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2026-2027�Annual Title I & Family Engagement Meeting

Central High School

August 3, 2026

Dr. Justin McCulley

August 3, 2026

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Why are we here?

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that each Title I school hold an annual meeting of Title I families in order to:

inform you of your school’s participation in Title I,
explain the requirements of Title I, and
explain your rights as parents and family members to be involved.

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What will I learn?

What is a Title I school?
What are my rights?
What can Title I funds be used for?
How does our school use Title I funds?
What is the School Improvement Plan?
What are our schoolwide program goals?
How is parent and family engagement funded?
What is the Parent and Family Engagement Policy?
What is the School-Parent Compact?
What curriculum does our school use?
What tests will my child be taking?
How can I be involved?
Who can I contact for help?

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What is a Title I school?

Title I was passed in 1965 under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It is the largest federal assistance program for our nation’s schools.
Title I schools receive extra funding (Title I dollars) from the federal government. These dollars are used to:

identify students experiencing academic difficulties and provide assistance to help these students;
purchase additional staff, programs, materials, and/or supplies; and
conduct parent and family engagement meetings, trainings, events, and/or activities.

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What are my rights?

The families and parents of Title I students have a right, by law, to:

be involved in decisions made at both the school and district level;

be provided with information on your child’s level of achievement on tests in reading/language arts, writing, mathematics, and science;

request and receive information on the qualifications of your child’s teacher and paraprofessionals who are working with your child (Call the school office, 423-344-1447)

request opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions about the education of your child. The school is required to respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible.

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What can Title I funds be used for?

In general, Title I funds my be used for:

smaller class sizes,
additional teachers and paraprofessionals,
additional training for school staff,
extra time for instruction (before and/or after school programs),
parent and family engagement activities, and/or
a variety of supplemental teaching materials, equipment, and technology.

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How does our school use Title I funds?

In 2026-2027, our school was allotted approximately $180,000 in Title I funding.
We developed a Schoolwide Program, which means we plan to spend our funds on the following:

Supplemental staff:

Additional school counselor
Choice Academy Assistant
Part-time Dean of Academics

Programs/Materials/Supplies:

Instructional Classroom Materials

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What is the SIP?

The SIP is the School Improvement Plan. It includes:

the identification of the school planning team and how they will be engaged in the planning process;
a needs assessment and summary of academic and non-academic data;
prioritized goals, strategies, and action steps to help address the academic and non-academic needs of students;
teacher and staff professional development needs; and
budgets and the coordination of resources.

The school includes family representatives on our school planning team.

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What are our schoolwide program goals?

▪ Increase Student Achievement as measured on district Benchmarks and

state TN Ready End-of-Course (EOC) tests.

▪ Reduce Chronic absenteeism

▪ Increase Future Ready Student Rates

▪ Increase graduation rate

▪ Increase ACT composite scores

▪ Increase number of students earing Early Post Secondary Opportunities

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How is parent and family engagement funded?

Any district with a Title I allocation exceeding $500,000 is required by law to set aside 1% of its Title I allocation for parent and family engagement.
Of that 1%, 10% may be reserved at the district for system-wide initiatives related to parent and family engagement. The remaining 90% must be allocated to all Title I schools in the district.
You, as Title I parents and family members, have the right to be involved in how this money is spent.

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How is parent and family engagement funded?

In 2026-2027, we received approximately $3,000 in parent and family engagement funding. We plan to use these funds for:

Parent and Family Engagement Meeting and Events

o August 4th Annual Title 1 meeting/Open House/Orientation

o Parent/Teacher Conferences Oct. 20 and March 30

o Junior/Senior Parent Night

Materials/Supplies

Snacks for meetings, supplies for meetings & events, etc.

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What is a Parent and Family Engagement Policy?

These plans address how the district and school will implement the parent and family engagement requirements of ESSA. Components should include:

how parents and families can be involved in decision-making and activities;
how parent and family engagement funds are being used;
how information and training will be provided to families; and
how the school will build capacity in families and staff for strong parent and family engagement.

You, as a Title I parent or family member, have the right to be involved in the development of these plans.

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What is a Parent and Family Engagement Policy?

The district Parent and Family Engagement Policy can be found here:

https://chs.hcde.org/family-information

In addition, the policy can be found in the school’s front office.

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What is a School-Parent Compact?

A school-parent compact is a written commitment that outlines how the entire school community – teachers, families, and students will share the responsibility for improved academic achievement.
The compact must describe how the school will:

provide high-quality curriculum and instruction;
hold parent-teacher conferences, annually in elementary schools;
provide parents with reports on their child’s progress;
provide parents reasonable access to staff.
provide parents opportunities to volunteer; and
ensure regular two-way meaningful communication between family members and staff, to the extent practicable, in a language family members can understand.

You, as a Title I parent or family member, have the right to be involved in the development of the compact.

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What is a School-Parent Compact?

The school-parent compact can be found on our school website:

https://chs.hcde.org/family-information/

In addition, the policy can be found in the school’s front office.

