THE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD OF COLLIER COUNTY

2014-2015

PARENT GUIDE AND

CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT

Dr. Kamela Patton Superintendent of Schools

www.collierschools.com

Dr. Kamela Patton

Superintendent of Schools

THE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD OF COLLIER COUNTY

Pat Carroll, Chair Kathleen Curatolo, Vice Chair

Barbara Berry, Member Julie Sprague, Member Roy M. Terry, Member

This report has been prepared by The District School Board of Collier County.

Additional copies, if available, may be obtained by writing:

The District School Board of Collier County Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Administrative Center

5775 Osceola Trail Naples, Florida 34109-0919

Report Number: Coordinated by: 07012014 Dr. Rachel Rutizer Dawes Lisa C. Roa

VISION STATEMENT

All students will complete school prepared for ongoing learning as well as community and global responsibilities.

The District School Board of Collier County does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in the provision of educational opportunities or employment opportunities and benefits. The District School Board does not discriminate on the basis of sex or disability in the education programs and activities that is operates, pursuant to the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, respectively. The right not to be discriminated against extends to both employees and students of the District and shall include equal access to designated youth organizations in conformity with the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act. The following personnel should be contacted for inquires about their rights or to learn how to file a complaint regarding discrimination.

Employees: Educational Equity Act, Title IX, Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act),or the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact Debbie Terry, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources and Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Employees, (239) 377-0365, The District School Board of Collier County, 5775 Osceola Trail, Naples, Florida 34109.

Students: Educational Equity Act, Title IX, or the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, or The Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, contact Stephen McFadden, Coordinator, School Counseling/KG-8 and Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Students, (239) 377-0517, The District School Board of Collier County, 5775 Osceola Trial, Naples, Florida 34109

Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act) and the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact Dr. L. Van Hylemon, Coordinator, Psychological Services, (239) 377-0521, The District School Board of Collier County, 5775 Osceola Trail, Naples, Florida, 34109.

2014-2015

Parent Guide The Parent Guide and Code of Student Conduct are available in Spanish and Creole

upon request or Online at: www.collierschools.com

La Guía para padres y el Código de Conducta del Estudiante está disponible en Español y Creole, por solicitud, ó en el Internet en:

www.collierschools.com

Gid pou Paran yo ansanm ak Kòd sou Kondwit Elèv yo disponib nan lang Espanyòl ak Kreyòl pou moun ki mande sa oubyen yo ka jwenn li

sou sit Entènèt nou an nan: www.collierschools.com

This document is also available on our Web site at: http://www.collierschools.com/parents/

Bureau of Community and Family Outreach website: http://www.firn.edu/doe/family/fspsa.htm

NOTE: Throughout the Parent Guide and Code of Student Conduct the term “parents”

includes legal guardians or other persons standing in loco parentis (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the welfare of the child).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Parent Guide Page Enrollment Proof of Age ................................................................................................................................ 2 Immunization .............................................................................................................................. 2 Physical Examinations ................................................................................................................ 3 Proof of Residency ...................................................................................................................... 3

School Entry Health Requirements School Entry Health Requirements ............................................................................................. 5 Vaccine Information Statement ................................................................................................... 6

Information Every Parent Should Have on Hand What Every Child Should be Learning in Elementary/Middle/High School ................................... 8 Reading Strategies for Parents ................................................................................................. 11 How to Help Your Child do Better.............................................................................................. 12 Why Students are Tested and What the Results Mean ............................................................. 13 Tests Your Child May Take ....................................................................................................... 14 Student Progression Plan (SPP)/Student Progress and Grade Reporting/Retention ................. 17

Student Programs/Services/Support Homeless Education Program ................................................................................................... 17 Mental Health Awareness ......................................................................................................... 17 Positive Behavior Support (PBS) .............................................................................................. 17 Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) .................................................................................. 18 Progress Monitoring Plan (PMP) ............................................................................................... 19 English Language Learners (ELL) ............................................................................................. 19 Exceptional Student Education (ESE) ....................................................................................... 20

Post-Secondary Information College Applications ................................................................................................................. 24 College Entrance Exams ........................................................................................................... 25 FL Bright Futures Scholarship Program .................................................................................... 25 College or Post-Secondary Training .......................................................................................... 25

Parent Involvement Parents Can Make a BIG Difference ......................................................................................... 25 Get to know Your Child’s School and Your Child’s Teacher(s) .................................................. 25 Parent Education ...................................................................................................................... 25 Parent-Teacher Conferences .................................................................................................... 26 PTA, PTO, Booster Clubs, and SAC ......................................................................................... 26

Volunteer and Community Involvement Volunteer Time and Talent-Mentoring ....................................................................................... 27

The School Board, Policies/Procedures, and LegislatureThe School Board ..................................................................................................................... 28School Board Policy 2416 ......................................................................................................... 28 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ............................................................................ 29 Teacher Certification ................................................................................................................. 30 Home Education ....................................................................................................................... 30 Out-of-Zone/School Choice/McKay Scholarship Program ......................................................... 30

Rights and Resources ............................................................................................................... 31

Tips for Parents ......................................................................................................................... 36

2014-2015 Academic School Calendar ..................................................................................... 47

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ENROLLMENT Although most students start school when they enter kindergarten, Collier County does have several pre-kindergarten programs for students as young as age three (3). In order to enter kindergarten, a child must be age five (5) on or before September 1st of that year and age six (6) to enroll in grade 1 and have completed kindergarten satisfactorily. A checklist of required documents and items for registration/enrollment is available at the District website http://www.collierschools.com/parents/enrollmentinfo.asp, which include: • Student Registration form • Annual Student Emergency Information Card • Proof of age • Physical examination • Florida Immunization Form • If divorced, a copy of the decree and any current legal documents that apply to the parents’

rights as they relate to the child at school (such as restraining order or school pick-up) must be provided to the school

• Proof of Residency 1+2 proofs • The complete name, address, ZIP code, and phone number of any school the student

previously attended, along with the last report card or withdrawal form (for Elementary and Middle school students) or official transcript (for High school students) must be provided

For registration information and locations (specific to grade levels) , please visit http://collierschools.com/parents/enrollmentinfo.asp.

Proof of Age Per Florida Statute, any student entering PK-12 shall show an original or certified copy of a birth certificate or other proof of age. The following are acceptable documents for evidence of date of birth: • Birth Certificate (original or certified copy of birth certificate) • A certificate of baptism showing the date of birth and place of baptism of the child,

accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the parents • An insurance policy on the child’s life which has been in force for at least two years • Bona fide contemporary Bible record of the child’s birth accompanied by an affidavit sworn

to by the parent • A passport or certificate of arrival in the United States stating the age of the child

o Parents who provide a passport for proof of age must also provide documentation of proof of parentage, proof of legal custody and/or guardianship, or any other evidence that one is a parent as that term is defined under F.S. 1000.21(5). In the event that such documentation is not available, the person enrolling the child must present, at the time of enrollment, an affidavit sworn to by the parent, that he/she is the parent, legal guardian, or otherwise as defined by the statute above.

• A transcript or record of age shown in the child’s school record of at least four years prior to application, stating date of birth

• An affidavit of age sworn to by the parent accompanied by a certificate of age signed by a public health officer or private physician indicating that the physician has examined the child and believes that the age as stated in the affidavit is substantially correct

Immunizations • Florida Statute 1003.22 requires that all students entering Florida schools must present

proper documentation of immunization or exemption. No student may attend school without proper documentation of immunization or exemption.

• Students must produce a DH 680 Form on white or blue paper which is the only document schools accept as proof of immunization. Parents must obtain the standard approved Florida Department of Health form from a physician or the local Health Department before a student may be enrolled. The Collier County Health Department provides required immunizations free of charge. The Certificate of Exemption for Immunizations for religious

Parent Guide – Page 3

reasons is only granted by the Department of Health, Collier County.

Information about current immunization requirements can be found on the District’s website at http://www.collierschools.com/parents/health.asp.

Physical Examinations Florida Statute 1003.22 requires that all students entering Florida Schools for the first time present a certificate of physical examination completed in the U.S. within twelve (12) months of the child’s first day of school Collier County. The Florida DH 3040 form is recommended to document a physical examination. However, any record may be used that includes the elements contained in the form DH 3040.

Proof of Residency Parents or guardians may prove residency by providing ONE of the following: • Homestead Exemption Card, current, reflecting Homestead Exemption within Collier County

(considered family’s primary residence) • Property Tax Notice (may require additional verification) • Home Purchase Contract in Collier County specified closing date, with a copy of the deed to

be provided within 30 days of closing date • Copy of a Manifestation of Domicile filed by the parent (obtained at the Collier County

Courthouse/The Clerk of Courts Office) • A current rental or lease agreement

AND TWO of the following: • A current Florida driver license or Florida Identification Card • Automobile Insurance (last two statements) • A current electric billing statement, bottom portion showing name and service address • Water bill or Cable bill or Landline Phone Bill (last two statements)

*New residents may provide set up of service for 2 utilities with name and address for enrollment. Parents or guardians must provide first 2 months bills to school within 60 days.

Parents who live with someone else must provide: • Notarized letter from person they are living with stating that the parent and child live there • Notarized confirmation from parent(s) that they (he/she), in fact, live with such person • 3 Proofs of address from person who wrote the letter to establish that they live in the school

zone • 3 Proofs of address from the parent to verify that they live at the address

Parents whose child lives with someone else must provide: • Notarized Power of Attorney, with 2 witness signatures, that includes the following

information must be submitted to the District by the school for review prior to enrollment o Relationship of guardian to child o States that guardian will be responsible for the child’s educational needs o Length of temporary guardianship

• District will notify the school regarding status of enrollment • If the District approves enrollment of the child by the guardian:

o Guardian must sign district Statement of Acceptance of Responsibility Form o Parent or guardian must provide evidence of pursuit of legal custody through the courts

to the school within 90 days o The District will follow-up with letter to parent/guardian and school, as needed

If a parent would like their child to attend a school other than their home zoned school they must submit a request to the Choice and Out-of-Zone Manager (form is available on the district website). Out-of-Zone attendance must also be approved before the student’s enrollment is completed.

Should a student move, proof of residency must be provided as stated above. The following items are evidence a move is full and complete:

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• The former residence is not occupied for any purpose as any time by the student or any of the persons with whom the student has been living; and

• All personal belongings are moved from the former residence; and • Mail is received at the new residence • All utilities are transferred to the new residence; and • Driver license, voter registration and other forms of legal identification are changed to the

new residence

The complete name, address, zip code and phone number of any school the student previously attended, along with the official transcript (mandatory for high school students), last report card or withdrawal form (for elementary and middle school students) MUST be provided.

An Annual Student Emergency Information card MUST be provided to the school site at the time of enrollment.

If divorced, a copy of the divorce decree and any current legal documents that applies to the parents’ rights as relate to the child at school (such as a restraining order, or school pick-up).

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SCHOOL ENTRY HEALTH REQUIREMENTS 2014-2015

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INFORMATION EVERY PARENT SHOULD HAVE ON HAND The following items will help keep you up to date on school activities and ready to respond to the issues your child may have. Many of these items are provided to you at the beginning of the school year. If you have misplaced them, ask for another copy from your school’s main office. A current school calendar showing holidays, standardized testing days, early dismissal days and teacher workdays is also available. • Phone numbers for your child’s school, with the extensions for the school’s principal,

teachers, counselors and other administrative staff • The Code of Student Conduct for Collier County Public Schools. This describes what

behavior is unacceptable in school and how students are disciplined if they commit a violation

• A copy of your Title I parent contract, (Title I students only) which your school has asked you to sign. (Not applicable to high school parents)

• A schedule of Open Houses, Curriculum Nights and other school events such as teacher conferences and PTA/PTO/Booster Club meetings

• A bus schedule to include the school, the number, schedule and pick-up address for that bus is published in the Naples Sun Times and is also available on the Web site

• Information on the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. To apply, you need to complete the form provided at the beginning of the school year and return it to your child’s school

What Every Child Should Be Learning in Elementary/Middle/High School Every child in the State of Florida should be learning the same things in the same grades. The Florida Department of Education has created a list of learning goals for students in every grade. The important skills that your child should be learning are outlined in the state standards. (These are also listed in the Parent Guides to Grade Level Standards for Elementary Grades). The subjects taught in the schools are English/Language Arts, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Health and Physical Education. Technology standards are embedded in the instruction for all students. You can always ask your child’s teacher for more information.

Kindergarten What Your Child is Learning in Kindergarten Here are a few examples: • Understands that people in a community live, learn and work together as they develop an

understanding of rules, laws and the positive character traits of citizenship; • Knows that in order to learn it is important to observe the same things often and compare

them; • Use letters and relationships to sounds to read and write words and sentences; • Counts to 100 out loud and matches objects to numbers to 20.

How to Help Your Child Do Better • Identify spoken words that begin with the same sound (cat/coat). • Practice pointing to and naming upper case and lower case letters while reading. • Practice reading grade level sight words. • Read stories and factual books to your child. Ask and answer questions about the books

and write about them. (If you have a computer in your home, have your child practice typing short responses to questions on the computer).

