Title I News

April 2024

Volume 8, Issue 4

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'"

― Robin Williams

As the flowers bloom and the days grow longer, we find ourselves immersed in the vibrant energy of spring – a season teeming with possibilities and new beginnings.

Just as nature undergoes a transformation, so too does our approach to education. It is a time for us to harness this renewal and breathe life into innovative strategies that invigorate our students' learning experiences.

In this season of growth and rejuvenation, let us seize the opportunity to cultivate fresh ideas and initiatives that will empower our students to flourish.

Stakeholder Engagement Strategies

Spring is the time to reach out to all stakeholders for feedback as you plan for the upcoming school year. Engaging stakeholders in Title I districts is crucial for ensuring effective implementation and achieving desired outcomes.

Districts should use multiple avenues to gain feedback during the planning process. Consider these strategies as you move forward with your planning activities this year:

• Surveys: Implement regular surveys to gather feedback from parents and families about their experiences with the engagement policies. Use this feedback to assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Remember to document how the survey results were reviewed, analyzed and used to inform revisions to the program.
• Parent Advisory Committees: Establish committees comprised of parents and family members to provide ongoing input and evaluation of the engagement policies. These committees can meet regularly to discuss successes, challenges and suggestions for improvement.
• Interagency Collaboration: Foster collaboration between the school district, local preschools, childcare providers and relevant government agencies to coordinate services and resources for preschool-aged children. This can include joint planning meetings, sharing of resources and aligning curriculum and standards.
• Stakeholder Workgroups: Form workgroups comprised of diverse stakeholders – including families, teachers, administrators and community members – to collaboratively develop district and schoolwide plans. Ensure representation from various demographics and perspectives.
• Data-Informed Decision Making: Use data analysis to inform the development of plans, including student performance data, demographic trends and needs assessments. Ensure that plans are grounded in evidence and tailored to address specific challenges and opportunities.
• Regular Review and Revision: Establish a process for regular review and revision of district and schoolwide plans based on ongoing monitoring, evaluation and feedback. Plans should be dynamic documents that evolve in response to changing needs and circumstances.

These are just a few examples that highlight the range of evaluation activities districts undertake during the planning phase for a new school year.

Don’t forget – it’s imperative to maintain robust documentation of all strategies employed. This evidence, such as agendas, sign-in sheets and comprehensive meeting minutes, is essential for ensuring accountability, monitoring progress and facilitating informed decision-making in adapting strategies throughout the school year. Be sure to organize and store all documentation systematically in the event that your district is selected for Title I, Part A monitoring.

A Principal's Perspective – Funding Field Trips with Title I Funds

This new section of the Title I Newsletter is dedicated to supporting and educating Title I principals. Here we will feature updates, insights and resources specifically tailored to principals at Title I schools, creating a welcoming and informative space for them to engage and receive timely direction related to their work.

Title I coordinators are welcome to share this content with principals, or even invite them to subscribe to the Title I Newsletter. Principals wishing to receive this newsletter directly may subscribe by emailing Erin Sudduth.

What are appropriate ways schools may use Title I funds to pay for field trips? Springtime is a common time to take students out beyond the walls of the school building. The weather is getting better, many cultural events or exhibits are planned during this time, and teachers and students are looking forward to some end-of-year celebrations.

While it can be allowable to use Title I funds for field trips, schools should do so with caution and planning. Inappropriate federal spending on field trips for purposes other than education are prohibited and can result in a required action to pay back funds in the event the district is selected for monitoring.

It is recommended to consider adopting a procedure whereby all federally funded field trips require a lesson plan in order to be approved. Staff should be able to show strong evidence of planning before, during and after the field trip to demonstrate educational value.

Field trips funded by federal dollars cannot be used purely for entertainment purposes or as rewards or incentives. The use of funds for those purposes would be in violation of the Uniform Grants Guidance allowable costs standard in 2 CFR 200.403 and standards around entertainment found in 2 CFR 200.438.

Another point to consider when planning field trips is lunchtime. Consider developing a clear plan to feed children while traveling that is in line with federal funds. Think outside the box to find other sources of funding while traveling, such as general funds or brown bag lunches from the cafeteria. During the summertime, check on the availability of summer feeding programs. Student lunches for field trips should not be purchased with Title I funds.

For Title I Coordinators: In case you missed it, ESEA Now, a publication containing resources related to educational programs in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), published an article on Jan. 25, 2024, called Using ESEA funds to support field trips not out of the question. The article provides some helpful sample requirements to consider, such as providing hands-on activities supporting state academic content standards or requiring lesson plans. Reviewing this article as well as the Kentucky-specific information in this newsletter can help you to provide guidance and direction to your school-level leadership.

Open Title I, Part A Projects and Associated Deadlines

Keeping up with multiple open projects at once can be challenging. We will continue to provide you with this chart to help you keep track of all projects and deadlines. Don’t forget to align your GMAP application and MUNIS spending as needed. We recommend at least a quarterly alignment.

In This Issue

• Open Title I, Part A Projects and Associated Deadlines
• Final FY24 Allocations in GMAP
• Stakeholder engagement strategies (CDIP/CSIP, policy evaluation, coordination of preschool)
• A Principal’s Perspective: Field Trips with Title I Funds
• New Consultant Joins Division of School and Program Improvement

New Consultant Joins Division of School and Program Improvement

We welcomed a new consultant, Christen Montgomery, to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) on Feb. 16.

Montgomery will work with the Title I, Part C (migrant education) and Title I, Part A programs. She has begun transitioning into working with districts and can be reached at (502) 564-3791, ext. 4048.

Final FY24 Allocations in GMAP

As a reminder, final allocations are now uploaded in the Grant Management Application and Planning system (GMAP) for the FY2024 application. If your district's allocation changed and you have not already done so, please revisit your application to make the necessary adjustments to balance the budget in your application.

Coordinator's Year at a Glance – Suggested Tasks for April

– Conduct other stakeholder consultations on the development of the district/school Title I plan, such as a Comprehensive District Improvement Plan or Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. Stakeholders include parents/families, private schools, homeless education programs, migrant education programs, English learner programs and school leadership teams.

– Conduct annual evaluation of district parent and family engagement policy.

– Evaluate the services with local neglected or delinquent facilities, if your district serves one of these facilities. As a reminder, a list of facilities can be accessed by clicking “Help for Current Page” on the District Set-Aside page of the GMAP application. Develop a plan for ongoing consultation for the upcoming school year.

– Consult with the local homeless liaison to determine the number of homeless students and amount to reserve for the required set-aside of Title I funds.

– Consult with eligible private schools and obtain affirmation of consultation with participating private school officials.

– Consult with local early childhood stakeholders (Exceptional Children, Pre-K, Head Start, etc.) to coordinate early childhood services (Title I Pre-K) as appropriate.

Monthly Title I Webinar

The March webinar and accompanying PowerPoint are available on the Title I, Part A Documents and Resources webpage. During the webinar, information centered around the extension of the American Recovery Plan (ARP) liquidation period, evaluation of schoolwide program effectiveness and implementation, and the importance of sharing information with principals of Title I schools.

The April webinar will be held at 10 a.m. ET on April 25. A reminder email will be sent before the webinar.

We value your feedback and would like to learn more about what is helpful and what you would like to see more of in the monthly webinars.

We are keeping the webinar feedback survey open so you can continue to submit comments, ideas and questions. The Title I Monthly Webinar Feedback Survey can be accessed online. The survey is optional and responses are anonymous. The feedback will be used to help ensure the monthly webinars meet your needs.

CONTACTS

Title I District Consultant List