Federal Programs

S Plantz
SANDRA PLANTZ
TAG/Federal Programs Director


gl_splantz@gallialocal.org

Federal Programs- Gallia County Local Schools

Title I Grant- School-wide Programs:  Serving Elementary and Middle Schools

Title I Teachers:

  • Addaville- Leanna Martin

  • Hannan Trace- Jada Hall

  • Southwestern- Chelsea Lyall (.5)

  • South Gallia Middle-Chelsea Lyall (.5)

  • Vinton- Christie Spurlin

  • River Valley Middle-Tami Hawk

Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended (ESEA) provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Federal funds are currently allocated through four statutory formulas that are based primarily on census poverty estimates and the cost of education in each state. Title I funds for schoolwide programs serve all children in that school.

  • 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 children from low-income families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs designed to upgrade their entire educational programs to improve achievement for all students, particularly the lowest-achieving students.

  • Title I is designed to help students served by the program to achieve proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards. Title I schools with percentages of students from low-income families of at least 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. Title I schools with less than the 40 percent schoolwide threshold or that choose 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 academic achievement standards. Targeted assistance schools design, in consultation with parents, staff, and district staff, an instructional program to meet the needs of those students. Both schoolwide and targeted assistance programs must use instructional strategies based on scientifically based research and implement parental involvement activities.

Types of Programs Title I supports in our district:

  • Elementary & Middle School’s School Budgets, Title One Teacher Salary & Benefits, Kindergarten Screening, Kindergarten Camp, Scholastic Reading/Math Programs, Study Island, a % of Parent Mentor salary/benefits, and a % of School Outreach Workers contract, Elementary/Middle School-Grade Level Meetings, Summer School K-8, and Quality Teacher Tools (Langford) supplies.

 

Title II-A- Improving Teacher Quality Grant

What is meant by “high-quality professional development”?

The term “high-quality professional development” means professional development that meets the criteria contained in the definition of professional development in Title IX, Section 9101(34) of ESEA. Professional development includes, but is not limited to, activities that:

 • Improve and increase teachers’ knowledge of academic subjects and enable teachers to become highly qualified;

• Are an integral part of broad schoolwide and district wide educational improvement plans;

• Give teachers and principals the knowledge and skills to help students meet challenging State academic standards;

• Improve classroom management skills;

• Are sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused and are not one-day or short-term workshops;

• Advance teacher understanding of effective instruction strategies that are based on scientifically based research; and

• Are developed with extensive participation of teachers, principals, parents, and administrators.

 

Types of Programs Title II-A supports in our district:

  • A few Teacher’s salaries and benefits (to keep low-student/teacher ratios), PD for teachers needing HQT courses, Grade Level Meetings for high school teachers, Quality Tools for high school teachers, Read 180 training for high schools

 

Title VI-B- Rural and Low-Income Schools Grant

Part B of Title VI of the reauthorized ESEA contains Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) initiatives that are designed to help rural districts that may lack the personnel and resources to compete effectively for Federal competitive grants and that often receive grant allocations in amounts that are too small to be effective in meeting their intended purposes.

The purpose of the program is to provide financial assistance to rural districts to assist them in meeting their state's definition of adequate yearly progress (AYP). Applicants do not compete but rather are entitled to funds if they meet basic eligibility requirements. Eligibility is restricted by statute.

Awards are issued annually to SEAs, which make subgrants to LEAs that meet the applicable requirements. Awards are made to all SEAs that apply and meet the applicable requirements of the act (see legislative citation above). If an SEA does not participate, awards are issued by the Department to eligible LEAs in the state either competitively or by formula.

Recipients may use program funds to conduct the following activities:

  • Teacher recruitment and retention, including the use of signing bonuses and other financial incentives;
  • Teacher professional development, including programs that train teachers to use technology to improve teaching and that train teachers of students with special needs;
  • Support for educational technology, including software and hardware, that meets the requirements of ESEA, Title II, Part D (Enhancing Education Through Technology; # 84.318);
  • Parental involvement activities;
  • Activities authorized under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities: State Grants program (ESEA, Title IV, Part A, Subpart 1; # 84.186A);
  • Activities authorized under ESEA, Title I, Part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by LEAs; # 84.010); or
  • Activities authorized under ESEA, Title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students).

Types of Programs Title VI-B supports in our district:

Computer Programs-Study Island for high schools, Flocabulary for high schools, Scholastic Math Inventory for high schools, Education Impact Contract