MY BROTHER'S KEEPER
In February, as part of his plan to make 2014 a year of action focused on expanding opportunity for all Americans, the President unveiled the “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.
The President’s Task Force released its 90-day report, and during a meeting with his Cabinet, President Obama spoke about its significance and the work ahead:
“As we approach Father’s Day, I’m just reminded that I am only here because a bunch of folks invested in me. We’ve got a huge number of kids out there who have as much talent, and more talent than I had, but nobody is investing in them."
This report includes key indicators that will provide a comprehensive view of the environments and outcomes for boys and young men of color and their peers. It also contains recommendations on steps our society can take to expand opportunity in areas including:
- Entering school ready to learn;
- Reading at grade level by third grade;
- Graduating from high school ready for college and career;
- Completing post-secondary education or training;
- Successfully entering the workforce;
- Reducing violence and providing a second chance.
The recommendations identified by the President’s Task Force mark the starting point of what will be a long-term effort—on the part of public, private, and philanthropic actors—that will continue well beyond this initial 90-day progress report.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/053014_mbk_report.pdf
FEDERAL REGISTER
The following Notice of Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; State and EIS Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements Under Part C was published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, June 11, 2014.
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.
DATES: Comments due on or before August 11, 2014.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-06-11/html/2014-13543.htm
The following Notice of Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Annual State Application Under Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act as Amended in 2004 was published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, June 11, 2014.
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 11, 2014.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-06-11/html/2014-13542.htm
The following Notice Inviting Applications for the OSERS/OSEP -- Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities--Center for Systemic Improvement notice published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, June 17, 2014.
SUMMARY: The purpose of the Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program is to promote academic
achievement and to improve results for children with disabilities by providing technical assistance (TA), supporting
model demonstration projects, disseminating useful information, and implementing activities that are supported by scientifically based research.
DATES: Applications must be received by August 18, 2014.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-06-17/pdf/2014-14154.pdf The following Notice of Proposed Priority--Technical Assistance on State Data Collection-- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Fiscal Data Center was published in the Federal Register on Thursday, May 1, 2014.
The following Notice of Proposed Priority--Technical Assistance on State Data Collection-- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Fiscal Data Center was published in the Federal Register on Thursday, May 1, 2014.
SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a funding priority under the Technical Assistance (TA) on State Data Collection program. The Assistant Secretary may use this proposed priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2014 and later years. We take this action to focus attention on an identified national need to provide TA to improve the capacity of States to meet the data collection requirements of the IDEA.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 15, 2014.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-05-01/html/2014-10000.htm
POLICY LETTERS
Community Eligibility Provision
On June 11, 2013, OSEP Director Melody Musgrove sent a letter to the Chief State School Officers to remind them of the opportunity for the upcoming school year and provide guidance on the potential impact of changes in the National School Lunch Program on the allocation of Part B of the IDEA fund to local education agencies. Specifically, this letter discusses the inclusion of the new universal meal option, the “Community Eligibility Provision” as a result of the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/lea-moe-3-13-14.pdf
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Dear Leaders,
In October, the IDEA Part B and Part C State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) module will launch in GRADS360 for you to submit and MSIP to review the SPP/APR electronically. We introduced the site to States and TA providers on June 12 during the OSEP TA call so that you can familiarize yourself with the site and the resources that are available. The site will be the single location where MSIP can easily make new material available to you.
The site currently includes SPP/APR resources, a discussion feature that allows you and agencies completing the SPP/APR to collaborate with each other, and an events calendar with important dates to remember. Over the coming weeks and months we will continue to release new material to introduce some of the community features, highlight how you can use the resources to prepare for the SPP/APR submission in October 2014, and share training opportunities.
OSEP GRADS360 site URL is: https://osep.grads360.org
Login, take a look around, and let us know if you have any questions.
Best,
Melody
LEADERSHIP SERIES
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Project Directors Conference will be held July 21–23, 2014, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. This conference always has many high quality sessions and brings together OSEP’s discretionary grantees, including the State Personnel Development Grants. Conference registration and information related to reservations at the Wardman Park are available at the following link: https://www.osep-meeting.org/registration.aspx. Note there is no registration fee.
Results Driven Accountability (RDA) sessions will be offered beginning on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 23 through July 25. This meeting will include plenary and breakout sessions on key State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) Phase I topics, such as data analysis, infrastructure analysis and stakeholder involvement. In addition to OSEP-led sessions, we will provide opportunities for the State-to-State dialogue many of you requested. Finally, on Friday we will organize time for you to meet with your State contact and other OSEP staff to discuss State-specific issues. See the attached draft agenda for more information. There is no fee for these RDA sessions and the Technical Assistance Coordinating Center (TACC) will be handling registration and specifics regarding registration will follow shortly.
The Collaborative Federal Programs meeting will allow you to meet with your colleagues from Title I, Title III, and School Turnaround (SIG) at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC, on Thursday, July 24th. Full details about the meetings are available at the following link: http://www.titlei.org/federaleducationprogram/main. Please note that registration is $250/person and is limited to those at the State educational agency (SEA) level. Space is limited and it is likely that only one representative from State special education programs will be able to attend the combined meeting on July 24th.
State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) Support
Thank you for your prompt responses requesting support in developing your State’s SSIP. We have conducted two visits to Indiana and Puerto Rico and are in the process of finalizing the rest of the schedule. By October, we will have provided either onsite support or desktop support to all of the requesting programs. We are committed to working collaboratively with our State partners.
FFY 2013 – FFY 2018 SPP/APR Package
The updated SPP/APR package was recently approved by OMB for use beginning with the February 2015 submission. As we stated in the rollout call on June 12, 2014, Indicators B1-16 and C1-10 are due February 2, 2015 and Indicators B17 and C11 are due on April 1, 2015. The SPP/APR must be submitted using the SPP/APR module on GRADS 360. Please submit your authorized user list to Rebecca Walawender (rebecca.walawender@ed.gov) as soon as possible if you have not already done so. We look forward to working with you on your FFY 2013 submission.
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