#INspirEDgrants
July 2020, Volume 12
Balance
If you are like me, as a school administrator, May was for closing out the prior year, and the first part of June was planning for next year. Mid-June through mid-July was my time for balance, to decompress before returning for a new school year.
Honestly, I'm not sure what this summer would look like if I were still on a school campus. Would there be time for a break? Would my mind even let me take a break with all the current unknowns for a new school year? Would I be on campus every day regardless, walking the campus (elementary for me) looking at the different options and challenges for social distancing? Would I be working the puzzle called a schedule, over and over trying to make sure there was time for lunches and recesses, while allowing time for teacher prep and lunches for everyone? Would I be reading, and rereading, and then reading again, the guidance to re-opening the campus?
The short answer is yes, as I'm sure so many of you are doing right now. I see you and know your main concern is the safety of everyone on your campus. You've endured a burden and challenge like no other this past school year. You have a new school year arriving soon with challenges quite unknown due to events for the history books occurring right now within our society.
I see you, and how you are most likely thinking, which is why I want to say, make sure you step away. Step away to do something that helps you relax and decompress. You must do this because if you aren't at 100 percent, you can't help your school staff be at 100 percent, which means they can't be at 100 percent for students. Step away, if even for just a few days. It will do you a world of good.
Take care, stay safe, stay well,
Frank
CARES Act and COVID-19 Resources and Guidance
Indiana’s Application for the Educational Flexibility Program (Ed-Flex)
IDOE’s Ed-Flex application was approved by USDOE on May 6, 2020. The following flexibility will be available to LEAs beginning with the FY 21 (School Year 2020-21) grant cycle.
Waiver #1: LEAs may carry over up to 25 percent of their Title I, Part A funds to the following fiscal year. This will increase maximum the Title I, Part A carryover from 15 percent
- Allows LEAs to utilize funding more meaningfully by providing additional time to account for extenuating circumstances
- Most LEAs’ Title I funding is tied up in staffing - with teacher shortages, staffing is sometimes difficult to fill quickly when staff resigns
- Instead of the LEA purchasing large amounts of supplies and equipment with the unused funds near the end of the project period, replacement staff can be hired instead
- Note: For 2019-20 only, due to the CARES Act, LEAs can carryover 100 percent of their unused funds. For 20-21, the ED-Flex increases the 15 percent limit to 25 percent when approved by IDOE
Waiver #2: LEAs may utilize the more flexible state defined paraprofessional requirements for highly-qualified rather than the current federal requirements
- ESSA allows Indiana to set its own licensure and quality requirements for certified staff but maintains federal requirements for paraprofessionals
- See https://www.doe.in.gov/licensing/paraprofessionals for information on previous requirements and new options
Waiver #3: Indiana Department of Corrections may utilize up to 65 percent of its Title I, Part D funds (Delinquent) on transition services (between IDOC and local school districts)
- The IDOC (state agency for delinquent) has local funds that cover the basic educational program for these students
- Title I, D funds are most effectively used in supporting the transition of students in the juvenile facilities back to their LEAs when they have fulfilled court requirements
- The previous 30 percent maximum limits the ability for the State agency (IDOC) to collaborate at a high-level with LEAs for re-entry of students
Waiver #4: LEAs who receive more than $30,000 in Title IV, A funds do not have to spend 20 percent on well-rounded education and social emotional learning
- LEAs should use a data-driven needs assessment to dictate how Title IV, A funds are used rather than a specific percentage
- LEAs may already be implementing a well-rounded education program with state/local funds and would like to dedicate all Title IV funding to social-emotional needs or technology integration needs
- Based upon feedback received, IDOE will maintain the 15 percent equipment and device limitation
Waiver #5: LEAs may ask IDOE for a Tydings waiver (to extend the normal length of time for the project period for a respective grant e.g. 27 months to 36 months)
- This will provide more time in extenuating circumstances (e.g. lack of use by a previous LEA administration, and new team needs more time to use the funding at the highest level)
- IDOE will place safeguards upon the Tydings waiver requests, such as only approving waivers that are requested prior to the liquidation deadline of the respective grants
Waivers may be submitted to this JotForm.
2019-2020 Title I (DOE-TI) Data Report
Please keep the following in mind as you prepare the report:
- Each Public Corporation is responsible for reporting TI data for all schools listed in Collection Management at Data Verification > Collection Management
- These schools were identified by your school corporations' Title I Program Administrator as schools served with Title I funds; if after reviewing the matter with your local Title I Program Administrator, you still believe that a school is listed in error, please contact Adis Coulibaly of IDOE's Title I division at 317-232-7179 or acoulibaly1@doe.in.gov
- In targeted assistance schools, only students who receive any Title I services for a period of at least 15 consecutive school days, or completed a program during the year, should be reported as receiving services on this data collection
- It is the responsibility of the Public School Corporation (LEA) to report the data for public schools, non-public schools, and neglected institutions that receive or provide services through the corporation
- The "No Records" checkbox is not available for this collection. Each corporation is responsible for reporting students for all schools listed in Collection Management; these schools were identified by your school corporation's Title I Program Administrator as schools to be served with Title I funds--if after reviewing the matter with your local Title I Program Administrator, you still believe that a school is listed in error, please contact Adis Coulibaly of IDOE's Title I division at 317-232-7179 or acoulibably1@doe.in.gov
- See DOE-TI Layout 2019-2020 for additional information.
- July 1: Pre-Application due
- August 31: Consolidated Application due
Virtual TitleCon 2020
Indiana Census 2020
To date, the Census return rate for Indiana is 65.5 percent with 50.4 percent of those being returned electronically. We are ever creeping closer to reaching, and hopefully surpassing, the 2010 total return rate of 69.6 percent! The 2020 Census count impacts the federal funds communities receive each year for programs and services that are critical for schools, students, and younger children, such as:
- Title I, II, III, and IV Grant Funding
- Special Education Grant Funding
- Head Start
- After-School Programs
- National School Lunch Program (including free and reduced-price school lunches)
- Maternal and Child Health Programs
Here are links for additional information on the Indiana Census 2020 and Statistics in School: Classrooms Powered by Census Data. IDOE has also created an informational video further outlining the federal funding implications of the 2020 Census count.
If you have not received anything from the Census Bureau yet, you can still respond online. Visit the online form and select “Start Questionnaire.” Below the ID field, click the link that says, “If you do not have a Census ID, click here.”
Twitter Accounts to Follow
@AntiracismCtr @TheAtlantic @cbs @NationalBook Award. #1 NYT Bestselling Author.
IDOE staff host a live chat each Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET, focused on topics relevant to educating K-12 students. Search the hashtag during this time to tune in to the live conversations. You can add your voice by adding the hashtag to your tweets.
For more information, download the #INedchat one-pager.
IDOE Newsletters
Contacts
Dwayne Marshall
Email: dmarshall2@doe.in.gov
Website: doe.in.gov
Location: Indiana Department of Education, West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: (317) 232-0548
Twitter: @DAusben80
Frank Chiki
Email: fchiki@doe.in.gov
Website: doe.in.gov
Location: Indiana Department of Education, West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: (317) 232-3103
Twitter: @FrankChikiIN