Title I is the U.S. government's largest assistance program for schools, putting federal money into schools that have a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Title I began in 1965 as Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Act and was reauthorized in 2001 in the No Child Left Behind Act.
Title I money must be used to supplement- not replace- what is provided by the local school district. These funds may be used for children from preschool aged to high school. Title I is designed to support State and local school reform efforts tied to challenging State academic standards in order to reinforce and enhance efforts to improve teaching and learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support parental involvement.
Title I funds can be used to improve curriculum, instructional activities, counseling, parental involvement, increase staff and program improvement. The funding should assist schools in meeting the educational goals of low-income students. According to the U.S. Department of Education, Title I funds typically support supplemental instruction in reading and math.
There are two models to provide these services:
- Schoolwide reform models- provide all students with access to services.
- Targeted assistance models- provide services to select students in Title I schools.
Taylor County has a Title I Schoolwide program that allows the school to address the educational needs of children living in the impoverished communities with comprehensive strategies for improving the entire school so every student achieves the high levels of academic proficiency.
They do not have to identify particular children as eligible for services or separately track federal dollars. Instead, Schoolwide programs can use all allocated funds to increase the amount and quality of learning time. In this way, they can embrace a high-quality curriculum, according to a comprehensive plan that ensures that all children meet the state's challenging academic standards.
Schoolwide programs serve all children in a school. All staff, resources, and classes are part of the overall Schoolwide program. The purpose is to generate high levels of academic achievement in core subject areas for all students, especially those students most in need.
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