TITLE I NEWSLETTER

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 improving instruction.

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

Title I provides greater decision-making authority and flexibility within the schools and for teachers. However, greater responsibility for student performance is the exchange made for this flexibility.

• A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school is conducted.
• Schoolwide reform strategies provide opportunities for all children to meet the State's performance standards
• Instruction is conducted by highly qualified staff.
• Professional development is conducted on a continual basis throughout the year.
• Activities are conducted to increase parent involvement.
• Plans are included to provide transitional assistance from pre-school to elementary, from elementary to middle school, and from middle school to high school.
• Measures are taken to include teachers in decisions about assessments.
• Activities are conducted to ensure that students with learning difficulties receive assistance.

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 key to student success. Materials, strategies, and teacher help are available to all parents within a Title I school. Opportunities for active parent participation should include, but not be limited to, open house, parent workshops, school-parent compacts, conferences, newsletters, and more.

The No Child Left Behind legislation requires schools to utilize some Title I funds to support parent involvement. Parents should contact the school principal with any suggestions regarding the school's parent involvement expenditures.

Each Title I school is required to ask for input from parents regarding the development of a parent involvement policy and a school-parent compact. The parent involvement policy explains how the school plans to work with parents to review and improve parent programs and describes how parents can participate in planning these programs. The school-parent compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the way in which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership to help children achieve the State's high standards.

East Clarendon Middle High School 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 plan. If you would like to participate on the school's Title I planning team or comment on the plan, please contact the principal at 843-659-2187.

As a parent of a student enrolled at East Clarendon Middle High School, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers and instructional assistants who instruct your child. Federal law allows you to ask for the following information about your child's classroom teachers and requires the District to give you this information in a timely manner:

• whether the teacher is certified to teach the subjects and/or grade levels the teacher is teaching,
• whether the teacher's certificate is a waiver or substandard certificate,
• the teacher's academic major, graduate degrees, if any, and
• the teacher's certification area.

If you want to receive this information, please call the Personnel Department at 803-435-2286.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Mrs. Margaret M. Demery and I am the Title I Parent Liaison of East Clarendon Middle High School. My purpose is to ensure that parents and guardians have access to as much information as possible to enhance their student success in school.

I look forward to communicating with you and it will be my pleasure serving all of you this school year.

Email: margaret.demery@clarendoncsd.org
Location: 1171 Pope Street, Turbeville, SC, USA
Phone: 843-657-2752