Needwood Middle School

Title I is a part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, recently reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). Title I is a federally funded program, which provides services to schools based on student economic need. Schools are ranked according to the percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunches and are funded in descending order until funds are depleted. Title I is designed to support state and local school reform efforts tied to challenging state academic standards in order to reinforce and enhance efforts to improve teaching and learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support parent-family engagement.

Title I programs are either schoolwide or targeted assistance. Schools must have a 40% free and/or reduced lunch count for students to qualify as a Title I school. Nine of ten elementary schools and four middle schools receive Title I, Part A funds to support their schoolwide programs. Additionally, Morningstar, a center for neglected youth located in Glynn County, was assigned a school code in FY 08 and received Title I, Part A funds to support their targeted assistance program. A cooperative agreement between the Glynn County School System and Morningstar ensures quality services for their students delivered in the least restrictive environment. Funds at each facility are used to hire additional personnel to reduce class size and to purchase supplemental instructional and technological materials to help impact student achievement.

Schoolwide programs have plans that address the following ten components:

1. A comprehensive needs assessment of the school
2. Proven methods and strategies for student learning, teaching, and school management based on scientific research and effective practices
3. Instruction by  teachers
4. High-quality, ongoing, professional development based on scientifically based research for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals
5. Strategies to attract high-quality, professionally qualified teachers to high-need schools
6. Strategies to increase parent involvement, such as family literacy services
7. Plans for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs
8. Measures to include teachers in decisions regarding the use of academic assessments
9. Activities to ensure that students having difficulty mastering the proficient or advanced levels of academic achievement standards shall be provided with effective, timely, additional assistance
10. Coordination and integration of federal, state, and local services and programs