E QUITABLE S ERVICES TO P RIVATE S CHOOLS Russ Sweet, Education Specialist Oregon Department of Education

O BJECTIVES  General Information about Private School participation under ESEA  Title I-A, II-A and III requirements  Working with Private Schools  Resources  Contact Information

P RIVATE S CHOOL S TUDENT P ARTICIPATION UNDER ESEA The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, provides benefits to private school students, teachers and other education personnel, including those in religiously affiliated schools.

I N P LAIN L ANGUAGE... Private schools are eligible to receive services. Private schools are not to receive funds directly. No funds are to be channeled through the private school. Any payment to private school personnel for stipends must be paid directly to the individual by the LEA.

W HAT F EDERAL PROGRAMS ARE AFFECTED BY THESE RULES ?

T ITLE I  Title I – Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged  Improving Basic Programs Operated by LEAs (Part A)  Even Start Family Literacy (Part B, Subpart 3)  Education of Migratory Children (Part C)

T ITLE II  Title II – Preparing, Training and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals  Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund (Part A) [Equitable participation required to the extent that the LEA uses the funds to provide professional development]  Mathematics and Science Partnerships (Part B)  Enhancing Education Through Technology (Part D)

T ITLE III  Title III – Language Instruction for LEP and Immigrant Students  English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act (Part A)

O THER T ITLE P ROGRAMS  Title IV – 21 st Century Schools  Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities (Part A)  21 st Century Community Learning Centers (Part B)  Title V – Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs  Innovative Programs (Part A)  Gifted and Talented Students (Part D, Subpart 6) [More limited language on equitable participation]

P ROGRAMS R EQUIRING E QUITABLE P ARTICIPATION U NDER THE U NIFORM P ROVISIONS (T ITLE IX) Covered Programs:  Even Start Family Literacy  Education of Migratory Children  Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund  Mathematics and Science Partnerships  Enhancing Education Through Technology  English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act  21 st Century Community Learning Centers [ Title I, Basic Programs; Title V, Innovative Programs; and Title V Gifted Programs contain provisions for the equitable participation of private school students within their own titles.]

P ROGRAMS TO BE DISCUSSED IN THIS SESSION  Title I-A  Title II-A  Title III

T HE FIRST STEP IS C ONSULTATION  Timely and meaningful consultation during the design and development of the programs  Occurs before any decisions are made that could affect the private school students and teachers from accessing services  Continues throughout the implementation and assessment of services

T ITLE I-A S ERVICES TO P RIVATE S CHOOLS  Provides supplementary instruction by public school teachers or through a third-party contractor to students who are educationally disadvantaged and failing or at risk of failing to meet high academic standards, and who live in Title I attendance areas.

F UNDING  Generated on the basis of the number of students from low-income families who reside in participating public school attendance area and who attend private schools  There is a worksheet on page 36 of the document, Title I Services to Eligible Private School Children. You can find this document on the ODE website at:  In some cases, the private school may be in an adjacent school district

T ITLE I-A: I NSTRUCTIONAL P ROGRAM  During the school day, before or after school, during the summer  On site at the private school (even religiously affiliated schools), or at other locations  Targeted assisted pullout model, supplementary instruction, direct instruction, computer-assisted instruction, tutoring, family literacy and early childhood programs

T ITLE I-A: P ROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT  Professional development activities for private school teachers should address how these teachers can serve Title I students better by providing information on research-based reading and mathematics instruction  Funding is an equitable portion of LEA Title I-A funds being used to support professional development for district staff  Do not confuse these professional development funds with those in Title II  There are allowable and non allowable uses of these funds

T ITLE I-A: P ARENT I NVOLVEMENT  After consultation with private school officials, the LEA may conduct these activities independently or in conjunction with the LEA’s regular parent involvement activities  Parent Involvement Activities can vary from simple parent meetings about the Title I Program to more sophisticated activities such as strategies to use at home to build academic success.  Needs to be an equitable portion of the District’s parent involvement set-aside

D OCUMENTATION OF T ITLE I-A P RIVATE S CHOOL C ONSULTATION AND P ARTICIPATION  Document the Process  Initial Communication  Consultation  Instructional program  Professional development  Parent Involvement  Complaint process  Evaluation  Sample documents are available on the ODE website at:

