1. Relevant professional experience:
Mr. Steve Perla
Education:
Masters of Education (M.Ed): Boston College
Bachelor of Science & Business Administration: Lesley University
Relevant professional experience:
30 years in Catholic school leadership; currently, Executive Director of Parents Alliance for Catholic Education (PACE)
Lobbied on Capitol Hill for the passages of ESSA
Senior Director of ACE Consulting at the University of Notre Dame
Superintendent of Schools – Diocese of Worcester (MA)
Superintendent of Schools – Diocese of Fall River (MA)

2. So, what is ESEA now ESSA?

3. ESEA was signed into law in 1965 by President Johnson
"We have always believed that our people can stand on no higher ground than the school ground, or can enter any more hopeful room than the classroom. We blend time and faith and knowledge in our schools - not only to create educated citizens, but also to shape the destiny of this great Republic."
– President Lyndon B. Johnson, September 23, 1965
By President Obama, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law.
What does ESSA provide?

4. Formula (non-competitive) grants & discretionary (competitive) grants to districts serving low-income students
These grants are intended for public, private, faith-based, and charter schools!
What is some common ESSA jargon?

5. LEA = Local Education Agency (your school district)
LEA attendance area = Those neighborhoods within an LEA that, being designated as Title I eligible, generate both funding and service eligibility.
SEA = State Education Agency (your state’s Department of Education)
Pooling = One private school that is entitled to ESSA programming may combine its equitable share of ESSA funding for said programming with (an)other private school(s) for the sake of meeting student needs, fostering efficient program design, and best use of funds.

6. What are some general principles of ESSA legislation?
Carryover = ESSA funding allocated for a specific fiscal year can be extended an additional 15 months (27 months total).
Title = A specific programming category within the ESSA law.
What are some general principles of ESSA legislation?

7. 1.) LEAs are responsible for providing equitable services and benefits to eligible private school students, teachers, and other educational personnel.
The determination of equitability varies from Title to Title.
2.) Federal funds provided through ESSA may only be used to supplement school programs which ESSA approves/allows.
3.) A school district may not utilize (supplant) federal funds provided through ESSA for non-ESSA approved/allowed programming.
4.) LEAs are required to consult with private school officials in the design, fund allocation, and execution of ESSA programming for which private students and educators are eligible.
What is consultation?

8. Effective and forthright communication between LEA officials and private school officials (i.e. principals and/or superintendents) that enables both parties to determine, in a collaborative and effective manner:
1.) the design of ESSA programming;
2.) the use of funds based on consultation for ESSA programming; and
3.) the implementation of ESSA programming for which the private school’s students and educators are eligible according to the law.
It is the LEA’s responsibility to initiate the consultation(s) meetings; if for some reason this obligation is not met in a timely manner, then the private school’s officials ought to reach out to public school officials.
A group of private schools may appoint a single private school official from among them to represent all of them at the consultation.
What about the consultation timeline?

9. Before the LEA applies for discretionary (competitive) grants, and before the LEA determines its ESSA program design, it must consult with private school officials in a meaningful and timely manner!
At a consultation meeting, what topics should be discussed?

10. How the children’s needs will be identified.
What services will be offered.
How, where, and by whom the services will be provided.
How the services will be assessed and how the results of the assessment will be used to improve those services.
The size and scope of the equitable services to be provided to the eligible private school children, teachers, and other educational personnel and the amount of funds available for those services.
How and when the agency, consortium, or entity will make decisions about the delivery of services, including a thorough consideration and analysis of the views of the private school officials on the provision of contract services through potential third-party providers.

11. What is the role of the ombudsman?
ESSA strengthens the consultation provisions to a significant degree.
Under ESSA, the goal of consultation is to reach “consensus on how to provide equitable and effective programs for eligible private school children.”
Consultation topics:
How the funding amounts were determined
Consideration of pooled funds vs. individual school funds
Approximately when the services will occur
Whether to consolidate Title II and/or III funds into Title I
Whether services should be provided directly by the district or through a third-party
What is the role of the ombudsman?

12. Each state will designate an ombudsman to monitor and enforce the requirements of ESSA, in order to ensure equity.
The ombudsman will also receive notice of funding allocations as determined by the LEAs.
The ombudsman will receive report of consensus reached during consultation.
What is Title I? 12

13. How can Title I services be delivered?
The Title I program provides supplemental educational services.
These services include, but are not limited to:
Remedial reading & math
Special education services (language that has been in the law)
Counseling (will no longer require students to also participate in Title I instruction)
Mentoring
One-to-one tutoring
How can Title I services be delivered?

14. Which students qualify?
Via public school employees or third-party contractors (employed by the district) may provide these services during the school day and/or before or after school and/or during the summer.
Via private school employees may also provide these services before or after school and/or during the summer.
Which students qualify?

