8(g) Student Enhancement Block Grants

Transcription

1 8(g) Student Enhancement Block Grants Guidelines for the Submission of 8(g) Student Enhancement Block Grant Proposals Due Date: July 29, 2016 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Baton Rouge, LA (225)

2 Kevin P. Reilly, Sr. Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund 8(g) for Elementary and Secondary Education GUIDELINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF 8(g) STUDENT ENHANCEMENT BLOCK GRANT PROPOSALS for FISCAL YEAR DUE DATE: July 29, 2016 (Note: Only submissions through BESE Culture Grants website will be accepted.) Applicants must secure authorization from their agency head to prepare and submit a grant proposal. These guidelines comply with Consent Judgment Number A. Guidelines and prescribed pages are available on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education website: BESE 8(g) Office (225) BESE.8g@la.gov Contacts: Andrew Kempe Andrew.Kempe@la.gov Kimberly Tripeaux Kimberly.Tripeaux@la.gov Submit proposals through bese.culturegrants.org This document presents guidelines for the submission of 8(g) block grant proposals. The guidelines are based on the Constitutional Amendment (Article VII, Section 10.1); Appropriate Statute (R.S. 17:3801); 8(g) Policy and Procedures Manual; BESE Strategic Plan; and Consent Judgment A of Please note that 8(g) grants are awarded on a reimbursement basis only. Good and services cannot be ordered, received, or paid for until after the proposal has been approved by the BESE 8(g) office.

3 BOARD OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION Mr. James Garvey President 1 st BESE District Ms. Shan N. Davis Executive Director Dr. Holly Boffy Vice-President 7 th BESE District Ms. Kira Orange Jones Secretary-Treasurer 2 nd BESE District Ms. Sandy Holloway 3 rd BESE District Mr. Tony Davis 4 th BESE District Dr. Gary Jones 5 th BESE District Ms. Kathy Edmonston 6 th BESE District Ms. Jada Lewis 8 th BESE District Mr. Thomas Roque Member-at-Large Dr. Lurie Thomason Member-at-Large Ms. Doris Voltier Member-at-Large

4 BEFORE YOU BEGIN WRITING A PROPOSAL, CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS: Have you received approval from your agency head to write a proposal? If your project is funded, do you have a plan for continuation if you do not receive 8(g) funds in subsequent years? Remember, projects are funded for one year only. Projects may receive funding for up to three continuous years; however, continuous funding is not guaranteed. Funded projects must annually go through the complete submission process to be considered for continued funding in subsequent years. As you develop your proposal, think about long-term sustainability without 8(g) funds. If your proposal is funded and implemented during the school year, how will student learning be affected? The purpose of these funds is to improve the academic achievement of students. Make sure as you write your proposal that you don't become so concerned with how to use the money or what you need to purchase that you forget why the proposal is needed in the first place. Will the objectives be measurable and results available at the end of the fiscal year? Objectives should be measurable, with data provided to support that student academic achievement was improved as a result of the project.

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Legislation and Purpose of Program 1 Description of Focus Areas 3 Eligibility Requirements 4 Summary of the 8(g) Block Budget Packet 7 Summary of the 8(g) Statewide Budget Packet 13 Grantee Obligations 17 Addendum 18

