School District Name:_______Alcorn School District ___________________________________

Address:______P. O. Box 1420_________________________________________

_______Corinth, MS 38835______________________________________

Title I Coordinator _______Bobby Null_____________________________________________

Phone: __(662)_286-3202__________________FAX: (662)_286-1396_________

School Principal: _______Dan Burcham___________________________________________

Phone: __(662)_286-3674__________________ FAX: (662)_287-6712_________

E-Mail Address: _______dburcha@alcorn.k12.ms.us_________________________________

School Name: _______Central Middle School___________________________________

Address: _______8A CR 254_____________________________________________

_______Glen, Ms 38846_________________________________________

Superintendent: _______Stacy Suggs

Phone: __(662)_286-5591__________________FAX: (662)_286-7766________

E-Mail Address: _______stsuggs@alcorn.k12.ms.us_____________________________

School Enrollment: __ 442_____

Grade Levels: __ 5-8_____

Free/Reduced Lunch% ___55.20___

The planning for Schoolwide Title I began with our Schoolwide Planning Committee on September 16, 2008. The Planning Committee is comprised of parents, teachers, community members, and administration. We investigated Schoolwide programs and discussed our individual situation. We distributed needs assessments to all school stakeholders. We listed our strengths and identified areas upon which to focus improvement. In addition to the work of the Planning Committee, the faculty and staff of the School have been focusing our staff meetings on school improvement. The staff meets regularly and grade levels meet additionally as needed.

The Schoolwide Planning Committee has been actively involved in providing leadership and support for the development of the schoolwide plan and will continue to play a critical role in the implementation and formative evaluation of the plan. Staff, parents and community have completed surveys, based on the Opinion Inventories developed by National Study of School Evaluation (1997).

Annually a meeting is held for all school stakeholders where the proposed Schoolwide Plan is presented. At this meeting, the tabulated results of the Opinion Surveys are reviewed and a discussion is held on how these results relate to the proposed Schoolwide Plan. Stakeholders are asked to provide suggestions, comments, and recommendations regarding the plan. At a scheduled meeting, the final written plan is presented to all stakeholders in attendance. The plan is submitted to the District for School Board approval prior to being submitted to the Mississippi Department of Education. The approved plan is posted on the Alcorn District website on the school’s webpage. A copy of the plan is available at the School Office, Federal Programs Building, and Superintendent’s Office for review by stakeholders.

Annually, prior to the beginning of the school year, the school holds an Open House where parents/guardians are provided a copy of their child(ren)’s statewide assessment score reports and the Title I Teacher and the School Test Coordinator review the assessment data with the parents and provide a detailed explanation of the report contents and the Mississippi Curriculum Test performance levels. At the Open House, an overview of the Schoolwide Plan, as revised based on the most recent student statewide score reports, is presented for discussion and approval by stakeholders. During this school year, however, test scores were not received until late August and this meeting was help on September 25, 2008 when the 1st 6 weeks report cards were issued and parents came to school to pick those up and talk with teachers.

Each of the schools in the Alcorn School District participates in the school improvement process of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). This process provides the structure through which all school staff, students, parents, and individuals representative of the community are encouraged to assist in the planning and decision-making process that guides site-based school improvement efforts. SACS Improvement committees, representative of all stakeholders, are on-going in nature and meet regularly throughout the school year. The work/reports of these committees are available to and utilized by the District annually in its development of the Consolidated Federal Programs Application process. School Title I Schoolwide Plans are posted on the district website and available to stakeholders in electronic format. Written copies of the plans and the Consolidated Federal Programs application are available at the school and/or various district locations.

One hundred percent of stakeholders attending the April 10, 2008, meeting approved and support the 2007-08 Schoolwide Plan.

