Title I School Improvement Grant and Comprehensive Ratings

Title I School Improvement Grant and Comprehensive Ratings

December 19, 2023 | Grants Management

Update: The Title I School Improvement grant is now open in eGrants. For campuses with Comprehensive Progress or Comprehensive Reidentified ratings, you should see the grant in eGrants if eligible. Please read below for CSS’ previous tip from November.

The Legislature can’t seem to get enough of Austin, and the A-F ratings are tied up in challenges. However, the federal list of schools in need of improvement was released on November 16. Funding, either through Title I School Improvement or the Effective School Framework (ESF) Grant, will be available soon. In addition, intervention activities for a school improvement designation will be required. If you find your LEA on the list, today’s article will guide you in the right direction.

How do I find my federal ratings?

To see if your school was rated Comprehensive, Targeted, or Additional Targeted, click here: 2023 Accountability System Webpage

Scroll down to the “Federal Reports: Campuses Identified for Support Under ESSA.”  You will need to check all three links for Comprehensive Support, Targeted Support, and Additional Targeted Support.

What if my LEA has a campus that is rated Comprehensive?

If any campus is rated “Comprehensive Progress” or “Comprehensive Reidentified,” you will be receiving Title I School Improvement Program (SIP) grant funds (if you apply). If you are rated “Comprehensive Identified,” you will not receive Title I SIP funds, but will be able to apply for the ESF grant. In all three cases, you should contact your assigned ESC right away to be directed through the required training and school improvement requirements. We do not know the exact due date of the grant at this time, but you do not get to wait on the money to start intervention activities!

The current interventions calendar has two important due dates coming soon for LEAs with ANY Comprehensive type campuses. First, the LEA must name a District Coordinator of School Improvement (DSCI) and record the name in ISAM (in eGrants) by 12/15/23. Second, the DCSI must attend ESF 3.0 Training at the ESC if he or she has not yet done so.

Click here for the website with Intervention requirements, but also get with your ESC right away! Accountability Interventions Webpage

The Title I SIP grant will open the first week of December next month! The grant is later than normal due to TEA delays, but pre-award will be allowed for the start of this school year. Check the grant instructions for the allowed pre-award date.

What about the Targeted ratings? Will we get funding for that?

Any campus with any federal label will be able to apply for the ESF grant for 2024-2026. The ESF grant is supposed to be available in early 2024. Only Comprehensive campuses are required to submit proof of intervention activities to TEA, but if you are awarded the ESF grant, you will also be required to do so regardless of rating. Keep in mind, improvement funds must go to the identified campuses, but a small percentage may be reserved for district level intervention activities.

How do I know what Federal Targets we missed?

To know the specific federal targets missed, follow these steps for the report:

Log into TEAL and look for the Accountability Application:

  • Click on your LEA Name
  • Under New Items click “2023 Accountability Reports and Data Tables”
  • Click “Reports for One Campus” (you will have to check each campus)
  • Click “Identification of Schools for Improvement” and click View
  • The report will show you where you are relative to the cut off for being in the bottom 5%, your graduation rate, and then the math and reading targets missed at the bottom.

Strategies to improve student performance in these areas of graduation rate, reading and math must be included in your Targeted Improvement Plan. Title I School Improvement funds must be directed to these campuses and to their missed targets in reading and math. Some funds can be maintained at the district level, but there will be a cap that will be communicated when the grant is released.

CSS assists our clients to complete the school improvement grant and answers questions to guide our clients through the process as they work with their assigned ESC.

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