Section_J._Attachments.pdf

Attachment A

Providing Equitable Title I Services to Eligible Children Attending Private Schools in

14 Bypassed Local Educational Agencies in Virginia

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

I. Background

Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA),1 provides Federal financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) to ensure that all children have a significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.

Accordingly, section 1117 of the ESEA requires each participating LEA to provide Title I services to eligible private school children, their teachers, and their families. These services must be equitable to those provided by each LEA to public school children, their teachers, and their families.

If an LEA is prohibited by law from providing equitable services to private school children in accordance with section 1117 of the ESEA or if the U.S. Secretary of Education determines that an LEA has substantially failed or is unwilling to provide such services to private school children, that LEA is “bypassed.” In such an instance, the Secretary makes arrangements to provide these services to eligible private school children, their teachers, as applicable, and their families through a contract with a third party provider. Currently, the Secretary has bypassed 14 LEAs in the State of Virginia. (See Appendix A entitled “Bypassed LEAs in Virginia,” which contains the names of the 14 LEAs).

II. Purpose

The U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s) Office of State Support (OSS) within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) intends to award a contract to a third-party provider to provide equitable services under Title I to eligible children attending private schools, their teachers, and their families in the 14 bypassed LEAs in Virginia.

This procurement is made pursuant to the requirements in section 1117(e) and section 8504 of the ESEA. The target population is private school children who reside in participating Title I public school attendance areas in the bypassed LEAs in Virginia and who are identified by the contractor as failing or most at-risk of failing to meet challenging State academic standards or alternative high academic standards identified by the contractor in consultation with private school officials (hereinafter referred to as alternative academic standards).

1 The ESSA, enacted on December 15, 2015, reauthorized and amended the ESEA. Under the ESSA transition provisions, as clarified by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, changes made by the ESSA to formula grant programs, including Title I, take effect beginning in the 2017-2018 school year. Thus, all references to the ESEA in this document are to the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.

As a condition of this contract, the contractor shall implement the Title I program governed by this contract in accordance with all applicable Title I statutory and regulatory requirements.

III. Period of Performance

The period of performance for this contract is one 12 month base year from the date of award with four additional twelve-month option years to be exercised at the discretion of the Department.

IV. Overview of Contract

In accordance with section 1117 of the ESEA, the contractor shall provide Title I equitable services to assist eligible private school children in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to meet challenging State standards or alternative academic standards, and to achieve in their regular classrooms.

The contractor shall provide Title I services to eligible private school participants using methods and instructional strategies for improving academic achievement that support instruction in the regular private school classrooms through activities such as expanded learning time, before and after school programs, and summer programs and opportunities. At a minimum, the contractor shall:

• Provide private school participants with supplemental education services, such as reading, mathematics, language arts, and other benefits on an equitable basis to those provided to public school students in each bypassed LEA;

• Use program resources to help private school participants meet challenging State academic standards or alternative standards expected for all children;

• Coordinate with and support the education programs in the regular private school classrooms;

• Provide instruction by teachers who are employees of the contactor;

• Provide as applicable, private school teachers of participants an equitable opportunity to participate in professional development activities that provide these teachers with knowledge and skills to better meet the needs of their Title I children;

• Provide strategies to afford parents of participants with meaningful opportunities to support the education of their children at home and at school;

• Review on an ongoing basis and assess, at least annually, the progress of the Title I program toward meeting established academic goals and use the assessment data to modify the Title I program, as necessary; and

• Provide appropriate professional development activities to the Title I teachers and supervisors employed by the contractor to ensure that they gain the knowledge and skills required to provide quality, meaningful, and appropriate instruction to private school participants.

V. Scope of Work

This section describes the tasks and subtasks that the contractor shall perform under this contract.

All deliverables shall be submitted to the Contractor Specialist (CS) and Contracting Officer (CO) and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) electronically (and in hard copy, when requested).

TASK 1: Communication with the Department

Subtask 1-1: Post Award Meeting

Annually the contractor, key project staff and other relevant Department staff shall meet within ten (10) business days following the award of the contract to discuss minor revisions to the Management and Program Design plans. The meeting will be held at the Department, located in Washington, D.C. and the COR will identify the exact time and place for the meeting and will assume responsibility for inviting relevant Department staff.

In preparation for this meeting, the contractor shall come prepared to discuss details related to the Management and Program Design Plans set forth in the proposal and other issues related to the tasks and the overall contract. The contractor shall be prepared to present and discuss any areas of concern, potential problems, and possible resolution. At the post award meeting, the contractor shall discuss any changes needed to the schedule, including dates for all key activities and deliverables.

The contractor shall submit to the COR draft minutes of the meeting within one business week after the meeting. Allowing one business week2 for the COR to comment on the draft minutes, the contractor shall submit to the COR revised minutes that incorporate the COR’s comments.

Subtask 1-2: Periodic Telephone Calls with COR

The contractor shall participate in regular telephone calls with the COR to discuss the progress of this contract, including any anticipated problems before they occur and proposed solutions to those problems. During the base period of the contract, these telephone calls shall occur every two business weeks. During option years, calls shall occur at least monthly or more frequently if needed.

TASK 2: Developing the Program Design Plan

2 The term “week” used in this PWS refers to one business week and assumes allowances for holidays.

The contractor shall develop a Program Design Plan to serve as the framework for providing equitable Title I services to eligible children attending private schools, their teachers, and their familes in the 14 bypassed LEAs in Virginia. The contractor shall use this program design to ensure that eligible children attending private schools, their teachers, and their parents in the 14 bypassed LEAs in Virginia receive equitable Title I services as required under section 1117 of the ESEA for the period of performance for this contract. The contractor must ensure that the Title I equitable services provided based on the Program Design Plan, including materials and equipment, are secular, neutral, and non-ideological.

The contractor shall develop an estimate of the amount of instructional, parent and family engagement, and administrative funds necessary to implement the equitable services requirement in each bypassed LEA for the following year. The contractor shall submit one copy of this estimate to the CO and the COR, respectively, on August 1st of the base year and June 10th of any exercised option year thereafter.

The contractor shall make adjustments to the original Program Design Plan, on an annual basis, in response to (1) information gathered from the annual collection of data, (2) when LEAs are added or removed from bypass status, or (3) unforeseen circumstances occur that impact the contract.

Additionally, should revisions to the Management and Program Design Plans be required as a result of discussions at the post award meeting, the contractor shall prepare and submit to the CO and COR, respectively, a copy of a revised Management Plan and Program Design Plan within ten (10) business days following the post award meeting.

The components of the Program Design Plan are the subtasks listed below.

Subtask 2-1: Timely and Meaningful Consultation

Section 1117(b) of the ESEA requires that timely and meaningful consultation with appropriate private school officials shall occur during the design and development of the Title I program for eligible private school students and shall continue through implementation and assessment. As such, as applicable, the contractor shall complete the subtasks noted below in consultation with appropriate private school officials.

The contractor shall have one-on-one meetings with appropriate private school officials and principals concerning the design, development, and implementation of the Title I program, as well as discussions concerning the needs and progress of individual participants, their teachers, and their parents. Discussions at these meetings shall be limited to mutual professional concerns regarding the Title I program. Consultation meetings may include in-person, email, and virtual communications as appropriate and agreed upon with the COR.

The contractor shall describe its consultation with private school officials, including consultation timelines, dates for completed consultation topics, dates for anticiated consultation, and with whom the contractor has consulted. The affirmation form the contractor may use is Appendix B.

Subtask 2-2: Annual Data Collection

In order to provide equitable services to private school participants, their teachers, and their families, for each LEA the contractor shall collect the following data on an annual basis, and use these data to ensure that the Title I requirements are met:

• The LEA’s total Title I allocation prior to any expenditure or transfer of funds (from the Title I application submitted to the SEA’s for each bypassed LEA);

• Participating Title I public school attendance areas in the LEA (from the Title I application submitted to the SEA for each bypassed LEA);

• The number of public school children residing in each participating Title I public school attendance area (from each bypassed LEA);

• The number of private school children from low-income families residing in each participating Title I public school attendance area as determined by the contractor in accordance with Subtask 2-3.1;

• The total amount of funds to be reserved by the LEA for Title I parent and family engagement under ESEA section 1116(a)(3)(A) (i.e., at least 1 percent of an LEA’s total Title I allocation if the LEA’s allocation exceeds $500,000)(from each bypassed

LEA);

• The number of eligible private school children (based on the multiple, educationally related, objective criteria developed in consultation with private school officials and as defined in section 1115 of the ESEA) for the current school year for each private school site;

• Annual student achievement data from private school assessments of the participants, if available; and

• Teacher salary schedules for each bypassed LEA (from each LEA).