6 LEGISLATION AND PURPOSE OF PROGRAM The Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund [Permanent Trust Fund] was established in September of 1986 by Louisiana Constitution Article VII, Section 10.1 and La. R.S. 17:3801. The Permanent Trust Fund receives the bulk of the proceeds from an offshore oil revenue settlement with the federal government. A separate Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund [Support Fund] was created in the Louisiana State Treasury to receive and hold 75 percent of the interest earnings from the Permanent Trust Fund. Half of the interest earnings in the Support Fund (or 37.5 percent) are constitutionally mandated to be appropriated by the Legislature and allocated to the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) for the enhancement of elementary and secondary education. The remaining 37.5 percent is allocated to the Louisiana Board of Regents. The 8(g) work group, composed of BESE members, met to discuss funding priorities for FY The Board conducted a public hearing to receive public input for the annual expenditure of Support Fund proceeds. The 8(g) Advisory Council made recommendations to BESE on the establishment of annual priorities to be funded. In building the 8(g) budget for FY , the 8(g) work group has been mindful of the Board's intent to maximize alignment with the strategic plan, as well as the budget issues facing the state, districts, and schools. With these things in mind, the 8(g) work group aimed to create an 8(g) program proposal that would allow for more targeted investments of 8(g) funds, increase innovation in the creation of programs/projects, and yield data that the Board could use to further impact P-12 education for years to come. A lawsuit filed several years ago by the Louisiana School Boards Association, the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, and the Louisiana Association of Educators to prohibit BESE from allocating 8(g) funds to nonpublic entities was settled in September Effective with the FY granting cycle, Consent Judgment A enjoins the Board from making grant awards for certain kinds of expenditures of 8(g) funds to nonpublic agencies that are determined to be pervasively sectarian entities. Block grant funds are allocated by BESE and subject to annual appropriations and are not guaranteed as a permanent funding source. Block grants provide funds for replication of exemplary programs to meet local priorities. 1. Priority areas are selected by BESE. 2. Funds are allocated based on student enrollment. 3. Public and approved nonpublic systems/schools administer the projects. 4. Students to be impacted are determined by agency. 5. Projects must be implemented to impact student achievement within funding year. 6. Block grant projects may be funded no more than 3 years with the exception of 8(g) prekindergarten programs. 1

7 Agencies should identify those projects within the selected priority areas that enhance their local educational plans. One or more projects may be selected for implementation. Once projects have been identified, school sites should be selected and proposals prepared. 2

8 . DESCRIPTION OF FOCUS AREAS Constitutional Categories: Project proposals must conform to any or all of the following purposes: Exemplary programs in elementary and secondary schools designed to improve student academic achievement or vocational-technical skills Research, including pilot programs, designed to improve elementary or secondary student academic achievement School remediation programs and preschool programs Compensation to city or parish school board professional instructional employees Adequate supply of superior textbooks, equipment, and other instructional materials Teaching of foreign languages Scholarships or stipends to prospective teachers in areas of critical shortage In addition, project proposals should align with at least one of the strategic plan goals and focus on at least one of the Board s priority areas: Strategic Plan Goals: Expand high-quality P-12 college- and career-ready pathways that align to workforce demands Develop a talent system that recruits, prepares, supports, retains, and continuously builds the capacity of teachers and leaders to ensure student success Maintain a system of high-quality and accountable educational options for students and families Use limited resources in the most strategic and equitable ways possible to increase and support student achievement Priority Areas: High-Quality Early Childhood Education College and Career Readiness Leadership Development Technology and Innovation 3

9 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Eligible Agencies Approved public elementary or secondary schools located within the State of Louisiana (including charter schools, university lab schools, and state special schools) Approved nonpublic elementary and secondary schools meeting all of the following criteria: approved by BESE as meeting all applicable standards; approved to receive state funding under Brumfield vs. Dodd; and completed questionnaire regarding its sectarian status and certification under oath that its responses are true and correct on file in the BESE office no proposal for 8(g) funds will be accepted from a nonpublic agency without such questionnaire and certification on file* Eligibility Factors *Any school that is not a public agency of the State of Louisiana must have a completed Sectarian Status Questionnaire on file in the BESE 8(g) Office prior to submitting the proposal to be eligible. All student enhancement block grant applications must be reviewed and approved by BESE 8(g) staff prior to implementation. Applications may be submitted prior to July 1; however, notification of approval will be sent after that date. Application deadline is July 29, In order to be eligible for funding, the proposal shall comply with all eligibility factors listed below. The project must be designed to improve elementary or secondary student performance. The project period must be concurrent with the fiscal year (July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017). All goods and services shall be received and rendered within that fiscal year. The project participants must be Pre-K (four-year-olds), elementary and/or secondary students. 4

10 The proposed project shall be designed to improve academic achievement and/or vocational-technical skills. For proposals with projects housed in schools, only those with approved public or nonpublic schools will be considered. (Nonpublic schools must also be approved to receive state funding under Brumfield vs. Dodd and have a Sectarian Status Questionnaire on file in the BESE Office). The project must not supplant, displace, or replace appropriations from the state general fund, including Minimum Foundation Program funds. The project shall adhere to the provisions of Consent Judgment A which enjoins the Board from making grant awards for certain kinds of expenditures of 8(g) funds to nonpublic agencies that are determined to be pervasively sectarian entities. 5

