Anonymous wrote:
I think it is up to the school board how to allocate the Title I money. It is not necessarily used for personnel, but I think it can be.

Incorrect. Please do not post what you "think" as it relates to factual information. Title 1 funds are federal funds. They are allocated from the Fed, to the state who then distributes to the local jurisdictions. There are very strict guidelines for how the money can be used. Schools are allotted a sum of money in the spring and develop a budget. That money can be used to "buy" personnel that "supplements" staffing already in place. The money can also be used for materials and resources as well as professional development. It cannot "supplant" meaning it cannot pay for personnel/supplies/prof dev that all schools already get. For example, all schools get an art teacher. Title 1 funds cannot be used to pay for an art teacher because that is a position that every school gets. But a Title I school could use their funds to pay for a math specialist who would then coach, do professional development, etc. That position is not one that every school has. It's a position in addition to the regular teaching positions at any school.

http://www.fcps.edu/is/titlei/infcps.shtml

Anonymous wrote:I think it is up to the school board how to allocate the Title I money. It is not necessarily used for personnel, but I think it can be.

Anonymous wrote:

First, you need to understand that schools are staffed by the number of students in 1-6. Within particular grade levels there may be a cap mandated by the state based on the school's poverty level. But overall, the school is given a number of teachers based on the TOTAL number of kids in 1-6. The principal then has to decide where to spread them out.

In FCPS, students with disabilities are categorized by 2 levels: Level 1 and Level 2. Level 1 students are those with what is called Category A services such as learning disabilities. They are considered in the count because they can be included in the general education classroom for the most part. A student with a learning disability can start the day, do specials and probably get a lot of hours inside the gen Ed classroom.

Level 2 students, however, are NOT considered in the overall general education grades 1-6 count. They are the students that have disabilities such as autism, intellectually disabled AND they have more than 15 hours on their IEP. So for staffing purposes, while their bodies are at school, they are not in the count. They may actually spend time in the general education classroom and specials, but again, they do not count in the overall student count in grades 1-6.

If there are 400 total students in grades 1-6, but of those 12 of them are Level 2 students, then for staffing purposes, the county says that the school has 388 students. They will staff that school with general education teachers based on 388 kids. It doesn't matter what grade levels those Level2 kids are at. And it doesn't matter if there are more kids at one grade level or another.

Thanks for the information. I know that staffing is not easy--but I do think it would be helpful if it were explained better to the public.

First, you need to understand that schools are staffed by the number of students in 1-6. Within particular grade levels there may be a cap mandated by the state based on the school's poverty level. But overall, the school is given a number of teachers based on the TOTAL number of kids in 1-6. The principal then has to decide where to spread them out.

In FCPS, students with disabilities are categorized by 2 levels: Level 1 and Level 2. Level 1 students are those with what is called Category A services such as learning disabilities. They are considered in the count because they can be included in the general education classroom for the most part. A student with a learning disability can start the day, do specials and probably get a lot of hours inside the gen Ed classroom.

Level 2 students, however, are NOT considered in the overall general education grades 1-6 count. They are the students that have disabilities such as autism, intellectually disabled AND they have more than 15 hours on their IEP. So for staffing purposes, while their bodies are at school, they are not in the count. They may actually spend time in the general education classroom and specials, but again, they do not count in the overall student count in grades 1-6.

If there are 400 total students in grades 1-6, but of those 12 of them are Level 2 students, then for staffing purposes, the county says that the school has 388 students. They will staff that school with general education teachers based on 388 kids. It doesn't matter what grade levels those Level2 kids are at. And it doesn't matter if there are more kids at one grade level or another.