Title I

Laurel Elementary has a School-wide Title I Program.

What is a School-wide Program? School-wide is an alternative use of federal funds focusing on learning needs of all students. The schoolwide option enables schools to integrate programs, strategies, and resources to support high quality education for all students. The law specifically allows schoolwide to:

• Use Title I funds to upgrade the school's entire educational programs
• Use Title I funds to serve any and all students at the school
• Comingle Title I funds with other federal, state, and local resources to upgrade the entire school program and to help ALL students meet the state's challenging standards
• Schoolwide programs focus on the needs of students by ensuring that every student succeeds

No two are alike, but the best are:

• Driven by rigorous standards for upgrading the instructional program of the entire school
• Flexible, offering a high-quality curriculum geared to bringing students to the challenging levels of knowledge set for them
• Comprehensively planned, using available federal program resources to support cohesive instruction
• Results-oriented, increasing the achievement of children in the targeted groups that federal education programs were intended to serve

Under Title I of the 1994 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondard Education Act (ESEA), participating schools serving 50% of students from low-income families can become schoolwide programs to expand the flexibility and quality of the education they offer students.

Key Features of Successful Schoolwide Programs:

• An agreed-upon vision for all students, based on higher academic standards and adequate designs and plans to implement the vision
• A clear focus on academic achievement
• Extended planning and collaborative program design
• A well-defined organization and management structure
• A strong professional community
• Cultural inclusiveness
• Parent and community involvement
• Evidence of school and student success

School-wide Project Components

• Provide opportunities for ALL CHILDREN
• Effective means of improving achievement
• Effective instructional strategies
• Increase the amount and quality of learning time
• Help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum
• Meet the educational needs of historically and underserved populations
• Address the needs of ALL CHILDREN
• Designed to implement local improvement plans

Who Are Laurel's Designated Title I Support Staff?

Sandi Gronstal, Title I Teacher
Lindy Marvin, Title I Teacher
Sandy McHugh, Title I Teacher
Christine O'Neil, Title I Paraprofessional