Title 1

Title I is a part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). Title I is a federally funded program, which provides services to schools based on student economic need. Schools are ranked according to percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunches and are funded in descending order until funds are depleted. Title I is designed to support state and local school reform efforts tied to challenging state academic standards in order to reinforce and enhance efforts to improve teaching and learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support parent-family engagement..

Title I programs are either schoolwide or targeted assistance. Schools must have a 40% free and/or reduced lunch count for students to qualify as a Title I school. In Glynn County, nine of ten elementary schools and four middle schools receive Title I, Part A funds to support their schoolwide programs. Additionally, Morningstar Academy receives Title I, Part A funds to support their targeted assistance program. Funds at each facility are used to hire additional personnel to reduce class size and to purchase supplemental instructional and technological materials to help impact student achievement.

Schoolwide programs have plans that address the following ten components:

A comprehensive needs assessment of the school
Proven methods and strategies for student learning, teaching, and school management based on scientific research and effective practices
Instruction by professionally qualified teachers
High quality, ongoing, professional development based on scientifically based research for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals
Strategies to attract high-quality, professionally qualified teachers to high-need schools
Strategies to increase parent involvement, such as family literacy services
Plans for assisting pre-school children in the transition from early childhood programs
Measures to include teachers in decisions regarding the use of academic assessments
Activities to ensure that students having difficulty mastering the proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards are provided with effective, timely, additional assistance
Coordination and integration of federal, state, and local services and programs