Title I & School Improvement

This page contains information related to our designation as a Title I school.

Title I is a federally funded program through the Elementary & Secondary Act (ESEA) designed to provide support to students who are performing below grade level in reading and/or math. The goal is to emphasize high academic standards in an effort to help students succeed in the regular classroom and reach grade level performance.

What are some typical Title I services?

At Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), we offer Title I programs to meet the needs of students at individual schools. At some buildings, this may mean a ‘targeted’ program where selected students receive additional academic instruction or other types of assistance to support them in school. The majority of schools in MPS have a ‘school-wide’ Tile I program which means additional services are available to address the needs of all the students at that school. Typically services focus on providing additional help in reading and/or math instruction, but services could include social skills instruction, attendance support, health services, etc.

Do all MPS schools have a Title I program?

No. The Federal law requires that Title I programs are available in schools with the greatest concentration of low-income families. Once a school qualifies, academic need – not economic status – determines the school programming and whether students receive extra instruction. Contact your child’s school for more information about its Title I program and ask when the school’s annual Title I meeting for families will be held.

Who are Title I students?

Typically students identified as needing Title I services are those who are having academic difficulties or other concerns that are affecting their academic achievement in school. Usually students’ needs are identified by their classroom teachers based on their test scores and other measures of academic performance. Those who show the greatest educational need and are not already receiving special education services are served first.

How are parents/guardians involved?

In ‘school-wide’ and ‘targeted’ programs, parents are invited to attend the school’s annual Title I Meeting
In ‘targeted’ school programs, parents are notified of their child’s eligibility for and participation in Title I
Parents, staff and students may participate in the development and carrying out of a compact that spells out the goals and shared responsibilities of the child, school and parents for student success
Parents are encouraged to participate in Title I meetings and learning opportunities

As a parent/guardian, you have the right...

to know the qualifications of your child’s teacher
to know when your child has a substitute teacher for more than four weeks and the qualifications of the substitute teacher
to know how your child’s school is rated on its state test scores
to expect regular communication with your school in a language that you can understand
to work with other parents and staff to develop a school-level parent compact between the school and its families
to help plan how money for family involvement should be spent
to work with teachers, parents and the school principal to develop your school’s family involvement plan
to ask for a meeting with your school principal or your child’s teacher at any time

School Improvement Plan (SIP)

Mission & Vision

Introduction

School Mission Statement

School Vision Statement

Programs & Community Partners

School Improvement Plan Goals

Strategic Plan Goal 1: Academic Achievement

Every student achieves their full potential through equal access to programming that is academically rigorous and connects learning with student experiences.

25-26 School Year SMART Goal

The percentage of African American students who are proficient on aReading will increase from 17% to 22% by spring of 2026.
The percentage of students who are proficient on aMath will increase from 12% to 17% by spring of 2026.
The percentage of American Indian students who are proficient in aReading will increase from 33% to 38% by spring 2026.

Strategies

Writing in all content areas and utilizing high level student academic discussions in the classroom

Strategic Plan Goal 2: Student Well-being

Every student’s physical and mental well-being is addressed as an integral part of their education.

25-26 School Year SMART Goal

By spring 2026, the percentage of students who report positive responses for peer to peer relationships will increase from 59% to 69% based on the School Climate Survey.
The percentage of American Indian students who report they have at least 3 staff in the building that they can connect with will increase from 67% to 100% by Spring 2026.

Strategies

Building student agency

Strategic Plan Goal 3: Effective Staff

Strategic Plan Goal 4: School and District Climate

MPS is known by our community as welcoming, responsive, and connected.

25-26 School Year SMART Goal

The percentage of families who attend school activities will increase from 81% in fall of 2025 to 87% by fall 2026. As measured by attendance records of family events.
By June 2026, all teachers would have made positive monthly communication with American Indian families as measured by the teacher communication log document.

Strategies

Family engagement
Increased communication with American Indian families using monthly positive communication to families regarding their students.

Family Engagement Plan (FEP)

Family & Community Voice & Engagement

The primary challenges/areas of need identified by families and community members at our school

How family and community voices are gathered at our school

The primary hopes and aspirations identified by families and community members at our school

Family Engagement Goals & Strategies

Goal: All families feel welcome in our school and have equal access to opportunities to be involved in their students' education.

Strategies

We will host the following community-based and cultural events this year:

Fall open house
Winter and Spring concerts and dance recitals
NAAPID event during BHM
Career Fair
Academic Night
Fall and Spring conferences
EOY community BBQ
African American Family Involvement Day
Bingo night

We will notify families of how to get involved in the events listed on our FEP, how to access school staff, and how to volunteer through the following methods:

School Messenger
Fliers backpacked home
Facebook
School website

We will ensure all families can participate by providing the following:

Robocalls and emails translated into native languages
Talking to parents at arrival and dismissal
Facebook live
Cabs to school when needed

Goal: All families are informed of the steps our school is taking to improve student outcomes and achieve equity.

Goal: Families will play an important role in developing our School Improvement and Family Engagement plans, and will provide valued input on how we spend our resources.

Strategies

We will get family input on our School Improvement Plan for next year at the two Site Council meetings where we review budget, likely March and April of 2024.
We will get family input on our Family Engagement Plan for next year at our final meeting in June of 2024.
We will get family input on how we'll use our resources next year to support student achievement and engage families at the two Site Council meetings where we review budget, likely March and April of 2024.
We will host regular Site Council meetings the first Wednesday of each month.

Goal: All school staff members, family members, and students understand the important role they each play in making sure students achieve success at our school.

Goal: All families understand how to support their students’ academic achievement.

Strategies

At the following events, we will help families understand our school curriculum, state standards, assessments their students take, and how we measure student achievement and success:

Fall and Spring Conferences
Winter Academic Night

In addition to the events above, we will also help families understand our school curriculum, state standards, assessments their students will take, and how we will measure student achievement and success in the following ways:

Sending out a monthly newsletter where parents are kept in the loop regarding what students are working on testing calendars, etc.
We then send home test results and quarterly report cards to communicate progress.

We will host the following academically-focused family events:

Fall and Spring Conferences
Winter Academic Night

Title I & School Improvement

Related Content

Family Engagement Plan (FEP)