What You Need to Know

Title III funds are to be used to provide language instruction educational programs—defined as courses in which ELL students are placed for the purpose of attaining English proficiency, while meeting challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards. These programs may make use of both English and the child’s native language to enable the child to develop and attain English proficiency, but school districts are required to “use approaches and methodologies based on scientifically-based research.” Each school or district using Title III funds must implement an effective means of outreach to parents of ELL children. They must inform parents about how they can be active participants in assisting their children to learn English, achieve at high levels in core academic subjects and meet State standards.

State Education Agencies Must:

  • Determine how they will define the ELL subgroup. The state may narrowly define the subgroup as only those students receiving direct, daily ELL services; or a state could define the group more broadly to include those students receiving direct services and students being monitored based on their achievement on academic assessments.
  • Explain in their Title III application how the state plans to increase ELL student’s English proficiency in four domains: speaking, listening, reading and writing;
  • Describe how the state will align the above objectives with the challenging states academic standards;
  • Consult parents when developing the annual measurable achievement objectives used to monitor the academic progress of ELL students.
  • Provide assurances that school districts, education-related community groups and non profit organizations, parents, teachers, school administrators and researchers were involved in developing the annual measurable objectives for ELL students

Title III Schools and School Districts Must:

  • Describe in their Title II application to the state how the district has consulted with teachers, researchers, administrators, and parents, and others in developing their Title III plan.
  • Inform parents of a child identified for participation in a Title III program within 30 days after the beginning of the school year. For a child who enters school after the beginning of the school year, the school must inform parents within two weeks of the child's placement in such a program.
  • Communicate with parents in an understandable and uniform format, which means communicating the same information to all parents, and in a method that is effective.

Title III School Districts Must Inform Parents of:

  • The reasons for identifying their child as being limited English proficient and for placing their child in a language instruction educational program for LEP students;
  • The child’s current level of English proficiency, including how the level was assessed and the status of the child’s academic achievement;
  • The method of instruction that will be used in the program, including a description of all language programs;
  • How the program will meet the educational strengths and needs of the child;
  • How the program will help the child learn English and meet academic achievement standards;
  • How the program will meet the objectives of an individualized education program for a child with a disability;
  • The program exit requirements, including when the transition will take place and when graduation from secondary school is expected; and
  • The parents' rights, including written guidance that (A) specifies the right to have their child immediately removed from a language instruction educational program upon request, (B) describes the options that parents have to decline to enroll their child in such a program or to choose another program or method of instruction, if available, and (C) assists parents in selecting among various programs and methods of instruction, if more than one program or method is offered.

School Districts are Required to Notify Parents of Student Academic Failure:

Local school districts are required to provide notice to the parents of ELL children participating in a Title III program of any failure of the program to help the child make progress on annual measurable achievement objectives. This notice is to be provided no later than 30 days after this failure occurs and must be provided in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, in a language that the parent can understand.

Title III Funds May Be Used for the Following School District and/or School Activities:

  • English Instruction
  • Staff training and professional development
  • Curriculum development
  • Remedial tutoring, tutorials, and/or youth counseling
  • Technology acquisition
  • Parent Involvement
  • Support for teacher aides trained to provide services to ELL students

What Academic Information Does Your School District Have to Track About Their ELL Students?

  • Must report the district’s ELL students' results from the ELL English proficiency assessment;
  • How many ELL students are attaining proficiency by the end of each school year;
  • Show what percentage of the district’s ELL students:
    • Are making progress in English proficiency;
    • Have achieved English proficiency; and
    • Have transitioned out of the ELL program, meaning that they are no longer in ELL classrooms and are proficient enough to achieve academically in English.