State Charter Schools - Making the Pieces Fit! February 2014 GCEL Conference

1. State Charter Schools - Making the Pieces Fit! February 2014 GCEL Conference

2. Session Agenda • Preparation for successful monitoring experience • Address most common monitoring findings for State Charter Schools • Identify monitoring issues that just don’t seem to fit in a State Charter School environment • Find solutions for those factors above to assist State Charter Schools experience a successful Cross-Functional Monitoring visit

3. Presenter Randy Phillips, Ed. D. Georgia Department of Education Title I Education Program Specialist rphillips@doe.k12.ga.us (770) 334-8390

5. State Charter School Preparation for Federal Programs Cross-Functional Monitoring

6. Preparation Prior to On-Site Monitoring Visit • LEAs must provide a room large enough to accommodate the entire monitoring team. If need be, more than one room can be used • LEAs must provide Internet access to the monitoring team • LEA staff need to be present during the monitoring visit. It is important that other meetings requiring LEA staff are not scheduled during the monitoring visit

7. Preparation Prior to On-Site Monitoring Visit • LEAs are required to provide supporting documentation that is not already available to the GaDOE’s Cross-Functional Monitoring Team • Current Year documentation for each required descriptor should be placed in a folder for team review • Items too large to be placed in folders should be readily available and with required items clearly identified

8. Preparation Prior to On-Site Monitoring Visit • Items too large to be placed in folders should be made available via Internet and Web site links should be provided to the GaDOE’s Cross-Functional Monitoring Team • Detail expenditure and payroll history reports for all programs monitored will be requested two weeks prior to the monitoring visit and should be returned to the GaDOE Title Programs Director

9. Mock Visit • Practice makes perfect (sort of) • Take the monitoring instrument and review the current system in place • Interview selected personnel (“test”) • CONDUCT PRIOR TO VISIT • Chance to change systems as needed • Chance to create corrective action plans and begin implementation as needed

11. Common Findings Across the Board

12. Written Policies and Procedures • Conflicting policies • Out-of-date policies • Non-existent policies  If you have to explain how something is done without being able to point to a clear and current written policy or procedure, you probably have some work to do!!!

13. Fiduciary • Timely review and approval of LEA applications • Timely allocation of subgrants • Period of availability of funds to LEAs • Process for re-allocating funds • Timely obligation and liquidation • Timely drawdowns

14. Fiduciary • Ensuring Funds are Used for Allowable Uses • Consistent with Federal Cost Principles? • Consistent with EDGAR? • Consistent with program-specific rules? • How does LEA ensure and document allowability? • Is Allocable and Allowable • In a GaDOE approved budget • Is Reasonable and Necessary • Program-specific Fiscal Rules • MOE (Waiver completed for those Charters that qualify) • Supplement not Supplant

15. Four Ways of Monitoring • GaDOE review of the Consolidated Application approval process – CLIP and Program Budgets • GaDOE review of LEA single audit documents • GaDOE review of LEA Self-Assessment Checklist • GaDOE review during on-site monitoring

16. FY14 Monitoring Form • Items column • Requirements column • Documentation on file at the GaDOE column • Documentation on file at the LEA column

21. Review of Descriptors and Required Documentation That MAY Be Confusing for State Charter Schools (The Proverbial Square Peg in a Round Hole!)

23. Documentation for Overarching Requirement • The LEA conducts monitoring of its federal programs • What processes, polices, and procedures does the LEA have in place to monitor the implementation of Title I,Part A; Title I, Part C; Title I, Part D; Title II, Part A; Title III, Part A; Title VI, Part B; Title X, Part C; RT3 and Lowest Achieving Schools; School Improvement 1003(a); School Improvement (SIG 1003(g)/1003(g) ARRA) • When was the last time you were monitored by the GaDOE

24. Documentation for Overarching Requirement • The LEA conducts monitoring of its federal programs: • When was the last time you were audited by the State auditors or external auditors • What findings, if any, did you have from the last monitoring visit • Were there any corrective actions required • If the answer to these questions is “No” - Provide a written statement of this fact in the appropriate folder

25. Documentation for Monitoring of Federal Programs • Emails • Memos • Dated meeting agendas • Dated sign-in sheets • Checklists with comments • Record of physical inventory of equipment and real property

26. Documentation for Overarching Requirement • Item #1: • Written description of the LEA monitoring process • On-site procedures • Timelines and schedules • Data review • Written internal control procedures • Written corrective action process • Copies of corrective actions required by LEA • Results of technical assistance provided by LEA to schools ????

