 |
|
To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.
Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.
|
As a Title 1 school, Brookfield Elementary uses its additional funding to support both reading and math instruction. We've hired specialists in these areas to meet with students, provide interventions and provide professional learning for teachers. Below is information about what the Title 1 program is and what parents' rights are.
Title I is the nation’s largest assistance program for schools. It provides funding to supplement educational opportunities for children who are most at risk and increasing student achievement in schools selected on the basis of the economic level of families. The primary focus is to ensure student access to provide all children significant opportunities to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps
The Purpose of Title I is to improve student achievement through:
- Effective Instruction
- Professional Development
- Family Involvement
How are schools selected for Title I?
- FCPS leadership ranks schools in accordance with federal program guidelines
- Schools are identified for Title I funds based on the percentage (55% or higher) of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals (or Schools are identified for Title I funds annually based on their percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals).
- There are 50 FCPS Title I schools (FCPS Title I Schools)
What are the requirements of Title I schools?
- Conduct an Annual Comprehensive Needs Assessment
- Develop a schoolwide plan to address their community’s unique needs
- Conduct a Title I Annual Parent Meeting
- Develop a Family Engagement School Policy and Compact
- Provide Right to Know notification to Parents of their rights
- Provide information regarding the district’s hiring of Highly Qualified Staff
- Communicate Student Progress and Achievement
- Implement effective Parent and Family Engagement Strategies
- Distribute Title Parent Survey yearly to solicit feedback on parenting programs and initiatives.
How can Title I money be used?
FCPS and Title I schools use funds to implement a program that meets the needs of ALL students. Title I money can be used to:
- Provide after school or summer school programs
- Hiring of staff and Resource teachers
- Professional Development of teachers or other staff
- Buy equipment and learning materials
- Strategies to implement effective parent and family engagement
- Pay for transportation and child care to offer parental meetings at various times
What are my rights as a Title I parent?
- Parents have the right to be involved in the development and implementation of the family engagement plan
- Parents have the right to ask about credentials of teachers and instructional assistants in their child’s classroom.
- Parents have the right to ask about Title I services with information on the following: 1) Title I programs; 2) the school’s curriculum; 3) assessment measures; and 4) their children’s proficiency level.
How can parents be involved at schools?
- Attend Open House/Annual Title Meeting
- Attend Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Participate in workshops/informational meetings
- Participate in the review process for required documentation by giving feedback regarding, Family Engagement School Policy and Compact
- Join any school-wide committee, such as PTA, TPAC, etc.
- Participate in field trips, class activities/projects, or volunteer programs
- Complete Title I Parent Surveys
- Volunteer in child’s classroom
- Provide feedback to administration
What can parents do to support their child ?
- Review upcoming assignments and test dates with your student.
- Ask your student questions and maintain open lines of communication with their teachers.
- Provide a place and time at home for homework
- Talk each day with your child about his/her activities
- Promote literacy by reading to your child
- Provide activities that enrich and relate mathematics to daily life
- Attend parent-teacher conferences, Open House and Back-To-School events
- Participate in decisions that affect your child’s education
How can I learn more about Title 1 in FCPS?
You can visit the FCPS website here.
Parents' Rights at a Title 1 School
Brookfield Elementary is a school receiving federal Title I grant funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. As part of the federal guidelines for Title I, your child’s school has specific expectations for student performance and teacher qualifications. You can find information on how your child’s school is meeting these expectations by viewing the http://schoolquality.virginia.gov/.To access your school’s profile, type Brookfield in the search field. If you would like a paper copy of this profile, please call the school at 703-814-8700.
ESSA allows parents in schools receiving Title I grant funds to ask for information about state and local policies regarding student participation in required tests and about parents’ rights to refuse testing for their children. Information about required tests at each grade level can be located at https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/performance-and-accountability/student-tests-and-assessments Information about parents’ rights related to testing can be located at https://www.fcps.edu/student-tests-and-assessments/assessment-information
Additionally, ESSA allows parents in schools receiving Title I grant funds to ask for certain information about their children’s teachers. Parents may ask for the teacher’s:
- College and graduate school preparation, including degrees and major fields of study for each degree
- Licensure status, including subject and grade level endorsements, and whether those licenses meet the requirements for teachers of their child’s subject or grade level.
Parents may also ask for information about the qualifications of any instructional assistants who provide services to their children.
If you would like to receive any of this information about your child’s teacher or instructional assistant, please write to the FCPS Human Resources Licensure Office at the address below. In order for your request to be fulfilled, you must include: your child’s full name, the name of your child’s school, and the name of the teacher or instructional assistant about whom you would like information. Here is the address:
Fairfax County Public Schools
Human Resources Licensure Office
8115 Gatehouse Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
More information about the Title I grant in FCPS can be found at https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/performance-and-accountability/title-i , including details about teacher quality in schools receiving Title I grant funds (found under the “High Quality Staff in Title I Schools” link). If you have questions about how the Title I grant supports Brookfield, please contact Mr. Anthony Ramakis.
Parent and Family Engagement Policy and Compact
Purpose of this Policy and Compact
Efforts will be made to clearly articulate the school’s intentions to engage with and involve parents/caregivers in the educational process.
Brookfield Elementary is a Title I school within Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) and utilizes the Title I grant to improve student achievement and help all students meet the objectives of the FCPS Program of Studies and the Virginia Standards of Learning. A partnership with families is essential to meeting this goal.
Under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, schools that receive Title I funds are expected to collaborate with families to develop and maintain a parent and family engagement policy that describes the school’s approach to involve families in students’ learning and includes a compact expressing the partnerships among staff, caregivers, and students to reach high academic goals for every student.
Brookfield Elementary jointly developed this policy and compact with members of the school community and adopted it for the 2024-2025 school year. Several of the provisions specifically address state or federal expectations for the policy and compact.
This policy and compact is shared with all caregivers in a language that families can understand. Caregivers have opportunities to provide comments and feedback on the policy and compact through a Google Form linked here in English or in Spanish, or by contacting a representative at the school. Comments are submitted with the school’s policy and compact to FCPS central offices and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). This policy and compact are made available to the broader school community through the school website.
Important Dates
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Progress Report Distribution
- First Quarter: November 12, 2024
- Second Quarter: February 4, 2025
- Third Quarter: April 7, 2025
- Fourth Quarter: June 10, 2025
School Events
- New Family Tour - Aug. 8
- Open House - Aug. 16
- Back To School Night - Sept. 19
- AAP Information Session: Oct. 1
- Cookies and Canvases - Nov. 15
- Winter Carnival - Dec. 14
- Winter Chorus Concert - Dec. 18
- Science Night - Mar. 6
- Chantilly Art Show - Mar. 28
- International Night - Apr. 4
- Field Day - Apr. 10 and 11
- Book Fair: April 7 - 11
- 4th Grade Strings Concert - Apr. 24
- Brookfield Talent Night - Apr. 25
- Spring Chorus Concert - Apr. 28
- 5/6 Grade Strings Concert - Apr. 30
- 5/6 Grade Band Concert - May 1
Building Capacity for Engagement
Efforts will be made to ensure parents/caregivers are actively involved in the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the school’s Title I program, including the following:
- Provide family members a voice in decision-making on committees, such as the school innovation and improvement plan committee and the family engagement team.
- Engage caregiver input when developing the School Improvement and Innovation Plan (SIIP), Comprehensive Needs Assessment, the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy and Compact, and plans for the use of Title I family engagement funding.
- Seek feedback from families on programs within the SIIP, offer multiple methods for caregivers to submit comments about programs they may not find satisfactory, and submit any such comments with SIIP to FCPS central offices.
- Invite family members to help in organizing and executing a variety of school events to build collective ownership, such as Field Day, Curriculum Night, and Book Fair.
- Provide opportunities for caregivers to volunteer within the school in various ways, such as helping with the Fresh Pack program, supporting the PTA, working in the library or production room, and volunteering in classrooms.
- Encourage families to take part in the annual evaluation of the division-level Title I parent and family engagement policy in order to identify:
- barriers to greater family participation,
- ways to help family members be better able to assist in student learning, and
- strategies to support successful school and family interactions.
Effective Communication with Parents
Efforts will be made to ensure parents/caregivers receive meaningful communication in a timely manner, including the following:
- Use multiple methods of communication with families such as Talking Points, newsletters, phone calls, emails, and conferences.
- Encourage all caregivers to attend an annual meeting on November 15th, to share information about Title I services, explain Title I grant requirements, and inform families of their right to be involved in the school.
- Share school and student performance data with families in ways that seek their ideas about how to improve performance toward Virginia’s challenging academic standards, such as parent coffees and parent conferences.
- Provide opportunities throughout the year for families to better understand the school’s goals for students and find ways to improve student learning by collaboratively developing plans for enrichment and intervention.
- Maintain resources for caregivers to review student assignments and ongoing communication about student work, such as sending student work samples home, inviting families to PBL presentations of learning, and sharing intervention progress monitoring, interims, and progress reports to families.
- Provide ongoing feedback on student progress through quarterly progress reports that show specific areas of proficiency and areas for continued growth.
- Hold parent-teacher conferences for all students at least annually in the fall and more often, as needed.
Shared Responsibilities for High Academic Achievement
Efforts will be made to ensure parents/caregivers receive materials, training, and benefits from school partnerships with social and academic services, community organizations, and businesses, including the following:
- Hold workshops connecting caregivers to tools and resources, such as Resource Night which bridges families with support from local government agencies.
- Offer regular opportunities for families to learn directly from school staff about the school’s academic, behavioral, and social programming through parent coffees, evening seminars, or curriculum nights.
