WELCOME to our TITLE I PARENT Meeting

Title I at Schuylkill Valley Elementary School Success For All Readers

Purpose Provide information about our school’s Title I program for parents of students participating in the program.

Why Should I Know About Title I? Because it can make a difference in many lives! Title I can help: Children achieve more in school and feel better about themselves. Parents can have more say about their children’s education. Teachers benefit from the suggestions and support that parents offer and from the satisfaction of seeing kids achieve.

How Title I Works The federal government provides funding to states each year for Title I. To get the funds, each state must submit a plan describing: What all children are expected to know and be able to do. The high-quality standards of performance that all children are expected to meet. Ways to measure progress.

How Title I Works, Continued State educational agencies (SEAs) send the money to school districts based on the numbers of low-income families. The local school district (called a Local Education Agency, or LEA) identifies eligible schools and provides Title I resources.

Your Title I program needs you to help: Determine program goals Plan and carry out programs Evaluate programs Work with your child at home Work in school as a volunteer

The annual Title I meeting is the place to start! It’s the perfect time to: Learn more about Title I. Learn about your rights and responsibilities as a Title I parent. Meet other parents and teachers. Begin a process of communication and cooperation between parents and schools.

Title I Reading Staff

S.V.E.S. Reading Staff Title I Coordinator Parent Activities Lori Messner Reading Specialist Title I Coordinator Parent Activities Deb Werstler Reading Specialist, ESL Specialist Title I Reading Aides Melanie LeRoy Christa Gebely Beth Carlson Melissa Wild

Ms. Messner

Mrs. Werstler

Mrs. Wild

Mrs. Carlson

Mrs. Gebley

Mrs. LeRoy

Teacher Qualifications Highly qualified teachers requirements: Must hold at least a bachelor’s degree Must hold a valid PA teaching certificate Teachers demonstrate subject matter competency for the core content area they teach by passing rigorous state exams

Paraprofessional Qualifications To be highly qualified, instructional paraprofessionals must have: Completed two years of higher education study, or have an Associate Degree, or taken a formal assessment Take 20 hours of Professional Development annually to keep them informed and current

Parents Rights under NCLB The right to know the qualifications of your child’s teacher. Right to request opportunities to meet regularly with staff for parent involvement. Right to participate in decisions affecting your child. You have the right to request the qualifications of your child’s teacher and any other teacher or paraprofessionals that work with your child.

PSSA Proficiency Levels Your child will be taking the PA System of School Assessment (PSSA) in grades 3-8. Four Proficiency Levels for the PSSA Advanced Proficient Basic Below Basic Our goal (and the State’s goal) is for your student to reach the Proficient or Advanced level on the PSSA.

Local Performance Report Since the P.S.S.A. is only given in third through fifth grades, schools are required to give local assessments, as well. All of Kindergarten students are tested three times per year in the following areas: Letter naming fluency (LNF) (DIBELS Next) Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)

Title I Selection Process

Students are selected through the S. V. S. D Students are selected through the S.V.S.D. Title I Student Selection Process. This process begins in the beginning of the school year with our benchmark assessments. At this time students who are below benchmark are placed in small intervention groups with Mrs. Werstler and Ms. Messner.

Selection Process Continued Mid-year the assessments are given again. Teachers work in data meetings with Ms. Messner and Mrs. Kelchner to determine who is meeting benchmark expectations and who needs some help to reach benchmark goals.

Next Small groups are created by Mrs. Werstler, and Ms. Messner based on this data. The children in the current small groupings are identified as Title I students. Parents are notified and that is why you are here.

Parent Advisory Council

Purposes of the P.A.C. To allow parents the opportunity to make program improvement suggestions To provide parents with information regarding program requirements, regulations, provisions To conduct an annual evaluation of the content To develop and update the Parent Involvement Policy and the School-Home Compact

Parent Involvement Policies Parents will be involved in the planning, design, and implementation of the Title I program through the work of the Parent Advisory Council. Parental suggestions and recommendations regarding the development, operation, and evaluation of the program will be given serious consideration for Title I changes and and improvements.

Parent Involvement Policy Here is a copy of our current Title I Parent Involvement Policy. Please take a few moments to look over it. Feel free to comment or ask questions. Do you have any suggestions for change? At S.V.E.S. the policy is reviewed at our annual meeting. Revisions take place at your suggestion. The policy is updated and approved each fall.

Title I parent involvement activities and resources Title I parent involvement activities and resources include the following: Parent Training Sessions (parenting skills, ideas to help children improve language skills, etc.), Parent Library (books and other items of interest to parents).

Title I teachers are available to attend parent/teacher conferences. Parents will always be welcome to make arrangements to visit Title I classes. A notification/permission letter is sent to the parents of each child selected to receive Title I support.

Title I at S.V.E.S.

S.V.’s 2015/2016 Title I Program This year’s Title I program will focus on grades K, 1, 2. 1st grade: 16 students 2nd grade: 31 students Kindergarten: 25 students Current Total: 71 students

TITLE I LEARNING COMPACT We believe that the parent, the child, and the school should form a partnership in the very important business of improving the learning success of the student. We have developed a Learning Compact which the parent, the child, and the reading specialist are asked to sign. This is a voluntary agreement that defines the goals and responsibilities of teachers, parents, and students as equal partners in learning . The compact is one way to help carry out the school’s policy process.

In-Class Title I Support In accordance with ESEA recommendations, the Title I program at Schuylkill Valley Elementary School will primarily provide in- class supplemental reading support, while using a pull-out model when appropriate. Title I students work in the regular classroom in small, flexible groups during core reading instruction. During the WIN time students work in various small groups in their classroom on targeted skills.

What support is given? The Title I teacher collaborates with the classroom teacher to decide how to best support the Title I student. Your child’s classroom teacher is the person responsible for planning classroom instruction for your student. This might include: assessment and evaluation reinforcement of vocabulary or grammar skills practice with the focus-comprehension strategy assistance with writing assignments word rings a research-validated intervention program ( Read Naturally, Reading Mastery, Soar to Success, Orton Gillingham) fluency practice guided reading groups

Kindergarten Kindergarten students are screened during the first full week of school using the DIBELS NEXT assessment. Students work in small groups during the WIN time block each day. The goal is to catch reading difficulties early and see if we can intervene successfully. Interventions at this level include , Language for Learning, Fundations, Road to the Code, Wonder Works, Lexia.

First Grade Students work in small groups during the WIN time block each day. Additionally, during the 120 minutes of core reading instruction a reading staff member works in each of the classes regularly. If needed, intervention programs your student may encounter include Wonder Works, Read Naturally, Language for Learning, Early Success, Soar to Success, Lexia, Orton Gillingham.

Second Grade A reading staff member works with second grade students during the core reading instruction and WIN time. Some children also have word rings and work for 5-10 minutes each day with a reading staff member. Interventions on this level include Fundations, Read Naturally, Wonder Works, and Soar to Success.

Your Title I Program needs you! Learn about your local Title I program. Take advantage of what Title I has to offer. Get involved in your child’s education. You, your children, and S.V.E.S. can be a winning team. Thank you for coming.

Wrap-up Questions Comments Concerns