Title I is a federally funded program which provides services to schools based on student economic need. Schools are ranked according to percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunches and are funded in descending order until funds are depleted. Chatham County’s 33 Title I schools are categorized as schoolwide and targeted assistance programs. A Schoolwide program permits schools to use resources to upgrade the entire educational program of the school and to raise academic achievement for all the students. A Targeted Assistance program permits schools to use funds to supplement educational services for eligible children who are failing or at risk of failing to meet State standards.
Every Title I school has a School Improvement and Accountability Plan that includes:
- Comprehensive needs assessment – a school profile summary narrative
- Schoolwide reform strategies – scientifically research based strategies that are aligned to the needs of the students
- Instruction by highly qualified professional staff – strategies to retain and attract highly qualified staff to the school
- Ongoing professional development – professional development for staff to help students meet proficiency in all academic content areas
- Strategies to increase parental involvement – increasing the partnership between school, home, and the community
- School transitioning – helping students and families transition between grade levels especially PreK to Kindergarten, 5th to 6th, 8th to 9th, and 12 to college and/or career.
- Measures to include teachers in the use of assessment – using data to inform instruction
- Coordination and integration of federal, state and local agencies – description of how Title I resources will be used to supplement local, State and other federal resources
- Activities to ensure that students who experience academic difficulty are given additional, effective, and timely assistance – to help students achieve levels of mastery in the content areas
- Description of how the students assessment results and its interpretation are provided to parents
- How the assessment results will be collected and disaggregated
- Ensuring that the assessment results are valid and reliable
- How the results are reported to the public
- Planning the School Improvement and Accountability Plan on a continuous basis – for an entire year
- Collaboratively developing the plan – with parents, teachers, administrators, and the community
- The plan is available for all parents and community members
- The plan is easy to read and is in a language that is understandable by all
- The plan is subject to the school improvement provisions of Section 1116 – it meets the requirements of the ESEA flexibility waiver
