Title I Programs

Schoolwide Programs A school may operate a Title I schoolwide program in order to upgrade the entire educational program of the school when at least 40 percent of the students in the school attendance area, or at least 40 percent of the students enrolled in the school, are from low-income families. The Superintendent or designee shall inform any such eligible school and the school's parents/guardians of the school's eligibility and its ability to consolidate funds from federal, state, and local sources for program purposes. (20 USC 6312, 6314) Any participating school shall develop, annually review, and update a single plan for student achievement which incorporates the plan required by 20 USC 6314 for reforming the school's total instructional program and plans required by other categorical programs included in the state's consolidated application. (Education Code 64001; 20 USC 6314) A schoolwide program shall include: (20 USC 6314) - A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school, including the needs of migrant students, which includes the achievement of students in relation to state academic content and achievement standards - Schoolwide reform strategies that: - Provide opportunities for all students to meet the state's proficient and advanced levels of achievement - Use effective methods and instructional strategies, based on scientifically based research, that strengthen the school's core academic program, increase the amount and quality of learning time, help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum, and include strategies for meeting the educational needs of historically underserved populations - Include strategies to address the needs of all students in the school, but particularly the needs of low-achieving students and those at risk of not meeting state achievement standards who are members of the target population of any program that is part of the schoolwide program Such strategies may include counseling, student services, mentoring services, college and career awareness and preparation - Address how the school will determine if student needs have been met - Are consistent with and designed to implement state and local improvement plans, if any - Instruction by highly qualified teachers - High-quality and ongoing professional development for teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and, if appropriate, student services personnel, other staff, and parents/guardians to enable all students in the school to meet state academic achievement standards - Strategies to attract high-quality, highly qualified teachers to high-need schools - Strategies to increase parent involvement - Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs to elementary school programs - Measures to include teachers in decisions regarding the use of academic assessments to provide information on and to improve the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program - Activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty mastering the proficient and advanced levels of academic standards shall be provided with effective, timely additional assistance, which shall include measures for timely identification of students' difficulties and provision of sufficient information on which to base effective assistance - Coordination and integration of federal, state, and local services and programs Parent Involvement Policy The local governing board of each local educational agency (LEA), or agency, receiving Title I, Part A funding shall establish and implement a written parent and family engagement policy and program. Each LEA receiving Title I, Part A funding shall develop jointly with, agree on with, and distribute to, parents and family members of participating children, a written parent and family engagement policy which shall be incorporated into the LEA level plan, establish the agency's expectations and objectives for meaningful parent and family involvement, and describe how the LEA shall carry out the following requirements: Involve parents and family members in the joint development of the agency's plan, and in the development of support and improvement plans under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1111(d) of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Provide coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build the capacity of all participating schools within the LEA in planning and implementing effective parent and family involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance. Coordinate and integrate Title I, Part A parent and family engagement strategies with parent and family engagement strategies, to the extent feasible and appropriate, with other relevant federal, state, and local laws and programs. Conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parent and family engagement policy in improving the academic quality of the schools served, including identifying the following: - Barriers to greater participation by parents in activities authorized by this section (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). - The needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers. - Strategies to support successful school and family interactions. Use the findings of such evaluation to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary, the parent and family engagement policy. Involve parents in activities of the schools served under Title I, Part A to adequately represent the needs of the population served by such agency for the purposes of developing, revising, and reviewing the parent and family engagement policy. The LEA parent and family engagement policy for all schools (Title I and non-Title I) in the LEA shall be consistent with the following goals and purposes: Engage parents and family members positively in their children's education by providing assistance and training on topics such as state academic standards and assessments to develop knowledge and skills to use at home to support their children's academic efforts at school and their children's development as responsible future members of our society. Inform parents that they can directly affect the success of their children's learning, by providing parents with techniques and strategies that they may utilize to improve their children's academic success and to assist their children in learning at home. Build consistent and effective two-way communication between family members and the school so that parents and family members may know when and how to assist their children in support of classroom learning activities. Train teachers, school administrators, specialized instructional support personnel, and other staff to communicate effectively with parents as equal partners. Integrate and coordinate parent and family engagement activities with the local control and accountability plan (LCAP), as applicable, with other programs. The LEA receiving more than $500,000 in Title I, Part A funds shall reserve at least one percent of its allocation to carry out parent and family engagement activities. Parents and family members of children receiving Title I, Part A services shall be