Title XI of the Improving Americas Schools Act of 1994 is designed to foster coordinated services to address problems that children face outside the classroom that affect their performance in schools. Under this provision, school districts, schools, and consortia of schools may use up to 5 percent of the funds they receive under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to develop, implement, or expand efforts to coordinate services.
The intent is to improve access to social, health, and education programs and services to enable children to achieve in school and to involve parents more fully in their children's education. Among the barriers cited in the legislation as impeding learning are poor nutrition, unsafe living conditions, physical and sexual abuse, family and gang violence, inadequate health care, lack of child care, unemployment, and substance abuse.
Interested applicants should contact:
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education
400 Maryland Ave., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-0131
(202)-401-0113
Several school districts have already initiated efforts under Title XI. You may want to contact either of the following to get a sense of their approach.
Sally Coughlin, Assistant Superintendent
Student Health & Human Services
Los Angeles Unified School District
450 N. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-5635
Jenni Jennings, Project Director
Youth & Family Centers
Dallas Public Schools
P.O.Box 4967
Dallas, TX 75204
(214) 827-4496
School Mental Health Project-UCLA