Implementing a Quality Title I Private School Program NCLB Section 1120/Title I Part A Presented by: Karen Davies, Title I Coordinator WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Private School Resources No Child Left Behind Section 1120: Participation of Children Enrolled in Private Schools Non-Regulatory Guidance: Title I Services to Eligible Private School Children (October 17, 2003) www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/psguidance.doc Cowen, K. & Edwards, C. (January 2009). The new Title I: The changing landscape of accountability, 6 th Edition. (Chapter 7: Equitable Services to Private School Students) Title I Regulations (§ assessment & § services) Title I Handbook pp. F & F Title I Website: Private School Information Ensuring Equitable Services to Private School Children: Title I Resource Tool Kit (September 2006)

Overview of Session Timely and Meaningful Consultation Parental Involvement & Professional Development Requirements Equitable Funding for Students Allocation for Private School Students Eligible Students Program Design & Service Delivery Staff Qualifications Assessment/Accountability Complaint Process

Timely & Meaningful Consultation True or False: The private school makes the final decisions with respect to Title I services that are provided to eligible private school students.

Timely & Meaningful Consultation False: The LEA makes the final decisions with respect to Title I services that are provided to eligible private school students.

Timely & Meaningful Consultation Appropriate consultation with private school officials is often the key to ensuring that a LEAs program for equitable participation is a success.

Timely & Meaningful Consultation Timely – occurs before decisions are made that affect opportunities of eligible private school students. Meaningful – LEA must consider comments of private school officials.

Timely & Meaningful Consultation The consultation must include (but is not limited to): how the LEA will identify the needs of eligible private school children what services the LEA will offer to eligible students how and when the LEA will make decisions about the delivery of the services how, where, and through whom the LEA will provide services to eligible private school children how the LEA will assess services and use the results of the assessment to improve Title I services

Timely & Meaningful Consultation The consultation must include (but is not limited to): The size and scope of equitable services the LEA will provide The proportion of funds the LEA will allocate for these services The source(s) of poverty data the LEA will use to determine eligible private school students Equitable services the LEA will provide to teachers and families of participating private school students

Timely & Meaningful Consultation NCLB brings two additional requirements: The use of third party contractors (public or private organizations & individuals) A signed affirmation insuring that appropriate consultation occurred

Parental Involvement & Professional Development Requirements True or False: NCLB statute states that the LEA must ensure that teachers and families of the eligible private school students participate, on an equitable basis, in services and activities developed in accordance with Title I requirements on parental involvement and professional development.

Parental Involvement & Professional Development Requirements True NCLB statute states that the LEA must ensure that teachers and families of eligible private school students participate, on an equitable basis, in services and activities developed in accordance with Title I requirements on parental involvement and professional development.

Parental Involvement & Professional Development Requirements The LEA may: conduct parental involvement and professional development activities in conjunction with the LEAs planned activities for public school teachers and families; or conduct them independently.

Equitable Funding for Students True or False: Private schools must be considered when determining the largest reservation required of LEAs under NCLB: 20% set aside for choice-transportation and supplemental educational services.

Equitable Funding for Students False Private schools are not subject to the sanctions for school improvement, corrective action, and restructuring, and therefore, would not get a proportionate share of this reservation. Furthermore, only children attending Title I public schools are subject to school improvement sanctions.

Private School Allocation True or False: The allocation for private school students is based on the number of low- income private school students who reside in a Title I-participating public school attendance area.

Private School Allocation True The allocation for private school students is based on the number of low- income private school students who reside in a Title I-participating public school attendance area.

Private School Allocation Procedures for private school allocation: reserve funds off the top of the LEAs funds for private schools the allocation for a private school is based on the number of low-income private school students who reside in a Title I-participating public school attendance area the amount allocated per private school student must be equitable to the per pupil allocation that the participating public school receives (and that the private school student would have attended)

Private School Allocation Funds generated by low-income private school students who reside in Title I attendance areas are used only to provide instructional services to eligible private school students.

