Joy Tolbert - joy.tolbert@commercecityschools.org

The LEA Technical Assistance and Monitoring provides technical assistance, resources, and program monitoring of local education agencies to ensure that all children have an opportunity to obtain a high quality education and to achieve proficiency on high academic standards.

Title I is a part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This act provides federal funds through the Georgia Department of Education to local educational agencies (LEAs) and public schools with high numbers or percentages of poor children to help ensure that all children meet challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards.

LEAs target the Title I funds they receive to public schools with the highest percentages of children from low-income families. These funds may be used for children from preschool aged to high school. Title I is designed to support State and local school reform efforts tied to challenging State academic standards in order to reinforce and enhance efforts to improve teaching and learning for students. Title I programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support parental involvement.

Under Title I, local educational agencies (LEAs) are required to provide services for eligible private school students, as well as eligible public school students. These services must be developed in consultation with officials of the private schools. The Title I services provided by the LEA for private school participants are designed to meet their educational needs and supplement the educational services provided by the private school.

Under Title II-A, states are responsible for reforming teacher licensure and certification, alternative certification, teacher testing for subject matter knowledge, and assisting teachers in becoming "highly qualified." Georgia has received over $75 million to implement Title II-A. Approximately $2.175 billion has been allocated nationally. The goal of the program is to raise student achievement in the academic subjects.