Subtask 2-3: Determining Equitable Services Funding

Subtask 2-3.1: Determining the Proportionate Share

For each LEA, the contractor must determine the proportionate share of Title I funds available for equitable services based on the total amount of Title I funds received by the LEA prior to any allowable expenditures or transfers of funds, including reservations for administration, parental involvement, and districtwide initiatives.

To determine the proportionate share, the contractor, in consultation with private school officials, first must determine the number of private school children ages 5 through 17 who are from low-income families and who reside in participating public school attendance areas in each bypassed LEA using one or more of the following methods:

• The same measure of poverty used to count public school children;

• Comparable poverty data from a survey of private school families that, to the extent possible, protects the identity of families of private school students and extrapolating such survey results, if complete actual data are unavailable;

• Comparable poverty data from a different source;

• Proportionality by applying the low-income percentage of each participating public school attendance area to the number of private school children who reside in that school attendance area; or

• An equated measure.

Annually, the contractor must provide a description of the method(s) used to calculate the number of private school children ages 5 through 17 who are from low-income families and who reside in participating public school attendance areas in each bypassed LEA in the Program Design Plan. The contractor must also provide the justification for selecting the method(s) used.

Once the contractor determines the number of low income private school children residing in each participating public school attendance area, it shall –

1. Determine the number of children ages 5 to 17 from low income families residing in each participating public school attendance area who attend public schools and private schools;

2. Determine the overall proportion of children from low-income families who reside in participating public school attendance and who attend public schools and private schools;

and

3. Using the proportion of children from low-income families who attend private schools, determine the amount of funds available for equitable services based on that proportion of the LEA’s total Title I allocation (e.g., if 10 percent of children from low income families residing in a participating Title I attendance area attend private schools, then 10 percent of an LEA’s Title I funds are available for providing equitable services).

Subtask 2-3.2: Reserving Funds for Parent and Family Engagement and for Administration

From the proportionate share of funds available for equitable services as determined under Subtask 2-3.1, the contractor must reserve funds (1) for parent and family engagement activities required under ESEA section 1116, and (2) for administration. The remaining funds must be used for providing Title I instructional services.

To determine the amount of funds that must be used or parent and family engagement, the contractor must apply the proportionate share percentage determined in Step 2 of Subtask 2-3.1 to the total parent and family engagement reservation as determined by the LEA (e.g., if the LEA has indicated it is reserving 1 percent of the its total allocation for parent and family engagement, the contractor must use this amount to determinate the proportionate amount it must spend on activities for parents and families of private school students).

With respect to administration, the contractor may reserve an amount that is consistent with the contract’s provisions on administrative costs.

Subtask 2-3.3: Allocating Title I Funds Using School-by-School and Pooling Options

The contractor, in consultation with private school officials, shall choose one, or a combination of the following options, for using the Title I funds generated by private school children from low-income families:

a) School-by-School Option: Provide equitable services to eligible children in each private school with the funds generated by children from low-income families who reside in participating public school attendance areas and who attend that private school.

b) Pooling Option: Combine the funds generated by private school children from low-income families who live in all participating public school attendance areas in a bypassed LEA to create a pool of funds from which the contractor provides equitable services to eligible private school children who are in the greatest need of education services and reside in participating public school attendance areas. If this option is selected, the contractor must establish criteria to determine the eligible private school children who are most at risk and, therefore, in the greatest need to receive services. Under this option, the services provided to eligible children attending a particular private school do not depend on the amount of funds allocated for children in that school.

The contractor shall only pool within an LEA’s boundaries. The contractor shall not transfer instructional funds from one LEA to another LEA. The contractor shall describe which option was used to allocate Title I funds, with a justification for selecting the method used.

Subtask 2-4: Delivering Title I Instructional Services

Subtask 2-4.1: Designing Title I Instructional Programs

Following consultation with appropriate private school officials, the contractor shall design Title I instructional programs that provide participants an equitable opportunity to meet challenging State academic standards or alternative high standards.

Once students are selected to participate according to the procedure outlined in Subtask 2-4.3, the contractor, in consultation with private school officials, shall determine what Title I services are to be provided based on identified student needs. The needs of the private school participants shall determine the appropriate Title I services, including professional development for teachers of private school participants, and the services may be in subject areas or grade levels that are different from subject areas and grade levels provided to public school students. The contractor shall address the specific needs of participants who are English language learners, children with disabilities, homeless children, and other at risk student populations.

The provided services shall give reasonable promise that the private school participants shall make progress toward achieving challenging State academic standards or alternative standards (see Subtask 2-6.2).

