Title I meeting to focus on interaction, communication

Open, two-way communication will be the goal when Madison City Schools staff conducts its “Title I – No Child Left Behind” meeting.

Open to the public, the district-wide meeting at Mill Creek Elementary School will be held Oct. 23 at 5 p.m. Parents with children enrolled in Title I have been notified by letter.

Superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler and Federal Programs Coordinator Jeana Ross will explain Title I funding, which provides additional help to students in reading, math or both.

To meet federal requirements, the Madison district holds a yearly Title I Advisory Council meeting open to parents and the community. At the upcoming parents’ meeting, Ross and Fowler will discuss involvement for the child’s academic progress.

Columbia, Madison, Heritage, Horizon and Mill Creek elementary schools are Title I schools.

“Parental involvement means the participation of parents in regular, two-way and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities,” Ross said. Educators hope that “parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.”

Currently, the district’s staff is conducting an evaluation of its parental involvement program and is asking parents to complete a survey. The two-page questionnaire will indicate if parents feel welcome in their child’s school, their willingness for after-school instruction for the child, their interest in volunteering at school and other factors.

In addition, educators will determine the best venues for communication with parents, such as email messages with list serve and Notify Me, news posted on Madison City Schools’ website (madisoncity.k12.al.us) and printed material sent home with the student.

“The evaluation will identify barriers to greater participation by parents, with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, have limited English proficiency or literacy or are of any racial or ethnic minority background,” Ross said.

Madison City Schools will provide the necessary coordination, technical assistance and other support to help Title I, Part A schools in planning. In addition, the district will implement effective parental involvement activities to improve students’ academic achievement and school performance, Ross said.·