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Title I
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, a federal law, provides funding to states to improve the academic achievement of disadvantaged students. Children and youth experiencing homelessness are categorically eligible for services under Title I, whether or not they live in a Title I school attendance area or meet the academic standards required of other children for Title I eligibility. Additionally, districts that have non-participating schools (i.e. schools that do not receive Title I funds) must set aside a portion of their Title I, Part A funds to provide services to students who are homeless. Click on the links below to learn more about Title I with regard to children and youth who are homeless.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Find answers to commonly asked questions about using Title I funding for students in temporary housing situations.
Resources
National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) Title I Issue Brief [PDF]
This brief identifies the key provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act dealing with the provision of services to homeless children and youth under Title I, Part A, and offers strategies for implementation.
2009-2010 Consolidated Application
The Title I section of the Consolidated Application requires school districts to describe how they will coordinate Title I programming with the McKinney-Vento Act. The Application also explains that the State Education Department requires all school districts in receipt of Title I funds to distribute an Enrollment Form or Residency Questionnaire that asks about students' housing status.
Title I, Part A Set-Aside for Homeless Students Q & A [PDF]
Most of the LEAs receiving Title I, Part A funds must set-aside a portion of those funds to serve students who are homeless. This article, published in the November 2003 edition of the No Child Left Behind Financial Compliance Insider, addresses commonly asked questions about the mandatory set-aside, including how districts may determine how much funding to set aside for students in temporary housing situations.
Title I and Early Education
The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) provides information and resources regarding the use of Title I and ARRA funds for early education. This page explains how LEAs can use Title I funds for early education, the benefits of using Title I funds for this purpose, gives models of districts that are doing so and provides other resources for districts to improve early education programs.
Using NCLB Funds to Support Extended Learning Time [PDF]
This August 2005 strategy brief from The Finance Project describes several funding streams included in the No Child Left Behind Act, other than the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program, that can support extended learning opportunities. These funding streams include Title I (general Title I, School Improvement, and Supplemental Educational Services), Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC), Comprehensive School Reform (CSR), and Innovative Programs.
Laws and Guidance
Field Memo: Title I, Part A Set-aside Funds for Students in Temporary Housing
This August 1, 2011 guidance memo from the State Education Department outlines the responsibility of districts to set aside or reserve a portion of their Title I funding for students experiencing homelessness if the district has non-participating Title I schools. It also reminds districts to include the set-aside amount in the online Title I Supplement, offers suggested formulas for determining the set-aside, and describes some ways in which the set-aside funding may be used.
McKinney-Vento Field Memo Re: Transportation and Title I - September 2010 [PDF]
Under the McKinney-Vento Act, Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are required to provide transportation to students in temporary housing who chose to attend their school of origin. The attached Field Memo from the State Education Department discusses how LEAs may use their Title I, Part A funding to offset the costs associated with non-mandated transportation expenses; such expenses include (1) transportation once the student has moved into permanent housing, (2) transportation for after-school activities, and (3) transportation for parents of homeless students to attend school functions such as parent/teacher conferences. In particular, LEAs are strongly encouraged to continue to provide transportation to homeless students through the remainder of the year that they move into permanent housing, and Title I funds are an important source of support to schools in doing so, as is explained in this September 2010 Field Memo.
Title I Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides funding to states to improve the academic achievement of disadvantaged students. Sections 1112(b)(1)(0) & 1113 (c)(3)(A) of the ESEA specifically relate to students who are homeless, outlining the need for LEAs to provide a plan describing their services for homeless students and to reserve district funds for homeless students.
Title I Regulations: Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged [PDF]
The Title I program protects students at risk of failing in school, including students experiencing homelessness. These regulations cover the changes to Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which were enacted by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program: Non-Regulatory Guidance [PDF]
This non-regulatory guidance for the McKinney-Vento Act clarifies LEA and SEA responsibilities, and provides answers to commonly asked questions about the Act. Please see Section M of the Guidance for answers to questions about Title I and McKinney-Vento.
Forms
Enrollment Form - Residency Questionnaire [Word doc]
All LEAs that receive Title I Funds must have students complete and submit a residency questionnaire or enrollment form, which asks about students' living arrangements, in order to identify students experiencing homelessness in the school district.
Upcoming Workshops and Trainings