Greetings!
Are you ready for a federal audit? " Audits are happening and will continue to happen," said Phil Rosenfelt of the U.S. Department of Education during a speech at the NASTID conference last February. "The Secretary of Education has indicated an interest in more effective parent notification leading to more participation." This eNewletter includes valuable information to help you prepare for federal and local monitoring. Also in this issue: Read about the great success of Duval County Public Schools, Puyallup School District's smart approach to district-wide TransACT awareness and how Polk County Public Schools keeps their ELL families involved. Click here to see a printer friendly version. Click here to read last month's eNewsletter.
|
Common Title I monitoring findings
(2006-2007 Title I Audits)
- Letters sent home are too difficult for parents to understand and do not include all required components.
- Information isn't provided to parents in a language they can understand.
- Letters sent to parents about School Choice and SES options are sent too late or not at all.
- Parents are not notified when their child has been assigned to or taught by a teacher who is not highly qualified.
- Parents are not aware of parent involvement policies, nor included in policy development.
- Principals and/or staff are not aware of parent notification requirements.
- Districts and/or schools lack focus on building the capacity of parents.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How do other districts use TransACT to pass their audits?
Read these statements of success from TransACT customers.
"We passed our audit because TransACT helped us follow the legal guidelines in notifying parents of services available to their children and in following through on all sorts of documentation that were required - such as parental waivers, notice of meetings, arrangements for free or reduced lunches. Giving parents these documents in the target language was essential." -Nancy Larsen
"During our audit, we were able to show how we can communicate with families who are not English speakers. TransACT also allowed us to show how our school system complies with laws regarding ELL and ESL students. That portion of the audit passed state requirements."
-Tammy Hughley
"We were recently monitored by our State Department of Education in our Federal Programs Department. When asked about how we complied with NCLB requirements concerning parent notifications, we were able to say all schools had access to TransACT. " -Ann Taylor |
|
 Western Region Update
by Hilary Shirey
I'm excited that I've been asked to create a special article in our eNewsletter that specifically relates to my customers! In the coming months, I will report on topics relevant to my territory and highlight districts that have made successful strides with their TransACT subscription.
This month...
How do you maintain top of mind awareness about TransACT?
A tip from Puyallup School District.
Puyallup School District has been a client for more than 10 years and has faced the challenge that many customers face: how to ensure that both new and existing staff keep an ongoing awareness of TransACT.
The main issue for most districts is not that staff do not appreciate or want to use TransACT. In fact, most staff members are thrilled to have something so quick and easy-to-use. The problem stems from new employees hired during the school year and the busy schedules of staff members. They forget to turn to TransACT when they need a translation of a form. The old "out-of-sight-out-of-mind" axiom is alive and well!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Eastern Region Update
by Sarah Springberg
As the Account Manager for the Eastern territory, I'd like to spotlight Polk County School district. They have partnered with TransACT to provide translations and compliance material to their district staff since 2003. The district has done a phenomenal job in consistently reminding staff of the services and in making it a resource that is easy to access.
With 83 different languages represented in the school district, the
task of communicating with the parents in their native language can be daunting.
|
Duval County Public School's Success Story
|
Reaching every family
Duval County Public Schools is using an online TransACT subscription to provide parent notices in multiple languages to over 160 schools throughout the district. While this powerful tool enables the district to meet federal NCLB, IDEA and OCR parent communication requirements, it also allows each school to communicate with more parents in a language they can understand. This leads to greater parent involvement and enhanced student achievement.
Duval's subscription provides online access to a vast library of forms, letters and notices authored by compliance experts and translated in over 20 languages. The cost for the district to recreate these documents themselves would be astronomical, possibly reaching over 1 million dollars. By paying a single yearly subscription fee, Duval County Public Schools has provided every single employee in the district (teachers, nurses, principals, administrators, etc.) with the documents they need while saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
|
Happenings: What's new at TransACT?
|
Another iPod shuffle winner!
The winner of our most recent iPod shuffle drawing for demonstration
attendees is Maria Crenshaw of Richmond, VA. Congratulations Maria!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Breaking newsCollection changes are regularly posted in the breaking news section of our website. Check in often to learn about updates, new training opportunities, promotions and announcements. |
Implementation & Training
|
Corrie's Clues: This month's tip from our Customer Care Guru
Have you tried our online resources?
 The TransACT site offers online support to assist our customers in using their subscriptions. You can find the most useful resources by clicking on the 'User Guides' button located along the right side of the screen below the green 'Support Resources' banner:
Some of my favorite tools are the Quick Start Guide, Guides to Success and the Document Catalogs for each of the parent notification collections.
The Quick Start Guide provides information and directions for the basic features of the site, such as login and resetting your password, navigating the site, using Favorites Sets, system software requirements and how to get help and support. This document was created to assist in a jump-start in using your TransACT subscription efficiently.
You can also find Guides to Success for the superintendent, TransACT coordinator, principals, and secretaries to assist with the successful implementation of the TransACT Compliance & Communication Center™ within your district.
The Document Catalogs list the available parent notifications within each collection to assist you with navigating the site for specific parent notifications or to review what is available in collections which your district may not currently subscribe.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quick Tip: Pass-through links make access easy
Did
you know that one-click access is available for your TransACT
subscription? With a pass-through link, there's no need to type in your
log-in information. Access is instant and easy, direct from your
district intranet.
Pass-through links are easy to set-up. Just contact TransACT Customer Care at support@transact.com or (425-977-2100). We will help guide the set-up and have your entire district equipped with instant access in no time.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quick Tip: Add custom translations
Did you remember to budget for customer translations? You can enhance the collections available to you by adding your district's custom translated documents. For a price quote, simply use the online quote request form. TransACT customers receive a special rate from our translation partner, Iverson Language Associates. Using the form is quick and easy. Once complete, your translations can be loaded into your District Masters folder within your TransACT Parent Notification collections. (For more information about translation services or to request a quote, please click here for the custom quote request form on the Iverson site.)
|
|
Merritt Chapman
Senior Developer
How long have you been with TransACT?
6 years.
Please describe what you do:
I support, maintain, and develop TransACT's web-based products and services.
Birthplace:
I was born in Presque Isle, Maine.
Birthday:
December 14
College:
Washington State University (GO COUGS!)
What was your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subjects were math in high school and then programming and technology courses in college.
What aspect of working at TransACT do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy being directly involved in projects that have an immediate impact on making our customers jobs easier. It's very gratifying to see our customers with a need, and then filling that need from start to finish. It also helps to be part of such a great team.
When do you feel successful in life?
I feel successful in life when I'm meeting my responsibilities as a son, husband, father, friend and provider for my family.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy?
I enjoy spending quality time with my wife and kids.
Whom do you admire most?
I admire my wife. Not only is she an amazing mother to our two children, she also teaches a drama class at my son's preschool, does a great job of taking care of things at home and manages to be a full-time student taking courses at night and on the weekends.
If you did not work at TransACT, what would be your dream job?
I would be a stay-at-home Dad until my kids are both old enough to be attending school during the day. At that point, I'd transition to a professional or college basketball scout. |
|
TransACT Contact Information
|
|
We love to hear from you!
If you have a suggestion for a topic that you would like to see covered in future newsletters, drop us a line. We always enjoy hearing from our customers and welcome any comments or suggestions.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TransACT Communications, Inc5105 200th Street SW, Suite 200 Lynnwood, WA 98036-6397 tel. 425.977.2100 fax. 425.776.3377 www.transact.com |
|
|
|
