Licensure and variance check

1. Licensure and variance check Special Education and Title Funds – HQ Staff Verification

2. MDE Information • Source: Memos from Tom Melcher and Jessie Montano, MDE, dated July 19, 2010 and September 30, 2010 • Districts, Cooperatives and Charter schools are required to provide the MDE with data to determine that reimbursements for salaries drawn on State Education Record View and Submission (SERVS) in FY2010 were for highly qualified staff.

3. Background • Federal and state law requires that expenditures for salaries paid with Special Education and Title funds reflect highly qualified staff. • Total expenditures for all staff salaries submitted to MDE should reconcile by Finance Code and Object Code to the amounts drawn on SERVS. • Prior to FY2010 licensure and variance checks were done through the MDE using EDRS data submissions • In FY2010 licensure validation wasn’t built into EGMS or SERVS financial

4. Licensure & Variance Checks • Checks will be performed on submitted data. • Salaries claimed for staff not appropriately licensed for their assignment will be considered an overpayment. • MDE will notify the district of any overpayments. • Variances are valid from the date of issue. • New license are valid from the date of issue. • Expenditures drawn prior to date of issuance will be considered overpayments.

5. Licensure & Variance Checks • FTE (full-time equivalency) tests will be performed for special education staff • Override requests for Title programs will be considered when appropriate • State = EDRS • Federal = SERVS • Title = SERVS • Vocational = Vocational Levy System

6. MDE Long Term Goal • Collect all staff information using SERVS new Staff System • It will be 3 years or longer before many of the data elements are ready • Districts, Cooperatives and Charter Schools will continue to be required to send this file into MDE until the SERVS Financial system is updated to automate the process

7. SERVS Licensure and Variance Reporting Information • Reporting deadline is November 22, 2010 • Total expenditures for all staff salaries submitted to MDE should reconcile by Finance Code and Object Code to the amounts drawn on SERVS. • The LEA (Local Education Agency) that drew the funds on SERVS is required to report the licensure information. • This means if you use the SW/WC Service Cooperative for Special Education reporting, they will submit the SPED portion of this file, not your district. • Your district is still responsible for submitting the federal grant Title portion of this file!

8. SERVS Licensure and Variance Reporting Information • This reporting requirement for the Licensure and Variance Reporting Check file only affects Federal programs. • State Special Education licensed staffing expenditures, Finance 740, will continue to be handled through EDRS.

9. SERVS Licensure and Variance Reporting Information • Districts and cooperatives must reconcile the draws on SERVS Financial with Object Codes requiring MDE Board of Teaching and/or Board of Administration licensures • Only staff licensed by the Board of Teaching are reported • Paraprofessionals and other support staff are not included in the file • Do not report certified/licensed staff by other MN Departments

10. SERVS Licensure and Variance Reporting Information • Total expenditures submitted to MDE must reconcile with the amounts drawn on SERVS • Salaries claimed for staff not appropriately licensed for their assignment will be considered an overpayment and will be recovered by MDE. • Object Code 301 and 302 for individualized Educational Program-Medical Assistance (IEP-MA) staff will only have to be reported under Object Code 301. • Object Code 303 and 304 should only be reported under Object Code 303. This may be done for both Title I and Special Education.

11. SERVS Licensure and Variance Reporting Information • Source: Memo from Tom Melcher dated November 1, 2010. • MDE is in the process of creating a web based interface. This interface will allow the reporting entity access to manually enter their information online using the MDE website. • Contact MDE directly with questions on using their interface program.

12. Uploading Files to MDE • Any user with an MDE account and login and upload files at the following web address: https://education.state.mn.us/mdefileupload/?key+Ve8f9rifs69g • Data will be uploaded to MDE grouped in one or more batches. • Two different employees cannot update and save the same batch number at the same time. Two different employees can update and save at the same time if using two different batch numbers.

13. Uploading Files to MDE • MDE validation allows only ONE row for a specific staff ID, Finance and Object code combination. This would include the Program code for Special Education. • Each file you submit overlays the last file submitted. • FFN STAR licensure SERVS Expenditures

14. Helpful Reports • SERVS Report • Use the SERVS UFARS Comparison Report found on the MDE website to verify the expenditure amount reported in SERVS. • This report shows the SERVS and UFARS amounts reported by your district. • This report does not display by teacher. This report is a summary of what has been reported. • The file your district creates using the SERVS Licensure Check window for the licensure and variance check must match the SERVS amount. • This report is current as of the day you run it.

15. Object Code Series Pulled for the File • Object code 100 series is pulled from your payroll general ledger files. Differences noted may occur because: • Finance created a manual journal entry that is not in payroll • Your auditors posted an audit entry that is not in payroll • Finance gave payroll a generic UFARS code and later changed it without communicating the change • A general ledger file was not created in payroll that should have been (e.g. adjustment payroll or account code transfer) • Finance vouchers for Object code 300 series or greater are pulled from finance to look for consultants.

16. SERVS Financial Report • http://education.state.mn.us/mde/index.html • Accountability Programs | Program Finance | Minnesota Funding Reports (MFR) System • Follow instructions found on page 5 of the SMART Systems Licensure and Variance Check FY 2010 documentation.

17. SMART Finance ReportsPage 5 • Log into SMART Finance • General | Admin Reports | Budget Activity with Payroll Detail • General | Report Selection | Custom Ledger Reports | Budget Activity Report or Posted Activity Audit Report • General | Report Selection | General Ledger | General Journal Report

18. SMART HR Payroll Reports, Page 6 • File folder number (FFN) lookup • REPORT: Personnel Module | Education, Training & Licensing Reports | Teaching License Status or Employee License Search • LOOKUP: Payroll Module | MN Employee Information | MN Employee Info | Supp Info | Folder Nbr field

19. Determining Who to Report, Page 7 • Run this report by the federal code(s) you are working with to determine which employee ids to include in the following reports for selection criteria. • Payroll Module | MN General Ledger | MN GL Entries by Debit Acct Summary • Suggested retrievals are: • Debit Account: Type eleven underscores (underline) then 4% and checkmark the Wildcards box • Begin Acct Date: 07/01/2009 • End Acct Date: 06/30/2010 • Labor Flag: P (to pull Pay only)

20. Calculating Hours Worked, Pages 7-8 • There are several reports in payroll you can use to lookup the actual hours worked for employees. • Payroll Module | MN Additional Reports | Employee Pay Detail Report • Payroll | MN Additional Reports | Distribution Worklist – By Emp Name • Payroll Module | MN Additional Reports | Timecard Archive Detail

21. MDE Requirements for the Special Ed File • Special Education • File Folder • Finance Code • Object Code • Program Code • SubAward information (if it applies) • Member District Number • Member District Type

22. MDE Requirements for the Title File • Title Programs • File Folder • Finance Code • Object Code • SubAward information (if it applies) • Member District Number • Member District Type

23. Data Reported in Both Files for UFARS Finance Code • Finance Code. This is the SERVS finance code that the expenditures were made under. Valid finance codes are: • 401, 406, 414, 417, 424, 433, 470, 471 • 419, 420, 421, 422, 431, 432, 435, 437, 440, 441, 480, 483, 484, 486, 487

24. Data Reported in Both Files for ufars Object Code • Object Code. This is the SERVS object code that the expenditures were made under. The valid object codes are: • 110, 140, 143, 145, 152, 154, 156, 157, 165, 167, 174, 301, 302, 303, 304, 343, 345, 347, 348, 373, 375, 377, 378. • Restrictions on Use of Object Codes 301 - 304: • If your district reports SERVS on its own only codes 303 and 304 are valid • If your district use a Cooperatives/Fiscal Hosts codes 301-304 are valid

25. Data Reported in Both Files for UFARS Program Code • This is a required field for Special Education. • This is the UFARS program / disability code for the staff member. • Valid codes are 401-420 (for special education only) Object code 140 is restricted to program codes 402-416. • Object codes 152, 343, 373 are restricted to program codes 401-416.

