TITLE I, PART A:
IMPROVING BASIC PROGRAMS OPERATED BY LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES
ESEA Federal Program Spending Snapshot
All federally-funded program costs must be:
(1) Reasonable: consistent with prudent business practice and comparable current market value;
(2) Necessary: required to carry out the intent and purpose of the Title I, Part A program; and
(3) Allocable: chargeable or assignable in accordance with relative benefits received.
In addition, costs must be aligned with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and adequately documented and budgeted within the grant.
TARGETED ASSISTANCE: Title I, Part A funds may only be used to meet the needs of children identified as being in the greatest need of services. Students must be selected using multiple, educationally related objective criteria. All costs must be supplemental and limited to services for eligible students in a targeted assistance program.
SCHOOLWIDE: Title I, Part A funds may can be used to upgrade the entire educational program in a school so all students may benefit. Activities must be a part of the approved schoolwide plan (school level Comprehensive Needs Assessments [CNA]/School Administrative Unit [SAU] Consolidated Plan) and support an identified academic need through the school’s CNA.
Supplemental services may be used in the following ways:
- to support low-achieving students by encouraging them to take advanced courses
- to enroll low-achieving students in preschool enrichment programs
- to develop and implement programs that are designed to improve outcomes for students with disabilities
- to develop and implement programs that are designed to improve outcomes for English learners.
REQUIRED SET ASIDES:
- Homeless: Local educational agencies (LEAs) that receive Title I, Part A funds must reserve funds for services for homeless students. LEAs should conduct a needs assessment to determine the reserve amount and clearly show these funds in the Title I budget.
- Parent and Family Engagement: LEAs with Title I allocations greater than $500,000 must reserve an amount equal to 1% of the Title I, Part A allocation and allocate 90% of those funds to Title I schools for parent and family engagement activities. These funds must be clearly identified in the Title I budget.
OPTIONAL SET ASIDES:
- District Administration: These are costs for administering the program for public and private schoolchildren (limited to 4% of the grant).
- Direct Costs Salary Differentials: These include salary and benefit differentials above the base salary.
- Additional Supports and Instruction (ATSI; Tier I) and Targeted Supports and Instruction (TSI;Tier II) Schools (previously known as Focus Schools) -- Up to 10% of the LEA’s Title I allocation may be set aside for this purpose.
- Comprehensive Supports and Instruction (CSI; Tier III): (previously known as Priority Schools) -- Up to 20% of the LEA’s Title I allocation may be set aside for this purpose.
- Professional Development (districtwide): -- Only instructors working with Title I students may participate. In schoolwide buildings, that would be all instructors/staff in the school. In targeted buildings, that would include
sinstructors and staff working with targeted students. In no instance should a school that is not being served by Title I funds benefit from professional development paid for by Title I funds. - Early Childhood Programs (districtwide): – This include costs for operating a preschool.
- Summer School (districtwide): – The programs and intersession programs are for students who attend Title I participating school attendance areas.
SUPPLEMENT vs. SUPPLANT: Title I funds must be used to supplement (increase the level of services) and not supplant (replace) funds from nonfederal sources. State or local funds may not be decreased or diverted for other uses merely because of the availability of these funds. District and school personnel must maintain documentation that clearly demonstrates the supplementary nature of these funds (i.e., budget development documentation). The federal supplement, not supplant, provision is intended to ensure that services provided under Title I, Part A are in addition to, and not in place of, local funds if Title I funds were not available.
In determining whether a particular use of funds would violate the non-supplanting requirement, SEAs and LEAs should consider matters such as whether the cost involved is currently paid for using State or local funds or whether the cost involved is for an activity that is required by State or local law. The SEA or LEA may not decrease the amount of State or local funds used to pay the cost of an activity simply because of the availability of Title I funds.
Below is a general overview of allowable and unallowable expenditures under Title I, Part A.
Note: Targeted assistance and schoolwide guidelines may differ. Schoolwide programs must only use grant funding for programming outlined in the schoolwide plan (school level CNA/SAU Consolidated Plan). Targeted schools must have a plan for specific activities to address the needs of the targeted population.
Title-Specific Expenditures
Academic Support for At Risk Students:
|
Allowable Uses of Grant Funds |
Unallowable Uses of Grant Funds |
|
|
Parent and Family Engagement:
|
Allowable Uses of Grant Funds |
Unallowable Uses of Grant Funds |
|
|
Materials, Supplies, and Equipment:
|
Allowable Uses of Grant Funds |
Unallowable Uses of Grant Funds |
|
|
Professional Development:
|
Allowable Uses of Grant Funds |
Unallowable Uses of Grant Funds |
|
|
Other:
|
Allowable Uses of Grant Funds |
Unallowable Uses of Grant Funds |
|
|