Title I Parent Advisory Committee (TPAC)

Agenda

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Minutes

Maria Worthen, TPAC Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. Ms. Worthen welcomed the committee and shared the 2023-2024 TPAC Charge: TPAC will champion literacy by reviewing the implementation of the science of reading curriculum in Title I schools. This includes but is not limited to reviewing curriculum materials, implementation strategy, and fidelity of
implementation. Ms. Worthen welcomed School Board Member, Melanie Meren to the meeting and thanked her for being the TPAC School Board Representative. Ms. Meren spoke to the committee, sharing her excitement in being the School Board Representative for TPAC and her background in educational policy and Title I.

Committee Introductions

Amy Miller introduced the School Principals and the FCPS Staff that were present. In table groups and Zoom breakout groups, the committee members introduced themselves to each other and talked about what they were looking forward to this year.

Title I Overview

Courtney White presented a Title I Overview. The overview included what it means to be a Title I school, requirements for Title I, family engagement, and an overview of how Title I central funding is used to support schools with literacy.

Next Steps & Closing

Amy Miller shared that the next General Committee meeting is Tuesday, December 5, 2023. Ms. Miller shared that the Executive Board would like to invite anyone who is interested to attend the Executive Board Meeting that is on November 14, 2023. Roberto Ho de Moraes, Executive Board Alternate Middle School Liaison, shared that during Executive Board meetings, the Executive
Board reflects on the general committee meetings and builds the agenda for the next meeting. Mr. de Moraes encouraged members of the committee to attend the Executive Board.

Minutes

Welcome

Amy Miller, Title I Director welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.

Mike Woltz, TPAC Chair, grounded participants in "the why" for tonight’s meeting focus.

Trauma Informed Practices Overview & Connection to Literacy

Presenters: Lisa Phifer, Trauma-Informed Social Emotional Learning Specialist and Maria Genova, Social and Emotional Learning Coordinator

Presentation began by acknowledging the great things happening in Title I schools with a grounding:

What are your hopes and dreams for yourself, your student, and/or the students in your community (In five words or less)?

A few participants shared their hopes & dreams.

• Think: how can we come together as a school community to support our students as whole people, developing the academic, social and emotional skills that they need to achieve the hopes and dreams you shared?
• Many of your hopes center around the successes we want our students to experience, the feelings we want them to have about themselves and the world around them, and the supportive relationships we wish for them.

Belonging Comes Before Achievement

Belonging comes before achievement: We want achievement in all of our schools. As parents, we want our children to achieve as well. However, if you don’t see belonging in our schools, we don’t achieve. When students are physically and emotionally available, achievement is higher.

• Achievement is difficult to obtain if the foundational floor is missing. Maslow’s conditions must be met before Bloom’s Taxonomy of learning skills can be accessed.
• Students (and staff and families) come to us with different experiences and levels of needs. We must look for entry points at the foundation in order to support academic achievement, particularly critical literacy.

Prevalence of Trauma and Adversity

What does this look like in our students?

• Learning: inability to concentrate, poor memory, increased absence/gaps in skills, etc.
• Emotional: difficulty describing feelings, experiences; increased rate of depression, anxiety, and irritability, low self-esteem; increased worries. 
• Behavioral: Increased anger outbursts/aggression; increased need for control or perfection; excessive desire to please others; self-destructive behavior.

Balancing Factors

How do we balance risk factors with protective factors so we can enhance achievement for all students? When schools use a trauma-informed approach they shift to approaching students with the lens of: let me meet you where you are and build on your strengths.

Trauma informed practices are not a stand alone program. Trauma Informed concepts are woven into practices across all elements of school. Trauma informed practices start at Tier 1 - which are strategies that are good for all students.

To cultivate equitable and culturally responsive practices where every student is reached, challenged, and prepared for success; Practice aligning with trauma-informed principles (CDC):

1. Safety
2. Trustworthiness & Transparency
3. Peer support
4. Collaboration & Mutuality
5. Empowerment voice & choice
6. Culturally, historical, and gender issues

Key Focus Areas in FCPS

• Build awareness of the prevalence and impact of trauma in our school community.
• Strengthen protective factors in the school community such as:
  • Fostering belonging in the classroom and school building.
  • Developing individual social and emotional skills.
  • Increasing opportunities for active engagement in school activities.
  • Building strong family partnerships.
• Develop and sustain school practices that recognize and respond to trauma in safe and supportive ways.

