Title 1 Schoolwide Plan

Chestatee Elementary School

Revised Sept 5, 2014

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Georgia Department of EducationTitle I

Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan

School Name:Chestatee Elementary School

School Mailing Address:6945 Keith Bridge RdGainesville, GA 30506

LEA Name:Forsyth County Schools

LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Name:Fonda Harrison

LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Signature: Date:

LEA Title One Director/Coordinator Mailing Address:1120 Dahlonega Highway, Cumming, GA 3001120 Dahlonegea HighwayCumming, Georgia 30040

Email Address:

FHarrison@Forsyth.k12.ga.us

Telephone:770-887-2461 ext. 202243

Fax:770-888-1158

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Georgia Department of EducationTitle I

Schoolwide/School Improvement Plan

Planning CommitteeNAME POSITION/ROLE

Fonda Harrison Chief Academic OfficerAmy Reutter Federal Program Specialist/Title 1 SupportPolly Tennies PrincipalJordan Livermore Assistant PrincipalKristen Miskovsky Assistant PrincipalMeg Killingsworth Kindergarten TeacherSharon Nizialek First Grade TeacherHolly Mullinax Second Grade TeacherTheresa Carley Third Grade TeacherLindsey Prosser Fourth Grade TeacherCraig Ahrens Fifth Grade TeacherAbby Keyser Gifted TeacherDeb Fahey Special Education TeacherStaci Wacker Instructional ParaprofessionalCarolyn Craddock Instructional Technology SpecialistJulie Hubbard Fine Arts ChairAmelia Wolfer Title 1 CoachScarlett Mason Title 1 TeacherRock Reed Title 1 TeacherTamela Stanford Title 1 Teacher/Parent CoordinatorLinda Ratliff Title 1 TeacherJoy Stanley Parent/President of Local School CouncilLee Anne White Title 1 ParentLeigh Middleton Title 1 ParentKelly Pirkle Title 1 ParentAmy Kreuger Title 1 ParentCary Kermicle Title 1 ParentShaun Howard Title 1 ParentKaren Vincent Title 1 ParentBritney Humphries Title 1 ParentSherry Chadwick Title 1 ParentEmily Scott Title 1 ParentStaci Smilnak Title 1 ParentKaty Zarfoss Title 1 Parent

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Conduct a Comprehensive Needs Assessment………………………………………..Page 6 Description of School Team Members Data Sources Strengths and Weaknesses School Improvement Plan School Goals Subgroups

2. Develop Schoolwide Reform Strategies that are scientifically research…………….Page 14based and directly tied to the comprehensive needs assessment and academic standards

Providing opportunities for all children to meet and exceed Effective means of raising student achievement Increasing the quality and amount of learning time Address the needs of all, especially targeted populations Consistency with school Improvement plans

3. Employ Highly Qualified Instructional Staff……………………………………………..Page 17 Summary of qualifications Strategies to attract staff

4. Plans for Delivery of Meaningful Professional Development…………………………Page 18 Enabling all students to meet and exceed performance standards Inclusion of all Stakeholders Align with School Improvement Plan

5. Strategies to increase Parental Involvement ………………………………………….Page 21

6. Plans for assisting transitions related to Elementary School………………………...Page 30 Pre-Kindergarten Students Middle School Students

7. Measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use ………………….Page 32of assessment to provide information on, and to improve, the performance of individual students and overall instructional program

8. Coordination and integration of Federal, State, and Local services ……………….Page 33and programs

List of state and local educational agency programs and other federal programs that will be included

Description of how resources from Title I and other sources will be used

Plan developed in coordination with other programs

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9. Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering …………….Page 35standards shall be provided with effective, timely assistance

Measures to ensure that students’ difficulties are identified on a timely basis

Periodic training for teachers Teacher-Parent Conferences

10. Description on how individual student assessment results and ……………………..Page 36interpretation will be provided to parents

11. Provisions for the collection and disaggregation of data on the …………………….Page 37achievement and assessment results of students

12. Provisions to ensure that disaggregated assessment results for …………………..Page 37each category are valid and reliable

13. Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data………………………………..Page 37

14. Plan developed during a one year period, under LEA, after ……………………….Page 38considering the recommendation of its technical assistance providers

15. Plan developed with the involvement of the community to be ……………………..Page 38served and individuals who will carry out the plan

16. Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public…………………………………..Page 38

17. Plan translated to the extent feasible………………………………………………….Page 38

18. Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of ……………………………Page 39Section 1116

Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………Page 39

1. Comprehensive Needs Assessment5 | P a g e

Rooted strongly in the community as the oldest school in Forsyth County, Chestatee Elementary has a rich history. We currently serve a student population of 959 students. The racial composition of our school is 80% White (Non-Hispanic), 15% Hispanic, and 5% other. To date, our economically disadvantaged population has increased to 49 percent through redistricting and local economic downturn. Chestatee houses Kindergarten thru 5th grade students, and also supports Head Start and Georgia Pre-Kindergarten classrooms. It was a Targeted Assistance Title I School for many years and received the Distinguished Title I School Award in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The 2014-2015 school year is Chestatee’s second year with schoolwide Title I status.

Several people have been involved in determining the direction of the school through the interpretation of data. Chestatee has a Leadership Team that meets regularly with representation from all areas within the school. Additional members have joined this team from within the school and community to provide input into the Schoolwide Plan.

School Improvement/Schoolwide Title 1 Planning Team

Polly Tennies-Principal Jordan Livermore-Assistant PrincipalKristen Miskovsky-Assistant Principal Meg Killingsworth-KindergartenSharon Nizialek-First Grade Holly Mullinax-Second GradeTheresa Carley-Third Grade Lindsey Prosser-Fourth GradeCraig Ahrens-Fifth Grade Deb Fahey-Special EducationJulie Hubbard-Fine Arts Staci Wacker-Para ProfessionalCarolyn Craddock-Instructional Technology Abby Keyser-Gifted TeacherJoy Stanley-Local School Council Chair Lee Anne White- Local School CouncilLeigh Middleton- Local School Council Karen Vincent- Local School CouncilSherry Chadwick- Local School Council Britney Humphries-Title 1 ParentFaith Patton-Title 1 Parent Shaun Howard-Title 1 ParentKelly Pirkle-Title 1 Parent Emily Scott-Title 1 ParentCary Kermicle-Title 1 Parent Staci Smilnak-Title 1 ParentAmanda Battles Amelia Wolfer-Title 1 CoachLinda Ratliff-Title 1 Teacher Tamela Stanford-Title 1 Teacher/Parent InvolvementScarlett Mason-Title 1 Teacher Rock Reed-Title 1 Teacher

Multiple sources of data reveal the needs of our students and our families. The Leadership Team discusses all generated data. This data has been derived from the following locations:

Comprehensive GAPSS analysis conducted by an outside team of educators CRCT scores for third-fifth grades in all content areas Universal Screening through AIMS web for Kindergarten thru third grade students Georgia Writing Assessments for 5th grade students Supplemental Writing Assessment for 4th grade students Standards Based Report Cards Cognitive Abilities Test for 3rd grade Needs Assessment Surveys for Parents Feedback surveys from Parent Workshop Programs Teacher Surveys for needs and input ACCESS data generated from ELL testing Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Development Skills (GKIDS) Benchmark Reading Leveling of K-5 students using Fountas and Pinnell Student growth percentiles for fourth and fifth grades

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Chestatee has a long history in the community and several generations of our current students also attended Chestatee. The demographic makeup of the student populations has remained fairly consistent for the last several years.

Student Demographics

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 %: 2009 %: 2010 %: 2011 %: 2012 %: 2013 %: 2014

Hispanic 102 154 145 147 157 147 9.72% 14.72% 14.66% 14.76% 15.11% 15.30%

Asian * * * * * * * * * * * *

Black (not Hispanic) * * 11 * 11 16 * * 1.11% * 1.06% 1.66%

Am. Indian/Alaskan * * * * * * * * * * * *

Multi-Racial 26 23 17 14 17 24 2.48% 2.20% 1.72% 1.41% 1.64% 25.03%

Pacific Islander * * * * * 1 * * * * * *

White 907 846 805 819 845 763 86.46% 80.88% 81.40% 82.23% 81.33% 79.56%

Female 483 494 472 466 494 478 46.04% 47.23% 47.72% 46.79% 47.55% 49.84%

Male 566 552 517 530 545 481 53.96% 52.77% 52.28% 53.21% 52.45% 50.16%

Total 1049 1046 989 996 1039 959 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%Student Demographic Information for Chestatee

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Program Participation EL/Monitored0

102030405060708090

69

22

82

19

71

21

ESOL/EL Program Participation Chestatee Elementary School

2012 2013 2014

ESOL student information from Chestatee

The Migrant Education Office at the Georgia Department of Education provides a Current Enrollment Report (CER) and New Participant Report (NPR) each month of the school year (if the system has new migrant students enrolled) to the Forsyth County Central Office. Kathy Jolly, Director of ELL Services, completes a Priority for Services (PFS) form for each new student and submits it to the MEP office at GA DOE for review. PFS students are identified per their academic needs, including mobility and EL status. All PFS students are given priority for supplemental tutoring services based on the district's Implementation Plans approved by the state. In addition, Mrs. Jolly checks the national Migrant MSIX data base provided by USED's Migrant education office to review assessment and enrollment data for the student. SLDS in Infinite Campus also provides assessment information. Locally, the district's Comprehensive Needs Assessment committee reviews student attendance and grades at the end of each grading period and makes recommendations for adjustments to tutoring or other support services as deemed necessary. Mrs. Jolly contacts ELL Coordinators at each school, as well as ESOL teachers to notify them when new migrant students arrive. They also are notified if the GaDOE MEP office designates a migrant student as PFS.

