A description of the actions the LEA will take to assist its schools identified as Priority Schools, Focus Schools, and (where applicable) Title I Part A Alert Schools.
LEA Narrative Description 16:
In, 2014-2015 three schools (Southwest Elementary, Mercer Middle School and West Chatham Middle School) were identified as focus schools. Two of the three are middle schools and one is an elementary school. To ensure a focus on instructional leadership and use of current curriculum and standards based instruction, the Chief Academic Officer and the Executive Directors of School Governance conducted quarterly mandatory meeting with First District RESA with new principals and principals of schools identified as Priority and Focus schools. The meetings with Priority and Focus school administrators included feedback and recommendations. The Executive Directors worked with each principal to provide support through professional development, coaching, and mentoring in order to strengthen and build leadership capacity. The administration and guidance teams in Priority and Focus schools were restructured by the department of Academic Affairs to provide increased experience and skills matched to the needs of the school.
Beach High School and Groves High School were the Priority high schools in the district in 2014-2015. They both have an approved School Improvement Grant (SIG). Each school followed the turnaround model and strictly abided by the guidelines set forth in the School Improvement Grants. They are included in all district professional development in addition to what is outlined in the School Improvement Grants. Based on the Priority status for 2014-2015 school year, both Beach and Groves High school implemented a Flexible Learning Program. These schools were also provided technical support from the Title I Office. Beach High School provided FLP services through mathematics. This data was based upon ranking data. Students were serviced based upon priority. Beach High School utilized Study Island, a research-based intervention that was proven to boost mathematic performance. Beach High School had highly-qualified teachers servicing students in the area of mathematics. Groves High School also provided services in the area of Mathematics. Students were served based upon their academic rankings, and only students who were priority were served first. For Beach High School and Groves High School, Data was reviewed on a weekly basis by the FLP teacher, administrator, and any stakeholder that served the student educationally. Input was sought from parents to improve the quality of the FLP. For the 2015-2016 school year, both high schools are no longer Priority schools.
For the 2015-2016 school year, the following schools are designated as Focus Schools and will be receiving FLP service:
Butler Elementary
Haven Elementary
Hodge Elementary
Shuman Elementary
Thunderbolt Elementary
Windsor Forest Elementary
West Chatham Middle School
Also, the School of Liberal Studies At Savannah High has been identified as a Priority school. As a Priority school, district and state personnel will work together with parents, guardians, the community, and the school to develop a plan that delivers the necessary support to address the learning needs of their students and increase student success. Both Focus and Priority schools will receive the same interventions that were provided to the schools identified in 2014- 2015 as described below.
Increased time and support to address student learning and social/emotional needs
Provided extended day and extended year learning opportunities for students at Priority and Focus Schools such as an embedded intervention block, academic intercessions, a Twilight Evening School, an expanded A+ Virtual Learning Program, the Georgia Virtual School, Flexible Learning Programs, 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
Analyzed feeder school student achievement, initiate lines of communication and planning with feeder schools and develop early warning systems and transition programs for students entering high school.
Provided social-emotional and community-oriented services to support students. These include a tiered behavioral monitoring and support system, the Positive Behavior Support system.
Instructional and Support Strategies
Developed and implemented a comprehensive, job-embedded professional learning program for all staff, focused on identified and documented needs for improving teaching and learning.
Used data to identify and implement research-based instructional programming aligned with state standards and the school improvement plan requirements. This included the America’s Choice Rigor and Readiness/ACT initiative in grades 9 and 10, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in all grades, Georgia Standards of Excellence/Georgia Performance Standards (GSE/GPS), Thinking Maps, High School 101 and Write for the Future.
Maintained system wide academic records review process overseen at each high school by the School Counseling Department to support the increase of the cohort graduation rate.
Ensured the continuous use of student data in a formative and summative manner to inform and differentiate instruction in order to meet academic growth needs of students using tools such as Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP), Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI), Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), MClass Math, and End of Course (EOC) for English/Language Arts and Mathematics.
Trained and supported data interpretation and analysis of criterion-referenced benchmark assessment will be provided along with Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP), Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI), and Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and MClass Math. This prepared teachers to differentiate mathematical domains and instruction for their students.
