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Weekly Blast - February 4, 2022

FY 2022 REAP Master Eligibility Spreadsheet Now Available for Review

The USED recently shared the Master Eligibility Spreadsheet for REAP programming with State Education Departments (SEAs). The spreadsheet shows eligibility information and estimated SRSA & RLIS allocations for the 2022-2023 school year. Access the chart here.

Questions regarding REAP programs can be directed to:

Helpful ESSER Resources The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) COVID-19 Funding Website has many ESSER funds and claims resources. Below are some specific items to look at if you are new to ESSER or looking to refresh your knowledge. WebGrants User Guide – A valuable guide for navigating the WebGrants platform. Under the Guidance tab, there are many helpful documents, including coding guidance and additional Frequently Asked Questions from the USED. Beneficial resources under Training ESSER Guidance Training ESSER Monitoring Using ESSER Funding for Construction (if relevant) Capital Expenditures - Capital expenditures include the funds an entity spends to buy, maintain, or improve its fixed assets, such as buildings, vehicles, equipment, or land that cost more than $5,000. If this applies to expenditures in the district, review the capital expenditures area regarding requirements and pre-approval. Reporting - Currently, no ESSER reports are due. The next ESSER reporting task will be due in April and will include reporting on expenditures made during the 2020-2021 school year and plans for allocating remaining ESSER funds. NDDPI is currently waiting on finalized requirements from the USED and hopes to start data collection in late February. ESSER I Quarterly reports are no longer required, as NDDPI has streamlined the reporting process and no longer needs quarterly reports. With ESSER-related questions, please contact Anne Butterworth at (701) 328-4051. With assistance navigating WebGrants, please contact Jayse Bender at (701) 328-2993.

Missing National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Data Options Due to COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) issued a suite of nationwide waivers that are effective through June 30, 2022, to support access to nutritious meals. Therefore, many local educational agencies (LEAs) will not have NSLP data, which ordinarily would have been collected through household applications during school years (SYs) 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.  On January 12, 2022, the USED disseminated a fact sheet outlining options for State Educational Agencies (SEAs) and LEAs to successfully implement their ESEA programs during SYs 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 when complete NSLP data from their SYs 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 are not available due to the USDA waivers.  A team of NDDPI staff reviewed the USDE fact sheet to see which options are feasible for North Dakota school districts. We generated a chart outlining the options available to districts in North Dakota for the processes requiring NSLP data.  If you have any questions regarding NSLP, please contact Amanda Peterson at (701) 328-3545.

Deadline Approaching for Initial Waiver Applications of High School Unit Instructional Time and Four-Day School Week!

Initial High School Instructional Unit Time Waivers and Four-day School Week Waivers are due March 1, by 5:00 pm CST. Extension waivers are due July 1, by 5:00 pm CST.

More information on the provisions of both of these waivers, along with fillable waiver application forms and a Frequently Asked Questions document, are available on the NDDPI website. If you have any further questions, contact Joe Kolosky at (701) 328-2755.

If you need assistance finding your waiver or would like to inquire where your district/school stands with your extension, please contact Kelsie Howes at (701) 328-4571.

Entry-Level Driver Training for Bus Drivers Starting on February 7, 2022, the Training Provider Registry will improve highway safety by ensuring entry-level drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) complete training as required by the new Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations. The basic workflow will be: Anyone wanting to be a CDL trainer needs to meet the training requirements, register with the Training Provider Registry, and cover the curriculum. Anyone wanting to obtain a CDL Class A or B or School Bus (S) endorsement for the first time or upgrade a CDL Class B to a Class A needs to be trained by a registered trainer. The Registered Trainer will upload the training information to the Training Provider Registry. The NDDOT examiner will review/confirm the applicant meets the training requirements before performing the road test. Please see attached document for more detailed information or visit the Training Provider Registry website.  Please contact Steve Snow at (701) 328-2236 with any questions.

ND Rent Help

ND Rent Help was created for people who have fallen behind or are struggling to pay rent and could benefit from help. 

