First authorized in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, Title I grants provide federal aid to school districts to pay for support staff, classroom supplies and even clothing to help children from low-income households succeed academically.
Title I provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.
Federal funds are currently allocated through four statutory formulas that are based primarily on census poverty estimates and the cost of education in each state; Basic Grants, Concentration Grants, Targeted Grants, and Education Finance Incentive Grants.
Title I funds support extra instruction in reading and mathematics, as well as special preschool, after-school, and summer programs to extend and reinforce regular school curriculum.
Source: U.S. Department of Education