Title I Vision for School Reform in California
Schoolwide programs (SWPs) are a cornerstone of the vision for school reform as defined in Title I of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. Research shows that in order for the lowest achieving students in the highest poverty schools to meet high standards of performance, the school's entire instructional program, not just a separate Title I program, must be substantially improved. Since no separate student eligibility process is required for participation in a SWP, the advantage to a school becoming a SWP is that the SWP educational program serves ALL students. Fiscally, NCLB allows schools to consolidate or blend funds. SWP schools may then use their consolidated federal, state, and local funds to reform their entire educational program. Title I schools often choose to change their status from targeted assistance to SWP status in order to better meet the needs of their students.
To be eligible to operate as a SWP, schools must have a concentration of students living in poverty of at least 40 percent in the initial year of the SWPs. To become a SWP, eligible Title I schools should use the guidance and form provided below on this Web site. Two guidance documents provide information that will assist schools in understanding the NCLB-required components of a SWP plan as well as the steps required to become a SWP school. The form is necessary to complete the authorization process to operate as a SWP school.
Becoming a SWP requires schools to first develop a comprehensive SWP plan. This plan must describe how the school will be improved academically so that all students, especially those farthest away from demonstrating proficiency, will attain proficiency on the state academic content standards. Federal guidelines suggest that the planning process to develop the comprehensive SWP plan should ideally take schools one year to complete and must incorporate the results of a comprehensive needs assessment. The comprehensive needs assessment is critical to the SWP planning process; for reasons of legal compliance, schools are advised to keep documentation and evidence of the comprehensive needs assessment and the SWP planning process on file at the school.
In addition to the ten required components, the comprehensive SWP plan must be developed in such a way as to:
- Reflect a thoughtful process for school reform that involves
administrators, teachers, school personnel, parents, and people
who will have responsibility for implementing the comprehensive
SWP plan.
- Provide evidence of an annual evaluation design that describes how
the school will determine if its SWP plan is effective in meeting
its goals and objectives and is directly correlated to the goals
and objectives of the SWP plan.
- Include a listing of the programs whose funds have been combined in the SWP program per federal legal requirements so as to provide evidence that students eligible for service under those programs are being served appropriately.
Once completed, the comprehensive SWP plan should incorporate local, state, and federal legally mandated programs that were designed to address the student needs identified as a result of the comprehensive needs assessment.
The following links provide guidance to schools that wish to become Title I SWP schools:
- Designing Schoolwide Programs (Outside Source)
Non-regulatory guidance issued March 2006 by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Title I Fiscal Guidance (Outside Source)
Non-regulatory guidance issued February 2008 by the U.S. Department of Education.
- Request for Authorization of a Schoolwide Program - REVISED
Form necessary to complete the authorization process to operate a SWP school.
DOC (55KB; 3pp.; 04-Dec-2006) | PDF (106KB; 3pp.; 04-Dec-2006)
- Making Sense of Schoolwide Programs (PPT; 334 KB; 47 pp.)
This presentation reflects the benefits of the schoolwide program for Title I schools.
- FAQ
Answers questions about Title I schoolwide programs.
- Components of a Title I Schoolwide Program Plan - Revised 04-Dec-2006
Outlines the ten required components of Title I SWP schools.
- Steps to Schoolwide Programs - Revised 04-Dec-2006
Outlines the steps to be designated a Title I SWP school.
- Comprehensive Schoolwide Program Plan - Revised 04-Dec-2006
Provides an explanation of the required comprehensive needs assessment.
- United States Department of Education, 7/02/04 (PDF; 71KB; 6pp.; Outside Source)
Guidance regarding fund consolidation and statutory exemptions.
Other Resources
Title I SWP Authorization Under NCLB
Explains new NCLB requirements for schools
that were designated Title I schoolwide programs before NCLB was
enacted.
Information
Regarding Title I, Part A, Targeted Assistance Schools
Provides background information about the use of funds and program
services in Title I schools with targeted assistance status.
Request for Authorization of Targeted Assistance Status
Appropriate authorization form for schools to change from a
Title I schoolwide program to targeted assistance status.
DOC (24KB; 1p.)
