About Title I

Title I is the largest federal education program. It is intended to help ensure that all children have the opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards and assessments. Many of the major requirements of Title I are teacher and paraprofessional requirements, accountability, sanctions for schools designated for improvement, standards and assessments, annual state report cards, professional development, and parent involvement. 

Title I, began with the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, provides federal funding for schools to help students who are behind academically or at risk of falling behind. Services can include: hiring teachers to reduce class size, tutoring, computer labs, parental involvement activities, professional development, purchase of materials and supplies, pre-kindergarten programs, and hiring teacher assistants or others. 

About half the schools in North Carolina receive Title I funding as do all 115 of the state's school districts. Funding supports Title I Schoolwide Programs and Targeted Assistance Schools, depending on the level of poverty in the school and how the school wants to function. Schoolwide Programs are in schools that have at least 40 percent of their children on free or reduced-price lunch and go through a one-year planning process. Schoolwide 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. Targeted Assistance Schools use Title I funds to focus on helping the students most at risk of academic failure on state assessments. 

• Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)