Welcome to Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program New School Year Training

1. Welcome to Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program New School Year Training • This session will begin at 9:30 AM. • While you are waiting, please do the following: • Enter/edit your profile information by going to: • Tools - Preferences - My Profile… • Fill out the info on the “Identity” tab and click “OK” • Configure your microphone and speakers by going to: • Tools – Audio – Audio setup wizard • Confirm your connection speed by going to: • Tools – Preferences – Connection speed

2. Acronyms • Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program- GSNS • Georgia Department of Education- GaDOE • Georgia Testing Identifier Number- GTID • Quality Basic Education Formula (QBE Formula) –the State of Georgia funding formula used for determining the amount of state education funds a school district earns annually as described in O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.

3. Acronyms Continued • I.D.E.A.- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act • IEP- Individualized Education Program • Parent- refers to parent(s) or guardian(s)

4. Georgia Special Needs Scholarship ProgramLooking Ahead to 2014 - 2015 School Year

5. Georgia Special Needs ScholarshipWeb Page

6. GSNS Web Page • The web page for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program is www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/Policy/Pages/Special-Needs-Scholarship-Program.aspx • Staff is very limited, so private schools need to read what is provided to parents and schools on the web page.

7. GSNS Web Page • Parents are always instructed to go to the web page www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/Policy/Pages/Special-Needs-Scholarship-Program.aspx • Parents must first read the Understanding the Program document found under the For Parents box. • This document explains their choice options (public & private) under the GSNS Program and how they exercise those options.

8. GSNS Web Page • It is the responsibility of the GaDOE to administer the GSNS Program. • It is a parent’s responsibility to be informed about the program and its requirements. • Refer parents to the GaDOE if they have questions regarding the GSNS program.

9. GSNS Web Page • It is the responsibility of private schools participating in the GSNS Program to be informed about the program and its requirements. • Refer to the web page often since new information is placed on it regularly. • If you have yet not done so add this web page to your favorites list.

10. Georgia Special Needs ScholarshipPrivate School List

11. 2014 – 2015 GSNS Private School List • The GSNS Private School list is updated each time the State Board of Education authorizes new private schools. • The final GSNS Private School List for the 2014 – 2015 school year was posted on the web page after the July State Board of Education meeting.

12. 2014 – 2015 GSNS Private School List • The private school list contains location information and phone numbers for parents to contact schools regarding possible enrollment. • The GaDOE does not recommend individual private schools to parents. • It is a parent’s responsibility to contact a private school and ask questions to see if the school will be a good fit for a student.

13. 2014 – 2015 GSNS Private School List • If the contact or mailing information for your school changes at any point during the school year, make sure you forward me the changes via email. • I rely heavily on communication through email, so if you don’t keep me updated on your school’s contact information your school will miss important program information.

14. Scholarship Calculator & Award Sheets

15. GSNS Scholarship Calculator • The scholarship calculator is posted on the GSNS web page. • The calculator contains a database of only the students eligible (new and returning) to participate in the GSNS Program for the 2014 – 2015 school year. • The information contained in the database comes from data public schools already reported to the GaDOE.

16. GSNS Scholarship Calculator • The calculator generates award sheets for eligible students. It will not work if a student is ineligible for the program. • The award sheet generated by the scholarship calculator is the only proof needed of a student's eligibility.

17. GSNS Scholarship Calculator • Schools must ask parents for a copy of a student’s award sheet if a parent says a child is eligible. • A parent will have an award sheet if a child is eligible for the program.

18. GSNS Scholarship Calculator • Since the award sheet is proof of a student’s eligibility in the GSNS Program, parents do not apply to the GaDOE to have their children participate in the GSNS Program. • The award sheet notifies a private school that a student is eligible for the GSNS Program when the parent applies for admission to the private school.

19. Sample of a Scholarship Award Sheet

20. Scholarship Award Sheets • For the 2015 Fiscal Year (school year 2014 – 2015), K-12 education funding continues to be reduced through austerity cuts. • The QBE Formula allocation was reduced by 9.72%. • The award amount includes the austerity reduction and is the maximum amount the Georgia Department of Education can give out for a student’s scholarship.

21. Scholarship Award Sheets • The scholarship is made up of only state funds. Not all services provided by a public school for a student are paid for with state funds. By law, federal and local funds are not included in the scholarship. • No other funding is available through this program.

22. Scholarship Award Sheets • The amount shown on the award sheet is the total annual amount that will be paid over the course of four quarterly payments as long as a student is attending a participating private school during the 2014 - 2015 school year through the GSNS Program.

23. Scholarship Award Sheets • It is the parent’s responsibility to always keep a copy of a student’s award sheet. • It is also a private school’s responsibility to keep a copy of a student’s award sheet in its records.

24. Eligibility & Reporting of GSNS Students

25. GSNS Eligibility There are two groups of GSNS students: • Students entering the GSNS Program for the first time for the 2014 – 2015 school year. • Students returning to the GSNS Program who completed the 2013 - 2014 school year in a participating private school.

