This Handbook Was Printed Using Funds Provided Through The

Elementary School

2014-2015 Title I Parent Handbook

This handbook was printed using funds provided through the Elementary & Secondary Education Act under Title I Part A

Shelby County Schools does not discriminate in its programs or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, handicap/disability, sex or age. For more information, please contact the Office of Equity Compliance. August 7, 2014

Dear Parents: Shady Grove Elementary is a federally funded Title I school. Title I is a component of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). As a Title I school, Shady Grove is committed to creating a positive and safe learning environment that results in high levels of academic achievement for all students. The federal funds we receive are used to support academic programs, professional development, instructional goals, technology, and parent training.

Shady Grove has continued to make progress and exceeded all goals during the 2013-2014 school year. We are continuing to examine the curriculum, our teaching methods, and most importantly, the specific needs of our students as we make adjustments that will increase our students' proficiency on the 2015 TCAP.

We are so proud of all of our students and teachers, and we value the support and encouragement we receive from our students’ parents and family members.

Please take time to read the information in this manual. If you need additional information on any subject or require translation services please call the school at 416-2166. Thanks for all you do to ensure that Shady Grove is a great place to learn.

Sincerely,

Kiersten Schnacke, Principal

ESEA Parents’ Right to Know Information In accordance with federal law, all parents have the right to request information about the topics listed below. If you have any questions or concerns, please call 416-2166. All parents have the right to request the following:  A teacher’s professional qualifications, which includes: state qualifications, licensure, grade/s certification, waivers  A teacher’s baccalaureate and /or graduate degree, fields of endorsement, previous teaching experience  A paraprofessional’s qualifications  An assurance that their child’s name, address, and telephone listing not be released to military recruiters

All parents will receive information on the following:  Their child’s level of achievement in each of the state academic assessments  Their option to request a transfer to another school within the district if their child is the victim of a violent crime at school  Their right to timely notification that their child has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by, a teacher who is not highly qualified

Shady Grove’s Commitment to Providing a Quality Curriculum

Curriculum Offerings To ensure a supportive and effective learning environment that enables students to meet the state’s academic achievement standards, all Shady Grove teachers follow the content and pacing of the SCS content area curriculum guides. Each core content area curriculum guide aligns subject area content with TN content standards and related student performance indicators. These guides state the length of time teachers should spend teaching each skill, reference textbooks and resources to teach skills, and designate timeframes for meaningful assessment. Shady Grove teachers use the curriculum guides and district-selected, research-based textbooks to teach reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies content and skills.

In addition to core academic subjects, Shady Grove’s educational offerings include Orff music, art, physical education, library science, Japanese, technology literacy, character education, and the family life curriculum. Our homeroom teachers and content area specialists use the applicable SCS curriculum guides to plan instructional activities in these areas.

We prepare our gifted students for middle school gifted and honors courses by offering a gifted/talented program (CLUE) for all qualifying students.

To enhance our curriculum and connect learning to the real world, Shady Grove parents and members of the community are offered opportunities to share their knowledge with our student population. These learning experiences include single and multi-class presentations.

Assessments Throughout the school year, students are assessed through the use of rubrics, authentic assessment tasks, teacher-made tests, observation and anecdotal records, and district-mandated benchmark and formative assessments. The spring 2014 TCAP assessment will measure the academic growth of students in grades 1-5. Results from these assessments are always available to you through your child’s teacher, the Professional School Counselor, or the PLC Coach. Interventions To support at-risk learners, Shady Grove uses district-approved interventions during the school day and during our extended day intervention program.

Shady Grove’s Commitment to Meaningful Family Involvement Shady Grove believes parents and family members need to actively partner with our school and teachers to ensure a high quality education for all students. To foster this belief, we encourage parents to volunteer as tutors, room parents, guest presenters, TCAP proctors, and field trip chaperones. We also encourage parents to attend school and district sponsored meetings, training workshops, special event nights, and informational sessions.

Parent Meetings Shady Grove begins each school year by conducting a planned Meet the Teacher session. During this activity, parents are given the opportunity to meet school personnel, visit classrooms, and receive information concerning school curriculum, rules, procedures, and expectations. Since Shady Grove is a Title I school, we also conduct an Annual Title I Parent Meeting to inform parents of our Title I Family Engagement Plan, School-Parent Compact, ESEA Parents’ Right to Know issues, ways we communicate student progress, conference schedules, our Annual Measureable Objective (AMO) results, TCAP proficiency levels, school improvement goals, and our plans for parent workshops and family curriculum nights.

