Federal & State Programs
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
In December of 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law reauthorizing President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. Gilbert Public School District currently receives federal funding through ESSA’s Title I, Title II and Title IV grants. The Office of Federal & State Programs at GPS provides support and assistance in managing those programs.
Program Overviews
In addition to core classroom instruction, Gilbert Public Schools’ Title I Programs specialize in providing high-quality intervention and support to students. GPS uses multiple, educationally related, objective criteria to determine student eligibility. Title I Teams use evidence-based activities, strategies, and/or interventions to provide the appropriate support to GPS students who are academically at risk of meeting state academic standards.
Title II-A: Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals - Supporting Effective Instruction, is to increase student achievement through improved access to effective teachers, principals and other school leaders. Gilbert Public School District currently utilizes Title II funds to provide high-quality training opportunities for our teachers, principals and staff.
Title IV, Part A - Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant, is to provide students with activities that support a well-rounded education, safe and healthy students, and technology. Gilbert Public Schools currently utilizes Title IV funds to support programs such as Advanced Placement, Suicide Prevention, and Coding.
Common Sense Education Curriculum
GPS Student Support & Prevention School Social Worker & Mental Health Counselor
Title I Frequently Asked Questions
What is Title I?
Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides financial assistance to states and school districts to meet the needs of educationally at-risk students. The goal of Title I is to provide extra instructional services and activities which support students identified as at risk of failing to meet the state’s challenging performance standards, most specifically in English/language-arts or math.
What will Title I programs do for my child?
The Title I program will provide your child with supplemental educational assistance beyond the regular classroom. Some students receive support through a push-in model in the classroom while others receive support through a small group pull-out model.
How does our school receive Title I money?
The federal government provides funding to each state, then, each State Educational Agency sends money to its school districts.
The amount each school receives is determined by the number of low-income students attending that school and census data.
Title I schools must:
- Identify the students at their school who need the most educational assistance based on the criteria that school has chosen. Students do NOT have to be from low-income families to receive Title I services.
- Set goals for improving the skills of educationally disadvantaged students at their school.
- Measure student progress to determine the success of the Title I program for each student.
- Develop programs for each individual student to support/supplement regular classroom instruction.
What can Title I programs offer?
Title I programs generally offer:
- Small group instruction or special instructional spaces
- Push-in classroom support
- Additional teachers and aides
- Opportunities for professional development for school staff based on student needs
- Afterschool and summer programs to support academically at-risk students
- An individualized intervention program for students
How can parents get involved?
Parents can influence the success of their student(s) in school by becoming an active participant in your child’s education. Some examples of how to be more involved include:
- Serve on school committees showing your student that you support his/her education.
- Be a role model for your child showing them how important education is by doing things such as reading or participating in events and community groups.
- Assure that you are aware of your student’s educational progress; demonstrating how important that progress is to you.
- Ask open-ended questions about what your child is learning.
- Assist your child with his/her homework and check learning platforms to ensure your child’s work is being completed on time.
- Attend parent-teacher conferences.
- Communicate regularly with your child’s teacher through email, phone, etc.
- Keep your child’s teacher informed about events in your child’s life that could affect his/her academic performance.
Our Campus Improvement Plan (CIP), along with the Title I Plan, drives all of our programs, strategies, monetary expenditures, and parent/community involvement efforts.