Reading Title I

Title I is the single, largest federally funded program for elementary and secondary education in the nation. Re-authorized by The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title I funding helps local school divisions provide equal educational opportunities for low-performing students in schools with economic need. Any school with 35% or more students on free or reduced lunch is eligible for Title I funds. The goal of Title I is to enable all students to read on grade level and meet state and local standards. The Title I office is committed to the shared effort of eliminating the achievement gap between all students in Arlington Public Schools.

Arlington’s Title I funds reading and math specialist or intervention positions that support students.   Title 1 funds can also be used to purchase supplemental instructional materials, provide teacher professional development and provide family engagement activities.School-wide programs focus on a school’s overall educational program to raise academic achievement for all students.

Barcroft, Hoffman- Boston, Drew, Barrett, Campbell, Carlin Springs, and Randolph have school-wide programs. Title I Instruction supplements and does not replace regular classroom instruction. This instruction accelerates students’ progress toward reaching our goal of on grade-level performance in reading and math.

Parents also play an important role in Title I. They are encouraged to participate in their child’s education by reading to their child, and attending conferences and meetings sponsored by the school and the Title I program.

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) guarantees parents in Title I schools the right to request certain information about their child’s teachers. The information that you have a right to request about your child’s teacher is:

1. Whether the teacher has met state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subjects for which the teacher is responsible.
2. Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualifications for licensing have been waived.
3. The baccalaureate degree major of certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.
4. Whether the student is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If you would like to receive additional information about this topic, please contact the principal of your child’s school.

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) Section 1112(e)(2) guarantees parents of students in Title I schools the right to request information about state or division policies regarding student participation in any assessments mandated by ESSA, including any policy, procedure, or parental right to opt students out of such assessments. All students enrolled in Virginia public schools are expected to take the applicable state tests. Virginia regulations do not provide for what is sometimes referred to as an “opt-out policy” for students regarding the Virginia assessments. If parents refuse to have their student participate in one or more of the required Virginia assessments, they should be aware that their student’s state assessment score report will reflect a score of “0” for any test that is refused. If you would like to receive additional information about this topic, please contact the principal of your child’s school.