Title I Information for Parents
Hard copies of the documents below are available in the office of your child’s school. Just ask for the Title I notebook.
School Public Accountability Report (SPAR)
The School Public Accountability Report (SPAR) contains several types of data (indicators) designed to inform parents and the general public about the progress of Florida’s public schools. Your child’s school report is available on-line at http://doeweb-prd.doe.state.fl.us/eds/nclbspar/index.cfm. A hard copy is available in the office of your child’s school. This report provides information about the following:
§ The composition of the student population at the school, district, and state levels;
§ Results from the readiness to start school assessments;
§ Graduation rate and dropout rate;
§ Results of standardized tests;
§ School safety and environment;
§ Qualifications of the teachers and staff members; and
§ Florida school performance grade and adequate yearly progress results.
Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC)
Florida had two federally funded Parent Information Resource Centers (PIRCs). The purpose of the PIRCs was to:
§ Assist with the implementation of successful and effective parental involvement policies, programs, and activities that lead to improvements in student academic achievement;
§ Strengthen partnerships among parents, teachers, principals, administrators, and other school personnel in meeting the educational needs of children; and
§ Work hand-in-hand with state and federal programs to provide information and resources on early childhood through high school parental involvement.
While the funding for the centers was cut, their resources are still available on their web sites. Information may be accessed at the following locations:
1. The Florida Parental Information and Resource Center of Family Network on Disabilities of Florida (FL PIRC of FND)
Web site: http://fndfl.org/Index.asp
2. The Florida Parental Information and Resource Center at the University of South Florida (FL PIRC at USF)
Web site: http://www.floridapartnership.usf.edu/default.htm
Principal Attestation
The Principals operating a Title I program must complete an attestation that the school is in compliance with the highly qualified teacher and paraprofessional requirements. The attestations must be maintained at the school office and the district office and be available to any member of the general public upon request. If you would like to review the attestation, please ask in the office of your child’s school.
Title I Schoolwide Plan
Each year Title I schools must create a plan to support student academic achievement. The 2011-2012 School Improvement Plan/Schoolwide Plan is located at http://www.flbsi.org/SIP/Login.aspx or at the school’s website that can be found at http://www.bay.k12.fl.us. A hard copy is also available in the office of your school.
The Plan includes information on how the school will work to:
§ Improve student academic performance in reading, writing, mathematics, and science; and
§ Support parents in helping their child.
If you would like to make comments regarding the plan or request a hard copy, you may contact Genia Gordon at 767-4354.
The District’s Parent Involvement Plan/Policy
The following is an overview/summary of our District’s Title I Parent Involvement Plan/Policy:
Our mission is to establish a close relationship between home and school by advancing opportunities and removing barriers for parents to become actively engaged in academics and school activities. We believe that building this relationship between home and school will assist students in developing into self-directed, lifelong learners and responsible citizens.
1. Involvement of Parents – At least one parent from each Title I school and interested community members serve on the District’s Title I Parent Task Force. The committee meets four times throughout the year to develop, implement and evaluate the LEA Parent Involvement Plan/Policy, the allocation and expenditure of parent involvement funds, the Title I, Part A Plan, the Corrective Action Plan, and the Title I School Improvement Plan. Morning and evening meetings are conducted to best fit the schedules of the committee members. If you would like to become a member of this committee, please contact Genia Gordon at 767-4354.
2. Technical Assistance – The District’s Title I Resource Teachers meet frequently with each of the Title I schools’ designated parent involvement coordinator at the school sites to provide technical assistance and other support necessary in planning, implementing, reviewing, and evaluating Parent Involvement Plans. Coordinators meet three times a year to share ideas and to disseminate the latest information concerning successful parent involvement strategies.
3. Coordination and Integration - The Title I Supervisor and Resource Teachers work closely with the supervisors of VPK, SES, and other federal programs to coordinate parent involvement activities. Activities include: parents of pre-k students are invited to parent involvement activities at the school sites; Title I funds provide snacks for migrant and ESOL parent workshops; and Title I funds are used to hire parent liaisons at school sites to facilitate the SES program.
4. Annual Evaluation - The District’s Title I Parent Task Force develops a survey to evaluate the content and effectiveness of both the school and district parent involvement policies/plans. It gives parents the opportunity to share barriers that prevented them from participating and give suggestions for future activities. Once completed by parents, the surveys are collected and the results are returned to the Schools’ Advisory Councils and the Title I District’s Parent Task Force to review and revise policies/plans accordingly.
5. Staff Training – The following trainings are provided to faculty and staff members as needed: Understanding the Frameworks of Poverty and Effective Instructional Strategies; Understanding the Importance of Parental Involvement; Boys in Crisis; and Building Relationships.
6. Communication and Accessibility – Title I funds are used to hire a Spanish translator to assist with written and phone communications. The district publishes, distributes and posts on the district web site and in the parent portal information for parents. All district facilities are ADA accessible and translators for conferences are available as requested.
The entire District’s Title I Parent Involvement Plan/Policy is available on-line at www.bay.k12.fl.us (click on “departments”, then “Title I”) . A copy is available in the office at your child’s school along with the School’s Parent Involvement Plan. If you would like to make comments regarding the plan or request a hard copy, you may contact Genia Gordon at 767-4354.
Parents Right to Know
As a parent of a child at a Title I school, you have the right to know the qualifications of your child’s teacher. Specifically, you have the right to ask for and receive the following information:
§ The teacher’s qualifications for the grades and subjects taught;
§ Whether the teacher is working under emergency or provisional status;
§ The teacher’s college major and any advanced degrees;
§ The subject area of the teacher’s certification or degree; and
§ If paraprofessionals provide services to your child, their qualifications.
In addition, you have the following rights and responsibilities:
§ To be involved in your child’s school; and
§ To provide input in the plans and policies of your child’s school.
If you would like to receive any of this information or have questions, you may contact Sharon J. Michalik, Executive Director of Human Resources, at 767-4223.