1. Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) Grants
Title IV, Part A
Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) Grants
July 26, 2017

2. Eve Carney Executive Director Renee Palakovic Deputy Director Consolidated Planning & Monitoring

3. Agenda

4. Agenda Overview and purpose
Leveraging federal, state, and local resources
Program requirements
Application requirements
Implementing effective SSAE programming
Well-rounded educational opportunities
Safe and healthy students
Effective use of technology
Next steps
Q & A

5. Overview and Purpose

6. Overview
President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law in December 2015, which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).
Newly authorized under subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A of the ESEA is the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program.
The SSAE program provides districts and schools the flexibility to tailor investments based on the needs of their unique student populations.

7. Purpose
SSAE grants are intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and local communities to:
provide all students with access to a well-rounded education,
improve school conditions for student learning, and
improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students.

8. Leveraging Federal, State, and Local Resources

9. Leveraging Federal, State, and Local Resources
Where possible, the US Department of Education (ED) encourages coordination and integration of the SSAE program and activities authorized under other sections of ESSA.
In order to maximize the use of the SSAE program resources, LEAs and schools may partner with organizations such as nonprofits, institutions of higher education (IHEs), museums, and community organizations to offer programs and services to students.
Local leaders should consider how other federal, state and local funds may be leveraged to support a holistic approach to a well-rounded education.
In terms of leveraging federal state and local resources, this program is one where leveraging other resources will be both necessary and particularly helpful. In order to maximize the use of SSAE program resources, it is encouraged that state agencies, districts, and schools partner with organizations such as nonprofits, institutions of higher education, museums, and community organizations to offer programs to students. Local leaders should consider how federal, state, and local funds may be leveraged to support a holistic approach to a well-rounded education. This will both put more money into those activities as well as develop programmatic partnerships and relationships which will benefit and reinforce outcomes.

10. Program Requirements

11. Program Requirements Supplement, Not Supplant: Federal Civil Rights:
Districts may not use SSAE program funds for the cost of activities in the three SSAE program content areas: well-rounded education, safe and healthy students, and technology, if the cost of those activities would have otherwise been paid with State or local funds in the absence of SSAE program funds.
Federal Civil Rights:
SSAE grant recipients must comply with Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age.
An important program requirement for Title IV Part A: LEAs should be mindful that SSAE program funds may be used only to supplement, and not supplant, non-federal funds that would otherwise be available for activities authorized under the program. In general, LEAs may not use SSAE program funds for the cost of activities in the three program content areas - well-rounded, safe and healthy, technology - if the cost - and this is the critical phrase here - if the cost of those activities would have, otherwise, been paid with state or local funds in the absence of SSAE program funds. So that’s kind of the litmus test - that final phrase about the cost of those activities would not have, otherwise, been paid for.
SSAE grant recipients must also comply with federal civil rights laws that prohibit determination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability and age.

12. Application Requirements

13. Application Requirements: Overview
LEAs are required to revise the FY18 CFA in ePlan to receive SSAE funds.
LEAs are encouraged to create consortiums to maximize the impact of available funds
In developing its application, an LEA must consult with stakeholders in the area served by the LEA.
District planning teams can meet requirement
Stakeholders must include, but are not limited to:
Parents
Teachers
Principals
Students
School Leaders
Charter school teachers, principals, and other school leaders
Specialized instructional support personnel
Indian tribes or tribal organizations, as applicable
Local government representatives
Others with relevant and demonstrated expertise
Community-based organizations

14. Application Requirements
Comprehensive needs assessment:
LEAs that receive $30,000 or more in SSAE program funds must conduct a comprehensive needs assessment that includes, at a minimum, a focus on three content areas:
Well-rounded educational opportunities,
Safe and healthy students, and
Effective use of technology.
The needs assessment must occur at least once every three years.
The annual district planning process requires every LEA to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment and address the three required content areas

15. Application Requirements
Based on the results of the comprehensive needs assessment, LEAs receiving $30,000 or more must use:
at least 20 percent of funds for activities to support well-rounded educational opportunities;
at least 20 percent of funds for activities to support safe and healthy students; and
a portion of funds for activities to support effective use of technology. (no more than 15% for technology infrastructure)
LEAs receiving less than $30,000 must use funds for at least one of the focus areas
Regardless of amount of award?

