Title I, 2013-14

1. Title I, 2013-14 No Child Left Behind/Elementary and Secondary Education Act

2. What is Title I? • Title I is the common name given to No Child Left Behind/The Elementary and Secondary Education Act. • It is a federal program with guidelines to which schools and school districts must adhere • Funding is based on the number of students who qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch, however, intervention service for students is based on academic achievement levels (students achieving below grade level) • Its primary goal is to increase student achievement, with special attention given to students/families most vulnerable to not meeting standards of proficiency. • Title I Funds Supplement and do not Supplant local and state funds. • Title I Schools in Wake County are those whose FRL is 35% or greater. • Planning and decisions should always include input from a variety of stakeholders, including parents.

3. ESEA • NCLB Principles • - accountability for results • - flexibility in spending federal funds • - implement what works • - parental involvement 1. No Child Left Behind Act (current reauthorization of ESEA) 3. Title I Largest federal aid program for public schools. Provides extra academic help for children behind in school • Parent Involvement is required Elementary Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) President Lyndon B. Johnson 6. State (SEA) approves local district’s (LEA) plan, monitors it, and provides technical assistance • Title I allotments are based on number of ED children in a school 5. Funds are used for salaries, literacy/math, interventions, parent involvement and PD Bob Witherspoon RMC Research Corporation

4. NC Flexibility Waiver Components: • Principle 1: College and Career Ready Expectations for All Students • Principle 2: State Developed Differentiated Recognition, Accountability, and Support (includes Reward, Focus and Priority Schools) • Principle 3: Supporting Effective Instruction and Leadership • Principle 4: Reducing Duplication and Unnecessary Burden

5. 2012 NC Approved Flexibility Waiver Provisions: (highlights) http://www.ncpublicschools.org/program-monitoring/esea/ • Allows States to develop new Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) for reading and math tests. The targets will be adjusted once data from this year’s new EOGs is available. • Removes all School System and School “Sanctions” due to AYP scores. • Schools are no longer identified as “failing” because they did not make all of their AYP goals. • Supplemental Educational Services (tutoring ) is no longer a requirement. However, schools may offer outside the school day tutoring using their Title I allocations. • School Choice • Schools must work to reduce achievement gaps by half between now and 2017. • Schools were identified as Reward, no recognition, Focus, or Priority based on EOG data from 2008-11.

6. How does a school get Reward School Recognition? • Title I school with 50% or greater FRL and • The average in-school achievement gap for the past three years is less than the average of the State’s achievement gap for the last three years and • The three year average for all sub-groups is above that of the State’s average sub-group performance for the past three years • OR schools with a Reading-Math performance composite for the previous year that is equal to or above 60% and is among the highest 10% of NC schools when measuring the progress of the “all students” sub-group between the previous year and the one from two years ago • Reward Schools will be identified every year.

7. What is a Focus School? • DPI used EOG data from 2008-2011 • Data was Reading-Math composite performance (science was not included) • DPI analyzed the achievement gaps among sub-groups in each school • Schools were designated as Focus Schools if their gaps were large enough to be viewed as adding to the achievement gaps in North Carolina: they were greater than the State’s average of 38.7% when averaged for at least two of the three years, and/or we had sub-groups whose proficiency was less than 50% for last year and at least one of the other two years • Focus Schools will be identified every three years. The next time will be once 2014-15 scores are available.

8. Which students can be served with Title I funds? • Providing additional academic support is based on students’ academic needs, serving those with the highest needs first • There are two types of Title I school models: Schoolwide and Targeted Assistance Programs. All WCPSS Title I schools operate using the Schoolwide model. • Schoolwide Title I Programs: • Funds may be used to serve whole school initiatives. All students may benefit from Title I funds (typically by using Title I funds to create teaching positions, purchase supplies/equipment), however, direct Tier II intervention services are still provided to those with the greatest academic needs. • Targeted Assistance Title I Programs: • Funds and teachers may serve identified “targeted” students in Reading or Math • Title I funds may only be used to work with these targeted students.

9. How should decisions be made about the use of Title I funds? Annual/On-going Comprehensive Needs Assessments • How do you know what is working? • How are you measuring student success? • Is the decision making process regarding fiscal/human resource allocation aligned with the needs assessment?

10. How should decisions be made about the use of Title I funds? (cont’d) The Comprehensive Needs Assessment should drive this process. The Intervention Matrix should define how the school intends to identify academically struggling students, provide Tier II instructional support to them, and determine the success of instructional interventions. (RtI) Policies and practices with the greatest likelihood of ensuring that all students achieve proficiency are those that affect the school’s teaching and learning program, both directly and indirectly. Students with the greatest academic needs must be given priority in receiving Tier II and extended day/year intervention services.

11. How should decisions be made about the use of Title I funds? (cont’d) There must be opportunities for diverse stakeholders to participate in the decision-making process. • Are the parent/community representatives on the School Improvement/Leadership Team reflective of the student population? (ESL, SWD, Racial Minorities, etc…)

12. How should decisions be made about the use of Title I funds? (cont’d) Interventions must be grounded in Scientifically-based Research • Strategies/approaches are proven effective over time/longitudinal research. • These are likely to help close achievement gaps.

13. In considering how to best spend Title Ifunds, decision makers should consider whether they can answer “yes” to these four questions: 1.  Drive results for students - Will the proposed use of funds drive improved results for students, including students of Economic Disadvantage, Students With Disabilities, and Limited English Proficient learners? 2.  Increase capacity - Will the proposed use of funds increase educators’ long-term capacity to improve results for students? 3.  Accelerate reform - Will the proposed use of funds help to achieve the goals of your school’s School Improvement Plan? 4. Foster continuous improvement - Will the proposed use of funds include approaches to measure and track implementation and results and create feedback loops to modify or discontinue strategies based on evidence?

14. What are the School’s responsibilities regarding NCLB/ESEA Compliance? • Fiscal Compliance • Appropriate use of Parent Involvement Allocation • Ensure that faculty and staff meet the Highly Qualified requirements (Annual Principal Attestation Statement documents this) • Ensure that Title I Components are addressed in the School Improvement Plan (reviewed and revised annually ) • Ensure that the School Parent Involvement Policy is annually reviewed and communicated to stakeholders • Develop and Facilitate a Parent/Teacher/Student Compact • Provide evidence of Shared Decision-Making with Parents and Teachers • Provide evidence of an On-Going Needs Assessment including Data Analysis and Surveys from Diverse Stakeholders • Provide evidence of Parent Engagement Opportunities that are capacity building– PAC meetings and other parent educational opportunities

15. What are the School’s responsibilities regarding NCLB/ESEA Compliance? (cont’d) • Communication to Parents/Community • Parents Right to Know: • Parents have a right to know if their child has a teacher that is not HQ for 30 consecutive days (a substitute that is not certified or a teacher that is not certified in the area that s/he is teaching). If this happens, the principal must send a letter to the parents in that classroom in a timely manner. • Teacher/Teacher Assistant Qualifications, if requested. Principals must inform parents about this right via newsletters and post it on the school’s web page. • Annual Meeting • Share the Power Point presentation about NCLB/ESEA for parents • Give parents pertinent information about curricula, instructional programs, decision-making processes, ways they can be involved in school decision-making, and “Parents Right to Know” • Send home the School Report Card after it has been approved by DPI

16. Student Selection Process • http://myworkplace.wcpss.net/title1/tier-ll-process-man-2013-2014/index.html#/20/zoomed

17. Questions? • If you have questions and/or need support, please contact your Coordinating Teacher by email or phone. • We’re there to help!