Title III

The focus of Title III is to help districts ensure that English learners (ELs) and immigrant students attain English proficiency and meet the same challenging state standards required of all other students.  To achieve this goal, districts that receive Title III funds must provide high-quality professional development activities to staff involved in the instruction of ELs, including elementary education, content, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Bilingual Education (BE) teachers and paraprofessionals.

In addition, Title III funds may be used to enhance the language instruction education program already offered by the district. Supplementary activities funded by Title III must be grounded in scientifically based research on teaching EL and immigrant children and youth.

Willmar Public Schools uses its Title III funds for professional development, paraprofessionals and parent meetings/family engagement nights. The professional development funded by Title III is used to send ESL teachers to the state EL conferences. Paraprofessionals help meet the needs of our English Learners (EL) by providing bilingual support, working with small groups, helping to build background and activate prior learning. Parent meetings help to connect students, families and the schools in order to ensure that parents have the information about their child's academic progress as well as support in understanding the U.S. school system.