NDE Telecast

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NDE Telecast

• School Improvement Plans
• And Updates on NCLB
• Marilyn Peterson, 11/04/2002

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Topics

• School Improvement Plans
• Rural Education Achievement Program
• Transferred Funds
• Federal Program Payments
• Title I identification of schools in need of
  improvement process
• Paraprofessional Requirements

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School Improvement Plans

• A completed School Improvement Plan has
• An assurance/cover page signed by the
  administrator
• A Private School Participation Form has been
  submitted for every private school located within
  the district
• All required responses are approved or accepted
  including Section 427 of GEPA and the names of
  the persons developing the plan

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Review Process

• Parts 1 and 2 - School Improvement Goals and
  Planning Survey
• Reviewed by NDE staff organized by teams
• Any Federal program the district receives
• Reviewed by the federal program staff
• The author or contact person received an email

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Review Timeline

• Goal was to have all reviews completed by the end
  of October
• Still need some assurances/cover pages and
  private school forms
• Returned for editing if more information was
  needed
• When review is complete, the district will
  receive a letter

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Change in Process

• Original guidance was that federal formula
  programs would receive their Grant Award
  Notification when the review was complete.
• Due to the fact that the process is so complex,
  the Grant Awards will be sent for each program
  when a districts plan and application is
  approved.

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Rural Education Achievement Programs

• Three components
• Rural Small Grants
• 240 districts received 5.3 million dollars
• Rural Low-Income Grants
• 2 districts shared 21,719
• A flexibility option to transfer funds under four
  programs.

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Rural Small Grants

• Title I, Part A Improving the Academic
  Achievement of Disadvantaged Children
• Title II, Part A Teacher and Principal Training
  and Recruiting Fund
• Title II, Part D Enhancing Education Through
  Technology
• Title III Language Acquisition and Immigrant
  Students
• Title IV, Part A Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
  Communities
• Title IV, Part B 21st Century Community
  Learning Centers
• Title V, Part A Innovative Programs

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Program Information

• Links to Federal Programs www.nde.state.ne.us
• Contact people for each program
• Links to the homepage for each program
• Also check the U. S. Department of Education
  homepage www.ed.gov
• Set-asides of these programs do not apply

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Financial Information

• REAP funds are supplemental.
• In the absence of these funds, would the district
  need to provide it? If yes, dont use the REAP
  funds
• Tydings amendment applies Funds can be spent
  until September 30, 2004
• Enter grants in district budget under 4990

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Receiving the REAP Funds

• Packet from USDE gives instructions on setting up
  the electronic fund transfer
• Draw down funds within three days of obligation
  or expenditure
• Cant make money (interest) on federal funds
• Can pay an expenditure from local funds and
  reimburse that account with a journal entry

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REAP Accountability

• Must participate in the State Assessment STARS
• After three years, must be making adequate yearly
  progress as defined by the State
• If not, will need to use the money only for
  school improvement

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Future of REAP

• Not included in the White House proposed budget,
  included in the Senate budget. The House of
  Representatives has not submitted a budget yet.
• If funded, will need to collect average daily
  attendance
• Working on establishing rural status for the
  districts where census locale codes did not seem
  appropriate.

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Transferred Funds

• Two options in the law for transferring funds
• Transferability under Section 6123
• 50 for all districts unless identified as
  needing improvement under Title I (30)
• Option to transfer funds under REAP
• 100 for all eligible districts

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Programs

• Title II, Part A Teacher and Principal Training
  and Recruiting Fund
• Title II, Part D Enhancing Education Through
  Technology
• Title IV, Part A Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
  Communities
• Title V, Part A Innovative Programs

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Transfers

• Can transfer funds among these four programs or
  to Title I, Part A but not from Title I
• To transfer funds means to use the funds for the
  purposes of another program and NOT to co-mingle
  the funds.
• Funds must be accounted under the original grant

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Transferability Guidance

• Guidance for Section 6123 Transfers (doesnt
  address REAP transfers)
• Available at NDE homepage or http//www.ed.gov/fle
  xibility/transguid
• Set-asides and limitations of the programs apply.
  Example If funds are transferred to Title II,
  Part D, the 25 for professional development
  applies to the new total of funds

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Payments for Transferred Funds

• Will need additional information for transferred
  funds
• A new budget page will be sent to each district
  that transferred funds
• Payments for 2002-03 will be processed under the
  original grant and in the same manner as in
  previous years

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Title I School Accountability

• Since 1988, Title I programs have had
  accountability annual measure of progress
  called Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
• Timeline for 2002-03 process
• Districts notified by November 15
• 10 working days to respond if needed

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Title I and STARS

• Student performance on STARS assessments although
  reported differently
• STARS student performance ratings
• STARS Quality of Assessment ratings (portfolio
  ratings)

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Process

• Determine the percentage of students performing
  at mastery level (proficient and advanced
  performance levels)
• Convert to scale scores using the STARS student
  performance ratings
• Average the scaled scores
• Add the STARS Quality Assessment rating

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STARS
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Adequate Yearly Progress

• A school having a total score of 5 or higher is
  considered to have made AYP
• C Conditional progress if Quality of Assessment
  is Acceptable or Unacceptable
• Two years of conditional progress in a row will
  be considered to have not made AYP
• Consider the history of AYP for the school

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Identification

• Two consecutive years of not having made AYP to
  be identified as being in need of improvement
• Two consecutive years of having made AYP to no
  longer be identified as being in need of
  improvement

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AYP Requirements under NCLB

• 1st year
• 2nd consecutive year
• 3rd consecutive year

• No consequences
• 1st year identified public school choice with
  transportation
• 2nd year identified choice with transportation
  and supplemental services

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AYP Requirements under NCLB

• 4th consecutive year
• 5th consecutive year

• 3rd year identified choice, supplemental
  services, corrective action
• 4th year identified choice, supplemental
  services, restructuring

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AYP Requirements

• Any year a schools makes AYP starts the process
  over (unless already identified)
• Corrective action and restructuring were not
  required until a State assessment system was in
  place proposed in NCLB as the 2005-06 school
  year

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Public School Choice

• Districts must notify students they have an
  option to attend another school in the district
  that is not identified (if any) and that
  transportation will be provided.
• Transportation costs may be from Title I funds
  (limitations apply)

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Supplemental Services

• Supplemental Services or tutoring must be
  provided outside the school hours by State
  approved supplemental services providers.
  Districts may be providers.
• Nebraska has an application and is in the process
  of reviewing the five on-line applications
  received.

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Spending Limitations

• A district is required to spend an amount equal
  to 20 of their Title I grant for choice
  transportation and supplemental services.
• IF any district has to provide these services in
  the 2002-03 school year, additional funds will be
  provided to assist with covering the costs.

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Paraprofessional Requirements

• NCLB requires
• 2 years of postsecondary education
• Formal state or local assessment of competency in
  assisting with the instruction of reading, math
  and writing
• Applies to Title I schools
• Targeted Assistance Schools staff funded
• Schoolwides all instructional paras

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Requirements

• Task Force will be defining the options available
  for meeting these requirements
• Several new tests available online one state has
  developed a local assessment several
  paraprofessional training opportunities are now
  available or are being planned
• Applies to new hires, currently employed have
  four years to meet the requirements