The Licking Regional Educational Service Center (LRESC) manages a Title III English as a Second Language (ESL) Consortium to help local school districts support English Language Learners and immigrant students. Through shared resources, it provides aligned districts with ESL services and professional development.

Title III is a federal grant program designed specifically to ensure English learners attain English proficiency and meet the same challenging academic standards required of all students. 

 Title lll funds are federal monies issued to states to support instruction of English learners. These funds are authorized by ESEA as reauthorized by ESSA. Federal funds are supplemental and cannot supplant state and local funds that pay for the legal obligations districts have to English learners. Legal obligations include identifying English learners, assessing with OELPA, providing English instruction, and language assistance to parents. 

To receive funds, a district must have identified English learners in the previous year.  See the FAQ on Identification for that process.  Districts report how many identified English learners they have on October 1 of each year.  That number determines funding for the next school year.  ODE assigns funding to every school district and public charter based on the number of reported ELs.  Districts that receive more than $10,000 will receive that amount directly.  Districts that receive less than $10,000 may join a consortium in order to receive that money. 

Funds are allocated per EL.  The amount varies slightly from year to year but is approximately $160 per EL.  There is an initial allocation in the summer.  Then there is a reallocation part way through the school year using any unclaimed funds. 

Title lll funding should be used thoughtfully and meaningfully in three ways.  

1. Improve the EL program with supplemental resources

2. Provide professional learning opportunities for the EL, general education teachers, administrators and other staff

3. Family and Community Engagement activities. 

Any use of Title lll funding must be supplemental. For example, if all students in a class receive a science textbook, Title lll funds cannot be used to buy that same book for the ELs in the class.  However, Title lll funding may be used to purchase supplementary materials at a lower readability level for ELs.   

If a district accepts Title lll funding they are responsible for completing a self-survey, desk survey or onsite survey each year.  The survey is the same for all three types.  It asks for data and documents such as an EL manual, results of OELPS and OELPA, samples of parent notification letters, parent communications, monitoring forms, teacher qualifications, and how the funding was spent.