Title I is part of the ESSA. The legislation provides federal funds to help students in schools with high economic needs achieve high standards. One specific objective of the Title I program is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments. Another objective of the Title I program is for schools to achieve well rounded education.

There are two types of Title I program models, schoolwide and targeted assistance, allowed under the ESSA. A schoolwide program focuses on comprehensive reform strategies designed to upgrade the entire educational program in a Title I school; its primary goal is to ensure that all students, particularly those who are low-achieving, demonstrate proficient and advanced levels of achievement on state academic achievement standards.

This schoolwide reform strategy requires that a school--

  • Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment;
  • Create a comprehensive plan; and

Currently, Tallassee Elementary School and Southside Middle School are the only schools in the Tallassee City Schools System operating as a schoolwide Title I School.


A schoolwide program--

  • Is built on schoolwide reform strategies, rather than separate, add-on services.
  • A schoolwide program permits a school to use funds from Title I, Part A and other Federal education program funds and resources to upgrade the entire educational program of the school in order to raise academic achievement for all the students. This contrasts with a Title I targeted assistance program, through which Title I, Part A funds are used only for supplementary educational services for eligible children who are failing or at risk of failing to meet State standards.

  • Provides flexibility in spending Title I funds.
  • Schoolwide programs have great latitude in determining how to spend their Title I, Part A funds. Schoolwide programs do not have to identify particular children as eligible for services, show that Part A funds are paying for supplemental services that would otherwise not be provided, or separately track federal dollars.

  • Permits flexibility to combine other Federal funds in support of the schoolwide program.
  • Schoolwide programs may now use, in addition to Title I, Part A funds, funds from most other Federal education programs to upgrade the entire educational program. The involvement, during comprehensive planning of a schoolwide program, of all staff, parents, and others in the community that have a stake in the children's education will help to ensure that the program is designed to meet all of the school's students needs.

