This month’s message covers a number of important updates regarding the Integrated Guidance as districts, schools, and programs continue to work on Integrated applications and plans. We recognize this is a robust message with substantial content, so we encourage you to digest this information however works best for you - all at once, in sections, or bookmark to come back to as needed. 

We’re sharing a quick video highlighting what is covered in this month’s message, which includes:  

1. Accommodation Level for Small Schools and Districts Adjusted to 80 ADMr
2. Release of the Intent to Apply Form - Due January 15, 2023
3. Release of Integrated Application Evaluation Criteria and Community Engagement Artifact Resource 
4. Looking Ahead to Longitudinal Performance Growth Targets (LPGTs) - A 15-minute Data Literacy Recording
5. Join the Progress Marker Workshop on December 1
6. Updated Integrated Guidance FAQs
7. Tiered Budget Planning Encouragement
8. Update on SB 732
9. Program by Program Deadlines and Updates

Accommodation Level for Small Schools and Districts Adjusted to 80 ADMr

With the release of the Integrated Guidance, orange boxes helped communicate a handful of accommodations for small schools and districts. This includes:

• The number of artifacts required to show evidence of quality of engagement are reduced from five to two. The two artifacts must still reflect two different strategies to engage the community, focal students, and staff in the planning process.
• Full release from Longitudinal Performance Growth Targets (LPGTs). ODE will focus solely on progress markers, local optional metrics, and the other aspects of the performance framework (HSS Eligibility requirements, CTE, etc).

Small schools and districts were originally defined based on an extended ADMw of 100 or lower. After listening to feedback and a detailed review of ADMr and ADMw data, ODE is adjusting the accommodation level. 

Instead of using extended ADMw of 100 or lower, 80 ADMr will be used. For those not super fluent in these calculations, this will provide 7 additional districts these accommodations bringing the total to 23 districts eligible for these accommodations. No grantees who previously received the accommodation will be excluded by this new threshold. This resolves the challenges for the handful of districts with an ADMr under 30 but an ADMw over 100. The high-end of the accommodation is Dayville SD with an ADMr of 57.67 and an extended ADMw of 145.98. ADMr calculations from the 2021-22 Second Period Cumulative ADM data collection, finalized in May 2022, will be used for the 2023 application cycle. 

ODE will update the online copy of the Integrated Guidance to reflect this change. These changes will be to pages 5, 19, 41, and 70.

Release of the Intent to Apply Form - Due January 15, 2023 

To support your district, school, or program with the Integrated Application and Plan, ODE has developed an Intent to Apply form. To be clear, this is not the actual Integrated Application. Rather, this is the first step in submitting your 2023-25 Integrated Application for the six programs - HSS, SIA, CIP, CTE (Perkins), EDM, and EIIS - in March 2023. 

Each entity, including charter schools regardless of charter scenario and YCEP/JDEP sites, will need to complete an Intent to Apply. For Aligned Program Consortium, only the fiscal agent will need to complete the Intent to Apply, during which they will also select which districts and/or YCEP/JDEP sites are going to be part of the Aligned Program Consortium. For charter districts, please submit the Intent to Apply form as a “district without charters.”

Completing this form will allow our team to customize your Integrated Application, reducing unnecessary administrative burden. The intent to apply will also provide us with the contact information needed to be in good communication with you throughout the application process. Please complete the Intent to Apply form no later than January 15, 2023. 

You will then receive a full application link closer to the opening of the Integrated Application in March 2023. 

Note: If you are unsure about what funds you are eligible for, you can review whether you have a preliminary allocation for each of the funding streams in the Integrated Planning & Budget Template. If you are unsure how to complete the Intent to Apply form, reach out to your regional support contact or ODE.EII@ode.oregon.gov. 

Release of Integrated Application Evaluation Criteria and Community Engagement Artifact Resource 

All applicants for the 2023-25 biennium will be expected to meet the requirements outlined for the six initiatives covered in the Integrated Guidance. In order to provide insight into our internal review process, we’ve provided the evaluation criteria that ODE reviewers will use when reviewing each grantee’s application. Please note that the evaluation criteria will be adjusted to fit the type of applicant (i.e. virtual charters, small districts, etc.). Applicants can choose to use this as a tool for self-assessment as they are preparing their application materials, but it is not required. The evaluation criteria is directly mapped from the application preview and planning requirements described in the Integrated Guidance. 

Additionally, ODE has received a number of questions about examples of meaningful artifacts of community engagement as well as how those artifacts will be reviewed. In response to these inquiries, we’ve developed this resource to summarize and support applicants with the information requested.  This resource is provided with caution as our aim is not to reduce the kind of authentic and ongoing engagement called for in statute nor aim to simplify the information provided in the community engagement toolkit. What is provided in this resource is not an exhaustive list, but should serve as a starting point for applicants who are not sure what artifacts to submit. ODE reviewers will assess meeting community engagement responsibilities by looking at the totality of the information submitted by each applicant in addition to the artifacts shared.

