Title I Part A

The term “set aside” includes all reservations taken “off the top” of an LEA’s Title I, Part A allocation, including reservations for administration, parental involvement, and district-wide initiatives.  The school system is mandated by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to set aside funds to provide services to equitably support the enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless youth. The Title I, Part A, homeless set-aside may pay for the cost of the Homeless Liaison, transportation, allowable Title I services, and other activities required under the McKinney Vento Homeless Education Act. Students are eligible whether or not they attend a Title I school. LEAs must reserve “such funds as are necessary,” based on the needs of homeless children and the resources in the LEA . Funds must also be reserved to support neglected and delinquent youth, if such are located in the district residential area. The LEA may also elect to set aside funds for other activities, such as administration, indirect costs, salary differential, comprehensive improvement school support, targeted improvement school support, professional development districtwide, early childhood programs districtwide, summer school districtwide, or others determined by the district.

• Madison County Schools provides Title I set-aside funding as needed to support:
  • Homeless / Foster Care Education Programs
  • Neglected and Delinquent 
  • District Initiatives (optional): First Class and Title I Pre-K
  • Parent Involvement
  • EL

What is the 1% set-aside and how are parents involved?
Any school district with a Title I Allocation exceeding $500,000 is required by law to set aside 1% of its Title I allocation for parent and family engagement. From that 1%, 10% may be reserved at the LEA for system-wide initiatives related to parent and family engagement.  The remaining 90% must be allocated to all Title I schools in the LEA. Therefore each Title I school receives its portion of the 90% to implement school-level parent and family engagement with clear expectations and objectives for meaningful involvement.
Title I parents have the right to be involved in how this money is spent.

Each school decides how Title I funds will be used in their school to improve education for all children.  Site based leadership teams in collaboration with parents and leadership teams determine how Title I funds will be used to help support the school’s identified needs. All funds must be spent on supplemental services that are necessary, reasonable, and allowable under Federal Guidelines. Multiple sources of data are reviewed to determine the greatest needs in a school and devise strategies to improve student achievement in the school through a schoolwide continuous improvement plan (CIP).

• What is CIP?
  CIP is your school’s Continuous Improvement Plan and includes:
  • A Needs Assessment and Summary of Data
  • Goals and Strategies to Address Academic Needs of Students
  • Professional Development Needs
  • Coordination of Resources and Comprehensive Budget
  • The School’s parent and family engagement policy
• Title I parents have the right to be involved in the development of this plan.

How does Title I support students?
Title I Schools set annual goals for school improvement, measure student progress using Alabama State Standards, and provide programs and services beyond what the district usually provides. Such as:

• • Providing supplemental academic programs and resources
  • Providing additional supports during the school day
  • Supporting teachers with professional development and job embedded coaching in the content areas to improve instruction
  • Providing liaisons to support students and families
  • Providing additional Preschool programs in Title I schools
  • Providing tutoring before or after school or during the summer

How does Title I support families?
Schools are required to plan how they will involve parents in the education of their children. Each school must write, with the help of parents, a school Family Engagement Plan.  The school’s Family Engagement Plan describes how schools and families work together to help children succeed.  Schools also work with parents to develop a School Compact that serves as a contract between caregivers and the school committing to support the student through a partnership where both parties prioritize student achievement.  Schools must include parents in decisions about how to better meet the needs of their students, improve education in their schools, use Title I funds to build the capacity of parents and staff, and increase student achievement.

• Some ways Title I funds may be used to support parents, build capacity, and include parents in decision making include:
  • Host activities to help families with assisting their children with learning
  • Build parent capacity to support their child’s learning 
  • Provide childcare during meetings and school activities
  • Offer parenting classes (literacy, math, social emotional needs, and more)
  • Provide parent resources to assist with learning at home
  • Provide regular parent teacher conferences at times convenient for the caregiver
  • Ensure parents are provided access to important information in their native language when needed

A School-Parent Compact is a shared agreement that describes how parents, children, and the school will work together to support the child’s learning. The School-Parent Compact should be shared at the beginning of the school year with parents and then reviewed during conferences. Title I parents have the right, by law, to be involved in the development and revision of the School-Parent Compact.  The Compact has 3 sections - parent section, student section, and school section.  The school section must include 6 required components:

• • Provide high-quality curriculum and instruction
  • Hold parent-teacher conferences
  • Provide parents with reports on their child’s progress
  • Provide parents reasonable access to staff
  • Provide parents opportunities to volunteer
  • Ensure regular two-way meaningful communication between family members and staff, to the extent practicable, in a language family members can understand

Parents are an important part of the Title I team and are partners with the school in helping all students achieve. Title I parents have certain rights. As the parent of a child in a Title I school, you have the right to: 

• Be involved in the planning and implementation of the parent involvement program in your school 
• Request progress reports on your child and school 
• Request information about the professional qualifications of your child’s teacher(s) including the degrees and certifications held, and whether the teacher is certified in their respective area of instruction 
• Know if your child has been assigned, or taught by a teacher that is not highly qualified for at least four consecutive weeks
• Help develop your school’s plan for how parents and schools can work together
• Help decide if Title I is meeting your child’s needs, and offer suggestions for improvement