Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is the largest federal assistance program to our nation’s schools. ESEA was first established in 1965 and the most recent reauthorization in 2001 coined the phrase “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB).

NCLB is built on four components:

• accountability for results
• an emphasis on doing what works based on scientific research,
• expanded parental options
• expanded local control and flexibility.

Title I, Part A, is intended to help ensure that all children have the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards and assessments. Title I focuses on promoting schoolwide reform in high-poverty schools and ensuring students’ access to scientifically based instructional strategies and challenging academic content.

This program provides financial assistance to districts and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children in poverty to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Federal funds are currently allocated through formulas based primarily on census poverty estimates and the cost of education in each state.

Districts are required to provide eligible children attending private elementary and secondary schools, their teachers, and their families with Title I services or other benefits that are equitable to those provided to eligible public school children, their teachers, and their families.