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What Title I Requirements Remain in the Land of the Waiver Initiative?. Leigh M. Manasevit, Esq. Fall Forum 2012 www.bruman.com lmanasevit@bruman.com. Waiver Resources. Statute – NCLB Section 9401 Guidance – Title I, Part A – July 2009 Maintenance of Effort – See program statutes.
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Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC What Title I Requirements Remain in the Land of the Waiver Initiative? Leigh M. Manasevit, Esq. Fall Forum 2012 www.bruman.com lmanasevit@bruman.com
Waiver Resources • Statute – NCLB Section 9401 • Guidance – • Title I, Part A – July 2009 • Maintenance of Effort – See program statutes Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
NCLB – What can be waived? The Secretary may grant a waiver of any ESEA statutory or regulatory provision EXCEPT: • Allocation or distribution of funds to SEAs, LEAs or other recipients of ESEA $ • Comparability • Supplement not supplant • Equitable services to private school students • Parent involvement Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
NCLB – What can be waived? The Secretary may grant a waiver of any ESEA statutory or regulatory provision EXCEPT: • Civil rights • Maintenance of Effort • Charter School requirements • Use of funds for religion Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
June 28, 2011 Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report on Secretary of Education’s Waiver Authority • ED has the authority to waive accountability provisions of Title I, Part A • It is unclear if Secretary can condition a waiver on other action(s) not required by law Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
ED Announcementon Waivers Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Waivers • ED makes the announcement • September 23, 2011 Letter to Chiefs • NCLB became a barrier to reform: opportunity to request flexibility • State • LEA • Schools http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/secletter/110923.html Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Letter • Flexibility in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive state plans • Improve educational outcomes • Close achievement gaps • Increase equity • Improve instruction Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
“ESEA Flexibility” September 23, 2011 • 10 provisions subject to waiver • 2013-2014 timeline – develop new ambitious AMO’s • School improvement consequences: LEA not required to take currently required improvement actions in Title I Schools • LEA improvement identification: not required to identify for improvement LEA that fails 2 consecutive years • Rural LEAs • Small Rural School Achievement or Rural and Low Income program • Flexibility regardless of AYP status Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Waivers • Schoolwide Operate as schoolwide regardless of 40% poverty threshold if • SEA identified as a priority or focus school with interventions consistent with turnaround principles • School Improvement • 1003a funds to serve any priority or focus school if SEA determines school in need of support • Reward Schools • Rewards to any reward school if the SEA determines appropriate Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Waivers • HQT improvement plans • LEA that does not meet HQT no longer must develop an improvement plan • Flexibility in use of Title I and II funds • LEA-SEA develop “more meaningful” evaluation and support systems which eventually will satisfy the HQT requirement • SEA still must ensure poor and minority children not taught at higher rates by inexperienced, unqualified or out-of-field teachers Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Waivers • Transferability • Up to 100%, same programs • SIG • 1003g awards for any priority school Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Waivers • Optional #11 • 21st Century Community Learning Centers support expanded learning time during school day Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
New Waiver #12 • No AYP determination for LEAs or Schools Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
New Waiver #13 • LEA may serve Title I eligible priority high school with graduation rate under 60% without regard for rank and serve??? Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
New Waiver Not Numbered • 11-12 assessment use 10-11 AMOs • For waiver intent Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
“In Exchange for…”Must meet 4 principles • College and Career Ready Standards – Develop and Implement: • Reading/Language Arts • Math • Aligned assessments measuring growth • ELP assessment aligned to #1 Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
“In Exchange for…” • State Developed Differentiated Recognition, Accountability and Support • Must develop system of Differentiated Recognition, Accountability and Support • All LEAs • All Title I Schools • Must consider Reading, Language Arts, and Math • All students • All subgroups • Graduation Rates Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
School Performance over time • New AMOs (ambitious) • State LEAs • Schools • Subgroups • Incentives recognitions • Dramatic systemic changes in lowest performing schools Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
“In Exchange for…” • Effective Instruction/Leadership • Commit to develop/adopt pilot and implement • Teacher/principal evaluation systems • Student Growth = “Significant Factor” Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
“In Exchange for…” • Reduce duplication and unnecessary burden Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Waivers Granted – Round 1 • Colorado • Florida • Georgia • Indiana • Kentucky • Massachusetts • Minnesota • New Jersey • Oklahoma • Tennessee • New Mexico Granted Granted Granted Granted Granted Granted Granted Granted Granted Granted Denied Granted Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Round 2 • Arkansas • Arizona • Connecticut • Delaware • Iowa • Idaho • Illinois • Kansas • Louisiana • Maryland • Michigan • Missouri • Mississippi • North Carolina • Nevada • New York • Ohio • Oregon • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • Wisconsin • Washington, DC Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC /WITHDREW
Round 3 - Applied • Alabama • Alaska • Hawaii • Maine • New Hampshire • North Dakota • Puerto Rico • West Virginia • Bureau of Indian Education (45 State Approved or Requested) Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Center for American ProgressReport on Waivers- July 12, 2012 • Did not stimulate new innovations (except accountability) • Did stimulate comprehensive plans for improvement • Some interesting ideas • Few States have plans to reduce duplication and unnecessary burden • Creative sources of funds http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2012/07/pdf/nochildwaivers_intro.pdf Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
ED to Monitor Waivers SY 12-13 • Supplement Title I Monitoring • Solicited Comment on Oversight http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-08-30/pdf/2012-21471.pdf • Monitoring Protocol (Part 1 of 3) http://www.ed.gov/esea/flexibility Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Waivers, Vouchers, A President Romney? • Martin West, K-12 Advisor - Not Favored Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC Basic ESEA Title I, Part A Requirements Not Subject to Waiver
Title I, Part A Topics • General Program Requirements • Ranking and Serving • Parental Involvement • Set-asides • Maintenance of Effort • Comparability • Supplement Not Supplant • SES/Choice • Equitable Services W Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC W
Title I Basics • Title I, Part A is a State-administered program • ED grants funds to States based on statutory formulas • State grants funds to LEAs based on statutory formula • LEA allocates funds to schools based on ranking and serving Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Allocations are based on poverty levels Service is based on academic need Title I Basics (cont.) Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Program Design • Two models of Title I, Part A program: • Targeted Assistance • Schoolwide Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Targeted Assistance: Focus on Identified Students • Identify “Title I students” and provide with supplemental services • Ensure Title I $ solely used to benefit identified students • For schools ineligible or choose not to operate schoolwide Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Who is a Title I student? • Students identified as failing or at risk of failing State standards: NOT based on poverty! Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Eligible Title I students • Students eligibility is based on: • Multiple • Educationally related • Objective criteria • Developed by LEA • If preschool- grade 2, judgment of teacher, interviews with parents, and other developmentally appropriate means. Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Automatically Eligible • If student in the previous 2 years received services in • Head Start • Even Start • Early Reading First or • Migrant Part C • If the student is currently eligible under • Neglected and Delinquent or Homeless • Migrant (not receiving Part C services), IDEA and LEP students are eligible on the same basis as any other student Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Recordkeeping • Records must be maintained that document that Part A funds are spent on activities and services for only Title I, Part A participating students. Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Schoolwide Programs • Combine Federal, State, and local programs (sometimes funds) to upgrade the entire educational program • However, in Most States the SEA must approve consolidation! • All students in schoolwide schools may be served by Title I employees • Pre-requisite: 40% poverty • TAS by default, unless this threshold is met Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Ranking and Serving Schools under Section 1113 Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Eligible School Attendance Areas • Percentage of children from low-income families who reside in area . . . AT LEAST AS HIGH AS . . . • Percentage of children from low-income families in LEA • LEA has flexibility to serve any school attendance area with at least 35% poverty – even if percentage is lower than average of LEA Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Eligible School Attendance Areas • Residency Model OR • Enrollment Model Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Ranking and Serving • Exceeding 75% poverty • Strictly by poverty • Without regard to grade span • At or below 75% poverty • May rank by grade span Serve strictly in order of rank! Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Allocation to Schools • After set-asides • Allocate to schools based on total # of low income residing in area (including nonpublic) • Discretion on amount of PPA • Higher PPAs must be in higher schools on ranked list • No regard to SWP or TAS Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Exception: Rank & Serve • “Skip” school, if: • Comparability met • Receiving supplemental State/local funds used in Title I-like program • Supp. State/local funds meet or exceed amount would be received under Title I • Still count and serve nonpublic in area Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Parental Involvement Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Parental Involvement Overview • Annual meeting • Involvement in planning, review and improvement of Title I programs • Provide parents timely information about Title I programs • Coordinate with other programs, parent resource centers Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Parental Notifications • Annual LEA report cards • Parents “right to know” of teacher qualifications • Highly qualified teacher status • Achievement levels on State academic assessments • School improvement status • School Choice notice as a result of school improvement status • Supplemental educational services as a result of school improvement status • Schoolwide program authority Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Parental Involvement Policies • LEA parental involvement policy • School parental involvement policy • School/Parent compact Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Parental Involvement • 1% of LEA’s Title I allocation • 95% of 1% to schools • LEA may keep anything over 1% for LEA-level parental involvement • Private school portion based on entire amount Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC
Other LEA Set-Asides;Maintenance of Effort, Comparability and Supplement Not Supplant W Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC