August 3, 2021
We hope to provide you with helpful information monthly through the newsletter and office hours. Our newsletters will often include:
- General and Title Specific Updates from the ESEA Federal Programs Team
- Fun Data Fact(s)
- Friendly Reminders for Planning and Program Implementation
- Professional Learning Opportunities
- Contact Information
Virtual Office Hours:
Tuesday, August 10th & Open Office Hours on Tuesday, August 24th
Contact Cheryl.Lang@maine.gov or your regional program coordinator for the link.
General & Title Specific Updates from the ESEA Federal Programs Team
Title IA Reallocated Funds
At this time, summer schools have either ended or will be finishing up soon. We hope it was a successful program and a great use of Title I funding. This is a reminder to have the business office invoice for those expenses and for the ESEA Coordinators to complete the closeout report. The Grant Award email sent during the end of April from Jackie Godbout had the closeout report attached to it. If you need another copy, send an email request to jackie.godbout@maine.gov. The due date is October 15, 2021, but early submission is always encouraged.
Fun Data Fact
For the 2019-20 school year, Maine had the 3rd highest percentage in the nation of districts transferring funds out of Title II, Subpart A at 58%, behind only North Dakota (59%) and Oklahoma (70%).
Friendly Reminders for Planning and Program Implementation for the month of August
ESEA Application
User Access & Submission
For new users hoping to accessing the Grants4ME portal for the first time, as well as instructions on how to set up new users and assign user roles, SAUs can review the Grants4ME Access Guide located here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Grants4ME%20Access%20v4.pdf.
For school Principals, Business Managers, and Superintendents seeking to provide official sign off for their portion of the ESEA Application, please follow the submission workflow steps located here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/sites/maine.gov.doe/files/inline-files/Submission%20Workflow.pdf.
For additional resources on the ESEA Application, including training videos on how to complete the application, please visit the ESEA Team’s Grants4ME webpage: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/esea/grants4me.
Parent & Family Engagement
ESEA Data Dashboard
Districts need to annually notify and educate their families about the ESEA Dashboard. Along with posting the link to the state’s ESEA Dashboard (https://www.maine.gov/doe/dashboard), districts need to provide an explanation to their families about the dashboard and the information found on the dashboard. We recommend posting this information on a district’s webpage and sharing it with your families. Help in navigating the Data Dashboard is located on the same page as the Data Dashboard itself.
Fiscal
We encourage Business Managers to submit monthly invoices for all ESEA titles.
Performance Report
The Performance Report for the FY21 funds will be located in the Grants4ME system. The due date will be November 1, 2021, to report FY21 expenses from July 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021. The report will request the same information as in previous years—Financial, degree to which goals/outcomes were met, and Titles IA, ID, II, and III supplemental data. This may be a good time to begin collecting outcome and supplemental data.
Professional Learning Opportunities
Professional Learning offered through the Department of Education is a fantastic resource for supporting leadership development for administrators and educators. The Department’s professional learning calendar is available at https://www.maine.gov/doe/calendar. This calendar has increased functionality including a search feature.
For more information about professional learning opportunities specific to Tier III identified schools, please contact Teri Peaslee, School Turnaround Professional Development Coordinator at teri.peaslee@maine.gov or (207) 624-6706.
Contact Information
As always, reach out to your ESEA regional program manager with questions. Their contact information can be found at https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/esea/contact. Also, your feedback is encouraged and appreciated. Please contact Cheryl Lang at cheryl.lang@maine.gov with feedback and suggestions.