What Is Title I?
Title I is one of the largest federal aid
programs for school district in the United States. Begun in 1965 under
President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his “War on Poverty”, Title I
today is part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This
legislation grants federal funds to school with large number of children
of poverty to provide extra educational services that help students
achieve at higher levels. Specifically, the objective of the Title I
program is to enable all student to meet state and local student
performance standards and for school to achieve other school
accountability goals as set forth by the Indiana Department of
Education.
How Does Title I Work?
The federal government
provides Title I funds to Indiana each year. To obtain the funds,
Indiana must submit a plan describing the academic standards children
are expected to meet (i.e. Indiana Academic Standards and in the very
near future Indiana Common Core Academic Standards) and how academic
progress will be measured (i.e. Indiana Statewide Testing for
Educational Progress- ISTEP+). Indiana then allocates Title I funding to
school corporations. The amount of money a school district receives is
based on census data indicating the proportion of low-income children.
Districts with the highest percentage of children from low-income
families receive the most money. School corporations target the Title I
funds they receive to schools with the highest percentages of children
from low-income families. In addition, under Title I, participating
public school corporations are required to provide supplemental
education services for eligible private school students.
How Big Is Title I?
Nationwide,
more than 50,000 public schools (approximately 12.5 million students)
receive Title I funds. Title I funds may be used for children from
pre-school to high school. However, most of the students served (65%)
are in grades 1-6 while another 12% are in preschool and kindergarten.
In Indiana, 97% of school corporations receive Title I funding. In Scott
County School District 2, Title I funding is used at all four
elementary schools (Johnson, Lexington, Scottsburg, and Vienna-Finley)
for the students in grades K-5.
What Happens At A Title I School?
All in all, the administrators, teachers, and Title I staff work to:
- identify students most in need of educational help (regardless of income)
- measure student progress using state and local standards
- set goals for improvement
- implement research-based instructional programs that supplement regular classroom
instruction
- improve professional knowledge and skills through continuing education
- involve parents in all aspects of the school’s Title I program
School-wide Programs
Schools
with poverty rates of 40% or higher are eligible to implement a
school-wide. The purpose of a school-wide program is to improve student
achievement throughout the entire school. Individual students are not
identified as eligible to participate. Rather, every child will benefit
from the added services and programs that a school-wide Title I plan can
offer. All school staff focus on upgrading the entire educational
program and improving the achievement of all students, particularly
those who are low-achieving. In addition, a school improvement plan must
be developed and implemented with the involvement of parents, teachers,
and principals, and administrators. Essentially, a school-wide program
helps a school do more for all of its students.
What Role Do Parents Play?
Parental
involvement is a critical component of Title I legislation. Schools
receiving Title I funding are obligated to implement programs,
activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents in
school-related programs. Schools may also provide opportunities for
parents to increase their knowledge and skills related to their
children’s education. Such programs, activities, and procedures must be
planned and implemented for parents of participating children