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April 28, 2022
Amendment Process for ARP and ESSER Funds Spending Plans Now Available
The amendment process for the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds (finance codes 160 and FIN 161) spending plans is now available! Districts are able to add newly identified spending needs to their approved applications up to one time every quarter of the fiscal year.
Please check the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Federal Relief Funds page for the amendment document (under the “Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund (ESSER)” drop-down) and watch your email for a message from John Ford sharing a SharePoint site for upload.
Join us in one of two upcoming sessions to support you in learning the amendment process (1:30 p.m. on May 2, 2022, and 9:30 a.m. on May 10, 2022). See the MDE calendar for more details. Contact John Ford if there are questions.
New Grants Provide Tuition-Free Pathways for Students in Foster Care
The cost of higher education is a barrier for many Minnesotans. The Fostering Independence Higher Education Grants is a financial aid program that seeks to eliminate that barrier for Minnesota students who were in the foster care system.
Minnesota residents under age 27 and who were in the Minnesota foster care system at any point after their thirteenth birthday may be eligible for a grant to cover the cost of tuition at any eligible Minnesota public, participating private, or Tribal College. Accessing the grant is as simple as filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) OR Minnesota Dream Act application.
Learn more about the Fostering Independence Grant on the Office of Higher Education (OHE) website.
U.S. Department of Education Study of Title IV, Part A
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has an upcoming national study of state and district implementation of Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ED has contracted with Abt Associates to conduct the study. The study is designed to examine how states are implementing the Title IV, Part A program during the 2021-22 school year, as well as how districts are using their Federal Fiscal Year 2021 Title IV, Part A funds and the successes and challenges they have experienced during implementation. Findings from the study will provide important information to policymakers about the implementation of Title IV, Part A across states and districts. The study will include a survey of all State Title IV, Part A Coordinators and a survey of a nationally representative sample of District Title IV, Part A Coordinators (30 districts and charter schools from Minnesota were selected).
Recipients of Title IV, Part A funds are expected to cooperate in ED evaluations (Education Department General Administrative Regulations [EDGAR] [34 C.F.R. § 76.591]). Information collected for this survey comes under the confidentiality and data protection requirements of the Institute of Education Sciences (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183). Responses to this data collection will be used by the U.S. Department of Education, its contractors, and collaborating researchers only for statistical purposes. While individual states may be identified in reporting, individual respondents will not be identified. The study has been approved by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB No. 1850-0968). The Department will not provide information that identifies respondents to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law.
Selected local educational agencies (LEAs) should have been notified with an email from Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) SSAE_Study@abtassoc.com and the survey details will be sent within the next month.
Program Highlight: Title II, Part A – Revisions to the Title II, Allowable Eligible Activities and Expenditures Document
The Title II, Part A team, in collaboration with the Title II, Part A Advisory Committee, has revised the Allowable Eligible Activities and Expenditures document to include additional information and clarifications. The updates include allowable object codes to be used for each activity. This revised document can be found on the MDE Title II, Part A website.
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Student Information Collected on June 1, 2022
The Minnesota Department of Education will be collecting information from the following identification information systems via the Ed-Fi and Student Support Data Collection (SSDC) Systems on June 1, 2022:
- Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE)
- Immigrant
- Active Duty Parent (ADP)
- Recently Arrived English Learners (RAEL)
Only students identified in the SSDC and Ed-Fi on June 1, 2022, will be included for reporting, funding, and accountability purposes.
Students will appear in the SSDC system with a recent error-free MARSS submissions. Only approved SSDC Coordinators will be able to access the secure SSDC system to identify students. The identification for SLIFE, Immigrant, ADP, and RAEL exist in the Ed-Fi System. Districts are encouraged to ensure they are using Ed-Fi for this process.
To find the person assigned as the SSDC Coordinator for a district, please visit the MDE Organization Reference Glossary.
More information on the definitions of each identification system and how to use the SSDC system can be found on the Student Support Data Collection site.
For assistance with questions about the immigrant children and youth identification, please contact Michael Bowlus (651-582-8254).
If there are general SSDC questions or questions about SLIFE or RAEL identification, please contact Michelle Niska (651-582-8323).
If there are questions about Active Duty Parent identification, please contact Michael Diedrich (651-582-8332).
Upcoming Training Opportunities
Join the MDE Student Access and Opportunity staff for upcoming trainings. All links to join can be found on the MDE Calendar. There is no need to register unless otherwise noted.
ARP ESSER III amendment process overview for LEAs
This session will describe the amendment process for LEAs to update ARP ESSER III (FIN 160 and 161) spending plans.
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English Learner Coordinator Webinar
The English Learner (EL) Coordinator webinars are monthly web events for new and experienced EL program leaders and coordinators in Minnesota. Monthly topics vary and are based on timely information from the Minnesota Department of Education. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions to EL Education specialists and others from MDE during each webinar.
Setting SMART Goals for World's Best Work Force – May 5, 2022
Provide participants with an overview of what SMART Goals are, strategies for developing SMART goals, and a clear articulation of how SMART Goals can be used to achieve a World’s Best Workforce. Essential Details: Before the workshop, all registrants will receive a Microsoft Teams calendar invite via the email address provided in the registration form.
Title IV, Part A Overview and High-Quality Program Design
This interactive training will share guidance on how to develop high-quality Title IV, Part A programs in both public and nonpublic settings. The session will provide an up-to-date overview of Title IV, Part A, including the special spending rules, the needs assessment, community consultation, and the three categories. Participants are encouraged to bring any questions about Title IV, Part A to the training.
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