Title I Administration Made Easier

1. Title I Administration Made Easier Spring Title I Statewide Conference May 15, 2014

2. Purpose • Offer suggestions on ways to improve efficiencies and implementation of Title I programs • Help ease the burden of administering the Title I grant Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

3. Tip 1: Don’t recreate the wheel • Our office has created templates for just about any required Title I document • Find them all here: http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/titlei/ • Note: This is an excellent way to ensure each document contains all the requirements • Supplement vs. Supplant policies • Time and Effort reports (including stipends) • Outreach letter to private schools Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

4. Tip 2: Document, document, document! • Document and save the work the district is doing: • Outreach to parents/guardians • Meeting agendas • Meeting notes • Sign-in sheets • Important emails • Update dates on documents when you revise them • Find a system that is simple and works for you Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

5. Tip 3: You don’t need the Title I allocation to begin working on the application • Use last year’s allocation as a starting point • Have flexible line item(s) that can be • Added/removed as needed or; • Increased or decreased • Once final allocations are released, adjust your flexible line items accordingly Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

6. Tip 4: Meet regularly with the business manager • Can reduce incidents of: • Over/under spending in a line item • Needing to complete amendments • Funds being misused Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

7. Tip 5: Private school outreach • When reaching out to private schools to inquire about their participation in Title I services: • 1. Use email first • 2. If no response, then send a letter by certified mail • Why? • Email is free • Emails and certified mail are simple to document Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

8. Tip 6: Private school documentation • Keep every communication with private schools in a folder for easy access later • (If records are kept electronically) Keep in an easily accessible folder: • Emails to districts inviting them to participate • Scanned images of return-receipts for certified letters • Signed documents confirming participation (or not) in Title I program • Template letter to be sent every year Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

9. Tip 7: Combine requirements • Title I requires parents to be notified that they have the right to know teacher and paraprofessional qualifications • Title I requires that a report card (overview) be sent to parents each year • Have ONE document for both requirements • See our website for an example http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/accountability/reportcard/ Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

10. Tip 8: Apply for funds quickly • Applying for Title I funds as early as possible yields several benefits • The sooner the district is approved, the sooner they can begin spending Title I funds • Turnaround time for ESE to review the grant can be much quicker Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

11. Tip 9: Combine amendments • Every year many districts receive increases to their allocation (late winter/early spring) • If a district needs to make an amendment about that time, combine that change with the increase amount and only do one amendment • Consider doing Title I and Title IIA amendments together Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

12. Tip 10: Rethink “Title I Meetings” • If a school/district’s annual Title I meetings are not well attended, consider other options • Title I meetings can be held on the same evenings as other, more well attended events: • Back-to-School nights • Sporting events • School musical or artistic performances • Parent/Teacher conferences Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

13. Tip 11: Common ways of getting parent input • PTO or Parent Council • School Council (which are required to have parents) • Parent surveys Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

14. Tip 12: If you are new, start here: • Title I handbook document extremely helpful for new directors: http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/titlei/handbook • Send an email to TitleI@doe.mass.edu and ask to be added to our new Title I director email • Title I website has a list of all major topics with resources: http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/titlei/parta/program-design Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

15. Tip 13: If needed, use September to help reach 85% spending requirement • Districts are required to spend 85% of their Title I allocation each year or apply for a waiver • The 85% requirement follows the federal fiscal year (October 1-September 30) • Consider using FY14 Year 2 funds to pay salaries in September 2014 to reach 85% Year 1 requirement Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

16. Helpful Resources • Title I Website: http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/titlei • Grant Application Materials • Title I Program • Program Design • Title I Handbook and Guidance • Program Review • Email: TitleI@doe.mass.edu • Phone: 781-338-6230 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education