Title I is a non-discriminatory federal funded program passed in 1965 as Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In 1988 it was amended as Chapter I. It was rewritten in 1994 as part of the Improving America' s Schools Act, Public Law 103-382, Title I. Congress funds this program annually. It is important that our congressional members recognize the value of this supplement service for our schools. Although federally funded, ConVal' s Title I program is designed to meet district policy and goals. One of the changes in the new law requires more participation of parents in the planning and evaluating of the Title I programs in our schools. At the same time, it gives more flexibility to each school to tailor its program to building needs. If you are interested in being a part of this planning team in your school, or for more information about Title I, call your Title I teacher or Title I Project Manager, Joanne Frigulietti at 924-3828.

Title I supplements the classroom instruction in Grades K-3. First graders are screened using the Observational Survey. They are placed in Reading Recovery, our one-to-one first grade tutoring program, or in early literacy groups of three, dependent on need and teacher referral. First grade programs are pullout. Students in grades 2 and 3 are chosen for the reading/writing program on the basis of oral text reading, classroom measures of writing and spelling, and teacher and parent recommendation. Depending upon student needs, tutoring may occur in the classroom or in the Title I area.

Title I must designate specific students. Those students who have the greatest needs must be considered for Title I programs. Students must be evaluated at the beginning and end of their programs each year using curriculum based on informal assessments. Performance on the N.H. Third grade Assessment will also be monitored.

In its preparation material for districts writing grants for Federal funds, the N.H. State Department of Education stated the purpose of Title I funding was:

To enable schools to provide opportunities for children served to acquire the same basic and advanced skills contained in challenging State content standards and to meet challenging State performance standards developed for all children.

It went on to state the policy that:
A high-quality education for all individuals and a fair and equal opportunity to obtain that education:
- Is societal good
- Is a moral imperative
- Will improve the life of every individual because the quality of our individual lives ultimately depends on the quality of the lives of others.

READING RECOVERY

Reading Recovery has been very successful in New Hampshire and in New Zealand where it originated. The State Department of Education (NH) initiated training in the 1990-1991 school year for a group of New Hampshire teachers. There are ten reading recovery teachers in the district. They continue to participate in on-going training and support in Reading Recovery. Student data is collected for a yearly state report.

The Reading Recovery program focuses on early intervention at grade-one level. If a student' s reading process emerges slowly, we believe it is important to offer help as soon as possible. The program' s individualized instruction is organized to accelerate students to the average reading level of their classroom and to assist in building a positive self-image. We want to help your child discover the joys of reading by becoming independent in all aspects of literacy. Achieving this goal requires the commitment and cooperation of home and school as described in the agreement below:

SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITY:

1. Student will be tutored one-to-one for one-half hour, five days each week.
2. Highly structured daily tutoring sessions will include reading familiar and new books, writing sentences, and skill work based on analysis of student' s reading and writing.
3. We will monitor literacy development daily. At the end of 12-26 weeks students will be re-evaluated and recommendations will be made.
4. We will keep parents informed of their child' s progress on a regular basis and will invited you to observe a learning session.

PARENT RESPONSIBILITY:

1. Parent will listen as child reads books and sentence strips brought home from school daily.
2. Parent will insure that books are returned daily in the book bag provided.
3. Parent will read to child daily, if possible.
4. Parent will attend conferences and share home observations of child.
5. Parent will give permission for any necessary pre- and post-testing to measure academic progress.