In designing a Title I program in a bypassed LEA, the contractor shall design pullout programs (i.e., programs that are provided in a space outside the regular private school classroom) that shall meet the needs of the participants and are administratively feasible. There may be instances where, for example, there are a very small number of students to be served in a bypassed LEA or at a particular private school site. In such instances, there may not be enough funds available to provide direct instruction by a teacher. Therefore, the contractor shall consider alternative instructional strategies to direct teacher-student instruction. Such alternative strategies may include, but not be limited to, after or before school programs (extended day programs), summer programs, home tutoring, family literacy, computer-assisted instruction, or professional development for teachers of private school participants.

The instructional programs developed by the contractor shall not only supplement but also coordinate with and support the instruction that the private school children are receiving in their regular classrooms. The instructional program should complement classroom instruction and should not be a separate instructional program.

The contractor shall describe the Title I services to be provided. Regardless of the service design, the contractor shall justify to the COR that the Title I program is administratively feasible.

Subtask 2-4.2: Implementing Title I Instructional Programs

Based on the needs of the participants, the contractor shall implement the instructional programs (including subject areas and grade levels, assessment instruments, curriculum content, teaching methods, and types of equipment, supplies, and materials) designed under Subtask 2-4.1. The contractor shall begin instruction to Title I participants no later than the first Monday of the third business week in September of the base year and each exercised option year.

The amount of funds available to provide instructional services, including professional development for teachers of private school participants, is equal to the amount generated by private school children from low-income families who reside in a participating public school attendance area in an LEA, less funds reserved for parent and family engagement activities and for administering Title I equitable services (see Subtask 2-3). The contractor shall not transfer funds from one LEA to another LEA.

The provided services shall give reasonable promise that the private school participants shall make progress toward achieving the challenging State academic standards or alternative standards (see Subtask 2.6.2). The contractor must provide justification of how it has determined that this requirement has been met.

Subtask 2-4.3: Determining Student Eligibility

In consultation with private school officials, the contractor shall establish criteria to determine which private school children are eligible and, within the eligible group, which children shall be selected for participation. The contractor shall select either private school participants who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet challenging State academic standards or private school children who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet high levels of achievement comparable to those required by the State’s challenging academic content and student academic achievement standards.

In determining student eligibility, the contractor shall be aware that to be eligible to receive Title I services, a private school child must reside in a Title I participating public school attendance area and must meet the eligibility criteria in section 1115(c) of the ESEA, which states that eligible children be identified as failing or at risk of failing on the basis of multiple, educationally related, objective criteria. Children from preschool through grade 2 are selected on the basis of objective criteria established by the LEA and supplemented by the school. Certain children may be identified as eligible by virtue of their status. Such children include homeless children, neglected or delinquent children, and children who in the preceding two years participated in Head Start, a literacy program under Title II, Part B, Subpart 2, a Title I preschool, or Title I, Part C.

The contractor shall have the final authority to select the private school participants.

Title I funds may not be paid to private school officials or others who identify private school children as eligible to participate. The contractor, however, may use Title I funds to select participants who are most at risk from those who are eligible and the contractor may use Title I funds to determine the specific educational needs of participants.

The contractor shall describe the criteria to be used to determine student eligibility.

Subtask 2-4.4: Evaluating Title I Instructional Programs

The contractor shall evaluate the Title I programs provided to private school participants using the standards, assessments, and definition of annual progress developed after consultation with the private school officials (see Subtask 2-6). The contractor shall present an evaluation design to be used to evaluate the Title I program. This evaluation shall include, but not be limited to, sucessful instructional practices, research-based instructional materials, and any problems incurred in delivering the required services and resolutions undertaken.

Annually, the contractor shall evaluate the Title I programs no later than May 30.

Subtask 2-5: Equitable Participation for Parents of Title I Participants

Section 1117(a)(1)(B) of the ESEA requires that families of participating private school children participate, on an equitable basis, in parent and family engagement activities under section 1116 of the ESEA.

Subtask 2-5.1: Implementing Parent and Family Engagement Activities

The contractor shall implement parent and family engagement activities as required by section 1116 of the ESEA and the contractor shall describe these required activities in the Annual Report of the Program Design Plan. The contractor shall describe the approach to be used to implement parent and family engagement activities.

The contractor shall also describe what and how parent and family engagment activities will be implemented, including justification for why these parent and family engagement activities were selected. The contractor shall describe these activities in the Annual Report of the Program Design Plan (see Subtask 4-3).

