Requesting Title II, Part A Services. A Guide for Christian School Administrators

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1 Requesting Title II, Part A Services A Guide for Christian School Administrators

2 Contents A Guide for Christian School Administrators in Requesting Title II, Part A Services...3 Worksheet: Preparing for Your LEA Consultation...6 Talking Points to Consider when Requesting Title II Services for ACSI Professional Development Forum and ConNEXUS Premium...9 ACSI Professional Development Forum and ConNEXUS Premium Packet for LEAs This LEA packet (pages 11 13) is intended to be printed and presented to your LEA when requesting Title II, Part A services for ACSI Professional Development Forums and ConNEXUS Premium. Registration for ACSI Professional Development Forums includes a one-year subscription to ConNEXUS Premium. You are encouraged to present ACSI Professional Development Forum and ConNEXUS Premium as a professional development package for ongoing, sustained professional development. Providing this packet to the LEA will help introduce this professional development opportunity. For additional information regarding Title II Part A service requests, please contact your ACSI Regional Office. Visit for more information.

3 A Guide for Christian School Administrators in requesting Title II, Part A Services Your Local Educational Agency (LEA) undertakes a significant task in ensuring equitable services to private and public school teachers in the administration of Title II, Part A funds. In order to be a fiscally responsible agent, the LEA must consider a number of factors to ensure that its actions in disbursing funds are in accordance with federal guidelines. How you approach your LEA in requesting Title II, Part A equitable services can make a difference in the success of your request and the ease with which services are provided. This guide is intended to help you, as a Christian private school administrator, better understand the process of requesting services so that you may be prepared as you enter into consultation with your LEA. Overview of Title II, Part A Funds LEAs receive federal funds under the program Title II, Part A Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund, which provides for professional development. This program exists under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and it requires LEAs to provide for equitable participation of private school teachers. The available funds in a district are divided into a per-pupil amount using the total number of public and private school students served in the district. Private school students are only included in this number if the schools they attend indicate to the LEA (annually) that they wish to participate. Once a per-pupil total is determined, participating schools may request services for professional development programs and activities. ACTION 1 Communicate your intent to participate in Title II, Part A services to your LEA each year. The LEA is required to contact officials of all private schools within the district annually to determine if the school faculty intends to participate in Title II, Part A. The LEA must contact each school whether the school has participated previously or not. Your LEA may have established guidelines and schedules for funding requests. When communicating your intent to participate, you may wish to request any such information from your LEA. ACTION 2 Schedule a consultation with your LEA to design and develop a professional development program for your school faculty. Schedule this consultation with your LEA early in the fiscal year (or earlier if possible) so that you are able to develop your request for services. Schools that are most successful in developing professional development programs for Title II Part A are often schools in which the administrator or school officials have invested in developing a healthy working relationship with their LEA. While you may consult with your LEA by phone, it is recommended that you meet with your LEA face-to-face, at least initially, in an effort to develop a healthy working relationship. 3

4 ACTION 3 Prepare for your LEA consultation. As you prepare to meet with your LEA, it is helpful to know what is required of the LEA as a fiscal agent and the information that the LEA will need to identify through your consultation. The LEA s responsibilities concern student needs. Ultimately, the LEA is charged with determining the professional needs of teachers as they relate to improving the academic performance of their students. On the basis of these needs, the LEA must decide the type of professional development that best meets the needs of the teachers and students. the nonsectarian nature of the program. In accordance with federal requirements, Title II, Part A funds must be used to provide professional development that is secular, neutral, nonideological and provides technical information on professional development or teacher quality. The LEA must determine the secular nature of the professional development and may opt to fund only that portion of the program that is secular by percentage or by some other means as determined by the LEA in consultation with school officials. It is important to note that the secular nature of the PD is determined by the content, not the faith perspective of the provider. accountability. LEAs are accountable for the funding they allocate for Title II, Part A equitable services. Therefore, they will seek to verify through documentation that the funding for services was used appropriately. Your LEA may request documentation such as certificates of completion, descriptions, or other explanations of programs clarifying the program s objectives and its secular nature and other documents as deemed necessary. In consideration of Title II, Part A services for private school teachers, the LEA is required to hold a consultation with private school officials to discuss the professional development needs of the teachers. Specifically, this consultation will include discussions of the following key issues, which are factors affecting the services provided. The LEA consultation will seek to identify the needs of private school teachers as they relate to improving the academic performance of their students, including how the needs of the teachers and students will be identified; what services will be offered; how, where, and by whom the services will be provided, including discussion of the use of a third-party provider; how the services will be assessed and how the results of the assessment will be used to improve those services; the size and scope of the equitable services; the amount of funds available for those services; and how and when the LEA will make decisions about the delivery of services. Use the Preparing for Your LEA Consultation worksheet on page 6 to help you prepare to address key issues that will be discussed in your consultation. Remember that professional development programs funded by Title II, Part A funds are supplemental and must be in addition to, and not in place of, normal professional development activities. 4