Division Wide Conditions Supported by Trauma-Informed SEL Specialist

Enhancing division-wide initiatives such as:

• reducing/eliminating restraint and seclusion
• reducing disproportionality in discipline
• and strengthening school mental health programming

Leading comprehensive professional development for school and central office staff to raise awareness of trauma and supportive educational practices.

Partnering with county agencies to develop comprehensive mental health and wellness initiatives
such as Handle With Care.

School specific consultation to support planning and data analysis.

Schoolwide Practices

Creating safe, inclusive and welcoming environments.

• Schoolwide and classroom routines and procedures.
• Creating physically and emotionally safe environments for all stakeholders.
• 10 schools have been selected as grant winners from Fairfax County to transform spaces like classrooms, office space, and outdoor areas. (Spring 2024)

Classroom Practices

• Elementary: morning meetings and closing circles
• Middle and High: Responsive Advisory (RAM)
• All: CASELs SEL's 3 signature practices

Student Skill Building

12 Title I schools are piloting Second Step Digital Curriculum.

Why?

Strong evidence for:

• Teaching critical SEL skills like self regulation
• Decreasing problem behaviors and emotional distress
• Improving positive social behaviors

Key features:

• Trauma sensitive
• Aligned with VDOE SEL Standards
• Materials available in English and Spanish

What?

Implement lessons during Morning Meeting each week

• One scripted lesson
• Low lift extension activities
• Resources for family communication

All of the above are universal practices (Tier 1). There are also supports in place at Tier 2 & 3.

This is the work of your social workers and school psychologists

Current Staffing

• Trauma-Informed SEL Specialist (1) supports division-level planning and implementation.
• Educational Specialists, SEL Systems (3).
• School-based mental health staff support schoolwide initiatives and provide interventions for students with targeted needs.
• All staff support school-wide initiatives and prevention practices.

Questions you may ask at your specific schools

Learn what is happening in your school… (there are lots of good things!)

• What is happening in your school to support mental wellness and social emotional learning (SEL)?
• What are your schools doing to engage families around mental wellness and SEL? How else might schools connect with families to support this work?

FCPS Resources

• SEL web page
• SEL Instructional Materials

Additional Questions and Comments

• We have 4 full-time staff dedicated to SEL for the Division.
• Some concern was expressed for the need for additional SEL staff to better support the needs of our Division.
• Advocating for a school calendar that supports professional development would support training in SEL and trauma informed practices.

Basal Resource Update

FCPS intends to adopt a core basal Language Arts Resource for grades K-6 to be implemented across all schools in SY24-25.

It is intended to lead more consistent instruction across schools that is aligned to the research on the science of reading, The resource will include all aspects of Language Arts including both reading and writing, This also aligns with one of the requirements of the Virginia Literacy Act.

During the Summer of 2023 a review committee was convened to review materials that had been approved by the VIrginia Board of Education. The review committee includes about 50 teachers, administrators and community members selected by School Board members.

During the Fall, the VDOE engaged in a second round of review, expanding the list of options.

We are currently in the community review period to collect feedback either in person (Pimmit Hills) or online. Open until December 15!

Similar to the summer, the community comments will be provided to the review committee that will reconvene in January to review the additional materials and make final recommendation to the Superintendent and School Board, We expect Board approval in early spring and then professional development will begin.

It should be noted that this is both exciting and a significant change for FCPS. The expectation for this resource to be used by all is a change and the loss of teacher autonomy will be something that we need to work through. We also believe there will be a significant learning curve as these resources are robust and teachers will need to learn to navigate the resource- from planning to implementation.

A Recommendation from the Title I Parent Advisory Committee Report:

Ensure that families are being reached through a variety of ways and are provided with opportunities to engage with and learn about the Science of Reading, including strategies to support their child with literacy.

Title I Action Step based on this recommendation:

Title I will engage members of the Title I Parent Advisory Committee to identify the most effective forms of communication and share the feedback with the Equitable Access to Literacy Family Partnership Committee and Title I School Leaders.

Input on Effective Communication Practices

We would like to engage in a one-on-one discussion with those who are interested. The following questions will be considered:

1. What information do you find the most helpful?
2. What do you want to know about your child’s literacy learning?
3. What is the best way for schools to communicate with families?

Communication Conversations

Title I will conduct one on one conversations to learn more about how we can improve communication practices. If you are interested in participating please sign-up: One on One Communications sign-up form.

Closing

Meeting ended at 8:35 p.m.

