Dear Partners and Stakeholders:

One of my goals this year is to attend as many program and project director meetings as possible to engage with our customers and partners. I’m particularly interested in hearing about two things: 1) how we can best communicate with program directors and other State Education Agency (SEA) staff, and 2) how our technical assistance investments can best support their work of improving results for all children, but especially those who are disadvantaged. I’m excited to say I had several opportunities to meet with stakeholders and hear from them in February.

The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) held its annual conference in Atlanta at the beginning of the month. The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) and Department of Education team presented on multiple topics, such as, “Update on ED Technical Assistance Resources,” “Report Cards,” and “General Updates From OESE.” We appreciated the great attendance at our sessions and your many insightful questions. My favorite part of the conference was an opportunity to meet with NAESPA Board representatives to discuss communication and technical assistance. The Board suggested some ways to improve this newsletter, which incidentally dropped into everyone’s email while we were meeting! I also learned that there might be some duplication of information coming out from our office and we will address that. All the directors praised their OESE contacts, acknowledging their helpful and timely communication. 

Later in February I met with the National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE) to learn more about the needs of our Native American students. I also met with the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) program directors in a small group to discuss communication and technical assistance. I was impressed with examples of great success stories with the 21st CCLC program!

Finally, I’d like to share with you two important pieces of information that were released in February. On Feb. 10, A Budget for America’s Future, the President’s budget for fiscal year 2021 was released. The request proposes to consolidate most K–12 formula and competitive grant programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) into one $19.4 billion formula grant program called the Elementary and Secondary Education for the Disadvantaged Block Grant, or ESED Block Grant. Funds would be allocated using the same formulas as the Title I Grants to Local Education Agencies program. States and local districts could use the funds for any authorized purposes of the consolidated programs while continuing to meet accountability and reporting requirements aimed at protecting students, supporting school improvement, and providing parents the information they need to make education decisions for their children. More information can be found here.

On the same day as the budget release, the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse website SchoolSafety.gov was launched. You can read more about this useful resource developed in response to the Federal Commission on School Safety final report under the Technical Assistance Resources and Updates section below.

I look forward in March to meeting with more stakeholders and to continuing to fine-tune our communication and technical assistance. Thank you for all you do every day to ensure high quality, equitable supports and services for students who are disadvantaged!

This is our second issue of the SGPS newsletter. Please forward this to your colleagues! Encourage them to use Subscriber Services to sign up.

The mission of the Office of Migrant Education (OME) is to provide excellent leadership, technical assistance, and financial support to improve the educational opportunities and academic success of migratory children, youth, agricultural workers and fishers, and their families by providing financial assistance to state educational agencies (SEAs), institutions of higher education, or other institutions serving children of migratory agricultural workers and migratory fishers and seasonal farm workers. Programs under these authorities are designed to meet the education needs of such children whose schooling is disrupted by moving, and to aid in their continued development to their full potential. OME administers four grant programs: Migrant Education Program (MEP), Consortium Incentive Grants (CIG), High School Equivalency Program (HEP), and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP).

MEP is authorized under Title I, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended, to provide grants to SEAs on a formula basis to support education programs for migratory children and help ensure that migratory children who move among the states are not penalized in any manner by disparities among states in curriculum, graduation requirements, or state academic content and student academic achievement standards. The goal of the Migrant Education Program is to ensure that all migrant students reach challenging academic standards and graduate with a high school diploma (or complete a GED) that prepares them for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment. To learn more about the MEP, view the MEP Implementation Study. 

The CIG is authorized by section 1308(d) of ESEA as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Through this program, the Department provides financial incentives to SEAs to participate in high-quality consortia that improve the interstate or intrastate coordination of migrant education programs by addressing key needs of migratory children who have their education interrupted. For FY 2020, states will propose new coordination arrangements.

HEP and CAMP are authorized by Title IV, Section 418A of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended by section 408 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), P.L. 110-315. The purpose of HEP is to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and members of their immediate family obtain the equivalent of a secondary school diploma and subsequently to gain employment or be placed in the military, an institution of higher education (IHE), or another postsecondary education or training program. The purpose of CAMP is to provide the academic and financial support necessary to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and members of their immediate family who have been accepted into an IHE to successfully complete their first year of college. The President signed H.R.1865 - Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, on Dec. 20, 2019. This action raises HEP/CAMP FY 2020 funding to $45,623,000, which is an increase of $1,000,000 over FY 2019 funding levels.

FUN FACT: MEP, HEP, and CAMP were authorized in the 1960s, making them some of the longest-running programs in the Department.

Visit the Office of Migrant Education website to learn more about these programs.

