Consolidated Programs provide categorically defined funds from various federal and state programs to county offices, school districts, and charter schools throughout California. Program entitlements are determined by formulas contained in the laws that created the programs. ACOE Student Programs & Services is a recipient of a number of these programs, including:
The Title I Neglected and Delinquent program provides federal assistance to youth in institutions and community day programs for neglected or delinquent youth for the purpose of improving educational services "so that such children and youth have the opportunity to meet the same challenging State content and student performance standards that all children in the State are expected to meet" (State Department of Education Guidelines). The ACOE Title I program serves neglected and delinquent populations in four school settings, providing as an operation focus a staff of six instructional assistants supporting mathematics and reading with a pre/post assessment and instructional support.
An additional focus has been around special education staffing and support at all school sites, addressing parent/agency support for planning, evaluation, and transition of students as designated in CCR, aligning in structional support to a standards-based language arts curriculum, and providing ongoing inservices to instructional assistants throughout the academic year.
This program is designed to improve student achievement by elevating teacher and principal quality through recruitment, hiring, and retention strategies. The program was created this academic year (2002 - 2003) due to research indicating that teacher quality is correlated with student academic achievement. Key requirements indicate LEAs must:
- Use funds to meet the requirements that all teachers be "highly qualified" by the end of 2005 - 2006 school year and develop annual objectives for measuring progress towards this requirement.
- Use funds to ensure that all current paraprofessionals with instructional duties in any program supplemented with Title II, part A funds have, by January 2006, completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education, obtained an associates (or higher) degree, or met a rigorous standard of quality and can demonstrate academic skills and knowledge.
Title IV funding is provided to support programs by preventing violence in and around schools and by strengthening programs that prevent the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Funds are made available to States by grants to local educational agencies to establish, operate, and improve local programs of school drug and violence prevention, early intervention, rehabilitation referral, and education in elementary and secondary schools.