26. REMINDER…… • Even if your district uses a SPED Cooperative you are still required to report the Title federal grant information.

27. SMART Systems ‘SERVS Licensure Check Window’ • Smart Systems has developed a “SERVS Licensure Check” window in Smart HR to address this new reporting requirement. • The window creates the file in XML format per MDE specifications. • Data retrieved in this window will require verification and some manual editing. • This will be done using the SMART Systems window.

28. SMART Systems ‘SERVS Licensure Check Window’ • This window is found in the SMART HR Payroll Module • It serves three functions: • Creating a new batch • Retrieving an existing batch • Creating the XML file needed to submit to the MDE

29. SERVS Licensure Check Window Pages 9-16

30. Columns Included In Window, All can be manually updated • Batch Number. Use to retrieve a batch you have been working on. • Add a New Batch. Click to create a new batch. • Fiscal Year. Displays 2010. • Description. Enter a description for the batch. • Do Not Report. Excludes a row from the file. • Ref Number. Assigned by SMART Systems. • Actual Hours Worked. Required field. • Expenditure Amount. Can be manually changed to match the SERVS draw.

31. Icons in SMART HR, Page 14 • Copy Row • Insert Row • Save All • Retrieve

32. Window Features, Page 15 • Sort. The sort button allows the user to re-sort the data. Click on the Sort button to open the sort box. • Click and drag ‘Source Data’ into the ‘Columns’ area. • Ascending. If the box is check marked the data will be sorted in ascending order. If it is unchecked the data will be sorted in descending order. • If you want to view new entries you added to the window, sort by Record Nbr. Each record is assigned a record number so your entries will display on the bottom of the report if you sort by record number.

33. Window Features, Page 15 • Print. There is not a print button available on the SERVS Licensure Check window. If you want to print a hard copy you will need to use the Save As File feature. • Save Data to a File. The button allows the user to save the file to Excel (or other types as selected). • Create XML for MDE. Click the button when the data is ready to be uploaded to the MDE.

34. Create XML File for MDEPage 16 • Click the XML for MDE button when the data is ready to be uploaded to the MDE. • When the button is clicked, the data will be validated and saved before the XML file is created. • Message boxes are displayed to notify you of the location of the file that is created. • v:\smarthr\client\MDE folder

35. Other Helpful HintsPage 17 • If a user accidentally clicks twice on any button for “Add SERVS Data For” (Title or Sp Ed) the same data rows will be duplicated in the window. • Exit out of the window without saving. • If you already saved the window, retrieve the batch then click on the “Do Not Report” on the duplicate rows. • If a batch was mistakenly uploaded to MDE, it can be deleted at MDE by uploading the same batch number without any rows of data for licensed staff. • Retrieve the batch number in the window, check the ‘Do Not Report’ checkbox in all rows, click the ‘Save All’ icon to save the changes, click the button to create a new XML file for the batch, and upload it to MDE to replace the existing, unwanted batch at MDE.

36. Edits,Page 17 • When the ‘Save All’ icon is clicked or when the button is clicked, the data is validated with the MDE rules. • If any errors are identified, a popup window will appear. • Most error messages refer to a “Row Number” (second column on the rows of data) which is intended to help in locating the row(s) that need to be corrected.

37. Submitting the File to MDE • After the file has been created as an XML file it is ready to be submitted to the MDE. • Any user with an MDE Account logon will be allowed to upload files. • If you don’t have an MDE Account you will have to create one by following the instructions on the logon screen. • Log in to upload your files at: https://education.state.mn.us/mdefileupload/?key+Ve8f9rifs69g

38. MDE Login Screen

39. Browse to Find the XML File

40. Choose the File to Upload

41. When the File is Uploaded You Will See This Screen

42. Turn Around Reports From MDE, Page 22 • MDE is working on programming reports of submitted data that districts can print a hard copy of after submission. They have two reports that are in discussion phase right now. • License verification to check the file folder number and licensure reported • SERVS draw report

43. QUESTIONS