• Help them look for patterns (red, green and red, green) in the world around him. • Help them identify and describe shapes (e.g. circle, triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon,

cube, cone, cylinder, and sphere). • Add and subtract small quantities of items with your child. Use beans, dry pasta, buttons

and pennies. • Help him put items in a story in sequence, what came first, second, third, etc.

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First Grade What Your Child is Learning in First Grade Here a few examples: • Understands broad categories of time and the calendar including major holidays and

celebrations in our communities and beyond; • Demonstrates that the motion of objects changes by applying a push or pull; • Knows many words by sight and reads grade appropriate stories, poems and informational

books aloud; • Counts to 120 and reads and writes numerals to 120; • Solves word problems involving addition and subtraction within 20.

How to Help Your Child Do Better • Listen to your child read words and books from school. Ask your child to retell and write

about the events and information from a variety of literary and informational books. (If you have a computer in your home, have your child practice typing short responses to questions on the computer. Practice keyboarding skills).

• Point out familiar words on labels, boxes, newspapers, magazines, signs. • Talk about and show examples of adding items and taking away items. • Practice comparing and ordering objects by length.

Second Grade What Your Child is Learning in Second Grade Here are a few examples: • Understands the timeline and the contributions of Native American tribes, the impact of

immigration in America, and the daily life of people living in Colonial America; • Explains that living things are found all over the Earth, but each must live in a habitat that

has its basic needs for survival; • Expands vocabulary and understanding by reading independently, discussing the facts and

events in books and writing about them; • Reads and writes numerals up to 1,000 and understands the place value of those numbers; • Fluently adds and subtracts within 100 and uses various strategies for addition and

subtraction within 1,000.

How to Help Your Child Do Better • Listen to your child read books from school. Help him/her figure out the meaning of

unfamiliar words. • Ask and answer questions about the books your child reads and talk about interesting

characters, events and topics. • Ask your child to retell and write about the events and information from a variety of books.

(If you have a computer in your home, have your child practice typing short responses to questions on the computer. Practice keyboarding skills).

• Practice strategies for addition and subtraction facts. • Use a ruler, tape measure, and yardstick to measure different objects around the house in

inches and centimeters. • Go over your child’s school papers with him/her every day and ask him/her to read them to

you.

Third Grade What Your Child is learning in Third Grade Here are a few examples: • Understands the geographic Regions on North America and the Caribbean including both

physical systems (climate) and human systems (cultural characteristics); • Classifies animals into major groups according to their physical characteristics and

behaviors; • Apply multiple strategies to accurately read, understand and write about a variety of literary

and informational books (texts);

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• Represents fractions using different models; • Uses multiplication and division strategies for basic facts.

How to Help Your Child Do Better • Stay in close contact with your child’s teacher. Ask the teacher to show you your child’s

math and reading papers and tests. • Talk to your child about what he/she is reading. Define and discuss the meaning of new

words. • Encourage your child to write about the characters, events or topics in books that have been

read. (If you have a computer in your home, have your child practice typing short responses to questions on the computer. Practice keyboarding skills).

• Talk about everyday situations that involve multiplying and dividing. • Share and discuss graphs and tables that appear in newspapers, magazines and other

resources.

Fourth Grade What Your Child is Learning in Fourth Grade Here are a few examples: • Understands the elements of Florida History from pre-Columbian cultures through the

settlement of Florida, industrialization and the contemporary era; • Recognizes Earth’s 365 day revolution around the Sun and 24 hour rotation on its axis; • Reads fluently and understands ideas that are clearly stated and ideas are implied in a

variety of texts; literary and informational; • Strategies for multiplication of numbers up to 3-digits; • Relates equivalent fractions, decimals and percent.

How to Help Your Child Do Better • Have your child keep a record of the amount of time he/she spends watching television in a

week. Have him/her total his/her time for the week and show you the figures. • Encourage your child to read and write every day about books that have been read. (If you

have a computer in your home, have your child practice typing short responses on the computer about events and information in books. Practice keyboarding skills).

• Explore your home with your child and have him/her identify different energy sources. • Involve your child in real-life measurement and estimation situations, including finding area. • Practice strategies or multiplication and division facts.

Fifth Grade What Your Child is Learning in Fifth Grade Here are a few examples: • Understands the elements of American History from Pre-Columbian civilization through

colonization, the American Revolution, Westward Expansion and the development of the United States of America;

• Investigates that the greater the force applied to an object, the greater the change in motion of a given object;

• Reads text fluently and quotes accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text;

• Strategies for division of numbers up to 4-digits; • Adds and subtracts fractions and decimals.

How to Help Your Child Do Better • Encourage your child to independently read and write every day. (If you have a computer in

your home, have your child practice typing short responses on the computer about events and information in books that have been read. Practice keyboarding skills).

• Ask your child to develop and implement a plan to recycle resources within your home. • Continue to reinforce basic math facts. • Discuss real-world situations using positive and negative numbers.

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Parent Guides to Grade Level Standards for Kindergarten through 5th grade are provided for all parents and are available in three languages. These documents outline the grade level Learning Standards and are distributed through the schools on Curriculum Nights and at the beginning of the year or upon enrollment. If you have questions or concerns about what your child is learning in class, make an appointment to meet with the teacher. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you think your child is not being taught what is listed in the Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards or Common Core Standards for that grade.

Middle and High School Please reference the Student Progression Plan available at your student’s middle and high school and on the District Website.

How to Help Your Child Do Better • Require your child to read something that interests them for 30 minutes a day. • Involve your child in activities involving measurement where he/she must read and follow

directions: cooking, building, assembling items and programming equipment. • Provide a place and a time for your child to study every day. • Link privileges to performance. Poor performance at middle school is sometimes caused by

poor attendance.

Opportunities for high school students can include the following: • Advanced Placement • Advanced Studies Laureate Program • Dual Enrollment • Florida Virtual School • AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education) • Career Academies Please check with your school counselor for additional information and opportunities.

Pay attention to what your child is learning in school: Look regularly at your child’s homework assignments and samples of work brought home. Ask your child’s teacher for a copy of the syllabus or outline of the course of study for the year or grading period. You can also look at the list of Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards, which describe exactly what your child should be learning at each grade level. The standards can be viewed at the Florida Department of Education Web site at www.fldoe.org.

Reading Strategies for Parents It is important that your child has many strategies. Without a doubt, reading is critical for academic success. Parents can help children become better readers. Help make a difference for your child. Use the following suggestions regularly.

Strategy One: Read to Them. The most important thing you can do for your child is to read to him/her. Read books your child enjoys. Stop often and talk with him/her about what you have just read. Show your child how the pictures help tell the story. Help him/her connect the story to things he/she has already read or seen. As a significant adult in your child’s life, you are a powerful example of how reading and writing are used in the adult world.

Strategy Two: Uninterrupted Reading. The most important reason for reading is to create meaning. If your child is a reader who sometimes says the wrong word when he/she is reading, (example: Your child reads, “The horse ran down the road.” Instead of “The pony ran down the road), do not interrupt when their errors make sense in the sentence and the meaning of the sentence remains the same. If he/she makes a mistake that changes the meaning of the text (“The house ran down the road.”), ask him/her to read it again to make sure the sentence makes sense. We must focus the reader’s attention on the fact that reading should make sense.

Strategy Three: Line Marker. Some readers have difficulty focusing on a line of text, or they may get distracted when a page has a great deal of print. Have your child use a line marker such as an index card, pencil, or his finger as a guide to focus his/her attention on the text at hand.

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Strategy Four: Retelling. After your child has finished reading a piece of text (a story, a chapter, article, etc.) have him/her tell you what he/she read. If your child has difficulty retelling all of the text, stop at different points to discuss important events and details. The most important aspect of reading is that the student understands what he/she has read. Use of this strategy will let you know if your child understood what he/she has read. The more students are asked to retell, the more they become better readers.

Strategy Five: Responsive Writing. After reading, ask your child to write about interesting events or information from what was read. Focus on the meaning of what your child shares as an indication of what he/she understands.

Strategy Six: Rereading. Fluency is the ability to read without stopping, with expression and intonation. Rereading text your child is familiar with is one way to help your child develop fluency. Each time your child rereads a piece of text, the reading will become more comfortable, and he/she will build more confidence as a reader.

Strategy Seven: Reading is Fun. Provide lots of fun poems, jokes, riddles, predictable books, magazines, comic books and appropriate internet articles your child will enjoy reading. The more your child enjoys reading, the more likely he/she will improve.

Strategy Eight: Partner Reading. Read the same piece of text aloud at the same time with your child. Your voice provides support, as well as an example of what good readers sound like. The adult provides support until the child can read fluently.

Strategy Nine: Reading to Others. Have your child read to younger children or to a stuffed animal. This encourages reading for a purpose and can help children understand that they must read so they can be understood by their listening audience.

Strategy Ten: Previewing a Text. Before reading a picture book or textbook chapter, look through the pages at pictures, tables, charts and graphs to see if your child already knows something about the book or chapter. Teach your child to make predictions about what he/she will read about in the story or chapter. Previewing a text can help readers make connections between things they already know and new things they are learning. *The important thing to remember as you assist your child in improving his/her reading skills is that the only way to become a better reader is to practice. Provide your child with fun things to read and then talk about what he/she has read. You are your child’s first and most important teacher.

How to Help Your Child Do Better • Require adequate time for sleeping, studying, and reading • Link privileges to performance • Stay in close touch with school officials regarding tardiness and truancy. Sometimes poor

performance by high school students is caused by poor attendance • Take time every day to ask what happened in school, what new concepts were discussed,

and what assignments are due tomorrow and later • Ask to see graded papers. Ask your child if he understands how to get the right answer to

any questions marked wrong. It not, ask him to make an appointment with the teacher • Call your child’s school counselor for help in scheduling teacher conferences if grades drop

or your child isn’t catching on to important concepts

Florida Standards (FS) The Florida Standards are developed by the Florida Department of Education, cover every academic subject and are followed by every public school in Florida. The standards are what your child is expected to know at each grade level. All report card grades are based on these standards. Teachers are expected to cover this material in the classroom. They are developed by the Florida Department of Education and measured by the state-wide standardized assessment given to public school students in grades 3-11.

By the end of 2nd grade, a student should be able to predict what a passage, or piece of writing is about based on its title and illustrations. By the end of 12th grade, a student should be able to

Parent Guide – Page 13

examine a literary work from several critical perspectives. By 6th grade, a student should know the difference between weight and mass. By 12th grade, a student should know that the electrical configurations in atoms determine how a substance reacts and how much energy is involved in reactions. Classroom instruction in every subject from art to zoology is based on these standards and grades earned by students show how well students are performing according to the standards.

Each spring, standardized tests are given in Collier County Public Schools to measure how well students have learned these standards. These tests, which currently measure reading, math, writing and science abilities, are often referred to as the state-wide standardized assessment The Science assessment is administered in grades 5 and 8. The English/Language Arts assessment is given each year in grades 3-11. Math is given in grades 3-8. The Civics End of Course Exam is administered in grade 7. Algebra I, Algebra II Geometry, Biology and US History End of Course Exams are given for students in these high school classes. All students who want to earn a standard high school diploma must be able to pass the appropriate state-wide standardized assessment. The Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) is given to students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Why Students are Tested and What the Results Mean Standardized tests show how your child is doing compared to others and tracks his/her progress over time. Your child’s teacher has all the testing records for your child and uses them to see if there’s a problem that requires additional help or a different way of teaching. Tests help teachers identify students’ strengths in order to provide more challenging academic opportunities. Schools use testing results to develop school-wide plans for improving academic performance. All testing results are available to parents. Standardized tests can be classified in two different ways.

Norm-referenced tests: The Stanford Achievement Test (SAT/10) is a norm-referenced test that compares your child to others across the nation. Results are commonly reported as a percentile. If a student scores at the 75th percentile on norm-referenced tests, it means that he/she did better than 75 percent of the students in the same grade level taking the same test. It does not mean that he/she answered 75 percent of the questions correctly. The lowest acceptable passing score on a norm- referenced test is usually the 26th percentile or higher. Criterion-referenced test: The state-wide standardized assessment is a criterion-referenced test that measures student achievement of the Standards in English/Language Arts reading, math, and science. Level 5 is the highest that can be achieved and indicates that the student can handle the most challenging material. Level 4 shows performance above grade level. Level 3 indicates a student is learning as he/she should. Level 2 is a yellow flag that a student needs to work harder and receive extra help at home and at school. Level 1 is a red flag that a child is performing far below where he/she should be and may not be promoted to the next grade. The also includes a writing test in grades 4, 8, and 10, which is given in February or March of each year. This test requires students to write about an assigned topic within a 60-minute time limit. The writing is scored on a predetermined set of expectations including staying on the topic and linking ideas together. If you need additional information on the meaning or interpretation of the test results, contact your child’s school for assistance. – We are waiting for more information on the levels associated with the new assessment and their meaning.

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Tests Your Child May Take You have heard a lot about the “standardized” tests your child has to take at school. You may wonder why so much attention is being paid to these tests. The state-wide standardized assessment is only one of many standardized tests that your child will take during their school years. These tests are given for a variety of reasons. They help collect information on individual students as well as on entire schools. Below is a list and description of the standardized tests given to students in all Collier County Public Schools from the 1st through 12th grades.

