Hilltop Elementary Title I Reading Handbook 2023-2024

Ride the Wave on a Reading Adventure

TITLE I

Millcreek-West Unity School District is committed to providing a positive and productive environment that encourages life-long learning.

The Millcreek-West Unity Local School District does not discriminate in its employment policies and practices, or in its educational programs based on race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, marital status, disabilities, national origin or ancestry.

Inquiries concerning the application of Title VI, Title IX, or Section 504, Affirmative Action, and the American with Disabilities Act may be referred to:

Millcreek-West Unity School District Superintendent of Schools Jim Wyse
1401 W. Jackson St. West Unity, OH 43570 419-924-2365

Or

U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20250-9410
(800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD)

Mrs. Rhodes	Title I Instructor

Title I is a federally funded program designed to improve educational opportunities by providing aid to elementary and secondary education. The intent, of Title I, is to expand learning opportunities while supplementing basic skills instruction in reading. This program serves students who need to improve their reading skills. The goals of the Title I program are to:

•	Develop positive attitudes towards reading/language arts
•	Individualize reading/language arts instruction according to student needs •	Increase reading/language arts achievement
•	Increase student self-esteem
•	Involve children with parent(s) in reading/language arts activities at school and at home

TITLE I PROGRAM AT MILLCREEK-WEST UNITY LOCAL SCHOOL

The Title I program at Millcreek-West Unity Local School has been designed to improve the educational success for all students enrolled with the program. Based on the assumption all children are capable of learning and student achievement is in direct correlation to expectations set, the following goal has been set: to emphasize improved reading and language arts outcomes by providing support to students in these areas as higher standards of learning are implemented. The Title I program is designed to reach as many students as possible providing them with the opportunities and support needed to achieve higher standards of performance within the classroom. Individual or small group help is provided to students who are “struggling” with a given concept – determined by the classroom teacher through the use of pre/post testing, daily work, and informal observations.

HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF

The Title I staff has met and/or exceeded the criteria set by the State of Ohio for highly qualified teachers. All paraprofessionals within the school have met the requirements for being highly qualified through passing the State Paraprofessional test or having the needed college credits.

PARENT’S RIGHT TO KNOW

What do I know about my child’s teacher? The federal education law called “Every Student Succeeds Act” requires all parents be notified and given the opportunity to request information about the professional qualifications of classroom teachers instructing their child and paraprofessionals working with their child. If you are interested in this information, you may send your request to the building principal who will provide a response.

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Millcreek-West Unity Local School District

Title I Policy Guidelines Parent Involvement

Philosophy of Parent Participation

Millcreek-West Unity School District recognizes parents as their child’s first and most influential teachers. Involvement of parents helps children learn more effectively. Research has demonstrated parental involvement increases the effectiveness of Title I programs.

By working with teachers and by reinforcing and promoting learning objectives in the home, parents can dramatically improve their child’s educational achievement. Research confirms parental consultation and involvement increases the effectiveness of Title I programs.

Millcreek-West Unity School District Title Program will include these activities in their program:

1. At least one public meeting will be held annually (fall) to explain the Title Program. •	All parents will be invited
•	Community members of the Millcreek-West Unity Schools will be encouraged to participate
•	The purpose of the meeting shall be to discuss with parents the programs and activities carried out with the Title funding, inform the parents of their rights to consult in the design and implementation of Title projects, solicit their input, and provide parents an opportunity to establish a mechanism for maintaining on-going communications among parents, teachers, and agency officials

2.	 Parents’ suggestions in planning, developing, and implementing the Title program.

3.	 Parents will be encouraged to assist in the Title projects such as planning and implementing them.

4. Timely information, materials, and suggestions will be provided to help parents promote the education of their child at home.

5. Copies of this policy will be available at the annual parent/ teacher conferences.

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Millcreek-West Unity School District Parent Involvement Policy

Millcreek-West Unity School District will do the following:
1.	Involve parents in the joint development of a written parental involvement policy describing ways of meeting the following requirements in Title I of ESSA:
•	Notification to parents of the policy in an understandable format and language
•	Periodic updates of the policy to meet the changing needs of parents and the school

2.	Hold an annual meeting at a convenient time for all parents. The purpose of the meeting is to: •	Inform parents of their school’s participation in the Title I program
•	Explain the requirements of Title I
•	Explain the right of parents to be involved

3.	Parental involvement meeting at various times

4.	Involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely way in the planning, review, and improvement of Title I programming, including the school parental involvement policy and the program plan

5.	Provide the following items to the parents:
•	Timely information about Title I programs
•	A description and explanation of the curriculum used at the school, the academic assessments used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to reach
•	Opportunities for regular meetings, if requested by parents to: * Make suggestions
* Receive timely responses to them
* Participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their child

6.	Develop jointly, with the parents or caregivers of participating students, a school parent compact that outlines:
•	The shared responsibility of parents, students, and the entire school staff to improve student’s academic achievement
•	The shared responsibility between the school and parents to help children achieve the statewide academic content standards
•	The school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that helps children served under Title I meet the statewide academic content standards
•	The ways in which parents will be responsible for supporting their child’s learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, and television watching, volunteering in their child’s classroom, participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to the education of their child and the positive use of their child’s extracurricular time
•	The importance of ongoing communication between teachers and parents through (at a minimum):
* Parent-teacher conferences, in which the compact shall be discussed in relation to the individual child’s achievement
* Frequent reports to parents about their child’s progress * Reasonable access to staff
•	Reasonable opportunities to volunteer at the school, participate in their child’s class, and observe classroom activities

MILLCREEK-WEST UNITY SCHOOLS
Title I Parental Involvement Policy & School/Parent Compact Hilltop Elementary School

Title I Parental Involvement Policy: It is the policy of this district and school that parents be involved in the planning, review and implementation of the Title I program through activities that include, but are not limited to, the following:

•	Hold an open house and invite all parents of participating children.

•	Inform parents of the school’s Title I program, their child’s participation and their right to be involved. •	Provide parents with timely information about the program.
•	Provide reasonable support for planning and implementing parental involvement activities. •	Conduct an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the Title I program.
•	Provide parents with reports on their child’s progress.

•	Conduct parent-teacher conferences for the parents of all children.

•	Offer parents opportunities to confer with teachers and observe classroom activities.

•	Provide information, programs and activities for parents in a language and form that the parent understands.

School/Parent Compact:
The purpose of this School/Parent Compact is to outline how teachers, parents and students will share responsibility for improved student achievement. We know that learning takes place when parents, teachers and students work as partners. We will do our best to build a partnership between the school and the home.

As a Teacher I agree to:
1.	Provide high-quality instruction that helps each child meet state performance standards. 2.	Communicate frequently to parents about their child’s progress.
3.	Be available to parents for scheduled conferences.
4.	Encourage parents to observe, volunteer and participate in their child’s class. 5.	Provide information to parents to help them work with their child at home.

As a Parent I agree to:
1.     Be sure my child attends school every day and on time. 2.     Provide my child with a time and place to read at home.
3.	Limit and monitor the amount of television my child watches. 4.	Read to or with my child on a regular basis.
5.	Attend parent-teacher conferences and respond to communications from my child’s teacher.

As a Student I agree to:
1.	Attend school every day on time unless I am sick.
2.	Respect and cooperate with other students and adults.
3.	Pay attention in class and ask my teacher questions when I do not understand something. 4.	Follow school and classroom rules.
5.	Spend some time every night reading to or with my parents.

Signatures: By signing this compact we agree to work together to improve student achievement.

Teacher ____Mrs. Rhodes___________________________________

Parent ________________________________________

2023-2024 School Year

Please return by September 29th.

Student _______________________________________