Does your kid go to a Title I school?

[limabean]

We're moving soon, from a little condo in a fancy-schmancy part of town to a great house in a more normal part of town. It's just across district lines, so DS will be changing schools next year (he'll be going into 1st grade). I hadn't thought much about it apart from the potential impact on DS having to make new friends, but it seems like every time I tell someone which school he'll be attending they have some strange comment like, "Well, my friend's DD goes there and says it's fine, so don't worry," or, "Well, maybe you can apply for a transfer." Huh?

So today I mentioned it to someone again and she said, "Oh, my kids go there! People say stuff, but it's like, oh well." Finally I asked, "What do people say?" and she told me that it has a bit of a "negative" reputation because it's more diverse than other schools in the area (meaning, there actually are people of color there -- the other schools in town are nearly all Caucasian) and is a Title I school. I already knew about the greater diversity and the fact that many of the families there aren't as affluent as in other areas of town, and I actually see that as a positive thing because I live in a place (Orange County, CA) where people can get extremely hung up on outward appearance/possessions. We're certainly not rich, so having DS make friends with other kids who aren't getting BMWs for their 16th birthdays is a good thing, IMO.

But I had never heard of Title I, so I looked it up and see that it means the school qualifies for extra funding because a certain percentage of the students come from lower income families.

Are all those things really so negative, or are some of the people I talk to just showing subtle classist/racist tendencies? Also, do your kids attend a Title I school? Have you experienced any of this stigma? Anything else you can share with me about it?

[Teensy]

Does the school have a reasonable academic record?

In my area, there is a pretty high correlation between the Title 1 school status and a host of other not-so-good indicators (poor test scores, high teacher turnover, very little parent involvement, etc.). There are exceptions however.

Have you visited the school? Are you happy with what you observed?

[Amys1st]

My kids' school is a Title I. There are 6 elem schools in my town, 2 being Title I. The other school is the largest in the district and it has the lowest scores etc. Our school is small (under 350 students) and we have, go back and forth, or tie with the highest test scores in our district. That said they are usually around 98-100%. We have a low income housing apt complex in our area and that is where the low income students come in. Since we are a smaller school with several involved teachers and parents, the students who might have a struggle, thrive. But never had I had anyone say that about our school since its highly rated.

OTH, we have open enrollment so we get some of the kids from the other school who parents dont want them enrolled there either because its larger compared to our school or the stigma attached. Whatever, I know several parents at the other title I school and they are involved and their kids do just fine. I think its what you make of it.

[Linda on the move]

Our elementary is a Title One school, and our test scores are in line with the *best* schools (which really means the all white schools). We have low teacher turnover, a very caring staff, small classes and tons of support for the teachers (full time social worker, nurse, etc.) It's an awesome school. Parent invovlement is spotty, and they seem to use the extra to provide extra help for kids who aren't getting help at home.

I'd visit the school and research it more and come to your own conclusion. I think that figuring out what is a good school and a not so good school is difficult (until your child is actually going there!)

I love our school, so when people act suprised that my 2 white kids with college educated parents go there, I just tell them exactly what I love about it. Mostly that the staff really cares about the kids and the academics are very solid.

PS ~ I really like the racial diversity of our school. We have a lot of mixed raced families and my kids don't really think about race. It's great. I'm also convinced that 90% of the reputation of a school is based on the color of the students and the income of the parents, and I find that REALLY offensive.

[limabean]

Thanks for the input. Based on what I've researched, teacher turnover at the school is very low. The test scores are average-to-high, and there are lots of enriching PTA-funded programs like Meet the Masters, field trips, library/computer lab, additional supplies, etc. It's a fairly newly-built school, and looks adorable to me whenever I drive past.

Originally Posted by Linda on the move

I love our school, so when people act suprised that my 2 white kids with college educated parents go there, I just tell them exactly what I love about it. Mostly that the staff really cares about the kids and the academics are very solid.

