Funding Sources

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) helps ensure educational equity and opportunity for all students. Signed into law in December 2015, ESSA has made a number of significant changes to the Title I programs. Read about the changes to Title I and Title III funding due to ESSA.

Title I, Part A

Title I, Part A provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of students from low-income families to help ensure that all students meet challenging state academic standards. It also requires LEAs to provide eligible students attending private elementary and secondary schools, their teachers, and their families with Title I services or other benefits that are equitable to those provided to eligible public school students, their teachers, and their families.

Title III, Part A – English Language Acquisition

Title III, Part A provides grants for language instruction for English Language Learners (ELLs) and immigrant students and youth. Its purpose is to ensure these students develop English proficiency and meet the same academic content and academic achievement standards that other students are expected to meet.

Title IV, Part B – 21st Century Community Learning Centers

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Program provides federal funding for the establishment of community learning centers that provide academic, artistic and cultural enrichment opportunities – during non-school hours — for students, particularly those who attend high poverty and low-performing schools, to meet state and local standards in core academic subjects such as reading, math and science.

Special Education (IDEA)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides grants to states to ensure a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to all children with disabilities. The purpose of this funding is to assist states in meeting students’ unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.

Important to Note:

The funding sources listed above are all formula grants. Formula grant programs are noncompetitive awards, distributed at the state level, based on a predetermined formula. These programs are sometimes referred to as state-administered programs. To receive funds from formula grants, school districts’ annual applications to their State Department of Education must include great detail on how the districts intend to use said funds to supplement – not supplant – the educational services they will provide all students.

Adopt-A-Classroom is a national, award-winning non-profit organization supporting teachers by helping them find funds for approved classroom projects. Teachers who need help covering out-of-pocket classroom expenses (like VocabularySpellingCity Premium Membership) can register to have their classrooms listed on the Adopt-A-Classroom website and made available for donors to fund.

DonorsChoose is an online charity that connects donors with American public school teachers to fund classroom needs. VocabularySpellingCity’s Premium Membership is an approved product for DonorsChoose.org funding.

ClassWallet

VocabularySpellingCity is partnered with ClassWallet, a website that allows educators to allocate and track funds. Use Classwallet for Title I tracking; classroom stipends & purchases; grants management; student activity funds; and donations. Create a ClassWallet account to purchase and manage your VocabularySpellingCity Premium Membership.