Parent Participation in the School Improvement Process In order to involve parents in school improvement issues and decisions, Shady Grove encourages parents to become active members of the school’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and School Based Decision Making Council (SBDMC). PTO members volunteer their time to tutor at-risk students, serve as room parents, chaperone field trips, schedule and conduct fundraisers, sponsor programs to enhance our curriculum, and organize activities to improve school climate. Regularly scheduled SBDMC meetings engage parent, community, administrative, and teacher representatives in conversations to generate goals, strategies, and activities that will improve the quality of education at our school. This school-based council operates under the guidelines established by Shelby County Schools.

Parent Training Throughout the year Shady Grove provides opportunities for parents to attend parent training sessions at our school. We also inform parents of district-sponsored parent activities as notices become available.

Family Engagement Plan To establish and communicate guidelines for meaningful family involvement, Shady Grove stakeholders develop an annual Family Engagement Plan. This plan specifically outlines actions to remove barriers that prevent or hinder family involvement and lists strategies and activities to involve and inform parents. The Shady Grove plan follows the guidelines established in the SCS District Policy # 5010 and 7009, which can be found online @ http://www.scsk12.org/Policy_Manual/index.html.

Our current plan is found on the next page. Shady Grove Family Engagement Plan

Shady Grove Elementary School encourages and supports family involvement. Our Family Engagement Plan was developed jointly with our parents to ensure that the expectations for parental involvement were clearly defined and agreed upon by the school and our parent stakeholders. The goal of our Family Engagement Plan is to help parents become active partners in the education of their children.

Shady Grove will eliminate barriers to parental involvement in the following ways: . The office staff will consistently acknowledge and greet parents in a friendly manner. . The school will schedule parent meetings at flexible meeting times. . To meet the needs of our parents who do not speak English, the school will translate all school-wide written communication into Spanish. . The school will provide non-English speaking parents with an interpreter, when needed. . The school will maintain a website with the principal’s e-mail address. . Parents will be given the opportunity to communicate concerns, suggestions, etc. concerning the SIP to the school’s administration by completing a parent feedback form. . Teachers will use clear, direct language when communicating with parents. . The school administration will respond to parent requests, ideas, and concerns in a timely manner. . The school administration will provide positive incentives to increase parental involvement. . The school administration will secure a location in the Shady Grove satellite area for conducting parent meetings. . The school will provide other reasonable support for parent involvement activities per parent request.

To promote meaningful parent involvement and foster a partnership with our parents, Shady Grove will: . Provide opportunities for parents to serve on the School Based Decision Making Council, PTO Board, Family Engagement Committee, and SIP revision committee. . Involve parents in the Family Engagement Plan and School/Parent Compact revision process and distribute revised documents to parents at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. . Convene an annual meeting, at flexible meeting times, to inform parents of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) guidelines for schools operating a Title I School-wide Program. . Disseminate the Parent/School compact to all students/parents and acquire the appropriate signatures. . Send home weekly progress reports to keep parents informed of student progress. . Provide opportunities for participation for persons with disabilities, migratory parents, or parents with limited English proficiency. . Provide flexible times and locations for our parents to attend parent meetings. . Offer training and workshops to help parents develop strategies and skills that will help their children achieve at higher levels. . Encourage parents to regularly visit our school. . Provide regular opportunities for parents to meet with teachers and administrators to participate in decisions relating to the education of their children. . Utilize partnerships with community organizations and local businesses. . Coordinate Title 1A strategies with other programs such as Head Start, Title III language instructional programs, Reading First, etc. . Inform parents of opportunities available through the Office of Parent and Community Engagement (PACE). . Offer parents information about the SCS curriculum, formative and summative assessments, and ESEA proficiency levels. . Create an ESEA Parent Handbook to inform parents about ESEA guidelines and expectations. . Send home an annual calendar of events at registration as well as a monthly calendar to keep parents informed of school-wide events and activities. . Provide a bulletin board at the front of the school to keep parents informed of NCLB opportunities and Parents’ Right to Know issues. . Schedule and conduct Family Curriculum Nights to engage families in meaningful learning activities. . Provide literacy training for ESL parents. . Conduct collaborative professional development with parents in the value and contributions of parents and in working with parents.

ESEA School/Parent Compact

To promote the concept of shared responsibility for high academic achievement, Shady Grove developed a Title I School/Parent Compact. Our compact outlines specific student, parent, teacher, and administrative behaviors that must occur in order to ensure that all students achieve high levels of academic success. At the beginning of the school year, all parents are given the opportunity to read and sign the compact. Compacts are maintained at school, and teachers review compacts with parents during conferences.

Shady Grove Elementary Parent/School Compact

This compact has been jointly developed and agreed upon by Shady Grove Elementary School administration, faculty, staff, students, and parents of our students.

