The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was passed in 1965 as part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” The focus of reform efforts at that time were the ideals of equal access to education and providing high standards for all children, regardless of socioeconomic status. The ESEA has evolved over the last half-century and was known as the No Child Left Behind Act, which became law in 2002 during the George W. Bush administration. Barack Obama engaged in reevaluating and expanding the vision of ESEA to include fostering innovation and refocusing on equity and access for all, amending ESEA through P.L. 114-95, enacted December 10, 2015 and known as Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Putnam City Schools receives federal grant funds that benefit the children and families living within our district boundaries. Each grant fund has regulations and goals that must be met to continue funding. The Federal Programs office works closely with Curriculum and Instruction coordinators, schools, parents, and other stakeholders to plan and implement high-quality programs that will benefit the students of Putnam City Schools. The Federal Programs office administers grant funds for:

• Title I, Part A - Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged; and

• Title II, Part A - Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers, Principals, and other School Leaders

• Title III, Part A – Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students

• Title IV, Part A – Student Support and Academic Enrichment

Additionally, the district receives federal funding for the programs listed below, which are administered by other grant coordinators separately, as the grants have very different regulations, requirements and goals.

• Title VI, Part A - Indian Education

• Title IX, Part A - Education for Homeless Children and Youths, under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Please feel free to direct any questions, suggestions, or concerns about Title I, II, III and IV federal funds to this office:

Policy EB*
*For the full Parent Engagement Policy, visit the Policy Manual - Policy EB

Parental Involvement: The District is committed to providing a quality education for every student in the District.  When schools and parents form strong partnerships, all students’ potential for academic success improves significantly.  The District will have programs, activities, and procedures for the involvement of parents in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs consistent with applicable federal law.  These programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents of participating students and will be incorporated in the District’s Title I Plan.

For purposes of this policy, parental involvement means the participation of parents in a regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring a) that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning; b) that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school; and c) that parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child.

Parents will provide input and be involved in the development of the District Title I Plan and will be a part of the school review and school improvement procedures.  The District’s Title I Parental Involvement Program will provide coordination, support, and technical assistance to each Title I school in their planning and implementation of an effective school site parental involvement program.  Additionally, the District shall conduct an annual evaluation, with parental input, to measure the effectiveness of the procedures of the Parental Involvement Program.  In carrying out the Parental Involvement Program, the District shall, to the extent practicable, identify barriers to parental involvement for parents who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, have limited English proficiency, or are limited in literacy skills and shall provide information and reports in an understandable and uniform format to the extent practicable.

The District’s administration, Title I staff, and Title I schools shall work jointly to ensure effective involvement of parents and to support partnerships among schools, parents, and the community to improve student achievement.  A variety of strategies may be used, including, but not limited to, annual meetings with parents, parent academic support training, communication in a form and language that can be understood by a parent, parent literacy opportunities, community and business involvement, and other interventions set forth in the District’s Title I Plan.

To assist and build the capacity of all its participating schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities, District designates a Parent and Family Engagement Coordinator at the district level to coordinate, provide technical assistance, and other support necessary to improve student academic achievement and school performance. It is the responsibility of this person to coordinate District family engagement programs; facilitate district wide parent and family education events; work to build partnerships with organizations and school sites to support family engagement; provide relevant District-wide parent and family involvement professional development; conduct an annual evaluation of the effectiveness of this policy, strategies and activities for parent and family engagement. 

Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse. To report fraud, waste, abuse, misuse or mismanagement of U.S. Department of Education (ED) program funds (this could include complaints concerning employees, fund recipients, educational institutions, contractors, collection agencies, or lending institutions), please use the online Hotline Complaint Form (see box below).

If you prefer, you may contact the Inspector General's Hotline by:

• Calling the OIG Hotline's toll-free number 1-800-MIS-USED. Hotline Operators take calls during the hours of Monday and Wednesday 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. EST; Tuesday and Thursday, 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. EST, except for holidays.

• Downloading a hard copy of the Hotline Complaint Form and completing, mailing or faxing to:

Inspector General's Hotline
Office of Inspector General
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-1500
Fax: (202) 245-7047

Your report may be made anonymously or in confidence. No classified information should be submitted to the hotline. If your complaint involves classified information, please submit your contact information to the hotline (via phone or complaint form) and request that you be contacted to make separate arrangements so we can receive your complaint.