Virginia Literacy Act

Melissa Bosman, Elementary Language Arts Coordinator, provided updates on the Virginia Literacy Act with a focus on how FCPS will be implementing the requirements of the Virginia Literacy Act.

Ms. Bosman shared that FCPS will be adopting a basal reading program from the VDOE’s approved list. This basal will be implemented starting the 2024-25 school year.

Ms. Bosman shared that the Virginia Language & Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) will be used in grades K-3 to identify students who are at risk for developing a reading difficulty. The VALLSS will replace the iReady assessment for grades K-3. The VALLSS screener for grades 4-8 is still in development.

An individualized reading plan will be developed for any student who falls in the high risk category on the reading screener. The plan will include a goal for the student and the tool that will be used to monitor student progress. Parents will be part of the process to develop reading plans. Ms. Klimenko, Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, shared about the importance of parent engagement in the reading plans and that the goal is for parents to be partners in their child’s literacy development. Reading Specialists will be the manager of the reading plans. FCPS will give schools support and guidance around individualized plans. Currently there are intervention structures in place at schools and we will be building off of those structures for the
reading plan implementation.

Ms. Meren, TPAC School Board Liaison, discussed her connection to dyslexia and advocacy for the science of reading. Ms. Meren shared that the Fairfax County Special Education PTA (SEPTA), Fairfax NAACP, and Decoding Dyslexia Virginia advocated for the shift to science of reading to support our students in their literacy development. She shared that this is a monumental shift for
FCPS staff, students, and families that will be a focus in the years ahead. Ms. Meren also shared about her advocacy for the need for adequate funding in education.

During the committee discussion about the Virginia Literacy Act, the following topics were addressed:

• The importance of not overwhelming teachers and ensuring that parents are engaged in the process.
• Teacher professional learning focused on the basal and the reading plans.
• The challenge of effectively communicating the requirements of the Virginia Literacy Act.
• The importance of parent engagement and the Parent Academic teams model.

Title I Identification

Amy Miller, Direct of Title I, provided an overview of the Title I School identification process. Ms. Miller shared information about the relationship between Community Eligibility Provision Schools and Title I, eligibility requirements, and funding distribution.

Ms. Miller shared that in a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school, every student receives free meals, regardless of income eligibility. The benefits of CEP include:

• access to nutritious meals
• improved academic performance
• reduced absenteeism
• eliminating the stigma associated with free and reduced meal forms

The eligibility criteria for a school to be classified as a CEP school is for direct certification data to be 40% or higher as of April 1. Direct certification data is calculated based on the percentage of students enrolled in programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), medicaid, homeless, or in foster care. Ms. Miller shared that CEP schools do not solicit the collection of free and reduced meal forms therefore it is a requirement that direct certification data be used to identify schools eligibility for Title I funds. FCPS currently has 36 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 3 high schools that are CEP schools. During the discussion, a concern was raised about the requirements for families to enroll in the programs used for direct certification data. Ms. Miller shared that the Title I Office is working closely with
Fairfax County partners to provide outreach to families about these programs.

Ms. Miller shared that Title I funding provides financial assistance to school divisions and public schools based on the percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic content and achievement standards.The funding process starts at the federal government and is distributed to state departments of education based on poverty levels. Schools enrolling at least 40% of students from low-income families are eligible for a schoolwide Title I program. Any school that is enrolling 75% or more students from low-income families is required to be a Title I
school. School divisions determine the poverty threshold for Title I Status between 40%-74% for school-wide models. The Virginia Department of Education requires school divisions to annually rank schools by the percent of students from low-income families and determine a threshold to identify schools for Title I. Ms. Miller shared that the Title I allocation that the division receives does not change based on the number of schools that are identified as Title I because the allocation is based on poverty data from the U.S. Census.

Meeting Dates changed

• February 20 - General Committee Meeting Canceled and rescheduled to March 12
• March 12: General Committee Meeting

Next Steps & Closing

The meeting concluded with plans for future meetings and work sessions to further discuss the Virginia Literacy Act and the Equitable Access to Literacy Plan.

Division Wide Plan

Stephanie Jerauld, Director of the Office of School Support, shared the VDOE Division-Wide Plan to get feedback prior to submission. The plan consists of four domains:

• Domain 1: Academic Supports - Focus: Academic Achievement in English
• Domain 2: Staffing Supports - Focus: Recruitment and Retention of Teachers
• Domain 3: Professional Learning Supports - Focus: Mentoring and Retention of Teachers
• Domain 4: School Climate Supports - Focus: Chronic Absenteeism

The division plan prioritizes ensuring students read at grade level by third grade, staffing support for title one schools, professional development for teachers, and improving school climate. Ms. Jerauld shared the alignment of this plan with the Strategic plan, the
Equitable Access to Literacy plan, and the Virginia Literacy Act.