Currently, we have two identified Migrant students who attend Chestatee Elementary School, one second grader and one fourth grader. These two students have qualified for additional tutoring due to noted academic gaps through the Universal Screening conducted at Chestatee. This tutoring will be provided during the school day by a highly qualified, certified teacher. In addressing needs of Migrant students, less than 1% of the student population falls into this category; however, those with this need are being served.

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1

85

8

274111

23

1 18

2

Make-up of Special Ed Classifications2014-2015 blind

speechautismSDDMIDModerateSevereEBDSLDHearing ImpairedOHIVision Impaired

Chestatee’s Special Education population clearly defined

A careful study of the data of Chestatee over a period of years was conducted. Using system expectations and state norms, we were able to discern the following strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths Revealed

Thorough analysis of data guides school wide instructional decisions through such structures as EAGLE time, Learning Academy, and Professional Learning (GAPSS).

Faculty demonstrates understanding of the power of professional collaboration (GAPSS) Implementation of The Chestatee Way, our school wide discipline focus (Teacher Surveys), leads to

well managed classrooms and an improved atmosphere for student learning. Supportive risk-free classroom environments provided by staff demonstrate warmth, respect, and trust

between teachers and students (GAPSS). Pre K and Headstart programs housed on campus provide a solid foundation for economically

disadvantaged students. Growth was shown on the CCRPI from 78.4 on the 2012 revised score to 83.2 for the 2013 score.

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Exceptional performances in reading: currently, 97.3% of 3rd graders, 98.2% of 4th graders, and 98.7% of 5th graders met or exceeded standards in CRCT for 2014. The Median Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs) of typical growth (based on 2013 data) for 4th and 5th grade populations also support this analysis as recorded in the chart below.

Reading: Median Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs)

All SWD ELL ED Hispanic4th grade 59 53.5 61 58.5 615th grade 50 65 56 50 54.5

Exceptional performances in math: currently, 98.1% of 5th graders met or exceeded standards in CRCT math.

Formative reading assessments following the Fountas and Pinnell leveling system target accurate instructional levels for K-5th grades.

Community volunteer opportunities have greatly increased with the addition of the Watch Dog Dad program and the Chestatee Chicks (volunteer group of Mothers).

Chestatee’s usage of Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) has been showcased on tours by the County, featuring innovative instructional practice for educators from North America

An innovative strategy to conduct personalized writing conferences led to a 15%percent increase in 5th grade writing scores on the Georgia Writing Assessment.

Weaknesses Revealed

A need to place greater emphasis on instructional strategies that will challenge a broader spectrum of students (those meeting and exceeding standards) (GAPSS)

An avenue for providing more opportunities for enrichment was noted (Local School Council) Use strategies and processes to increase the use of higher order thinking skills and problem solving

by all students (GAPSS) Increase the student use of technology to research, create documents, and/or projects, and to

demonstrate a greater understanding of learning goals (GAPSS) Increase rigor and expectations of students through expanding the use of self-monitoring and self-

evaluation tools (GAPSS) Make connections across content areas to develop literacy skills (GAPSS) Provide opportunities for teachers to plan across grade levels and vertically align curriculum(GAPSS) Extend learning time for PL1s who need additional time to master content (CRCT retest results) Examine effective delivery models used to serve PL1s in reading and math that are served through

special education programming (CRCT) A need for developing a solid foundation of number sense in all grade levels (CRCT) A need to incorporate reading into the content areas, especially Social Studies, to allow for an

increase in student knowledge base for those curriculum areas (CRCT)

Root Causes

In discussing the root causes of weaknesses at Chestatee Elementary, we have found it is necessary to create goals and expectations that are of a high caliber for all students regardless of where they are performing currently. It is imperative that we create opportunities for students to excel through the use of high content engagement. Students should be asked to integrate subjects and perform tasks that will stimulate their minds through technology and other tools. Rigorous class work will provide more opportunities for

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students to succeed. Professional Learning will grow teachers’ abilities to plan for instruction, especially in the area of performance based instruction and assessing.

School attendance greatly impacts the success of students academically. Motivating the students to attend through a schoolwide effort will be vital to increasing daily attendance. Counselors have developed and monitor a schoolwide incentive program to help increase student attendance.

Communicating expectations of course work is necessary. A strong partnership with the home will enable parents to support the work of the school. By increasing parental knowledge of expectations and providing opportunities for parents to learn more about instruction and their children’s learning, we will greatly impact future student success. Parental Involvement will be a key schoolwide goal. In order to enable parents to attend family functions, such as Curriculum Night and Title 1 Family nights, Chestatee furnishes dinner through the funds of local business and community partners. These nights are also planned in conjunction with other school activities in order to encourage attendance of the families.

Language within a classroom can have a tremendous impact. Using a common instructional language in math problem solving as well as other areas of the curriculum will strengthen the understandings that students gain in the classroom. When planning for long term success, making sure that our teachers are vertically aligned will benefit the curriculum delivery and student success. With the assistance of Brian Lack, K-12 Math Specialist, we will be focusing on common language for math instruction through the use of number talks.

A number of economically disadvantaged students come to school lacking basic language skills. Utilization of the Language for Learning Program enables students to acquire critically needed basic language skills. This program is utilized by our Speech pathologist to meet the needs of targeted students.

Several parents of Chestatee students are not fluent in English. Having parents that have difficulty with English hinders them from supporting their child on homework assignments. Language can be an important bridge for school work since it is the language of instruction occurring during the school day.

Several PL1 students were determined to have attended multiple elementary schools. Transient school attendance can have a negative impact on school performance. Identifying gaps in instruction will be critical. Quickly being able to assess where students are performing and providing remedial support are crucial to student success. Identifying gaps in instruction will be critical.

School Improvement Plan

The purpose of our Leadership Team is to address the highest instructional need demonstrated through our data analysis. The current school improvement plan is to raise the CCRPI in math from Kindergarten to 5 th grade and integrate ELA/Social studies. For that reason, we are addressing schoolwide the need to see improvement in math, ELA and Social Studies. In math, we identified a school wide need for improvement in the domain of numbers and operations.

With a school wide focus to improve in the area of number sense, we will utilize county office personnel and school based faculty to deliver professional development to the entire faculty. We will place a strong emphasis on number talks to build a basic understanding of number sense. Building a strong foundation for number sense in the lower grades will have a positive impact on upper grades as the vertical teams work together toward the same goal.

It is our intention to create strong students who are able to justify and explain their answers in the core subject area of math. A noted weakness in mathematics is within the CRCT domain of numbers and operations. As the foundation of number sense is strengthened through number talks and student discussions, it will also lead to a beneficial impact on problem solving.

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Grade % Does Not Meet % Meets/Exceeds3rd 15.3 84.74th 14.6 85.45th 1.9 98.1

Math Achievement 2014: CRCT

The data for this past year supports the need to focus on math standards primarily for the 3rd and 4th grades as recorded in the chart above. Realizing that these scores are a result of the child’s cumulative educational experience to date, there is support for a schoolwide focus in mathematics.

The school year 2013-14 was the last year for the administration of the CRCT in Georgia. Given that the Georgia Milestones will be the new measure used for this current year, and the fact it is currently unknown how the results will be reported or if there can be any comparison to the CRCT, we will be setting our goals based on the median Student Growth Percentiles. The following chart contains data for the current year in the area of mathematics for the 4th and 5th grades (based on 2013 data). The anticipated date for 2014 data is late October of this year.

Math: Median Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs)

All SWD ELL ED Hispanic4th grade 40 50.5 31 32.5 515th grade 77 67.5 82 75 82.5

(based on 2013 data)

After analysis of this data, including the weakness for our ELL and ED subgroups, we will address the following goal for math: Eighty percent of the 4th and 5th grade student populations will make typical to above average progress as indicated on the Georgia Milestones Mathematics test and reported as median SGPs in both the total populations for each grade level, as well as all subgroup populations.

An additional noted weakness was revealed by the CRCT in ELA as indicated by the following chart.

