Monthly Communication

for Continuous Improvement and State & Federal Programs

MonthlyCommunicationfor Continuous Improvement and State & FederalPrograms

December 2024

Welcome to the monthly Continuous Improvement and State & Federal Programs communication. The purpose is to contextualize Continuous Improvement into our daily work, to efficiently complete all State and Federal Program tasks, and to promote moving these tasks past simple compliance.


Was this forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe!

In This Issue

  • Important Dates
  • Continuous Improvement Tasks and Updates
  • Federal Updates
  • State Updates
  • Scholarship Opportunity via MASFPS

Important Dates

  • Early December - Consolidated Application Amendments Open - see article below
  • Multiple Dates in December - MDE Webinars on Dyslexia Law (PA 146/147) and Literacy Grants (35m/35n) - see article below
  • December 15 - Comparability Due
  • December 16 - 104h Benchmark Assessment Reimbursement Closes

Continuous Improvement Tasks and Updates

December Continuous Improvement Activities

December is a great time to monitor the implementation of your plan so far this year. Teams can also make sure they are ready to collect and review data that may be collected for the Winter benchmark. See the Continuous Improvement Monthly Checklist for additional ideas for December.


Why Can't I update my MICIP Plan?

I've fielded several calls that folks can't edit their MICIP plans. This is due to the "lock" feature that was added to prevent teams from overwriting work when more than one person is in the platform at a time. Make sure to click the unlock button before trying to edit. It is usually at the top of the page, or the top of each section, depending on where you are in MICIP.

Federal Updates

Consolidated Application Amendment Window

As of this writing, the Final Allocations and the Consolidated Application Amendment have not been released/opened. I anticipate that we will get our allocations and the amendment opened in NexSys this week. I also anticipate that we will get some sort of extension beyond the January 15 due date. Be sure to check the MDE Program Allocations page for full funding details, once released.


Title I Carryover Waiver

If your district needs to carryover more than 15% of Title I, and has not done so in 21/22 or 22/23, you may be eligible for a carryover waiver. The carryover waiver application opens in GEMS/MARS when the consolidated application becomes available. See this MDE Memo for more info.


Title I Comparability Due December 15 in NexSys

Districts that must complete comparability have been notified. Here is a presentation about what Comparability is, how it relates to the REP, and how to complete it.


School Index Scores - Public Release

The School Index has been publicly released. For Fall 2024, only new Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) designations have been assigned. Next year (Fall 2025), both TSI and Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) designations will be assigned.

The School Index is a Federal Requirement under Michigan's ESSA Plan. Last year, the Michigan Legislature discontinued the School Grade System and now relies solely on the Federal system for school accountability.

State Updates

Dyslexia Law Webinars

There are a variety of webinars this month for PA 146/147 ("K-12 Literacy and Dyslexia Laws") and associated funding via the 35m/35n Literacy Grants (MDE Memo with Links). There are currently many unanswered questions, so I am looking forward to attending and will post any shared resources in my January Communication.


104h - Benchmark Assessment Reimbursement Due December 16 in NexSys

  • MDE Memo | Full details from MDE

  • Same process as previous years

  • If you give approved assessments K-8 and want to get reimbursed, make sure your SIS is connected to the Data Hub


Grant Alert Newsletter

Check out this very comprehensive grant resource from James Hissong at Kent ISD, with sections for state grants, federal grants, and more. Be sure to subscribe for future updates.


Reminder: MDE Releasing "Official" State Grants Repository

As communicated in my November newsletter, MDE is working on an official State Grants Repository. The development team has been acting on feedback received from a variety of sources, and I anticipate that it will be out soon. As such, we are not pushing out our normal October update to the current repository.


As a stopgap measure, please see the three resources below. The repository is still active for PA 103 of 2023 and previous grant cycles.

We will post an update and link to the new resource once it is released by MDE.

MASFPS & NAFEPA Scholarship Applications Due January 8

Quarterly Virtual S&F Programs Meetings

The following State and Federal Programs meetings are open to everyone, statewide. The meetings are typically well attended by reps from MDE OES and program directors from many districts and ISDs across the state. Same Zoom Link for all: https://muskegonisd-org.zoom.us/j/6740302165


  • Wednesday, October 23, 2024 from 9:00 - 10:30 - Link to Meeting Resources
  • Wednesday, January 22, 2025 from 9:00 - 10:30
  • Wednesday, March 19, 2025 from 9:00 - 10:30
  • Final meeting is the MDE Spring Workshop. Dates TBD

Resource Roundup

David Hundt
David is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters