Anne Bubnic's List: ARRA/Title I

• early $44 billion for schools was made available April 1 and is to help states and school districts jump-start reform efforts and stabilize shrinking budgets. Another round of funding will be made available for states' applications later in the year, according to the federal Education Department.

  States were given guidelines this month on how they could use stimulus funds. The majority of the money states receive must be applied to programs that serve low-income students in Title 1 and special education students in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act programs
• states competing for Race to the Top funds will be judged on how well they are using the first round of stabilization and Title I funds to advance education reforms.
• Every dollar we spend must advance reforms and improve learning," Duncan said in a release. "We are putting real money on the line to challenge every state to push harder and do more for its children."

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• The speed at which American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) information is flowing is exciting. But it's also a daunting task to keep current with this fast flow of facts, dates, and funding amounts. With more than $100 billion in education funding over the next two fiscal years—and ultimately student achievement at stake—it's everyone's responsibility to do their due diligence.

   

  Whether you're a direct or indirect contributor to the planning, implementing, expanding, or sustaining of education programs at your school or district, a new document released by the U.S. Department of Education on March 24, 2009 entitled, "Saving and Creating Jobs and Reforming Education" will be of assistance.

• • Establishing a system for identifying and training highly effective teachers to serve as instructional leaders in Title I school wide programs and modifying the school schedule to allow for collaboration among the instructional staff.
   
  • Providing new opportunities for Title I school-wide programs for secondary school students to use high-quality, online coursework as supplemental learning materials for meeting mathematics and science requirements.
   
  • Developing and expanding longitudinal data systems to drive continuous improvement efforts focused on increased achievement in Title I schools.
   
  • Districts are also encouraged to consider using these funds to support and improve preschool and early childhood development programs which are an existing allowable use for Title I.
• • Obtain state-of-the art assistive technology devices and provide training in their use to enhance access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities, including online professional development, online student courses and learning opportunities, and electronic records management for student progress monitoring and data-based decisions for instruction/intervention.
   
  • Provide intensive district-wide professional development for special education and regular education teachers that focuses on scaling-up, through replication, proven and innovative evidence-based school-wide strategies in reading, math, writing and science, and positive behavioral supports to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
   
  • Develop or expand the capacity to collect and use data to improve teaching and learning.
   
  • Expand the availability and range of inclusive placement options for preschoolers with disabilities by developing the capacity of public and private preschool programs to serve these children.
   
  • Hire transition coordinators to work with employers in the community to develop job placements for youths with disabilities.
• . The ARRA SFSF funds provide an opportunity to jump start school reform and improvement efforts while also saving and creating jobs and stimulating the economy. California received $2.56 billion in SFSF for K-12 LEAs.

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• In its fiscal 2010 budget proposal, the administration justified the change by pointing to a $10 billion increase that the Title I grant program for districts received in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the stimulus measure that passed in February and that includes up to $100 billion for education, spread out over fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
• “For this year and next year, things are fine,” he told the education secretary at the June 3 hearing. “You can say, well, this is OK because we have all this money in the [stimulus program]. But the problem with that is, you cut the base. If you cut the base this year, you have to make all that up” in fiscal 2011.
• And, at a hearing later that same day, Rep. Obey expressed concern that the proposal could lessen the impact of the Title I money in the stimulus package because districts would have to use that money to “backfill” the difference between their 2009 and 2010 allocations.

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• For this year and next year, things are fine,” he told the education secretary at the June 3 hearing. “You can say, well, this is OK because we have all this money in the [stimulus program]. But the problem with that is, you cut the base. If you cut the base this year, you have to make all that up” in fiscal 2011.

• Another Obama administration proposal appeared to be a tough sell with some congressional Democrats: the massive increase proposed for the Teacher Incentive Fund, or TIF,which awards grants for pay-for-performance programs. ("Obama Budget Choices Scrutinized," May 20, 2009.)

   

  The president is seeking to boost funding for TIF to $487.3 million in fiscal 2010, up from $97 million in the current budget year, which ends Sept. 30. That major hike would come on top of $200 million for TIF in the stimulus law.