Program Evaluations under ESSA and State Comp Ed

Program Evaluations under ESSA and State Comp Ed

May 31, 2024 | Grants Management

Using data to reflect on your federal programs is an essential part of preparing for next year. Program evaluations help you make decisions for how to use your grant funds. Without program evaluations, you might assume more of the same is good and not see improvement. Furthermore, if you are a charter school who either accepts Title I ESSA funds or receives State Compensatory funding, then program evaluations are a legal requirement and subject to random audits. CSS has included a template for program evaluation in this article so that you can be prepared as you plan for next year.

At Charter School Success we have the expertise to provide you with program evaluation assistance!  We help our clients plan better and smarter (and stay in compliance)!

For ESSA funding:

Title I regulations REQUIRE that a school operating a schoolwide program must:

  • Evaluate the implementation of, and results achieved, in the schoolwide program.
  • Determine the effectiveness of the schoolwide program in increasing the achievement of students in meeting the State’s academic standards, particularly those students who had been furthest from achieving the standards.
  • Revise the plan as necessary based on the results of the evaluation to ensure the continuous improvement of student achievement. Monitoring is recommended quarterly, but required semi-annually, and revision is required annually.

When should this be completed?

The Title I program evaluation should be completed at the end of the year as a part of the needs assessment process and before submitting the 2024-25 ESSA Consolidated Application. A copy of your evaluation should be kept on file along with your Campus Improvement Plan and Comprehensive Needs Assessment. The process must be completed with the stakeholder committee, and sign-in sheets, agendas, and minutes for all meetings should be on file.

For State Compensatory Funds:

A Program Evaluation is required of ALL charter districts receiving State Compensatory Education funding allotments regardless of amount.  See Section 6.2.7 in the State Fiscal Accountability System Resource Guide (FASRG). SCE is evaluated by how well the allotment is addressing the needs of At-Risk students specifically.

However, if your Charter School received more than $750,000 in 2022-23 for State Compensatory funds then your charter district will need to submit a 2022-23 program evaluation electronically to TEA through the Audit Application in TEAL by July 12, 2024. The submission of the SCE evaluation is only required for campuses with an at-risk percentage of 59 percent or higher OR for F-rated campuses (the last time ratings were given).

More Resources

For an additional resource, check out the below tool/template. There is no State-mandated template. This format is not required, but it has been vetted by the service centers who represent TEA.

A NEW resource for Title I Schoolwide campuses is the Campus Administrator Toolkit. The toolkit discusses the three required schoolwide program elements. Program evaluation is the third requirement after the needs assessment and campus improvement plan.

For more information regarding State Comp Ed requirements, please visit the TEA State Comp Ed Website page.

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