A Catalyst for Program Improvement Federal Monitoring: Added Value

Slide 2 Today’s Objectives  Summary of monitoring data  Most frequent Findings and Recommendations  Value of monitoring process in conducting needs assessment and designing program evaluation for your state  Tips on preparing for next cycle

Slide 3 Monitoring Title X, Part C McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act of 2001

Slide 4 It’s the Law  “Each State educational agency shall ensure that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as provided to other children and youth.”  (Title X, Part C, 721(1))

Slide 5 It’s the Law  McKinney-Vento addresses problems homeless students face in enrolling, attending and succeeding in school  McKinney-Vento ensures that homeless students have services needed to meet same state academic assessment and achievement standards  SEAs and LEAs are required to review/revise laws, regulations, practices or policies that may act as barriers

Slide 6 SASA Monitoring  Student Achievement and School Accountability (SASA) administers and monitors Title 1, Parts A & D; Title III; and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Program (EHCY)  Formalizes shared responsibility of SASA and SEAs to improve student achievement  Provides data to inform ED policy and national leadership activities

Slide 7 New for  Two-year cycle for ARRA and period pre-authorization; states with more findings in past cycles will receive onsite visits first  ARRA subgrantees are included in review  List of documents for advance review requested 2-3 months in advance of site visit

Slide 8 New for  Title 1 reservation now included in fiduciary indicators for Title 1 Part A review (Part A Fiduciary 3.3)  Reservation for state-level coordination activities is now included as an indicator (MV 3.2)

Slide 9 Summary of Findings and Recommendations MV IndicatorFR 1.1SEA collects and reports to ED assessment data from LEAs on the educational needs of homeless children and youth SEA implements procedures to address the identification, enrollment, and retention of homeless students SEA provides, or provides for, technical assistance for LEAs to ensure appropriate implementation of the statute 814

Slide 10 Summary of Findings and Recommendations , cont’d MV IndicatorFR 3.1SEA ensures that LEA subgrant plans for services to eligible homeless students meet all requirements SEA ensures LEA complies with providing comparable Title 1 Part A services to homeless students attending non-Title 1 schools SEA has a system for ensuring the prompt resolution of disputes SEA conducts monitoring of LEAs with and without subgrants sufficient to ensure compliance with MV program requirements 4022

Slide 11 Indicator 1.1 SEA collects and reports assessment data from LEAs  Typical findings were for not reporting all required data in CSPR in a timely manner, or for lacking complete data required  Some states report adequate data for sub- grantees but incomplete data for non- grantee LEAs  Other findings relative to headcount, i.e., under-reporting of homeless students (similar findings often in Indicator 1.2)

Slide 12 Indicator 2.1 SEA implements procedures to address identification, enrollment, and retention  Common Finding was charging unrelated SEA activities/staff time to MV  % FTE allocated for state coordinator (Recommendations)  Frequent disparity between LEAs with and without subgrants, especially in quality of outreach activities for purposes of identification (Recommendations)

Slide 13 Indicator 2.1 SEA implements procedures to address identification, enrollment, and retention  SEA and LEA policy updates, removal of barriers (immunization, enrollment, transportation)  Frequent Recommendations to strengthen collaborations between MV and other programs (especially Title 1)  Frequent Recommendations to strengthen outreach to underserved homeless sub- groups (unaccompanied youth, preschool)

Slide 14 Indicator 2.2 SEA provides, or provides for, technical assistance to LEAs to ensure compliance  Similar to Indicator 2.1 in nature and topic of Findings and Recommendations  Findings and Recommendations related to lack of systematic approach to TA and oversight to ensure that statutory requirements of MV and Title 1 are being met  Disparity between TA offered to LEAs with subgrants and non-grantee LEAs

Slide 15 Indicator 3.1 SEA ensures that LEA subgrant plans for services to eligible homeless students meet all requirements  Subgrant application process (required elements missing, selection not competitive, length of cycle)  Carryover funds are allowed to make funds available throughout school year  Timeliness of announcement of awards and disbursement of funds  Allowable expenses; process for review of budget, expenditure reports

Slide 16 Indicator 3.2 SEA ensures LEA complies w/ providing comparable Title 1 services to homeless students in non-Title 1 schools  Common Findings/Recommendations related to the reservation of Title 1 Part A funds (set asides)  SEA provides guidance, LEA determines method of calculation  Liaisons often unaware of process  Lack of TA  Disparity between LEAs with subgrants and non-grantee LEAs

Slide 17 Indicator 3.2 SEA ensures LEA complies w/ providing comparable Title 1 services to homeless students in non-Title 1 schools  Statutory requirements in both McKinney- Vento and Title 1 legislation  LEA Title 1/consolidated plan should include amount of reservation and description of how funds are used  It’s a shared responsibility!!

Slide 18  Frequent Findings and Recommendations related to lack of coordination between Title 1 and McKinney-Vento programs  Title 1 statutory requirement specific to coordination with McKinney-Vento  More detail on Indicator 3.2 – see handout Indicator 3.2 SEA ensures LEA complies w/ providing comparable Title 1 services to homeless students in non-Title 1 schools

Slide 19 Indicator 3.3 SEA has a system for ensuring the prompt resolution of disputes  Lack of written policy specific to MV  Lack of documentation of liaison’s role  Lack of guidance from SEA  Lack of tracking system for disputes (record of interventions, communications, procedures that lead to resolution of complaints at local level before becoming dispute)

Slide 20 Indicator 3.4 SEA conducts monitoring of LEAs with and without subgrants to ensure compliance  Most Frequent Finding  Disparity between monitoring of LEAs with subgrants compared to non-grantee LEAs  Insufficient monitoring plan, schedule, reporting, corrective action, followup  Frequent Recommendation regarding program evaluation – different from monitoring

Slide 21 Findings and Recommendations for States Monitored Twice States Monitored Twice (48) # of Findings # of Recommendations First Time Monitored 8555 Second Time Monitored 5043 Percent Decrease41%22%

Slide 22 So Now What?  What do we do with this information?  What does this mean for your program?  What lessons did you learn from your monitoring site visit? What did you learn from your preparation?  What changes have occurred in your program following monitoring?

Slide 23 Beyond Compliance  What impact does the monitoring event have on program implementation?  Needs Assessment  Program Evaluation  Beyond Compliance!! Use monitoring to address quality issues as well.

Slide 24 How Can NCHE Help?  What quality implementation issues are you struggling with?  What kinds of technical assistance would help you in addressing these issues?  What would you like to see on the March agenda (State Coordinators Meeting) relative to monitoring, and beyond?

Slide 25 Tips to Prepare for Next Cycle  Monitoring is one piece of large puzzle  Self-assessment is a valuable part of your preparation  Use self-assessment to identify program needs  Findings might give you leverage  Let monitoring help identify TA needs

Slide 26 Tips to Prepare for Next Cycle  Use protocol sent in advance to guide collection of basic documents  Organize documents according to indicators  Supplement list of documents required by ED with others that demonstrate program status (use questions from each indicator to guide choice of additional documentation)

Slide 27 Contact Information Beth Garriss Hardy, Ph.D. Homeless Education Consultant Garriss Hardy & Associates Jan Moore Program Specialist National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) Helpline