Western Hills

Home of the Wildcats

Title I

The focus of Title I schools is to help students achieve proficiency on core standards, closing academic gaps that may exist. These efforts include providing targeted supports to at-risk students, building teachers' capacity through professional development, and strengthening parents' abilities in helping their children succeed.

An Introduction to Title I

Other School Information

Parent-School Learning Compact

Show me a home where education and learning are central values and where the parents are reasonably competent at the business of child-rearing, and I\'ll show you the home of a good student. (William Raspberry)

School Agrees To:

  1. Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment annually. Uses multiple sources of information in determining strengths and needs of the school. Disaggregates and analyzes the data by gender, ethnicity, ELL, status, migrant status, disabled vs. non-disabled, and economically disadvantaged.
  2. From the needs assessment, establish school goals and individual student achievement standards.
  3. Support the use of evidence-based practices by participating in Professional Development used to keep up with what is being learned on how to best serve students.   Additionally, as data driven instruction is shown to drive growth, we will use DIBELS, Granite Benchmarks, RISE data, to support curriculum,  instruction, and assessment to help meet the state core curriculum, performance, and accountability standards.
  4. Provide accelerated, high-quality engaging curriculum and instruction in a supportive and effective learning environment that enables all students to achieve challenging standards.  We do this by supporting small groups, quality Tier 1 instruction, use of state core and district materials, and facilitating data driven instruction and support. 
  5. Implement transition activities to ensure the effective transition from preschool to elementary school and from elementary school to the next level.
  6. Ensure that educational services are provided by highly qualified teachers and paraprofessionals.
  7. Ensure that high quality on-going professional development activities increase teacher capacity in making instructional decisions.
  8. Provide a safe climate conducive to student learning.
  9. Involve parents in the development of goals and expectations.  
  10. Provide parents the opportunity to volunteer, observe, and participate on PTA and School Community Council. 
  11. Build the capacity of parents to help their children achieve high standards.
  12. Share assessment and evaluation data with parents and/or the public.  Will send home progress reports at least 4 times a year. 
  13. Teachers agree to have regular, two-way communication including at least two scheduled parent teacher conferences a year, as well as emails, phone calls, written notes, in-person parent meetings as needed, etc. 

Parents agree to:

  1. Ensure that their children attend school regularly and try to plan vacations on non- school day.
  2.  Support students in bringing their backpack s home every day and complete and return any homework (Monitor Homework assignments).
  3.  Read to/with their children for twenty minutes.
  4. Volunteer in their child\'s classroom as time permits.
  5. Participate in school decisions as they relate to their child\'s education.
  6. Supervise their children\'s technology time.
  7. Ensure that their child gets proper rest.
  8. Attend parent-teacher conferences.
  9. Return Schooll communication in. timely manner.
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Parent Engagement Policy

The staff at Western Hills Elementary School has always regarded parental involvement vital to the success of students achieving academic success. All schools have their individual characteristics and needs; Western Hills is not any different. Within our community there are many diverse cultures, languages, and students with special needs. We encourage parents and guardians to participate as school volunteers, in PTA and community council

It is the intent that our communication with parents, such as materials or flyers, will be written in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that is understandable to all. If anyone would like clarification, interpretation, or additional support, please contact the office at 385-646-5091 for assistance. Each parent or guardian is highly encouraged to work directly with the teacher of the child to resolve any concerns.

In order to accommodate our parents, an annual meeting will be scheduled where programs, curriculum, student academic and behavior expectations, parent concerns and input will be discussed. A school survey will be sent to each home for input of how the parent or guardian perceived what was accomplished during the school year.

A school-parent compact has been developed by the Western Hills Community Council, PTA and staff which is posted throughout the school.

A copy will be reviewed and signed during registration. The purpose of the compact is to enable us to work as a team to increase each child’s academic achievement.

Our policy includes specifically how the following activities will be accomplished.

Some ways in which parents will be kept informed and assisted in understanding expected state, district and school academic standards, assessments used, and student achievement expectations:

  • Parents are invited to participate in parent conferences twice a year to discuss their child’s academic progress and review benchmark assessments.
  • Parents are encouraged to review assignments and homework with their children daily.
  • District notices are sent home both in English and Spanish to communicate with parents.
  • Monthly newsletters and calendars are sent home and posted in the hall and on the school website.
  • Marquee announcements are posted outside the school.
  • Some ways materials and training will be offered to parents to help them work with their children to improve achievement, such as literacy, numeracy and technology training:
  • Western Hills sponsors a Community Center within the school that helps parents acquire new skills to help their children, such as computer use and English language.
  • Western Hills holds several night programs for parents to participate in.
  • Western Hills holds a yearly Title One Parent meeting to explain the test results for the school and talk about the funding for the school.

Some ways parents and staff will work together, reach out, and communicate with each other in order to realize more fully the value and contributions that parental involvement adds to the success of the child’s achievement growth and the success of the school:

  • Community Council meetings are held monthly so that the school can gain insight into the needs of the community. These meetings are open to the public
  • Western Hills’s PTA meets monthly to discuss upcoming events that benefit the students. All parents are welcome
  • Classes are held in English and Spanish to educate parents about how they can influence their students to achieve more in school.

