The start to your school year may have come with some unwelcome bumps in the road – quarantines, bus driver shortages and illness. Stay the course! Your work is invaluable to your students and families. The support you provide to your district and your schools, especially during prolonged times of unprecedented change in education, does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Your work matters!
National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program and Application for Category 3
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) – formerly the National Title I Association – selects examples of superior, federally-funded school programs for national recognition through the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program.
States can identify up to two Distinguished ESEA Schools every year in three possible categories. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) reviews student performance data to identify Distinguished ESEA Schools in Category 1 and Category 2. Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, KDE will begin accepting applications for schools from Category 3, Excellence in serving special populations of students (e.g. homeless, migrant, English learners).
Schools interested in applying for consideration as a Distinguished School in Category 3 must submit a completed application signed by the school principal and district superintendent by the deadline of Sept. 17, 2021. If selected as a finalist, KDE staff will conduct a site visit to interview the principal and selected staff. See the attachment for further information and the application for Category 3.
Two National ESEA Distinguished Schools (one from Category 1, 2 and/or 3) will be notified by email of their selection in November. For more information, email Tara Rodriguez or call her at (502) 564-3791, ext. 4042.
Call for Exemplary Time and Effort Written Procedures
KDE is looking for exemplary time and effort written procedures. A selected district’s procedures will be featured in an upcoming webinar and/or newsletter to share with other districts across the state who are working through this requirement.
As a recap, written policies and procedures are essential to implementing an effective time reporting system. As a reminder, the written procedures have been added to the district monitoring form and will be required of districts selected for consolidated monitoring.
Districts should develop instructions to ensure that proper time and effort is maintained. The Cost Allocation Guide for State and Local Governments, U.S. Department of Education (2019) provides an outline of the sections that should be included in the district’s instructions, to include the following:
- The completion of time and attendance reporting;
- The approval cycle that is required;
- The processing of personnel charges to federal awards; and
- The internal review process that will be established to ensure effective internal control over the federal award.
Generally, the information should provide sufficient detail to permit an understanding of how the system will operate from the point the time is worked to the point the time is recorded in the accounting records and charged to federal awards.
This is your chance to highlight your schools’ work! Email Tara Rodriguez with your district’s written time and effort procedures if you would like to be featured in an upcoming Title I webinar/newsletter.
2021-2022 Title I, Part A Comparability Report Due Nov. 1
Section 1118 of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires districts to provide services using state and local funds to Title I schools that, taken as a whole, are at least comparable to services in schools that are not receiving Title I funds. Districts demonstrate the comparability of services by submitting the required comparability report in each of its schools using general funds.
The 2021-2022 comparability report checklist, the guide for completing it and instructions for submitting the report in GMAP can be found on the Title I, Part A Documents and Resources webpage. The comparability report workbook is in the GMAP district document library. Districts must submit the report for approval in GMAP by Nov. 1.
If needed, you may refer to the Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE’s) Comparability Report Tutorial. Contact your KDE Title I, Part A consultant at (502) 564-3791 for more information about completing or submitting the 2021-2022 comparability report.
Coordinator's Year at a Glance - Suggested Tasks for September
- Collect school schedules of annual Title I meetings for parents. These meetings should be conducted by the end of October.
- Distribute the district’s written parent and family engagement policy to all participating parents and family members served by Title I [to include private school(s)].
- Ensure that each Title I school distributes its written parent and family engagement policy and compact to all participating parents and family members. The policy should be made available to the community.
- Prepare to pull the student enrollment summary report from Infinite Campus for attendance numbers by the last day of the second school month or a date between that day and Oct. 31st for the purpose of the comparability report.
- Prepare staff listing and FTE by location and funding source to use for the purpose of the comparability report.
- Determine that all applicable parent notifications required under ESSA Section 1112(e) have been shared.
- Consult with participating facilities for neglected and delinquent youth, as applicable, to develop an evaluation of services.
- Ensure Targeted Assistance schools have set up files for students selected for services in order to document progress, notify parents and implement services.
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