5 ACTION 4 Follow up with your LEA after the consultation, and submit your action items and deliverables from the consultation in a timely manner. Send a follow-up to your LEA after the consultation, expressing appreciation for their time and also summarizing the outcome of the meeting. Be sure to include any action items agreed upon in the meeting, and clarify next steps. ACTION 5 Implement the professional development program, and submit documentation or other items as required. During the implementation of your professional development program, it is wise to communicate with your LEA regarding any unforeseen circumstances or changes that have an impact on the program as originally planned. At the conclusion of the program, submit all documentation as required by the LEA. ACTION 6 Start planning for next year! As you plan for next year s program, include assessments from the previous year to further improve your program and ultimately, your teachers and students! Information in this section was adapted from Title II, Part A Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund, Equitable Services to Private School Teachers, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Nonpublic Education; and from a letter to Dr. Sam Barfell from Maureen Dowling, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, February 27, Follow this link for more information: www2ed.gov/ programs/teacherqual/index.html. 5

6 Worksheet: Preparing your LEA Consultation This worksheet is intended to help you prepare for an LEA consultation by helping you identify key issues that will be discussed during a typical consultation. Professional Development Planning Ideally, your Title II, Part A request for services stems from a schoolwide professional development plan that includes activities, opportunities, and tools providing professional development to teachers. Professional development activities or programs identified for funding requests should be based on a review of scientifically based research and must be expected to improve student academic achievement. Title IX, Section 9101(34) of ESEA identifies such professional development activities as those that improve and increase teachers knowledge of academic subjects and enable teachers to become highly qualified; are an integral part of broad schoolwide and districtwide educational improvement plans; give teachers and principals the knowledge and skills to help students meet challenging state academic standards; improve classroom management skills; are sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused and are not one-day or short-term workshops; advance teacher understanding of effective instruction strategies that are based on scientifically based research; and are developed with extensive participation of teachers, principals, parents, and administrators. Plan Your Program Request Consider the following objectives that an LEA seeks to address through consultation, and the related questions that will assist you in clarifying your program objectives. OBJECTIVE 1 the needs of private school teachers as they relate to improving the academic performance of their students including how the needs of the teachers and students will be identified What are your students academic needs? What do your faculty need to equip them to help their students improve their academic achievement? How did you (or will you) assess the needs of your teachers and students? 6

7 OBJECTIVE 2 services that will be offered What service or activity are you proposing (ideally as part of a larger schoolwide professional development plan) to help meet the needs of your faculty? (The implementation of this service or activity should ultimately equip your faculty to meet their students academic needs.) OBJECTIVE 3 how, where, and by whom the services will be provided including discussion of the use of a third-party provider Who is providing the service or activity? Where and when will this occur? If you are recommending that the LEA use a third-party provider, the provider should be identified. Your LEA will want to see documentation of the services offered or planned. Descriptions are helpful! If using a faith-based provider, the LEA will need descriptions or other documentation that identify the secular nature of the content. OBJECTIVE 4 how the services will be assessed and how the results of the assessment will be used to improve those services How will you assess the results of the professional development activity or program? (Relate this to both teachers and students.) How will you use the results of the assessment for further improvement? You may also wish to identify the documentation that an LEA is required to keep. Consider how you can help the LEA by providing certificates of completion, CEU certificates, or other documents to aid them in documenting your faculty s participation. 7

8 OBJECTIVE 5 the size and scope of the equitable services Clearly identify each service or activity you are proposing. Who will participate? For how long will they participate? What is the intended outcome? What is the nature of their participation? Objectives 6 and 7 are determined by or in consultation with the LEA. Be prepared to consider these as discussion points. OBJECTIVE 6 the amount of funds available for those services The LEA will determine the funding available for services; however, it is important to consider whether your request for services is reasonable given the amount of funding that the LEA has available to provide Title II, Part A equitable services. OBJECTIVE 7 how and when the LEA will make decisions about the delivery of services Before leaving the consultation with the LEA, make sure you understand the next steps in the process; how the LEA will make decisions; and when those decisions may be expected. Clarify whether the LEA needs any additional information from you prior to the decision. Information in this section was adapted from: Title II, Part A Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund, Equitable Services to Private School Teachers, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Nonpublic Education; and from letter to Dr. Sam Barfell from Maureen Dowling, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, February 27,

