Just because students are low-income, it does not mean that they do not deserve a quality education. Though, as a whole, the government cannot change a family’s economic status, they can do things to ensure that they receive an education that is up to par with their counterparts.
The title one program is one way that this is attempted to be remedied. We will help you understand what title one school programs are and some of the advantages of title one school.
Is your school a title one school? This is one question we can undoubtedly help you to answer. All you have to do is keep reading to find more information.
What Does a Title One School Mean?
What Does a Title One School Mean?Title one school programs are federally funded educational programs which have a mission of assisting schools with large populations of impoverished students. A title one school receives supplemental government funding for title one students.
You may be wondering who is considered a title one student. This group is made up of homeless students, students with specific disabilities, migrants, and students who have little understanding of the English language. Title one students can also include students who have been neglected or who are considered “at-risk.”
If you are receiving free or reduced-price lunch, you are likely a title one student as well. This is one of the most significant federal education programs in the United States.
What is the Purpose of Title One School?
Title one schools’ main goal is to ensure that title one students are able to receive the resources they need to be successful that they may not be getting at home. For example, many students who are considered to be title one will likely not have access to an abundance of books or things that will help them further their cognitive function. Parents will also likely be so consumed with getting by that they do not have the time to devote to their children. This is where a Title one school will come into the picture.
The supplemental funding provided by the government is meant to provide schools with resources and even extra staff to ensure they are getting a fair chance. Funding will often go to things like curriculum improvements, staff increases, counseling, and several other beneficial options. These additional resources are then utilized to bring students cognitively to the appropriate level and align with state standards.
What are Title One Programs?
There are several Title One programs implemented in schools across the country. These programs vary by school and what a school’s specific needs are. There are several categories of needs for students, which extend to the programs that are offered.
Extended Learning
For some students, a typical school day might not be enough time to understand the information they do not understand. This means that schools and teachers must accommodate them in other ways to ensure they are academically up to state standards. For this reason, title one programs have been created to extend learning hours. This means the implementation of things like Saturday school, after-school programs, or even additional help with students who may struggle with English.
These funds may also be extended to resources like computer-aided instruction, additional staff, and even technology-related expenses.
Parent Programs
Title one school programs are not limited to just students. Parents must be able to lead and be involved in their child’s schooling in order for it to be successful. This is why parent involvement is often a mandate for title one funding and why there is an abundance of resources offered to parents as well.
Parent University is one program that is offered. This enables schools to provide support and resources for parents that aid them in increasing student success and empowering families to do better for themselves by providing them a lifeline to resources and opportunities that may be beneficial to them.
Literacy & Academic Programs
Title one funds provide a number of different academic programs for students to take advantage of to ensure that they are meeting the educational threshold that the state sets. This includes programs that aid in teaching students better reading & comprehension and programs that will provide resources and supplies to ensure that students have books and technology. Sample programs include Even Start and even Reading First.
Title one funds can also be provided to a district or portions of the district to operate pre-schools. These pre-schools are operated to serve children who reside in a specific district who are not likely to meet the state’s requirements for academic achievement.
Overall, Title One funding can go to a number of different resources within a school. The list below is just a sample of what Title one grants can help pay for. This is only a small representation of what these funds are eligible to pay.
- Professional development for teachers
- Banquets and ceremonies that foster parent and family engagement
- Salaries for school counselors
- Speech pathologists
- Services for homeless, delinquent, or neglected students
- Transportation to and from title one programs
- In-home tutoring
- Instructional field trips
- Computer and technology services
- Online and educational subscriptions which are deems as beneficial to students and faculty for their growth
- Take home supplies for students to ensure that they are able to work diligently from home.
Who is Eligible for Title One Funds?
Now that you are aware of what type of title one school programs exist, it’s essential to understand who is eligible for this fund and the title one school requirements that an institution must meet to receive these funds. One determining factor for eligibility of title one funds is the number of school-age children within a district. This refers to students who are between the ages of five and seventeen. Any children outside of this age group will not be counted.
Schools that have a student population with forty percent or more students receiving free lunch are eligible to receive funds via the school-wide program. Therefore, no matter the number of title one students in the district, there may be far more students benefiting from the funds, even ones that are not explicitly considered title one students.