The recruitment and retention of highly qualified staff by screening of all prospective staff using locally developed competencies.
Maintained school counseling and scholarship sections of the district Website to support parents and students in the college application process, and developed awareness among stakeholders of the district-wide, comprehensive, developmental school counseling plan being implanted at all levels.
Provided free SAT/ACT test preparation courses for high school students.
Professional learning activities included were programs and interventions that are based on the work of leading researchers such as Robert Marzano and Richard DuFour.
Through weekly PLCs conducted during common planning, academic content standards were “Unwrapped”. This is a proven technique to assist educators in identifying exactly what they need to teach their students. “Unwrapping” provides clarity as to what students must know and be able to do. By taking the time to “unwrap” each standard, more effective instructional planning, assessments, and student learning will be achieved.
Observations of all teachers is was conducted by the departments of Curriculum & Instruction and Professional Learning using a standards-based observation form such as Teacher Keys to determine individual teacher needs so that professional learning activities can could be differentiated. Identified topics for training based on differentiated needs of teachers, content areas, grade levels and programs were prioritized and a revision to the professional learning plan to reflect new priorities for training were made.
Training for school leadership on facilitating PLCs, utilizing a systematic process for data analysis, consistently monitoring school improvement plans, curriculum implementation and instructional strategies, professional learning activities and the PBIS intervention model were conducted.
School administrators reviewed, disaggregated and discussed data with the leadership team and school advisory board. Monitoring implementation of best practices and data-driven instruction to support teaching and learning l occurred through formal and informal observations conducted by administrators, department chairpersons, Title I administrators, and district curriculum and instruction personnel
Twilight evening school was offered to help students who are at risk of dropping out of school and/or face academic, attendance or behavioral obstacles and to improve the education of the student. The Twilight School offered both credit recovery options and first time credit offerings for students who wish to accelerate learning.
The Student Success Expo was an opportunity for attendees to learn about Savannah Chatham County Public School System’s programs of study and gain valuable information to prepare students for college, career, or the workforce. Attendees may participate in engaging workshops that offer useful information about college and career preparedness. Additionally, parents, students, and community members have had opportunities to interface with local businesses and governmental and non-profit organizations.
Is Plan Descriptor Revised?
17. Title I, Part A
A description of the actions the LEA will take to implement Flexible Learning Program (FLP) for schools identified as Priority Schools, Focus Schools, and (where applicable) Title I, Part A Alert Schools.
LEA Narrative Description 17:
(Southwest Elementary, Mercer Middle School, West Chatham Middle School, Beach High School and Groves High School were identified as focus (FLP) schools. For the 2014-2015 school year two Priority schools, Beach and Groves High Schools were served by FLP. As an extension of the Priority school status, the high schools will implement FLP in the third year. Parents will be notified via US mail of the status of their child’s school along with a description of the Flexible Learning Program and how they can apply for services. The Flexible Learning Program will provide identified students in the Savannah Chatham County Public Schools (SCCPSS) with additional hours of instruction to improve student achievement in reading and/or math by operating during the school day 2-3 days a week identified grade levels.
The Focus elementary school, Southwest Elementary served its identified students in all grade levels (K-5) 3 days a week for one hour per day during their specials on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Both focus middle schools, Mercer Middle and West Chatham Middle served its students for an additional hour during their connections session during the school day by grade level from Monday through Friday. Beach High School served their students during instructional focus during the school day. Ninth graders were served in the Fall, and grades 10-12 were served in the Spring. Students were served in high schools through the last day of school, May 22, 2015. Flexible Learning Programs were funded by the LEA through a minimum 5% district level set-aside of Title I allocations. Funds were used to pay highly effective teachers working in the program, provide professional development and purchase materials and supplies.
The LEA prioritized Title I Flexible Learning Program (FLP) funding and services to students in elementary grades (K-5) and middle grades (6-8) ) and high school grades (9-12) attending Priority and Focus Schools based on the following federal rank order:
Rank I – Students in the following subgroups that are not meeting standards as identified by state assessment results: students with disabilities, English Learners, or free- and reduced- price lunch subgroups; and if funding levels allow
Rank II – All other students that are not meeting standards, as identified by state assessment results; and if funding levels allow
Rank III – Students who are meeting standards, as identified by state assessment results; and if funding levels allow.
