October 6, 2014, Pierre
Register now: southdakota.gosignmeup.com
Course Title: Title I – New Director’s Training.

A survey MUST be completed for each Title I school in a district by the school principal. Please check with district/school administration to see if this has been completed. If not, please go to this link and complete the survey online. It is due no later than Sept. 1, 2014.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/14-15_Self_Evaluation_Survey

Don’t forget report card requirements
Report Care Requirements
Quick Checklist

While South Dakota has an ESEA Flexibility waiver, and has flexibility from several provisions of NCLB, all districts that receive Title I, Part A funds must still prepare and disseminate annual report cards.
Key elements include:
  • Achievement data: Include state reading and language arts, mathematics, and science assessment results, including students with disabilities who take alternative assessments (if available).
  • College-going and college credit-accumulation rates: SEAs with ESEA Flexibility must report annually on the college-going and college credit-accumulation rates by subgroup and for each high school in the state.
  • Graduation rates: Include high school-level four-year adjusted cohort graduation rates, and if desired, use extended-year rate or rates as part of your "other academic indicators." Show how your graduation rates compare to other students in the state.
  • Teacher quality data: Include qualifications for all teachers, the percentage of teachers with emergency or provisional licensure, and the percentage of classes in core academic subjects in the state not taught by highly qualified teachers in the aggregate and also disaggregated by high-poverty compared to low-poverty schools.
  • NAEP data: Report the percentage of students at each achievement level on NAEP in reading and mathematics for grades 4 and 8 for all students and by subgroup. Also report the participation rates for ELLs and students with disabilities.

Do maintain distinct parent involvement policies
Even if your district is composed of a single school, you still need to have both district- and school-level parent involvement policies as there are specific district responsibilities and activities and certain school responsibilities and activities.

District policies
According to ESEA, a district policy includes six elements:
  • How parents will be involved in developing the district's plan and process for school review and improvement.
  • How the district will provide technical assistance to schools to develop and implement parental involvement activities.
  • What the district's plan is for building parents' and schools' capacity for strong parental involvement.
  • How the district will coordinate Title I parental involvement strategies with other federal education programs.
  • How the district will conduct an annual evaluation of how parent involvement strategies are being used to improve student performance.
  • How parents will be involved in activities in Title I schools.

School policies
A school policy should address the school's plans to:
  • Conduct the Title I annual meeting;
  • Provide a flexible number of meetings and related parent involvement services;
  • Involve parents in parent involvement policy and school improvement planning;
  • Offer timely information on Title I programs, curriculum, and opportunities for regular meetings to provide feedback and help make decisions;
  • Share and revise the Title I compact;
  • Help parents understand state standards, Title I requirements, and ways to monitor their children's progress and assist in their children's education;
  • Provide parent involvement trainings and materials;
  • Offer training for staff on effective parent involvement strategies;
  • Coordinate parent involvement with other federal education programs; and
  • Offer information in a format and language that parents can understand.
  • Do incorporate arts education in Title I programs
  • Don’t use poverty to determine eligibility in targeted assistance schools.

Each school district must designate a liaison to identify and work with children and youth who qualify as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act. All school district employees have a responsibility to help identify qualifying students.

A qualifying child or youth is a person who lacks fixed, adequate or regular housing. Failure to meet even one of these three definitions qualifies the person as homeless. For more information view a document on determining eligibility.
http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/det_elig.pdf

Homeless situations in South Dakota arise from different situations. In many areas of the state, we lack enough housing leading to families doubling up. In nearly all the state, we lack affordable housing (cost of housing is greater than 30% of income). Consequently, many people lack the resources to maintain steady housing.

Other, often overlooked, qualifying circumstances are flooded homes, homes destroyed by fire, homes damaged by snow such as a roof collapsing, and extended power outages forcing families to leave their homes. Families leaving their homes because of abuse are also homeless; families in domestic violence shelters are homeless. Yes, all of these situations lead to families leaving their homes and unable to immediately secure permanent housing. We do have these situations in South Dakota and in every district.

