Title I

What is Title 1 and how can it help my child?

Title I is a program funded by the federal government to improve students' academic achievement.  Money is given to school districts to help children meet the Common Core Standards.  The amount of money given to each school depends on the number of students receiving free or reduced priced lunches.

Title I money must be used to expand and supplement the services children already receive in the regular classroom.  Student receive instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, or science.  Administrators, teachers, and parents decide how the federal money should be spent.  Title I schools use their funds for a variety of items, including the following:

  • Instructional personnel

  • Professional Development

  • Family/parental involvement activities

  • Extension of school day/year

  • Extended learning opportunities

  • Classroom interventions

  • Reduction of class size

  • Supplemental tutoring

Title I, Part A is intended to help ensure that all children have the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards and assessments. As the largest federal program supporting elementary and secondary education, Title I targets these resources to the districts and schools where the needs are greatest.

Title I, Part A focuses on promoting school-wide reform in high poverty schools and ensuring students' access to scientifically based instructional strategies and challenging academic content. Title I funds may be used for a variety of services and activities, but they are most commonly used for instruction in reading and mathematics. Title I, Part A provisions provide a mechanism for holding states, school districts, and schools accountable for improving the academic achievement of all students and turning around low performing schools, while providing alternatives to students in such schools to enable those students to received a high-quality education.

In Okaloosa County, Title I funds are used for school-wide programs. High-poverty schools (those with 50% or more students from low-income families) are eligible to adopt school-wide programs to raise the achievement of low-achieving students by improving instruction throughout the entire school, this using Title I funds to serve all children.