Subtask 2-5.2: Evaluate Parent and Family Engagement Activities

The contractor shall evaluate the content and effectiveness of the parent and family engagement activities provided by the contractor to determine their effectiveness in increasing student achievement and identify barriers to greater participation of parents. The contractor shall use these evaluations to improve the Title I programs for the participants and parents. The contractor shall provide an evaluation of the parent and family engagement activities provided by the contractor to the COR in determining their effectiveness in increasing student achievement. As part of the evaluation, the contractor shall also identify barriers to greater participation of parents.

Subtask 2-6: Standards, Testing and Assessment, Annual Progress, and Program Modifications

Subtask 2-6.1: Develop Annual Assessment Plan The contractor shall develop an Annual Assessment Plan, which lists by LEAs or groups of private schools the following:

• A description of the standards agreed-upon in consultation, which shall be used to determine the effectiveness of the Title I programs;

• The tests, other assessments, or both that shall be used to measure the effectiveness of the

Title I programs in supporting student achievement in the regular private school classrooms against the agreed-upon standards;

• The definitions of annual progress for that school year;

• The annual progress measures the contractor shall use;

• The process the contractor shall use to modify programs if annual progress is not met; and

• How the contractor shall use data from the assessment of the Title I programs and student performance to make modifications.

The contractor shall use the Annual Assessment Plan for the base year and each exercised option year to determine the effectiveness of the Title I programs.

The contractor shall submit the Annual Assessment Plan to the Department for review and approval by September 15th of the base year and each exercised option year. The Department reserves the right to require the contractor to revise the Annual Assessment Plan to meet Title I requirements and current research on testing and measurement.

Subtask 2-6.2: Establishing Standards

Private school participants shall be held to the same challenging academic standards that are expected of all public school students. Thus, the contractor, in consultation with private school officials, shall establish what standards shall be used to measure the effectiveness of the Title I program as indicated by the achievement of the private school participants. If the contractor, in consultation with the private school officials, determines that it is inappropriate to measure program effectiveness and student achievement in relation to State standards, the contractor shall use alternative standards that ensure that the services provided enable the private school participants to achieve the same high level called for by the State standards. It may be more appropriate for the standards to be aligned with the curriculum of the private school and it may be necessary for the contractor to use different standards for different private schools given the curricula of the private schools.

The contractor shall present the standard(s) to be used to measure the effectiveness of the Title I program as indicated by the achievement of the private school participants. The contractor shall establish at least one standard per subject area served. The contractor may establish different standards by grade level or grade span, if appropriate.

Subtask 2-6.3: Testing and Assessment

The contractor shall assess on an annual basis, the effectiveness of the Title I program based the achievement of the Title I participants against the challenging State academic standards or the alternative standards developed under Subtask 2-6.2. All children receiving Title I services, including children receiving non-instructional type services, shall be assessed on their progress in meeting these agreed-upon standards.

The contractor shall present an approach to be used to assess the effectivness of the Title I program based on the achievement of the Title I participants.

The contractor may use the State’s assessment system (under section 1111(b)(2) of the ESEA), or may use other assessment measures that more accurately reflect the progress of those participants toward meeting challenging academic content and student academic achievement standards. The contractor is not prohibited from using an assessment measure currently used at the private school. The contractor shall make the final decision based on the approval of the COR on what assessment to use after consultation with appropriate private school officials.

Subtask 2-6.4: Measuring Annual Progress

In consultation with private school officials, the contractor shall establish a definition by which to measure the annual progress of the Title I program for private school participants toward meeting either the challenging State academic standards or alternative standards developed in Subtask 2-6.2. The contractor shall also use the progress the participants are making in their regular private school classroom as one measure of annual progress. In measuring progress, the contractor has the flexibility to group participants in a manner that shall provide the most accurate information of a program's progress.

The contractor shall present an approach to be used to establish a definition by which to measure the annual progress of the Title I program for private school participants to meeting State or alternative standards.

Subtask 2-6.5: Making Program Revisions (in accordance with Title I guidance)

If the contractor, in consultation with private school officials, determines that a Title I program has not made the agreed-upon annual progress, the contractor shall make revisions to the Title I program that are warranted and have the greatest likelihood of improving the performance of participants in meeting the State’s student academic achievement standards or the alternative standards developed under Subtask 2-6.2. Lack of significant student achievement gain may indicate a need to redesign the entire program, improve particular program elements, or strengthen professional development. In addition, the contractor shall consider the assessment data when determining needs of private school teachers of participants and the most appropriate activities for their parents.

