ESSA Public Notice for 2020-21
Gorham School Department
Every school year, the Gorham School Department receives funding as a result of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). We apply for this funding through an extensive process through the Maine Department of Education (DOE). In addition, every summer we are required to report to the DOE on our performance outcomes from the previous school year. Gorham qualifies for funding through the following three sources under this legislation:
1. Title I: Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
2. Title II: Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers, Principals, and Other School Leaders
3. Title IV: 21st Century Schools
Our aim each school year is to apply these dollars in an efficient and effective manner that improves teaching, increases learning, and enhances the climate of our schools. As with every district in the state, we recently completed a comprehensive needs assessment. The findings of that assessment guided our approach for this coming school year, 2020-2021.
~ Title I: Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
This year’s allocation is $234,853.60
We will utilize these federal dollars to fund salaries and benefits for 3.6 literacy and math teachers at the K-5 level. As required by statute, we also set aside some funding for supplies for homeless students.
~ Title II: Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers, Principals, and Other School Leaders
This year’s allocation is $69,895.77
We are acutely aware that our students will be returning this fall with very divergent experiences during the Covid-19 social distancing and we must be cognizant of potential trauma students may have endured and be equipped to respond to it. Therefore, we will continue to learn how to effectively address the SEL and executive functioning needs of our diverse learners (Danielson Domain 2 & 3).
Additionally, the instructional focus of Professional Learning (PL) across the Gorham School Department for the coming year (20-21) is to continue to collaborate to improve our student-centered standards-based instruction (either distance learning or in person) and further the development and utilization of effective learning targets, scoring criteria, and formative and summative assessments aligned to our curriculum (based upon the Gorham Teaching & Learning System). We made great progress in 19-20; however due to the impact of Covid-19 on student learning and professional development,we see the need to continue progressing with this as our focus. Collaborating to improve our instructional efficacy will help the many students that will need some form of remediation due to being out of the regular school setting for multiple months during spring 2020 (Danielson Domain 2 & 3).
This work will be done using a variety of methods and topics. We will utilize full day Professional Learning (PL) days and Early Release PL days to focus on student-centered instruction and assessment practices and build our repertoire around executive functioning skills. We will work across whole district groups, whole school groups, grade level groups, and content area groups with the focus on enhancing student-centered learning through utilization of effective instructional and assessment practices. We will utilize staff meetings to continue to learn how to effectively address the SEL needs of our diverse learners. For all of our PL work, we will utilize experts as well as the incredible talents we already have right here within our own staff!
Additionally, outside of the contract day, we have the following committees whose members will collaborate multiple times a year to focus on on improving teacher effectiveness:
~ K-12 Professional Learning Committee: This committee focuses on the development of the annual professional learning plan, oversight of the plan, collection of feedback and provision of targeted PL to district teachers
~ District Curriculum Support Committee: Committee members provide daily support and PD to teachers at each building in the areas of grading and reporting and assessment practices. They meet multiple times per year outside of the contract day to prepare for this work by calibrating practice.
In addition, we also recognize that teachers require professional learning in Restorative Practices as part of our SEL focus. Therefore we will have a representative from RJ 4 Change provide consultation, planning, and coaching to a team of Gorham teachers that are being trained as trainers of Restorative Practices.
For Title IV: 21st Century Schools
This year’s allocation is $23,576.80
As allowed by statute, we have transferred this allocation into our Title I funds. This allows us to fund a greater percentage of our K-5 math and literacy teachers with federal dollars.
For more information on Title I, Title II, or Title IV please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/esea/programs/index.html.
Please contact Dr. Brian Porter, Assistant Superintendent, if you have any comments/questions about our areas of focus for these funds [email protected]