Spending/ Fiscal Allowable Expenses Equitable Services Needs Assessment Potluck

Question How long are grant funds available?

Answer 1 – months, beginning July 1 of the grant year and ending Sept 30 of the following year – Guidance B-12

Question How does the district determine “total enrollment” when calculating equitable service amounts for private schools for the purposes of II-A?

Answer 1 – 20 Total district enrollment plus total private school enrollment

Question What is the function code for administrative professional learning?

Answer 1 –

Question Why are districts asked to include the object codes for all activities in each line item in the narrative?

Answer 1 – 40 To facilitate cross checking of narrative and spending pages by reviewer

Question Which costs are deducted from the district’s entitlement prior to calculating equitable service amounts?

Answer 1 – 50 Class Size Reduction costs, Highly Qualified costs, indirect costs

Question True or False: Substitutes are not an allowable expense under Title II-A.

Answer 2 – 10 FALSE: Substitutes are an allowable expense, as long as the professional learning teachers are engaging in is II-A funded Guidance E-4

Question When can Title II-A funds be used to pay teacher salaries?

Answer 2 – 20 Teachers hired for Class Size Reduction or master teachers who provide or coordinate professional learning Guidance E-4

Question True or False: II-A funds can be used to purchase supplies and instructional materials.

Answer 2 – 30 TRUE, but only those materials and supplies used as part of professional learning. Guidance E-10

Question Name three types of instructional practices that would be considered allowable under II-A guidance.

Answer 2 – 40 – Collaborative groups – Meeting needs of students with different learning styles – Improving student behavior – Involving parents in children’s education – Using data and assessments to improve instruction Guidance E-4

Question Name 2 strategies or activities that districts can implement to recruit, hire, and retain highly qualified teachers and principals.

Answer 2 – 50 Providing monetary incentives Reducing class size Recruiting teachers to teach special needs children Recruiting paras and teachers for populations underrepresented in the teaching profession – Guidance E-1.2

Question How often must the district consult with private schools about participation in II-A activities?

Answer 3 – 10 At least annually – Guidance G-20

Question How are private school II-A activities determined?

Answer 3 – 20 Activities are based on the private school’s needs assessment – Guidance G-11

Question True or False: Private schools may be reimbursed directly by the district for II-A activities.

Answer 3 – 30 FALSE. The district is the fiscal agent for the school and pays service providers. Guidance G-23

Question Which two expenditures that are allowable for districts are not allowable for private schools?

Answer 3 – 40 Salaries/benefits and substitutes Guidance G-14 and G-15

Question True or False: Private schools are required to provide documentation of their needs assessment to the district.

Answer 3 – 50 FALSE. The district may request documentation, but requiring a formal application may constitute an “administrative barrier”. Guidance G-21

Question Who is required, at minimum, to participate in the data analysis?

Answer 4 – 10 Principals, teachers, and Title I teachers where applicable Guidance D-12

Question Name 3 types of data that could qualify as “student data”.

Answer 4 – 20 State, district, classroom assessments; disaggregated data; attendance data; behavioral data

Question Name 2 types of data that could qualify as “teacher/principal data”.

Answer 4 – 30 Surveys, interviews, data from educator evaluation and support systems, equitable distribution of teachers [HQT and veteran vs. non- HQT and beginning teachers] between high poverty/high minority students and low poverty/low minority students

Question How must districts involve parents, paraprofessionals and other relevant school personnel?

Answer 4 – 40 In helping to develop and prepare the local plan Guidance D-4.7

Question What is the purpose of the needs assessment?

Answer 4 – 50 To determine the support teachers and administrators need to help students meet achievement standards Guidance D-11

Question What are the core academic subjects?

Answer 5 – 10 – English language arts (including reading) – Math – Science – History – Government – Economics – Geography – Civics – Arts (visual arts and music) – Second Languages (German, French and Spanish)

Question True or False: All district staff, including central office staff, are eligible to participate in II-A funded professional learning.

Answer 5 – 20 FALSE, unless they coordinate or provide professional learning or coordinate district highly qualified efforts

Question When does the online narrative application open?

Answer 5 – 30 August 15

Question What does “supplanting” mean?

Answer 5 – 40 Using federal funds to replace local funds that would otherwise be used to pay for the activity Guidance E-15

Question Do Charter schools apply for Title II-A funds?

Answer 5 – 50 IT DEPENDS. Charter schools that are LEAs can apply to the SEA funds as any other district would. Charter schools that are part of an LEA are treated as any other school in the district. They should participate in the needs assessment, and teachers and staff may participate in program activities on the same basis as personnel in any other school. Guidance D-7