|
|
Weekly Blast
August 15, 2024
|
|
Choice Ready Workshop Follow-up
We want to thank all educators who attended one of the two Choice Ready workshops for taking the time out of their busy schedules to learn more about this key metric. As a follow-up to the training, we would like to share the following key information.
For staff unable to attend one of the workshops, we recorded the Mandan event. The recording is available here.
PowerPoint Presentations
Choice Ready Grant Opportunity
At the workshops, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) announced a grant opportunity to strengthen our Choice Ready Framework and enable more students to graduate Choice Ready.
- The Choice Ready grant applications are due September 6, 2024.
- The following information is posted on our Choice Ready application website:
- Choice Ready Application
- ACT Tutoring
- Online Courses
- Dual Credit
Submit completed application to dpiasstsupt@nd.gov.
If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Matze at (701) 328-2284.
|
 Valley City Public Schools Spur Innovation
The Valley City Public School District, under the leadership of Josh Johnson, is finding innovative ways to expand health and wellness services to students by creating a Virtual Health Access Room. This project is a partnership between Essentia Health, Medica, and Valley City Public Schools. Earlier this week, a media event and 2024 wellness fair was held. Starting on August 21, 2024, students will be able to connect with a provider virtually in a setting that reduces barriers to care, such as travel time. The story is featured on Valley News Live. This story is also featured on the online newsroom at EssentiaHealth.org. Kudos to the Valley City School District!
 At a recent virtual open house, the North Dakota Center for Distance Education (NDCDE) provided school leaders with updates on its services and offerings. Key topics included the launch of a new virtual learning onboarding course, which is free and will be automatically assigned to middle school students this fall, and new enrollment policies designed to help ensure student accountability and school autonomy under the state's virtual school choice law. The session also covered NDCDE's transition to competency-based education and highlighted changes to course offerings. Key documents from the training are accessible via QR codes included in the above graphic. NDCDE will host additional virtual open houses for learning coaches and elementary parents later this fall.
|
|
Title I Schoolwide and Targeted Assistance Training
We are happy to announce a one-day Title I Schoolwide and Targeted Assistance training. Schools with new Title I personnel or those needing a refresher are strongly encouraged to attend. This training includes information pertaining to Title I Schoolwide and Targeted Assistance programs, participation in the schoolwide planning year, best practices, and resources. Any school interested in participating in the schoolwide planning year is required to attend.
Date: September 26, 2024
Time: 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM (Lunch is on your own.)
Place: North Dakota State Capitol, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Bismarck, ND - Brynhild Haugland Room
Fee: No cost (Title I funds may be used for reimbursement of travel expenses)
If you have any questions regarding this training, please contact one of the following:
Angie Richter
Assistant Director
Title I Program
amrichter@nd.gov
(701) 328-2287
|
Michelle Siegfried
Program Administrator
Title I Schoolwide Program
mlsiegfried@nd.gov
(701) 328-3544
|
Shelley Thurow
Administrative Assistant
Title I Program
sjthurow@nd.gov
(701) 328-2958
|
An email containing the agenda will be sent out prior to the event.
The deadline to register is September 24 at 5 PM. Click here to register.
|
|
|
Budgeting for the 2024-2025 Consolidated Application Due THURSDAY, August 29, 2024
Final allocations have been posted on the Consolidated Application webpage under the Federal Allocations for Title I, II, III, and IV accordion.
The NDDPI staff continues to review and approve Consolidated Applications. Within 5-7 business days of approval of the Consolidated Application narrative, the NDDPI staff will create a budget(s) for the associated federal Title program(s) with all funds represented in the unobligated object code (950). Districts will then need to follow these steps to obligate funds and enter program activities:
Districts will receive an email notification when the budget has been created and opened. Please follow these Consolidated Application Budget Steps to obligate funds and enter program activities:
- Log into WebGrants
- Select "Grants" in the left menu.
- Select the grant you are working on.
- Notice the awarded amount at the top of the page. This amount has been prepopulated in the "unobligated" category.
- Under the "Grant Components" tab, select "Contract Amendment.”
- Select "Add Amendment.”
- Be sure the Status = "Editing" and Amendment Type = "Initial Budget" (if you need to change to these, select from the dropdown lists).
- Enter "Initial Budget" in the Title line.
- SAVE form.
- Select "Edit Amendment."
- In the "Budget" tab, select "Edit Form" to add the Amendment Justification.
- Input “Initial Budget” in the narrative box for the initial justification.
- Select "Save Form" and "Mark as Complete.”
- Add a row for each program activity within the correct object code section.
- Provide a specific brief description of the program activity. Use similar verbiage for related activities across object code sections.
Budgets are due by Thursday, August 29, 2024. Guidance and training videos are available here:
Additional training resources will be posted on the Consolidated Application webpage. For questions, please reach out to any of the Consolidated Application contacts.
|
Updates and Clarification on Object Code Categories
The NDDPI has updated and clarified how items should be coded. Please refer to this document when budgeting funds, which can also be found within WebGrants under each budget category. The key changes are within the below categories:
Object code 700 (Property & Equipment Inventory)
Equipment is defined as tangible property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost that equals or exceeds $5,000.