Families moved to temporary shelters or placed in motels for a couple days by the Red Cross are homeless. Temporary housing is not permanent housing as it is not “regular”. We must be aware that the M-V definition of homeless is more encompassing than our conception that homelessness only means living on the streets.

So why is it important to identify qualifying children and youth? Well, because the families are under great stress – emotional and financial. These children will find it very difficult to keep up with their classmates. Can you imagine how difficult it would be for you or your children to live an insecure life? Academics fall way behind in priority when clothing and housing are lacking and there is food insecurity. The school may be the most stable component of a child’s life plus food is provided at the school. Let’s all work together and ensure that all qualifying students are identified and provided with services. Should believe that you are working with a qualifying student, please contact the Title I Director or the McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison for your school district and that person will look into the situation.

Laura.Johnson-Frame@state.sd.us 605-773-2491

ESEA Title X, Part C also known as Subtitle B, Section 722(g)(1)(J)(ii) requires each school district in South Dakota to designate an appropriate staff person to serve as a liaison for students in homeless situations.

Under this statute, liaisons must ensure that:
• Children and youth in homeless situations are identified
• Students enroll in, and have full and equal opportunity to succeed in, the schools of the district. Defined as enrollment within 24 hours.
• Families, children, and youth receive educational services for which they are eligible.
• Parents or guardians are informed of educational and related opportunities available to their children and are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.
• Public notice of the educational rights of students in homeless situations is disseminated where children and youth receive services.
• Enrollment disputes are mediated in accordance with the Enrollment Disputes section of the McKinney-Vento Act.
• Parents and guardians and unaccompanied youth are fully informed of all transportation services, including to the school of origin, and are assisted in accessing transportation services.
• Liaisons must assist children and youth who do not have immunizations or immunization or medical records to obtain necessary immunizations or immunization or medical records.
• Liaisons must help unaccompanied youth choose and enroll in a school, after considering the youths’ wishes, and provide youth with notice of their right to appeal an enrollment decision that is not their choice.
• Liaisons must ensure that unaccompanied youth are immediately enrolled in school pending resolution of disputes that might arise over school enrollment or placement.
• Liaisons must collaborate and coordinate with the State Coordinator
• Districts must inform school personnel, service providers, and advocates who work with families in homeless situations of the duties of the school district homeless liaison.
• Liaisons must collaborate with the Title I director/administrator in their district as all qualifying students are entitled to Title I services or Title I like services in non-Title I schools.

The SD Department of Education is seeking persons to serve on an advisory committee.

South Dakota, along with every other state, maintains a Committee of Practitioners (COP) as defined in Section 1903(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Committee members serve in an advisory capacity and are appointed by Secretary Schopp to fill three-year positions as defined in the Federal statutes.

The committee is composed of teachers, administrators, parents, school board members, private school representatives, other educators, and pupil services personnel such as counselors. Members are also chosen based on regional representation, plus involvement in Title supported programs such as migrant, homeless and neglected/delinquent.

Each state has a State Plan for implementation of the requirements of Title I defined in Section 1111(c)(11) of ESEA. The COP provides input into the plan including the ESEA Waiver and Waiver Amendments, Focus and Priority School Guidance, Academy of Pace Setting Districts, SD LEAP (Indistar©), Multi-Tiered System of Support, and all Title I related programs.

The committee meets in person twice a year in the fall and in June. Phone call meetings are held as needed. Minutes of past meetings may be found at doe.sd.gov/oess/cop.aspx

As an advisory committee, members are not compensated for their time, however, all expenses are paid. If you are interested in serving on the committee or want more information, contact Shannon.Malone@state.sd.us. Along with other areas of representation, the committee is seeking additional parent representation, a private school representative (private school must be served by Title I), and a public school teacher in a Title I school in Central South Dakota. Self-nominations are appropriate or districts may wish to nominate someone to the position. The Department Secretary has final authority on appointment.

To find an application, a list of current members, and committee guidelines go to doe.sd.gov/oess/cop.aspx