Federal Programs
Federal Programs Department
The Federal Programs Department coordinates federal and state academic support programs by working collaboratively with stakeholders and staff. The department provides compliance and budget guidance, resources and support directly to schools related to these programs and system and school improvement goals. Additionally, the department assists in the coordination of various grants and the system’s Charter.
Amanda Schutz Mallary Norton
Director of Student Services/Federal Programs Federal Programs Bookkeeper
334 S. Wall Street 334 S. Wall Street
Calhoun, GA 30701 Calhoun, GA 30701
Phone: 706.602.6677 Phone: 706.602.6615
schutza@calhounschools.org nortonm@calhounschools.org
Program Descriptions
Title I
Title I is a part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015. This act provides federal funds through the Georgia Department of Education to local educational agencies (LEAs) and public schools with high numbers or percentages of economically disadvantaged students to help ensure that all children meet challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards. Currently, all the schools that make up the Calhoun City School System operate as Title I Schoolwide schools: (Calhoun Primary School. Calhoun Elementary School, Calhoun Middle School and Calhoun High School)
Funds from this program are used to provide students with supplemental core academic instructional support, additional paraprofessional academic support, supplemental instructional materials and parent involvement initiatives that support Title I School-wide Improvement Plans. One of the major tenets of the Title I program is to increase and maintain parental involvement in the school. The purpose of parental involvement under Title I, is to promote active engagement among local school officials and staff, education leaders, technical assistance providers, parents, parent advocacy organizations, parental involvement coordinator/liaisons, and others working to improve student achievement and learning. Each school has a Title I Family Engagement Specialist who assists parents with navigating the educational system by acting as a liaison, serving on improvement committees and operating a parent resource center.
The CCS System Parent Involvement Plan is revised on an annual basis and adopted during the spring System Governance Team meeting each school year. Parents, staff, students, and community stakeholders are welcome to submit recommendations and/or comments regarding the plan at any time throughout the school year. These comments should be sent to Amanda Schutz at schutza@calhounschools.org or call (706)602-6677.
Title I supporting Documents:
Calhoun City Schools District Improvement Plan
Streamlined Consolidated LEA Improvement Plan
Parent and Family Engagement Plan
Title I, Part C - Migrant Education Program
The Migrant Education Program, a component of Title I, is a federally funded educational program for the students whose parents move across school district boundaries seeking temporary or seasonal work in agriculture or fishing. Eligibility must be verified prior to a child’s participation in the program.
Title II, Part A - Supporting Effective Instruction
Title II, Part A focuses on preparing, training and recruiting high-quality teachers and principals and requires States to develop plans with annual measurable objectives that will ensure that all teachers teaching in core academic subjects are highly qualified.
The purpose of the Title II, Part A grant is to
- to increase student achievement consistent with challenging State academic standards.
- to improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals and other school leaders.
- to increase the number of teachers, principals and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools.
- to provide low-income and monitory student greater access to effective of teachers, principals and other school leaders.
Title III, Part A - Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students
The English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act, as reauthorized by the 2001 amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is a federally funded educational program and amended by ESSA in 2015. The purpose of Title III is to ensure that limited English Learner (EL) students, including immigrant children and youth, develop English proficiency and meet the same academic content and academic achievement standards that other children are expected to meet. Funds are used to implement language instruction educational programs designed to help EL students achieve these standards. State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools are accountable for increasing the English proficiency and core academic content knowledge of EL students.
Title IV, Part A - Student Support and Academic Enrichment
Authorized in December 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) introduced a new block formula grant under Title IV, Part A with a wide range of allowable uses. Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grants are intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of States, LEAs, schools, and local communities to:
- provide all students with access to a well-rounded education,
- improve school conditions for student learning, and
- improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. (ESEA section 4101).
Title V, Part B - Rural Education Initiative
The Rural Education Initiative is designed to assist rural school districts in using Federal resources more effectively to improve the quality of instruction and student academic achievement. It consists of two separate programs – the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program and the Rural and Low-Income Schools (RLIS) program.
The RLIS program is an initiative that provides grant funds to rural LEAs that serve concentrations of children from low-income families. Under the RLIS program, the U.S. Department of Education awards funds by formula to State Education Agencies (SEAs) to provide subgrants to eligible LEAs to support a range of authorized activities to support student achievement in order to meet the State’s definition of adequate yearly progress.
Title IX, Part A - McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
The Stewart B. McKinney/Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act ensures the educational rights and protections for children and youth experiencing homelessness. It provides legal protections for children and youth in homeless situations to enroll in, attend, and succeed in school and preschool programs. In accordance with this law, CCS affords homeless children and youth immediate enrollment and equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, as provided to other students. Homeless children and youth will have access to education and other services needed to have an opportunity to meet the same challenging state student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. If issues arise over providing appropriate services for homeless students, every effort will be made to resolve the issues at the building level. If this is not possible, the homeless student shall immediately be admitted to the school in which enrollment is sought pending the final resolution of the dispute. If the dispute cannot be resolved locally, the parent may request a review of the dispute by the Georgia Department of Education HCY liaison. If any parents and/or students have questions related to student homelessness, please contact the Homeless Liaison, Amanda Schutz at (706)602-6677.
ESSER Funding
American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) ESSER III
Calhoun City Schools has received federal stimulus funds under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act based on the district's proportionate share of Title I funding. Federal legislation requires school districts to set aside at least 20% of these funds to address student learning loss.
The remaining funds are flexible and can be used to support at-risk student populations, continuity of core staff and services, distance/remote learning, facilities/equipment, social, emotional, and behavioral health, mental and physical health, professional development, school meals, and supplemental learning.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act ESSER III-LEA Application highlights our district’s plans for these funds and will be updated as needed.
Calhoun City Schools’ ARP plan includes the addition of social workers, counselors, teachers, paraprofessionals, and academic coordinators to address learning loss and the social, emotional, and mental health of students. CCS is using ARP funds to provide professional development of staff and tutoring/summer school for students. These federal funds are also being used to cover the cost of retention supplements for all CCS staff.
CCS has developed its ARP plan in conjunction with previous ESSER allocations known as the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA). The school district is using these funds for custodial equipment/services to mitigate the spread of COVID, student and adult masks, outdoor seating, water bottle stations, professional development for staff, and student/teacher workbooks. The local ARP fund plan is in alignment with the school district’s comprehensive needs assessment as well as the board of education’s strategic plan initiatives.
These services and use of the ARP federal funds must be developed with public input. Each school governance team and the system governance team provide regular input. The annual Family Engagement Survey in April also provides an opportunity for all parents to provide feedback on the use of federal funds including ARP. If you have specific ideas on how this money should be spent to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and educators, please contact Amanda Schutz, Director of Federal Programs/Student Services at schutza@calhounschools.org.
Below is a link to the Georgia Department of Education COVID and ESSER Funding information. There is also a link to Calhoun City Schools' ARP Application.
Georgia Department of Education
Calhoun City Schools ARP Application
Calhoun City Schools
Complaint Process Form for Federal Programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended in 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Certain Federal Programs and Title I, Part A are part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
This act provides Federal funds through the Georgia Department of Education to Calhoun City Schools to help ensure that all children meet challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards. The Federal Programs Department provides technical assistance, resources, and program monitoring of schools to ensure that all children have an opportunity to obtain a high quality education and to achieve proficiency on high academic standards.
Should you have a concern, complaint or comment please use the form below to ensure that it is properly addressed.