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"For last year's words belong to last year's language, and next year's words await another voice."
― T.S. Eliot
Winter months are the perfect time to look ahead to the opportunities that the new year will bring. This season offers a valuable chance to plan ahead, set new goals and prepare for the challenges and successes of the upcoming school year.
As Title I Part A coordinators, your role in supporting schools to maximize their resources and strategies has never been more important. Use this time to refine approaches, anticipate needs and ensure that you’re fully prepared to empower students and educators in the year to come.
Time and Effort – Multiple Cost Objectives
Last month, we looked at documenting time and effort for employees who work solely on a single cost objective. This month, let’s explore effective time and effort documentation for staff who work from multiple cost objectives.
“Multiple cost objectives” represent multiple functions, grants or activities. An employee works on multiple cost objectives if their salary and wages cannot be supported in full by each of the federal awards on which they are working, or from the federal award alone if their salary is also paid with non-federal funds. Consider the following examples:
- A professional learning coach works part time supporting the professional development activities of the school and part time as a math interventionist working directly with students. Because professional development to teachers and intervention to students are two separate activities, this is an example of multiple cost objectives.
- A teacher works part time as a Title III interventionist for English learner (EL) students and is paid with Title III funds, and also works part time in a 3rd-grade classroom as supplementary classroom reduction, paid out of Title I. Because the EL intervention and the classroom reduction are two separate activities, this is an example of multiple cost objectives.
It is important to note that not all activities in a Title I schoolwide program are necessarily Title I activities. Objectives and funding sources should be carefully considered.
A multiple cost objective record supports the portion of time and effort dedicated to:
- The federal program or cost objective; and
- Each other program or cost objective supported by consolidated federal funds or other revenue sources.
The time and effort documentation must reflect an “after-the-fact distribution” of the employee’s actual activity, meaning that the employee must document the actual time they worked on each cost objective after the work is completed. The record must account for the percentage of time for which the employee is paid from each program (not just Title I). The employee should not manipulate the time recorded in order to arrive at a specific percentage.
Consider a Title I coordinator paid 50% from Title I, Part A and 50% from general funds to serve as the district assessment coordinator (DAC). The employee will document the number of hours actually worked on each cost objective each day. It is unlikely that the employee will spend exactly 50% of their time working on each program every day.
At the end of the year, the district should review the documentation from each month, calculating the total time spent on each project and verify that the employee did spend the claimed amount of time on Title I, Part A. If the district’s calculations reveal the employee did not spend the claimed amount of their time on Title I, Part A, the percentage paid from the grant will need to be adjusted accordingly in Enterprise ERP and GMAP.
A common form of time and effort documentation for staff working from multiple cost objectives is a “personnel activity report,” or PAR. This form documents a daily record of time spent on each cost objective performed by an employee. The PAR must be signed by the employee and the supervisor who has first-hand knowledge of the work performed. Signed PARs should be retained in accordance with the district’s time and effort procedures to support documentation of program compliance. A PAR template is located in the Title I, Part A Sample Documents folder.
Initiating Contact with Private/Home School Officials
In the coming months, districts will begin planning for the next school year. This also includes planning for equitable services.
The first step to planning equitable services for private school students is determining which private schools intend to participate in the Title I, Part A program for the upcoming school year. This is commonly referred to as “notification of participation” or “intent to participate.”
Annually, districts must contact officials of each private/home school with children who might reside in the district to determine whether those officials would like for their eligible students to participate in equitable services under Title I, Part A as required by Section 1117(b)(1) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Each district has the responsibility to contact all private and home schools within and outside the district that might have students eligible to participate in Title I programs.
A district may not be aware, however, of every instance in which a student who resides in a participating Title I, Part A public school attendance area attends a private school outside the district. If a private school has students it believes may be eligible for services because they reside in a participating Title I, Part A public school attendance area in another district, and the private school has not been contacted, private school officials should contact the district directly. This will ensure eligible students are considered for services.
A district may create its own notification letter or customize the letter of notification to private schools and participation survey contained in the Title I Sample Documents found on the Title I, Part A Documents and Resources webpage. This document is unique to the Title I, Part A program and is sent annually to private/home school officials to determine their interest in participating in equitable services under Title I, Part A. The letter includes a brief description of the services, as well as the Non-Public School Participation Survey.
Districts may send this form by certified mail to document receipt of the form by private/home school officials. Other methods to document the sending of the notification could include an email with a read receipt, screenshots of invitations sent or a picture of an addressed, stamped envelope. Documentation of the notification should be maintained, even if the private school declines to participate.