Mike Woltz, Executive Chair, and Maria Worthen, Vice Chair, asked questions about chronic absenteeism and emphasized the importance of proactively addressing root causes of chronic absenteeism. Ms. Dade, Director of Office of School Support, shared that it is important to identify root causes of absenteeism and that there is a tiered system of support for students. She shared that schools are required to check in with families after a child has missed 10 days of school and implement an intervention plan. Ms. Dade also highlighted the importance of building relationships with students to encourage them to attend school.

TPAC was provided a form to provide feedback on the plan.

Communication Interview Feedback

Ms. Miller, Director of Title I, shared feedback from empathy interviews the Title I Team conducted about communication. The three questions that were asked during the interviews were:

• What information do you find the most helpful?
• What do you want to know about your child’s literacy learning?
• What is the best way for schools to communicate with families?

Ms. Miller shared some themes that came from these interviews which included:

• Families were most engaged with communication coming directly from the teacher.
• Families appreciated weekly newsletters from the grade level.
• It would be helpful for schools to ask families their preferred mode of communication.
• Information about curriculum and weekly learning targets is helpful.
• Information about intervention is important.

Ms. Meren, School Board Liaison, spoke to the importance of effective communication, noting the inconsistencies in the current system and advocating for a more streamlined approach.

TPAC then engaged in small group discussions about the current state of communication, the desired state, and recommended next steps. They emphasized the importance of effective communication from teachers, schools, and the division to families.

Topics for TPAC Report to School Board

Mike Woltz, Executive Board Chair, shared that the committee will be writing a report for the School Board. Because the presentation to the School Board will take place in May, the Committee will only have one more meeting to discuss the report content. Thus, a Google form will be sent to the Committee members for them to provide early input on topics and recommendations for the report. These topics came from the TPAC’s general meeting sessions: social emotional learning/trauma-informed instruction, individual reading plans, budget finance, and strategic plan implementation.

Next Steps & Closing

Mr. Woltz, a long-standing member of TPAC, announced his intention to step down from the Committee. Maria Worthen recognized Mr. Woltz for his commitment and service to TPAC and his advocacy for students across FCPS.

At the next general meeting, we will discuss Executive Board elections and review the draft of the school board report. Next meeting is on Tuesday, April 16th from 7:00 - 8:30 pm and will be held hybrid on Zoom or in the Gatehouse Cafeteria.

Welcome

Mr. Woltz, TPAC Executive Board Chair, and Ms. Miller, Title I Director, welcomed the committee. Ms. Miller shared that the following schools will be new to Title I for the 2024-2025 school year: Lake Anne ES, Holmes MS, Key MS, Justice HS, and Bryant HS. All the new Title I Schools are implementing a schoolwide model.

Feedback for the TPAC Report to School Board

The TPAC created small groups to provide feedback and input on the TPAC report to the School Board. The small groups focused on the following topics: social emotional learning, communication, individual reading plans, and budget/finance.

Topics for TPAC Report to School Board

Mike Woltz, Executive Board Chair, shared that the committee will be writing a report for the School Board. Because the presentation to the School Board will take place in May, the Committee will only have one more meeting to discuss the report content. Thus, a Google form will be sent to the Committee members for them to provide early input on topics and recommendations for the report. These topics came from the TPAC’s general meeting sessions: social emotional learning/trauma-informed instruction, individual reading plans, budget finance, and strategic plan implementation.

The following feedback was shared as a result of the small group discussions:

Social Emotional Learning

Request for more Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Trauma Informed Practices positions and the implementation of SEL practices.

Communication

There is a need to streamline communication with clear messaging. Consistency of messaging from classroom teachers was recommended. There are challenges with use of auto-translations and there is a need to ensure there is the option to have documents such as Individualized Education Plans be translated.

Individual Reading Plans

Individual Reading Plans are required by the Virginia Literacy Act for students who are below benchmark. Individual Reading Plan does not mean
one-to-one instruction. Roles and responsibilities for identifying, planning, implementing, and communication need to be very clear. The workload on teachers should be minimized.

Budget/Finance

It was recommended that there should be increased parent involvement and opportunities for input on the Title I budget.

