ESEA

4 months ago

Each year, JSD uses information from a variety of sources to develop our ESEA comprehensive plan. Data from the following sources are all considered when developing the plan: Site Council meetings, surveys of staff and students, community survey information with budget meetings, the JSD strategic plan, individual site plans and goals, community meetings, and reviews of school and student data.

The FY 25 comprehensive plan has key elements for each highlighted below:

Title I, Part A, Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Education Agencies

The purpose of the Title I program is to provide supplemental educational services so that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education.

Funding is set by number of students who have Free Reduced Lunch in the school; all Juneau Title I-A schools choose to allow funds to be used schoolwide for any child struggling to meet state standards.

Plans are reviewed annually and revised thoroughly on a three-year rotation with the School Improvement process. Plans can be viewed here.

Title II, Part A, Supporting Effective Instruction through Teacher and Principal Training

Title II-A's purpose is to increase the academic achievement of all students by helping schools and districts improve teacher and principal quality. These funds may be used to improve principals' skills and knowledge for effective school leadership as well.

The state allocates funds, roughly based on a formula based on enrollment and adjusted Title I-A numbers.

The plan is reviewed annually to support currently shared needs, yet it includes support for large-scale in-services, personalized professional development, and rotational attendance at annual conferences. These funds are for all JSD staff.

Summary of FY 25 fund use:

· Teacher mentoring

· Supports for teacher-selected professional development (PD) on topics in their school action plan including, but not limited to: equity, trauma-engaged teaching, peer walkthroughs, artful teaching, responsive classroom, and enhancing student learning in reading, writing, math, etc.

· Recruitment and retention support for hard-to-fill positions

· Paraeducator support to become teachers and to develop their craft as paraeducators

· Librarian development through national and local opportunities

· Developing and continuing the support for staff to teach Advanced Placement (AP) classes

· Training in trauma-engaged practices and building capacity for JSD staff and students in social-emotional strategies

· Stipends for extending the day, registration fees, supplies, and rentals to increase educators' knowledge of using assessment data to inform instruction, especially around PLC / Teacher clarity use of data/ assessment and standards-based instruction.

· Science courses to improve the knowledge of teachers in our local opportunities for learning

Title III, Part A, English Learners and Immigrant Education

Title III aims to help ensure that English learners (ELs) and Immigrant Youth enrolled in public and private schools attain English language proficiency and meet state academic standards.

Funds are allocated based on the number of students qualifying for EL services (roughly $80 a student). JSD's current plan is approved through 2028. Funds are used district-wide only for students who qualify as English Language Learners.

Summary of FY 25 use: student online practice program, personalized student plan online program, teacher professional development, and family engagement stipends and supplies

Title IV, Part A, Student Support & Academic Enrichment (SSAE)

The purpose of Title IV-A is to provide funding and flexibility in three areas: Well-rounded education, safe schools, and technology.

The funding is a percentage of state funds based on enrollment and adjusted Title I-A numbers and is allocated district-wide.

Summary for FY 25 identified needs determined by the three-year needs assessment:

Technology:

Objective 1 - Allow student and staff access to science/STEM content and teaching support through professional development and supplies aligned with Alaska standards

Objective 2 - Provide student access to engaging, career-ready, current curriculum
Objective 3 - Increase student and staff digital literacy and knowledge of use of effective technology tools

Well Rounded:

Objective 4 – Increase student, family, and staff access to real-world, collaborative, artful teaching and place-based learning to improve rigor

Objective 5 – Increase student access to engaging, career-based, current curriculum

Objective 6 – Connect and support families in engaging with and supporting understanding of data-driven student learning in school

Safe and Healthy:

Objective 7 – Increase student ability and skills in the area of trauma-engaged, culturally responsive, and social and emotional well-being practices

Consolidated Administration

Administration of the ESEA grant allows for salary and benefits as well as professional learning for a grant administrator and part time administrative assistant.

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School Improvement

4 months ago

Annually, Alaska schools are designated for improvement. The three designations of school improvement include:

Comprehensive Support and Improvement due to graduation rate (CSI-Grad Rate),
Comprehensive Support and Improvement due to an index value in the lowest 5 percent of schools (CSI (5%)), and
Targeted Support and Improvement due to subgroup performance (TSI).

