Title I
Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
What is Title I?
Title I, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, is the largest federal contribution to K-12 education. It consists of several funding streams for school districts and schools to supplement local educational programs and to help ensure that economically disadvantaged students are given the same opportunity to achieve state-defined academic standards as their peers.
In exchange for financial support, schools, districts, and states are held accountable for raising academic performance of all students, narrowing the achievement gap between underachieving groups and their more advantaged peers, and enabling those most at risk to reach state academic standards.
The goal of Title I is a high-quality education for every child, so the program provides extra help to students who need it most. These are children who are the furthest from meeting the standards the state has set for all children. Title I resources are directed to schools with high percentages of at-risk students.
How Title I Works:
The federal government provides funding to states each year for Title I. To get the funds, each state must submit a plan describing:
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What all children are expected to know
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The high-quality standards of performance that all children are expected to meet
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Ways to measure progress
State educational agencies (SEAs) send the money to the school districts based on the numbers of low-income families.
The Local Educational Agency (LEA) identifies eligible schools -- those with the highest percentage of children from low-income families, and provides Title I resources.
The Title I school (this includes parents, teachers, administrators, and other school staff) works to:
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Identify students most in need of educational help
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Set goals for improvement
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Measure student progress
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Develop programs that add to regular classroom instruction
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Involve parents in all aspects of the program