|
Partners and Friends,
Welcome to the Education Almanac, rural updates from the U.S. Department of Education. Each month, the Department highlights opportunities, events, news, and other information relevant to rural schools and communities. We will also feature schools and leaders who are rethinking education in order to make a positive difference in rural students’ lives. We welcome your feedback and questions. Please feel free to share them to rural@ed.gov.
Thank you, Michael Chamberlain U.S. Department of Education
|
|
Over the last few weeks, the White House, the Department of Education, and other federal agencies have released a significant amount of guidance to support schools, educators, and families regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus). For updated information, please visit Coronavirus.gov, CDC.gov/coronavirus, and USA.gov/coronavirus.
For education-related information, the Department has established a dedicated Coronavirus webpage (ed.gov/coronavirus), which includes resources for institutions of higher education and for K-12.
- The website includes guidance for students at institutions of higher education, and covers Coronavirus-related scenarios that could impact students who are enrolled in study abroad programs, students who meet full-time requirements but fall below 12 credit hours, students who are quarantined and miss class, campuses that have temporarily stopped offering ground-based classes to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, and foreign schools that serve Americans who receive Federal financial aid.
- Also see a letter from the Office for Civil Rights that addresses potential discrimination associated with coronavirus.
The Department has provided additional information for families and communities including:
-
Information regarding certain flexibilities under the Every Student Succeeds Act, or “ESSA;”
-
Information regarding services to children with disabilities;
- A fact sheet from our Office for Civil Rights on the risk of Coronavirus in schools while protecting the civil rights of students; and a short webinar on Online Education and Website Accessibility.
-
Information on the Family Education Records Privacy Act, or “FERPA,” as it pertains to K-12 and higher education students.
-
Information for Accrediting Agencies Regarding Temporary Flexibilities Provided to Coronavirus Impacted Institutions or Accrediting Agencies.
The Department will continue to update its website, ed.gov/coronavirus. Please direct education related questions to COVID-19@ed.gov.
|
|
|
FROM THE OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (OESE): THE SMALL RURAL SCHOOLS ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM (SRSA)
The purpose of the SRSA program is to provide rural LEAs with financial assistance to fund initiatives aimed at improving student academic achievement. Local education agencies (LEAs) are entitled to funds if they meet basic eligibility and application requirements. Please visit the SRSA website for further information. Awards are issued annually, and award amounts are determined using a formula. The Application Deadline is April 17, 2020.
FROM OESE: MIGRANT EDUCATION PROGRAM (MEP) CONSORTIUM INCENTIVE GRANT PROGRAM
The purpose of the MEP CIG program is to provide incentive grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) that participate in a consortium with one or more other SEAs or other appropriate entities to improve the delivery of services to migratory children whose education is interrupted. Through this program, the Department provides financial incentives to SEAs that receive Title I, Part C (MEP) funding to participate in high-quality consortia to improve the intrastate and interstate coordination of migrant education programs by addressing key needs of migratory children whose education is interrupted. The Application Deadline is April 27, 2020.
FROM THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES (OSERS): REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINSTRATION (RSA): AMERICAN INDIAN VOCATIONAL REHABILITATIVE SERVICES (AIVRS)
The purpose of this program is to provide VR services, including culturally appropriate services, to American Indians with disabilities who reside on or near Federal or State reservations, consistent with such eligible individual's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice, so that such individual may prepare for, and engage in, high-quality employment that will increase opportunities for economic self-sufficiency. The Application Deadline is May 26, 2020.
|
|
LOOKING FOR PEER REVIEWERS
ED recently announced opportunities for individuals to participate in the Department’s peer review process for reviewing applications for competitive grant funding. The notice spotlights specific needs of the OESE, the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), and OSERS. The Department will accept submissions on a rolling basis, although requests should be submitted at least four weeks prior to a program’s application deadline. (Note: The Department has issued a toolkit titled “How to be considered as a Peer Reviewer for programs administered by the Department.”)
|
|
Department News
SECRETARY ANNOUNCES TESTING WAIVERS AND STUDENT LOAN RELIEF
Today, in his daily press conference with members of the Coronavirus Task Force, President Trump announced that Secretary DeVos was taking some additional actions to support students, educators, and schools impacted by COVID-19.
Secretary DeVos announced students impacted by school closures due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic can bypass standardized testing for the 2019-2020 school year. Upon a proper request, the Department will grant a waiver to any state that is unable to assess its students due to the ongoing national emergency, providing relief from federally mandated testing requirements for this school year.
“Students need to be focused on staying healthy and continuing to learn. Teachers need to be able to focus on remote learning and other adaptations,” the Secretary commented. "Neither students nor teachers need to be focused on high-stakes tests during this difficult time. Students are simply too unlikely to be able to perform their best in this environment. Our actions today provide turnkey flexibilities for state and local leaders to focus on the immediate needs of their students and educators without worrying about federal repercussions.”
The Secretary also announced that the office of Federal Student Aid is executing on President Donald J. Trump’s promise to provide student loan relief to tens of millions of borrowers during the COVID-19 national emergency.
All borrowers with federally held student loans will automatically have their interest rates set to 0% for a period of at least 60 days. In addition, each of these borrowers will have the option to suspend their payments for at least two months to allow them greater flexibility during the national emergency. This will allow borrowers to temporarily stop their payments without worrying about accruing interest.
“These are anxious times, particularly for students and families whose educations, careers, and lives have been disrupted,” said Secretary DeVos. “Right now, everyone should be focused on staying safe and healthy, not worrying about their student loan balance growing. I commend President Trump for his quick action on this issue, and I hope it provides meaningful help and peace of mind to those in need.”
|
|
|
SENIOR DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS CELEBRATE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION MONTH |
|
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month is a public awareness campaign occurring every February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements of CTE programs. In recognition, several senior Department officials visited CTE programs at schools across the nation.
Deputy Secretary Mick Zais gave remarks at South Carolina’s College Technical System Conference and visited several CTE-rich schools, such as the Academy for Technology and Academics (ATA) in Conway, South Carolina. There, he observed ATA’s innovative programs for students pursuing careers on nearly a dozen pathways.
Assistant Secretary Scott Stump gave remarks and met with CTE educators and stakeholders at conferences in Pennsylvania and Illinois. While in Illinois, he visited Heartland Community College in Normal and participated in a roundtable discussion with students, teachers, and state and local leaders about the potential benefits of the $900 million increase in CTE funding in the president’s budget request. Stump also traveled to Indiana, where he visited Whiteland Community High School to learn more about how the school is preparing students for the workforce through its award-winning Agriculture Science program.
These CTE visits are a part of a continued Department-wide effort to highlight schools around the country that provide students with multiple pathways to success during National CTE Month.
|
|
|
EDUCATION SECRETARY DEVOS ANNOUNCES NEW FLEXIBILITY FOR STATES TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS, LOCAL COMMUNITIES |
|
On Jan. 31, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced new flexibility for four states that are rethinking education in order to better serve students and meet local needs. Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas, and Vermont were recently approved to participate in the Education Flexibility Program (Ed-Flex), which was updated by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Ed-Flex encourages local innovation and returns power to states from the U.S. Department of Education by allowing states to waive certain federal statutory or regulatory requirements under the law. In their successful applications, these states proposed to use additional flexibility to release school districts from onerous federal requirements in favor of locally driven approaches.
ED UNVEILS NEW CIVIL RIGHTS INITIATIVE TO COMBAT SEXUAL ASSAULT IN K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education announced a new Title IX effort to combat the troubling rise of sexual assault in K–12 public schools. It builds on the Department’s work to implement the “Pass the Trash” provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which prohibits schools from simply moving employees who have committed acts of sexual misconduct. The Office for Civil Rights will start nationwide compliance reviews to examine how schools address misconduct complaints under Title IX, and more closely review data on sexual misconduct submitted to the federal government by the nation's school systems. This new initiative will also include public awareness campaigns, quality reviews of data submitted by school districts on sexual assault offenses, and a nationwide proposal to collect more detailed data on sexual assault and incidents perpetrated by school staff or personnel.
|
|
|
100 YEARS OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION |
|
The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the first federally funded program to assist people with disabilities who had not acquired their disabilities as a result of serving in the military. Vocational rehabilitation programs are part of OSERS’ RSA, which administers and supports a comprehensive array of formula and discretionary grant programs and projects that serve and assist individuals with disabilities. RSA developed a historical perspective video, “The State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program: The First 100 Years,” as part of its 100 Years of Vocational Rehabilitation celebration. Visit the Vocational Rehabilitation 100th Anniversary page to follow along with the RSA’s year-long VR100 celebration.
|
|
|
FEDERAL AGENCIES LAUNCH FEDERAL SCHOOL SAFETY CLEARINGHOUSE |
|
Secretary DeVos and senior officials from the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Justice met with families from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Florida) shooting at the White House to launch the federal school safety clearinghouse SchoolSafety.gov. A one-stop-shop of resources for K–12 education administrators, educators, parents, and law enforcement officials, this website builds on the recommendations of the 2017 Federal Commission on School Safety.
