Title I Information

Russell Middle School Title I Program F.A.Q.

What is Title I?
Title I is a federal program that provides funds from the federal government to improve student learning.

Why does our school receive Title I funding?
Schools in which 35% or more students are from low-income families may receive Title I funding.

Important Title I Links

• Title I Family Engagement Plan and School-Family Compact | Plan de Involucramiento y Participación Familiar y Acuerdo entre la Escuela y la Familia
• Complaint Procedures | Procedimientos para hacer una queja
• Parents Right to Know
• School Improvement Plan
• Leave Feedback on Title I Plans

High Impact Best Practices for Teaching and Learning

The faculty and staff of Russell Middle School are committed to using effective instructional practices that are consistent in every classroom. Our goal is for each and every student we serve to be academically successful while achieving at their highest level.

To meet this goal:

We will teach the Georgia Standards of Excellence with fidelity by:

* Designing lessons aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence
* Identifying key concepts in the language of the standards
* Using essential questions to connect instruction to the standard
* Asking students to explain the standards in their own words

We will monitor the progress of our students while working collaboratively using the Data Team Process in Professional Learning Communities by:

* Developing formative assessments that are explicitly aligned to standards
* Collecting, charting, and analyzing student work on a regular basis
* Identifying students who are not meeting standards, meeting standards, or exceeding standards
* Continuously adjusting instruction based on assessment results
* Using a variety of instructional strategies to address student needs
* Focusing on providing strong relevant feedback, both written and verbal, to students regarding their work

All teaching and learning activities will reflect a shared understanding of what students should know, do, and understand and will be built around a common framework for instruction that consists of:

 * Opening - Activating strategies centered on the standard, element(s), and essential question
 * Mini-lesson - Modeling while referencing standards and key vocabulary
 * Using writing exemplars (examples of work that meets or exceeds the standard)
 * Work Period - Engaging students using performance tasks
 * Using higher - order thinking questions to probe student understanding
 * Closing - Summarizing strategies to assess student understanding

Our classroom environment will be built on:

 * A clear and consistent behavior policy for promoting a positive classroom atmosphere
 * Strong student-teacher relationships based on the school district’s core beliefs
 * The social-emotional needs of our students
 * Established rituals and routines
 * Displayed Georgia Standards of Excellence, essential questions, and key vocabulary
 * Evidence of the common framework for instruction
 * Evidence of student work that reflects the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards

Our communication with parents will be:

 * Frequent, clear, and consistent
 * Focused on building a partnership with parents for improving student performance