Title I

The Owatonna Public Schools Title I program is a federally funded program that provides valuable supplemental services to raise the achievement of elementary children who are performing below grade level in the areas of reading and math.

For more than 30 years, Title I programs have played a key role in raising student achievement levels throughout the nation in these subject areas. The students are taught in small groups or one-on-one either in their regular classroom or an intervention setting.

Parent involvement is a key component of the program. Parents are notified when their child is eligible for Title I services. Each elementary school plans a variety of parent activities and opportunities to promote parent involvement and enhance communication.

Contact
Julie Sullivan
Director of Teaching and Learning
507-444-8603
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Kelly Kruger
Coordinator
507-444-8676
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Resources

United States Department of Education

Minnesota Department of Education
Helping Your Child
Helping Your Child Become a Reader

Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA)

Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools, with high numbers or percentages of children from low-income families, to assist schools in ensuring that all children meet challenging academic standards. Districts or schools accepting Title I funds are required to provide all children with fair, equitable and significant educational opportunities to obtain a high-quality education and to reach--at a minimum--proficiency on challenging state academic standards and assessments.

Title I Schools in Owatonna Public Schools receive the following services when they become eligible for the Title I program:

Technical assistance from an instructional specialist on a consistent basis
Additional teaching professionals and/or paraprofessionals
Family Involvement funds

Title I Program Models

There are two types of Title I program models, school-wide and targeted assistance, allowed under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. During the school year 2019-2020, ISD 761 provides support to two school-wide programs and one targeted assistance program. Title I support is available to kindergarten through 5th grade students performing below grade level expectations. Funding allocation is based on the free and reduced lunch population at each school.

Targeted Assistance:
Targeted Assistance school programs use Title I funds to provide services to students identified as most at risk to not meet student performance standards.

School Wide:
A school-wide program focuses on comprehensive reform strategies designed to upgrade the entire educational program in a Title I school. The primary goal is to ensure that all students, particularly those who are performing below grade level, demonstrate proficient and advanced levels of achievement on state academic achievement standards.

While Title I Targeted Assistance programs provide educational services only to identified individual students, school-wide programs allow staff in schools with high concentrations of students from low-income families to redesign their entire educational program to serve all students.

This school-wide reform strategy requires that a school:

Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment;
Identify and commit to specific goals and strategies that address those needs;
Create a comprehensive plan; and
Conduct an annual review of the effectiveness of the school-wide program and revise the plan as necessary

School-Wide Programs

McKinley Elementary, Justin Kiel, Principal
Washington Elementary, Libby Zeman, Principal
Wilson Elementary, Cassie Mitchell, Principal

Participating Nonpublic Schools

Since the initial passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), private school students and teachers have been eligible to participate in certain federal education programs. ESEA, as reauthorized by The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act), includes twelve major programs that require equitable services be provided to private school students, teachers, and other educational personnel, and, under some programs, to parents.  Title I is one program that requires equitable services. These services are provided to students and teachers, not to private schools.

The Owatonna Public School District provides services to private schools in the district. Private schools that decide to participate in the Title I program plan with OPS staff to ensure that funds are being used according to NCLB Act requirements. All private schools operate a targeted assistance program model. Students attending private schools who live in the boundary of an OPS Title I school and are identified by the private school as needing additional support in reading and/or mathematics may be eligible to participate in the private school Title I program.

List of Participating Nonpublic Schools
These private schools have students who meet academic or financial requirements and live in the boundaries of an Owatonna Public Schools Title I school. Administrators meet on a regular basis throughout the year to plan and evaluate programs.

St. Mary’s School, Jen Swanson, Principal

Accountability

Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act), each state established a definition of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) to use each year to determine the achievement of each school district and school in reading and mathematics. In May 2012, the United States Department of Education granted a waiver to the Minnesota State Department of Education for flexibility from adhering to certain requirements in NCLB Act. The ESEA Flexibility Waiver eliminates the AYP formula and grants flexibility to states regarding specific requirements of NCLB in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive state-developed plans designed to close achievement gaps, increase equity, improve the quality of instruction, and increase outcomes for all students.

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) – The MCA is a test of reading and math achievement that meets the testing requirements of the federal (NCLB Act). The test is given each year starting in early April in reading and math at grades 3 through 8 and in science in grades 5 and 8. Scores from the MCA and other state tests are posted on the MDE website Minnesota Report Card.

Family Information

Parents' Right to Know About the Qualifications of Child's Teacher

PARENTS RIGHT-TO-KNOW
Notification Letter to Parents
2019-2020

Dear Parent/Guardian:

In accordance with ESEA Section 1111(h)(6) PARENTS RIGHT-TO-KNOW, the Owatonna Public School District is notifying parents of students enrolled in a Title I school that you have the right, and may request, information regarding the professional qualifications of your child’s classroom teacher. This information regarding the professional qualifications of your child’s classroom teachers including, at a minimum, the following:

Whether the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived.
The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.
Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If at any time your child has been taught for 4 or more consecutive weeks by a teacher not highly qualified, the school will notify you.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Director of Teaching and Learning, Julie Sullivan, at 507-444-8603.

School-Parent Compact

Your child has the opportunity to benefit from small group intervention in addition to their homeroom reading class. This small group intervention time is designed to provide additional reading instruction for your child. The benefit of small group instruction provides extra support for individual reading goals. We know that optimal learning can take place when there is a combination of effort, interest and motivation. By working together in a partnership, we will be able to help your child achieve success.

This written pledge lists the collective commitments of the parents, student and teacher.

To view, print, and sign the compact, click here.
Spanish version
Somali version

District Family Engagement Plan

Title I Parent Advisory Committee

The Owatonna Public Schools Title I Parent Advisory Committee is made up of parents of students receiving Title I services, school and district office administrative staff, and interested citizens. The committee meets three times a year and provides valuable input to the Title I program.

If you have questions about the Title I Parent Advisory Committee or are interested in becoming a part of the committee, please contact Julie Sullivan, Director of Teacher and Learning, at 507-444-8603 or jsullivan@isd761.org.

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