Title I, Part A Programs
The Title I, Part A Program makes it possible to expand the basic educational programs schools and districts offer with services and interventions that support struggling learners. Title I, Part A is one of many programs governed by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act or ESEA.
There are two kinds of programs that schools can fund through Title I, Part A — schoolwide and targeted assistance.
• Schoolwide means that all students—based on academic need—are eligible to receive the additional instruction this federal program will fund.
• Targeted assistance makes it possible to provide the same benefits but only to selected students based on academic need.
Butternut Elementary School is a schoolwide assistance Title I school.
Butternut High School is a targeted assistance Title I school.
Promethean Charter School is a targeted assistance Title I school.
Your Right to Know
ESEA directs schools and districts to notify parents about the following key requirements of a Title I, Part A program:
1. Professional qualifications of teachers and paraprofessionals who instruct.
a. Teachers: Parents of children, who attend school that receive Title I, Part A funding, have the right to request and receive information about the qualifications of the educators who teach their children the core subjects of Reading, English Language Arts, and Mathematics. At a minimum, the information you receive must explain these three essential components of an educator’s qualifications:
i. Whether or not the teacher met state qualifications and certification requirements for the grade level and subject(s) he or she is teaching.
ii. Whether or not the teacher has an emergency or conditional certificate by which state qualifications were waived.
iii. What undergraduate or graduate degree(s) the teacher holds, including graduate certificates and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration.
b. Paraprofessionals: Districts employ paraprofessionals to provide instructional support consistent with the instruction provided by the classroom teacher or teachers. In schools that operate a schoolwide program, all paraprofessionals who instruct must have special qualifications. In schools that operate a targeted assistance program, the paraprofessionals who instruct students served by the Title I, Part A program must also have earned these same qualifications:
i. Completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education, or
ii. Obtained an associate’s or higher degree, or
iii. Meet a high standard of quality either through the ETS ParaPro Assessment or a paraeducator apprenticeship program approved by Wisconsin.
2. Notification if your child’s teacher is not highly qualified
a. ESEA directs schools to send timely notice to parents and guardians if their child has been assigned to, or taught for more than four consecutive weeks by, a teacher of a core academic subject, who is not highly qualified.
3. Individual report card that lets you know how your child is progressing
a. You have a right to know how well your child is progressing. Schools that operate Title I, Part A programs must generate a report card for every student that explains how well that student scored on the state assessment in, at least Reading, English Language Arts, and Mathematics.
4. DPI issues ESSA Accountability Reports, also known as DPI State Report Cards, annually for our schools and district. These reports explain ESSA identifications and their calculation and also compare school and student group performance to that of other schools and student groups statewide. Public ESSA and district summary reports are posted here.
To learn more about Title I, Part A programs & Your Right to Know please call the School District of Butternut at 715-769-3434 or contact our Title I teacher, Mrs. Ernst, at ernst@lightatorch.info or 715-769-3434 x314.
The annual meeting is held annually in the spring on the day of the spring concert. Please watch for an invite to come soon.
Wisconsin Statewide Assessment System
Upon registering your child at the Butternut School District, please come to the front office to determine if your child is eligible to be a migrant student.