Title I 101 for Parent Leaders

10/3/25

State/Federal Education Policy and Planning Team

Division of School Leadership

• Welcome / Introductions
• Webinar Goals
• Overview of Title I
• Types of Title I Programs
• Role of School & District Leadership Teams
• School Improvement Planning
• Title I Parent and Family Engagement
• Resources and Supports for Title I Parent Leaders
• Q&A / Next Steps

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Webinar Goals

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Overview of Title I

What is Title I?

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• Title I is the largest federal aid program that provides financial assistance to districts 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.
• Title I was originally enacted under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965.
• ESEA was previously reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and signed into law in January 2002.
• ESEA was most recently reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and signed into law in December 2015.

What Is the Goal of Title I?

The goal 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.

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Source: www.ed.gov

Simply stated, Title I is all about

improving student achievement!

Key Components of Title I Under the Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

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Types of Title I Programs

What is Title I �Targeted Assistance?

All Title I eligible schools start as Targeted Assistance (TA).

• Title I Part A funds provide services to a select group of children - those identified as not meeting, or most at-risk of not meeting the state’s academic content standards.
• Funds are not used for overall school improvement.
• Title I targeted students are the only students eligible to take part in Title I funded activities.

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• A Title I Schoolwide Program (SWP) addresses the educational needs of all students with comprehensive strategies for improving the whole school so that every student achieves high levels of academic proficiency.
• SWP can improve academic achievement throughout a school so that all students, particularly the lowest-achieving students, demonstrate proficiency related to the state’s academic content standards.
• SWP builds on schoolwide reform strategies, rather than separate, add-on services.

Example: Math software purchased with Title I funds can only be used with Title I eligible students that are targeted for assistance.

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What is a Title I

Schoolwide Program?

Title I Targeted Assistance (TA) Programs

• All Title I eligible schools start as Targeted Assistance (TA).
• Targeted Assistance schools:
• Receive Title I Part A funds to target services to a select group of students – those identified as not meeting, or most at risk of not meeting, the state’s content standards – rather than for overall school improvement.
• The Title I targeted students are the only students in the school that are eligible to participate in a Title I funded activity.
• All Title I Targeted Assistance schools have the option to become a Schoolwide Program.

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Title I Schoolwide (SWP) Programs

• The purpose of a Schoolwide Program (SWP) is to improve academic achievement throughout a school so that all students, particularly the lowest-achieving students, demonstrate proficiency related to the state’s academic content standards.
• A Schoolwide Program addresses the educational needs of all students with comprehensive strategies for improving the whole school so that every student achieves high levels of academic proficiency.
• A Schoolwide Program builds on schoolwide reform strategies, rather than separate, add-on services.

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Targeted Assistance to Schoolwide Program

Why Should a Title I Targeted Assistance School Convert to a Schoolwide Program?

• Title I Schoolwide Program schools can consolidate funds from Federal, State, and local sources in order to integrate services and programs with the aim of enhancing the entire educational program and helping all students reach proficient and advanced levels of achievement.
• By consolidating funds from Federal, State, and local sources, a Schoolwide Program school can address its needs using all its available resources. This gives a school more flexibility in how it uses available resources to meet the identified needs of all its students. 

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Role of School and District Leadership Teams

School Leadership Teams (SLT)

• As required under State Education law 2590-h, Commissioner’s Regulations 100.11, and Chancellor’s Regulation A-655, all New York City public schools must have a School Leadership Team in place to ensure the participation of parents and staff in school-based planning and shared decision-making.
• SLTs are a vehicle for developing school-based educational policies and ensuring that resources are aligned to implement those policies and play a significant role in creating a structure for school-based decision-making and shaping the path to a collaborative school culture.
• The fundamental purpose of the School Leadership Team is to determine the school’s educational direction – that is, the school’s overall educational vision, its goals and priorities, the strategies that will be used to achieve that vision and the alignment of resources to effectively implement those strategies.

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School Leadership Teams in Title I Schools

Functioning in a collaborative manner, the SLT:

• Develops the school’s Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP) and school-based educational policy that is aligned with resources and the school-based budget to implement the plan.
• Supports implementing a Schoolwide Program (SWP) or Targeted Assistance (TA) program, using the cycle of continuous improvement planning to support students at-risk of not meeting state standards.
• Consults with the Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Chairperson regarding the joint development of the CEP, Parent and Family Engagement Policy (PFEP), and School-Parent Compact (SPC) in Title I schools.
• Assists in the evaluation of the school’s education programs and their effect on student achievement.
• Communicates outcomes of SLT meetings to school communities with appropriate language translations.

