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Edmonds School District

Title I/LAP

Title 1 is a federal program designed to help children obtain a high quality education and reach proficiency on state academic standards and assessments. Federal funds are used to provide supplemental educational assistance and to ensure that all students have fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education.

Title 1 funds assist in paying for staff, professional development and parent involvement. Schools are selected based on free-and-reduced averages. The following Edmonds elementary schools receive Title 1 funds: Beverly, Cedar Valley, Cedar Way, Chase Lake, College Place, Lynndale, Lynnwood, Martha Lake, Meadowdale, Mountlake Terrace, Oak Heights, and Spruce.

Public School Choice

Federal requirements for Title 1 schools are designed to increase student achievement. When schools do not meet their federal targets over time, sanctions are applied.

Citizens Complaint Process

When a District receives Federal Title I funds it allows us the opportunity to provide supplemental support programs for Title I eligible students. As a recipient of these funds we are required to inform you that if you have a complaint about the services offered under Title I and have not been able to resolve them through the District process, you may file a citizen complaint to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

A citizen complaint is a written statement that alleges a violation of a federal rule, law or state regulation that applies to a federal program.

  • Anyone can file a citizen complaint
  • There is no special form
  • There is no need to know the law that governs a federal program to file a complaint

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LAP (Learning Assistance Program)

Our Washington legislature funds the Learning Assistance Program (LAP) to help all students meet state standards in reading. Children who scored below standard on multiple district and state assessments are eligible for LAP services. Principals, teachers, specialists and assistants work together to provide the instruction and practice students need to be successful. The Edmonds School District supports this program with professional development, instructional materials and assessment tools.

Elementary LAP

Each Elementary school in our district receives LAP funds to support reading in kindergarten through 4th grade. Building allocations are needs based. LAP staff support students who are developing the skills needed to meet standard in reading. The principal and school staff make decisions about the most effective approach to use based on students' academic needs. LAP staff work in the classroom with identified students, with small groups of children in another space, or with individuals under the direction of a certificated teacher. Edmonds provides training in the use of effective teaching techniques and assessment for LAP staff.

Secondary LAP

LAP staff support students who have not met standard in reading, writing and math at five of our middle schools. They work in the classroom with identified students under the direction of the English or math teachers. The secondary LAP staff follow the same guidelines as the elementary staff and receive similar training from the district. 

How do Title I and LAP Programs Work?

There are three types of programs:

Targeted Title I:

In a Targeted Title I building, the funds used by a school district and/or school must be directed to the education of students who are the most under-performing students in a building. These are the students who do not pass district or state assessments. The rationale behind targeting support is that, although there are 35% or more students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the impact of poverty on the entire school building does not warrant serving all students. Rather, the school’s Title I program should focus on the students who are struggling the most to achieve standard.

School-wide Title I:

In a School-wide Title I building, the funds used by a school district and/or school can serve all students in a designated building. This is because the percentage of free/reduced lunch rate is or has exceeded 40% and the school has engaged in a year-long process to become a school-wide building. A school-wide building can serve all of its students because the free/reduced lunch percentage is great enough to warrant a broader service model than a Targeted Title I service model. 

LAP: 

In a LAP building, the funds used by a school district and/or school must be directed to the education of students in Kindergarten through 4th grade who are the most under-performing students in a building in the area of reading. These are the students who score below basic on multiple district or state assessments. The school’s LAP program should focus on the students who are struggling the most to achieve standard.

In general, any use of Title I or LAP funds must align with the school’s goals for improvement, which must be based on a comprehensive review of data and school needs. Further, funds must provide educational programs or materials that are in addition to basic education funding. This means the programs or materials funded through Title I or LAP must be on top of the basic education program that we provide all of Edmonds’ students.

How do schools use their Title I or LAP dollars?

In our elementary schools receiving Title I or LAP dollars, the funds are used for the following purposes:

  • Specialist - Specialists are teachers on special assignment who assist the building principal, Instructional Leadership Team, and classroom teachers in examining data, identifying the most under-performing students, and designing and implementing interventions that will help the at-risk students meet or exceed grade-level standard. Facilitators also help the schools keep accurate student lists and report accurate information on a regular basis to the Title I and LAP offices.
  • Learning Support Teachers - These teachers are specialists in providing instruction to students that focuses on building foundational reading skills and comprehension within literature and informational texts. The Learning Support Teachers collaborate with classroom teachers, provide "push-in" and "pull-out" instructional groups, and examine reading data to determine effective methods of intervention for students who need additional academic support in reading.
  • Professional Development - Professional development activities are designed by individual schools. All professional development activities focus on each school's specific improvement goals and are intended to build teachers' capacity for examining data, designing and implementing interventions, and teaching diverse student populations.
  • Parent Involvement - Parent involvement is an important part of any school's Title I or LAP program. Involving parents in the education of their children is an expected outcome when schools receive Title I dollars. Each school is responsible for developing and offering parent involvement events that are specific to each school's parent group's needs and interests. All parent involvement events are intended to help parents support the learning of their youth.
  • Materials - Materials requests such as books or technology can only be made if the requested materials or technology has never been purchased using school district or other funding sources. Therefore, the materials typically purchased with Title I or LAP funds support the professional development goals or are supplemental curriculum materials that have not been used in other school buildings.

In our middle schools receiving Title I or LAP dollars, the funds are used for the following purposes:

  • Support Classes - Support classes in English, reading, writing, or math can be funding through Title I or LAP dollars if they are courses offered in addition to the basic education courses students take during a typical school year. Students take the courses in addition to their regularly assigned English, reading, writing, and/or math courses. 
  • Middle schools with Title I and LAP dollars also use their funds for professional development parent involvement, and materials.