Name of Test Grade Purpose of Test

Florida Standards Assessment-

English Language Arts Writing Component

4-11 The Florida Standards Assessment measures how well students are meeting the Florida Standards. The state-wide standardized assessments measure how well students are meeting the Florida Standards.

Florida Standards Assessment-

English Language Arts

3-11 The Florida Standards Assessment measures how well students are meeting the Florida Standards.

Florida Standards Assessment-Mathematics

3-8 The Florida Standards Assessment measures how well students are meeting the Florida Standards.

FCAT 2.0 Reading Retakes

Math Removed

Retained 10 High school students trying to achieve the necessary score to graduate on their 10th grade Reading test(s) will take the FCAT 2.0 to maintain consistency. ACT and SAT scores may be used in place of FCAT for graduation purposes.

FCAT 2.0 Science 5, 8 The FCAT 2.0 tests measure how well students are meeting the Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

Algebra EOC

All students in Algebra 1, Algebra 1

Honors and Pre-AICE

Mathematics I

To measure student achievement of the Florida, as outlined in the course descriptions and to improve college and career readiness.

*For EOC exams, equivalent courses will be included.

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Geometry EOC

All students in Geometry, Geometry

Honors and

Pre- AICE Mathematics II

To measure student achievement of the Florida Standards as outlined in the course descriptions and to improve college and career readiness.

*For EOC exams, equivalent courses will be included.

Algebra II EOC

All students in

Algebra II and Algebra II Honors

To measure student achievement of the Florida Standards as outlined in the course descriptions and to improve college and career readiness.

*For EOC exams, equivalent courses will be included

Biology EOC

All students in Biology 1, Biology 1

Honors and Pre- AICE

Biology

To measure student achievement of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards, as outlined in the course descriptions and to improve college and career readiness.

*For EOC exams, equivalent courses will be included.

US History EOC

All students in

US History and

US History Honors

To measure student achievement of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards, as outlined in the course descriptions and to improve college and career readiness. *For EOC exams, equivalent courses will be included.

Algebra I EOC Retake

Retake NGSSS

Algebra I EOC

High school students trying to achieve the necessary score to graduate will take the NGSSS Algebra I EOC to maintain consistency.

Geometry I EOC Retake

Retake NGSSS

Geometry EOC

High school students that need to pass Geometry may retake the Geometry EOC to recalculate final grade. The NGSSS Geometry EOC will be administered to maintain consistency.

State Civics Exam 7

To measure student achievement of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards, as outlined in the course descriptions and to improve college and career readiness. This exam accounts for 30% of the final grade.

SAT/10 Reading 1, 2 The SAT/10 compares your child to others across the nation in

Reading.

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FAA Florida

Alternative Assessment

3-8,12 The FAA assesses performance of students with significant cognitive disabilities on a modified functional curriculum.

CELLA Comprehensive

English Language Learners

Acquisition

K-12 The CELLA assesses Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing and Comprehension in English of Students who are English Language Learners (ELL’s).

FAIR K -12 Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading. May include formative assessments in phonics, comprehension, sight words and oral reading fluency.

PSAT/NMSQT 10,11

The PSAT measures a student’s academic abilities as compared to students throughout the nation. It also provides information about general academic development compared to those planning to attend college. The PSAT is also used to identify students who qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, scholarships from the National Hispanic Scholarship Program and to identify applicants for appointment to military academies.

SAT I and SAT II: College Board

Testing Program 10, 11,12

To provide students with information on their verbal and mathematical abilities as related to how well they will perform academically in college. The SAT I is used in the review of applications for admission to many colleges and universities.

ACT: American College Testing

Program 10, 11, 12

To provide students with information on their skills in the four major curriculum areas of English, Mathematics, Reading and Science reasoning. The ACT is used in the review of applications for admission to many colleges and universities.

Language 5-8 Students who score level 1 or 2 on FCAT Reading.

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Student Progression Plan (SPP) A School Board approved district document that details federal, state and local rules concerning Student Progression from one grade to the next. The full text is available on the district website.

Student Progress and Grade Reporting Parents receive notification of student progress through interims, progress reports and report cards that are issued quarterly. Samples are available at your school. It is not required that teachers use a percentage system in grading student work and in determining test, examination or individual marking period grades. When a percentage system is used in grades 6-12, the following scale is to be applied:

A = 90-100% Outstanding Progress B = 80-89% Above Average Progress C = 70-79% Average Progress D = 60-69% Lowest Acceptable Progress F = 59% and below Failure

Retention Policies and Procedures regarding the progress of students through the grade levels are available in the District’s Student Progression Plan online at http://www.collierschools.com.

STUDENT PROGRAMS/SERVICES/SUPPORT Homeless Education Program The Homeless Education Program seeks to assist schools with identification of all school-aged students who are homeless; assists with school enrollment; provides supplemental academic assistance; makes referrals for health and other services as needed by each child and family; and provides case management services. Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular and adequate night time residence may be eligible. Services include assistance with enrollment, free school meals, transportation, school supplies and educational materials, tutoring, and more. For assistance, contact the District Liaison for Homeless Education at (239) 377-0544.

Mental Health Awareness If you have concerns about your child’s mental health, the parent section of the district’s website (www.collierschools.com) provides information about warning signs of mental health problems and resources to obtain help. You may also contact the counselor and/or school psychologist at your child’s school to discuss your concerns.

Positive Behavior Support (PBS) PBS is the application of evidence-based strategies and systems to assist schools to improve academic performance, decrease problem behavior and establish positive school cultures. The PBS process is a team-based, problem-solving approach that relies on a strong collaboration between families and professionals from a variety of disciplines. The PBS process results in the creation of effective intervention plans that will prevent problem behaviors, teach new skills, and create support systems for students. PBS aligns with the district vision that all students will complete school prepared for ongoing learning as well as community and global responsibilities. All Schools in Collier County, as well as the transportation department, implement Positive Behavior Support (PBS).

The focus of PBS implementation is on systems change. At the school level, PBS implementation requires using instructional strategies and interventions that are evidence-based, which address environmental variables such as staff-student interactions, academic engaged time, and the overall school environment. PBS is based on individual schools’ specific expectations upon which a positive school culture is built. PBS relies on collection of accurate and reliable discipline referral data to understand the behaviors occurring across campus. An analysis of the data allows a school PBS problem-solving team to identify the problem areas and brainstorm interventions in order to make adjustments as needed.

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Who is involved in the PBS Process? School-wide PBS requires a collaborative team consisting of administrators, teachers, support personnel, behavior specialist, and parents. You may already have these people coming together as part of a School Improvement Team. This School Improvement Team can build on the processes a school already has in place to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and relevance of student behavior and to develop a comprehensive, school-wide system to proactively reduce challenging behaviors and teach more appropriate behaviors.

What are the goals of PBS? • Build effective, positive school environments • Enhance school climate and safety • Prevent problem behaviors from occurring • Teach and reinforce appropriate behaviors • Increase instructional time and academic performance • Enhance teacher capacity to effectively address problem behavior • Equip students with the skills needed to be college and career ready

What are some of the benefits of PBS? • Increased capacity of school staff to address classroom behavior problems • Reduced number of office referrals for problem behavior • Reduced need for disciplinary exclusions • Positive school culture • Increased time for academic engagement • Increased attendance rates

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) MTSS, sometimes referred to as Response to Intervention (RtI), is a term used to describe a framework that uses data‐based problem‐solving to integrate evidence‐based academic and behavioral instruction and intervention for all students. The integrated instruction and intervention is provided to students at varying levels of intensity based on student need. The goal is to prevent problems and intervene early so that students can be successful. The MTSS framework provides schools with a structure that supports data-based problem-solving to enhance overall school improvement. It is characterized by three tiers of academic and behavior supports reflecting the need for students to have fluid access to instruction of varying intensity levels. The three tiers describe the level of support of instruction/interventions provided and are not used to describe categories of students or specific instructional programs. The three tiers are characterized as follows:

Core Universal Instruction and Supports (Tier One) – General academic and behavior instruction and support designed and differentiated for all students as appropriate.

Targeted Supplemental Interventions and Supports (Tier Two) – More focused, targeted instruction/intervention and supplemental support in addition to, and aligned with, the core academic and behavior curriculum, instruction and supports.

Intensive Interventions and Supports (Tier Three) – The most intense (increased time, narrowed focus, reduced group size) instruction and intervention based upon individual student need provided in addition to, and aligned with, core academic and behavior curriculum, instruction and supports.

The problem-solving process is used to make the instructional adjustments needed for continual improvement in school-wide achievement as well as the student level of performance and rate of progress. It is critical for assessing (through students’ response) the effectiveness of the instruction/interventions provided. Ongoing progress monitoring data is collected and analyzed to determine if adjustments to instruction/intervention are needed. Throughout the continuum of instruction and intervention, problem solving is used to match instructional resources to educational need. Teams engage in problem solving to ensure that student success is achieved and maintained.

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What can I expect with MTSS? • Frequent updates of student progress • Early identification of academic or behavioral concerns • Help for your child that increases or decreases depending on his or her needs • Information and involvement in planning and implementation of interventions to help your

child • Information about how your child is responding to the instruction/intervention(s) being

provided

How can I participate in MTSS? Families play a critical role in supporting what their children are learning in school. The hallmarks of effective home-school collaboration include open communication and involvement of parents in all stages of the learning process. Being informed about your school's RTI framework is the first step to becoming an active partner. Ask questions to learn more about MTSS in your child’s school: • Is my child successful? How do I know? If not, why and what can we do differently? • If needed, how is additional help going to be provided? • What can I do to participate in problem-solving about my child? • What can I do to help with the interventions for my child at home? • How will I know if interventions are working? Is my child successful?

MTSS and the relationship with Exceptional Education Every student in the district, grade KG-12, is involved in MTSS, including students with disabilities. Interventions are provided through a variety of resources so that all students can be successful.

Progress Monitoring Plan (PMP) This is a plan developed by school personnel with parents (teachers, academic coaches, or administrators) for students who are not meeting grade level expectations on the State Standards or who are experiencing behavioral challenges. It identifies the academic or behavioral area of need and specific areas for improvement and intervention based on data. The Progress Monitoring Plan is developed at the students’ point of need, is flexible in nature, and is updated as needed according to progress monitoring data collected during interventions.

English Language Learners (ELL) Each parent or guardian of students entering Collier County Public Schools will complete either the English, English/Spanish or English/Haitian-Creole version of the Student Registration Form. The home language survey section of this form asks the three questions concerning the home, first, and primary language of the student as stipulated by the META Consent Decree: • Is a language other than English used in the home? • Did the student have a first language other than English? • Does the student most frequently speak a language other than English?

When the parent responds “Yes” to one of three survey questions, the student must be further assessed by the ELL contact for ELL services upon entering school. At this time, when feasible, parents must be provided with assistance in the home language to explain the program.

The District School Board of Collier County utilizes the on-line CELLA to assess students’ English proficiency. The test assesses the aural/oral skills and the reading and writing skills. These tests provide teachers the score for the appropriate placement within four levels of English proficiency in the mainstream classroom.

ELL students are entitled to equal access to all categorical, educational programs including but not limited to gifted and other Exceptional Education services. If you think your child has a disability that keeps him/her from learning in a regular classroom, you may request for your child to be tested for exceptional education. The school district ensures that refugees and foreign-born children are provided free, equal and unhindered access to appropriate public education.

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The CELLA is used by the state to determine the progress made by the English Language Learner (ELL) population in measuring English Language Proficiency as required by Section 3122 of Title III - Part A of the ESEA Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs). When the ELL contact or designee does not speak another language, a bilingual para-professional will translate the information regarding the ELL program and possible placement provided in Spanish or Haitian Creole and/or in other languages when feasible. The ELL contact or designee, the guidance office staff and/or registration staff are responsible for making translation services available to parents and students accordingly. Additionally, the district office has provided schools with videos and DVD’s in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole to share the Passport to America program information with parents. Students whose parents or guardians answer "No" to all three questions are placed in the regular education program since they do not qualify for testing.

When Your Child Has Special Needs If your child has any of the difficulties listed below, you may wish to discuss your concerns with

the teacher, school counselor, or principal, at your school. • Trouble reading or writing, paying attention, sitting still and finishing tasks • Trouble understanding what he/she sees or hears • Poor performance on standardized/classroom tests • Finds grade level class assignments too easy • Demonstrates emotional/behavioral problems that interfere with learning

Exceptional Student Education (ESE) The Exceptional Education and Student Support Services Division of Exceptional Student Education (ESE) ensures that eligible students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and State Board rules. The District has a continuum of placement options to provide students with disabilities with appropriate special education and related services. These services are provided based on the individual needs of the student as documented on an Individual Educational Plan (IEP). The next few pages will provide you with answers to frequently asked questions by parents of children with disabilities. We hope this information will guide you in supporting your child and actively participating in your child’s education. For more information, be sure to visit our District ESE website at www.collierschools.com/ese/.

