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“Change is the end result of all true learning.”
― Leo Buscaglia
The summer months are a great time to take a step back and evaluate your practices from the previous year. Seek to learn from all that your data, experiences and even mistakes over the course of this past year can tell you, and then ask hard questions. As you move into planning for the upcoming school year, what positive changes can be made to impact your students and your school community?
Evaluating the Implementation of the Schoolwide Plan
Title I schools operating schoolwide programs invest considerable time and effort analyzing data, articulating goals and developing a plan to put new strategies into action. But once in place, how can you know if the schoolwide plan is working?
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires a school operating a schoolwide program to annually evaluate the implementation and the achieved results of the schoolwide program. Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) 34 CFR 200.26(c) states that schools operating schoolwide programs must:
- Annually evaluate the implementation of, and results achieved by, the schoolwide program using data from the state's annual assessments and other indicators of academic achievement.
- Determine whether the schoolwide program has been effective in increasing the achievement of students in meeting the state's academic standards, particularly for those students who had been furthest from achieving the standards.
- Revise the plan, as necessary, based on the results of the evaluation to ensure continuous improvement of students in the schoolwide program.
The evaluation of the schoolwide plan is a valuable opportunity to compare the school's academic progress with the goals it established for itself in the comprehensive school improvement plan (CSIP), which serves as the Title I schoolwide plan required under ESSA 1114(b).
The results of an evaluation will help determine if the strategies supported with Title I funds are effectively contributing to the desired outcomes outlined in the CSIP. School leaders and stakeholders can use evaluation results to inform future decisions surrounding the schoolwide plan.
It is important to consider a wide variety of data sources when evaluating the effectiveness of the schoolwide plan. The effectiveness of program implementation goes beyond the quantitative data sources as state test scores, other formative and summative assessment data, number of discipline referrals and attendance records. Be sure to incorporate qualitative data sources such as feedback provided in surveys completed by teachers, students and parents.
Each individual data source provides a glimpse into one aspect of the program; however, analyzing multiple data sources together will provide a more comprehensive view of overall program effectiveness and inform next steps. For example, consider a new math program being used at a school. Test scores indicate the program has a positive impact on student achievement, but parent surveys show a significant amount of negative feedback surrounding the program. The quantitative data alone indicates that everything is going well and no changes are needed, whereas the qualitative data alone indicates the program isn’t working and needs to be changed. Looking at both data sources together indicates that although the program is working, additional support may be needed in helping parents understand and use the program.
Although not specifically required by ESSA, a written process for evaluating program implementation and effectiveness would help schools ensure consistency from year to year. Documenting how districts and schools meet requirements provides continuity during staff turnover and strong evidence that the school has a process in place for evaluating the program. The following factors may be beneficial to consider incorporating in a written evaluation process:
- Who participates in the evaluation process?
- What data will be analyzed?
- What guiding questions could be used to help staff during the data analysis process?
- How will evaluation results be shared with stakeholders?
A recently updated Title1Admin Smart Start article titled “Smart Start: Schoolwide Programs Evaluating the Schoolwide Plan” outlines guiding questions that could be used during the evaluation process. “Smart Start: Schoolwide Programs Evaluating the Schoolwide Plan” can be accessed at the Title1Admin.com webpage.
Summer Planning for the Title I Annual Meeting Requirement
Planning ahead is imperative to promote family involvement. Typically, schools host the Title I annual meeting early in the school year to get parents involved in their students' academic achievement. Using the annual meeting effectively can strategically set the tone for your families, leveraging the opportunity by encouraging families to play an active role in the school climate and culture.
These tips can maximize parent and family involvement when preparing for an annual Title I meeting:
Organize agenda. The purpose of the meeting is to inform parents about Title I programs and the right of families to be involved in their children's education as required by ESSA 1116(c)(1). The meeting should be facilitated by someone on staff who is familiar with the school’s Title I program. Some discussion topics could include:
- Basic information about the Title I, Part A program (what is it, how do schools qualify, etc.)
- Explanation of school curriculum and Title I, Part A programs used by the school.
- Information about state academic assessments, achievement levels of state assessments and the assessment forms used to measure student progress.
- Share the school and district family engagement policy and school-family compact. Note that families must be involved in the timely review of family engagement policies and compacts as well as the joint development of a Title I schoolwide program per ESSA 1116(c)(3), but this does not have to occur at the annual meeting.
- Explain the parents' right to be involved in decisions about the parent and family engagement program and provide input on how parent and family engagement funds should be spent.
Ensure high attendance. To boost parent attendance, integrate your Title I presentation into another popular back-to-school event, such as an open house. Additionally, to increase participation, ESSA allows Title I funds to be used for childcare and transportation to the annual meeting. Advertising the event through a variety of means also can help encourage attendance. Be sure to advertise the event through a variety of means, such as flyers, phone calls, emails and social media posts. Relying solely on social media to publicize school activities results in caregivers who don’t use social media not receiving information about their child’s school.
Maintain flexibility. The meeting should not be a one-off that only a few parents without work or family conflicts can attend. ESSA suggests holding a "flexible number of meetings," including options for morning and night meetings, to increase parental participation. School officials also could meet with parents at a convenient place, such as a church, library or community center.
Schools can arrange for in-home conferences with parents who cannot make the meetings per ESSA 1116(e)(10). Schools also may hold a regular series of meetings about Title I programs at parents' request. Posting information about Title I, Part A on the school website helps ensure parents can access the information at any time.
Offer accommodations. Provide information in a language that families can understand to the extent practicable as required by ESSA 1116(f). Don't forget to accommodate parents with disabilities. Schools can provide interpreters and assisted communication devices as necessary.
Keep proper documentation. Family engagement is required of all schools receiving Title I funds. Show fidelity by keeping records that may include:
- Publicity for the event, such as flyers, school newsletters or take-home messages.
- Sign-in sheets with parent signatures, time and date of meeting.
- Agenda, meeting handouts and minutes.
- Audio or video recordings of the meeting, which also could appear on the school website.
- Invoices and receipts for costs related to the meeting, such as childcare, transportation and light refreshments.
- Notes of parent disagreements, such as dissatisfaction with the Title I schoolwide program, to show engagement and meaningful, two-way communication.
Additional information and tips for the annual Title I meeting are available in the August 2022 Title I webinar.
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