16. Application Requirements
Distribution of funds:
LEAs must prioritize the distribution of funds to schools based on one or more of several factors, including schools that:
are among those with the greatest needs, as determined by the LEA;
have the highest numbers of students from low-income families;
are identified as a priority or focus school; and/or
are identified as a persistently dangerous public school.

17. Application Requirements
LEAs may transfer up to 100% of SSAE funds into
Title I, Part A
Title II, Part A
Title III
Equitable services requirements of 8501 apply to Title IV funds
Equitable share must be calculated off-the-top of the Title IV allocation based on student enrollment in participating non-public schools
An equitable share worksheet will be provided

18. Application Requirements
If non-public schools indicated their intent to participate in Title IV, the LEA must
Consult with those non-public schools in accordance with section 8501 of ESSA
Consult with non-public schools BEFORE transferring funds to other eligible title programs
If funds are transferred, provide non-public school students and teachers equitable services under the programs to which, and from which, the funds are transferred, based on the total amount of funds available to each program AFTER the transfer

19. Implementing Effective SSAE Programming

20. Implementing Effective SSAE Programming
Identify Local Needs
Select Relevant, Evidence-based Action Steps
Implement Action Steps
Examine and Reflect

21. Implementing Effective SSAE Programming
Conducting the needs assessment is not only an important aspect of the SSAE program, it is required for those LEAs receiving more than $30,000.
Must be comprehensive and examine areas related to students’ access to effective program activities.
Must engage in a meaningful discussion with a broad range of stakeholders.
Tennessee’s district planning process meets all of these requirements.
Identify Local Needs

22. Implementing Effective SSAE Programming
The evidence-based action steps should address identified priority needs and support goals and strategies.
The district should have the capacity to implement the action steps.
Does the potential outcome of the action step justify its costs?
How will the selected evidence-based actions be sustained over time?
Select Relevant, Evidence-based Action Steps

23. Implementing Effective SSAE Programming
Questions to consider:
Are action steps identified within the district plan being implemented?
Are there mid-course adjustments to improve implementation?
Do resources need to be realigned or timelines adjusted?
What are barriers to successful implementation?
Implement Action Steps
What data are being collected?

24. Implementing Effective SSAE Programming
Questions to consider:
Based on identified benchmark indicators, were action steps completed? Successful?
Did the action step help the district to achieve the goal?
Is performance data sufficient or is a more rigorous evaluation needed?
Was the return on investment sufficient to continue the action step?
Examine and Reflect

25. Well-rounded Educational Opportunities

26. Well-rounded Educational Opportunities
The first purpose of the SSAE program is to provide all students with a well-rounded education and access to enriched curriculum and education experiences.
A well-rounded education:
helps students make important connections among their studies, their curiosities, their passions, and the skills they need to become critical thinkers and productive members of society.

27. Well-rounded Educational Opportunities
A well-rounded education:
Promotes a diverse set of learning experiences that engage students across a variety of course activities and programs in subjects such as:
English, reading/language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, math, foreign language, civics/government, economics, art, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, and physical education.

28. Well-rounded Educational Opportunities
An LEA receiving an SSAE allocation of $30,000 or more, must use at least 20 percent of the program funds for activities that support student access to a well-rounded education.
An LEA may use funds for any program or activity that supports student access to and success in well-rounded educational experiences.

29. Well-rounded Educational Opportunities
Programs and activities that support a well-rounded educations may include:
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
Music and arts
Foreign language instruction
High school redesign with dual or concurrent enrollment and early college high schools
Civics instruction
College and career counseling
Social emotional learning
Environmental education
Accelerated learning programs

30. Safe and Healthy Students

31. Safe and Healthy Students
The second purpose of the SSAE program is to improve school conditions for student learning.
When students are healthy and feel safe and supported, they are more likely to succeed in school.