11 SUMMARY OF THE 8(g) BLOCK BUDGET PACKET A. Proposal budget packet Budget Summary All budget information shall be summarized in the prescribed Budget Summary section. Budget Detail Agencies must complete the Budget Detail sections for any Object Code in which the agency is requesting funding. These sections are to be used to further describe the services or commodities to be obtained as the result of a specific expenditure. A separate page is provided for each object code and shall be completed if funds are being requested. Budgeted line items should be intended to improve student achievement. Each budgeted line item shall be clearly explained and justified by providing the information requested in each budget detail section. Only those program costs allowable will be approved. All other costs shall be disallowed. Expenditures not explained in sufficient detail shall be deducted from the budget. The Board shall not reimburse agencies for any disallowed items. B. Summary of Budget Line Items 100 Salaries Amounts paid to both permanent and temporary employees, including personnel substituting for those in permanent positions. This includes gross salary for personal services rendered while on the payroll. 110 Regular Employees Full-time or part-time cost for work performed by permanent employees. Instructional Personnel 8(g) funding is available for staff assigned the professional activities of instructing pupils in courses in classroom situations. This also includes aides working with students under the direct supervision of a classroom teacher or performing professional educational teaching assignments on a regular schedule. Administrative costs are not allowed for administrative salaries such as principal, vice-principal, teacher facilitator, teacher leaders that work directly with teachers, or school counselor. 7

12 120 Temporary Employees Substitutes or other temporary instructional personnel. 130 Overtime Amounts paid to employees of the agency in either temporary or permanent positions for work performed in addition to the normal work period for which the employee is compensated under regular salaries and temporary salaries above. The terms of such payment for overtime are a matter of State and local regulations. 150 Stipends A one-time payment or allowance to regular employees to attend workshops or in-service training programs. 200 Employee Benefits Amounts paid on behalf of employees; these amounts are not included in the gross salary, but are in addition to that amount. Such payments are fringe benefit payments, and while not paid directly to employees, nevertheless are part of the cost of personnel. (Contributions to any unemployment compensation fund cannot be paid with 8(g) funds since the positions are approved for one year only and are not considered permanent.) 300 Purchased Professional and Technical Services Services in specialized, highly technical fields provided by sources outside the local school/system. Included would be payments to consultants or presenters who provide in-service training programs or to technicians for installation of computer equipment. These services require a contract approved according to Local Educational Agency policy. The Board has established limits on fees charged for professional services in 8(g) programs as follows: Basic professional services fees to include: o Up to $70 hour o Related benefits (if provider is a member of LTRS) o Travel expenses (if beyond official domicile of 30 miles) Must be in accordance with state travel regulations) Expanded fees for professional services providers recognized as "experts": o Up to $200 hour o Related benefits (if provider is member of TRSL) o Travel expenses (if beyond official domicile of 30 miles) Must be in accordance with state travel regulations. 8

13 To qualify as an "expert," provider must meet at least 3 of the 5 following qualifications that can be documented: o maintains specialized license or certification in topic to be presented (other than education degrees). o has been endorsed or approved by a national organization to present topic. o has multi-state experience presenting topic. o has presented topic at national or regional conferences. o published instructional materials to be presented. 400 Purchased Property Services Services purchased to operate, repair, and maintain equipment. These services are performed by persons other than school/system employees. (Security systems for a building or room are not allowable with 8(g) funds.) 500 Other Purchased Services Amounts paid for services rendered by organizations or personnel not on the payroll, including student transportation services (510), telephone charges (530) (if separate billing records are maintained), postage (530), printing (550), and travel (580) by project staff in performance of duties as delineated in the proposal. Indicate in the budget explanation the reason for travel, destination, number of trips, and number of persons traveling. Amounts paid for dual enrollment tuition should be placed in the Tuition category (560), and fees paid for student testing should be placed in the Miscellaneous Purchased Services category (590). 600 Supplies Amounts paid for items that are consumed, worn out, or deteriorated through use. 610 Materials and Supplies Expenditures for all instructional and operating supplies for the operation of the project [for example, audiovisual supplies, classroom teaching supplies (including shipping and handling), or food for instructional programs. 640 Textbooks (or allowable textbook substitutes) Expenditures for textbooks, instructional software, workbooks and library books, including reference materials. 9