- Capital expenditures
- Include funds an entity spends to buy, maintain, or improve its fixed assets, such as buildings, vehicles, equipment, or land
- Subrecipients must obtain written approval before spending federal funds on capital expenditures over $5,000
Object code 600 (Supplies & Materials)
Supplies are defined as all tangible property that is not equipment. A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is less than $5,000, regardless of the length of its useful life.
|
|
|
 Cognia Accreditation Engagement Review Training
OPTION 1: In-person training
This Accreditation Engagement Review training will cover the current Performance Standards and protocol and offer North Dakota specific information. Plan on bringing your school improvement team for a day of essential training. The afternoon of guided work time will provide protected work time with your team plus Cognia representatives will be available to answer questions. Districts and schools with a review scheduled for 2024-2025, 2025-2026, and 2026-2027 should plan on attending. If your review is later, don’t worry. All are welcome to attend.
- Bismarck, ND: September 17, 2024 – register here
- Minot, ND: September 18, 2024 – register here
- Fargo, ND: September 25, 2024 – register here
- Grand Forks, ND: September 26, 2024 – register here
OPTION 2: Online training
Not able to attend the in-person training. You can also take the Preparing for the Engagement Review training online, which is included free of charge with your Cognia membership. Your team can take the training online through the Asynchronous Course or the Virtual Live Training. The Asynchronous course is self-paced, and you will need to complete all the modules. I would recommend enrolling in this course regardless which training method you choose since it gives you access to all the resources. You can revisit the course to get specific information of the protocol and requirements for the review. Your second online option is the Virtual Live Engagement Review training which involves three sessions. You are required to attend two 90-minute sessions and one 60-minute session. You can register for either training at Accreditation Training.
|
|
2024-2025 Amira Update FAQ
In early August North Dakota schools and districts received correspondence from Amira regarding Amira license counts needed for the 2024-2025 school year. This step in the process is critical for the NDDPI to understand the amount of funding needed in WebGrants for each district.
Q: Is the state paying for Amira for the 2024-2025 school year?
A: Yes, the state has funding for continued support for 2024-2025.
Q: Our district did not use Amira in 2023-2024 but would like to for the upcoming school year. Can we sign up now?
A: Yes. To connect your school or district with Amira Learning, please indicate your interest on the North Dakota Sign Up form.
Q: Our district struggled to get student usage numbers during 2023-2024. Can we try again in 2024-2025?
A: In our correspondence last year, for districts to qualify for continuation funding covering the 2024-2025 school year, the district must have documented student usage within Amira Learning.
Those districts that had limited usage should have an implementation plan in place and are being considered on a case-by-case basis.
Should you have questions on your district’s standing, please reach out to Ann Ellefson.
|
|
|
Webinar- Setting Up for a Successful Year: Building Curiosity in the Classroom
This webinar will discuss the culture of classrooms and how to create opportunities for curiosity, giftedness, and twice exceptionalities. Participants will learn what happens in students’ brains when curiosity is piqued, and how to set the stage for inquiry through the use of curiosity.
To learn more and register click here.
|
|
|
Effective Math Instruction Professional Development Opportunities
To learn more about all the upcoming workshops that are available and to register, click here.
|
|
|
 |
|
The middle school virtual play-in round is October 23, 2024, with the in-person finals being held November 20, 2024. Note, the in-person middle school finals will be held at NDSU this year.
Registrations will open this fall, if you have any questions, please email ndcybermadness@k12.nd.us.
|
 |
|
The high school virtual play-in round will be held January 16 - 18, 2025, with the in-person finals on February 13 - 14, 2025. The high school in-person finals will be held at Bismarck State College.
Registrations will open this fall, if you have any questions, please email ndcybermadness@k12.nd.us
|
|
|
PowerSchool Workshops
Monday August 19
-
PowerSchool New Administrator Training – Minot 9:00 AM CT, New Admin
Wednesday August 21
Thursday August 22
|
|
|
PD Opportunity for CareerViewXR Virtual Career Exploration
CareerViewXR is offering a Professional Development course to help educators learn how to use CareerViewXR in schools.
Click here to learn more. To register through NDSU for PD credit, click here.
For Questions, contact Lisa Metzger.
|
|
|
Register Before August 20
This two-day training provides crucial information for everyone involved in the education of English learners (EL) at the instructional, coordination, and administrative levels.
Day one is geared toward school administrators and EL coordinators by covering EL and Title III regulations and how to set up a quality English learner program. Day two targets classroom/content teachers, EL teachers, EL coordinators, and administrators through discussion of implementation of the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition (as required by ND Century Code) and moving into instructional strategies and resources for use in the classroom.
This year’s EL Crash Course is being provided FREE OF CHARGE by the NDDPI Office of Indian/Multicultural Education, EL Programs Office. However, registration is required and only open through August 20. On-site registrations will not be accepted. To register click here.
|
|
|
Free PD for all ND Educators
The NDDPI EL Programs Office is excited to provide FREE professional development opportunities for all ND educators! There are 12 free self-paced eWorkshops ranging from one hour to four hours in length. All 12 courses are eligible for the 2024-25 EL Café Credit and are available from 9/1/2024 through 8/31/2025 in the WIDA Secure Portal. If you don’t have a Secure Portal account yet, your district’s EL Coordinator can create one for you. Click here to view this year's topics.
|
|
|
MIS01 LEA Directory and MIS02 School Directory Now Open for 2024-2025
This report is due September 9, and it is crucial as it provides updated and accurate personnel information. The NDDPI uses the data to update our listserv. You can email Jill Frohlich now to be added to the listserv as soon as possible to ensure you receive critical information before the report's due date.
|
|
|
|
October training is open to anyone who works with children transporting on school buses, including those with medical needs, behavioral challenges, IEPs, wheelchair users, etc.
To view informative flyer, and register, click here.
|
|
|
|
|
