Purpose of Title I
Title I provides financial assistance to LEAs (Local Educational Agencies) and schools with high numbers or percentages of poor children to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. LEAs target Title I funds to 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 in which poor children make up at least 40 percent of enrollment are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs to serve all children in the school. LEAs also must offer to utilize Title I funds to provide academic enrichment services to eligible children enrolled in private schools.
More than 50,000 public schools across the country use Title I funds to provide additional academic support and learning opportunities to help low-achieving children master challenging curricula and meet state standards in core academic subjects. For example, funds support extra instruction in reading and mathematics, as well as special preschool, after-school, and summer programs to extend and reinforce the regular school curriculum.
Over 350 schools in all 55 LEAs throughout West Virginia benefit from Title I funding. A SEA (State Education Agency) coordinator is assigned to each LEA for the purpose of providing focused technical assistance. In addition, several coordinators provide assistance in particular content areas (i.e., reading, and mathematics) and some are specifically assigned to work with schools identified for improvement.