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District Leadership Teams (DLT)

• A District Leadership Team (DLT) must be formed in each community school district consisting of representatives from the elementary, middle, and high schools that are geographically located within that community school district.
• DLTs fulfill the requirements of Section 100.11 of the Commissioner’s Regulations regarding the district-level plan for the participation of parents and staff in school-based planning and shared decision-making.
• The DLT develops the District Comprehensive Education Plan (DCEP), which includes annual goals and objectives that are aligned with the district and the Chancellor’s goals.
• DLTs also provide support, guidance, technical assistance, and conflict resolution to the SLTs in their districts.
• In addition, DLTs must conduct a biennial review of the district’s 100.11 plan to evaluate the effectiveness of shared decision-making in the district.

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SLT and DLT Meetings

• School and District Leadership Teams are expected to meet at least once a month during the school year.
• SLT and DLT meetings must be scheduled at a time convenient to parent members (day or evening). Notice of meetings must be provided in a form consistent with the open meetings law.
• Mandatory members or their designees are expected to attend all meetings.
• To be effective, SLTs and DLTs will need to develop a culture in which there is a shared goal for all children to achieve high levels of learning and a spirit of partnership among all constituencies to achieve this goal.

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Team Bylaws

• Every SLT and DLT must develop bylaws and operating guidelines to provide clear direction about SLT and DLT responsibilities.
• All bylaws must be consistent with Chancellor’s Regulation A-655 and should incorporate key decisions about team membership and operations.
• SLT and DLT bylaw templates are provided in Attachment No. 4 of Chancellor’s Regulation A-655.

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Consensus-Based Decision-Making

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Consensus-Based Decision-Making

To ensure that all members have an opportunity to express their ideas, SLTs and DLTs must use a consensus-based decision-making process as their primary means of making decisions.

Teams must develop methods for:

• Collaborative problem solving
• Solution seeking
• Effective conflict resolution strategies

Decision-Making/Problem Solving

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Discussion

Proposal

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Consensus

Achieved

• If consensus is reached about a proposal, a decision is made!
• If not, modifications are made to the proposal until consensus is reached.
• Members need not agree about every decision, but those who disagree must be willing to move forward; otherwise, consensus has not been achieved and a new proposal must be considered.

To ensure that all members have an opportunity to express their ideas, DLTs and SLTs must use consensus-based decision-making as their means of making decisions.

Consensus-Based Shared Decision-Making

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Consensus Check

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Action

Points

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Consensus-Based Decision-Making

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• There are multiple models of how to make decisions by consensus that vary the number of steps the group will employ to reach consensus and finalize decisions.
• The basic model involves collaboratively generating a proposal, identifying unsatisfied concerns, then modifying the proposal to generate as much agreement as possible.

Consensus-Based Decision-Making

• The key characteristic of reaching consensus is that the partners aim to achieve something they could not do alone, by pooling skills and other resources. To do this you will need a shared vision of your goals, and a method of working together that realizes this ambition. This may involve a long-term formal structure, or a shorter-term agreement.

The Process

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School and District

Improvement Planning

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Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP)

• The CEP is a framework for continuous school improvement that engages school staff and parents in a systematic review of the effectiveness of instructional programs and educational strategies that support student achievement and meet rigorous State and City content and performance standards.
• School Leadership Teams serve as the vehicle for meaningful consultation with parent and staff representatives in education planning and shared decision-making.
• It is expected that the CEPs prepared by schools will reflect a spirit of collaboration and shared responsibility among partners who share a common goal: continuous improvement of education practices and higher levels of student achievement.
• Once the CEP is approved, it serves as a focus for implementing instructional strategies, professional development opportunities, and parent involvement activities.

�The CEP is the SWP School’s Schoolwide Plan

• Title I, under ESSA, requires all SWP schools to implement a Schoolwide Plan including the following components:
• A comprehensive needs assessment​
• Schoolwide reform strategies​
• Instruction by high quality staff and plans for high quality and ongoing professional development​
• Strategies to attract high quality teachers to high-needs schools​
• Strategies to increase parental involvement​
• Transition plans to assist preschool children from early childhood programs to the elementary school programs, if applicable​
• Measures to include teachers in decisions regarding the use of academic assessments​
• Activities to ensure academically struggling students receive effective and timely additional assistance​
• Describes the coordination and integration of Federal, State and Local services and programs​
• The CEP addresses these components and serves as the Schoolwide Plan. To view a school's CEP go to www.iplanportal.com​.