% Does not Meet % Meets and Exceeds3rd 10.7% 89.3%4th 7.9% 92.1%5th 2.6% 97.4%

ELA Achievement 2014: CRCT

Analysis of this data in conjunction with the 2013 median SGPs, (shown below), indicates a need to improve ELA skills, especially in the subgroups of our ELL and Hispanic populations.

ELA: Median Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs)

All SWD ELL ED Hispanic4th grade 42 42 55 34 48.55th grade 44 38 30 40 27

(based on 2013 data)

The curriculum area of Social Studies was also found to be a weakness for Chestatee. This was confirmed through analysis of CRCT scores as well as the median SGPs for 4th and 5th grades.

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% Does not Meet % Meets and Exceeds3rd 19.6 80.44th 17.5 82.55th 9.4 90.6

Social Studies Achievement 2014: CRCT

Social Studies: Median Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs)

All SWD ELL EDHispanic

4th grade 22 21.5 19 19 275th grade 70 51 69 61 69

(based on 2013 data)

The format for the Georgia Milestones test will include English Language Arts skills in the reading component. For the past two years, the Chestatee master schedule has included a block of time dedicated to Social Studies/Reading. All teachers understand how vital it is to teach reading through the content areas, and in doing so, we can improve ELA skills while focusing on Social Studies texts during the reading block.

Our goal for Social Studies will be: Eighty percent of the 4th and 5th grade student populations will make typical to above average progress as indicated on the Georgia Milestones Social Studies test and reported as median SGPs in both the total grade level populations, as well as the subgroup populations.

Over the last two years, we have tracked Fountas and Pinnell Levels for the purpose of instructional planning. The chart below indicates the percentages of students who met or exceeded grade level expectations in grades Kindergarten through second grade.

Now that the F & P leveling system will be the SLO measure used by the county, we will continue to track grade level expectations for planning instructions; however, we will set the following goal to align with the SLO measure. Eighty percent of all students grade k-3 will meet expected growth to high growth based on Fountas and Pinnell targets.

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It is crucial that we gain parental support for students’ learning. We have created a goal for parents to attend our family events for Title 1 at the school. Title teachers will utilize several strategies to increase parental involvement for all parents. Our goal is to increase attendance by 15 families for the year. We will combine efforts with other school functions in order to accomplish this goal, including student performances and PTA meetings. We also provide dinner (funded by community business partners) to encourage family attendance. During the 14-15 school year, we will be tracking attendance of individual families and incorporating a system of rewards for families meeting the targeted attendance goal.

Participation in Parent Workshops2011-12 47 families attended Title 1 workshops.2012-13 60 families attended Title I workshops.2013-14 73 families attended Title I workshops.2014-15 Target: 90 families will attend Title I workshops.

Parent Involvement Performance and Targets for 2014/15

Subgroups

All subgroups, Racial and Ethnic groups, Economically Disadvantaged, Students with Limited English Proficiency and Students with Disabilities will be expected to achieve at the same high level. The Academic Support Team, or AST Team, is a group of teachers that meets weekly to collaborate on best instructional practices for at risk populations. The composition of the team is made up of Title 1, EIP, and ELL teachers. In addition, the Special Education Team collaborates to address the needs of its student population. A focused initiative was offered to Hispanic families to support continuous learning over the 2014 summer months. The goal of the program is to lessen the effects of summer regression and to provide the families with strategies to help their child academically.

2. Schoolwide Reform Strategies

All of the research-based strategies and interventions currently in place at Chestatee are based on proven effective practice. Resources used to develop this work include What Works in Schools, Translating Research into Action by Robert Marzano, Effective School Interventions, second edition, Evidence-Based Strategies for Improving Student Outcomes by Natalie Rathvon, Classroom Instruction that works with English Language Learners by Jane Hill and Kathleen Flynn, and Number Talks: Helping Children Build Mental Math By Sherry Parrish. Through the use of research- based strategies, we have leveraged the ability of all students to meet and exceed Georgia proficiency standards. Opportunities are available for every child and teacher.

The ways in which Chestatee addresses the needs of all children in the school include the following actions:

A dedicated Response to Intervention time is conducted school wide, four days a week. Using TINA surveys and other available data, a multiple criterion analysis is conducted on the student

body twice a year. The needs of all students are addressed, and all children are placed in a rank order of service needs.

A Universal Screening is conducted three times a year for students in K-3rd grades. A master schedule has been designed for Chestatee to optimize instructional minutes and increase

the quality of learning. Students receive a daily guided reading and guided math time in addition to integrated content subjects of Science/Math and Social Studies/Reading to address all student needs.

An embedded professional learning with a focus on collaboration for all staff is beneficial. Staff members as well as county office personnel conduct the professional development.

As our culture moves forward with an emphasis on technology driven information, the use of technology to support learning is vital. Chestatee is a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) School and encourages active participation with learning and devices. A number of Title I devices are also utilized in by Title teachers in small groups and are available for checkout by the classroom teachers to enhance instruction.

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A combination of small group instruction within the classroom, as well as pull out models, is utilized to benefit our students.

Leveled libraries are accessed for the use of students that are learning to read and need support. Many of the books are non-fiction and support the Common Core standards for all grade levels.

The students incorporate writing into all subject areas - reading, math, science, and social studies. A web based program, Scootpad, is accessible for all students to have standards- based practice on

math work at school and at home. The program monitors student progress and gives specific feedback when difficulties occur. The program is engaging for the students and provides continuous opportunities for repeated drill and practice. It provides teachers with formative data which can used to address student needs.

A High Flyers ceremony is held once a month for students who are achieving academically and socially. The students are recognized for positive character traits displayed throughout the month.

The principal has an annual breakfast for Honor Roll students in February. A school wide positive reinforcement program is used by all staff members and bus drivers alike.

Students earn Bravo Bucks for desired behaviors, and a drawing is held weekly to earn school shirts and gear.

A series of Parent Workshops is held for our community. Attendance is not only recognized with a drawing for 2 iPods, that the school supplies, but will also be tracked and rewarded individually once a family meets the yearly attendance goal.

Principal Chats are held quarterly to inform parents of pertinent topics and to allow parents a forum for addressing questions or concerns.

All students K-3rd grade will be tracked for their Student Learning Objective using the Fountas and Pinnell leveling system. Data will be analyzed and used to plan for instruction through the use of data teams. Charts are posted in the staff DATA room and reviewed periodically to set new goals for targeted students.

Based upon effective means of raising student achievement, with a focus on students farthest away from developing proficiency, the following actions are supported:

The Instructional Support Teams (ISTs) meet twice a month to discuss students’ needs. The teams create individual goals and monitor progress of implemented interventions. Some research-based interventions that are used for IST students include: Read Naturally, SRA, multisensory strategies, Repeated Fluency Practice, Corrective Reading, Repeated Drill, Touch Math, SIMS Math, and Guided Reading/Math.

The Student Support Team (SST) meets to address students that have demonstrated a PL1 performance or a possible PL1 need. Some research-based interventions that are used for SST students include Stop and Think, Language for Learning, Mimio Sprout Reading, SIMS Strategies, Orton Gillingham, and FASTT Math.

The goals are monitored more closely, and layered interventions may be used. The frequency and intensity are increased. Progress monitoring will occur with AIMS web probes.

A group of at risk students will be supplied with personal tablets to use to increase their technology access. The tablets will be sent home with the students for practice at home. This group, called

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Project Connect, will meet frequently with the counselor, Instructional Technology Specialist, and Assistant Principal to discuss their work and performance.

The use of technology programs supports remediation in reading and math. Specific software programs are Mimio Sprout and Mimio Reading, Read Naturally, RAZ kids, Scootpad, Fastt Math, TenMarks, Coach, Science A to Z, Focus Math, Ensure Math, and Dimension U. As the budget allows, we plan to include other electronic software and educational apps to support differentiated instruction for at-risk students. Specific hardware includes laptops, desktops, Interactive White Boards, iPads, iPods, and iPad minis. Additional resources needed to support the technology include iPad mini cases, VGA adapters, multiport chargers for Apple devices, and lightning adapters.

Additional resources, It Makes Sense! Using Ten-frames to Build Number Sense by Melissa Conklin, It Makes Sense! Using the Hundreds Chart to Build Number Sense by Melissa Conklin, and Number Talks: Helping Children Build Mental Math and Computation Strategies by Sherry Parrish have been purchased by the school to address the needs in the area of math, specifically the domain of numbers and operations.

We will increase the amount and quality of learning time by leading the following activities.

The summer learning activities target at risk students as determined by multiple criteria. Tech Camp provides academic support in June in the subject areas of math and reading through the use of iPods, iPads, laptops, and interactive white boards. Small group instruction focuses on specific standards through the use of these technological devices to further support the skills needed by these students.

Kinder Camp targets incoming kindergarten students with no preschool experience who need additional support in order to be ready for kindergarten. Parents of these students are invited to participate in a Parent Academy that is conducted simultaneously.

