Laura Gorman
Coordinator
Grants & ESSA
720-433-1257
The Title and Grants Office develops and manages supplemental funding opportunities in support of the District Strategic Plan.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is the 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This law also requires states to develop plans that address standards, assessments, school and district accountability and special help for struggling schools. You can read the Every Student Succeeds Act here.
The Douglas County School District receives formula funds from the federal government through the Colorado Department of Education for the following ESSA programs:
Title I, Part A: Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged targets resources to districts and schools in greatest need. The program is the largest ESEA program supporting both elementary and secondary education. The USDE allocates funds based on census poverty rates from ages 5 through 17. Eligibility is based on statutory formulas. Although the amount of Title I, Part A funds a school and district may receive is based on poverty rates, the children that benefit from the program(s) are not, necessarily, students in poverty. Rather, Colorado’s Title I, Part A programs work to address the needs of a school's lowest performing students and those students most at risk for not meeting the Colorado English Language Proficiency (CELP) and Colorado Academic Standards (CAS).
The purpose of Title I, Part A is to provide resources to schools and districts to ensure that all children have a fair, equitable, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and close educational achievement gaps.
Title I, Part A is intended to support LEAs in:
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Improving teaching by promoting effective instruction for at-risk children and for enriched and accelerated programs;
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Expanding eligibility of schools for schoolwide programs that serve all children;
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Encouraging school-based improvement planning;
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Establishing accountability based on results;
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Promoting meaningful parent and family engagement;
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Coordinating with health and social services agencies;
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Focusing resources on the schools with the highest percentage of students living in poverty.
Title I, Part A funds are intended to support student achievement and growth at the school level. Schools eligible for Title I, Part A funds are determined based on school attendance areas and rank order. Districts may choose to provide supports and services to increase student achievement and growth through schoolwide programs or targeted assistance programs. Additionally, districts may support some district-level Title I activities through district-managed activities and/or parent and community engagement activities.
Title I Schools in Douglas County School District:
Title II, Part A: Educator Quality is intended to increase student academic achievement consistent with challenging State academic standards, improve the quality and effectiveness of educators, increase the number of educators who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools, and provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective educators.
Title III, Part A: Supports for English Learners is a supplemental grant that is designed to improve and enhance the education of English learners (ELs) in becoming proficient in English, as well as meeting the Colorado Academic Content standards. The Title III Immigrant Set-Aside grant resides within this program and provides opportunities for LEAs to enhance the instructional opportunities for immigrant students and their families.
Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Achievement is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of States, local educational agencies (LEAs), 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.
Title IX-A: McKinney Vento - Homeless Education - ESSA includes changes to strengthen and improve the education of over 1.3 million children and youth experiencing homelessness, from early childhood through high school graduation. It incorporates best practices from states and school districts across the country to increase the identification, enrollment, stability, and school success of children and youth experiencing homelessness. For our district ESSA increases resources for homeless students by expanding the availability and use of Title IA funds, and by raising the authorized funding level for the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program. Read more about DCSD's Homeless Education Program