A draft of the TPAC Report to the School Board will be shared at the TPAC Executive Board meeting on Wednesday, May 24. All are welcome to attend this meeting to finalize the report.

Bylaw amendment to convert the Middle School Liaison and the High School Liaison positions to members at-large positions was proposed.

TPAC Election Procedures

The process for TPAC Executive Board Nominations was reviewed. Self nominations and nominations from others are allowed. Elections will be held on May 14, 2024.

Next Steps & Closing

The next TPAC General meeting is Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:00 PM. This is the final meeting of the year.

TPAC By-Law Changes

Now that there are four Title I Middle Schools and two Title I High Schools, the Middle School and High School liaison positions on the TPAC Executive Board will become Member at Large positions.

Executive Board members must have a child in a Title I school.

TPAC Executive Board Elections

Committee members present in person or virtually voted on the new Executive Board:

• Chairperson: Maria Worthen, Beech Tree
• Vice Chairperson: Rebecca Link, Centre Ridge
• Teacher Liaison: Heather Hale, Weyanoke
• Member At Large: Annemarie Roussy, Cameron
• Member At Large: Iris Avila, Lorton Station
• Member At Large: Jessica Strelitz, Belvedere
• Member At Large: Jennifer Khanna, Woodburn

School Board Report

There was a discussion about next year’s charge and whether to keep it focused on literacy or change it. Ms. Worthern, Vice Chair, shared that she would like to keep it focused on literacy but broaden the scope of the charge to include the things that impact its success such as
communication, social emotional learning, equity language, and support for teachers.

The TPAC Report to the School Board will be presented on Tuesday, May 21 at 6:00 PM.

Recommendation 1

Include a Social Emotional Learning goal as a required part of the School Improvement and Innovation Plan.

Feedback from committee: ensure trauma informed professional learning is included.

Recommendation 2 a & b

Consistent communication among Title I schools

Example: Consistent Communication templates or formats that are easier for translation and increased communication coming from teachers.

Recommendation 2 c

FCPS should have the ability to translate Individual Education Plans and Individual Reading Plans in the top eight most common languages.

Feedback from committee: AI tools exist and can be utilized by the school division to support translation.

Recommendation 3

Teachers and families are supported and informed about individualized reading plans.

Feedback from the committee: Emphasize training for teachers on how to create these plans, but also how to communicate these plans with families.

Basal Implementation in Sixth Grade in the Middle Schools

Mr. Woltz, Chairperson, shared a concern that the three middle schools that have 6th grade do not have enough time in the schedule to fully implement the Basal program. Ms. Klimenko, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction shared that the principals of the three schools (Glasgow,
Holmes, and Poe) as well as additional staff were working on solving this problem to ensure that all sixth graders receive the full basal curriculum.

Next Steps & Closing

The meeting ended with a celebration of appreciation for the four Executive Board Members who are stepping down: Mike Woltz, Christina Schauss, Moses Cobb, and Ho Moraes.

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Minutes

Executive Board Members Present

Mike Woltz, Chair (Glasgow MS); Maria Worthen, Vice Chair (Beech Tree ES); Moses Cobb, Middle School Liaison (Timber Lane ES); Roberto (Ho) Moraes, Middle School Liaison Alternate (Hughes Middle School); Christina Strauss, Member at Large (Forestdale ES), Iris Avila, Member at Large (Lorton Station ES), and Heather Hale, Teacher Liaison (Weyanoke).

Call to Order & Welcome

The Title I Parent Advisory Committee (TPAC) Executive Board meeting began at 7 p.m. There were 5 executive board members in attendance in-person and 2 executive board members in attendance virtually. Also in attendance were the following FCPS staff from the Instructional Services Department: Noel Klimenko, Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, Amy Miller, Director of Title I, Dr. Courtney White, Coordinator of Title I and IV, and Tim Paper, Title I Educational Specialist.

