T R A I N I N G W E B I N A R F O R P L A N N I N G G R A N T A P P L I C A N T S

Oregon Department of Education Charter School Program Grants

What we will cover today

Purpose of the Grant

Eligible Applicants

Planning Grant Eligibility and Available Funds

Use of Funds

Participation, Evaluation, and Reporting

Review Process

Award Process and Start Date

Submission Process, Required Elements, and Due Date

Cover Page, Project Narrative, and Appendices

Q&A

Purpose of the Grant

Purpose of the Education Department Grant to States Authorized by Title V, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to expand the number of high-quality charter schools across the nation

Purpose of the Oregon Charter School Program Grants

PLANNING GRANTS Provide funds to post-award, pre-operational charter schools in the development phase Increase educational equity Improve quality of new charter schools through intensive incubation period

IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS Provide funds to high-quality charter schools in operation for less than three years Facilitate implementation of educational models, professional development and curriculum Provide professional development in educational equity

DISSEMINATION GRANTS Provide funds to high-quality charter schools in operation for five or more years Facilitate dissemination of best practices between charter schools and their public school counterparts Provide an access point for charter schools to share their evidence-based best practices

STRENGTHEN AUTHORIZER QUALITY Provide high-quality training and professional development to authorizers

Eligible Applicants

A Charter School Is a school that conforms to the federal definition of a

public charter school (ESEA [P.L.107-110, section 5210(1)]) Must be governed by a non-profit board that is separate

from the authorizing board and may not be composed of voting members from the authorizing board of directors

Charter school developer

Conforms to the federal definition of a developer (ESEA [P.L.107-110, section 5210(2)])

Planning Grant Eligibility and Available Funds

Applicants for the OCSP Planning Grant Must have been approved by an authorizer Must Not have yet opened

Applicants in the final stages of a potential authorizer decision may apply, but must be approved by an authorizer within 30 days of submitting their application.

Once selected, subgrantees must provide an executed and signed final contract between subgrantee and Authorizer within 90 days of award

Available Funds Planning grants will be $100,000 for a one year grant term Two(2) to five (5) Planning grants will be awarded per year

Use of Funds

The OCSP Grant is funded on a Reimbursement Basis What does that mean? Subgrantees will be reimbursed for allowable, approved activities Following proof of expenditure

What is allowable? Post-award planning and design of the educational program, including

Refinement of desired educational results Refinement of methods for measuring progress toward achieving those results Professional development of teachers and other staff who will work in the charter school

Initial implementation of the charter school, including Informing the community about the school Acquiring necessary equipment and educational materials and supplies Acquiring or developing curriculum materials Other initial operational costs that cannot be met from State or local sources

What is not allowed? Purchasing or leasing a facility Costs relating to preparing and submitting an application for OCSP grant funds

Participation

Participation requires: Demonstrating eligibility

Using funds according to federal guidelines

Complying with reporting requirements and due dates

Attending required trainings and meetings associated with the grant

Participating in professional development focused on culturally responsive educational practices and school culture

Application for subgrant funds indicates acknowledgment and consent to these contingencies.

Evaluation

ODE is responsible for evaluating subgrantees to ensure that they adhere to federal rules and regulations and accomplish their performance goals.

Evaluation will be specific to the goals and expectations set in the approved subgrant application

Any charter school substantially failing to meet its goals or fulfil its approved proposed program will either be placed on a rigorous plan of improvement, or may be defunded

In addition to other requirements, the continuing receipt of subgrant funds will be contingent on a charter school complying with its contract with its authorizer and applicable state and federal laws

Reporting

Subgrantees will be required to: Submit to ODE the executed contract with the authorizer for the operation of the charter school.

Demonstrate compliance with the contract with the authorizer at all times during the grant period.

File an Annual Financial Report (AFR) within 90 days following the grant fiscal year.

This report must be filed in a form and manner determined by ODE

A template will be provided.

File a Final Grant Report within 90 days of the end of the grant year.

This report must be filed in a form and manner determined by ODE

A template will be provided.

The report will contain:

Executive Summary (not to exceed one page)

A final report on each grant project goal, including data and information that support each goal’s outcomes.

An expenditure report that details 100% of awarded grant fund expenditures, and includes a property inventory of all equipment and non-consumable goods purchased with CSP grant funds (EDGAR §80.32, §74.34).

Submit all reports, reimbursement requests and any other required information electronically. All grantees will be required to purchase an approved feeding document scanner for this purpose.

Award Process and Start Date

Award Process Peer panel evaluation of applications Pre-Award letters sent to subgrantees and their authorizers

Letter will request any information required before final approval of subgrantee status

Any additional required information must be submitted within 30 days of the date of the Grant Award Letter

Grant Award Notification – Official and Final notice of award Will include award amount Includes all federal and state regulations governing the grant

Funds must not be spent or encumbered until the grant has received Final Approval.

Submission Process and Due Date

Rolling application deadline

Submit Intent to Submit and Eligibility Form at least 4 weeks prior

to your planned application submission date

Submit the electronic copy of the entire application LINK TO BE PROVIDED

Part I, Part II and Appendices should be uploaded as separate documents.

