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Department Overview

FP
 
 
The Monroe County Federal Programs Department 
The Federal Programs Department oversees federal funds that are distributed to public school districts that are to be used to supplement the basic education program.  Federal Programs in Monroe County include Title I, Title II-A, Title III, and Title IV.
 
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a law that was introduced in the Senate by Lamar Alexander on April 30, 2015. ESSA was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 10, 2015.  The purpose of this act was to replace and update the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which was signed into law in 2002.  Like NCLB, ESSA reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.  

The purpose of Tennessee's federally funded Title I, Part A Program is to support local school districts improve teaching and learning for students in high-poverty schools so that these students meet the state's challenging content and performance standards.
 
According to the US Department of Education, the purpose of Title I funding is “to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach, at minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.
The basic principles of Title I state that schools with large concentrations of low-income students will receive supplemental funds to assist in meeting the students’ educational goals.  Low-income students are determined by the number of students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program.  For an entire school to qualify for Title I funds, at least 40% of students must qualify for free and reduced lunch.

The purpose of Title II, Part A is to increase the academic achievement of all students by helping schools and districts improve teacher and principal quality through professional development and to develop and implement programs to effectively recruit and retain highly effective teachers.
The purpose of Title III is to serve students who have a primary language other than English, by providing instruction in English in a specialized setting.

The purpose of Title IV is to promote Safe and Drug-free Schools.
Every Student Succeeds Act
Visit the State of Tennessee ePlan Documents & Resources or www.tn.gov/education to learn more about the Every Student Succeeds Act, Tennessee Succeeds, and other news from the Department of Education.  
State Reports
 
TDOE State Report Card 
The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) produces a State Report Card every year that shows school, district, and state-wide progress on academic assessments, college and career readiness, and other information on the public schools in Tennessee.  Note: Select the District Name drop-down menu for Monroe County results

Local Accountability Results
Monroe County is a Level Five School District!  Using the TDOE's system for measuring academic growth, Monroe County is as good as it gets!  The Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) measures how well students have improved academically from year to year based on how they are expected to do.  The scale is Level One (well below expected progress) to Level Five (well above expected progress), with Level Three indicating that students made the progress they were expected to make.  Monroe County topped the chart with an overall Level Five for the 2018-19 school year!  Congratulations, students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators!
Additionally, Monroe County achieved Advancing on the state's accountability system.  This status indicates that, based on academic growth and achievement, Monroe County students have scored above expectation.  
 
Students Experiencing Homelessness
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
The Monroe County School System will support students experiencing homelessness through multiple means:
  • No barriers to enrollment - students experiencing homelessness will be enrolled immediately upon attempt to enroll in school or will be maintained in their school of origin if they become homeless.
  • Transportation will be provided to the school of origin if needed and if the school is within a reasonable distance of the students' temporary residence.
  • Students will be provided with school supplies, clothing, or other essential items needed to help them get through a school day.
  • Students in high school will be scheduled in a manner that best supports on-time graduation and accepts earned credits from previous schools.
  • Students in high school will have opportunities and exposure to post-secondary opportunities and college and career readiness.