FY16 Title I Application Workbook
Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370
www.doe.mass.edu
This document was prepared by the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner
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We do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
Inquiries regarding the Department’s compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws may be directed to the
Human Resources Director, 75 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148-4906. Phone: 781-338-6105.
© 2014 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Permission is hereby granted to copy any or all parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes. Please credit the
“Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.”
This document printed on recycled paper
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370
www.doe.mass.edu
Contents
General information about the FY16 Title I Application Workbook
1
Obtaining the workbook
1
Workbook contents related to Title I, Part A
2
Step 1: Assemble Information
3
Step 2: Complete the Cover Page
3
Step 3: Complete the Required Narrative
4
Step 4: Complete the District Reservation Worksheet
4
Reserve funds not related to accountability and assistance levels – Step 1
5
Designate additional supports for Level 2, 3, 4, and 5 schools (Level 2-5 districts only) – Step 2
6
Confirm minimum per low-income pupil amount for school allocations
7
Step 5: Complete the School Funding Worksheet
7
Become familiar with the parts of School Funding worksheet
8
Select the source of the poverty data used to identify eligible schools
8
Enter data on children not attending public schools, if available
9
Select a method of qualifying Title I schools
9
Select eligible Title I schools
Indicate schools to be served
Indicate “Grandfathered” schools (if necessary)
11
11
12
Allocate funds to eligible Title I schools
13
Step 6: Complete the Budget Expenditures Worksheet
14
Step 7: Submit the FY16 Title I Application Workbook to ESE
14
Amending the Grant
15
Appendix A: Calculation of District Reservation Amounts
17
Appendix B: Guidance on Responding to Narrative Question 4 for Levels 2-5 Districts
18
Appendix C: Rubric for Assessing Narrative Responses
21
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
General information about the FY16 Title I Application
Workbook
The FY16 Title I Application Workbook contains the Title I specific forms that a local school district must submit to
the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) in support of the district's
application for Title I funds for FY16.
The workbook is a Microsoft Excel file (*.xlsm) which is saved as a macro-enabled workbook that includes macros
that compute totals and summary tables.

Users of Microsoft Office 2000/2003 may need to change your security settings in Excel before opening
the file to enable macros to work: In Excel, select Tools > Macro > Security. When the dialogue box
appears, change the security settings to Medium and click OK. Reopen the file. Users of Microsoft Office
2000/2003 should enable macros when opening the file for the first time by clicking the Enable Macros
button in the dialogue box that appears. The workbook has been updated to Excel 2007. If the workbook
will not open using Microsoft Office 2003 or earlier, please visit Microsoft Support to install the
compatibility pack.

Users of Microsoft Office 2007 may need to change the security settings in Excel to enable macros to
work. In Excel, click on the 'Office Button' located on the upper left of Excel. Click on the 'Excel Option'
button located at the bottom of the dialogue box. Select 'Trust Center' located on the left panel. Click on
'Trust Center Setting'. Select 'Macro Settings' and then select 'Enable all macros (not recommended,
potentially dangerous code can run)'. Close the Excel application, then reopen it.

Users of Macintosh computers should have no problem opening and using this workbook as long as it is
saved as a macro-enabled file (has an .xlsm extension). To do this, select “Save As” and select “Excel
Macro-Enabled Workbook.”
District staff must upload complete applications to the Title I & Title IIA Grants Drop Box in Drop Box Central in the
ESE Security Portal. If you do not have access to this drop box, contact your district’s Directory Administrator. A list
of Directory Administrators is available at www.doe.mass.edu/InfoServices/data/diradmin/list.aspx. For additional
questions concerning the submission process see Step 7 within this document or contact ESE at (781) 338-6230 /
titlei@doe.mass.edu.
Obtaining the workbook
The FY16 Title I application workbook is available for download from the RFP posted on the Grants website at:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/Grants/
1.
Locate the Excel icon entitled, Title I Application Workbook (Fund Code 305)
2.
Right-Click the Excel icon and select Save Target As (or Save Link As using some browsers)
3.
Save the file to your computer
4.
Rename the file by replacing the words “leacode” in the filename with your 4-digit district code. For
example, Abington (0001) would rename the file as “FY16TI-0001” Do not change the filename except for
your district’s 4-digit code.
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FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
Workbook contents related to Title I, Part A

Read First: The first worksheet of the application workbook provides an overview, including how to name
and save the file, and a description of each worksheet in the workbook. Review this worksheet first.

Table of Contents: Lists all worksheets contained in the workbook and allows a user to navigate between
worksheets by clicking a worksheet name.

Cover Page: Districts must select their district name from the dropdown list and fill in all contact
information. Allocation amounts must be entered in the yellow cells. On the cover page, and in general
throughout the entire workbook, all yellow boxes should be filled in by the applicant. The gray shaded
areas on the cover page will automatically populate once the budget pages are filled in.

Indirect Cost Calculator: Automatically calculates the amount of funds that can be used by a school
district for indirect costs. Your district’s indirect cost rate can be found under the second bullet in the
School Business Services Information at http://www.doe.mass.edu/Grants/essential.html. Note that
charter schools must apply for an indirect rate each year; consult with your business office for updated
information.

Non-Public School worksheet: ESEA grants require the equitable participation of students and educators
in non-public, non-profit schools for federally funded programs and services. Public school districts are
required to have "timely and meaningful consultation" with non-public school officials regarding the
participating of non-public school students and educators in ESEA funded programs and services.

TI Required Narrative worksheet: Used to describe your district's uses of Title I, Part A funds.

TI District Reservation worksheet: Used to reserve funds prior to school allocations. This form will also be
used to reserve a portion of Title I, Part A funds to target low-achieving students in low-performing
schools in district levels 2-5.

TI School Funding worksheet: Used to identify eligible Title I schools, qualify school attendance areas,
select eligible Title I schools, and allocate funds to eligible Title I schools.

TI Budget Expenditures worksheet: Data entry template for detailed line item expenditures.

Schedule A: Used if your organization operates and administers a grant project using funds assigned to
more than one agency. Fill in the name of each participating agency; include LEA code and amount of
assigned funds. Print the Schedule A worksheet and obtain authorized signatures. A PDF of the signed
copy must be uploaded to the security portal along with the grant workbook.

Amendment Form: Standard Amendment Request Form (Form AM 1).

