Understanding ESSA Equitable Services Consultation for Private Schools

Youve completed the ESSA Equitable Services Affirmation of Consultation - Now What? Federal Grant Programs November 2024 1

Housekeeping Items Before we begin: These slides are posted, with all other slides from this virtual conference, on our website. To preserve bandwidth, your video and microphone are turned off. Use the Q and A feature at the bottom of the screen to ask questions (not Chat). 2

Session Poll How would you describe your district s relationship with the private schools you consult with for your Title Grants? Poor Fair Good Very good Excellent 3

Contents DESE Guidance on Equitable Services for Private Schools 01 CONTENTS 02 Worcester Public Schools 03 Questions and Reactions 4

01 DESE Guidance on Equitable Services for Private Schools 5 Massachusetts Department ofElementaryandSecondaryEducation

Services for Private School Students The federal government uses census data to generate grant funds for Massachusetts under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, most recently reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) This calculation includes data, and therefore funding, for all students regardless of whether they attend non-profit private schools or public district schools Services under Titles IA, IIA, IIIA, and IVA must be meaningfully offered to nonprofit private schools to benefit their eligible students, educators, and families 6

Identifying Eligible Private School Students Title IA Students who reside in your district and would have attended a Title I-served school had they gone to their local public school. Eligible students may be attending private schools inside or outside the district. Titles IIA, IIIA, IVA All students (and their teachers) at private schools inside district borders are eligible. 7

Equitable Services Consultation Annually, districts initiate consultations with eligible private schools Districts and private schools are encouraged to consult regarding multiple ESSA entitlement grants at the same meeting Affirmation of Consultation and Agreement with Participating Non- Public School Officials under ESSA 8

Provision of Services in Eligible Private Schools Districts must maintain control over funding, evaluation and supervision of services provided to private schools. Funds are never provided directly to a private school. Carryover funds: funds for equitable services should be obligated in the first federal fiscal year of the grant cycle (by September 30 of the second school year). Circumstances might necessitate carrying services into following year to provide all generated/agreed upon. 9

Timeline Data Offer of Consultation Signed Decision ESSA Provision of Services School Find Consultation Collection Application By 3/1 By 6/30 By 10/15 By 3/15 By 4/30 Summer SY Upon grant approval: Inform private school Update plan and timeline for services Consultation meetings take place and a list of topics to be covered appears in the Consolidated District submits individual student enrollment data through DESE s SIMS District determines private school(s) eligible to participate in ESSA Title grant Offer of Consultation sent certified/return receipt via US mail or other carrier, or a read-receipt email Districts submit the Consolidated ESSA Grant Application Begin provision of services. SIMS collection ESSA Title grant programs Consolidated Affirmation of Consultation Ongoing consultation Ongoing consultation and adjustment as and adjustment as needed to carry out needed to carry out full participation full participation SIMS collection collection ESSA Title grant programs programs Consolidated Affirmation of Consultation Affirmation of Consultation Consolidated Affirmation of Consultation Private school equitable share allocations revert to the district if private schools do not respond to attempts to fulfill implementation of services Private school submits aggregate student enrollment Private school decides whether to participate and submits signed decision to the school district Private school officials complete and sign the form Non-Public School Report data collection data through DESE s Non-Public School Report data collection Non-Public School Report data collection Non-Public School Report data collection 10 Massachusetts Department ofElementaryandSecondaryEducation

02 Worcester Public Schools 11 Massachusetts Department ofElementaryandSecondaryEducation

Youve Completed the ESSA Equitable Services Affirmation of Consultation - Now What? 12

Introduction/Background Danielle Parrillo, Grants Director Started at WPS in October, 2022 New administration, rebuilding office from scratch WPS currently has 17 private schools in the city/catchment area Review each year for changes/closings/openings Established process for Meaningful Consultation Tracker with schools, points of contact, dates of communication Ask for in-person meetings 13

Timeline Task Month Activities Initial Contact re: Meaningful Consultation Meetings March Email discussing meaningful consultation process Matrix with times to schedule in-person meeting Meaningful Consultation Meetings April Discuss process, allowable expenses, WPS-specific procedures and expectations Initial Enrollment Numbers Request(new) May/June Request initial estimates for fall enrollment Final Enrollment numbers July/August Request updated fall enrollment numbers Entitlement Letters to Schools September (goal) Email and hard copy send entitlement letter, allowable expenses, WPS procedures, labels Evaluation fall Visit November Discuss/review programs, services and materials purchased (meaningful consultation process) (March/April) (Steps discussed above) Evaluation Spring Visit May Discuss/review programs, services and materials purchased 14

Entitlement letter and enclosures Email and hard copy send letter detailing amounts for each private school. Include carryover from previous year with current amount Enclosures Private School Opportunities Under ESSA document from DESE WPS purchase order and contract requirements document Labels for tech/curriculum purchases Schools have previously received enclosure documents at meaningful consultation meetings. 15

Allowable Expenses Conversations Communication/establishing relationships is key to having schools communicate about desired purchases. Review all questions and/or submitted requests for allowability. Reach out to your federal liaison for support Examples of requests: Office chairs, copy machine, reams of paper under Title I Conference for Catholic school with religious overtones/components Supplemental texts for EL students 16

Budget Tracking GEM$ has made tracking allocations by individual school easier Within our financial system, Workday, we have separated each entitlement and private school with its own tags WPS provides monthly reports with balances internally for all grants; we are mirroring this process for private schools 17

Evaluation Work in progress For FY24 we met with schools once in late Spring; goal for FY25 (and beyond) is a Fall and Spring meeting Evaluation is discussed at meaningful consolation meetings Purpose of ensuring financial responsibility, as we do internally for all entitlement funds Time of year, possible data and conversations to be requested prior to visit Scheduling process mirrors meaningful consultation meeting request, for consistency. 18

03 Questions and Reactions 19 Massachusetts Department ofElementaryandSecondaryEducation

Resources and Guidance on DESE Website Private School Equitable Services Webpage ESSA Equitable Services for Private Schools Resource Guide Sample Offer of Consultation to Eligible Non-Public Schools Titles I, IIA, III, and IVA Affirmation of Consultation and Agreement with Participating Non-Public School Officials under ESSA Timelines Related to Private School Equitable Services under ESSA 20

Thank you THANK YOU 781-338-6230 federalgrantprograms@mass.gov www.doe.mass.edu/federalgrants 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149 21 Massachusetts Department ofElementaryandSecondaryEducation