Ingleside Independent School District

Troy C. Mircovich Superintendent

Title II, Part A Program Teacher, Principal Training & Recruiting (TPTR); Class Size Reduction (CSR) GJM Elementary School www.inglesideisd.org

Intent and Purpose

Program/Services

The goal of the Title II, Part A Class-Size Reduction Program is to help school districts improve student achievement by reducing class size through the hiring of fully qualified teachers to ensure that class size, particularly in the early grades is decreased. This program provides funds to districts to recruit, hire, and train fully qualified teachers who are assigned to primary grade classrooms.

Ingleside I.S.D. participates in this program by providing one additional teacher at Gilbert J. Mircovich Elementary School. This allows the school district to provide intervention strategies as early as possible.

By using Title II, Part A funds to reduce class size, the District believes that a teacher will provide a more solid foundation for further learning so that all students increase their ability to succeed in advanced subjects and later grades. Student academic growth appears to be enhanced by exposure to small class instruction. Teachers are better able to address student learning needs more quickly, more frequently, and more intensely.

Teachers are better able to individualize instruction because they are better able to assess student learning needs for students by adjusting programming more quickly. Accompanying these adjustments in programming are increased expectations that students will master lesson content; social or academic.

Teachers in small classes can expect to pace lessons more quickly and spend more time on reinforcing learning and on enrichment activities with students. Curriculum objectives rather than simply activity objectives can more easily be addressed by teachers in small classes.

Professional development is an important function served by the changes brought by the introduction of small class size. Teachers plan units and lessons together; they reflect on their practices. Teachers exchange ideas, strategies and practices. Improving the quality of the teaching force by providing high quality professional development and training activities is an additional component of the Title II, Part A Program. This combination results in the following: • •

Individualizing their teaching, Developing productive learning environments, • Achieving a richer, more creative and complete curriculum, • Using active learning, • Integrating reading, writing and speaking, • Supporting students' personal skill development, • Employing a repertoire of literacy processes Questions about the program can be addressed to: Dr. Lynne Goeglein-Porter Assistant Superintendent 361-776-7631 ext 245 [email protected] Kim Alamo – Principal GJM 361-776-1683 [email protected]