Chestatee offers a Summer Book Club called “Page Turners” which is designed to provide an opportunity for Title 1 students and parents to come to the Chestatee Media Center once a week for 2 hours, for 5 sessions to promote summer skill retention and reading. Multiple criteria will be used to identify K-5 students who are targeted for the program. Library books are available for students and parents to read together in the library, and computer access will also be available. The parent resource room will be open for check out of support resources. Certified teachers are available to have read-alouds, group discussions, games that promote fluency and comprehension, one-on-one reading conferences, craft activities related to a featured book, technology enrichment, as well as support for parent needs.

The Learning Academy provides extra time to learn for at risk students during the school year in reading and math. Targeted students in grades 3-5 meet twice weekly afterschool from 2:30 – 4:30, January to March. The curriculum addresses individual needs through small group instruction and skills are reinforced through technologically repeated practice.

An after school program, Math Masters, will be held once a week October through December to meet the needs of targeted students in the area of math. Identified students will receive help two hours per week after school and provided transportation.

Chestatee Elementary School will not be using Title 1 money to fund field trips.

3. Employ Highly Qualified Instructional Staff

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All of the teachers and paraprofessionals at Chestatee Elementary School are highly qualified. Teachers have a range of experience and certifications. (based on 2013 data – updated information expected October, 2014)

83 (100% HQ) Certified Staff 43 (52%) With a Masters Degree 18 (22%) With a Specialist Degree Average years of experience 13.45

Additionally, Chestatee teachers have additional certifications.

10 ELL Certified 9 Gifted Certified 20 Special Education Certified 17 Reading Endorsement

Forsyth County Schools is committed to providing the best education possible for all students by assuring that all children have equitable opportunities to receive quality instruction from highly qualified teachers. The system has consistently met the goal of providing all students with highly qualified teachers at an average of 99 percent or higher since the signing of No Child Left Behind.

In Forsyth County Schools, all teachers are required to be highly qualified and in-field for their current teaching assignment.  Continuous monitoring and analysis of the highly qualified assignment of teachers based on student demographics (poverty level, minority, etc.) is systematically done using information from the Certified/Classified Personnel Information, Georgia Professional Standards Commission HIQ2 data, and local system data.  This ensures that poor and minority students are not taught by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers at higher rates than other children.  In addition, individual class sizes are monitored routinely to maintain equal opportunity for all students according to the system's class size allotment criteria and Georgia Department of Education rules.  Forsyth County Schools provide notification to parents at the beginning of each school year that describes how parents can request teacher qualifications for their child's teacher. The Forsyth County School System maintains a high standard in its recruitment of teachers and paraprofessionals.  All teachers must be highly qualified or must be able to obtain highly qualified status within one year (unless they are in an alternative preparation program) before being offered a teaching position in Forsyth County.  All paraprofessionals must be highly qualified before they can be hired. Title I may not employ paraprofessionals with Title I funds.  In addition, Forsyth County provides assistance to English- certified teachers to add ESOL (English as a Second Language) to their certificates and for ESOL teachers to add English certification. Endorsement classes in ESOL, Reading, Gifted, Preschool Special Education, and Teacher Support Specialist (Georgia's Mentor Teacher Program) are supported through Title IIA funds.  Many of the endorsements include at least part of the instruction online. Forsyth County Schools has reimbursed teachers for taking and passing the appropriate content assessments, offered study sessions for teachers who were required to take assessments, provided scholarships to teachers in alternative preparation programs, and reassigned teachers to areas where they are highly qualified. The system will continue these procedures; in addition, the system supports the use of distance learning/technology-based instruction in classrooms where this delivery model is appropriate. Title III funding supported summer school teachers who are fluent in English, and that was the language of instruction.

FCS and Metro RESA are in a cooperative program that allows our teachers to participate in a one-year supervised practicum for converting their teaching permits to clear, renewable certificates.  A one-year practicum program began in January 2010 for a new group of teachers to help them obtain their clear, renewable teaching certificates. These teachers obtained their clear, renewable certificates in December of 2010.

In the spring of 2008, FCS classroom teachers were invited to participate in the first teacher efficacy survey.  The same survey was conducted in the spring of 2009 and 2010.  The survey was designed to help school and

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district administrators gain a better understanding of the kinds of things that create difficulties for teachers in their school activities.  Forty-one percent of classroom teachers participated in the survey in 2008, 37 percent participated in 2009, and 42 percent in 2010. The results of those surveys were given to key leadership personnel for analysis and further study.

Chestatee Elementary School has established a partnership with the University of North Georgia to provide UNG students that want to pursue careers in education a variety of practicum experiences. Through this partnership, directors of student teaching, professors, and Chestatee’s administrators meet to place high quality student teachers. By establishing this relationship, we are able to gain many viable teaching candidates.

The high percentage of advanced degrees, along with the collaboration and mentoring of teacher candidates, is evidence that Chestatee faculty members value lifelong learning. Their pursuit of such ensures we maintain a highly qualified staff.

4. High Quality and Ongoing Professional Development

Chestatee Elementary has a Professional Development Plan that is created and periodically reviewed by the Leadership Team. The Leadership Team designs the plan based on a careful study of the data that reveals strengths and weaknesses of our student population. Teacher Leaders take an active role in leading their teams through the professional learning. Each grade level has a designated Data Team leader who acts as facilitator as the data team conducts the 5 steps of the data team process. We have included teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and other staff in our staff development to learn more about the root causes that impact our identified needs in math, ELA, and social studies. A tightly focused approach to the Georgia Curriculum expectations will aid in student academic achievement. Often professional learning is embedded into the school day. Chestatee Elementary is committed to devoting money, time, resources, and personnel to accomplish our school improvement goals. The root causes of academic problems are the main priority of our instructional coach’s focus. See the following chart. Note that some sessions are open at this time to allow for additional topics as needs are identified.

School-based Professional Learning Plan 2014-2015

Session Power Learning: Session Title By

1 Number Talks Follow-up/Summative Assessments Ahrens/Wolfer

2 ITS Learning: Technology in the Classroom Craddock/Wolfer

3 Social Studies: Unpacking the Standards/Common Assessments Feicht/Craddock/Wolfer

4 Data Teams/Getting Ready for Parent Conferences Grade Chairs/Wolfer

5 Data Teams/Social Studies Instruction Feicht/Wolfer

6 Title One/Media: Professional Resources in Science and Social Studies Wiggins/Stanford/Wolfer

7 Challenging Gifted/Higher Performing Students: Questioning & Feedback Keyser/Wolfer

8 ITS Learning/Utilizing BYOT to Support Learning in Math and Social Studies Craddock

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9 Numbers and Operations Ahrens/Wolfer

10 Data Teams: F & P Data Grade Chairs/Wolfer

11

12 Data Teams: Math Ahrens/Wolfer

13

14

15 No Prof Devl (testing weeks)

16

In addition, data from the spring staff needs assessment surveys are considered and addressed through

school-based teams. Title 1 teachers meet with the vertical teams to offer ideas for working with parents, as

well as planning academic activities to increase parental knowledge on how to work with their child at home.

Each grade level is also given a scheduled time to visit the parent resource room to become familiar with the

resources and programs offered to our parents. The role of the Title 1 program and how it is implemented are

also addressed at faculty meetings.

In response to the fact that only 53% on the 2013 Family Friendly Survey were aware that the school has a parent coordinator or family liaison available if families have questions or need assistance, will make a concentrate effort to improve that percentage. Our Parent Involvement Coordinator manned the Parent

Resource Room during Curriculum Night and welcomed parent in to become acquainted with the resources

available.

Parent surveys indicated that only 33% of parent responded had taken advantage of the materials available for

use I the Parent Resource room. We will highlight a resource at each Family Night in order to familiarize the

families with the resources to which they have access.

Other Professional Learning utilizes Early Release Days and Teacher Work Days. All professional learning is

designed with the end result of helping Chestatee achieve its school improvement goals. See the following

chart:

Additional Professional Learning Plan 2014-2015

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Session Session Title By Date Time

Pre Planning Motivational Speaker: First Redeemer John Gordon 7/31 3 hrs

Pre Planning Performance Based Assessments County Teams 8/1 3 hrs

Pre Planning

SLO: Fountas and Pinnell (K-3) Central Office Personnel8/4

7 hrsMath or Social Studies (4-5) Ahrens/Hundt/Miskovsky 2 hrs

Pre Planning Mandated Reporting, ethics, TKES, Safety Ches Admin 8-6 2.5 hrs

CommonPlanning Number Talks Brian Lack/

Ahrens/Wolfer 8-15 .75 hr

CountyDay District Collaboration Day: Ches Administrators/

Data Team Leaders 8/27 3 hrs

CountyDay

District Collaboration Day: Effective Feedback Central Office Personnel 10/17 3 hrs

CountyDay District Collaboration Day: Central Office Personnel 2-16 3 hr

Classroom Modeling Close Reads in Science and SS (K-2) Steve Straughan Jan. 12-16 .75 hr

Classroom Modeling Close Reads in Science and SS (3-5) Steve Straughan Feb. 9-13 .75 hr

CountyDay District Collaboration Day: Central Office Personnel 2-16 3 hr

In addition, faculty members are encouraged to attend conferences/workshops to further develop skills needed to address the needs of our students. These workshops include Number Talks, National Youth-At-Risk Conference, SIMS Math training, and Daily Five.

