2018-19 Title I Schools
Purpose of Title I
- Title I (of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act)
is a federal program that provides opportunities for the children served
to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to meet challenging state
content standards.
- Title I resources are
distributed to schools where needs are the greatest, in amounts
sufficient to make a difference in the improvement of instruction.
- Title
I coordinates services with other educational services and, to the
degree possible, with health and social services programs.
- Title
I provides greater decision-making authority and flexibility within the
schools and for teachers. However, greater responsibility for student
performance is the exchange made for this flexibility.
Parental Involvement
- Parental involvement is an integral part of the Title
I program. Parents are encouraged to become partners in helping their
children achieve and become actively involved in all aspects of the
process of the Title I program, from the writing
of the plan to its implementation and evaluation.
- A
strong connection between the home and the school is a key element in
student success. Materials, strategies, and help from teachers are
available to all parents within a Title I school. Opportunities for
active parent participation should
include, but not be limited to open house, parent workshops,
school-parent compacts, home visitation,
parent-teacher organizations, conferences, monthly newsletters, and more.
- Federal
legislation requires schools to utilize a portion of their Title I
funds to support parent involvement. Parents should contact the school
principal with any comments or suggestions regarding the school’s parent
involvement expenditures.
Parent Involvement Policy and School-Parent Compact
- Each Title I school is required to ask for input from
parents regarding the development of a parent involvement policy and a
school-parent compact.
- The parent
involvement policy explains how the school plans to work with parents to
review and improve parent programs and describes how parents can
participate in planning these programs.
- The
school-parent compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff,
and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic
achievement and the way in which the school and parents will build and
develop a partnership
to help children achieve the State’s high standards.
Title I Participation
Each
of our five (5) Title I schools continually monitor the implementation
of their Title I plan and welcome input from parents,
school staff, and community members regarding its current and future
Title I plans. If you would like to participate on your school’s Title I
planning team or make comments on the plan, please contact the
principal at your school.
Parent’s Right to Know
As
a parent of a student enrolled in a Title I school, you have the right
to know the professional qualifications of the classroom
teachers and instructional assistants who instruct your child. Federal
law allows you to ask for the following information about your child’s
classroom teachers and requires the District to give you this
information in a timely manner:
- whether the teacher is certified to teach the subjects and/or grade levels the teacher is teaching,
- whether the teacher’s certificate is a waiver or substandard certificate,
- the teacher’s academic major, graduate degrees, if any, and
- the teacher’s certification area.
If you would like to receive this information, please call our Human Resources department at 864-429-1740.
South Carolina Department of Education Complaint Resolution Procedures
The
State Department of Education (SDE) has the authority to hear
complaints and appeals regarding certain federal programs
and requires school districts to distribute the following information
concerning the South Carolina Department of Education’s complaint
resolution procedures:
- Organizations or individuals may file a complaint
that applies to Title I within thirty days of receiving the decision by
the school district or group of districts.
- Complaints
and appeals must be made in writing and they must contain a statement
indicating the violation, the facts on which the statement is based, and
the specific requirement of law or regulation allegedly violated.
Complaints and appeals
must be filed with the State Superintendent of Education at the S.C.
Department of Education, 1429 Senate Street, Columbia, South Carolina
29201.
- The SDE will confirm receipt of the
complaint within ten business days and will conduct an investigation to
determine the merits of the complaint. The Deputy Superintendent will
issue a final decision regarding the complaint within 60 days,
except under exceptional circumstances that warrant an extension.
- The final decision of the SDE may be appealed to the Secretary of the U. S. Department of Education.
Procedures for Responding to Parent Questions about Title I
It is the practice of Union County Schools to respond (in writing or through a telephone conversation) to a parent’s question(s) regarding Title I issues that cannot be resolved immediately within a reasonable period of time (24 to 48 hours).
Please contact Cindy Langley at clangley@union.k12.sc.us or at 864-427-2328 ext 722.