Alcorn Central Middle School (ACMS) is located in the eastern part of Alcorn County, near Glen, MS. Students attend ACMS from the 5th grade through the 8th grade. The feeder schools for ACMS are Alcorn Central Elementary and Glendale Elementary. There are three Alcorn Central Schools – Elementary, Middle, and High – all three schools are on the same campus, but have separate spaces and school administration. There are people employed at ACMS in teaching and support staff positions:

The Mississippi Curriculum Test 2 (MCT), a criterion-referenced test for grades 3 rd through 8th, is given each spring. The MCT2 evaluates student progress of students in the Mississippi Curriculum Frameworks. Our goal for each student is a score of advanced on the MCT. Analysis of the MCT Reading test scores from a school-wide perspective indicates, that for the years 2002-2005, ninety-two (92%) percent of Alcorn Central Middle students in grades 5-6 scored proficient or advanced. When 2006 scores are included in the analysis, there is a 4% decrease in the total number of students scoring proficient or advanced on the MCT reading test. Similar results are seen for MCT Language and Math scores. Eighty-three (83%) percent of the students taking the language test scored proficient or advanced for the years 2002-2005, with a decrease to eighty (80%) when the 2006 scores are averaged into the total. For MCT Math test, ninety (90%) percent of Alcorn Central students scored proficient or advanced for the 2002-2005 school years, with a 2% decline when the 2006 scores are included. This decrease in the number of proficient and advanced is an indicator as to why Glendale’s Accreditation was Level 4 for the 2003-2006 school years and Level 4 for the 2006-2007 school year.

Analysis of the MCT2 i ndicate a reduction in advanced scores from 2007 to 2008 test administration. Fourth grade math was the only positive % increase from 2007-2008.

Teachers at Alcorn Central Middle use a variety of methods to assess student learning in their classrooms. These include: teacher made tests, textbook tests, rubrics for projects, checklists, observations, classroom discussion and participation, computer based evaluations (Accelerated Reader, Discovery Education Assessment (DEA), STAR Reading)and web based sites (EdHelper, Reading A-Z), S.P.I.R.E. (supplementary reading program) and a comprehensive assessment battery and multi-sensory programming using the Orton-Gillingham approach for students suspected of being dyslexic.

Alcorn Central Middle has a full-time principal and assistant principal. The school has a fulltime counselor and various resource teachers. The school has a lead teacher for each grade and/or subject and emphasizes a team approach to the management of students struggling to meet academic standards and benchmarks. Teachers attempt to provide inclusive classroom environments and the three-tier teaching model is emphasized. A Teacher Support Team works to ensure that students struggling academically are provided appropriate and effective intervention. An organizational problem is the sharing of staff with the high school and efforts are underway to eliminate this barrier to effective school operation.

Professional development at Alcorn Central Middle will be ongoing and comprehensive. Professional development time will be embedded in the school day, offered before and after school and in the summer. Opportunities to extend teacher knowledge and apply effective techniques will be supported through graduate courses, workshops, professional reading groups and coaching. Classroom teachers and support teachers will be encouraged to work collaboratively to implement new teaching techniques. Professional development topics will include the five dimensions of reading as well as effective writing and mathematics instruction. Periodic staff meetings will be dedicated to examining student work to help establish common expectations for student performance and to sharing teaching techniques that help all students achieve the established standards.

All professional development is aligned with the Mississippi and National models for professional development. School administration and stakeholders recognize the critical role teachers’ professional development plays in the accomplishment of the district/school goals for improvement in instructional/organizational effectiveness and student achievement. Therefore, in accordance with the Mississippi model, the professional development provided:

Is an integral part of the school improvement initiatives;

Is grounded in knowledge about good teaching and adult learning principles; and

Alcorn Central Middle uses the Alcorn District curriculum that is based on the Mississippi Frameworks, Instructional Intervention Supplements, and MS Benchmarks for each grade. Breakthrough to Literacy, the National Writing Project, S.P.I.R.E. (supplemental reading program), Texas Scottish Rites Program and Lindamood Bell Process for Dyslexia, and Accelerated Reader have comprehensive designs that include instruction, assessment, classroom management, professional development, and parental involvement. A new Mathematics textbook series has been selected which teachers believe will assist in increasing students knowledge of algebraic concepts, and thus assist in raising Algebra I scores at the high school. The programs integrate the curriculum with technology and professional development for teachers. The programs can be used as part of a comprehensive, school-wide reform plan to help all students meet local performance standards, assist teachers in implementing research-based "best practices" instruction, and address the management needs identified in the needs assessment process.