15. There exists an important distinction between determining which private school students receive Title I services and which private school students generate Title I funds. Each determination may or may not be mutually exclusive to the other.
To qualify for assistance under Title I, a student (whether public or private) must:
reside within the LEA attendance area of a participating public school located in a low-income area; and
have academic need (e.g. he or she is testing below grade level in reading & math and/or failing in these subjects).
A private school student need not be at or below the poverty level to receive Title I services. However, as stated above, any such private school student recipient of Title I services must reside in the public school Title I attendance area.
So, then how are Title I funds generated for private school students?

16. The next 6 slides identify and explain these 5 methods.
Those private school students who live at or below poverty in Title I attendance areas generate Title I funding that is based on the public school to which they – in the absence of the existence of the private school – would otherwise attend.
Each eligible Title I public school has a per-pupil allocation assigned to it by the LEA.
So, how is the number of private school students who generate Title I funds determined?
Title I funding for private school students in each LEA is determined by the number of low-income private school students who reside in that LEA attendance area. The Title I allocation can be arrived at via 5 methods.
The next 6 slides identify and explain these 5 methods.

17. METHOD 1:
Using the same measure of poverty (e.g. TANIF, free and reduced lunch, etc.) as a public school
If the private school does not participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), then the LEA may use a survey to collect relevant data.
METHOD 2:
Using a different measure of poverty than a public school (e.g. TANIF verses private school scholarship program) that the LEA considers valid so long as the income threshold in both sources is the same.
METHOD 3:
Using the LEA’s percentage of low-income public school students in the public school attendance area, an LEA may apply that percentage to the private school.
This is referred to as “Proportionality.” Since there are no surveys, etc, it is the BEST option for private schools in terms of convenience and funding amount.

18. METHOD 4:
Equated measure: Determining the proportional relationship between two known sources of data on public school children and applying that ratio algebraically to a single known source of data on private school children.

19. Example:
Known data
Unknown data (X)
TANIF (LEA) TANIF (private school)
_______________________ = _______________________
Free & reduced lunch (LEA) X
In this example, the goal is to determine the number of private school students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.

20. 16 private school students qualify for free and reduced lunch
Known data
Unknown data (X)
100 TANIF public school students TANIF private school students
______________________________________ = _______________________________
125 free & reduced lunch public school students Unknown # of private school students who qualify for free and reduced lunch
Procedure:
___ = ____ = 0.8  20 x 0.8 = 16 X
16 private school students qualify for free and reduced lunch

21. METHOD 5:
Using extrapolation: The LEA can use the percentage of private school parental surveys returned that demonstrate low-income status and then estimate the total number of private school students who live at or below the poverty level within the LEA.
Example:
In a given private school, there are 100 students.
50 of their parents returned the LEA survey regarding low-income eligibility.
Based on the number of surveys returned, 25 students live at our below the poverty level within the Title I attendance area (50%).
Therefore, through extrapolation, the LEA can apply 50 percent to the total number of students (100 students), which equals 50 students generating funds (instead of 25).
After Proportionality, this, then, is the SECOND BEST option for private schools in terms of convenience and funding amount.

22. For which other kinds of programs can Title I be used?

23. So, what about parental involvement programming?
1.) Parent involvement programming
2.) Professional development
This is no longer an automatic set-aside. If a private school desires these programs, then during consultation the private school must request these.
So, what about parental involvement programming?

24. So, what about Title I professional development?
Examples of Title I funded parental involvement programming:
Parent workshops about learning strategies
Family literacy programs
So, what about Title I professional development?

25. Examples of Title I-funded professional development:
Workshop on effective literacy strategies that directly impacts educationally needy students;
Workshop on effective utilization of technology to teach reading & math skills.
These funds can be used for any teacher who has even a single Title I student (or more) in their classroom.

26. What about Title I set-asides?

27. Are there other pots of PD money?
ESSA now eliminates these set-asides and stipulates that under Title I an LEA must calculate funds for services to private school students based on its total Title I allocation, without excluding certain expenditures for other purposes.
Are there other pots of PD money?

28. YES!!!
Title II.A
What is Title II.A?

29. Title IIA provides funds for professional development activities designed to improving the knowledge of teachers and principals in the core academic subjects, developing effective instructional strategies, understanding and using data and assessments, addressing the needs of students with different learning styles, employing effective methods of improving student behavior, identifying early interventions, involving parents, providing leadership development, and effectively integrating technology.
What are the criteria of said PD (Title II.A-funded PD which is across all core academic subjects)?