Required Elements

All Planning Grant applications must contain the following information and be submitted in the following sequence:

Part I: Cover page with signatures

Part II: Project Narrative (25-page maximum) Executive Summary (not to exceed one page)

General information

Mission of the applicant

Capacity of the development team and governance

Grant project goals

Budget narrative

Professional development goals and plans

Historically underserved students

Required Elements

Part III: Appendices

Budget Form

Evidence of proposal approved by an authorizer

School Budget (3 years)

Charter school enrollment policy, including lottery protocol

Procurement Policy

Marketing plan

Grant management plan

Assurance and certification form

Application Format All pages must be standard letter size (8.5” x 11”) Use 12 point Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri font, double line

spacing, and 1-inch margins. Tables may be in an 11-point font. The narrative must address, in sequence, each section listed above.

State each Part and Section number and title in bold. Part II: Project Narrative must not exceed 25 pages. Number all pages Do not use a table of contents page or divider pages.

The Cover Page and Assurance and Certification Form must include original signatures. Scanned signatures are acceptable for the subgrant submission. Maintain original copies.

Do not attach curriculum, invoices or any other document not specifically required in the Project Narrative or Appendices.

Required Elements – Project Narrative

Part II: Project Narrative (25-page maximum)

Tips:

Use the rubrics included in the application Read the rubrics and make sure you are providing all of the requested

information. Make it easy for the reviewer

When possible provide information where it is requested, do not refer to another page or appendix in the grant.

SMART Goals A table is a great way to break down SMART Goals and makes scoring

easier. Historically Underserved Students

Refer to the Oregon state definition. COMING SOON - Refer to the Oregon Charter School Website for

more definitions and a pre-recorded webinar.

Required Elements – Appendices

Part III: Appendices Budget Applicants must fully complete the following three tabs in the Budget Form:

Cover page Planning Grant Budget Equipment

The Proposed Budget must support the Grant Project Goals

There must be evidence of a clear relationship between the identified goals, the proposed activities, and how the funds will be spent.

Applicants are required to use the provided form.

Budget Instructions

General Guidance Any single line item more than $1,000 should have a detailed

justification. Break down line items exceeding $1,000 through notations of

quantity, explanation, or additional line items to clarify how funding will be expended.

Requests for Professional Development for board and/or staff must include: the type of training expected attendees expected outcomes topic(s) provider a plan for sustaining that training.

Budget Instructions - Restrictions

Restrictions Proposed budgets must adhere strictly to the federal policy to “supplement and not supplant” (ESEA Sec.5205(b)(3)(C)) any federal, state, and local moneys being provided to the school.

The following restrictions are a result of this policy: Allowable salaries/benefits are limited to the administrator and

one key staff person for three months prior to school opening Instructional salaries are not allowed under this grant.

Time and effort documentation is required for all school or contract personnel compensated with federal funds (see OMB A87 Attachment B(8)(h)).

OCSP may be used for staff development.

You may be asked to revise and submit the budget several times before Final Approval.

Budget Instructions - Restrictions

The following items CANNOT be funded under this grant. Any proposed expenditures including the following items will not be funded: Grant oversight expenses Capital expenses, such as remodeling, technology leases, elevators, water main

valves, vans, tractors, bobcats, or permanent fixture of equipment/furniture Professional dues or memberships Employee hiring/recruitment expenses such as a placement firm or travel for

prospective employees. Non-educational/non-informative promotional/novelty items for advertising,

events, or recruiting Costs of continuing education credits for professional development coursework. Gift certificates, alcoholic beverages, school apparel for staff or students, fines and

penalties, lobbying Expenses outside the scope of the school’s charter or K-12 education; i.e.,

before/after school programs and preschool, activities related to the non-profit organization but not the charter school, etc.

Out-of-state travel unless it can be demonstrated that the goal of the travel cannot be accomplished in-state (no out-of-country travel is permitted)

Budget Instructions

References and Additional Guidance Oregon Department of Education Program Budgeting and

Accounting Manual (PBAM) for more information. http://www.ode.state.or.us/services/ssf/finance/budgetacctg/2012-pbam-manual.pdf

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR), Part 76 – State-Administered Programs, at 2 CFR part 200, subpart E—Cost Principles. (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=393301a7cdccca1ea71f18aae51824e7&node=34:1.1.1.1.23&rgn=div5#sg34.1.76_1500.sg8)

Charter School Enrollment Policy Including Lottery Protocol

Submit the charter school’s board-adopted enrollment policy and procedures.

The policy and/or procedure should clearly describe How the lottery will be administered, and

How families will be informed of the opportunity to submit an application to the lottery

How families will be informed about the outcomes of the lottery.

If your charter school is interested in using a weighted lottery as allowed by SB 820, there will be a process to review and approve your procedure prior to implementation.

(Please contact OCSP grant staff to discuss prior to applying.)

Charter School Enrollment Policy Including Lottery Protocol

Provide the school’s procurement policy and procedures.