Research on these programs indicates they can have a significant positive impact on student motivation and on classroom community (Swain, 1996; Snow, 1990; Senge, 1990). Integration of technology across the curriculum will be emphasized. Research indicates that 80% of school initiatives involving technology fail because of improper implementation or lack of support within the school organization.

Alcorn Central Middle used adaptations of the National Study of School Evaluation’s (NSSE’s) opinion inventories to gather the necessary data from students, teachers, parents, and community members about the quality of education provided by this school. This formal surveying is done once annually and the results compiled and compared. Surveys are sent to all parents with students are rewarded for bringing the survey to school completed. Teachers and students are surveyed in their homerooms. Community members are surveyed by parent volunteers. For the 2007 surveying, stakeholders took a more active role in participating than in prior years. In an effort to encourage fathers to become more involved, ACMS implemented a Watchdog’s program. The program has fathers volunteering for one day to come into the school and serve as a role model. The Watch Dog program provides positive role models as well as an added security.

Stakeholder surveys indicate that our school provides a comfortable learning environment that encourages involvement of all stakeholders. Visitors are welcomed in our school and parents feel that communication with teachers is encouraged. It is the consensus of the entire group of stakeholders that our school offers a high quality education and success is both promoted and encouraged. The surveys also indicate that sports and extracurricular activities are important programs at our school. The surveys also identified our weaknesses as a lack of support and communication from county administration. This information has been shared with the proper officials. Another weakness, identified by certified staff and community stakeholders was inadequate facilities to support instruction. At the beginning of the 2008 School Year, four new classrooms were completed. The addition of these rooms allows teachers to not have to share rooms and gives adequate space for our students.. Statewide scores in the areas of reading and language at all grades are of particular concern, and math scores at the 8th grade are below state average. Use of data to drive instruction is a critical need.

Based on statewide achievement and district benchmark assessments, school improvement committees annually looks at the school’s instructional processes and organizational management. Utilizing the structure provided by the school improvement process developed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and adopted by the MS Office of Leadership Development/Enhancement as its model for improvement, School Improvement Planning (SIP) teams are maintained in place at the school at all times. All staff members serve on one of the planning teams. To ensure input from all stakeholders, parents, students, and community members serve on the planning teams. Each year, over a period of several months, through a series of planning and brainstorming sessions, the SIP Teams (a) identify desired results for students; (b) determine organizational and instructional strengths and weaknesses; (c) establish goals designed to increase student achievement and teacher capacity; and (d) develop action plans to address identified areas of needs. The Title I Schoolwide Planning Committee, composed of all stakeholder groups and Title I staff, use the data collected by the SIP Teams to develop the annual Title I Schoolwide Plan. The Title I Committee facilitates a "question and answer" session and presents its proposed plan to the school as a whole, including parents and community members. Each attendee at the meeting is asked to vote on the proposed plan, which includes student achievement, school context & organization, professional development, curriculum and instruction, and family and community involvement.

Using the school improvement model, Breakthrough School Improvement, of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, it was determined that Alcorn Central Middle needed scientifically based-research solutions that include curriculum design that:

Focuses on critical content topics, key concepts, and questions to elicit reasoning /thinking;

Encourages instructional strategies that accommodate individual learning styles,

Integrates character education into the teaching/learning processes,

Includes assessment practices in the content areas that will help ALL students meet or exceed state content, performance standards, and benchmarks, and

Teachers in each core subject area and at all grade levels participate in planning and implementing reforms in teaching, learning, and school management which are integrated into the regular school day in all classrooms and impact instruction in all classrooms. The instructional programs planned for Alcorn Central Middle are based on the content and principles of instruction promoted by the Mississippi Department of Education and flow from the content standards of the MS Curriculum Frameworks. The programs employed are consistent with the recommendations of the National Reading Panel (2000) and National Research Council (1998). The following principles to be employed at are consistent with the MS Reading Reform Model, Three-Tier Model of Instruction, and the district’s reading plan: (1) prescriptive direct systematic teaching; (2) explicit instruction in phonological awareness; (3) individually tailored for maximum effect; (4) instruction based on appropriate, valid, and reliable assessments; (5) high quality professional development; and (6) ample repetition and practice.

A group of teachers visited the Lee County STARS program. Contacted several schools with successful reading programs for struggling readers. As an ongoing activity, each staff member will be visiting with high performing school through out the year. Many of the ideas and concepts will be utilized in classrooms.

The National Writing Project operates on the premises that

Writing is a worthwhile craft to develop and an effective learning tool to use in all academic studies;

Teachers should become leaders in preparing their colleagues for effective instructional practices.

The reading programs being used by the Title I teacher rest upon the same foundation of research upon which the National Research Council conclusions are based. Their processes incorporate well-established principles of learning with an effective reading curriculum:

This schoolwide plan addresses school-wide strategies that involve all teachers, students, and all subjects through its emphasis on reading and writing across the curriculum. Each model selected for use in the schoolwide plan adheres to the guidelines for effective literacy development established by the National Research Council (1998). Each model will enable teachers to ensure students improve their academic achievement as they:

Offer a balance of reading aloud, shared reading, guided reading/writing, and independent practice;

Provide reading instruction focused on decoding and comprehension, using phonics, meaning, and grammar;

Provide instruction in an active, problem-solving manner so children can use a variety of reading/writing strategies;

S.P.I.R.E. (supplemental reading program) is theoretically and conceptually consistent with the growing evidence that reading instruction must offer each child a balance of literature experiences, phonemic awareness, and phonics instruction based on his or her specific background and developmental needs. The system is effective in building the foundations of literacy: vocabulary and phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics, and word-recognition skills.

The programs selected include a multi-sensory approach to reading. Preventing Academic Failure will be used for students with reading skills that are significantly below grade-level. This program is based on the Orton-Gillingham Method. A prescriptive intervention program will be individually designed for each student struggling with acquiring grade-level reading skills to address the student’s specific deficits/weaknesses. Students in 1st – 6th grade with identified problems will be served by Title I teachers. The individualized instructional plans will consist of the following principles of instruction:

Systematic and Cumulative: Sequence will begin with the easiest and most basic elements and progress methodically to more difficult material. Each step will also be based on those already learned and concepts taught will be systematically reviewed to strengthen memory.

Direct Instruction: Direct/explicit teaching of concepts with continuous student-teacher interaction, along with practice for stabilization.

Synthetic and Analytic Instruction: Synthetic instruction will present the parts of language and then teach how the parts work together to form a whole. Analytic instruction will present the whole and teach how this can be broken down into its component parts.

This Plan will build on the training classroom teachers have received in the Three-Tier Model of Instruction and Developmental Reading Assessment, as well as provide additional training for teachers in these and other methodologies.

Students scoring at the Minimal and Basic levels on the MS Curriculum Test will be identified and targeted for further district assessment. Referrals will be solicited from classroom teachers for students with reading skills two or more years below grade placement and who are suspected of being dyslexic. For all students identified by screening assessment as needing further testing, a comprehensive diagnostic battery of achievement, reading, and non-verbal intelligence measures will be completed.

Master-level teachers, paid with other federal and district funds, will serve as reading specialists/academic coaches to conduct screening and comprehensive diagnostic assessment of referred students, work with regular classroom teachers to design multi-sensory language-based phonics and linguistic instruction, provide training for classroom teachers in implementing multi-sensory reading instruction, and facilitate on-going formative assessments to evaluate progress toward meeting objectives/outcomes. A master-level teacher at Alcorn Central Middle will supervise and guide Title I teachers in providing direct intervention in individualized and small-group settings.

Alcorn Central Middle is committed to providing all students with equitable opportunities. The staff believes that the school, and themselves, can only be successful if ALL students are successful. Students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency, along with their teachers, will fully participate in all aspects of Title I. Therefore, Alcorn Central Middle will ensure that students with special needs have full access to technology in their classrooms, any materials acquired through this project, and that their teachers have the same professional learning opportunities.