26. GSNS Eligibility • IMPORTANT:Due to funding, a student that attended an authorized private school(s) for the 2013 - 2014 school year, but did not complete the year at a private school is ineligible to participate in the GSNS Program for the 2014 – 2015 school year. • The only way a student can re-qualify for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program is to again meet the program requirements outlined in law.

27. GSNS Eligibility • If a parent is new to your school, he/she must provide a copy of the scholarship award sheet for an eligible student for the 2014 – 2015 school year. • This applies for all students whether they participated in the GSNS Program and completed the prior school year at a different private school or are transferring to your school from a public school.

28. GSNS Eligibility • Without notification of a student’s eligibility by a parent, a private school will not know to report a student as enrolled under the GSNS Program to the GaDOE. • If a student is not reported by a private school to the GaDOE then no scholarship payments are issued.

29. Reporting GSNS Students • From July 8 through September 16, 2014, private schools report GSNS eligible students enrolled at their schools using the portal. • This lets the GaDOE know which students are participating in the private school choice option and where they are attending school.

30. GSNS Eligibility Notification • While GSNS eligibility notification is the responsibility of a parent, a private school should consider having a policy that asks a parent directly if a student is eligible for the GSNS Program.

31. GSNS Eligibility Notification • Schools may also want to keep documentation that a parent was asked about a student’s GSNS eligibility when the student was admitted to the private school.

32. GSNS Eligibility Notification • Failure by a private school to report a student to the GaDOE will affect the scholarship payments for the student and could affect his/her eligibility for the GSNS Program.

33. 2014 - 2015 School YearDeadlines for Student Enrollment

34. Deadlines for Student Enrollment • For the 2014 – 2015 school year parents will again have three opportunities during a school year to transfer an eligible student from a public school to an authorized private school.

35. Deadlines for Student Enrollment • The enrollment dates for the 2014 – 2015 school year are: • September 15, 2014 • December 15, 2014 • March 4, 2015 • There will be no exceptions to these three deadlines.

36. Deadlines for Student Enrollment • The multiple enrollment dates only apply for students that completed the 2013 - 2014 school year in a Georgia public school. • It DOES NOT apply to students that used the private school choice option during the 2013- 2014 school year.

37. Deadlines for Student Enrollment • For only the December or March dates, a parent of an eligible student must file an Intent to File for Scholarship form with the GaDOE. • This application form will be available for parents on the GSNS web page beginning in October 2014.

38. Deadlines for Student Enrollment • A private school will not be able to report an eligible student to the GaDOE if the a parent has not submitted an Intent to File for Scholarship form to the GaDOE by the December 15 or March 4 deadlines.

39. Deadlines for Student Enrollment • September 15, 2014 NO FILING OF INTENT FORM REQUIRED. • December 15, 2014 FILING OF INTENT FORM BY PARENT REQUIRED. • March 4, 2015 FILING OF INTENT FORM BY PARENT REQUIRED.

40. Deadlines for Student Enrollment • Schools will be cc’d on emails sent to parents who have submitted a completed Intent to File for Scholarship form to the GaDOE. • This will let a school know that it can report a student to the GaDOE.

41. Deadlines for Student Enrollment • Students reported to the GaDOE by private schools whose parents did not submit an Intent to File for Scholarship form to the GaDOE will not receive scholarship payments.

42. Deadlines for Student Enrollment • Scholarship payments are prorated for students enrolling after the September 15 deadline. • December 15: 1/2 of scholarship amount on the award sheet paid. • March 4 1/4 of scholarship amount on the award sheet paid.

43. Deadlines for Student Enrollment

44. Deadlines for Student Enrollment • If a student then continues in the GSNS Program for the 2015 – 2016 and completes the school year in an authorized private school, then the full scholarship amount for a student would be paid.

45. GSNS Program Authorized Private Schools Admissions Procedures

46. Admissions Procedures for GSNS Students • A private school participating in the GSNS Program is not obligated to accept students that are eligible for the GSNS Program. • Parents and students must comply with all the admissions policies in place at a private school.

47. Admissions Procedures for GSNS Students • A parent must read and understand any contracts/agreements entered into with a private school. • A private school must provide a parent with written copies of any contracts/agreements entered into with the school (e.g. tuition reimbursement, fee schedules).

48. Admissions Procedures for GSNS Students • A private school must provide information in writing for the parents of GSNS students specifically addressing how tuition payments, reimbursements, etc. are handled by the private school for families whose children participate in the GSNS Program.

49. Admissions Procedures for GSNS Students • Upon acceptance of a scholarship, a parent assumes full financial responsibility for the education of the scholarship student, including transportation to and from the participating private school.

50. Admissions Procedures for GSNS Students • Once accepted into a private school a parent/guardian must withdraw a student from the public school prior to the beginning of the new school year following the procedures of the public school. • A student cannot be dually enrolled at a public and private school and receive a scholarship through the GSNS Program.