Subtask 2-7: Title I Teachers and Supervisors Employed by the Contractor

Since the contractor shall be assuming LEA responsibilities, the contractor, as an LEA replacement, shall:

• Recruit, assign, supervise, and provide orientation to teachers and supervisors who meet the State’s certification and licensure requirements;

• Hire and assign employees, including Title I teachers and supervisors, without regard to their religious affiliations, or lack of such affiliations;

• Maintain a list of qualified substitute teachers to ensure continuity of services in cases of extended teacher absence;

• Compensate teachers including both salaries and benefits at a rate that shall be equal to and never greater than the prevailing teacher schedules for public school teachers with similar qualifications and experience in the LEA in which the program is located;

• Provide appropriate professional development activities to Title I teachers and supervisors so that they have the knowledge and skills needed to provide quality, meaningful, and appropriate supplemental instruction to the private school participants.

Subtask 2-8: Student Records

The contractor shall develop and maintain a list of private school children who are eligible to participate in the Title I program, as well as a list (by subject area, special services, or other benefits) of children who are selected to participate because they have the greatest need for special assistance. The contractor shall maintain documentation that supports the basis for selection and shall submit the criteria the contractor used to select participants with the Program Data Report (see Subtask 4-2).

The contractor shall develop and maintain appropriate individual student records that reflect the needs of participants, the programs designed to meet those needs, and their progress toward meeting the academic standards as established in Subtask 2-6.2 in the subject areas in which they are receiving instruction.

The contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all Federal and State privacy requirements are met. The contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding any personal identifiable information (PII) that is collected for the purposes of this contract. The contractor must also comply with any relevant requirements of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a; the E-Government Act of 2002, 44 U.S.C. §208; as well as relevant Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directives, such as OMB M-06-16 and OMB M-17-12. The Contractor shall abide by and follow all Departmental privacy policies, procedures, processes, and standards. All electronically stored sensitive data shall be encrypted at rest and in motion.

If there is a suspected or known breach/disclosure of PII due to lost, theft, intercepted transfer, or other, the contractor must ensure that this breach is reported to the agency as soon as the contractor has knowledge of it. Per Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-06-19, Federal agencies have a requirement to report breaches of PII security to a Federal incident response center. (PO) must notify the department within 30 minutes of discovering the incident (and the agency should not distinguish between suspected or confirmed breaches). The data security plan must be written to reflect this requirement, and the contractor must provide sufficient notification and documentation of the suspected loss, as it is understood at the time of notification to the agency for this requirement to be met. Follow-up reports of the final status of loss events will also be prepared by the contractor within a reasonable period of time as advised by the (PO) COR.

Subtask 2-9: Instructional Materials

The contractor shall provide in the Annual Report of the Program Design Plan instructional materials to be used in the delivery of services to Title I participants in accordance with the description provided. The contractor shall select these materials for their educational and grade level appropriateness for the private school participants and convenient access to the materials by Title I teachers.

For this contract, instructional materials are defined as those resources that are used to provide instruction to participants, including such items as books, computers and software for student use, workbooks, and writing supplies. Instructional materials shall not be subject to depreciation.

All materials, supplies, and equipment purchased with Title I funds are the property of the Federal Government. The contractor shall provide the COR and CO each with a copy of the Government-Owned Property List on November 15th of each school year. The property list shall record government-owned property by each private school and any contractor’s offices. The contractor shall inform the COR and CO of the number of barcode labels needed in order to ensure that each item listed on the government-owned property list has a barcode label. The COR shall provide the contractor with the appropriate number of barcode labels. Additions or deletions from the previous year’s report shall be noted along with reasons for any deletions.

Subtask 2-10: Communication Between Contractor and Private School Personnel

Subtask 2-10.1: Develop Strategies for Communication and Coordination between the Title I Teachers and the Regular Private School Classroom Teachers

The contractor shall develop strategies for communication and coordination between the contractor’s Title I teachers and the private school teachers of participants to ensure that the Title I instructional program supplements and is coordinated with regular classroom instruction received by the private school participants. Such communication shall be conducted in a manner that shall avoid excessive entanglement between the Title I teachers and private school teachers.

The contractor shall describe the strategies to be used for communication and coordination between the contractor’s Title I teachers and the private school teachers of participants. The contractor shall also include the justification for using these particular strategies.