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What curriculum does our school use?

The Tennessee Academic Standards provide a common set of expectations for what students will know and be able to do at the end of a grade for each subject area.
Tennessee's academic standards form the framework for everything taught at Central High School.
For more information about Tennessee’s academic standards, see:

https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/education/instruction/academic-standards.html

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What tests will my child be taking?

▪ In addition to regular classroom specific assessments, students will be

assessed through district provided Snapshots and state provided End-of-

Course (EOC) tests.

▪ Students are expected to score levels 3: On Track or 4: Mastered on all

Snapshots and to score proficient on all EOC assessments.

▪ Testing schedule can be found on the district or school website

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How can I be involved?

We need you! Research has proven that family engagement in education has more impact on student achievement than any other factor.

To get involved with the SIP, or our Parent/Family Engagement Policy or School

Parent Compact, contact the school office at 423-344-1447 and/or join the monthly

Alumni Association that meets on the Second Thursday of each month and/or the monthly Leadership Team Meeting.

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How can I be involved?

▪ encouraging regular school attendance;

▪ monitoring grades and schoolwork on PowerSchool;

▪ encourage students to complete and turn in assignments

▪ ask students “What did you learn today?”

▪ attend family events and meetings

▪ encouraging your student to read

▪ maintain regular communication with teachers

▪ encourage students to attend afterschool learning labs as needed

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Who can I contact for help?

For general questions, call the front office at: 423-344-1447
To reach the principal, Dr. Justin McCulley call: 423-344-1447 or email mcculley_justin@hcde.org
To reach the school counselor call: 423-344-1447 or view our staff directory at:chs.hcde.org
To reach your child’s teacher, call the front office or view our staff directory at:chs.hcde.org

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WE JUST WANT TO SAY…

THANK YOU!

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Slides 32-39

OPTIONAL SLIDES

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What is our school’s designation status?

In accordance with Tennessee’s accountability system, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) determines designations for all public schools. Designations include:

Reward Schools - Reward schools include the top 10 percent of schools.
Priority Schools - Priority schools are the 5 percent of schools with the lowest success rates (using up to three years of data) in the state.
Focus Schools - Focus schools are the 10 percent of schools identified through one of three pathways:

Graduation Rate Pathway - High schools with an average graduation rate of less than 60 percent.
Subgroup Pathway - Any subgroup with a success rate of less than ten percent.
Gap Pathway - Schools with the largest gaps between selected groups.

[Include information on the schools designation status]

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What is the State Report Card?

TDOE releases an annual Report Card on Tennessee schools.
This report displays state-, district-, and school-level data for each school year.
It includes information on demographics, achievement, academic growth, attendance, graduation rate and more.
You can view the data statewide, or you can choose a specific district or school.
You can view the report card here:

https://www.measuretn.gov:444/ReportCard/#/

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What is parent and family engagement?

Family engagement is a shared responsibility in which schools and other community agencies and organizations are committed to reaching out to engage families in meaningful ways and in which families are committed to actively supporting their children's learning and development.
Family engagement is continuous across a child’s life and entails enduring commitment but changing family roles as children mature into young adulthood.
Effective family engagement cuts across and reinforces learning in the multiple settings where children learn – at home, in pre-kindergarten programs, in school, in after-school programs, in faith-based institutions, and in the community.

Source: The National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (https://nafsce.site-ym.com/page/definition)

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What is parent and family engagement?

“Through effective communication with parents, teachers can have the greatest impact on their day-to-day success with students. With parents on their side, teachers can more effectively manage most academic and behavioral issues that arise. When the most important adults in a child’s life are working together, students benefit enormously.”

—Lee and Marleen Canter

Source: Parents on your Side: A Teacher’s Guide to Creating Positive Relationships with Parents

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Table Activity

Partner with those at your table to discuss the following questions:

What form of communication works best for you? (e.g. phone calls, texts, emails, notes, face-to-face, etc.)
What kinds of information do you most want to receive from the school?
What might the school do differently to improve communication between school and home?
[Add other discussion questions as needed]

Record your group’s thoughts on chart paper.
Be prepared to share!

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What are the benefits of family engagement?

For students:
Higher grades and test scores
Better attendance
More positive attitudes and better behavior
Higher graduation rates
Greater enrollment in postsecondary education

For Parents and Families:
More confidence and trust in the school
Increased confidence in their parenting skills
Creates a home environment that encourages learning
Encourages families to form stronger relationships with teachers and other families

For Schools and Teachers:
Improved teacher and staff morale
Higher ratings of schools and teachers by families
More support from families
Higher student achievement
Increased and improved relationships within the community

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Table Activity

Partner with those at your table to discuss the following questions:

What are the strengths of your school and community?
In what ways are your school, families, and community working together effectively?
What might schools, families, and the community do differently to work together more successfully?
[Add other discussion questions as needed]

Record your group’s thoughts on chart paper.
Be prepared to share!