Research studies in clinical settings show a multi-sensory approach using direct, explicit teaching of letter-sound relationships, syllable patterns, and meaning word parts is successful with a wide range of ages and abilities (NICHD, 2000). The reading programs and instructional strategies to be employed are inclusive in nature, and will accommodate special education and English Language learners. See above section for description of how timely assistance and services will be provided for struggling learners

B. Program specific assessment and logs

C. DIBELS and/or Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA2)

D. Accelerated Reader STAR assessment

E. MS Curriculum Test 2

The school has a School Edusoft Coordinator who provides assistance and support in the use of EduSoft. Through the use of EduSoft technology, an intensive data-driven approach to strategic instruction will be used to monitor student achievement – an approach that is especially effective with low-achieving economically disadvantaged students. This process consists of (a) analyzing data from Mississippi statewide criterion-referenced assessments; (b) analyzing the results from district benchmark assessments; (c) providing teachers with tools to create classroom assessments; and (d) electronic analysis of state, district, and classroom assessment results for individualization of instruction. Instructional staff will use a suite of web-based tools to aggregate, disaggregate, compare, and review longitudinal reports on student performance, thereby enabling teachers to prepare students for success. By using EduSoft, teachers may track student performance on standards, generate customized review sheets that target areas of need for each student, and individualize student assignments. This process will track student progress on both a short and long term basis. Students identified with special needs will be included in all assessments and their progress will be tracked along with other students. Individual student assessment scores will be tracked throughout the year to determine the overall impact on meeting stated goals, objectives, and benchmarks.

The District’s EduSoft Coordinator/Trainer and the District’s Academic Coach will be available to ensure teachers are involved in decision-making regarding instructional strategies and student interventions are timely. The Academic Coach will provide extensive training and coaching sessions on the use of the school’s Teacher Support Teams to ensure students struggling academically are identified early and appropriate improvement plans are developed and implemented.

A variety of assessment strategies will be used to measure success at meeting objectives and benchmarks. The Alcorn Central Middle Principal and Academic Coach will monitor classroom practices in the following ways:

Through this schoolwide plan, all teachers in each core subject area and at all grade levels will participate in implementing reforms in teaching, learning, and school management. The reform strategies will be integrated into the regular school day in all classrooms and impact instruction in all classrooms. Professional development at Alcorn Central Middle will be ongoing and comprehensive, as well as embedded in the school day, offered before and after school and in the summer. Opportunities to extend teacher knowledge and apply effective techniques will be supported through graduate courses, workshops, professional reading groups and coaching. Classroom teachers and support teachers will be encouraged to work collaboratively to implement new teaching techniques. Professional development topics will include the five dimensions of reading as well as effective writing and mathematics instruction. Periodic staff meetings will be dedicated to examining student work to help establish common expectations for student performance and to sharing teaching techniques that help all students achieve the established standards. Title II federal program funds will be provided to the school to implement professional development in the priority needs areas.

is closely linked to school improvement initiatives,

is grounded in knowledge about good teaching,

is based on scientific research,

provides teachers with opportunities to explore, question, and debate in order to integrate new ideas into their repertoires and their classroom practices,

demonstrates respect for teachers as professionals and as adult learners,

provides for sufficient time and follow-up support for teachers to master new content/strategies and to integrate them into their practice,

is an integral part of teachers’ work rather than a privilege granted by administrators.

Parents and community members were actively involved in the planning process for this schoolwide plan through participation as members of the school improvement planning teams. Parents and the local community will be engaged in further meaningful planning and implementation of the school improvement activities in the following ways:

1. Parents and community members will continue to serve as committee members. They will

work as active partners to problem-solve issues related to the project and make decisions

about need for adjustments in program implementation strategies;

2. Parents will assist in planning parenting workshops on topics identified by them as needful.

4. Parents with computers in their homes will have access to the Alcorn website and the

school’s homepage.

