Federal Programs
Title I
SCHOOLWIDE TITLE I SCHOOL
What is Title I?
It is the largest federal aid program for elementary, middle, and high schools. Kitty Stone Elementary School is a School-Wide Title I school. Being a Title I school means receiving federal funds (Title I funds) to supplement the school's existing programs. The primary focus of Title I money is to help provide additional support for students experiencing academic difficulties. These funds are used to identify students at risk for failure and to provide the instructional support needed in order to help them reach proficiency in content standards. The Title I program targets the students needing help the most. These funds may be used to provide additional faculty and staff, purchase materials and supplies and provide training and activities for teachers and parents.
What will my child do in Title I?
At Kitty Stone Elementary School all students receive their primary reading and math instruction from the regular classroom teacher. Title I instructional assistants are available to assist classroom teachers with students needing additional help in reading and math.
Intensive small group instruction is also provided for those students identified as needing additional help. The small group setting creates an environment for students to feel successful as they work on skills to reinforce the regular classroom instruction.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (EL)
English Language Learners
For students who have English as a Second Language, we do have supports in place to help those students master both the English language and the content standards of the curriculum. When any child enrolls in school, the parents are asked to complete a Home Language Survey. Any child who has a language other than English indicated on that form will be assessed to determine his/her proficiency in the areas of speaking, listening to, reading and writing the English language. If a student is less than proficient in any area, the parent will be contacted and asked if we may provide some additional service to the child. The parent has the option of declining the additional services. Students who are less than proficient in any of the four areas are identified as English Language Learners (ELLs).
Each ELL student will have a team that will develop a plan to help the child acquire both English proficiency and achieve grade-level academic standards. This team is comprised of the parent, the student's teacher(s), ELL Program Manager and an administrator. These written plans are updated annually. Additionally, each spring these same areas (speaking, listening to, reading, and writing) are measured again so that we may monitor the student's progress toward English proficiency. Services continue to be provided until the student tests fluent in all four areas as measured by the ACCESS test and is reading/comprehending on grade level based on state assessments. After achieving that level of success, students are monitored for two additional years.
Students who have English as a second language are served in the general education environment. Classroom teachers work with these students to help them acquire both language skills and academic skills. Modifications can be made, if needed, to the way these students are graded initially.
Jacksonville City Schools has an ELL Advisory Committee that meets annually to update the system plan along with annual meetings with parents to review student progress.