Size is a major determining factor in what and how much money is awarded to a school or a program. However, ironically, smaller school districts tend to get less funding when utilizing targeted and grants. However, several stipulations factor into how much a school will receive.
How are Title One Schools Determined?
There is an abundance of title one regulations that must be met in order to become a Title one school or program. Currently, there are two types of programs offered for students. These include targeted assistance programs as well as school-wide programs. Each comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages as well as requirements to maintain its title one status.
School-wide title one programs are eligible to use the federal funds to benefit the entire school. This means that any new services, amenities, and upgrades would go to all students rather than just students who are considered to be title one. These schools must create improvement plans to demonstrate how the fund will be used and how they will benefit all students but, more specifically, title one student. This plan must involve not only teachers and faculty but parents as well.
Target programs, however, are not allowed to use their funds for the benefit of these entire schools. Instead, targeted assisted refers to being able to target a specific group of students and utilizing those funds for the betterment of the group rather than the whole school.
Funding for title one programs is delivered via a variety of grants from the government. There are four different grants that a school or a district can receive. These grants include the following:
Basic Grants
Basic grants are given when the number of children, school-age children, in a representative area total more than ten and exceed two percent of the population. A specific formula is used to determine how much a school is set to receive.
Concentration Grants
Concentration grants are slightly different than basic grants. Concentration grants are given to educational institutions when the number of eligible children in the area is over 6500 or totals more than fifteen percent of the school-age population.
Targeted Grants
Targeted grants are calculated using the same data as basic and concentrated. However, one significant difference is they are weighted. This means that areas with higher numbers of children from low-income families will receive more money.
Finance Incentive Grants
Last but not least are Education finance incentive grants. These grants are based on how funds are distributed within the state and the state’s ability to provide educational, financial support. This grant is most commonly given to districts with the highest number of eligible states.
How to Find Out If Your School is Title One?
Are you wondering if your school is a title one school or not? If so, there is an easy way to find out the status of you or your child’s school. This can be done by simply hopping online. Fortunately, there is a list of title one schools available online, which allows you to search by a number of different criteria.
The National Center for Education Statistics, also known as the NCES, provides a search again that will enable you to view a school’s status. The tool is available for all cities and states. It allows you to search not only public schools but private schools as well. This search engine can be found here. To avoid any confusion, we will walk you through how to use the tool.
- When beginning your search, you will need to have some preliminary information about the school. The search criteria include state, city, zip code, distance in miles from the specified zip code, or the school’s name. You also have the option to choose whether the school is public or private.
- One additional option that is not mandatory for you is how you would like the list sorted. This can be done by name, city, or state. However, to successfully execute your search, you must include at least one of the search criteria and choose an institution type.
- Once you have executed your search, you will be provided with a list of schools. After you have found the school, you are looking to inquire about, select its title. This should open a new page on top of the search dedicated to the school with further details.
- To find out if the school is a title one school, you will need to select the “More Information” link displayed at the top of the page. This will open a full page of information pertaining to the chosen institution.
- Within the school details section of this page, you will see two headings that pertain to Title one. These include “Title I School” or “Title I School-Wide Program.” The first line will display a yes or a no. The second option will provide information on any programs that are currently going on at the school. A legend at the bottom of the page indicates the meaning behind any symbols used on the page.
Outside of the title one information that the page provides, you are also able to find out an abundance of other information about the school. This information includes the total number of students, a demographic breakdown, student/teacher ratio, and much more.
If your school is a title one school or a part of any other title one program, then it will be listed on this site, with a yes indicator for either option. You can also find the number of students listed eligible for free and reduced lunch, numbers that tie directly back to a school’s title one designation.
Wrapping Things Up: What is a Title One School?
We hope we have provided you with some valuable information that you may not have known about title one schools and the programs that they offer. Title one funding guidelines are meant to be used to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are able to receive an education that brings them up to par with state standards.
If you are curious if your school or your child’s school currently utilizes title one funds, the National Center for Education Statistics provides a list of all educational institutions and their title one school or program statuses. It is important to remember that a school’s title one status is determined by a number of different title one school requirements which take into account the number of school-age children currently experiencing homelessness, poverty, or a variety of other circumstances. A formula is used to generate the amount of funding that a school will receive. However, this funding is not just meant for students but also parents, providing them with resources and opportunities to get more involved in their child’s academic success and have a better life.
