Bidders’ WebinarTexas Support for Homeless Education ProgramShared-Services Arrangements (SSA) Applicants

Recorded LiveOctober 9, 2014

TEXSHEP Bidders’ Webinar

TEXSHEP is a collaborative effort of The Texas Education Agency

Region 10 Education Service CenterThe University of Texas at Austin

The Charles A. Dana Center The Texas Homeless Education Office

ImportantInformation

Two Types of Applications

• Single-LEA: Use for ONE LEA only * The applicant is the Fiscal Agent

• SSA (Shared-Services Arrangement): Use when TWO or MORE LEAs will apply together

* One LEA will serve as the Fiscal Agent

Page 8

Page 1

• Application Due: December 11, 2014, 3:30 pm, CST

• Funding is contingent on Federal award • Awards will be for three years, contingent on funding availability and satisfactory progress

Page 6

• Subgrants begin September 1 and end August 31 • Services can be offered during school hours or at other times

• Services can be offered at districts or other sites

Page 7

Eligible Applicants School Districts County Departments of Education Regional Education Service Centers (ESCs) Open-Enrollment Charter Schools Shared Services Arrangements of Eligible Applicants (SSA) *Applicants may form cooperatives *Applicants may be a member of a cooperative and apply individually *Applicants may not be a fiscal agent for more than one application

Negotiations and Funding

• Successful applications will be negotiated, possibly resulting in changes (Page 7) • Consult funding table on THEO website for instructions on how to determine the amount for which your SSA is eligible to apply (Page 8)

Funding and At-Risk Students

Funding amounts are based on homeless students reported in the 2013-14 PEIMS Report: Homeless Students Enrolled by all member LEAs (Page 8)

Up to 5% of the total number of students served in all member LEAs may be in at-risk situations but not homeless. “At-risk” students must be at risk as set forth in TEC Section 29.081. “At risk” does NOT mean at risk of homelessness. (Page 8)

Pages 9 - 11

• Funds requested must be reasonable and necessary • Applicants are expected to expend all funds every year

• Note authorized activities on pp. 10-11 of RFA

Page 11

Stakeholder Input

Identify individuals and departments within the member LEAs and their communities with interest in the success of homeless students

Meet with Stakeholders as application is prepared

Report dates and types of meetings as well as important findings

Collaboration/Coordination; Project Review

• All applicants: required to show evidence of collaboration/coordination (Page 11)

• All projects will be reviewed at mid-year (Pages 12-13)

• All projects will complete an end-of-the-year report (Pages 12-13)

Page 13

• Critical dates calendar will be on THEO website by November 2014

• Applications must be submitted electronically by 3:30 p.m. CST on 12/11/2014

• Only electronic applications in WORD format will be accepted

Page 13

• Applications must be emailed to the unique email address Region 10 has created for this RFA: texsheprfa@region10.org • Applicants should receive automated receipt of application from Region 10 within 5 minutes; if not call Carey Foster at 972-348-1118

• All RFAs must have appropriate signature pages

Page 13

• Submit signatures electronically only • Signatures must be by Superintendent or Executive Director or official designee

• NO LATE APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED FOR ANY REASON!!!

Pages 14-15

• Requests for additional information must be submitted electronically as stated in the RFA • Consult the THEO website often to review the Frequently Asked Questions and Errata in the TEXSHEP 2015-2017 section • Applications will be reviewed and scored by independent teams of reviewers from a variety of disciplines

Pages 14 - 15

• Clarity, completeness, and conciseness are critical for success: some schedules have space limitations • Reviewers will use a 150-point scale to score applications • Reviewer Scoring Criteria pages are behind each schedule—use this information to score your own application

Pages 16 - 17

• General Instructions: read these carefully • The application must be submitted using only the schedules provided and other documents as instructed

• Space Limits: Any wording outside specified limits will be eliminated before scoring

Pages 16-17

• Use font size 10 point or LARGER

• Pay particular attention to Schedules #12 and #13A-D

Schedule #1

• Ensure all information is included

• Submit for Fiscal Agent only

• Put County-District number on this and all subsequent schedules

• Place electronic signature on this schedule. DO NOT submit a separate signature page.