Summary: Summarizes your district’s proposed allocation of funds across line items and activities. When
the Title I budget is complete, the primary contact person should review this worksheet. You cannot enter
data on this worksheet.
The Narrative worksheet lists the questions to which the district must respond, based on the district’s
accountability and assistance level. The District Reservation worksheet of the Title I grant lists the district-wide
funds to be reserved prior to calculating school-level Title I allocations and calculates minimum per-pupil
expenditure amounts for schools that will be directly funded. The School Funding worksheet of the Title I grant
application lists the schools in the district that will and will not receive Title I, Part A funds in the upcoming fiscal
year, and the amount of funds allocated to each Title I school. The Budget Expenditures worksheet is where the
district accounts for all FY16 (SY2015-16) Title I funds, including the portion of Title I funds that will be used for
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FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
additional supports to Level 2-5 schools, if applicable. The Narrative, District Reservation, and School Funding
worksheets should be completed before the Budget Expenditures worksheet is completed.
The primary purpose of this guide is to explain how to complete the Narrative, District Reservation, School
Funding, and Budget Expenditures worksheets, and how to submit the workbook to ESE.
Step 1: Assemble Information
Before completing the Title I worksheets, assemble the information below:
A. From the Title I RFP on the Department’s Grants website (http://www.doe.mass.edu/Grants/), obtain:
1.
The district’s FY16 Title I allocation amount, which also includes the percentage of the district’s Title I,
Part A allocation that must be spent on interventions and supports for the district’s lowest achieving
students in its lowest performing schools;
2.
The FY16 Title I Application Workbook; and
3.
These instructions.
From district records, obtain:
4.
The district’s final 2014 accountability and assistance level.
5.
A list of all non-public schools within or beyond district boundaries that enroll students who reside in
the district and who would have attended a Title I served school had they attended the district’s
public schools.
6.
Data on school-age children, including data on children from low-income families, who reside in Title I
served school attendance areas in the district but who are not attending public schools.
7.
Information about the Title I funds the district will reserve prior to calculating school-level allocations,
including reservations that are optional and those that may be required, such as funds that will be
spent on interventions and supports for the district’s lowest achieving students in its lowest
performing schools.
Step 2: Complete the Cover Page
Access the Cover Page within the FY16 Title I Application Workbook by selecting the appropriate worksheet tab at
the bottom of the Excel window. You can also quickly navigate between all tabs by right-clicking anywhere over the
arrows on the lower-left of your screen. (If you do not see a row of tabs or arrows at the bottom of the window,
you may need to adjust the size of the window on your screen.)
A. Select the name of your district from the drop-down menu. You will see a message box notifying you
that information will be automatically populated. Please click OK. The screen may flicker for a moment as
the workbook is populated with information and data for your district. If you do not see this message,
macros are not enabled. Please see the instructions for enabling macros on page 1 of this document and
try again.
B.
Enter contact information for the district’s Title I coordinator. This is the person responsible for
completing the grant and to whom ESE may direct questions about its contents. Note that throughout the
workbook, gray cells display information that is automatically populated, either from ESE data or from
elsewhere in the workbook; light yellow cells are for inputting information.
C.
Enter the district’s FY16 Title I, Part A allocation amount.
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FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
Step 3: Complete the Required Narrative
The Required Narrative is where the district responds to questions about the use of Title I, Part A funds:
Question
Audience
1
2
Continuing, New, or Discontinued Title I Activities & Monitoring in FY16 (SY2015-16)
All Districts
3
4
5
6
7
Topic
How Title I Funds Will Supplement, Not Supplant Local Funding; Support Students who
are Homeless
District Standards & Indicators / State Priorities Supported by Title I
Level 2-5
Districts
Interventions/Supports for Low-Achieving Students in Low-Performing Schools & Impact
Level 3-5
Districts
Accelerating Student Achievement in Unfunded Title I-Eligible Schools
Interventions/Supports - Conditions for School Effectiveness Addressed
Interventions/Supports - Consultation with DSAC/ESE Liaison
Step 4: Complete the District Reservation Worksheet1
Some districts are required to reserve certain percentages of their Title I allocations for specific purposes. For
example, any district with an allocation greater than $500,000 must reserve at least one percent of its allocation
for family engagement activities. If applicable, a district must also set aside Title I, Part A funds for services to
locally operated institutions for neglected or delinquent children and youth. Districts may also reserve funds for
administrative services, professional development, and other activities, as needed.
Reservation of funds by a district will reduce the funds available for distribution to participating areas and schools.
Therefore, the district must consult with teachers, pupil services personnel (where appropriate), principals, and
parents of children in participating schools in determining, as part of its district plan, what reservations are
needed. This issue must also be part of the consultation with non-public school officials before a district makes any
decisions that affect the opportunities of eligible non-public school children to participate in Title I, Part A
programs.
First, check that your district’s name and total allocation amount are populated at the top of the form. If they are
not, go to the cover page and select your district’s name from the drop down list and enter the district’s allocation
amount in the yellow Total Allocation box located on the right hand side of the sheet.
1
For further details on Title I funding requirements, see the U.S. Department of Education’s non-regulatory guidance on
local educational agency identification and selection of school attendance areas and schools and allocation of Title I
funds to those areas and schools at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/wdag.doc.
For further details on Title I accountability requirements, please refer to the School Leader’s Guide to the 2014
Accountability Determinations on the Department’s website at:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/accountability/default.html.
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FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
Reserve funds not related to accountability and assistance levels –
Step 1
The district reserves funds not related to accountability and assistance levels in Step 1 of the District Reservation
worksheet. Generally speaking, district reservations are funds set-aside for program-wide activities that are not
associated with a particular school or schools or for activities that are required to serve a particular purpose or
student population. The options for district reservations not associated with accountability requirements include:
1.
Family engagement. A district with a total Title I, Part A allocation greater than $500,000 must reserve
not less than 1 percent of its allocation for parental involvement; 95% percent of this expenditure must be
directed to schools receiving Title I funds. If the district is required to reserve funds for this purpose, enter
the amount in the cell adjacent to this reservation category on the District Reservation worksheet. Nonpublic school equitable participation requirements apply to this program-wide reservation. When lowincome counts are provided for non-public school students per public school attendance area, non-public
schools’ equitable share of spending from this reservation is shown on the School Funding worksheet,
Column 13. For detailed guidance, see http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/titlei/parta/family-engagement/.
2.
Services for locally operated institutions for Neglected or Delinquent (N or D) children and youth. A
district with a Title I eligible N or D facility located within its boundaries will have an N or D allocation
amount indicated on the district’s allocation notice. A district reservation must be made for that amount
to make funds available for supplemental educational services for eligible students at the facility. The
district must consult with the facility and complete a formal agreement to either transfer funds or provide
services equal to the amount allocated for the N or D facility. For detailed guidance, see
http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/titlei/partd/.
3.
Homeless children. A child who is homeless and attending any school in the district is eligible for Title I
services. Where needs are established, comparable services, including educationally related support
services to children in shelters and other locations where homeless students may live, are required by
Title I regulation. For detailed guidance, see http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/titlei/parta/programdesign/default.html?section=HTI.
4.
Administrative services. Costs for administering activities funded by Title I, including equitable services
provided to participating non-public schools, may be reserved at the district level before allocating funds
to eligible schools.
5.
Professional development. Funds may be reserved to support Title I professional development activities
organized at the district level for teachers who teach Title I students or students who may be Title Ieligible. All participants must have access to these activities, including teachers of participating non-public
school students. Non-public schools’ equitable share of spending from this reservation is shown on the
School Funding worksheet, Column 14.
6.
Preschool programs. Costs attributable to providing supplemental academic services to preschool
children may be reserved at the district level before allocating funds to eligible schools. For detailed
guidance, see http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/titlei/parta/program-design/default.html?section=PP.
7.
Indirect costs. If the district is taking indirect costs out of this grant, the amount taken is reserved at the
district level before determining amount of funds available for school allocations. For a list of current
indirect cost rates per district, see http://www.doe.mass.edu/Grants/essential.html.
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FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
Designate additional supports for Level 2, 3, 4, and 5 schools (Level 25 districts only) – Step 2
A district with low performing Title I schools is obligated to prioritize those schools based on need and spend a
portion of the district's Title I, Part A allocation on interventions and supports that will address the achievement of
the lowest achieving students in those schools. In addition, a district may reserve funds at the district level to
provide support for low-achieving students district-wide. Funds reserved or directed for these purposes are
accounted for in Step 2 of the District Reservation worksheet.
Massachusetts' approved ESEA/NCLB flexibility waiver makes it possible for the district to use Title I funds more
strategically to meet identified needs. The district has the opportunity to use any combination of the options
below to allocate Title I funds to support its lowest achieving students in its lowest-performing schools. The
applicant will describe the activities funded through these options on the Required Narrative worksheet, and will
use the Budget Expenditures worksheet to connect these activities to line items in the district’s budget.

