A. FOCUS:

The focus of Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged is to provide federal funds to students at risk of failing to meet State content and performance standards. These students are called Educationally Disadvantaged Youth (EDY). Title I schools are determined for eligibility using Free and Reduced Lunch counts as the poverty index.

1. Title I funds provide federal funds to students at risk of failing to meet State content and performance standards. These students are called Educationally Disadvantaged Youth (EDY). Such Students residing in CUSD Title I school attendance areas, but are attending a non-public school are eligible for Title I services.
2. Title I funds can only be used to provide Services to the EDY students. The funds cannot be used as general aid to the school.
3. In CUSD, Title I schools are determined for eligibility using Free and Reduced Lunch counts as the poverty index. All funds will be allocated to schools, both public and non-public, based on the number of Free and Reduced Lunch students. Therefore, in order to receive funds, a non-public school will be responsible to provide CUSD with its poverty index count for Free and Reduced Lunch by address and grade level. If you participate, this information will be collected by CUSD on an annual basis, each year.
4. Criteria for student participation in Title I will be established by CUSD. The non-public school must apply the same criteria established by CUSD for student eligibility: Criteria are based on diagnostic tests, standardized tests, rubrics, etc. Based on the established CUSD criteria, the non-public school will be required to administer the appropriate tests, submit the test results, and the list of its eligible students. The student list must contain name, grade, gender, ethnicity, year of birth, and area to be served (reading, language arts, math, social science, and/or science).
5. In Consultation with the Non-public School, CUSD will determine the Title I program services and a written plan will be developed. Title I services will be provided by CUSD at a Title I school. The plan would include a school overview, achievement data, analysis of achievement data, description of student gaps, descriptions of how Title I funds would be used, professional development activities, and parent involvement activities. The plan also contains a budget and other required demographic information. Before any plans are implemented, they must be approved by the CUSD Governing Board.
6. For accountability, the non-public school will be required to test its participating students annually using a state-approved assessment.
7. A written evaluation is required at the end of the school year. This evaluation will be completed by CUSD with input and consultation with the non-public school.
8. All requisitions for materials must be submitted on CUSD forms, signed by the principal and by the CUSD Director Of Special Projects. In addition, all requisitions are processed through the CUSD Business Office and are shipped to the District Warehouse, where they are stamped for identification with a CUSD stamp. All materials and equipment are the property of CUSD. If a non-public school withdraws from the program, all materials and equipment under Title I are returned to CUSD. No materials may relate to religious instruction.
9. Non-public schools wishing to participate in Title I will receive their equitable share of funds/services (based on the poverty index).

The school-wide approach is based on the premise that comprehensive reform strategies rather than separate, add-on services are most effective in raising academic achievement for the lowest achieving students in a school. A well-designed and implemented school-wide program touches all aspects of the school’s operation and offers an appropriate option for high-poverty schools seeking to improve achievement for all students, particularly the lowest achieving. The three main core elements of a school-wide program are (34 CFR 200.26):

The school must develop a comprehensive school-wide plan that describes how it will achieve the goals it has identified as a result of its needs assessment [Section 1114(b),(1)(B-j) and (34CFR 200.27) of Title I of ESEA]. The school-wide plan must:

• Provide instruction by highly qualified teachers.
• Offer high-quality, ongoing professional development.
• Create strategies to attract highly qualified teachers.
• Create strategies to increase parental involvement.
• Develop plans to assist preschool students through the transition from early childhood program to local elementary school programs.
• Identify measures to include teachers in decisions regarding the use of academic assessments.
• Conduct activities to ensure that students who experience difficulty attaining proficiency receive effective, timely, additional assistance.

Coordinate and integrate Federal, State and local services and programs

• FOCUS:
   The focus of Title I, Part C (Education of Migratory Children) is to provide services on an equitable basis to eligible children who are enrolled in private schools, and to their teachers and other educational personnel. Children who attend private school are eligible to receive Migrant Education Program Services if they: 1) meet the statutory and regulatory definition of a migrant child; 2) meet the priority for services criteria in section 1304(d); and 3) have a special educational need identified through the State’s comprehensive needs assessment and services delivery plan.
• CUSD:
   With input from district and school level staff, Title I Part C funds are used to provide services on an equitable basis to eligible children who are enrolled in private schools. The funds are used to help ensure that migrant children achieve the same challenging State academic achievement standards that all other students are expected to meet. The funds will also provide programs in increasing student academic achievement in the core academic subjects, and providing high-quality professional development to teachers and other school and community based organizational personnel.

All of our Title I schools are committed to promoting excellence and high expectations for all student and work to ensure meaningful involvement in decision making by students, teachers, parents, and community members. Annually each school administers both a Title I Parent Survey and a Title I School Evaluation.

The purpose of the CUSD Title I Program Parent Survey and Evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of the Title I parent involvement activities and to determine what action needs to be taken if any to increase the participation.[PL 103-352, 1118(a) (2) (E)] and to gather input for the following school year’s Title I Program [PL 103-352, 1118 (b) (3)]. This is critical as schools work for continuous improvement with their programs. Parent and community input is valued and appreciated. They survey is available in English, Spanish, and Hmong. Please call your child’s school for information or visit: CDE | Title I: Improving Academic Achievement