Summer is grant writing time in the federal world! This can often be our busiest time of year with closing out previous year grants, and planning and applying for the next round. One of the main ones is the ESSA Consolidated Grant Application that is the formula grant (non-competitive) for the major title funds (Title … Read More
Gun Free Schools Report
When is your last day of school? We have a task for you to do the day AFTER that date. Thank goodness gun incidents are rare; nonetheless, all charter districts that receive any federal funds must submit the Gun Free Report (PR6000) by June 29, 2024. This is the one case where you should not … Read More
Travel Pay from Federal Grant Funds
One of the best things about summer is the opportunity for new learning in the form of various workshops or conferences. Professional development that supports your improvement plans and is part of an ongoing goal can often be supported by federal funds. If you are considering funding travel for PD out of federal grant funds, … Read More
Title I Paraprofessional Requirements
Summer is coming and soon you will be hiring for next year! 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. TEA has forms to complete when … 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. Perhaps your summer plans have changed, an added expense is … Read More
College Exam Fees Reimbursements 2023-24
Do your juniors and seniors know they get one free SAT, ACT, or TSI administration? Since 2019, HB3 funding has removed barriers to college access by providing district reimbursements for the administration of the SAT/ACT/and TSIA once per student. Charter districts have already been given estimated funding for this in the 2023-24 Summary of Finances … Read More
ESSA Required Meetings for 2024-25
It’s April, and preparations for next year are in full swing! A few weeks ago, CSS published an article about the Collaborative Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CCNA). Along with the CCNA, planning meetings prior to submitting your grant application are “musts” on your to-do list. Documentation from these meetings are primary documents pulled in random validations, … Read More
TCLAS Grant Changes and Possible Survey Due April 6, 2024
If you have funding from more than one TCLAS decision, the information in today’s article might come as good news for you! TEA is allowing money to be moved between TCLAS decisions in some cases. However, if you wish to do so, you must complete a survey by April 6! No TCLAS funds? You can … Read More
AskTED Data Updates
Staying informed is important for administrators to be able to do their job well. How do you make sure that you get important information coming out of TEA? One of the main ways is updating AskTED, the online Texas Education Directory (TED), which is updated daily. AskTED is the primary source used by TEA and … Read More