Understanding Title I Programs: Targeted Assistance and Schoolwide Spring 2011 What is Title I? Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act also known as Improving The Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged - is the largest and one of the nation’s oldest federally funded education programs. It provides additional funds to local school districts to assist low achieving students in high poverty schools. Title I funds must be used to provide services that are supplemental or, in addition to, services normally provided by the school district. Funds are used to help all students meet the states challenging academic standards. In Massachusetts, most districts receive Title I funds as shown by the shaded blue area on the map. In the 2010-2011 school year, approximately 279,000 students - almost 30% of the total school age population – were in schools operating Title I programs. Districts can fund two types of Title I programs in their schools: Targeted Assistance programs and/or Schoolwide programs. The Targeted Assistance program is the traditional type of Title I program and was introduced with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965. The purpose of a Targeted Assistance program is to provide extra assistance to low achieving students in schools that serve students in poverty. Schoolwide programming was introduced in 1978 to allow for more flexibility in higher poverty schools. The purpose of a Schoolwide program is to upgrade the entire educational program in a school and serve all students. More than half of the 1800 schools in Massachusetts receive Title I funds. In the 2010-2011 school year, Massachusetts districts had about a quarter of its schools with Targeted Assistance programs and about a quarter with Schoolwide programs. 253,000 students attend Schoolwide program schools, the majority of which are in urban areas. This represents more than a quarter of all school age children in Massachusetts. An additional 26,000 students receive Title I services in Targeted Assistance programs. Of the total number of students in Title I programs in Massachusetts, nearly half are in elementary school, about 22% are in middle school, 20% in high school, and 12% in pre K or kindergarten. What is a Targeted Assistance Program? In a Targeted Assistance program, a school uses Title I funds to provide individual students with the greatest academic need with extra educational assistance beyond the regular classroom. Services are supplemental or, in addition to, services normally provided by the school district for participating children. These services can include pull-out, in-class, extended day, or extended year summer programs. What is a Schoolwide Program? In a Schoolwide program, a school uses Title I funds in combination with other federal, State, and local funds to upgrade the school's entire educational program. To be eligible to run a schoolwide program, the school’s poverty level must be at least 40%. A schoolwide program allows for: Flexibility in combining resources, serving all students, redesigning the school and its services; Reducing curricular and instructional fragmentation; Ensuring all students are responsible for achieving the same high standards; and Unification of goals to bring parents, the community and the school together to redesign and improve the school. Both programs must: be used to provide services that are supplemental or, in addition to, services normally provided by the school district for participating children; coordinate with and support the regular education program; use scientifically proven effective methods and instructional strategies; provide instruction by highly qualified teachers; and implement strategies to increase parental involvement Differences Between Targeted Assistance and Schoolwide programs Now we are going to go into more detail regarding differences between Targeted Assistance and Schoolwide programs. School Eligibility and Student Selection In both Targeted Assistance and Schoolwide programs, only eligible Title I schools may be served. In general, all schools at or above district average poverty level are eligible for Title I funds. A Targeted Assistance program exclusively serves children with the greatest academic needs in a targeted area, for example reading or math. Eligible Title I students are identified using educationally related, objective, and uniformly applied criteria. In a Schoolwide program, the school’s poverty level must be at least 40%. A Schoolwide program serves all children in a school, with the lowest achieving students getting priority for services. Allowable Expenditures In a Targeted Assistance program, Title I funds are only used to support targeted academic programs for eligible children. For example, after school math tutoring for low achieving students. Title I services must be supplementary to regular services, in other words services that would be offered in the absence of Title I. In a Schoolwide program, funds are used to upgrade the entire educational program. For example, hiring a reading coach available to work with all students in a school. Title I funds must be supplementary, but may fund any types of academically related services. School Staff In a Targeted Assistance program, individual staff members are identified as “Title I staff” and may only serve Title I children. In a Schoolwide program, all staff are considered “Title I staff” and may serve any child. In both programs, split-funded personnel may be partially funded through Title I and work with Title I students for a portion of their time. Additionally, all Title I teachers must meet the qualification requirements set out in Title I of the Federal education law and sufficient resources must be made available for high quality, ongoing professional development. For additional episodes as well as information and technical assistance on the many facets of the Title I program, please visit our website at the address shown: http://www.doe.mass.edu/titlei/ Or contact the Title I office by phone or email. Title I phone line: 781-338-6230 Title I email: title1@doe.mass.edu Thanks to staff and students at Columbus Elementary School, Medford Public Schools, and ESE Operations Staff.