FEDERAL PROGRAMS
The Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law in 2015, reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and provides federal funding to support student achievement, educator effectiveness, and equitable educational opportunities. ESSA gives states and local school districts greater flexibility while maintaining a strong focus on improving outcomes for all students, particularly those who have historically been underserved.
Title I, Part A – Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies (LEAs)
Title I, Part A provides supplemental federal funding to state educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve academic achievement for students who are economically disadvantaged. These funds support schools with high percentages of children from low-income families in providing all students with a fair, equitable, and high-quality education.
Schools receiving Title I funds operate either:
- Schoolwide Programs, which upgrade the entire educational program of a campus serving a high-poverty population, or
- Targeted Assistance Programs, which provide additional instructional support to identified students most at risk of failing to meet state academic standards.
Districts and campuses use Title I funds to implement evidence-based instructional strategies, provide academic interventions, strengthen family engagement, support school improvement efforts, and ensure all students have opportunities to meet the challenging Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and state academic standards.
Title II, Part A – Supporting Effective Instruction
Title II, Part A provides supplemental funding to increase student achievement by improving the effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders. The program focuses on developing, supporting, and retaining effective educators through high-quality, sustained professional learning and leadership development.
Funds may be used to:
- Recruit, prepare, and retain effective teachers and principals.
- Provide ongoing, job-embedded professional learning.
- Support instructional coaching and mentoring.
- Strengthen leadership capacity.
- Improve equitable access to effective educators for all students.
ESSA emphasizes the use of evidence-based practices to improve teaching and learning while allowing districts flexibility in designing professional learning aligned to local needs.
Title III, Part A – English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement
Title III, Part A provides supplemental funding to help English learners (ELs), including immigrant children and youth, attain English language proficiency while meeting the same challenging academic standards expected of all students.
Title III funds support districts in:
- Providing effective language instruction educational programs.
- Helping English learners develop proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing English.
- Improving academic achievement in all content areas.
- Providing professional learning for educators serving English learners.
- Promoting meaningful family engagement for multilingual families.
- Supporting immigrant students as they transition into U.S. schools.
These services are intended to supplement, not replace, the educational services districts are required to provide under federal and state law.