Using Title I Resources to Support Whole-Child Education

First established as a part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965, today Title I funding provides billions of dollars in aid to school districts across the country. Though the distribution of these funds depends in part on a district’s performance on standardized tests, schools now have a new set of criteria by which to measure the effectiveness of their Title 1 spending.

Thanks to recent updates to the Every Student Succeeds Act (a revision of ESEA), educators who believe in the power of engagement and personalized learning have an exciting opportunity to use Title 1 funding on educational programs that embrace these principles.

In our white paper, “How to Use Your Title I Resourses Most Effectively,” we describe what a “whole-child” approach to education looks like. We invite you read an excerpt from this white paper below:

What is a whole-child approach to education?

As the world economy continues its steady transition from the Information Age into the Conceptual Age — “an era where the development of knowledge, understanding and application of information is key”— to best prepare our children of today to become the innovators of tomorrow, many educators and policymakers have promoted a “whole-child” approach to learning. According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), a whole-child approach to education “is an effort to transition from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that promotes the long-term development and success of all children.” To this end, this leading organization has established five principles that define this type of education:

1. Each student enters school healthy, and learns about and practices a healthy lifestyle.

2. Each student learns in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe for students and adults.

3. Each student is actively engaged in learning and is connected to the school and broader community.

4. Each student has access to personalized learning and is supported by qualified, caring adults.

5. Each student is challenged academically and is prepared for success in college or further study, and for employment in a global environment.

These tenets speak to the importance of treating students with the care and respect they deserve. While educators inherently understand the importance of empathy and communication, overemphasizing testing can lead to an outsized focus on scores and metrics. While results and accountability are of course important, developing a child’s mindset toward learning and continuous improvement is equally critical to their success.

Not only does a whole-child approach to education improve students’ attitudes and behavior, but recent neuroscience research has shown that children’s brains are more effective at learning when they feel they are both in an emotionally and physically safe learning environment, and when they feel connected and engaged in class. This research, paired with new freedoms given to educators through ESSA, can revolutionize how Title I funding will be used moving forward. For courageous educators who know what their students need most, now it is time for them to lead.

Download your free white paper today

To learn more about how to make the most out of your Title I resources, we invite you to read our free white paper.