Eligible Students True or False: In order for a child to be eligible to receive Title I services, the childs family must reside in a public school attendance area that participates in the Title I program.

Eligible Students True In order for a child to be eligible to receive Title I services, the childs family must reside in a public school attendance area that participates in the Title I program.

Eligible Students In order to receive equitable services, a student must: attend a private school; reside in a Title I-participating public school attendance area of the LEA (regardless of whether the private school s/he attends is located in the LEA); be identified as academically failing or at- risk of failing to meet the states standards

Eligible Students Criteria may include: achievement tests teacher referral & recommendation based on objective, educationally related criteria such as grades supported with assessment measurement K-2 eligible students are selected solely on teacher judgment, interviews with parents, and developmentally appropriate measures.

Eligible Students The grades served by Title I private school funding are the same as those served within the LEA For example: If an LEA uses a grade-span ranking and chooses to focus funding on serving only students in grades K-3 then only eligible students in grades K-3 are served in private schools.

Program Design & Service Delivery True or False: The LEA may provide required services either directly using district personnel or indirectly through contracts with public and private organizations and individuals.

Program Design & Service Delivery True The LEA may provide required services either directly using district personnel or indirectly through contracts with public and private organizations and individuals.

Program Design & Service Delivery If the LEA contracts services, the contractor must be independent of the private school and of any religious organization The contract or the employment of the individual must be under the supervision of the LEA Educational services, materials and equipment must be secular, neutral, and nonideological

Program Design & Service Delivery Title I services must be supplemental in nature and cannot replace or supplant services that would, in the absence of Title I, be available to participating private school children.

Program Design & Service Delivery Examples of types of services: Specialized instruction outside the regular classroom Extended learning time (before/after school or summer) Family literacy Early childhood Computer assisted instruction Combination of services listed above

Program Design & Service Delivery True or False: Equipment and supplies may remain at the private school even if the school no longer needs these items to provide Title I services.

Program Design & Service Delivery False The LEA is required to remove the equipment and supplies if the LEA no longer needs these items to provide Title I services, or if removal is necessary to avoid unauthorized use of the items for other than Title I purposes.

Program Design & Service Delivery False The LEA is required to remove the equipment and supplies if the LEA no longer needs these items to provide Title I services, or if removal is necessary to avoid unauthorized use of the items for other than Title I purposes.

Staff Qualifications True or False: Public school teachers hired by the LEA to work in Title I private school programs are not subject to the highly qualified provisions of NCLB.

Staff Qualifications False Public school teachers hired by the LEA to work in Title I private school programs are subject to the highly qualified provisions of NCLB.

Staff Qualifications However, If an LEA hires a private company to provide equitable services to private school students, the instructional staff of the company are not required to meet the highly qualified rules.

Assessment/Accountability True or False NCLB requires private school students to participate in a states academic assessment system.

Assessment/Accountability False The regulations clarify that nothing under NCLB requires a private school, including a private school whose students receive Title I services, to participate in a states academic assessment system.

Assessment/Accountability NCLB requires that private school students participating in the Title I program must be assessed. The LEA and the private school officials must develop alternative standards of student achievement if the schools curriculum is not aligned with state standards. If the private school does not utilize the state assessment, the LEA must use some assessment measure for gauging the progress of Title I private school students.

Assessment/Accountability Criteria may include: achievement tests teacher referral and recommendation classroom performance grades interviews with parents

Assessment/Accountability Children from preschool through grade two are selected solely on the basis of such criteria as: teacher judgment interviews with parents developmentally appropriate measures (See section 1115(b)(1) & (2)

Complaint Process True or False Private school officials have the right to appeal to the SEA if they believe that the LEA officials have not complied with the requirements of section 1120.

Complaint Process True Specifically, private school officials have the right to appeal to the SEA if they believe: the LEA did not engage in consultation that was timely and meaningful; there was not consideration given to the views of private school officials; and there is a dispute involving poverty data.

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