By NEIL ZOLOT
WAKEFIELD — Title 1, Part A provides federal dollars through the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act for supplemental educational opportunities for children who are most at-risk of failing to meet the state’s challenging content and performance standards.
Priorities include providing evidence-based programs to enable participating students to achieve the learning standards, elevating the quality of instruction by providing staff with substantial professional development and involving parents and guardians as active partners in their child’s education.
This has been realized through reading specialists at the Woodville Elementary and Galvin Middle Schools, a Therapeutic Learning Center teacher at Galvin and an adjustment counselor at the high school. All three are Title 1 schools based on demographics.
Wakefield uses a “school-wide” approach. “It allows us to reach every student,” consultant Colleen Dolan told the School Committee at their meeting Tuesday, November 28.
“We’re providing individual assistance to students, which is our goal.”
The Mass.gov website elaborates, “Different from targeted assistance, school-wide programs use the approach of improving the entire school program with the intent of meeting the needs of those students who are failing or most at risk of failing to meet the state’s academic achievement standards.”
Wakefield is receiving $119,480 in Fiscal 2024, down from $125,395 in Fiscal 2023, but higher than the $112,476 in Fiscal 2022. The Title IIa total is $8,330 in Fiscal 2024. In Fiscal 2023 it was $50,198, in Fiscal 2022 $48,421.
The Title V total has been $10,000 per year for Fiscal 2022, 2023 and 2024.
“I’d like to tell you this pays for everything, but it doesn’t,” Dolan said. “The numbers aren’t bad and we’re making the best use of every dollar. I work closely with Assistant Superintendent Kara Mauro and Business Manager Christine Bufagna. We are driven by the same desire, to stretch dollars as far as we can to support WPS students.”
Most of these programs, and others, fall under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). “Title I provides financial assistance to districts and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards,” Dolan explained. “Title IIa provides supplemental resources to school districts to support systems of support for excellent teaching and leading. Its priorities include increasing student achievement consistent with challenging state academic standards; improving the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders; increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools and providing low-income and minority students equitable access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders.
“Districts are required to identify and address any disparities that result in economically disadvantaged students, students of color, English learners and students with disabilities being taught by lower rated, inexperienced or out-of-field teachers at higher rates of frequency than other students.”
Data teams meet monthly to evaluate assessments by grade level and subject area, including Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System results and report cards. With building principals, the teams maker recommendations regarding changes in curriculum, assessment, student programming and professional development needs based on their analysis. Recommendations are also made about funding. “We ask what we need and how we can reach students to support them,” Dolan explained. “Administration and Curriculum Leaders will use data to support teachers in better understanding their basic needs and how they might need to shift instruction. This will happen at data meetings and department meetings.”
She also wants to improve how data is shared on a professional level and with parents and guardians. “It’s something we need to look at and possibly find a better way to share data,” she feels. “We’re trying to figure out a way to share student progress with parents in a more meaningful way, starting at the elementary level. We’re working with the staff to organize data to share with parents and are also hoping to gather more feedback. We haven’t had a lot in the past. People are busy.”
To that end, there’ll be a parent survey in April, with the idea of gathering data and opinions for implementation in the 2024-25 school year.
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The School Committee was also visited by High School band director Tom Bankert and student members Lilah Hathaway, Lauren Mangarelli and Hayden Quimby, who brought along their New England Scholastic Band Association, Division 5 Championship trophy. “Our hard work paid off and we ended up with the trophy,” Mangarelli, a drum major and student representative to the School Committee, said.
