Federal Programs Updates

1. Federal Programs Updates Business & Finance Symposium August 9, 2012 Presenter: Maricela Valdez Federal Programs Director

2. Purpose and Intent: State Compensatory Education (SCE) • The goal of the SCE program is to reduce any disparity in performance on (a) state assessments and in (b) rates of high school completion between students at risk of dropping out of school and all other district students. • Expenses must directly impact students, and cannot be used for parent involvement expenses.

3. Purpose and Intent: Title I, Part A • Fund 211 • To ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards (TEKS) and state academic assessments (STAAR). • Targeted Assistance – is eligible for Title I funding, but does not meet 40% threshold or chooses not to operate a schoolwide program [PIC 24] • Schoolwide– 40% or more students meet the poverty threshold [PIC 30] • Schoolwide - 40% or more students meet the

4. Purpose and Intent: Title II, Part A • Fund 255 • PIC 24 • Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting (TPTR) Fund provides supplemental funding to improve student achievement. The funds are used to elevate teacher and principal quality through recruitment, hiring and retention strategies and to increase the number of highly qualified teachers in the classroom and highly qualified principals and assistant principals in schools. The program uses scientifically based professional development interventions and holds districts and schools accountable for improvements in student academic performance.

5. Purpose and Intent: Title III • Fund 263 • PIC 25 • To ensure that English language learners (ELL) immigrant students attain English language proficiency and meet the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet. • The use of Title III funds must be supplemental to all other funds.

6. UnderstandingCoding • Funds • 199 – Local (State Comp Ed) • 211 – Title I, Part A • 212 – Title I, Part C • 255 – Title II, Part A • 263 – Title III, Part A • Program Intent Codes (PIC) • 24 – Accelerated Instr. (e.g., Title I, Part C; Title II, Part A; SCE & Title I – non-schoolwide • 25 – Bilingual Educ/Special Language (Title III) • 26 – SCE – Non-Disciplinary Alt. Education – Basic • 28 – SCE – Disciplinary Alt. Education – Basic • 29 – SCE – Disciplinary Alt. Education – Supplemental • 30 – SCE/Title I, Part A Schoolwide Programs

7. UnderstandingCoding • OBJECTS • 61XXs – Payroll (e.g., salaries and extra-duty pay) • 62XXs – Contracted Services • 63XXs – Supplies and Materials • 64XXs – Other operating expenses (e.g., food, travel) • 66XXs – Capital Outlay • FUNCTIONS • 11 – Instruction • 13 – Teacher training and curriculum writing • 23 – School Leadership • 34 – Student Transportation (e.g., extended day bus) • 61 – Parental Involvement

8. Regulations: Auditor Guidance • All funded strategies must be: • Supported by analyzed data (needs assessment data, survey data) and • Included in the Campus/District Improvement Plan (including the fund source and the allocated amount).

9. Regulations: Auditor Guidance • If an expense is not in your comprehensive needs assessment, it cannot be in the campus/district improvement plan. • If an expense is not in your campus/district improvement plan, it cannot be in your budget plan or application. • If an expense is not budgeted for and included in your approved application, you cannot purchase the item or pay for the service.

10. Supplement/Supplant • Supplement/Supplant: • Supplement: add to; enhance; expand • Supplant: take the place of; replace • Supplemental funds cannot be used for: • Implementing the regular mandated foundation program; • Implementing an activity required by state law, SBOE rule, or local board policy.

11. Allowable/Unallowable • Unallowable uses of funds: • Is not reasonable and necessary. • Snacks for after-school tutoring when the district provides after-school snacks through the Child Nutrition Department. • Replacing computer monitors (that work) with flat screen monitors.

12. Allowable/Unallowable • Unallowable uses of funds: • 2. Does not meet the purpose and intent of the fund source. • Parent involvement activities cannot be funded with SCE funds. • Parent involvement expenses not specifically related to increased student achievement and assessment should not be funded with Title I, Part A funds.

13. Allowable/Unallowable Unallowable uses of funds: Awards/banquet ceremonies (food, awards, etc.). Betterments to the building (e.g., mechanical overhead screens). Entertainment Field trips for non-instructional purposes Fines, penalties (late fees)

14. Allowable/Unallowable Unallowable uses of funds: Gifts or items that appear to be gifts (toys, balls, yo-yos) Logo imprinted items (pencils, erasers) Promotional Items (t-shirts, key chains) Door prizes Non-scientifically research-based programs, activities, strategies

15. Allowable/Unallowable • Potentially questionable uses of funds: • Items purchased in excess(duplicating paper, folders) • (200 cases x 10 reams x 500 sheets = 1,000,000 sheets of paper) • 2. Stock piling of items at the end of the year. • Purchase items in the fall, so they can benefit the students during the current year.

16. Allowable/Unallowable Potentially questionable uses of funds: 3. Mobile computer labs, educational software, Elmos, Smartboards(rationale must be in the Campus Improvement Plan).

17. Allowable/Unallowable Potentially questionable uses of funds: Snack trays for parent involvement meetings (must address student instruction/assessment, must maintain agenda/ sign-in sheets) Field trip (must provide lesson plan with clear evidence of link to instructional goal, supplementary nature of field trip must be listed in the Campus Improvement Plan

18. Allowable/Unallowable • Potentially questionable uses of funds: • Sole Source Items (must maintain evidence that the item is • research based, based on needs assessment, and must • maintain evidence that you compared the item with similar • products) • Conferences (must address purpose and intent of the fund • source, must be in the Campus Improvement Plan) • If you didn’t have the fund source would you go anyway? • Must specifically address the purpose and intent of the fund source.

19. Allowable/Unallowable • The further away the expense is from the classroom, the more likely it will be questioned by the auditors. • Must maintain: sign-in sheets, agendas, minutes of budget planning and stakeholder input. • Purchases must be aligned with the Campus Improvement Plan • How did the trip to the zoo improve achievement? • Why do you want to buy novels, when your math scores are low and the reading scores are high? • How did buying computers in April help students pass TAKS/STAAR in the spring?

20. Scientifically-Based Research • means research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs; and • includes research that – • employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment; • involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn; • relies on measurements or observational methods that provide reliable and valid data across evaluators and observers, across multiple measurements and observations, and across studies by the same or different investigators;

21. Scientifically-Based Research • includes research that – • is evaluated using experimental or quasi-experimental designs in which individuals, entities, programs, or activities are assigned to different conditions and with appropriate controls to evaluate the effects of the condition of interest, with a preference for random-assignment experiments, or other designs to the extent that those designs contain within-condition or across-condition controls; • ensures that experimental studies are presented in sufficient detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, offer the opportunity to build systematically on their findings; and • has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, and scientific review.

22. Campus Improvement Plan • Campus Improvement Plans: • Must describe how fund sources will be used (should coordinate with the program budgets). • Must include complete thoughts/sentences. • Must contain measurable goals/objectives. • Expenditures must be in the Campus Improvement Plan, BEFORE the purchases can be made. • Must include 10 required elements….

23. Campus Improvement Plan Campus Improvement Plans (10 elements): Comprehensive needs assessment School-wide reform strategies to improve instruction for all students Employ and retain highly qualified teachers High-quality, ongoing professional development for teachers, administrators and paraprofessionals Describe how you recruit high-quality highly qualified teachers at high-needs schools. Strategies to increase meaningful parent involvement that lead to improved student achievement.

24. Campus Improvement Plan Campus Improvement Plans (10 elements): Transition from early childhood programs (e.g., Head Start). 8. Include teachers in decisions regarding the use of academic assessments. Activities to provide effective, timely additional assistance to ensure students’ difficulties, are identified and addressed in a timely basis. 10. Coordination and integration of fund sources (address how fund sources will support the schoolwide effort; document in CNA & SBDM team planning minutes)

25. STEP 2: Evaluate Current Programs • Review evaluative data for current year programs. • Were programs effective? • Were reasonable gains achieved based on the cost? (Costs must be reasonable and necessary.) • Identify which programs will be continued and which will be eliminated.

26. STEP 3: Prioritize Needs • Grade level teams or departments examine needs assessment data and submit their needs to the budget planning team. Keep on File: Needs Assessment documentation (raw data and analyzed data) • Budget planning team aggregates data and shares prioritized needs with the whole school. Keep on File: agenda and sign-in sheets for each budget planning session • Teams begin investigation of activities/programs to address prioritized needs.

27. Needs Assessment • Use the needs assessment data checklist to capture data to be analyzed. (See handout) • Data include: student achievement, discipline, dropout, language, ethnicity, mobility, survey data, teacher certification/degrees, instructional dollars, special funding, technology available, class-size, parent participation, resources for training, poverty level, professional development, school governance/succession planning, etc. • http://portal.esc20.net/portal/page/portal/NCLB/CNA/NCLB_CNA_Manual.pdf

28. STEP 4: Goals and Objectives • Review goals and objectives • Align identified needs with goals and fund sources

29. STEP 5: Research New Activities • Review suggested activities/programs to meet identified needs. • Speak with peers from schools/districts that are performing well. • Speak with vendors to see what they have to offer that match your needs (request demo, compare products, get feedback from end-users) • Funded activities must be scientifically research based.

30. STEP 6: Select andFund Activities • Identify which activities will be funded to meet the identified needs. • Input the activities/programs/staff in your budget plan. • Committee signs off on the budget plan. • Input the activities/programs in the Campus Improvement Plan (include the fund source and allocation). • Share plan with staff. • Keep on file: Agenda, Minutes and Sign-In sheet

31. STEP 7: Monitor & Adjust • Monitor progress and adjust budget and Campus Improvement Plan during the year. • When you amend your budgets, amend your CIPs/DIP. • Involve staff in budget plan adjustments.

32. Policies & Procedures

33. Policies & Procedures:Why do you have them? • Best Practice • Helps document what you do • Protects the district and you • Keeps things going even if there is a change in leadership • Auditors will ask for them

34. Review • May SCE funds (the 55%) be used to fund or supplement the following? • Banquets, ceremonies, celebrations, door prizes, proms, pep rallies or food? • Drug dogs, drug testing, drug treatment, red ribbons, PA systems, security mirrors, cameras, or defibrillators? • Furniture, door mats, murals, banners, display cases, clinic/nurse supplies, rock climbing walls, bike racks, or custom or outdoor signs? • Laminating machines, library equipment, library supplies or yearly campus library budget? • Entertainment, recreation, social events or proms? • Gifts, promotional items, memorabilia, or souvenirs (such as T-shirts, caps, tote bags, key chains, imprinted pens)? • Athletics, PE teachers, PE aides, PE or gym equipment, sport uniforms or megaphones? • “Supplemental” positions or duties not associated to intensive instruction of the foundation curriculum? • Student handbooks, year books, school newspaper or campus marquee? • Trips to amusement parks, swimming pools or theater? • UIL, music, cheerleading or athletic events? • Day Care? School Nurses or supplies for the clinic? Additional counselors or principals? • No.The services must be part of delivery of academic instructional supplemental to the regular program and be reflected in the comprehensive needs assessment. In contrast, programs such as after school tutoring for students at risk of dropping out of school would qualify. NOTE: all costs MUST be reasonable and necessary.

35. Review Unallowable Costs? How can the following expenditures be used to help at-risk students pass the state assessment? Does the LEA maintain documentation? • Prom Dresses, Prom “lock-ins” • Hall Passes, Student IDs • Washers and Dryers • Break room furniture and equipment • Walkie Talkies • Monitoring the district’s attendance rate • Trophies/plaques used for “student of the month”, A/B honor roll, “A” honor roll and all end of year events • Water coolers, Ice Machines • Indoor/Outdoor Paint • Moonwalks, Clowns, Parade Floats • Defibrillators, Drug Testing or Treatment • Lawn equipment, landscaping • Allowance of personnel’s children in LEA’s PK programs • Roller skates, skateboards, bicycles • Field Trips – depends • Professional development – depends • Flat screens for all principals & administrators • Smart boards – depends • Door prizes • Animals, feeding of or breeding of drug dogs • Duplicating paper • Filing Cabinets, Furniture • Audio visual equipment for school board room • School marquee • Electrical rewiring of building • Athletic expenses • Meals • Trophies and plaques • All State Choir or Band costs

36. Review Unallowable Costs? • Special dietary expenses for special education students • Floral arrangements • Staff development for administrative staff’s certification requirements • Costs associated to “Play Off” games • Cultural Events • Fish Fry for Community • Clothing vouchers • Coffee and pastries for teacher’s lounge • Religious Event-speakers • Updating Local Policy and Attendance Code • Maintenance of computer hardware for the district • Laminating machines • Costs for Pare Involvement Conferences and/or meals • Custodial uniforms

37. Review Unallowable Costs Expense is not considered reasonable.

38. Review Unallowable Costs Approved Travel Request was for May 15, 16 & 17. Receipt is dated May 14, 2012, prior to approved date and is not reimbursable.

39. Review Unallowable Costs Both items are not considered meals… therefore, not reimbursable.

40. Review Unallowable Costs Reasonable: Minimal in cost Not considered minimal in cost

41. Review Unallowable Costs Items are not considered reimbursable.