Title IV provides states with funding to support student academic achievement across subjects, engage families in the learning process and bring schools into the 21st century with adequate resources, including relevant instruction and technology.
What Your State Will Do
Under ESSA, grants under No Child Left Behind were consolidated into one block grant. The grants under the block grant, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, are designed to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of states, districts, schools, and communities to:
Provide all students with access to a well-rounded education
Improve school conditions for student learning
Improve the use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy
States that receive more than $30,000 of Title IV funding must spend in the following three areas:
Use a minimum of 20 percent of funds on activities to support "well-rounded" education. These include:
a. Programs and activities such as school counseling, music and arts programs, STEM programs including computer science, foreign language, history, civics, geography, and accelerated learning programs (i.e., Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, and early college high schools).
Use a minimum of 20 percent of funds on activities to support “safe and healthy” students including:
a. Programs and activities such as social and emotional learning, comprehensive mental health awareness training, school-based counseling, violence prevention, bullying prevention, physical education, and integrated systems of student and family supports.
Allocate funds to support the use of effective technology including:
a. Increasing access to personalized learning experiences, building technological capacity and infrastructure, carrying out blended learning projects, and professional development using data and technology to improve instruction. There is a limitation that no more than 15 percent of funds may be used for purchasing technology infrastructure, including devices, equipment, and software applications.
States also are funded under Title IV to improve student achievement through:
The Creation of 21st Century Community Learning Centers
o After school programs and summer enrichment programs that reinforce learning in the classroom and opportunities for families to provide meaningful engagement in the education of their students
Increasing the number of high-quality charter schools
Increased funding for magnet schools
Family engagement in education programs
Why This is Important to the National Urban League
As globalization continues to have a major impact on our economy, we must ensure that all students are adequately prepared for the job market of the future. Funding under Title IV not only provides resources to help close the achievement gap, but it improves the quality of education for all students and provides exposure to technology that many students from low-income families may not get at home. We support equitable funding for these programs under Title IV.
