Federal Programs

Title I is the largest federal aid to education program in this country. Title I programs enable schools to provide opportunities for children served to acquire the knowledge and skills contained in the state content and performance standards developed for all children and to promote effective parent involvement. Eligible schools use Title I funds for supplemental instructional materials, technology, additional staff, professional development, parent involvement programs and materials, and extended day/year programs.

Title II funds support professional learning activities designed to prepare, train, and recruit highly qualified teachers and principals. Title II funds are used to support intensive high quality professional development activities in the core academic subjects.

Teachers in St. Clair County Schools are required to earn 60 professional hours over a five year period to maintain their Alabama Teaching Certificate. They may participate in workshops or classes from outside sources or from many options provided in the district. Currently workshops and job-embedded trainings are available for Scantron, IRead, Science, College and Career Readiness Standards, Advanc-ed Placement and Laying the Foundation, Safety, Special Education and SPIRE.

The goal of the EL program in the St. Clair County Schools is to provide equitable opportunities to students who have a primary or home language other than English, and who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) or Non-English Speakers (NES). St. Clair County Schools strive to create a learning environment that encourages students’ pride in their cultural heritage, and provides the cognitive and affective support to help them become contributing members of our society.The primary focus of the St. Clair County program is to provide an English-rich environment to encourage English proficiency as quickly as possible.

The St. Clair County EL program is an English Language Development (ELD) program by design.  EL instruction is delivered in a variety of methods such as "pull-out", "push-in", and/or sheltered English or content-based instruction instruction.  The St. Clair County EL program, beginning in kindergarten and continuing through high school, will provide each English language learner (ELL or EL) the opportunity to be successful in academic areas and to develop listening, speaking, reading and writing proficiency. 

The St. Clair County School System EL department currently employs three EL teachers  and three bilingual aides who work with EL students, their parents, and classroom teachers in order to facilitate a higher quality of education for EL students. EL personnel attend professional development locally and regionally in order to bring back best practice strategies for teaching English Language Learners.

EL teachers work with parents and translators as needed to develop sound, educationally driven plans for each child in order to facilitate the greatest gains possible.

In short, the educational goals of the St. Clair County ELD program are:

 1.   Equal access to understandable instruction in all academic areas.

2.   Meaningful participation in all district programs.

3.   Increased English proficiency.

4.   Mastery of subject matter content.

The purpose of Title X is to ensure that all children and youth living in homeless situations have equal access to the same free and appropriate public education provided to other children and youth. The St. Clair County School System has developed policies to remove any barriers that would hinder their academic success and provide them with the same educational services and opportunities to meet the same challenging state student performance standards to which all students are held.

The McKinney-Vento act was reauthorized by President Bush on January 8, 2005. A portion of this act related to the education of homeless children and youth. Subtitle VII-B requires that local education agencies establish and carry out policies to ensure that these children have access to a free, appropriate public education, on the same basis as children with established residences. Laws, regulations, practices or policies should not act as barriers to the enrollment, attendance or school success of homeless students.

Services available to homeless children and youth include medical and dental emergencies in collaboration with other community organizations, counseling related to violence prevention, behavior, and unique needs that may arise from domestic violence.

Your child has the right to participate in all programs at the school. If you need financial assistance, contact the counselor at your school.

The McKinney –Vento Homeless Assistance Act defines a “homeless person” as one who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence or one who has a primary nighttime residence that is defined as follows:

• A shelter/transitional housing/welfare motel
• The streets/car/abandoned building/campground/etc.
• An institution that provides temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized.
• A residence with substandard living conditions (not fit for human habitation—no electricity, no heat, no running water, no windows/doors, holes in roof or floor, no way to cook or store food)
• Two or more families living together in crowded or undesirable living conditions because they have no place of their own to live where they can safely and healthfully meet their basic needs of privacy with dignity.

School personnel can identify a probable homeless situation by:

• Appearance: inappropriate clothing, inadequate clothing, poor hygiene, signs of malnutrition
• Frequent absenteeism
• Frequent change of address
• A noticeable change in behavior patterns such as attention seeking behavior, acting out
• An absence of basic materials and supplies
• Withdrawal from peer interaction

The LEA will comply with Federal Civil Rights regulations and the American with Disabilities Act which prohibits discrimination based on race, disability, sex, and age.