Monitoring

A Process to Enhance Program Administration

Effective Monitoring & Goals

Effective monitoring of funded Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) is a planned, periodic, and ongoing activity to determine compliance with the approved project application, relevant terms and condition, applicable laws, and regulations.

The Florida Department of Education’s (FDOE’s) goal is to use monitoring results for more than compliance determinations.

Monitoring is a way to assist LEAs with daily administration of entitlement programs.

Expectations and Emphasis

U.S. Department of Education’s (USED) expectations for state and local compliance have increased.

Emphasis goes beyond enforcement of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) programmatic issues.

The State Education Agency (SEA) is expected to increase the effectiveness of their monitoring by: Making findings of noncompliance; and Imposing corrective actions and following-up to ensure

appropriate corrective actions have actually been properly implemented.

The Effects of Monitoring

Forming a common bond between monitoring and daily administration of entitlement programs at the local level may be accomplished by: The State communicating alignments between

Request for Applications and Monitoring Work Papers via technical assistance, throughout the year.

LEAs making a clear connection between activities, expenditures, and student progression.

Effective Monitoring

Notwithstanding how grants are funded, whether by federal or state, effective monitoring assists in identifying and reducing fiscal or program risks as early as possible.

Thus, effective monitoring protects both public funds and ensures the delivery of services.

Dollars Spent/Unspent

Expenditures and student progression should be aligned. LEAs spending federal funds should align their

expenditures with needs identified by data such as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) determinations.

LEAs with large roll forward amounts, that fail to report expenditures, are late or do not submit evaluations, and whose students are not progressing in core subjects will be monitored on a continuous basis.

Alignment could reduce audit findings from auditors such as the Auditor General’s Office.

Common Elements

(A) Needs Assessment and Program Planning(B) Activities(C) Coordination of Programs(D) Private School Consultation(E) Support for Reading/Strategic Imperatives(F) School Improvement(G) Dissemination/Marketing(H) Reporting Outcomes(I) Programmatic Use of Funds(J) Budget(K) Parental Involvement(L) Highly Qualified Staff

Common Issues from 2009-2010

Documentation Documents were not uploaded on time. Documentation was not sufficient to meet compliance. Procedures not in place to maintain the

documentation needed. LEAs should be able to provide documentation during

the desktop and onsite reviews.

Review Questions Responses to review questions did not clearly address

the separate parts of compliance items.

(A) Needs Assessment & Program Planning

Recommendations Title I, Part A: Improving the Academic Achievement

of the Disadvantaged Use the results of the student academic assessments

required under section 1111(b)(3), and other measures or indicators available to the agency, to review annually the progress of each school served by the agency and receiving funds under this part to determine whether all of the schools are making the progress necessary to ensure that all students will meet the State’s proficient level of achievement on the State academic assessments described in section 1111(b)(3) within 12 years from the baseline year described in section 1111(b)(2)(E)(ii).

Title X, Part C: Homeless Education Program Homeless education policies should address requirements of

the McKinney-Vento Act. Dispute resolution process should be in place.

(B) Activities

Recommendations Title I, Part C: Education of Migratory Children

Provide meeting agendas, minutes, sign-in sheets, and surveys that document input from migrant parents on the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Migrant Education Program (MEP).

(C) Coordination of Programs

Recommendations Title I, Part A: Improving the Academic

Achievement of the Disadvantaged LEA should document collaboration between the

Title I office and homeless liaison, for example, by maintaining phone logs and copies of e-mails.

(D) Private Schools

Recommendations Title I, Part A: Improving the Academic

Achievement of the Disadvantaged The LEA should include, in its consultation

process, private schools in neighboring LEAs that may have students in attendance that reside in their county.

Demonstrate evidence making decisions regarding services provided to schools.

Decision-making is divested to the designated coordinator at the private school.

(F) School Improvement

Recommendations Title I, Part A: Improving the Academic

Achievement of the Disadvantaged Demonstrate evidence of direct technical

assistance to the schools in need of improvement, restructuring, or corrective action. Include evidence of data analysis.

Demonstrate evidence of establishing a peer-review process to assist with the review and revision of school improvement plans for schools identified as in need of improvement.

(G) Dissemination & Marketing

Recommendations Title I, Part A: Improving the Academic Achievement

of the Disadvantaged Demonstrate evidence of submitting comprehensive

schoolwide plans to all parents and the community. Title X, Part C: Homeless Education Program

The LEA should include the local homeless liaison's contact information on brochures and posters.

The LEA should involve community partners such as the Health Department, faith-based organizations, Sheriff's Office, and other community organizations to assist in posting or providing the written public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youth in places where such children and youth and their families might frequent.

(I) Programmatic Use of Funds

Recommendations Title I, Part A: Improving the Academic

Achievement of the Disadvantaged Final budgeted amounts for schools must be used

to determine compliance with rank and serve. LEAs should specify in their written procedures the

positions or titles of the non-federal instructional staff to be counted when calculating comparability.

(K) Parental Involvement

Recommendations Title I, Part A: Improving the Academic

Achievement of the Disadvantaged Make sure that at least 95% of the 1% set-aside is

allocated to Title I schools. Schools should have school-level parental

involvement policies. Schools should host annual meetings. Disseminate Parent’s “Right-To-Know” letters.

(K) Parental Involvement

Recommendations Title X, Part C: Homeless Education Program

Local liaison's contact information should be shown on the brochures and posters with information on homeless students' educational rights.

Information should be provided to homeless families on meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.

Notice of homeless students’ educational rights brochures and posters should be disseminated to schools and community partners prior to start of school and additional supplies regularly provided to partners.

FDOE’s Mission

Increase the proficiency of all students within one seamless, efficient system.

Provide opportunities to expand their knowledge and

skills through learning opportunities and research valued by students, parents, and communities.

Maintain an accountability system that measures student

progress toward the following goals: Highest student achievement Seamless articulation and maximum access Skilled workforce and economic development Quality efficient services

Support of the Mission

Program staff will assist LEAs with alignment between funds, compliance, student progression, and evaluating programs through ongoing and meaningful technical/programmatic assistance.

Program staff will continue to identify risk factors and provide focused technical assistance in these areas.

Thereby, LEAs can implement effective daily administration of entitlement programs resulting in an increase of student achievement.

Questions

Contact Information

Office of Federal Programs Sara.Dixon@fldoe.org; (850) 245-9753 Felicia.Elliott@fldoe.org; (850) 245-0093 nclb@fldoe.org http://www.fldoe.org/NCLB/

Bureau of Federal Educational Programs Lisa.Bacen@fldoe.org; (850) 245-0828 bsa@fldoe.org http://www.fldoe.org/bsa/