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“We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives … not looking for flaws, but for potential.”
― Ellen Goodman
Jan. 1 is not merely a date on the calendar, but a symbolic opportunity to explore untapped capacities, embrace the spirit of possibility and envision the boundless potential that lies ahead.
Instead of scrutinizing our surroundings for flaws, let us embark on a journey through the rooms of our professional lives, with eyes attuned to the vast potential awaiting discovery. This year, let our focus shift from patching cracks to unveiling the strengths and opportunities that can propel us toward transformative success.
As Title I coordinators, you play a crucial role in shaping the educational narrative. Let's turn the page to a chapter brimming with promise and growth.
Get Ready to Streamline Administration of Your District's Title I Program
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has contracted with the Public Consulting Group (PCG) to provide Title1Next™, a Title I, Part A document management solution, at no cost to all Kentucky school districts. School districts may register to get started with Title1Next in January or March 2024. More details will be forthcoming. Additional opportunities to register later in 2024 also will be available.
Title1Next is a cloud-based documentation management system that allows district Title I coordinators to quickly disseminate, retrieve, evaluate and approve an unlimited number of compliance documents from Title I schools and principals. The system also allows you to file, organize and store documentation for multiple academic years.
Information on the system features is available on the Title1Next website. Details about the system and registration process also was shared during the monthly KDE Title I webinar for December. The webinar recording is available on the Title I Part A Documents and Resources webpage.
Benefits of Title1Next include:
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Increased operational efficiency: From streamlined data and documentation to built-in program management and communication tools, Title1Next encourages more efficient, collaborative and productive Title I operations within districts and schools.
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Improved compliance and accountability: The integrated monitoring and alert system within Title1Next helps ensure that Kentucky Title I schools submit documentation on time. This documentation also is stored in the cloud for multiple academic years, which is pivotal for meeting record retention requirements and preparing for monitoring.
For more information, please contact the following individuals:
Title I Resource Overview
Are you in need of resources to start your year off right with Title I? Check on the Title I Documents and Resources webpage to review resources like the following:
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Title I, Part A Handbook: The handbook provides a detailed overview of the Title I, Part A program and includes appendices with helpful tools, such as accountability for results and continuous improvement, a suggested timeline for private school consultation and guidance for districts on set-aside funds.
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Title I, Part A sample documents folder: This zip file contains editable templates, such as time and effort documentation, notifications for private schools and a school compact signature form. The documents can be customized to fit the unique needs of each district and school, or provide a good starting place for developing your own forms.
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Safeguarding Assets Purchased with Title I Funds: This document outlines the purpose of safeguarding assets, tagging or labeling purchases and inventory requirements for equipment.
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Allowable Cost Checklist: 2 CFR 200.302(b)(7) requires non-federal entities such as school districts to maintain written allowability procedures as part of their financial management systems. The checklist includes guiding questions districts may want to incorporate into their own procedures to ensure expenditures made with Title I funds meet the reasonable, allocable, necessary and documented requirements.
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GMAP Training Video Series: Videos ranging from five to 20 minutes in length walk you through the completion of each page of the Title I, Part A application in the Grant Management Application and Planning (GMAP) system.
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Monitoring Checklists: The checklists outline all the indicators that will be evaluated by KDE staff during consolidated monitoring, as well as lists required and suggested program documentation. KDE recommends using the checklists to establish a program documentation system to ensure the appropriate items are being saved.
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New Title I Coordinator Webinar and PowerPoint: Particularly useful for new coordinators, this webinar and PowerPoint provide an overview of the Title I, Part A program.
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Past webinars, PowerPoints and Title I newsletters: The monthly newsletters, webinars and accompanying PowerPoints remain posted on the webpage for one year. Coordinators not currently receiving email notifications regarding webinars and newsletters should ensure they are listed as the Title I coordinator in Person Role Manager.
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Consultation Agreement Form: KDE’s equitable services consultation agreement form must be completed with all private schools receiving Title I services.
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Parent and Family Engagement Resources: The effective policy and compact checklists outline the requirements for each document found in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Using these checklists during the document review and revision process helps ensure districts and schools are meeting ESSA requirements.
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Title I, Part A Documentation Training Webinar and PowerPoint: This webinar provides you with general tips for documenting program compliance, as well as a high-level overview of KDE’s monitoring checklists and examples of effective documentation. Establishing a system of documentation helps districts and schools prepare for future monitoring by KDE.
These are only some of the KDE-created resources available to districts and schools on the Title I Documents and Resources webpage. The webpage also includes links to resources from the U.S. Department of Education and other government organizations, such as the National Center for Homeless Education.
Another resource available to districts for the 2023-2024 school year is access to the ESEA Now website (formerly Title1Admin). ESEA Now is an LRP Media Group publication focused on education administration and education law that provides districts with an authoritative, all-in-one hub for learning about and sharing important program components. Subscribers will receive weekly emails with links to articles and resources, as well as access to the website. Please contact Erin Sudduth if you’re unsure of how to access your ESEA Now subscription.
KDE always welcomes feedback on its resources. Please contact Erin Sudduth with any suggestions for other resource and informational documents that would help your district and/or schools.
In Case You Missed It – Annual Parent and Family Engagement Feedback Survey
ESEA Now published an article on April 7 entitled TITLE I TOOLS: Sample form: Annual parent and family engagement feedback survey. The article emphasized the importance of gathering family input on the development of parent and family engagement activities as required by ESEA Section 1116(a)(2)(A).
Within the article, a link for a sample parent survey provides a helpful roadmap to questions that get at the heart of the information that is most helpful for the purposes of evaluating and planning parent and family engagement programming for the following fall.
Remember, districts must conduct an annual evaluation, with meaningful involvement of families, of the content and effectiveness of the district-level parent and family engagement policy in improving the academic quality of all schools served by Title I. Within that evaluation, districts must attempt to identify:
- Barriers to greater participation by parents in activities (with particular attention to parents who are economically disadvantaged, are disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy or are of any racial or ethnic minority background);
- The needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers; and
- Strategies to support successful school and family interactions.
Now is a great time to work ahead and design a survey for your district that will allow you to evaluate the effectiveness of this year’s parent engagement activities and develop a plan and timeline to distribute the survey in the spring.
Once complete, districts also should be able to show how the findings of evaluations are used to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parental involvement, and to revise, if necessary, the parent and family engagement policies described ESSA 1116 (a)(2)(D).
You may wish to go back and revisit the March 2023 Title I, Part A Webinar to review best practice for district parent and family engagement policies and evaluation activities.
Coordinator's Year at a Glance – Suggested Tasks for January
- Utilize the Hold Harmless Notification from KDE for planning purposes for the upcoming school year. Please refer to the December Title I newsletter and December webinar on the Title I, Part A Documents and Resources webpage for more information on the hold harmless notification.
- Establish a plan and timeline for working with other federal programs in the district to coordinate the consolidated application in the next year.
- Contact private school officials to set the consultation calendar for the upcoming application and school year.
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