Oregon Department of Education Charter School Program Grants

Transcription

1 Oregon Department of Education Charter School Program Grants TRAINING WEBINAR FOR DISSEMINATION G RANT A PPLICANTS JENNIFER DONOVAN O R E G O N C H A R T E R S C H O O L G R A N T S P E C I A L I S T KATE PATTISON C H A R T E R S C H O O L S P E C I A L I S T

2 What we will cover today Purpose of the Grant Eligible Applicants Dissemination Grant Eligibility and Available Funds Use of Funds Participation, Evaluation, and Reporting Award Process and Start Date Submission Process, Required Elements, and Due Date Budget Instructions Charter School Enrollment Policy Including Lottery Protocol Grant Management Plan Assurance and Certification Form Q&A

3 Purpose of the Grant Purpose of the Education Department Grant to States Authorized by Title V, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to expand the number of high-quality charter schools across the nation Purpose of the Oregon Charter School Program Grants PLANNING GRANTS Provide funds to post-award, pre-operational charter schools in the development phase Increase educational equity Improve quality of new charter schools through intensive incubation period IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS Provide funds to high-quality charter schools in operation for less than three years Facilitate implementation of educational models, professional development and curriculum Provide professional development in educational equity DISSEMINATION GRANTS Provide funds to high-quality charter schools in operation for five or more years Facilitate dissemination of best practices between charter schools and their public school counterparts Provide an access point for charter schools to share their evidence-based best practices STRENGTHEN AUTHORIZER QUALITY Provide high-quality training and professional development to authorizers

4 Eligible Applicants A Charter School Is a school that conforms to the federal definition of a public charter school (ESEA [P.L , section 5210(1)]) Must be governed by a non-profit board that is separate from the authorizing board and may not be composed of voting members from the authorizing board of directors Charter school developer Conforms to the federal definition of a developer (ESEA [P.L , section 5210(2)])

5 Dissemination Grant Eligibility Applicants for the OCSP Dissemination Grant Must have an executed charter with an authorizer Must have been in operation for 5 or more years Charter schools in operation for fewer than five years are not eligible to apply. Charter schools who have previously received a Dissemination grant are not eligible to apply. All grant activities must be completed within the three year OCSP grant award period.

6 Available Funds Available Funds Dissemination grants will be between $30,000 and $200,000. Awards will be dispersed over the three (3) year grant period as follows: Five (5) one- or two-year subgrants will be awarded in Year One. Four (4) one- or two-year subgrants will be awarded in Year Two. Two (2) one-year subgrants will be awarded in Year Three A total of eleven (11) Dissemination subgrants will be awarded over the three (3) year grant period.

7 Use of Funds The OCSP Grant is funded on a Reimbursement Basis What does that mean? Subgrantees will be reimbursed for allowable, approved activities Following proof of expenditure Budget forms (provided) will be reviewed for non-allowable expenditures and reasonableness of cost assumptions. Applicants are required to use the provided form.

8 Use of Funds What is allowable? Providing curriculum materials, assessments, and other materials inherent to the innovative model of the charter school that promote increased student achievement, reduction of achievement and opportunity gaps, and/or decreased or eliminated exclusionary discipline methods. Providing data and other materials that document the successful practices of the charter school and that are strongly related to increased student performance, the reduction of achievement and opportunity gaps, and/or decreased or eliminated exclusionary discipline methods. Providing training, coaching, and mentoring on instructional methods, educational approaches, and implementation of curriculum and/or programs inherent to the innovative model of the charter school that promote increased student achievement, reduction of achievement and opportunity gaps, and/or decreased or eliminated exclusionary discipline methods. Costs directly associated with facilitating collaboration and partnerships with other schools for the purpose of disseminating materials and information aligned with the stated Project Goals.

9 Use of Funds What is not allowed? Any expense not directly related to the stated Project Goals in the application for dissemination subgrant funds General operating expenses Payroll expenses (with the exception of funds to cover substitutes if travel or absence is required as part of the Project). Marketing or promoting the charter school outside the scope of the Project Planning for dissemination activities that will occur outside the grant period It is expressly prohibited to use OCSP grant funds for the purchase or leasing of a school facility. Grant funds may not be used to offset or cover costs of preparing and submitting an application for OCSP grant funds.

10 Participation Participation requires: Demonstrating eligibility Using funds according to federal guidelines Complying with reporting requirements and due dates Attending required trainings and meetings associated with the grant Participating in professional development focused on culturally responsive educational practices and school culture Application for subgrant funds indicates acknowledgment and consent to these contingencies.

11 Evaluation ODE is responsible for evaluating subgrantees to ensure that they adhere to federal rules and regulations and accomplish their performance goals. Evaluation will be specific to the goals and expectations set in the approved subgrant application ODE will conduct at least one site visit per year For multi-year implementation subgrants, ODE will issue an annual report after all required information as been collected from subgrantee and the site visit has taken place This report will include a determination of whether the charter school will continue to receive funds, be placed on a plan of improvement or be defunded. In addition to other requirements, the continuing receipt of subgrant funds will be contingent on a charter school complying with its contract with its authorizer and applicable state and federal laws

12 Reporting Subgrantees will be required to: Submit to ODE the executed contract with the authorizer for the operation of the charter school. Demonstrate compliance with the contract with the authorizer at all times during the grant period. File an Annual Financial Report (AFR) within 90 days following the grant fiscal year. This report must be filed in a form and manner determined by ODE. A template will be provided. File a Final Grant Report within 90 days of the end of the grant year. This report must be filed in a form and manner determined by ODE. A template will be provided. Submit all reports, reimbursement requests and any other required information electronically. All grantees are required to purchase an approved feeding document scanner for this purpose.

13 Award Process and Start Date Award Process Peer panel evaluation of applications Award letters sent to subgrantees and their authorizers Letter will request any information required before final approval of subgrantee status Any additional required information must be submitted within 30 days of the date of the Grant Award Letter Start Date Subgrantees will be required to participate in an OCSP Post-Award Webinar An ODE grant manager will be assigned to subgrant awardees The grant manager will provide necessary fiscal documents and instructions on the reimbursement process for the grant. Funds must not be spent or encumbered until the grant has received Final Approval. All activities related to Grant Project Goals should be completed in the budget period for the grant.

14 Submission Process and Due Date Submit the electronic copy of the entire application by 11:59 pm on Thursday, February 18, 2016, to: The electronic version must include all required components as one document. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Applications should be submitted via a link (invitation) to a Google Drive folder. Please contact us if you have questions about setting up your folder and providing access. Please use the following naming convention for your file: [School Name], Dissemination Grant

15 Required Elements All Dissemination Grant applications must contain the following information and be submitted in the following sequence: Part I: Cover page with signatures Part II: Project Narrative (25-page maximum) Executive Summary (not to exceed one page) General information Mission of the school Capacity of the development team and governance Grant project goals and performance expectations Statewide dissemination plan Budget narrative Historically underserved students

16 Required Elements Part III: Appendices Completed ODE OCSP Grant Budget Form (form provided) Executed contract with an authorizer Charter school enrollment policy, including lottery protocol (guidance included) Lottery application for prospective students Grant management plan (guidance included) Assurance and certification form (form provided) Dissemination applicants must provide, for every year in operation: All available student achievement data disaggregated by race, gender and special population Municipal audit of financial accounts Annual reviews conducted by the authorizer

17 Dissemination Grant Purpose The proposed dissemination project must be a key part of the overall innovative model of the charter school, and must be directly correlated with evidence of one or more of the following: An increase in overall student achievement, with preference given to those applicants that can demonstrate increased student achievement in historically underserved and/or educationally underserved subgroups A significant reduction or elimination of one or more achievement or opportunity gap A significant reduction or elimination of exclusionary discipline practices A significant increase in graduation rate and/or college and post-secondary program enrollment rate, with preference given to those applicants demonstrating increased graduation rates and post-secondary enrollment for historically underserved and/or at-risk subgroups. A primary focus on reducing and eliminating exclusionary discipline practices A plan for statewide dissemination, with the highest preference given to applicants that have either: Established a partnership with one or more poor-performing district schools for project coproduction, or Have a focused outreach plan for parts of the state more than 50 miles from the location of the charter school.

