Welcome to the Arizona Title I-D Program

Arizona Title I-D Program Mission

The mission of the Arizona Title I-D Program is to improve educational services to ensure positive, comparable academic outcomes for children and youth who are in neglected and delinquent institutions, and those who are at-risk through the coordinated implementation of Title I, Part D of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. 

 

Governing Statute

Title I-D, the Prevention and Intervention for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk, was reauthorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December 2015.

Title I-D consists of two distinct program subparts: State agency programs (Subpart I) and local education agency programs (Subpart II). The law ensures that children and youth in State, Tribal, and local neglected and delinquent institutions have the opportunity to meet the same challenging State academic standards to which all students are held. State education agencies, State agencies, and local education agencies are required to provide the following supports to children and youth who are neglected, delinquent, or at-risk:

  • High-quality educational services,

  • Supports for successful transitions from institutional settings to further schooling or employment, and

  • Drop-out prevention services, services for those who have dropped out of school, and meaningful family engagement to ensure continued education.

 

Title I-D, Subpart I: State Agency Programs

The Arizona Title I-D Program awards subgrants to State agencies serving children and youth in neglected and delinquent institutions, community day programs for those who are neglected and delinquent, or adult correctional institutions to support their successful transitions to school or employment after release. Title I-D, Subpart I funds are to support State agencies in developing and operating programs in alignment with the following requirements:

  • The Arizona Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Consolidated State Plan; and

  • Focus on equipping participating children and youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully transition to secondary school completion, career and technical education, further education, or employment (20 U.S.C. § 6435(a)).

  • Federal Allocations to States: The U.S. Department of Education utilizes a statutorily required formula based on the State's Title I-A per-pupil expenditures and annual counts of children and youth who are neglected and delinquent in State-operated institutions to determine the State's annual Title I-D, Subpart I allocation (20 U.S.C. §§ 6432(a); 6452).

  • State Education Agency Subgrants to State Agencies: The State education agency subgrants Title I-D, Subpart I funds to eligible State agencies through an application process. Subgrant allocations are based on each State agency's proportionate share of the State’s adjusted annual count of children and youth who are neglected or delinquent (20 U.S.C. § 6432).

State agencies are eligible to receive Title I-D, Subpart I subgrant funds if they are responsible for providing a free public education to children and youth in neglected or delinquent institutions, attending community day programs for those who are neglected or delinquent, or in adult correctional institutions (20 U.S.C. § 6431). Eligible State agencies apply for Title I-D, Subpart I funds through the Grants Management Enterprise (GME) platform. 

To be eligible to participate in a State agency's Title I-D, Subpart I program, children and youth must meet each of the following requirements:

  • 21 years of age or younger, 

  • Entitled to free public education up to grade 12; and 

  • Enrolled in a regular program of instruction at either an eligible institution or community day program for the required length of time detailed below:

    • 20 hours per week in either an institution or a community day program for neglected or delinquent children and youth, or

    • 15 hours per week in an adult correctional institution (20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(1)(A), 34 C.F.R. §§ 200.90(b); 200.91(a)). 

A regular program of instruction in an education program in an institution or community day program for children and youth who are neglected or delinquent, consisting of classroom instruction in basic school subjects, does not extend beyond grade 12, and is not supported by Federal funds.

The manufacturing of goods within the institution or activities related to institutional maintenance are not considered classroom instruction (34 C.F.R. § 200.90(b)).

 

Title I-D, Subpart II: Local Education Agency Programs

The Arizona Title I-D Program awards subgrants to local education agencies with high numbers or percentages of children and youth in locally-operated correctional facilities. Title I-D, Subpart II funds are to support the collaboration between local education agencies and locally-operated correctional facilities to provide the following:

  • Quality education programs to prepare children and youth to complete high school, training, employment, or further education;

  • Facilitation of the transition of children and youth from correctional programs to further education or employment; and

  • Programs in local schools, including those operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education, for children and youth returning from correctional facilities and programs serving children and youth who are at-risk (20 U.S.C. § 6451).

  • Federal Allocations to States: The State education agency must reserve a portion of its annual Title I-A allocation to carry out the Title I-D, Subpart II requirements (20 U.S.C. § 6422(b)). The U.S. Department of Education determines the State education agency's Title I-D, Subpart II allocation based on the number of children and youth aged 5 to 17 residing in locally operated institutions for delinquents, who are not included in the State education agency's Title I-D, Subpart I annual count, or living in Federally-operated institutions (20 U.S.C. § 6333(c)(1)(B)).

  • State Education Agency Subgrants to Local Education Agencies: Upon notification of the amount of Title I-A funds to be allocated for Title I-D, Subpart II, the State education agency awards subgrants to eligible local education agencies through either a formula or competitive grant process (20 U.S.C. § 6452(a)). The State education agency must establish procedures to both determine and notify local education agencies of their eligibility to apply for Title I-D, Subpart II funds  (20 U.S.C. § 6452(c)).  

Local education agencies with high numbers or percentages of children and youth residing in locally-operated correctional facilities or attending community day programs for those who are delinquent are eligible to receive Title I-D, Subpart II subgrant funds.

The Arizona Title I-D Program notifies local education agencies determined to be eligible for Title I-D, Subpart II subgrant funds. Eligible local education agencies apply for Title I-D, Subpart II funds through the Grants Management Enterprise (GME) platform.

The following children and youth are eligible to participate in a local education agency's Title I-D, Subpart II program:

  • Children and youth up to 21 years of age residing in a locally-operated correctional facility, 

  • Children and youth returning from correctional facilities to attend a school in the local education agency, and

  • Children and youth in local schools who are at-risk (20 U.S.C. §§ 6451; 6454; 34 C.F.R. § 200.90(a)). 

