History of Title I/Urban Education
In 1968, the District became part of the Nation’s Title One Program. The criteria for becoming a part of the program was determined by the number of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, attendance records, number of minority students enrolled in the school system, and the test scores for the students in the areas of reading and math.
It was at this period of time that the District created the Division of Urban Education. Dr. Robert Wheeler became the assistant superintendent in charge of the program. Mrs. Jimmie Marie Thomas and Mrs. Imagene Lewis became the overall directors. There were several individual involved in the program because it covered the following areas:
- Enriched reading programs in both elementary
and secondary schools
- Enriched math programs at both levels
- Completely new reading series in the elementary
schools and new series in the different subject
areas for the secondary schools
- Hiring and training parents and interested
community people to become "teacher aides."
Dr. Julia Hill, who was in charge of this program,
did an outstanding job.
- Enrolling certified teachers in special university-level
reading courses
- Purchasing textbooks, library books, and math
books that dealt with all racial groups
The Division of Urban Education included under its supervision: 1. Early Childhood Education (Head Start) with
Fern Webster, Director
2. Title I Reading Specialist at both the elementary
and the secondary levels
3. Scholarship Program for students to attend college
under Dr. Wheeler and Mrs. Brown
4. Materials Preparation Center where teachers and
and other staff members could create, produce,
and develop new materials or redo older materials
for the classroom. Marvin Elmore was the Director.
(It is now known as the Norman Center.)
5. Summer School Program under the total Title I staff.
Each summer a different principal was selected as
the Director.
6. The selection of teachers and principals for the
schools under the Title I Program.
7. Reward programs for the students who had perfect
or nearly perfect attendance for summer or winter
sessions of schools.
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