New Grant Program: Title IV, Part A, what is it? Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant NOVEMBER 2016

Purpose Newly authorized under subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A of the ESEA, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program is intended to increase the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), schools, 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 2

Allowable Activities Activities to support well rounded educational opportunities for students may include:  STEM programs Music and art programs Foreign language offerings The opportunity to earn credits from institutions of higher learning Reimbursing low-income students to cover the costs of accelerated learning examination fees Environmental education Programs and activities that promote volunteerism and community involvement *This is not an exhaustive list. 3

Well-Rounded Education A well-rounded education starts with early learning opportunities that make time for exploration and continues with K-12 education that 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. A well-rounded education promotes a diverse set of learning experiences that engages students across a variety of courses, activities, and programs in subjects such as English, reading/language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, and physical education. Discussion question: Do you agree with the above definition? Why or why not? What would you add or change? 4

Allowable Activities Activities to support safe and healthy students may include:  School-based mental health services Drug and violence prevention activities that are evidence-based Integrating health and safety practices into school or athletic programs Nutritional education and physical education activities Bullying and harassment prevention Activities that improve instructional practices for developing relationship-building skills Prevention of teen and dating violence, stalking, domestic abuse, and sexual violence and harassment Establishing or improving school dropout and reentry programs Training school personnel in effective practices related to the above *This is not an exhaustive list. 5

Allowable Activities Activities to improve the use of educational technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students may include: Providing educators, school leaders, and administrators with the professional learning tools, devices, content and resources to: Personalize learning Discover, adapt, and share relevant high-quality educational resources Use technology effectively in the classroom Implement and support school and districtwide approaches for using technology to inform instruction, support teacher collaboration, and personalize learning *This is not an exhaustive list. 6

Allowable Activities Activities to improve the use of educational technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students may include: Building technological capacity and infrastructure Developing or using effective or innovative strategies for the delivery of specialized or rigorous academic courses through the use of technology Carrying out blended learning activities (must include ongoing professional development for teachers) Providing professional development on the use of technology to enable teachers to increase student achievement in STEM areas Providing students in rural, remote, and underserved areas with the resources to take advantage of high-quality digital learning experiences 7

Funding The law authorizes $1.65 billion For reference: The authorized amount for Title I is ~$15 billion U.S. Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Subcommittee appropriated only $300 million in its recently approved funding bill. Activities must supplement, and not supplant, non-federal funds that would otherwise be available for activities authorized under Title IV, Part A. 8

Funding Opportunities to leverage funds Title I funds may be used to promote supportive school climates. 21st Century Community Learning Centers also provide opportunities through programs such as nutrition and health education, drug and violence prevention, and arts education. Title II funds may be used to provide training for school personnel to address issues related to school conditions for student learning. Title V, Part B funds (Rural and Low-Income School Program) may be used for any activities allowable under other programs in ESSA. LEAs may form consortiums to maximize the impact of Title IV, Part A funds. 9

Program Requirements Activities must be planned in consultation with parents, teachers, principals, and other relevant stakeholders. Must also engage in continued consultation to improve the activities. LEAs receiving at least $30,000 must conduct a comprehensive needs assessment every 3 years use at least 20% of the funds to support activities related to well-rounded educational opportunities use at least 20% of the funds to support safe and healthy students use a portion of the funds to support the improvement of the use of educational technology prioritize the funds toward high-need schools in the district LEAs may use a portion of the funds for activities conducted in partnership with an IHE, business, nonprofit organization, or community-based organization. 10

Stakeholder Consultation What stakeholders other than teachers, parents, and principals should be consulted when planning activities? Required in statute (where applicable) Encouraged in non-regulatory guidance Paraprofessionals Students Community-based organizations Local government representatives (may include law enforcement and child welfare) Indian tribes or tribal organizations Charter school teachers and principals Business community Health providers Police and social workers Librarians Technology experts Service providers Faith-based community leaders 11

Distribution of Funds Must an LEA distribute Title IV, Part A funds to all of its schools? No. The LEA has discretion in how the funds are distributed to schools, with the exception of the requirement to prioritize toward high-need schools if the allocation is $30,000 or more. Do the minimum % of funds to be used in each content area apply to schools to which the LEA distributes funds? No. This requirement only applies to the LEA as a whole. In the case of a consortium, do the minimum % of funds to be used in each content area apply to the consortium or each LEA? The consortium 12

Implementing Effective Programs Identifying local needs Select relevant, evidence-based activities Plan for implementation Implement activities Examine and reflect 13

Identifying Local Needs Questions to consider: Which stakeholders can help identify local needs and/or root causes? How can they be engaged early and in a meaningful way throughout the process? What data are needed? Are there inequities inherent in our system that are driving some of these needs? How should identified needs be prioritized? 14

Selecting Relevant, Evidence-Based Activities While ESEA requires “at least one study” on an intervention to provide strong evidence, moderate evidence, or promising evidence, SEAs, LEAs, and other stakeholders should consider the entire body of relevant evidence. The What Works ClearinghouseTM (WWC) uses rigorous standards to review evidence of effectiveness on a wide range of interventions and also summarizes the settings and populations in the studies. Interventions with little to no evidence should at least demonstrate a rationale for how they will achieve their intended goals. Local capacity also helps predict the success of an intervention, so the available funding, staff resources, staff skills, and support for interventions should be considered when selecting an evidence-based intervention. 15

Discussion Question How does your district, school, and/or team identify evidence-based activities and interventions? 16

Implementing Activities Consider including in your implementation plan: A logic model Well defined, measurable goals with implementation timelines Clearly outlined roles and responsibilities Identified resources required A process to monitor implementation An outreach strategy to regularly engage stakeholders 17

Examine and Reflect Questions to consider: What are reasonable expectations of success at the beginning, middle an end of an activity or intervention and how should it be measured? Is performance data sufficient or is there a need for a rigorous evaluation? If so, are the resources to support such an evaluation? What interim progress milestones should be collected? What does the information collected suggest about ways to improve the activity? 18

Special Rule Regarding AP Exams Under the special rule in section 4107(b) of the ESEA, an LEA may use FY 17 funds to cover part or all of the fees for AP, IB, or other accelerated learning examinations taken by low-income students in both the 2016-2017 school year and 2017-2018 school year. Consistent with section 4104(b)(3)(A)(ii), a State may also use funds not reserved for LEA subgrants or State administrative costs to reimburse the costs of accelerated learning examinations for low-income students. Under the special rule in section 4104(c), a State may similarly use funds to pay for accelerated learning examinations taken by low-income students in the 2016-2017 school year. 19

Resources Resources and tools for the three subject areas are available from USDE at http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/essassaegrantguid10212016.pdf CDE’s page for all ESSA related items and updates: http://www.cde.state.co.us/fedprograms/essa Contact information: Jennifer Simons simons_j@cde.state.co.us 303.866.3905 20