Subtask 2-11: Instructions to Staff Employed by Contractor

The contractor shall provide both oral and written instructions to its staff emphasizing that the Title I program must be conducted in compliance with Title I requirements and the restrictions and safeguards set forth in this contract to ensure the secular nature of the Title I program, including the provisions on Title I Teachers and Supervisors Employed by the Contractor (Subtask 2-7), Student Records (Subtask 2-8), Instructional Materials (Subtask 2-9), Communication Between the Contractor and Private School Personnel (Subtask 2-10), Instructional Facilities (Subtask 2-12), Program Monitoring (Subtask 2-13), and Complaint

Procedures (Subtask 2-15). The contractor shall include a copy of the written instructions with the Annual Report of the Program Design Plan.

Subtask 2-12: Instructional Facilities and Transportation

The contractor shall arrange for facilities and transportation, if necessary, for providing Title I services to private school participants. Title I services for private school participants may be provided at various locations, including the private school, public or private buildings, or other neutral sites. The contractor must consult with private school officials before any decision is made about the location of Title I services. If appropriate space is availabe, the least disruptive and least expensive location will be the private school the particpating children attend. The contractor shall have the exclusive use and control of the Title I space during the time period in which Title I services are being conducted.

As necessary, facilities may be leased without charge or for a reasonable charge and transportation may be provided directly by the contractor or leased from a private operator.

These shall be considered administrative expenditures. Selection and leasing of facilities shall be governed by the following minimum criteria:

• Facilities comply with all health, safety, and other municipal and State building codes;

• Facilities comply with municipal and State codes for housing and instructing children;

• Vans, buses, or other mobile units for use as classrooms or for the transportation of children comply with all motor vehicle and operator codes and all traffic laws are followed;

• Children, teachers and staff members, the public, the Federal Government, and property are protected by quality personal injury, liability, and property damage insurance obtained at competitive premiums;

• The environment in and surrounding the facility is safe and socially appropriate;

• Children are able to walk or ride in buses or other vehicles to facilities along safe routes in a reasonable amount of time;

• In cooperation with private school officials, the contractor develops a schedule of services that is compatible with the availability of facilities and with the regular school schedule of the participants; and

• Reasonable accommodation is made for students with disabilities.

The contractor shall include a description of the facilities and transportation arrangements for providing Title I services to private school participants. The contractor shall include a copy of the description with the Annual Report of the Program Design Plan.

Subtask 2-13: Program Monitoring

The contractor shall develop, implement, and submit with the Annual Report of the Program Design Plan the monitoring instrument that the contractor shall use to annually monitor the Title I program.

Subtask 2-13.1: Develop Monitoring Instrument

The contractor shall develop a monitoring instrument to be used annually to monitor the Title I program. The contractor shall develop an instrument that shall include, but not be limited to a review of the following:

• Eligibility and selection of participants;

• Instructional strategies that meet the needs of the participants;

• Instructional materials used (including proper labeling and storage);

• Evaluations of participants’ performance and student progress;

• Performance of teachers;

• Records of communication between Title I teachers and private school teachers;

• Records of meetings with parents;

• Reports of student progress to parents; and

• Organization and condition of instructional facilities.

The contractor shall include a copy of the monitoring instrument with the Annual Report of the Program Design Plan.

Subtask 2-13.2: Monitor Title I Programs

The contractor shall develop monitoring plan procedures to be used by the instructional supervisors to monitor the Title I program. These monitoring procedures shall include, but not be limited to, a monthly monitoring schedule, a record of site visits completed, the results of the visits, and anticipated follow-up.

The contractor shall include in its monitoring a systematic review of the effectiveness of the maintenance of the secular nature of the programs and space used for Title I purposes.

The contractor shall implement a monitoring system, which includes annual unannounced visits to each Title I site on a rotating basis. The contractor shall provide a description of the monitoring procedures and implementation approach to be used by the instructional supervisors to monitor the Title I program. The contractor shall include a copy of the description with the Annual Report of the Program Design Plan.

Subtask 2-14: Complaint Procedures

The contractor shall develop and implement written procedures for the investigation and resolution, within a reasonable time, of complaints made by concerned organizations or individuals concerning violations of Title I implemented by the contractor.

These procedures shall be distributed annually to private school officials and parents of participating children. A copy of the complaint procedures shall be submitted with the Annual Report of the Program Design Plan.