32. Safe and Healthy Students
An LEA that receives $30,000 or more in SSAE program funds must use at least 20 percent of those funds on comprehensive activities and programs that:
are coordinated with other schools and community-based services and programs;
foster safe, healthy, supportive, and drug-free environments that support student academic achievement;
promote the involvement of parents in the activity or program;
may be conducted in partnership with an IHE, business, nonprofit organization, community-based organization, or other public or private entity with a demonstrated record of success in implementing activities authorized under section 4108

33. Safe and Healthy Students
Authorized activities may be categorized by topic
Safe and Supportive Schools
Student Physical and Mental Health
Preventing Bullying and Harassment
Relationship-Building Skills
School Dropout Prevention
Re-entry Programs & Transition Services for Justice Involved Youth
School Readiness and Academic Success
Child Sexual Abuse Awareness and Prevention
Reducing Use of Exclusionary Discipline Practices & Promoting Supportive School Discipline
Suicide Prevention
Building School and Community Relationships
Culturally Responsive Teaching and PD of Implicit Bias
Drug and Violence Prevention
Health and Safety Practices in School Athletic Programs
School-Based Health and Mental Health Services
Healthy, Active Lifestyle, Nutritional Education
Physical Activities
Trauma-Informed Classroom Management
Preventing Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, Smokeless Tobacco, Electronic Cigarettes
Chronic Disease Management
Cross-Cutting Authorized Topics
Mentoring and School Counseling
Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions
Pay for Success Initiatives aligned with the purposes of Title IV

34. Effective Use of Technology

35. Effective Use of Technology
The third purpose of the SSAE grant is to improve the use of technology and thus improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students.
An LEA that receives $30,000 or more in SSAE program funds must use must use a portion of those funds to increase the effective use of technology.

36. Effective Use of Technology
A special rule within ESSA states that no more than 15 percent of funds in this content area may be spent on technology infrastructure, including:
devices, equipment, software applications, platforms, digital instructional resources and/or other one-time IT purchases.

37. Effective Use of Technology
A question about the educational technology 15% rule:
Q: Is the 15% based on the entire allocation or do we take into consideration the 20% requirement for well rounded opportunities and supporting safe and healthy students?
A: The 15% special rule does not apply to the total SSAE subgrant an LEA may receive. To clarify, LEAs may not spend more than 15 percent of funding in this content area on devices, equipment, software applications, platforms, digital instructional resources and/or other onetime IT purchases.

38. Effective Use of Technology
Example of application of 15% infrastructure rule
LEA Allocation of $50,000
A minimum of $10,000 (20%) must be budgeted for well-rounded education
A minimum of $10,000 (20%) must be budgeted for safe and healthy students
Remaining funds ($30,000) to be budgeted for effective use of technology w/ a maximum of 15% on infrastructure
INCORRECT 15% INFRASTRUCTURE CALCULATION
$50,000 X 15% = $7,500
CORRECT 15% INFRASTRUCTURE CALCULATION
$30,000 X 15% = $4,500

39. Effective Use of Technology
SSAE program funds may be used to provide educators, school leaders, and administrators with the professional learning tools, devices, content and resources to do the following activities, among other allowable uses:
provide personalized learning;
discover, adapt, and share high-quality resources;
implement blended learning strategies; and
implement school and district wide approaches to inform instruction, support teacher collaboration, and personalize learning.

40. Effective Use of Technology
Funds may also be used to:
help educators learn how to use technology to increase the engagement of English Learner (EL) students;
develop or implement specialized or rigorous academic courses using technology, including assistive technology; and
support professional learning for STEM, including computer science.

41. Effective Use of Technology
Schools must make assistive technology available to students with disabilities when that technology is necessary to provide access to the curriculum for the student to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
When a school provides technology to students without disabilities, the benefits provided by that technology must also be made available to students with disabilities in an equally accessible and equally integrated manner.

42. Next Steps

43. Next Steps Tennessee’s FY18 Title IV allocation is $7.9 million
All LEAs will be awarded at least $10,000, meeting the allocation minimum required by ESSA
Allocations are now available in TDOE Resources
A Title IV budget will be added to the FY18 CFA in ePlan and opened in ePlan by September 15
Districts will have until October 15 to submit final budgets that include Title IV
This is a two-week extension to the standard October 1 final budget deadline

44. Resources SSAE Grants Non-Regulatory Guidance:

45. Questions

47. 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:
Notifications can also be submitted electronically at: