1. Title I, Part A and The Community Eligibility Provision
Virginia Department of Education
Office of Program Administration and Accountability
Title I University

2. Session Agenda
Background Information
Title I, Part A, School Ranking Eligibility for divisions with participating schools
Federal Accountability
Questions

3. The Community Eligibility Program (CEP)
Universal meal program designed by the National School Lunch Program
Response to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
Implementation began in , with all states participating by the school year
Goal of providing more free meals to low-income students
In each participating school, all students are provided free breakfast and free lunch

4. The Community Eligibility Program
To be eligible, a school, group of schools, or LEA must have at least 40 percent of its students meet the definition below:
Identified Students are defined as students approved as eligible for free meals through means other than individual household applications. This definition includes students who are directly certified for free meals on the basis of their participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).  It also includes homeless students on the liaison list, runaways, migrant youth, Head Start, Even Start and foster children approved by means other than a meal application.  It does NOT include students who are categorically eligible based on information submitted on a free and reduced price application, such as a SNAP or TANF case number.

5. The Multiplier
Used to account for low-income families not reflected/ captured in identified student count
Determines percent of federal reimbursement for meals
Set by USDA at 1.6
Multiplier remains constant for schools and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) throughout the four year CEP cycle

6. Examples of the Multiplier
School B
School A
40% of students identified
40 X 1.6 = 64
64% of meals reimbursed at Federal “Free” rate
36% of meals reimbursed at Federal “Paid” rate
62.5% of students identified
62.5 X 1.6 = 100
100% of meals reimbursed at Federal “Free” rate
NOTE: 100% is maximum

7. How does CEP impact Title I school ranking?
The LEA must use a common poverty metric to rank order schools and allocate Title I funds on an equitable basis
If an LEA selects National School Lunch data as its poverty measure and participates in CEP, the CEP data will be used by the LEA for within-district allocations
An LEA will generally not use CEP data for Title I school ranking until a school is in its second year implementing CEP ( or later)
School divisions may choose to use CEP data for Title I school ranking regardless of whether they participate in the CEP program

8. CEP and Ranking Schools
Each school’s data must be reported separately in the Title I, Part A, application for federal funds (not in a group or by division average, even if schools were grouped for CEP eligibility)
The LEA or school must use updated direct certification data on an annual basis for Title I purposes, even if these data are not used for CEP purposes

9. Adjustments to the Title I, Part A, Application
On the Title I, Part A, Individual Application, refer to the “Program Requirements” tab
On the Consolidated Application, refer to the “Title I, Part A” tab

10. Sources of Data Used to Determine Low-income Count
Select all sources that you used. CEP or “Direct Certification” data may be used regardless of whether the division participates in the CEP program.

11. Eligible Attendance Areas Table
Columns 7, 8, and 9 account for schools participating in CEP and/or using direct certification data for ranking purposes.

12. Divisions with NO CEP Schools/Not Using CEP Data
Leave columns 7 and 8 blank, or select “No”
Column 6 will populate column 9

13. Divisions with SOME CEP Schools – 3 Options
Option 1 - Use CEP data and the multiplier for CEP schools and use traditional free/reduced data, including household meal applications, for non-CEP schools
Select “Yes” or “No” to identify school type in column 7
Select “Yes” in column 8 to apply the multiplier for CEP schools only
Column 9 will populate with the adjusted low-income count which will be used to allocate Title I funds

14. Divisions with SOME CEP Schools – 3 Options
Option 2 - Use CEP data only (no household meals applications) for all CEP and non-CEP schools
Select “Yes” or “No” to identify school type in column 7
Select “No” in column 8 for all schools
Column 6 will populate column 9

15. Divisions with SOME CEP Schools – 3 Options
Option 3 - Use CEP data only (no household meals applications) for all CEP and non-CEP schools and use the multiplier for all CEP and non-CEP schools
Select “Yes” or “No” to identify school type in column 7
Select “Yes” in column 8 for all schools
Column 9 will populate with the adjusted low-income count which will be used to allocate Title I funds

16. Divisions with ALL CEP Schools or Divisions Choosing to Use Direct Certification Data for Ranking Purposes 2 Options
Option 1 - Use CEP data only
Select “Yes” or “No” to identify school type in column 7
Select “No” in column 8 for all schools
Column 6 will populate column 9

17. Divisions with ALL CEP Schools or Divisions Choosing to Use Direct Certification Data for Ranking Purposes 2 Options
Option 2 - Use CEP data only and use the multiplier
Select “Yes” or “No” to identify school type in column 7
Select “Yes” in column 8 for all schools
Column 9 will populate with the adjusted low-income count which will be used to allocate Title I funds

18. Identification of Economically Disadvantaged Students for Federal Accountability
The CEP identified students definition is used to identify the economically disadvantaged subgroup for accountability purposes in all CEP schools.  
Schools not participating in CEP continue to use traditional methods for the identification of the economically disadvantaged subgroup for accountability purposes as allowed under Title I and that comply with the data elements outlined in the Student Record Collection (for example, student eligibility for Free/Reduced Meals, students receiving TANF, and students eligible for Medicaid).

19. Information on CEP
U. S. Department of Education Guidance - The Community Eligibility Provision and Selected Requirements under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended. Revised March 2015
Superintendent’s Memo #073-15: Community Eligibility Provision (CEP): Guidance and Procedures for School Year Released March 27, 2015
Superintendent’s Memo #104-14: Identification of the Economically Disadvantaged Subgroup for Title I Accountability Under the Community Eligibility Provision

20. Dr. Lynn Sodat, Title I Coordinator
VDOE Contact Information
Dr. Lynn Sodat, Title I Coordinator