Title I
Title I
Title I is a federal program that was established to narrow the gap in academic achievement between low-income students and their peers by providing supplemental funding to school districts. The Clay County School district uses Title I funding for a variety of purposes at 2 of the district's schools. Teachers providing supplemental instruction are employed for each of the district's Title I schools. Supplemental instructional materials and educational technology are purchased as well. In the coming months, changes will be implemented as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is instituted across the nation.
Two schools in the district receive Title I assistance. These schools are classified as school-wide schools. In a school-wide school, all students enrolled at the school may receive benefits from Title I services. The Clay County School district maintains a Title I plan for the district.
As a requirement for receiving Title I funds, each school must develop a Continuous Improvement Plan. This is a detailed plan of how the faculty, administration, parents and students will utilize the Title I funds to improve the academic achievement of the school. The plan is based upon a comprehensive needs assessment at each school. This allows the school's Continuous Improvement Team to address the most critical needs at the school. The local school budget for Title I funds is developed to meet accountability standards and improve student achievement. This is known as school-wide authority. The ACIP for each school can be found at the school or at the Clay County Schools' central office. For additional information about the Title I program at your child's school, you may contact the principal.
Title I schools are also required to take measures to improve parental involvement in the educational process. Studies have shown that having a parent take an active part in a child's education yields improvement in the academic achievement of the student. A portion of the Title I funding awarded to the district is set aside for use in supporting activities to improve parental involvement.
As a parent of a child attending a Title I school, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the teacher who instructs your child. The NCLB Act of 2001 allows you to ask for certain information about your child's classroom teacher. Specifically, you have the right to ask for the following information about each of your child's classroom teachers:
- Whether the Alabama State Department of Education has licenses or qualified the teacher for the grades an subjects he or she teaches
- Whether the Alabama State Department of Education has decided that the teacher can teach in a classroom without being licensed or qualified under state regulations because of special circumstances
- The certifications of teachers; whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and, if so, the subject of the degrees
- Whether any teacher aide or similar paraprofessional provides services to your child and if they do, their qualifications.
If you have questions or would like additional information regarding the Title I programs in Clay County Schools, you may email Dr. Scarlet Thomas (thomass@clayk12.org) for more information.