Schedule #1.1

• Provides important information about your SSA

• If an applicant ONLY contracts with other LEAs to provide services, and does not flow through funds to the LEAs, then the arrangement is NOT an SSA. Use the Single-LEA application.

Schedule #2

• Thoroughly complete all contact information for the Fiscal Agent

• Cell phone numbers are used only in emergencies and are NOT made public

Schedule #2.1

Thoroughly complete all contact information for all member LEAs; this is helpful during negotiation of successful applications

Schedule #3

Complete the index accurately

Schedules #1-#10 are required

Schedules #7A-#7F required only when funds are budgeted on those schedules

Schedule #11 is submitted ONLY if there are lobbying activities to disclose

Schedule #6A

• Use Schedule #6A to describe identification, enrollment, and training efforts of member LEAs

• For EACH member LEA, submit identification and enrollment forms as Appendix A at the end of the application. Do NOT submit it as a separate document!

• Use the schedule to also describe local economic, educational, and societal factors that lead to homelessness in each member LEA

Collects data on homeless student enrollment, students served by TEXSHEP, and attendance rates for all member LEAs

Review the schedule and data collection tools

Schedule #6B.1

Collects baseline data and projects outcomes for homeless student proficiency on state assessments in each member LEA

Review the schedule and data collection tools

Schedule #6B.2

Collects information about stakeholder meetings in member LEAs

Include member LEAs and their community stakeholders—meetings can occur in a variety of formats

Review the schedule

Schedule #6B.3

Identify up to five needs the project will address

Needs may be related to identification, enrollment, and/or attendance, but must be related to the academic success of homeless students in member LEAs

Briefly describe how the need is related to academic success

Review the Schedule

Schedule #6C

Schedule #6D

Use Schedule #6D to describe the activities the project will conduct using MV funds to meet the identified challenges and achieve the projected outcomes in member LEAs Use one line per activity; there is no maximum number of activities a project may propose

Schedule #6D

At least one activity must address how parents or guardians of homeless children will be involved in their children’s education in member LEAs.

If parent involvement activities vary from member LEA to member LEA, include more than one activity.

Schedule #6D

For each activity:

• describe it

• state the estimated number to participate

• state the general location where the activity will be held • avoid too much specificity

Schedule #6D

For each activity, describe the positions that will

• carry out the activity• collect and provide documentary evidence Describe the documentation the project will maintain to demonstrate completion of the activity, and list the related needs from Schedule #6C that the activity will address

Schedule #6E

• Use Schedule #6E to show the types of collaboration and coordination activities the project plans to conduct in member LEAs

• Name all partners/collaborators in all member LEAs and briefly describe the collaborative activities that will be carried out and the related TEXSHEP activity numbers • Use separate columns for collaborators within the member LEAs/Departments and from their communities

Schedule #6E

• List the related TEXSHEP activity number(s) from Schedule #6D

• Every collaborator listed must have a corresponding Collaboration Form that will be reviewed during the mid-year review—this form is on the THEO website

Schedule #6F

• Use Schedule #6F to show how the project proposes to use Title I funds in member LEAs

• All member LEAs required to set aside Title I, Part A, funds must do so or lose eligibility for participation in the SSA

• Title I, Part A, set-aside documentation will be part of the mid-year review

Schedule #6F

• LEAs that are exempt from setting aside Title I, Part A, are encouraged to set aside funds anyway

• Provide information on the percentage of the homeless liaison’s salary being paid from any Title I source as applicable in member LEAs

Schedule #6F

• Provide information on the dollar amount of funding used to pay for travel to and from the school of origin being paid from any Title I source as applicable in member LEAs

• Review questions 2-4 on schedule

Schedule #6G

• Use Schedule #6G to show how the applicant will conduct an internal evaluation of the project

