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 grant funds by conducting a mid-year review. The purpose of the mid-year review is to give you an opportunity to see if you are still on track to expend your federal … Read More
Indirect Cost Rate Request for 2026-27
Today’s tip is for everyone! Action is required for all, and yes that means you gentle reader! It is time to complete the annual request to receive an indirect cost rate for the upcoming year. A response is required whether you say yes or no, but CSS highly recommends you say yes! The process is … Read More
District Accreditation Status for 2024-25 and 2025-26
In Texas, accreditation ratings carry real weight. They signal to families, charter authorizers, and communities how effectively a charter school meets State expectations. On January 29, 2026, TEA issued a memo announcing the release of ratings effective February 12, 2026. Why are there two years you ask? When the A-F Accountability ratings were delayed due … Read More
Title III Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Requirements
Title III is not the most common grant for charters. Maybe you are in an SSA (shared service arrangement) for Title III? Regardless, unless you don’t receive Title III at all, you are required to provide parent, family, and community engagement (PFCE) activities specifically targeted towards your Emergent Bilingual population. Today’s article will assist schools … Read More
Need-to-Knows about State and Federal Report Cards
Students aren’t the only ones that get report cards! Schools do too! This year, we have report card overload with 2024 and 2025 State Report Cards AND 2025 Federal Report Cards all needing public release to your parents and community. The State Report Cards deadline is first, and the Federal deadline follows; however, you might … Read More
Compensatory Education Update
Much has changed in the world of compensatory education funding this year! The 89th Legislature threw a giant curve ball and made the changes effective this year. The communication of the practical implementation of the changes has been slowly trickling out as the State makes decisions and responds to school system’s questions. CSS has been … Read More
Title II Special Data Collection Due January 9, 2026
It seems strange seeing 2026 in the title, but the New Year is upon us, and we are sure procrastination is not on your New Year’s resolution list! The topic for today is the Title II Special Data Collection that is required if you received Title II funds through the ESSA grant in the 2024-25 … Read More
Random Validations Begin – Title I, II, and IV
This October may bring more a trick than a treat if you are selected for program monitoring validations on your ESSA-funded programs! The good news is that if you are picked, you will have until almost Christmas to submit the paperwork. If you weren’t selected last year and aren’t selected this year, you can bet … Read More
2023 State Report Card Dissemination
Be ready this year with an influx of report card distributions. Due to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 state accountability ratings being released late after a drawn-out court challenge, the state report cards (SRCs) are just now being released by TEA. In the prior two years, the FEDERAL report cards were still distributed, but the State … Read More
Title I School-Parent Compact
You’ve probably heard the saying “It takes a village to raise a child.” The same is true about educating a child. When schools and parents work together, we see greater student success. Parents and schools agree that we want our students to be successful. One of the ways to help our students achieve academic success … Read More