Review the purpose of TPAC and 2023 - 24 Charge

• Mike Woltz briefly discussed the purpose of TPAC, to help connect students and families in Title I school communities with resources, to help strengthen relationships between schools and families, and to develop leadership skills among representatives. The Executive Board then briefly reviewed the charge for the upcoming year, which is a continuation of the charge from the previous year.
• Staff responses to the School Board Report are typically posted on Board Docs and can be read by the public. It’s typically brought to the Committee for review. Ms. Miller will send out the staff responses to last year’s report to the executive board and then we will discuss them at the next executive board meeting on November 14, 2023.
• Ms. Klimenko gave an update on the basal resource adoption process. The division must select a basal resource from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) approved list. Over the summer, a committee convened to review the materials. Ms. Klimenko stated that while there was no TPAC representation on this committee, several members are connected to Title I. VDOE’s original list of materials only included resources for Kindergarten through 3rd grade, but it has added resources that include grades 4-6. Ms. Klimenko shared that FCPS has not purchased a new basal resource in over 20 years. Thirty million dollars are being invested in this resource. Several Executive Board members asked about challenges being experienced with the basal. Some examples included, teachers being used to having more autonomy in the resources they used previously and the overwhelm of working with these new tools. New teachers may want these resources to support them and be more open to using them. There are still varying levels of teacher understanding. Training will occur during the summer and teachers will be compensated for attending but the training is not mandatory.
• At a future meeting, Ms. Klimenko will bring materials for the TPAC to review. She will provide updates as she receives them.

Discuss TPAC Goals for the year

Goals

• Increase the number of participants engaged with TPAC.
• Invite all families to the general session meetings to share information across a border Title I School community.

Strategies to increase participation would be:

• TPAC representatives could go to the PTA meetings and talk about TPAC to get more people interested in the committee.
• Have TPAC representatives at school family events to pass out information on TPAC and Title I brochures.
• Provide talking points to TPAC representatives to answer questions.
• Provide opportunities in the meeting for participants to share their experiences.
• Encourage principals to come to the general session meetings, which was a recommendation in the 2022-2023 School Board Report.

Attendance at the TPAC meetings is only one way of measurement.

Develop a more consistent method of communicating out information from the TPAC sessions.

TPAC representatives could meet with the principal and ask what the best way to communicate information from TPAC would be for them, but it is important for TPAC representatives to communicate in a manner that they feel comfortable with as well. The Title I office will be encouraging principals to welcome this type of engagement with the TPAC representatives.

Review Meeting Dates and Develop Agenda for October 17th General Meeting

• A Title I overview will be delivered at the October 17th general session to give representatives the background on Title I. Information will be included about how the Title I Office has supported the science of reading.
• Feedback to be collected from representatives asking them “how did you get here?”, “what did you learn that you didn’t know before?”, and “what do you hope to gain from your time on the Title I Parent Advisory Committee?”.
• At the general meeting, we will give representatives strategies for sharing the meeting content with their respective schools.
• Share the School Board Report and presentation following the October 17th meeting.
• Incorporate each of the recommendations from the school board report in the meetings for the year.

Closing

Plan the next session around each of the recommendations in the school board report.

Adjournment / Next Meeting

The meeting ended at 8:30 p.m. The next TPAC Executive Board session will be a hybrid meeting on November 14th, 2023, at 7:00 PM in Gatehouse 4050 and 4051.

Minutes

Executive Board Members Present

Mike Woltz, Chair (Glasgow MS); Maria Worthen, Vice Chair (Beech Tree ES); Roberto (Ho) Moraes, Middle School Liaison Alternate (Hughes Middle School); Christina Schauss, Member at Large (Forestdale ES), Iris Avila, Member at Large (Lorton Station ES), and Heather Hale, Teacher Liaison (Weyanoke).

Welcome

The Title I Parent Advisory Committee (TPAC) Executive Board meeting began at 7 p.m. There were 3 executive board members in attendance in-person and 3 executive board members in attendance virtually. Also in attendance was Yanileht Rivera, General Committee Member representing London Towne Elementary School. The following FCPS staff from Instructional Services were in attendance: Amy Miller, Director of Title I, Dr. Courtney White, Coordinator of Title I, and Tim Paper, Title I Educational Specialist.

Reflect on October 17th General Committee Meeting

The Executive Board shared the following feedback regarding the October 17 General Committee Meeting:

• The meeting was helpful to learn how Title I funding can be spent.
• The Title I Family Engagement Compact Policy review and feedback during the October 17 meeting, took a lot of time and was confusing to participants. It would be best to work on the Title I Family Engagement Compact Policy at its own meeting and/or at the end of the year.
• The Gatehouse cafeteria was very spread out which impacted collaboration.
  • For future meetings, the setup of the room will be changed to bring participants closer together to encourage dialogue and collaboration.
• A recommendation was made that a buddy system for new members to be paired with a returning member might be helpful.
• It was also recommended that interpreters for multiple languages be available.
  • The Title I Team will include a form asking what languages will be needed for interpretation at future meetings.
• Mr. Woltz requested to have meeting minutes translated.
  • Meeting minutes will be sent to be translated moving forward.

The Executive Board discussed learning about Title I Schools in neighboring districts to find out where they are experiencing success and what they are doing to promote family engagement.

Discussion with Trauma Informed Specialist and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Coordinator

• Mr. Woltz shared that he and Ms. Miller met with Lisa Phifer, Trauma Informed Specialist, and Maria Genova, Social Emotional Learning Coordinator. It was noted that there is one Trauma Informed Specialist for the entire Division.
• Ms. Miller shared that Title I is funding a Social Emotional Learning curriculum for a pilot group of 13 Title I schools. The content is being delivered during morning meetings. The Social Emotional Learning office is supporting the implementation of the curriculum at the pilot schools. There is the ability to expand to additional schools for the 24-25 school year.
• The Executive Board decided to invite Ms. Phifer and Ms. Genova to a TPAC general meeting to provide an overview of Trauma Informed practices, the relationship between trauma informed practices and literacy acquisition, and how trauma informed practices are connected to the Equitable Access Literacy Plan - Cultivating Equitable and Culturally Responsive Practices.
  • Ms. Miller will email Ms.Phifer and Ms. Genova to see if they can attend the December 5 TPAC General Meeting.
• Ms. Worthen shared that SEL is a curriculum that students can learn but trauma informed is an environment. It is a school culture.

Actions from Staff Response of the June 2023 School Board Report

• The Executive Board reviewed the Staff Responses to the June 2023 School Board Report.
• The staff responses include soliciting feedback from TPAC about effective forms of communication, focus groups about experiences related to the Response to Intervention and Special Education Process, and partnering with the Social Emotional Learning Office.
• The Executive Board discussed the need for more Division wide communication about the Equitable Access to Literacy Plan.
• The Executive Board decided that one aspect of the Equitable Access to Literacy Plan should be focused on at each TPAC General Meeting.
• The Executive Board decided that an agenda item for the December 5 meeting should be an update on Basal Resource Adoption.

Adjournment / Next Meeting

The meeting ended at 8:30 p.m. The next TPAC General Session will be a hybrid meeting on December 5th, 2023, at 7 p.m. in the Gatehouse cafeteria.

Executive Board Members Present

Mike Woltz, Chair (Glasgow MS); Maria Worthen, Vice Chair (Beech Tree ES); Roberto (Ho) Moraes, Middle School Liaison Alternate (Hughes Middle School); Christina Schauss, Member at Large (Forestdale ES), Iris Avila, Member at Large (Lorton Station ES), and Heather Hale, Teacher Liaison (Weyanoke).

Welcome

The Title I Parent Advisory Committee (TPAC) Executive Board meeting began at 7 p.m. There were 8 executive board members who attended virtually. The following FCPS staff from Instructional Services were in attendance: Amy Miller, Director of Title I, Dr. Courtney White, Coordinator of Title I, Noel Klimenko, Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, and Tim Paper, Title I Educational Specialist.

Reflect on December 5 General Committee Meeting

Mr. Woltz discussed the need for more trauma informed support staff for Fairfax County Public Schools. Ms. Klimenko shared that there are positions currently being funded through the ESSER (Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund) grant. The ESSER funding will be over at the end of this school year. Ms. Klimenko shared that whenever a position is funded through a time-bound grant, difficult decisions need to be made about the continuation of those positions. Mr. Woltz asked if there were any literacy positions funded through ESSER. Ms. Klimenko shared that there are math, social studies, tutoring, and literacy positions funded through the ESSER grant.

Discuss Possible Next Steps

• Add an agenda item for the January 23 TPAC meeting to follow up on the December 5 SEL presentation and follow up questions. 
• Invite Maria Genova, SEL Coordinator, to the February 20 Executive Board meeting to share division level SEL results.
• Ms. Miller shared that the Title I identification process should be part of the January 23 TPAC agenda.
• The Executive Board discussed including an agenda item about the Virginia Literacy Act and the Equitable Access to Literacy Plan and the basal adoption to the agenda for the January 23 meeting. The focus of this agenda item would be learning about intervention, teacher training plans, and tier one instruction.

Review Equitable Access to Literacy Plan

The Executive Board will ask the TPAC general committee to become familiar with the Equitable Access to Literacy Plan between the January and March meeting. The March meeting will be a work session around each component of the plan.