involved in the decisions regarding how funds reserved are allotted for parental involvement activities. Not less than 90 percent of the funds reserved shall be distributed to schools served with priority given to high-need schools. Funds reserved by an LEA shall be used to carry out activities and strategies consistent with the LEA's parent and family engagement policy, including not less than one of the following: Supporting schools and nonprofit organizations in providing professional development (PD) for LEA and school personnel regarding parent and family engagement strategies. Supporting programs that reach parents and family members at home, in the community, and at school. Disseminating information on best practices focused on parent and family engagement, especially best practices for increasing the engagement of economically disadvantaged parents and family members. Collaborating, or providing subgrants to schools to enable such schools to collaborate, with community-based or other organizations or employers with a record of success in improving and increasing parent and family engagement. Engaging in any other activities and strategies that the LEA determines are appropriate and consistent with such agency's parent and family engagement policy. Comparability of Services State and local funds used in schools receiving Title I funds shall provide services that, taken as a whole, are at least comparable to services in schools that are not receiving Title I funds or, if all district schools are receiving Title I funds, that are substantially comparable in each school. Comparability may be determined on a school-by-school basis or by grade span. (20 USC 6321) The LEA shall have written assurances/policies showing the comparability of services across district schools. The assurances shall address the following items: (1) LEA-wide salary schedule; (2) a policy to ensure equivalence among schools in teachers, administrators, and other staff; and (3) a policy to ensure equivalence among schools in the provision of curriculum materials and instructional supplies. (20 U.S.C Section 6321[c][2]) The LEA shall develop procedures for compliance and shall maintain records that are updated biennially to demonstrate compliance and maintain data to support allowable exclusions of funds and/or staff from the calculations. (20 U.S.C. Section 6321[c][3]) The comparability of services requirement shall not apply to an LEA that does not have more than one school for each grade span. (20 U.S.C. Section 6321[c][4]) To demonstrate comparability of services among district schools: - The Board shall adopt and implement a districtwide salary schedule. - The ratio of students to teachers, administrators, and other staff at each Title I school shall not exceed 110 percent of the average ratio across non-Title I schools. - Salary expenditures at each Title I school shall be no less than 90 percent of the average salary expenditure across non-Title I schools. - All district schools shall be provided with the same level of base funding per student for curriculum and instructional materials. - The Superintendent or designee shall maintain records of the quantity and quality of instructional materials and equipment at each school. At the beginning of each school year, the Superintendent or designee shall measure comparability in accordance with the above criteria and maintain records documenting the district's compliance. If any instances of non comparability are identified, the Superintendent or designee shall promptly implement adjustments as needed to ensure comparability. Participation of Private School Students The Superintendent or designee shall provide or contract to provide special educational services or other Title I benefits to eligible private school students residing in a participating school attendance area. Such services and benefits shall be provided on an equitable basis with participating public school students. (20 USC 6320, 7881) Teachers, other educational personnel, and families of participating private school students shall have an opportunity to participate, on an equitable basis, in parent involvement activities and professional development pursuant to 20 USC 6318 and 6319. (20 USC 6320, 7881) Each year the Superintendent or designee shall contact officials of private schools with students who reside within district boundaries, regardless of whether the private school they attend is located within the district or whether or not those officials have previously indicated any interest in program participation. The Superintendent or designee shall consult, in a meaningful and timely manner, with appropriate private school officials during the design and development of the district's Title I programs. Such consultation shall occur before the district makes any decision that affects the opportunities of eligible private school students to participate in Title I programs and shall include a discussion of: (20 USC 6320, 7881; 34 CFR 200.63) - How the needs of private school students will be identified - What services will be offered - How, where, and by whom the services will be provided - How the services will be academically assessed and how assessment results will be used to improve those services - The size and scope of the equitable services to be provided to private school students and the proportion of funds that is allocated for such services - The method or sources of data that are used to determine the number of students from low-income families in participating school attendance areas who attend private schools - How and when the district will make decisions about the delivery of service to such students, including a thorough consideration and analysis of the views of private school officials on the provision of services through a third-party provider - How, if the district disagrees with the views of private school officials on the provision of services through a third-party provider, the district will provide to private school officials a written analysis of the reasons that the district has chosen not to use a contractor Meetings between district and private school officials shall continue throughout implementation and assessment of services. (20 USC 6320) The Superintendent or designee shall maintain, and shall provide to the California Department of Education upon request, a written affirmation signed by officials of each participating private school that consultation has occurred. (20 USC 6320) If the private school officials do not provide such affirmation within a reasonable period of time, the Superintendent or designee shall maintain records of the consultation or the offer of consultation. The Superintendent or designee also shall maintain records documenting that: - The needs of private school teachers and/or private school students were identified. - The funds made available were equitable to those allocated for public school students and teachers. - The district's program met the needs of the private school teachers and/or private school students. - The district made efforts to resolve any complaints made by private school representatives.