Schoolwide and Targeted Assistance Programs

Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) supports reforms and innovations to improve educational opportunities for low achieving students. Title I is designed to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps. (ESEA section 1001). 

Title I schools can operate as either Targeted Assistance Schools (TAS) or Schoolwide programs. A school receives the same amount of funds no matter which type of program it runs.

Guidance

ESSA Schoolwide Guidance (PDF) (September 2016)

This document explains how operating a schoolwide program under Title I can be beneficial to LEAs and schools as they explore how to most effectively leverage their local, State, and Federal funds in order to promote school reforms and raise student achievement. In particular, this document highlights specific advantages and flexibilities inherent in schoolwide programs, clarifies common misunderstandings about schoolwide programs that may persist, and serves as a resource, in conjunction with existing guidance, for SEAs, LEAs, and schools.

Technical Assistance

To align the field with the Kansas State Department of Education expectations for Schoolwide Programs and Targeted Assistance Programs for the 2026-2027 school year, Virtual Title I Program trainings were offered.  The purpose of these trainings is to ensure districts and schools know and understand how the KSDE Title Services Team utilizes the KansaStar platform to meet the essential components of Schoolwide Programs and Targeted Assistance Programs, as required by Federal Law.  Below are the slides from the presentations.

    Title I Schoolwide Programs

    A Schoolwide program is a comprehensive reform strategy designed to upgrade the entire educational program in a Title I school; its primary goal is to ensure that all students, particularly those who are low achieving, demonstrate proficient and advanced levels of achievement on State academic achievement standards.

    A school that operates a schoolwide program is able to take advantage of numerous benefits, including:

    • Serving all students. A school operating a schoolwide program does not need to identify particular students as eligible to participate. (ESEA section 1114(a)(2)(A)(i)).
    • Consolidating Federal, State, and local funds. A school operating a schoolwide program may consolidate Federal, State, and local education funds to better address the needs of students in the school. (ESEA section 1114(a)(1), (3)).

    Source: ESSA Schoolwide Guidance, pg. 3

    Schoolwide Resources
    Continuing Schoolwide Program Form is on the Allocations and Local Consolidated Plan (LCP) page. 

    Title I Targeted Assistance Programs

    A Targeted Assistance program is one in which Title I funds may only be used for services to eligible children identified as having the greatest need for special assistance. Districts and Title I schools follow specific criteria in determining which children are eligible to receive Title I services. The goals of a targeted assistance program are the same as a schoolwide program: to improve teaching and learning to enable participants to demonstrate proficient and advanced levels of achievement on State academic achievement standards.

    Targeted Assistance Resources
    Title I Targeted Assistance School Plan     (PDF) (November 2025)
    A template for Targeted Assistance Schools to utilize for their action plan. This plan must be submitted annually.

    KansaStar Resources 
    KansaStar     (External Link)

    KansaStar Training Videos

    Resources

    The templates below can be used by districts and schools to support them with meeting federally required documentation for Title I, Part A programs.

    For more information, contact:

    Roxanne Zillinger
    (785) 296-7260