Understanding Title I Programs: Ensuring Equity in Education for All Students

1. Title I Faculty Presentation Department of Federal and State Programs 434-8017 or PX 48017

2. ESEA • The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) originally passed under President Johnson’s Administration in 1965 • ESEA was last reauthorized in 2001 and renamed the No Child Left Behind Act • The current trend is to move away from this term pending reauthorization • Title I is part of the ESEA – a federal regulation

3. Title I Schools • 131 Title I schools in Palm Beach County for FY13 • 103 Public Schools • 22 Charter Schools • 6 Alternative Schools • Charter and Alternative Schools must follow same requirements as other public schools

4. Purpose of Title I To ensure ALL children have a fair, equitable, and significant opportunity for a high quality education

5. Qualifying for Title I • Each year schools are identified as Title I based on the percentage of students in the school eligible for free and reduced (FRPL) price meals on Date Certain • Date Certain for the FY13 school year was December 22, 2011 • Schools meeting the District’s minimum percentage qualify for Title I funding • The FY13 minimum percentage is 49.5% • Date Certain for FY14 is December 21, 2012

6. Qualifying for Title I • The number of eligible students is multiplied by the per pupil allocation Example • On Date Certain, 312 students were eligible for f/r priced meals at Sunshine Elementary. This group represents 69% of the total student population. Per pupil allocation = $355 (set by District) School allocation = 312 x $355 or $110,760

7. Highly Qualified Staff • ALL core subject area teachers must be highly qualified: • Bachelor’s degree • State certification • For elementary teachers, a subject area exam or completed HOUSSE plan or NBPTS certificate for appropriate level or completed Out-of-State HQ Verification • For new middle/secondary teachers, a subject area exam or completed HOUSSE plan for the appropriate subject and level or NBPTS certificate for appropriate subject area and level or completed Out-of-State HQ Verification

8. Highly Qualified Staff • Teachers must be highly qualified upon hiring in the following content areas: elementary education, reading, math, science, history, civics and government, economics, geography, music, art, drama, English, and foreign languages • ALL non-instructional staffproviding academic support to studentsmust be highly qualified: • Two years of college or • 60 college credits or • Pass a rigorous test

9. Professional Development • Must be evidenced-based and on-going • Must be reflected in the School Improvement Plan/Schoolwide Plan (SIP/SWP) • Must address the needs of students not meeting high standards • All out-of-county/state travel must be documented in the SIP/SWP, address core content, and be approved prior to booking travel

10. Required for AuditDocumentation 10

11. Parents’ Right to Know • Upon request, Title I parents may view the professional qualifications of their child’s teachers and paraprofessionals • If a student is taught by a teacher who is not highly qualified for four or more consecutive weeks, the parents must receive timely notice • Assessment results, such as FCAT 2.0, must be provided to parents, in an appropriate language, regarding the achievement level of their child

12. Family Involvement • Karen Mapp, parent involvement researcher at Harvard Graduate School of Education, says students in schools with solid family involvement programs: • Are more likely to enroll in higher-level programs and earn more credits • Have better social skills, behavior, and adapt more easily to school • Attend more regularly and are more likely to graduate Family Involvement is a major focus of Title I

13. Family Involvement School-Parent Compact The School-Parent Compact is an agreement between the home and the school, which outlines how families, staff, and students will share the responsibility for improving student achievement. The School-Parent Compact must be: • Developed with input from parents and staff • Distributed to all parents in appropriate language • Utilized during parent/teacher conferences (required for elementary schools)

14. Family Involvement Parent Involvement Policy/Plan The Parent Involvement Policy/Plan (PIP) is a blueprint of the school’s parent activities to build capacity and empower parents as their child’s first teacher. The Parent Involvement Policy/Plan must: • Be jointly developed with input from parents and staff • Be distributed to all parents in appropriate language • Demonstrate involvement of parents in an organized, ongoing and timely manner with the planning, reviewing, and improvement of Title I programs • Provide parents the opportunity to be decision-makers

15. Final Words Title I impacts an entire school through supplemental classroom support, parent involvement, and professional development. Keep in mind that: • All staff members are responsible for understanding Title I compliance and may be asked to participate in onsite interviews during audits • You may be asked to provide supporting documentation to show evidence of compliance • Title I funding is supplemental and frequently monitored by District, State, and Federal personnel • You may visit the Department of Federal and State Programs’ website for more information regarding Title I

16. Thank you from the Department of Federal and State Programs