18 Format Application Format All pages must be standard letter size (8.5 x 11 ) Use 12 point Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri font, double line spacing, and 1-inch margins. Tables may be in an 11-point font. The narrative must address, in sequence, each section listed above. State each Part and Section number and title in bold. Part II: Project Narrative must not exceed 25 pages. Number all pages Do not use a table of contents page or divider pages. The Cover Page and Assurance and Certification Form must include original signatures. Scanned signatures are acceptable for the subgrant submission. Maintain original copies. Do not attach curriculum, invoices or any other document not specifically required in the Project Narrative or Appendices.

19 Budget Instructions The Proposed Budget and the Budget Narrative must support the Grant Project Goals There must be evidence of a clear relationship between the identified goals, the proposed activities, and how the funds will be spent. Provide the proposed budget and budget narrative for the anticipated amount of funding on the ODE OCSP Grant Budget Form. Dissemination Subgrants awards will be between $30,000 and $200,000 for up to two years. The proposed budget should total no more than $200,000. Year 1: $50K - $200K each May be for oneor two-year projects Year 2: $200K each May be for oneor two-year projects Year 3: $30K - $70K each May only be for one-year projects Total Subgrants 11

20 Budget Instructions - General Guidance Applicants must fully complete the following three tabs in the Budget Form: Cover page Dissemination Grant Budget Equipment General Guidance Any single line item more than $1,000 should have a detailed justification. Break down line items exceeding $1,000 through notations of quantity, explanation, or additional line items to clarify how funding will be expended. Requests for professional development for board and/or staff must include the type of training expected attendees expected outcomes topic(s) provider a plan for sustaining that training.

21 Budget Instructions - Restrictions Restrictions Proposed budgets must adhere strictly to the federal policy to supplement and not supplant (ESEA Sec.5205(b)(3)(C)) any federal, state, and local moneys being provided to the school. The following restrictions are a result of this policy: Allowable salaries/benefits are limited to the cost of substitutes if staff absence is due to participation in grant projects required information includes name, title, a list of activities funded by the grant, percentage of time per week and length of time grant funding will be used to cover the substitutes Time and effort documentation is required for all personnel compensated with federal funds (see OMB A87 Attachment B(8)(h)). Instructional salaries are not allowed under this grant. OCSP may be used for staff development. Time and effort documentation is required for all school or contract personnel compensated with federal funds (see OMB A87 Attachment B(8)(h)). You may be asked to revise and submit the budget several times before Final Approval; budget your time adequately.

22 Budget Instructions - Restrictions The following items CANNOT be funded under this grant. Any proposed expenditures including the following items will not be funded: Grant oversight expenses General operating expenses Capital expenses Professional dues or memberships Employee hiring/recruitment expenses Non-educational/non-informative promotional/novelty items for advertising, events, or recruiting Costs of continuing education credits for professional development coursework. Gift certificates, alcoholic beverages, school apparel for staff or students, fines and penalties, lobbying Expenses outside the scope of the school s charter or K-12 education i.e., before/after school programs and preschool, activities related to the non-profit organization but not the charter school, etc. Out-of-state travel unless it can be demonstrated that the goal of the travel cannot be accomplished instate No out-of-country travel is permitted Any expense not directly related to the stated Project Goals Payroll expenses (with the exception of funds to cover substitutes if travel or absence is required as part of the Project). Marketing or promoting the charter school outside the scope of the Project Planning for dissemination activities that will occur outside the grant period

23 Budget Instructions References and Additional Guidance Oregon Department of Education Program Budgeting and Accounting Manual (PBAM) for more information. tg/2012-pbam-manual.pdf Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-cfr), Part 76 State-Administered Programs, at 2 CFR part 200, subpart E Cost Principles. (

24 Charter School Enrollment Policy Including Lottery Protocol Submit the charter school s board-adopted enrollment policy and procedures. The policy and/or procedure should clearly describe How the lottery will be administered, and How families will be informed of the opportunity to submit an application to the lottery How families will be informed about the outcomes of the lottery.

