Title I
What is Title I?
Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides financial assistance to states and school districts to meet the needs of educationally at-risk students. The goal of Title I is to provide extra instructional services and activities which support students identified as failing or most at risk of failing the state’s challenging performance standards in mathematics, reading, and writing.
What will Title I do for my child?
The Title I program will provide your student with extra educational assistance beyond the regular classroom.
Which schools does Title I Serve?
The program serves students in elementary and secondary (middle and high)schools who have demonstrated that extra assistance is needed. In Lynden School District, the following schools receive Title I funds: Fisher Elementary, Bernice Vossbeck Elementary, and Lynden Middle School. Title I also serves eligible students who attend participating private schools because these funds are federal funds (not local or state). The district is required to provide access to a proportionate share of these federal funds for Lynden Christian Schools (the only participating Private School at this time).
How does our school receive Title I money?
First, the federal government provides funding to each state. Then, each State Educational Agency sends money to its school districts. How much money each school receives is determined by the number of low-income students attending that school. Finally, Title I schools:
- Identify the students at their school who need the most educational assistance based on the criteria that school has chosen. Students do NOT have to be from low-income families to receive Title I services.
- Set goals for improving the skills of educationally disadvantaged students at their school.
- Measure student progress to determine the success of the Title I program for each student.
- Develop programs for each individual student in order to support/supplement regular classroom instruction.
What do Title I programs offer?
Title I programs generally offer:
- Smaller classes or special instructional spaces
- Additional teachers and aides
- Opportunities for professional development for school staff
- Extra time for teaching Title I students the skills they need
- A variety of supplementary teaching methods
- An individualized program for students
- Additional teaching materials which supplement a student’s regular instruction
Title I in Lynden School District
Each year Lynden School District receives federal funds to provide supplemental services to students who are not yet meeting the academic standards set forth at the state level. These federal funds can only be used in specific ways because they are “categorical funds.” Following the regulations set forth at the federal and state level, the district utilizes these Title I funds at 3 schools to implement school wide approaches targeting students based on academic need:
- Fisher Elementary
- Bernice Vossbeck Elementary
- Lynden Middle School
In each of these schools there are a number of strategies used to help students gain access to learning conditions that make a difference for their particular need(s). The district uses an approach recognized by the state. This approach, a Schoolwide Title I Model, is widely recognized as a “best practice” which allows districts some additional flexibility for how these funds are used.
Schoolwide Model – Title I, Part A
A schoolwide program takes the form of a comprehensive reform strategy designed to improve all educational programming in a school. The primary goal is to ensure that all students, particularly those who are presently achieving below the state standards, are provided the means by which they can meet and exceed the learning goals defined by state academic standards. This can differ at each site where Title I funds are used but this goal remains the same.
Schools that receive Title I, Part A funds and use the schoolwide model must complete these 4 reform strategies:
- Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment.
- Identify goals and strategies that address those needs.
- Commit to putting the strategies into action and meeting related goals.
- Create a comprehensive plan.
- Conduct an annual review that evaluates the effectiveness of the schoolwide program.
- Revise the plan as necessary.