Where can I go for early intervention services for my infant and toddler? For children birth - three, contact the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS)-Island Coast Center at (239) 337-8199, (239) 337-8363, or toll free at 1 (866) 551-8363. FDLRS-Island Coast serves as the central point of contact for referrals from parents residing in Collier County for the Early Steps Program.

Where can I go for special services for my three-five year old? For children three-five years of age suspected of having a disability, and not already enrolled in a public school program, contact the Island Coast Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS) at (239) 337-8199, (239) 337-8363, or toll free at 1 (866) 551-8363. FDLRS-Island Coast serves as the central point of contact for referrals from parents residing in Collier County for the School District’s Preschool Disability Program. The FDLRS Child Find Specialist will be able to identify if your child may be experiencing a delay in seeing, talking, hearing, learning, physical/motor or emotional/behavioral skills. For more information or to schedule an appointment for screening, contact (239) 337-8199, (239) 337-8363, or toll free at 1 (866) 551-8363. If developmental concerns are identified through the screening process, the FDLRS Child Find Specialist will refer your child to the School District’s Prekindergarten Assessment Team or to a Speech/Language Pathologist.

What is the role of the Prekindergarten Assessment Team? For each child referred for evaluation by FDLRS Child Find and/or Early Steps (for children exiting early intervention services at age three and transitioning to public school), the Prekindergarten Assessment Team conducts a developmental evaluation to assess how the

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child learns, speaks, plays, moves, and behaves. With written parental consent, information is obtained via parent questionnaires, observational and structured tasks, eliciting skills through simple commands, and play with developmentally appropriate items. What is the timeline for completion of the evaluation? The evaluation will be completed within 60 school days, unless extenuating circumstances exist.

What public school ESE Programs are available for my three-five year old? The public school ESE Program offers resource services such as speech-language therapy, and/or full-day preschool inclusion and special classes to eligible children with disabilities. A student may also evidence a need for related services such as occupational / physical therapy, behavioral services, assistive technology, and transportation services. How do I request assistance if I suspect my child, in grade K-12, has a disability? Parents are entitled to request a comprehensive evaluation of their child when a disability is suspected. This rule applies to K-12 and parentally-placed private school students. The evaluation process will seek to determine the types of interventions that will help the child meet age and grade level standards and utilize those interventions during the evaluation process. Record reviews, parent and teacher interviews, observations, and analysis of student assessment data are utilized in a problem solving process to develop interventions. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher(s) and/or intervention support specialist to request a meeting to discuss concerns. Within 20 school days of a school-based team determining (for K-12 students) that interventions were effective, but require a level of intensity of resources not available to general education; or interventions were ineffective (growth not adequate), the school must request consent to conduct an evaluation, unless parent and school district agree to another timeline in writing.

Why does my child need an evaluation? Before a child can receive special education and related services for the first time, a comprehensive initial evaluation must be conducted to see if the child has a disability and is eligible for special education. As part of the evaluation, qualified school personnel will gather all current assessment data, including district and state assessments, observations, and response to intervention data. On the basis of this review, and input from the child’s parents, the school will identify what additional evaluation data may be needed. Informed written parent consent must be obtained before this evaluation may be conducted. Within 60 school days (days of student attendance) of receiving written parent consent for evaluation, the school must complete the evaluation.

Who will determine if my child is eligible for a special program and in need of special education services? After the evaluation is conducted, a meeting called an eligibility staffing will be held at the school. The parents and at least three other school professionals will review all student assessment/evaluation data and determine whether the child meets eligibility criteria for a special program and has a need for special education services. A child must meet criteria set forth in Florida’s Board of Education Rules as specified in the District’s Special Programs and Procedures (SP&P) document which serves as the basis for the identification, evaluation, eligibility determination, and placement of students to receive special education services. You may view Collier’s approved SP&P for the 2013-14 through 2015-16 school years, at http://beess.fcim.org/sppDistrictDocSearch.aspx.

What is an Individual Educational Plan (IEP)? The IEP describes the special education program and/or the services necessary for your child with a disability, and identifies the general education curricular areas that need to be accommodated, or modified. The IEP includes information such as your child’s present levels of academic and functional performance, annual goals, special education and related services, instructional and test accommodations, participation in state and district-wide tests, needed transition services and measured progress. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. An IEP will only be

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developed if your child is eligible and in need of special education services, and is enrolled in public school, as this document is a commitment of the school district’s services to a student with a disability. A child cannot receive special education and related services until the IEP is written and the child’s parent has given written consent for initial placement in special education.

How will I be notified of upcoming IEP meetings, and what do I do to prepare for them? The school district recognizes the importance of parental involvement in developing, reviewing, and revising the IEP. To ensure that parents are given the opportunity to attend the meeting, the LEA will schedule a meeting at a mutually agreed upon time and place. Parents will receive a Notification of Meeting, even when the student has reached the age of majority. The IEP meeting notification includes additional parent resource contacts and support to families is provided through training, technical assistance, and consultation. For tips on how to prepare for IEP meetings contact the Collier County Parent Liaison of South Florida Parent Center at (239) 417-3636, or view the IEP and Transition Tips for Parents at http://www.fldoe.org/ese/parent/.

Who are the members of the IEP team? The IEP team includes one or both of the student’s parents, the student if appropriate, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, LEA representative, and an evaluation interpreter. Other individuals at the discretion of the school district or parent may be invited. Members of the team will be identified on the meeting notification that you receive from the school. Please indicate on the meeting notice if you plan to attend and if you intend to bring an individual with you to the meeting. If this individual is an attorney of parent advocate, please notify the intervention support specialist at the school as the school will need to plan for representation at the meeting.

What is the role of the Local Education Agency (LEA)? The LEA is the school district’s IEP team participant who is responsible for making decisions on behalf of the district. He or she ensures that your child’s IEP meets compliance with State and federal regulations and is authorized to commit district resources. The LEA representative will be identified at the IEP meeting. The signature of the LEA representative on the IEP ensures that the program and services specified on the document will be provided within the timeframes delineated in the IEP. How will I know what kind of progress my child is making on his or her IEP goals? Your child’s school must communicate with you on a quarterly basis regarding your child’s progress on each of the goals that were developed at the last IEP meeting. Teachers and other school staff can answer parent questions about special services that your child is receiving. If you continue to have questions about your child’s program, you may contact your child’s teacher or school Intervention Support Specialist to request an IEP meeting to discuss concerns, review services and accommodations, and/or to consider whether there is a need for further evaluation.

How often should my child’s IEP be reviewed? The IEP must be reviewed annually. Although IEPs can be reviewed and revised anytime throughout the year, most Individual Educational Program are reviewed annually prior to the IEP end date. However, sometimes the parent(s) and the school district may agree that after the annual IEP, the plan can be amended without a meeting. If IEP changes are proposed after the annual review, the changes must be agreed to by the parent and the local educational agency (LEA) representative.

What can I do if I disagree with decisions made at an IEP meeting? Parents are a participating IEP team member. Parents and schools have a “built-in” partnership, with the child as the primary focus. This partnership will grow as parents and school staff work together. As disagreements may arise, a problem solving model is implemented to build a strong parent-school relationship. Information about parent rights and procedural safeguards for students with disabilities will be provided by the Intervention Support Specialists that specifies formal ways to resolve disagreements. For additional information on resolving disagreements, you may contact the Collier County Parent Liaison of South Florida Parent Center at (239) 417-3636, or one of the other contacts listed on the IEP meeting notification. If additional assistance

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or guidance is needed, contact the District ESE Department and ask to speak with a Coordinator or the Director.

Who do I contact if I want to access my child’s special education records? Parents have the right to inspect and review their child’s school records and can request copies. When a student reaches 18 (age of majority), the rights afforded to parents transfer from the parents to the student. If you have questions or concerns, contact your school’s Intervention Support Specialist to schedule an appointment to inspect and review your child’s special education records. A school may charge a fee for a copy of an education record unless the imposition of a fee prevents a parent from exercising the right to inspect and review the student’s education records.

Who do I contact about specially designed instructional services for my child who is confined to home or hospital? The Homebound Hospitalized Instructional Program is available for students who are confined to the home or hospital due to a physical or psychiatric condition. Medical authorization signed by a licensed physician is required for participation in this most restrictive program. Based upon the IEP, instruction is provided either in the student’s home/hospital room, online, or through tele-class (class conducted via telephone). Parents and students must sign an agreement which specifies their responsibilities during enrollment in this program. Referral to this program can be made by the student’s doctor, hospital personnel, teacher, counselor, or parent. Eligibility requirements include medical certification by the licensed treating physician that the student is under medical care for illness or injury which is acute, catastrophic, or chronic in nature; and is expected to be absent from school a minimum of fifteen (15) consecutive days, or due to a chronic condition, for at least fifteen (15) days, which need not run consecutively. The Homebound Hospitalized Instructional Program forms are located at http://www.collierschools.com/ese/hhb.htm.

What is the Florida Alternate Assessment? The Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) is the statewide assessment designed for those students with disabilities whose participation in the FCAT is not appropriate even with accommodations. The FAA measures student mastery of the Florida Standards Access Points at three levels: participatory, supported, and independent. For a student with disabilities to be administered the FAA, the student must be a student with a significant cognitive impairment and meet State determined criteria. The IEP team is responsible for determining whether students with disabilities are eligible to participate in alternate assessment based on the set criteria. Parents have the right to consent or refuse consent for their child to be provided instruction in Florida’s Access Points curriculum and to be administered the Florida Alternate Assessment.

What is a Transition IEP? The purpose of transition planning is to provide your child with the services and supports he or she needs to make a successful move into adult life. The IEP team identifies the services that will help your child make this transition. The team includes you, your child, and teachers. When developing the IEP to be in effect when your child turns 16, the team may also include representatives of agencies that are likely to provide or pay for services. Agencies can only be invited with your consent or the consent of your son or daughter who has reached the age of majority. For incoming 9th grade students, the Transition IEP must stipulate academic and employment competencies, industry certifications, and occupational completion points. Effective July 1, 2014 for incoming 9th grade students who meet standard high school diploma requirements, students may defer the receipt of the diploma if: a) IEP plan includes special education, transition planning, transition services or related services through age 21; and b) student is enrolled in specific courses.

What are the diploma options for students with disabilities? The individual educational plan (IEP) team makes the diploma decisions for students with disabilities who are eligible for ESE. For students currently in grades 10 through12, IEP teams consider diploma options in the following order, according to the student's needs and abilities: Standard Diploma; Special Diploma, Option 1; and Special Diploma, Option 2. The student’s

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intent must, however, be a discussion at each IEP meeting, regardless of the student’s grade level.

For incoming 9th grade students with disabilities in 2014-15, there is a requirement for the student/parent to declare an “intent” to receive a standard diploma or a certificate of completion. Repeal of the special diploma law (s.1003.438, F.S.) does not apply to students with disabilities with an IEP in effect the date the bill became law (June 20, 2014), if the IEP contains a statement of intent to receive a special diploma. The student’s intent must, however, be a discussion at each IEP meeting, regardless of the student’s grade level. Any change in high school graduation option must be approved by the parent. For students who take the Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA), standard diploma options (referred to as graduation pathways) includes: a) combination of course substitutions, assessments, industry certifications, or occupational completion points that meet criteria of State Board rule; or b) a portfolio of quantifiable evidence documenting mastery of academic standards through “rigorous metrics” established in rule. A graduation pathway may include documentation of work, internships, community service, postsecondary credit. For any student with a disability, when the IEP team determines that mastery of academic and employment competencies is the most appropriate pathway, the team must: 1) certify student completion of the minimum requirements including course credits prescribed in State Board rule; 2) have documented achievement of all annual goals and competencies for academic and employment competencies, industry certification, or occupational completion points in the student’s transition play; and 3) certify successful employment for 1 semester and payment of minimum wage.

What state waivers are available for my child with a disability? IEP teams may waive the required passing score for an end-of-course assessment if it does not accurately measure the student’s abilities. For purpose of determining the student’s course grade and credit, the IEP team meets to determine whether or not the end-of-course assessment accurately measures the student’s abilities, taking into consideration the student’s disability, academic performance, assessment performance, accommodations provided, and demonstration of proficiency of the course standards. To be considered for an end-of-course waiver, the student must have taken the assessment at least once.

An IEP team may waive the required passing score for one or both sections of the FCAT under specific circumstances for eligible students with disabilities for the purpose of receiving a standard high school diploma. The IEP team meets to determine whether or not the FCAT accurately measures the student’s abilities, taking into consideration the student’s disability, academic performance, assessment performance, FCAT scores, performance in FCAT remediation activities, accommodations provided, and demonstration of proficiency of the course standards. To be considered for a waiver, the student must have taken the Grade 10 FCAT with appropriate allowable accommodations at least twice, once in grade 10 and once in grade 11. A waiver of statewide standardized assessment results by the IEP team must be approved by the parent.

POST-SECONDARY INFORMATION College Applications If your child wants to attend a college or university after graduation, it is a good idea to start planning early in the 10th grade. You and your child will want to explore what kind of college will be the best match for them, what college entrance tests they will need to take, and what kinds of financial aid and scholarships are available.

One of the best places to start learning more about applying to college is the school counselor at your child’s school. Your child’s school counselor can help with graduation plans, college planning and scholarship information. The district hosts an annual College Night in the fall for high school students and parents. You can also find more information on colleges and universities at your local library or on the Internet. You can also visit the following Website for additional references: www.flvc.org.

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College Entrance Exams Your child will need to take special tests called college entrance exams to apply to college. The two most important tests are the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and ACT (American College Testing Program). Most colleges and universities require applicants to take these tests. For further information you can visit the following Web sites: www.collegeboard.org or www.act.org. The high school will schedule these tests during the year, but it is up to your child to register to take them. There is a fee to take each test. The results of the tests are mailed to the colleges of your child’s choice. In most cases, your child will need to send their college applications in their senior year. Some colleges offer the choice to apply for an “early decision.” This requires a student to accept a college's offer of admission early in the school year.

Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program Florida offers three types of college scholarships through The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, which is funded by the lottery, for students who attend public or private colleges and universities in Florida. High School Counselors provide information to students and parents and assist with eligibility determination. For additional information you can go to http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/

College or Post-Secondary Training Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology & Immokalee Technical Center provide training in a variety of careers including health science, culinary arts, business, cosmetology, computer electronics, aviation, automotive, marine mechanics and early childhood education. All persons who are 16 years old may apply for admission. Those interested in more information may call the Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology at (239) 377-0900 and Immokalee Technical Center at 239-377-9900.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT Parents Can Make A BIG Difference It’s been proven: when parents are actively involved in their children’s education, their children perform better in school. You are just as important as your child’s teacher in helping your child receive a formal education. It doesn’t matter whether or not you speak English or whether or not you have a good education. You can make a big difference just by being a part of your child’s everyday school experience. Teachers EXPECT parents to come and talk with them about their child’s progress. Schools want parents to know what is happening at school and they want parents to play a role in their child’s education. When some children get older, they act as if they don’t want you to come with them to school. But in fact, even children in middle school and high school like to know that you’re involved, even if they don’t show it.

Get to Know Your Child’s School and Your Child's Teacher(s) Spend time at your child’s school. Try to talk often with your child’s teacher. If possible, offer to help out in the classroom now and then or volunteer to accompany the children on field trips. If your child’s teacher asks you to come in for a parent-teacher conference, be sure to go. If you have concerns about your child, you should call the teacher and set up a conference yourself. Become familiar with the school’s principal, assistant principals and staff members. One way to get to know the people in charge of the school is to volunteer to help out in the office. Sometimes, parents feel uncomfortable going into their child’s school. Don’t let that keep you away! Start by visiting the school with other parents. Find out when parent meetings are and try to attend them. When there is an “Open House” or “Back to School Night” at school, be sure to go. Many schools print newsletters for parents with information on parent meetings and other school events. If your school has a newsletter, be sure to read it. Get to know your school’s “Community Involvement Contact.” Find a way to visit the school and attend meetings whenever possible. Your child will be delighted to see you at school. VOLUNTEER! Parent Education Parent education classes are offered at various schools throughout the year. Classes for parents with children in the Head Start Programs are being offered in the Immokalee area. For

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Family Literacy, parents are given instruction while children receive homework help after parents and their child come together for a parent/child time. Some schools offer Family Literacy programs. Contact your child’s school if you would like to participate. Adult Education is also offered throughout the community at various locations. A schedule of classes is published every seven weeks and is available at the Website www.collieradulted.com. For further information about classes, contact the Adult Education Office at (239) 377-0777. Parent-Teacher Conferences Make the Most Out of Them! One of the best ways to find out how your child is doing in school is through a parent-teacher conference. The teacher may request a conference with you, either by phone or through a message printed on your child’s report card. If you would like to schedule a conference yourself, you are responsible for calling or writing your child’s teacher to set one up. You will need to arrange to come to school during that time for the conference. If you have difficulty reaching your child’s teacher to set up a conference time, keep trying and don’t give up. If necessary, approach the teacher in person to schedule the conference. Parent-teacher conferences can bring up all kinds of feelings. You may feel excited and proud when your child is doing well. You may also feel anxious and defensive if you have to discuss concerns that your child’s teacher, your child and you have. Remember that the conference is an opportunity to work with the teacher as a team. Together, you can work out solutions to problems. Title I funded schools, at the elementary level, are required to have at least one parent-teacher conference to discuss your child’s progress. Contact your child’s teacher to arrange this conference. This conference is a good opportunity to discuss and sign the Parent/School Compact.

Here are a few tips to make the most out of your parent-teacher conferences: Before you go, make a list of any questions or concerns you might have. Write them down and bring them to the conference. • Listen carefully to what the teacher has to say. Ask questions if you don’t understand what

the teacher is trying to tell you. If you find yourself disagreeing with the teacher, ask for more information. Try not to jump too fast to criticize, but don’t just listen silently. The more you communicate with the teacher, the better you will both understand each other.

• If the teacher points out areas where your child needs to improve, ask the teacher what the plan is to help your child make these improvements. Then, ask how you can help at home. Work with the teacher to develop a plan of action at school and at home.

• Ask the teacher when you can contact him/her to follow up on your child’s progress. Make an appointment for another meeting or telephone conversation.

• If you don’t understand the teacher because of language differences, ask for an adult interpreter. If one is not available, ask to reschedule the conference when you can have an adult interpreter present.

Join the Parents’ Association (PTA or PTO/Booster Clubs) Support your child’s school by joining the parents’ association. Parents are desperately needed in every school’s PTA/PTO/Booster Clubs to serve as liaisons with other parents, run fund raisers, and support the school in many ways. If you cannot attend PTA/PTO/Booster Club meetings, call the PTA/PTO/Booster Clubs president and volunteer to help at other times, such as making phone calls at night, or helping with events. An active parent association can have a big impact on improving a school. You can visit an excellent resource at www.pta.org.

Ask about Joining Your School’s SAC (School Advisory Council) If you would like to become part of a process that includes parents and community members in the decision making process input important school issues, you are encouraged to get involved in SAC, or School Advisory Council meetings. Every school has a SAC, made up of parents, teachers, the principal, support staff, and local business and the community members, who meet at least 8 times each year. Parents participate in the meetings and discussions of items and issues resolved by the SAC as stakeholders without being elected or appointed. You may also choose to become an elected member or appointed SAC representative. If you would like to become a SAC representative, ask your principal about the process. Parents elect parents;

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teachers elect teachers, and the community. The SAC is responsible for developing and making decisions about the School Improvement Plan (SIP), which describes your school’s previous learning achievements, set new goals each year, and plans improvement strategies involving instruction, curriculum, technology, educational materials/supplies, discipline, assessments, progress monitoring, staffing, student support services, budgeting and parental involvement. The SAC also reviews the school budget with the principal and decides how to spend SAC funds which are provided by the state and designated for school improvement use. The amount the state allocates for schools changes annually. Development and approval of the plan to use Recognition Funds, if awarded by the state with the school staff is also a responsibility of the SAC. Many of the Title I funded schools use the SAC to get parent input in the development of their Title I School Plan, Parent Involvement School Policy, Parent Involvement Policy Action Plan, Parent/School Compact, and other important Title I topics.

How to Advocate for Change Parents who are well organized and understand how the system works can make change happen. Talk with other parents and find out what they think. Meet with the principal and teacher. Ask them why they think these problems exist and listen to what they say. Ask if they have a plan for improving the situation. If not, volunteer to work with teachers and other parents to come up with a plan that addresses the problem. “Do’s” and “don’ts” for presenting issues to the people you want to influence. • Be sure you know what you are talking about and have the facts and figures to back you up. • Tell a story to help your listener understand and become interested in your cause. • Be able to recommend a solution. • Show appreciation for the listener’s interest and thank them for listening. • Send letters if you need to; make sure to write them in your own handwriting. • Send multiple letters on different days/remain calm. • Focus on the positive/do not argue or philosophize. • Don’t be concerned that you are not a professional lobbyist; just be yourself. • Don’t send preprinted postcards or use form letters. • Don’t underestimate the importance of your involvement. • Respond and return parent surveys that your school or school district may send you. • Your input is extremely important to improving parent/school relations.

VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Each school throughout the district holds volunteer orientation, training and recognition events. As all parents will understand, there is a screening process for all volunteers to ensure the safety of students. There is a current list of Volunteer Contacts for each school located on the Website at www.collierschools.com/community/volunteer.asp or contact Communications and Community Involvement at (239) 377-0151.

Volunteer Time and Talent-Mentoring • Read to a Child. Through our Reading Partners program you can read aloud to a child in

Pre-K through third grade and help them learn to read while passing on to them a love of books. Requires one hour per week in a classroom and training is provided

• Mentor a Student. Become a Take Stock in Children Mentor and you will have the opportunity to motivate and encourage a deserving, at-risk student to stay in school, remain drug and crime free, get good grades and earn a four-year college scholarship. Requires one hour per week on a school campus and training is provided

• Connect with a Classroom. Become a Partner in Education by going to www.educationforcollier.org to browse a listing of current classroom projects and current classroom needs requiring the time, talent or resources of local business and community partners. Businesses and community organizations can log on too, and offer their services

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THE SCHOOL BOARD, POLICIES/PROCEDURES, AND LEGISLATURE The School Board The School Board is a body of five elected officials that is responsible for setting policies for the entire school district. The School Board does not usually deal with individual students or teachers, but focuses more on making the rules for running all of the schools in the county. The five School Board members are elected by their voting county. School Board meetings are open to the public. They are held in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Administrative Center Board Meeting Room at 5775 Osceola Trail, Naples, Florida, 34109, on a regular basis. The schedule is available at www.collierschools.com/board/meetings/calendar.asp. The Board meetings are broadcast live on The Education Channel, cable channel 99 (Time Warner and Comcast).

Contact the School Board if you wish to speak to an issue under consideration by the board, or to make your School Board member aware of your concerns. School Board members have offices in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Administrative Center at 5775 Osceola Trail, Naples, FL 34109. To leave a message for a School Board member or find out whom your local School Board member is, call the School Board Office at (239) 377-0494. Parents are also free to call a Board member regarding policy issues.

School Board Policy 2416 – RESEARCH AND EVALUATION – STUDENT PRIVACY AND PARENTAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION The School Board recognizes the use of surveys, questionnaires, or other data gathering instruments as a means of improving the quality of educational services that the public school system provides. The use of surveys can also provide a means of feedback from various elements of the community. The Board, therefore, encourages the conducting of research studies which have relevance to education whether initiated by District personnel or by other organizations or individuals.

Definition of Educational Research Educational research will be regarded as those data gathering efforts that have relevance to the Board's mission and District goals. They will be characterized by an educational rationale, a design for testing that rationale, and a plan for reporting the findings and conclusions.

Studies governed by this policy exclude: • informal survey activities involving parents, teachers, and/or students approved by the

principal for making school-level decisions or conducted as part of a class assignment; • routine inquires by District staff or the Board for information necessary to carry on the

District's program; • the collecting and reporting of information from existing public records to satisfy legitimate

requests from local, State, and Federal governmental agencies.

Provisions Governing Educational Research Requests to conduct studies shall be submitted to the Director of Research, Evaluation, and Testing in sufficient detail to permit their evaluation in terms of the following factors: • the background of the organization or individual proposing the research • the purpose of the study and the use to be made of the findings • the benefit to the students involved, the School District, and education in general • the time required of students and of staff personnel who will be involved in the project • the additional cost to the District, if any • a copy of the survey, questionnaire, or other data gathering instruments that shall be

submitted along with the proposal for review and approval

After completing a review of a research proposal, the Director of Research, Evaluation, and Testing will either approve or disapprove the proposed research and then notify all interested parties of the decision. Any appeals may be submitted to the Superintendent for final decision. Approval of any research project will be contingent upon the following criteria: • The study will be conducted as outlined in the proposal and will be subject to any special

instructions designated by the Director of Research, Evaluation, and Testing.

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• When individual tests or questionnaires which would be interpreted as being sensitive in nature or as an invasion of privacy are to be administered to students as part of an approved study, the following provisions apply: o Parental permission will be obtained for any upcoming surveys that reveal information

concerning one (1) or more of the following items (the parental permission form must be accompanied by a brief overview of the project summarizing the study and its purpose): • political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student's parent • mental and psychological problems of the study or the student's family • sexual behavior or attitudes • illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior • critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family

relationships • legally recognized privileges or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers,

physicians, and ministers • religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student's parent • income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a

program or before receiving financial assistance under such program) o Participation is voluntary. No student shall be required to participate in such a survey if

the student or student's parent, if the student is less than eighteen (18) years of age, objects to participation.

o A student or the student's parent, if less than eighteen (18) years of age, has the right to inspect any such survey instrument before the survey is administered or distributed to students if a request is made within a reasonable period of time. Parents also have the right to be advised of arrangements that will be made to protect student privacy.

o Student survey instruments and teacher direction for administering the survey will be available at each participating school within a reasonable period of time prior to the survey administration.

o Parents will be notified of this policy annually at the beginning of the school year and within a reasonable period of time if any substantive change is made to this policy. Such notice shall include the specific or approximate dates during the school year when any such survey will be administered.

• Information is collected anonymously and no personally identifiable information is obtained from or reported on any individual student, person, group, or organization.

