Title One Information

"Title I is one of the nation's oldest and largest federal programs supporting elementary and secondary education. More than 90 percent of the school systems in the United States receive some sort of Title I funding. Through Title I, the federal government disburses money to school districts based on the number of low-income children, ages 5 - 17, in each district as determined by census data. Each district uses its Title I money to supplement and improve regular education programs in order to help students meet state standards. Students served by Title I funds include migrant children and youth; children and youth with limited English proficiency; children and youth who are homeless; children and youth who have disabilities; children and youth who are neglected, delinquent or at-risk; children in prekindergarten activities; and students who are in academic need."  Vermont Agency of Education

• Provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.
• Local districts, schools, and parents know best what their students need to succeed. The Title I program allows them to decide how to use these funds to implement evidence-based practices to help students who are failing or who are at risk of failing in school.
• Parents are partners in helping all students achieve. They have the right to be involved in the design and operation of their school's Title I program, and, at the same time, a responsibility to help their children succeed in school.

Our Participation in Title One

OESU participates in the Consolidated Federal Program. This is a series of federal title grants, including Title One, which funds salaries and educational programs across our supervisory union. We receive over one million dollars total through Title One, Two, and Title Four grants. Amounts vary each year and depend on enrollment and percentage of free and reduced lunch eligibility. 

Qualifying for Title One

To qualify for Title One funding, a school must meet certain criteria. There are two ways to qualify for Title One, through Targeted Assistance or Schoolwide Program. Eligibility for these programs depends on a school's free and reduced lunch percentage. For targeted assistance, at least 35% of a school’s student population must qualify for free and reduced lunch. Schools in the Targeted Assistance program can only use Title One money for specific students meeting certain criteria. To qualify for Schoolwide Program at least 40% of a school’s student population must qualify for free and reduced lunch. All Title One eligible schools in OESU qualify for the Schoolwide Program. This means that services and programs funded through Title One can be used for all students, schoolwide. 

Use of Title One Funds

We use title one funds to improve and increase student achievement by funding additional teachers to work with students in math and literacy. While our main use of funds is for salaries, we have also used Title One funds to purchase educational materials for students. Materials, services and programs purchased with Title One funds must be high quality, researched, and evidence-based.

Parent and Family Engagement

• Orange East Supervisory Union encourages parents and guardians to be involved and informed about their student’s education. 

• Each school has a Compact outlining the commitment of the staff and families to a child’s education. These plans were written using family survey information. Your survey may have been conducted recently or it may have been conducted in the past. Compacts are printed in Handbooks. If you cannot locate your school’s compact please contact your school.

• Schools utilizing title one funds must hold an annual Title One meeting each year to provide information to families. This is done through the supervisory union in collaboration with schools. 

• The Orange East Supervisory Union is required to have a Parent & Family Engagement policy:

Title 1 Part A Parent and Family Engagement Policy

Your Rights Under Title One

• You have the right to know the teaching credentials of your child’s teacher. You have the right to know whether your child works directly with a paraprofessional and what their qualifications are. Learn more about professional qualification requirements.

• You have the right to see how your child performed on state assessments and you have the right to know how your child’s school performed on state assessments

English Language Learners

Title One Annual Meeting

• Each school receiving Title One funds shall hold an annual Title One meeting to inform members of the school community about our Title One program

• Families have the right to request additional meetings

If you have questions on any of your rights, or any other aspect of your school’s Title One standing, please contact Nicole Bell at Orange East Supervisory Union, by email at nicole.bell@oesu.org or by phone at 802-222-5216 x6113.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides a complaint procedure to set "forth the process for resolving a complaint presented by any individual or organization that: (1) a school, school district, supervisory union, other agency authorized by the Local Educational Agency (LEA) or the State Education Agency (SEA), and/or (2) the State Education Agency violated the administration of education programs required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)."

"Complainants are encouraged to resolve the issue by speaking to the party in question directly or to speak to the applicable school, district, or supervisory union staff. If the complainant either does not feel comfortable doing so or does not receive a satisfactory resolution, they may file a formal complaint."

ESEA Complaint Procedure