The differentiated curriculum for students in elementary and middle school will be supported by appropriate structures and resources and will be was taught with appropriate instructional models. Teachers have been trained on models of differentiation through the District’s professional development sessions and were able to make appropriate choices of instructional delivery in relationship to the GSE/GPS and student needs. Flexible Learning teachers will used small group instruction, homogenous and heterogeneous grouping, teacher-and student directed learning, literature circles, Socratic Seminar, project based learning, and independent study as an integral part of the differentiation of the core content curricula.
Students received academic support in reading and/or math based on individual needs determined initially through state assessment then through regularly scheduled progress monitoring using Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) from Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). MAP is a computerized adaptive test that provides teachers the achievement data needed to make student focused instructional decisions to improve teaching and learning. The assessments are aligned to the national Common Core Standards for Math, Reading and Language Arts.
Progress monitoring in reading and math occurred three times per year using Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) and Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), MCLASS Math, and End of Course (EOC) for Math and English/Language Arts.
CompassLearning Odyssey a comprehensive, complete single-platform K-12 online curriculum was used in a blended model for instruction of reading and math. Applications in CompassLearning are aligned to the GSE/GPS, offer intervention and enrichment, and differentiated instruction Data from assessment instruments used for progress monitoring of reading and math were imported to CompassLearning to provide personalized learning paths for students. Teachers balanced Computer Aided Instruction with individual and small group instruction throughout the week.
Students received academic support in mathematics and English/Language Arts based on individual needs determined initially through EOCT assessments for high school. The Study Island Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) and Common Core Mastery Program are specifically designed to help high school students master the content outlined in the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). The user-friendly interface allows students to move through the program step-by-step. Each section has a pretest and a post test, as well as topics that cover each of the standards. The test provided teachers the achievement data they need to make student focused instructional decisions to improve teaching and learning. The assessments are aligned to the national Common Core Standards for mathematics and/or Literature.
Study Island’s Literature and math software was used to provide common core standard-aligned and research-based curricula. This software made the essential student practice component of any Literature and mathematics curriculum more effective. The practice time is was personalized to each student’s individual level to ensure a high rate of success and is immediately followed by feedback to help educators target instruction. Personalized Literature and math practice includes guiding students to exercises at appropriate levels, closely monitoring their progress, and intervening with appropriate instruction when necessary.
Benchmarking using established district goals was conducted in the fall, winter and spring. Progress monitoring was conducted approximately three to four weeks after the benchmark has been given and instruction has taken place. Based on the results, adjustments were made to address areas of concern. The accessibility of critical data from MAP testing allowed teachers to meet the individual needs of the students where they need it most. The data was used to determine precisely which concepts a student has mastered, and which areas to focus on for academic growth. Student data was used to determine how to fine-tune instruction and track academic growth over a school year. Appropriate adjustments were made based upon data and feedback from teachers, students and parents. The FLP program operated in compliance with Title I laws and regulations.
A Title I Program Manager helped implement, operate, monitor and evaluate the Flexible Learning Program at the Focus and Priority schools.
The Program Manager provided technical assistance to FLP site staff which supported program goals for improving student academic achievement. In addition, the FLP Coordinator will conduct outreach and recruitment to students and families to enroll eligible students. The Flexible Learning teacher will develop a Goal Setting Sheet with the student and parent. The FLP Goal Setting Sheet will note the areas of weakness and will allow the Flexible Learning teacher to focus on individual learning needs through the student’s My Action Plan of Improvement.
For the 2015-2016 school year the following schools were designated as Focus schools and will be receiving Flexible Learning Program services:
Butler Elementary
Haven Elementary
Hodge Elementary
Shuman Elementary
Thunderbolt Elementary
Windsor Forest Elementary
West Chatham Middle
For the 2015-2016 school year, the School of Liberal Studies at Savannah High School was designated as Priority. As a priority school, District and school stakeholders will work together with parents, guardians, the community, and the school will develop a plan that delivers the necessary support to address the learning needs of their students and increase academic success.