27. Documentation for Overarching Requirement • Item #2: Evidence of the frequency of monitoring • Schedule for monitoring • Annual Grant Award Notification • Policy checklists • SWP or TA • Parent Involvement Policy (Charters - Use School Level Form) • School budget • Completion • Amendments (as needed) • Timely Drawdowns

28. Documentation for Overarching Requirement • Item #2: Evidence of the frequency of monitoring • Corrective actions from most recent LEA monitoring of school/programs • Completed plans—SWP, TA, Parental Involvement • Written procedures for follow-up/verification of implementation of required corrective actions identified by the LEA

29. Documentation for Overarching Requirement • Item #2: • Agendas, sign-in sheets, minutes of meetings • CLIP revisions • Schoolwide plan revisions • Targeted Assistance plan revisions • Parental Involvement plan revisions • Highly Qualified requirements • Annual Title I meeting • ESEA Public School Choice???

30. Documentation for Comprehensive LEA Improvement Plan (CLIP) • Copy of dated meeting agendas, sign-in sheets (role identified), etc. to show evidence of periodic review, evaluation, and revision of CLIP • Dated sign-in sheets that include stakeholders representing teachers, administrators, other appropriate school personnel, parents, and children in school receiving Title I services

31. Documentation for Parental Involvement

32. Documentation for Parental Involvement

33. Documentation for Parental Involvement

34. Documentation for Parental Involvement

35. Documentation for Parental Involvement

36. Documentation for Parental Involvement

37. Documentation for Parental Involvement

38. Documentation for Parental Involvement

39. Documentation for Parental Involvement

40. Documentation for Parental Involvement

41. Documentation for ESEA Public School Choice (Choice)

42. Documentation for Schoolwide Programs • Copy of SWP plans that include the ten required components from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) with the date of revision on the cover page • Copy of SWP checklist signed by the Title I director

43. Documentation for Schoolwide Programs • Copy of written communication from LEA providing guidance to schools about development, implementation, and evaluation of SWP requirements (Faculty Mtg Agendas) • Examples of activities that support the intent and purpose of federally funded programs • Copy of purchasing procedures

44. Documentation for New Schoolwide Programs • Documentation for planning of new SWP • Name of outside technical assistance provider • Copies of dated minutes, timelines, agendas from planning meetings • Copy of SWP plan • Copy of the intent to become schoolwide

45. Documentation for Targeted Assistance (TA) Programs • Copy of guidance to schools on TA program requirements • Copy of dated sign-in sheets showing that staff paid with TA funds participate in professional learning activities with regular funded staff • Copy of school TA plan detailing how the TA program is coordinated with and supports the regular program

46. Documentation for Targeted Assistance (TA) Programs • Listing effective instructional strategies that strengthen the core academic program of the school • Written procedures for identifying eligible students in each content area

47. Documentation for Targeted Assistance (TA) Programs • Copy of student selection form • Must use multiple educationally related criteria • List of eligible students in rank order by content area • List of students served by content area

48. Documentation for Targeted Assistance (TA) Programs • List of scheduling models • Should minimize removal of children from regular classroom during school day • Copy of teachers’ schedule • Copy of class rosters for students receiving Title I services • List of scheduling model(s) used

49. Documentation for Audits • Copies of two most recent audit reports (A-133) • Copies of written procedures for the resolution of audit and cross-functional monitoring findings • Evidence of corrective action plan when required

50. Documentation for Maintenance of Effort (MOE) • Will be calculated by the GaDOE • Exceptions: New Special State Charter schools • Current years compared FY11 & FY12 • Documentation required only for districts that do not meet the required MOE