Key Dates
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ESEA Spring Desk Monitoring - Materials Due March 22nd
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Titles I-A, II-A, IV-A and V-B Office Hours - 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00 am Zoom link
- March 19th – Allocations and Federal Updates
- April 2nd – Topic to be announced
- April 16th – CANCELED – Spring Desk Monitoring Week
In this Message
- ESSA Quick Reference Brief Spotlight: Equitable Services
- FY24 Federal Funds
- Consultation for School Year 2024-25 Equitable Services is Beginning!
- We Need Your Voice! Title II-A Survey Coming in April
- Oregon Schools Embrace Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
- March is Women's History Month
ESSA Quick Reference Brief Spotlight: Equitable Services
Each district that receives federal funds must designate a portion of those funds to address the strengths and needs of eligible students, as well as their teachers and families, in the private, non-profit schools that choose to participate. In ESSA Quick Reference Brief: Equitable Services learn about the requirements for delivering equitable services (including consultation, calculation of the equitable share, and evaluation of programs) as well as considerations and recommendations for practice.
Check out other ESSA Quick Reference Briefs here!
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FY24 Federal Funds Allocations Update
On March 1st, Congress passed a continuing resolution to keep the U.S. Department of Education operating until March 22nd. However, Congress has not passed the FY24 budget which includes funding for the 24-25 school year for all federal programs including but not limited to: ESEA, IDEA, Perkins and others. Congressional leaders and the President are continuing to negotiate a budget for next school year, and we hope to have a budget soon.
Once Congress passes a budget, the U.S. Department of Education needs 2-3 weeks to calculate each state’s allocations and the Federal Systems as well as the Multilingual Migrant Education Teams at ODE need 1-2 weeks to calculate district allocations. The ODE will provide allocations to districts as soon as possible and will continue to share updates as we learn more about Congressional action. Once available, allocations will be posted on the ODE’s ESEA Allocations webpage.
Please contact Liz Ross, Director of the Federal Systems Team, or your formula title specialist with any questions.
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Jen Engberg: Clackamas, Columbia Gorge, Multnomah and Northwest Regional
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Sarah Martin: Douglas, Lake, Malheur, South Coast and Southern Oregon
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Lisa Plumb: Lane, Linn Benton Lincoln and Willamette
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Amy Tidwell: Grant, Harney, High Desert, InterMountain, Jefferson, North Central and Region 18
Consultation for School Year 2024-25 Equitable Services is Beginning!
For districts consulting with private schools this spring, it is recommended the ODE’s 2024-2025 school year Affirmation of Consultation be used (available in Word or PDF). The Affirmation has been updated this year so that the district and private school complete the first page of the Affirmation and then each program page in which the private school is participating. Each program page is written in such a way that the district and private school are able to organically discuss program design, complete all ESEA required topics, and record agreed upon decisions all in one convenient form.
For school year 2024-2025 consultation with private schools:
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Contact Janette Newton, the Private School Ombuds, at janette.newton@ode.oregon.gov or Call/Text 503-551-9405.
We Need Your Voice! Title II-A Survey Coming
Each year the U.S. Department of Education (ED) conducts its annual survey on district use of funds under Title II, Part A “Supporting Effective Instruction”. The data collected in this survey provides ED with information needed for the annual budget deliberations in Congress and is used to report on ED’s Title II, Part A program performance indicators, as required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).
While completion of the survey is not required to receive funds, district participation is crucial to helping ED tell the story of the impact Title II-A funds have in districts and to ensure Congress understands the need for continued funding under this program. Findings from previous cycles of this survey are posted on ED’s website.
At the end of March, districts will receive an email from the American Institutes for Research (AIR), the organization conducting the survey on ED’s behalf. Districts will have approximately one month to respond to the survey. If you have any questions about the survey please call the survey hotline at (888) 862-1694 or email AIR at titletwo@air.org. Thank you in advance for your willingness to participate in this important data collection opportunity for Title II-A!
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Oregon Schools Embrace Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
As of February 16, 2024, 909 schools in 139 districts have elected CEP for the 2023-24 school year, a significant rise from the 709 schools in 116 districts last school year. With only a few more districts finalizing their data these numbers are expected to grow further.
Several factors contributed to this substantial growth:
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Lowering of Qualification Threshold: Previously, schools needed at least 40% of students identified eligible to participate in CEP. However, in October 2023, the threshold was lowered to 25%, making a broader range of schools CEP eligible.
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Inclusion of Medicaid Data: Oregon is participating in the Direct Certification with Medicaid Demonstration Project. As of September 2024, the direct certification system now incorporates Medicaid data, allowing schools to identify and count even more students in the Identified Eligible Percentage. This change significantly impacted CEP participation.
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Oregon CEP Incentive Reimbursement Program (CEPI): To further support schools, Oregon introduced the CEPI. This program supplements the federal free reimbursement rate, making CEP financially viable for many schools. It proved especially helpful after pandemic waivers ended in 2022.
The increased election of CEP brings several advantages:
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Increased Meal Participation and Revenue: More students can now enjoy meals at no cost, leading to higher participation rates and better financial stability for school nutrition programs.
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Reduced Stigma: Because all students in CEP schools have access to meals at no charge, children are not subject to the peer-group stigma sometimes associated with receiving free or reduced-price meals.
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Reduced Paperwork and Administrative Burden: CEP eliminates the need for individual meal applications, reducing administrative burden associated with free meals.
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Reduced Food Insecurity and Hunger: CEP ensures that no student goes hungry during the school day, promoting a healthier learning environment.
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Improved Academic Outcomes: When students have access to nutritious meals, their overall well-being improves, positively impacting their academic performance.
More information about CEP can be found on Child Nutrition’s Special Provisions webpage.
Free Books for Title I-A Schools!
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation (TFT) launched the TFT Literacy Program in 2008, providing books directly to schools receiving Title I funding. The TFT Literacy Program distributed 4.1 million books in 2023 and has distributed over 57 million books to children experiencing poverty since the Program’s inception.
Title I-A funded schools are invited to complete an online Title I School Book Request Form and submit it directly to TFT. Schools can request books for specific reading levels which will be shipped directly at no cost. The Title I Request Form will be available on March 1st and conclude April 30th, 2024. Note that last year TFT reached their book request limit within the first two weeks of posting the opportunity. If schools have questions they may email Literacy@toysfortots.org.
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March is Women's History Month
Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history.
Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women planned and executed a “Women’s History Week” celebration in 1978. The organizers selected the week of March 8 to correspond with International Women’s Day. The movement spread across the country as other communities initiated their own Women’s History Week celebrations the following year.
In 1980, a consortium of women’s groups and historians—led by the National Women’s History Project (now the National Women's History Alliance)—successfully lobbied for national recognition. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week. Subsequent Presidents continued to proclaim a National Women’s History Week in March until 1987 when Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month.”
Here is a small sample of resources available to help you proactively celebrate women this month:
Federal System Team's "Framework of Support"
Our goal is to provide differentiated support and strengthen the partnership between districts and ODE federal program staff. Check out the resources and support below and please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know how we can support you!
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