The District provides learning opportunities to teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals. Professional learning is developed based on the results of the needs assessment surveys provided to all stakeholders and from the data showing student needs. Numerous opportunities are provided for staff to engage in quality, ongoing professional development including:

Reading, gifted, and ESOL endorsement programs. The endorsement programs are yearlong endeavors with 150-200 hours of class time.

School improvement workshops at the district and school level that align to stated goals and priorities. District collaboration days for grade level teacher and support teachers to review data, collaborate on

lesson plans, and align lessons with state and system standards and assessments. See Table in section 8 for additional information on District funding.

5. Increasing Parent Involvement

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Chestatee follows the Joyce Epstein Six Types of Parental Involvement Model, which addresses parenting, communication, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and collaborating with community. In addressing how we meet all of the requirements, a plan was devised for the 2014-2015 school year.

Six Types of Parent Involvement at ChestateeParenting

ex. workshops on parenting and developing home conditions that support student learning, surveying parents, providing a resource center,helping staff understand families' backgrounds and cultures

- Parent/Teacher Chat- Parent Resource Room (open

during all conferences and parent meetings)

- Parent Surveys - Parent Liaison- Parent Meetings

Communicatingex. Telephone calls, emails, newsletters, school website, parent conferences, positive notes, home visits, parent meetings, Infinite Campus

- Parent/Teacher conferences- Phone Calls/Text Messaging- Emails/Facebook/Twitter- Parent Meetings- Letters - Website- Parent Surveys- Title I Teacher/Translator- Home & School Connection

Volunteeringex. encouraging parents to attend events, Federal Advisory, Parent Advisory, PTO/PTA, tutoring, mentoring, Watch Dog Dads,

- Watch Dog Dads- Chestatee Chicks- Federal Advisory Meetings- PTA- Media Center Volunteer- Chestatee Mentor Program- Community Organizations

Volunteer efforts

Learning at Homeex. Math Nights, Reading Nights, Parent Resource Center, information about community classes and resources, parent meetings

- Annual Meeting- Math Night- Literacy Night- Testing Information Night- Technology in the Classroom- Science and Fine Arts Night- Kindercamp Parent Academy- Tech Camp- Math Masters- Home & School Connection- Summer Learning Packets- Parent Brochures (reading,

homework, testing tips)- Parent Resource Room (check out)

Decision Makingex. attendance at school improvement team meetings, participation in advisory meetings, LSC, PTA/PTO, completing surveys

- Parent Surveys- Staff Surveys- PTA- LSC- Title I Parent Volunteer for

Federal Advisory Committee

Collaborating with the Communityex. allowing the community to use school facilities, Partners in Education Program, participation of community members on LSC and Federal Advisory committees, sharing information with parents about Literacy Forsyth, Lanier Tech, Head Start, etc.

- Visit from Hampton Park Library (Summer Programs)

- Papa John’s and Browns Bridge Community Church (Partners in Ed)

- Lanier Tech (GED prep & free English classes)

The Chestatee School-Parent Compact, Parent Involvement Plan, and Parent Involvement School Policy and the Forsyth County District Title I Parent Involvement Policy represent how the six types of parent involvement are effectively implemented. Parent activities and events are scheduled based on needs assessment results. Chestatee maintains a Parent Involvement Policy that is revised annually. A strong commitment to involving parents in our school guarantees high academic achievement. See below for Chestatee’s Parent Involvement Policy.

Chestatee Elementary School, Forsyth County Georgia2014-2015 School Parental Involvement Policy

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Revised on May 16, 2014

PART I: GENERAL EXPECTATIONS

In support of strengthening student academic achievement, each school that receives Title I, Part A funds must develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to, parents of participating children a written parental involvement policy, agreed on by such parents, that contains information required by section 1118 (b) (1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (school parental involvement policy). The policy establishes the school’s expectations for parental involvement and describes how the school will implement a number of specific parental involvement activities, and it is incorporated into the school’s plan submitted to the local educational agency (LEA).

The school will adhere to the following as required by law:

Involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way, in the planning, review, and improvement of programs under Title I, Part A, including the planning, review, and improvement of the school parental involvement policy and the joint development of the schoolwide program plan under section 1114(b)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).

Update the school parent involvement policy periodically to meet the changing needs of parents and the school and distribute it to the parents of participating children and make the parental involvement plan available to the local community.

Provide full opportunities, to the extent practicable, 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 of the ESEA in an understandable and uniform format and including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents understand.

If the schoolwide program plan under section 1114 (b)(2) of the ESEA is not satisfactory to the parents of participating children, submit any parent comments on the plan when the school makes the plan available to the local educational agency.

Be governed by the following statutory definition of parental involvement and will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition:

Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring –

(A) that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;(B) that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school;(C) that parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in

decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child;(D) the carrying out of other activities, such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA.

CHESTATEE ELAMENTRY SCHOOL PARENT INVOLVEMENT GOALS

(1) Building relationships between the school and families;(2) Assessing family and student needs;(3) Providing academic support through Title I Family Meetings and academic resources;(4) Utilizing family and staff feedback to improve our instructional practices.

1. Chestatee Elementary School will take the following actions to involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely manner in the planning, review, and improvement of Title I programs including involvement

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in the decisions regarding how funds for parental involvement will be used.

Opportunities for parents to provide feedback at Title I Family Meetings through parent surveys; Opportunities for parents to provide feedback through, Chestatee Elementary School website,

Facebook, Twitter, email, and paper surveys ; Opportunities for parents of students participating in Kinder Camp to provide feedback; Opportunities for parents to provide feedback through Spring 2014 parent surveys; Opportunities for parents to attend meetings due to Chestatee’s provision for childcare and translation

services.

2. Chestatee Elementary School will take the following actions to conduct an annual meeting, at a convenient time, and encourage and invite all parents of participating children to attend, to inform them about the school’s Title I program, the nature of the Title I program, the parents’ requirements and the school parental involvement policy, the schoolwide plan, and the school-parent compact.

Provide multiple times for the Annual Meeting; Provide childcare and translation services for the Annual Meeting; Invite parents through paper copies, Facebook, Twitter, Chestatee Elementary School website, email,

text, phone calls, and marquee.

3. Chestatee Elementary School will take the following actions to offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and may provide with Title I funds, transportation, child care or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement.

Provide multiple times for all Title I Family Meetings; Provide childcare and translation services for all Title I Family Meetings; Invite parents by providing emails, texts, phone calls, and posts on Facebook, Twitter, Chestatee

Elementary School Website, marquee, and paper copies of invitations.

4. Chestatee Elementary School will take the following actions to provide parents of participating children the following:

Timely information about the Title I programs:o Title I Communication Folderso Personal emailso Newsletterso Personal Phone Callso Principal Chatso Updates at Title I Family Meetings;o Website

Description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessments used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet:

o Curriculum Nighto Title I Annual Meetingo Technology in the Classroom Nighto Math Tools & Games Nighto Literacy Night o Science and Fine Arts Nighto “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Nighto Quarterly Title I progress reports given in addition to the report cardo Chestatee’s Parent Resource Room

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o Principal Chatso Parent-Teacher Conferences

Opportunities for regular meetings, if requested by parents, to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their child, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible:

o Chestatee’s Parent Resource Room o Parent Teacher Conferenceso Parent Surveyso Title I Communication Folders

5. Chestatee Elementary School will take the following actions to jointly develop with parents of participating children a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State’s high standards.

Parent Advisory Committee will help update the Chestatee Elementary Title 1 School-Family Compact Opportunities for parents to provide feedback will be presented on campus through the use of the lobby

bulletin board in May Opportunities for parents to provide feedback will be presented though Chestatee Elementary School

website, Facebook, Twitter, email, and paper surveys Opportunities for parents of students participating in Kinder Camp to give feedback to school and

district Title I staff Opportunities for discussions among grade levels during grade level meetings to provide ideas and

feedback Drafts emailed to all staff for suggestions Paper copies provided for staff review at faculty meetings Opportunities for staff feedback provided via email Organized activities at faculty meetings for staff feedback.

