Title I

Overview

What is Title I?

Title I is the largest single program of federal aid for elementary and secondary education. The program was instituted in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson to improve educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged children and to close the achievement gap between rich and poor students and between minority and White students. In 2000, the federal government contributed over $10 billion through Title I programs in over 90% of school districts nationwide.

The Mission of Title I in Albemarle County

Albemarle County Public Schools believes that all students can succeed in school, and we believe that fundamental to that success is a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy that begins in early childhood. In support of that goal, the mission of the Title I program is to provide early, effective, and consistent reading and mathematics instruction that is aligned with classroom instruction and that is based on researched best practices.

As part of this mission, we aim to determine early those children who are most in need of Title I support and accelerate their learning so they can succeed in the classroom. Toward this end, Albemarle County's Title I program supports students at risk of school failure from preschool through 5th grade.

Qualifying for Title I in Albemarle County

Though Albemarle County has pockets of high poverty, and many students who come to school with economic and educational disadvantage, we are not a high poverty community as a whole. Federal Title I monies are allocated to school districts based on poverty statistics, and these monies are then allocated to schools based on the percentages of poor students at each school as measured by the family income eligibility for Free and Reduced Lunch. Schools whose ratio of poor students is higher than the County average are eligible to receive Title I funding.

In Albemarle County, we serve our schools through Targeted Assistance programs which serve only the children with the greatest academic need. Note that eligibility for services through Title I is based on academic need, not economic need.

Title I Services in Albemarle County

Currently, Albemarle County has Title I programs in 6 elementary schools. Funds support reading and math instruction through teachers, teaching assistants, instructional materials, professional development, and program support for over 300 students in the Division. Teachers provide instruction in several different models including combinations of push in/pull out and summer school.


ACPS Title I Coordinator, Andrea Blount
Albemarle County Public Schools
401 McIntire Road
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 296-5820