Title I is
a nationwide program funded by the federal government to provide extra
educational assistance to underachieving students. The goal of Title I is to
bring these students' skills up to grade level and to improve student
achievement on the statewide assessment. The intent of the Title I Program in
the Hardin County Schools is to help students master challenging curricula and
learn to the same high state standards that other children are expected to
meet. Schools become eligible to receive Title I services when their free and
reduced lunch counts reach at least 35%.
In the
Hardin County Schools' Title I Program, schools operate as Schoolwide
Programs. In Schoolwide Program Schools, Title I staff members may work with
any child in the school experiencing academic difficulties. The goal of a school
wide program school is to assist all students to achieve high test scores on the
statewide assessment. All Hardin County Schools participate as Schoolwide
Program Schools.
The Hardin
County Schools Title I Program continues to support literacy efforts in our
schools. Seven elementary schools continue to implement the Literacy First
Process. The participating elementary schools include Heartland, Meadow View,
North Park, Radcliff, Rineyville, Vine Grove, and Woodland. Literacy First is
research-based educational reform process that targets reading improvement.
Students are assessed continuously throughout the Literacy First Process. The
goal of the elementary Literacy First Process is to have 85-90% of students
reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. In Hardin County, Literacy
First began in our elementary schools as a three-year process but continues to
thrive as we enter Year 11 of implementation.
Literacy
First has now expanded to the secondary level in our school district. The
Literacy First Process is being implemented in all high schools and Bluegrass
Middle School, East Hardin Middle School and North Middle School. The secondary
Literacy First Process differs somewhat from the elementary process because
schools may choose two different facets of implementation. All high schools and
East Hardin Middle are implementing the Content Area Reading component of the
secondary process. In the Content Area Reading component, content area teachers
learn literacy strategies to enhance their own instruction in the classroom.
All high schools and Bluegrass Middle and North Middle are also implementing the
Intensive Reading component of the secondary process. In the Intensive Reading
component, specific students are targeted for intervention that are at least two
years behind in reading. These students benefit from reduced class size and
intensive reading intervention for at least an entire academic year.
The Hardin
County Schools' Title I Program is heavily involved in the Literacy First
Process. Title I staff members are serving as Literacy Resource Specialists in
each elementary Literacy First School. At the secondary level, Secondary
Instructional Specialists work with the Literacy First Process. Both the LRS
and SIS staff members serve as coaches to their teachers and provide intensive
support to the process at their schools. Current staff members serving in this
role include:
Heartland –
Heather Goodman
Meadow View
– Dawn Tarquinio
North Park
– Jo Ellen Thomas
Radcliff –
TBA
Rineyville
– Helene Harris
Woodland –
Lafe Tabb
Bluegrass –
John Wittenback
East Hardin
– Wateetah Phillips
North
Middle – Jill McDonnell
Central
Hardin – Rosemary Perry
John Hardin
– Tiffany Jones
North
Hardin – Traci Burke