13 January 2015: CDE guidance for completing CDE research proposals
CDE Accountability Institute
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Transcript of CDE Accountability Institute
CDE Accountability InstituteProviding and Funding
Adequate and Appropriate Support for English Learners
Presented by:Jannelle Kubinec
English Learners:Providing Adequate and Appropriate Support
By law, local educational agencies must ensure that English Learners are provided with “adequate and appropriate” support
How do we know what’s “adequate and appropriate?”
There’s many possible ways to judge what’s adequate and appropriate, but probably the best is academic and language proficiency
It’s about the data and the process we use to demonstrate:
Availability of supplemental support to address language acquisition and development = adequate
Instruction is informed by data and research = appropriate
Progress is made = adequate and appropriate2
Where’s the Money?
The current accountability structure had drawn more attention to the fact that many districts and schools need to act differently to address the needs of English Learners
Acting differently often requires spending money differently
But, is there money to spend given the cuts made to funding?
We may have less, but there are still resources
Title I, IIA, III
Economic Impact Aid (EIA)
Effectively using such resources is necessary and essential to adequately and appropriately supporting English Learners
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Changing Practice
Change in practice, and even the recognition of the need to change, can be difficult
For virtually all districts and schools identified for improvement, it’s no surprise that they have unaddressed needs, but sometimes they are surprised that they need to change to get a different result
Levels of improvement challenge
Level 1 – Convince stakeholders a need exists
Level 2 – Convince stakeholder that action, sometimes dramatic, is necessary by everyone
Level 3 – Find the money to pay for action plan4
The Landscape for Funding Has Changed
Operating Condition Level of Change in Past Two YearsSystem of Accountability No Change
Number and Type of People Some ChangeRules to Use Funding Some ChangeAmount of Funding Big Change
What does this mean for school and district improvement?
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Educational Improvement and Money
California has cut funding for schools by approximately 15% during the past three years With less money, it is true there’s less to spend if that which was in
place before continues unchanged With less money, there can be more to spend if that which was in place
before evolves into something different The Essential Program Components (EPC) provide a framework for what’s
necessary to support school and district improvement This includes effective fiscal operations
The challenges to address fiscal operations needs are numerous: Getting and using fiscal data Drawing connections between money and priorities/needs Dealing with organizational issues that restrict the use of funds 6
Essential Program Components and Money
Many of the “go to” funding sources to support EPCs no longer exist due to flexibility – these include: Supplemental Hourly Professional Development Block Grant Instructional Materials Funds SB 472/AB 430
And policy changes have added some twists: Shorten school year by five days Furloughs that include inservice days Instructional material adoption delays
On top of this, there are some targeted short-term resources to add to the mix School Improvement Grants (SIG) – “old” (2009-10) and “new” (2010-11)
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Key Tips to Support What’s Needed
Funding is always an issue – even during good years
Doing our very best with what’s provided can be summed up as follows:
Spend the right dollar, on the right thing, at the right time
Accomplishing the above requires:
Allocating resources to align funding with needs
Being realistic about what can be accomplished
Spending the most restrictive funding first
Teamwork
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Programs Requiring Allocation Plans
State categorical flexibility has eliminated some programs thatformerly required allocation planning, but two big programs remain
Title I
EIA
The cuts and potential elimination of other site allocations make it more important than ever to revisit allocation methods and decisions
Work to maximize how Title I funds are distributed and used
Meet all EIA and Title I compliance requirements
Potentially refocus funds based on survival needs 9
Programs Requiring Allocation Plans
There are several options when constructing allocation plans
Formulas based on equal amount per student
Formulas that provide differential allocations based on:
Types of school
Performance and/or characteristic of students (low performing, low income, English Learner, etc.)
Centralized services
A hybrid of the above10
The World of Rules
There are several rules and standards to be aware of when constructing an allocation plan
It’s helpful to separate rules into two categories: Rules that govern how allocations are made
Rankings Equity/parity/comparability
Rules that govern how money is spent once it’s allocated Supplement, not supplant 85/15
Even within the world of rules, discretion abounds 11
Allocating Title I Funds
Districts rank their schools based on level of poverty – most common metric is free-and reduced-price meal eligibility
Any school above 35% poverty eligibility or the district’s average poverty rate is Title I eligible
Any school above 40% poverty eligibility may elect to be “schoolwide” to broaden spending flexibility
Flexibility options:
Rankings by type of school Skipping schools
Providing more funding to higher poverty schools or types of schools
Providing Title I funds to a school subjects them to federal accountability requirements 12
Utilizing Title I Set Asides
There are both mandatory and optional set asides that can be used to direct funding to priority activities
Mandatory: Parent involvement Homeless If Program Improvement (PI):
10% for professional development Up to 20% for Supplemental Education Services and School Choice
Optional: Centralized services Targeted for PI Teacher incentives, up to 5%
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Allocating EIA Funds
Allocating EIA is similar to Title I, but there are some differences
There are two parts to EIA, which each district determines how to support
State Compensatory Education (EIA-SCE, 7090)
– Like Title I in the way funds may be used
– Eligible schools have at least 25% poverty or 50% using composite factors
– Allocated based on low-income pupils
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Allocating EIA Funds
There are two parts to EIA, which each district determines how to support (cont.)