Plan January 23 General Meeting

• Welcome
• Reconnect with December 5th meeting
• VA Literacy Act
• Title I Identification Process
• Ms. Miller shared changes in the TPAC meeting dates:
  • February 6 Executive Board Meeting will be canceled.
  • February 20 General Committee meeting will switch to an Executive Board Meeting.
  • March 12 Executive Board meeting will change to a General Committee meeting

Adjournment and Next Meeting

The meeting ended at 8:30 p.m. The next TPAC General Session will be a hybrid meeting on January 23, 2024, at 7 p.m. in the Gatehouse cafeteria.

Executive Board Members Present

Mike Woltz, Chair (Glasgow MS); Maria Worthen, Vice Chair (Beech Tree ES); Moses Cobb, Middle School Liaison (Timber Lane ES); Roberto (Ho) Moraes, Middle School Liaison Alternate (Hughes Middle School); Christina Strauss, Member at Large (Forestdale ES), Annemarie Roussy, Member at Large (Cameron ES), Iris Avila, Member at Large (Lorton Station ES), and Heather
Hale, Teacher Liaison (Weyanoke).

Welcome

The Title I Parent Advisory Committee (TPAC) session meeting began at 7 p.m. There were 3 executive board members in attendance in-person and 4 executive board members in attendance virtually. Also in attendance was School Board Member, Melanie Meren. Noel Klimenko, Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, Amy Miller, Director of Title I, Dr. Courtney White, Coordinator of Title I, Tim Paper, Title I Educational Specialist, Maria Genova, Coordinator for Social-Emotional Learning, and Lisa Phifer, Trauma Informed Specialist.

SEL Screener Data

Ms. Genova and Ms. Phifer presented to the Executive Board on the SEL Screener Data. The presentation started with a welcoming inclusion activity modeled after what students would experience in class. During the presentation the following information was shared:

• The SEL screener can be used to plan for individual kids, whole schools, and division.
• The SEL Screener is administered twice a year. 150,000 students in grades 3-12 take the SEL screener.

Celebrations in the data include:

• Strengths in supportive relationships, self-management, and responsible decision making across all grade levels.
• The largest gains were seen in: Emotion Regulation in elementary school, supportive relationships in middle and high school, and sense of belonging in high school.

Growth Opportunities in the data include:

• continuing to build a sense of belonging in middle and high school.
• Although there is growth in that data there is still more room to grow.
• Specific student groups in all grade levels report significant gaps in their access to supportive environments and SEL skills development.
• Middle and high school students report that they infrequently discuss issues of race, ethnicity, and culture in school.

Requirements

• Last year a Wellness goal was required by the division for all School Improvement Plans. This year it is optional. There are more schools focused on chronic absenteeism.
• Morning Meetings in the elementary school and Responsive Advisory Meetings at the secondary level.

Optional

• Second Step is an evidence-based curriculum that is being piloted at some Title I Schools.
• Centrally developed professional learning and consultation.

There is an SEL public facing website that provides families with information and resources about SEL. Executive board members discussed challenges with communication because they were not aware of the public site and resources.

Ms. Genova and Ms. Phifer shared that SEL strategies are embedded throughout the school day.

Committee requested more communication to teach about SEL to parents.

Title I Highlight: Second Step Cohort

• 11 schools in Title I implementing Second Step in their schools
• The curriculum is research-based and culturally responsive
• The curriculum includes, scripted lessons, extension activities and brain builders, materials in Spanish and English, and family materials available in 13 languages.
• Central Supports - Title I funding, specialized professional learning and scripted turnaround training, planning & pacing guides aligned with FCPS expectations, facilitated dialogues & progress monitoring, ongoing coaching & consultation.
• The benefits of the Second Step curriculum include:
  • grade level relevant skills and lessons
  • real world examples
  • common language used schoolwide
  • ease of use for teachers and builds buy-in
  • lessons are for all students
  • translated lessons

Plan March 12 Meeting

• Division Wide Plan (20 - 30 minutes)
  • Presentation and Feedback
  • Example: Reading by Grade 3 - Basal Reader
  • Would like interactive activities to engage participants in the feedback
• Establish Topics for TPAC Report
  • Ms. Worthen suggested - Budget/finance, SEL, Communication, Literacy - Individual Plans, Strategic Plan Implementation
  • Will get feedback on those topics at the TPAC General Meeting.

Adjournment and Next Meeting

The meeting ended at 8:40 p.m. The next TPAC General Session will be a hybrid meeting on March 12, 2024 at 7 p.m. in the Gatehouse Cafeteria.

Agenda

Agenda