Some ways in which appropriate coordination of parent involvement activities can take place with various programs at the school:

  • Some of the programs or activities may include the following depending on funding: preschool, before and after school programs or activities, materials that parents may check out, parent information and resource centers, English language classes, parenting classes or any other program that might be beneficial:
  • Preschool is housed on-site to help parents prepare their children for school.
  • Registration materials are provided in both English and Spanish. A Spanish speaking office worker helps Hispanic parents with questions during registration.
  • Parents are allowed access to computers and educational classes through the Community Center at Western Hills. Materials may be checked out and taken home.

The faculty and staff at Western Hills want to involve our parents in the activities of the school. We invite all parents to participate.

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School Annual Title I Meeting

Parent input is valued. Each year, a parent meeting is held where our school solicits input in the planning and implementation of school parent engagement activities.

  • Date:  September 21st & 22nd 2022-2023
  • Time: 5:00 p.m. each night

In our meeting, we discussed the following topics:

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that each Title I school hold an annual meeting of Title I families in order to:

  • Inform you of your school’s participation in Title I
  • Explain the requirements of Title I 
  • Explain your rights and parents and family members to be involved.

We also learned the answers to the following questions:

  • What is Title I?
  • How does our school use Title I funds?
  • What services do students receive?
  • What curricula, and assessments are used?
  • What is a Parent and Family Engagement Policy?
  • What is a School-Parent Compact?
  • How can I be involved?
  • Whom can I contact for more information?

 

 

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School Title I Goals

Each year, our school conducts a needs assessment, reviews student performance data, and solicits input from various stakeholders in order to develop a meaningful Title I Plan. This plan is data-driven, evidence-based, and responsive to findings from data reviews, needs assessment findings, and stakeholder input. The school comprehensive Title I plan articulates how evidence-based strategies, action steps and milestones will support the goals listed below.

Goal One

Compared to schoolwide performance on the 2021-22 RISE, students\' average test performance on the 2023 Math RISE will increase by 4% to a schoolwide proficiency rate of 25%. 

Goal Two

At least 65% of students will reach typical or above typical growth on the End of Year Acadience Reading assessment, and have a school-wide average of 6% growth from BOY to EOY in Acadience Reading and Math.

Goal Three

During the 2022-2023 school year, the overall average daily student attendance rate and the attendance rates of all student subgroups defined by racial or ethnic identification, gender identification, and English language proficiency will meet or exceed 80%.

Goal Four

At the end of at least 3 quarters, teachers’ will improve student engagement (or other targeted goal) by10% compared against a baseline observation (conducted by coach, administrator, or peer during a learning walk, etc.) done at the beginning of the quarter.

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Sanctioned Status

11/11/2022

Western Hills Elementary is in TSI sanctioned status for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners.

 

Western Hills Elementary

5190 Heath Ave

Kearns, Ut. 84118

1-385-646-5091

 

Dear Parent or Guardian,

We are writing to let you know that Western Hills Elementary School has been designated as a Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) school for English Language Learners.  This designation means that this student population scores among the lowest-performing five percent in Utah’s Title I schools in academic performance and growth.   Western Hills showed positive growth last year, and we have plans in place to create a second great year of growth for our English Language Learners.  This will pull us out of the TSI sanctioned status.  Additionally, by having 2 years of positive growth in our \'Students with Disabilities\' category, Westsern Hills exited TSI this year for this category.  This is a positive celebration!  Great work students and teachers!

The TSI program improvement designation provides an opportunity for principals, teachers, and parents to focus on areas of school improvement. The Granite School District and the Utah State Board of Education are working with our school to improve teaching and learning, especially in the areas of reading and mathematics by providing technical assistance and professional development opportunities to the teachers and administrators within our school.

Western Hills Elementary School is working to improve its academic programs by undergoing a rigorous school improvement effort led by a school system of support team. We are making numerous efforts to improve.  These include, but are not limited to:

  • Common assessments given for essential standards
  • Differentiated curriculum/instruction based on needs
  • Students identified for supplemental support by the standard
  • School-wide academic recognition program
  • Early warning system for at-risk students (PLCs, student support teams, etc.)
  • Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) utilized during core instruction
  • Targeted student behavioral management strategies
  • Teacher use of curriculum maps and pacing guides
  • School plan to support and strengthen parents in academic areas (Literacy Night, Monster Math Night, etc.)
  • School-wide focus on teacher clarity learning targets and success criteria
  • Implementing data folders and fluency folders school wide
  • Implementing a master schedule that preserves uninterrupted blocks of time for math and ELA and allows for both ELL and Special Education classes during times that are not during core instruction
  • Have added Lexia Reading and St. Math adaptive online programs, as well as utilize district Go Math and Wonder\'s Reading programs.
  • Added math afterschool programming
  • Utilize progress monitoring data to evaluate if students are benefitting from supplemental instruction
  • Summer school academic tutoring
  • Small group and individualized instruction/student support

Even with all of these efforts, parent support is essential to the success of the school improvement efforts.

Parents can effectively assist student achievement improvement in the following ways:

  • Communicating frequently with your student’s teachers
  • Making sure your student attends school regularly
  • Helping your student with homework
  • Monitoring your student’s screen time
  • Reading aloud to your student
  • Volunteering in the classroom
  • Participating in school decision-making

We want to request your help as the school addresses its academic needs and will invite parents to serve on the committee that will develop a school improvement plan.

Sincerely,

Rich K. Nye, Ph.D., Superintendent

Aaron R. Wilson, Ed.D., Title I Director

Wendy Lovell, Principal

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