Lake Wales Charter Schools Federal Educational Programs
Overview
The Bureau of Federal Educational Programs provides technical assistance, program support, and monitoring to local educational agencies, leading to improved academic achievement outcomes for disadvantaged students, including migrant, neglected, delinquent, at-risk, or homeless students, as well as in rural and low-income schools.
Beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, the Lake Wales Charter Schools system was designated an LEA (local educational agency) with responsibility for managing federal programs and budgets, including:
Title I, Part A: Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
Title I, Part A, provides local educational agencies (LEAs) resources that help children gain a high-quality education and the skills to master Florida’s state academic standards. These resources provide additional teachers, professional learning, extra time for teaching, parent involvement activities, and other activities designed to raise student achievement. Two models are used in Title I schools to provide these services. The Schoolwide Program model provides all students with access to services. The Targeted Assistance Program model provides services to select students in Title I schools.
Contact Information
Title I, Part A Resources
- Foster Care Guidance (PDF)
Title I, Part C: Migrant Education Program (MEP)
The Title I, Part C-Migrant Education Program (MEP) funds additional educational programs for migrant children (ages 3-21) and addresses the unique educational needs of migratory children so that they have full and appropriate opportunities to meet the same academic standards as all other children. The program also promotes the coordination of educational and support services, including the timely transfer of academic records.
Title I, Part C funds may be used for the following:
- Identification and recruitment of migratory children (ages 3-21)
- Instructional and support services
- Identification and Recruitment (ID & R) training
- Interstate and intrastate coordination
- Advocacy
- Family Engagement
- Migrant Student Records Exchange (MSIX)
Contact Information
Title II, Part A: Supporting Effective Instruction
Title II, Part A provides resources to local educational agencies (LEAs) to support activities for recruitment, development and retention of teachers, principals and other school leaders. The purpose of Title II, Part A is to provide grants to state educational agencies and subgrants to local educational agencies to –
- Increase student achievement consistent with the challenging State academic standards;
- Improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals and other school leaders;
- Increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools; and
- Provide students greater access to effective teachers, principals and other school leaders.
Resources
- Title II, Part A Authorized Use of Funds (PDF)
- Title II, Part A Charter Schools Technical Assistance (PDF)
- Title II, Part A State-Level Activities and Survey (PDF)
- Title VIII, Part F Equitable Services Non-Regulatory Guidance 2023 (PDF)
Contact Information
Matthew Caldwell
Director
850-245-0919
Title III, Part A: Language Instruction for English Learners & Immigrant Students
English Language Learners
Title III, Part A: Language Instruction for English Learners & Immigrant Students
Title III is a federal entitlement through Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that focuses on supplemental services for English Learners (EL) and recently arrived Immigrant Children and Youth. Title III funding provides student support for language acquisition and achievement.
The primary focus of the Title III program is to ensure that our ELs are learning English while meeting rigorous state content area standards. The focus of Title III is to assist Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) by providing academic and linguistic support through additional bilingual staff, supplemental instructional materials, and language acquisition software. In accordance with ESSA guidelines, our ELs are assessed annually on English listening, speaking, reading and writing skills through the ACCESS for ELL assessments developed through the WIDA consortium. Similar to other ESSA entitlement grants, the funding allocations are based on district student population.
English Learners account for almost 10% of kindergarten through 12th-grade enrollment in Florida public schools, ranking third in the nation in EL student population. Although Spanish is the predominant language spoken by ELs (almost 75%), our English Learners speak more than 243 languages. Upon school enrollment, students complete a Home Language Survey (HLS) to indicate whether English is not their first language or whether another language is spoken in the home. Students are then assessed for proficiency in English listening, speaking, reading, and writing. If assessment results determine linguistic support is needed to ensure academic success, students are placed in the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program and can be provided Title III services.
Resources
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title III- Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students
- Non-Regulatory Guidance: English Learners and Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
- Title VIII Part F of ESEA Equitable Services for Private School Children, Teachers & Other Educational Personnel
- Ensuring English Learner Students Can Participate Meaningfully and Equally in Educational Programs
- Our Nation’s English Learners
- Title III Grant Q&A, National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition
- Title III State Formula Grants
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title III- Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students
- Key Requirements Related to Title III, Part A, Equitable Services to Private Schools (PDF)
- Supplement, Not Supplant and Parental Notification Webinar (PDF)
Contact Information
Mark Drennan
Director, Title III, Part A
850-245-0893
Fany Raudales
Program Specialist IV
850-245-9094
Title IV Part A, Student Support & Academic Enrichment (SSAE)
What is Student Support and Academic Enrichment?
The purpose of Student Support and Academic Enrichment is to improve student academic achievement by increasing the capacity of state and local educational agencies in the following areas by:
- providing all students with access to a well-rounded education,
- improving school conditions for student learnings to support safe and healthy students, and
- improving the use of technology in order to advance digital literacy of all students.
McKinney-Vento Program
Every Child Has a Right to an Education
The Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act states that children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence are considered homeless.
If, due to a loss of housing, a child must live in a shelter, motel, vehicle, or campground, on the street, in abandoned buildings, or doubled-up with relatives or friends, then he/she is eligible to receive services provided under the McKinney-Vento Act.
The McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program is designed to address the problems that homeless children and youth have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. Under this program, state educational agencies must ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children and youth.
Homeless children and youth must have access to the educational and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. In addition, homeless students may not be separated from the mainstream school environment.
Under McKinney-Vento, children (PreK-12) have the right to:
- Continue to attend the school they last attended before they lost their housing (school of origin), if that is the parent/guardian’s choice and is in the child’s best interest, or the school which is zoned for their temporary residence.
- Enroll and attend classes immediately while the school arranges for the transfer of school and immunization records and other required enrollment documents.
- If necessary, enroll and attend classes in the school selected by the parent/guardian (school of origin or zoned school), while the school and the parent/guardian seek to resolve a dispute over which school is in the best interest of the child - NOTE: This does not mean any school in the district, only the school of origin or zoned school.
- Receive transportation to the school of origin (if a parent/guardian requests such transportation).
- Participate in any school programs and receive any school services for which they qualify.
Florida McKinney-Vento State Goals
Each School District will:
- Consistently identify at least 5% of their FRL enrollment as homeless in a school year
- Consistently achieve at least a 90% school attendance rate for students identified as homeless in a school year
- Consistently promote at least 90% of students identified as homeless in a school year to the next grade at the end of each year
The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act was first enacted in 1975. The purpose of IDEA is to ensure that all children with disabilities receive a free, appropriate public education to meet their unique needs and prepare them for employment and independent living. IDEA also ensures that the rights of these children and their parents are protected. Further, IDEA assists agencies like the Lake Wales Charter Schools system in providing education to children with disabilities.
Our Exceptional Student Education program also receives support from the Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System. FDLRS provides diagnostic, instructional and technology support services to ESE programs and families of students with disabilities.