The district does not submit any documentation to KDE regarding Title I, Part A private school participation unless selected for monitoring. In that case, the district would need to provide evidence the notification letter was sent to applicable private/home schools to show they are meeting the requirement.
Once returned, the surveys will be used to: identify the schools wishing to participate; help plan and initiate consultation; help with data collection; and help with completing the Title I, Part A application.
A district may set a reasonable deadline – taking into consideration private/home school schedules – for private/home school officials to indicate their intent to participate. When doing so, a district must provide clear and sufficient notice of the deadline, identify potential consequences for not meeting the deadline and give adequate time for private/home school officials to respond.
Don't confuse the notification of participation with the declaration of participation!
The Title I letter of notification to private schools is not to be confused with the Private, Non-profit (PNP) Schools Declaration of Participation for Title II-A, Title IV-A and IDEA-B assurance forms and the Private, Non-profit Schools and Home Schools Declaration of Participation for Title III-EL assurance forms. These documents are commonly referred to as the “declaration of participation” and are for private schools and home schools physically located in your school district’s geographic boundaries for Title II-A, Title IV-A, IDEA-B and Title III-EL. This process is now completed annually in GMAP, and the deadline has been moved forward from the spring. This process is separate from the Title I invitation to participate, and should have been completed by Dec. 15, 2024.
The Title I letter of notification to private schools may be sent at the same time as the Declaration of Participation at the district’s discretion. Please note that the timeline to conduct the initial consultation meetings and complete the equitable services packet with participating private schools has not changed.
For more information on the PNPs and the declaration of participation, visit KDE’s Declaration of Participation webpage. Additional Title I, Part A equitable services resources can be found on KDE’s Title I, Part A Documents and Resources webpage and the Non-Public School Ombudsman webpage.
Principal's Perspective: Effective Transitions
Did you know that all schools receiving Title I, Part A funds are required to demonstrate activities that support smooth transitions between grade levels? Spring is on the horizon and with it comes an opportunity to support your students as they look to their future.
Consider the plans your school has in place to support the following transitions:
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Preschool to Kindergarten: Ensuring a seamless transition from early childhood programs to the formal structure of kindergarten. Many schools provide kindergarten camps or “jump start” programs that guide students and their parents through the process of preparing to enter elementary school. These programs may include activities related to diagnostic assessments and academic preparation, as well as logistical information for students surrounding the structure of the school day, eating in the cafeteria and riding the bus.
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Elementary to Secondary School: Whether students are moving from elementary to middle school or middle to high school, there will be many adjustments! Schools should consider how to prepare outgoing students for the increased academic expectations and changing social dynamics they are likely to encounter at the next level. Common transition supports in both grade spans includes: counselors visiting incoming students at the elementary and middle schools to discuss scheduling and extracurricular activities; field trips to the middle and high schools to tour the building and meet administrators; and pairing new students with an older student mentor.
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High School to College/Career: Focus on preparing students for the next step, whether that’s entering college, vocational training, the military or the workforce. Visits from college and military representatives, informational sessions on all available opportunities as well as job shadowing and work study programs will help students familiarize themselves with all their options. Some schools also provide support to help students adjust to living on their own for the first time, such as information on budgeting and financial responsibility or practice honing the soft skills that potential employers value. Intentional transition activities can go a long way in helping prepare young adults to enter the “real world.”
It’s recommended that your school create a written plan outlining its transition activities. This documentation will be valuable if your district is monitored for Title I compliance. In addition to the written plan, gathering supporting evidence – such as flyers, invitations and samples of parent/student communications – will strengthen your ability to demonstrate that your school is meeting the requirement for effective transition strategies.
By proactively planning and documenting your school’s transition activities, you help ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have the support they need to succeed at each stage of their educational journey.
Open Title I, Part A Projects and Associated Deadlines
Please review the table below and make note of the approaching deadlines regarding the obligation and expenditure of funds from all open Title I, Part A projects.
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Fiscal Year (FY)
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Period of Award
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85% Obligation
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All Funds Spent or Encumbered
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Final Federal Cash Request
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FY2023
(Project 310J)
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July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2025
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Sept. 30, 2023
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June 30, 2025
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Aug. 30, 2025
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FY2024
(Project 310K)
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July 1, 2023 - Sept. 30, 2025
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Sept. 30, 2024
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Sept. 30, 2025
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Nov. 14, 2025
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FY2025
(Project 310L)
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July 1, 2024 - Sept. 30, 2026
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Sept. 30, 2025
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Sept. 30, 2026
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Nov. 13, 2026
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