Title I-Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged is the federal government’s largest investment in elementary and secondary education and has been continually funded since the first Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 currently authorizes Title I. The purpose is “to ensure all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach proficiency on challenging academic achievement standards."
The South-Western City School District Title I program accomplishes this purpose through funding comprehensive and supplemental school-based services and district level components that complement the District’s improvement plan and initiatives. In addition to fiscal planning and accountability, the State and Federal Programs Office is charged with providing technical assistance for program compliance for schools and the District. With the passage of ESSA, significant emphasis is placed upon the following:
• Parents’ Rights to Information
• Family and Community Engagement
• Evidence-Based Practices
• Accountability
• Equitable Services for Private Schools
The South-Western City School District has 14 elementary schools, four intermediate schools, four middle schools and three high schools that receive Title I federal funds to assist students. The Title I program provides additional instructional support, support services for non-academic barriers, instructional coaching, curriculum resources, parent and community engagement resources, and professional development. Schools are considered Title I eligible based on the percent of the students who participate in the Free and Reduced Price Lunch program.
Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, all school districts are required to notify parents with children in Title I schools that they may request information regarding the professional qualifications of each student’s classroom teachers. This information may include the qualifications listed below:
If the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade level and subject areas taught;
If the teacher is teaching under an emergency or temporary status in which state qualification or licensing criteria are waived; the teacher’s baccalaureate degree major, graduate certification, and field of discipline; and
The qualifications of any paraprofessional that is providing services to the student.
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact your building principal or the State and Federal Programs Office at 614-801-8390.
The following are the key facets of Title I programming within the South-Western City School District:
Schoolwide Program (SWP) Schools with at least 40 percent low income may operate as a Schoolwide Program. Schoolwide status allows the entire school population to benefit from the Title I dollar/allocation generated by the school’s population.
Parent Engagement: The engagement of parents is a foundational component of Title I with many specific requirements of providing parents with information, opportunities and resources to help their child(ren) achieve academically. The South-Western City School District offers parents:
District and school-level parental involvement policies
Parent, Student and Teacher Compacts
Materials and/or resources to help parents assist their child(ren)
Non-Public Equitable Services: The law requires that local educational agencies (LEAs) provide equitable educational services to eligible private school students. The “equitable services” requirement applies to all ESSA programs, not just Title I, and extends equitable benefits to eligible private school students, teachers and parents.
For more information contact the Coordinator of State and Federal Programs at (614) 801-8390.