14 700 Property Expenditures for acquiring initial, additional, or replacement equipment or furniture for the direct use of students. Equipment purchases included in the project should be itemized. Any equipment costing $250 or more shall be tagged in accordance with state and local Board approved property control regulations. Only equipment used for day-to-day, direct instruction of students may be included in the budget. The term does not include equipment used in any manner for administrative purposes, such as copiers, office file cabinets and/or office furniture. No expenditures for capital projects or improvements (no facilities acquisitions or construction services) such as permanently installed playground equipment,greenhouses, T-buildings, etc. C. Allowable Expenditures Examples of expenses that may be budgeted if essential to achieving project goals: salaries and/or stipends for classroom teachers and aides; in-service training; in-state conference fees for Louisiana Early Childhood Association Conferences and Louisiana Department of Education sponsored Prek conferences; supplies; equipment; printing, postage, maintenance; testing fees for students/dual enrollment tuition for students; food for instructional purposes. Examples of expenses that will not be covered include: salaries and stipends for any employee who is not directly engaged in classroom instruction (Principals, Facilitators, Counselors, Mentor Teachers, Etc.); stipends for teachers engaged in any activity that falls within the normal job description/duties of a classroom teacher; administrative equipment; capital improvements, permanent, capital outlay type playground equipment; multi-year licenses and/or multi-year warranties; in-state conference fees or out of state travel for training or conference fees; indirect costs; banquets, refreshments; articles of clothing (items used for incentive purposes); 10

15 classroom preparation time or scoring of tests. SPECIAL NOTES: This is not an all-inclusive list of acceptable expenses or not allowable expenditures. Please contact the 8(g) staff for final determination. Expenditures should be directly related to the objectives in the proposals. The purchases should provide support to achieve the objects set forth in the proposal and be used by the targeted population. (Pervasively Sectarian Entities are restricted to allowable expenses as per Consent Judgment A. The restrictions are detailed in Section 7, Item E.) D. Budget Notes The Board has exempted the 8(g) program from the definition of supplies vs. equipment in the Louisiana Accounting and Uniform Governmental Handbook. For 8(g) purposes, equipment includes those items that last more than a year, and if damaged, would tend to be repaired rather than replaced. There is no minimum or maximum dollar amount that separates a supply from equipment. Any purchase of less than $250 can be considered a Supply (Object Code 600) or non-taggable Property (Object Code 700), according to approved local school board policy. INDIRECT COSTS ARE NOT ALLOWED. (R.S.: 47:301 (8)(c) exempts the State or its political subdivisions from state and/or local sales and use tax on goods and/or services received.) Any agency requesting funds for expenditures that are not allowed, either by Board policy or by the Consent Judgment, shall be required to pick up those disallowed costs with other funds in order to implement the program as proposed. In those cases, the Board reserves the right to audit or evaluate those programs to determine compliance. E. Special Budget Requirements for Pervasively Sectarian Schools As a result of Consent Judgment A of 1995, there are limits on the availability of, and use of, 8(g) funds by pervasively sectarian entities. BESE shall not award any funds to a Pervasively Sectarian Entity for direct aid, as defined below: "Direct Aid" means both the procurement of the goods and services enumerated in (a)-(g) below and funds paid to reimburse an entity for its procurement of the goods and services enumerated in (a)-(g): 11

16 (a). (b). (c). (d). (e). (f). (g). salaries of any personnel; benefits to personnel which are subject to income taxation; operating expenses such as rent, utilities, equipment maintenance; expendable materials and supplies; books and materials, except for textbooks or textbook substitutes which are to be loaned directly to individual students and which are made available to public schools and public school students by law, policy or regulation; professional services such as legal, accounting or evaluative services; or any corporeal thing, including durable equipment and materials, which cost two hundred fifty dollars ($250) or less. F. Budget Notes for Pervasively Sectarian Schools "Textbook substitutes" are materials whose content is in the nature of a textbook but which is contained in a different form such as CD ROM disk. Further, textbook substitutes may be considered digital educational materials that aid students in reaching mastery of the Louisiana Content Standards which include, but not limited to, educational software, online subscriptions/site licenses to educational programs, instructional videos that would provide visual supplements for instruction, DVDs with curriculum instruction. Consumable workbooks are not considered textbook substitutes. In summary, pervasively sectarian schools may use 8(g) funds only for equipment over $250 per unit or for textbooks or textbook substitutes. 12

