About the Department: Federal Programs

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    On December 10, 2015 President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a long awaited overhaul of the federal education law.  This law replaces the No Child Left Behind Act.  ESSA represents a shift from broad federal oversight or primary and secondary education to greater flexibility and decision making at the state and local levels.  This measure reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation's national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. ESSA requires each state to develop a plan that is designed to close achievement gaps, increase equity of instruction and increase outcomes for all students. You can also find additional information regarding programs for Homeless, Migrant, ESL, and other Federal Programs by clicking the links to the left.

    The goal of the Baldwin County Public School System is to provide the best learning environment that is available to meet the needs of our students.  The funds provided by the ESSA legislation supplements our efforts by providing additional teachers and aides to work with struggling learners and supplemental materials for those students who need a variety of strategies to meet the state's standards for achievement.  The Title programs described below assist us in meeting those standards.

    Title I, Part A - Schoolwide Programs and Equitable Services Programs (Non-Public) Schoolwide, Homeless, Migrant, Neglected and Delinquent
    • Purpose: To ensure all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach proficiency on state standards.

    Title I, Part A – Targeted Assistance
    • Purpose: Student identification is made that renders them eligible or ineligible for services. Students identified as most at risk of not meeting state academic standards are served.

    Title I, Part A – School Improvement
    • Purpose: Award schools identified as Priority, Focus, or Opportunity funds that will be used to support implementation of school improvement activities.

    Title I, Part D – Neglected and Delinquent
    • Purpose: To provide at-risk children and youth with the services needed to make a successful transition from institutions and correctional facilities to further schooling or employment.

    Title II - Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals        Professional Development/Class Size Reduction (CSR)
    • Purpose: To increase student academic achievement through improving teacher and principal quality and increasing the number of highly qualified teachers, principals, and assistant principals. 

    Title III - English Learners
    • Purpose: To help ensure that limited English proficient (EL) students attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic competence in English, and meet state academic standards.

    Title IV, Part A - Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant
    •Purpose: (1) Providing students with a well-rounded education including programs such as college and career counseling, STEM, arts, civics and International Baccalaurate/Advanced Placement. (2) Supporting safe and healthy students with comprehensive school mental health, drug and violence prevention, training on trauma-informed practices, and health and physical education. (3) Supporting the effective use of technology that is backed by professional development, blended learning and ed tech devices.

     Title IV, Part B - 21st Century Community Learning Center After School Programs
    •Purpose: To establish or expand community learning centers that:  

    1.  Provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including the provision of tutorial services to help students, particularly students who attend low-performing schools, to meet state academic achievement standards in core subjects such as reading and mathematics.

    2. Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students.

    3.  Offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for literacy and related educational development.

    Title X, Part C - Homeless McKinney-Vento Assistance Act
    • Purpose: To ensure that all children and youth living in homeless situations have equal access to the same free and appropriate public education provided to other children and youth.

    The Federal Programs provides funding for 24 Title 1 public schools and 4 non-public schools. Title 1 Funding allocated to schools is based on the free and/or reduced lunch rate percentages that are calculated by the Child Nutrition Program. Our Mission: In partnership with the community the Baldwin County Public School's mission is to provide a quality education that fosters learning.
     
    Title X - Part C McKinney - Vento Homeless Assistance Act Grant (Homeless Programs)
    • Purpose: The purpose of the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program is to ensure that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth have equal access to the same free and appropriate public education that is provided to other children and youth.

    Pre-K Title I and OSR (Office of School Readiness)

    First Class: Alabama's Voluntary Pre-K is part of the Office of School Readiness (OSR) within the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education and is charged with administering Alabama’s state funded Pre-K program. OSR funds First Class Pre-K classrooms through a competitive grant process and administers the program in a variety of settings that include:

    · Public schools

    · Private childcare and schools

    · Head Start programs

    · Community-based programs

    · Faith-based programs

    · Military programs

    OSR was created in the 2000 legislative session. In the first year of operation, OSR funded eight pilot Pre-Kindergarten programs. Currently, OSR funds over 1,000 Pre-K classrooms and supports the professional development of a high quality workforce through education, training, and on-site coaching.

    High Quality Pre-K Alabama's state funded First Class Pre-K program has been awarded the highest quality rating by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) for the past 12 years. OSR is dedicated to working with Pre-K programs to ensure that Alabama’s 4-year-olds have access to high quality learning experiences that prepare Alabama's children for school success and readiness.

    Research shows that children benefit the most from high quality early learning experiences. OSR works with classrooms to promote those high quality experiences in Alabama.