The purpose of Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), is to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education and to close educational achievement gaps. Title I provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

The Marion Independent School District provides Title I services through a Targeted Assistance model.  Title I targeted assistance program funds may only be used to meet the needs of children identified as being in the greatest need of services. In a targeted assistance program, all costs must be supplemental and limited to services for eligible students. Eligible children are children identified by the school as failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the challenging State academic standards on the basis of multiple, educationally related, objective criteria established by the local educational agency and supplemented by the school; however, children from preschool through grade 2 shall be selected solely on the basis of criteria, including objective criteria, established by the local educational agency and supplemented by the school (ESEA Section 1115(c)). Eligible children also include special populations such as Head Start children, migrant children, neglected and delinquent children, and homeless children (ESEA Section 1115(c)(2)).

Iowa Department of Education Guidance, Title I Part A Guidance, August 31, 2018

Iowa Department of Education: Title I