Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions
of students and parents.
- What is Title I?
- Who is the Title I teacher?
- How do students qualify for Title I?
- How do students receive Title I services?
- How are parents involved?
What is Title I?
Title I is a federally-funded program that provides opportunities
for all
students to be successful learners. It is not part of Special
Education.
Cannon Falls School District offers Title I services for first
and second
grade students who would benefit from additional academic
support. Students
in first grade receive help with reading skills, and students in
second grade
will be offered support in reading and/or Math.
Who is the Title I teacher?
Mrs. Linda Jokela is the Title I teacher. She has classroom
teaching
experience in first, second, and third grade, as well as
Preschool. In
addition to her K-6 Teaching License, she has a Minnesota K-12
Reading
License.
How do students qualify for Title I?
At the beginning of the school year, students' reading skills are
individually assessed using a teacher-created assessment. The
first grade
reading survey includes letter recognition (upper and lower
case), sounds of
letters, recognizing 18 high frequency words, color words, and
decodable
words. The second grade reading assessment includes alphabet
recognition,
sounds of letters, recognition of 40 sight words, and decodable
words.
Students are also asked to read a passage aloud and answer
comprehension
questions following the reading. The Math assessment for second
graders is a
written test reviewing concepts taught in first grade. Students
who show
academic need as a result of the assessment will be offered Title
I services.
As the year progresses, the classroom teacher may recommend that
a particular
student be considered for Title I because of concerns about the
child's
progress. The student will be assessed and may enter the Title I
program at
that time.
How do students receive Title I services?
Students work in small groups in the Title I room, E109, which is
on the
south end of the building. Groups usually include
four to six students from
the same classroom. Each group receives instruction every day at
the same
time for 25 minutes.
The Title I teacher works closely with the classroom teachers to
ensure that
the skills that are taught in the classroom are being reinforced
in the Title
I room. Students in reading groups read a large variety of
fiction and
nonfiction books as they work on strategies for decoding words,
phonics, and
comprehension skills, with the goal of becoming fluent,
thoughtful readers.
Second grade Math groups work on skills that reinforce what they
are learning
in the classroom. Whenever possible, manipulatives are used to
teach the
skills.
How are parents involved?
Students who qualify for Title I help will receive a permission
slip to be
signed by one of the child's parents. The notes are sent home as
soon as
the assessments are completed, generally by the end of September.
Parents are encouraged to attend the parent meeting held in the
fall to
explain the Title I program. In addition to the description of
the program,
the Title I teacher will explain the reading strategies the
students will be
taught, so that parents can reinforce the use of those strategies
at home.
Details of the meeting will be sent home in a letter during the
first month
of school.
An integral part of the Title I reading program is an at-home
reading
activity called "Book-in-a-Bag." Each day, students
will choose a book from
the Title I room, put it in a special plastic envelope, and take
it home. A
parent, grandparent, or other adult in the home listens and
offers help when
needed as the child reads the book. The parent then signs the
form that is
inside the envelope, and the child returns the book to the Title
I room the
next day. This process is repeated each day. Research shows
that one of the
best ways to get better at reading is to read a lot, so when lots
of reading
is happening both at school and at home, student reading is bound
to improve!
Parents are highly encouraged to stop by the Title I room and
visit with the
Title I teacher on Parent-Teacher conference day. There is not a
Title I
conference schedule, but parents can talk to Mrs. Jokela before
or after your
child's conference with the classroom teacher. At the fall
conference, there
will be a Parent/School Compact that needs to be signed by the
parent, child,
and teacher. This is an agreement stating that all three parties
will work
together to help the child be a successful learner.
