Highlight the major components of Title I and how policies have evolved through NCLB 2001 and ARRA 2009. Discuss measures that you believe can be taken as a school administrator to enhance academic outcomes for at-risk youth through Title I funding.
According to the U.S. Department of Education (2004) Title I is titled, “Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged”. Basically this law is to ensure that all students have a fair and equal opportunity to obtain a high quality education. Students are also required to be proficient on State academic standards through State assessments. The major components of Title I include: teacher qualifications, student achievement, parent communication, financial funding, and school accountability (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). In order for all of these components to be successful, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and ARRA were created to successfully meet the standards of Title I.
As part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on Poverty, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was established in 1965. The act was then reauthorized in 2001 as the No Child Left Behind Act. NCLB contains four basic parts: accountability for student performance, focusing on what works for students, increased flexibility with reduced bureaucracy, and empowerment of parents. In order for states to assess student achievement, highly qualified (HQ) teachers must be hired in their subject or content area. Becoming highly qualified requires a bachelor’s degree, state certification (usually an assessment), and competency demonstrated in the classroom. To focus on what works for students, teachers are trained to use teaching strategies that are research based, which allows students to learn and obtain knowledge in the most up to date and appropriate manner. Student performance and accountability should then be met in reading, math, and science through State assessed standards. Through these assessments, schools must meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). If the progress is not met for two consecutive years, schools must then go through a school improvement process which includes five levels of improvements. As schools meet AYP, flexibility in programs and funds then becomes possible. The state and local programs work together to decide what funds will be transferred and where. Finally, parents are informed regarding assistance materials and training, school changes and assessments, and student achievement-all in the language the parent can understand (Texas Education Agency, 2011).
ARRA, or the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, has a goal to establish long term economic health of the Nation by investing in education and public services now. The success will depend on the communities as a whole to apply funds appropriately to strengthen education and teach low-achieving students. In order to successfully achieve these goals, ARRA funds must be used in the following manner: 1) Spend funds quickly to save and create jobs. Teachers can be hired specifically to teach in Title I schools or they can be kept on the current payroll if necessary. 2) Improve student achievement through school improvement and reform. Programs and activities can be purchased that will promote student achievement. Also, the funds may be used for staff development to teach teachers successful strategies to teach students who need the extra assistance. 3) Report fiscal and programmatic information in order to ensure transparency and accountability. This means that schools and districts must report how the funds and tax dollars are being used. This way, the public and parents will be aware of the development in education and understand how the money is spent. 4) Invest the one-time ARRA funds thoughtfully to minimize the “funding cliff”. The local education agency (LEA) and participating schools need to be prepared for reoccurring costs when the ARRA money ends. So, the programs they purchase should be one-time payments to avoid considerable debt. Basically, the LEA should determine how these funds and other funds can be combined to successfully help students who are failing or with learning disabilities succeed in academics and to achieve standards. (U.S. Department of Education, 2009).
As an administrator, it is important to be aware of all the components of Title I, including NCLB and ARRA. Not only is it important for the administrator to understand, but the staff should be well versed in the information also. Again, communication is essential as an administrator and it is important for one to share with the staff exactly where the school stands regarding AYP. This will allow for academic success with students as teachers have a desire to meet AYP. Funding can be a very controversial aspect of administration in a school. Teachers, staff, parents, and community partners all have a different idea of how funds should be spent. As an administrator, it is important to get input from these groups, but make the best decision possible based on the needs of the students and school. It is also important to be aware that only 15% of the ARRA funds can be carried over to the next fiscal year. That being said, LEA and administration need to determine if they will need more time to spend the funds appropriately. If that is the case, they need to immediately apply for a waiver to carry over more of the funds as necessary. As an administrator, it is imperative to use the funding in a manner that will drive results for students, increase education capacity for long term results, improve productivity, and foster continuous improvement (U.S. Department of Education, 2009). Keeping those goals in mind, an administrator should purchase the teacher friendly resources and programs that will give them motivation to teach students in need. While meeting these small goals, the student achievement gap will decrease and success will prevail in school districts, the ultimate goal.
Resources
Texas Education Agency Division of NCLB Program Coordination. (2011). General NCLB information-NCLB overview presentation. Retrieved from: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=4261&menu_id=798
U.S. Department of Education. (2004). Elementary & Secondary Education: Title I — Improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged. Retrieved from: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg1.html
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Secondary and Elementary Education. (2009). Using Title I, part A ARRA funds to grants for local education agencies to strengthen education, drive reform, and improve results for students. Retrieved from: http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/CurrentCourse/ARRA.pdf
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