ePlan Tips & Strategies for Maximizing FY17 Enhancement 2016 ESEA Directors Institute August 23, 2016

Linda Stachera ePlan System Administrator Consolidated Planning and Monitoring Linda.Stachera@tn.gov (615) 53-5209

Objectives

Objectives Consolidated Application Reminders Revisions ePlan Address Book Additional Resources in ePlan Reports TDOE Resources LEA Document Library Public Access

Consolidated Application Reminders

Enter a Budget Item Click Add Item. IMPORTANT – You will need to click Add Item for each and every line item you add to the budget.

Removing Line Items ePlan will not allow a quantity of zero for budget line items. Therefore, to remove a budget line item, you must click the link to Remove the line.

Totals and Remaining As totals are entered, ePlan will show the amount remaining. The system takes the budgeted amounts and subtracts them from the “Adjusted Allocation” (which is your allocation award). When you are done entering your budget, your amount remaining should be zero.

Budget Overview Screen The Budget Overview screen is a convenient way to view the budget without the budget narratives.

Show/Hide Unbudgeted Categories Click the Show/Hide link to display the allowable budget line items that have not been budgeted.

Validation Messages Validation messages are found in the “Validation” column on the Sections page.

Validations: Errors and Warnings Not responding to a required question will cause a red ERROR message. Users will see an asterisk * for items that are required. Users who budget OVER the amount allocated will receive a red ERROR message. ERRORs will prevent your application from moving forward. Warning Warning messages serve as reminders to users, but will not prevent the application from moving to the next status.

Warnings and Errors Check validation messages on original submissions and revisions. Note that under-budgeting will cause a warning, not an error.

Consolidated Application Statuses ePLAN Status Responsible Party Draft Started (or Revision Started)  LEA Consolidated Director Work on the Consolidated Application LEA Consolidated Director, LEA Consolidated Update, LEA Fiscal Representative, LEA Authorized Representative Draft Completed/Revision Completed LEA Consolidated Director LEA Fiscal Representative Approved or NOT Approved LEA Fiscal Representative (CFO or Treasurer) TDOE CPM Regional Consultant Reviewed CPM Regional Consultant TDOE CPM Regional Consultant Returned - Revisions Needed** TDOE CPM Approved CPM Director(s)/Designated TDOE Program Staff TDOE CPM Returned NOT Approved** LEA Authorized Representative Approved or NOT Approved LEA Director of School/Superintendent **Review the Consolidated Checklist for necessary revisions. Note that funding applications that are “not approved” are returned to the users with LEA Consolidated Director access. ePlan auto-generates a notification email to the next person in the status chain.

Revisions

Revisions If during the grant year the LEA needs to make a change to an approved application (amendment), click the link for REVISION STARTED at the top of the SECTIONS page. The process will proceed in the same order as the initial application process where the user can change application information and submit the change for approval.

System-Generated Revisions Changes in allocations Carry-over/reallocations/additional awards New schools When doing revisions, remember to check pages pertaining to the changes: Amounts remaining in budgets Personnel Details pages Program Details questions School Eligibility page PPA amounts

View Prior Revisions At the top of the Funding Applications screen, change the dropdown option from “All Active Applications” to “All Approved Applications.”

Revision Details Details links reveal where changes have been made.

Budget Overview Plus/Minus The Budget Overview Plus/Minus screen is a convenient way to view where changes of budgets have been made in the current revision. Values in red indicate changes in budget. Negative numbers are indicated with parentheses.

Copy From One Year to the Next The best way to copy budget and program details responses from one year to the next in ePlan: Create a PDF file of the source document using the Print feature in ePlan. Open the PDF in one browser tab and the target page in ePlan in another tab. Make sure the selection tool in the PDF document is an arrow. Copy and paste from the PDF, switching between browser tables.

ePlan Address Book

Address Book ePlan users are listed by access level in the LEA’s ePlan Address Book under the heading of “LEA Role Contacts.” To view district and school users by name, click on the link View all District Contacts located at the top of the Address Book.