6. Chestatee Elementary School will build the school’s and parents’ capacity for strong parental involvement, in order to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, through the following activities specifically described below:

A. Chestatee Elementary School will provide assistance to parents of participating children, as appropriate, in understanding topics such as the following, by undertaking the actions described below:

the State’s academic content standards; the State’s student academic achievement standards; the State and local academic assessments including alternate assessments; the requirements of Part A; how to monitor their child’s progress, and how to work with educators.

o Curriculum Nighto Technology in the Classroom Nighto Math Tools and Games Nighto Literacy Nighto Science and Fine Arts Nighto “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Night

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o Quarterly Title I progress reports given in addition to the report cardo Chestatee’s Parent Resource Roomo Principal Chatso Parent- Teacher Conferenceso Weekly emailso Newsletterso Personal phone callso Parent surveyso Classroom gold communication folders o Title I blue communication folders

B. Chestatee Elementary School will provide materials and training to help parents to work with their child to improve their child’s achievement, such as literacy training and using technology, as appropriate, to foster parental involvement, by;

o Curriculum Nighto Technology in the Classroom Nighto Math Tools and Games Nighto Literacy Nighto Science and Fine Arts Nighto “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Nighto Chestatee’s Parent Resource Room o Provide support for family literacy though partnership with Hampton Park Library o Parent-Teacher Conferenceso Weekly emailso Newsletters

C. Chestatee Elementary School will provide training to educate the teachers, pupil services personnel, principal, and other staff in how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners, in the value and utility of contributions of parents, and in how to implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school, by:

Power learning sessions Staff meetings Parent Involvement Coordinator available for consultation Title I Instructional Coach

D. Chestatee Elementary School will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, coordinate and integrate parental involvement programs and activities with Head Start, Even Start, Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool and other programs, and conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children, by:

Providing classroom space for a Georgia Pre-Ks and a Headstart Providing copies of the Community Resource Guide Curriculum Night Technology in the Classroom Night Math Tools and Games Night Literacy Night

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Science and Fine Arts Night “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Night Chestatee’s Parent Resource Room Kindergarten screening Summer Kinder Camp and Parent Academy

E. Chestatee Elementary School will take the following actions to ensure that information related to the school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities, is sent to the parents of participating children in an understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand:

Provide interpretive services to non-English speaking parents for all Title I Family Nights to the extent practicable;

Provide translated documents needed for parent communication to the extent practicable; Provide interpreters for non-English speaking parents to the extent practicable; Provide translation of documents on the school website, to the extent practicable.

F. Chestatee Elementary School will provide other reasonable support for parental involvement activities under section 1118 as parents may request, by;

Providing parents with procedures for communicating with Chestatee concerning questions or issues (Chestatee’s Suggestion/Concern Procedure);

Providing support as parents may request; Collaboration with other Title I schools concerning resources and strategies.

PART III. DISCRETIONARY SCHOOL LEVEL PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY COMPONENTS

NOTE: The School Level Parental Involvement Policy may include additional paragraphs listing and describing other discretionary activities that the school, in consultation with its parents, chooses to undertake to build parents’ capacity for involvement in the school to support their children’s academic achievement, such as the following discretionary activities listed under section 1118(e) of the ESEA:

Indicate which of the following discretionary school level parental involvement policy components the school will implement to improve parental involvement.

_X_ Involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and othereducators to improve the effectiveness of that training;

___ Provide necessary literacy training for parents from Title I, Part A funds, if the school has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for that training;

_X_ Pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with parental involvement activities, including transportation and child care costs, to enable parents to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions;

___ Train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents;_X_ In order to maximize parental involvement and participation in their child’s education, arrange school

meetings at a variety of times or conduct in-home conferences with teachers or other educators who work directly with participating children and parents who are unable to attend conferences at school;

_X_ Adopt and implement model approaches to improving parental involvement;_X_ Establish a schoolwide parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental

involvement in Title I, Part A programs;

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___ Develop appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses, including faith-based organizations, in parental involvement activities.

In order to involve parents in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of that training, Chestatee will use input provided by parent surveys and Chestatee’s Parent Advisory Committee.

Chestatee will provide childcare and translation services at the Annual Meeting and all POP Night Meetings. Chestatee will also provide transportation to Kinder Camp and the Parent Academy.

In order to maximize parental involvement and participation in their child’s education, Chestatee arranges school meetings at a variety of times. Phone conferences are provided for parents who are unable to attend conferences.

Chestatee follows the Joyce Epstein Six Types of Parental Involvement Model, which addresses parenting, communication, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making, and collaborating with community.

Chestatee has established a schoolwide parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parental involvement in Title I. The committee will meet quarterly.

Chestatee conducts an annual Parent Needs Assessment in May. We also provide an opportunity for parents to give us ongoing feedback through our web page and online surveys e-mailed to parents. Opportunities for written feedback at all Title 1 events are also provided. As an extra incentive, a drawing is held in December and May for parents that attend workshops to receive prizes donated by the school that support education. Parents that attend workshops all receive materials to use with their children at home to support academics. A system for tracking Family attendance is also kept for rewarding families that meet the targeted goal for meetings attended.

The following Title I Family Nights are offered:

Annual Meeting, What is Title 1? Literacy Night: Author’s Presentation Technology in the Classroom Math Tools and Game Night Science and Fine Arts Night Are You Smarter than A 5th Grader?

Chestatee also supports a Parent Resource Room designed to invite our families in to the school. Materials are available for checkout and a certified teacher is also available to discuss school concerns. Some of the materials that parents can checkout include books on tape, games for learning, and manipulatives for both Reading and Math. Flashcards and leveled readers, as well as workbooks for practice, are also available. The Inventory Display and Management system has been improved this year so that accessibility is more parent friendly. Parents can take brochures and literature related to school concerns and successes. Almon C. Hill is a district parent resource center that is also available for our parents use.

Chestatee's Parent Involvement Coordinator manages the Parent Resource Room and is available during scheduled hours to assist parents with questions and offer suggestions for activities and ideas to support learning at home. In addition, she also collaborates with other PICs in the county to plan for and implement strategies and/or programs to increase parent involvement.

A member of Chestatee's Title 1 staff attends the January Family Engagement Conference when offered. This year the Title I teachers will submit an application for Family Friendly Schools. We plan to collaborate with

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other Title I schools in Forsyth County currently designated as such to gain valuable information and suggestions.

Chestatee’s Parent Advisory Committee and Title 1 Teachers meet to discuss parent needs. The Lead Title 1 Teacher and the Parent Involvement Coordinator meet with them to solicit feedback on events and activities as the year progresses, and to ensure that we are being responsive to our parent population. Parents have participated in the revisions and in the approval of our School wide Title 1 Plan. Parents have been involved in the development and planning. We value their contributions. They will be involved in all future revisions.

Chestatee uses a Parent-School Compact, as shown below.

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During our first meeting, we work together with our parents to seek input and revise as needed. We have involved parents in the planning, review, and improvement of the Schoolwide Program Plan. During the revision, we share our compact many times and ask for feedback. Parents, students, and teachers all sign the compact, and it is on file at the school. Compacts are also posted on the school webpage for more accessibility.

Information that Chestatee Elementary sends home is translated to Spanish to provide equal access to all parents. Invitations to parents’ workshops, compacts, required notifications, PTA communications, and other items are accessible in two languages. Currently, a Title 1 folder is sent home with all participants in the program. The folder includes information for parents and results of individual screenings. The Title 1 folders are sent quarterly.

Parents are encouraged to volunteer at Chestatee Elementary and are actively encouraged to volunteer when their schedule allows. Several opportunities exist for parents to become more involved. Watch Dog Dads is a program that asks fathers and father figures to volunteer one day a school year to make a difference in the lives of their children. This program has grown over the last few years and currently involves 80+ participants. Other opportunities exist for moms who routinely volunteer, known as the Chestatee Chicks, which include room parent positions, assisting with small groups, and working in the media center. Many parents volunteer to help during class celebrations as well. Our Chestatee Field Day is a community event and involves the largest number of volunteers at any single event throughout the year. Volunteers are greeted with a light breakfast and supplied with lunch to express our gratitude for their devotion to our school. In our Parent Resource Room, materials are available for parents to check out to assist them with academics at home.

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Also, in the Parent Resource Room, parents are occasionally invited to come to special sessions for specific activities.

During the summer, Chestatee offers a KinderCamp for incoming at risk kindergarteners and their families. Students are selected for the camp based on data gained from our Kindergarten screening in the spring. Transportation is provided on school buses for incoming students and parents. While students attend a kindergarten readiness class, parents receive training on how to make a successful transition into public school. Parents learn about student academic and social expectations and how to support their child for the school year.

Several community partnerships support our students. Many churches in the community have made financial donations to the school to assist with food and medical needs. Businesses within the community help to support families by providing school supplies and by funding our Sacks of Love program for children to receive backpacks of food on the weekend. In the spirit of giving, teachers at Chestatee have made special contributions for the families by creating food baskets for the holiday and also serving a Thanksgiving meal to Chestatee parents and children. Chestatee faculty also partners with the YMCA and local churches to support our students with the Christmas Angel tree, buying gifts for needy kids. By addressing our basic needs, we are able to build on academic successes within our community.

6. Transitions Related to Elementary School

Several activities are planned with the purpose of beginning a strong kindergarten year for our pre-kindergarten students. Two schoolwide registration days are held for incoming students and parents are welcomed to the building as they complete several pieces of enrollment data. During this time, parents sign up for individual assessment times for their children. Many staff members contribute personal time to accurately get beginning kindergarten assessment data from each student.

Parents are invited to several events to assist with the beginning of Kindergarten. A Kindergarten Safari is held in April to familiarize parents with the expectations and requirements for kindergarten. Children are also invited to attend this fun evening and participate in activities designed to excite them about the upcoming school year. Parents are able to ask questions and speak to kindergarten teachers about what an actual day is like for kindergarteners. At this time, all parents are invited to attend our Summer Bus Round Up.

Chestatee Elementary pays all bus drivers to participate in a mock bus ride that is held a week before the opening of school. Together, parents and kindergarteners ride the bus to their new school. Meeting the bus driver and having safety conversations are excellent ways to encourage bus ridership. When parents and students arrive at school, they are welcomed with punch and cookies as well as a school tee shirt that displays the year they will graduate from high school.

Chestatee Round-up for Kindergarten Families

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Through the use of our data from screening new students, we are able to identify at risk students who would benefit from more preparation for the school year. A Kinder Camp is held for students and their parents to attend during the summer. This camp involves exciting readiness activities as well as parent education components. The camp has a bilingual instructor to assist with access to all information for all parents and students. Parents are provided with ideas and strategies for using everyday common objects for teaching an academic skill.

Chestatee also provides a site for housing a Head Start Program. Currently we have two classes on campus serving 33 students. Enrollment for this program is managed by Ninth District Opportunity. Head Start admission is based on need and families qualify for the program based on income guidelines. The program has strong parent resource components, and the school social worker partners with Ninth District to help identify Chestatee families who are the best candidates for these programs.

The goal of a successful transition to middle school is of utmost importance for all fifth grade students. Beginning in the spring of the 5th grade year, middle school band and chorus members conduct performances here on the Chestatee campus for our students. Additionally, the Chestatee Chorus, composed of 4 th and 5th grade students, is invited to perform at the middle school by singing the National Anthem before one of their basketball games. Students are encouraged to consider the choices that they will make on their schedule for the coming school year. Informative parent nights are held at both middle schools into which Chestatee feeds so that parents can become familiar with the options that students may have.

Chestatee Chorus performs at Little Mill Middle School

Teachers of elementary school, counselors, and assistant principals of middle and elementary school meet to discuss placement options for all students academically. In particular, special education students will have transition IEP meetings to guarantee continued delivery of appropriate services.

During 5th grade graduation, a middle school principal will attend and speak to the students and families about what the upcoming year will entail. The bridge between both schools has been built to ensure a continued story of success for all students.

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7. Decisions concerning Assessment Information

Instructional Support Teams (ISTs) hold meetings every two weeks; during these meetings teachers are actively involved in reviewing and analyzing data on targeted students. Members of the teams include all certified teachers at Chestatee, divided by grade levels. There are six team leaders who facilitate the data process. A team leader will review universal screenings, common assessments, and other data with his/her group to identify students that struggle and collaboratively plan appropriate interventions. By working as a team, teachers share ideas and plan together for the most at risk population. Prior to each meeting, data is collected for the students that are identified as Tier 2, or IST students and is input into RTI desktop. By reviewing and tracking the data as a group, the team can determine the success of the intervention and if needed, modify the interventions to meet the needs of the student. Students that show little to no progress with IST are referred on to the Student Support Team, or SST. This team, which includes a School Psychologist, Assistant Principal, Social Worker, and parent works together to identify a more intensive intervention approach.

In addition, teachers use recommended interventions during Eagle Time, our school wide Response to Intervention (RTI) time. This half hour, scheduled four days a week, Tuesday through Thursday, is designed for all students to receive needed research-based strategies, interventions, and programs. The formation of the groups is led by teachers and administrators who are addressing the needs as identified through analysis of multiple data. Interventions are provided for reading, math, writing, and behavior needs. Chestatee also provides several enrichment opportunities to address the needs of our higher performing students including the Eagle Eye, our school newspaper, and a STEM like group which allows our Science Olympiad students time to engage in hands on activities and prepare for competition in the Science Olympiad events.

Within our classrooms, teachers have been very responsive to the needs of their developing readers. Chestatee supports the Fountas and Pinnell leveling system for guided reading. Our teachers conduct these formative assessments three times a year, or as needed, and place students on their instructional level from A-

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Z. Small guided reading groups are formed to instruct children on their levels with the goal of increasing a student’s ability to comprehend and read fluently. Movement among the groups is led by teacher decision- making when needed. These practices have been in place at Chestatee for many years, and now are being used for our SLO measure for grades K-3.

An Interim Assessment is given to all students in second through fifth grades in Forsyth County. The subject areas are reading/language arts and math. Teachers analyze the results of these assessments to plan instructional strategies that target identified weaknesses for students. Assistant Principals lead their teams in addressing student needs as identified through this common assessment. Potential candidates for our Learning Academy, an after school tutoring program, can be identified by an analysis of weaknesses in Interims in conjunction with classroom performance, and standardized report card grades.

In addressing the needs identified in our school improvement goal, teachers work in grade level data teams to analyze math data on a regular basis. Teachers collaborate on various strategies to enhance the instruction to meet the needs of struggling learners. They also respond to higher performing students by brainstorming ways to challenge this student population. During our District Collaboration Development Day, data teams analyzed math data specific to their grade level and will routinely revisit to modify and update as needed.

8. Coordination and Integration of Federal, State and Local services and programs

The table below shows the amounts of each federal fund allocated to the school, illustrating the coordination. The following federal funds have been allocated to our program.

Chestatee Elementary

2014-2015Amount

Description of Services

Show how the funds are coordinated for the improvement of the entire

school.

Title I Title I – A District:

$2,419,762

School Allocation:

$419,400

Parent Involvement Technology Purchases After School: Learning

Academy, Math Masters and Summer Programs: Kinder Camp, Book Clubs

Professional Learning Instructional Resources Resource Materials Tutors Transportation for Parents to

Meetings Parent Training Materials Teacher salaries Extended learning

opportunities

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Parent Involvement:

$5138

Parent Involvement Professional Learning Resources and Supplies Transportation, childcare, and

translation services Parent Academy Parent Training Programs

Grant Homeless Grant

District:

$40,117

Tutors (only in non-Title I schools) and Tutoring Supplies

Homeless students school fees

Calculators for homeless students

Title II Title II-A District:

$368,633

Travel Registration, materials, Consultants

Title III Title III-LEP District:

$268,232 FY15- Title III LEP Grant

$23,215.00 – Title III Immigrant Grant FY1

Translations for ESOL Program

Tutors, Supplies, Materials

Professional Learning EL Parent Outreach

Summer Intervention Materials and Programs for K-12 English Learners

*Services for Immigrant students and supplemental instructional resources (Title III Immigrant Grant)

Migrant Migrant District:

$36,152.79

Supplemental Tutoring Parent Outreach Preschool Services Services for Drop Outs & Out of

School Youth Summer Intervention Materials

and Programs for Eligible K-12 Students

(a) List of State and Local Educational agency programs and other Federal Programs that will be included:

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*Early Intervention Program*Gifted Program*English Speakers of Other Languages*Migrant Program

(b) Description of how resources from Title 1 and other sources will be used.State and federal funds are equitably divided and disbursed among all schools in the system in accordance with program requirements and guidelines. Title 1 funds are always used to supplement programs, not supplant. Title 1 funds are used to provide staff, (such as an Instructional Coach, and dedicated teachers to instruct at risk students) to provide small group instruction, provide funds for teachers to work with students in extended day opportunities,(such as After School Tutoring and Summer Programs), assist parents in supporting their children, and provide necessary materials and resources.

(c) The Title I Plan is developed in coordination with other programs. At Chestatee, we have worked hard to coordinate our plan in conjunction with programs that are available to our school. The consolidated application is reviewed and revised each year. Each spring, input is gathered from multiple sources including parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff, and administrators to ensure coordination among programs.

9. Activities to ensure students with difficulties receive timely assistance

We are providing activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards shall be provided with effective, timely assistance. Students that are shown to have difficulties in school are invited to join a program of assistance. This program could be EIP (Early Intervention Program) or Title 1. Both programs serve students in Reading/ELA and Math. Through identification from the TINA multiple criteria, students are served in pullout or inclusive small groups to support student needs toward making academic gains in needed areas. To participate in these programs, parents must provide permission to participate. Parents are informed of eligibility from Chestatee staff members at the beginning of each semester. In addition, students that qualify from our multiple criteria sheet can also be offered after school tutoring opportunities to strengthen academic weaknesses in reading and math. Chestatee supports a Math Masters initiative to support struggling math students once a week beginning in October and running through December. Additionally, a Learning Academy for students in grades 3-5 is conducted twice weekly for a 9-week period prior to the state testing. During this time, students receive help in the targeted areas of reading or math, or both, where needed.

