Title Funding is an element of the 2015 Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). These two laws authorize the use of federal funds for public and private schools. Catholic schools can leverage these sources of funding to pay for a variety of products and services that can support training teachers in effective instruction and improve the use of technology to advance student academic achievement.

Overview of Title II and Title IV

Title II and Title IV funds are the most relevant to implementing and sustaining blended learning initiatives. As a brief overview, Title II funding covers “providing professional development for teachers and principals” (U.S. Department of Education). Title IV supports schools in the “use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students” (U.S. Department of Education).

How Do I Access Title Services?

Title II and IV provide hundreds of millions of dollars in funds to states, which in turn distribute resources to Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Catholic schools have a right to access Title II and IV services from their LEA, and LEAs are required to reach out to all schools at least once a year. To start the process of utilizing Title Funding, Catholic school leaders can reach out to their LEAs with questions like:

• What funding do I have that specifically supports my teachers on the effective use of technology?
• What professional development is the district offering on blended learning, data-informed teaching, and similar topics?
• Can you help me register and allocate funding for professional development offered by the University of Notre Dame?

After starting the conversation with your LEA, you will likely be led through a needs assessment process. While individual states determine the exact components of a needs assessment, federal laws offer suggested data sources to LEAs to determine eligibility. Your LEA might ask questions about student achievement, student demographics, professional learning, personnel, and other relevant data, such as factors that impact the learning environment. Specific to Title IV, your LEA might ask questions regarding the effective use of technology, such as the number of courses using blended learning, the amount of funds provided to staff for professional learning on effective technology use, or the number of school staff members who have attended training on effective technology use.

Whereas LEAs do not need to implement the same program design for private schools as they do in public schools, participation between private and public schools must be considered equitable. The Office of Non-Public Education has a great "Frequently Asked Questions" page regarding private school participation in Title II and Title IV programs that is worth checking out. It addresses what it means for programs to be equitable and what recourse is available if an LEA proves uncooperative. It helps to know your rights before talking to your LEA.

What Title Funding Can Be Used For

Here are some ideas to consider:

• Professional Development - Title IV and Title II funding can be used for professional development for teachers and leaders. The true value of blended learning is not in the technology itself but rather in how educators implement it in the classroom. ACE's Higher-Powered Learning team offers a variety of opportunities to train teachers through its online and in-person professional development opportunities.
• Technology and Instructional Resources - Acquiring curricular materials, software, or technology that supports learning is an appropriate use of Title IV funding. For ideas on technology that meets the needs of all students, visit our webpage on the HPL Network’s Library of Adaptive Software Reviews.

As Catholic schools seek to meet the needs of all students through technology, it's important that we find every source of support available to help these children thrive. For more detailed information on how private schools can access and utilize Title services, view the Department of Education's Office of Non-public Education's guidance.

Interested in learning more about how to meet the needs of all students through technology and research-based best practices? Visit the HPL website to learn more.