Federal Programs

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides financial assistance through state education agencies (SEAs) to local education agencies (LEAs) and public schools with the highest percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Title I funds may be used for children from preschool through grade 12.  LEAs target the Title I funds they receive to public schools with the highest poverty rates.  Public schools with poverty rates of at least 40 percent may use Title I funds, along with other federal, state, and local funds, to operate a schoolwide program to upgrade the entire educational program. Schools with poverty rates below 40 percent, or those choosing not to operate a schoolwide program, offer a targeted assistance program. In a targeted assistance program, the school serves Title I-eligible students who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet challenging state academic standards.  The school then designs, in consultation with parents, staff, and district staff, an instructional program to meet the needs of those students. Both schoolwide and targeted assistance programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support parent and family engagement.

All four schools in the North Panola School District serve students through a Schoolwide Program. This means that Title I funds may be utilized to impact all students and staff members. 

Title I schools are responsible for adhering to certain requirements as it relates to parent and family engagement.

• Parents must be notified at least annually of their rights to receive certain information.
• Parents must be notified if their child has been assigned to, or has been taught by, a teacher who is not licensed to teach their class/course.
• Parents must be allowed to assist in the development of a written parent involvement policy and the plan for parent and family engagement.
• Parents must be allowed to participate in the development of a school-parent compact that outlines how each party will share in the responsibility for student academic achievement. 

NPSD Goals of Title I Funding

• Provide high-quality professional development programs and activities that increase educators’ ability to meet the needs of all learners
• Carrying out in-service training for school personnel
• Carry out other evidence-based activities that meet the purpose of this title.

NPSD Costs supported by Title I, Part A:

• Instructional support personnel (i.e., teacher assistants, interventionists, academic coaches)
• District support personnel (i.e., nurses)
• Providing high-quality professional development 
• Supplementing the core instructional program
• Supporting a comprehensive assessment program to adequately prepare for academic success in state-tested areas

The purpose of Title II, Part A is to increase student academic achievement consistent with the challenging state academic standards; improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders; increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools; and provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders.

NPSD Goals of Title II Funding

• Support the effective recruitment, selection, hiring and retention of effective educators
• Recruit qualified individuals from other fields to become educators
• Provide high-quality personalized professional development that is evidence-based
• Develop programs and activities that increase educators’ ability to meet the needs of all learners
• Carrying out in-service training for school personnel
• Carry out other evidence-based activities that meet the purpose of this title.

NPSD Costs supported by Title II, Part A:

• Developing and implementing new teacher, principal, or other school leader induction and mentoring programs
• Providing high-quality professional development that is evidence-based for educators on activities such as effectively engaging parents, families and community partners, promoting high-quality instruction in STEM, etc.
• Developing and implementing strategies to improve the hiring and retention of a diverse workforce
• Creating incentives for effective educators to teach in high-need schools and ongoing incentives for such educators to remain and grow in such schools

The purpose of the Title IV-A Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant is to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of states, local educational agencies, schools, and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education, improve school conditions for student learning, and improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students.

NPSD Goal of Title IV Funding

• Provide well-rounded opportunities by promoting access to accelerated learning opportunities including Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high schools 

NPSD Costs supported by Title IV, Part A:

• Increase student access to postsecondary education opportunities
• Providing additional vouchers to meet benchmark expectations to demonstrate college and career readiness as defined by the MSAS