OVERVIEW
The Title I Program in Prince William County Public Schools aims to support and advance the efforts of teachers through intensive and on-going professional development activities.
With the passage of the No Child Left Behind legislation in 2001, the rules were strengthened with respect to professional development requirements for school districts receiving Title I funding. Lawmakers felt that this was necessary so that teachers could learn about the most effective ways of teaching their students. Those same lawmakers also felt that the individuals closest to the classroom should have more authority to make decisions about instructional approaches that most benefit their students. Therefore, the professional development program must be designed and developed by teachers, principals, and other school staff in Title I schools.
In Prince William County, Title I teachers meet monthly to discuss issues related to teaching reading or mathematics to the students they work with. Each meeting is three hours long and is divided into three parts:
- 1 hour of business (relating to Title I requirements)
- 1 hour of discussion of a professional book or article read by the group (Teachers As Readers)
- 1 hour of learning about teaching techniques to use with young readers and writers, led by a staff member or outside consultant
Classroom teachers from Title I schools are also invited to our meetings, to learn along with us. In Prince William County, we believe that the classroom teacher and the Title I teacher must work as a team in order to ensure learning for each Title I student. Each Title I teacher regularly meets with the classroom teachers of his or her students to plan instructional activities and to problem-solve together.
In addition to the regular monthly meetings for all Title I teachers, those teachers involved in special programs also meet periodically to further their learning. Reading Recovery teachers continue to meet after their training year in sessions called Continuing Contact. During these sessions, teachers see behind-the-glass demonstration lessons by colleagues, and participate in discussions designed to increase their understanding about early literacy development. Math Recovery teachers and Knowing Math teachers also continue to meet to refine their understandings.
Title I teachers are also encouraged to attend professional growth opportunities offered in the local area or in other parts of the state or nation. Many teachers each year take advantage of opportunities to learn more about the teaching of young children, and that newly-found knowledge is shared with colleagues back in Prince William County!
Title I teachers are also the leaders of training sessions for teachers back at their schools, sharing their knowledge through mini-workshops and hands-on sessions. These same teachers also present sessions for teachers outside of their schools, at district-wide inservices, and local and state conferences. Again, we believe that Title I students will make the most progress only if everyone works together, using the most effective teaching strategies possible.
Updated 10/25/06