Title I Program

“Title I was a key part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s program to help the poor. Using a poverty-based formula, Title I, Part A allocates funds to 90 percent of the nation’s school districts to offset the effects of poverty on the educational opportunities of low-performing children in high-poverty schools. Although the program is focused on poverty, political realities help ensure that about half of the 90,000 public schools in the country get at least some money. Each state oversees the program for its own local educational agencies (LEA) and schools, and acts as the conduit for the funds. State educational agencies (SEA) play a central role in setting standards and enforcing program requirement.” (Cowan)