F.A.Q.

Q. What is Title I?

A. Title I is a federal program, which began in 1965 as a part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Since that time federal dollars are sent to school districts to help students academically. While any student with identified academic needs may be helped, the intent of the program is to help those students who are economically disadvantaged.

Q. Which schools in LSSD are Title I schools?

A. Each elementary school in LSSD is a Title I school. These schools include Byars Dowdy, Castle Heights, Coles Ferry, Jones Brummett, and Sam Houston.

Q. Who makes the major decisions regarding the Title I program at a school?

A. The School Wide Site Committee makes the major decisions regarding the Title I program at a Title I school.

Q. Who is on the Site Committee?

A. The Site Committee includes school administrators, teachers, parents, and community representatives.

Q. Does Title I take the place of what my child learns in his/her classroom?

A. No. Title I instruction does not take the place of what your child learns in the classroom.

Q. How can parents be involved in the Title I program at a school?

A. Parents may be involved in a variety of ways. Parents may serve on the School Wide Site Committee, Parent Engagement Committee, volunteer at their child's school, attend Family Engagement events throughout the school year, meet with their child's teacher when they have concerns, and read with their child for 20 minutes every day.

Q. What can I do to help my child learn to his/her full potential?

A. There are many things that you can do to help your child develop his/her potential. First, build a good relationship with your child by being genuinely interested in them and listening to what your child has to say. As a parent, you are the greatest influence in your child's life and if the child knows that you care and that nothing they ever do will stop you from caring about them, this will establish a strong foundation for everything else. Of course, a part of that strong foundation is setting boundaries and enforcing those boundaries. Second, ask about their school day and have them tell you at least one new thing they learned during that day. Third, read frequently with your child and let them see you reading something that you enjoy. By modeling reading in this way, the child will see the importance of reading and reading well opens the door to success in school.

Q. What types of things should I read to or with my child?

A. It is important to allow your child to select reading material. When you read something the child is interested in or is curious about, this leads to the child wanting to read even more. You may also include books that convey important concepts and/or principles that you deem important for your child to know, understand, and practice.

ESL (English as a Second Language) FAQs

Q. How does a student become an ESL student?

A. First, a language other than English spoken in the home must be identified via the Home Language Survey. Upon this identification, an ESL teacher screens the student. The results of the screener determine whether or not the student qualifies for ESL services.

Q. Is an ESL student required to learn the same academic standards as other students?

A. Yes. ESL teachers are charged with both teaching the students English and teaching them the same academic standards that other students are learning.

Q. What do ESL services look like?

A. LSSD uses more than one approach in providing ESL services. However, the approach most commonly used is the pull-out model. The pull-out model involves students leaving the general education classroom for one to one and one-half hours per day to receive Reading/Language Arts instruction from a certified ESL teacher. During this time the state academic standards for Reading/Language Arts are taught by the ESL teacher, who uses scaffolding strategies so that students will be able to learn the state academic standards. Another approach to ESL services is the content-based ESL model. With this model the ESL teacher goes into the general education classroom and helps the English Learner student access English while learning academic standards at the same time.

Q. When will I know if my child no longer needs ESL services?

A. Each year ESL teachers are required to give an English language proficiency test (WIDA ACCESS) in the Spring to every ESL student who receives direct services and those students whose parents have waived ESL services. The test measures student proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. If the student scores well enough to meet the state criteria for transitioning, the student no longer receives direct ESL services. Parents of these students are notified at the beginning of the following school year of the student's new status as a transitional first year (T-1) student.

Q. What if my child begins to struggle in the general education classroom?

A. Each student who has scored well enough to transition out of direct ESL services is monitored for two years by the ESL teacher following their exit from direct services. If the student who used to receive ESL services begins to experience difficulties, the ESL teacher will provide help to the general education teacher in knowing how to help this student. The transitioning student may also receive help during a Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention, depending on the level of struggle the student is having. Under rare circumstances, the student may even be reclassified to receive direct ESL services again.