Important News from TEA

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Texas Education Agency
Correspondence

Texas Career & Technical Education (CTE) News

October 23, 2020


Deadline Adjustment for Reporting Industry-Based Certifications in TSDS PEIMS

Based on feedback from the field, COVID-19 impacted districts’ ability to accurately report IBCs in the TSDS PEIMS Summer Submission. As the agency needs an official record based on TSDS PEIMS data for IBC reimbursements and for the calculation of college, career, and military readiness (CCMR) data, districts will be able to report IBCs earned between September 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020 in the 2020–2021 TSDS PEIMS Fall Submission. This reporting will be in addition to reporting all IBCs earned between June 1, 2020 and August 31, 2020, also reported during this submission.

This will be a one-time reporting extension to report only the IBCs earned during the September to May window that were not reported in the Summer Submission. Districts must take this opportunity to ensure IBC data are complete and accurate. Once the PEIMS Fall Submission resubmission deadline passes, districts will have no further opportunity to update or correct IBC data. Any IBC earned between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020, not reported in TSDS PEIMS will not be eligible for reimbursement, for use in accountability calculations, or for generating CCMR Outcomes Bonus funding.

Districts submitting an IBC with a date outside of the June 1–August 31, 2020 range will receive a special warning in the TSDS PEIMS Fall Submission. Normally, districts would receive a fatal for reporting outside of the date range, but TEA will be downgrading this rule for this submission only. Districts should ensure all IBCs are entered with the correct date. Any IBC submitted with a date outside of the allowable September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020 range will be considered invalid and will not be used for any purpose.

An October 17, 2019 To the Administrator Addressed correspondence provided guidance for reporting industry-based certifications (IBCs) in the Texas Student Data System (TSDS) PEIMS. For details on timelines established in 2019, please review the TAA.

Additionally, the IBC-EXAM-FEE data element in the PEIMS fall submission does not permit decimals. Districts are encouraged to follow standard rounding rules when reporting the whole number cost of the certification. If the decimal is > .50, the district should round up to the nearest whole number; if the decimal is < .49, the district should round down.

Contact Information

If you have questions about IBC standards, reporting, or reimbursements please contact Advanced Academics within the Division of College, Career, and Military Preparation at (512) 463-9762. If you have questions about the use of IBCs in academic accountability, please contact the Performance Reporting Division at (512) 463-9704.


2020-2021 Regional Program of Study Application Process

The window is now open for submitting applications for regional programs of study to be implementation in the 2021-2022 school year. You may submit an application if there are occupations that are in-demand, high-wage, and high-skill within your region that are currently not included in an approved statewide or regional program of study. If you are interested in submitting an application, you are required to send a letter of intent to the TEA. Email your intent to apply to Les Hudson at les.hudson@tea.texas.gov. Please include the following information:      

  • Name of the regional program of study
  • CTE courses sequence
  • Occupations used to justify the regional program of study.

The deadline for submitting your intent to apply is November 16, 2020. 


2020-2021 CTE Innovative Course Application Process

The Texas Education Agency is using the 2020 innovative course application process to encourage CTE stakeholders to create courses in identified gap areas to facilitate courses availability for the 2021 – 2022 school year. TEA encourages organizations to build a committee to develop innovative courses included on the following list:  Course List

Individuals interested in leading committee work are encouraged to let TEA know. Individuals who are interested in working on a course or courses, but not in a leadership capacity can also let TEA know and TEA will help facilitate the formation of committees. Please indicate interest in either role by responding to the email provided below before November 1st, 2020. Please respond with the following information to kevin.johnson@tea.texas.gov

  1. Name of the course
  2. First and last name
  3. Contact information, email address and phone number
  4. Industry experience and/or current position

Uniform Grant Guidance Webinar

The TEA is hosting a webinar on November 10th from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM on recent changes to the Uniform Grant Guidance. The webinar is open to the first 500 participants who register. The session will be recorded and the recording will be available to individuals not in attendance.  The link for the registration is here.

On August 13, 2020, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published in the Federal Register an extensive document revising the Uniform Grants Guidance (UGG). These administrative, cost, and audit regulations apply to your Perkins V programs, as well as all other federal grant activities. These revisions to the UGG will be incorporated into EDGAR, and will have a July 1, 2021 effective date for Perkins expenditures. The revisions cover your internal controls on financial management, procurement, performance and budget periods, obligation and liquidation periods, indirect costs, pre-award costs, risk assessments, pass-through responsibilities, and the elimination of non-binding guidance (such as using Perkins funds for meals). In addition, we will provide information on federal funding for Perkins, and an update on stimulus funding, including the CARES Act. There will be ample time for questions.  The presenters will include Michael Brustein and Steven Spillan, from the firm, Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC.