MAXIMIZING FLEXIBILITY IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF

FEDERAL GRANTS

July 17, 2013

U.S. Department of Education

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OVERVIEW 1. Purpose of Title I,

Part A 2. Refresher on

Schoolwide Programs3. Use of Funds for

Implementation of College and Career Ready Standards

4. Questions

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TITLE I, PART ATitle I, Part A (Title I)

• Provides Supplemental Federal funds to ensure all students have fair, equal, and significant opportunities to obtain a high-quality education and reach at minimum proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

• Focused on improving the academic achievement of low-achieving students in schools with high concentrations of children from low-income families and is governed by statuary and regulatory requirements of Title I, Part A of ESEA.

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• Was initiated in 1965 as part of the War on Poverty.

• Serves more than 18 million students nationwide.

• Serves students Pre-K through 12th grade.

• Is the single largest pre-college Federal education program with over $14 billion allocated in recent years.

• In 2010-2011 school year, there were 66,646 schools receiving Title I funds, 48,900 of which operated schoolwide programs.

FAST FACTS ON TITLE I

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RESULTS FOR STUDENTS

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THE HIGHEST HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE IN DECADES

RESULTS FOR STUDENTS

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1.1 MILLION FEWER STUDENTS ATTENDING DROPOUT FACTORIES

OUR UNFINISHED TASK:

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MANY LOW-INCOME STUDENTS FAIL TO COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL

OUR UNFINISHED TASK:

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DISPARITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

OUR UNFINISHED TASK:

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ONLY 29% OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS GO TO COLLEGE

OUR UNFINISHED TASK:

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ONLY 9% OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS COMPLETE COLLEGE

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• Title I is a distinct Federal program with specific purposes.

• Program flexibilities contribute to opportunity for partnership with SEAs, LEAs, and schools.

• These flexibilities generally apply regardless of whether an SEA has received ESEA flexibility.

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IMPROVING BASIC TITLE I PROGRAM OPERATED BY AN LEA

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• Targeted Assistance –Supplemental education services

to eligible students with the greatest need.

• Schoolwide –Comprehensive program designed

to upgrade the entire educational program in order to improve achievement of the lowest-achieving students.

• a school with poverty percentage of 40% or more.

TWO TYPES OF TITLE I PROGRAMS

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U.S. Department of Education

SCHOOLWIDE PROGRAMSA Schoolwide Program: • Maximizes flexibility in using Federal funds.• Serves as a vehicle for whole-school reform

with focus on improving achievement of lowest-achieving students.

• Allows for easier leveraging of non-Federal and Federal funds to work together to improve educational performance of the entire school.

• Addresses student needs through a schoolwide plan based on a comprehensive needs assessment.

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U.S. Department of Education

1. Comprehensive needs assessment of entire school

2. Comprehensive schoolwide plana. Incorporates whole school reform strategies that--

i. Strengthen the core academic program ii. Increase the amount of quality learning time to

help provide enriched and accelerated curriculum

iii. Meet the needs of historically underserved students

iv. Provide services the meet the needs of low-achieving students

b. Focuses on ensuring Highly Qualified Teachers in schools

c. Incorporates high-quality ongoing professional development

d. Identifies strategies to attract Highly Qualified Teachers

10 COMPONENTS

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e. Incorporates parent engagement strategies f. Assists pre-school children transition to

elementary schoolg. Includes teachers in Data-Driven Decision-making h. Provides low-achieving students with effective,

timely additional assistance i. Focuses on the coordination and integration of

funds 3. Annual evaluation, with revisions as

necessary

10 COMPONENTS CONT’D

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• Title I, Part A funds may be used for any activity that supports the needs of students, particularly the lowest-achieving students, in the school that are identified through a comprehensive needs assessment and included in the schoolwide plan.

IMPORTANCE OF THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT

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U.S. Department of Education

Will the proposed use of funds: • Drive results for students who are failing, or

most at risk of failing, to meet State academic achievement standards?

• Increase educators’ long-term capacity to improve results for Title I students?

• Accelerate reform and advance SEA, LEA, or participating Title I school improvement objectives and reform goals?

• Foster continuous improvement and include approaches to measure and track implementation and results and create feedback loops to modify or discontinue strategies that evidence indicates are ineffective in improving achievement of Title I students?

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

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U.S. Department of Education

• Supplement not Supplant. Federal funds must supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds. Supplement not supplant applies differently in different programs; within Title I, it applies differently in a schoolwide vs. a targeted assistance school.

• Necessary and Reasonable. Federal funds must support activities that are necessary and reasonable to accomplish the federal program’s purpose.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

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COLLEGE- AND CAREER-READY (CCR)

STANDARDS AND

ASSESSMENTS

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U.S. Department of Education

A WORD OF CAUTION…The examples in this presentation illustrate ways that Title I funds may be used by SEAs and LEAs to support key areas of reform in a schoolwide program.

Because they are merely examples, however, they do not take into account the specific context in which these funds would be used at the State or local levels.

Thus, an SEA, LEA or school should ensure that such use is consistent with relevant programmatic requirements.

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USE OF FUNDS SEAs may:

• Develop standards and assessments for all students (Title I/Consolidated ESEA State administrative funds).

• Provide professional development to implement CCR standards and assessments (ESEA Section 6111 – State assessment funds).

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USE OF FUNDS SEAs may:

• Provide technical assistance to low-performing schools and LEAs.

• Use the school improvement reservation for their State system of support and establish eligibility criteria to determine the schools that receive this support and the amount of funds.

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U.S. Department of Education

USE OF FUNDS LEAs may:• Prepare low-achieving students to participate

successfully in advanced coursework aligned with CCR standards.

• Provide intensive summer programs to low-achieving high school students to prepare them to take advanced classes.

• Ensure the educational needs of low-achieving students in highest- poverty schools are met.

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U.S. Department of Education

LEAs may:• Provide educators with professional

development, and materials and supplies, to implement the schoolwide plan.

• Hire outside data experts to work with the staff of Title I schools to build their capacity to analyze student data more effectively to improve instruction and identify appropriate academic interventions.

• Hire mathematics and reading coaches to work with teachers where the data indicate a need for improved instruction or to help science teachers in a Title I school operating a schoolwide program to implement interdisciplinary strategies to promote literacy across the curriculum.

USE OF FUNDS

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Title I schoolwide schools may:• Increase participation of low-achieving students

in advanced coursework.• Provide intensive summer school classes for low-

achieving students, including high school students to prepare them for the rigor of taking advanced courses.

• Provide afterschool tutoring. • Develop and use formative and interim

assessments to track progress of low-achieving students and train teachers in their use.

• Purchase or develop supplemental instructional materials aimed at improving achievement of low-achieving students, including Student with Disabilities and English Learners.

USE OF FUNDS

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U.S. Department of Education

Title I schoolwide schools may:• Conduct needs assessments • Upgrade the curriculum for the entire school • Implement an early warning system to identify

low-achieving students or students at risk of dropping out

• Extend the school day or school year• Reorganize class schedules to increase

teacher planning time• Revamp the school’s discipline process to

improve achievement of low-achieving students

• Hire additional teachers to serve Title I students

• Hire specialist to coach teachers in how to better serve low-achieving students

USE OF FUNDS

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U.S. Department of Education

Title I schoolwide schools may:• Reorganize classes to promote personalized

learning for low-achieving students• Implement career academies to assist low-

performing students prepare for college and careers

• Implement school safety programs to improve the achievement of low-achieving students

• Provide professional development to ensure effective teachers and leaders to serve low-achieving students

• Engage in activities to improve school climate designed to improve the achievement of low-achieving students

USE OF FUNDS

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Turning Around Low-Achieving Title I Schools. Implementing rigorous interventions to turn around low-achieving schools

– Assessing strengths and weaknesses of school leaders, teachers, and other school staff

– Recruiting principals– Screening and identifying external partners – Multipronged strategies for changing school’s

culture and improving teaching and learning

USE OF FUNDS

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U.S. Department of Education

DISCUSSION

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