The Juneau School District has one school designated for CSI-Grad Rate: Yaakoosgé Daakahídi Alternative High School. Sayéik: Gastineau Community School and HomeBRIDGE have been identified as TSI schools. Kax̲dig̲oowu Héen Elementary School has a CSI (5%) designation. Each school has developed a school improvement plan that is updated annually. The 2024-25 plans are linked below:

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Qualified Paraprofessional

Please contact Susan Kugelmann in Human Resources with questions regarding the ParaPro Assessment or Qualified Paraprofessional (QP) status or email hr@juneauschools.org.

QP requirements apply to K-5 Paraeducators at Title I School-wide schools: Sít' Eetí Shaanáx:Glacier Valley, Sayéik: Gastineau, Harborview, and Riverbend.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS

4 months ago

Federal Programs: Public Complaint Procedures

The Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires school districts to adopt procedures for resolving disputes regarding operations of programs authorized under the Act. The intention of this section of the law is to inform the public of dispute procedures.

There may be disputes about transportation or enrollment decisions from students, families or advocates of students in foster care or experiencing homelessness, as described in the Title I-A program. In these or other situations involving the ESEA (ESSA) programs, the forms provided on this weblink can be used. We prefer to resolve conflicts in a proactive manner, however. If you have a complaint, please call the Federal Education Programs Coordinator, at 523-1730.

Please refer to this Juneau School District Board Policy for further information.

Who may file a dispute?

Any organization, parent, teacher, or member of the public may file a complaint against the LEA, the Local Education Agency–the Juneau School District.

How is the complaint filed?

A Federal Programs Dispute Resolution Process form is completed and submitted to the Federal Programs Office, c/o 10014 Crazy Horse Drive, Juneau AK 99801

Definition of a Complaint

There are both formal and informal complaint procedures. A formal complaint must be a written, signed statement that includes: 1. an allegation that a federal statute or regulation applicable to a local education agency (LEA) program has been violated, 2. facts, including documentary evidence that supports the allegation, and 3. the specific requirement, statute, or regulation being violated.

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District Improvement

The Juneau School District has a District Improvement Plan embodied in the JSD Strategic Plan. The results are published annually in the “Dashboard Indicators of Success” report which is located on the Teaching and Learning Assessment page.

The purpose of the plan and the report is to increase student achievement, improve our programs, and meet the goals of continuous improvement. The process for improvement looks at student and district needs and prepares action plans based on researched-based practices. Each year, the District asks parents and guardians of our students for participation in this process. For further questions or to express interest, please call the federal programs coordinator at 523-1730 or email amanda.duvall@juneauschools.org.

Detailed assessment results for Juneau schools are available on the District Assessment web page or on the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development website.

Parents can also help by increasing their understanding of the assessments, understanding the importance of good attendance and graduating from school, visiting schools and becoming a volunteer, and engaging in reading and math strategies at home.

Additional information about the Federal Programs, such as ESEA, and what parents can to do improve student achievement can be found at the U.S. Department of Education Parent page.

Title I-A

3 months ago

The purpose of Title I-A is to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.

School Wide Program

Schoolwide programs are able to consolidate its federal, state, and local funds to upgrade the entire educational program. Though the school is not required to identify certain children as being eligible for services or to provide certain students with any specific supplemental benefits, the focus of the program must be on addressing the needs of low-achieving children and those at risk of not meeting state student academic achievement standards. Any school with a poverty average of at least 40% may operate a Schoolwide Program.

There are three required components of a schoolwide program that are essential to effective implementation: conducting a comprehensive needs assessment, preparing a comprehensive schoolwide plan, and annually reviewing and revising, as necessary, the schoolwide plan.

Juneau Title I-A Schools

Juneau School District's schoolwide programs will ensure that all low-achieving students in all subgroups, including economically disadvantaged students, racial/ethnic subgroups, English learners, students with disabilities, migratory children, and homeless students, are receiving assistance to increase their level of achievement.

The schoolwide Title I programs are designed to increase student achievement, using the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)/RTI as the basis for the program design. Juneau has implemented the MTSS model at the Title I elementary schools as well as the Professional Learning Community model. The models focus on all low-achieving students receiving assistance to increase their level of achievement. Title I school teaching staff meet regularly throughout the school year through data meetings to analyze student data, including progress monitoring data, and plan for timely and appropriate interventions. This data review, along with PLC time where staff are considering students' progress towards standards, allows collective discussion and sharing of teaching strategies to engage struggling students or subgroups.

Based on collective school, student, and community review, all Title I-A schools develop multiyear goals and plans with action steps allowing academic progress to be monitored.

School Plans for the 2024-25 School Year

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