Title II Training Page

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Overview

Title II, Part A is intended to increase student academic achievement consistent with challenging State academic standards, improve the quality and effectiveness of educators, increase the number of educators who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools, and provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective educators.

Key Terms & Concepts

The table below offers brief details of key terms and concepts pertaining to this program. Use the links to read more detailed explanations and guidance.

Professional Development	To be supported by Title II funds, ensure that professional development activities: Improve and increase teachers’ knowledge of the subjects they teach and enable teachers to become effective and in-field; Are an integral part of broad schoolwide and districtwide educational improvement plans; Are high quality, sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused; Are not 1-day or short-term workshops/conferences; and Advance teacher understanding of effective instructional strategies that are based on scientifically based research.
Equitable Distribution of Teachers (EDT)	CDE evaluates annually whether low-income and minority students are taught disproportionately by ineffective, out-of-field, or inexperienced teachers compared to their higher-income, non-minority peers. ESSA requires local education agencies (LEAs) accepting Title I Part A funds to submit plans to address any such disparities. LEAs must ensure that students of poverty and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers and should leverage Title II funds to address any gaps/disparities found using EDT data.
Supplement, Not Supplant (SNS)	Title II, Part A funds must only be used to provide additional services, staff, programs, or materials that are not provided with State or local resources absent federal funds; federal funds cannot pay for resources that would otherwise be purchased with State and/or local funds.
Alternative Fund Use Authority (AFUA)	Allows SRSA-eligible LEAs greater flexibility in spending the funds they receive under Title II, Part A and Title IV, Part A to best address their particular needs. Under AFUA, LEAs are able to use their Title II, Part A and Title IV, Part A funds to pay for activities under any of the allowable uses for SRSA grant funds (i.e., activities authorized under any of the following: Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title III; Title IV, Part A; and Title IV, Part B). (Use the Title V, Part B Eligibility List in the Additional Information section of this page to determine if this flexibility applies to your LEA.) Eligible LEAs using this flexibility will note that on the ARAC of the Consolidated Application and can use the appropriate AFUA funding source codes in the Title II, Part A and Title IV, Part A budgets in the Consolidated Application.
Transfer of Funds	LEAs may transfer Title II, Part A and Title IV, Part A funds into any other Title program for which the LEA has received and accepted an allocation. Transferring funds will reduce the Title II, Part A or Title IV, Part A allocation while increasing the Title allocation of transfer programs within the transfer program budget. LEAs that choose to transfer funds from one program to another would indicate the transfer on the Funds Allocations page of the Consolidated Application. The transfer will impact the LEA’s required Set-Asides, including Parental Activities Set-Aside. When drawing down funds from Grants Fiscal, funds will be requested from the original program.

Eligibility

Eligibility for Title II, Part A funds is based on the same “Formula Children” count from Census data as Title I, Part A and distributed to LEAs as a relative share of the State allocation.

Each LEA accepting Title II, Part A funds must:

Implement a system of professional growth and improvement for educators, including opportunities to develop meaningful teacher leadership;
Prioritize Title II, Part A funds to schools that have been identified for comprehensive and targeted support and improvement;
Provide equitable services to eligible non-public school teachers;
Coordinate Title II, Part A funded professional development activities with professional development activities provided through other Federal, State and local programs; and
Ensure Title II, Part A funded activities address the learning needs of all students, including children with disabilities, English learners, and gifted and talented students.

Allowable Use of Funds

Title II, Part A funded activities must be:

Aligned with state academic content standards and student academic achievement standards;
Evidence-based;
Designed to have substantial, measurable, and positive impact on student achievement and used as part of a broader strategy to eliminate the achievement gap.

If the LEA qualifies for REAP Alternative Fund Use Authority (AFUA), Title II funds may be used to pay for activities under any of the allowable uses for SRSA grant funds (i.e., activities authorized under any of the following: Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; Title III; Title IV, Part A; and Title IV, Part B).

Examples

Professional Development (high-quality, on-going, personalized, and evidence-based)
Developing or improving an evaluation and support system for educators
Initiatives to assist in recruiting, hiring, and retaining effective teachers (including retention/incentive pay)
Teacher advancement initiatives that emphasize multiple career paths and pay differentiation
Hiring instructional coaches to support the professional development of educators
Recruiting qualified individuals from other fields to become educators
Reducing class size to a level that is evidence-based
Implementing a teacher pipeline program, with intentional, systemic recruitment and preparation
Supplementing district teacher induction programs (must be in addition to the State induction requirements)
Activities that increase the ability of teachers to effectively teach children with disabilities, gifted and talented students, and English learners
Activities to increase the ability of school leaders to support educators to meet the needs of students through age 8
Supporting the instructional services provided by effective school library programs
Developing feedback mechanisms to improve school working conditions, including through periodically and publicly reporting results of educator support and working conditions feedback
Carrying out other evidence-based activities that meet the purpose of Title II, Part A

Title II, Part A funds cannot be used to:

Purchase curriculum (for student learning).
Pay for principal training not focused on supporting instructional/school improvement.
Send staff to “one-off” trainings (1 day, workshop) or trainings that do not align to school/LEA needs assessment.
Purchase and/or implement student assessments.
Hire paraprofessionals.

Stakeholder Engagement

Activities supported with Title II, Part A funds must be planned through consultation with teachers, school leaders, paraprofessionals, special service providers, charter school leaders, parents, and community partners. The LEA must also engage in continued consultation with these stakeholders to improve supported activities.

Visit these links for more information about ESEA Parent, Family, & Community Engagement Requirements and CDE Stakeholder Engagement Resources.

Key Tasks & Deadlines

Year at a glance image depicting annual calendar.

For details on the tasks and deadlines associated with Title II, visit the Title II tab of the Year at a Glance or download the Title II Tasks PDF