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“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
― Confucius
Welcome to the new school year! Embrace simplicity and work smart, not hard, to set yourself up for success.
Streamline your processes and create clear timelines for your work to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. By simplifying your approach, you'll find that you can achieve more with less effort.
Embrace this new beginning with a focus on simplicity, and you'll be amazed at the positive impact it can have on your work and the students you support. Here's to a successful and straightforward school year ahead!
Title I, Part A Carryover Waiver
Section 1127(a) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) places a carryover limitation on Title I, Part A funds. No more than 15% of the funds allocated to a district for any fiscal year may remain available for obligation for one additional fiscal year.
Districts must ensure at least 85% of school year 2022-2023 (FY23) Title I, Part A funds (project 310J) are obligated for activities that occur no later than Sept. 30, 2023. As stated in Section 1127(c) of ESSA, this carryover limitation does not apply to districts that receive less than $50,000 in Title I, Part A for the fiscal year.
Section 1127(b) of ESSA allows the state to waive this carryover limitation if it determines a district’s request is reasonable and necessary, or supplemental appropriations for this subpart become available. Districts may apply for this waiver once in a three-year period.
Any district wishing to request a carryover waiver for 2022-2023 funds may do so no later than Sept. 30 by emailing David Millanti. The email must:
- State the district requests a waiver of the 15% carryover limitation;
- Contain the reason for the excess carryover; and
- Describe its plan for effectively using carryover funds.
Questions may be directed to David Millanti or your district’s Title I, Part A consultant.
Additional information about the carryover limitation is available in the Title I Carryover Information document and the April 2023 Title I Webinar.
Reviewing GMAP Application Feedback
The fiscal year 2024 (FY2024) consolidated application was due in the Grant Management Application and Planning (GMAP) system on Aug. 11. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication in adhering to the deadlines established by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). We appreciate your patience as our Title I consultants work to conduct a thorough review of each district’s application.
If your application has been returned as not approved by KDE, please be sure to carefully read the feedback provided by consultants in the Consolidated Checklist. The Consolidated Checklist is linked at the bottom of the Sections page in GMAP.
During the review process, consultants use the checklist to mark each page of the application as OK, attention needed or not applicable. Pages marked OK or not applicable do not require further action from the district. However, pages marked as attention needed must be edited prior to resubmitting the application to KDE.
Pages marked as attention needed on the checklist will also include notes from your consultant on why the page was not approved and what needs to be done to address the issue. Please read the feedback carefully to ensure you address all components of the identified issue and reach out to your consultant with any questions.
As a reminder, districts are not able to draw down on funds until the entire consolidated application has been marked as KDE consultant approved. Addressing issues in a timely manner will help ensure your application is approved as soon as possible so you can begin drawing down on funds.
2023-2024 Title I, Part A Comparability Report Due Nov. 1
Section 1118 of the 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 window for gathering data for the comparability report is between the last day of the second month of school (a school month is 20 teaching days) and Oct. 31 of the current school year. Often this timeframe will be Sept. 30-Oct. 31, inclusive, but this may depend on district calendars.
The 2023-2024 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 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 2023-2024 comparability report.
In Case You Missed It: ‘Parent and Family Engagement: Parents of Private School Students’
On July 13, ESEANow (formerly Title1Admin) featured an article titled, "Smart Start: Parent and Family Engagement: Parents of Private School Students” that highlighted the requirement to provide parent and family engagement activities for parents of private school students who receive Title I services.
Services and activities must be implemented by the district (or a district representative, such as the Title I teacher) and must be comparable to those provided to families of students attending public schools. Activities must be planned and implemented after meaningful consultation with private school officials and parents and families.
Required activities include:
- Monitoring and ensuring that effective, ongoing communication occurs between the Title I teacher and parents of Title I participants concerning students’ academic success. [See ESSA 1117(a)(1)(B).]
- Implementing and monitoring for success a learning compact between the district and the parents of the private school participants. [See ESSA 1117(a)(1)(B).]
Beyond the required activities, districts should consider the role they can play in parent conferences and aiding in communication with private school teachers and parents regarding the academic achievement of students served. The district also should provide assistance to parents of private school students served by Title I in understanding topics such as monitoring a child’s progress at home and working with educators to improve the achievement of their children.
Refer to C-34 of the updated Providing Equitable Services to Eligible Private School Children, Teachers and Families Non-Regulatory Guidance for more information.
It is important to note that Title I funds used for private school parent and family engagement activities can only be used to support families of students who receive Title I services – not necessarily those who generate funds and not the private school student body as a whole.
Time for Parent Notifications
The beginning of the school year is the time for sharing with families the annual testing transparency letter. This may include a stand-alone letter and/or information included in a handbook or posted to the district website.
The letter must inform parents of their right to request the state or local policy on student participation in state testing. The notification includes the following information:
- Subject matter assessed.
- Purpose for which the assessment is designed and used.
- Source of the requirement for the assessment.
- Where such information is available: Amount of time students will spend taking the assessment, the schedule for the assessment, and the time and format for disseminating the results.
Please refer to the sample notice of Testing Transparency linked in the Title I Handbook. [See ESSA 1112(e)(2).]
In addition to the testing transparency notification, all parents must receive notification of their right to request teacher qualifications. [See ESSA 1112(e)(1(a).] As with the testing transparency letter, this notification may include a stand-alone letter and/or information included in a handbook or posted on the district website).
While the right to request teacher qualifications letter is a general letter to all families, a specific letter also must be sent to families when students have been taught for four consecutive weeks by a teacher that does not meet state certification standards. [See ESSA 1112(e)(1)(B)(ii).]
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services: Please Share Information about Medicaid Renewals with Families
Did you know 50% of Kentucky's children rely on Medicaid and Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program (KCHIP) for health coverage? As part of back-to-school season, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) is asking the Medicaid community to help ensure not losing health coverage is at the top of families’ to-do lists this year.
To help spread this message, CHFS has created a flyer about health coverage that is available for download. This material can be printed and shared with families during back-to-school events and placed throughout school facilities in places of high visibility, such as bulletin boards and break areas.
For additional information and resources related to the unwinding and the return of member renewals, please visit the Medicaid Public Health Emergency Unwinding website.
Thank you for partnering with us to help raise awareness.
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