I think this is exactly what people are hinting at when they make the comments -- I like your response.

It's funny, because we live in a great city that, IMO, doesn't have a "bad" area -- I guess it's all relative. For some context, my current condo is a stone's throw from the gated enclave where the Real Housewives of Orange County live, so you can get some idea of what people like them might consider the "poor" part of town.

Our new neighborhood is near the few apartment complexes our town has, and maybe that's where the stigma comes from, but I actually love it because it's also within walking distance of the city center with bookstores, cafes, shops, ice creameries, the library, the community center, parks, etc. It just feels like such a positive move for us, and it sucks to have some people raining on our parade a bit.

[SunshineJ]

I think this varies and depends on so many different factors. For example, our old district was a Title 1, and really, while it wasn't bad I didn't care for a lot of things there. It seemed very stressful about teaching to the tests, etc. and didn't seem like a good environment for my kids (DS went to kindy there, then we moved). Our new school is not Title 1, but just got a similar type rating due to the high number of low income students. This place is amazing and I LOVE the education my kids are getting. LOL I'm a bit of an education snob, so that's saying a lot. One reason why this school has so many low income families is that many of the parents have chosen to purchase more modest homes and have only one parent work. Our area doesn't have a very high COL, so it's do-able. This results not only in being considered lower income, but also in a HUGE level of parental involvement. So, like I said the reasons can vary. What you described in your last post leads me to believe that the new school will probably be decent, definitely good enough to give a try.

[34me]

All three of my kids went to a Title I school for elementary. I live in a college city and the kids from student housing went there, so amazing diversity in my white bread city (we chose to go there). At one point 14 languages were spoken at the schoolit was pretty amazing.and interesting enough my son benefitted from Title I as he was 't even starting to read in second grade. Now as an eighth grader he's in an honors IB program.

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by limabean

Thanks for the input. Based on what I've researched, teacher turnover at the school is very low. The test scores are average-to-high, and there are lots of enriching PTA-funded programs like Meet the Masters, field trips, library/computer lab, additional supplies, etc. It's a fairly newly-built school, and looks adorable to me whenever I drive past.



I think this is exactly what people are hinting at when they make the comments -- I like your response.

It's funny, because we live in a great city that, IMO, doesn't have a "bad" area -- I guess it's all relative. For some context, my current condo is a stone's throw from the gated enclave where the Real Housewives of Orange County live, so you can get some idea of what people like them might consider the "poor" part of town.

Our new neighborhood is near the few apartment complexes our town has, and maybe that's where the stigma comes from, but I actually love it because it's also within walking distance of the city center with bookstores, cafes, shops, ice creameries, the library, the community center, parks, etc. It just feels like such a positive move for us, and it sucks to have some people raining on our parade a bit.

It sounds like you have a great situation! I bolded the Real housewives part, since that enclave is also being hit by the economy. A few of them have lost their home etc. So I LOL when people say that about your school having the low income thing.

[Ellien C]

We are title I for both reading and math. It's actually GREAT. My teacher loves it. She has extra help in areas she needs it. They have on-site resource teachers for math and reading. She can: ask for an additional lesson for the whole class in math or reading. Sometimes just hearing the material presented a different way is helpful; ask for additional assistance for a small group of kids who need help OR send advanced kids to a challenge lesson while she works with the rest of the class. It's wonderful. We just became a title I school this year. Last year we had access to the resource teachers but they weren't at the school full-time.

My small school has wonderful diversity and does a great job meeting the academic and social needs of a variety of children and all different abilities. I'm very pleased with it.

[peaceful_mama]

I've worked in 2 'Title' schools--as support staff not a teacher. The big difference I saw was in who was in charge--a person who was really involved with the students, the school, the staff. Example--you saw this principal in the lunchroom daily, interacting with the kids, not just negative discipline. In the hallways. Having early-AM meetings with all of the assistants monthly. (We were treated like staff who mattered...) This principal took care of kids with discipline issues rather than having office staff 'babysit.'
This school had a secretary who retired at the end of my last year there who had worked there almost as long as I've been *ALIVE*. Also a couple of teachers. *Most* of the teachers were not brand-new.