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SLT Informs CEP Development

STEP 1: IDENTIFY PRIORITY AREAS

STEP 3: DEVELOP SMART GOALS

STEP 2: ENGAGE IN A NEEDS ASSESSMENT

STEP 5: CREATE PROGRESSIVE ACTION STEPS

STEP 4: SET PROGRESS MONITORING TARGETS

STEP 7: ALIGN BUDGET TO THE GOAL

STEP 6: FAMILY AND COMMUNITY STRATEGIES

SLTs Oversee Short- and Long-Term Progress

Assess School Progress Towards Meeting Goals

• All schools engage in regular progress monitoring of their CEP, supported by use of the Progress Reporting Tool (PRT) in iPlan.
• SLTs review the progress monitoring targets in the CEP to determine if the school is on track toward meeting its CEP goals.
• SLTs update the CEP based upon progress monitoring findings.

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End-of-Year Assessment on Year Long Progress

If the school is not meeting its annual goals, the SLT should:

• Involve the Title I PAC in the joint review, planning, and improvement of the Comprehensive Education Plan, Parent and Family Engagement Policy, and School-Parent Compact.
• Review the implementation process to determine why the plan did not make adequate progress towards meeting the annual goal. Ask questions such as: 
• Have we addressed the needs of our target population(s)?
• What were the barriers and challenges? 
• How can we revise the plan so that it moves the school to continuously improve?

Is the school meeting its progress monitoring targets? If not, update the action plan.

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District Comprehensive Education Plan (DCEP)

• The DCEP is a framework for continuous school improvement that engages district staff and parents in a systematic review of the effectiveness of instructional programs and educational strategies that support student achievement and meet rigorous State and City content and performance standards.
• For community school districts, the District Comprehensive Education Plan (DCEP) is developed by the District Leadership Team (DLT) in accordance with the requirements of Chancellor’s Regulation A-655.
• The high school-level District Comprehensive Education Plan (DCEP) is developed by the High School Superintendent in consultation with HS stakeholder representatives.
• The DCEP aligns with the NYC Public School’s system-wide priorities and satisfies all regulatory requirements set forth by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) under Section 100.11 of Commissioner’s Regulations and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Addressing District and School �Needs and Priorities

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Comprehensive Needs Assessment

DCEP Action Plans

CEP

Action

Plans

iPlan - An Online Portal for School and District

Comprehensive Education Planning

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• NYCDOE developed iPlan, an online portal for school and district comprehensive education planning. 
• This portal provides school and district communities with a transparent platform that fosters communication and collaboration. 
• The online document editor provides SLTs and DLTs with a platform for developing action plans, monitoring progress towards annual goals and a vehicle for leaving web-based feedback.
• iPlan integrates both city and state accountability initiatives. 
• The Resources page houses guidance documents to support SLTs and Districts.
• CEPs and DCEPs are posted on the iPlan home page at iplanportal.com

SLT members should contact their principal to request access to iPlan.

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Title I Parent and Family Engagement

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When everyone works together, schools can:

• Create a positive school culture that promotes equity.
• Strengthen social and emotional supports for students.
• Foster parent volunteers and involvement in programs that improve student achievement.
• Increase community awareness & partnerships.
• Improve student attendance and graduation rate.

Meaningful Parent and Family Engagement

Studies show that engaged families make a positive difference in a child’s school experience and future success.

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• In Title I schools, the SLT is responsible for facilitating consultation with Title I parents, represented by the Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Chair, regarding the joint development of the CEP, Parent Involvement Policy and School-Parent Compact.
• The Protocols and Timeline for Required Title I Parent and Family Engagement Activities for SY’2025-26 document provides guidance regarding the process and procedures to be implemented in NYCDOE’s Title I schools and districts in order to meet these requirements, including procedures for:
• Conducting the Annual Title I Parent Meeting
• Establishment of a school-level Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC) and Title I District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC)
• Election of PAC and DPAC Officers
• School-based Planning
• Budget and Expenditure of Title I 1% Set-aside Funding

All schools should engage parents and families in meaningful ways through the:

• School Leadership Team (SLT)
• Parent Association (PA) or Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)
• Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC) (Title I Schools)

Title I Parent and Family Engagement Requirements

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The Annual Title I Parent Meeting is required under Title I, Part A, Section 1116 of ESSA to inform parents about the implementation of the school’s Title I program and the strategies to improve student achievement and provide parents and families with information about how they can be involved in support of their children’s education.