5. Parents will participate with their children in Literacy Nights sponsored by the

school.

6. Parents and teachers will work cooperatively to develop agreements between students and the

school to engage in/complete specified challenging academic activities. Teachers will

provide parents with web-based tutoring guides which they will use to assist children in

home-based tutoring sessions.

7. Parents will serve as "Volunteers for Literacy" in classrooms.

8. The Crossroads Reading Council will continue to provide volunteers and provide books to

children.

9. Horizon, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to improving education will provide

volunteers and materials/supplies. Through this organization business sponsors provide

services and materials.

10. Volunteers trained in the Barksdale Tutoring process will serve as reading tutors for students.

1. Using models from various states and schools, the schoolwide planning team developed a proposed Parent Compact which was submitted to the Title I Director for approval. Opinions and suggestions were solicited from parents prior to the compact’ s submission to the Title I Director.

2. At a scheduled conference at the beginning of the school year, the Parent Compact is reviewed in detail with the parents and identified student. The Title I teacher schedules and conducts the conference, where any questions or concerns expressed by parents, or any requested modifications are made during the conference.

3. If any modifications are requested, the Parent Compact is re-submitted to the Title I Director for review to ensure it meets state and federal regulations.

4. Parents and students are asked to sign the Parent Compact. The Compact is periodically reviewed with parents and students throughout the year as appropriate or needed.

School personnel requests a Parent/Teacher Conference

Alcorn Central Middle school works with Alcorn Central Elementary to transition students from the elementary to the middle school setting. Elementary students are provided an orientation session at the end of the school year to assist in their transition to the middle school.

Teamwork among staff, administrators, parents, students, and community is a central focus of this plan. This teamwork began long before even the initial stages of planning. Because of the size of the Glen community and its rural nature, the school is a unifying and rallying point for the community. All stakeholders take pride in the school and teamwork among staff and staff/community is the typical operational mode for the school. Since all stakeholders were involved in the planning, it is anticipated that unity of purpose will continue and serve as a catalyst for improvement in the teaching and learning processes. Monthly/quarterly/annual celebrations, e.g. open house events, parent/teacher organization meetings, Family Literacy Nights, Electronic Reading Nights, Make a Difference Day, Literacy Celebration, etc. will be a central part of this plan.

This plan will emphasize a standards-based system of education that aligns standards and research-based practices to curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, leadership, and data-driven planning. Teachers are more supportive of change, at both the classroom and school levels, when everything they do is part of a unified multi-faceted improvement plan, as opposed to multiple and isolated improvement strategies and activities. This plan stresses unity of effort and purpose in all of the proposed strategies and activities.

The Alcorn District has integrated into its culture the School Renewal Process of the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS). Alcorn Central Middle has both five-year and annual plans that reflect its overall vision, mission, and goals. The Alcorn District will continue to provide technical assistance in the school renewal process

For the past three years, a major thrust for the Alcorn School District, based on student achievement scores, has been improving integrated language arts instruction and student performance. Since 1997, Title V (Innovation) funds have supported literacy programs/activities and innovations at the school and classroom levels. This provision of both fiscal and human resources will continue to be available to Alcorn Central Middle. This plan also supports the District’s effort to implement data driven instruction using the Discovery Education Assessment (DEA) to integrate data-based performance management into all aspects of instruction. Through the use of paper-to-web technology, the District is positively impact ing students’ academic performance. This plan will use DEA’s data-driven performance management system as the foundation for its classroom and benchmark assessment of students.

For approximately seven years, the Alcorn District has actively participated in the SouthEastern Regional Vision of Excellence (SERVE) educational laboratory’s "District Leads" Team and serves, since 2004, as one of its Research Sites. The focus of this regionalized effort is the promotion of quality student work and classroom assignments; professional capacity-building; and creation of a collegial support system for teachers and administrators within the school. Alcorn Central Middle staff is involved in this process and the lessons learned from the District’s participation will be incorporated into the school’s schoolwide plan for Title I services.