Rural Resource Update: Small, Rural School Achievement Application Announcement

All school districts eligible for fiscal year (FY) 2020 Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) grant funds were sent an email with a uniquely identifiable application link on Feb.  3. The email included customized instructions for completing the electronic application via the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Max Survey platform. An eligible Local Education Agency (LEA) must submit an electronic application via OMB Max Survey by April 17 to be assured of receiving an FY 2020 SRSA grant award. The Department will conduct application webinars for SRSA-eligible LEAs on March 19, and April 2 to demonstrate the simplified process for submitting the SRSA application using MAX Survey. The webinars are identical in format and content. If you have any questions or need additional information about the new SRSA application process, please see the application announcement in the Federal Register, the Department's website, or contact the State and Grantee Relations Office, using the state mailbox that corresponds to the state in which your organization operates using the format [statename].OESE@ed.gov (for example, Michigan.OESE@ed.gov).

School Safety Website Launched

The first phase of the new Federal School Safety Clearinghouse website, SchoolSafety.gov, was launched on Monday, Feb.  10. The website will serve as a one-stop location for administrators, educators, parents, and law enforcement to use in planning and addressing threats related to safety, security, and supports in Kindergarten through Grade 12 schools. SchoolSafety.gov was developed to fulfill one of the key recommendations from the Federal Commission on School Safety. The website will provide information, guidance, best practices, and resource tools to help make school safety initiatives more actionable in schools. A few features of SchoolSafety.gov include: 1) the School Safety Readiness Tool, an assessment to assist users in evaluating their respective school safety posture; 2) a secure information sharing platform for designated school personnel to share school safety ideas, practices, and plans in a secure and protected environment; and, 3) an array of resources and best practices on key school safety topics to assist with building awareness within the school community to promote vigilance and build capacity to respond to incidents.

Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants: A First Look at Activities Supported Under Title IV, Part A 

The Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant program supports a wide range of state and local activities to promote well-rounded educational opportunities, safe and healthy students, and effective use of technology. The program was authorized in 2015 under Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and consolidates a number of previous federal programs into a single program. This report, published in 2020, presents the first available national information on how states and districts are using these funds, based on a survey of all state Title IV, Part A directors conducted in spring and summer 2019.

Impact Aid 7002 and 7003 Late Application Deadline

The application deadline for FY 2021 Impact Aid 7002 (payments for federal property) and 7003 (payments for federally connected children) was Jan. 31. Over 1,200 LEAs submitted applications.  

If your district normally applies for Impact Aid but missed the deadline, you may apply by March 31 for a late submission. Late applications completed between Feb. 1 and March 31 incur a 10% penalty. Applications submitted after March 31 (60 days of the deadline) will be ineligible for funding for FY 2021.

Visit our portal at https://impactaid.ed.gov/ for more information about how to apply.

High School Equivalency Program and College Assistance Migrant Program Annual Directors Meeting and New Directors Orientation

The Annual Directors Meeting and New Directors Orientation for High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) Directors is scheduled for Monday, July 13, through Thursday, July 16, at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. For questions concerning the meetings, please contact Millie Bentley-Memon, Group Leader for HEP and CAMP, at Millicent.Bentley-Memon@ed.gov.

Impact Aid March Webinars

The Impact Aid program offers technical assistance webinars on various topics throughout the program year. In March, the program will focus on monitoring activities. 

If you submitted an Impact Aid application and want to learn how to prepare for a field review, please join us for an upcoming session, “How to Survive a Field Review." An Impact Aid analyst will walk you through the process, from preparation to completion, with time for questions. 

If your district claims children who live on Indian Land, you may be interested in “Indian Policies and Procedures (IPPs) Implementation and Monitoring." During this session, we will review regulatory requirements, best practices, and tools to assist your district during implementation and monitoring. 

To attend one of these sessions, click on one of the links below. Pre-registration is not required.

If you are having trouble joining the Skype session, you may listen in by phone. Dial (202) 991-0393 at the scheduled time and use the conference code listed below.

FY 2020 Office of Indian Education Grants

It’s Indian Education Formula Grants application season! The Office of Indian Education (OIE) published the annual Notice Inviting Applications for formula grants in the Federal Register. Part I of the Electronic Application System for Indian Education (EASIE) closes March 12. Part II of EASIE opens April 6 and closes May 21. Indian Education Formula Grants provide support to LEAs, Indian Tribes, and other eligible entities in meeting the unique cultural, language, and education needs of Indian students. 

The OIE’s Discretionary Team is preparing for four discretionary grant competitions this fiscal year. Current and potential grantees are invited to create a Federal Register account and set up alerts for upcoming rule-making notifications for the State-Tribal Education Partnership, Demonstration Grants for Indian Children, and Native American Language programs. OIE is seeking peer reviewers for these grant competitions, especially individuals working in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities and urban Indian settings. Native language expertise and experience with grant-funded programs or in classrooms serving AI/AN students is highly desired. Interested individuals are invited to email a resume to Indian.Education@ed.gov.