Periodic training for teachers in the identification of weaknesses and appropriate assistance for the identified weaknesses is ongoing. The IST team actively monitors the progress of students to ensure that children who need assistance receive it in a timely manner. The IST team meets every other week to review student progress and to update the role of any needed interventions. Ongoing monthly training is provided to the IST team leaders. They in turn teach their grade level teams about interventions and monitoring. Those teacher leaders guide and train their specific teams to become highly effective in identifying student needs and determining appropriate interventions. The collaborative power of teams of teachers working together ensures that all students’ needs are met.

Students carry communication to their parents in the schoolwide gold folder. This folder is sent back and forth daily, and student work samples are sent home weekly. Students who participate in support programs have their progress monitoring data sent to their parents quarterly through Title folders to inform parents of gains that are being achieved. The progress monitoring is consistently done with probes from AIMS web.

Multiple days are set aside for parent -teacher conferences in October and March. During these conferences, information is shared including what the school will do to assist the students, what the parents can do to help

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the students, and what additional assistance is available at the school and in the community. Teachers also share data from the County Interims to inform parents of targeted areas for improvement or strength areas in which the child should be challenged. Parents are encouraged to meet personally with teams of teachers that work with their child; however, teachers will schedule a phone conference if parents have difficulty leaving work and getting to campus. The school will procure the services of translators if additional Spanish- speaking adults are needed to facilitate conferences. During parent- teacher conferences, teachers will share up- to- date performance levels, answer questions and concerns from families, and share information about how parents can support their students’ learning at home. Parents are encouraged to visit the Parent Resource Room at this time to check out Title 1 materials for use with their children at home.

Progress within all academic programs is communicated with a standards- based report card; these are distributed to parents on a quarterly basis. Parent -teacher conferences are scheduled each semester for conversations to be held with families about student progress. Translators are available during this time, as well as the support teachers who partner with classroom teachers in discussing strengths and weaknesses. In addition, all Chestatee teachers have a phone line and extension as well as a school email address that are given to the parents of the children they serve. Parents are encouraged to reach out to the school if there are any questions or concerns.

10. Description on how Individual Student Assessment results and interpretation is provided to Parents

Parents in Forsyth County have access to an online gradebook of information called Parent Portal. Within this online tool, parents will find all assessment information recorded for students covering their entire school history. Weekly grades are posted for 4th and 5th graders, while every child’s report card for k-5 is viewable through Parent Portal. Parent Portal serves as a great tool for parent communication. Currently, 276 Parent Portal accounts have been activated for our student body. Activation is encouraged and promoted through Curriculum Nights and Title I meetings throughout the year.

Also available through Parent Portal is access to their child’s individualized goal statement which he/she has added to ITS Learning. Each child, K-5th, will determine a personalized goal and will post it on line via ITS Learning and will be viewable by parents through Parent Portal.

Parents receive weekly work samples that are sent home via the Chestatee Daily Gold Folders. Parents have the opportunity to send communication back to school through this folder if they have any questions about the

work that their children are completing.

Students complete both formative and summative work each quarter in all grades. Report cards are shared with parents every nine weeks. Students also take standardized tests in the spring in third through fifth grades. The results from these tests are placed in the report card and sent home at the end of the school

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year. When communicating information about assessments and report cards, a translation of information into Spanish is included when needed to provide access for all Spanish speakers.

There are several forums for parents to receive personal assistance with interpretation of their child’s test scores. During our Family nights, provided by Title 1 teachers, parents are assisted with how to read the test results. When the actual report is received, the message with the scores has been written in language that is easy for parents to interpret. Another opportunity occurs when the principal hosts a Principal Chat meeting and discusses reading test results with parents in attendance.

11. Provisions for the collection and disaggregation of data on the achievement and assessment results of students

The state of Georgia provides critical information to the schools on student performance. Information on student performance is collected through the following exams: GKIDS, Georgia Milestones Assessment System, CoGAT, and ACCESS. In addition, Forsyth County provides the means for our teachers to analyze data from AIMS web and Interim Assessments given twice a year. Using this data, decisions are made for students to participate in needed programs. A review of data is an ongoing process and is always conducted with teachers, parents, and other stakeholders. The new state assessment, Georgia Milestones Assessment System, will incorporate writing into the assessment.

12. Provisions to ensure that disaggregated assessment results for each category are valid and reliable.

Tests administered through the state of Georgia are considered to be valid and reliable. Multiple sources of data are used to present the most accurate information for each student. Information on Chestatee Elementary School’s test performance is accessible on the Georgia Department of Education website. In addition, it is available on the Forsyth County Schools website under the R4 Dashboard.

A weekly report of at risk students is generated from several risk factors monitored on Infinite Campus, an online data system. This report is sent to the elementary school administrators by the Forsyth County Schools Central Office to ensure that no student is overlooked for assistance. All stakeholders are made aware of Chestatee’s performance through newsletters and our school’s webpage.

13. Provisions for public reporting of disaggregated data

There are many ways that the public can increase its awareness of Chestatee’s performance. Through the use of the Internet, our school’s information on past test performance is posted on the Georgia DOE web site, Forsyth County’s website, and the Chestatee School web page.

For parents who do not have access to Internet, paper copies of a school newsletter have been sent home detailing school performance. Forsyth County News also publishes several articles about school performances throughout the year. We also include a verbal reporting of the school’s progress into our parent workshops, principal chats, LSC and PTA meetings, as well as meetings of the Board of Education.

14. Plan developed during a One- Year Period

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The Schoolwide Title 1 Plan was developed during a one-year period and each year the plan is revised. Numerous stakeholders were involved in the writing of the schoolwide plan and the draft of the plan was presented in many forums; feedback, questions, and concerns were solicited. The most recent plan was submitted for state approval in the spring of 2014. Teachers, parents, and the community are asked to participate in the development and revision each year. The plan was revised in February of 2014 in response to needs that were identified during the school year.

15. Plan developed with the involvement of the community to be served and individuals who will carry out the plan

Many stakeholders had input into the schoolwide Title 1 Plan. The Title 1 Plan was presented at many gatherings: Local School Council, Leadership Team, Parent Workshops, Principal Chats, Volunteer gatherings, and PTA meetings. In addition, parents who wished to view the plan were invited to visit the Parent Resource Room at the school to see the draft that was currently being revised and to offer their comments. An online opportunity was provided for parents to give feedback and suggestions.

Chestatee’s web page

16. Plan available to the LEA, parents, and the public

Copies of the Schoolwide Title 1 Plan are available to the LEA, parents, and public. Chestatee has made the Schoolwide Title 1 Plan accessible to our stakeholders by having print copies in the Parent Resource Room and front office for viewing and input. The approved Schoolwide Title 1 Plan will be posted on the school web page for viewing and for input for annual revisions. Copies of our approved plan will be available for viewing at the Forsyth County Board of Education Offices on Dahlonega Highway in Cumming, Georgia.

17. Plan translated to the extent feasible

Translators are available at Title 1 meetings when discussions of the plan are being held. There are also several faculty members who are bilingual. When discussion of the plan is held, parents are able to ask questions and give feedback to the same language speakers. If the need arises for a translated copy of the Schoolwide Title 1 Plan, Title funds can be used to accomplish this. At this time, parents have access to our bilingual staff members and will receive answers through their assistance.

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18. Plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116

The Title 1 School Improvement Plan supports the School Improvement Plan that is in place. Both are based on the needs of the students as determined through our assessment data. Both are periodically reviewed and revised. The school’s Leadership Team works in tandem with the Title 1 School Improvement Planning team to ensure that provisions of Section 1116 are met. The Leadership Team and School Improvement Planning Team will work together to assist students in meeting and achieving state standards.

Appendix for Schoolwide Plan

Item A: Involving All in the Plan

StakeholderGroups

Dates SIP-Related Topics of Discussion

Kinder Camp Parent Meeting

June 15, 2011June 12, 2012

Targeted Assisted and Schoolwide Title I programs

Administration, Title I teachers

October 2011 Discussion of Title I Schoolwide Plan Transitional Planning

Watch Dog Dad Kick Off August 28, 2012 Parent Involvement Community Involvement

Faculty and Staff Meetings

Preplanning and Monthly Collaboration on vision Belief Statements Planning instructional programs and

goalsLocal School Advisory

CouncilQuarterly Communications

Annual Report Transitional Planning Input on Title I plan

Leadership Team/ Schoolwide Title 1

Planning Committee

Preplanning and Monthly Writing Discussions on Title I Plan Revisions/Editing on Title 1 Plan Prioritizing Needs for Schoolwide Plan Review of Content of Title 1 Plan Review of Data and Instructional

StrategiesSteering Committee Monthly Communications

Overview of SIP

Leadership Team/ Schoolwide Title 1

Planning Committee

On-going Communications Review of Content of Title 1 Plan

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