TITLE I PARTICIPATION

Paoli School Corporation will participate in the federally funded Title I program. If a parent should have a complaint regarding Title I, the following complaint procedure is in effect.

  • Definition Complaint

An allegation that Throop Elementary School has violated Title I statutes, regulations, or rules.

  • Contents of a Complaint

A signed statement that includes the violation and supporting evidence.

  • Who May File a Complaint

Any parent, teacher, individual, organization or student over 18 years of age.

Procedure for Hearing a Complaint

Step I: 

The person or organization originating the complaint will submit a written statement that includes the specific charge and supporting evidence to the Throop Elementary Principal. Both persons will date and sign the statement. The principal has five (5) school days to resolve the complaint unless both parties agree to an extension. At no time will more than a five (5) day extension be granted. If the complaint isn't resolved in Step I, it may be appealed to Step II.

Step II: 

The complainant will make a written request for an appeal to the Superintendent of the Paoli Community Schools. A copy of the complaint and the results of Step I will be forwarded to the Superintendent by the Throop Principal. The Superintendent has twenty (20) school days to resolve the complaint or it may be appealed to Step III.

Step III: 

If a complaint is not resolved in Step I or II, it may be appealed to the State Department of Education. The complainant should check with the Throop Principal to obtain the name, address, and phone number of the Title I contact person in Indianapolis. be appealed to the State Department of Education.

Title I Parent Involvement

The Board of School Trustees endorses the parent involvement goals of Title I and encourages the regular participation of parents of Title I eligible children in all aspects of the program. The education of children is viewed as a cooperative effort among the parents, school, and community. In this policy, the word "parent" also includes guardians and other family members involved in supervising the child's schooling. To ensure the success of the parent involvement program, Paoli Community School Corporation will provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist participating schools in planning and implementing effective parent involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance. (Bold indicates paragraph Adopted/Updated: June 12, 2006).

Pursuant to federal law, the corporation will develop jointly with, and agree on with the distribution to parents of children participating in the Title I program a written parent involvement policy. At the required annual meeting of Title I parents, parents will have opportunities to participate in the design, development, operation, and evaluation of the program for the next school year.

Proposed activities shall be presented to fulfill the requirement necessary to address the requirements of parental involvement. In addition to the required annual meeting, the least three additional meetings shall be held, at various times of the day and/or evenings, for parents of children participating in the Title I program. These meetings shall be used to provide parents with:

  • Information about programs provided under Title I;

  • A description and explanation of the curriculum in use, the forms of academic assessment

  • Opportunities to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions

  • The opportunity to bring parent comments, if they are dissatisfied with the school's Title I program, to the district level.

The parents of children identified to participate in Title I programs shall receive from the school principal and Title I staff an explanation of the reasons supporting each child's selection for the program, used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet; relating to the education of the children; and program, to the district level. a set of objectives to be addressed, and a description of the services to be provided. Opportunities will be provided for the parents to meet with the classroom and Title I Teachers to discuss their child's progress. Parents will also receive guidance as to how they can assist in the education of their children at home. Each school in the corporation receiving Title I funds shall jointly develop with parents of children served in the program a "School­-Parent Compact" outlining the manner in which parents, school staff and students share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement in meeting state standards.

The "School–­Parent Compact" shall:

  • Describe the school's responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment enabling children in the Title I program to meet the State's academic achievement standards;

  • Indicate the ways in which each parent will be responsible for supporting their children's learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, monitoring television watching, volunteering in the classroom, and participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to their child's education and positive use of extra­curricular time; and

  • Address the importance of parent-teacher communication on an ongoing basis, with at a minimum, parent-teacher conferences, frequent reports to parents, and reasonable access to staff.

Legal Reference: 20 U.S.C. 6318

Policy adopted: April 14, 2003

Title I Parent Involvement

In order to achieve the desired level of Title I parent involvement desired by the Board of School Trustees policy on this topic, these regulations guide the development of each school's annual plan designed to foster a cooperative effort among the parents, school, and community.

Guidelines

Parent involvement activities developed at each school will include opportunities for 

  • volunteering; 

  • parent education; 

  • home support for child's education 

  • parent participation in school decision-making.

The school corporation will provide opportunities for professional development and resources for staff and parents/community regarding effective parent involvement practices.

Roles and Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the parent to:

  • actively communicate with school staff;

  • be aware of rules and regulations of the school;

  • take an active role in the child's education by reinforcing, at home, the skills and knowledge the student has learned in school; and

  • utilize opportunities for participation in school activities.

It is the responsibility of the staff to: develop and implement a school plan for parent involvement; 

  • promote and encourage parent involvement activities; 

  • effectively and actively communicate with all parents about skills, knowledge, and attributes student is learning in school and suggestions for reinforcement;

  • send information to parents of Title I children in a format and, to extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand;

  • coordinate and integrate parent involvement with other programs including Head Start, Early Reading First, Even Start, the Home Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters, the Parents as Teachers Program, and public preschool, and State ­run preschool programs;

  • conduct other activities, such as parent resource centers, that encourage and support parents in more fully participating in the education of their children. 

Community members who volunteer in the schools have the responsibility to:

  • be aware of the rules and regulations of the school;

  • utilize opportunities for participation in school activities

  • get a background check

It is the responsibility of the administration to:

  • facilitate and implement the Title I parent involvement policy and plan;

  • provide training and space for parent involvement activities;

  • provide resources to support successful parent involvement practices;

  • provide in-service education to staff regarding the value and use of contributions of parents and how to communicate with and work with parents as equal partners;

  • send information to parents of Title I children in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language, the parents can understand.