Ideas for Helping Your English Learner Students Be Successful

I just returned from the MDE School Improvement Convening held in Starkville.  There were a number of excellent sessions.  One of the sessions I found extremely helpful was led by Sandra Elliot, the MDE English Learner and Intervention Support Specialist.  The English Learner (EL) subgroup of students can either help your accountability, or they can … Read more

HAPPY NEW YEAR! ESSER Updates

I hope everyone had a relaxing and restful Christmas break.  It’s hard to believe we are now in 2023 and in the second half of the school year!  Time flies when we are having fun, right? I had the great opportunity of attending the Brustein and Manasevit Fall Forum in early December, and I want … Read more

EQUITY CONFERENCE TAKE AWAYS

Many of us in Mississippi recently returned from the MDE-sponsored 2022 Equity for All…All for Equity conference.  The conference had several sessions I found helpful.  I want to share some information with you if you could not attend the conference or attended different sessions.  Many presentations can be found in the MDE document library in … Read more

Comparability Part 2

Last month I discussed comparability.  I want to add a little to that conversation. As I stated previously, comparability is a federally mandated process that requires schools to attest that the Title schools are funded comparably to the non-Title schools, or if all schools are Title I, the higher-poverty schools are funded comparably to the … Read more

Grants are Closing! Spend That Money!

So, how are you handling the closing of the Title FY20 and FY21 grants and the ESSER I grant?  Are you like many who are rushing to get revisions done so the money can be in budget areas that can be easily spent?  Remember that the funds must be obligated by September 30 and liquidated … Read more

A New School Year – What Now?

It is hard to believe the new school year is here.  Many school districts have already started!!!  The summer has flown by! The beginning of the school year is hectic for principals and Federal Program Directors.  I know I have to try and walk a delicate tightrope in getting out the information and reminders of … Read more

Lessons from a Monitoring Visit – Part 2

Last month I shared a few lessons learned from a monitoring visit.  In that blog, I discussed procedures and documentation that could prevent a monitoring finding on indicator H-1.  This month, I  want to continue that discussion since there has been a change in the procurement thresholds.  During this past legislative session, the Mississippi Senate … Read more

Lessons from a Monitoring Visit Part 1

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is finishing the FY22 monitoring on FY21 documentation.  After spending time with districts going through monitoring and working with them as they receive their reports, I would like to share some feedback that would better help the rest of us as we prepare for future monitoring visits from MDE. … Read more

Reallocations, Equitable Services, Needs Assessments, Schoolwide Plans…..Overwhelming?

It’s January, and if you are like so many other Federal Program Directors and me, I’m sure you are feeling overwhelmed. We have FY22 and ESSER II reallocations, equitable service diligent search, comprehensive needs assessment surveys, and now FY22 schoolwide plans to be completed within the next month or so. Overwhelming????  Yes!!! So how are … Read more

Maintenance of Equity

Welcome to Federal Programs where there is always something new! 😉 The MDE introduced maintenance of equity (MOEquity) to us this month.  MOEquity is a provision brought to us by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act).  The State departments and LEAs must show MOEquity as a condition of receiving ARP ESSER funds. … Read more

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