Title I, Part A, is a federal program under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that provides supplemental funding to school districts. The goal of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards. Our district utilizes Title I funds to support schools with higher percentages of students from low-income families. These resources help us bridge educational gaps by providing:

• Supplemental Instruction: Additional academic support, interventions, and tutoring in core subjects like reading and mathematics.
• Highly Qualified Staff: Professional development and specialized training for teachers and instructional aides to implement evidence-based teaching strategies.
• Instructional Materials: Up-to-date technology, specialized software, and classroom learning resources that extend beyond standard district provisions.
• Family Engagement: Resources and programs designed to build strong school-home partnerships and empower parents to support their child's learning.

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Parent and Family Engagement

We believe that student success is a shared responsibility between the school and the home. Under Title I regulations, parents and family members have the right to be involved in the planning, review, and improvement of our Title I programs. Each Title I school maintains a written Parent and Family Engagement Policy and a School-Parent Compact that outlines how parents, staff, and students will share the responsibility for improved academic achievement.

Parents' Right-to-Know: Under federal law, parents of students attending Title I schools may request information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers and paraprofessionals. Please contact your school principal for details.

For more information about Title I programs, school eligibility, or how to get involved, please contact Taryn Miley at tarynmiley@springfield-schools.org.

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Compliance Documents:

• FY27, Title I Compliance Documentation

We are dedicated to supporting the unique academic, social, and emotional needs of our advanced learners through a robust support team, which includes a dedicated Gifted/UDL (Universal Design for Learning) Coordinator for the district and two specialized Gifted Intervention Specialists who directly serve our students in grades K–5. All of our identification processes and instructional services are strictly aligned with Ohio's Gifted Operating Standards, ensuring a high-quality, equitable, and compliant education. We strive to provide gifted students with an enriched, flexible learning environment that fosters critical thinking, fuels intellectual curiosity, and empowers them to reach their full potential.

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For more information about our Gifted Program, please contact Holliday Thomas at hollidaythomas@springfield-schools.org.

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SLS Documents:

• Guide to Early Entrance
• SLS Gifted ID Plan
• Gifted Service Brochure
• Guided to Acceleration

Family Resources:

• Ohio Gifted Education Start Guide
• Academic Acceleration for Advanced Learners
• Gifted Guru
• Exquisite Minds

To help bridge the gap between school and home, we are thrilled to introduce a resource for our families: the Helping Children Learn monthly newsletter. Packed with proven, evidence-based ideas, this monthly guide delivers practical advice you can put into action right away—even on your busiest days.

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What’s Inside Every Issue?

Each month (September through May), the newsletter will focus on quick, actionable strategies to help your child thrive, including:

• Academic Boosters: Easy ways to build reading, language, and math skills through everyday routines.
• Success Habits: Tips for establishing effective study habits and promoting regular school attendance.
• Character & Growth: Guidance on helping your child develop persistence, resilience, goal-setting skills, and an enthusiasm for learning.
• Life Skills: Practical advice for instilling respect for rules, authority, and others.

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A Strong School-Home Connection

We believe that education is a true partnership. The Helping Children Learn newsletter is our way of giving you the tools to comfortably and confidently support your child's learning journey at home.

Newsletters:

• 2026-2027 School Year
• 2025-2026 School Year

Helping Children Learn meets the Title I requirements to conduct family outreach.

In alignment with Ohio’s ReadOhio initiative and state-mandated Science of Reading frameworks, Springfield Local Schools has shifted its literacy practices toward an explicit, systematic approach to reading instruction. By embedding structured literacy across classrooms, the district utilizes state-approved, high-quality instructional materials that focus heavily on the core pillars of reading—including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension—while eliminating outdated methods like three-cueing. Under the district's Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework, dedicated reading specialists and interventionists work collaboratively to deliver targeted, evidence-based instruction tailored to each student’s needs.

Because learning to read requires rewiring neural pathways in the brain rather than emerging naturally, the role of families is an absolute bedrock to this process. When families partner actively with Springfield Local Schools—such as utilizing decodable books at home, tracking progress through Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans (RIMPs), and reinforcing foundational word recognition skills—they act as the ultimate glue for sustainable literacy achievement. Bridging the gap between systematic classroom instruction and daily, reinforcing routines at home ensures that Springfield students build the confidence and neural architecture required to become skilled, lifelong readers.