Looking Ahead to Longitudinal Performance Growth Targets (LPGTs) - A 15-minute Data Literacy Recording

In follow-up to the suppressed and unsuppressed data visualizations released for community engagement, planning, and the Longitudinal Performance Growth Targets (LPGTs) earlier this month, we’ve created a 15-minute recording to support applicants better understand their data visualizations as well as start to increase data literacy ahead of beginning to draft LPGTs. Our team encourages you to review this recording as well as the accompanying Navigating Data Visualizations Slides and Mock Data Set as you have time. 

ODE will offer additional webinars on LPGTs and local optional metrics over the next few months. More information about the webinars will be shared via the monthly EII message and recordings of the webinars will be posted on the Innovation and Improvement webpage afterwards. 

Join the Progress Marker Workshop on December 1 

Join ODE staff from 9-11am on December 1st to review and refine the Progress Markers which will be required by grantees under the Integrated Guidance as part of the overall performance framework. Please register to attend or copy/paste this link into your browser: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIsd-ugqjgoG-Hlvsft_UQfjmuOsOsRVKM. 

If you are unable to attend the upcoming workshop, please watch this recording which presents the background and context of progress markers (or copy/paste this link into your browser: https://youtu.be/jgh3UEVYW6Y). After reviewing the recording, please fill out and submit this form with additional feedback and specific text edits (https://forms.gle/ufFjYHC1QwwuBcqW9). 

Want more context on progress markers? The LPGTs are important but also not sufficient to capture the kinds of changes the 6 aligned programs can support over time. ODE is sustaining and strengthening the use of “progress markers” to help set clear indicators of the kinds of changes we’d expect to see ahead of the changes in traditional educational metrics. Up until this point, progress markers have been consolidated and optional for grant recipients. The progress marker framework was developed through rounds of engagement with more than 30 leading experts in Oregon and in alignment with each common metric. This work also included practitioners and policy advocates and has been refined based on the optional use of progress markers by grantees over the last two years.

Updated Integrated Guidance FAQs

Our team has received a number of questions about the Integrated Guidance. We are currently in the process of updating our FAQs, and will have an updated version available by the end of the week. Please continue to refer or check for updates to this resource as you and your planning team dive into the Integrated Application. 

Tiered Budget Planning Encouragement

Applicants are required to submit an Integrated Planning and Budget Template as part of the Integrated Application, due in March 2023. This template is downloadable and prepopulated with preliminary allocation amounts for the different funding sources, updated FTE types, funded partnership dropdowns, and formatting to support easy filling in budget amounts by activity. We strongly encourage applicants to engage in tiered planning, which allows current community engagement and needs assessment priorities to inform backup budget plans to accomplish planned outcomes. Tiered planning supports the ability to quickly pivot to meet community and school outcomes and strategies when funding or external challenges become barriers to implementing first-choice strategies (such as budget shortfalls and/or hiring shortages).

Update on SB 732

The Office of Education Innovation and Improvement has recently agreed to support the implementation of SB 732, establishing what the law calls Educational Equity Advisory Committees. EII is actively working to provide supplemental guidance to support implementation in coordination with the Director’s Office at ODE. Oregon’s largest districts are currently involved in the implementation of SB 732. Most districts, those will less than 10,000 ADM, need to meet the requirements of this new law by September 2025. We hope to have guidance out by the end of January 2023. In the meantime, inquiries and any other communications regarding SB 732 are now welcome. Please direct to: ODE.EII@ode.oregon.gov. 

Important Dates and Deadlines

Career & Technical Education - Perkins V

• December 1: 2022-2023 Perkins equipment and inventory items must be delivered
• December 2: 2022-2023 CTE Program Yearly Update Regional Coordinator Reviews Complete
• January: Prepare Perkins Improvement Plans to be submitted with Integrated or consortia application.
• January 13: 2022-2023 CTE Program Yearly Update Closes

ESSA Partnerships (CSI/TSI)

A general update pertaining to CSI and TSI identification was sent via email on October 31, 2022 to school districts serving currently or newly identified schools. A second update pertaining to ESSA Partnership Funds and Federal School Improvement Funds to Support CSI and TSI Schools was sent to districts receiving these funds during the week of November 14-18. Please connect with your regional support person if you have any questions regarding these updates.

Student Investment Account

• November 30, 2022: Q4/Annual Progress Reports are due
  • Review Q4 Guidance and Annual Report Guidance for Assistance
  • Annual Report Optional Template
  • Grantees must present their annual report to their governing board with the opportunity for public comment (as a non-consent agenda item), post the report to their website, and submit a copy of the board minutes to ODE via submission form or email (can be draft agenda minutes). The Q4 portion does not need to be completed before presenting to the board.
• January 31, 2023: Quarter 2 Progress Report and Financial Audit is due January 31, 2023

Program Specific Updates

Career & Technical Education - Perkins V

CTE State Plan Update

The Oregon CTE State Plan has been updated and posted online. This is the third year of a four year plan and provides a roadmap for priorities in Career Technical Education.  Each year, the action plans are updated and state and local accomplishments are shared in the Appendixes. We invite you to take a minute to celebrate the work with us.

Gap Analysis and Root Cause Resources - Coming Soon

An analysis that includes review of student demographic data and enrollment is an important part of the Local Needs Assessment for each school.  ODE is developing even more resources to provide support as we continue to refine our gap analysis skills.  

The resource being developed is a two-part on-demand webinar.  The first session will provide step-by-step instructions for how to calculate and analyze demographic data to identify and address equity in programs.  The second will provide information on conducting root cause analysis. Please look for the first video in December. 

ESSA Partnerships (CSI/TSI)

ESSA Partnership Funds must be spent by September 30, 2023 and claimed by November 15, 2023. Districts receiving these funds are required to update plans and budgets to align to meet the needs of focal students. Click here to submit a revised plan and budget. 

School districts serving three or more CSI or TSI schools or school districts with 50% or more of their total schools identified for CSI or TSI support will receive Federal School Improvement Funds to Support CSI and TSI Schools. This new grant will be included in the Integrated Plan and Budget Template and recipients will move through community engagement and needs assessment processes in accordance with Aligning for Student Success - Integrated Guidance for Six ODE Initiatives to plan for and access these funds.

These funds will continue to be allocated to the school district. ODE will provide an allocation for each identified school in the district eligible for school improvement funds to develop and implement school-level activities. This allocation amount is not a dictate - but provided at the specific school level to support strong communication between principals and superintendents to determine best use tied to purpose. ODE will allow for flexibility in collaborative planning as informed by community engagement and agreement from building leaders. 

Student Investment Account

Financial Audit 

The SIA and School Finance teams remain committed to streamlining the SIA Financial Audit process. As such, we have made no changes to the submission process for your 2021-22 financial audit. The School Finance team will continue to share all audit documents with the SIA team, eliminating the need for school districts and eligible charter schools to submit the information more than once to the ODE. If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact the SIA Team at ODE.EII@ode.oregon.gov. 

Action Items for School Districts and Eligible Charter Schools for Quarter 2 Progress Report

• Submit your 2021-22 Financial Audit Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022 via email to the School Finance team at ode.schoolfinance@ode.oregon.gov by January 3, 2023. 

**This is in alignment with current practice and guidance from School Finance.**

• Present your 2021-22 Financial Audit Report to your governing board.

**The board presentation is in alignment with current practice. There is no additional requirement for the presentation to be SIA specific. Discretion remains with the auditors to present on findings relevant to SIA funding.**

• Post your 2021-22 Financial Audit Report to your district or eligible charter school website, and ensure a copy is available in the main office.

**There is no need for you to submit the URL to ODE, please just ensure the 2021-22 Financial Audit Report is posted on your website.** 

• Submit your board meeting minutes, verifying the presentation of the 2021-22 Financial Audit Report, via attachment on your SIA Q2 Reporting Dashboard, due January 31, 2023.

**Please keep in mind that the 2021-22 Financial Audit Report only needs to be presented to your board as a regular agenda item (not a consent agenda item). There is no requirement for board approval of the 2021-22 Financial Audit Report.**

Updated Charter School List 

Last month, ODE released the list of charter schools eligible to apply for SIA funds independently based on the requirements in the statute. We received some follow-up questions, which spurred our team to take a closer review of the data used to determine eligibility. The data used to determine eligibility in the first release of the list was calculated based on resident district data. For the 2023-25 grant cycle, the Department will also include schools that meet the eligibility criteria for the grant using attending district data. This decision is to support consistency with the reports in the At-A-Glance profile, which uses attending district data. The updated list includes two additional schools that are also eligible to apply independently for the SIA for the 2023-25 grant cycle using attending district data. The remaining schools on this list are still eligible for the 2023-25 grant cycle using resident district data but do not meet the criteria using attending district data. This is a one-time decision to use both sets of data for determining eligibility. In future grant cycles, the Department will utilize only attending district data, which may impact a charter school’s eligibility after this grant cycle. 

FAQs

I have unspent SIA dollars I need to return, how do I go about returning the funds?

Grantees who do not spend 100% of their funds, will need to go through the process to return any unspent funds as part of their Fourth Quarter Progress Report. The Fiscal Return process is done through the Fiscal Return to the Oregon Department of Education Smartsheet. You will fill out the form, and ODE staff will process the request through our systems. Financial Services will then issue the grantee an invoice for payment.

Highlighted Resources for the Month

Why is CTE in the Integrated Application?

2022-2025 CTE Perkins Calendar

Save the Date: OHA and ODE plan to host a webinar on the Centering Health and Well-being in Education resource released last month on December 14 from 4-5:30. More information to come soon!