The purpose of Title I, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which amended and reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 (ESEA) on December 10, 2015, is to provide federal funds to improve elementary and secondary education in the nation's public schools. ESSA builds on the ESEA's policy seeking to ensure every child, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, disability, English proficiency, background, or residence, has an equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education.

Funding for ESSA's Title I "Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged" is based upon the following five parts.

• Part A: Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies. State plans must outline how the needs of disadvantaged students, children with disabilities, English learners, low-performing schools and other educational needs of students will be addressed.
• Part B: State Assessment Grants enable state agencies to develop assessments that meet federal standards. This includes developing or improving assessments for English learners and children with disabilities.  
• Part C: Education of Migratory Children. Grants under this part support high-quality, comprehensive, educational programs of the same academic rigor as well as the services available to all students.
• Part D: Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk. The purpose of this part is to improve educational services for children and youth in local, tribal, and state institutions to provide opportunities to meet the same academic standards as all students. These programs also provide services to successfully transition from institutionalization to further schooling or employment as well as prevent recidivism or dropping out from school.
• Part E: Flexibility for Equitable Per-Pupil Funding. This part provides local school districts the flexibility to consolidate eligible federal funds with state and local education funding in order to create a single school funding system based on weighted per-pupil allocations for low-income and otherwise disadvantaged students.

Schools are eligible for School-Wide Title I funds if not less than 40% of the students are from low-income families. School-Wide Title I funds may be used for services that benefit all children enrolled.

Targeted Assistance funds may be used only to provide academic services to specific students that qualify for those funds.

The Bureau of Federal Educational Programs publishes a list of schools receiving Title I, Part A funds. In there were 2,096 schools in Florida that received funds to help provide a high-quality education to economically disadvantaged students.

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, any state desiring to receive a grant under Title I, Part A, has to submit a state plan that ensures the adoption of challenging academic standards, demonstrates implementation of high-quality student academic assessments, and has a statewide accountability system. In addition, the Florida Department of Education provides data on the performance of Title I schools on its website.

For more information on Florida's accountability system, see the School Improvement, Assessment, and Accountability program summary.

The primary source of federal aid to support elementary and secondary education is from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), particularly its Title I, Part A program which authorizes federal aid for the education of disadvantaged students. The Title I, Part A program is the largest grant program authorized under ESEA.

In 2022, $17,960,667,000 was appropriated for ESEA Title I, Part A. Florida's program was awarded $1,028,672,837. For 2023, Florida's estimated award was $1,058,081,448. Currently, the 2024 national budget request Title I programs is $20.5 billion.

Other Reports
The Auditor General reports on federal awards are available on its website

Websites of Interest
Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Federal Education Programs
Florida Department of Education, School Accountability Reports
Florida Department of Education, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
U.S. Department of Education, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
U.S. Department of Education, Title I

Performance Information

Bureau of Federal Educational Programs, 850-245-0479, email: bfep@fldoe.org
Website