17 SUMMARY OF THE 8(g) STATEWIDE BUDGET PAGES A. Proposal Budget Packet Budget Summary Page All budget information shall be summarized on the prescribed Budget Summary page. Budget Detail Pages Only Budget Detail pages that include expenditures and descriptions should be included. Agencies must complete the Budget Detail pages for any Object Code in which the agency is requesting funding. o These pages are to be used to further describe the services or commodities to be obtained as the result of a specific expenditure. A separate page is provided for each object code and shall be completed if funds are being requested. o If additional pages are needed, those pages should be attached directly behind the budget detail page. o Each budgeted line item shall be clearly explained and justified by providing the information requested on each budget detail page. Only those program costs allowable will be approved. All other costs shall be disallowed. B. Summary of Budget Line Items Personal Services Salaries shall include salary payments for employment of full-time personnel. o Provide number and title of positions, compensation, and function or purpose for each position funded. Note: A person who is paid 100% with 8(g) funds should be working fulltime in the 8(g) program. Other Compensation shall include salary payments for part-time personnel and compensation to hourly workers. o Provide number and title of positions, compensation, and function or purpose for each position funded. 13

18 Related Benefits shall mean contributions to retirement systems, Social Security, and group insurance. Contributions to any unemployment compensation fund cannot be paid with 8(g) funds. Professional Services o Indicate total amount of benefits paid for each position funded. Contracted Professional Services shall include payments for contracted services in specialized, highly technical fields provided by sources outside state/local government. These services will not be allowable unless justified as essential to the program's success. Evaluation costs shall comply with the program evaluation procedures delineated in Section III of these guidelines. o Provide name of contractor (if available), amount of contract, duration of contract, and itemized listing of services provided with cost for each service. o Contracts should be professional in nature and for educational or instructional purposes (i.e. 8(g) will not fund entertainers, etc.) Operating Expenses Travel shall include only in-state travel by program staff in performance of duties, as delineated in the proposal. The Board has disallowed out-of-state travel for conferences or seminars. o Provide destination, purpose, number of trips, number of persons traveling, cost per person, and itemized explanation of costs. Operating Services shall include payments to outside vendors for expenses such as equipment maintenance, printing, and postage. o Provide type, cost, and justification. Supplies shall include payments to outside vendors for consumable materials used in the agency's operation of the program. Acquisitions o Describe kinds of supplies, delineating operating from instructional. 14

19 Equipment shall include payments for acquisitions which are necessary to the proper operation of the program by the administering agency. Charges associated with equipment purchases must be delineated by service and cost, and any equipment costing $250 or more must be tagged as 8(g) equipment and must be tracked on inventory records. In order to avoid having to depreciate those items, equipment costing less than $1,000 per unit may be recorded as $0 value on the fixed asset report. Universities receiving 8(g) funds for statewide programs must limit expenditures for goods and services to those benefiting K-12 students and/or teachers. o Provide cost and brief description of each item to be purchased with quantity and intended use of each. o Explain or justify requested equipment items in the budget explanation. Other Charges - shall include transfer of funds from one agency to another or payments for any service peculiar to any agency not otherwise chargeable to other identifiable expenditures. No indirect costs are allowed. Flow-through funds must be sent to an approved agency (not an individual school). (Louisiana Department of Education Administered Programs Only) For Statewide Programs providing flow-through funding to LEAs, allocations must be approved by the Board in the Administration and Finance Committee. A copy of the final allocations should be provided to the BESE office once they have been approved. Aid to Local School Boards/Public Assistance/ Interagency Transfers to Universities shall include allocations to eligible agencies. If the local school or system intends to use 8(g) funds for professional services, they must adhere to the Boardestablished limits on fees charged for professional services in 8(g) programs as follows: Basic professional services fees to include: o Up to $70 hour o Related benefits (if provider is a member of TRSL) o Travel expenses (if beyond official domicile of 30 miles) Expanded fees for professional services providers recognized as "experts": 15

