sanctions range from offering parents the choice to transfer to another school in the district to completely restructuring a Title I school that repeatedly does not meet its AYP goals. 

10. School Improvement Status • In the first and subsequent years of Title I School Improvement, schools must provide students with public school choice.  In the second and subsequent years of Title I School Improvement, schools must offer tutoring services to eligible* students who choose not to transfer.  In the third year of Title I School Improvement, schools must take corrective actions, such as replacing school staff, implementing a new curriculum, or changing the school's internal organization structure.  In the fourth year of Title I School Improvement, schools must plan for restructuring.  Schools in the fifth year of Title I School Improvement must implement the restructuring plan. • Schools are required to revise their Improvement Plans on an annual basis. 

11. School Improvement Status • Our School Improvement Status for the 2009-2010 school year is: Watch List for Math and Corrective Action in Reading • The sanctions that coordinate with this level of status are: • Provide, for all relevant staff, appropriate, scientifically • research-based professional development that is likely to • improve academic achievement of low-performing students. • Align instruction with and fully implement the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, including providing appropriate professional development. • Extend the length of the school year or school day. • Replace the school staff members who are relevant to the school's not making AYP. • Significantly decrease management authority at the school. • Appoint an outside expert to advise the school. • Restructure the school's internal organization.

12. Our Title I Plan for 2009-2010 • Our school participates in a Title I Schoolwide Program. • Schoolwide schools have gone through a one-year planning process under the Title I Targeted Assistance Program.  • Schoolwide programs have flexibility in using their Title I funds, in conjunction with  other funds in the school, to upgrade the operation of the entire school.  • School-wide programs must conduct a comprehensive needs assessment, identify and commit to specific goals and strategies that address those needs, create a comprehensive plan, and conduct an annual review of the effectiveness of the school-wide program that is revised as needed.

13. Our Title I Plan for 2009-2010 • School-wide programs: • plan for comprehensive, long-term improvement • serve all students with highly qualified teachers and paraprofessionals • provide continuous learning for staff, parents, and the community • use research-based practices to develop and implement enriched instruction for all students • use inclusive approaches to strengthen the school's organizational structure • consolidate resources to achieve programs goals • engage in continuous self-assessment and improvement.

14. Our Title I Plan for 2009-2010 • Bessemer City Central’s Title I Program for 2009-2010 consist of the following: • We have hired 2 reading teachers and a teacher assistant to focus on Reading Instruction throughout the day • We will improve the amount of technology in our classrooms through the purchasing of SMART boards • We will continue to ensure that guided reading is taking place by providing a center room which will be adequately stocked with quality materials. • Teachers will be provided with additional resources to be used in the classroom.

15. Our Title I Staff at BCC: • Reading Teachers: Marc Wingate and Wanda Bell • Teacher Assistant: Matt McGee • Class Size Reduction Teacher: Jessica Bridges • Class Size Reduction Teacher: Tessley Moss

16. Our Title I Plan for 2009-2010 • Bessemer City Primary’s Title I Program for 2009-2010 consist of the following: • 2 Title I Reading Teachers • 1 Additional Teacher Assistant • Parent Involvement Specialist • Learning Coach ½ Time • Kindergarten Tutoring • Computers & SMART Boards • Instructional Materials for classrooms • Parent Involvement Activities • Teacher Training/Staff Development

17. Our Title I Staff at BCP: • 1st Grade Reading Teacher Ann Carriel • 2nd Grade Reading Teacher Joyce Huggins • ½ Day Learning Coach Dr Sally Evans • 4 Teachers Assistants mean a teacher assistant in every classroom

18. Parent Involvement • The law states that parents in Title I schools: • Must be a part of developing a written parent involvement policy that is • distributed to all parents. • Have a right to be involved in the planning and implementation of the • parent involvement program in their school. • Can receive materials and training for parents and staff to foster greater • parent involvement. • Must have the opportunity to jointly develop, with school staff, a school- • parent compact that outlines how parents, 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. • Have the right to know the qualifications of their child's teacher and • paraprofessional information on the level of achievement of their child, if • their child is being taught by someone who is not "highly qualified" and will • be in that position for 4 or more weeks, the school's parent policy, and • have input in the decisions that are in the policy.

19. Parent Involvement • The District and School Level Parent Involvement Policies are available to you • in your school packet received at the beginning of the year and on our school • website. Please provide us with your feedback on these policies. Your thoughts • are valuable to us. • Our Parent Involvement Plan at BCC & BCP for 2009-2010 includes the following components: • Annual Orientation for parents • Flexibly scheduled parent meetings • Meetings to share information about Title 1 • Minimum of 2 parent teacher conferences • Ongoing parent communication • School-parent compact outlining the shared responsibility of student learning • Annual surveys regarding parent involvement • Activities designed to encourage parent involvement • Training for parents in order to help them feel more comfortable and confident at school

20. Parent Involvement • Ways you can be involved: • Attend family fun nights • Attend all parent teacher conferences • Attend PTO events • Help with fundraisers • Join the PTO • Volunteer your time at the school • Talk to your child about school • Check homework nightly and sign agenda • Have high expectations for your child

21. Important Dates and Further Information • Upcoming Dates to Remember: • SES meeting September 22nd at 7:15 • Our first Family event: Grandparents lunch: Sept. 16th • Open house/ Fall festival October 22, 2009 • For further information on Title I visit the following websites or contact the Title I Director, Judy Dunlap at 704-810-8804: • http://gaston.k12.nc.us/departments/title1/index.htm • http://www.ncpublicschools.org/nclb/titleI/

22. Questions and Closing • We will take a few minutes for questions before closing. If you have child specific questions please wait until after the meeting and see one of us individually, we will be glad to discuss any questions with you personally. • Thank you for coming, we greatly appreciate your input and participation. We look forward to a wonderful year together. • Before leaving be sure you have signed in on the sign-in sheet. • Have a great night.