25 Charter School Enrollment Policy Including Lottery Protocol Weighted Lottery SB 820, passed in the 2015 Legislative Session, allows Oregon charter schools to implement a weighted lottery that favors historically underserved students. Historically underserved students are students who are at risk because of any combination of two or more factors including their race, ethnicity, English language proficiency, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and geographic location. If a charter school applying for the Dissemination Grant will utilize the provisions described in SB 820 to implement a weighted lottery, the charter school s proposed weighted lottery protocol must be approved by the Oregon Department of Education and be compliant with the components authorized by the US Department of Education. The Oregon Department of Education is currently seeking approval from the US Department of Education on a weighted lottery protocol for use by OCSP subgrantees. If your charter school intends to use a weighted lottery as allowed by SB 820, there will be a process to review and approve your procedure prior to implementation.

26 Grant Management Plan Submit the school s plan to manage the performance and financial aspects of the grant, including how Grant Project Goals will be tracked and assessed. The plan should include at least the following components: An overall description of how the grant will be managed, including key personnel assigned to manage specific aspects of the grant. The school s plan to be compliant, strategic, and responsible with the financial and business aspects of the grant. The school s plan to have sufficient cash on hand to front initial grant expenditures until reimbursement. The capability of the governing board to oversee the performance and financial components of the grant. The capability of the governing board to submit required reports on grant activities. A detailed description of how performance will be measured against the Grant Project Goals, including specific targets, measures, and metrics for each Goal, as well as a timeline for the implementation and completion of each Project Goal. The school s plan for financial and programmatic sustainability after the grant period ends and grant funds are no longer available. Attach a copy of the charter school s conflict of interest policy.

27 Assurance and Certification Form Charter schools/district partnership(s) that accept funding through the Oregon Charter School Grant Program agree to the assurances listed in the Assurance and Certification Form.

28 Q&A Q: Oregon was previously a non-sea in relation to the federal charter school grants program. Does this new grant program represent a movement back towards being a SEA? A: Yes. Since the Oregon Department of Education has received the SEA CSP grant, charter school must apply to ODE for all CSP grants and are no longer eligible to apply to the feds for Non-SEA grants during the grant period. Q: When will we be notified if we will receive a grant? A: We plan to announce subgrantees on February 26, 2016 Q: When will the funding begin? A: As soon as the subgrantee has met all application requirements

29 Q&A Q: How long will reimbursements take? (turn around time) A: Reimbursements will take approximately 5-7 business days. Subgrantees who establish ACH may receive funds faster. We encourage all subgrantees to establish ACH. Q: Is portable furniture an allowable cost? A: Yes. You cannot use the funds to purchase or construct permanent furniture or fixtures. Q: What falls under grant oversight expenses? A: Generally this would include any time dedicated to managing the grant and could include processing grant claims, reporting, participating in monitoring visits, etc. Q: If we use a 3rd party for tracking the grant money spent, is that reimbursable? A: No, grant funds cannot be expended on grant oversight.

30 Q&A Q: Can you provide examples of standards related to "reducing or eliminating exclusionary discipline practices"? A: Here is a recent guidance document produced by ODE: racticeforreducingexclusionarydiscipline.pdf We hosted a webinar on Monday, January 11, 2016 at 3:00pm. See the website to register. Q: How can we describe that the board is qualified to oversee compliance with Federal Regulations? A: Provide examples of any previous experience board members have with federal grant oversight or other experience dealing with federal regulations.

31 Q&A Q: What are the demographics you want to know about our community? What are pertinent for the grant? A: Primary demographics will be for the district in which the charter school is located. Additionally, if the charter school is targeting a specific population in a specific neighborhood or geographic boundary, then the demographics of the specific area. Q: What does "Target student population" Mean? would that be grade levels, in district, or surrounding area? A: Target population refers to any specific group of students the charter school intends to serve. A charter school may open with the intent of serving a specific demographic or geographic group of students. If that is the intent of your charter school you should describe that target group. However, even when targeting a specific group, charter schools still may not practice any type of exclusionary enrollment practices.

32 THANK YOU! PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS