Title I is a Federally funded program that provides financial assistance to school districts to help children meet current educational needs at the Pre-School, elementary, and secondary levels.  The amount of funds given to each district depends on the number of low-income families that is enrolled in the schools. 

The purpose of Title I is to "ensure that all children have a fair, equitable, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education, and reach, at minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments."  Section 1001, www.ed.gov

Title I places great importance on service to children and their families and on parent involvement in planning the program, monitoring student progress, participating in the program as a volunteer, and evaluating the effectiveness of the Title I program. Parents are encouraged to become involved with the Title I program by attending parent meetings and workshops and by volunteering time to work with students at home and school. Parents can help their children be more successful by helping their children in ways that add to what the teacher is doing, by learning more about their school, by supporting their children and the school, and by making decisions about their children's education. Your school can give you ideas on helping your child in each of these four areas. The school is also eager to hear your ideas for getting parents involved in their children's education.

Students usually receive Title I instruction in reading, math, and/or writing. Planning teams, comprised of administrators, teachers, and parents, decide how the federal money will be used at each school. Funds can be used to hire additional teachers who focus on reading and/or math.  Some Title I Planning teams may use funds to hire tutors.  Money is also used to train and support parents and staff in topics that will help their students continue to achieve.  Library books, computers, and equipment, can be purchased with Title I. Title I money must be used to expand the education that the children already receiving in the regular classroom.

Title I programs are required to review whether their instruction is effective. They need to show that students overall are doing better than they were before. They also need to show that each child in the program is improving because of Title I services.