Federal Programs

The J.O. Combs Unified School District utilizes Federal Programs funding, rooted in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), to provide a high-quality, equitable education for all students.

Key programs like Title I focus on improving the academic achievement of students in high-need schools, often through enhanced academic services and crucial parental involvement. Title II funds support high-quality professional learning to ensure the district has effective teachers and school leaders. Additionally, Title IV-A is leveraged to provide a well-rounded education (including Advanced Placement, STEM, and Music), foster safe and healthy students (including Social Emotional Learning), and promote the effective use of technology and blended learning. These resources are strategically integrated to support the district's goal of empowering every learner.

Title I

The goal of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and purpose of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments. Title I-A provides financial assistance to districts 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.

Schoolwide Title I Schools

The Arizona Department of Education identifies schools that qualify for comprehensive schoolwide reform to ensure all students - especially those considered most academically at-risk - are able to attain academic proficiency based upon state academic standards. Those schools are:

A Parent's Right to Know Notice

Districts must notify parents of students attending Title I schools that parents may request to review the professional qualifications of their student's teacher and paraprofessional. Please download the A Parent's Right to Know document for more information.

Parent & Community Engagement

In Title I, active parents play a vital role. Meetings are scheduled at each school throughout the year to share information that enables parents to help their children improve reading and math skills. Parents, teachers and schools, work together to design and implement a program to meet the educational needs of each child. Our district supports parent involvement because:

Involved parents motivate children.
Parents can support learning in the home.
Early skills acquired at home provide the foundation of learning.
Parents help increase public understanding and support for school programs.
Children develop positive attitudes about learning with involved, understanding and supportive parents.

Private School Consultation Notification

Each year, as a requirement for Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) local educational agencies (LEAs) are required to provide services for eligible private school students, as well as eligible public school students. In particular, Sec. 1120 of Title I, Part A, requires a participating LEA to provide eligible children attending private elementary and secondary schools, their teachers, and their families with Title I services or other benefits that are equitable to those provided to eligible public school children, their teachers, and their families.

Private schools within or serving children within the J.O. Combs Unified School District boundaries are invited to a consultation on the following federal programs administered by J.O. Combs Unified School District:

Title I: Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
Title II: Preparing, Training and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals
Title III: English Language Acquisition & Language Enhancement
Title IVA:
1. Providing students with a well-rounded education including programs such as college and career counseling, STEM, arts, civics and International Baccalaureate/Advanced Placement.
2. Supporting safe and healthy students with comprehensive school mental health, drug and violence prevention, training on trauma-informed practices, and health and physical education.
3. Supporting the effective use of technology that is backed by professional development, blended learning and ed tech devices.

Please contact Jennifer Highum at (480) 987-5300 or jhighum@jocombs.org for more information on Equitable Services Consultation.

McKinney-Vento and Migrant Programs

Title II

Title IVA

The purpose of Title IV, Part A - Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant, is to provide students with activities that support well-rounded education, safe and healthy students and technology. The J.O. Combs Unified School District currently utilizes Title IV funds to support programs such as Advanced Placement, Social Emotional Learning, STEM, Music, PE, and blended learning.

McKinney Vento and Migrant Programs

If you believe your child qualifies for either program, please call (480) 987-5319.

What is McKinney-Vento?

Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.) is included in the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. The reauthorization requires that children and youths experiencing homelessness are immediately enrolled in school and have educational opportunities equal to those of their non-homeless peers. The statute requires every public school district and charter holder to designate a Homeless Liaison to ensure that homeless students are identified and their needs are being met.

In order to supplement services to these children and youths, the U.S. Department of Education provides funding for state and local activities. These dollars are allocated to the local education agencies through a competitive grant process, based on need and program quality.

Who may be considered migrant under the law?

Students who have moved to the district in the past 12 months because of a change in the parent's employment in the agricultural field including:

Working in a nursey
Picking fruits or vegetables
Working on a ranch, farm or in the fields
Working in a dairy
Operating farm machinery (tractors)
Watering trees or plants
Working in the orchards
Cultivating, harvesting, planting
Packing fruits or vegetables

More information can be found at Arizona Department of Education - Migrant

What is the Migrant Program?

Who may be considered homeless under the law?

According to McKinney-Vento definitions homeless children and youth may include those:

In a shelter, temporary shared housing, or transitional living program
In a hotel/motel, campground, or similar situation due to lack of alternatives
At a bus station, park, car, or abandoned building

Unaccompanied youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence also have rights under McKinney-Vento. According to the law the term 'unaccompanied youth' includes a youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.

Resources for staff members

More information can be found at Arizona Department of Education - Homeless

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