ESSA Consolidated Grant Application

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

End of Year Federal Activities for Charter Districts

CSS is there to keep you organized in the end of school madness! Our handy checklist below contains “all things federal grants” that you need to finish up the year! You will find all pertinent TEA deadlines that you can add to your calendar today! CSS hopes you have an incredible end of the year … 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

Mid-Year Review of Federal Grant Funds

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