As summer approaches, many staff will plan to attend professional development to get ready for next year! If you are considering funding travel for PD out of federal grant funds, please read today’s article to refresh or familiarize yourself with the rules for paying travel out of federal grants. You can avoid mishaps with reimbursements … Read More
Campus Improvement Plan or Charter Instructional Plan
Would you travel to a destination without a plan or a road map? Probably not. And just like a road map, your Campus Improvement Plan or Charter Instructional Plan (CIP) provides your team with a pathway to define your goals, create evidence-based strategies to target the goals, and determine how they will be monitored and … Read More
Title I Paraprofessional Requirements
Hiring season is quickly approaching! As you look to acquire new talent, please be aware of the qualifications that Title I-funded instructional paraprofessionals must possess. The “highly qualified” requirements for Title I-funded instructional paraprofessionals were retained when NCLB was reauthorized as ESSA, and TEA has forms to complete when hiring Title I instructional paraprofessionals. Today’s … Read More
When to Amend Federal Grants
It is spring cleaning time! Now is the time to review and clean up any changes needed in your federal grants to finish up the year. CSS recommends that you make sure the remaining funds are budgeted where you need them before the grant ends. You may find that summer plans have changed, an added … Read More
College Exam Fees Reimbursements 2022-23
Senior year of high school is full of incidental expenses, but paying for college exam fees doesn’t have to be one! Thankfully, HB3 removed barriers to college access by providing funding for the administration of the SAT/ACT/and TSIA once per student. Charter districts have already been given estimated funding for this in the Summary of … Read More
ESSA Required Meetings for 2023-24
A few weeks ago, CSS published an article about the Collaborative Comprehensive Needs Assessment. Today’s article is closely related to this topic as it involves preparations for next year’s federal grants. The focus for this week will be the end of year meetings that are required for ESSA so that you can plan your grants … Read More
AskTED – What It Is and Why It Is Important for Your Charter?
Not getting important communication can leave you out of the loop and in a bind. One way to ensure you receive accurate and important information from the State is to make sure your AskTED directory information is current and correct. AskTED is the online Texas Education Directory (TED), which is updated daily. AskTED is the primary … Read More
Indirect Cost Rate Request for 2023-24
If you are interested in money for your Charter, today’s tip is for you! Did you know you can claim indirect costs on your federal grant awards and keep the money? To do so, Charter Districts must first request an indirect cost rate, and today’s article is about how to go about obtaining one. Indirect … Read More
District Accreditation Status for 2022-23
The grace period from COVID is over, and, after two years of accreditation statuses being on hold, TEA has resumed issuing ratings. On January 26, 2023, TEA issued a memo announcing the release of ratings on February 9, 2023. For the previous two years, all LEAs were rated “Not Rated: Declared State of Disaster;” however, … Read More
Title III Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Requirements
Charter districts are often in shared service arrangements (SSAs) for Title III federal funds. Whether you are in a SSA or receive the Title III funds directly, you are required to provide parental engagement activities specifically targeted towards your Emergent Bilingual learner families. Today’s article will assist LEAs with understanding what qualifies as parent, family, … Read More