Testing and Accountability
The Every Student Succeeds Act, known as ESSA was signed into law December 2015 by President Obama. This empowers districts to strengthen school accountability, interventions & innovations by shifting authority from the federal government to the states, creating new opportunities for states to develop innovative approaches that enhance school performance.
RSU 16 Accepting ESEA Application Comments
RSU 16 accepts funding through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. These funds are commonly referred to as the “Title funds” or “Title grant money”.
A summary of Title Grants and Goals for 2025-2026 is below.
District Goals
- Goal #1: Improve the consistency and effectiveness of reading instruction to increase student achievement.
- Goal #2: Improve the consistency and effectiveness of math instruction to increase student achievement.
- Goal #3: Decrease the percent of the student body chronically absent.
According to the State of Maine, “The ESEA team knows the lack of clarity on FY26 allocations from the federal government makes this process difficult. To avoid delays in substantial approval, we suggest using last year’s allocations as a guide for what is presented to the public.”
These are estimated financial figures that may be reduced and/or eliminated should the actual funding be lower than estimated. The predicted allocations and proposed use of funds are as follows:
- Title I: Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged - approximately $415,000 (+ approximately $84,000 in Title II transfer to Title I and Title IV transfer to Title I) = $530,000
- Title I, Part A is a federal program designed “To provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.” Title I, Part A can support early learning and Kindergarten to grade 12. Title I, Part A programs and services provide customized instruction and curricula that helps these students meet academic standards and take an active, engaged interest in what they learn and can do. As the oldest and largest federal education program, Title I, Part A programs build equity of opportunity for children whose struggles often keep them on the academic sidelines.
- Title I is a federally funded program that provides supplemental academic support and extended learning opportunities to low achieving children in high poverty schools. The purpose of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair and equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and achieve proficiency on Maine’s challenging academic standards.
- Our Title I (and Title II and Title V) funds pay for the salaries, benefits, and supplies of our Title I Literacy and Math teachers and provide professional development for our Title staff. Funds are also used for PreK-6 Parent Engagement activities with a focus on math and literacy. Title I funds are also used to support homeless students and pay a stipend for our Homeless/McKinney Vento liaison.
- Project Title: Writing in the Content Areas - approximately $3,000 ––– Funds will be used to train teachers in a writing program called The Writing Revolution that specializes in integrating writing into the content areas. Those teachers will then share the new learning with their buildings to apply those strategies building-wide.
- Project Title: Professional Learning - approximately $5,500 ––– Funds will be used to differentiate and accelerate student learning through program licenses and subscriptions to meet district and building goals for math and literacy.
RSU 16 is accepting public comment on the ESEA application through July 15, 2025.
Click here to share your thoughts about the application’s goals and priorities.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy2YwZcI-s9aA85t1EyESdclif0cRWydt5CRMBuGLGjZaVIA/viewform
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