SECOND STEP E-Newsletter
April 2011
Closing the Achievement Gap with Title I Funding
One of the most important considerations when seeking Title I funding is closing the achievement gap between high- and low-performing children. A large-scale meta-analysis recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Child Development demonstrates that the social and emotional learning programs can help raise academic test scores by an average of 11 percentile points.
Additional findings show that social and emotional learning programs:
- Improve academic performance and educational outcomes
- Promote deeper understanding of subject matter
- Help students learn well with others
- Increase student engagement in school
- Decrease behaviors that interfere with learning
Schools seeking funding should take a fresh look at the Title I possibility. Improving academic achievement for all students is within our reach.
Title I Funding: Not Just for Reading Readiness
Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from low-income families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school. The overarching purpose of Title I is “Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged.” Although Title I is most commonly known for providing support for reading and other core academic subjects, the funds may be used for a variety of services and programs, including professional development of teachers and improving the educational performance of low-achieving students.
As you know, low-income students face great challenges. At the most basic level, many lack access to the resources that allow them to develop to their fullest potential. According to a research brief by the nonprofit Rand Corporation, “A substantial percentage of children are disadvantaged in terms of resources available for healthy physical and mental development. One-fifth of children under age 6 live in poverty, and nearly half of all children face one or more risk factors associated with gaps in school readiness.... These disadvantages translate into shortfalls in academic achievement, prosocial behavior, educational attainment, and, eventually, greater rates of unemployment and criminality.”
Social and emotional learning programs, such as the SECOND STEP and STEPS TO RESPECT programs, can help all students make up academic and behavioral shortfalls. For many schools, though, especially those that educate low-income students, funding for programs that fall outside the state-mandated curricula is in short supply. But where there’s a will—and educators are known for their strong will!—there’s a way.
References and Resources
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg1.html
http://www.casel.org/sel/academics.php
http://www.casel.org/sel/meta.php
http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_briefs/2005/RAND_RB9144.pdf
