Title I
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Title I, Part A (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) is the largest single program of federal aid for elementary and secondary education. The key element of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is accountability, which requires schools to show results of their instructional efforts. Under this law, the federal government has:
- set minimum qualifications for teachers in all public schools, whether or not the schools receive federal funding
- set minimum qualifications for newly hired paraprofessionals in Title I schools
- established a national deadline of 2014 for all public school students to reach an achievement level of “proficiency”
- authorized use of federal funds for a program of extra tutoring for children attending schools identified as “in need of improvement”
- authorized use of federal funds to provide transportation for families opting to transfer their child(ren) from a school identified as “in need of improvement”
- mandated the use of curricula and instructional strategies grounded in “scientifically-based research” for federally-funded programs
- made provisions to make teacher credentials a matter of public record (Parents’ Right to Know).
In Pinellas County, 47 public elementary schools operate schoolwide Title I programs. An equitable portion of Title I funds is also set aside to provide services for eligible students attending 18 non-public schools. Decisions on the use of Title I funds are focused on needs at the school level, within guidelines from the federal, state, and district level.
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