Option A: Use a reservation to provide additional Title I resources to Title I-served schools (boost). This
option gives the district the flexibility to provide additional support to Title I schools that (A) are lower
achieving than other Title I schools in the district but may not have the highest low income populations;
or (B) schools that require a higher level of investment of Title I dollars than would be possible using any
of the existing methods of qualifying and directly funding Title I schools with amounts per low-income
pupil (i.e., additional to amounts shown in Column 10a of the School Funding worksheet).

Option B: Use a reservation to provide support to the teachers who work with the district's lowestachieving students (e.g., district-wide professional development; coaching initiatives, etc.)

Option C: Use a reservation to provide direct services to low-achieving students district-wide outside of
the school day (e.g., before-or after-school, during vacations, on weekends, etc.)

Option D: Flexibility opportunity to spend a portion of school formula allocation(s) on interventions and
supports. This option gives the district the flexibility to use an existing method of qualifying Title I schools
(e.g., 35% rule, district-wide low-income percentage, grade span grouping, etc.) to serve Title I schools
based on the school’s accountability and assistance level. This option is most appropriate for districts with
smaller Title I allocations. The district must demonstrate that its Title I-served schools are also its lowestperforming schools and describe the interventions and supports that will rapidly improve outcomes for
the lowest achieving students in those schools. In the Narrative worksheet, be sure to name the
school(s) whose portion of school formula allocations are being applied to the required reservation
amount, and describe how the funds will be used to provide interventions and supports for lowperforming students and their teachers, if applicable.

Salaries Applicable to MTRS: Below Option D, enter in the yellow shaded area the total amount of MTRS
participant salaries contained in reservation spending made in Options A-D. The applicable MTRS
contribution will automatically calculate and will be included in the total amount (and percentage of
allocation) reserved for additional supports and interventions.

Option E: Flexibility opportunity related to schoolwide programs. This option gives the district the
flexibility to designate a Level 3, 4, or 5 school as a Title I schoolwide program school, even if the school
does not have a poverty percentage of 40% or more. This option gives the district the flexibility to provide
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FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
additional support to a targeted assistance school or Title I-eligible school that without this flexibility
would be ineligible for designation as a Title I schoolwide program school.2
The total amount of funds reserved at the district level for required interventions and supports is automatically
calculated. This total includes any amounts entered in Options A, B or C. (The total does not include any amount
entered in Option D since those funds will be accounted for in the school-level allocations indicated on the School
Funding worksheet.)
The percentage next to the total for Step 2 is the percent of the district’s total allocation that the accountabilityrelated reservations represent. The percentage includes amounts entered in Options A, B, C, and D.
Step 1 and Step 2 district reservation amounts are automatically subtracted from the district’s total allocation to
calculate the balance remaining for school-level allocations. This balance represents the amount that must be
allocated to schools on the School Funding worksheet. The cell will remain red until the total of school-level
allocations matches this number.
Confirm minimum per low-income pupil amount for school allocations
– Step 3
Once schools are designated to be served in Column 3b of the School Funding worksheet, the minimum per lowincome pupil amounts displayed in Step 3 of the District Reservation worksheet will be calculated automatically. All
schools except for the last-served school must be provided an allocation that meets or exceeds this amount per
low-income pupil. For districts that serve only schools that are above 35% poverty, a district-determined method
for calculating the minimum per low-income pupil amount may be used. If a district-determined amount is used,
describe the method used to arrive at the amount in the text box below the figure.
Review:

Is my district’s name and total allocation amount populated at the top of the District Reservation worksheet?

If applicable, did I indicate reservations in Step 1 not related to accountability and assistance levels, including
those that may be required?

If taking indirect costs, am I using the most current rate published on the Department’s website
(http://www.doe.mass.edu/Grants/essential.html)?

