Indiana is one of six states selected by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in a new federal pilot program, providing assistance to underperforming Title I schools.

A total of 25 region schools -- all in Lake County -- are set to receive some sort of funding under the pilot program, according to a U.S. Department of Education Web site. But the amounts have yet to be determined.

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed first mentioned the pilot program in March. She said the Differentiated Accountability Program pilot will help states assist schools where need is the greatest.

Under the current adequate yearly progress guidelines, schools must receive certain achievement benchmarks before receiving money to help improve student performance.

The pilot program will allow struggling schools to receive money up front to improve performance and help meet other guidelines.

"Everything is not in place, but we're in the process of putting together the support structures to make these things happen when school starts in the fall," said Indiana Department of Education spokesman Avon Waters.

Under the program, teachers will be trained to perform online assessments of student skills. If students aren't meeting the goals, teachers will continue instruction until the students understand the topics at hand, Waters said.

"The goal is to give students the help they need now, rather than waiting until they take ISTEP (a state standardized achievement test)," he said.

The schools that will receive the most intensive services in the program are listed under a category titled Comprehensive Intensive Schools. Two schools in Hammond -- Lafayette and Columbia elementary schools -- fall into that category.

The majority of the other region schools benefiting from the pilot are in Gary, Hammond and East Chicago. However, other schools that are set to receive assistance are Longfellow Elementary in the Lake Ridge school district, Johnston Elementary in Highland, Fieler Elementary in Merrillville and MacArthur Elementary in Crown Point.