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Title II

The purpose of Title II is to increase academic achievement by improving teacher and principal quality. This program is carried out by: increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in classrooms; increasing the number of highly qualified principals and assistant principals in schools; and increasing the effectiveness of teachers and principals by holding LEAs and schools accountable for improvements in student academic achievement.

In exchange for receiving funds, agencies are held accountable to the public for improvements in academic achievement. Title II, Part A provides these agencies the flexibility to use these funds creatively to address challenges to teacher quality, whether they concern teacher preparation and qualifications of new teachers, recruitment and hiring, induction, professional development, teacher retention, or the need for more capable principals and assistant principals to serve as effective school leaders. https://www2.ed.gov/programs/teacherqual/index.html

Title II, Part A LEA Allowable Uses of Funds

LEAs must prioritize Title II, Part A funds to schools that are  implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities and targeted support and improvement activities, and have the highest percentage of children counted under section 1124(c)[1] (these are primarily low-income children)[2]

  • Evaluation and Support Systems LEAs may use Title II funds to develop or improve evaluation and support systems for teachers, principals, or other school leaders that are (1) based in part on student achievement, (2) include multiple measures of performance, and (3) provide clear, timely, and useful feedback.[3]
  • Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Effective Teachers; Implementing Supports for Principals and Other School Leaders LEAs may use Title II funds to develop and implement initiatives to recruit, hire, and retain effective teachers to improve the equitable distribution of teachers, particularly in low-income schools with high percentages of ineffective teachers and high percentages of students who do not meet state standards.[4] LEAs may also use Title II funds to implement supports for principals and other schools leaders. 
  • Recruiting from Other Fields LEAs may use Title II funds to recruit qualified individuals from other fields to become teachers, principals, or other school leaders. Qualified individuals from other fields include mid-career professionals from other occupations, former military personnel, and recent graduates of institutions of higher education with records of academic distinction who demonstrate the potential to become effective teachers, principals or other school leaders. [5]
  • Class Size Reduction LEAs may use Title II funds to reduce class size to a level that is evidence-based, to the extent the SEA (in consultation with LEAs) determines such evidence is reasonably available.[6]  According to ED guidance, LEAs may consider reducing class size as one strategy to attract and retain effective educators in high-need schools.[7]
  • Personalized Professional Development LEAs may use Title II funds to provide high-quality, personalized professional development[8] for teachers, instructional leadership teams, principals, or other school leaders.[9]  The professional development must be evidence-based, to the extent the SEA (in consultation with LEAs) determines such evidence is reasonably available.  The professional development must also focus on improving teaching and student learning and achievement, including supporting efforts to train teachers, principals, or other school leaders to:
  1. Effectively integrate technology into curricula and instruction (including education about the harms of copyright piracy),
  2. Use data to improve student achievement and understand how to ensure individual student privacy is protected,
  3. Effectively engage parents, families, and community partners, and coordinate services between school and community,
  4. Help all students develop the skills essential for learning readiness and academic success,
  5. Develop policy with school, LEA, community, or state leaders, and
  6. Participate in opportunities for experiential learning through observation.[10]

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[1] ESSA, Section 2102(b)(2)(C). 

[2] ESSA, Section 1124(c) is located in Title I of ESSA, and describes the children that should be counted.

[3] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(A).

[4] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(B).

[5] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(C).

[6] ESSA, Section 2013(b)(3)(D).

[7] ED 2016 Title II, Part A Guidance, p. 24.

[8] ED’s guidance describes ESSA’s definition of “professional development” in the following way:

Section 8101(42) defines “professional development,” specifically noting that the professional development activities are sustained (not stand-alone, 1-day, or short term workshops), intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and classroom-focused.

ED 2016 Title II, Part A Guidance, p. 11.  For the full definition of professional development, please see ESSA, Section 8101(42). 

[9] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(E).

[10] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(E)(i)-(vi).

  • Increasing Teacher Effectiveness for Students with Disabilities and English Learners

LEAs may use Title II to develop programs and activities that increase teachers’ ability to effectively teach children with disabilities and English learners, which may include the use of multi-tiered systems of support and positive behavioral intervention and supports.[1]

  • Supporting Early Education

LEAs may use Title II funds to provide programs and activities to increase the knowledge base of teachers, principals, or other school leaders on instruction in the early grades and on strategies to measure whether young children are progressing.[2]

  • Supporting Effective Use of Assessments

LEAs may use Title II funds to provide training, technical assistance, and capacity-building to assist teachers, principals, or other school leaders with selecting and implementing formative assessments, designing classroom-based assessments, and using data from such assessments to improve instruction and student academic achievement, which may include providing additional time for teachers to review student data and respond, as appropriate.[3]

  • Supporting Awareness and Treatment of Trauma and Mental Illness, and School Conditions for Student Learning

LEAs may use Title II funds to carry out in-service training for school personnel in The techniques and supports needed to help educators understand when and how to refer students affected by trauma, and children with, or at risk of, mental illness.

  • Supporting Gifted and Talented Students

LEAs may use Title II funds to provide training to support the identification of students who are gifted and talented, including high-ability students who have not been formally identified for gifted education services, and implementing instructional practices that support the education of such students, such as:

  1. Early entrance to kindergarten,
  2. Enrichment, acceleration, and curriculum compacting activities (techniques relating to differentiated instruction), and
  3. Dual or concurrent enrollment programs in secondary school and postsecondary education.[4]
  • School Library Programs

LEAs may use Title II funds to support the instructional services provided by effective school library programs.[5]

  • Preventing and Recognizing Child Sexual Abuse

LEAs may use Title II funds to provide training for all school personnel, including teachers, principals, other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, and paraprofessionals, regarding how to prevent and recognize child sexual abuse.[6]

  • Supporting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

LEAs may use Title II funds to develop and provide professional development and other comprehensive systems of support for teachers, principals, or other school leaders to promote high-quality instruction and instructional leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects, including computer science.[7]

  • Feedback Mechanisms to Improve School Working Conditions

LEAs may use Title II funds to develop feedback mechanisms to improve school working conditions.  This can include periodically and publicly reporting feedback on educator support and working conditions.[8]

  • Supporting Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness

LEAs may spend Title II funds to provide high-quality professional development for teachers, principals, or other school leaders on effective strategies to integrate rigorous academic content, career and technical education, and work-based learning (if appropriate), which may include providing common planning time, to help prepare students for postsecondary education and the workforce.[9]

  •  Other Activities

LEAs may also spend Title II funds on other activities that meet Title II purposes (see “Purpose of the Title II Program” above) and are evidence-based to the extent the SEA (in consultation with LEAs) determines that such evidence is reasonably available.[10]

[1] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(F).

[2] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(G)(i).

[3] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(H).

[4] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(J).

[5] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(K).

[6] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(L).

[7] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(M).

[8] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(N).

[9] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(O).

[10] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(P).

ED 2016 Non-regulatory Guidance for Title, II  Part A ESSA, Section 2102(b)(2)(D).ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(A). [10] ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(B). ESSA, Section 2103(b)(3)(B)(i).

FEDERAL PROGRAMS LEA Allowable Uses of Funds August 1, 2017 Alabama Department of Education