Overview

• Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 [P.L. 89-10 (Title I)] was authorized as part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty.”
• Hawkins-Stafford Act of 1988 [P.L. 100-297] amended ESEA [P.L. 89-10].
• Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994 [P.L. 103-382] reauthorized ESEA through June 30, 2000.
• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 [P.L. 107-110] authorized Jan. 8, 2002.

Statement of Purpose:[Public Law 107-110, Section 1001]

“The purpose of this title is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.”

What is Title I?

It’s the largest federal aid program for our nation’s schools. Every year each state receives a “basic grant” for the program. The state then sends the money to school districts based on the numbers of low-income families.

How is the eligibility of a school determined?

Our school district annually ranks the schools in order of the percentage of children from low-income families from highest to lowest by grade span. Any eligible school with 40% or more children from low-income families may be considered for Title I funding. This program permits a school to use funds from Title I, Part A to upgrade the entire educational program of the school in order to raise academic achievement for all the students.

Which MISD campuses receive Title I services?

Florence Elementary, Floyd Elementary, Galloway Elementary, Gray Elementary, Hanby Elementary, Hodges Elementary, Lawrence Elementary, Mackey Elementary, McKenzie Elementary, McWhorter Elementary, Motley Elementary, Price Elementary, Range Elementary, Seabourn Elementary, Shands Elementary, Tisinger Elementary, Tosch Elementary

What methods of service does Title 1 provide for their students?

Our program’s focus is on support, coordination, and integration with the regular education program with an emphasis in the areas of Reading and Math. Rather than focusing narrowly on limited programs for eligible students, we focus on a comprehensive plan to enable all students to meet the state’s challenging standards. Title I teachers go into classrooms for instruction with whole class and/or small group instruction. One particular program, Reading Recovery ® instruction, is provided to first grade students.

What is Parent Involvement?

The Mesquite Independent School district believes that parent involvement is basic to the achievement and success of each child and is committed to advancing the partnership between home and school. In order to implement collaborative partnerships between parents and schools, the district is committed to encompassing the goals and requirements of Sec. 1118 of Public Law 107-110.

Sandy Travis is our Title 1 Parent Liaison. Mrs. Travis is a certified teacher who taught in our Title 1 program and has been trained in Reading Recovery™. She now consults with parents and teachers on each Title 1 campus. Information is provided on how parents can work with the child’s teacher to meet objectives, how to involve parents in planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating the program and maintaining an open communication between parents and school. Mrs. Travis provides parent education mini conferences each year at the district professional development center and assists individual campuses develop community involvement days for their individual sites.

Please feel free to contact Mrs. Travis at (972) 882-7772.

What professional development is provided?

High quality professional development is provided to all Title I teachers and to the classroom teachers served. Campus administrators and district administrators are invited to participate whenever possible. Title I teachers are required to attend continuing contact meetings for updates on curricilum and instructional strategies. A large percentage of classroom teachers have received Four Block training and TexTeam training for Math. These activities support instructional practices that are geared to challenging State content standards and create a school environment conducive to high achievement in the academic subjects. These strategies also reflect current research on teaching and learning.

Summary

The goal of Title I is a high-quality education for every child, so the program provides extra help to students who need it most. These are children who are the furthest from meeting the standards the state has set for all children. For further information, please contact the Title 1 District Coordinator:

Lynda Jaggers
405 E. Davis
Mesquite, Tx 75149
(972) 882-7351