Westfall Local School District
TITLE I
PARENT HANDBOOK
2015- 2018
Approved by Westfall Local Board of Education
Title I Schools
Westfall Elementary School, Janice Gearhart ……………………………Principal
Westfall Middle School, Jason Fife……………………………………………Principal
Westfall High School, Billy Dennis …………………………………………… Principal
Amy Hill …………………………………………………………………………………..Title I Coordinator
Brynn Hoffman ……………………………………………………………………….. Special Education Coordinator
Cara Riddel……………………………………………………………………………….Superintendent
Westfall Elementary
9391 State Route 56
Williamsport, OH 43164
740-986-4008
Westfall Middle School
19545 Pherson Pike
Willamsport, OH 43164
740-986-2941
Westfall High School
19463 Pherson Pike
Willamsport, OH 43164
740-986-8834
District Office
19463 Pherson Pike
Williamsport, OH 43164
740-986-3671
MISSION STATEMENT:
The mission of the Westfall Local School District, as the educational hub of the community, is to produce responsible, emotionally and physically healthy students who excel in academics, technology, the arts, and graduate career or college ready. This will be accomplished in a safe secure and nurturing environment by creatively using
all resources; developing effective community partnerships; and providing every student with appropriate, high quality, relevant education.
Title I
Title I is a federally funded program designed to improve educational opportunities by providing aid to elementary and secondary education. The intent of Title I is to expand learning opportunities while supplementing basic skills instruction in reading and math.
This program serves students who have need of improving their reading and/or math skills.
The goals of the Title I program are to:
Develop positive attitudes towards reading/language arts and math
Individualize reading/language arts and math instruction according to student needs
Increase reading/language arts and math achievement
Increase student self-esteem
Involve children with parent(s) in reading/language arts and math activities at school and at home
TITLE I PROGRAM AT WESTFALL
The Title I is a K-8 School-wide Program at Westfall Elementary and Westfall Middle School, as well as Targeted Assistance at Westfall High School, designed to improve the educational success for all students enrolled within the program. Based on the assumption that all children are capable of learning and that student achievement is in direct correlation to expectations set, the following goal has been set:
By 2018, all students kindergarten through grade 12 will show a minimum of year’s growth in academic core areas as determined by value added data and local assessments.
The Title I program is designed to reach as many students as possible providing them with the opportunities and support needed to achieve higher standards of performance within the classroom. Individual or small group help is provided to students who are “struggling” with a given concept – determined by the classroom teacher through the use of pre/post testing, daily work, and informal observations.
HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF
The Title I staff has met and/or exceeded the criteria set by the State of Ohio for highly qualified teachers.
All Para-professionals within the school have met the requirements for being highly qualified through passing the State Para-professional test or having the needed college credits.
Parents Right to Know
What do I know about my child’s teacher? The federal education law put in place by President Bush called “No Child Left Behind,” requires that all parents in a Title 1 school be notified and given the opportunity to request information about the professional qualifications of classroom teachers and paraprofessionals that work with their child.
If you are interested in this information you may send your request to the building principal who will provide a response.
Third Grade Guarantee
The Third Grade Reading Guarantee now requires that students in kindergarten through grade three take a reading diagnostic to determine if the student is reading at grade level. The diagnostics are given at the beginning of each school year.
What are the requirements for the Third Grade Guarantee?
There must be a reading improvement and monitoring plan to include:
Identification of specific reading deficiency
Description of additional instructional services
Opportunities for parents to be involved in the instruction services
A process to monitor reading progress
Specialized, research based reading curriculum
All students on reading improvement and monitoring plans (RIMP)have
teachers with reading endorsements on their teaching licensesor have passed a rigorous test of reading principles designated
by the state board of education
Students retained by the third grade reading guarantee all
receive at least 90 minutes of reading daily
All students retained by the third grade guarantee have a “highperforming teacher” as determined by their third gradereading guarantee, but still demonstrate proficiency in other areas.
Procedures are in place to provide intensive readingremediation targeted at the student’s specific readingdeficiencies immediately after identifying a student who needs
a reading improvement and monitoring plan.
Policy in place to have a reading improvement plan completedby the student’s teacher and parents within 60 days ofidentifying a student as “not on track.”
Students may be retained if they do not reach their required scores on the OAA reading assessment at the end of third grade.
Westfall Schools provides a comprehensive approach to literacy instruction, the Strategic
Balanced Literacy Framework. Diagnostic & Formative assessmentsare a critical component of this model. All students Kindergarten –3rd grade are assessed using one or more of the following
diagnostic assessments:
MAP: Measures of Academic Progress
DRA: Developmental Reading Assessment
KRA: Kindergarten Readiness Assessment
The state will determine the approved diagnostic tools for assessment.
The diagnostic assessments are in place and will beadministered by September 30th of the current school year.