30. 1.) The program must address an identified PD need of your educators.
Example: If math test scores are below grade level, then you, as administrators, would want to explore and then execute effective and measurable math professional development programming.
2.) The program offering should avoid being a “one-off;” in other words, identified need and measurable instructional quality that addresses that need must be consistently documented.
Example: You, as administrators, must not invite, for a single day, a presenter to expound upon effective music instruction strategies when you have math test scores below grade level across 3 grades.
So, how are Title II.A funds allocated?

31. Must a private school participate in the LEA’s PD offerings?
Under Title II-A, a district now has to provide a proportionate share of its Title II-A allocation for services to teachers in private schools. This provision is based on the enrollment percentage of all private school students within the LEA, and not just on the funds the LEA earmarks for professional development.
Example?
An LEA has a total of 5,000 public and private school students.
Of those 5,000 students, private schools educate 500 students (which represents 10% of the
overall LEA student enrollment).
Therefore, 10% of the total Title II-A allocation is set aside for private school PD.
Must a private school participate in the LEA’s PD offerings?

32. For what may Title II.A fund be used?
NO!!!
During consultation, LEAs must assess the needs of private school teachers in designing the PD program for private school teachers. If the PD needs of the private school teachers are different from those of public school teachers, then the LEA, in consultation with private school representatives, should develop a separate program.
For what may Title II.A fund be used?

33. Differentiating performance and using evaluation results from professional development plans
Providing evidence-based professional development for teachers, instructional leadership teams, principals, and other leaders
Supporting teachers to effectively integrate technology; use data to improve student achievement Effectively engaging parents, families, and community
Helping students be ready to learn and achieve academic success
Developing policy
Learning through observation
Developing programs and activities to increase the ability of teachers to help students with disabilities, for students learning English as a second language, and providing programs and activities to increase the knowledge base for instruction in early grades and effective strategies for teaching young children 

34. May an LEA use funds to provide stipends to private school teachers?
Training to identify gifted and talented students and supporting their education Supporting and developing effective libraries
Carrying out STEM activities
May an LEA use funds to provide stipends to private school teachers?

35. YES!!!
If a PD program under either Title I, II.A, or III is conducted, ESSA funds may be used to provide direct stipends to private school teachers as payment for their participation in PD outside their regular employment hours (i.e. during after-school hours and/or during the summer).
May Title II.A funds be used to pay for private school educators’ graduate-level education?

36. So, what about Title III.A?
YES!!!
So, what about Title III.A?

37. Do consultation & equitability provisions apply?
Title III.A supports the provision of supplemental services to English language learners. These services help ensure that public and private school students:
attain English language proficiency; and
succeed in the academic content areas.
Do consultation & equitability provisions apply?

38. YES!!!
How are English language learners identified for the purposes of determining allocation?

39. In consultation with private school officials, an LEA must establish objective criteria to determine which private school children are eligible for Title III.A services. An LEA and private school officials utilize a process to identify these children that consists of the following 3 steps:
1.) The private school identifies its students who may be prospects for the Primary Home Language Other Than English (PHLOTE) survey, which is completed by parents.
2.) The private school or the LEA administers the Primary Home Language Other Than English (PHLOTE) survey to said parents; the administrator of this survey (whether the LEA or the private school) is determined during the consultation process.
3.) Based on the results of the PHLOTE survey, the English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment is then administered to private school students. This assessment determines the number of students who qualify for Title III.A funds.
A student’s citizenship, immigration status, or residency is not relevant in determining eligibility for Title III services.

40. An example of the above-described process:
Private School A identifies 100 students who may require Title III.A services.
Private School A administers the PHLOTE survey to the parents of these 100 students.
Based on survey results, Private School A determines that 75 of these students should take the ELP (English Language Proficiency) assessment.
The ELP assessment determines that 50 of these students qualify for Title III.A programming. Hence, for the private school, these 50 students generate Title III.A funding allocation.
What services can private school students and educators receive from Title III.A funds?

41. 1.) Conducting the assessment itself;
The LEA can use Title III.A funds to pay for the assessment of private school students (for the purpose of determining which private school students would generate Title III.A funding) if there are no other available local, state, or federal funds for this same purpose.
2.) tutoring for private school student English learners before, during, or after school hours;
3.) PD for Title III-eligible private school teachers of said English learners;
4.) summer school programs to provide English language instruction for private school student English learners;
and/or
5.) supplemental instructional materials and supplies (the LEA retains ownership of these materials and supplies).
So, what about Title IV.A?

42. Under ESEA, Title IV.A was not funded.
However, under ESSA it is!
What is Title IV.A under ESSA?
Title IV-A improves students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of States, 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.
For what can Title IV.A funds be used?

43. These activities would occur during the regular school day.
digital learning
drug and violence prevention
mental health services
creation of a healthy and safe school environment
access to personalized learning experiences supported by technology and professional development for the effective use of data and technology
These activities would occur during the regular school day.