2016  November and December

Title I & Special Services

Administrator Technical Assistance Newsletter

On-going Requirements

I           SAC Meeting –Include in your meeting:

The status of your Title I, Part A grant/budget and your Parent Involvement Plan/budget (PIP). Inform your SAC of the FDOE approval of the 2016-2017 Title I, Part A grant application and the LEA PIP which can be found at  this website http://leon.k12.fl.us.

Review and discuss student achievement data at grade level meetings/data chats:

Discuss grade level/school data and changes to the instructional program. Include in the minutes, your action plan, next steps, or changes/adjustments to the instructional program based on the data and grade level discussions. Include specific needs identified for subgroups, including SWD, ELLs, and migrant students, if appropriate.

Highly Qualified Paraprofessionals (HQP)

All instructional paraprofessionals employed in a Title I school-wide program (public schools) and those paid with Title I funds in a targeted assistance program (nonpublic schools) must meet highly qualified requirements. (See October’s newsletter for HQ requirements).

Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT)

All teachers of core academic subjects in Title I schools must be highly qualified. To meet the highly qualified requirements, teachers must be teaching in the field for which they are certified. (See October’s newsletter for qualifications requirements).

Compliance Watch (Schools and LEA) MUST

Upload a copy of the sign in sheets, agendas, emails, minutes/notes and handouts, and parental notification letters, if applicable, to the Good Image data-base, and place a copy in your notebook (optional).

II.        Monthly Technical Assistance Reminders - Allowable with Conditions

Field Trips

Educationally related field trips are allowable, but the following standards should be applied:

• All field trips must relate to the school-wide or targeted assistance (non-public

 schools) programs and school improvement plan;

• All field trips must be related to the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, or

 science and should include planned instructional activities;

• Field trip costs should be reasonable. Documentation of the field trip should be

   maintained and provide clear evidence of how the expense relates to an    

   instructional objective. Documentation may include:

o The destination of each field trip;

o The costs associated with each field trip;

o The objective(s) to be accomplished from conducting the field trip; and o The teacher's lesson plan and follow‐up activities.

o The Title I field trip request form must be completed and approved prior

   to scheduling the field trip.

• For the supplement not supplant requirement, documentation must demonstrate  

 the supplementary nature of the field trip.

Food Purchases

An LEA may only use Title I funds to purchase light refreshments and snacks for Title I, Part A family engagement activities if

• The LEA has a board‐approved policy regarding the use of federal funds for   

 food purchases;

• The activity is instructional in nature; and parents are in attendance

• The meeting extends over a normal meal time (breakfast 5:30a.m. – 8:30a.m.,

   lunch 11:30a.m.-2:30p.m., or dinner 5:30p.m. – 8:30p.m.) and reasonable,    

   allowable and necessary for the parental involvement activity.

Unallowable

Advertising and Public Relations

Advertising and public relations costs that are unallowable include the following:

• Advertising and public relations costs other than as specified;

• Costs of meetings, conventions, convocations, or other events related to other  

   activities of the LEA, including:

o Costs of displays, demonstrations, and exhibits;

o Costs of meeting rooms, hospitality suites, and other special facilities used in conjunction with shows and other special events; and

o Salaries and wages of employees engaged in setting up and displaying exhibits, making demonstrations, and providing briefings;

o Costs of promotional items and memorabilia, including models, gifts, and souvenirs; and

o Costs of advertising and public relations designed solely to promote the LEA.

Entertainment                      

Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities and any costs directly associated with it (such as tickets to shows or sports events, meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities) are unallowable.

Gifts/Incentives and Awards

Gifts, field trips for non‐educational purposes or used as incentives, or items that appear to be gifts are not allowable. Souvenirs, memorabilia, or promotional items, such as T‐shirts, caps, tote bags, etc., are not allowable. Door prizes, movie tickets, gift certificates, passes to amusement parks, etc., are unallowable. In addition, food, snacks, beverages, refreshments, meals, etc., that are provided as incentives or rewards are not allowable.

Goods or Services for Personal Use

Costs of goods or services for personal use are unallowable.

Memberships, Subscriptions, and Professional Activities

Costs of membership in organizations substantially engaged in lobbying are unallowable.

Construction Costs

Construction costs associated with permanent and structural work of buildings or properties, such as creating parking lots, asphalt paving, building wheelchair ramps to meet ADA requirements, adding additional space/room to the building, building a road, fence or garage on school property, etc., are unallowable.

Compliance Watch

• Maintain documentation to support specific costs, such as:

• Salaries: semi‐annual certifications or personnel activity reports and evidence that payments reflect work;

• Contracts: evidence that deliverables were met, rationale for selection of the vendor, invoices, and the actual contract;

• Stipends: a contract or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that states work expectations and payment and, if paying for attending training, a description of the training and a list of participants;

• Meetings, food, meals: documentation that identifies the content of meeting, the agenda or minutes, and the participants;

• Training, professional development, and associated expenditures: documentation that identifies the content and the participants, actual hotel bills, payments for airline tickets, payment for meals;

• Local travel: documentation that identifies the miles traveled, the destination, and the purpose of the trip sufficient to demonstrate it supported the purpose of the grant; and

• Advertising: a copy of the advertisement and how it supports the functions of the grant.

• Maintain documentation to support that expenditures are supplemental, and do not

   supplant, that which would have been provided in the absence of Title I funding.

II.        November Title I Parent Newsletter Insert will include information about:

1. Highly Qualified requirements

3. Student Code of Conduct

4. Title I Homepage

5. Family and School Partnership Policy

III        Reminder:

Please posted the following on your School’s Homepage

• Title I/School Improvement Plan

• Parent Involvement Plan

• Staff Development Plan

• Link to the LCS Title I Information http://www.tandl.leon.k12.fl.us/title1/index.html                   

Parent Notifications, Student Code of Conduct, Report Card       

Information, School Report Card Notification, SPAR, Award Notifications for

Title I, Part A, Title I, Part D, subpart II, and Title X, Student Compact, and LCS

Complaint Process

Make visible and available in the Front Office

Title I/School Improvement Plan

Parent Involvement Plan

Student Code of Conduct

Student Compact

LCS Complaint Process

Parent Brochure

Parent Right to Know Letter 

Parent 21 Day Letter

IV.       The attached and requested compliance items were listed in the September and October Technical Assistance Newsletter and should have been signed and uploaded into the Good Image data-base and a copy placed in your compliance notebook (optional).

• HQ Principal Attestation (Signed in October attesting to the HQ status of your teachers and paras).

• October Time and Effort Log - A signed copy of the October Time and Effort (PAR) log-signed after October 31, 2016 for all employees split coded to a Federal Grant.

• Instructional Aides schedules were requested in the September Technical Assistance Newsletter and should have been uploaded in the Good Image data-base.

• Parent 21 Day/Four Week Notification Letter- The Title Office should have been informed of a non-highly qualified teacher and the proper notification sent home to the parent or guardian. A copy of the letter sent to the Title Director, a copy at school and a copy uploaded in the Good Image data- base.