Use of Title IA, IIA, IVA, & VA
PUBLIC FEEDBACK FORM FOR ESEA Title
Application
The Machias School Department accepts funding through the Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) of 1965. As part of ESEA, The Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School is required to provide reasonable opportunity for public comment on the Consolidated application and consider such comment prior to the submission of the application. The Machias School Department is accepting public comment on the 2023-
24 application through July 31st, 2023.
Below are the Title IA, IIA, IVA, and VA application projects that will comprise the final application posted to the Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School web site for a one week period from July 24-July 28, 2023. If you
have any questions, comments, or feedback, please email Mitchell Look, ESEA Coordinator at mlookaos96@gmail.com.
Machias received a total of $275,487.32 of federal funds in the following
categories:
Title I= $44,376.32
Title II= $44,376.34
Title IV= $29,332.73
Title V= $14,188.11
Title I used for Title staff salary and benefits
Title II money is used for professional development, teacher evaluation
system, materials and supplies for professional development, stipends
for leadership team members, speakers, and Title I coordinator.
Parent Involvement in Title 1
The Board endorses the parent involvement goals of Title I and encourages the regular participation by parents/guardians in all aspects of the school system’s Title I programs. For the purpose of this policy, “parents/guardians” includes other family members involved in supervising the child’s schooling.
I. DISTRICT-LEVEL PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY
In compliance with federal law, the school unit will develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to parents of children participating in the school system’s Title I programs a written district-level parent involvement policy.
Annually, parents/guardians will have opportunities to participate in the evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the school unit’s parent involvement policy and in using the findings of the evaluation to design strategies for more effective parent involvement and to make revisions to the policy.
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II. SCHOOL-PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY
As required by law, each school in the school unit that receives Title I funds shall jointly develop with parents/guardians of children served in the program a school parent/guardian involvement policy, including “School-Parent Compact” outlining the manner in which parents, school staff, and students will share the
responsibility for improved student academic achievement in meeting State standards. The school policy will be distributed to parents/guardians of children participating in the school’s Title I programs.
The “School-Parent Compact” shall:
A. Describe the school’s responsibility to provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment enabling children in the Title I program to meet the State’s academic achievement standards;
B. Indicate the ways in which parents will be responsible for supporting their children’s learning, such as monitoring attendance, homework completion, monitoring television watching, volunteering in the classroom,
and participating, as appropriate, in decisions related to their children’s education and positive use of extra-curricular time; and
C. Address the importance of parent-teacher communication on an ongoing basis, with, at a minimum, parent-teacher conferences, frequent reports to parents, and reasonable access to staff.
III. PARENT INVOLVEMENT MEETINGS
Each school receiving Title I funds shall convene an annual meeting to which all parents/guardians of
eligible children shall be invited to inform them about the school’s participation in Title I and to involve
them in the planning, review, and improvement of the school’s Title I programs and the parent involvement
policy.
In addition to the required annual meeting, at least one other meeting shall be held at various times of the
day and/or evenings for parents/guardians of students participating in Title I programs.
These meetings shall be used to provide parents with:
A. Information about programs the school provides under Title I;
B. 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 level students are expected to
meet;
C. Opportunities to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to
the education of their children; and
D. The opportunity to submit comments to the district level if they are dissatisfied with the school-
wide Title I program.
Title I funding, if sufficient, may be used to facilitate parent/guardian attendance at meetings through the
payment of transportation and childcare costs.
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IV. PARENT RELATIONS
Parents/guardians of children identified for participation in a Title I program shall receive from the building
principal and Title I staff an explanation of the reasons supporting their child’s selection, a set of objectives
to be addressed, and a description of the services to be provided. Parents will receive regular reports on
their child’s progress and be provided opportunities to meet with the classroom and Title I teachers.
Parents will also receive training, materials, and suggestions as to how they can assist in the education of
their children at home.
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V. DELEGATION OF RESPONSIBILITY
The Superintendent/designee shall be responsible for ensuring that the school unit’s Title I plan, programs,
and parent involvement policies comply with applicable law and regulations and for developing
administrative procedures, as needed, to implement this policy.
Legal References: 20 U.S.C. § 6318
AOS #96 ESSA TITLE 1 SCHOOL PARENT/GUARDIAN COMPACT
AOS 96 and the parents/guardians of the students participating in activities, services, and programs
funded by Title I Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (participating
children), agree that this compact outlines how the parents/guardians, the entire school staff, and the
students will share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement and the means by
which the school and parents will build and develop a partnership that will help children achieve the
state's high standards.