• District students or staff members who participate in a research study during school time may not receive remuneration for their participation.

• If the District is to be identified in any manner in the final report of an approved study, prior permission must be secured.

• The cooperating organization or individual will furnish a copy of the final results to the District.

• An exception to the parent permission requirement in number "1" of item "B" is the Florida Youth Survey. This survey will be administered to all middle and high school students in compliance with Title IV of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and in collaboration with the Governor's Office for Drug Control and the Departments of Children and Families, Health, Education, and Juvenile Justice. If parents/guardians do not want their child to participate in this survey, they will be given the opportunity to opt out. Forms to opt out of the survey will be available in multiple sources including the Code of Student Conduct.

F.S. 1002.22 20 U.S.C. 1232 (g)(h)

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 It is the intent of the district to ensure that students who are covered by the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are identified, evaluated and provided with equal access to educational programs, services, or activities as is provided to their nondisabled peers. Students may be eligible under this policy even though they do not require services pursuant to the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Contact the Coordinator of Psychological

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Services who is responsible for ensuring compliance with Section 504 activities for further information.

Teacher Certification Under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, parents have the right to receive information regarding their child’s teacher certification. Information related to a teacher’s experience and certification is available in the Human Resources Office. If a parent wishes to view this information, they should contact the Human Resources Office. According to NCLB requirements parents in Title I funded schools have the right to request information about the qualification of the teachers and paraprofessionals that provide instruction to their child. Parents will also be notified individually in cases where their child is taught by a Non-Highly Qualified Teacher for four consecutive weeks or more. The Principal at your child’s school may also be able to provide this information to parents. For further information, contact the Human Resources Office at (239) 377-0363 or visit www.collierschools.com.

Home Education Per Florida statute, parents have the right to provide home education for their children. Parents must enroll for home education, keep a portfolio, submit an annual evaluation and terminate home-school education through the District School Board of Collier County. For further information, contact (239) 377-0522 or visit www.collierschools.com/parents.

Out-of-Zone You can apply each year between December 15th and January 15th. Out-of-Zones require a reason for your request (e.g. Childcare needs at the elementary level, District employee, moving into the zone, etc.). Approvals are based on space available in the school requested. For further information, contact the Office of Choice and Out-of-Zone at (239) 377-0540 or visit www.collierschools.com/parents/zoninginfo.asp.

School Choice You can apply each year during the month of January. Choice requires no reason other than “that is where you want your child to attend.” Approvals are based on space available in the school requested. You can get information on public school choice options such as controlled open enrollment, charter schools, alternative schools, dual enrollment, Opportunity Scholarship Program, and McKay Scholarships, and corporate income tax credit scholarship program. For further information, contact the Office of Choice and Out-of-Zone at (239) 377-0540 or visit www.collierschools.com/parents/zoninginfo.asp.

McKay Scholarship Program The McKay Scholarship Program is a parental choice program for Florida public school students with disabilities. This program provides eligible students the opportunity to attend a participating private school or transfer to another public school. Eligible students include students who have been issued an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) or a 504 Accommodation Plan that is effective for more than 6 months. Students must have been enrolled and reported for funding by a Florida school district the year prior to applying for a scholarship. Students with parents in the Armed Forces who transfer to Florida due to a permanent change in orders may also be eligible. • Parents choosing the private school option of the McKay Scholarship Program are

responsible for filing an intent to participate in the program at www.floridaschoolchoice.org. This intent must be filed with the State prior to withdrawing the student from public school. If you have any questions regarding this Florida School Choice Program, call 1-800-447-1636 or visit http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/Information/McKay/.

• Parents choosing the public school option of the McKay Scholarship Program are responsible for submitting an online application with the school district at http://www.collierschools.com/parents/zoninginfo.asp. For further information about the district’s McKay Scholarship School Choice Program, contact the Office of Exceptional Education and Student Support Services at 239-377-0108.

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RIGHTS AND RESOURCES First Amendment Rights The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects all Americans’ right to free speech.

Notification of Rights under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) PPRA affords parents certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. These include the right to: • Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the

following protected areas (“protected information survey”) if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a program of the U.S. Department of Education (ED): o Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or students’ parent; o Mental or psychological problems of the student or the students’ family; o Sex behaviors or attitudes; o Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior; o Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships; o Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers; o Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or o Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

• Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of: o Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding; o Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of

attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under State law; and

o Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.

• Inspect, upon request and before administration or use: o Protected information surveys of students; o Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above

marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and o Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

• These rights transfer to from the parents to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under State law:

The District School Board of Collier County (“the District”) has developed and adopted policies, and has advised parents of these rights and made arrangement to protect student privacy in the administration of protected information surveys and the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes. The District will notify parents of these policies at least annually at the start of each school year, and if any substantive changes to District policies are made. The District will also notify, through U.S. Mail or email, parents of students who are scheduled to participate in the specific activities or surveys noted below and will provide an opportunity for the parent to have his or her child opt out of participation of the specific activity or survey. The District will notify parents at the beginning of the school year if it has identified the specific or approximate dates of the activities or surveys at that time. For surveys and activities scheduled after the school year starts, parents will be provided reasonable notification of the planned activities and surveys listed below and be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent surveys. The list of the specific activities and surveys covered under this requirement are as follows: o Collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales or other

distribution o Administration of any protected information survey not funded in whole or in part by

ED o Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening as described above

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Parents who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with: Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education - 400 Maryland Avenue, SW - Washington, DC 20202-5901

Notification of Rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are over 18 years of age or older (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. These rights include: • The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the

school received a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal (or the appropriate school official, as authorized) a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

• The right to request the amendment of the student’s educational records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the school to amend a records should write the school principal (or appropriate school official), clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

• The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests in the student’s educational records, in order to help make decision in the student’s best educational interest. This includes only personnel who have direct involvement with the student’s education in the given school year. Upon request, the school may disclose education records without consent to official of another district in which a student’s seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled if the disclosure is to effectuate the student’s enrollment or transfer. (NOTE: FERPA requires a school district to make a reasonable attempt to notify the parent or student of the records request unless it states in its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request).

• Parents have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the School to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW - Washington, DC 20202-8520

To Make a Complaint or Report a Serious Problem There may come a time when you need to report a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Or, you may join a group of parents that wish to recommend changes to your school or school system. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of the system: • If you need to make a complaint or a request of your child’s school, start by talking with your

child’s teacher. If the teacher is unable to help you, you should then work up the “chain of support,” talking to each person until you received a response that is satisfactory to you.

• Keep your cool, always speak calmly and clearly, wait until you can speak without anger. • If you are calling about an incident that you did not witness, such as one involving your child

at school, remember that your and another child’s account may not be totally accurate. • Get your facts together. If you are making a complaint, refer to specific details (such as “on

Wednesday, January 6, my child reported to me that Ms. Jones…”). • Listen carefully to the responses to your questions, so that you can respond specifically. Ask

questions. Take notes. Date your calls. Be polite and persistent.

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Complaint Procedures School Board Policy 9130 Available on Collier County Public Schools Website www.collierschools.com.

Collier County Public Schools Chain of Support Curriculum and Instruction • Your Child’s Teacher • School Principal • Jennifer Kincaid, Elementary Programs (239) 377-0107 • Peggy Aune, Secondary Programs (239) 377-0204 • Luis Solano, Associate Superintendent (239) 377-0201

District Resources The District School Board of Collier County Web site at www.collierschools.com. Individual School information is listed on the district Web site and all schools have their own web page. • Department of Curriculum and Instruction: (239) 377-0201

Elementary: (239) 377-0107 Secondary: (239) 377-0090 Advanced Studies and Gifted Learners (239) 377-0102

• Department of Student Relations: (239) 377-0540 School Attendance ● Discipline ● School Choice and Out-of-Zone ● Registration/Enrollment

• Department of Exceptional Student Education and Student Support Services: (239)377-0520 or (239) 377-0108

• Department of Federal/State Grants & English Language Learner Programs:(239) 377-0111 • Department of Transportation:

Main: (239) 377-0607 South Naples-Marco: (239) 377-1021 Golden Gate City: (239) 377-1022 North Naples: (239) 377-1023 Estates: (239) 377-1024 N. Central Naples: (239) 377-1025 East Naples: (239) 377-1026 Immokalee: (239) 377-1027

• Department of Assessments & Data Management: (239) 377-0008 • Department of Human Resources: (239) 377-0335

Teacher Certification ● Employment Opportunities • Volunteer and Community Involvement: (239) 377-0151 • Title I Programs: (239) 377-0560 • Pre-Kindergarten Programs: (239) 377-0590

Head Start ● Pre-Kindergarten • Head Start (239) 377-1193 (Immokalee) (239) 658-7080 (Immokalee)

Department of Workforce Education: • Lorenzo Walker Institution of Technology (239) 377-0900 • Immokalee Technical Center (239) 377-9900 (Naples)

Adult and Community Education (239) 377-0777 or 377-1234 Florida Virtual School (239) 377-0201 or log on to www.flvs.net Department of Nutrition Services: (239) 377-0280 www.collierschools.com/foodservice Communications & Community Engagement (239) 377-0180 The Education Channel ● Volunteer and Community Involvement ● Public Records Requests

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State Resources • Florida Department of Education, www.fldoe.org • ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) www.accesseric.org • The Florida Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, www.partnershipcenter.usf.edu • Family Network on Disabilities www.fndfl.org

Other Resources There are Web sites that support student learning that are available to parents and students outside of the regular school day. Two of these include: • The FCAT Explorer is available as a practice Web site for grades 3-10 at

www.fcatexplorer.com. It is an interactive tool, based on the Sunshine State Standards, that helps students strengthen skills they need in the classroom and in life.

• The Riverdeep Mathematics Web site provides mathematics practice for students in grades K-12. The students use the same login procedures at home as during the school day for the Web site at http://www.collierschools.com/weblessons/techresources/riverdeep_LMS4.htm.

Health and Immunization Resource Information We encourage all parents to have your children seen by a private physician or health care provider on a regular basis to help protect and preserve their health and at the same time provide the required immunizations. The intent of immunizations and health examinations is to assure a healthy school population and identify and correct any health problems or potential health problems that may impact learning. Healthy students make better learners!

Student Health Resource Information/Parent Resources: • Healthy Kids and KidCarePhone: (888) 540-5437 http://www.healthykids.org

Children’s Health Insurance • Ronald McDonald Care Mobile http://www.healthcareswfl.org/

1454 Madison Ave. Immokalee, Florida 34142 Phone: (239) 658-3013 Free school entry physicals for uninsured students new to Florida; Dental Program

• District School Board of Collier County 5775 Osceola Trail Naples, Florida 34109 Phone: (239-377-0001) http://www.collierschools.com

Office of Exceptional Education and Student Support Services: School Psychologists/Homeless Education ● School Health Services ● Nutrition

Services/Resources for parents, teachers and students • Collier County Health Department

3301 E. Tamiami Trail Government Complex, Bldg. H Naples, Florida 34112 http://www.floridahealth.gov/chdcollier/index.html Phone: (239) 252-8595 (Immunizations) (239) 252-8200 (Main Number) Free Immunizations/Health Information/Dental Services

• Collier County Health Department 419 North 1st Street Immokalee, FL 34142 Phone: (239) 252-7300 Free Immunizations/Health Information

• Safe and Healthy Children’s Coalition www.SafeHealthyChildren.org Phone: (239) 552-7788 • Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida Phone: (239)658-3000

http://www.healthcareswfl.org Six (6) Pediatric Service sites in Collier County/Adult Care Primary and preventive pediatric services; Pediatric dental services

• David Lawrence Center 6075 Bathey Lane Naples, Florida 34116 Phone: (239) 455-8500 http://www.davidlawrencecenter.org Adult and Children’s Mental Health and Substance Abuse programs

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• NCH Healthcare System North Collier Hospital http://www.nchmd.org/ 350 7th Street N. 11190 Health Park Blvd. Naples, Florida 34110 Naples, Florida 34102 Phone: (239) 436-5000 Phone: (239) 552-7000 Emergency Department /Hospital & Walk-In Centers/Diagnostic Services/Specialized Treatment Centers/Rehabilitation/Wellness & Nutrition/Ancillary Services/Community Blood Center/Pediatric Unit

• Physicians Regional Medical Center Physicians Regional Medical Center 6101 Pine Ridge Rd. 8300 Collier Blvd. Naples, FL 34114 Naples, Florida 34119 Phone: (239) 348-4000 Phone: (239) 354-6000 http://www.physiciansregional.com/ Medical Services/Health Information/Physicians referral line/Pediatric Services/Emergency Room Services

• Collier County Parks and Recreation 15000 Livingston Rd. Naples, Florida 34109 Phone: (239) 252-4000 http://www.colliergov.net/parks/ Programs and places to support an active lifestyle throughout Collier County, after- school programs

• Collier County Public Library (Headquarters) 2385 Orange Blossom Dr. Naples, Florida 34109 Phone: (239) 593-3511 http://www.collier-lib.org/ Books and resources to support an active lifestyle

• YMCA of the Palms, Greater Naples Branch www.ymcanaples.org 5450 YMCA Rd. Naples, Florida 34109 Phone: (239) 597-3148 Family Classes/Youth Programs/Adult Programs

• Drug Free Collier P.O. Box 770759 Naples, Florida 34107 Phone: (239) 377-0535 www.drugfreecollier.org Substance abuse prevention and education programs Parents and students who use tobacco are encouraged to utilize the Florida Quitline by calling 1-877-U-CAN-NOW for free phone and web based counseling. Parents can also sign up for free group counseling offered through Area Health Education Center at 1-877-819-2357.

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TIPS FOR PARENTS

Parent Self-Assessment Checklist Parents, students, and teachers working together increase student achievement. There are a variety of ways parents can be involved and support their children’s education. This self-assessment checklist is to provide information about activities that promote student achievement. As a parent/guardian, I . . .

PARENT EDUCATION Set high academic expectations and believe in my child’s ability to achieve them. Make sure my child is punctual and attends school regularly. Read and know my school’s parent and student handbook(s). Attend parent workshops on homework, discipline and academic skill building in reading, mathematics and writing. Celebrate my child’s accomplishments. Ask for help when needed. COMMUNICATION Communicate regularly with teacher(s) in person, by phone, by email, or in writing. Be positive and have an open mind. Read classroom and school newsletters. Attend events at my child’s school including back-to-school events, open house, science fairs, plays, and musical events, class trips, sporting events, curriculum and other activities. Provide teachers with information about my family, parenting practices, and culture. VOLUNTEERING Let school staff know my skills and when I can volunteer. Assist my child’s teacher in the classroom or on field trips. Help with school events whenever possible. Work with school staff and teachers to develop volunteer activities I can do from home. Actively help school staff recruit parents and community members as volunteers, mentors, and business partners. LEARN AT HOME Talk with my child about the school day and homework daily. Listen to my child. Provide a quiet, well-lighted homework/study area. Keep a regular daily routine for homework and bed time. Read with my child. Have my child read to me. Let my child see me read. Help my child learn to be fair, honest, kind, respectful, responsible, & self-disciplined. Make family trips to the library, zoo, museum, or park a fun learning experience. Monitor television viewing and computer internet use. Encourage my children to exercise and to eat healthy meals and snacks daily. DECISION MAKING Serve as an active PTA/PTO and School Advisory Committee member. Participate in decisions that affect my child, such as student placement, course selection, and individual education plans. Let school personnel know of my concerns. Vote in local, state, and federal elections for public officials who support education. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION Meet my child’s friends and get to know their parents. Assist in creating and/or offer my services to before- and after-school programs. Request flexible work schedules and leave time to attend school functions. Help my child participate in community groups, extracurricular, and after-school activities.

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Nutrition and Fitness for Children From the Collier Schools Department of Nutrition Services, Department of Physical Education and the Florida Department of Health/School Health Services

Nutrition: • Healthy breakfasts and lunches are available to students at school EVERY SCHOOL

DAY! Breakfast is available at school for all students at no charge. Lunch is available at no charge for students with approved meal applications. Families are encouraged to apply online for meal benefits today as their meal application from last year expires in September 2013. Full Paid Lunch Prices for 2013-14 have not been confirmed at the time of printing of this manual but all efforts will be made to keep the lunch price at the same level as 2012-2013.

• School Meal Nutrition. You can be assured that school meals are prepared fresh in Collier County Public Schools. Our school meals meet federal USDA nutrition standards based on the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Fresh fruits and vegetables; whole grains and low fat dairy products are featured daily. Sugar, fat and salt are limited, no fryers here! Our school meals are rich in protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. Portion control is a way of life and designed for age appropriate nutrient needs.

• Shop smart. Stock your kitchen with healthy, high fiber foods that are naturally low in sugars and fat. Since most parents buy the food, choose to purchase only healthy food, so your children will only have healthy foods from which to choose. High fat, high sugar snacks and beverages are expensive and unnecessary for a healthy lifestyle.

• Watch portions. Instead of serving buffet-style meals, serve your children meals on a plate with portions of each food item the same size as your children’s fist. Never demand a “clean plate.” Parents are responsible for providing healthy food choices. Children are responsible for how much they eat.

• Think your drink. Water is the best hydration beverage! Enough low fat and fat free milk is important for healthy growth, bones and teeth. Limited amounts of 100% fruit juice are OK but eating the whole fruit is even better and provides important fiber. Sugary and carbonated drinks have no nutritional value for a growing child and lead to obesity and dental decay. So think water first!

• Diets are not for children. Children need healthy food and exercise to grow. They grow at different rates. As they grow they often put on weight and may look overweight. Then they hit a growth spurt and “grow into their weight” or look like they are too thin. Please be patient with them and help them make healthy choices. Don’t use the word “diet” when talking to your children about their eating habits. Children should avoid rapid weight changes and fad diets and focus on eating healthy foods. The consistent message is “eat healthy foods and make good food choices.”

• Encourage your child, but don’t use food as a reward. Praise your children when they make healthy choices. The use of “non-food rewards” can be great for your relationship. Try rewarding good behavior by playing a game or having a fun family outing.

• Snacks vs. treats. Children often ask for “something to eat” because they are hungry before the next meal is ready. When offering them food, ask yourself: “Is this a nutritious snack or a treat?” Nutritious snacks are healthy foods to be eaten between meals when people are physically hungry. Fruit, raw vegetables, nuts or cheese make for healthy snacks. Higher protein foods satisfy hunger longer. Sweet or fatty treats are to be avoided and available only occasionally to assure a healthy growth pattern. Remember that all foods and beverages consumed count towards the daily energy (Calorie) intake.

• Teach children to identify physical hunger. Many people confuse emotional eating and physical hunger. Physical hunger is the empty feeling in the stomach, whereas, emotional eating is when you eat to “feel” better or happier or less bored, etc. Some experts call this type of emotional eating, “medicating” with food.

• Create an atmosphere for success. Chips, dips, carbonated sodas, candy and other high fat and sugar snacks should be limited in your family’s diet. Stock up on fruit, low-fat cheese, nuts, fresh veggies and other healthy snacks.

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• Eat together as a family. If children see you eating healthy foods, they may want to try them out of curiosity. Invite children to try new foods, but never insist. Teach by example. Make a wide variety of foods available to them and let them “taste test” first.

• Serve family meals on smaller plates. Most families used 8” or 9” plates in the United States until the 1970’s. This is a good way to reduce portion sizes and make it look like your family has a full plate. If they are still hungry after they finish their entire meal, they can always ask for more.

• 3-A-Day the easy way. Dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein. Growing children need three servings a day. Try yogurt, string cheese sticks, cheese cut into cubes with crackers or low fat ice cream. Remember, protein snacks like these are healthy and fill children up more than sweet or high calorie snacks.

• 5-A-Day the easy way. Many fruits and vegetables are now sold pre-packaged, or you can wash and cut them and put them in the refrigerator in small bags or containers. Carrots, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, celery, grapes, bananas, oranges, and apples can be prepared ahead for quick and easy snacks.

• 95210. Daily Health Recommendations: 9 hours of sleep; at least 5 fruits and vegetables; limit to 2 hours of screen time; at least 1 hour of physical activity and 0 sugary drinks.

• Always make sure your family eats breakfast. It makes a big difference in your child’s ability to concentrate and learn during school hours. (It makes a difference for adults, too!) Our schools also offer a School Breakfast Program At no charge for all students.

• Get kids involved in buying, cooking and eating. If children pick it out, they are more excited about eating it. Take them to the grocery so they can see you choosing healthy foods. Allow them to choose a fruit or vegetable. Have your children help you in the kitchen. When children help prepare foods that are good for them, they are more likely to eat them.

• Quick tip: Try the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rule. That is, every day your family needs 5 fruits and vegetables, 4 glasses of water, 3 servings of low-fat milk products, less than 2 hours of television or computer time, and 1 hour of physical activity.

Fitness: • Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Encourage children to

play, be active at home, play sports and/or enroll in a quality Physical Education class at school, taught by a certified Physical Education teacher! Physical Education makes children more alert/aware, helps them focus better, increases energy, teaches them how to work with others reduces stress and helps make children healthier. Healthy children learn better and are more likely to become healthy adults.

• Limit screen time to no more than 2 hours per day. The more television, computer games and video games a child is exposed to, the less physical activity they get and the higher the risk of overweight and obesity.

• Be sensitive to your child’s needs if they are overweight or underweight. Some children may feel uncomfortable about participating in certain activities. It is important to help your child find physical activities that he or she enjoys and that aren’t embarrassing or too difficult.

• Explain to your children how healthy eating and exercise can improve their lives. These are not things they should do to make others admire or approve of them. Remind them that they have more energy, feel better, and often feel more confident, when they are healthy.

• Be a good role model. Children will often mimic their parents’ habits. Join your children in creating a healthier lifestyle. Take a team approach. Improve your children’s fitness as you improve your own. Take part in family activities such as walking, hiking, biking, playing tennis, jumping rope, swimming, dancing, shooting hoops, kicking a soccer ball, cleaning the house, or working out to an exercise video. Activities will improve your fitness

• Make time to participate in healthy activities together. Start an afternoon or evening tradition of walking with your child or taking part in some other activity that will get the whole family moving. Participate in a community program for healthy eating and activity and your

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children’s fitness, and you will enjoy time together with each other. • Above all, remember that healthy eating and physical activity are good for your

health. By practicing good health habits, everyone in the family will benefit and your family can prevent many medical problems, including becoming overweight, developing weak bones or diabetes.

• Sleep is important. We all function better when we have enough sleep, especially children and youth! 9 hours depending on age is recommended for young people. Studies show that people who get adequate sleep are more likely to maintain and achieve a healthy weight.

• Keep students active during school holidays. The school months are the healthiest time of the year. Studies show that students gain the most inappropriate weight and increase waist sizes in the summer when they are not in school.

Exercising Safely: • When beginning an exercising program with your family, begin slowly. Beginning

slowly will help reduce injuries. Progress can be made in how often your children exercise, the amount of time your children exercise and how intense your children exercise. Avoid having your child exercise when ill or injured.

• The weather plays a role on how to dress your children for exercising. In warm weather, have your children wear cotton clothes that are light. This will allow the air to move freely causing the sweat to evaporate. In cold weather, have your children dress in layers.

• It is important to know what type of clothing is safe for your family when exercising. Avoid nylon clothing since it traps perspiration. When perspiration is trapped, the transfer of body heat to the air is prohibited and this can be dangerous. Never let your children wear rubberized suits or any clothing that will prevent the heat from escaping the body.

• Use sunscreen/sunblock to help protect your family from the sun. If possible, stay out of the sun from 11:00a.m.-2:00 p.m. Use sunscreen with a protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more, even on a cloudy day. If extremely intense sunlight, use SPF of 30 or higher. Put sunscreen on about 30 minutes prior to going outside. Replace your sunscreen after about a year due to the fact that the active ingredients will not be effective. Use sunblock for maximum protection.

• Don’t wait until thirsty to begin drinking water. Always make sure your family drinks plenty of water before, during and after exercising. Around a quart of sweat can be lost in an hour of exercising. Every fifteen minutes, have a cup of water available for your family to drink when exercising. It is important to replace water to the body since it is lost through perspiration. Not only will the body become dehydrated but heat related problems such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke may become more of a risk.

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SAFETY: 25 Ways to Make Kids Safer At Home 1. Teach your children their full names, address and home phone number. Make sure they

know your name. 2. Make sure your children know how to reach you at work or on your cell phone. 3. Teach your children how and when to use 911. 4. Make sure your children have a trusted adult to call if they’re scared or have an emergency. 5. Instruct children to keep the door locked and not open the door to talk to anyone when they

are home alone. Set rules with your children about having visitors over when you’re not home and how to answer the telephone.

6. Choose babysitters with care. Obtain references from family, friends and neighbors. Once you have chosen the caregiver, drop in unexpectedly to see how your children are doing. Ask children how the experience with the caregiver was and listen carefully to their responses.

On the Net 7. Learn about the internet. The more you know about how the Web works, the better prepared

you are to teach your children about potential risks. 8. Place the family computer in a common area, rather than a child’s bedroom. Also, monitor

their time spent online and the Web sites they’ve visited. 9. Use privacy settings on social networking sites to limit contact with unknown users. 10. Make sure screen names don’t reveal too much about your children.

At School 11. Don’t display your children’s names on clothing, backpacks, lunch boxes or bicycle plates.

When children’s names are visible, it may put them on a first-name basis with someone who means them harm.

12. Remind kids to take a friend whenever they walk or bike to school. 13. Walk the route to and from school with your children, pointing out landmarks and safe

places to go if they’re being followed or need help. If your children ride a bus, visit the bus stop with them to make sure they know which bus to take.

Out and About 14. Take your children on a walking tour of the neighborhood and tell them whose homes they

may visit without you. 15. Tell your children to get you if they come across a dangerous object or situation. 16. Teach your children to ask permission before leaving home. 17. Remind your children not to walk or play alone outside. 18. Teach your children not to approach any vehicle, occupied or not, unless they know the

owner and are accompanied by a trusted adult. 19. Remind your children it’s OK to say NO to anything that makes them feel scared,

uncomfortable or confused. 20. Explain to your children not to go near pools or other bodies of water without adult

supervision. All pools your children attend should have a visible lifeguard on duty. If you have a pool at home, establish appropriate swimming hours and supervision.