T ITLE II-A P RIVATE S CHOOL P ARTICIPATION  References for requirements can be found in Improving Teacher Quality State Grants ESEA Title II, Part A Non-Regulatory Guidance (Revised October 5, 2006)

T ITLE II-A E LIGIBLE A CTIVITIES  Improving the knowledge of teachers, principals, and other educational personnel in one or more of the core academic subjects and in effective instructional teaching strategies, methods, and skills;  Training in effectively integrating technology into curricula and instruction;  Training in how to teach students with different needs, including students with disabilities or limited English proficiency, and gifted and talented students;

T ITLE II-A E LIGIBLE A CTIVITIES ( CONT.)  Training in methods of improving student behavior, identifying early and appropriate interventions, and involving parents more effectively in their children’s education;  Leadership development and management training to improve the quality of principals and superintendents; and  Training in the use of data and assessments to improve instruction and student outcomes.

H OW TO E NSURE E QUITABLE S ERVICES FOR T ITLE II-A  Assess, address, and evaluate the needs and progress of both public and private school teachers;  Spend an equal amount of funds per student to serve the needs of public and private school teachers and their students;  Provide private school teachers with an opportunity to participate in Title II activities equivalent to the opportunity provided public school teachers; and  Offer educational services to private school teachers that are secular, neutral, and non- ideological.

H OW TO E NSURE E QUITABLE S ERVICES FOR T ITLE II-A Based on the Needs Assessment of the private school teachers, it may be that a private school professional development plan is different from the one developed for the district’s teachers.

A LLOWABLE A CTIVITIES  Professional conferences put on by faith-based organizations (see notes for further clarification)  Stipends for private school personnel to attend professional development outside the teacher’s regular work day (see notes for further clarification)

N ON - ALLOWABLE A CTIVITIES UNDER T ITLE II-A  Private school teacher salaries  Private school substitute salaries  Items or costs that would be required of teachers by the private school* *Title II-A funds supplement non-federal funds. Professional development provided with federal funds needs to be in addition to, and not in place of what the private school would otherwise provide.

T ITLE III  Timely and Meaningful Consultation  Equitable and timely services  Secular, neutral and non-ideological  Serve private school LEP children and education personnel directly or through third party contracts  Funds are not co-mingled with non-federal funds

A VOIDING P ROBLEMS... If problems arise between the LEA and Private Schools, it is attributed to any one or all of the following:  Lack of Communication

A VOIDING P ROBLEMS Timely and meaningful consultation does not mean:  Notifying Private Schools of a meeting happening without sufficient lead time.  A meeting where the LEA has already determined services so “take it or leave it.’  A one-time meeting. It may take more than one meeting to set up the program.

A VOIDING P ROBLEMS... Timely and meaningful consultation does mean:  Coming away with a very clear plan that both parties agree on and understand.  Continual monitoring of the implementation of the plan.

C OMMON F INDINGS /I SSUES IN M ONITORING  Lack of documentation of the process of consultation and program agreements.  Perceived/Real barriers to private school participation as evidenced by:  Short timelines imposed on private schools by the LEA for meetings, consultations, etc.  Inconsistent responses from the LEA to questions by private schools.  Consultation that really isn’t consultation  Private school programs that do not begin until well after school begins.

D OING D UE D ILIGENCE “I’ve tried to consult, but the Private School never responds.” Document due diligence.  Send a registered letter with receipt required  Follow-up with a phone call  Try to make an in-person visit (optional)  If possible, attempt to acquire documentation from the Private school that the school is nor wanting to participate.

R ESOURCES The No Child Left Behind Act of Benefits to Private School Students and Teachers (Revised July 2007)

R ESOURCES Title IX, Part E Uniform Provisions Subpart I-Private Schools, Equitable Services for Eligible Private School Students, Teachers and Other Educational Personnel Non- Regulatory Guidance (Revised March 2009)

R ESOURCES Title I Services to Eligible Private School Children Non- Regulatory Guidance (Revised October 17, 2003)

W EB - BASED RESOURCES  Oregon Department of Education  US Department of Education Office of Non-Public Education

C ONTACT I NFORMATION  Russ Sweet, Education Specialist (503)  Ann Kaltenbach, Office Specialist (503)