REQUIRED SCHOOL – PARENT/GUARDIAN COMPACT PROVISIONS
AOS 96 responsibilities:
1. Provide high-quality curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment
that enables the participating children to meet the state's student academic achievement standards as
follows:
• Implement scientifically based curriculum models that allow for a variety of teaching
methodologies
• Implement a variety of assessment strategies designed to provide students with multiple
avenues to demonstrate learning objectives
• Provide teachers with ample professional development opportunities to promote best classroom
practice
2. Hold parent/guardian-teacher conferences (at least annually) during which this compact will be
discussed as it relates to the individual child's achievement.
• Parent/guardian teacher conferences will be held biennially (Fall and Spring) at the elementary
level.
• For parents/guardians not able to make parent/guardian teacher conferences, Title 1 staff will
make other arrangements to meet or communicate with Title 1 parents/guardians.
• Student led conferences will be held annually at the high school level.
• Additional parent/teacher conferences may be scheduled independently on an as needed basis.
3. Provide parents/guardians with frequent reports on their children's progress. Specifically, the school
will provide reports as follows:
• Notification of student progress in Title 1 a minimum of twice a year, using a variety of media
(i.e. written, electronic, phone, conference)
• Notification of student progress upon request from the parent/guardian
• Access to student progress electronically, via secure password if the capacity exists to send and
receive such information
4. Provide parents/guardians reasonable access to staff.
• Staff will be available for consultation with parents/guardians by appointment, such
consultation may take place in person, via phone, or through electronic communication.
Parent/Guardian’ Responsibilities:
We, as parents/guardians, will support our children's learning in the following ways:
• Monitor attendance
• Make sure that homework is completed
• Encourage less than 2 hours a day of non-academic screen time
• Participate, as appropriate, in decisions relating to my children's education
• Stay informed about my child's education and communicating with the school by promptly
reading all notices from the school district either received by my child or by mail and
responding, as appropriate
• Encourage your child(ren) to attend after school academic support programs, if available.
Student Responsibilities:
We, as students, will take ownership of our learning in the following ways:
• Come to class prepared (book, writing utensil, notebook, etc)
• Be polite and respectful of all members of the school community
• Demonstrate a positive attitude
Other School Responsibilities
It is understood that additional strategies to foster parental involvement may be designed and
incorporated as this policy is revised over time. It is also understood that additional required elements
pertaining to parental notification and involvement are included within the school level and district
level parental involvement policies. These policies are available for review upon request.
Adopted: December 3, 2009
Revised: October 28, 2014
Revised: February 16, 2017
Revised: May 25, 2017
State Testing Message
“The AOS 96 School District utilizes all assessment data to help inform our practices at the district, school, classroom and individual levels for our students. Although we encourage students and parents to participate fully in our assessment program, it is important to note that parents/guardians may opt their child out of state testing. If you are interested in doing so, please reach out to your child’s principal to make this request in writing.”
ESEA Report Card
As required by the U.S. Department of Education and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), an ESEA report card (ESEA Dashboard) is generated by the Maine Department of Education annually for each school and district, as well as the state. The purpose of the federal law is to ensure transparency of school performance to families and community members. All ESEA report cards are now are housed within the ESEA Dashboard. The ESEA Dashboard is available here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/dashboard
Searches can be done by school and data displayed includes Maine State Assessment results.
Teacher Qualifications
Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s):
As a parent/guardian of a student in AOS 96 you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers who instruct your child. Federal law through the No Child Left Behind legislation allows
you to ask for certain information about your child’s classroom teachers and requires the school district to provide this information in a timely manner if you ask for it. Specifically, you have the right to request the following information about each of your child’s classroom teachers:
ï‚· Whether the State of Maine Department of
Education has licensed or qualified the teacher for the grades
and subjects they teach. 

ï‚· Whether the State of Maine Department of
Education has decided that the teacher can teach in a
classroom without being licensed or qualified under state
regulations because of special circumstances. 

ï‚· The teacher’s college major; whether the teacher
has any advanced degrees and, if so, the subject of the
degrees. 
If you would like to receive any of this information,
please call the Title One Coordinator, Mitchell Look, at 255-
6585