This is the official notice of the REVISED 2003 TITLE I, PART D, SUBPART 2 ALLOTMENT available for use in the 2002-2003 school year under provisions of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. These revisions were necessary because of a change in the foster child count and in the State policy for distributing Part D funds to school districts with local delinquent institutions. Please note that these allotments differ from the amounts published in Director’s Communication DIR-SI-005 dated August 9, 2002.
During November, 2001, the U. S. Department of Education sent a monitoring team to Arkansas to review the Title I program. In response to the monitoring report, changes were required to the policy regarding the minimum levels of funding provided by Title I, Part D, Subpart 2. The new policy is as follows:
“Unless a local education agency has 10 eligible delinquent children, it will not be considered eligible for Title I, Part D, Subpart 2 funds. Recipients of Subpart 2 funds are responsible for: 1) carrying out high quality education programs to prepare youth for secondary school completion, training, and employment or further education; 2) providing activities to facilitate the transition of youth from the correctional program to further education or employment; and 3) operating drop-out prevention programs in local schools for youth at risk of dropping out of school and youth returning from correctional facilities. Programs receiving only a few thousand dollars may experience difficulty in operating a viable program that meets all the provisions of the law.
Should a local education agency’s program for delinquent children not be able to show progress over a three-year period in the following: 1) improving educational achievement; 2) reducing dropout rates for male and female students; 3) earning school credit toward grade promotion and high school graduation; 4) making the transition from the correctional facility back to a public school program; and 5) completing the requirements for a high school diploma or GED and obtaining employment after leaving the institution the State will reduce or terminate funding.”
No individual Notice of Funds Allotment will be provided. The column headed “Final Title I 2002-2003 Allocation” lists the funds available for each district. Please keep a copy of this Communication and the attachment on file for the auditor to review.
The Title I, Part D application was sent to districts earlier this year. The deadline for submission is December 16, 2002. Please send the completed application to Mr. Arlen Jones, Title I Coordinator. Please contact the Title I Office for assistance or for a copy of the application. The telephone number is 501-682-4269.
Please direct questions concerning the allotment to Patsy Hammond at 501-682-4275.