Policies and procedures must comply with Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.318.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=2:1.1.2.2.1.4.31&rgn=div7

Marketing Plan

Submit the school’s plan to attract and engage families.

The plan should include at least the following components:

A clear description of how the school will inform the community about its enrollment process, procedures, and deadlines.

A description of how the marketing plan is multi-modal and increases access to the charter school for all prospective students.

A specific plan of outreach to historically underserved student populations.

A clear description of the target student population the school intends to serve, and the planned efforts to engage prospective families in those communities.

A description of the opportunities prospective families will have to ask questions, get additional information, and tour the facility.

Grant Management Plan

Submit the school’s plan to manage the performance and financial aspects of the grant, including how Grant Project Goals will be tracked and assessed.

The plan should include at least the following components:

An overall description of how the grant will be managed, including key personnel assigned to manage specific aspects of the grant.

The school’s plan to be compliant, strategic, and responsible with the financial and business aspects of the grant.

The school’s plan to have sufficient cash on hand to front initial grant expenditures until reimbursement.

The capability of the governing board to oversee the performance and financial components of the grant.

The capability of the governing board to submit required reports on grant activities.

A detailed description of how performance will be measured against the Grant Project Goals, including specific targets, measures, and metrics for each Goal, as well as a timeline for the implementation and completion of each Project Goal.

The school’s plan for financial and programmatic sustainability after the grant period ends and grant funds are no longer available.

Attach a copy of the charter school’s conflict of interest policy.

Assurance and Certification Form

Charter schools/district partnership(s) that accept funding through the Oregon Charter School Grant

Program agree to the assurances listed in the Assurance and Certification Form.

Q&A

Q: Oregon was previously a non-SEA in relation to the federal charter school grants program. Does this new grant program represent a movement back towards being a SEA? A: Yes. Since the Oregon Department of Education has received the SEA CSP grant, charter school must apply to ODE for all CSP grants and are no longer eligible to apply to the feds for Non-SEA grants during the grant period. Q: When will we be notified if we will receive a grant? A: You will receive notification after the grant application has been reviewed by at least three peer reviewers and ODE staff. The rolling application deadline may result in longer wait times. This may be avoided if you submit your intent to submit and eligibility form at least 4 weeks prior to your intended application submission. Q: When will the funding begin? A: As soon as the subgrantee has met all application requirements Q: How long will reimbursements take? (turn around time) A: Reimbursements will take approximately 5-7 business days. Subgrantees who establish ACH may receive funds faster. We encourage all subgrantees to establish ACH.

Q&A

Q: Should the 3-year budget include grant funds? Should we incorporate the requested funds into the budget?

A: The 3-year budget submitted with the grant application should incorporate the requested grant funds. Our goal is to see alignment and supportive budget evidence of the grant activities throughout the comprehensive operation of the school. The school will also submit the grant budget worksheet of just the grant funds

Q: Is portable furniture an allowable cost?

A: Yes. You cannot use the funds to purchase or construct permanent furniture or fixtures.

Q&A

Q: What falls under grant oversight expenses? A: Generally this would include any time dedicated to managing the grant and could include processing grant claims, reporting, participating in monitoring visits, etc,. Q: If we use a 3rd party for tracking the grant money spent, is that reimbursable? A: No, that would be considered grant oversight. Q: I am interested in learning more about the allowable salaries/benefits guidelines. Is the "administrator" the school administrator (ie, director/principal), or the grant administrator? Are we permitted to hire a temporary employee to assist with carrying out the goals of the projects related to the grant? A: The “administrator” referenced in the RFP is the school principal. You may hire someone to oversee the grant but you may not pay for that person or general grant oversight costs with the grant funds. You may supplement salaries with stipends or use funds for additional work for grant activities like curriculum development or professional development.

Q&A

Q: Can you provide examples of of standards related to "reducing or eliminating exclusionary discipline practices"?

A: Please refer to the webinar posted on the ODE Charter School Grant Program webpage: http://www.ode.state.or.us/opportunities/grants/nclb/title_iv/a_drugfree/bestpracticeforreducingexclusionarydiscipline.pdf

Q: How can we describe that the board is qualified to oversee compliance with Federal Regulations?

A: Provide examples of any previous experience board members have with federal grant oversight or other experience dealing with federal regulations.

Q&A

Q: What are the demographics you want to know about our community? What are pertinent for the grant?

A: Primary demographics will be for the district in which the charter school is located. Additionally, if the charter school is targeting a specific population in a specific neighborhood or geographic boundary, then the demographics of the specific area.

Q: What does "Target student population" Mean? would that be grade levels, in district, or surrounding area?

A: Target population refers to any specific group of students the charter school intends to serve. A charter school may open with the intent of serving a specific demographic or geographic group of students. If that is the intent of your charter school you should describe that target group. However, even when targeting a specific group, charter schools still may not practice any type of exclusionary enrollment practices.

PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS

jennifer.donovan@ode.state.or.us

503-947-5915

THANK YOU!