Title I Program

Title I is a federally funded grant that must be used to improve the academic achievement of students at risk for failure in Reading and/or Math. The percent of PALCS families living at or below the poverty level is below 40%, therefore, PALCS has implemented a targeted assistance Title I program.  Funds received from this grant may not be used to supplant services required by law.  Rather, Title I funds may be used to coordinate and supplement services otherwise required for students in the Title I Program.  The student selection process is based entirely on the achievement level of the students, not on the income level of the students.  Students are selected based upon criteria chosen by the local education agency (LEA). To qualify for the Title I program students must achieve at a below proficient level in two (2) assessment criteria. The criteria for grades 3-6 must include students performing below proficient on the PSSA and may include the following: attendance/suspension, retention, report card grades, anecdotal records, teacher recommendation, and other appropriate assessments. Criteria for students in K-2 must include developmentally appropriate assessments and may include teacher recommendation, parent recommendation, anecdotal records, and other non-paper/pencil assessment tasks.

The Fresh Start K-2 and Moving Forward 3-6, Title I Language Arts/Mathematics program is designed for children in grades K-6. The Title I program collects initial student assessment data and works collaboratively with the teachers to diagnose areas of weakness and prescribe a plan of action. The students continue to receive instruction in their regular education Math/Language Arts class with the support of the Title I teacher. Other web-based resources available to the Title I students include Soliloquy, Imagination Station, and PLATO.