West Hartsville Elementary School

Title I Newsletter West Hartsville Elementary School A Title I School-wide School (Tara J. King, Principal) 2014-2015

Purpose of Title I Parental involvement is an integral part of the Title I Title I (of the federal No Child Left Behind program. Parents are encouraged to become legislation) is a federal program that provides partners in helping their children achieve and opportunities for the children served to acquire the become actively involved in all aspects of the process knowledge and skills necessary to meet challenging of the Title I program, from the writing of the plan to state content standards. its implementation and evaluation. Title I resources are distributed to schools where A strong connection between the home and the needs are the greatest, in amounts sufficient to make school is a key element in student success. Materials, a difference in the improvement of instruction. strategies, and help from teachers are available to all Title I coordinates services with other educational parents within a Title I school. Opportunities for services and, to the degree possible, with health and active parent participation should include, but not be social services programs. limited to open house, parent workshops, school- Title I provides greater decision-making authority parent compacts, home visitation, parent-teacher and flexibility within the schools and for teachers. organizations, conferences, monthly newsletters, and However, greater responsibility for student more. performance is the exchange made for this flexibility. The No Child Left Behind legislation requires schools to utilize a portion of their Title I funds to Components of a Title I School-wide Program support parent involvement. Parents should contact  A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire the school principal with any comments or school is conducted. suggestions regarding the school’s parent  School-wide reform strategies provide involvement expenditures. opportunities for all children to meet the State’s performance standards. Parent Involvement Policy and School-Parent  Instruction is conducted by a highly qualified staff. Compact  Professional development is conducted on a Each Title I school is required to ask for input continual basis throughout the year. from parents regarding the development of a parent  Activities are conducted to increase parent involvement policy and a school-parent compact. involvement. The parent involvement policy explains how the  Plans are included to provide transitional school plans to work with parents to review and assistance from pre-school to elementary, from improve parent programs and describes how parents elementary to middle school, and from middle can participate in planning these programs. school to high school. The school-parent compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the  Measures are taken to include teachers in decisions responsibility for improved student academic about assessment. achievement and the way in which the school and  Activities are conducted to ensure that students parents will build and develop a partnership to help with learning difficulties receive assistance. children achieve the State’s high standards.

Title I Participation West Hartsville Elementary School continually monitors the implementation of the Title I plan and welcomes input from parents, school staff, and communityDescription members & regarding Explanation its current of Curriculum, and future Forms Title of I plans. If you would like to participate on the school’s TitleAcademic I planning Assessment, team or andmake Proficiency comments Levels on the plan, please contact the principal at (843) 857-3270. The Title I Parent Involvement Policy and the Title I Home- School Compact has been provided to and signed by all parents at West Hartsville Elementary School. Thank you! Description & Explanation of Curriculum, Forms of If you would like to receive this information, Academic Assessment, and Proficiency Levels please call the Personnel Department at (843) 398- Students Are Expected to Meet 5002. The Darlington County School District provides a high-quality curriculum based upon the South Tara J. King, Principal Carolina Curriculum Standards. This curriculum South Carolina Department of Education Complaint has been approved by the South Carolina Board of Resolution Procedures Education and adopted by the Darlington County The State Department of Education (SDE) has the Board of Education. Textbooks used in the authority to hear complaints and appeals regarding classrooms have been reviewed by a committee of certain federal programs and requires school teachers and adopted and endorsed by the State districts to distribute the following information Department of Education. Specific educational concerning the South Carolina Department of programs in each school are targeted to meet the Education’s complaint resolution procedures: identified needs of the children in the school.  Organizations or individuals may file a complaint Darlington County Public Schools administers a that applies to Title I within thirty days of variety of standardized assessments to its students. receiving the decision by the school district or The former PACT which is now, Palmetto group of districts. Achievement of State Standards (PASS) is part of the  Complaints and appeals must be made in writing state assessment program. It is given to students in and they must contain a statement indicating the grades three through eight and measures student violation, the facts on which the statement is based, performance on the state standards. ITBS/COGAT and the specific requirement of law or regulation are nationally norm-referenced tests administered by allegedly violated. Complaints and appeals must the District to students in grades two, four, and be filed with the State Superintendent of Education seven. At the end of the second year of high school, at the S.C. Department of Education, 1429 Senate the High School Assessment Program (HSAP) is Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201. administered. This test is in accordance with No  The SDE will confirm receipt of the complaint Child Left Behind and measures students’ academic within ten business days and will conduct an achievement on high school academic standards. To investigation to determine the merits of the monitor student progress throughout the year, all complaint. The Deputy Superintendent will issue a students are given teacher-prepared and textbook- final decision regarding the complaint within 60 provided assessments. days, except under exceptional circumstances that Based upon requirements of No Child Left Behind, warrant an extension. all students in grades three through eight are  The final decision of the SDE may be appealed to expected to score “Met” or “Exemplary” on PASS by the Secretary of the U. S. Department of the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Education.

Parent’s Right to Know Title I Expenditures for 2014-2015 As a parent of a student enrolled at West The No Child Left Behind legislation includes Hartsville Elementary School, you have the right to provisions for all children to score “Proficient” or know the professional qualifications of the classroom “Advanced” on PACT by the end of the 2013-2014 teachers and instructional assistants who instruct school year. To aid in reaching this goal, the your child. Federal law allows you to ask for the activities listed below are included in the school’s following information about your child’s classroom Title I plan that was jointly developed by the teachers and requires the District to give you this members of the school’s Title I planning team. information in a timely manner:  A paraprofessional will be hired to provide  whether the teacher is certified to teach the academic assistance in grades 4 and 5 in reading subjects and/or grade levels the teacher is teaching, and math.  whether the teacher’s certificate is a waiver or  A classroom teacher will be hired to provide substandard certificate, instruction to fifth grade students and reduce class  the teacher’s academic major, graduate degrees, if size. any, and the teacher’s certification area.  Staff development and summer planning in the areas of reading and math will be provided.  Technology will be added to various classrooms to enhance instruction in reading and math and implement the Common Core State Standards.  Balanced Literacy supplies and classroom libraries will be provided to each classroom.