ESEA Monthly Newsletter

holiday

December 7, 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, December 14th @ 9 AM 

(Contact Cheryl.Lang@maine.gov or your regional program manager for the link.) 

General & Title Specific Updates from the ESEA Federal Programs Team 

Title IA Comparability for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022  

As of 2021, the ESEA Title I Comparability Report for FY22 has been automated and will be produced by the Maine Department of Education using the NEO certified October 1, 2021, student enrollment and December 1, 2021, instructional staff counts in the data warehouse.  As the FY22 Comparability reports and data are reviewed and accepted by the ESEA Team during January, a copy of the report and backup documentation will be forwarded to the Superintendent of Schools and the ESEA Coordinator by the end of January.  You should review these documents and let us know if you have any questions.  You must maintain this documentation as it is one of the required documents for the Single Audit Process.  Additional information regarding comparability definitions and processes is posted to the Title I Comparability website.  Review this comparability information to further understand the FY22 Comparability Report that you receive.  Section 1118(c) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)/Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires that school administrative units (SAUs) with multiple attendance areas maintain comparability of local/state resources between the Title I schools and the non-Title I schools; or if all the schools at a grade span are Title I schools, comparability of local resources must be maintained among the Title I schools.  If it is determined that comparability is not met, an ESEA Regional Program Manager will be contacting the SAU’s ESEA Coordinator for additional information and data to finalize the determination and next steps. Questions regarding ESEA Title I Comparability and the reports can be directed to Jessica Caron, Title IA, at Jessica.s.caron@maine.gov.   

Title V FY23 Eligibility 

FY23 Eligibility for Title V has begun, and the initial data set will be sent to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) on December 12, 2021.   Once the Master Eligibility Spreadsheet (MES) comes out from USDE in January, districts will need to go in and verify and submit data in the first steps towards final eligibility for Title V funds in FY23. 

Fun Data Fact(s) 

The ESEA team wishes you Happy Holidays!  When we see you in January, the days will already be getting longer. 

Friendly Reminders for Planning and Program Implementation for the month of December 

Communication 

Please remember, the best person to connect with to answer questions related to ESEA Federal Programs is your Regional Program Manager. They will get you the answer if they do not have it readily available.  

  • Aroostook County & Kennebec County’s Regional Program Manager is Jessica Caron at jessica.s.caron@maine.gov or (207) 458-0334. 

  • Washington County & the Midcoast Region is Ryan Reed at ryan.reed@maine.gov or (207) 530-2129. 

  • Penquis Region & York County’s  Regional Program Manager is Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov or (207) 624-6709. 

  • Hancock County, Western Maine, & Cumberland County’s Regional Program Manager is Daniel Weeks at daniel.r.weeks@maine.gov or (207) 624-6749. 

Typical Turnaround Time 

If you try to reach anyone in the ESEA Department via e-mail or telephone (and we are unable to answer), the typical turn-around time is within 48 hours. 

If you submit an application, performance report, or carryover report for review and potential approval, the typical turn-around time is within two weeks.  

Recently, we have been understaffed due to a variety of reasons, so we want to THANK YOU for your patience and understanding if our response time has been slower than typical. If you have not heard back from us within the time frame we have outlined, please feel free to reach out to us again. 

Fiscal 

The Department is aware of and currently working on solutions to the current difficulties in managing transferred ESEA funds within the Grants4ME system.  Our office is collaborating with the Office of School Finance, LINQ (Grants4ME Developer), Maine Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), and local Auditors to develop some in-depth training to navigate the nuances of transferred funds within the new Grants4ME system.  We hope to have training materials developed and ready for delivery after the holidays.  Please stay tuned for future announcements and updates on this training opportunity. 

Performance Report  

The Performance Report for the FY21 funds is located in the Grants4ME system.  The due date was November 3, 2021, to report FY21 expenses from July 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021.  The report requests the same information as in previous years— the financial degree to which goals/outcomes were met and Titles IA, ID, II, and III supplemental data.  If you have not already done so, please submit your district’s FY21 Performance Report as soon as possible. 

For additional resources on the ESEA Application and Performance Report, including training videos on how to complete both, please visit the ESEA Team’s Grants4ME webpage:  https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/esea/grants4me. 

Parent & Family Engagement 

Parent involvement must be planned and implemented with meaningful consultation with parents of participating children at both the school (for schools operating Title I programs) and the district level. Training, activities, and materials need to be provided to parents to help them work with their children to improve their children’s achievement, foster parent involvement, and build partnerships with the school and community.  Title I funds may be used:  1) to pay reasonable and necessary expenses associated with local parent involvement activities including transportation, to enable parents to participate in school-related and training sessions, 2) to train parents to enhance the involvement of other parents,  3) to establish a districtwide parent advisory council to provide advice on all matters related to parent involvement and participation; and 4) to involve parents in the development of training of teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of training.  

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, 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 the ESEA Federal Programs Director, Cheryl Lang at cheryl.lang@maine.gov with feedback and suggestions.