Federal Program Updates
January 2022
Reminders/Updates
Updated Federal Program Training Schedule- click here to see our updated schedule that includes some training being presented by TEA staff.
It's not too late to register: Campus Needs Assessment and Improvement Plan Sessions
We are offering the same training on two different dates.
Jan. 31st session is focusing on smaller districts.
Feb. 7th session is focusing on larger districts.
New - These sessions are now going to be offered only virtually. The sessions are from 9-4 with the content being presented in the morning. The afternoon will be work time and we will be available to answer questions.
You can attend either date!
Hot off the press - Save the date!!
(ESSER Reporting Training presented by Cory Green)
Cory Green (Associate Commissioner, Department of Grant Compliance and Administration at TEA) will be here at ESC Region 12 on Feb. 11th. from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m to train LEAs on the ESSER reporting. Session information will be shared once it is available.
Important Dates - click here to see our Important Dates Document.
Reminder - ESSA and RLIS Final Amounts have been released
The ESSA Consolidated Grant and Rural and Low Income Grant must be amended to pull in final, carryover, and reallocation funds.
Reminder - Substitute System of Time and Effort Management Certification Survey
If you have employees being paid with Federal Funds and they work on multiple cost objectives, they may be eligible to use this alternate method of time and effort.
TEA has developed a new, streamlined form and process for LEAs to submit management certification forms for approval.
Visit the TEA Substitute Time and Effort webpage for more information.
ESSER Funding
ESSER Reminders:
Check out our new webpage with resources! You can locate it through the Federal Programs page on the ESC website, or click this direct link: https://www.esc12.net/page/fp_ESSER
NEW: ESSER Office Hour with Danielle (virtually) will be held on Tuesdays from 9am-10am via Zoom. Afterwards, a video recording summarizing the highlights of the conversation will be provided along with notes. Attendance and registration are not required. An email will be sent to the Title I Listserv with Zoom link and log in information.
January 11th Office Hour:
Main topics from January 11th included ESSER Required Postings Guidance Updates, Stakeholder Surveys for documentation and updates, and tips for translating your plans quickly and easily.
Click here for the notes (stakeholder surveys in English and Spanish included for you to keep!)
NEW: A state fiscal report will be required with every ESSER II and III payment request beginning soon. It must be completed when you make your requests, or payments may be declined. You will also have to go back and retroactively complete forms for previous drawdowns. TEA has upcoming training on this topic and the USDE annual reporting, it is highly recommended you and/or your business office staff attend.
Webinar #1: Monday, January 24, 2022 (2:00pm – 3:30pm)
American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER III Texas State Plan Data Requirements
ESSER State Fiscal Reporting
Monday, 1/24/22 Zoom Registration Link - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d0iYYU2jQzOg0iLur_E9ZQ
Webinar #2: Wednesday, January 26, 2022 (9:00am – Noon)
USDE ESSER I, II, III reporting
Wednesday, 1/26/22 Zoom Registration Link - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PhUL52BPT2CnhDB-uv7qhA
Reminder: ESSER Expenditures need to be documented for any ESSER I, II, or III funds used (there are several resources on our webpage for this). Each expenditure should have individual documentation and justify: intent, reasonable & necessary, and allowable use.
ESSER III:
The final third of the allocations are in! Amendments to include these allocations are due in eGrants by January 28th.
6 month updates to RIPICS plans are approaching (If you posted your plan in August, it is due in February. Posted in September, due in March.)
It is important to note that TEA requires that stakeholder input and public commentary should be ongoing for your RIPICS plan and included in your six month updates. (Great info and resources in January 11th’s Office Hour!)
The first round of ESSER III Required Postings Random Validations is mostly complete. This process allowed us better insight into what TEA is looking for, and several changes were made to guidance. The checklist and monitoring form is updated on our ESSER website. As you complete your required 6 month updates, it is a great time to make the other necessary changes because there will be at least one more round of validations in this area.
Please feel free to reach out to Danielle Hughes with any questions or additional requests.
Title I, A
Federal Report Card Requirement
Each LEA that receives Title I, Part A funding is responsible for disseminating the state-, LEA- and campus-level report cards to 1) all LEA campuses, 2) parents of all enrolled students, and 3) the general public via widely available public means such as posting on the Internet, distribution to the media, or distribution through public agencies.
At a minimum, the LEA must—
- Post direct links to the State, LEA, and campus report cards on its web site;
- Notify parents of all students about the availability of the report cards and the options for obtaining them;
- Provide appropriate translation (either oral or written) upon request;
- Make hard copies available to parents upon request; and
- Make hard copies available for viewing in public locations.
Sample parent notification letters in English and Spanish that LEAs may customize are available on the TEA Federal Report Card Web Page. TEA strongly encourages LEAs to translate the sample letter in a language and format that all parents can understand.
LEAs are not required to use the sample parent notification letters but they must make the federal report card information readily accessible to the public, and LEAs must notify parents of the availability of the federal report card information no later than Wednesday, March 2, 2022.
Title I, C (Migrant)
Title I, D (Neglected and Delinquent)
Title II, A
Title IV, A
Parent and Family Engagement
PFE Training Opportunities
Statewide Cluster Training - see the flyers on the website for dates and locations
Best Practices Expos - Virtual Training - go to the website for information about upcoming sessions and resources from previous sessions
Customer Service in School Summit - see the information on the website for dates and locations
Regional Showcase
Parent and Family Engagement Highlights-
ESC Region 12 would love to showcase districts and campuses in our region who are creating memorable moments and/or creative and innovative ways to promote Parent & Family Engagement for their school community. Please send us highlights from your district or campus!
We know there are great things happening in your district. Please take a moment to think about the following:
What are some innovative ways your campus/district has provided Parent and Family Engagement opportunities during the pandemic that have generated some success for your school community?
What are some recent Parent & Family Engagement success stories from your campus/district you would like to share?
Who is someone in your school community you would like to recognize for his or her stellar efforts in regards to Parent & Family Engagement? Please describe how those efforts have positively impacted your school community.
Please share one or more “highlights” from your district!
Use the link below to share one or more “highlights” from your district!
Equitable Services to Private Nonprofit Schools
Let us help you!
Ellen Hogan ehogan@esc12.net (Title I, Part A, Title I, Part D, Title II, Title IV, PNP, PFE, ESSER)
Dwan Pickens dpickens@esc12.net (Title I, Part A, Title II, Title IV, PNP, PFE, ESSER)
Yolanda Rollins yrollins@esc12.net (Title I, Part A, Title I, Part C, ESSER)
Danielle Hughes danielle.hughes@esc12.net (ESSER, Title I, Part A, PFE)
Heather Wheeler hwheeler@esc12.net (Title IV, Part A)
Carie Downes cdownes@esc12.net (Director of Federal Programs)