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
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
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
Mid-Year Federal Grants Review (ESSA & IDEA-B)
Check ups are important! They keep us on track. The middle of the school year is a good time to check up on your federal grants by conducting a mid-year review. How would I go about doing that you ask? CSS has an excellent training resource in our Mid-Year Federal Grants Review Online Course – … Read More
ESSA Basic Program Requirements: Fiscal and Program
Federal funds don’t just provide money to your schools. They create programs. By focusing on solid programs, you can add to your school’s repertoire and improve your ability to serve students. But programs funded by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) are regulated by many rules that can seem confusing at times. As a savvy … Read More
Completing the 2021-22 ESSA Compliance Report
We know compliance reporting is the least fun thing to do at the start of school, but it can’t be avoided if you have ESSA funds. Each year, LEAs who accept Federal funds must complete a compliance report to verify activities have been implemented according to the program guidelines and the approved grant application. Hopefully, … Read More
Action Required – ESSER III URL Update
Perhaps you have been making changes to your website to get ready for the 2022-23 school year, or your plans for ESSER III funds or COVID protocols have changed. If your charter district received ESSER III funds, the “Use of Funds” plan and the “Return to In-person Instruction (RIPICS)” plan must be posted on your … Read More
ESSA Grant Application
Summer is not vacation time in the federal world. Federal staff are busy planning and writing grants to receive funds for the upcoming school year. At CSS, we have been working with our clients to help them understand the changes in the grant application. The ESSA Grant Application is the TEA required application for LEAs … Read More
Indirect Cost Rate Request for 2022-23
Money! Now that we have your attention, did you know you can claim indirect costs on your federal grant awards and keep the money no strings attached? 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 Costs are the costs … Read More