Title I is a federally funded program that is part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. Title I is designed to close achievement gaps and ensure all children have an opportunity to access a high quality education by providing funding for supplemental academic services and supports.
The amount of Title I funding that HCPSS receives is based primarily on countywide census data. HCPSS then allocates the funds to designated Title I schools, chosen based on grade span–HCPSS only designates elementary schools as Title I–and the percentage of students receiving Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs).
Currently, all Title I schools in Howard County operate as Schoolwide programs, so that the overall education of all children who attend the school can be improved.
For questions or concerns regarding Title I, please contact Title I & Community Schools Coordinator, Paul Linkins, at (410) 313-6772.
Title I Schoolwide Program schools in Howard County:
How is the amount of Title I funding that HCPSS receives determined?
HCPSS Title I funding is based on county census data.
How are schools selected as receiving a Title I designation?
HCPSS determines at which levels Title I funds are distributed within the district. HCPSS has chosen to serve only the elementary grade span. Within that grade span, HCPSS must serve schools in order of the highest percentage of students in need based on Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) participation. HCPSS has chosen to serve 13 elementary schools where at least 40% of students receive FARMs.
Why are only elementary schools designated as Title I schools?
HCPSS serves the elementary grade span for Title I funding, as ESSA’s focus on early intervention and family programming lend well to elementary grades. Additionally, implementing and monitoring Title I programming with similar schools is helpful.
How are Title I funds used?
Title I funds are used to improve outcomes for low-achieving students through activities and strategies identified in a school’s needs assessment and articulated in the school’s comprehensive schoolwide plan.
Title I funding is used primarily for additional staffing to implement interventions or provide instructional support, but can also pay for during- and beyond-school-day tutoring, additional curricular materials and professional development, family engagement and other supplemental resources. Schools use most of these funds to hire additional staff to provide interventionist positions, smaller class sizes and co-teaching opportunities.
Additionally, Title I funding supports Students in Temporary Housing with supplemental educational services, as well as Kindergarten Academic Intervention Summer School for rising students attending Title I schools.
What is Title I Family Involvement?
Title I schools receive funding to provide family and community programs, including:
Family Math or Reading Night
Homework Support
Book Clubs
Information Nights about PARCC
Read With Me Programs
Title I and Academic Intervention Summer School
Does Title I funding follow a child if they move to a different school?
Title I funds are allocated to an entire school, so they do not move with students if they attend another school.
What happens to the Title I funds and associated supports when a school falls below 40% FARMs?
If a current Title I school falls below 40% FARMs, the Maryland State Department of Education can grant a waiver if it determines that a Schoolwide program will best meet the needs of students in the school who are failing, or at risk of failing, to meet challenging State academic standards.
However, if a school is below the 40% threshold for two or more years, then it should be transitioned from a Schoolwide program to a Targeted Assistance program. The switch does not cause any reduction in funding to the school; it simply requires that the school use its funds only to assist students struggling to meet academic standards instead of using funds schoolwide for all students.
If a school were to no longer have one of the highest concentrations of FARMs, the school may lose Title I status and another school become a Title I school.
What happens if a school is identified to become a Title I school based on an increased percentage of students who receive FARMs?
There is a 1-year lag in eligibility for Title I funding, so if a school attains a higher FARMs population, that school couldn’t receive Title I funds until at least the following year. During that lag year, we would work with the principal, staff and parents to identify specific needs and plan how the funding will be used.
Title I is among several federal grants HCPSS receives to provide supplemental support for students and schools with higher needs. Additionally, HCPSS provides targeted professional development and other supports, funded through the operational budget, at all schools having high needs.