Through the Flexible Learning Program, instruction is based on targeting only deficient areas in mathematics. Unlike the traditional classroom that tailors to teaching the whole curriculum, it is specific and prescriptive which in turn, provides an alternative approach.
FLP teachers will use small group instruction, homogenous and heterogeneous grouping, teacher- and student- directed learning, literature circles, Socratic Seminar, project- based learning, and independent study as an integral part of the differentiation of the core content curricula.
The software and best practices have been shown by scientifically based research to be effective in helping educators dramatically accelerate math growth in K–12 classrooms. Numerous studies by independent researchers demonstrate that students’ mathematics abilities improve with the use of these tools, and that the performance gap between high-achieving and low-achieving students can be substantially reduced.
Front Row math software will be used to provide Georgia Standards of Excellence-aligned and research-based curricula. This software makes the essential student practice component of any mathematics curriculum more effective. The practice time is personalized to each student’s individual level to ensure a high rate of success and is immediately followed by feedback to help educators target instruction. Personalized math practice includes guiding students to exercises at appropriate levels, closely monitoring their progress, and intervening with appropriate instruction when necessary. Teachers and students are provided with detailed student data reports for each domain according to the standards. FLP teachers will be able to provided targeted practice and instruction for each student based upon their individual needs areas.
Differentiation through the District’s professional development sessions and will be able to make appropriate choices of instructional delivery in relationship to the Georgia Standards of Excellence and student needs through the FLP program. The professional development for teachers will equip them in identifying how and what strategies are needed to better fit the needs of all learners including those with disabilities. In addition, training will be provided for teachers to assist parents in taking an active role in setting achievement goals for their child(ren). During benchmark assessment windows, parents will be invited to conference with the FLP teachers to discuss plans or strategies to assist in their child’s achievement goals in mathematics.
Additionally, Elementary Schools (Focus Schools) that are receiving FLP services will utilize the research-based program DreamBox. DreamBox Learning Math and its Intelligent Adaptive Learning technology is researched-based, and fits within the RtI/MTSS model. Sound pedagogy is always the foundation for instruction, because the goal is to build conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. DreamBox goes far beyond the expectation of intermittent assessment and adjustments to instruction. Formative assessments throughout the learning process help shape the process. In real-time, every mouse click is tracked to gain insight into student strategies. Then, based on that insight, individual learning paths are dynamically created to guide the student through the curriculum, aligned with the Georgia Standards of excellence and other state standards.
District Personnel will:
i. Guide and support the implementation of the Flexible Learning Program
ii. Approve use of Title I funds to include purchase orders, supplemental payrolls and/or contracts to support Flexible Learning
iii. Oversee the implementation of the Flexible Learning Program including program elements such as staff development, program evaluation, budget, staffing and communication
The LEA will take steps to collect, analyze, and report participate feedback of the FLP for each school.
The LEA/school will provide a timeframe for survey feedback from teachers, students, and parents within the program in order to determine the overall effectiveness of the program. A survey deadline will been established throughout the year. Ongoing program improvement will be gauged with the use of suggestions received from the parent, teacher and student surveys. The result of the surveys and benchmarks will be used to assist the LEA in the effectiveness of its services and how improvements can be made to the Flexible Learning Program throughout the implementation.
Professional development on data interpretation and analysis of criterion-referenced benchmark assessments will be provided by qualified personnel such as the Academic Coach and/or District Math Academic Coach.
Is Plan Descriptor Revised?
18. Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A and Title II, Part D; Title III; IDEA
A description of how the LEA will ensure that teachers and paraprofessionals meet the highly qualified requirements in Title I section 1119, QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHERS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS. Description must include:
Highly Qualified trend data for LEA and school;
Information about numbers of teachers (disaggregated by subject taught and grade level) who lack certification and who are NOT designated as highly qualified;
Activities of how the LEA will develop strategies and use funds to support teachers in becoming highly qualified;
The percentage of teachers and administrators who are technologically literate; the method(s) used to determine teacher and administrator technology literacy; and strategies the school system will implement to increase the percentage of teachers and administrators who are technologically literate;
A description of how the LEA will certify that all teachers in any language instruction educational program for limited English proficient students that is, or will be funded under Title III, are fluent in English and any other language used for instruction, including having written and oral communication skills;
LEA Narrative Description 18:
a. Highly Qualified trend data for LEA and school
For the school year 2014-2015, 99.44% of the teachers met highly qualified status. For the school year 2014-2015, 99.8% of the paraprofessionals met highly qualified status. We will collect baseline data and attrition rates of teachers in Title I schools which will help us to determine what plan needs to be developed to address equitable distribution of highly-qualified teachers.
