Title I Schoolwide Programs

Schoolwide Programs

At the heart of No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB) is a section that encourages local education agencies (LEAs) to consolidate federal funds to upgrade the entire educational program of eligible high poverty schools. These schoolwide programs (SWP) provide the flexibility schools need to assist all students to meet proficient or advanced levels of local academic achievement standards.

School Eligibility

Beginning in 2002-03 the SWP option will be available to schools with 40 percent or more of their students from low-income families in the school or attendance area—provided the LEA has adequate funding to operate an effective program.

SWP Benefits

An eligible school, in consultation with its LEA, makes the decision to become a SWP. Once that decision is made, a school remains a SWP for the remainder of the NCLB or until the decision of the school is reversed. The school maintains its schoolwide status even if the poverty threshold in their attendance area falls below the 40 percent level. Since the decision to “go schoolwide” is a long-term decision, eligible schools often want to consider the benefits of becoming a SWP.

Proponents have suggested that SWPs have the following advantages:

¨ SWPs offer more service delivery options for Title I and other federal program service;

¨ “Title I students” are not singled out;

¨ Student needs can be met more effectively;

¨ Federal program resources are available to all students;

¨ SWPs offer greater staffing flexibility;

¨ Professional development activities can be extended to more staff;

¨ Federal programs can be integrated and coordinated with state and local initiatives.

SWP Use of Funds

LEAs with eligible SWPs may consolidate Title I, Part A funds with most other federal noncompetitive formula grant program funds. Typically, these other federal funding sources might include:

· Title I, Part B—Student Reading Skills Improvement Grants (including Reading First, Early Reading First, and Even Start);

· Title I, Part C—Education of Migratory Children (except that migrant education funds must be used, in consultation with migrant parents, to address the needs of migrant children);

· Title I, Part D, Subpart 2—Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At Risk.

· Title IV, Part A, Subpart 1, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities;

Part (c) of section 1114 makes it clear that SWPs may use their funds to establish or enhance pre-kindergarten programs for children under six, such as Even Start or Early Reading First.

This list of programs is not yet complete but will be updated when the USDE Secretary posts a notice in the Federal Register that exempts schoolwide programs from most statutory and regulatory provisions of any other noncompetitive formula grant programs.

SWP Plans

Any eligible school that desires to operate a SWP must develop (or amend) a plan for reforming the total instructional program in the school. This plan must include:

1. The ten components outlined below and how they will be implemented;

2. A list of related state and federal programs to be included in the SWP;

3. A description of how the school will use its consolidated resources to implement the SWP components;

4. A description of how the school will provide individual student assessment results to parents in a language and format the parents can understand.

SWP Components

All SWPs must include the following ten components (summarized):

1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school (taking into account the needs of migrant children) that is based on the achievement of children in relation to local academic achievement standards.

2. Schoolwide reform strategies that –

a) provide opportunities for all children to meet proficient and advanced levels of academic achievement;

b) use methods and instructional strategies based on scientifically based research (SBR) that strengthen the core academic program, increase the amount and quality of learning time, and include strategies for meeting the needs of historically undeserved populations.

c) (i) include strategies to address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly those children who are low achieving, at risk of not meeting local standards, or are members of a target population of a program included in the SWP, which may include the following-mentoring, counseling, pupil services, college and career awareness and preparation, personal finance education, innovative teaching methods such as team teaching or applied learning, and the integration of vocational and technical education – (ii) address how the school will determine if such needs are met

d) are consistent with and designed to implement state and local improvement plans.

3. Instruction by highly qualified teachers;

4. High quality, ongoing, professional development based on scientifically based research for teachers, principals, paraprofessional, and, if appropriate, pupil services personnel, parents, and other staff to enable all children to meet local academic standards.

5. Strategies to attract high-quality, highly qualified teachers to high need schools.

6. Strategies to increase parent involvement, such as family literacy services.

7. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition for early childhood programs, such as Head Start, Even Start, Early Reading First, or state-run preschool program, to local elementary school programs.

8. Measures to include teachers in decisions regarding the use of academic assessments described in the state plan in order to improve the achievement of individual students and the overall instructional program;

9. Activities to ensure that students having difficulty mastering the proficient and advanced levels of academic achievement standards shall be provided with effective, timely, additional assistance, which shall include measures to ensure that students’ difficulties are identified on a timely bases and to provide sufficient information on which to base effective assistance.

10. Coordination and integration of federal, state, and local services and programs, including programs supported under this Act, violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, housing programs, Head Start, adult education, vocational and technical education, and job training.

Newly Eligible Schools

Newly eligible schools will initiate a one-year schoolwide planning process. During the planning year, the school must continue to operate as a Targeted Assistance Program. A SWP planning team must be established. The team must include parents, other members of the community to be served, and individuals who will carry out the plan, including teachers, building principals, administrators, and all Title I program administrators, and if appropriate, pupil services personnel, technical assistance providers, school staff, and students, if the plan relates to a middle or secondary school. The finished plan is in effect for the duration of the current legislation or until a building decision is made to return to targeted assistance status. The SWP plan should be reviewed and revised annually or as necessary by the schoolwide committee. The plan must be available to parents and the public in an understandable and uniform format, and, to the extent practicable, in a language that parents can understand. Copies of the plan should be on file and available at the district central office and at the building level.

A copy of the SWP plan must also be submitted to the Title I Office at the Iowa Department of Education at the following address: Title I

Iowa Department of Education

Grimes State Office Building

Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Existing Schoolwide Programs

Existing SWP must amend their current schoolwide program plans to include the new requirements of NCLB. The SWP committee should review the expectations of NCLB and amend the entire plan as appropriate with particular attention to the scientifically based research requirements. All ten components must be addressed. (See page 2 for an inclusive list of SWP requirements). SWP narratives are no longer included in the Title I Internet application. Instead, a copy of the SWP must be submitted to the Title I Office, Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, Des Moines, IA, 50319.

Parent Involvement and SWPs

The parent involvement requirements for Title I are the same for schoolwide programs and targeted assistance programs. Because each student in a SWP is considered a Title I student, the parent involvement requirements pertain to ALL students in the school. This includes the Parent-School Compact, the Title I Parent Involvement Policy, and the annual parent meeting. SWP plans should reflect how parents provide input into the planning and implementation of the program. An annual evaluation of the Title I Parent Involvement Program is required.

Non-Public Schools and SWP

Non-public schools do not have the option of operating schoolwide programs and may only operate as Targeted Assistance program.

Paraprofessionals and SWP

The paraprofessional requirements outlined in NCLB are applicable to ALL paraprofessionals employed in a school operating a SWP. Refer to Public Law 107-110, which can be found at http://www.ed.gov.

Additional Considerations of SWPs

The purpose of operating a schoolwide program is to ensure that ALL students benefit from this organizational structure. That does not mean that every child receives individual services. But rather that professional development activities, material purchases, scheduling changes, and personnel decisions can impact the learning opportunities for EVERY child. In order for a schoolwide plan to meet expected guidelines, it MUST reflect programming that is substantially different than the typical targeted assistance program.