School’s Responsibility As a partner in the education of children at Shady Grove, I commit to the following: . Provide a safe and effective learning environment for all students. . Encourage positive communication among all school stakeholders. . Stress the importance of ongoing, meaningful communication between parents and teachers. . Ensure that the school offers a high quality curriculum and research-based instruction for all learners. . Encourage and support learning activities for students, teachers, staff, and parents. . Actively involve teachers, students, staff, parents and community stakeholders in school improvement planning process. . Ensure that all teachers conduct parent/teacher conferences to discuss this compact and its impact on student achievement. . Ensure that parents have reasonable access to teachers and that they have opportunities to volunteer, participate, and observe in their child’s classroom. . Encourage parent involvement by creating a positive incentive plan. . Conduct two meetings annually in satellite neighborhood locations.

Principal’s Signature______Date______

Teacher’s Responsibility As a partner in the education of children at Shady Grove Elementary, I commit to the following: . Set high expectations for all students. . Use research-based teaching and learning strategies in order to meet the needs of all students. . Send home weekly progress reports to keep parents informed of students’ academic achievement, work habits, and conduct. . Create a supportive classroom environment that promotes respect and acceptance for diversity. . Provide intervention and/or enrichment learning activities to ensure that all students are challenged and experience success. . Provide high quality learning activities that build academic, higher-order thinking, communication, and social skills. . Encourage parents to become actively involved in class activities and projects. . Ensure that each child is given the opportunity to complete work missed during an excused absence. . Provide meaningful homework to reinforce daily instruction.

Teacher’s Signature______Date______

Parent/Guardian Responsibility As a partner in the education of children at Shady Grove Elementary, I commit to the following: . See that my child is at school each day by 8:30 a.m. with all needed supplies. . Review, support, and encourage my child to adhere to all MCS Code of Conduct rules and expectations. . Review, support, and encourage my child to follow all classroom, cafeteria, and bus rules and expectations. . Monitor daily homework assignments to ensure that homework is completed accurately and returned to school on the scheduled due date. . Encourage and support my child’s efforts. . Stay aware of skills and concepts my child is learning. . Provide a quiet study area for my child. . Respond to school conference requests in a timely manner. . Send my child to school dressed in the appropriate school uniform. . Read with my child daily.

Parent/Guardian Signature______Date______

Student Agreement I agree to work to the best of my ability each day. Therefore, I will do the following: . Come to school on time each day. . Complete and return all homework assignments and projects on the scheduled due date. . Follow all MCS, school, classroom, cafeteria, and bus safety rules and expectations. . Take home and return all progress reports, deficiency notices, report cards, and notes that require my parent’s signature. . Read for enjoyment.

Student Signature______Date______

Keeping Parents Informed of Student Progress Shady Grove uses a variety of methods to keep parents informed of student progress, and you may always schedule a conference with your child’s teacher. This year’s SCS Parent/Teacher Conference Days are September 19, 2013, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and February 13, 2014, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Report Cards All SCS students receive a Report Card every nine weeks. Issue dates are TBD.

Progress Reports Progress Reports are sent home for every child who has been enrolled at Shady Grove 10 days or more during that grading period in order to update parents on students’ academic progress, conduct, and work habits. Issue dates are TBD.

Weekly Communication All Shady Grove homeroom teachers send home weekly progress reports. These weekly reports give parents timely feedback on students’ academic progress and conduct. Expect to see your child’s weekly progress report in his or her Shady Grove Parent/Teacher Wednesday Communicator folder. Formative Assessments SCS uses formative assessment programs to monitor student progress throughout the school year. Shady Grove students in all grades will complete teacher developed formative assessments three times per grading period. All SCS third through fifth grade students will complete commercially developed formative assessments in the areas of reading/ language arts and mathematics at least once per semester. Assessment results are available to parents by contacting your child’s teacher, our Professional School Counselor (Mrs. Kathy Martin…416-2166), or our PLC Coach (Mrs. Hood… 416-1449).

Achievement Testing Shady Grove administers the TCAP Achievement Test to all students in grades one through five. This year’s test is scheduled for April, 2014. Fifth grade students will be given the TCAP Writing Assessment in February, 2014. Parents will be notified when test results are available, and school staff will assist parents with interpreting the achievement data.

Student Conduct All SCS students and their parents are required to sign the SCS Student Code of Conduct. Student conduct is communicated to parents on weekly progress reports, mid-term progress reports, and quarterly Report Cards. Shady Grove ensures that parents are informed of SCS Code of Conduct violations in a timely manner. For further information contact: Kevin Potts/SCS (416-4205); Paula Gaddis/State Coordinator (615-741-3262) National Center for Homeless Education 1-800-308-2145