|
Rockport Public Schools
Title I
Parent Handbook
2008-2009
Title I Reading Specialist
Mary Jane Olson is the Title I Reading Specialist. Mrs. Olson may be
familiar to many of you as she had been a second grade teacher in our
system for eleven years. Mrs. Olson received a Bachelor�s degree in
Elementary Education from Westfield State College and a Master�s
degree from Cambridge College. She is also a certified Reading
Specialist.
Mrs. Olson worked in Rockport as a reading assistant for one year then
worked at Landmark School for four years. After staying home with her
three sons for twelve years, Mrs. Olson returned to Landmark for a
year and a half before coming back to Rockport. Please feel free to
stop by and always know that your comments and concerns are important
to the Title I Program in Rockport.
Parent Involvement in Title I
The Rockport Public Schools welcomes the participation of parents in
support of student learning and recognizes that parental involvement
increase the opportunities for student success. It is the policy of
the Rockport Public Schools to foster and maintain ongoing
communications with parents concerning their progress, the
professional qualifications of their children�s teachers, and the
status of their children�s schools. The Rockport Public Schools
strives to provide such information in an understandable and uniform
format, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent
practicable, in a language that parents can understand. To the extent
practicable, Rockport Public Schools shall also provide full
opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English
proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory
children, including providing information and school reports required
under section 1111 in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a
language such parents understand. Communications with parents shall,
at all times, respect the privacy of students and their families.
As a Title I parent/guardian you are a vital part of the home-school
team. You are our "Partner in Education." Your involvement as a parent
is critical to your child's success in school. The Title I Program in
Rockport is committed to the belief that from birth you have been your
child's first teacher. This remains true even after s/he is enrolled
in school programs. Research supports that parents who are involved in
their child's education have children who are better students than
those parents who do not get involved in school.
Our school will develop strategies that encourage parent involvement
in student learning. We hope that you will spend at least 15 minutes a
day in some type of school-related activity. This time with your child
sends a strong message that you value education. Some examples of how
this time may be spent include: reading to your child, having your
child read to you, helping your child to complete a homework
assignment, or working on a special project suggested by your child's
teacher.
There are many quality educational television programs parents can
share with their children. Family times such as: quiet sharing times,
games, field/museum trips all assist in educating children. Our public
library has a wonderful assortment of books, magazines, and other
materials to discover or develop your children's interests.
There will be several opportunities throughout the year for you to
come to school and join in the fun of learning. You will be asked to
come to the Title I Room while your children are receiving services so
that you can observe first hand some of the techniques and strategies
used to develop your children abilities. You will be welcomed on
several occasions to learn about our programs. Your input will be
sought and highly valued with a year end survey and periodic
opportunities to share your concerns and questions.
You will be asked to sign a Home-School compact. Your child and the
Title I Reading Specialist will also sign this agreement. It will
clearly establish the expectations for us all. Working together,
parents and teachers are an unbeatable team, creating high achieving
students.
Title I Background Information
The Title I Program was developed many years ago to ensure that every
child had the opportunity to achieve educational excellence. The
programs are designed to provide academic support services for those
children who are low achieving. The funds are provided through the
Massachusetts Department of Education, with funds provided to each
state by the federal government. These funds are provided to
communities based on the number of children from low-income families
in the community.
The Title I program on a national, state, and community level
encourages programs for elementary school children. We are dedicated
to providing children with academic skills and positive self-esteem
needed to succeed in school. Fostering a love of literacy and enabling
children to become strong readers are the keys to a positive,
productive elementary school experience.
Reading Instruction Programs
Title I is committed to the goal that all children will learn to be
great readers. Rockport believes that reading is the most important
academic skill a child learns in elementary school. Good readers are
able to unlock doors to all kinds of learning. Title I Programs
support children who are in the process of learning to read.
Our major focus is to provide reading instruction to the children in
the first through third grades. We believe that early intervention is
the best course for our students.
Our program will vary from student to student and from class to class.
There will be a combination of inclusion and pull-out programs. Many
of the students will meet three or four times per week in a group of
three or less in the resource room. Many will receive reading support
in their classroom. The Reading Specialist will serve as a consultant
for all Rockport Elementary Staff for our Literacy needs.
Title I Reading Support Qualification
Students qualify for support in a few different ways. In the spring,
all Kindergarten, First, and Second grade teachers fill out a sheet
for each child. This is then the reference for children the next
year. All students� scores are weighted and considered. The scores
are determined by a combination of classroom performance, the DIBELS
(Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), and the DRA
(Developmental Reading Assessment).
For the second and third graders, we currently use a measure called
the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test for pre and post testing. Regularly
performed running records and other informal assessment continually
determine instruction. For first graders, a combination of informal
tests is used. A child can test out and no longer require the
services of Title I. Progress reports will be sent home for each
marking period of school.
No Child Left Behind
New policies for this legislation are many. The two most important
ones that concern you as parents are: the Supplement, Not Supplant
policy and the Parents Right to Know policy.
The first policy states:
The Title I Program is intended to supplement, not supplant the
reading programs for the children who receive services. It is the
responsibility of the classroom teacher to assure that the students
who receive extra help in reading will continue to be given reading
instruction within the regular classroom.
The second policy states:
As a parent of a student at Rockport Elementary School, you have the
right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom
teachers who instruct your child. Federal law allows you to ask for
certain information about your child�s classroom teachers, and
requires us to give you this information in a timely manner, if you
ask for it. Specifically, you have the right to ask for the
following information about each of your child�s classroom teachers.
* Whether the Massachusetts Department of Education has
licensed or qualified the teacher for the grades or subjects he
or she teaches.
* Whether the Massachusetts Department of Education has
decided that the teacher can teach in a classroom without
being licensed or qualified under state regulations because of
special circumstances.
* The teacher�s college major, whether the teacher has any advanced
degrees and, if so, the subject of the degrees.
* Whether any instructional assistants provide services to your
child and, if they do, their qualifications.
In accordance with the NCLB Act teacher�s certifications are on file
in the elementary office.
|
