Federal Programs

The mission and responsibility of the Federal Programs Department are to procure, monitor and utilize federal funds for the following programs in order to provide quality federal educational opportunities for all students and staff to develop the skills necessary to reach their maximum potential as responsible, productive citizens and life-long learners. 

ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) Programs:

Title I, Part A (Improving Academic Performance of the Disadvantaged)

Title II, Part A (Teacher and Principal Quality)

Title III (English Acquisition, Language Enhancement Academic Achievement)

Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment)

What Is Title I?

Title I, Part A, is the oldest federal education program in existence today.  The program is governed by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which was reauthorized in 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  Title I is a Federal Aid Program through which most Ohio school districts receive funding to provide supplemental instruction for those students who qualify.  The allocation of funds for each school district is based on a legislative formula dependent upon the distribution of low-income children and state per-pupil expenditures.  However, Title I services are provided for all children who qualify as needing assistance in language arts or mathematics regardless of income.  Garfield Heights City School District’s Title I program spans grades K-12 providing supplemental services in the instructional areas of language arts and mathematics.  The title I teachers and the classroom teachers work collaboratively toward meeting the needs of each Title I served student.

Beginning with the primary grades, service is directed to students meeting specific selection criteria.  Focused assessment throughout the school year provides an ongoing record of student progress, which enables our teachers to tailor instruction to meet the specific needs of each child.  

What is the Purpose of Title I Funding?

The purpose of Title I funding “is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach, at minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.”

The basic principles of Title I state that schools with large concentrations of low-income students will receive supplemental funds to assist in meeting student’s educational goals.  Low-income students are determined by the number of students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program.  For an entire school to qualify for Title I funds, at least 40% of students must enroll in the free and reduced lunch program.  

The following schools are Title I served:

Elmwood Elementary

Maple Leaf Elementary

William Foster Elementary

Garfield Heights Middle School

All of the schools listed above are considered school-wide programs. 

These schools have a student population of 40% or above that are receiving free/reduced lunch.  These schools typically are utilizing a reform model for reading and/or math to improve their students’ academic success.  For more information regarding school-wide programs, please visit the Ohio Department of Education’s website at www.ode.state.oh.us.

The goals of a schoolwide program are:

• To improve teaching and learning to enable Title I participants to meet the challenging academic standards all children are expected to master. 

Parent Involvement/Parents Right to Know

The Garfield Heights City School District values and recognizes that parents are an important part of their child’s academic success.  Research indicates that when parents are involved in their child’s education, children have better attendance, achieve better grades, learn strong social and behavioral skills that help them throughout life, and continue their education beyond high school.  

In accordance with Title I, Part A, Garfield Heights City School District offers parents:

• School-level parental involvement policies 
• Parent, Student, and Teacher Compacts
• Materials and/or resources to help parents assist their child(ren) 

Parent Information and resources are available at both the District and school level that includes the timely topics of:

• Common Core Standards
• State and local assessments
• The requirements of the Title I program
• How to improve your child's academic progress
• Literacy and Mathematics instructional strategies and components 

Parent Right to Know:

Did you know that you have the right to know the qualifications of your child’s teachers and paraprofessionals?

You may request the following information:

• Whether the teacher has met the State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;
• Whether the teacher received an emergency or conditional certificate through which state qualifications were waived; 
• What undergraduate or graduate degrees the teacher holds, including the field of discipline of the certification or degree; 
• Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.  

Notice of Right to Know Teacher Qualifications - Parents Right to Know Letter '21.pdf