We continue to target our high-needs schools with the highest attrition rates to receive extra district-level support for new teachers. Site-based support plans were developed with the principal. The district has provided release-time and a structured induction program to support site-based needs. The district encourages teachers to complete on line exit interview surveys to help us understand the specific reasons for the high attrition and the best ways to address the needs.
b. Information about numbers of teachers (disaggregated by subject taught and grade level) who lack certification and who are NOT designated as Highly Qualified;
At the end of the 2014-2015 school year, we had the following data regarding the teachers in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.
At the elementary level:
99.78% of the elementary school teachers met the criteria for highly-qualified status.
One teacher at Georgetown K-8 School did not meet the HIQ requirements
At the middle school level:
98.61% of the middle school teachers met the criteria for highly-qualified status.
One teacher at STEM Academy @ Bartlett did not meet the criteria for highly-qualified status
At the high school level:
98.96% of the high school teachers met the criteria for highly-qualified status.
One teacher at Islands High School did not meet the HiQ requirements, one teacher at Windsor Forest High School did not meet the HiQ requirements, and one teacher at Johnson High School did not meet the HiQ requirements.
As a district, we will continue to expand the on-line application system. Previously, applicants were encouraged to apply on-line. We now require all applicants to complete their application on-line. Once an applicant submits their application, the staffing coordinator reviews the qualifications to determine whether or not the individual is eligible for a teaching certificate and is highly qualified. By utilizing technology, the district is able to decrease the wait time for site administrators to receive applications. The hiring process can take place in a timely manner. The on-line application procedure was upgraded to become more user-friendly for the applicant and the administrator. We will be surveying the new hires and administrators to get feedback .
The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System vacancies have become more difficult to fill as the requirements for the educators become higher. The Human Resources department is working with the Professional Learning department to strengthen recruitment and retention strategies.
c. Activities of how the LEA will develop strategies and use funds to support teachers in becoming highly qualified;
Due to the low availability of highly qualified math, science, and special education teachers, we will continue to expand our alternative certification programs. The high number of transfers and the high turnover rates within the district has also required the system to focus on providing support to retain those highly qualified, effective teachers in all schools and all programs that are currently in the system. The Professional Learning Department has offered various courses throughout the year
Teachers are the most important school-related factor in determining student success. Research suggests that one effective teacher can accelerate students’ learning over more than one grade level, while an ineffective teacher can cause students to fall irreparably behind. Strong induction processes should ensure effective teachers stay in the classroom and ineffective teachers are supported to either become effective teachers or are to be counseled out of the classroom. Research supports teacher turnover can be significantly reduced and a focus will be on improving instruction when supported by an intensive, mentor-based induction program (South Carolina Department of Education, 2006).
Georgia districts and schools have been mandated to create, implement, and sustain quality induction programs that support not only retention, but the induction phase teacher’s growth, thereby increasing opportunities for student learning. In keeping with research, and the state of Georgia’s expectation; the Savannah Chatham County Public School System has developed a robust induction program. Induction programs provide new teachers with the support needed during the often-difficult transition from pre-service education to actual classroom teaching – from students of teaching to teachers of students.
Induction is the process of systematically training and supporting new teachers beginning before the first day of school and continuing throughout the first three years of teaching. Its purposes include but are not limited to:
• Easing the transition into teaching
• Improving teacher effectiveness through training in classroom management and effective teaching techniques
• Promoting an understanding of district’s culture
• Increasing the retention of greater numbers of highly qualified and effective teachers
The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System offers a two-fold Induction support system:
New Teacher Orientation (NTO):
The process begins with two days of district level training and three days of school level training prior pre-planning and the first day of school. During NTO new teachers are instructed in the rudiments of classroom management, first-day procedures, discipline management, time and organization management, instructional strategies, and more.
