Welcome to the Titles I, II, III, IV, and V section of the website.

Arkansas schools and districts use federal resources in their efforts to improve student achievement, to ensure that students are proficient in meeting our state standards, and to prepare for a successful future.

The Gurdon Public School District is a subrecipient of Federal Grant Program funds to supplement and complement the efforts of local school systems, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents and students to improve the quality of education.

District personnel receive technical assistance from ADE:DESE personnel in our efforts to apply best-practices in both fiscal and programmatic matters and to maintain communication efforts not only in the program planning stage but the implementation stage as well.

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended, provides financial assistance through State Educational Agencies (SEAs) to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and public schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards.

LEAs are required to target the Title I funds they receive to public schools with the highest percentages of children from low-income families. Individual public schools with poverty rates above 40 percent may use Title I funds, along with other federal, state, and local funds, to operate a "schoolwide program" to upgrade the instructional program for the whole school.

Schools with poverty rates below 40 percent, or those choosing not to operate a schoolwide program, may offer a "targeted assistance program" in which the school identifies students who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the state's challenging performance standards, 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 parental involvement.

The programs that comprise Title 1, Part A include:

• Highly-Qualified Paraprofessionals

• Parental Involvement

• Preschool

• Private Schools

• Supplemental Education Services and School Choice

• Targeted Assistance School and Schoolwide Program

Each campus hosts a Title I Annual meeting in the fall semester while the district hosts a meeting in the spring. Resources from these meetings are available here.

The Title I Committee for the district and for each campus may be found here.

Our school receives federal funds for programs that are part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended (2015). Throughout the school year, we will continue to provide you with important information about this law and your child's education. Based on current education law, teachers must have earned State certification and licensure. State certification and licensure is the training required to be a teacher.

We are very proud of our teachers and feel they are ready for the coming school year. We are prepared to give your child a high- quality education. You have the right to request information about the professional qualifications of your child’s teacher(s) or paraprofessional(s). A paraprofessional provides academic or other support for students under the direct supervision of a teacher. If you request this information, the district or school will provide you with the following as soon as possible:

• if the teacher has met State certification and licensing requirements for the grade levels and subjects for which the teacher provides

  instruction;

• if state certification and licensing requirements have been waived (is not being required at this time) for the teacher under emergency

  or other temporary status;

• if the teacher is teaching in the field of discipline for which they are certified or licensed;

• if the teacher has met State-approved or State-recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements. These requirements apply to the professional discipline in which the teacher is working and may include providing English language instruction to English learners, special education or related services to students with disabilities, or both; and

• if your child is receiving Title I or Special Education services from paraprofessionals, his or her qualifications.

Our staff are committed to helping your child develop the social, academic and critical thinking he or she needs to succeed in school and beyond. That commitment includes making sure that all of our teachers and paraprofessionals are highly skilled.

If you would like to request information about your child’s teacher(s) or paraprofessional(s), or if you have any questions about your child’s assignment to a teacher or paraprofessional, please use this form to contact our campus for more information.

You have a right to request information regarding the professional qualifications of the classroom staff working with your child.

Our district or school will be able to provide you with the following information regarding the qualifications of your child’s teacher(s):

• Whether the teacher meets the state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grades and subjects that he or she teaches.

• Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status because of special circumstances.

• Whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and the field of discipline of the teacher’s certification or degree.

If at any time your student has been taught for four (4) or more consecutive weeks by a teacher(s) that is not highly qualified, then you will be notified by the school.

You also have the right to request information regarding the qualifications of the paraprofessional(s) assisting your child’s teacher(s).  If your child is receiving Title I, Part A services from a paraprofessional, then our district or school is able to provide you with the following information:

• Whether the paraprofessional has completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education.

• Whether the paraprofessional has completed an associate’s degree (or higher).

• Whether the paraprofessional has met a rigorous standard of quality through our state’s certification procedure for determining the quality of paraprofessional staff.

