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We are excited to celebrate an important milestone in the Student Investment Account work - the SIA Grant Application window closed on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Thank you to all who submitted an SIA Grant Application!
- Of the 210 eligible grant recipients, 208 applications or 99% were submitted to ODE.
- Of the 208 applications submitted:
- 49 have been reviewed by ODE staff
- 36 are currently in review
- Of the 49 that have been reviewed:
- 43 of them (88%) have either met application requirements or met application requirements with small changes.
- Six applications (12%) are going through an additional review process to clarify whether they have met application requirements and whether small or significant changes need to be made to their SIA plan.
Keep the big picture in mind. Once an application is reviewed and meets all requirements, applicants will be supported to move through the following steps:
- Establish a Monitoring & Evaluation Framework
- Co-develop longitudinal performance growth targets and a framework. This is a differentiated process by which each applicant and ODE will collaborate to develop longitudinal performance growth targets. Each Monitoring and Evaluation Framework will be comprised of:
- Longitudinal performance growth targets for each of the five common metrics (3rd grade reading, 9th grade on track, regular attendance, 4-year graduation and 5-year completion) including:
- Five-year targets -- where you’ll be as a district in five years (SY 2024-25)
- Baseline and stretch targets -- minimum expectations for progress (baseline) and an ambitious but realistic target (stretch)
- Gap Closing -- how will you begin to close gaps for focal student groups?
- Progress markers set by ODE, which we anticipate sharing in mid-May.
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ODE Initiates Grant Agreement Process. The grant agreement is comprised of four components:
- Body of the agreement
- Exhibit A - A description of the Student Investment Account including activities, reporting requirements and SIA grant monitoring.
- Exhibit B - The monitoring and evaluation framework, including the longitudinal performance growth targets, progress markers and optional local metrics.
- Exhibit C - Insurances
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Grant Recipient Facilitates Public Review of Grant Agreement and Obtains Board Approval. Applicants are required to obtain approval of the grant agreement which includes the monitoring and evaluation framework by the school board at an open meeting following:
- An oral presentation of the SIA plan at an open meeting;
- Opportunity for public comment;
- Made available on the district webpage and at the district office.
4. Grant Recipient Submits Documentation of Board Approval to ODE. Applicants will receive instructions for submitting their signed grant agreement when they receive their customized grant agreement.
As we mentioned in last week’s SIA message, we know many of you are asking important, yet difficult questions about anticipated budgetary implications resulting from COVID-19. Given all of the unknowns and variables, there are more questions than answers and we remain in a holding pattern right now. We will continue to provide updates as there is more information to share and anticipate there will be more clarity following the May economic forecast.
Foundational Year
The start of the 2020-2021 school year marks the first year of implementation and a foundational year - a year to grow comfort and learning across the state. Grant recipients will implement their SIA plans (which extend over three years) and begin monitoring progress toward meeting their longitudinal performance growth targets. The foundational year is unique in that grant recipients are required by law to re-visit each aspect of SIA planning in engaging with focal students, families, staff and community to set four-year plans (which will extend from 2021-2025) with a two-year implementation window. This “repeat” process is both a challenge and a significant opportunity. ODE will allow SIA applicants to adjust their growth targets during the co-development process in the spring and summer of 2021.
Q: I’ve submitted an incomplete SIA Grant Application. What happens next?
A: Thank you for submitting an application by the April 15 deadline! A member of our team will reach out soon to confirm the missing information needed and support you in submitting the additional information before it is moved into the review phase. We recognize incomplete submissions vary in terms of what’s still left to be completed, which may impact how quickly the missing pieces can be submitted.
As we’ve previously messaged, we are treating the SIA Grant Application like student work, meaning we will continue to work with you to meet the requirements. As we engage with you to support your submission of the missing application components, it’s important to remember that the overall time frame of moving through the additional steps (co-development of growth targets, board approval of grant agreement, receiving the first payment) could be impacted if there is a significant delay in completing your SIA Grant Application.
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