Title I: Ranking, Serving, and Allocating Funds to Schools 2016 ESEA Directors Institute August 23, 2016

Renee Palakovic Director of Planning Division of Consolidated Planning & Monitoring (615)

 Quick review of Title I foundations and purpose  Eligibility and ranking of schools  Allocation of funds to eligible schools  Application of information learned  Questions Overview 3

Foundational Purpose of Title I

 Title I, Part A funds are formula funds allocated to LEAs in order to: –provide supplemental educational opportunities for children living in high poverty areas and most at risk of failing to meet the state’s challenging academic and achievement standards; and –provide school-based programs and services to address identified student needs. Purpose of Title I Funds 5

 School-based –Funds are to be pushed down (spiraled) to schools in order to address the unique needs of the schools. –A limited amount of funds are to be reserved at the district level. –Expenditure of funds must be aligned with school plans.  High poverty –Funds must be targeted to schools with the highest levels of poverty within each LEA. –Specific rules have been legislated to ensure this targeting of funds occurs. Key Terms 6

School Eligibility and Ranking

 Schools are deemed eligible for Title I based on the school’s percentage of poverty.  LEAs have the option of the following data sources to determine poverty percentages: –Free/reduced price lunch (FRPL) –Direct Certification SNAP TANF Medicaid –Census poverty –Household Survey (optional) –A combination of any of the above, with duplications removed Data Used to Determine Eligibility 8

 LEAs must review poverty percentages for all* school and determine how to rank the schools in order to: –Identify schools eligible for Title I funding –Allocate funds to each school  Several options are available: –Grade span ranking –District-wide ranking –Exception Less than 1,000 students enrolled in the LEA Single attendance area *Adult high schools and alternative education programs can be excluded School Ranking Rules 9

 An LEA may group schools with similar grade spans together and consider them separately from other schools. –PK-5 –6-8 –9-12  An LEA can place a priority on any individual grade span when allocating funds.  This allows flexibility to identify a school as eligible even if it has a lower poverty percentage than another school in a different grade span. Grade Span Ranking 10

 LEAs may simply rank all schools, regardless of grade span, based on poverty percentage.  Specific grade levels cannot be targeted because schools are all considered in one large group. District-wide Ranking 11

 An LEA has discretion to rank schools within grade spans or district-wide. –However, schools with 75 percent or more poverty MUST be ranked first without regard to grade span.  What this means: –An LEA using grade span ranking, historically ranks the PK- 6 grade span first. –In FY17, the high school poverty percentage jumps to 75 percent, making it the highest poverty school in the LEA. –The LEA MUST rank the high school first, before moving to the PK-6 grade span. Ranking Exception 12

 Each school’s poverty percentage must be compared to one of the following: –District-wide poverty average –It’s own grade span’s poverty average  Schools at or above the comparison average are eligible for Title I services.  Schools below the comparison average can be made eligible using the “35% Rule” with poverty averages at or above 35 percent. Eligibility Determination 13

 If no standard rules make a school eligible for Title I, but it was eligible in the previous year based on standard rules: –It may be grandfathered for one year so Title I services can be continued. –If the school fails to meet the standard eligibility rules in the following year, it is no longer eligible for Title I services. Eligibility Determination 14

Allocation of Funds to Eligible Schools

 LEAs must allocate funds to eligible schools on a per pupil basis. –For every poverty student, a per pupil allocation (PPA) must be awarded. –The PPA must be awarded to schools based on their ranking in the: grade span group or district-wide. –The PPA must be the same to all schools within the ranking or must be ordered from high to low (highest poverty school receives the highest PPA). Targeting to High Poverty Schools 16

 If an LEA allocates Title I funds to one or more eligible schools below 35 percent poverty, ALL Title I schools must receive a “minimum” PPA. –125 percent of the average district PPA Total Title I Allocation / District Poverty Count = Average District PPA Average District PPA X 125% = Minimum PPA  The last school to be served may receive less than the minimum PPA. Minimum Per Pupil Amount (PPA) 17

 Title I funds may be allocated to all eligible schools, in rank order, however: –No school can receive less than $100 PPA. –Funds allocated must be sufficient to provide an effective and impactful program for participating students. –Programs must not be watered down in order to spread funds across all/more eligible schools. Appropriate Funding Levels 18

Application of Learning

 Review the scenarios provided on the handout  Decide if the ranking and allocation of funds shown is appropriate or not  Identify the areas of concern, if any  Identify the actions to be taken to correct, if necessary  Report out to whole group Group Exercise 20

Questions 21

Districts and schools in Tennessee will exemplify excellence and equity such that all students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to successfully embark on their chosen path in life. Excellence | Optimism | Judgment | Courage | Teamwork

Citizens and agencies are encouraged to report fraud, waste, or abuse in State and Local government. NOTICE: This agency is a recipient of taxpayer funding. If you observe an agency director or employee engaging in any activity which you consider to be illegal, improper or wasteful, please call the state Comptroller’s toll-free Hotline: Notifications can also be submitted electronically at: FRAUD, WASTE, or ABUSE 23