Title I funds can pay for almost anything that strengthens instruction for students who need extra academic support, from additional staff and tutoring to instructional materials, technology, professional development, and family engagement. The key is that every purchase has to add to what the school already provides and connect to a documented student need. According to the U.S. Department of Education website, the Title I Grant program is meant to provide funding to disadvantaged Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to improve their academic achievement. The most common of these, Title I - Part A, "...provides financial assistance to LEAs and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards." Key takeaways Title I, Part A funds extra instruction, staff, materials, technology, and family engagement for students in schools with high numbers or percentages of children from low-income families. What the money can pay for depends on the program type: schoolwide programs can upgrade the whole school, while targeted assistance programs serve students identified as needing extra help. Classroom tools such as poster printers and die-cut machines can qualify when they're tied to a documented academic need and add to core instruction rather than replace it. What is Title I funding, and what can it be used for? Title I funding is federal money that the U.S. Department of Education provides, through states, to school districts and schools with high numbers or percentages of children from low-income families. The Department's Title I, Part A program page describes it as support for extra instruction in reading and mathematics, as well as special preschool, after-school, and summer programs. As these funds are meant to improve instruction and provide additional academic support and learning opportunities, they are often allocated towards reading or mathematics curriculum, supplemental programs to reinforce and extend the regular school curriculum, or additional staff members to lead and teach the students. The Department's guidance on schoolwide programs gives examples in each of these areas: Instructional staff: Schools can fund additional staff, including instructional coaches who provide school-based professional development. Supplemental instruction and tutoring: Funds can pay for after-school tutoring and increased learning time for students who need more support. Instructional materials and technology: Schools can improve the quality of instructional materials and buy devices and software students use to access digital learning materials. Professional development: Training helps teachers and staff strengthen instruction for the students Title I serves. Parent and family engagement: Activities that increase family and community engagement help families support learning at home. Schoolwide vs. targeted assistance programs How a school can spend its Title I funds depends on which of two program models it runs. Your school improvement plan or your district's Title I coordinator can tell you which one applies. Schoolwide program: Under ESSA, a school where at least 40 percent of children are from low-income families can run a schoolwide program, and a school below that line can operate one with a waiver from its state. Schoolwide programs are designed to upgrade the entire educational program, so purchases can serve every student in the building. Targeted assistance program: Schools that don't run a schoolwide program use Title I funds for children who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet challenging academic standards. Purchases need to serve those identified students. Title I allowable expenses and what's not allowed The rule that shapes nearly every Title I purchase is "supplement, not supplant." Federal law says Title I funds can only add to the money a school would otherwise receive from state and local sources, not replace it. In practice, that means Title I can't cover costs that state and local funds would pay for anyway. Federal cost rules also require every expense to be necessary and reasonable, and they don't allow entertainment or social activities unless those costs have a specific program purpose. Typically allowable Typically not allowable Extra reading and math instruction, tutoring, and increased learning time Core instruction that state and local funds would otherwise pay for Instructional materials and technology tied to a documented student need Purchases that aren't necessary or reasonable for the Title I program Professional development for staff who serve Title I students Entertainment or social activities without a specific program purpose Parent and family engagement activities Services for students with disabilities and English learners that must be paid for with non-federal funds Rules vary by state and district, so confirm allowability with your district Title I coordinator before you place an order.

We at VariQuest® are passionate about engaging every learner in reaching their potential, and thus we're dedicated in our efforts to make every VariQuest product easy-to-use, efficient, and full of features and benefits important to you, our nation's educators. And that's why our VariQuest Perfecta® STP Series Printers come fully equipped with a built-in scanner to support and improve your classroom-centric and school-wide communication. We believe that scan-to-print functionality makes your life easier - allowing the ability to enlarge small images up to 36" banner size, or minimizing a 24" poster down to student handouts. We're not all graphic designers, able to recreate and resize images on the fly - but we want to help you act like one! So now you may be thinking, that SOUNDS like a great feature, but what types of things would I actually DO with it? We picked the brains of some former and current educators to come up with a "top 10" list of ideas to get you psyched about scan-to-print in your school...but the possibilities are endless!

The newest additions to the VariQuest suite of solutions provide endless options for creating on-the-spot school-wide communication, recognition, and student engagement materials. (Brooklyn Park, MN) March 23, 2018 — Varitronics, creator of the VariQuest® suite of solutions and leading provider of visual and kinesthetic learning tools for the K-12 market, is pleased to introduce two new products to its robust line of educational offerings to promote student achievement, student engagement, and further schools in their pursuit of STEM and CTE development – the Perfecta® 2400STP and Motiva™ 400.