STERLING CITY ISD
Title I Parental Involvement Policy
WHAT IS TITLE I?
Title I is a federally-funded program designed to provide a high-quality education that will enable all children to meet the state’s student performance standards. Title I is part of the No Child Left Behind Act passed by Congress in 2002. Title I programs can provide supplemental instruction in reading, math, science, and social studies. These programs use effective methods and instructional strategies that are grounded in scientifically-based research.
A school is selected as a Title I school on the basis of the number of students within its boundaries who are eligible for free or reduce-priced meals. Students are selected to participate based on academic need.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Sterling City ISD is dedicated to providing a quality education for every student in our District. To accomplish this objective, the District will develop and maintain partnerships with parents/caregivers, patrons, and community members. A positive link between home and school will create the best learning condition for every child. These open communication lines will expand and enhance learning opportunities for everyone involved.
All students will be expected to work toward mastering the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for their grade level. Sterling City ISD recognizes the fact that some students will need extra assistance to achieve their full potential. The extra assistance is available through the Title I program and various other educational services offered through the District.
Sterling City ISD intends to include parents in all aspects of the Title I program. Students will be given every opportunity for success through the development and enhancement of the home/school partnership. Title I programs are being offered at Sterling City Elementary & Junior High.
PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED AT
Reading Skills Tutorials
·
Intense small group instruction during the
school day and in afternoon tutorials
Math Skills Tutorials
·
Intense small group instruction during the
school day and in afternoon tutorials
CEI (Creative Education Institute) Lab
·
Intense small group content and skills-based
instruction during the school day
PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Parents, members of the community, and school staff meet to discuss the design and implementation of the Title I Parent Involvement Policy. The Sterling City ISD District Site-based Committee reviews and updates the design and implementation of the Sterling City ISD Parent Involvement Policy annually. Surveys will be sent home to all Title I parents.
ANNUAL MEETING FOR TITLE I PARENTS/CAREGIVERS
Sterling City ISD will hold at least one meeting annually to review the Title I Policy and services offered through the District. Copies of the District’s current Parent Involvement Policy will be distributed at the meeting. Parents are encouraged to become involved in the revising and updating the Policy as necessary, and parent volunteers will be recruited for the various District committee appointments.
The meeting will be held at a convenient time and location; notice of the meeting will be provided through written invitations to parents/caregivers and though public notices. Translators will be available to help with non-English speaking parents/caregivers.
PARENT, STUDENT AND SCHOOL COMPACTS
In accordance with Title I regulations, the Sterling City ISD District Site-based Committee has developed and will annually update a parent-student compact. This compact will provide an outline to enable the school and parents/caregivers to share responsibility for student performance and success. This compact explains how students, parents/caregivers, and staff will share responsibility for promoting student achievement.
The compacts are designed so that both the student and his/her parents sign this compact. Students and parents are encouraged to discuss the contents of the compact; they are also encouraged to sign that they are in agreement when meeting with teachers at parent-teacher conferences.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Sterling City ISD provides numerous opportunities for parental involvement, as it strives to develop and maintain an optimum learning environment for all students:
· Spanish translators will be provided for parents when needed
· Information will be provided in Spanish when needed
· Parents may contribute by volunteering
· Parents may contribute by creating a supportive home environment
· Parents are invited to participate in parent-teacher conferences
· Parents are invited to help plan and conduct parties
· Parents may participate by attending school meetings and student programs
· Parents are surveyed to get input about the Title I program
·
Parents are invited to eat lunch with their
children
STAFF AND PARENT COMMUNICATION
Parents/caregivers will be informed of school activities through various avenues of communication throughout the school year; they will be consulted in the design, development and implementation of the Title I program.
Newsletters, teacher notes, the school marquee, conferences, personal contacts, phone calls and written notices will be used to establish and maintain open lines of communication with parents/caregivers.
Sterling City ISD staff members will maintain a record of parent contacts throughout the school year.
TITLE I COMMUNICATION
· School-Parent Compacts
· Progress reports sent home each six weeks
· Fall parent conferences
· Spring parent conferences
EVALUATION
Parents’ surveys, including questions about the effectiveness of the program, will be distributed and the results tabulated. Teacher surveys and teacher contact records will be used to determine the number and kinds of interaction between school and parents. The District Site-based Committee will revise the District Parent Involvement Policy based on the results of this annual review. Campus Site-based committees will meet throughout the school year to evaluate and update the progress of their Title I programs.
PARENT NOTIFICATIONS OF TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS
Sterling City ISD has one Title I campus. This is the Sterling City Elementary & Junior High campus. Parents of students attending this Title I school have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers who instruct their child. Sterling City ISD and the NCLB Act recognize that all children can achieve the same high standards and must be provided the education they need to reach those standards. NCLB gives parents new opportunities to make sure their child receives the very best education possible.
NCLB also requires the school district to provide parents with the following information in a timely manner if requested. Parents have the right to request the following information about each of their child’s classroom teachers:
· Whether the teacher meets the state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grades and subject he/she teaches
· Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status because of special circumstances.
· The teacher’s college major, whether the teacher has any advanced degrees, and the field of discipline certification or degree
· Whether paraprofessionals provide services to your child and, if so, their qualifications.