THRIVE!
Support and training continue, systematically over a period of three years in THRIVE! 1, 2 and 3. Induction unfolds in progressive stages, to support induction teachers (with 0-3 years of experience) in their growth and development over time. Induction teachers are supported at the district level by district coordinators and at the school level by site induction coordinators and mentors. Effective mentors are essential to the support of induction teachers. The mentoring program at the school level offers induction teachers ongoing support in their professional development on the way to becoming effective teachers.
d. The percentage of teachers and administrators who are technologically literate; the method(s) used to determine teacher and administrator technology literacy; and strategies the school system will implement to increase the percentage of teachers and administrators who are technologically literate;
Although the Georgia Professional Standards Commission has changed the requirements for the computer competency and are no longer requiring a computer competency exam, the district will continue to offer technology training to improve teaching and learning.
e. A description of how the LEA will certify that all teachers in any language instruction educational program for limited English proficient students that is, or will be funded under Title III, are fluent in English and any other language used for instruction, including having written and oral communication skills;
Teachers who work with English Language Learners are required to hold an appropriate certificate with an ESOL endorsement. In order to be admitted into an ESOL endorsement program, participants are required to hold a Clear, Renewable Georgia teaching certificate. One of the requirements of all program candidates is that they have competence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in standard English which is determined in the interview process. The Georgia DOE has also required teachers of ESOL students to be certificated in English at the same level of the students that they are serving. The LEA is responsible for ensuring that the individuals possess the necessary professional certification and experience. The supervising principal or administrator is responsible for making sure that the teacher demonstrates the ability to create a literate environment. The ESOL Program Manager coordinates the ESOL Endorsement Courses and has periodic training sessions at the Whitney Complex to keep teachers abreast of best practices related to ESOL students.
Savannah-Chatham Implementation Guidelines
Parents Right to Know
Parents Right to Know Information
LEAs are required to notify parents that they may request information regarding the teacher’s professional qualifications, including the following:
Whether the teacher has met the Georgia Professional Standards Commission requirements for certification for the grade level and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;
Whether the teacher is teaching under an emergency or other provisional status through which Georgia qualifications or certification criteria have been waived;
The college major and any graduate certification or degree held by the teacher;
Whether the student is provided services by paraprofessionals, and if so, their qualifications.
The Code of Conduct, which is distributed to all students in the system, contains the information (above) and has a line asking for a signature which serve as documentation that the parents have been informed of their parental rights. The handbook has a back page that is signed by the parents and returned to the school showing that they have received and read the handbook. The school will keep the signed forms on file as documentation that the parents have been notified. Schools that do not have a handbook, send a letter home through the U.S. mail, place the information on their website, and/or send the notification in the school communication folder to all parents notifying them of their rights.
The Annual Parent/Guardian Notification Booklet is distributed to all students in the school system. It contains the parents right to know, and serves as documentation that the parents have been informed of their parental rights.
HiQ Letter
LEAs are required to notify parents if a teacher who is not “highly qualified” is teaching their child a core academic content course. Parental notification is required if a teacher who is not “highly qualified” teaches their child for four consecutive weeks or more. Parental notification is not required for teachers who are not teacher of record for core academic subjects. Please note that effective 2006 – 2007, the parent notification requirement applies to teachers who teach core academic content subjects in Title I and Non-Title I schools and programs.
Core subject areas include reading, language arts, mathematics, science, foreign language, civics and government, economics, history, geography, visual arts, music, band and chorus. If a teacher is assigned to a core subject area that they are not certified for, a letter would also need to be sent home.
At the beginning of each school year, staff members in Human Resources request a report from the Technology Department which shows each teacher's certification information, title code, and teaching schedule by period. The Teacher Quality Specialist in Human Resources reviews the teaching schedules for every teacher in the system to ensure that all teachers are properly assigned so that they retain Highly-Qualified status. If there are any teachers who are teaching out-of-field, the site administrator is contacted to ensure that the information was not improperly keyed into the system or that the teacher was not assigned to courses in error. Once corrections are made to the system, another report is generated to allow for additional checks for accuracy of data and to make sure that as many errors as possible have been corrected.