• Whether the paraprofessional has: (a) the knowledge of and ability to assist in instructing reading, writing, and mathematics or (b) the knowledge of and the ability to assist in learning activities, such as homework, reading readiness, writing, mathematics, and other support as appropriate.

To request this information, please contact the office by phone during school hours:

• GPS at 870-353-4321

• CMS at 870-353-4454 ext 4

• GHS at 870-353-4454 ext 1

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) requires the state educational agency (SEA) to investigate any complaint provided to the SEA.

Any individual, organization or agency (complainant) may file a complaint with the Arkansas Department of Education if that individual, organization or agency believes and alleges that a local educational agency, the state educational agency, or an agency or consortium of agencies is violating a federal statute or regulation that applies to a program under the ESEA. The complaint must allege a violation that occurred not more than one (1) year prior to the date that the complaint is received, unless a longer period is reasonable because the violation is considered systemic or ongoing.

For more information, please refer to:

•  Commissioner’s Memo COM-21-013 Final Rule: Federal Program Complaint Resolution

•  ADE Rules Governing Federal Program Complaint Resolution

Disabled parents have a right to ask for auxiliary aids and services to afford them an equal opportunity to participate in and to enjoy the benefits of a Title I, Part A Programs.

Please complete any surveys for any campus and for the district

• GPSD Federal Programs Survey

Please consider volunteering by campus

• Each campus trains its volunteers for the specific roles and/or tasks

• These opportunities may be limited/adapted due current health guidance

Please let us know how we can collaborate with you more effectively

The purpose of this title is to provide grants to state educational agencies and subgrants to local educational agencies to:

1. increase student achievement consistent with the challenging state academic standards

2. improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders

3. increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools

4. provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders

RESOURCE: Commissioner's Memo COM-18-077 issued 4/2/18: Class Size Reduction and Professional Development Guidance (Title II, Part A).

Currently, GPSD transfers the funds from this area to Title I per state and federal guidelines.

The purposes of the Title III program are:

1. to help ensure that children who are limited English proficient, including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, and meet the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet;

2. to assist all limited English proficient children, including immigrant children and youth, to achieve at high levels in the core academic subjects so that those children can meet the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet, consistent with section 1111(b)(1);

3. to develop high-quality language instruction educational programs designed to assist State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools in teaching limited English proficient children and serving immigrant children and youth;

4. to assist State educational agencies and local educational agencies to develop and enhance their capacity to provide high-quality instructional programs designed to prepare limited English proficient children, including immigrant children and youth, to enter all-English instruction settings;

5. to assist State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools to build their capacity to establish, implement, and sustain language instruction educational programs and programs of English language development for limited English proficient children;

6. to promote parental and community participation in language instruction educational programs for the parents and communities of limited English proficient children;

7. to streamline language instruction educational programs into a program carried out through formula grants to State educational agencies and local educational agencies to help limited English proficient children, including immigrant children and youth, develop proficiency in English, while meeting challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards;

8. to hold State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and schools accountable for increases in English proficiency and core academic content knowledge of limited English proficient children by requiring — (A) demonstrated improvements in the English proficiency of limited English proficient children each fiscal year; and(B) adequate yearly progress for limited English proficient children, including immigrant children and youth, as described in section 1111(b)(2)(B); and 9) to provide State educational agencies and local educational agencies with the flexibility to implement language instruction educational programs, based on scientifically based research on teaching limited English proficient children, that the agencies believe to be the most effective for teaching English.

Currently, GPSD does not receive funds from this area.

Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (ESEA Sections 4101-4111)

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as authorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, established Title IV, Part A, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant Program (SSAE). The overarching goal of Title IV, Part A, is to increase the capacity of state education agencies, local education agencies, campuses, and communities to meet the following three goals:

1. Provide all students access to a well-rounded education

2. Improve academic outcomes by maintaining safe and healthy students 

3. Improve the use of technology to advance student academic achievement

Local Education Agency (LEA) Requirements

1. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) must complete and submit a Federal Grant Application in Indistar to receive ESEA Title IV, Part A, program allocations. (4105(a)(1)and 4106(a)

2. Engages in consultation with stakeholders in the area served by the LEA during the design and development of their application (section 4106(c) of the ESEA)

3. An LEA may, if it chooses, apply for funds in consortium with one or more surrounding LEAs and combine funds each LEA receives. (ESEA section4106(b))

4. LEAs receiving $30,000 or more shall conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of the access to, and opportunities for, a well-rounded education for all students; school conditions for student learning to create a healthy and safe school environment; and access to personalized learning experiences supported by technology.  ESEA section 4106(d)

5. LEAs receiving less than $30,000 are NOT required to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment

6. LEAs may transfer Title IV, Part A, funds to another federal program.  An LEA may not transfer funds to a particular program solely to provide equitable services for private school students or teachers.  Rather, an LEA, after consulting with appropriate private school officials, must provide equitable services to private school students and teachers based on the rules of each program and the total amount of funds available to each program, after a transfer (Section 5103( e) ).  For guidance, see Non-Regulatory Guidance: Fiscal Changes and Equitable Services Requirements.

Distribution of Funds

Prioritize the distribution of funds to schools served by the LEA based on one or more of the following criteria—

• Are among the schools with the greatest needs;

• Have the highest percentages or numbers of children counted under section 1124(c) (i.e., children counted for purposes of basic grants to LEAs under Title I, Part A of the ESEA);

• Are identified for comprehensive support and improvement under section 1111(c)(4)(D)(i) (i.e., are among the lowest-achieving schools);

• Are implementing targeted support and improvement plans as described in section 1111(d)(2) (i.e., have consistently underperforming student subgroups); or

• Are identified as a persistently dangerous public elementary school or secondary school under section 8532. (ESEA section 4106(e)(2)(A)).

Supplement not Supplant Requirement

Supplement, not supplant provisions require an LEA to use state or local funds for all services required by state law, or local policy and prohibit those funds from being diverted for other purposes when federal funds are available. (ESEA section 4110)

•  Title IV, Part A, funds must supplement—add to, enhance, expand, increase, extend—the programs and services offered with state and local funds;

•  cannot be used to supplant—take the place of, replace—the state and local funds used to offer those programs and services; and

•  are expended to benefit the intended population defined in the authorizing statute, rather than being diverted to cover expenses that an LEA would have paid out of other funds in the event the federal funds were not available.

Preliminary Checklist for Allowable Activities and Use of Funds

• Each LEA must be able to respond appropriately to and maintain documentation of the following:  How is the expenditure reasonable and necessary to carry out the intent and purpose of the program and content area(s) of Title IV, Part A? 

• What specific need identified in the comprehensive needs assessment does the expenditure address? 

• How will the expenditure be evaluated to measure a positive impact on student achievement? 

• How is the expenditure supplemental to funds that would be otherwise available for activities authorized under Title IV, Part A program (ESEA section 4110). 

U.S. Department of Education Resources

• Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) , Title IV, Part A

• U.S. Department of Education Non-Regulatory Guidance: SSAE Grants

• U.S. Department of Education Non-Regulatory Guidance Using Evidence to Strengthen Education Investments

• U.S. Department of Education Office of Non-Public Education

• U.S. Department of Education Office of Safe and Healthy Students

• U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title IV Student Support Academic Enrichment Webinar Series

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments 

• National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments Website

• Needs Assessment

• Guides and Toolkits

• Training Products

Other Resources 

• Federal Funding Allocations

• Supporting and Responding to Behaviors

• Safer Campuses and Communities: Tools for Implementing Evidence-based Interventions to Reduce Alcohol Problems

Currently, GPSD transfers the funds from this area to Title I per state and federal guidelines.

The Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) is designed to assist rural school districts in using federal resources to improve the quality of instruction and student academic achievement. It consists of two separate programs, the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program and the Rural and Low-Income Schools (RLIS) program that provides grant funds to serve children from low-income families.

Currently, GPSD uses the funds from this area per state and federal guidelines.