SchoolSafety.gov features 1) the School Safety Readiness Tool, a self-assessment for schools across 10 foundational safety elements; 2) a secure information sharing platform; and 3) an array of best practices and resources on key school safety topics to both promote vigilance and build capacity to respond to incidents. The website will be continually refined and expanded.
|
|
|
ED, CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO BETTER SERVE STUDENT BORROWERS |
|
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced a new coordination agreement in order to better serve student loan borrowers. The newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will allow the two agencies to share complaint information from borrowers and meet quarterly to discuss observations about the nature of complaints received, characteristics of borrowers, and available information about resolution of complaints.
|
|
|
ED HOSTS REGIONAL DIGITAL EQUITY SUMMITS |
|
ED’s Office of Educational Technology (OET) will host a series of Regional Digital Equity Summits in Spring/Summer 2020 that will bring together state and local education leaders and community collaborators to identify strategies, connect with resources, and explore opportunities to address local digital equity challenges of broadband access, affordability, and use for students at school and home. The Summits are FREE to attend and will take place in Alaska, California, Illinois, Montana, Pennsylvania, and Texas. As new information becomes available, the OET Summit website be updated.
|
|
|
RURAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONVENING POSTPONED
The Rural Community College Convening scheduled to be held this month at the Community College of Denver has been postponed. When it is rescheduled we will provide further information. |
|
 |
|
|
Rural News
USDA ANNOUNCES FEEDING PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19
|
|
FCC PROPOSES BIDDING PROCEDURES FOR THIS YEAR’S $16 BILLION RURAL BROADBAND AUCTION AND PROPOSES UPDATES TO WHITE SPACE RULES TO HELP CLOSE DIGITAL DIVIDE |
|
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed procedures for the first phase of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction, which will make up to $16 billion available for the deployment of fixed broadband networks across rural America. The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund is targeting funding towards some of the least-served parts of the country and October’s Phase I auction could bring high-speed broadband to as many six million unserved homes and businesses this year, representing the FCC’s biggest step ever toward bridging the digital divide.
In a separate action, the FCC also proposed targeted changes to its White Space device rules to pave the way for improved broadband coverage for rural Americans. White Space devices operate in portions of the broadcast television bands that are not used by television stations and can be used to provide broadband and other wireless services.
|
|
|
APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION SEEKS PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY INPUT TO GUIDE INVESTMENT PRIORITIES |
|
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced a series of public input sessions to identify critical opportunities and challenges facing Appalachia's economic future. Envision Appalachia: Community Conversations for ARC’s Strategic Plan will gather insights from these public sessions, coupled with guidance from regional, state, and local partners, and will inform ARC's strategic plan for fiscal years 2021-2025. ARC develops a new strategic plan every five years in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). More than 3,000 Appalachians provided input to develop ARC's current strategic plan, which expires on September 30, 2020.
|
|
|
USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION CENER WORKS TO TRANSFORM RURAL COMMUNITIES |
|
Agriculture Secretary Perdue created the Rural Development Innovation Center to identify and develop new tools to better serve rural communities in achieving prosperity.
The Innovation Center is hard-wired into USDA’s structure with a mission to identify best practices and bring continuous improvement in program delivery to enhance the quality of life in rural communities. The Center works to transform rural communities through strategic partnerships, data analytics and regulations management.
|
|
|
THE ROCK THAT PROVIDES THE FOUNDATION FOR AN ENRICHING LEARNING EXPERIENCE |
|
In the heart of barley country Fairfield, Montana, is a small, rural town with an approximate population of 650 people. Fairfield Elementary’s (FES) early K-6 school has an enrollment of 155 students. The school and its success are everything to this community.
The school, which is connected to the grades 7-12 building, sits on the edge of town near the Rocky Mountain Front and services students from all over the area. Students are lucky to interact on a daily basis with their mentors at the high school as students share classrooms in the building.
Over the past 25 years, Fairfield has striven to stay at the top of technological advances. Every room is equipped with a smartboard and a projector, EK-2 are equipped with iPads, grades 3-6 are equipped with Chromebooks and FES is fortunate to have two 30 computer hard wired labs for varying activities and maker space activities. The school prides itself on always striving for success and opening its doors to offer many activities to the community.
Read more about National Blue Ribbon School Fairfield Elementary…
|
|
|
Find more information and updates on rural education at the Department’s Rural Education Resource Center.
Do you know of a rural school or school leader whose innovative approach would be a great fit for our Rethinking School feature? Do you have a story to share? Do you have friends or colleagues who would be interested in receiving the Education Almanac? You can connect with us at rural@ed.gov.
View this newsletter in your browser.
All the Best, Office of Rural and Community Engagement U.S. Department of Education
|
|
Education Almanac is a product of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications and Outreach, Rural and Community Engagement |
|
This newsletter contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Furthermore, the inclusion of links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites. |
|
|
|
|