The Quest for a Targeted and Effective Title I ESEA: Challenges in Designing and Implementing Fiscal Compliance Rules

Abstract

Title I ESEA faces a fundamental tension in achieving its goal of improving outcomes for disadvantaged students. On the one hand, districts may fail to target federal funds to the intended recipients. On the other hand, regulations meant to ensure proper targeting can interfere with the efficient use of funds. Congress attempted to address concerns that Title I's fiscal regulations limit flexibility and lead to fragmented instructional programs by authorizing the use of schoolwide programs. We argue that, despite increasing uptake of the schoolwide option, misconceptions of Title I's fiscal rules likely still prevent many schools operating schoolwide programs from taking full advantage of the flexibility the schoolwide designation allows and putting Title I funds to their best uses.

Keywords

• Title I
• intergovernmental grants
• federal education aid
• fiscal rules