Family Resources:

• Third Grade Reading Guarantee
• The Science of Reading (Family Tips)
• Read Together, Grow Together
• Dyslexia Resource Guide
• Ohio's Imagination Library
• What the Science Says About How Kids Learn to Read (video)
• Becoming a Reader (SLS Brochure)

In our district, we are committed to fostering a deep, lifelong understanding of mathematics for all K-12 students, fully aligned with Ohio’s Learning Standards for Mathematics and the state's strategic Ohio Math Plan. Our instructional philosophy balances rigorous conceptual understanding, real-world problem-solving, and procedural skill. A cornerstone of this foundation is a deliberate, research-based focus on math fact fluency in the early grades. By ensuring students develop automaticity and flexibility with basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, we free up their cognitive space to tackle the more complex, higher-level algebraic and geometric reasoning required in middle and high school.

Family Resources:

• Ohio's Learning Standards for Mathematics
• Reveal Math (K-5 Math Program)
• Math Visuals

In Springfield Local Schools, assessments serve as a vital roadmap for tracking student growth and ensuring academic achievement across all K-12 grade levels. This comprehensive data journey begins in kindergarten with the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA), which helps educators gauge each child's early learning and development as they enter school. As students progress, the focus shifts toward state accountability with the Ohio State Tests (OSTs) beginning in grade 3, measuring proficiency and guiding instruction through the remainder of their elementary, middle, and high school careers. To support this continuum of learning, the district routinely administers formative assessments to guide day-to-day instruction and diagnostic assessments to identify specific student needs, fully satisfying all state and federal education mandates.

Family Resources:

• SLS District Assessment Overview
• Ohio State Tests—Students & Families
• 26-27 OST Testing Dates
• OST Testing Times
• Family Score Reports (video)

At Springfield Local Schools, we believe that every student brings something unique and valuable to our classrooms. When your child is here, our school community is complete. Regular school attendance is one of the most powerful predictors of a student's success—not just academically, but socially and emotionally too.

Why Attendance Matters from PK through Grade 12

Attendance isn't just a high school issue; building strong habits starts on day one of preschool.

• Early Milestones (PK–3): In the early grades, students are learning to read. Missing just two days a month can make it significantly harder for a child to hit critical reading milestones by the end of third grade.
• The Middle Years (4–8): As academics become more specialized, missing days makes it easy to fall behind in subjects like math and science. Attendance in middle school is also a key indicator of whether a student will stay on track to graduate high school.
• High School & Beyond (9–12): Every class period counts toward earning graduation credits. Consistent attendance prepares students for the realities of college, trade schools, and the workforce.

Understanding Ohio’s Attendance Laws

In Ohio, school attendance is tracked by hours rather than days to ensure students don't miss crucial instructional time.

What is Chronic Absenteeism? Under Ohio law, a student is considered "chronically absent" if they miss 10% or more of the school year for any reason—whether the absences are excused (like a doctor's note) or unexcused. That adds up to just 2 days a month or about 18 days across the whole school year.

Missing too many hours triggers state-mandated support steps. Our goal is never to punish; it is always to partner with you to get your child back on track before they fall behind.

We Are Here to Support You

We know that life happens. Reliable transportation, health challenges, and family emergencies can all create barriers to getting to school. If your family is struggling with school attendance, please reach out to us. Your child's teacher, school counselor, or principal can work with you to find solutions, connect you with community resources, and build a plan to support your student. Let’s work together to make this school year a success!

Family Resources:

• Family Engagement

Think of kindergarten readiness as building a launchpad for your child's entire school journey. In Ohio, the state focuses on four key areas to ensure children can comfortably step into the classroom: social foundations (how they interact, share, and handle feelings); language and literacy (talking, listening, and early reading); mathematics (basic counting and shapes); and physical well-being (motor skills like holding pencils or buttoning a coat). When your child enters school, teachers use a gentle tool called the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Revised (KRA-R). This isn't a stressful test; it's simply a way for teachers to observe your child during normal daily activities to see where they are strong and where they might need an extra boost. Prioritizing these skills at home—through simple things like reading together, practice waiting in turns, and counting snacks—helps you and your child's teacher work as a team right from day one, making sure your little one feels confident, safe, and excited to learn.

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Family Resources:

• Kindergarten Readiness (Ohio)