If I have one or more schools in Levels 2, 3, 4, and 5, did I select in Step 2 one or more flexibility options A-E to
indicate how my district will address the needs of its lowest achieving students in its lowest performing
schools?

If I used a district-determined method for calculating the minimum per low-income pupil amount may be used
for school formula allocations, is that amount large enough to provide a reasonable assurance that a school
can operate a Title I program of sufficient quality? Is the method described below the amount entered?
Step 5: Complete the School Funding Worksheet
Identifying, selecting, and allocating funds to eligible Title I schools for the upcoming school year is the culmination
of a comprehensive planning process based on district-wide and school-level needs assessments and an evaluation
2
In a targeted assistance school, only a subset of the students benefit from Title I resources; in a schoolwide program
school, Title I resources are used in combination with other federal, State, and local funds to upgrade the school's entire
educational program.
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FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
of current Title I activities. Using low-income data and overall Title I allocations, the district allocates funds to its
priority schools.
Become familiar with the parts of School Funding worksheet
The School Funding worksheet has three sections:

Step 1: The district selects the date and type of the low-income data the district is using to determine
schools eligible to be served with Title I funds. Click the OK button to proceed.

Step 2: The district chooses a method for qualifying Title I schools. Click the OK button to proceed.

Step 3: Lists the schools in the district. In this section the district designates schools as Title I and enters
additional data for the district’s schools. 3
Select the source of the poverty data used to identify eligible schools
Federal law requires the district to rank all of its school attendance areas (the geographic area from which a public
school draws its children) according to their percent of poverty. The first task is to select the source of the poverty
data the district is using to identify eligible schools using the drop-down menu in Step 1. The default source of
enrollment and poverty data that will automatically populate when the district name is chosen on the cover page
is the Economically Disadvantaged data multiplied by 1.6.
Most Massachusetts districts will likely use either Economically Disadvantaged data or Free/Reduced Price Lunch
eligibility —as reported via the most current SIMS submission—to establish low-income percentages. As our state
transitions to Economically Disadvantaged data, districts might find their poverty numbers are lower than under
Free/Reduced Price Lunch. Therefore, an option of Economically Disadvantaged with a multiplier will also be
available. This will allow districts using Economically Disadvantaged data to operate with poverty percentages that
more closely reflect prior years. Other sources (i.e., Census, TAFDC, or Medicaid data) may also be used.

Selecting Economically Disadvantaged data or Free/Reduced Price Lunch eligibility as an option
automatically populates Column 4 (Total Number of Children Enrolled in Schools in Column 1) and
Column 6 (Low-Income Children Enrolled in Public Schools)

If the district decides to use school attendance area counts to calculate school poverty percentages,
as opposed to the more limited option of school enrollment counts, you must enter the information
you have collected into Columns 5 and 7 (Number of Children Residing in Attendance Areas). The
district must include in these figures all children enrolled in public and non-public schools, including
out-placed students with disabilities, and students eligible to attend but who are not attending school
(such as dropouts, home-schooled students, and other non-attendees).4
The School Funding worksheet automatically calculates the poverty percentage of each school. The
district wide poverty average is also automatically displayed.
3
If the schools are not listed, return to the Cover Page and select the name of the district from the drop-down menu. The list of schools will be
automatically sorted based on the qualifying method the district selects. If district schools have or will be substantially reconfigured from the
previous school year, revised enrollment, grade configuration and low-income data may be entered in separate lines. To do so, select the
“insert additional row” button and enter each school’s revised information one at a time.
4 Data sources must be applied uniformly to each school attendance area and to the district as a whole. In other words, the district must use the
same measure of poverty for identifying eligible school attendance areas, determining the ranking of each area, and determining the allocation
of each area. A child who might be included in more than one data source may be counted only once in arriving at a total count. The purpose of
these counts is to establish “headcounts” of low-income students residing in school attendance areas; accordingly, students attending part-day
programs in kindergarten or other grades should be counted as if they were attending full-day programs.
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FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
Enter data on children not attending public schools, if available5
Next, enter non-public school low-income data, and other non-public school data, if available, in Columns 5 and 7.

Column 5 (Total Number of Children Residing in Attendance Areas) is not populated if the district used
Economically Disadvantaged data or Free/Reduced Price Lunch eligibility as reported via SIMS to establish
low-income percentages. The district should only enter information into this column if it elects to use
school attendance area counts to calculate school poverty percentages. Districts using school attendance
area counts to determine eligibility are required to include in these figures all children enrolled in public
and non-public schools, including out-placed students with disabilities, and students eligible to attend but
who are not attending school (such as dropouts, home-schooled students, and other non-attendees).

In Column 7 (Number of Non-public School Children from Low-Income Families Residing in Attendance
Areas) enter the number of non-public school students from low-income families by school attendance
area as determined through consultation with non-public school officials or comparable measures.
Information should be entered here for all schools served.
Review:

Have I used the drop-down menus to select and identify the primary source of data I used to determine
eligible Title I school attendance areas?

Have I included non-public school low-income student data in Column 7, gathered through consultation with
non-public schools enrolling students who reside in my district?

If I elected to use school attendance area counts to calculate school poverty percentages, did I enter
information in Column 5?
Select a method of qualifying Title I schools
The district may use various methods of qualifying Title I school attendance areas. These qualifying methods give
certain flexibility to districts in selecting the areas to be served, while also adhering to the general principle that
higher-poverty schools are served first. In this section the difference between two common methods of qualifying
school attendance areas is explained: (1) District-wide low-income percentage, and (2) Grade span grouping and
district wide percentage.
Using the drop-down menu in Step 2 of the School Funding worksheet, select a method of qualifying Title I schools
that allows the district to appropriately allocate resources to the school attendance areas that would benefit most
from Title I funds. Broadly speaking, the district may choose to use a district-wide ranking or rank school
attendance areas by grade span groupings.6
5
The default method for determining poverty percentages for school attendance areas is to use school enrollment and
public school low-income counts (data entered in Columns 4 and 6). If sufficient data are available, attendance area
poverty percentages may be determined by using total attendance area count and total poverty count (data entered in
Columns 5 and 7).
6 Only after the district has served all of its areas with a poverty rate above 75 percent may the district serve lowerranked areas. The district has the option to (1) continue on with the district-wide ranking or (2) rank remaining areas by
grade span groupings. Grade span groupings may be utilized only after serving school attendance areas above 75 percent
poverty, including any middle schools or high schools.
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FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015

Option 1 is the district-wide low-income percentage method. Under this qualifying method, schools at or
above the district-wide poverty average are eligible for services; as such, money may run out before
serving all of these schools.

Option 2 is the grade span grouping/district-wide percentage method. Under this qualifying method,
schools serving the same grades are grouped together, and any school at or above the district-wide
poverty average in each group is eligible for services.

Option 3 is the 35% rule. Under this qualifying method, all district schools at or above 35% poverty are
eligible for services; as such, funds may be insufficient to serve all schools down to the 35% poverty level.

Option 4 is the grade span grouping/35% rule. Under this qualifying method, schools with similar grade
spans are grouped together and any school at or above 35% poverty in each group is eligible for services.

Option 5 is the grade span grouping/group-wide percentage method. Under this qualifying method,
schools serving the same grades are grouped together and any school at or above the group-wide poverty
average in each group is eligible for services.

Options 6 and 7 apply to smaller districts and single-school districts. If the district contains one school per
grade span or if the total enrollment of the district is less than 1,000 students, then the district is not
required to rank-order schools and consequently may serve any school. 7 Districts in this category with
more than one school should be able to justify which schools will be served by Title I. For example, if the
district contains one school per grade span, it may decide to use academic need rather than poverty
percentage as the basis of selecting schools for Title I participation. Districts using Options 6 or 7 must
follow the remainder of these instructions, including the calculation of non-public school allocations if
applicable.
Certain implications apply depending on whether the district elects to use district-wide ranking or the grade-span
grouping method of qualifying Title I schools.

If “district-wide low-income percentage” is selected as a method of qualifying Title I schools, the School
Funding worksheet will automatically sort all schools in rank order by low-income percentage based on
the data source used to determine eligible Title I school attendance areas.

If “grade span grouping and district wide percentage” is selected as a method of qualifying Title I schools,
the School Funding worksheet will automatically sort the schools by grade span and then by low-income
percentage based on the data source used to determine eligible Title I school attendance areas.
Because the district may only use the grade span grouping option after schools above 75% poverty are
served regardless of grade span, the School Funding worksheet will always first rank schools above 75%
poverty, regardless of grade span.
A district that opts to serve schools at or below 75 percent poverty using grade-span groupings may
determine higher or lower per-pupil amounts for different grade spans as long as those amounts do not
exceed the amount allocated to any area or school above 75 percent poverty. Per-pupil amounts within
grade spans may vary, but the district may not allocate higher per-pupil amounts to areas or schools with
lower poverty rates within grade spans.
7
A district containing one school per grade span has more than one school building but no overlapping grades across
buildings (e.g., a district may be organized into four schools containing grades PK-2, 3-5, 6-7, and 8-12 where each grade
level is only found in one building). There is no limitation on the total number of grade spans, so long as each grade level
is only found in one building.
Page 10 of 22
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
(The same method of qualifying schools must be used for all groupings. For example, if there are three
grade span groupings, all three must use the 35% rule, or all three must use district-wide poverty average,
or each must use its group-wide poverty average.)
Review:

Have I used the drop-down menu in Step 2 to select a method of qualifying Title I schools?

Have I determined the method of qualifying schools that allows my district to best address the needs of its
schools?
Select eligible Title I schools
Once the district has selected a method of qualifying school attendance areas, the district selects the schools it
wishes to serve with Title I, Part A funds by entering information into certain columns in Step 3.8
Indicate schools to be served
In Column 3a and 3b the district is required to indicate Title I service provision or non-provision for each school in
the district by clicking a cell and selecting from one of four options (select last school year’s (FY15) program type in
column 3a and this coming school year’s (FY16) program type in column 3b):

Select “SW” (schoolwide) if the school will conduct a schoolwide program as defined under federal
regulations in the new school year. As a general rule, only schools with 40% or higher poverty percentages
can implement schoolwide programs. For detailed information on schoolwide programs, see:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/titlei/parta/program-design/?section=SP.

Select “TA” (Targeted Assistance) if the school will conduct a targeted assistance program in the new
school year.

Select “NS” (Not Served) if the school will not receive Title I funding.

Select “CL” (Closed) if the school will be closed in the coming school year.
Skipping Eligible Schools:
The district may elect to “skip” an eligible school attendance area or school that has a higher percentage of
children from low-income families than a school that is served only if the following criteria are met: (1) The school
meets the Title I comparability requirements; (2) The school is receiving supplemental funds from other State or
local sources that are spent according to the requirements of Section 1114 or 1115 of Title I, Part A; and (3) The
funds expended from such other sources equal or exceed the amount that would be provided under Title I, Part A.
Please note, however, that eligible non-public school children who reside in a “skipped” attendance area must be
provided Title I services even though the public school attendance area is skipped.
In implementing this provision, therefore, a district must determine which school attendance areas would have
received Title I funds absent any skipping and what the per-pupil allocations for those areas would have been. The
district must then determine the amount of funds that would have been allocated for non-public school children
residing in those school attendance areas. This amount is included in the funds available for serving eligible nonpublic school children residing in the district. If the district skips one or more of its higher-ranked school
8
When the mouse hovers over a cell with a red triangle in the right-hand corner, comments will appear explaining
information particular to that cell. Red cells indicate that required data must be entered.
Page 11 of 22
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
attendance areas, enabling the district to use Title I funds to serve additional lower-ranked areas, low-income nonpublic school children residing in those additional areas would not warrant the allocation of funds.
Under §200.79 of the Title I regulations, a supplemental State or local program meets the requirements of Section
1114 if the program—

Is implemented in a school that meets the minimum 40 percent poverty threshold required to operate a
schoolwide program;

Is designed to promote schoolwide reform and upgrade the entire educational operation of the school to
support students in their achievement toward meeting the State's challenging academic achievement
standards that all students are expected to meet;

Is designed to meet the educational needs of all children in the school, particularly the needs of children who
are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the State's challenging student academic achievement standards;
and

Uses the State's assessment system described in §200.2 of the Title I regulations to review the effectiveness of
the program.
A supplemental State or local program meets the requirements of Section 1115 if the program—

Serves only children who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the State's challenging student academic
achievement standards;

Provides supplementary services designed to meet the special educational needs of the children who are
participating in the program to support their achievement toward meeting the State's student academic
achievement standards; and

Uses the State's assessment system described in §200.2 of the Title I regulations to review the effectiveness of
the program.
Indicate “Grandfathered” schools (if necessary)
Title I includes a “grandfather provision” allowing districts to designate and serve a school attendance area or
school that is not eligible this year, but that was eligible and served in the preceding fiscal year, but only for one (1)
additional fiscal year. Place an “X” in Column 1A for any school that will be served due to this “grandfather
provision.” If no schools will be served this way, leave the column blank.
Review:

Have I selected the method of qualifying schools that allows the district to appropriately allocate
resources to the schools that would benefit most from Title I funds?

If I elected to “skip” an eligible school attendance area or school that has a higher percentage of
children from low-income families than a school that is served, does the school meet the federally
mandated criteria noted above?

Column 3a/3b: Have I indicated how I intend to serve each school attendance area in the district for
FY16, and also how each school was served in FY15, by clicking on each of the cells and selecting the
appropriate option (“SW”, “TA”, “NS”, or “CL”)?

Column 1A: Have I placed an “X” in Column 1A for any school that will be served due to the
“grandfather” provision (schools, if any, which qualify for Title I due only to service in the previous
year)?
Page 12 of 22
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
Allocate funds to eligible Title I schools
Now that the district has made the appropriate reservations on the District Reservation worksheet, enter the
actual Title I allocation per school in the appropriate cell in Column 10a. Keep in mind the two basic rules of
allocation. First, all school allocations, except for the last served, must meet minimum per-pupil amounts as
figured on the District Reservation worksheet. Second, barring allowable exceptions (i.e., districts containing one
school per grade span or districts with a total enrollment of less than 1,000 students), higher poverty schools must
receive the same or greater amount per-pupil than lower poverty schools in your rank order.
The total amount allocated for schools in Column 10a must equal the balance of funds available for school
allocations, calculated on the District Reservation worksheet.9

Column 10b is where the district designates additional funds for Level 2-5 Title I schools if the district
selected Option A on the District Reservation worksheet as a funding strategy to provide supports and
interventions to low-achieving students in those schools. These funds are accounted for as a district
reservation and do not figure into per-pupil funding amounts (as shown in Column 11).

Column 11 automatically displays the actual per-pupil amount based on the allocation amounts and the
total number of low-income children in Column 8.

Column 12 automatically displays the total amount of funds that may potentially be used to provide Title I
services for children from low-income families enrolled in non-public schools. This figure is based on the
school per-pupil amount in Column 11 and the total number of low-income non-public school students in
the attendance area in Column 7. Note: this amount is part of, not additional to, the total amount
allocated to the public school (column 10a amount entered by the applicant).

Column 13 automatically displays the total amount of funds that may potentially be used to involve
parents of children enrolled in non-public schools in the district’s Title I program. This figure is based on
the number of low-income non-public school students in participating attendance areas in Column 7 and
the funds set aside for parent involvement in the District Reservation worksheet.

Column 14 automatically displays the total amount of funds that may potentially be used to provide nonpublic school teachers with professional development. This figure is based on the total number of
students from low-income families attending non-public schools in each participating school attendance
area and on the non-required professional development funds set aside on the District Reservation
worksheet.

The District-Wide Low-Income Percentage is displayed in the box above the columns on the right hand
side of the worksheet. Remember that a district may rank its schools by either the district-wide lowincome percentage or low-income percentages within grade span groupings.
Review:

Are all of my per-pupil amounts either equal to the highest poverty school’s amount or descend in order of
poverty percentage amount, barring allowable exceptions (i.e., districts containing one school per grade span
or districts with a total enrollment of less than 1,000 students)?

If any of my served schools fall below 35 percent low-income, do my per-pupil amounts meet or exceed the
required minimum shown in Step 3 of the District Reservation worksheet?
9
Notice that as the allocation amounts are entered in Column 10a, the data in Columns 11 through 14 are automatically
populated.
Page 13 of 22
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015

Does my balance remaining for school allocations on the District Reservation worksheet equal the total
amount found in Column 10a on the School Funding worksheet?

If the district selected Option A on the District Reservation worksheet to designate additional funds for Level
2-5 Title I schools (Column 10b), does the total for this column match the figure entered for Option A?
Step 6: Complete the Budget Expenditures Worksheet
After you have completed the Required Narrative, District Reservation, and School Funding worksheets, you will
enter the detailed budget for the district’s overall Title I, Part A program on the Budget Expenditures worksheet.
Note that cells at the top of the worksheet will automatically populate with certain information entered elsewhere
on the workbook, including the district’s accountability and assistance level and district-wide low income
percentage. If the district is submitting a Schedule A indicating that funds are being assigned from another district,
choose “Yes” from the drop-down menu adjacent to this question. If the district is flexing any Title IIA funds for
Title I use, choose “Yes” from the drop-down menu adjacent to that question.

Column A represents total expenditures for each line item.

Column B is a subset of Column A and represents the portion of Column A that will be directed towards
additional supports to Level 2-5 schools, if applicable.
Note:
Make sure that Column B totals to the amount allocated to targeted interventions for district levels 2-5. The total
of column B in the Budget Expenditures worksheet should equal the total amount of targeted interventions (A + B
+ C + D) on the District Reservation worksheet. Cells will turn red if figures do not match.
Most cells in the Budget Expenditures worksheet contain drop-down menus that allow you to select from common
options. Selecting a cell adjacent to a line item will activate a drop-down menu that will allow you to select the
primary function for that line item.
Enter number of staff, FTE, rate, rate type for staffing and stipend categories when applicable. MTRS will
automatically calculate if the MTRS box is checked.
Step 7: Submit the FY16 Title I Application Workbook to ESE
Please review all of the completed worksheets before submitting your district's FY16 Title I Application Workbook
to ESE. After doing a final check of all completed worksheets, submit the workbook to ESE as follows:
1.
Upload the FY16 Title I Application Workbook to the ESE Security Portal. The destination folder is entitled Title
I and Title IIA Grants, located in Drop Box Central.10
a.
Login to the ESE Security Portal at https://gateway.edu.state.ma.us/
b.
From the list of applications (links), select Drop Box Central
c.
Scroll to the Drop Box entitled Title I and Title IIA Grants and click Next (see below)
10
Each district's Directory Administrator has the authority to assign specific "roles" that allows people to access
resources on the Security Portal. A complete list of Directory Administrators is available at
http://www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/data/diradmin/list.aspx.
Page 14 of 22
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
d.
Select the name of your organization and click Next
e.
You are now in the Title I and Title IIA Grants Drop Box, where you can upload your grant
application.
Important:
Prior to uploading the workbook to the Security Portal you must rename the file by replacing the words “leacode”
in the filename with your 4-digit district code. For example, Abington (0001) would rename the file, “FY16TILEACODE” Do not change the filename except for your districts 4-digit code. Mac users must save the file with the
.xlsm file extension.
Note that the Drop Box will accept filenames with the extensions .xls, .xlsx, .doc, .docx, .xlsm, .pdf
f.
Upload a scanned PDF copy of the signed Cover Page with signature of the Superintendent/Executive
Director
g.
When the file is uploaded, a message will tell you if your upload was successful. You will also see the
file appear under Title I and Title IIA Grants \District Name\ESE Inbox along with the date and time
of transmittal. The Department will be notified via email that a file has been uploaded and is ready
for review.
h.
Click Logout to exit the Security Portal.
Amending the Grant
Grant amendments are required when there is:

A significant change in program objectives; or

An increase or decrease in the total amount of grant; or

An increase in a line of the budget that exceeds $100 or 10 percent of the line (whichever is greater), or
exceeds $10,000.
An amendment is only necessary once the budget has been approved by ESE. To amend the budget:
1.
2.
Make relevant changes to the grant application narrative and budget:
a.
Retrieve your approved budget workbook from the ‘ESE Outbox’ in your district’s Title I & Title
IIA Grants Drop Box in the Department’s Security Portal. The file name will end in “-Final”.
b.
Click on the worksheet(s) that you would like to amend and modify the narrative and budget
details as appropriate.
c.
Make changes to narrative responses to questions by adding new text after your original text.
Begin the amended narrative with “[Date] Amendment:”
d.
Make budgetary changes to the budget worksheet.
e.
Make changes to the District Reservation worksheet and/or School Funding worksheet, as
necessary.
Complete the amendment form:
a.
Click on the Amendment tab of the application workbook to open the amendment form.
Page 15 of 22
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
3.
June 2015
b.
Complete the contact information in the yellow boxes.
c.
In the justification section, provide a description of the activities of the grant and line items of
the budget that are being changed.
d.
Complete the signature section (yellow boxes).
Submit the amendment:
a.
Save the file by changing “Final” to “AM1” to read, “FY16TI-####-AM1” where “####” is your
district’s 4-digit LEA code.
b.
Have the Amendment tab signed by the Superintendent or designee.
c.
Upload a scanned PDF copy of the signed Amendment tab to the Title I and Title IIA Grants drop
box in the security portal.
d.
Upload the entire workbook to the Title I and Title IIA Grants drop box in the security portal.
Page 16 of 22
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
Appendix A: Calculation of District Reservation Amounts
Under Massachusetts’ approved ESEA/NCLB flexibility waiver, any district with one or more Title I schools classified
in Level 2, 3, 4, or 5 of the state’s framework for district accountability and assistance must reserve a portion of its
Title I, Part A grant funds for interventions and supports to address the needs of low-achieving students in lowperforming schools. Districts will reserve required percentage of funds based on their accountability and assistance
level.11
District Level
Percentage
Level 1
0
Level 2
5, 10, 15, or 20
Level 3
20
Level 4
25
Level 5
25
In general, a district reservation amount reflects the scale of the identified performance issues within the district.
The reservation amount for a Level 2 district is based on the percentage of students in district schools not yet
proficient on either English language arts, mathematics, or science MCAS tests in the previous year (excluding
outplaced students), the denominator being all students participating in MCAS tests that year.
Percentage of Students
Not Yet Proficient
Level 2 Reservation Percentage
50% +
20
40-49%
15
30-39%
10
0-29%
5
The number and percentage of students not yet proficient in each school in the district is displayed in Columns 17
and 18, respectively, on the School Funding worksheet.
11
This is in contrast to prior NCLB requirements, which prescribed a 20 percent reservation for any district with one or
more Title I schools identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring, to fund supplemental educational
services (SES) and public school choice, and an additional 10 percent for certain districts and schools to fund professional
development.
Page 17 of 22
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
Appendix B: Guidance on Responding to Narrative Question
4 for Levels 2-5 Districts
Question 4 asks the district to report on the impact of interventions and supports funded by the required
reservation amounts to meet the needs of low achieving students in your district. Please follow these guidelines
when reporting on impact of activities:

be as brief as possible

the purpose is to provide justification for continuation of the activity - positive growth in results,
indicators of impact on learning, and completion of steps in implementation of promising practices can all
be used to justify continuation of activities

use quantitative data such as pre and post formative/benchmark/summative data wherever possible

use of qualitative data are acceptable where it can support quantitative data or where quantitative data is
not applicable

where activities are not yet complete (e.g., summer activities), interim judgments and indicators are
acceptable

reference to program evaluations by the district or outside entities, where available, is encouraged
For additional resources on improvement planning and benchmarking, see our website.
The following samples are provided to give you a guide as to how brief quantitative and qualitative evidence can
be used to provide sufficient justification for continuation of your targeted interventions and supports.
Page 18 of 22
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
CONTINUED Interventions
& Supports
Continued
Intervention/Support 1
Continued
Intervention/Support 2
Continued
Intervention/Support 3
Activity
Instruction Extended
Day/Year (K-12)
High Quality Professional
Development
Instruction Extended
Day/Year (K-12)
Target Grade Span
MS
ES
MS
Target Area
English Language Arts
English Language Arts
Mathematics
Description
After school tutoring
program for middle school
students who are not
reading at grade level.
Professional development
for elementary teachers
on guided reading
practices.
Summer program for
middle school students
who are performing below
grade level proficiency in
math.
FY15 Planned Outcomes
ELA A-Net assessment
scores will show xx%
increase in students
scoring proficient and xx%
decrease in students
scoring in warning
category.
Learning walks will show
evidence that guided
reading is taking place in
xx% of classrooms and
DIBELS scores are used to
determine student
groupings.
xx% attendance of
recommended students.
Ongoing formative
assessments indicate
progress and
understanding of math
concepts.
FY15 Actual Outcomes
Between the first and the
fourth administration of
ELA A-Net assessments:
xx% increase in number of
students scoring
proficient; xx% decrease in
number of students
scoring in warning
category. xx% of students
reported that they liked
reading more than before
they began this
afterschool program.
Following professional
development sessions,
coaching, and model
lessons on guided reading
strategies, learning walk
observations showed xx%
of teachers employing
guided reading strategies
and using DIBELS to
determine groupings.
xx% attendance rate so
far. At midpoint of
program, interim common
assessments showed an
average of xx point
increase over preassessment results.
FY16 Intended Outcomes
ELA A-Net assessment
scores will show xx%
increase in students
scoring proficient and xx%
decrease in students
scoring in warning
category.
xx% increase of students
reading at grade level.
At the end of the summer
program, xx% of students
will be at grade level
proficiency in math.
Page 19 of 22
FY16 Title I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
NEW Interventions &
Supports
New
Intervention/Support 1
Activity
High Quality Professional
Development
Target Grade Span
ES
Target Area
Other
Description
Elementary teachers who
work with at-risk students
will receive professional
development instruction
in strategies for
differentiated instruction
in the classroom.
FY16 Intended Outcomes
xx% of teachers will
exhibit the three selected
differentiated instruction
strategies in the
classroom.
Early Evidence of Change
Based on learning walks,
lesson plans, and
observations: xx% of all
teachers will exhibit the
three selected
differentiated instruction
strategies by the end of
November 2015, xx% by
end of January 2016, and
xx% by end of March
2016.
(e.g. Benchmark Data)
New
Intervention/Support 2
June 2015
New
Intervention/Support 3
Page 20 of 22
FY16 TTitle I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
June 2015
Appendix C: Rubric for Assessing Narrative Responses
Application Section
1A-D Determining Activities
1E
2A
2B
Monitoring Impact
Ensuring Fiscal
Appropriateness
Support for Students who are
Homeless
Not Approvable
Approvable
Proposal does not clearly identify
continued, new, or discontinued
activities, and/or fails to provide a
sufficient rationale for why activities
are to be continued, added, or
discontinued.
Proposal clearly identifies continued,
new, or discontinued activities and
provides a sufficient rationale for
continuing, adding, or discontinuing
activities.
Proposal shows insufficient evidence
of reflection on data to make
decisions and monitor progress
regarding serving the lowest-achieving
students and lowest-performing
schools.
Proposal shows evidence of a system
or process for using appropriate data
to guide and monitor decisions about
how to serve the lowest-achieving
students and lowest-performing
schools.
Proposal includes one or more
expenditures that may fail to meet
federal Title I, Part A supplement not
supplant and/or other fiscal
requirements.
Proposal includes expenditures that
are approvable, supplementing what
would otherwise be provided using
state or local funds. It is clear how
expenditures will benefit Title I
students/teachers, and/or the
district's lowest performing students.
Proposal includes district Title I
reservation description of homeless
services or description of other
supports provided outside of Title I to
adequately meet needs.
Proposal includes neither district
reservation for homeless services nor
description of other supports provided
by the district outside of Title I.
Potential Exemplar
Proposal clearly identifies continued,
new, or discontinued activities, and
provides a sufficient rationale for
continuing, adding, or discontinuing
activities. Information on strengths,
gaps, and weaknesses is provided that
relates directly to the rationales
given.
Proposal shows evidence that the
district uses a cycle of continuous
improvement, reflecting on data and
making decisions and mid-course
corrections based on what that data
shows. Early evidence of change is
specified for benchmarking.
N/A
N/A
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FY16 TTitle I Application Workbook: Instructions for Completing Title I Forms
Application Section
3
4
5
6
Strengthening District
Standards and Addressing
Priorities
Identifying Supports and
Interventions for LowPerforming Students and
Schools & Impact
Strengthening Conditions for
School Effectiveness
Ensuring Positive Outcomes for
Highest Need Schools and
Students
Not Approvable
June 2015
Approvable
Potential Exemplar
Proposed supports are not (or are
insufficiently) aligned to the District
Standards and Indicators and state
priorities.
Proposed supports are connected to
one or more of the District Standards
and Indicators and state priorities.
Proposed supports are well-aligned
with one or more of the District
Standards and Indicators and state
priorities. Supports are high-leverage
and are likely to strengthen the
district's lowest performing schools.
Some parts of Question 4 are left
incomplete. Proposed supports and
interventions are unlikely to address
the needs of the lowest-performing
students/schools. Interventions are
inadequately described and are not
tied to specific student populations.
Insufficient data are provided to
justify continuation or initial
implementation of proposed
intervention(s).
All parts of Question 4 are complete.
Proposed supports and interventions
are prioritized based on
leverage/need, and are likely to
address the needs of the lowestperforming students/schools.
Interventions and supports are
described and are targeted toward
specific student populations. Sufficient
data are provided to justify
continuation or initial implementation
of proposed intervention(s).
Proposed supports are connected to
one or more of the Conditions for
School Effectiveness in areas
highlighted as directly relating to the
root cause(s) of underperformance
identified through self-assessment.
Prioritized supports and interventions
aggressively address the needs of the
lowest-performing students/schools.
The link between intervention(s) and
targeted population(s) is clear.
Interventions are coordinated within a
larger system of supports for greatest
impact. Convincing quantitative and
qualitative data are provided to justify
continuation or initial implementation
of proposed intervention(s).
Proposal is convincing when it comes
to discussing schools served, and why
in cases where the highest need
schools and students do not receive
extra allocation/reservation dollars,
the likelihood of rapidly improving
outcomes to meet new targets is still
strong.
Proposal shows true prioritization of
schools and students when it comes to
selecting supports (and level of
support). There is evidence that all
schools are being served
appropriately, and that the district
ensures rapidly improving outcomes
for all.
Proposed supports are not (or are
insufficiently) aligned to the
Conditions for School Effectiveness.
Proposal is not convincing when it
comes to explaining why, in certain
cases, funds are not used to serve the
highest need schools and students and
how other funds/supports will ensure
rapidly improving outcomes for those
with high need.
Proposed supports are well-aligned
with one or more of the Conditions for
School Effectiveness. Supports are
likely to strengthen the highest-need
schools in a number of key areas
identified through self-assessment.
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