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Title I

 DUNELAND SCHOOL CORPORATION
TITLE I

Title I Definition

Title I is part of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. It was reauthorized under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 which has now been replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December of 2015.  

Title I is the largest federal education program that provides support to our nation's schools. Its purpose is to provide opportunities and services to students who attend schools with high levels of poverty and who are at risk of meeting the state's challenging performance standards. Federal funds are first allocated to the state education agency, which determines funding amounts awarded to each district. The local school district then identifies eligible schools, determines programming and distributes the Title I resources accordingly. 

Title I provides supplemental support in language arts and/or mathematics. Individual schools determine the grade levels and specific subject areas to be served based on funding and personnel. 

Title I can also provide support to private schools, homeless programs, youth in foster care, and transitioning preschoolers.

Duneland Title I Program Goals 

Improve achievement for all children academically, emotionally, and behaviorally

  • examine areas of strength and weakness in the core curriculum
  • provide additional instruction to intervene or enrich 
  • increase learning time
  • apply strategies to increase achievement of underserved populations
  • provide ongoing progress monitoring and benchmark measures of proficiency

Improve staff development

  • attract and retain high-quality, highly qualified teachers and paraprofessionals
  • provide ongoing professional development based on staff and student needs
  • regularly examine school, teacher, and student data through collaborative discussions

Improve parent and family engagement

  • communicate with families through multiple modes, in necessary languages: phone, email, meetings, social media, newsletters
  • offer a variety of events at varied times for parents to interact, advocate, and learn in the school community
  • encourage parents to provide feedback and input on school decisions 

Title I School Designation

Title I schools are identified through a state formula each year based on the number of free and reduced lunch recipients.  The following elementary schools are identified as Title I schools for 2024-2025: Bailly Elementary, Liberty Elementary, Yost Elementary and Westchester Intermediate. 

Use of Funds

Title l funds are utilized by school corporations to provide supplemental educational services that help students increase achievement and meet state academic standards. Funds are primarily used to provide personnel to work with the most at-risk students at the Title I schools.  Aside from staff, Title I funding also provides materials to support student learning as well as professional development.

Every Title I school must create a specific plan that describes how funds will be utilized in compliance with federal and state guidelines and regulations. Title I serves children through schoolwide or targeted assistance programming.  In 2024-2025, Westchester Intermediate offers a schoolwide program for 5th and 6th graders in reading and math. Bailly, Liberty Elem, and Yost are identified as schoolwide Title I schools, which means all students are considered Title I students, and all teachers are Title I teachers.

Schoolwide vs. Targeted Assistance Programs 

Targeted assistance programs require funds to be spent only on a targeted group of identified students and staff.  Schoolwide programs allow all students to be eligible for support.  To achieve schoolwide status each school must complete a comprehensive needs assessment and set yearly goals on how best to improve student achievement for the entire school. All students in the school benefit from added educational services and programs outlined in the schoolwide improvement plan and implemented by all school staff. 

Schoolwide Program Qualification

In order to be designated as a schoolwide Title I program, each school must complete at least one year of intensive planning and complete a comprehensive needs assessment that then must be approved by the district and the Indiana Department of Education for implementation. The comprehensive needs assessment involves an inquiry process, program design, and evaluation by a team of stakeholders including administration, staff, and parent input.

Benefits of Schoolwide Title I

Schoolwide advantages are as follows:

  • Encouraging innovation and new ideas in school reform
  • Promoting collaboration and planning among all staff
  • Establishing a supportive learning environment and high expectations for all students
  • Involving parents in the development, revision, and review of the program
  • Tailoring professional development to meet the school's needs
  • Accelerating instruction to move all students toward high performance standards
  • Combining funds from a variety of federal programs to provide a quality educational program

Program Design and Services

There is a commitment to encourage instructional decisions at the school level to provide a specific and individualized program to meet unique student needs and populations. Principals, program personnel, and staff assess the different components of the school’s program, consider parent input, and determine appropriate program design yearly.  As a result, intervention programs, instructional format, staffing, and grade levels served may vary from building to building.

Parent Rights and Responsibilities

Duneland Schools encourage families to be actively involved in the education of their children. Title I further involves parents through a series of parent and family engagement components.

  1. Each school must convene an annual meeting to explain the Title I, Part A program, its requirements, and the rights of parents to be involved in those programs.  
  2. Parents have the right to know whether a teacher or paraprofessional is highly-qualified and to request those qualifications.
  3. Each school, with the input of staff and parents, will develop a school-parent compact to guide the partnership between home and school for the good of the student.
  4. In conjunction with parents, the district and each school will create a parent involvement policy and review those plans annually.
  5. Schools offer opportunities such as parent-teacher conferences, literacy and math events, and parent workshops to foster parent involvement and communication.
  6. Feedback and input from parents is used to improve Title I programming.  
  7. A written complaint procedure outlining the formal process for parent complaints regarding violations of the federal statute or regulation that applies the Title I, Part A program is available on the district website.  A copy of the complaint procedure policy is available upon request.  

Documents for Parents

Parents’ Right to Know Letter

District Parent Involvement Policy #2281 

District Complaint Policy and Procedure #2260 

Parent Resources

Duneland School Corporation Title I Contacts:

Administration:
Kevin Zeck, Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning, K-12
Karen Smith, Administrative Assistant

Lead Title I Reading Specialist:
Amber Jakel, Yost Elementary

Reading Specialists:
Sarah Hollaway and Carrie Pack, Bailly Elementary
Laura Duda and Nicole Knutson, Liberty Elementary
Amber Jakel and Maggie Zucker, Yost Elementary
Ann Kelly, Westchester Intermediate

Math Specialist
Dalila Reeder, Westchester Intermediate                                                 

TITLE I 

Title I is a federally funded program that gives grant monies to schools to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. Title I is designed to assist elementary students with reading, language arts, and/or math skills. Duneland School Corporation has four schools that receive or will receive Title I funding this year. 

The Duneland School Corporation strives to foster student success and positive home-school relationships. Additional information about Title I, parent meetings and its corresponding activities will be sent home each fall.  If you are interested in learning more about Title I policies, serving on the District Title I committee, or your school’s Title I committee, please contact your child’s principal.

PARENTS’ RIGHT TO KNOW

[Information about a Teacher’s Qualifications as Required by [Section 1111(h)(6) ESEA.]

At Duneland School Corporation, we are very proud of our teachers and feel they are ready for the coming school year and are prepared to give your child a high-quality education. At our Title I schools, we must meet federal rules related to teacher qualifications as defined in ESSA. These rules allow you to learn more about your child’s teachers’ training and credentials. We are happy to provide this information to you in a timely manner. At any time, you may ask:

  • Whether the teacher has met state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade level and subject areas taught;
  • Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or temporary status in which Indiana qualifications and licensing criteria are waived;
  • What undergraduate or graduate degrees the teacher holds, including graduate certificates and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration;
  • Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals/Title I aides, and if so, their qualifications.

If at any time your child has been taught for four (4) or more consecutive weeks by a teacher that is not highly qualified, you shall be notified by the school of this information. Our staff is committed to helping your child develop the academic knowledge and critical thinking he/she needs to succeed in school and beyond. That commitment includes making sure that all of our teachers and paraprofessionals/Title I aides are highly skilled.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school principal.