Selected Sections of ESEA

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
A CAPSO Primer on the Reauthorized ESEA
What is ESEA? | Reauthorization | Administration | Participation | CAPSO’s Role

Sections of ESEA Providing for the Participation of Private School Students, Teachers and Other Personnel

Title I – Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
Title I – Part A

Part A of Title I is the largest of all programs contained in ESEA. It is intended to provide a wide array of educational services and benefits to students who are failing or deemed “at risk” of failing to meet state academic standards. Funding is determined on the basis of poverty criteria; services are provided on the basis of academic need. Private school students who are academically “at risk” are eligible to receive services through Title I, Part A, provided they reside in districts receiving Title I funding. Many school districts employ staff who are solely dedicated to administering Title I programs.

This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools.

This program has been authorized to receive $13.5 billion dollars in FY 2002.

Title I – Part B

Reading First Program: “Reading First” is a new program intended to provide assistance to states and LEAs in establishing scientific research-based reading programs for all children in kindergarten through grade three. It would provide the necessary professional development and other supports to ensure that teachers can identify children at-risk for reading failure and provide the most effective early instruction to overcome specific barriers to reading proficiency. This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools.

This program has been authorized to receive $900 million dollars in FY 2002.

Even Start Family Literacy Program: The program is intended to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy affecting low-income families. By employing instructional programs validated by scientifically based reading research the program seeks to address the prevention of reading difficulties for children and adults and help them meet challenging State content and achievement standards. This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools.

This program has been authorized to receive $260 million dollars in FY 2002.

Education of Migratory Children: The program is intended to assist the children of migrant workers overcome academic problems associated with multiple relocations. This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools.

This program has been authorized to receive $410 million dollars in FY 2002.

Title II – Preparing, Training and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals
Title II – Part A

Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund: The program is intended to increase student achievement through improving teacher and principal quality, increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in the classroom and highly qualified principals and assistant principals in schools. This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools to the extent that LEA’s earmark program funds for professional development programs and activities.

Note: The law requires that LEA’s maintain (or increase) the same level of funding for professional development (from funds received through this program) as were directed for professional development in 2001.

This program has been authorized to receive $3.175 billion dollars in FY 2002.

Title II – Part B

Mathematics and Science Partnerships: The intent of this program is to improve the performance of students in the areas of mathematics and science by encouraging states, institutions of higher education, LEAs, elementary schools and secondary schools to participate in programs that:

  • improve and upgrade the status and stature of mathematics and science teaching by encouraging institutions of higher education to assume greater responsibility for improving mathematics and science teacher education
  • focus on the education of mathematics and science teachers as a career-long process
  • bring mathematics and science teachers together with scientists, mathematicians, and engineers to improve their teaching skills
  • develop more rigorous mathematics and science curricula that are aligned with State and local academic achievement standards expected for postsecondary study in engineering, mathematics, and science.

This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools. This program has been authorized to receive $450 million dollars in FY 2002.

Title II – Part D

Enhancing Education Through Technology: The program consolidates the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund and Local Innovation Challenge Grants into a State-based technology grant program that sends more money to schools. In doing so, it is intended to facilitate comprehensive and integrated education technology strategies that target the specific needs of individual schools. At least 25% of the funding received by LEA’s must be used to provide professional development. This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools. This program has been authorized to receive $1 billion dollars in FY 2002.

Title III – Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students
Title III – Part A

English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act: The programs focus upon teaching English to limited English proficient (LEP) children, including immigrant children and youth, and holding States accountable for their LEP students attaining English. This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools.

This program has been authorized to receive $750 million dollars in FY 2002.

Title IV – 21st Century Schools
Title IV – Part A

Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities: The reauthorized ESEA provides for the continuation of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program and the Gun Free Schools Act through FY 2007. LEA’s may use program funds for the following purposes:

  • Developmentally appropriate drug and violence prevention programming
  • Parent and community-wide involvement in drug and violence prevention
  • Drug and violence prevention information dissemination
  • Drug and violence prevention professional development and community training
  • Law enforcement and security activities
  • Expanding and improving mental health services
  • Conflict resolution and peer mediation
  • Alternative education for violent or drug abusing students
  • Counseling, mentoring, and referral services
  • Programs encouraging confiding in adults
  • Programs and services regarding truancy, suspensions and expulsions
  • Programs for testing students for illegal drug use and locker searches
  • Emergency intervention services following traumatic events
  • Character education programs
  • School violence hotlines
  • Community service projects
  • Employee background checks
  • Youth suicide warning training
  • Programs responding to the needs of youth faced with domestic violence or child abuse.

This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools.

This program has been authorized to receive $650 million dollars in FY 2002.

Title IV – Part B

21st Century Community Learning Centers: The program provides funds to LEAs to increase students’ and communities’ access to school building services and to before and after school activities intended to help children meet State academic achievement standards. Permissible activities funded through this program include:

  • Remedial education and academic enrichment activities
  • Math, science, arts, music, entrepreneurial, and technology education activities
  • Tutoring and mentoring (including mentoring by senior citizens) services
  • Recreational activities
  • Telecommunications and technology education programs
  • Expanded library service hours
  • Programs that promote parental involvement
  • Programs for limited English proficient students that emphasize language skills and academic achievement
  • Programs for truant, suspended, or expelled students
  • Programs or initiatives that improve academic achievement

This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools.

This program has been authorized to receive $1.25 billion dollars in FY 2002.

Title V – Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs
Title V – Part A

Innovative Programs: This is the most flexible of the programs contained within ESEA, offering LEA’s broad discretion in the use and targeting of funds. The program is intended to: (1) support local education reform activities that are consistent with statewide education reform efforts; (2) provide funding to enable states and LEAs to implement promising educational reform programs and school improvement initiatives based on scientifically based research, (3) provide a continuing source of innovation and educational improvement, including support for library services and instructional and media materials, and (4) meet the educational needs of all students, including at risk students; and (5) develop education programs to improve school, student, and teacher performance. Examples of activities permitted by this program include:

  • Technology related to the implementation of school-based reform programs, including professional development to assist teachers and other school officials regarding how to effectively use such equipment and software;
  • Programs for the acquisition and use of instructional and educational materials, including library services and materials (including media materials);
  • Programs to improve the academic skills of disadvantaged elementary and secondary school students and to prevent students from dropping out of school;
  • Programs to combat illiteracy in the student and adult population, including parent illiteracy;
  • Programs to provide for the educational needs of gifted and talented children;
  • Programs to recruit, train, and hire highly qualified teachers to reduce class size, and professional development activities carried out in accordance with Title II;
  • Community service programs that use qualified school personnel to train and mobilize young people to measurably strengthen their communities through nonviolence, responsibility, compassion, respect, and moral courage;
  • Activities to promote consumer, economic, and personal finance education;
  • Programs to hire and support school nurses;
  • Expanding and improving school-based mental health services;
  • Academic intervention programs that are operated jointly with community-based organizations and that support academic enrichment;
  • Programs for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in schools;
  • Programs to establish smaller learning communities;
  • Activities that encourage and expand improvements throughout the LEA that are designed to advance student academic achievement;
  • Initiatives to generate, maintain, and strengthen parental and community involvement;
  • Programs that expand learning opportunities through best practice models designed to improve classroom learning and teaching;
  • Service learning activities;
  • School safety programs; and
  • Programs that employ research-based cognitive and perceptual development approaches to improve students’ learning of academic content;

This portion of the law requires the equitable participation of private schools.

This program has been authorized to receive $450 million dollars in FY 2002. Title V – Part D

Fund for the Improvement of Education (Subpart 3), Partnerships in Character Education: The program awards grants to SEA’s, LEA’s, institutions of higher education and various consortia (that may include private, non-profit schools and other private non-profit organizations) for the purpose of developing secular curricula, materials, teacher training and other activities related to character education. These activities should pursue the intent of integrating secular character education into the curricula and teaching methods of participating schools. Examples of elements of character referenced by this program include:

  • Caring
  • Civic virtue and citizenship
  • Justice and fairness
  • Respect
  • Responsibility
  • Trustworthiness
  • Giving

Any other elements deemed appropriate by the eligible entity Part D of Title V (Fund for the Improvement of Education) is authorized to receive $550 million in FY 2002. Partnerships in Character Education (Subpart 3) is one of many programs eligible for receipt of funding through this portion of ESEA. Private school participation in programs provided under this section of the law is permitted but not required.

Fund for the Improvement of Education (Subpart 6), Gifted and Talented Students: The intent of this program is to initiate a coordinated program of scientifically based research, demonstration projects, innovative strategies and similar activities designed to build and enhance the ability of elementary schools and secondary schools to meet the special educational needs of gifted and talented students. The law requires the equitable participation of private schools.

The Gifted and Talented Students program is funded under Part D of Title V of ESEA.

The remaining ESEA Titles are:

Title VI – Flexibility and Accountability

Title VII – Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native Education

Title VIII – Impact and Program

Title IX – General Provisions

Title X – Repeals, Redesignations, and Amendments to Other Statutes