• Title I Overview

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), formerly known as No Child Left Behind, provides assistance through federal dollars to improve educational opportunities for students attending Title I schools. This legislation supports school district's efforts to provide a strong standards-based educational program for students along with accountability for student achievement.

    In July 2012, Arizona was granted a Flexibility Request which allows Arizona flexibility in designing and implementing a school accountability system. Data from the Spring 2012 Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) in the areas of Reading and Mathematics are utilized in measuring student achievement. All students are expected to meet the same standards on AIMS including students with disabilities and English language learners. AIMS data are used to identify Title I schools as either Focus or Priority (lower designation) schools that demonstrate lower levels of academic progress. No schools in Â鶹Íø were identified as Priority schools, while four schools are Focus schools. With that identification, schools must meet certain requirements, including those related to school improvement needs.

    All Â鶹Íø schools, both with and without Title I programs, conduct a needs assessment, analyze data from multiple sources, identify goals and update the school's Continuous Improvement Plan accordingly. Underlying the goals in these plans is an ongoing focus on meeting the needs of all learners with increasing student achievement for every child, every day, every opportunity.

    For information regarding Title I schools, Continuous Improvement Plans, or Focus Schools, please contact Dr. Lynn Vineyard, Title I Administrator, at 602-347-2680, or via e-mail at Lynn.Vineyard@wesdschools.org. 

    Title I Parent Involvement Procedures

    Meaningful parental involvement is a Washington Elementary School District value. Meaningful parental involvement is defined as: 1) parent participation that supports the instructional program, 2) parent participation in the school-related decision making, and 3) parent participation that supports school/District-related activities. The establishment of this goal allows the District to meet Federal and State parental involvement requirements.

    Parents need to be involved in creating policy that establishes expectations for parental involvement and the means for carrying out the requirements. To this end, the Â鶹Íø offers the following opportunities:
    • Annual meetings held on all campuses.
    • School Site Council meetings held monthly to seek input.
    • Communication avenues such as parent surveys, newsletters, parenting classes pamphlet, and written description of programs.
    • PTO/PTA/PTSA meetings held periodically. 
    As part of the Title I parental involvement policy (Section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965), each school receiving Title I funds, will develop a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share responsibility for improving student achievement. Also, each Title I school must jointly develop and distribute its own written parental involvement policy. This policy will specify that the school will:
    • Convene an annual meeting to explain the Title I program.
    • Offer a flexible number of meetings.
    • Involve parents in the planning, review, and improvement of Title I programs.
    • Provide timely information about the school curricula, assessment data, and student achievement.
    • Provide parents with an opportunity to submit dissenting views to the Â鶹Íø.
    • Review compacts and parental involvement policies annually. To ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the schools, parents and community in improving student achievement, the District and schools shall provide the capacity for involvement. The Washington Elementary School District provides capacity for involvement through:
    • Opportunities for participation on District-level Planning and Steering and Facilities Councils as well as a variety of other ad-hoc committees.
    • Parental involvement activities that include volunteering to serving on school council/committees.
    • Parenting classes offered through a variety of programs, including Title I, and Title VII.
    • Communication vehicles such as Home-School Connection, School Site Council monthly meetings, and annual Title I meetings.
    • Collaboration between programs established through parent-staff meetings held which involve parents of Title I, Title VII, ELL and Indian Education students. Reviewed and revised at Planning and Steering Council Meeting: December 12, 2006.