Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant

1. Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant 2018 Coordinators’ Technical Assistance Academy

2. Purpose The purpose of the SSAE grant is to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of States, local educational agencies, schools, and local communities to: • Provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; • Improve school conditions for student learning; and • Improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students.

3. Supplement, not Supplant SSAE program funds may be used only to supplement, and not supplant, non-federal funds that would otherwise be available for activities authorized under the SSAE program. • In general, divisions may not use SSAE program funds for the cost of activities in the three program content areas – well-rounded education, safe and healthy students, and use of technology – if the cost of those activities would have otherwise been paid with state and local funds in the absence of SSAE program funds.

4. Federal Civil Rights SSAE grant recipients must comply with federal civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age. • Section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S. C. §1228a(a)) requires SSAE grant recipients to include in its application for the SSAE program funds, a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its federally-assisted program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs.

5. Equitable Services Under Section 8501 of ESSA, divisions receiving funds under Title IV, Part A, must provide for the equitable participation of private school students, teachers and other educational personnel in private schools located in areas served using Title IV, Part A-funded activities, including by engaging in timely and meaningful consultation with private school officials during the design and development of their Title IV, Part A, programs.

6. Local Application Requirements • A division must submit an application to receive its SSAE program allocation. • A division may, if it chooses, apply for funds in consortium with one or more surrounding divisions. • During the design and development of applications, a division or consortium of divisions must engage in consultation with stakeholders in the area served by the division.

7. Local Application Requirements A division or consortium of divisions that receives at least $30,000 in SSAE program funds must conduct a comprehensive needs assessment that includes, at a minimum, a focus on three content areas: • Well-Rounded Education; • Safe and Healthy Students; and • Effective Use of Technology.

8. Grant Allocations Based on the results of the comprehensive needs assessment, the division or consortium of divisions that receive at least $30,000 in SSAE program funds must use: • At least 20 percent of funds for activities to support well-rounded educational opportunities; • At least 20 percent of funds for activities to support safe and healthy students; and • A portion of funds for activities to support effective use of technology*. *No more than 15 percent of funds allocated for activities to support the effective use of technology may be used to purchase technology infrastructure, which includes devices, equipment, software applications, platforms, digital instructional resources and/or other one-time IT purchases.

9. Grant Allocations • A division receiving an allocation that is less than $30,000 is not required to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment. • A division that receives an allocation of less than $30,000 is required to use funds to support only one of the three SSAE content areas (well-rounded, safe and healthy, and technology). The division may also use funds in the other two content areas, but it is not required to do so.

10. Grant Allocations A division or consortium of divisions must prioritize the distribution of funds to schools based on one or more of several factors, including schools that: • are among those with the greatest needs, as determined by the division; • have the highest numbers of students from low-income families; • are identified for comprehensive or targeted support and improvement; and/or • are identified as a persistently dangerous public elementary school or secondary school under section 8532 of ESSA.

11. Transferability • Under ESSA, divisions may transfer funds fromTitle IV, Part A, into: Title I, Part A; Title I, Part C; Title I, Part D; Title II, Part A; Title III, Part A; or Title V, Part B. • Divisions may also transfer funds from Title II, Part A, into Title IV, Part A. • Prior approval is required to transfer funds. The transfer request form should be submitted to the Department specialist. • Before submitting a transfer request form, divisions must complete an equitable services consultation with private schools and submit a signed affirmation of consultation form along with the transfer request.

12. Allowable SSAE Program Activities

13. Well-Rounded Educational Opportunities • The purpose of a well-rounded education is to provide an enriched curriculum and education experiences to all students. • A well-rounded education helps students make important connections among their studies, their curiosities, their passions, and the skills they need to become critical thinkers and productive members of society. • Research supports the benefits of a well-rounded education.

14. Well-Rounded Educational Opportunities • A division or consortium of divisions receiving an SSAE program allocation of at least $30,000 must use at least 20 percent of the SSAE program funds for activities under section 4107 that support student access to a well-rounded education. • In general, an LEA may use funds under section 4107 for any supplemental program or activity that supports student access to and success in well-rounded educational experiences.

15. Well-Rounded Educational Opportunities Programs and activities that support a well-rounded education may include: • Improving access to foreign language instruction, arts, and music education; • Supporting college and career counseling; • Providing programming to improve instruction and student engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including computer science, and increasing access to these subjects for underrepresented groups;

16. Well-Rounded Educational Opportunities • Promoting access to accelerated learning opportunities including Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high schools; • Strengthening instruction in American history, civics, economics, geography, government education, and environmental education; and • Providing activities in social emotional learning, including interventions that build resilience, self-control, empathy, persistence, and other social and behavioral skills.

17. Safe and Healthy Students • The second purpose of the SSAE program is to improve school conditions for student learning. • When students are healthy and feel safe and supported, they are more likely to succeed in school.

18. Safe and Healthy Students • A division or consortium of divisions that receives $30,000 or more in SSAE program funds must use at least 20 percent of those funds to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive activities and programs that: • Are coordinated with other schools and community-based services and programs; • Foster safe, healthy, supportive, and drug-free environments that support student academic achievement; • Promote the involvement of parents in the activity or program; • May be conducted in partnership with an Institute of Higher Education (IHE), business, nonprofit organization, community-based organization, or other public or private entity with a demonstrated record of success in implementing activities authorized under section 4108; and • May include a wide variety of programs and activities.

19. Safe and Healthy Students Programs and activities that support safe and healthy students may include: • Promoting community and parent involvement in schools; • Providing school-based mental health services and counseling; • Promoting supportive school climates to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline and promoting supportive school discipline; • Establishing or improving dropout prevention;

20. Safe and Healthy Students • Supporting re-entry programs and transition services for justice-involved youth; • Implementing programs that support a healthy, active lifestyle (nutritional and physical education)*; • Implementing systems and practices to prevent bullying and harassment; • Developing relationship building skills to help improve safety through the recognition and prevention of coercion, violence, or abuse; and • Establishing community partnerships. *Physical education activities could fit under either or both safe and healthy students and well-rounded education.

21. Effective Use of Technology • The third purpose of the SSAE grant is to improve the use of technology and thus improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. • A portion of the SSAE program funds – if $30,000 or greater – must be used for increasing effective use of technology. • A Special Rule states that no more than 15 percent of funds in this content area may be spent on devices, equipment, software applications, platforms, digital instructional resources and/or other one-time IT purchases.

22. Effective Use of Technology, cont. Programs and activities that support the effective use of technology may include: • Supporting high-quality professional development for educators, school leaders, and administrators to personalize learning and improve academic achievement; • Building technological capacity and infrastructure; • Carrying out innovative blended learning projects; • Providing students in rural, remote, and underserved areas with the resources to benefit from high-quality digital learning opportunities; and • Delivering specialized or rigorous academic courses and curricula using technology, including digital learning technologies and assistive technology.

23. Prohibitions • No funds under this title may be used for medical services or drug treatment or rehabilitation, except for integrated student supports, specialized instructional support services, or referral to treatment for impacted students, which may include students who are victims of, or witnesses to, crime or who illegally use drugs. • No child shall be required to obtain a prescription for a controlled substance, as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802) as a condition of— • receiving an evaluation or other service described under this title; or • attending a school receiving assistance under this title.

24. Prohibitions No ESEA funds may be used— • for construction, renovation, or repair of any school facility, except as authorized under this Act; • for transportation unless otherwise authorized under this Act; • to develop or distribute materials, or operate programs or courses of instruction directed at youth, that are designed to promote or encourage sexual activity, whether homosexual or heterosexual; • to distribute or to aid in the distribution by any organization of legally obscene materials to minors on school grounds; to provide sex education or HIV-prevention education in schools unless that instruction is age appropriate and includes the health benefits of abstinence; or • to operate a program of contraceptive distribution in schools.

25. Administrative Guidelines

26. Grant Administrative Guidelines • An approved application, properly signed and funded, constitutes a contractual agreement between the grantee and the VDOE. • Budget transfer requests and reimbursements should be submitted via the VDOE’s Online Management of Education Grant Awards (OMEGA) system. • Funds transferred to another federal program will appear in OMEGA under Title IV, Part A. The project code under Title IV, Part A, will correspond to the federal program to which funds were transferred. The Title IV, Part A, coordinator must ensure reimbursements are submitted for the funds that have been transferred. • If private schools elect to participate, the division is responsible for ensuring the private school’s proportionate share is expended and reimbursements are submitted.

27. Grant Administrative Guidelines • Reimbursement requests must reference the area of focus for which the expenditure is intended in the “comments” description field of each line item. • WR (Well-Rounded) • S&H (Safe and Healthy) • TECH (Use of Technology) • If there are participating private schools, please indicate in the reimbursement line item description if the expenditure was for the private school. • Reimbursement descriptions should include dates, quantities, price per item, name of activity, location when traveling, and names of persons traveling.

28. Grant Administrative Guidelines • Monthly reimbursement requests are preferred. • At a minimum, reimbursement requests should be submitted on a quarterly basis. • Project expenditures must be obligated during the budget period. • Total period of grant award is 27 months. • 2018-2019 grant award period: July 1, 2018-September 30, 2020.

29. Grant Reimbursement Example

30. Budget Transfers and Amendments • Budget transfer requests are submitted: • After the original application is approved. • After an application amendment that includes budget changes is approved. • Budget transfer requests must include a comment detailing purpose of request. • Application amendments are submitted: • When revised allocations are released. • When programmatic changes are needed. • When the budget needs revising and requires funds to be moved between object codes. • Application amendments must include the amendment number on the cover page of the application, and an explanation of changes on page 2 of the application.

31. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 1000 Personal Services: Includes all compensation for the direct labor of persons in the employment of the local government. Salaries and wages paid to employees for full‐ and part‐time work, including overtime, shift differential, and similar compensation. Includes payments for time not worked, including sick leave, vacation, holidays, jury duty, military leave, and other paid absences that are earned during the reporting period.

32. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 2000Employee Benefits: Job related benefits provided to employees as part of their total compensation. Fringe benefits include the employer’s portion of FICA, pensions, insurance (life, health, disability income, etc.) and employee allowances.  

33. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 3000Purchased/Contractual Services: Services acquired from outside sources (i.e., private vendors, public authorities, or other governmental entities). Purchase of the service is on a fee basis or fixed time contract basis. Payments for rentals and utilities are not included in this account description.  Allowable payments would be to individual or firms that are independent contractors and not employees of the grantee or sub‐grantee organization. The word honorarium is sometimes used to characterize such payments; the term “fee” is preferred.

34. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 3000Purchased/Contractual Services: Food Purchases – Prepared meals, working meals, and/or catered services purchased through a vendor are included in this object code. Reimbursement is capped at the per diem rate for the meal listed according to the state travel regulations. Examples for this object code include meals provided during day‐long professional development sessions, or meals provided to support attendance at family engagement activities. Food purchased from catering services and restaurants such as Pizza Hut, Panera Bread, and Subway is included in this object code.

35. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 4000Internal Services: Charges from an Internal Service Fund to other functions/activities/elements of the local government for the use of intergovernmental services, such as data processing, automotive/motor pool, central purchasing/central stores, print shop, and risk management.  These services are provided by internal services within the School District and possibly the county but not a vendor.

36. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 4000Internal Services: Food Purchases – Food purchased from the food services department of a school division or sub‐ grantee equivalent to support professional development or family engagement events is included in this object code. For example, internal expenses for school cafeterias to provide meals to support attendance at family engagement activities are included in this object code.

37. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 5000Other Charges: Include expenditures that support the use of programs. Includes expenditures that support the program, including utilities (maintenance and operation of plant), staff/administrative/consultant travel, office phone charges, training, leases/rental, indirect cost, and other.

38. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 5000Other Charges: Food Purchases – Food Purchases under this object code is restricted to food purchases related to travel reimbursement for meals only. Travel – includes payments for travel reimbursement for staff/administrative/consultant travel.  These are travel costs that are being reimbursed directly to travelers.  These costs may include lodging, mileage, meals, and incidentals as allowable according to state travel regulations or documented sub‐ recipient internal travel policies.

39. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 6000Other Materials and Supplies: Includes articles and commodities that are consumed or materially altered when used and minor equipment that is not capitalized.  This includes any equipment purchased under $5,000, unless the LEA has set a lower capitalization threshold. Therefore, computer equipment under $5,000 would be reported in “materials and supplies.”

40. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 6000Other Materials and Supplies: Food Purchases – Food items purchased from a grocery store or its equivalent for snacks or breaks is included in this object code.  Examples include bottled water, granola bars, cookies, and fruit purchased from a store such as Wal‐Mart, Food Lion, Costco, etc.  

41. Expenditure Accounts Descriptions • Object Code 8000Capital Outlay: Outlays that result in the acquisition of or additions to fixed assets. Capital Outlay includes the purchase of fixed assets both replacement and/or additional. Equipment purchases over $5,000 each.

42. Federal Program Monitoring • Monitoring Pilot for 2018-2019 • Six school divisions have been selected to participate • Appomattox County, Bristol City, Wise County, Chesapeake, Louisa County, and Shenandoah County • Three on-site visits and three virtual monitorings • Monitoring Protocol to be released in Fall 2018

43. Questions

44. Virginia Department of Education Contact InformationDawn DillTitle IV A/B SpecialistOffice of Program Administration and AccountabilityDawn.Dill@doe.virginia.gov804-786-9935