Federal Programs

The goal of Gulf Shores City School System is to provide the best learning environment, provide technical assistance, program monitoring and resources to local educational agencies (LEA) to ensure that all children have an opportunity to obtain a high quality education and to achieve proficiency on the state's high academic achievement standards to meet the needs of our students.

Title I, the cornerstone of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, is the largest federal education program. Many of the major requirements in NCLB are outlined in Title I - Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), teacher and paraprofessional requirements, accountability, sanctions for schools designated for improvement, standards and assessments, annual state report cards, professional development, and parent involvement.

The Department of Federal Programs is comprised of various programs, some of these programs are financed through federal funding and other programs may be financed through state and grant funds. One purpose of Federal Programs is to increase academic achievement by improving teacher and principal quality. This program is carried out by: increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in classrooms; improving the skills of principals and assistance principals in schools; and by increasing the effectiveness of teachers and principals by holding LEAs (Local Education Agency) and schools accountable for improvements in student academic achievement.

Pre-Kindergarten

Children who turn four years old by Sept. 2 of the attendance year are eligible to enroll in Pre-K in the Title I elementary school. Pre-K is available in Title I schools only, and classes are limited. The Pre-K application period is during the month of February prior to the attendance year. To register your child for Pre-K you must have your child’s Certified Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, and two proofs of residence with the physical address of your residence (not a post office box).
Pre-K (OSR) The Office of School Readiness
First Class: Alabama's Voluntary Pre-K is part of the Office of School Readiness within the Alabama Department and is charged with administering Alabama’s state funded Pre-K program. OSR funds First Class Pre-K classrooms through a competitive grant process and administers the program in a variety of settings that include:

· Public schools
· Private childcare and schools
· Head Start programs
· Community-based programs
· Faith-based programs
· Military programs

OSR was created in the 2000 legislative session. In the first year of operation, OSR funded eight pilot Pre-Kindergarten programs. Currently, OSR funds over 1,000 Pre-K classrooms and supports the professional development of a high quality workforce through education, training, and on-site coaching.
High Quality Pre-K Alabama’s state funded First Class Pre-K program, has been awarded the highest quality rating by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) for the past twelve years. OSR is dedicated to working with Pre-K programs to ensure that Alabama’s 4-year-olds have access to high quality childhood learning experiences that prepare Alabama children for school success and readiness.
Research shows that children benefit the most from high quality early learning experiences. OSR works with classrooms to promote those high quality experiences in Alabama.

Title I

Parent Notification that Gulf Shores Elementary and Middle School is a Title I "Schoolwide" Program

Title I is a federal program designed to help students in our nation's schools. In accordance with the Every Student Succeeds ACT (ESSA) and Title I, the goal is to help all children be successful at school. Schools in communities that meet the requirements use Title I funds to benefit the entire school. This type of program is known as a schoolwide program. Title I schoolwide programs use Title funds, along with other local, state, and federal funding to serve all students in the school. Individual students are not identified as participating in the Title I program.
Some of the benefits we may offer students is a weekly after-school math and/or reading tutorial program, tutoring during school hours, summer reading and/or math programs, a summer library program, a readniess program for incoming kindergarten students, parenting education workshops, and along with other educational resources. Parents (public and private school) can waive supplemental services by sending a letter by sending a letter to Director of Federal Programs, 300 E 16th Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542.

Effective schools are the result of a dedicated faculty and staff working together with families and the community to share in the success of all students at school. Increased student self-esteem occurs when parents and teachers collaborate to ensure learning takes place at the school, in the home, and in the community.

Parent Right-To-Know

In accordance with the Title I program and the Every Student Succeeds ACT (ESSA), parents, through the Right-To-Know provisions, may request information regarding the professional qualifications of their child's teacher(s) or the qualifications of paraprofessionals providing services to their child. In addition, parents will be provided information about their child's level. In addition, parents will be provided information about their child's level of achievement on any state academic assessments.

Title I, Part A - Schoolwide Programs and Equitable Services Programs (Non Public) Schoolwide, Homeless, Migrant, Neglected and Delinquent
• Purpose: To ensure all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach proficiency on state standards.
Title I, Part A – Targeted Assistance
• Purpose: Student identification is made that renders them eligible or ineligible for services. Students identified as most at risk of not meeting state academic standards are served.
Title I, Part A – School Improvement
• Purpose: Award schools identified as Priority, Focus, or Opportunity funds that will be used to support implementation of school improvement activities.
Title I, Part D – Neglected and Delinquent
• Purpose: To provide at-risk children and youth with the services needed to make a successful transition from institutions and correctional facilities to further schooling or employment.

Homeless Information

McKinney-Vento Homeless Information

Defining Homeless The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. McKinney-Vento provides federal funding to states for the purpose of supporting district programs that serve homeless students.

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." The act provides examples of children who would fall under this definition:

Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason
Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of alternative accommodations
Children and youth living in emergency or transitional shelters
Children and youth abandoned in hospitals
Children and youth awaiting foster care placement
Children and youth whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc)
Children and youth living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations
Migratory children and youth living in any of the above situations

For more information, please contact the Gulf Shores City City Schools Homeless Liaison, Joey Drews at 251-968-9873. A copy of the Gulf Shores City Schools Homeless Plan can be found here.

Gulf Shores City Schools partners with many agencies and organizations to assist families. A list can be found here. This list will be updated as more partnerships are formed.

English Language Information

There are many programs and services to help students who do not speak, read, write or understand English well. There are programs for students, parents, and immigrants. The overall goal of these programs is to improve the English language skills of students. For more information, please contact Joey Drews at jdrews@gsboe.org or 251-968-9873

For a copy of the District EL Plan, please click here.

Hay muchos programas y servicios para ayudar a los estudiantes que no hablar, leer, escribir o entender bien el inglés. Hay programas para los estudiantes, los padres, y los inmigrantes. El objetivo general de estos programas es mejorar las habilidades en el idioma inglés de los estudiantes. Para obtener más información, póngase en contacto con la Joey Drews al 251-968-9873 o jdrews@gsboe.org.

Para obtener una copia del Distrito EL Plan, por favor haga clic aqui.

Parent and Family Engagement

Get Involved!

Studies have indicated that children whose parents and/or other significant adults share in their formal education tend to do better in school. Some benefits that have been identified that measure parental involvement in education include:

Higher grades and test scores
Long term academic achievement
Positive attitudes and behavior
More successful programs
More effective schools

Please contact your child's school to learn how you can become more involved in the educational process. A copy of the district's Parent and Family Engagement Plan can be found Here.

Parents' Right to Know

Under the provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act {Title I Section 1111 (h)(6)} and Board of Education policy, the parent/guardian of each student attending a school in the system may request information regarding the professional qualifications of the student's classroom teachers, including, at a minimum, the following:

Whether the teacher has met State certification for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which certification has been waived.
The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.
If the child receives services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

To request the professional qualifications of your student's classroom teachers, please email the school's principal. Also, schools will provide timely notice to parents/guardians that their student has been assigned to or is being taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is not certified in the grade level or content area assigned for instruction. More information can be found Here.