Title I

Title I is authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which is the largest federally funded educational program. 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. This program authorized by Congress, provides supplemental funds to school districts. Title I also provides funding for professional development to support achievement and maintain a highly qualified teaching staff.

How do schools qualify to receive Title I funds?

More than 90 percent of school systems in the United States receive some sort of Title I funding. Schools qualify based on the number of low-income families in each district. Title I money is used to supplement and improve regular education programs.

What do Title I services look like?

Title I services should be in addition to regular services all ready in place. The Title I teachers are responsible for teaching the skills students are lacking. Funds are not intended to be used as general aid therefore the child should not just be working on homework when working with the Title I teacher. Title I students still receive instruction from their primary teacher but the Title I services should be above and beyond the primary instruction.

How are students selected?

Students are selected for participation in the program based on educational need (academic performance) which is assessed through:

Parental Involvement

Every district has a family involvement policy that describes ways parents and family can be involved in the Title I program. Parents must be full partners in their child's education. The PAVCS Title I program is established to improve student achievement and help all students meet the objective of the K12 curriculum and the Pennsylvania Academic Standards. To assure that this goal is met, a partnership with families is essential. Therefore, the PAVCS Title I program commits to working in partnership with families in some of the following ways listed below:

If the child's parent/guardian decides that they would like the child to participate in the Title I program the family, school, and student share in the responsibility of student learning by signing a school compact.

Title I teacher Qualifications

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that teachers must be highly qualified. The requirements to be highly qualified are the teacher must have a bachelors degree, be State Certified, and have passed the Praxis exams.

Supplemental Educational Services (SES)

Supplemental Educational Services (SES) is a form of additional academic instruction designed to increase the academic achievement of students in low performing schools. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Section 1116 (e), students from low-income families attending schools that do not make adequate yearly progress for three or more years are eligible to receive Supplemental Educational Services (SES). These services may include academic assistance such as tutoring, remediation and other educational interventions provided that such approaches are consistent with the content and instruction used by Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School, and are aligned with the state's academic content standards. Supplemental Educational Services must be provided outside of the regular school day.

Purpose of Supplemental Educational Services

Eligible students are all students from low-income families who attend Title I schools that are in their third year or more of School Improvement, School Improvement II, Corrective Action I or Corrective Action II. If your child is eligible for services he/she will receive a letter in the mail explaining SES with an attached web link listing all participating providers in the state of Pennsylvania. If the funds are not available to provide Supplemental Educational Services to each eligible student whose parent requests those services, the District/LEA must give priority to providing services to the lowest achieving eligible students. The District must provide a list of state-approved providers so that parents can have a full set of options to find whatever services their child needs to achieve.

The District/LEA is responsible for funding these services, which must be provided outside the normal school day, through their Title I, Part A funds. The Pennsylvania Department of Education must develop and apply objective criteria to create a list of approved SES providers.

Schools that are required to provide Supplemental Educational Services must:

For more information on Supplemental Educational Services, please call (610) 275-8500 x145 or visit http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/suppservices/index.html

Year Number of Students Eligible to Participate in SES Number of Students Approved for SES Number of Students who Received SES
2008-'09 1,093 84 84