ESEA Monthly Update- November

ESEA Application and Performance Report

Private School Carryover in 17-18 Performance Report

New under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a local educational agency (LEA) must obligate the funds allocated for equitable services under all applicable programs in the year for which they are appropriated. There may be extenuating circumstances, however, in which an LEA is unable to obligate all funds within this timeframe in a responsible manner. Under these circumstances, the funds may remain available for the provision of equitable services under the respective program during the subsequent school year.  In determining how such carryover funds will be used, the LEA must consult with appropriate private school officials.

Below are the procedures that will be used to implement the new provision and maximize use of these resources.

Maine allows for initial private school carryover after June 30, 2018 to provide opportunity to implement any summer programming/professional development.  Once the September 30 statutory carryover date has been reached, the LEA must complete the Private School Statutory Carryover Page.  If funds remain unobligated after September 30, 2018, Maine is providing the three options listed below for the disposition of the unobligated equitable services balance as part of the Private School Statutory Carryover Page in the 17-18 Performance Report:

Option 1:  The LEA and private school may request approval of extenuating circumstances in order to continue obligating the remaining equitable services balance for identified projects.  The State Educational Agency (SEA) will consider extenuating circumstances whereby unavoidable situations impacted the obligation of these resources. 

If accepted by the SEA, the funds may continue to be obligated for identified projects.  If denied, the LEA and private school, in consultation with one another, will then have to consider Options 2 or 3.

Option 2:  The private school may, through consultation with the LEA, release the unobligated equitable services balance to the LEA via written correspondence. The LEA would provide the correspondence to the SEA through the Private School Statutory Carryover Page, and the system would create new project pages to be completed.

Option 3:  Both parties may relinquish the use of the unobligated equitable services balance. These funds cannot be obligated or spent. All remaining funds will be reflected as unspent in the performance report and Federal Grant Reimbursement System.

This process will be documented in the Private School Statutory Carryover Page and End of Year/Extension Carryover Reports in the FY18 Performance Report. 

Upcoming Deadlines

November 1, 2018, in the 17-18 ESEA Performance Report:

• Title I Carryover Percentage Certification: submission should include expenses and obligations from July 1, 2018, through September 30, 2018
• Private School Statutory Carryover Report: submission should include expenses and obligations from July 1, 2018, through September 30, 2018

Professional Development Opportunities

Regional PD Opportunities Based on CNAs

Under Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Maine has developed a differentiated model of school supports that includes statewide professional development targeted to regional needs. Upon review of submitted statewide Comprehensive Needs Assessments (CNAs)/SAU Consolidated Plans, the Maine DOE is providing regional professional development to address the explicit needs outlined in submitted CNAs.

Maine DOE invites district, school, and classroom leaders and their staff to attend the many regional professional development opportunities being offered by the Department this fall. These sessions are offered at no cost and sessions information is provided on the Department’s professional development calendar.

• Alternate Assessment Workshops for December 2018 - Registration Now Open - December 4th in Presque Isle, December 5th in Orono, December 6th in Augusta, and December 7 in Saco. All registrations must be received by November 27th.
• Maine DOE and Thomas College to Host Learning Lab - Two local educators will model a technology-enhanced learning experience with students that other educators can observe. Wednesday, November 14th from 9am – 1pm.
• Upcoming Maine Assessment Literacy Professional Development Opportunities - November 13 in Presque Isle, November 14 in Orono, and November 15 in Portland focused on the eMPowerME assessment (grades 3-8) and science assessment (K-12).
• Balanced Assessment System Webinar Recording Now Available - The session included an overview of the planned professional learning opportunities and implementation timeline in addition to reviewing the key components of a Balanced Assessment System.
• WIDA Early Years Online Learning Modules (to Support Multilingual Children) Now Available at No Cost to Teachers and Administrators

Visit the Maine DOE Professional Development and Training Calendar for a listing of opportunities through November, December, and January.

Accountability: ESEA Federal Programs

As part of the Department’s rollout of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which includes the release of school report cards later this year, we have been releasing a series of newsroom notices to help the field understand the many elements of Maine Model of School Support and what you can expect to see on the report cards. There will be more newsroom notices of this nature in the coming weeks and months. Please share them with your principals, school board members, and communities. The following two have been published, 
What is Chronic Absenteeism? and ESSA & Accountability: Why does accountability matter?

Assessment

The public release of the Maine Education Assessment (MEA) data scheduled for today, November 5, 2018, has been delayed. The validation process is taking longer than anticipated and extra time is needed to allow the Department to work with our vendor, Focal Point K-12, to ensure that the data is accurate prior to its release. The Department is making a concerted effort to complete the validation process so that we can release the results as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this unanticipated delay.

Certification

Updates and Reminders - The Department has put together a list of certification updates and reminders to help with awareness of recent Chapter 115 regulations, creating an account in the MEIS system and more tips to help with the process. Please share this notice with all educators. 

Finance & Operations

As a reminder, grant proposals for the Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Education Services (FEDES – RFP#201806118), are due on November 7, 2018. Read more here. The Department is also seeking public comment on proposed rules for chapter 122 grant application and award procedure for FEDES, see the legislative section of this document for further details.