Teamwork between the district and the school will be evident through the support provided by the Supervisor of Instruction and the Title I Academic Coach. The District’s Discovery Education Assessment (DEA) Coordinator and the District’s Academic Coach will be available to ensure teachers are involved in decision-making regarding instructional strategies and student interventions are timely. The Supervisor of Instruction will provide training and coaching sessions, as requested, on the use of the school’s Teacher Support Teams to ensure students struggling academically are identified early and appropriate improvement plans are developed and implemented.

To help ensure the success of the schoolwide plan, the school will complete a summative and formative assessment/evaluation process. The assessment/evaluation process is a continuous improvement model, to ensure ongoing feedback to the school in support of mid-course corrections. The evaluation process will consist of:

The school will develop an implementation assessment document detailing all aspects of the implementation plan and the data to be used to measure effectiveness of strategies. Data will include, but not be limited to, annual pre- and post-test scores on the MS student assessment instruments; Professional Development Program Self-Assessment; staff/parent/student needs/interest inventories; and other school/project activities.

A Process Assessment Worksheet will be developed and utilized to track the activities and progress of each element of the schoolwide plan. Staff will use the Quarterly Process Assessment Report (QPAR) worksheet to provide formative information to staff, parents, and other stakeholders.

An Outcome Assessment Worksheet will be used to track the progress toward accomplishing the plan’s objectives and outcomes. The Schoolwide Planning Committee will use the report, along with other data, as the basis for recommendations regarding adjustments that may need to be addressed. At the end of the school year, all the data collected will be compiled, tabulated, and analyzed as appropriate to each of the project objectives and outcomes. Staff will strive to build on the last year’s success with the goal of continuous improvement. Additionally, all formative assessment information/data collected during 2008-09 will be used by the planning committee to guide the development of the schoolwide plan for 2009-10.

In the fall of 2008, the percentage of 5th – 8th grade students meeting or exceeding the state Reading performance standards will increase from 51.35 % to 70% as measured by MCT-2 assessment.

In the spring of 2008, the percentage of 3rd – 6th grade students meeting/exceeding the state performance standards will increase from 47.7% to 60% as measured by MCT-2.

Alcorn Central Middle School agrees to implement the following:

Jointly develop policy with parents and distribute to parents of participating children;

Notify parents about the School Parental Involvement Policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, will distribute this policy to parents in a language that they can understand;

Make the School Parental Involvement Policy available to the local community;

Annually update the School Parental Involvement Policy to meet the changing needs of parents and the school;

Adopt the school’s Teacher-Parent-Student Compact as a component of its School Parental Involvement Policy;

Agree to be governed by the following statutory definition of parental involvement, and carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition:

Parental involvement means the participation of parent in regular, two-way, and meanginful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring that:

Parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;

Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education;

Parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in their child’s education;

The carrying out of other activities, such as those described in Section 1118 of the

Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

1. The School will take the following actions to involve parents in the joint development and

joint agreement of its School Parental Involvement Policy and its schoolwide plan, if

applicable, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way under section 1118(b) of the ESEA:

Gather and disseminate to parents the following materials and involve them in updating policies, understanding their rights, and help them pursue their concerns, regarding the following materials:

Alcorn Central Middle School Parental Involvement Policy;

The Teacher-Parent-Student Compact

Parent’s right to know if their ch ild’s teacher is "highly qualified" or "NCLB Compliant."

2. The School will take the following actions to distribute to parents of participating children

and to the local community, the School Parental Involvement Policy:

Create a link to the School Parental Involvement Policy on our school link to the Alcorn District website;

Have printed material available for distribution at the school site;

Annually distribute to parents a copy of the Title I Parent Handbook.

3. The School will update periodically its School Parental Involvement Policy to meet the changing needs of parents and the school. The plan will be presented and reviewed annually to the parents at a Title I Parent meeting and at the first Parent/Teacher Conference.

4. The School will hold an annual meeting, at a convenient time, for all parents of participating children for the purpose to inform them of the following:

District Policy for Parent Involvement Rights;

Current School Parent Involvement Policy;

Current state and federal NCLB guidelines and requirements of Title I;

Explain the school’s participation in the Title I program.

