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  3. Title I & Learning Assistance

Title I & Learning Assistance

What are Title I & Learning Assistance Program (LAP)?

 

Title I, Part A is a federal program designed "to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps" and serves the unique needs of children K-12 who struggle to learn. Title I programs and services provide customized instruction and curricula that helps these students meet academic standards and take an active, engaged interest in what they learn and can do. As the oldest and largest federal education program, Title I, Part A programs build equity of opportunity for children whose struggles often keep them on the academic sidelines.  Ellensburg School District follows the Schoolwide process giving our five funded schools flexibility to serve all students who demonstrate a need for support.  Our schools that receive Title Ia funds are: Lincoln Elementary, Valley View Elementary, Mt. Stuart Elementary, Valley View Elementary, and Morgan Middle School.

Title  School Brochure (Lincoln) (Valley View) (Ida Nason Aronica) (Mt. Stuart) (Morgan Middle School)

What is Title 1? (Spanish)

Funds can be used for courses, activities, and programming in subjects such as English, reading or language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, physical education, credit recovery, post-secondary instruction, and any other subject with the purpose of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum and educational experience.

The services offered are in addition to the core curriculum provided to all students. Eligible students may receive support during the school day, before or after school, or in summer school. The services provided may include:

  • One-on-one tutoring.
  • Pull-out, small group instruction.
  • In class support (push-in).
  • Take-home instructional resources

Schoolwide Program — Title I, Part A (Lincoln Elementary, Valley View Elementary, Mt. Stuart Elementary, Ida Nason Aronica Elementary, and Morgan Middle School)
Schoolwide means that all students — based on academic need — are eligible to receive the additional instruction. Though the school is not required to identify certain children as being eligible for services or to provide certain students with any specific supplemental benefits, the focus of the program must be on addressing the needs of low-achieving children and those at risk of not meeting state student academic achievement standards.

Targeted Assistance Model — Title I, Part A
Targeted assistance programs must use Title I, Part A funds to provide academic services to children who are identified as failing or at risk of failing to meet state standards.

Learning Assistance Program (LAP) is a supplemental state-funded program designed to assist students in grades K-12 who score below standard in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Being that it has the same intent and purpose as Title I, Part A, both programs can be coordinated together to meet student needs.

  • PARENT INVOLVEMENT

    We know that family involvement in a child’s education is a greater predictor of academic success than whether or not that family is affluent or poor. It is also evident that students whose families take an active interest in their school life are more likely to attend school regularly, pass their classes, enroll in higher-level programs, and go on to higher education or a technical career.

    School-Parent Compact: The Compact is an annual agreement between the parent, student, and school regarding the joint responsibilities in helping each student find success.  These documents are completed during Parent Conferences.

    District Parent Involvement Policy #4130:  This policy guides how our district will involve parents in the education of their students.  This policy is reviewed each year with parents and updated as needed.  If you would like to provide input into the revision of this policy, please contact the Student Services office and/or be watching for information about a way to get involved.

    Parents Right to to be Informed (Spanish Version):  Parents of children in schools that receive Title I, Part A funding have the right to request and receive information about the professional qualifications of teachers and instructional paraprofessionals in their building.

    The Board recognizes that parent involvement contributes to the achievement of academic standards by students participating in District programs. The Board views the education of students as a cooperative effort among school, parents and community. The Board expects that its schools will carry out programs, activities and procedures in accordance with the statutory definition of parental involvement. Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring that parents:

    • Play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;
    • Are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school; and
    • Are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.

    The Board of Directors adopts as part of this policy the following guidance for parent involvement. The District shall:

    1. Put into operation programs, activities and procedures for the involvement of parents in all of its Title I schools consistent with federal laws. Those programs, activities and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children;
    2. Work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parental involvement policies meet the requirements of federal law, including a school parent compact;
    3. To the extent practicable, provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities and parents of migratory children, including providing information and school reports in an understandable and uniform format in a language parents understand including alternative formats upon request; and
    4. Involve the parents of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the one percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parental involvement is spent.

    Parent Request for Teacher Qualifications:

    • Whether the teacher has met state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction
    • Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or conditional certification
    • The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and other graduate certification or degree and the field of discipline of the certification and/or degree
    • Whether students are receiving services by a para-professional and the para-professionals’ qualifications

    District and School Report Card

    The District and School Report Card provides the following information on public schools and districts in Washington State:  Student Achievement, Student Demographics, and Staff information.  For more information, please visit: Washington State Report Card

    Citizen Complaint Procedure:
    Any individual may file a Citizen Complaint with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) if he/she suspects that a violation of a federal rule, law or regulations or state regulations that applies to a federal program has occurred. Such complaints must be in writing, signed by the person filing the complaint, and include contact information of the person filing the complaint. Also, information about the school district, ESD or school service provider believed to have violated a federal law or regulation must also be provided.

    Copies of the Citizen Complaint Procedures may be obtained from:
    Citizen Complaint Procedures

    Citizen complaints may be faxed or mailed to:
    Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
    Attn: Citizen Complaint-Title I, Part A
    P.O. Box 47200
    Olympia, WA 98504
    Fax: (360) 586-3305

  • Title I/LAP Goals

    • Provide additional instruction and support to identified at-risk students so they will meet grade level standards.
    • Provide empowering opportunities for parents and families to support their children's educational progress from birth to twelfth grade.
    • Catch struggling students early, using research based interventions with fidelity.
    • Regularly communicate with parents regarding student progress.
    • Facilitate a smooth transition process between school levels, including support for the process of meeting high school graduation requirements.

  • Title I Public Records Request

    If you are a parent of a student at a school that receives Title I funds, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers who instruct your child. Federal law allows you to ask for certain information about your child’s classroom teachers, and requires us to give you this information in a timely manner if you ask for it. Specifically, you have the right to ask for the following information about each of your child’s classroom teachers:

    • Whether the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has licensed or qualified the teacher for the grades and subjects he or she teaches.
    • Whether OSPI has decided that the teacher can teach in a classroom without being licensed or qualified under state regulations because of special circumstances that have caused OSPI to waive the licensing or qualification criteria.
    • The teacher’s college major; whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and, if so, the subject of the degrees. Whether any teachers’ aides or similar paraprofessionals provide services to your child and, if they do, their qualifications.

    Title I under the Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA) federal law distributes funding to schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families.

    If you would like to receive any of this information, please submit your written request to:
    Kelly Kronbauer, Executive Director of Student Services
    1300 East Third Avenue
    Ellensburg, WA 98926
    kelly.kronbauer@esd401.org