• This internal evaluation is in addition to the end-of-the-year evaluation the applicant must submit to Region 10

• Components of a robust evaluation

Schedule #6G

• This internal evaluation may include any or all of the elements contained in the required end- of-year evaluation

• The purpose of the internal evaluation process is to help the project assess strengths and areas where improvements are needed

Schedule #6H

• Use Schedule #6H to demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to implement the proposed project • Describe challenges and successes the applicant and member LEAs have had in educating children and youth in homeless and/or high-poverty situations

• Describe up to four primary positions that will manage and carry out subgrant activities

Schedule #6H

• If specific names are not available, describe the qualifications for the staff to be hired • Describe management of the project: past grant management experience; daily management; how outcome success will be assured; how finances will be managed

Schedule #6I

• Provide a brief summary overview of the proposed 3-year project

• Summaries of successful applicants will be published on the THEO website and other venues

Schedule #7

• Use Schedule #7 to provide a summary of the proposed project’s budget

• Budgeted funds must be “reasonable and necessary” for conducting project activities • On all budget pages, use whole dollars only; no decimals

Schedule #7

Place Fiscal Agent costs and Flow-Through to Member LEAs in the appropriate columns

Use the last column to total expenditures for the Fiscal Agent and Flow-Through to Member LEAs

Schedule #7

• When computing indirect costs, be sure to use the correct rate, available on TEA’s website, and exclude any items on which indirect costs cannot be taken

• TEA’s guide to computing indirect costs is on THEO’s website

Schedule #7

Totals for budgeted items on Lines 01-06 should match the corresponding detailed schedules

Schedule #7.1

Use this schedule to show anticipated annual expenditures by Class/Object Code and by quarter—these should be TOTAL budgeted expenditures of the Fiscal Agent and Member LEAs together

Totals on this schedule should match the totals on Schedule #7

A more detailed Anticipated Annual Expenditures Chart will be submitted during negotiation

Used by Region 10 and THEO to ensure funds are spent in a timely manner according to plan

Schedule #7.2

Use this schedule to show flow-through funds to Member LEAs by class/object description

Totals on this schedule should match the total amount listed in the Flow-Through column on Schedule #7

Schedule #7A

Use Schedule #7A only for payroll costs to be paid with TEXSHEP funds

Use the appropriate columns for Fiscal Agent and Member LEA FTE and dollar costs

Schedule #7A

Use one line per position, even if two positions have exactly the same title and will be working the same percentage of time Express each position as a percentage of a full-time equivalent (FTE) employee: for example, a social worker dedicating 75% of his time to this project will be shown as 0.75; a nurse devoting 100% of her time to the project will be shown as 1.00

Schedule #7A

Use lines 1-6 for payroll costs only; use line 12 to show the total amount of fringe benefits for all positions on all lines

If necessary, add lines for positions, making sure that fringe benefits for all positions are on one line under Subtotal

Schedule #7A

If TEXSHEP is NOT paying the fringe benefits for a TEXSHEP-funded position, use the area at the bottom of the schedule to state the source of funds that WILL pay for the fringes. Lines 08-10: Explain the purpose of positions funded on these lines. Do not place information in the blackened area.

List the related Schedule or Activity numbers for all positions.

Schedule #7B

• Use Schedule #7B for any professional or contracted services the applicant or member LEAs will budget

• Use line 2 only for services to be performed by state licensed or registered contractors

• Use line 3 for all other professional/consulting services

Schedule #7B

• For all contractors listed on lines 02 or 03, also list them on Schedule #7B.1; do not put information from any other lines on Schedule #7B.1

• Use line 07 for any contracted transportation that is exclusively for excess costs of transporting students to the school of origin • Use line 08 for for any contracted transportation that is not related to excess costs of transporting students to the school of origin

Schedule #7B

Maintain copies of contracts for all vendors listed on this schedule.

The instructions for this schedule contain important information about the requirements for contracts.