Vs. the other school I worked at where you *rarely* saw the principal in the lunchroom for any reason. This principal did the bare-minimum annual reviews with assistants. You could hardly get to speak to this person if you needed to. And teachers left, many teachers left because they just were not happy with the entire environment. You take a challenging population of students and then add in those in power not being well, competent, and you get a school with high teacher turnover and low test scores.

So...it TOTALLY depends on your school. YOu can find test scores online, though I wouldn't go 100% by those because the first school I talked about was one that had low scores in I can't remember now if it was reading, math or both...but they *were* making gains and it wasn't WAY low. I would go more by other parents at the school and possibly teachers. (I think having a teacher tell you you would not want your child at X school--that THEY teach at, would be a pretty high indicator. Also has happened to me. )

[cyncyn]

My dd attended a Title 1 school last year. I liked the diversity of the students, but there were several things I didn't like. Recess for example. The district allows a certain number of minutes of recess per day and at the title 1 school, that was pretty much all the kids got. Reason given is that there was so much academic catch-up needed. At other non-title 1 schools in the district, teachers routinely offered extra recess. Library books were not allowed to be checked out freely. Behavioral freedom seemed restricted as everyone needed to be on task every minute in order to get the proper percentages on the tests. On the other hand, dd was exposed to extra art and music field trips and the staff, including principal was very available and involved.

[Tigerchild]

My kids go to Title 1 school, and I think it (even the general ed) is hands down superior than our super-rich neighborhood school. Better teachers, better diversity, better administrators, better atmosphere. Hands down.

Even though technically they have failed to make AYP because one category of grade-specific students did not make as much progress as they're supposed to (they did make progress, they just fell short of the expected progress).

But, we have excellent administrators, an active PTA, really passionate and awesome teachers and community, ect. I don't doubt that there are some really crappy holes of Title 1 schools out there.

When it looked like the magnet program that my kids go to at this school was going to be cut by the district, I immediately started the paperwork process to keep my kids in that school, even though my neighborhood school has lower teacher/student ratios, double+ the median income, and some of the highest paper scores in the district. Scores and racial makeup don't tell the whole story of what a school is like--in either direction. If you want to know how the school is, you really need to visit it and see how you click with administrators and the community.

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by cyncyn

Recess for example. The district allows a certain number of minutes of recess per day and at the title 1 school, that was pretty much all the kids got.

our title one school does a better job with recess, PE, and healthy food than the more monied school districts around it. These are just decisions that people make that don't have anything to do with money. Our kids spend more time in PE and NEVER watch movies for recess.

Sweets are limited to once per week, either ice cream on Friday with lunch OR a treat to go along with a holiday party. The treats at holiday parties are provided by the PTA and each child just gets one sweet and a box of 100% juice (which is a big deal because the at lunch the drink juices are milk and water).

At the next school district over, the kids have some sort of sweet every day at lunch PLUS parents bring in treats for room parties so the kids get a huge bag full of sugar plus a cupcake.

And our option for lunch if you don't like the main selection is a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread. At the next school over it's chicken nuggets.

[bobandjess99]

One thing we liked about dd going to a Title 1 school was that apparently, ALL kids in the school get free lunch, regardless of income, so even though we wouldn't have made the cutoff for free lunch, we got it anyway. I know, school lunch is a hot topic these days, and she didn't actually eat lunch there, but it was nice for her to be able to eat breakfast there for free.

[terran631]

My kids both go to a Title I school. Ds (6th grade) and DD (1st grade). The test scores from our school district tend to be on the low side. Our school system is on "probation" etc etc. HOWEVER...my children excell at the school. DS is in the gifted class and on track for International Baccalaureate Program (should he decide to do that). And DD has already been indentified as gifted and is reading at a fourth grade level. There are students on the opposite end of the spectrum as well that get individualized attention from a group of teachers that specialize in helping children who are behind.

