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Westfall Local School District TITLE I

PARENT HANDBOOK 2011-2012

Approved by Westfall Local Board of Education

November 21,2011

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Title I Schools

Westfall Elementary School, Janice Gearhart ………………………………..Principal Westfall Middle School, Kathy Payne……………………………………………..Principal Deborah Younge…………………………………………………………………………….Title I 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

District Office 19463 Pherson Pike

Williamsport, OH 43164 740-986-3671

MISSION STATEMENT: In partnership with students,

parents, teachers, staff and community, the Westfall Local School District will provide quality educational services

that nurture academic, social and civic skills, enabling students to become productive, life-long learners.

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Title 1 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:

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 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 2013, all students in grades kindergarten through 12 will improve in all core academics. 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 I school be notified and given the opportunity to request information about the professional qualifications of classroom teachers instructing their child 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.

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What is “No Child Left Behind” and What Does it Mean for Westfall Local Schools?

On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This legislation includes the federal support that states and local school districts receive for eligible schools know as Title 1. NCLB requires that every state and school district develop and implement standards, assessments and accountability system in Reading and Mathematics. Because the federal law focuses on many concepts and instructional strategies that the Westfall Local School District has put in place, Consider these current district practices, which are the main elements of the NCLB law:

1. A strengthened district-wide core curriculum aligned to state standards and testing in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies, and standards-based instruction in all subject areas;

2. Investing in high-quality professional development for all teaches to ensure that Westfall Local School teachers meet the definition of highly-qualified according to federal guidelines, as well as an aggressive teacher recruitment programs;

3. An emphasis on accountability and assessment. These elements have been in place in the state of Ohio through its Department of Education’s State, District and School Report Cards, annual Value Added Growth Measures, and the state’s list of schools that are low performing, improving, or in good standing.

4. A focus on proven strategies that work such as the districts Balanced Literacy Framework, School Improvement Plans and academic Intervention Programs.

5. Expanded options for parents, such as the district’s Open Enrollment Process which now gives priority to the most academically challenged students in the lowest performing schools, the recently introduced Public School of Choice, which offers student options for enrolling in neighboring district/buildings not in school improvement and the Parents’ Right to Know about the status of their children’s schools and teachers.

6. Schools are monitored annually on the Ten Components of a Title I Schoolwide Program. These are: 1. Comprehensive Needs Assessment; 2. Schoolwide Reform Strategies; 3. Instruction by Highly Qualified Staff; 4. High Quality Professional Development; 5. Attracting Highly Qualified Teachers; 6. Assistance to Preschool Children; 7. Transition: Assisting Children to the next level; 8. Teachers in Decision Making; 9. Timely, Additional Assistance to Students Experiencing Difficulty; 10. Coordination and Integration of Federal, State and Local Programs.

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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 Schoolwide Title Program will include these activities in its program:

1. At least one public meeting will be held annually to explain the Schoolwide Title Program.

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 Schoolwide 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 School-wide Title Program.

3. Parents will be encouraged to assist in Schoolwide 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 will be sent home with each student and posted on the school website.

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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 of NCLB:

Notification to parents of the policy in an understandable format and language Periodic updates of the policy 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. 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

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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 statewide academic content 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

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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 the 2011-12 school year. School Responsibilities Westfall Elementary and Middle School will:

1. 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.

2. 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 winter quarter and at the end of the school year.

3. 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.

4. Parents/guardians are offered opportunities to volunteer, participate, and observe classroom

activities and assemblies.

5. Parents/guardians can access student progress reports using Progress Book.

6. Parents/guardians will be informed of upcoming events at school via student take-home notices and school website. http//www.westfall.k12.oh.us/ and school messenger.

School-Parent / Guardian Compact Westfall Elementary School Westfall Middle School 9391 State Route 56 West 19545 Pherson Pike Williamsport, Ohio 43164 Williamsport, Ohio 43164 740-986-4008 740-986-2941

Title 1 Federal Program

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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 Collaboration 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: 1. Do my homework every day and ask for help when I need to.

2. Read at least 30 minutes (or age appropriate time) every day outside of school time.

3. 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/Guardian Date

______________________________________ __________________

Signature of Student Date

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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.

Schoolwide Plan The Westfall Schoolwide Plan was approved by the Board of Education and the Ohio

Department of Education (ODE) for implementation the year of 2011-12. 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)

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Complaint Resolution Policy

It is the policy of the ODE to investigate all allegations of noncompliance with state or federal law, rules, or regulations. In order to initiate a complaint with the ODE that a school district or the ODE has violated State law or regulations, or federal law or regulations that apply to any covered federal program, a complainant must submit a written, signed complaint that: 1) describes the pertinent facts; 2) identifies the alleged violations of the law; and, 3) recommends how the complainant would have the ODE resolve the complaint. The complaint must be mailed to the ODE. Complainants include any: public agencies, parents, and other individuals or organizations. The ODE will not accept or investigate allegations of violations from anonymous sources. The ODE will strive to resolve all complaints within 60 days of receipt.

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Westfall Local Schools Family Engagement Calendar

Westfall Mall/ Round Up: Annual Meeting Open House Elementary Parent Conference Elementary Family Training Middle School Parent Conference Middle School Family Training Family Literacy Night Math Expo Family Curriculum Night

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