COLT is a Title I school. What does this mean for parents, students, and other stakeholders?

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 - Improving The Academic Achievement Of The Disadvantaged

PURPOSE OF TITLE I

• Title I (of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation) is a federal program that provides opportunities for the children served to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to meet challenging state content standards.

  • Title I resources are distributed to schools where needs are the greatest, in amounts sufficient to make a difference in the improvement of instruction.

  • Title I coordinates services with other educational services and, to the degree possible, with health and social services programs.

  
  TITLE I PARTICIPATION

  • Center of Literacy through Technology (COLT) continually monitors the implementation of the Title I plan and welcomes input from parents, school staff, and community members regarding its current and future Title I plans. A copy of our Title I plan is located in the Parent Resource Center in our office. If you would like to participate on the schools’ Title I Planning Team or make comments on the plan, please let us know. We welcome your participation, suggestions, and comments. You have received draft copies of the Parent Involvement Policy (addendum to district policy) and the School-Parent Compact at Parent Orientation. Your input is requested prior to finalizing these documents. Copies of these are made available in our Parent Resource Center in our school office and on the website.

  PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

  • Parental involvement is an integral part of the Title I program. Parents are encouraged to become partners in helping their children achieve and become actively involved in all aspects of the process of the Title I program, from the writing of the plan to its implementation and evaluation. 

    A strong connection between the home and the school is a key element in student success. Materials, strategies, and help from teachers are available to parents of students receiving Title I services. Opportunities for active parent participation should include, but not be limited to, Parent Orientation, Parent Workshops, School-Parent Compact, home visits, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), School Improvement / Title I Planning Team, conferences, monthly newsletters and more.

    The Every Student Succeeds Act legislation requires schools to utilize a portion of their Title I funds to support parent involvement. Parents should contact Mr. Jones with any comments or suggestions regarding the school’s parent involvement expenditures.

  TITLE I EXPENDITURES FOR 2019-2020

  • The activities listed below are included in our school’s Title I plan that was jointly developed by members of the school’s Title I Planning Team this past school term.

    • Integrate technology into classroom instruction with the use of technology services to support the core curriculum.  Expenditures may include batteries, flash drives, IPads, mice, and promethean board supplies.

    • Employ one Literacy Coach to provide academic support and professional development in the area of literacy.

    • Employ one Intervention Teacher to provide additional academic instruction in small groups to students in grades K-5 in ELA.

    • Employ one Math/Technology Coach and interventionist to provide academic support to teachers and students in the areas of math and technology.

    • Host monthly COLT KID Celebrations and other parent events.  

    • Provide professional development for staff in ELA, Science, Math, and Best Practices.

    • Provide substitute pay for teachers when they are required to attend training during the school day.

    • Provide instructional supplies in ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies to assist classroom and intervention teachers in providing standards-based instruction.

    • Provide opportunities for teachers to attend conferences, professional development training, and purchase staff development materials.

    • Purchase pins for nine weeks celebration ceremonies to recognize academic achievement and excellent behavior.

    • Provide character education programs, such as Red Ribbon Week, Bullying Prevention, Conflict Resolution, and regularly scheduled guidance classes for students in grades K-5

    If you would like to review a copy of our entire Title I plan (which includes additional activities, start and end dates, use of funds, activity cost, funding source, and evaluation), you may do so in our office.

In compliance with the requirements of the Every Students Succeeds Act, parents may request the following information:
1. Whether the student’s teacher has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;
is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; and
is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher.
2. Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

South Carolina Department of Education Complaint Resolution Procedures

The State Department of Education (SDE) has the authority to hear complaints and appeals regarding certain federal programs and requires school districts to distribute the following information concerning the South Carolina Department of Education’s complaint resolution procedures:

-Organizations or individuals may file a complaint that applies to Title I within thirty days of receiving the decision by the school district or group of districts.

-Complaints and appeals must be made in writing and they must contain a statement indicating the violation, the facts on which the statement is based, and the specific requirement of law or regulation allegedly violated. Complaints and appeals must be filed with the State Superintendent of Education at the S.C. Department of Education, 1429 Senate Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201.

-The SDE will confirm receipt of the complaint within ten business days and will conduct an investigation to determine the merits of the complaint. The Deputy Superintendent will issue a final decision regarding the complaint within 60 days, except under exceptional circumstances that warrant an extension.

The final decision of the SDE may be appealed to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Click here to access documents

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD IF YOU BECOME HOMELESS

The McKinney-Vento Act

If you lost your housing and now live in a shelter, motel, vehicle, camping ground, or temporary trailer; on the street; doubled-up with family or friends; or in another type of temporary or inadequate housing, your child might be able to receive help through a federal law called the McKinney-Vento Act. 

Click here for more information: McKinney-Vento Act