Limited English Proficient (EIA-LEP, 7091)
– Like Title III in the ways funds may be used – restricted to supplemental support for English Learner language acquisition and development
– All schools with English Learners eligible
– Allocated based on English Learner population
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Allocating EIA Funds
District’s determine how to allocate funding between EIA-SCE and EIA-LEP District’s must demonstrate that they provide “adequate and appropriate
support” for English Learners Possible evidence includes:
Maintaining level of effort Achievement gains
It is possible to meet this requirement by putting 100% of EIA into SCE, but only if there are specific plans to meet the needs of English Learners
Among the factors that affect what will work best for your district: Level of focus on English Learners without designation Distribution of need and eligibility among schools Use of resource by schools 16
Tips for EIA and Title I
Ensure sites understand the rules
85/15
Allowed used
Supplement, not supplant
Districts have discretion to allocate carryover
Should return to direct services
Opportunity to fund centralized services and/or phase in ongoing change in allocations
Ensure alignment between allocation plan, school plans, and budget17
Specific Resources to Consider
There are fewer resources, but those focused on compensatory support are alive and mostly well
Most restricted Title III, English Language Acquisition Program (ELAP), EIA-Limited
English Proficient – use to supplement all other resources to address language proficiency and acquisition
Title IID – use for technology, there are some districts that received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Title IIID competitive grants
Somewhat restricted Title I set aside for professional development – required set aside of
10% for districts in PI Title IIA – can be used for professional development and possibly
class-size reduction SIGs – must follow the plan for an individual site
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Budget Based on Actions, Not Intentions
The best plans are ones that get done
Persistent carryover from year to year is often a sign that responsibility for a program/resource area lacks definition or plans are made, but not fully completed
Budget for what will get done, not just what should
Know what’s needed
Know who can do it
Know how much it costs
Manage for implementation
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Specific Resources to Consider
Less Restricted
Title I (regular and ARRA) and EIA-State Compensatory Education – use for supplemental support for low performing students
Unrestricted
Tier III Programs – including California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) Intervention, Instructional Materials, Secondary Counselors, School and Library Improvement Block Grant, SB 472/AB 430
Federal Jobs Fund – expected for 2010-11 to provide one-time boost to use to support saving jobs involved with site operations
State Fiscal Stabilization Funding – a small portion was provided in 2010-11 20
Teamwork and Money Management
Addressing the needs of English Learners is a team effort Effective planning for any subgroup of students, including English Learners,
requires broad stakeholder understanding and support Superintendent School Board Educational Services Business Human Resources School Site Administrators
Ultimately, it is difficult to do something different with funding unless the business office is involved 21
Things to Do When Engagingthe Business Office
Do:
Engage the whole cabinet, including person responsible for the fiscal area, early in the process
Ask fiscal staff if they have ideas for areas of spending/practice that are less effective for students
Find out who is responsible for site allocations and how decisions are made to divvy up resources
Find out what the fiscal condition is of the district Still cutting Made big cuts Stable for now 22
Things to Avoid When Engagingthe Business Office
Avoid:
Ignoring any of the “do’s”
Assuming that there’s no money available
Assuming that the business person doesn’t understand the educational program
Assuming that money is exclusively managed by the business office
Sites may play a significant role
Some districts have in place a separate accounting function within educational services – this should raise a red flag
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Tips to Manage Resources
Maximize revenues, especially those generated based on student participation
Spend the most restricted dollar first
Even with fewer dollars, this still applies
Focus on priorities and support them with funding
Avoid spending out of habit
Be compliant
And once compliance needs are met, consider what is effective
Support cost-effective programs, not just low-cost programs
Turn over every rock and then pound them into sand 24
Is Improvement Possible Duringa Fiscal Crisis?
It can be hard to judge what constitutes improvement when surrounded by fiscal crisis and emergency
Planning for school and district improvement is a lot like Maslow’s hierarchy of need
Without the basics assured, it’s hard to think about much of anything else
But the difference between what’s necessary and what’s sufficient lies in how resources are used and not their mere presence
How do we find the space to focus on improvement?
It starts by thinking about what’s present above what’s absent25
Thank you!