The flagship federal education program, known as the "Title I" program, provides supplemental education support for students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches in school.

The program serves more than 15 million students in nearly all school districts and more than half of all public schools, including two-thirds of the nation's elementary schools. Too often, these students do not receive the educational foundation they need to achieve their full potential in school or in life.

Support: Title I program funding increases to $13.3 billion for students in high-poverty schools under the president's 2005 budget request. The president requested his third consecutive increase of $1 billion for disadvantaged students, or 52 percent over 2001 funding.