The Title I program unit provides technical assistance, resources, and guidance to LEAs to ensure economically disadvantaged children receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, by helping to close academic achievement gaps.

The Gloucester City School District participates in the Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title IA program. Each of the district’s three schools has prepared an Annual School Plan which allows the entire school to benefit from Title I funding. Schools participating in Title I programs will disseminate a parent involvement policy. Gloucester City’s parent involvement policy can be found on the district website under the School Board section: Policies and Bylaws. It is policy 2415.04 Title I – District Wide Parental Involvement and can be found in section 2000 (Program).

Here is a summary of the main components of the policy:

PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY

This policy and the plan to implement it have been developed jointly and in agreement with, and will be disseminated to parents. Gloucester City School District shall hold an annual Title I Parent meeting, at a time that is convenient for parents, to which all parents will be encouraged to attend. At this meeting, parents will be provided with information on the purpose and requirements of Title I, and their right to be involved. Information on the Title I Schoolwide program, including mathematics and literacy programs will be provided. Particular attention shall be given to reaching those parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background.

The Gloucester City School District will offer a flexible number of parent meetings and may assist in providing help in overcoming some barriers impeding attendance. The Gloucester City School District shall involve parents in an organized, ongoing, and timely manner, in the Title I planning, review, and improvement of programs, including the joint development of the school parent involvement policy and the school plan. Parents of students participating in Title I shall be provided:

• timely information and opportunities to attend regular meetings;
• school performance profiles and their child’s individual assessment results, including an interpretation of results;
• a description and explanation of the school curriculum, assessment, and proficiency levels;
• a response to any parent suggestions. All comments indicating parents’ dissatisfaction with the district Title I plan shall be collected and submitted along with the plan to the Gloucester City Public Schools Curriculum Office.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIGH STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Gloucester City Public Schools has jointly developed with parents, for all students participating in the Title I program, a parent-school learning compact that describes:

• The school’s responsibility to provide high quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that will enable students to meet the state’s academic expectations; ● Ways in which each parent/guardian will be responsible for supporting his/her child’s learning;
• The ongoing communication between parents and teachers through; parent/teacher conferences at which time the learning compact will be discussed, reasonable access to staff, observation of classroom activities, and opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class.

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR INVOLVEMENT

Gloucester City Public Schools shall build the capacity for strong parent involvement by:

• Providing assistance to participating parents in understanding national, state, and local goals, standards, and assessments, Title I, Part A requirements, and how to monitor their child’s performance as well as information on how parents can participate in the education of their child.
• Providing materials and training to parents, such as needed, literacy training not otherwise available to help parents as equal partners.
• Educating all school staff, with the assistance of parents, on how to reach out, to communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners.
• Ensuring, to the extent possible, information sent home is in a language and form parents can understand. For parents whose English is a second language, provide information in their primary language. For parents who are visually impaired, provide information in Braille or in large print.
• Involving parents, where appropriate, in the development of training for teachers and other staff that improves instruction.
• Providing other assistance, as appropriate, such as parent resource centers where parents can learn about child development and rearing from birth designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their child.
• Training and supporting parents to enhance the involvement of other parents, where appropriate.

The Gloucester City School District is seeking parent input to the Title I Parent Involvement Policy, the District-School Parent Compact and parent programs for the 2024-2025 school year. Please email suggestions to sekimoglou@gcsd.k12.nj.us or kchiodi@gcsd.k12.nj.us. You may also send a note to the school principal who will forward it to the Assistant Superintendent.

If you are unable to access the policy online and would like to review it, please send a note to the school principal. The school principal will forward it to the Assistant Superintendent who will insure your access to the policy or you may use the above email addresses to communicate. Distributed to parents on September 6, 2024.