Title I

This program provides financial assistance through State educational agencies (SEAs) to local educational agencies (LEAs) and public schools with high numbers or percentages of poor children to help ensure that all children meet challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards.

LEAs target the Title I funds they receive to public schools with the highest percentages of children from low-income families. Unless a participating school is operating a schoolwide program, the school must focus Title I services on children who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet State academic standards. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school.

Title I is designed to support State and local school reform efforts tied to challenging State academic standards in order to reinforce and amplify efforts to improve teaching and learning for students farthest from meeting State standards. Individual public schools with poverty rates above 40 percent may use Title I funds, along with other Federal, State, and local funds, to operate a "schoolwide program" to upgrade the instructional program for the whole school. Schools with poverty rates below 40 percent, or those choosing not to operate a schoolwide program, offer a "targeted assistance program" in which the school identifies students who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the State's challenging performance standards, then designs, in consultation with parents, staff, and district staff, an instructional program to meet the needs of those students. Both schoolwide and targeted assistance program, must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and included strategies to support parental involvement.

Title I, Part A funds generally offer the following initiatives and programs.

• Smaller classes or special instructional spaces
• Additional teachers and aides
• Opportunities for professional development for school staff extra time for teaching Title I students the skills they need a variety of supplementary teaching methods
• An individualized program for students
• Additional teaching materials which supplement regular instruction

This program is used to support class-size reduction and to provide research based high-quality professional development that improves the knowledge of all teachers and principals in the district.

Title II, Part A funds generally offer the following initiatives and programs.

• Recruit, hire and retain highly qualified teachers and principals
• Provide research-based, high-quality professional development activities
• Support the acquisition of advanced degrees to the extent that doing so is consistent with the LEA's
• Needs assessment and local plan
• Provide training activities to enhance the involvement of parents in their child's education
• Pay the salary of a highly qualified replacement teacher when the regular classroom teacher is on sabbatical
• Pay the costs of State tests required of new teachers to determine whether they have subject matter competency and to assist them in meeting State certification requirements
• Purchase supplies or instructional materials used as part of professional development activities

• Carry out teacher advancement initiatives that promotes professional growth.

Title III is the portion of No Child Left Behind that serves English as a Second Language students.  Through Title III, students who have a primary language other than English receive instruction in English in a specialized setting.  Tennessee has more than 35 language groups who come from more than 50 countries.  For these students, English is not the first language they learned to speak.  However, for many of these students, English is the first language in which they have learned to read and write.  ESL classes vary from district to district and from school to school.  The purpose of the Title III office in the State of Tennessee is to offer support and guidance in meeting federal and state guidelines set forth to educate this important subgroup in Tennessee schools.

This program is used to support districts in providing a well-rounded and safe education for students.

Title IV, Part A funds generally offer the following initiatives and programs.

• Pay for ACT exams for low income students
• Pay for tuition for dual enrollment and dual credit classes for low income students
• Promote safe and healthy school environments
• Provide access to technology
• Provide access to a well-rounded education