Communication outreach to families will include:
Notice of the 3rd Grade Guarantee
Parent Reading Partnership Letter & Plan
Identifying Data
Intervention Plan
Progress Monitoring Plan
Plan for collaboration between the RTI team & home
An extended school day will be offeredfall of the 2015 school year.
This year parents will receive notification using the template on the following page.
Westfall Elementary Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plan
* The district form is in electronic version and uses drop-down boxes to select specific criteria for the Students RIMP. The selections are an inclusive list of all intervention programs and will be selected based on student need.
Name______Date______
Teacher______Current Grade Placement______
Current DRA 2 Level______@ grade level______Comprehension ______
Reading Skills (check appropriate skills)
Pre-Emergent Readers
- Early print concepts (Front and back of book, book is the right way up, left to
right, top to bottom, knows the print is the part to be read)
- Using pictures to make own meaning
- Recognizing letters of the alphabet
- Recognizing some words including high frequency words
- Extending phonemic awareness
- Early letter sound correspondence
Emergent Readers
- Developing print concepts such as one-to-one correspondence,
- Knowledge of beginning sounds
- Recognize letters of the alphabet
- Recognizes high frequency words
- Uses knowledge of language patterns
- Early text structures
Developing Readers
- Uses beginning, middle and final letters to identify words
- Uses spelling patterns and word endings
- Uses text features such as table of contents, headings and visual literacy
- Does not need to rely on pictures
- Text structures such as chapters
Fluent Readers
- Uses strategies such as skimming
- Root words
- Similes, antonyms, prefixes, etc.
- Visual literacies such as graphs, tables, cycles, etc.
- Text structures such as glossaries
Intervention Programs
___ Comprehension Tool Kits
___ Edmark
___ Lexia
___ Project More
___ Explorations in Non-fiction writing
___ Fundations
___ Leveled Literacy Intervention
___ Read Naturally
___ SOAR Reading
___ Wilson Reading
___ SPIRE
Please check appropriate methods Progress Monitoring
__ 90 minute reading block daily__ bi-weekly
__ small, flexible grouping__ weekly
__ 30 minutes twice of week of intervention
__ 30 – 45 minutes 4- 5 days a week intense intervention
__ extended school day
Westfall Local School District
Title 1Policy Guidelines Parent Involvement
Philosophy of Parent Participation
Westfall Local School District recognizes that parents are their children’s first and most influential teachers. The involvement of parents helps children learn more effectively. Research has demonstrated that parental involvement increases the effectiveness of Title I programs.
By working with teachers and by reinforcing and promoting learning objectives in the home, parents can dramatically improve their children’s educational achievement. Both research and intuition confirm that parental consultation and involvement are key ingredients in successful educational programs.
Westfall Local School District Title Program will include these activities in its program:
1. At least one public meeting will be held annually to explain the Title Program annually The Westfall Mall and Round-Up is held at the beginning of each school year.
a. All parents will be invited.
b. Community members of the Westfall Local School District will be encouraged to participate.
c. The purpose of the meeting shall be to discuss with parents the programs and activities carried out with School-wide Title funding, inform parents of their rights to consult in the design and implementation of Title projects, solicit their input, and provide parents an opportunity to establish mechanisms for maintaining on‐going communications among parents, teachers, and agency officials.
2. Parent’s suggestions in planning, developing, and implementing the Title Program.
3. Parents will be encouraged to assist in Title projects in planning and implementing them.
4. Timely information, materials and suggestions will be provided to help parents promote education of their children in their homes.
5. Copies of this policy posted on the school website and available paper copy by request.
Westfall Local School District Parent Involvement Policy
Westfall Local School District will do the following:
1. Involve parents in the joint development of a written parental involvement policy
that describes ways of meeting the following requirements in Title I and the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
Notification to parents of the policy in an understandable format and language.
Periodic updates of the Third Grade Guarantee to meet the changing needs of parents and the school.
2. Hold an annual meeting, at a convenient time, for all parents. The purposes of this meeting are to:
Inform parents of their school’s participation in the Title I program.
Explain the requirements of Title I.
Explain the right of parents to be involved.
3. Parental involvement meetings at various times, such as morning or evening.
Scheduled Family Events
Westfall Mall and Round Up
Family Literacy Night
Elementary Extravaganza
Middle School Showcase
Parent Trainings on Conference Nights
4. Involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way in the planning, review, and improvement of Title I programs, including the school parental involvement policy and the School-wide Program Plan.
5. Provide the following items to the parents:
Timely information about Title I programs
Opportunities for regular meetings, if requested by parents, to:
Make suggestions.
Receive timely responses to them.
Participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children.
