Title I Schools
Brooksville Elementary, Deltona Elementary, Eastside Elementary, Spring Hill Elementary, Moton Elementary, Pine Grove Elementary, Westside Elementary, D. S. Parrott Middle, Fox Chapel Middle, and West Hernando Middle Schools
What is Title I?
Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (formerly known as ECIA, ESEA or Chapter I) is the largest federally funded educational program. This program, authorized by Congress, provides supplemental funds to school districts to assist schools with the highest student concentrations of poverty to meet school educational goals.
Here's a link for to the Federal Gvernment's site Improving Basic Programs (Title I, Part A) http://www2.ed.gov/policy/leg/esea02/pg1.htmlHow do schools qualify to receive Title I funds?
Schools qualify based on demonstrating that the K-12, ages 5-17, membership has a sufficiently high percentage of economically disadvantaged students. Title I regulations require school districts to provide services to all schools where at least 75% of students qualify for free or reduced price meals.
Why are Title I funds allocated exclusively to high poverty schools?
Research studies done over the past 30 years show conclusively that schools with high concentrations of economically disadvantaged students generally demonstrate lower levels of achievement than do schools with lower concentrations of economically disadvantaged students. As a result, Congress, in the reauthorization of Title I under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, now requires districts to allocate Title I funds to those schools with the highest concentrations of such students, particularly to those schools falling above 75%. Districts may extend Title I benefits to schools lower than 75%, yet not below the district average percentage of free/reduced price meals. (Currently, the district poverty average is 60%.)
Which children are eligible for Title I services?
There is a common misconception that a Title I child is a child eligible for free or reduced price meals, but this is false. Because the Title I program in this district operates at the school level in the form of School-wide Programs, there are technically no Title I children in the district; only Title I schools. The children within each Title I school have no designation related to Title I.
How are Title I funds allocated to schools?
Once a school qualifies, funds are allocated in the spring based on a state developed (per pupil allocation) formula which projects the number of qualifying children at the school for the following year. The 85% Hold Harmless Rule requires that schools receive at a minimum, 85% of the previous year’s allocation. Occasionally, a further adjustment is made after the first month of school the year funds are allocated, to ensure that schools receive funds commensurate with the number of qualifying children actually enrolled.
How can Title I funds be used at the school site?
Title I funds must be used to promote:
- High academic/achievement for all children;
- A greater focus on teaching and learning;
- Flexibility to stimulate local initiatives coupled with responsibility for student performance; and
- Improved linkages among schools, parents and communities.
In general, funds cannot be used to purchase/lease/rent or improve facilities or supplant (replace programs and services already funded by the district).
Are there restrictions on using the funds to hire staff?
The intent of the law is to use funds to acquire "highly qualified staff" (professionals, i.e. teachers, psychologists, social workers, etc.). Although the final draft of the law permits the use of funds for other staff, the primary focus remains on "highly qualified staff." Schools intending on hiring non-professional staff with Title I funds should request clearance from the district Title I office. The state further prohibits the expenditure of Title I funds in school level clerical, administrative or school safety personnel.
Do Title I Funds follow the child if he moves to another school?
As indicated in the Act, the intended purpose of these funds is to improve the school, thus funds being allocated to schools rather than children. As a result, if a child leaves a Title I school and transfers to another school, there is no transfer of Title I funds to the receiving school.
Do Private Schools also receive Title I Assistance?
Federal regulations require that districts provide access to academic support services in private schools that qualify to receive Title I funds. Assistance is limited to remedial reading and/or mathematics tutorial services that support the regular instructional program for certain students in qualifying private schools. As required by federal law, these students must (1) be experiencing significant difficulty in reading and/or mathematics in their regular classes and (2) live in a neighborhood that is served by a public school that is an identified Title I school.
Title I - Program Purposes
Title I Programs (Part A of PL 107-334 of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001), provide funds to districts in order to assist schools with the highest levels of economically disadvantaged students to:
- Improve in student achievement for all participating children,
- Improve staff development and
- Improve parental and community involvement.
In accordance with federal law, funds are allocated directly to schools to work toward these three goals.
Program Design/Operation and Assessment
The School Improvement Plan (SIP) is the vehicle for comprehensive school planning and each year all schools attend an SIP Overview, and plans are examined through a peer review process which involves school leaders and the district’s curriculum team of supervisors.
Cindy Stewart, Supervisor of Title I
919 North Broad Street
Brooksville, FL 34601
352-797-7051
Email
Last Updated on Wednesday, January 02 2013 13:58
