Office of Title I Services
Educational Center
8 West Main Street
North Adams, MA 01247
Title I
Title I, the largest federally funded education program, provides resources to eligible school districts. Title I staff assists the districts and schools in their efforts to provide services that address identified student needs. Programs use scientifically based research methods to enable low performing students to achieve the State learning standards.
Purpose and Overview:
Title I is intended to help ensure that all students have the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards and assessments. As the largest federal program supporting elementary and secondary education (funded at $11.6 billion nationally and at $260 million in Massachusetts in FY 2004), Title I targets these resources to the districts and schools where the needs are greatest. Title I provides funding that may be used to provide additional (supplemental to state and locally-funded programs and services) instructional staff, professional development, extended-time programs, and other strategies for raising student achievement in high-poverty schools. The program focuses on promoting school-wide reform in high-poverty schools and ensuring students' access to scientifically-based instructional strategies and challenging academic content. Title I provisions provide a mechanism for holding states, school districts, and schools accountable for improving the academic achievement of all students and turning around low-performing schools, while providing alternatives to students in such schools to enable those students to receive a high-quality education.
Parental Involvement:
Title I, Part A provides information and guidance on activities, procedures, and programs to involve parents with children in the program in a meaningful and sustained manner. School districts must have a written parent involvement policy, seek parental input on how funds are to be spent for parent activities, have a shared responsibility for high student achievement, and provide opportunities to build parents' capacity through training.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
- Accountability: No Child Left Behind holds schools and school districts accountable for results.
- School District Report Cards: No Child Left Behind gives parents report cards so they can see which schools in their district are succeeding and why. With this information, No Child Left Behind gives parents, community leaders, teachers, principals, and elected leaders the information they need.
- Public School Choice: No Child Left Behind may let you transfer your child to another public school if the state says that your child's school is "in need of improvement." The district is responsible for contacting parents if this option is available.
- Extra Help with Learning: No Child Left Behind may also provide your child with free tutoring and extra help with schoolwork if the state says your child's school has been "in need of improvement" for at least 2 years. This extra help is often referred to as Supplemental Educational Services. Again the district is required to contact parents when this option exists.
- Parental Involvement: No Child Left Behind requires schools to develop ways to get parents more involved in their child's education and in improving the school. Contact your child's school or the LINCS Parent Center at 664-7512 to find out how you can get involved.
- Measuring Knowledge: No Child Left Behind requires states to test your child in reading and math every year in grades 3-8. Your child will also be tested at least once in high school. The tests will help you, your child, and your child's teachers know how well your child is learning and when he or she needs extra help.
- Scientifically Based Research: No Child Left Behind focuses on teaching methods that have been proven by research to work.
- Reading First: Reading First is the part of No Child Left Behind that is dedicated to ensuring all children learn to read on grade level by the third grade. Reading First provides money to states and many school districts to support high quality reading programs based on the best scientific research. North Adams Public School has two schools that receive Reading First funds: Sullivan and Brayton Elementary Schools. Thanks to a Massachusetts Dept. of Ed John Silber grant, Greylock Elementary School has the same resources that Reading First has provided to Brayton and Sullivan.
- Teacher Quality: No Child Left Behind provides funding to help teachers learn to be better teachers.
Terms Every Parent Needs to Know
- Title I - This is the part of No Child Left Behind that supports programs in schools and school districts to improve the learning of children from low-income families. The U.S. Department of Education provides Title I funds to states to give to school districts based on the number of children from low-income families in each district.
- State Assessments - This refers to the tests developed by your state that your child will take every year in grades 3-8 and at least once in high school.
- Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) - This is the term No Child Left Behind uses to explain that your child's school has met state reading and math goals.
- School in Need of Improvement - This is the term No Child Left Behind uses to refer to schools receiving Title I funds that have not met state reading and math goals (AYP) for at least two years. If your child's school is labeled a "school in need of improvement," your child may have the option to transfer to another public school. Also, your child may be eligible to receive free tutoring and extra help with schoolwork. The district is responsible for contacting parents to advise them if these options are available.
- Supplemental Educational Services (SES) - This is the term No Child Left Behind uses to refer to the tutoring and extra help with schoolwork in subjects such as reading and math that children from low-income families may be eligible to receive. This help is provided free of charge and generally takes place outside the regular school day, such as after school or during the summer. The district will contact parents to advise them if this option exists.
- Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) - This is the term No Child Left Behind uses for a teacher who proves that he or she knows the subjects he or she is teaching, has a college degree, and is state-certified. No Child Left Behind requires that your child be taught by a Highly Qualified Teacher in core academic subjects.
For more information on Title I regulations or NCLB visit the Massachusetts Department of Education's website at http://www.doe.mass.edu/titlei/
Administration, Volunteer and Parent Staff
Sarah (Sally) Goodrich
Reading Specialist
Director of the Title I Services
District Contact for No Child Left Behind
District Coordinator for Reading First & John Silber Grants
Telephone:
(413) 662-3054 Ext. 12
Sheila Cooke Title I Project Coordinator (413) 662-2459 Jill Pompi
Reading Specialist
Elementary Literacy Coordinator
Language Circle Project Read Trainer(413) 662-3054 Ext. 11
Sue Beauchamp Director LINCS Parent Center (413) 664-7512 Carole Hilderbrand Volunteer Coordinator (413) 664-7512 Teaching Staff Brayton Elementary School Phone: (413) 662-3260 Teachers Bednarz, Gerry
Reading Specialist
Reading First Coach(413) 662-3073
Christine Alberti Reading Specialist Patricia Willette
Wilson Reading System In-House Trainer & Read Naturally Trainer Lisa Tanner Math Coach Michelle Dodig
Marcia FarinonJoyce Fruscio DIBELS Mentor Tutors
Jamie Hall
Melissa ZepkaELL Tutor
Carla RougeauGreylock Elementary School Phone: (413) 662-3255 Teachers Jeff Howe John Silber Reading Coach Susan Frew
Susan Frost
Kelly LawlorTutor Sullivan Elementary School Phone: (413) 662-3250 Teachers Bernie Eastman
Reading Specialist
Reading First Coach(413) 662-3210
Christine Alberti
Mark Chichetto
Lynn Moiseff
Deborah SpragueTutors
Allison Czarnicki
Denise BombardProgram Consultants Judith Loughlin IDEAL Consulting Viola Moriarty English Language Learner (413) 662-3076 Marcy Devanney
Former Title I Director
/Project CoordinatorComputer Technicians
John Longtin
Michael LongtinTransportation
Mike Boyer
Richard Ramsdell