If a teacher is not considered Highly Qualified for the current assignment, the principal is informed by the Teacher Quality Specialist, so that a letter to all parents of the students of this teacher can be sent to parents to inform them of the HiQ status of the teacher. As new teachers enter into the system, the HR Certified Staff will let the Teacher Quality Specialist know as soon as it is discovered that there is a teacher who has been hired who is not highly qualified. The Teacher Quality Specialist can then inform the teacher and principal, so that the parent notification can be sent home. All principals will send a copy of the letter sent home and a copy of the class roster(s) to the Teacher Quality Specialist who tracks and ensures that parents were sent letters. For positions that are paid by Title I funds, the principal will also send home a copy of the letter and a copy of the class roster(s) to the Title I office. The Teacher Quality Specialist ensures that letters are sent according to the requirements. A remediation plan can be put into place and then steps are taken to help the teacher become highly qualified. The Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools System has been committed to hiring highly qualified paraprofessionals in all of its schools. Each paraprofessional’s qualifications are verified before they are board approved to ensure that they are highly qualified. Letters are not applicable in this situation.
100% 99.8% of the paraprofessionals in Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools are HiQ.;
99.74% of paraprofessionals are highly-qualified at the elementary level
100% of paraprofessionals are highly-qualified at the middle school level
100% of paraprofessionals are highly-qualified at the high school level
A remediation plan is developed in accordance with the guideline in Section V of the Title II, Part A Handbook for each non-highly qualified teacher and paraprofessional as follows:
When a new employee is hired (teachers and paraprofessionals), documentation is gathered to determine whether or not the person holds a clear and renewable certificate to fill the position for which they have been recommended. If the person cannot be considered as highly qualified, the Teacher Quality Specialist and certification specialist will contact the principal and teacher/paraprofessional who is non-HiQ to inform him\her a plan must be implemented. The principal will meet with the teacher/paraprofessional to develop the plan. The Remediation Plan will detail the requirements that must be met in order for the person to become highly qualified as soon as possible within the three year period establish by the PSC nonrenewable certificate. The plan includes any tests, required coursework, completion of any approved teacher education program, etc. needed to become highly qualified. The plan will be signed and submitted to the Teacher Quality Specialist (3) a description of how the LEA monitors to ensure each non-HiQ teacher, non-HiQ paraprofessional, and teacher with a non-renewable certificate is implementing the remediation plan and making progress toward HiQ status or clear renewable certification.
The remediation plan is reviewed by the principal and teacher/paraprofessional three times per year (September, January, and April) to document progress. Once the plan is reviewed and signed by both the principal and teacher/paraprofessional, the plan is sent along with corresponding documentation to the teacher quality specialist for review and signature. An electronic copy is filed under 12.7 Remediation Plans – Non-HiQ and a paper copy is kept on file.
A cycle of at least three monitoring conference/meetings with the principal or his/her designee is required during each school year (September, January, and April) until the non-renewable certificate period expires. The teacher resubmits an updated form (dated and initialed) with applicable documentation as evidence of efforts that are made toward receiving a clear renewable certificate. An electronic copy is filed under 12.8 Remediation Plans – Non Clear Renewable and a paper copy is kept on file.
When a new employee is hired (teachers and paraprofessionals), documentation is gathered to determine whether or not the person holds a clear renewable certificate for the position for which they have been recommended. If the person does not hold a clear renewable certificate, the Teacher Quality Specialist will contact the principal and teacher/paraprofessional that holds the non-renewable certificate to inform him/her a plan must be implemented. The principal will meet with the teacher/paraprofessional to develop the plan. The Remediation Plan will detail the requirements that must be met in order for the person to gain a clear renewable certificate as soon as possible, within the three year period established by the PSC nonrenewable certificate. The plan includes any tests, required coursework, completion of any approved teacher education program, etc. needed to become highly qualified. The plan will be signed and submitted to the Teacher Quality Specialist.