- Encourage participation in family learning events where caregivers learn strategies to support their child’s learning at home and have a chance to practice those strategies with their child, such as the Loving Solutions Course and the Hispanic Early Literacy Program.
- Provide ongoing access to resources in the school, such as our family center and family liaison.
- Provide mentors for students through Brookfield’s mentoring program.
- Provide opportunities to donate and access supplies donated by others, such as the Winter Coat Closet, Fresh Pack (weekly food program), and the Magic School Bus (school supplies in the fall).
- Support parents in accessing county and community resources, such as Fairfax County Office for Children, Fairfax County Public Library Services, Boys and Girls Club of Chantilly
- Offer outreach and training for targeted families, such as Loving Solutions (parenting skills) and the Hispanic Early Literacy program
Welcoming All Families
Efforts will be made to ensure that all parents/caregivers are welcomed and provided opportunities to actively engage within the school, including the following:
- Create a welcoming atmosphere at the school with courteous faculty and staff, parent-friendly signs, student helpers/SCA representatives, and the availability of resources in multiple languages.
- Provide interpretation services for parent-teacher conferences, workshops, and meetings.
- Translate or provide interpretation of all school documents and communication to make them accessible in the caregiver’s preferred correspondence language and for those with vision or hearing impairments.
- Support two-way communication between families and staff through the assistance of a parent liaison for Open House/Back to School Events, parent-teacher conferences, and parent resource workshops.
- Expand access for family participation in informational meetings and learning sessions through PTA meetings, PTA Events, and parent resource workshops.
Compact Provisions
School staff, parents/caregivers, and students must work together to ensure student success.
The staff will:
Provide a high-quality curriculum and instruction that enables students to meet challenging academic standards through the following actions:
- Teach all students according to the state’s challenging standards, using an approved curriculum
- Provide ongoing professional development and support to all teachers to ensure effective instructional practices are used in all classrooms.
- Participate in professional development opportunities that improve teaching and learning.
- Actively engage students through interesting and challenging lessons that promote enhanced student achievement.
- Continually assess students to ensure they understand essential knowledge and are academically challenged.
- Differentiate learning experiences to meet a range of students’ needs and levels.
- Consistently work with families and school colleagues to make school accessible and welcoming places for families.
Provide a supportive and effective learning environment for students through the following actions:
- Provide clear expectations for student behavior and academic learning.
- Offer a variety of resources to help students with their learning.
- Nurture our diverse community of learners by modeling and teaching respect for individual and cultural differences.
- Communicate regularly with each student’s parents and collaborate with other staff members to support each child.
Provide assistance to caregivers in understanding the school’s program through the following actions:
- Hold an annual meeting to present information on the school’s Title I programs, state and division curriculum and assessments, and the school’s state and federal accountability status.
- Provide multiple opportunities for caregivers to ask questions and give input in the Title I program(s)
- Consistently work with families and school colleagues to make school an accessible and welcoming place for families.
Build caregivers’ involvement in the school’s Title I program through the following actions:
- Include caregivers as members of the School Improvement and Innovation Planning (SIIP) Committee and as collaborators in developing the SIIP and plans for the use of Title I family engagement funds.
- Include caregivers in the Title I annual meeting.
The parents/caregivers will:
Demonstrate understanding that participation in my child’s education will help his or her achievement through the following actions:
- Participate in decisions related to school programs and my child’s education and share my questions or comments about the programs in my child’s school.
- Volunteer in my child’s classroom or in school activities, as my schedule allows.
- Encourage and support my child’s learning at home and at school.
- Send my child to school daily, on time, well rested, and prepared with assignments.
- Talk with my child daily about school; set high expectations for academic achievement and respectful behavior.
- Monitor homework assignments and provide assistance if necessary.
- Review all school communications and respond promptly.
- Encourage reading, writing, and math activities at home.
- Support school activities and events to enhance the community and reinforce positive attitudes about education.
- Attend school events, workshops, and meetings, and when appropriate, participate in decision-making and leadership opportunities at school.
- Communicate with school staff and request assistance, as needed, to support my child’s progress.
The student will:
Share the responsibility to improve my academic learning to achieve the state’s challenging standards through the following actions:
- Get enough sleep every night.
- Come to school on time unless I am sick.
- Try my hardest and work with my classmates to complete learning tasks.
- Give my parents all the notes and papers from my teacher.
- Come to school on time every day, prepared and ready to learn.
- Be responsible for my own work and behavior, always trying to do my best.
- Follow school rules, participate in classroom activities, and take responsibility for my learning.
- Communicate regularly with my parents and teachers about school experiences so that they can help me to be successful in school.
- Be respectful of school staff, other students, and school property.
- Complete my homework and class work assignments and turn them in on time.
- Be a cooperative learner and ask for help if needed.
|