9 Talking Points to Consider When Requesting Title II Services for ACSI professional development In recent experience, many ACSI schools find their LEAs open to requests from Christian schools for services related to nonsectarian professional development. Many LEAs are also open to funding those portions of ACSI Professional Development events and ConNEXUS Premium that meet the nonsectarian requirement. How they make funding decisions and the documentation they require varies between LEAs. When requesting services provided by ACSI, it is important to present the full package of ACSI Professional Development Forum and ConNEXUS Premium, which each faculty member receives for the forum registration price. The professional development opportunity is not limited to forum sessions, but it also extends to over 500 hours of continuing education courses in ConNEXUS Premium. Providing the enclosed letter and packet on ACSI Professional Development Forum and ConNEXUS Premium to your LEA may help your LEA to fully recognize the professional development opportunity being presented. Initially, you may wish to present your request openly as recommended above and see how your LEA responds. If your LEA expresses concern with defining particular sessions of the forums or specific ConNEXUS Premium courses your faculty partake in, you may consider some of the strategies identified here, to which other LEAs have responded positively. If your LEA expresses concern over the division of secular vs. sectarian content, you may consider the following: a services agreement that is based on the percentage of secular content -- 92% of the channels in ConNEXUS Premium are nonsectarian/secular -- Approximately 80% of the content in ConNEXUS Premium is nonsectarian/secular agreeing upon a minimum number of hours or CEUs earned by educators in secular courses/sessions -- For example, you may determine that faculty members will show evidence through CEU completion certificates that.5 CEUs (3 clock hours) were earned through forum attendance and/or ConNEXUS Premium during the school year. In this scenario any additional courses taken by a faculty member would be considered above or beyond the cost of obtaining the.5 CEUs purchased with the Title II funds. 9

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11 ACSI Professional Forums Strengthening Christian Educators ACSI Professional Development Forums provide educators with a professional development package that includes multiple options and virtually unlimited CEUs for less money than a typical workshop or in-service. Why attend only one professional development event once a year when you can engage in ongoing professional development throughout the year? Influential educators, researchers, and thought leaders from around the country share their expertise as featured keynote and breakout session speakers at the annual ACSI Professional Development Forums. With more than 20 venues across the country, the Forums will engage more than 10,000 educators in practical, research-based professional learning and networking with colleagues. In turn, as educators learn and grow through the Forums they will impact the learning of hundreds of thousands of students every year as they implement new strategies and research-based techniques into their professional practice. And the learning continues after the Forums! Through ACSI ConNEXUS Premium, forum attendees have on-demand access to over 500 hours of professional development content anytime, day or night, for an entire year following their forum because professional development isn t a one stop, onesize-fits-all session. It is an ongoing, sustained process of growth and learning that impacts student learning best when tailored to the educational needs of each individual educator and their students. This ACSI Professional Development package of live and on-demand professional development is available to educators beginning in the fall of Dr. John Storey, ACSI Assistant Vice President for Professional Development For additional information regarding Title II, Part A funding requests, please contact your ACSI regional office. Visit for more information.

12 The forums will provide high quality professional development with keynotes from educational leaders at every site and interactive, research-based workshops. The schedule will allow significant time for networking and sharing of best practices through roundtable discussions, poster sessions, and more. At the forum you ll experience: Live interaction with speakers and fellow attendees Presentations on specialized topics Research-based professional development Practical help for your daily work For details visit ACSI.org/pdforum. ACSI s Professional Development Forum will help educators at every grade level and in every role grow as professionals, making your school stronger as a result.

13 The challenge of teaching students is meeting students where they are supporting them as they build on their strengths and helping them grow where they need growth. As professionals with their own educational needs, are not educators the same? ConNEXUS Premium provides professional learning through on-demand courses, allowing educators the opportunity to grow and learn in the areas where they need growth and according to the schedule that is best for them. With 40 topic-based channels and over 500 hours of courses, ConNEXUS Premium provides educators with the tools they need to grow professionally and teach effectively. Take a look at some popular ConNEXUS Premium channels! The Art and Science of Teaching This channel demonstrates how teachers combine the science of research-based instruction with the art of great lesson planning and formative assessment. Find courses focused on improving pedagogy including qualities of effective teachers, instructional strategies, using standards, and assessing student work. Best Practices in Action Courses in this channel provide teachers with proven research and practical methods in attending to the developmental and academic needs of all students. Classroom Management With principles for developing healthy and well-managed classrooms, teachers gain the tools they need to ensure effective teaching through the Classroom Management channel. The Common Core Administrators and educators will find support for understanding and implementing the new Common Core State Standards and will benefit from practical application with examples of instruction actively incorporating the standards in literacy and mathematics. These are just a few of the many other channels ready and waiting in ConNEXUS Premium: Curriculum Mapping Educational Technology Implementing RTI Differentiated Instruction Educational Leadership Enhancing Professional Practice Formative Assessment Multiple Intelligences Project Based Learning and much more.