At the end of last year, the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) Office of Elementary and Secondary Education issued final guidance on Title I, Part D of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk. ED released a draft form of the guidance in August 2024 for stakeholder feedback, resulting in 13 entities submitting comments.
The final guidance replaces the last guidance on the program, released in 2006. The 2006 guidance was issued before ESEA was amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015. ESSA broadened the scope of the program to include youth in Tribal institutions and allows local educational agencies to use funds to support Indian youth who are considered “at risk.” It also clarified that State agencies can use funds for transition services to move youth between schools and institutions.
ED’s new guidance includes a list of frequently asked questions about the program and is divided by the three subsections of the legislation. The first subpart of Title I-D provides funding for State agencies to support youth who live in or attend institutions designed for neglected and delinquent youth. The second subpart allows local educational agencies to use funds to serve students in local correctional facilities or other local programs for neglected and delinquent youth and assist in their transition back to the classroom. The final subpart addresses required evaluation measures of the programs by State agencies and local educational agencies.
In the guidance, ED also provides a list of resources that States and subgrantees can use to improve Title I-D programs.
The new guidance is available here.
