ESSA Programs
ESSA Title I, Part A
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), is designed to help disadvantaged children reach high academic standards. Title I is designed to provide all children significant opportunity to receive fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps. Title I helps State Educational Agencies (SEAs), Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), and schools meet the educational needs of low-achieving students in schools with high concentrations of students from low-income families. Title I, Part A supports schools in implementing either a school-wide program or a targeted assistance program. These programs must use effective methods and instructional strategies that are grounded in scientifically evidence-based research.
Did You Know - Moving to Title I, Part A Schoolwide Status
Comparability of Services
Fiscal Monitoring
Maintenance of Effort
SNS
Fiscal Requirements
ESSA Title I, Part D
The Title I, Part D, program - The Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent or At Risk was most recently reauthorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended in 2001. The Title I, Part D, Subpart 1 State agency N or D program was first authorized with P.L.89-750, the Elementary and Secondary Amendments of 1966. The Title I, Part D, Subpart 2 local educational agency program came into being in its present form with the Improving America Schools Act of 1994.
Title I Part D consists of two subparts: Subpart 1 (ESSA, Section 1401) and Subpart 2 (ESSA, Section 1421.)
Resources
ESSA Title II
Title II, Part A-Supporting Effective Instruction
The purpose of Title II, Part A is to increase student achievement consistent with the challenging State academic standards; improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders; increase the number of effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools; and provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders. The intent of the funding is to support educators in their work to improve the overall quality of instruction and ensure equity of educational opportunity for all students.
Resources
ESSA Title IV, Part A
Newly authorized under subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A of the ESEA, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program is intended to help meet these goals by increasing the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), schools, and local communities to: 1) provide all students with access to a well-rounded education,2 2) improve school conditions for student learning, and 3) improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. (ESEA section 4101).
Resources
Grants Resources
Title I, Part A Paraprofessional Requirements
Recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Education has clarified that paraprofessionals performing instructional duties in a Title I, Part A Schoolwide program must meet the paraprofessional qualification requirements regardless of the source of funds paying their salary. Paraprofessionals performing instructional duties in a Title I, Part A Targeted Assistance program must meet these requirements if their salaries are paid in full or in part from Title I, Part A funds.
Federal Requirements - Title I, Part A Requirements for Paraprofessionals
State Requirements - Becoming an Educational Aide in Texas
State & Federal Para Requirements
For Title I, Part A Paraprofessional training (Paraprofessional Institute) information, contact:
Nella Custer at 903-988-6846
or visit our Region 7 workshop page.
We offer the Paraprofessional Institute multiple times a year to allow all who need to meet the Title I requirements the opportunity to do so. We trained over 500 Paraprofessionals in 2024-2025!
Compensatory Education (CE)
The goal of the Compensatory Education Program is to provide funding to reduce disparity in performance on assessment instruments or disparity in the rates of high school completion between at-risk students and all other students. The purpose of the CE program is to increase academic achievement and reduce the dropout rate for these students by providing supplemental programs and services.
Statutes and correspondence related to the CE program are listed below.
- The Texas Education Code (TEC) §28.0217, relates to satisfactory performance on state assessment instruments and providing accelerated instruction to certain students.
- The TEC, §29.081, defines the purpose of the CE program and the statutory criteria for determining if a student is at risk of dropping out of high school.
Resources:
TEA Private School Equitable Services
ESSA and Compensatory Education Program Contacts:
Kerri Brice, M.Ed., RTSBA
Director
Office: 903.988.6719
Email: [email protected]
Specialties: ESSA, Title I, Part C (Migrant), and McKinney-Vento Programs
Angela Clark, M.B.A., RTSBA
Coordinator I
Office: 903.988.6850
Email: [email protected]
Specialties: ESSA
Michele Mangrum, M.Ed., RTSBA
Specialist II
Office: 903.988.6856
Email: [email protected]
Specialties: Title I, Part A; Title IV, Part A; Private Nonprofit (PNP) Equitable Services; Moving to Schoolwide; Classroom Management/ Poverty Training
Melanie Tidwell, M.Ed.
Specialist II
Office: 903.988.6978
Email: [email protected]
Specialties: Title I, Part A; Title I, Part D, Subpart 2; Title II, Part A; Parent & Family Engagement; Compensatory Education; Fiscal; New Federal Program Directors
Courtney Thomas, M.Ed.
Specialist I
Office: 903.988.6817
Email: [email protected]
Specialties: Title I, Part A- Campus Administrators; Paraprofessional Requirements; Moving to Schoolwide
Raegan Grisby
Specialist I
Office: 903.988.6768
Email: [email protected]
Specialties: Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; RLIS/SRSA; Parent & Family Engagement; Paraprofessional Requirements