Schedule #7B.1

Use this schedule to provide information about consultants/contractors listed on lines 02 and 03 on Schedule #7B.

Do NOT use this schedule for any consultants/contractors not listed on lines 02 and 03.

Schedule #7C

• Use Schedule #7C for requesting supplies and materials for the Fiscal Agent and member LEAs in the proposed project

• Use line 04 for the cost of any testing materials for homeless students

• Use line 05 for the cost of emergency items, including hygiene items

Schedule #7D

• Use Schedule #7D for requesting other operating costs

• Use lines 01 and 02 to describe in-state and out-of-state travel

• Use line 08 for excess costs of transportation to and from the school of origin—use per-mile cost

• Check instructions for important information on all lines

Schedule #7E

• Use this schedule only if requesting capital outlay costs

• The schedule has changed to reflect TEA’s changes— read the instructions carefully

Schedule #7F

• Use Schedule #7F only if requesting adaptation-of-space costs

• $5,000 limit on this activity

Review Criteria for Schedules #7 thru #7F follow Schedule #7F. Become familiar with these criteria before preparing the budget schedules.

Schedule #8Schedule #8 is required for SSAs

Signature pages for the Fiscal Agent and all Member LEAs must be incorporated into the application—do NOT submit these pages as an attachment!!!

Total amount of flow-through should equal the amount of flow-through on Schedule #7, line 09, and Schedule #7.2.

Schedule #9

Schedule #9 is a required schedule but is not scored

Use this schedule to describe any barriers that prevent homeless students from succeeding in school in member LEAs; for example, letter i, high mobility rates, is a common barrier for homeless students

Schedule #9

Check EITHER box 1A or 1B as applicable.

If 1B is checked, then check EITHER box 2A or 2B:• If 2A is checked, submit ONE schedule.•If 2B is checked, submit a separate schedule for EACH member LEA.

Schedule #9

• Note that the barriers are generally not imposed by the district but rather are other barriers that might prevent a homeless student from enrolling in, attending, and succeeding in school

• If homeless students in the member LEAs have no barriers to school success, as indicated in Box #1A, the applicant will have to provide a strong justification for why MV funds are being requested

Schedule #10

• Use Schedule #10 to assure that the applicant and member LEAs comply with MV requirements • Submit a separate schedule for EACH member LEA (Note: ESCs serving as Fiscal Agents will not be required to submit the form; only member LEAs that enroll homeless students will be required to submit this form)

Schedule #10

• Items 6 and B require a written response; item 7 requires a written response if checked “Yes.”

• This schedule will not be scored

• Policies and procedures will be reviewed during the compliance review

Schedule #11

Submit Schedule #11 only if the applicant has lobbying activities to disclose

Schedule #12

• Schedule #12—Grant Requirements is on the THEO website but is not to be submitted

• Contains important program and fiscal requirements

• Read carefully; keep a copy close at hand for ready reference

Schedules #13A - #13D

• Schedules #13A - #13D—Provisions and Assurances are on the THEO website and contain important legal requirements regarding the TEXSHEP subgrant

• Read and understand these requirements

• Subgrantees are responsible for knowing, understanding, and complying with all provisions and assurances

Application Submission Requirements Checklist

for Year 1 Funding

• A handy checklist that helps applicants ensure their application is complete and follows the rules set forth in the application

• Do not submit this checklist with the application

IMPORTANT!!!!

Applicants will not get extra points for submitting information that is not requested or required.

Superfluous information may actually reduce your likelihood for a successful application! Good Luck to All!!!

Helpful Hints

• Read the directions• Follow the directions

• Check Errata and Frequently Asked Questions often

Questions???

Send an email to

Barbara Wand James at babawawa@austin.utexas.edu

Substantive questions will be answered in the Q&A section on the website.

This webinar will be archived on the THEO website.

The PowerPoint for this presentation will be available on the THEO website.

Thanks to our participants for joining us today!

A special thank you to David Ray for his technical expertise and to Region 10 for hosting this webinar.