Dear Colleagues:

Today I am continuing the series of support documents that are combined around ESSA programs, IDEA, and the CARES Act.  All programs that require equitable participation require timely and meaningful consultation, and the foundation of the program development that comes from consultation is the needs of your students.  All of the options outlined in each program must be available for consideration during consultation, and in reaching agreement with public school officials, the program designed should best meet the needs of your students.

One way to approach assessing the needs of your students and planning the use of federal education funds to best meet those needs is to look across the many programs.  In the past, I’ve used four areas of consideration: Academic Intervention, Student Support Services, Professional Development, and Special Needs.  By taking a holistic approach to discerning the needs of your students that federal education programs can assist with meeting, it is often helpful to evaluate your students’ needs within these program areas.  Then, when you determine the priority of student needs, you can attempt to find federal education program services that best meet those needs.

The document attached is designed to help you do just that.  Titles I, II, III, and IVA in ESSA, IDEA, and both GEER and ESSER in the CARES Act provide equitable participation and many of the uses overlap.  I hope this document can help you to find ways to best meet the needs of your students through the many programs that provide equitable services.

Keep in mind, of course, that the decision of which services will be offered is determined through timely and meaningful consultation, the goal of which is for public and private school officials to reach agreement.  The final decision and fiscal control remains with the LEA.

Be sure to visit www.equitableservicesmdec.com for more resources.  As always, if you have questions, you can click the “Ask Michelle” button on the website and I’ll do my best to assist.

 

All the best,

Michelle

Michelle L. Doyle

Michelle Doyle Educational Consulting