Title I Schools

Title I Parent Advisory Team

Several campus schools receive funding from the Title I grant, which is part of the No Child Left Behind educational act. Three parent representatives from each Title I school serve on the Title I Parent Advisory Team. This team is responsible for conducting various grant affairs, such as identifying how to spend the parent involvement set-aside dollars. The team also provides vital parent input regarding Title I school program planning and evaluation.

Title I Parent “Right To Know” Notifications

At the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind we look at our students’ academic achievement as our number one priority. Please note that you have the right, as parents of students in a school receiving Title I funds, to request the following information:

Whether your student’s teacher has met state certification criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction
Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualifications of certification criteria have been waived
The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of study of the certification or degree
Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals, and if so, their qualifications

You will be notified in writing if your child has been assigned to a class or been taught by a teacher who has not met the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND highly-qualified criteria. If you have any questions about this requirement or wish to make an enquiry regarding the teacher or paraprofessional qualifications, please contact your school’s assistant principal.

Deaf Elementary: Ms. Heidi Jordan (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) at 904-827-2521
Blind Elementary: Mr. Justin Cosgrove (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) at 904 827-2740
Deaf Middle School: Mr. Martin Price (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) at 904-827-2530 V or 866-867-9488 VP
Blind Middle School: Mr. Justin Cosgrove (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) at 904 827-2740

If you have a question regarding a particular paraprofessional’s qualifications, please contact the Director of Human Resources Ms. Carrie Arnold at 904-827-2321 or via email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Additionally, the 2011 FCAT results for students in grades 3-11 were released in July and were immediately mailed to families. If you have not yet received your child’s results, please contact your child’s assistant principal.

Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRC)

The U.S. Department of Education created the first PIRCs in 1995 to provide parents, schools, and organizations involved to understand how children develop and what they need to succeed in school. The PIRC centers work closely with parents, educators, and community organizations to strengthen partnerships so that children can reach high academic standards. The No Child Left Behind education act requires school districts with Title I schools to inform parents of the existence and purpose of the state’s PIRCs.

The current funding cycle ended on September 30, 2011. A sixth year of funding was proposed by the United State Department of Education for PIRCs; however, recently all 62 PIRCs nationwide, including the United States territories, were notified that this additional sixth year of funding will not be available.

At present, the Florida PIRCs plan to continue to keep available to you and to Florida’s families, their PIRC websites and electronic resources such as Tip Sheets and toolkits. Both of the PIRCs in Florida have provided valuable resources to the Florida Department of Education, districts, schools, and to families statewide. This will be a great loss to Florida and we will miss not having the level of support both PIRCs have provided in our state.

To view the latest PIRC Parent Notifications in multiple languages, please consult the PIRC websites:
Florida PIRC of the Family Network on Disabilities
Florida PIRC at the University of South Florida

SES Providers

The Title I part A grant provides funds to assist schools in closing the achievement gap. When a Title I school has received funds for two years in a row without meeting Florida’s Adequate Yearly Progress requirements, that school is required to implement Supplemental Education Services in the form of tutoring. Students in Title I schools who receive a free or reduced rate lunch are eligible for this tutoring. Different agencies known as SES Providers develop contracts with tutors and families to provide the tutoring service.

During the 2011 – 2012 school year students from the deaf elementary and blind middle schools (with free and reduced lunch status) are eligible for tutoring arranged by one of these two providers:

Club Z! Tutoring Services
15310 Amberly Drive Ste. 110
Tampa, FL 33647 (P) 813-425-7847

A Quantum Leap Educational Services
Contact Person: Joseph Vickers (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address))
Contact Phone #: 904-262-0623

Parents will make arrangements directly with the tutoring services above.