The things I like about our school in particular is that wherever your child falls in on the academic spectrum, there is someone to help them achieve whatever goals they need. Students are taught to be encouraging to their peers and my DD has become a tutor to several students in her class that need help. She even invented a game to help them learn their sight words better. Parents are encouraged to visit the school during educational time to help their children with the day. However, it is not a demand and parents who work are not made to feel less than a parent because they have to work.

Diversity. Diversity. Diversity. The school is a giant melting pot of Caucasian, Hispanic, African American, and Asian. (and this is in Ohio). DD has learned bits of Greek, Chinese and Spanish just from being around her classmates. The school has an large inclusion program where children with a wide variety of special needs participate in classes with "typical" children.

We are surrounded by affluent school districts and decided not to send our children there. I've spoken with several parents at these schools and it seems to me that they are trying to fit every child into a specific mold and heap several hours of work on every child to keep up their high test scores. My kids have about an hour of homework between the two of them. Other kids have between two and three hours A NIGHT. Too much. WAY too much. And these school districts do not have a lot of systems in place for students who might need the extra help. (At least not as much as our school district does).

The things I don't like. Lack of free time. Recess is only during lunch and even with that it is limited to about 15 minutes. (students in k-5 grade do have gym class every day though). Vacation time. Our school district has almost no spring break. They have Good Friday off and that is it. They don't get out for the summer until mid-June and return in mid/late-August. Strict discipline. There is almost no give on the rules. There's a strict dress code that is almost private school in nature. The outside assumption that your children are around social deviants every day because of where they go to school. And the assumption that every first grader brings a hand gun to school daily.

[One_Girl]

I did my internship and student teaching in a Title 1 school and it was a great place. I heard a lot of negative comments about the kids in the school and the school in general from other people in my program, but when I got there I saw nothing in the year I was there that resembled the image I had formed because of these comments. I do think that it was mostly prejudice that was informing their comments. There were a lot of refugee families and students tended to move in and out of the school a lot so they did have gaps in learning which brought scores down for the whole school, but they did a nice mixture of whole class instruction and very fluid grouping to target specific skills and move kids up as soon as possible. I have heard that some Title 1 schools don't have the recesses and specials that other schools do, but that wasn't the case with this school. I am considering applying to transfer my dd into this school because it was really great. Title 1 schools are getting a lot of money to put into tutoring and that means great things for students. I saw incredible growth from students who were new to school and in students who were gifted.

[carmel23]

I don't know why people say a school is isn't good because it is a title 1 school. It just means that a certain percentage of the kids receive free/reduced lunch so they get more money.

My son attended a neighborhood school that is title one, and it is a fabulous school. Their chess team kicks booty in the tournaments, the pta just raised enough money to put a rock climbing wall in the gym... the academics are fabulous. Awesome principal.

[meemee]

it so depends on the school and neighbourhood.

i refused to send my dd to our area title 1 school. there was just too much violence there. some 5th graders had to be escorted to the hospital with broken bones. siblings in gangs.

the title 1 school dd went to in the next neighbourhood was so wonderful. real close relationship and lots of cooperation.

[Ellien C]

One thing I want to add: For us, I don't think our school is skimping on the gifted program in spite of being Title I. I think the district realizes that it is VITAL to the school's success that they keep the gifted and "regular" kids IN the school. Private school is pretty common in my area, so my PS knows it's "competing" with private schools and they don't want to lose the middle class to private school. I see the same thing as a lot of other posters - very involved principal and PTO, excellent staff, very much a community feel.

[Emmeline II]

One "disadvantage" to Title I schools is that their extra funding is tied to attendance. My current school is not Title I and their attendance policy is very flexible. The charter school we applied to for next year has the same funding/attendance connection, but it is funded through the state.