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Gordon Parks High School�Title I Annual Meeting�2023-2024

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What is Title I?

United States Federal Government’s largest education program to support public schools.

The Purpose:

To help every child receive a high quality education and to achieve the high academic standards set by the State of Minnesota.

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How is Title I funded?

Title I funds flow from the U.S. Department of Education to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). Then to the school district based on poverty data.

The district allocates Title I funds to schools based on the percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch.

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Eligible Schools in 2023-2024

54 elementary, secondary, and alternative schools in Saint Paul receive Title 1 funds.

Schools with a concentration 40% or more of the students eligible to receive free or reduced priced lunch receive title I funding. The percentage can change each year

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Title I in the Schools

Each school decides how Title I funds will be used in their school to improve education for all children.

Data is reviewed to determine the greatest need for improvement in the school.
The school staff, with the input of parents, develops a school improvement plan with specific strategies to improve student achievement across the school.
Teachers, administrators and parents work together to prioritize how Title I funds will be used to support the school’s strategies to improve education for all students.

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Our School Continuous Improvement Plan

Our school continuous improvement strategies are:

Increase math and English credit passing rates using Math Review and Project Based Learning
Create positive behavior intervention systems in the classroom and schoolwide to improve school climate and reduce behaviors

SCIPs are continuously monitored, reviewed and revised based implementation and student data. Input from parents in that process is valuable.

Title I funds may be used for activities and strategies designed to raise the achievement of low-achieving students identified by a school’s needs assessment and articulated in the school’s comprehensive schoolwide plan or in SPPS the School Continuous Improvement Plan (SCIP).

Q: How does your school continuous improvement plan address these three components?

Meeting the educational needs of historically underserved populations; and
Addressing the needs of all students but particularly the needs of low-achieving students and those at risk of not meeting the State’s standards who are members of the target population of any program included in the schoolwide plan.
A schoolwide program must provide effective, timely additional assistance to students who experience difficulty mastering the State’s academic achievement standards.

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Involving Parents in Title I Schools

Parents and teachers working together to support each student’s learning is powerful.

Schools are required to �plan how they will involve �parents in the education �of their children. Here is how!

Family Engagement Plan
School Compact

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Working Together in Partnership!

The Family Engagement Plan is developed, revised, and evaluated with families each year.

The plan describes how schools will:

reach out to parents & guardians of GPHS students
work with and support parents in their child’s education.

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Working together in partnership!

Schools and parents must also work together to develop a Compact. The compact describes how the school and parents will work together to support students’ learning.

We would like to review and hear ideas about the compact today at conferences. Please email us with suggestions.

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How does Title I support families?

Remove barriers so all parents can participate!

Provide translations and interpreters during school meetings and educational activities.
Provide child care.
Hire a parent liaison to help facilitate parent engagement activities and support parents.

Parents can help decide how our school uses

our parent engagement funds: Here are some

ways funds can be used to support families.

Provide support to parents:

Offer parenting classes for parents.
Host activities to assist parents in helping their children learn.
Provide classes to support parents knowledge (family literacy, English, etc.)

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School Improvement Designation

Every three years the state identifies schools in need of improvement. Our designation is Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI)

To find out more about the reporting system visit the Identification Process page on the Minnesota Department of Education website.

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Curriculum Used at Gordon Parks

Midway Peace Park project
Field Trips
Partnership with Soultouch Productions
Building capacity around Project-based Learning
Contextualized Math instruction
Mathematics Expectations - Minnesota State Standards
Secondary - Secondary Expectations
Literacy Expectations – – Minnesota State Standards

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Assessments at Gordon Parks

Students earn credit towards graduation every three weeks, which allows for assessments often. In class, teachers use the follow assessments.

formative assessments, writing portfolio, formative assessments.

In addition, students have standardized assessments:

ACT, MCA, ACCESS for ELL
Link to district test calendar.

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Parents have the right…

Request information about the qualifications of your child’s teacher.�
Be notified if your child is being taught for more than four consecutive weeks by a teacher not licensed in the area of instruction.

To receive progress reports for your child and the school.

Check parent portal
Contact school for updates
Like our FB page
Reports as requested�

Help decide if the school is meeting your child’s needs and offer suggestions for improvement.

Your Right to Know Notices

ESEA directs schools and districts to notify parents about four key requirements of a Title I, Part A program.

