Vick Elementary School

Annual Parent Open House/Title I Information Meeting

This document has been created to explain Title I. Please review this information carefully and let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you and your child this year!

What is Title I?

Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), provides financial assistance to local educational agencies and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.  

How are Title I funds used in a school?

Each school's School Improvement Team determines how Title I funds will be used each year. There are a variety of resources in which our school uses Title I funds, for example:

• personnel (to provide instructional support, tutoring, teacher assistants)
• materials (instructional supplies, computers, teacher resources)
• parent involvement activities and resources
• professional development activities and resources

The important thing to remember is that no one person makes decisions regarding how the funds are used. The School Improvement Team works together to ensure that Title I spending aligns with our School Improvement Plan and assists in meeting students’ needs and improving academic success.

What information may I request regarding my child’s teacher and/or teacher assistant?

As a Title I school, we must meet federal regulations related to teacher qualifications as defined in ESEA. These regulations allow you to learn more about your child’s teachers’ training and credentials. We are happy to provide this information for you. At any time, you may ask:

• Whether the teacher met state qualifications and certification requirements for the grade level and subject he/she is teaching,
• Whether the teacher received an emergency or conditional certificate through which state qualifications were waived, and
• What undergraduate or graduate degrees the teacher holds, including graduate certificates and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration.

You may also ask whether your child receives help from a paraprofessional.  If your child receives this assistance, we can provide you with information about the paraprofessional’s qualifications.  

We are very proud of the highly qualified staff at Vick Elementary, and believe they are prepared to provide the best educational opportunities for your child.

As a parent, how can I be involved in a Title I school?

Parents are an important part of Title I.  All Title I schools are required to keep parents informed regarding the progress of their children, as well as the overall progress of the school. Parents are invited and encouraged to give input and provide feedback regarding the following Title I requirements:  

• a written parent involvement policy;
• parent involvement meetings (Parent Academy Nights);
• school programs;
• school-parent agreement (compact) designed to improve individual student academic achievement;
• opportunities for parent involvement in the school to help parents understand academic expectations and assessments

What are academic achievement targets, and why are they important?

Title I schools must demonstrate progress towards the academic achievement goals which have been set for each school. Last year, VES made gains in all areas from the previous 2016-17 year, and met 4 out of 5 of its academic goals.

	2016-17 Performance	2017-18 Goals	2017-18 Performance
Reading Proficiency	20.6%	32.0%	32.4%
Math Proficiency	24.3%	28.6%	40.3%
Science Proficiency (5th Grade)	28.9%	46.7%	36.1%
Overall School Proficiency	20.6%	32.6%	36.3%

The School Improvement Team has established the following achievement targets for the 2018-19 school year:

	2018-19 Goals
Reading Proficiency	38.0%
Math Proficiency	34.6%
Science Proficiency (5th Grade)	52.7%
Overall School Proficiency	38.6%

How does the school ensure that resources, school programs and students’ needs are aligned?

Every Title I school is required to have a School Improvement Team (Leadership Team) comprised of administrators, teachers, teacher assistants, and parent representatives. This team assesses the needs of the school and how those needs impact student performance. They work together to ensure that our resources and programs are aligned and support student growth. The School Improvement Team at Vick Elementary for 2018-2019 is:

Name	Stakeholder Role	Team Role
Pamela Walthall	Principal	Administrator
David Lott	Assistant Principal	Administrator
Amy Thornton	School Improvement Grant Coach	Process Manager
LaQuita Farmer	Instructional Interventionist	Process Manager
Lauren Byrum	3rd Grade Teacher	SIT Chairperson
Shenika Davis	Literacy Teacher	Communications Chairperson
Tilketa Lynch	Kindergarten Teacher	Climate Chairperson
Jennifer Hornsby	5th Grade Teacher	Curriculum Chairperson
Dawn Pettway	4th Grade Teacher	Staff Development Chairperson
Helen Williams	1st Grade Teacher	Teacher of the Year
Davita Donson	Teacher Assistant	Teacher Assistant Representative
PTO Member	Parent	Parent Representative

What can I do to help?

It is important for parents and school staff to work together to help all students be successful. We encourage you to communicate with your child’s teacher and participate in activities hosted by the school. We also encourage you to do the following:

• review the School Improvement Plan and provide feedback (available in the front office- Mrs. Ellis)

• stay informed by reviewing information regarding your child’s progress and any ask questions you may have
• participate in parent conferences
• visit the Wilson County Schools website http://www.wilsonschoolsnc.net/ and The Vick Elementary School website http://vick.wilsonschoolsnc.net
• encourage your child to be a responsible learner by being prepared, following school behavior expectations and practicing good study habits

Teacher Name: ______________________________________ Grade_____________

My signature acknowledges that I have attended Vick Elementary School’s Annual Parent Open House Meeting and have received information regarding Title I regulations, funding, services and my rights as a parent of a student attending a Title I school.