    • Children and youth who are at-risk are school-aged individuals who meet one or more of the following criteria, and may include those who receive services under other Federal, State, or local programs, such as students identified as experiencing homelessness or as being migratory:

      • At-risk of academic failure, dependency adjudication, or delinquency adjudication,  

      • Has a drug or alcohol problem,  

      • Is pregnant or is a parent, 

      • Has come into contact with the juvenile justice system or child welfare system in the past,  

      • Is at least one year behind the expected grade level for their age, 

      • Is an English learner, 

      • Is a gang member, 

      • Has dropped out of school in the past, or 

      • Has a high absenteeism rate at school (20 U.S.C. § 6472(2)). 

 

Annual Count

State agencies and local education agencies are required to ensure the reliability, validity, and comprehensiveness of the annual count of children and youth in State and locally-operated neglected and delinquent institutions reported to the Arizona Title I-D Program. The U.S. Department of Education utilizes the annual count to determine the State's Title I-D, Subpart I, and Subpart II allocations. The Arizona Title I-D Program utilizes the annual count to inform statewide programmatic decisions and support to State agencies and local education agencies. 

FY26 Annual Count Submission Window: State agencies and local education agencies must complete the annual count between October 1, 2025, and December 19, 2025, in the Educational Monitoring, Assistance, and Compliance (EMAC) platform.

Overview: State agencies are responsible for identifying and disseminating the required Arizona Department of Education Annual Count form to all eligible institutions and community day programs for children and youth who are neglected and delinquent, for which the State agencies are responsible for providing free public education and a regular program of instruction. The counts of children and youth reported by State agencies are used to determine the State's Title I-D, Subpart I allocation.

  • Required Annual Count Form: The required Arizona Department of Education Annual Count form that State agencies must disseminate to eligible institutions and community day programs can only be accessed in EMAC. 

    • The form is available to download after the first task, titled "Title I, Part D Annual Count 2025", is marked as completed in EMAC.

  • Annual Count Timeframe: State agencies must count all children and youth who meet the qualifying criteria and are present in eligible institutions or community day programs on the designated annual count date. The date that each State agency specifies for conducting the annual count must satisfy the following requirements:

    • Consistent for all eligible institutions or community day programs operated by the State agency; and

    • Represent a school day in the calendar year preceding the year in which funds become available (34 C.F.R. § 200.91(a)(2)).

State agencies must then collect and submit the completed, verified, and signed forms to the Arizona Title I-D Program via EMAC by the close of the annual count submission window.

  • Annual Count Criteria: The children and youth included in the State agency annual counts must qualify as neglected or delinquent, be aged 20 or younger, and enrolled in a regular instructional program in eligible State-funded institutions for children and youth that meets one of the following criteria:

    • 20 hours per week in either an institution or a community day program for neglected or delinquent children and youth, or

    • 15 hours per week in an adult correctional institution (34 C.F.R. § 200.91(a)(1)). 

Overview: Local education agencies are responsible for identifying and disseminating the required Arizona Department of Education Annual Count form to all eligible, locally-operated institutions for children and youth who are neglected and delinquent within their boundaries. The counts of children and youth residing in locally-operated neglected institutions are used to determine Title I-A funding allocations for local education agencies with such facilities within their boundaries. The counts of children and youth residing in locally-operated delinquent institutions and adult correctional facilities are used to determine the State's Title I-D, Subpart II allocation. 

  • Required Annual Count Form: The required Arizona Department of Education Annual Count form that local education agencies must disseminate to eligible locally-operated neglected and delinquent institutions can only be accessed in EMAC. 

    • The form is available to download after the first task, titled "Title I, Part D Annual Count 2025", is marked as completed in EMAC.

  • Annual Count Timeframe: The locally-operated neglected and delinquent institutions are required to report their October 2025 caseloads for eligible children and youth during a 30-day consecutive period, with at least one day falling within October 2025. All locally-operated neglected and delinquent institutions must return the completed Arizona Department of Education Annual Count forms to the local education agencies by the date specified by the local education agencies. The local education agencies must then submit the completed, verified, and signed forms to the Arizona Title I-D Program via EMAC by the close of the annual count submission window.

  • Annual Count Criteria: Children and youth included in the local education agency annual counts must qualify as neglected or delinquent, be 5 to 17 years of age, and be residing in locally-operated neglected or delinquent institutions, or in adult correctional facilities within the local education agency's boundaries.

    • Neglected Counts: The counts of children and youth in locally-operated neglected institutions do not generate Title I-D, Subpart II funds. However, these counts do generate Title I-A funds for the local education agencies with local facilities for children and youth who are neglected, located within their boundaries.

      • Title I-A Neglected Set-Aside Requirements: Local education agencies with locally-operated institutions for children and youth who are neglected within their boundaries are required to reserve sufficient Title I-A funds to provide comparable supplementary academic and support services to the students residing in such institutions (20 U.S.C. § 6313(c)(3)(A)(iii); 34 C.F.R. § 200.77(a)(3)). 

    • Delinquent Counts: The counts of children and youth in locally-operated delinquent institutions and in adult correctional facilities are used to determine the amount the State must reserve from its annual Title I-A allocation to subgrant to local education agencies under Title I-D, Subpart II (20 U.S.C. § 6422(b)).

To assist State agencies and local education agencies with the annual count requirements, the Arizona Title I-D Program has developed guidance to support the accurate identification and reporting of eligible neglected and delinquent institutions with eligible children and youth. 

 

Communication to the Field

Official notifications providing updates on data reporting requirements, programmatic changes, and critical deadlines are maintained to ensure transparency and support with meeting compliance requirements. 

Additional Resources