1. Professional qualifications of teachers and paraprofessionals who instruct

2. Notification if your child’s teacher is not highly qualified

3. Individual report card that lets you know how your child is progressing

4. Notification that the school has entered school improvement status.

Your Right to Know —Professional Qualifications of Teachers

Parents of children, who attend schools that receive Title I, Part A funding, have the right to request and receive information about the qualifications of the educators who teach their children in the core subjects. The same applies to paraprofessionals who instruct.

At a minimum, the information you receive must provide information on these 3 essential components of an educator’s qualifications.

Whether or not the teacher met state qualifications and certification requirements for the grade level and subject(s) he or she is teaching,

Whether or not the teacher has an emergency or conditional certificate by which state qualifications were waived.

What undergraduate and graduate degree(s) the teacher holds, including graduate certificates and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration.

Your Right to Know—Qualifications of Paraprofessionals Who Instruct

You have the right to know and request information about Paraprofessionals who instruct in a Targeted Assistance Title I school who are paid all or in part with Title I funds and all paraprofessionals in a Schoolwide Title 1 school including paraprofessionals supporting students receiving special education services.

Paraprofessionals who work in a Title I program must meet federal qualification requirements.

All paraprofessionals who work in the Title I program must have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Paraprofessionals who assist with instruction must meet additional requirements in one of three ways:

Option A: Completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education (a minimum of 60 semester credits or the amount required to complete two years of full-time enrollment as defined by the institution attended); or

Option B: Obtained an associate's (or higher) degree; or

Option C: Demonstrate, through a formal state or local academic assessment, knowledge of and the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing, and mathematics (or, as appropriate, readiness for each of these subject areas). This third option is usually accomplished by obtaining a minimum score of 460 on the ParaPro test.

Your Right to Know —Notification If Your Child’s Teacher Is Not Licensed

ESEA directs schools to send timely notice to parents and guardians IF their child has been assigned to, or taught

for more than four consecutive weeks by—a teacher of a core academic subject—who is not appropriately licensed to teach the grade and/or subject area.

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How are Title I resources used at our school?

College and Career Counselor and Social Worker to support students and plan events to increase graduation, college and career readiness, and improve school climate.
Learning Lead coach to provide professional development, coaching and resources to teachers to increase engagement and attendance, increase completion and integrate math and literacy across content areas.
Food for Parent Teacher Conferences

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Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports

(PBIS)

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a framework for schools to create and sustain positive, effective, and culturally- inclusive environments that support academic and social success for all students.
School teams use the PBIS framework to design their own systems of equitable behavior supports for all students.
The emphasis is on preventing problem behavior, developing pro-social skills, and data based problem solving for existing behavior concerns.

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Tier 1 Interventions

Our focus is Tier 1, services for ALL students
Schoolwide Systems

Classroom rituals and routines
Expectations Matrix
PARKS expectations poster
Intervention Specialist
Other Support Staff

PBIS Committee
Schoolwide Data - CAMPUS and SWIS

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Flex Fridays - Five Fridays per quarter

Students attend GP Connect - similar to an advisory. They receive social emotional learning strategies, college and career exploration, updates on their academic progress and many other lessons
PBL - Project Based Learning, students choose an engaging hands on project based on interest and credit need. Projects include community involvement and field trips. Students can earn .67 credit per quarter.
WIN - What I Need, students determine their own schedule in the afternoon. They can make up assignments, meet with teachers, counselors, nurse, social worker during WIN time

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Working together in partnership, what can our school do to support you as you support your child’s learning?

Families are an important part of the educational team

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Ways you can support your child’s learning:

Get to know your child’s teacher(s).
Contact the school when you have questions or concerns.
Learn what is expected of your child at each grade level and help your child follow through with school expectations.

Our Legacy Class provides info about our namesake’s life and historical impact, and is taught in collaboration with Gordon Parks family members. If your child attends GPHS, they have taken this class. Ask them about Gordon Parks!

Families are an important part of the educational team

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Families are an important part of the educational team

Become involved in your school’s meetings and activities and know your rights as a parents. �
Work with other families and teachers to revise your school plan (SCIP) and Family Engagement Plan.�
Attend your children’s school conferences and family activities designed to help your children succeed.

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For More Information About Title I

Call the Title I Office

651-632-3790

Talk to your school’s principal:

Shandyn Benson

shandyn.benson@spps.org

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