North Dakota renter households may qualify if they: 

• Are earning up to 80% of area median income (AMI), which equals an annual income of up to $80,000 for a family of four depending on the county in which they live;
• Have received unemployment benefits or have experienced financial hardship due to the pandemic since March 13, 2020; and
• Are at risk of housing instability or homelessness due to difficulty affording housing and housing-related costs.
• Households that are experiencing homelessness
• Households that are at imminent risk of eviction
• PRIORITY is being given to:
  • Households earning 50% AMI or less
  • Households that include a member who is currently unemployed and has been unemployed for 90 days or longer.

Please share these resources with anyone in your school district who may benefit! 

Student Engagement Survey Window is OPEN!

The 2021-2022 Student Engagement Survey (SES) will remain open until February 18, 2022. Schools can get support directly from Cognia via their website or their customer support number at (888) 413-3669.

The student link is found here. (Students will use this site to take the survey.)
The administrator link is found here. (Student rosters can be downloaded here.)

The student rosters will have the students’ names and unique test IDs and will be updated nightly starting January 17 using current STARS enrollments. Verify the accuracy of the STARS enrollments if you see discrepancies in the SES roster.

In previous years, schools only received credit for students marked as ‘Committed.’ This year, they will receive points for both ‘Committed’ (2 points) and ‘Compliant’ (1 point). Our goal is a 95% student participation rate to ensure the results best represent the school. Schools will not be penalized if they do not reach the 95% participation goal.

As of February 2, 22,755 of the 86,003 students have taken the survey (26.47%).

If you have any questions, please contact Steve Snow at (701) 328-2236 or Joe Kolosky at (701) 328-2755.

Help is Here: Behavioral Health Resources for Educators

Our North Dakota educators are heroes. The past two years have proven to be some of the hardest for school personnel, with many of us having to change and rethink the way we educate. We understand how difficult these changes and transitions have been, and we are here for you! The North Dakota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health section has many great resources for education personnel. On their website are many free resources on a variety of topics to assist with mental health, coping with stress, and even tips for healthy sleep. 

Please share this website and its resources with any colleagues you feel may benefit. 

North Dakota Indian Child Welfare and Wellness Conference

The 21st annual North Dakota Indian Child Welfare & Wellness Conference, hosted by the Native American Training Institute (NATI), will occur virtually on February 15-17, 2022.

The theme of this year's conference is "The Healing Journey Continues." We will focus on maintaining the family structure while building new and fostering existing relationships that support everyone, regardless of background

To register, please complete the Registration Form and mail, fax, or email it to NATI. Call (701) 255-6374 to learn more, or visit the NATI website or Facebook Page for more information! 

Augmented Reality Science Fair The Augmented Reality Science Fair (ARSF) World Climate Change Challenge is a first-of-its-kind model that complements the traditional science fair model by introducing augmented reality to student STEM research and focuses on climate change innovations. Microsoft TechSpark partnered with STTE Foundation to design and support this challenge to be offered globally at no cost to students! ARSF introduces elementary, middle, and high school students to new technologies, supports STEM education learning, and showcases innovative EdTech solutions to global challenges raised by climate change. Winners will be published in the first-ever AR climate change solution book. The Challenge: We understand there is a virtual learning gap and have created an experiential learning project-based learning competition that is 70% more effective.  We also recognize the importance of climate change in supply-chain and health thus have focused the competition on three distinct climate change tracks students can select from. Environmental Sustainability: Reducing the Carbon Footprint Digital Literacy and Inclusion: Coding Application Solutions Future of Smart Cities: Electric Vehicles Logistics How the Competition Works: Elementary, middle, and high school students select a climate change track, conduct research, and develop solutions. STTE will organize AR development virtual workshops to teach students how to design elements in Augmented Reality. Lastly, students must submit projects via the online form. The top climate change solutions will get published in an interactive AR learning book. We will be awarding scholarships, tech, and cash prizes. Students will have until April to work on their projects, with awards being given in May, and the AR book being published this summer. You can view all the information regarding AR Science Fair Climate Change at the AR Science Fair website.