Gaston County Schools
County Schools
Title I
The Every Student Succeeds Act is the latest reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act and was approved by the US Congress in December 2015. This law provides significant federal support for programs to serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade and replaces the No Child Left Behind law of 2002.
With the enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), North Carolina and its local education agencies and charter schools will no longer implement Title I, Part A programs in accordance with the provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility provisions effective August 1, 2016. Under the ESSA transition provisions, as clarified by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) will award and administer 2016-17 Title I grant funds under the requirements of ESEA as reauthorized through the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
The purpose of the Title I program is to help low-achieving students meet our state's challenging academic content and performance standards. Schools qualify for Title I funds based on economic need. The Title I program offers a variety of services for participating schools, which may include: additional teachers and support staff, extra time for instruction, a variety of teaching methods and materials, smaller classes and additional training for staff.
NCDPI Submits Revised State Plan under the ESSA (February 9, 2018)
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) submitted a revised State Plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) with tracked changes to the U.S. Department of Education (USED) on February 9, 2018. The revised State Plan responds to the USED’s response letter issued on December 13, 2017.
Title I Requirements
Title I is the largest federal education program. Its intent is to help ensure that all children have the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging State academic content and performance standards.
Title I began with the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 and has since been amended by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which provided federal funding for high-poverty schools to help students who are behind academically and at risk of falling behind. Services can include hiring teachers to reduce class size, tutoring, purchase of instructional equipment, materials and supplies, parental involvement activities, professional development, prekindergarten programs, and hiring teachers and paraprofessionals.
Funding supports Title I School-wide Programs and Targeted Assistance Programs. School-wide programs are in schools that have an identified Direct Certification percentage of 50% in elementary schools, 65% in middle school and 75% in high schools. These schools have also gone through a one-year planning process. School-wide programs have flexibility in using their Title I funds, in conjunction with other funds in the school, to upgrade the operation of the entire school. School-wide programs must conduct a comprehensive needs assessment, identify and commit to specific goals and strategies that address those needs, create a comprehensive plan, and conduct an annual review of the effectiveness of the school-wide program that is revised as needed.