The purpose of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

Title I is part of the federal Every Student Success Act (ESSA) which was signed into law December 10, 2015, reauthorizing the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act and revising many provisions of what was known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The Elementary and Secondary Education Act is the United States’ national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.

Title I, Part A provides financial assistance to local education 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 McKinney-Vento program is designed to address the problems that homeless children and youth face in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. Under this program, state educational agencies (SEAs) must ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate education, including a public pre-school education, as other children and youth. Homeless children and youth should have access to the educational and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenging state student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. In addition, homeless students may not be separated from the mainstream school environment. States and districts are required to review and undertake steps to revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth.

This funding supports high quality education programs for migratory children and helps ensure that migratory children who move between states are not penalized in any manner by disparities among states in curriculum, graduation requirements, or state academic content and student academic achievement standards. Funds also ensure that migratory children not only are provided with appropriate education services (including supportive services) that address their special needs but also that such children receive full and appropriate opportunities to meet the same challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet.

This funding supports supplementary education services to help provide education continuity for children and youth in state-run institutions for juveniles and in adult correctional institutions so that these youth can make successful transitions to school or employment once they are released.

The purpose of Title II, Part A is to increase the academic achievement of all students by helping schools and districts improve teacher and principal quality and ensure that all teachers are highly qualified and building excellent systems of support. School districts have the flexibility to use Title IIA funds creatively to address the challenges of teachers and principal quality. Example uses include teacher preparation and qualifications of new teachers, recruitment and hiring, induction, professional development, leadership, and retention.

The purpose of Title III is to ensure that limited English proficient students develop English proficiency and meet the same academic content and academic achievement standards that other children are expected to meet. Schools must use these funds to implement language instruction educational programs that use evidence-based activities to increase the knowledge and skills of teachers who serve ELs.

Title IV, Part A of the ESEA, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program is intended to help meet the goal of ensuring our educational system prepares every child to graduate from high school ready to thrive in college and careers by increasing the capacity of state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), schools, and local communities to:

1. Provide all students with access to a well-rounded education
2. Improve school conditions by providing students with a safe and healthy learning environment
3. Improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program is authorized under Title IV, Part B. The 21st CCLC program provides federal funding for the establishment of after-school community learning centers that provide academic, artistic and cultural enrichment opportunities for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools, in order to meet state and local standards in core academic subjects such as reading, math and science. The after-school program includes homework assistance, academic skills coordinated with daily lessons, enrichment activities such as art, dance, drama, sports, and cooking, a snack and a hot dinner before being transported home. This program includes activities for families and the community and provides them an opportunity to be involved in the educational process of their children.

The Cecil J. Picard LA4 Early Childhood Program is the primary preschool program in the state, serving more than 16,000 children. It provides focused financial support to school systems to provide high-quality early childhood care and education for at-risk four-year-olds. PEG expands the Pre-K program to serve students housed at childcare centers to prepare them to enter Kindergarten ready to learn.

The Education Excellence Fund (EEF), a special fund constitutionally established within the Millennium Trust, receives a specified share of the state's proceeds from the "tobacco settlement". EEF funds provide instructional enhancement for Pre-K through twelfth grade students, including early childhood education programs focused on enhancing the preparation of at-risk children for school, remedial instruction, and assistance to children who score below basic on high stakes tests.

The purpose of MSP is to improve student achievement and interest in math and science by improving math and science content knowledge and the teaching skills of classroom teachers.

Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) provides a positive and effective alternative to the traditional methods of discipline. PBIS methods are research-based and proven to significantly reduce the occurrence of problem behaviors in the school, resulting in a more positive school climate and increased academic performance.  The specific goal of PBIS is to replace the use of reactive, punitive, and exclusionary consequences (e.g. detention/suspension/expulsion) with proactive, preventative and educative processes that will reduce the need for disciplinary measures.

The goal of the School Climate Transformation grant is to lower the percentage of office discipline referrals and increase attendance rates at all Jefferson Parish schools. By enhancing the existing PBIS framework to meet all levels of supports and interventions, particularly secondary and tertiary, there will be an environment of consistency, safety, and encouragement. Capacity will be built on the district level to provide PBIS technical assistance more effectively at the school level. With the collaboration of community partners and the institution of a School Climate Transformation Team, the issues of school climate, school safety, and mental health needs will be addressed in a comprehensive manner. This team meets quarterly to look at the progression of the School Climate Transformation project and to give input for project strategies and programs. The plan is that all students receive a fair and valuable education through fostering school environments that engage all students in learning and support those who may need additional assistance.

The Young Audiences Arts Integrated Professional Development model builds on a foundation of success by developing and disseminating a rigorous arts integrated professional development program for second through fourth grade teachers in four of Jefferson Parish’s persistently lowest achieving Title 1 schools (Absolute Priority). AIPD will provide educators with tools, strategies, and instructional methods to create original arts integrated lessons aligned with Student Standards and National Core Arts Standards. Leveraged learning that uses the arts as a catalyst will deepen student interest and engagement, nurture understanding through experiential lessons, and make learning memorable. This model will also incorporate a comprehensive, online digital learning platform and tablet technology to increase teacher effectiveness and enhance student learning through the arts.