Policy 6171 - Title I Programs

Rule 6171

Schoolwide Programs

Any Title I school may operate a schoolwide program to upgrade the educational program of the entire school when at least 40% of the students in the school attendance area receive free and reduced lunch.

Any participating school shall develop, review annually and update a Single Plan for Student Achievement. A schoolwide program shall include:

1.  A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school, including migratory children, which includes the achievement of students in relation to state academic content and achievement standards
2. Schoolwide reform strategies that:

a. Provide opportunities for all students to meet the state’s proficient and advanced levels of achievement;
b. Use effective methods and instructional strategies that are based on scientifically based research and strengthen the school’s core academic program, increase the amount and quality of learning time, help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum, and include strategies for meeting the educational needs o historically underserved populations;
c. Include strategies to address the needs of all students in the school, but particularly the needs of low-achieving students and those at risk of not meeting state achievement standards who are members of the target population of any program that is part of the school-wide program. Such strategies may include counseling, student services, mentoring services, college and career awareness and preparation, and the integration of vocational and technical education programs;
d. Address how the school will determine if student needs have been met;
e. Are consistent with and designed to implement state and local improvement plans, if any.

3. High quality and ongoing professional development for teachers, principals, paraprofessionals and, if appropriate, student services personnel, other staff and parents/guardians to enable all students in the school to meet state academic achievement standards
4. Strategies to attract high quality, highly qualified teachers to high-needs schools
5. Strategies to increase parent involvement
6. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs to elementary school programs
7. Measures to include teachers in decisions regarding the use of academic assessments to provide information on, and to improve the achievement of, individual students and the overall instructional program
8. Activities to ensure the students who experience difficulty mastering the proficient and advanced levels of academic standards shall be provided with effective, timely additional assistance, which shall include measures for timely identification of students’ difficulties and provision of sufficient information on which to base effective assistance
9. Coordination and integration of federal, state and local services and programs.

Targeted Assistance Schools

Schools that receive Title I funds but do not operate schoolwide programs shall use Title I funds to serve students identified by the school as failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the state’s academic achievement standards on the basis of criteria established by the district and supplemented by the school. Students in preschool through grade 2 shall be selected solely on the basis of any such criteria as teacher judgment, interviews with parents/guardians and developmentally appropriate measures.

A targeted assistance program shall:

1. Use program resources to help participating students meet state academic achievement standards expected for all students;
2. Ensure that program planning is incorporated into existing school planning;
3. Use effective methods and instructional strategies that are based on scientifically based research that strengthens the core academic program and that give primary consideration to providing extended learning time, help provide and accelerated, high quality curriculum, and minimize removing students from the regular classroom during regular school hours;
4. Coordinate with and support the regular education program, which may include services to assist preschool students in the transition to elementary school programs;
5. Provide instruction by highly qualified teachers;
6. Provide opportunities for professional development for teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and, if appropriate, student services personnel, other staff and parents/guardians;
7. Provide strategies to increase parent involvement;
8. Coordinate and integrate federal, state and local services and programs.

Participation of Private School Students

The Superintendent or designee shall provide or contract to provide special educational services or other Title I benefits to eligible private school students residing in a participating school attendance area. Such services and benefits shall be provided on an equitable basis with participating public school students.

Each year the Superintendent or designee shall contact officials of private schools with students who reside within district boundaries, regardless of whether the private school they attend is located within the district or whether or not those officials have previously indicated any interest in program participation.

The Superintendent or designee shall consult, in a meaningful and timely manner, with appropriate private school officials during the design and development of the district’s Title I programs. Such consultation shall occur before the district makes any decision that affects the opportunities of eligible private school students to participate in Title I programs and shall include a discussion of:

1. How the students’ needs will be identified;
2. What services will be offered;
3. How, where and by whom the services will be provided; 
4. How the services will be academically assessed and how assessment results will be used to improve those services;
5. The size and scope of the equitable services to be provided to private school students and the proportion of funds that is allocated for such services;
6. The method of sources of data that are used to determine the number of students from low-income families in participating school attendance areas who attend private schools;
7. How and when the district will make decisions about the delivery of service to such students, including a thorough consideration and analysis of the views of private school officials on the provision of services through a third-party provider;
8. How, if the district disagrees with the views of private school officials on the provision of services through a third-party provider, the district will provide to private school officials a written analysis of the reasons that the district has chosen not to use a contractor.

Meetings between district and private school officials shall continue throughout implementation and assessment of services.

The Superintendent or designee shall maintain in the district’s records, and provide to the California Department of Education, a written affirmation signed by officials of each participating private school that consultation has occurred.

If the private school officials do not provide such affirmation within a reasonable period of time, the Superintendent or designee shall maintain records of the consultation or the offer of consultation.

The Superintendent or designee also shall maintain records documenting that:

1. The needs of private school teachers and/or private school students were identified;
2. The funds made available were equitable to those allocated for public school students and teachers;
3. The district’s program met the needs of the private school teachers and/or private school students;
4. The district made efforts to resolve any complaints made by private school representatives.