20 o Up to $200 hour o Related benefits (if provider is member of TRSL) o Travel expenses (if beyond official domicile of 30 miles) To qualify as an "expert," provider must meet at least 3 of the 5 following qualifications: o maintains specialized license or certification in topic to be presented (other than education degrees). o has been endorsed or approved by a national organization to present topic. o has multi-state experience presenting topic. o has presented topic at national or regional conferences. o published instructional materials to be presented. Interagency Transfer to University o Provide an explanation of the type of service provided by the university with cost and justification Interagency Transfer Transfer of Funds explain the services to be provided by the agency. Other shall include IATs to other state agencies for services and shall include IATs for printing, postage, and office supplies (Note: LDE supply room). D. Budget Notes INDIRECT COSTS ARE NOT ALLOWED. 16

21 GRANTEE OBLIGATIONS If the proposal is funded, the project administrator is expected to implement the project, as proposed, to impact student performance within the funding year. (July 1, June 30, 2016). Ideally, the project should be implemented and items ordered within 30 days of approval. Agencies must provide the 8(g) office with any changes of personnel and program activities immediately. Each Support Fund grantee shall submit a Progress to Date Report to the Board by February 15, Failure to submit a complete Progress to Date Report will make the grantee ineligible for future funding. Each Support Fund grantee shall submit an End of Year Report to the Board within thirty (30) days after the close of a project period. Failure to submit a complete End of Year Report will make the grantee ineligible for future funding. This report shall include, but not be limited to, the following: benefits achieved by the program; results, as evidenced by data collected for each measurable objective; evaluation results analyzed and summarized; and explanation of how equipment purchases will be utilized in the upcoming fiscal year to continue the project. When a Pervasively Sectarian Entity ceases to utilize a corporeal thing (costing more than $250 when obtained) for the specific educational project for which it was obtained, as designated by the project log number assigned to the grant award or program, the thing shall be returned to the physical custody of the State of Louisiana. Independent evaluators, contracted by the Board, will conduct a comprehensive programmatic evaluation of all funded projects throughout the funding period. If any project scores below 100 (out of 150 points) on a final evaluation, the applicant is ineligible to apply for competitive funds in the upcoming fiscal year. 17

22 On-site audits of funded projects will be conducted by the Board's compliance officers, beginning as the projects close out and continuing throughout the next fiscal year. These monitoring visits are in keeping with state auditing practices and will include a review of compliance with both fiscal and programmatic procedures relating to the project. Information provided in the End of Year Report will be utilized in the scope of the audit. 18

23 Attachment A. High-Quality Early Childhood for Public LEAs (Prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-yearolds) IMPORTANT! Recognizing the link between effective early childhood education and later academic success, the Board continues to focus its 8(g) Student Enhancement Block Grant funding on Prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, thus confirming its commitment to this important initiative. While a number of funding sources are available for early childhood development programs serving at-risk four-year-olds, all programs share the same goals and philosophy. As it is the Board's intent to allow systems to serve the maximum number of students with cost-effective programs, local systems may use their 8(g) block grant allocation to supplement the six hour instructional component of early childhood development classes located in public school buildings that are funded through other sources. 8(g) funds may not be used to provide before and/or after school enrichment activities for early childhood development programs. To provide the maximum number of classes for at-risk four-year-olds, 8(g) funds can be prorated with other funding streams at the local level. Please contact the BESE 8(g) staff for more information on utilizing 8(g) funds to maintain or expand programs funded from other sources. ATTACHMENT A. SECTION 1. PROJECT DESIGN Agencies may use their allocation to implement projects that comply with the design outlined as follows: Program Eligibility In this focus area, LEAs shall offer a developmentally appropriate program designed to improve the kindergarten readiness skills of children. Prekindergarten educational classes through this funding sources are available for children in the school system s jurisdiction who are: 19

24 eligible to enter kindergarten the following year; meet the requirements of law for immunization and documentation required for regular school enrollment; at risk of being insufficiently ready for the regular school program, based on screening results OR who are eligible for free and reduced price meals; not enrolled in any other governmentally funded prekindergarten program [such as Head Start, Starting Points, Title I, Even Start, or REA prekindergarten programs]. BESE has requested that agencies attempt to fill 8(g) program spaces with 70% free/reduced lunch eligible four-year-olds and 30% developmentally unprepared. If the agency is already serving all free/reduced lunch eligible four-year-olds with another funding source, then 100% of the children served should be developmentally unprepared based on screening results. A child cannot be denied access, participation, or funding on the basis of race, color, or national origin (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964); gender (Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and Title II of the Vocational Education Amendments of 1976); or disability (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) in educational programs. Developmentally-Appropriate Curriculum A program must utilize a research-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum that is aligned with the Louisiana Standards for Programs Serving Four-Year-Old Children (Bulletin 105) and Grade Level Expectations. The program must address both age appropriate and individual needs of young children and should focus on all aspects of development: physical development, social/emotional development, cognitive development, and language development. The curriculum will address all developmental areas to establish a solid foundation for later education and help children learn how to learn. The curriculum will be integrated so that learning occurs primarily through projects, learning centers, and playful activities that reflect current interests of children. Two major emphases of the program are: stimulating language and literacy experiences that require active involvement; and providing hands-on activities. A program must include family early intervention strategies designed to maximize children's overall development and lay the foundation for school success. Parents are recognized as serving as their children's first teachers. Strategies to help parents gain a better understanding of child development should be addressed. Services provided may include home visits, group meetings, and school-based parent resource centers. Activities must be developmentally appropriate and relate to program goals and objectives. Activities should include: child-initiated play in learning centers and outdoor areas; 20

25 active exploration, problem solving, and experimentation with real-life, hands-on materials; interaction among children and between children and adults in an individual and a group setting; integrated learning which incorporates all developmental levels: social, emotional, physical, and intellectual; learning through themes, projects and/or interests of the children; language stimulation through varied opportunities for self-expression; development of creativity and imagination; informal small group times and limited whole class time; positive guidance techniques using modeling and encouraging of expected behavior; planned parent involvement including newsletters, volunteer service in the classroom, informational workshop, and orientation; training for teachers and aides; and on-going assessment using a variety of tools and processes. The following activities are optional to the program but do contribute to quality: personalized home visits by trained parent educator or the classroom teacher to provide information about growth and development and to suggest practical home activities to benefit children, or group meetings for parents for education and support, including the sharing of experiences, concerns, and successes. Parameters for Conducting Small Groups/Individualized Instruction In an effort to provide teaching staff with increased opportunities for purposeful, intentional instruction, the following guidance is provided regarding small group/individualized instruction. Teachers will continue to provide opportunities for child-initiated activities as well as time for small group/individual work. Teachers may 21

26 offer small groups during child-initiated activities for the purposes of providing differentiated instruction and interventions that are effective in meeting the needs of all children. Small group times that allow for differentiated instruction may be scheduled during center times within the following parameters: Groupings should be based on children s needs as determined by assessments including information gathered from checklists, anecdotal notes, observations, etc. Only one staff person should work with a small group allowing the other staff member to move around the classroom engaging in activities with the children. Small group work should be conducted for no more than 15 minutes per group. When the small group work is done, the children then move to centers of their choice if space is available. Small group activities should not be scheduled for the entire time when children are active in centers. This will allow time for both staff members to support children s learning as they are engaged in freechoice activities. The teaching staff does not have to work with every child in a small group every day, and they should alternate sharing the responsibility of working with small groups. Small group activities and interventions do not HAVE to be scheduled during centers if the teacher s daily schedule already allows for small group instruction at another time of the day. Children should not be scheduled for more than one small group that occurs during child-initiated activities in a given day. Screening For 30 percent of the spaces offered through this program OR if the agency has already provided an early childhood development program for all free/reduced lunch four-yearolds in the district through another funding source, the agency must use Screening within the selection process. Screening must be done using one or more of the instruments listed below. These screening instruments are not appropriate as pre/post diagnostic tools. Results of the screening should be kept at the district level and readily available for review by BESE 8(g) staff. Brigance Pre-School Screen for Three- and Four-Year-Old Children 22

