“Title I Pre-K in NC”EC 2010 Conference

Carla Garrett

Title I Pre-K Education Consultant

NC Office of Early Learning – DPI

8.4.10

NC Office of Early Learning: Pre-K – Grade 3

• Focuses on Pre-K - Grade 3 to support children's success in the early grades

• Combines staffs in primary education and pre-k

• Promotes linkages for reforming early education

• Partners with the FirstSchool initiative (FPG Child Development Institute - UNC)

What is FirstSchool?

• Pre-K - Grade 3 initiative to promote public school efforts to become more responsive to the needs of an increasingly younger, more diverse population

• Unites the best of early childhood, elementary and special education

NC Office of Early Learning Programs

• Even Start Family Literacy

• Head Start State Collaboration Office

• More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Program

• Preschool Exceptional Children

• Title I Preschool

• Primary Education

Title I Pre-K in NC: 2009-10

• $61,267,466 - Title I funds allocated to Pre-K (projected)

• Increase of $18,203,750 from 2008-09

Title I Pre-K in NC: 2009-10

• 79 of 115 LEA’s utilized Title I funding for Pre-K

• 12 LEA’s allocated $1M plus for Title I

Pre-K

• 55 LEA’s increased funding for Title I

Pre-K

Flexible Funding

• Title I funds can be used for preschool or to supplement or expand other early childhood education programs, such as state-funded prekindergarten, Head Start, Even Start, or Early Reading First.

• Title I funds may be used in conjunction with existing programs.

Funding Options

1-Title I Pre-K

Uses Title I dollars only

“Title I Funds” Example:

Total # Amount of

Children Title I Funding

18 $125,000

($6,944 cost per child)

*Figures chosen for example purposes only

Funding Options (Continued)

2 - Blended Pre-K

-Uses Title I dollars with other Pre-K dollars (EC; local, Head Start, Smart Start, etc.)

-Title I contribution determined by % of Title I children in each Pre-K class

“Blended” Example : Title I + Other Funds

% Title I % EC % Local

Total # Funds/ Funds/ Funds/

Children # Children # Children # Children

18 50% 11% 39%

9= 2= 7=

$62,500 $13,750 $48,750

Total Amount of Funding: $125,000

Total Amount of Title I Funding: $62,500

Funding Options (continued)

3 - Dual Enrollment

Uses Title I dollars with More At Four dollars

Grant Application: “Do any of these Title I eligible students also

qualify for M@4 funding?”

What is “More At Four”?

• State preschool program in NC

• Age Eligibility: Four years old

• Entering kindergarten the following year

• At risk for poor school outcomes

Dual Enrollment

• Eligibility requirements for both programs must be met with Title I eligibility criteria being considered first

• This is not “supplanting,” since More At Four funds are only intended to cover 50% of program costs

“Dual Enrollment” Example:

Total # #Dually Eligible M@4 Funding Total M@4

Children Children Per Child Funding

18 9 $3,750 $33,750

Total Amount of Title I Funding: $125,000

Total Amount of M@4 Funding: $33,750

Total Amount of Funding: $158,750 (Amount increases from $6,944 to $8,819 per child)

Eligibility

• On the basis of multiple, educationally-related, objective criteria established by the LEA, such as:

• teacher judgment,

• interviews with parents

• developmentally appropriate measures

Eligibility - Income

• Income of the family is allowable for the for the purposes of prioritizingpurposes of prioritizing when Title I funds are insufficient to serve all eligible preschool children

Eligibility – Age

– Birth to the age the LEA provides elementary education; therefore, children who are younger than the age of five by the kindergarten eligibility cut off date - August 31 - in North Carolina are eligible

*In NC most Title I Pre-K children served are 4 years old

Most Common Examples of Pre-K Quality Investments in

NC

• Teacher Salaries (Increase or Maintain)

• Instructional Materials

• Professional Development

Suggestions

• Build RELATIONSHIPS with early childhood partners!!!

Suggestions (continued)

• Champion early education using research and data

• Build on existing resources in communities

• Leverage state and federal funds—and capitalize on funding opportunities

Resources

• Serving Preschool Children Under Title I, Non-Regulatory Guidance @ www.ed.gov

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 @ www.ed.gov

• PreK Now @ www.preknow.org

• CLASP (Center for Law & Social Policy) @ www.clasp.org

Resources

• NC Title I Preschool Consultant: Carla Garrett @ carla.garrett@ncpublicschools.gov; cell: 336.504.2037

• NC Office of Early Learning (Department of Public Instruction) Website:

www.ncprek.nc.gov