1. Annual Title I Parent Meeting November 19, 2014 Middletown Public Schools www.mpsri.net/title1

2. Agenda Title I Program Title I Targeted Assistance Program (TAS) Description of Title I Program at our school Personal Literacy Plan (PLP) Parent Engagement Opportunities Title I Parent Policy & Home-School Compact Title I Parent "Right to Know" More About the Common Core State Standards How Parents Can Help Questions & Contact Information

3. What is the Title I Program? Title I is one part of the No Child Left Behind/Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It is a federally funded program that provides support for students and groups of students who are at risk of not mastering Common Core State Standards. In Middletown Public Schools, Forest Avenue Elementary School, J.H. Gaudet Learning Academy (grade 4) and J.H. Gaudet Middle School are Title I schools.

4. What is a Title I Targeted Assistance School (TAS) Program? A Title I Targeted Assistance School Program allows funds to be used to provide services and support instructional needs for identified* children not yet demonstrating proficiency on the Common Core State Standards. *Students eligible for services must be identified on the basis of multiple, educationally related objective criteria established by the local educational agency (LEA) and school.

5. What does the Title I Program look like in our schools? Structures are in place to support at-risk students and monitor student learning: students are screened using NWEA (and DRA2 in grades K-4) Personal Literacy Plans are used to monitor goals, interventions and progress add instructional time Title I funds support improved student academic achievement by: Providing two title I staff members increase teacher/student interaction increase expertise of intervention provider increase engagement and meaningful learning activities LITERACY SUPPORT

6. What is a Personal Literacy Plan? A Personal Literacy Plan (PLP) is a plan of action used to accelerate a student's learning in order to move toward grade level reading proficiency. –A major component is providing an INTERVENTION: Additional, intensive, focused and appropriate instruction provided to students who are struggling with learning to read and write –Another major component is PROGRESS MONITORING: Occurs frequently (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) ~ the results of this type of progress monitoring inform instructional decisions

7. Parent Engagement Opportunities Our website : www.mpsri.netwww.mpsri.net Open House Parent Teacher Conferences PTG Meetings School/Parent Evenings - Reading Nights, Book Fairs, etc.

8. Title I Parent Involvement Policy & Home-School Compact included in your packet The Parent Policy and Home-School Compact are jointly developed with parents and distributed to all parents. The Policy includes how the site will implement the Title I required components of parent involvement. The Compact describes the parents’, student’s and school’s responsibility for the education of each student.

9. Title I Home-School Compact: School Provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables students to meet student academic achievement standards. Hold parent-teacher conferences (at least annually) during which this compact will be discussed as it relates to the individual child’s achievement. Provide parents with frequent reports on their children’s progress. Provide parents access to staff. Provide parents opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class and to observe classroom activities.

10. Title I Home-School Compact: Parent Make sure your child is at school, on time, for the entire day, every day (unless excused). Make sure that homework is completed. Encourage our child to read for 20 minutes each day. Monitor amount of television our children watch. Volunteer at our child’s school, and participate in parent activities when possible. Participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to our child’s education. Promote positive use of our child’s extracurricular time. Stay informed about our child’s education and communicating with the school by promptly reading all notices from the school or the school district either received by my child or by mail and responding, as appropriate. Serving, to the extent possible, on the advisory committee, or in other school groups for parents. Ensuring that our child meets his/her responsibilities as included in this compact.

11. Title I Home-School Compact: Student Do and return my homework every day and ask for help when I need it. Read at least 20 minutes every day outside of school time. Give my parents or the adult who is responsible for my welfare all notes and information given to me from my school every day. Be responsible for my own behavior and follow school rules. Do my best at all times.

12. What is the Title I Parent “Right to Know” ? Although all of our teachers at Forest Avenue Elementary, Gaudet Learning Academy, and Gaudet Middle School are properly certified, we are required to share the following information with parents under the No Child Left Behind Act. Under NCLB, parents have the right to request professional qualifications of their children's teacher(s). This is to inform you of your right to ask for the following information: –Whether Rhode Island has licensed the teacher for the grades and subjects he or she teaches –Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which Rhode Island licensing has been waived –The teacher’s baccalaureate degree major and whether the teacher has had any advanced degrees and, if so, the subjects of the degrees –Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications

13. What changes do parents need to support with Common Core State Standards?

14. What can parents do to help? Read non-fiction books aloud or with your child Supply books on topics that interest your child Provide challenging texts as well as books they can read easily Ask for evidence in everyday discussions and disagreements Encourage writing at home Talk to your children, read to them, listen to them, sing with them, make up silly rhymes and word games Read often and constantly with young children

15. Questions? Thank you for attending our Annual Title I Parent Meeting. We look forward to a rewarding year for all our students. Should any of you have any questions please feel free to call or email.

16. MPS Title I Contact Information Steve Ponte (sponte@mpsri.net), Principal Ruth Lynn Butler (rbutler@mpsri.net), Title I Teacher Forest Avenue Elementary School 315 Forest Avenue (401) 849-9434 Beth Hayes (bhayes@mpsri.net), Principal Helen Mikolaitis (hmikolaitis@mpsri.net), Title I Teacher Gaudet Middle School & Gaudet Learning Academy 1113 Aquidneck Avenue (401) 846-6395 Linda F. Savastano (lsavastano@mpsri.net), Asst. Superintendent Middletown Public Schools 26 Oliphant Lane (401) 849-2122