6. Develop jointly with the parents or caregivers of participating students a school-parent compact that outlines:
The shared responsibility of parents, students, and the entire school staff to improve students’ academic achievement
The shared responsibility between the school and parents to help children achieve the statewide academic content standards
The school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that helps children served under Title I meet the Ohio State Standards.
The ways in which parents will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, and television watching; volunteering in their children’s classroom; participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to the education of their children and the positive use of their children’s extracurricular time
The importance of ongoing communication between teachers and parents through (at a minimum):
- Frequent reports to parents about their children’s progress
- Reasonable access to staff
- School messenger
- School newsletters
Reasonable opportunities to volunteer at the school, participate in their children’s class, and observe classroom activities
Westfall Local Schools and the parent/guardians of the students participating in activities, services, and programs funded by Title 1, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) agree that this compact outlines how parents/guardians, the entire school staff and students will share the responsibility for improved academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents/guardians will build and develop a partnership that will help children achieve the State’s high standards.
This compact will be in effect for this school year.
School Responsibilities
Westfall Elementary, Middle, and High School will:
- Provide high quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables the participating children to meet the State’s student academic standards of what students should know and be able to do and provide evidence of your child’s/children’s progress toward meeting those goals.
- Hold parent/guardian-teacher conferences two times annually during which the compact will be discussed as it relates to the individual child’s achievement. Specifically those conferences will be held in the fall and spring quarters prior to interim progress reports. Report cards will be sent every nine weeks.
- Parents/guardians may access the staff for consultation by calling the school office. Please allow 48 hours for a response from the teacher. Teacher email can be accessed through the district website.
- Parents/guardians are offered opportunities to volunteer, participate, and observe classroom activities and assemblies.
- Parents/guardians can access student progress reports using Progress Book.
- Parents/guardians will be informed of upcoming events at school via student take-home notices and school website. http// school messenger.
Parent / Guardian Responsibilities
We, as parents/guardians, will support our children’s learning in the following ways:
1.Monitor my child’s attendance.
2.Making sure homework is completed while providing a place and time for my student to work.
3.Monitoring the amount of television, video games, and internet use.
4.Volunteering at school.
5.Staying informed about my child’s education and communicating with the school promptly by reading all notices from the school or the school district either received by my child or by mail and responding, as appropriate.
6.Serving to extend possible, on policy advisory groups, such as Title 1, Part A parent/guardian representative on the School Improvement team, the Parent Advisory Council, or other school advisory or policy groups.
Student Responsibilities
We, as students, will share the responsibility to improve our academic achievement and achieve the State’s high standards. Specifically, we will:
- Do my homework every day and ask for help when I need to.
- Read at least 30 minutes (or age appropriate time) every day outside of school time.
- Give to my parents or the adult who is responsible for my welfare, all notices and information received by me from the school every day.
______
Signature of School Representative Date
______
Signature of Parent/GuardianDate
______
Date
EVALUATION OF THE TITLE I PROGRAM:
Parents of students participating in the Title I program will have the opportunity to evaluate the Title I program. This evaluation will include a section pertaining to the effectiveness of the parental involvement policy, areas of strengths and weaknesses, and barriers to be overcome. The Title I staff, with the help of the Parent Advisory Council (PAC), will use this information to evaluate the program and to make changes within the program as needed.
Title1 Plan
The Westfall Title 1 Plan was approved by the Board of Education and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) for implementation each school year. The Plan is on file in the office. The plan was reviewed by the Title 1 planning committee
(Building Leadership Teams)prior to submission to ODE.
TITLE I COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
A parent, student, employee, or district stakeholder who has a complaint regarding the use of federal NCLB funds and is unable to solve the issue, may address the complaint in writing to the district’s superintendent. Disputes addressing the enrollment, transportation (including inter-district disputes), and other barriers to the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness are also addressed under this procedure. Parents, guardians, and unaccompanied youth may initiate the dispute resolution process directly at the school they choose, as well as at the district or district’s homeless liaison’s office. The parent or guardian or unaccompanied youth shall be provided with a written explanation of the school’s decision including the rights of the parent, guardian, or youth to appeal the decision. Students should be provided with all services for which they are eligible while disputes are resolved.
The superintendent will investigate, within one week, the circumstances of the complaint and render a decision, within two weeks, after receipt of the complaint.
The superintendent will notify the complainant of the decision in writing.
The complainant will be allowed one week to react to the decision before it becomes final.
The complainant will either accept or disagree with the decision and will provide such acknowledgment in writing, addressed to the district superintendent.
If the issue is not resolved with the superintendent, the complaint will be forwarded to the district’s Board of Education for further review. The parent or guardian or unaccompanied youth shall be provided with a written explanation of the district’s decision including the rights of the parent, guardian, or youth to appeal the decision. Unresolved complaints may be forwarded by the stakeholder to the Ohio Department of Education for review. (Consult Ohio Department of Education Complaint Procedure)