Stanton Elem. Seeks Greater Resources to Increase Achievement

To better aid students throughout the school and improve state and federal testing standards, is working to implement a Schoolwide Title I Program effective next school year.

Schoolwide Title I programs offer a comprehensive strategy, reforming the school's entire educational plan, allowing all students, including those specified and low-achieving students, to become proficient and advanced on state academic achievement standards, according to the California Department of Education.

The change in status is a year-long process that also requires school site council approval, according to Stanton Principal Sara Najarro.

Stanton is a Title I targeted assistance school, offering resources and aid to specific groups of stuggling students. With the impending status change, the school can expand aid to students schoolwide.

"Over the past year, the staff and parents have worked collaboratively to complete a comprehensive needs assessment via analyzing benchmark and CST data," Najarro said. An evaluation of the school's instructional programs and intervention models allowed officials to then revise the school plan targeted goals to improve the instructional program.

Campuses seeking Title I schoolwide must meet certain criteria to qualify for assistance:

• A minimum of 40 percent of students in the school, or residing in the attendance area, must be from low-income families, according to the CDE. Stanton harbors a student body with 65 percent coming from low-income backgrounds, according to Najarro.

• The school must generate a comprehensive needs assessment identifying strengths and weaknesses in regards to student progress.

• The school must take that information and develop a schoolwide plan outlining how it will meet necessary goals, how to maintain high-quality teachers, offer high-quality professional development, create strategies to maintain those teachers, and increase parental involvement.

• Include teachers in the use of academic assessments.

• Ensure that students who struggle receive the proper assistance to reach the goal of proficient or advanced.

• Coordinate and integrate Federal, State and local programs and services.

Schools can consolidate monies from Federal, state and local funds as well as Title I funds while developing an appropriate budget in oder to upgrade their programs to better serve their student body. These funds can then be used for the entire schoolwide plan, according to the CDE.

"Ensuring the quality and effectiveness of such the core and supplemental education programs at the school site is the priority of the instructional leadership at the school," Najarro said.

Current school programs will continue to be analyzed to determine their educational benefit and the school site council will work in collaboration with the staff to implementation model for the intervention programs, Najarro said.

For more information on this process, visit the CDE web page dedicated to the Title I Schoolwide process.