• The Annual Title I Parent Meeting is facilitated by the Principal, or a designated assistant principal who has knowledge of the school’s education program and the use of Title I funds to support the program.
• In Schoolwide Program (SWP) schools, all parents are Title I parents and must be invited to the meeting.
• In Targeted Assistance (TA) schools, only parents of Title I eligible children must be invited to the meeting.
• Although this is a meeting for parents, staff members and other members of the school community are encouraged to participate.

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Annual Title I Parent Meeting

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• The Title I PAC is a consultative and representative body that involves and engages all Title I parents of participating students in the Title I program.
• The Title I PAC Chairperson will represent the PAC and participate with the SLT in the joint review, planning, and improvement of the school’s Title I program (CEP), and the development, revision and review of the parent and family engagement policy.
• The size of the Title I PAC is a school-based decision; it should include Title I parents of students in various grades, and English language learners and students with IEPs.
• Responsibility of the Title I PAC is to ensure effective involvement of all Title I parents to support the partnership between other school community stakeholders (SLT, etc.).
• Title I PAC informs Title I parents on Title I issues and assures that the views/opinions of the school’s Title I parents are conveyed to the SLT.

Role of the Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC)

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SLT and the Role of a Title I PAC Chairperson

Planning

Communication

Work with school community stakeholders: school leaders and staff, parents, caregivers & SLT.

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• The Title I DPAC is a district-level consultative and representative body that represents all school-level Title I PAC representatives and parents of participating students in the Title I program.
• The Title I DPAC meets monthly and hosts regular meetings of the school-level Title I PAC representatives to solicit input, provide updates, and turn-key information.
• Key responsibilities of the Title I DPAC:
• To encourage effective involvement of all parents of Title I participating children (including high schools within the given district’s geographical boundaries) and to support the partnership between other district and borough community stakeholders (district/borough administration and staff, parents and caregivers, District Leadership Team).
• To involve parents of Title I participating students in an organized and timely manner with the planning, review and implementation of Title I programs and the joint development of the District Parent and Family Engagement Policy, District 100.11 Plan, and District Comprehensive Education Plan (DCEP).
• To recruit parents of Title I participating students for involvement in professional development opportunities, meetings, conferences and other related activities designed to enhance the role of parents in supporting the education of their children and advancing their own educational needs.
• To provide information to parents of Title I participating students regarding Title I issues, and in consultation with other parents to bring questions, concerns, and ideas regarding Title I related issues to the attention of district and borough staff, administration, other district, borough and community stakeholders.

Role of the District Title I Parent Advisory Council (DPAC)

DPAC

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• In January 2018, New York City established the Citywide Title I Parent Advisory Council (CTI-PAC) to expand opportunities for Title I parents to provide input and advisement on policies and programs to improve the outcomes of Title I students.
• Establishment of this Committee was a local NYC Public Schools (NYCPS) initiative; not required under ESSA or any other federal or state law.
• CTI-PAC membership includes the DPAC Chairs and Alternates representing all NYC districts.
• CTI-PAC members serve in an advisory capacity to NYCPS, providing input on NYCPS policies and initiatives that affect Title I students and parents.
• Monthly CTI-PAC meetings, scheduled on the fourth Monday of every month, are an opportunity for DPAC Chairs and Alternates to engage in professional learning and to discuss and strategize with NYCPS leaders ways to improve Title I programs.   

Citywide Title I Parent Advisory Committee (CTI-PAC)

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Parent and Family Engagement Plan / Title I Set-Aside Funding

� Parent and Family Engagement Policy (PFEP) and�School-Parent Compact

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• Schools receiving Title I Part A funds: The Parent and Family Engagement Policy (PFEP) and School-Parent Compact are jointly developed and agreed upon by Title I parents and the school community through the SLT.
• Parent and family engagement activities funded with Title I 1% set-aside funds must be evaluated annually by the SLT in consultation with the Title I Parent Representatives.
• The PFEP should be aligned with CEP goals and the Family and Community Engagement section within Action Plans.

All Title I schools are required to have a Title I Parent Advisory Council Chairperson to support the development of a Parent and Family Engagement Policy in collaboration with the SLT to meet the parental involvement requirements of Title I and Chancellor’s Regulation A-655.

The Parent and Family Engagement Policy describes how your school will plan and implement parent and family engagement activities or strategies to improve student achievement and school performance.

The School-Parent Compact (SPC) is a component of the Parent and Family Engagement Policy that outlines how parents, all school staff, and students will share this responsibility.

The Parent and Family Engagement Policy should be translated and distributed to all parents in the languages spoken at home.

Title I Set-Aside Funds for Parent and Family Engagement

• Title I funds are proportionally distributed to public and non-public schools. For public schools, required set-asides include funding for parent and family engagement, students in temporary housing, and neglected students, which are allocated separately to schools.
• Title I schools must set aside a minimum of 1% of their total allocation to fund parent and family engagement activities.
• Like last year, every Title I school received an allocation of Title I funding equal to one percent of its base Title I allocation to be used specifically and only for parent and family engagement; schools also received an allocation of carryover funding for parent and family engagement.
• All schools, regardless of Title I status, received a separate allocation of Title I funding to support students in temporary housing (STH).
• The allocation amounts are listed in columns X and AD in Table 2 - Title I Allocation Per Capita Details of School Allocation Memorandum No. 11, FY 2026.

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Title I Set-Aside Funds for Parent and Family Engagement

• The Title I 1% set-aside is used to supplement parent and family engagement activities as described in the school’s Parent and Family Engagement Policy and must be aligned with student achievement goals as outlined in the CEP.
• Title I schools, via the School Leadership Team (SLT), and parents of students served in the Title I program, as represented by the Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC), must jointly agree upon the use of these funds to support increased parent and family engagement in activities related to the improvement of student academic achievement.
• To ensure compliance with these requirements, all Title I schools must complete this School Plan for the Expenditure of Title I Set-aside Funding.
• The document must be signed by the principal (representing the SLT) and the Title I PAC Chairperson (representing the school’s Title I parents). A sample completed school budget plan is linked here.
• Once budgeted, principals have the responsibility to ensure timely expenditure of the Title I set-aside funding by this school year’s purchasing deadlines.

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Appropriate Title I Expenditures and Activities

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• City and State Standards
• Curriculum
• Family Literacy
• Promotion or Graduation Requirements
• Title I, Part A Requirements
• Internet Safety or Bullying
• School and District Accountability
• How to Work with Your Child’s Teacher Using Technology

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• In-person or virtual staff-parent book clubs* (e.g., cost of books & materials)
• Creation of a parent resource room
• Reimbursement to parents for reasonable transportation expenses (e.g., Metro Cards) associated with attendance and participation during Title I workshops, activities and meetings conducted in-person

* Note: Contracted vendors may be used during virtual meetings.

Sample Workshop Topics for Title I Parents

Examples of Title I Expenditures and Activities

Examples of Non-Allowable Expenditures and Activities

• Activities that do not relate directly to the Titled education program or provide an opportunity to turnkey professional development content to Title I parents will not be allowed. 
• Activities that do not have an intrinsic education or cultural value will not be allowed-(e.g., trips to amusement parks, visits to shopping centers, dinner cruises, or sporting events).
• Theatrical performances (plays) that do not have an intrinsic education or cultural value.
• Payment (or stipends) to non-DOE approved consultants or providers.

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Timelines for Implementation of Required Parent & Family Engagement Activities

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Timeline for School Implementation of

Required Title I Parent & Family Engagement Activities

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Timeline for School Implementation of

Required Title I Parent & Family Engagement Activities

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Timeline for District Implementation of

Required Title I Parent & Family Engagement Activities

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Resources and Supports for Title I Parent Leaders

Resources and Supports

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• Principals, with support from Parent Coordinators, are the primary point persons for engaging and supporting parent leaders in the implementation of required school-level Title I parent and family engagement activities.
• Superintendents, with support from Family Leadership Coordinators, Family Support Coordinators, Senior Grants Officers (SGO), Budget Liaisons, and Directors of State and Federal Program Implementation (DSFP), are the primary point persons for supporting Principals and Parent Coordinators in the implementation of required school-level Title I parent and family engagement activities.
• District Leadership Teams (DLT) and District Title I Parent Advisory Councils (DPAC) are additional vehicles for providing information and support for shared decision making and school-based planning and the implementation of required school-level Title I parent and family engagement activities.
• The State/Federal Education Policy Team in the Division of School Leadership (DSL) provides guidance, tools, and professional learning opportunities to support districts and school communities in the implementation of required school-level Title I parent and family engagement activities.
• Additional information and resources are posted on the iPlan Portal (www.iplanportal.com). For questions, please email OSFEP@schools.nyc.gov.

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Additional Professional Learning Opportunities

• Title I 101 trainings for SLTs and DLTs are being conducted this fall in every district.
• Pre-recorded webinars on Title I, CEP, and DCEP development are posted in the public resources section in the iPlan Portal (www.iplanportal.com)
• These resources are also posted on Parent University (https://parentu.schools.nyc/) – New York City Public School’s online platform that offers a centralized catalog of courses, live events, and activities to help connect with families and support students.

Questions & Answers

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We appreciate your attendance

and participation!