27 Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL-R) Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL-3) Denver Developmental Screening Test Early Recognition Intervention Systems (ERISys) Battelle Developmental Inventory-Screening Test Learning Accomplishment Profile-Diagnostic Standardized Assessment (LAP-D) Screen for Four-Year-Olds Other instruments for periodic screening of educational, hearing, visual, or other problems interfacing with development may be used in addition to one of the aforementioned screening instruments. Vision and hearing screening, as outlined in Bulletin 741 for Kindergarten students, are strongly encouraged. Assessment Beginning in FY 16, it will be acceptable to use Teaching Strategies Gold (TS Gold) or The Developing Skills Checklist (DSC). If the DSC is used, it must be completed twice during the year, once about a month after the child enters the program (preassessment) and again near the end of the year (post-assessment). A mid-year DSC assessment is encouraged but not required. Additionally, programs must collect and submit demographic information on each child, electronically via the state-approved vendor. 23

28 All 8(g) funded classes will be required to utilize a Mobile Scoring Assistant (PDA) along with its mobile assessment software OR the computer scoring assistant (web-based application) to record DSC preand post-assessment results. Each school will need a PC with Internet access for both methods described above. If the agency chooses to use the Mobile Scoring Assistant, we recommend that the agency purchase a minimum of one PDA for every two 8(g) classrooms located on a school site. Ideally, the agency will provide one PDA per classroom teacher. These electronic assessment tools will assist teachers in gathering and completing intake information, and the use of the Mobile Scoring Assistant or the web-based application will benefit teachers and administrators as the reporting structure hierarchy allows individual child reports on-demand as well as aggregated reports at the classroom, school, district and state levels. Portfolios To help determine the needs of the individual students when planning for instruction, classroom teachers are required to maintain a portfolio on each student. The portfolio will contain, but not be limited to the following: Work samples, including items such as photos or tapes of child created products (e.g., block creations, sculptures, dramatizations, child interviews), actual (or copies of) developmental writing samples, or other items to document child development; Anecdotal records, including informal notes on the child's problem solving and critical thinking behaviors related to classroom, social, and academic interactions; Checklist and inventories for recording observations of child behaviors and skills such as the Creative Curriculum Developmental Checklist, High/Scope Child Observation Record (COR), Work Sampling Systems (WSS); Parent conferences, including information on the child provided by the parent and conference notes; Health screening reports, if any, and Referral records for support services, if any. Portfolios must be kept up-to-date in the classroom and available for review by the child s parent/guardian and appropriate LEA and BESE staff and evaluators. Program Teachers/Paraprofessionals Teachers employed for these projects shall possess one of the following credentials: a valid and current Louisiana teaching certificate in: 24

29 o nursery school, o kindergarten, o PK-3, o early intervention, or o non-categorical preschool handicapped. Teacher assistants must meet all of the following requirements: o o o o Possess a high school diploma or equivalent, Have extended experiences of assuming responsibility and care for a group of preschool age children (children younger than five years of age), Possess proficient oral and written communication skills, and All other LEA requirements for employment. Class Size/Student:Teacher Ratio The maximum number of four-year-old children enrolled in one early childhood development class shall be no more than 20. Each class shall have a child to certified teacher ratio of no more than 20 to 1 and a child to adult staff ratio of no more than 10 to 1. This ratio shall be maintained at all times. School Day/Year The length of the school day and the school year shall follow the provision established in R.S The school day that systems operate shall be a full day, with a minimum of 360 minutes of instructional time per day exclusive of lunch, recess and planning. Instructional days will be based upon the school calendar of each local school system with a minimum of 177 days of instruction. The daily schedule shall meet the requirements of Bulletin 741 allowing for adequate nutrition and rest, with alternating periods of active and quiet activity. Meals and Snacks Appropriate meals and snacks shall be provided to every child. The price of meals and the amount of food shall be consistent with meals prepared for kindergarten students enrolled in the school system. The cost for meals and snacks for four-year-old children enrolled in this program is an allowable expenditure. Transportation Providing transportation services is not required; however, student transportation is an allowable expenditure with this grant program. 25