WHAT IS TITLE I?
Title I is a federal program that provides funds to schools to meet the needs of at-risk children. The goal of Title I is to provide instructional services and activities which support students in meeting the state's challenging performance standards.HOW DO OUR SCHOOLS RECEIVE TITLE I FUNDS?
First, the federal government provides funding to each state. Then, state agencies send money to school districts. How much funding each eligible school receives is based on the number of economically disadvantaged students attending that school. Finally, the Title I eligible schools: set goals for improving the skills of educationally disadvantaged students at their school; measure student progress to determine the success of the Title I program; and develop programs to support/supplement regular instruction for their students.WHICH SCHOOLS DOES TITLE I SERVE?
The Title I program serves children in eligible district schools who have demonstrated that extra assistance is needed. The Title I program also serves eligible students in private and parochial schools. For 2018-2019, DiPietro Elementary and Stall Brook Elementary are the district Title I Schools.WHAT WILL TITLE I DO FOR MY CHILD IF ELIGIBLE?
The Title I program will provide your child with extra educational assistance beyond the regular classroom. Title I programs generally offer:· Small group instruction either in or out of the classroom· Additional teachers or tutors· Professional development opportunities for school staff· Extra time for teaching Title I students the skills they need· Supplementary teaching methods· Individualized programs for students· Additional teaching materials which supplement regular instructionSCHOOL-WIDE TITLE I PROGRAMS
A schoolwide program permits an eligible school to use Title I, Part A funds in combination with state and local resources and most other federal education program funds to upgrade the entire educational program of the school to raise the academic achievement of all the students. Different from Title I targeted assistance schools, schoolwide programs use the approach of improving the entire school program with the intent of meeting the needs of those students who are failing or most at risk of failing to meet the state’s academic achievement standards -- in other words, the intended Title I beneficiaries. Contrary to targeted assistance programs, schoolwide programs are not required to identify and select individual students for Title I services since the entire school population is involved in the schoolwide program.REQUIRED COMPONENTS OF A TITLE I SCHOOL-WIDE PROGRAM
Under Section 1114 (b) (1), a schoolwide program must include the following components:1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school (including taking into account the needs ofmigratory children as defined in section 1309(2)) that is based on information which includes the achievement of children in relation to the State academic content standards and the State student academic achievement standards described in section 1111(b)(1).2. Schoolwide reform strategies that —a. provide opportunities for all children to meet the State's proficient and advanced levelsof student academic achievement described in section 1111(b)(1)(D);b. use effective methods and instructional strategies that are based on scientifically basedresearch that —i. strengthen the core academic program in the school;ii. increase the amount and quality of learning time, such as providing an extendedschool year and before- and after-school and summer programs and opportunities, and help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum; andiii. include strategies for meeting the educational needs of historically underservedpopulations;1. include strategies to address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs of low-achieving children and those at risk of not meeting the State student academic achievement standards who are members of the target population of any program that is included in the schoolwide program, which may include —a. counseling, pupil services, and mentoring services;b. college and career awareness and preparation, such as collegeand career guidance, personal finance education, and innovative teaching methods, which may include applied learning and team-teaching strategies; andc. the integration of vocational and technical education programs;and2. address how the school will determine if such needs have been met;and3. are consistent with, and are designed to implement, the State and localimprovement plans, if any.3. Instruction by highly qualified teachers.4. In accordance with section 1119 and subsection (a)(4), high-quality and ongoing professionaldevelopment for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals and, if appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, and other staff to enable all children in the school to meet the State's student academic achievement standards.5. Strategies to attract high-quality highly qualified teachers to high-need schools.6. Strategies to increase parental involvement in accordance with section 1118, such as family literaryservices.7. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs, such as HeadStart, Even Start, Early Reading First, or a State-run preschool program, to local elementary school programs.8. Measures to include teachers in the decisions regarding the use of academic assessments describedin section 1111(b)(3) in order to provide information on, and to improve, the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program.9. Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering the proficient or advancedlevels of academic achievement standards required by section 1111(b)(1) shall be provided with effective, timely additional assistance which shall include measures to ensure that students' difficulties are identified on a timely basis and to provide sufficient information on which to base effective assistance.10. Coordination and integration of Federal, State, and local services and programs, including programs supported under this Act, violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, housing programs, Head Start, adult education, vocational and technical education, and job training. Specific description of how the educational needs of students experiencing homelessness will be addressed must be included in the Plan.