TASK 3: Annual Audit

The contractor shall provide the CO and COR with annual audited financial statements of the contracted project conducted by an independent auditor. The independent auditor’s report shall confirm the contractor’s compliance with the contract’s performance work statement for the following requirements:

• Number of private school children from low-income families was determined in accordance with Subtask 2-3.1;

• Calculations of funds available for equitable services in each LEA are in accordance with Subtask 2-3.1. (For further reference, auditors should see questions O-1 through O-2 of the Non-Regulatory Guidance: Fiscal Changes And Equitable Services Requirements under the ESSA;

• Calculations for equitable services to parents and families of participants were calculated in accordance with Subtask 2-3.2. (For further reference, auditors should see question O- 4 of the Non-Regulatory Guidance: Fiscal Changes And Equitable Services Requirements under the ESSA); and

• Teachers hired by the contractor are compensated in accordance with Subtask 2-7.

The contractor shall submit to the Department copies of the annual audit report (to the CO and to the COR) no later than two weeks after the contractor receives the report.

TASK 4: Annual Reporting Requirements

The contractor shall prepare the following reports and/or plans on an annual basis:

• Annual Assessment Plan (Subtask 2-6.1),

• Annual Evaluation of Services (Subtask 4-1),

• Program Data Report (Subtask 4-2),

• Annual Report of the Program Design Plan (Subtask 4-3),

• Final Expenditure Report (Subtask 4-4), and

• Annual Statistical Report (Subtask 4-5).

For each report, the contractor shall adhere to the prescribed framework outlined in the subtasks.

Each report shall be prepared and submitted to the Department on an annual basis unless otherwise indicated by the Department.

Subtask 4-1: Annual Evaluation of Services Report

The contractor shall prepare an Annual Evaluation of Services report. The report shall contain a section on each of the following:

• Evaluation of the Title I Programs Provided: A description of the Title I programs provided private school participants, including but not limited to sucessful instructional practices, research based instructional materials, and any problems incurred in delivering the required services.

• Evaluation of the Annual Assessment Plan: Evaluation of the Annual Assessment Plan required in Subtask 2-6.1, including (1) the standards used, the process used to establish these standards, and the appropriateness of the standards; (2) what tests or other assessments or both were used, the process used to select the tests and assessments, and the appropriateness of the tests and assessments; (3) the number of participants taking the tests and the number of participants who were not tested; (4) the assessment scores or measures that each Title I program received; (5) a list of programs by LEA and by program site that did not make annual progress; and (6) modification strategies for improving the Title I program that shall be made.

• Evaluation of the Consultation Process: An evaluation of the consultation process between the contractor and appropriate private school officials and how the contractor used these evaluations to improve the consultation process, as appropriate.

• Evaluation of the Content and Effectiveness of the Parent and Family Engagement

Activities (as required in Subtask 2-5.2): An evaluation by LEA of the content and effectiveness of the parent and family engagement involvement activities by (1) providing data that demonstrates whether or not the activities were effective in increasing student achievement, (2) listing the barriers to greater participation of parents and families in activities, and (3) providing how the findings were used to improve the Title I programs and parent and families engagement activities.

• Evaluation of the Performance of Title I Teachers: A description of performance of the Title I teachers, including a description of the performance ratings, description of exceptional instruction and services, description of and reasons for unsatisfactory performance, and other information on teacher performance that may have affected, positively or negatively, student achievement;

• Special problems encountered or anticipated and solutions applied or anticipated.

The contractor shall highlight and discuss findings from the evaluation and any recommendations for how the findings will be used to improve the Title I programs. The contractor shall provide a copy of the Annual Evaluation of Services to the CO and the COR on July 31 of the base year and each exercised option year.

Subtask 4-2: Program Data Report

The contractor shall prepare a Program Data Report. The Program Data Report shall highlight and discribe the data collection approach used to collect annual data listed under Subtask 2-2, any problems encountered and resolutions undertaken, and any recommendations for improving the data collection progress. This Report shall contain:

• Poverty data collection methods used to deteremine the amount of funds available for instruction by LEA;

• Criteria used to select participants, including copies of blank referral forms by grade level or grade span that private school teachers shall use;

• The status of consultation with private school officials by LEA;

• Research based curricula and instructional programs the contractor shall provide private school participants by LEA and by grade level for the upcoming year, including program modifications (as defined in Title I guidance), if required, with a listing of the research based programs with explanations of why the programs were selected;

• Professional development activities for private school teachers of participants by LEA, as appropriate, with explanantions of why these activities were selected;

• Parent and family engagement activities for parents and families of private school participants, as appropriate, with explanantions of why these activities were selected;

• Professional development activities for the Title I teachers and supervisors who are contractor employees, with an…