Funding Application Contacts The Contacts page in the Consolidated Application is where LEAs designate who will be their points of contact for ESEA, IDEA, Title I, Homeless, Migrant, Parent Involvement, etc. TDOE utilizes the information on the Contacts page to generate emailing lists. When LEAs hire new individuals to include on the Contacts page, it may be necessary to start an application revision. Once the contact is updated on the Contacts page, their information will move into the reports used for emailing lists. However, the name in the top portion of the Address Book (LEA Funding Application Contacts) will not display until the application is fully approved. It does not immediately update with the addition/deletion of users. Contact revisions do not display in the Address Book until the revision is approved. Contacts with Data View only ePlan access will see all of the LEA items in ePlan.

Cover Page and Contacts Page If an LEA changes its Director of Schools, ESEA Director, or IDEA Director during the school year, the LEA will need to update this information on the Cover Page AND the Contacts page. Note that information on the Cover Page will not populate in conjunction with entries made on the Contacts page in ePlan.

Deleting Users Users who leave employment with the school system should be removed from ePlan immediately on or before the last day of employment. To delete a user, email Linda.Stachera@tn.gov.

TDOE Reviewers and Approvers The Address Book also shows which TDOE users are approvers and reviewers under “TDOE Funding Application Contacts.” Links show user email addresses and phone numbers.

The User Profile Users may update their own ePlan identification information and password by clicking on the link that displays their name, located below the ePlan Sign In menu item.

Additional Resources in ePlan

Reports There are a few reports available in ePlan: The Budget Summary report is accessible to LEAs from the “Funding” menu off of the main ePlan navigational bar. The Plan Funding Summary report is accessible from the LEA and School Planning page. Go to “Planning” and the click on the link “View Summary” at the bottom of the page. Data tables in the LEA and school plans. What types of reports would you like to see in ePlan?

TDOE Resources Use the Search feature in TDOE Resources.

LEA Document Library To upload documents into the LEA Document Library, begin by selecting the root folder.

Edit Documents Locate the folder and sub-folder for the document. Click the link to Edit Documents. Note that the LEA Document Library can only be viewed and edited by users in your district and the TDOE.

Uploading Documents Use the Upload Document link. Also note the trash cans and arrows to move or remove items as needed.

Document History The Document History is displayed on the main page of the LEA Document Library.

Public Access

Public Access Some portions of ePlan are visible to users who are not logged into the system. This is referred to as “Public Access.” Public access may be beneficial for community groups, board members, and other interested parties who may want to see the contents of portions of ePlan. Portions of ePlan that are visible to users who are not logged in include: The Prioritized Goals and Strategies of approved plans Approved Consolidated Applications TDOE Resources

How Public Users View ePlan To use “Public Access,” go to the ePlan website at https://eplan.tn.gov/. From here, go to Search-Organizations. Note that the words “Public Access” indicate that no user is logged into the system.

Public Access: Search Organizations Type in the name of a district or school in the “Organization Name” box and click Search. Users may also use a district or school ID or county to perform a search.

ePlan Function Shortcuts Click on the link for the district (organization) name to view the homepage of that organization. Shortcuts for portions of ePlan can be accessed from the Function column by clicking on: PT for the Planning Tool FA for Funding Applications RR for Reimbursement Requests

Questions Feedback

Questions

Notifications can also be submitted electronically at: FRAUD, WASTE, or ABUSE Citizens and agencies are encouraged to report fraud, waste, or abuse in State and Local government. NOTICE: This agency is a recipient of taxpayer funding. If you observe an agency director or employee engaging in any activity which you consider to be illegal, improper or wasteful, please call the state Comptroller’s toll-free Hotline: 1-800-232-5454 Notifications can also be submitted electronically at: http://www.comptroller.tn.gov/hotline