Title I

Definition

Title I is a federal program that provides financial assistance to schools and school districts with a high percentage of children from low-income families. The goal of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Title I is the largest federal education funding program, providing over $15 billion annually to schools and districts.
2. Schools qualify for Title I funding based on the percentage of students from low-income families, as determined by free and reduced-price lunch eligibility.
3. Title I funds can be used for a variety of purposes, including hiring additional teachers and aides, providing professional development, and purchasing instructional materials and technology.
4. Schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families (typically 40% or more) can use Title I funds to implement a schoolwide program, while schools with lower percentages must use a targeted assistance approach.
5. Title I programs are required to use evidence-based instructional strategies and to monitor student progress to ensure that all students are meeting state academic standards.

Review Questions

• Explain the purpose and goals of the Title I program within the context of intergovernmental relationships.
  • The purpose of the Title I program is to provide federal funding and support to schools and districts with a high percentage of students from low-income families. This program aims to ensure that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic background, have access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to meet challenging academic standards. Title I is part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which establishes the federal government's role in K-12 education and the intergovernmental relationships between the federal, state, and local levels of government in supporting and regulating public schools.
• Describe the different approaches that schools can take in implementing Title I programs and how these approaches may impact intergovernmental relationships.
  • Schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families (typically 40% or more) can use Title I funds to implement a schoolwide program, where the entire educational program is upgraded to raise academic achievement for all students. In contrast, schools with lower percentages of low-income students must use a targeted assistance approach, where Title I funds are used to provide additional educational services to students identified as failing or at risk of failing to meet state academic standards. The choice of program model can affect how schools interact with state and local education agencies, as well as the level of flexibility and autonomy they have in using Title I funds to meet the unique needs of their student population.
• Analyze how the monitoring and accountability requirements of the Title I program influence the intergovernmental relationships between federal, state, and local education agencies.
  • Title I programs are required to use evidence-based instructional strategies and to monitor student progress to ensure that all students are meeting state academic standards. This accountability framework creates a complex web of intergovernmental relationships, as the federal government sets the overall requirements, state education agencies are responsible for developing and implementing state standards and assessments, and local school districts and schools must demonstrate compliance with these standards and report on student outcomes. The need to coordinate and align these various levels of governance can lead to tensions and challenges in the intergovernmental relationships, as each level of government may have different priorities, resources, and capacities. However, the accountability measures also serve to promote collaboration and information-sharing across these levels to improve educational outcomes for students.

Related terms

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA): The federal law that governs K-12 public education policy, including the Title I program. ESEA was first enacted in 1965 and has been reauthorized several times, most recently as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015.

Schoolwide Program: A type of Title I program where a school uses Title I funds to upgrade the entire educational program of the school in order to raise academic achievement for all students.

Targeted Assistance Program: A type of Title I program where a school uses Title I funds to provide additional educational services to students identified as failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet state academic standards.