21. Set up “what if” situations and ask your children how they would respond. “What if you fell off your bike and you needed help? Whom would you ask?

22. During family outings, establish a central, easy-to-locate spot to meet for check-ins or should you get separated.

23. Teach your children to check in with you if there is a change of plans. 24. Teach your children how to locate help at theme parks, sports stadiums, shopping malls and

other public places. Also, identify those people who are safe to ask for help, such as law enforcement, security guards and store clerks with nametags.

25. Practice safety skills so that they become second nature to your children. While you don’t want to scare your children, it is important to make sure they are aware of potential dangers, so that they can be prepared to avoid them, or confidently deal with them as they happen.

(USA Today, May 21, 2008)

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Staying Safe Between Home and School Student Conduct School staff, parents, and students are all responsible for creating a culture of positive behavior. Discuss with your child the student conduct information below. Parents and students must follow the school district’s Student Code of Conduct. A frequent form of misconduct is bullying.

What is bullying? "Bullying," which shall include cyberbullying, means systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees. It is further defined as unwanted and repeated written, verbal, or physical behavior, including any threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, by a student or adult, that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably interfere with the individual’s school performance or participation; and may involve but is not limited to: A. teasing B. social exclusion C. threat D. intimidation E. stalking F. physical violence G. theft H. sexual, religious, or racial harassment I. public or private humiliation J. destruction of property

Board Policy 5517.01, Bullying and Harassment, may be viewed in its entirety at: http://www.neola.com/collier-fl/search/policies/po5517.01.htm

Where does most bullying occur? As with most harmful behavior among children, in general bullying occurs wherever there is the least structure and adult supervision. Most incidents tend to occur on the playground, in bathrooms, in locker rooms, in cafeterias, in cyberspace, at bus stops, and in the school bus.

What Can Parents and Students Do? Tips for Parents: • Encourage your child to talk to you. • Praise your child for positive communication and behavior. Provide/ensure adequate

supervision. • Teach your child to be assertive rather than aggressive or violent when confronted by a

bully. Verify that consistent messages about rules and safety are practiced in your child’s school and staff is trained in bullying prevention.

• Build a relationship with your child’s teachers and administrators.

Tips for Students: • Stay away from bullies. • Tell an adult. • Avoid bad situations. • Make friends. • If bullied, tell the bully to stop; then walk away.

Did you know that research shows that at least half of all bullying can be prevented? Did you know that according to the National Mental Health and Education Center, direct, physical bullying increases in elementary school, peaks in middle school, and declines in high school?

Protecting Children from Sexual Offenders and Predators – Tips for Parents and Students: Florida has the strongest laws in the country to protect its youthful citizens from being abducted. However, parents and children themselves are the first line of defense. Talk to your children

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about following these rules: • Stay away from any unfamiliar person who is trying to trick you or force you to go with him or

her. • Let your parents and other trusted adults know about any suspicious persons or situations. • Learn to describe people and vehicles. • Know where to run and how to forcibly resist capture. • Scream to be seen and to scare a stranger away. • Stay with a buddy, a group, or parents at the bus stop. • Report anyone hanging around or passing by regularly. • Accept a ride only from someone approved by the school. • Walk or bike only along a route that your parents or the school has determined is safe. • Lock the door and never tell callers you are home alone.

For More Information: If you want more information on staying safe between home and school, check out these websites: • Florida Department of Education School Transportation Office

http://www.fldoe.org/transportation Safe Schools Office http://www.fldoe.org/safeschools • Florida Department of Transportation Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety Program

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/safety/ped_bike/ped_bike.shtm • Safe Routes to School Florida http://www.dot.state.fl.us/Safety/SRTS_files/SRTS.shtm • Community Traffic Safety Teams (CTSTs) http://www.dot.state.fl.us/safety/CTST/ctst.shtm • Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV; licensing and teen

drivers) www.hsmv.state.fl.us and www.flhsmv.gov • Safe Kids USA http://www.usa.safekids.org/ • National Center for Missing and Exploited Children www.missingkids.com 1-800-THE-LOST

(843-5678) • Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/mcicsearch/ 1-888-FL-MISSING (356-4774) • Bullying Prevention www.stopbullyingnow.gov • Centers for Disease Control & Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk/ • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.gov/ • Florida Association for Pupil Transportation http://www.faptflorida.org/ • Florida School Bus Safety http://www.floridaschoolbussafety.gov/

This information is designed to assist school districts in complying with requirements to provide safety information to parents, guardians, and students (Rule 6A-3.0121, Florida Administrative Code). Florida Department of Education School Transportation Management Office Safe Schools Office Revised July 2010

The Florida Department of Education and Florida’s school districts are committed to the safety of Florida’s students and schools. Students often walk, bike, or ride to and from school or the bus stop on their own or with parents, guardians, or others. This brochure offers important tips to parents, guardians, and students on how to stay safe, especially when the students are not with school officials who can help protect them. Please discuss these important tips with your children.

Tips for School Bus Riders: School officials, bus operators, parents, and students themselves are all responsible for ensuring that school bus riders follow these safety tips: At the bus stop: Students and parents are responsible for safety and proper behavior going to and from the stop and while waiting for the bus. • Students must stand off the roadway while waiting. • Students must respect other people’s property. • Students must not push, shove, or engage in horseplay. • Parents should supervise children at the stop if possible.

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• Students must arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes prior to the scheduled pickup time. • Students must wait for and get off the bus only at approved stop locations.

During loading and unloading: • Always stay away from the 10 foot “danger zone” around the bus, except when you are

directed by the driver to get on or off the bus. • NEVER pick up an object that you drop under or near the bus. Ask the driver for help. • Always be sure the driver can see you. • Make sure clothing and backpacks have no loose drawstrings or long straps that could catch

in the handrail or bus door. • When you see the bus coming, stand at the stop and wait for the bus to come to a complete

stop. • Always wait for the driver to signal that it is safe to cross the road and/or load into the bus. • When crossing a traffic lane, always look left, right, then left again; cross only if approaching

traffic has stopped. • Never walk behind the bus of along the side of the bus. • Only board your assigned bus, unless other arrangements are approved by your school.

During the bus ride: • Always follow the driver’s directions. • Never distract the driver from driving unless there is immediate danger to you or others. • Remain seated and keep the aisles clear. • Eating, drinking, and chewing gum are prohibited. • Never bring unsafe or unauthorized items into the bus. • Always wear your seat belt if you have one. • Always keep your arms, legs, and head inside the bus. • Always show respect for your fellow students. • Keep conversation at a reasonable level and remain quiet at railroad crossings. The Student

Code of Conduct applies in the bus as well as in the classroom.

Did you know that the familiar yellow school bus is the safest way to and from school? Each year approximately 500 school-age children are killed in the United States during school transportation hours while using other modes of transportation. Only about two percent of the total deaths occur in or around school buses. This second Webinar in the joint U.S. Departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services SSD Webinar Series will provide the knowledge that school, district, residential facility, and court staff, law enforcement, and community stakeholders need to better understand how the use of discretionary discipline practices focused on prevention and early intervention can transform all schools into supportive learning environments for all students. Research has demonstrated that the most effective tool to address problem student behavior is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. Further, prevention and intervention efforts more closely tailored to address students’ specific behavior issues are more effective than blanket policies and practices. As a result of participating in this session, participants will be able to: • Understand the multi-tiered behavioral health prevention framework • Identify the positive impacts of such frameworks on safety, student engagement and

achievement, and overall student and staff well-being • Plan how to apply the framework in multiple settings using examples from some jurisdictions

Tips for Riders in Cars, SUVs and Trucks: • Drivers and passengers in cars, SUVs, and trucks must always use appropriate safety

restraints. Anyone transporting children needs a child safety seat, booster seat, or safety belt, depending on children’s sizes and ages. A Preschool age children should always be restrained properly in a secured child safety restraint system, such as a rear-facing infant seat, rear-facing convertible seat, forward-facing convertible seat, or forward facing-only seat appropriate to their age and weight range.

• All children who have outgrown child safety seats should be properly restrained in booster

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seats until they are at least 8 years old, unless they are at least 4’ 9” tall. • The back seat is the safest place in a crash. Children age 12 and under should ride properly

restrained in back. Infants riding in rear-facing seats must NEVER be placed in front of an air bag.

Tips for Parent Drivers and Teen Drivers: To reduce energy usage, pollution, and traffic congestion in neighborhoods, consider walking or bicycling with your children or having them take the school bus. If you need to drive, follow these safety tips: • When picking up children in the afternoon don’t arrive too early and hinder the movement of

traffic in the neighborhood around the school. • Wait in a single line and leave enough room so an emergency response vehicle would be

able to get through. • Don’t block driveways, sidewalks, mailboxes, disabled parking spaces, or fire hydrants, and

don’t park on lawns. • Don’t block access to or the view from side streets. • Don’t back out onto any street from the school parking lot or from a side street. • Try to arrange your drop off/pickup time after the peak rush hour and use designated

loading and unloading areas. • Always heed signs and the directions of school and law enforcement officials. Always obey

posted speed limits and other traffic laws. • Act as you would want people to act if it were your neighborhood. • Be patient and understand that walkers, bicyclists, and school buses are trying to exit the

school, too. Always ensure that you and your passengers buckle up. • Never talk on a cell phone, text, or engage in other distractions while driving.

Did you know that young drivers, ages 15- to 20-years old, are especially vulnerable to death and injury on our roadways? Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in America. Mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers. Most of the fatalities involving young drivers are the young drivers themselves and their passengers.

Tips for Walking and Biking Safely: Walking and biking to and from school can be a great way to get exercise, interact with your children, and teach them lifelong traffic safety skills. Know your child’s abilities and remember your child’s limitations. Children under 10 years of age are developmentally limited when it comes to judging speed and distance accurately.

Walking - Teach, practice, and remind children to: • Walk with an adult or responsible older child at all times. • Children under 10 years old should cross the street only with an adult. Walk on the sidewalk

if there is one. • Walk facing the traffic, as far from the road/traffic as possible, if no sidewalk is available.

Use traffic signals and marked crosswalks if available. • Stop at the curb or edge of the road and look left, right and left for traffic before crossing the

street. Walk; don’t run. • Give drivers time to see you before crossing the street. Keep looking for cars while you are

crossing. • Wear white clothing or reflectors when walking in the dark or in low light.

Biking - Bicycles are vehicles and riders must follow Florida Traffic Laws. Teach, practice, and remind children to: • Always wear a helmet that is properly fitted. • Whenever possible, ride with an adult or responsible older student. Always obey all traffic

signs and signals. • Ride on the right side of the road or trail in a single file (one bicycle behind another). Ride in

the same direction as other vehicles.

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• Go straight across railroad tracks. Always use proper hand signals when turning and stopping. Yield to pedestrians and alert them with a bicycle bell or your voice when passing.

Internet Safety for Children Parents: • Keep the computer in a high traffic area of your home. Parents should monitor the sites

their children visit. • Parents should monitor a child’s on-line activity, sexual predators frequent chat rooms and

social networking sites looking for victims. • Software is available to filter out obscene material and to lock out inappropriate web-sites.

Children: • Never give out personal information, such as name, address, phone number school name or

location, team name, or town you live in. • Never agree to meet someone in person that you’ve first met on-line. Always tell your

parents that the person wants to meet. • Never respond to messages that make you feel scared, uncomfortable or confused. If you

receive a message like that, tell a parent right away. • Be careful what type of photos or information you post or share. What you may think is

private may go public. If you have questions and need answers call Special Crimes at 239.793.9249 or call 9-1-1 if you have an emergency. Visit www.netsmartz.org for more tips and on-line safety tools. To download a list of on-line abbreviations/acronyms your child may be using on-line visit www.netsmartz411.org. Internet safety site for teens, www.xblock.isafe.org/.

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Get Schooled On Safety The Collier County Sheriff’s Office wants to work together with parents to keep our kids safe at local bus stops. Deputies will be visiting bus stops to share tips and give you this tip sheet for descriptions of people or vehicles that might harm our kids.

Tips for Parents 1. Stay with your child at the bus stop or leave your child with a friend or neighbor. 2. Talk to your child about not speaking to strangers or approaching cars. 3. Explain the buddy system so that your child can walk home from the bus stop in a

group. 4. Talk about a plan if something does happen to them. Encourage them to scream,

run and go to a trusted adult to tell what happened. 5. Encourage your child to remember that Collier County sheriff’s deputies are here to

help and they can tell them anything that happens on their way to and from school. Thank you for helping us keep all of our children safe.

Sheriff Kevin J. Rambosk

GIVE US THE INFO IF YOU SEE ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS

DATE: TIME: LOCATION: WHAT DID THEY DO: THE VEHICLE: THE SUSPECT: Make: Man/Woman: Model: Age: Year: Height: Color: Weight: License Plate: Hair: Damage: Tattoos/Scars: Other (tinted windows, bumper stickers, etc.): Clothes:

Collier County Sheriff’s Office In an emergency call 9-1-1

Non-emergency number (239)793-9300

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