Title I Grant Overview
Title I funds pass from the federal government through the state and division to reach schools.
The Title I, Part A grant is authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and is appropriated annually by the U.S. Congress. Title I funding is formula-driven and is based on state and local poverty data.
The Federal Government
The federal government provides funding to states each year for Title I. To obtain the funds, each state must submit a plan describing its challenging academic standards, academic assessments, and statewide school accountability system.
The State Educational Agency
The state distributes funds to school divisions based on poverty levels in U.S. census data. Additional information on divisions and schools within the statewide accountability system can be found in the Virginia Department of Education School Quality Profiles.
The School Division
The school division identifies eligible schools based on federal guidelines and provides Title I resources and assistance to the schools and related central support programs.
The Title I Schools
Title I schools conduct an annual needs assessment and plan school reform strategies to address their community’s unique needs in order to ensure all students access high-quality learning experiences and all families are meaningfully engaged.
Title I Funding
In FCPS, Title I grant funding supports schools, students, families, and staff in the following ways. Additional details about the Title I budget can be found in the most recent FCPS Program Budget Book. Title I grant funds are used to improve services at the school and division levels in the following ways.
Professional Development for Effective Instruction
Title I schools leverage resource teachers who are highly skilled in literacy or mathematics to co-lead a systematic school-wide effort to develop teacher leadership and address focused areas identified for continuous instructional improvement. Title I funds are used at the division level to provide supplemental professional learning experiences for teacher leaders and administrators, including specialized training in literacy and mathematics instructional models.
High Quality Instructional Materials
Title I schools purchase high-quality instructional materials, including diverse reading materials and appropriate technology and software, that will enhance mathematics and literacy learning experiences and foster college-career readiness skills. Title I funds are used at the division level to research and share professional resources to support schools in carrying out effective instruction and family engagement.
Home Connections and School Readiness
Title I schools offer a variety of experiences to foster students’ readiness to learn through family engagement, support for transitions into new learning environments, and development of students' essential skills, beliefs, and academic behaviors. Title I funds are used at the division level to supplement early childhood programs, supports for homeless students, and family engagement and advocacy.
Interventions and Enrichment
Title I schools offer a variety of variety of opportunities for students to access scaffolds and supports that will enable each to reach his or her full potential, including both interventions geared toward students’ needs in literacy and mathematics and enrichments that ensure all students reach high expectations. Title I funds are used at the division level to provide technical assistance and support to schools in grant administration and school reform efforts.