5. The School will hold a flexible number of meetings at varying times, and may provide childcare, paid with Title I funds, as long as these services relate to parental involvement;

Survey parents at the beginning of the school year and establish the best time, place, and day for meetings;

Distribute and collect parent survey forms created by the Alcorn District to solicit input into the types of parent workshops/seminars, desired topics, and times for training sessions to be included during the year;

Provide parents with information and encouragement to attend workshops and seminars provided by the Alcorn District that are designed to further their knowledge about how they can become involved partners with our school.

6. The School will provide timely information about Title I and other programs available to parents of participating children in a timely manner:

Parents will receive an annual calendar with all Committee meetings and Event dates;

Parents will receive telephone calls or other forms of communication to inform them of parent training, parent/teacher conferences; Open House, and other school activities.

7. The School will provide to parents of participating children a description and explanation of the curriculum in use at the school, the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress, and the proficiency levels students are expected to meet:

The counselor will have course descriptions of all classes offered to students so they can make an educated and informed decision about courses available to them;

The school link to the Alcorn District website will have names of teachers and their email addresses available for parent use

8. The School will provide parents of participating children, if requested by parents, opportunities for regular meetings to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to the education of their children, and respond to any such suggestions as soon as practically possible. The school will submit to the district any parent comments, if the schoolwide plan under section (1114)(b)(2) is not satisfactory to parents of participating children.

1. The School will build the school ’s and parent’s capacity for strong parental involvement, in order to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support a partnership among the school involved, parents, and the community to improve student academic achievement, through the following activities specifically described below:

Frequent reports to parents about their child’s progress;

Reasonable access to teachers and administrators;

Reasonable opportunities to volunteer at the school, participate in their children’s class, and observe classroom activities.

2. The School will incorporate the teacher-parent-student compact as a component of its School Parental Involvement Policy by:

Discussing with parents at an annual Title I Meeting, and at parent/teacher conferences as appropriate, how the compact directly connects with their child’s individual achievement

3. The School will, with the assistance of the district, provide assistance to parents of children served by the school in understanding topics such as the following, by undertaking the actions described below:

The State’s academic content standards;

The State’s student academic achievement standards;

The State and local academic assessments including benchmark and alternate assessments;

How to monitor their child’s progress;

How to work with educators.

4. The School will, with the assistance of the district, provide materials and training to help parents work with their children to improve their children’s academic achievement and foster parental involvement, by:

Providing opportunities for parents to attend parent involvement seminars through Parent University;

Assist the district in leading training that develops skills necessary to better assist parents to help their child with schoolwork with an emphasis in literacy training and technology;

Utilize the assistance of the Mississippi Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC) to provide resources and training for parents.

5. The School will, with the assistance of the district and parents, educate its faculty and staff, in how to reach out to communicate and work with parents as equal partners, and the value of their contribution by:

Effective monitoring and notification of student attendance;

Building ties between the parents and the school through extracurricular and academic programs;

Using the school link to the Alcorn District website to host resources and provide a forum for dialogue between parents and the school;

Working to bridge cultural differences by understanding families home cultures, identifying their strengths, and creating opportunities for their contribution.

6. The school will, to the extent feasible and appropriate, will ensure hat information related to the school and parent-program, meetings, and other activities, is sent to the parents of participating children in a understandable and uniform format, including alternative formats upon request, and, to the extent practicable, in a language the parents can understand.

This School Parental Involvement Policy has been developed jointly with, and agreed on with, parents of children participating in Title I, Part A programs.

This policy was adopted by Alcorn Central Middle School on September 19, 2008, and will be in effect for the period of the 2008-09 school year. The school will distribute this policy to all parents of participating Title I, Part A children on of before October 17, 2008. The policy will be presented to the Alcorn District School Board for adoption on October 14, 2008. Alcorn Central Middle School’s notification to parents of this policy will be part of a comprehensive Parent Information Packet provided to parents.

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(Signature of Authorized School Official)

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(Date)