Title III Education Programs: Empowering Institutions and English Learners
Title III education programs represent a crucial investment in American colleges and universities, particularly those serving underprivileged or protected-class students. These programs, authorized under various acts, aim to ensure equal access to resources and opportunities for diverse student populations. This article explores the multifaceted nature of Title III, its evolution, its impact on various institutions, and its role in supporting English learners (ELs).
The Genesis and Evolution of Title III
Established in 1966 as the Adult Education Act, Title III initially focused on supplementary educational centers and services to bolster school attendance. The Act mandated educational programming beyond regular school sessions and provided special education services in isolated areas. Over time, Title III has been amended and expanded to address the evolving needs of higher education and diverse student populations. These amendments underscored the need to support Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), American Indian tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), Native American-serving, nontribal institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions.
Strengthening Institutions: Title III, Part A
Title III Part A authorizes the Strengthening Institutions Program, which provides grants to institutions with financial limitations and a high percentage of needy students. These grants empower eligible institutions to enhance their academic, administrative, and fiscal capabilities. Separate but similar programs under Title III-A cater to specific minority-serving institutions, including American Indian tribally controlled colleges and universities; Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions; predominantly Black institutions (PBIs); Native American-serving, nontribal institutions; and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions.
Authorized under Titles III and V of the Higher Education Act, the Strengthening Institutions programs provide competitive grants to institutions with specific characteristics. Generally, institutions receiving grants under these programs have lower educational and general expenditures and serve higher percentages of low-income students than their peer institutions.
Title III and Support for English Learners
Title III extends its reach to English learners (ELs), who constitute a significant and growing segment of the student population. Title III aims to promote parental, family, and community participation in language instruction educational programs for the parents, families, and communities of English learners.
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Originating when the ESEA was reauthorized under No Child Left Behind in 2002, Title III grants send states and districts funding toward supplemental services for English learners. States can use funds to make subgrants to eligible entities as long as 95 percent of state funding is used for purposes described in relevant Title III sections.
The Role of the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA)
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona moved the administration of Title III dollars to the office of English language acquisition, known as OELA. Educators and researchers alike applauded the move, saying OELA is a leading source of best practices related to serving English learners and their families.
Funding Distribution and Usage
The Title III formula grants were designed to provide supplemental funding to help states and districts improve their services for English learners. Funding goes to states, which can reserve a small percentage of the federal dollars, and disperse the bulk to districts that have English learners and apply for those funds. About 80 percent of federal allocations to states are based on each state’s share of English learners, and then the remaining 20 percent is based on the share of students who are recent immigrants, also known as newcomer students. That said, Title III does have provisions that states are required to reserve some of their Title III funds for immigrant children and youth-in particular, for districts that experience a substantial increase in their immigrant student population.
There are typically three buckets under which Title III spending fits. One is on providing professional development for English-learner educators and others. Another is also enhancing instructional programs for English learners, such as after-school tutoring and supplemental textbooks. Yet another is a bucket for other effective strategies including parent, family, and community engagement.
Title III and Catholic Schools
Title III is an element of the older No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA), and it authorizes the use of federal funds to benefit immigrant and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students in public and private schools. The funding is designed to support the development and implementation of new instructional programs, the expansion or enhancement of existing programs, family engagement initiatives, and/or professional development for teachers of English learners in order to help LEP and immigrant students achieve English proficiency and meet the same academic content standards as their grade-level peers.
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Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are responsible for providing equitable services and benefits to eligible private school students, their teachers, and other educational personnel participating in Title III in order to meet the language needs of English Learners (ELs) enrolled in private schools.
Title III and TRIO Programs
Title III eligibility is based on who is going to use the program and what TRIO funding the school is seeking. Originally, by the late 60s, Upward Bound for Middle School Students, Talent Search, and Student Support Services (SSS), were being called TRIO. SSS is a retention program inside of colleges and universities. Retention is a metric that will be used to measure success. To receive assistance, students must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a program of postsecondary education at a grantee institution. Low-income students who are first-generation college students and students with disabilities evidencing academic need are eligible to participate in SSS projects. Two-thirds of the participants in any SSS project most be either disabled or potential first-generation college students from low-income families.
Strategic Utilization of Title III Funds
The best place to start when deciding which grant to choose is to start at the end--what do you want your new technology or student engagement program to help you achieve? If it's retention, TRIO funding through the SSS program may make the most sense. If it is strengthening and measuring student progress towards advanced degrees, the McNair Postbaccalauriette program will be the place to go.
Knowing your federal funding programs can help you stand out at your university. So if your university is eligible and you want to create a Suitable implementation into a program that is not a TRIO-eligible program, Title III funds can help with that particular program scope. If you want something more permanent, using programs like Title III, where grants only need to be reapplied every 5 years, will work better.
Challenges and Future Directions
Despite its positive impact, Title III faces challenges. One longstanding complaint-as with federal special education funding-is that it simply isn’t enough. Advocates have denounced what they call Congress’ underfunding of Title III dollars, contending it has not kept pace with either the growing English-learner population nor inflation.
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