Title I is the largest federally funded program for elementary, middle, and high schools. Title I helps students, teachers, and parents. Through Title I, school districts receive money based on the money of low-income families in each district. Each district uses its Title I money for extra educational services for children most in need of educational help. The focus of the Title I program is on helping students meet the same high standards expected of all children. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) serves as the latest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESA) which focuses on the clear goal of fully preparing all students for success in college and careers and the right of parents to be involved in the education of their children.

Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), it is your right to request the following information about your child’s teachers’ training and credentials:

• Whether the teacher met the state requirements from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for certification for the grade level and subject area which they teach;
• Whether the teacher is teaching under an emergency or other temporary status through which Georgia qualifications or certification criteria have been waived;
• What undergraduate or graduate degree(s) the teacher holds, including graduate certificates and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration; and
• Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals, and if so, their qualifications.

Parents are an important part of the Title I team and are partners with the school in helping their to child’s achieve. As the parent of a student in a Title I school, you have the right to:

• Be engaged in planning and implementation of the parent and family engagement policy and program in your child’s school
• Ask to see the school and your child’s progress reports
• Request information about the professional qualifications or your child’s teacher(s) and/or paraprofessional(s) including degrees and certification held, and whether the teacher is certified in their respective area of instruction
• Help decide if Title I is meeting your child’s needs and offer suggestions for improvement
• Ask about your child’s school designation under the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA),Title I, Part A
• Know if your child has been assigned or has been taught for 4 or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet applicable state certification, licensure requirements, or district requirements for certification
• Help develop your school’s policy for how parents and schools work together to promote student achievement

All Title I schools in GSCS are school-wide programs. This means that school staff work to improve instruction in an effort to increase student achievement, for all students, particularly those students who are low achieving or performing below grade level expectations. In a school-wide Title I program all students can benefit from extra support or services to meet their educational goals. Title I schools in GSCS are responsible for the following actions:

• Involve parents in the planning, review, and improvement of Title I programs, including the parent and family engagement policy.
• Develop jointly, with parents, a school-parent-student compact focused on academic achievement.
• Inform parents in an understandable language and format.
• Offer parent meetings at various times and in various formats.
• Provide information to parents about state standards, curriculum, and assessments and how parents can monitor student progress.
• Build parent capacity by coordinating and integrating parent programs and activities with other federal , state, and local programs.

Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are defined as school districts, county offices of education, and district-funded charter schools that are responsible for the following actions:

• Plan and implement educational programs, activates, and procedures aa required under Title I that engages parents.
• Reserve 1% of Title I funds for parent and family engagement activities if the LEA receives more than $500,000.
• Develop a family and parent engagement policy with the participation of parents..
• Conduct an annual evaluation of the parent and family engagement policy and implement changes based upon the findings of the evaluation.
• Build parent capacity by providing literacy and technology trainings for parents
• Build capacity of school staff by providing resources to assist staff in communicating with parents to promote student success
• Provide full opportunities for participation of parents with limited English proficiency, disabilities, of migratory children and when appropriate , in a language and format that they can understand