Title I, Part A: Monitoring and Compliance

Overview

5-Year Routine Monitoring Visit Schedule Title I, Part A

Year-at-a-Glance Title I, Part A School Year 2025-26

Val Murdock
Education Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7975 | Email

Merilee Wendell
Fiscal Support
Phone: (801) 538-7977 | Email

Desktop Monitoring Instrument (DMI)

Utah State Board of Education DMI Tracker

20240828 Title I, Part A DMI Training (Drafted by VM)
YouTube

Val Murdock
Education Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7975 | Email

Merilee Wendell
Fiscal Support
Phone: (801) 538-7977 | Email

Parent and Family Engagement

Val Murdock
Education Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7975 | Email

Equitable Services for Private Schools

Under Title I, Section 1117 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as currently amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are required to provide equitable services to eligible private school students, their teachers, and their parents if they attend private non-profit schools that choose to participate in the Title I, Part A Program.

Additional ESEA programs are required to provide equitable services under the Uniform Provisions found in Title VIII Sections 8501-8504 of the ESSA. These programs include:

Title I, Part A: Improving Basic Program Operated by LEAs
Title I, Part C: Migrant Education
Title II, Part A: Supporting Effective Instruction
Title III, Part A: English Language Acquisition
Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants
Title IV, Part B: 21^st Century Community Learning Center Grants

Guidance

The following guidance from the United States Department of Education are all still applicable and should be read and used together:

Invitation to Private Schools to Consult

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to invite private school officials to consult on Title I equitable services each year. To ensure timely and meaningful consultations, meetings should occur by the spring/early summer.

Sample Letter: Invitation for Private Nonprofit Schools to Consult on Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Equitable Services

Sample Letter: Invitation for Private Nonprofit Schools to Consult on Title I, Part A Equitable Services

Affirmation of Consultation

The ESEA, requires that consultation occur between the LEA and private nonprofit (nonpublic) school officials. The LEA is required to submit an Affirmation of Consultation for each private school that participates in a consultation.

ESEA Programs Affirmation of Consultation

Title I-A Affirmation of Consultation

Program Design and Planning

LEA Guide to Equitable Services Planning with Private Schools

Title I, Part A Equitable Services Planning Template

Val Murdock
Education Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7975 | Email

Paraprofessionals

What Does it Mean to Be a Highly Qualified Paraprofessional?

Both targeted assistance and schoolwide Title I programs require paraprofessionals to be highly qualified. To meet the highly qualified requirements, a paraprofessional must have a high school diploma or equivalent plus one of the following:

An associate degree (or higher); or
Documentation of at least 48 semester hours or 60 quarter hours of credit from an academic college or university; or
Meet a rigorous standard of quality and can demonstrate knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing*, as appropriate -
1. Reading/language arts, writing, and mathematics; or
2. Reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness.
In Utah, passing scores on the following Board-approved assessments are accepted (please contact your Local Education Agency (LEA) for additional details/requirements):
- ParaPro Assessment by Educational Testing Service (ETS) – a score of at least 460
- ParaEducator Assessment by Master Teacher – a score of at least 70% on Academic Application (reading, writing, math) and 65% on Knowledge of Supporting Instruction
- Project Para Canvas Course by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln – a certificate indicating completion of the Title I course with a score of at least 69% on all summative post-tests and content assessments.

Exceptions to the Title I Highly Qualified Requirements:

A paraprofessional who serves only as a translator;
A paraprofessional who only conducts family engagement; or
A paraprofessional who only provides personal care services or other non-instructional services to students with disabilities.

What Types of Instructional Support May a Paraprofessional Provide as Part of a Title I Program?

Tutoring eligible students, if the tutoring occurs at a time when a student would otherwise not receive Tier 1 instruction from a classroom teacher;
Classroom management, including organizing instructional materials;
Managing a computer lab;
Assisting with parental engagement activities;
Providing support in a library media center;
Translating for parents or families; and
Instructional services to students under the supervision of a licensed teacher.

Documentation of Highly Qualified Status

Note: Documentation of the highly qualified status of a paraprofessional is the responsibility of the LEA and is not posted in Comprehensive Administration of Credentials for Teachers in Utah Schools (CACTUS). Paraprofessionals should refer to the LEA’s Title I Director or Human Resources Department for more information.

Acceptable forms of documentation to be submitted to LEA:

Post-Secondary Transcript showing a minimum of 48 academic semester hours at an academic institution of higher education;
Post-Secondary Transcript; certificate; or diploma indicating an associate degree or higher from an academic institution of higher education; or
A high school diploma or its equivalent AND evidence of a passing score on one of the three Board-approved assessments (ParaPro, ParaEducator, or Project PARA)

Val Murdock
Education Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7975 | Email

Title I, Part A: Monitoring and Compliance