Title I, Part A of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), described as Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged Program, is one of the most well known parts of federal education law. With $12.3 billion in federal funds authorized for fiscal year 2004, it is the largest federal education program for elementary and secondary schools. Title I funds are targeted to high-poverty schools and districts and used to provide educational services to students who are educationally disadvantaged or at risk of failing to meet state standards.
In some form, Title I has existed since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), when the federal government first began to authorize formula grants to states and districts for the education of elementary and secondary students with low academic achievement who are enrolled in schools serving low-income areas.
What are the goals of Title I?
In addition to providing funds for high-poverty schools, Title I, Part A is the federal government’s primary instrument for holding states, districts, and schools accountable for implementing standards-based education. Among other things, Title I, Part A requires states to:
- have academic standards for all public elementary and secondary school students;
- test students in English and math every year between grades 3 and 8 and once in high school;
- report on student achievement by average school performance, as well as by the performance of specified subgroups;
- ensure that all students are academically proficient by the spring of 2014; and
- hold districts and schools accountable for demonstrating adequate yearly progress in student achievement.
The program is designed to accomplish four primary goals:
- provide supplementary education to students eligible for services;
- provide additional funding to schools and districts serving high concentrations of children from low-income families;
- focus educators on the needs of special student populations; and
- improve the academic achievement of eligible students, reduce performance gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students, and assist eligible students in meeting high academic standards (Riddle, 1996).