Federal Programs
- Overview
- Federal Programs Director
- Federal Programs Handbook
- Comprehensive LEA Improvement Plan (CLIP)
- District Social Worker
- ESOL & Migrant Resources
- Homeless Education Program
- Low Income Assistance
- Parent Engagement
- School Compacts & Parent Policies
- Attendance
- School Improvement Plans (SIP)
Overview
Ben Hill County School System, the Local Educational Agency (LEA) of Ben Hill County, Georgia is comprised of several federally funded programs to support students, staff, and families through our innovative approaches to learning. Through the support and guidance from the Georgia Department of Education, we aim to meet the needs of the WHOLE CHILD by following Georgia's Systems of Continuous Improvement. Description of each component can be found by clicking on the circle above. We want to ensure that all children are ready to learn, ready to lead and ready to live! In order to achieve this, we want to provide effective leadership, coherent instruction, family & community engagement, a supportive learning environment in the most professional capacity possible. With parental support, we will examine each child's progress, identify their needs, select proper intervention, plan implementation, and implement the plan to meet the needs of our students. We want student to have have an opportunity to obtain a ​high-quality education and to achieve proficiency on the state's high academic achievement standards. Please know that we are here for you to assist as necessary. We welcome you to join us in Ben Hill County School System for fun, exciting learning experiences for your child to WIN through educational excellence, as Winning Is Necessary
Federal Programs Director
Mrs. Jaquetta T. Brown serves as Director of Federal Programs and Early Learning for Ben Hill County School System. She is a veteran educator with varied experiences within K-12 levels, serving as a teacher (grades K/1st, 3rd, and 4th), system recruitment team member, school counselor, gifted education chairperson, PreK Director, AdvancED accreditation team member (early learning), and federal programs director.
Mrs. Brown holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Georgia Southern University, Master of Education in School Counseling from Albany State University, and an Educational Specialist in Educational Leadership from Valdosta State University.
Federal Programs Handbook
Comprehensive LEA Improvement Plan (CLIP)
District Social Worker
Kim Minshew
229-409-5805
kimberly.minshew@benhillschools.org.
Related Services:
- Working with problems in a child's living situation that affect the child's adjustment in school (home, school, and community)
- Preparing a social or developmental history
- Mobilizing family, school, and community resources to enable the child to learn as effectively as possible in his or her educational program
- Assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies
Services to Students:
- Providing crisis intervention
Services to Parents/Families:
- Working with parents to facilitate their support in their children's school adjustment
- Alleviating family stress to enable the child to function more effectively in school and community
- Assisting parents to access programs available to students
- Assisting parents to accessing and utilizing school and community resources
Services to School Personnel:
- Providing staff with essential information to better understand factors (cultural, societal, economic, familial, health, etc.) affecting a student's performance and behavior
- Developing staff in-service training programs
- Providing direct support to staff
School-Community Liaison:
- Obtaining and coordinating community resources to meet students' needs
- Helping school districts receive adequate support from social and mental health agencies
- Advocating for new and improved community/school service to meet the needs of students and families
- Helping the system respond effectively to each child's needs
Services to Districts:
- Developing alternative programs for students with attendance concerns or involvement with law enforcement
- Providing case management for students and families requiring multiple resources
ESOL & Migrant Resources
English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
The Ben Hill County English to Speakers of Other Languages Program (ESOL) is designed to help students attain their full academic and social potential within the culture of an American school. The ESOL program provides instruction to develop students' proficiency in English in the four areas of language: listening, speaking, reading and writing. In addition, the ESOL program seeks to create supportive learning environments in your child's classroom(s) and school which value and builds on students' academic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds.
The Georgia Department of Education provides the following guidelines for identifying students who may be identified as an English Language Learner (ELL):
Students whose native/home/first language is other than English
Students who have difficulty listening, speaking, reading, writing or understanding the English language to the extent that their language skills are a barrier to their success in a regular classroom
ESOL Program Goals:
The ESOL teachers work in collaboration with classroom and other special programs teachers to support the acquisition of language and content skills.
The ESOL program promotes each student's appreciation of their ability to perform a wide variety of intellectual and physical activities.
The ESOL program encourages the student's positive recognition of a variety of cultures, recognizing similarities and differences.
Additional Resources:
https://idr-consortium.net/
https://www.theachievery.com/
Homeless Education Program
Ben Hill County School System implemented The Homeless Education Program to ensure access to free, appropriate public education for children and youth experiencing homelessness. The Homeless Education Program operates in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Education Act. BHCS assigns a Homeless Liaison to oversee the Homeless Education Program. The Homeless Liaison assists the local schools to assure identified homeless children and youth receives the following services:
- Timely Enrollment
- Transportation
- Education-Related Support Services
- Community Resource Information
The primary goal of the Homeless Liaison is to eliminate barriers to school enrollment and promote academic success for all students. In addition to providing support to local schools, the Homeless Liaison serves as the link between families and community resources. The Homeless Liaison is responsible for providing on-going training to families, schools and community resources in an effort to promote awareness of education and most of all, sustainability for the needs of families/students experiencing homelessness.
If you and your child:
- Live in a shelter or motel;
- Share housing with relatives or others because you lost your housing or cannot afford housing;
- Live in a campground, car, abandoned building, or other inadequate shelter;
- Do not have a permanent address and /or permanent housing: or
- Live on the street;
Your child has the right to:
- Immediately enroll in and attend school without having health and school records available;
- Enroll in the school serving the address where you are living temporarily, or in the school attended when permanently housed, whichever is feasible and in your child’s best interest;
- Receive transportation to and from school when feasible;
- Participate in school/related activities and receive service, including free school meals; and
- Utilize the dispute resolution process if you have a grievance.
For more information, please contact Kim Minshew, Homeless Liaison, at 229-409-5805 or kimberly.minshew@benhillschools.org.
