Improving Teacher Quality (PRC 103)
84.367 SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE INSTRCTION STATE GRANTS (formerly IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY STATE GRANTS)
State Project/Program: / IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY (PRC 103)US Department of Education
Federal Authorization: Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Title II,
Part A, as amended 20 U.S.C 6641-6702
State Project/Program: IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY (PRC 103)
N. C. Department of Public Instruction
Agency Contact PersonsProgram
Donna Brown, Director
Federal Program Monitoring and Support Division
(919) 807-3957
Elaine Ellington, Title II Specialist
(919) 807-3894
Financial
Irwin Benjamin, Section Chief
Monitoring and Compliance
Division of School Business
(919) 807-3364 / N.C. DPI Confirmation Reports:
Confirmation of Funds Expended and/or Disbursed from the State Public School Fund and Federal Programs 2016-17 will be available at the NC DPI School Business Division Annual Reports Application. The system provides an electronic view of Year-to-Date (YTD) financial reports in response to requests for confirmation from independent auditors.
The auditor should not consider the Supplement to be “safe harbor” for identifying audit procedures to apply in a particular engagement, but the auditor should be prepared to justify departures from the suggested procedures. The auditor can consider the supplement a “safe harbor” for identification of compliance requirements to be tested if the auditor performs reasonable procedures to ensure that the requirements in the Supplement are current. The grantor agency may elect to review audit working papers to determine that audit tests are adequate.
I. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the program is to increase academic achievement by improving teacher and principal quality. This program is carried out by: increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in classrooms; increasing the number of highly qualified principals and assistant principals in schools; and increasing the effectiveness of teachers and principals by holding LEAs and schools accountable for improvements in student academic achievement.
II. PROGRAM PROCEDURES
Each State educational agency must submit an application to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. A state may choose to submit their applications as part of the Consolidated Plan. Applications are approved by the Secretary of the U.S. Department Education. Funds are provided to each state educational agency (SEA), N. C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI), for allocation to local education agencies (LEAs) and Charter Schools that have current approved project applications on file with the SEA describing the project to be implemented using these funds.
Funds are allotted to LEAs/Charter Schools based on the following formula:
· A "hold-harmless" amount will be allotted based on the amount of each LEA/Charter School received in FY 2001-2002 under the former Eisenhower Professional
· Development and Class-Size Reduction grants.
· The remaining will be allotted based on the following formula:
· Twenty percent (20%) will be distributed based on relative population of children aged 5-17.
· Eighty percent (80%) will be distributed based on the relative population of children 5-17 from families with income below the poverty line.
Allotment reports are sent from the School Allotment Section of the Division of School Business notifying the LEAs of the amount of funds that they have available.
Funds are distributed according to the cash request procedures discussed in the DPI Cross-Cutting Requirements, DPI-0.
III. COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS
The NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI) mandates that all testing in the DPI Cross-Cutting Requirements be performed by the local auditor. Please refer to Cross- Cutting Requirements DPI-0.
Other procedures that pertain to this program can be found in the US Department of Education Cross-cutting Section and the Federal Compliance Supplement.
A. Activities Allowed or Unallowed
Compliance Requirements:
Funds may be used by a LEA or other operating agency only in accordance with the approved State plan and only for those services or activities in its approved project application.
Approved project applications may include some of the following allowable activities:
1. Developing and implementing mechanisms to assist schools to effectively recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, principals, and specialists in core academic areas (and other pupil services personnel in special circumstances).
2. Developing and implementing strategies and activities to recruit, hire, and retain highly qualified teachers and principals. These strategies may include (a) providing monetary incentives such as scholarships, signing bonuses, or differential pay for teachers in academic subjects or schools in which the LEA has shortages; (b) reducing class size; (c) recruiting teachers to teach special needs children, including students with disabilities, and (d) recruiting qualified paraprofessionals and teachers from populations underrepresented in the teaching profession, and providing those paraprofessionals with alternate routes to obtaining teacher certification.
3. Providing professional development activities that improve the knowledge of teachers and principals and, in appropriate cases, paraprofessionals, in:
a. Content knowledge. Providing training in one or more of the core academic subjects that the teachers teach; and
b. Classroom practices. Providing training to improve teaching practices and student academic achievement through (a) effective instructional strategies, methods, and skills, and (b) the use of challenging State academic content standards and student academic achievement standards in preparing students for the State assessments.
4. Providing professional development activities that improve the knowledge of teachers and principals and, in appropriate cases, paraprofessionals, regarding effective instructional practices that:
a. Involve collaborative groups of teachers and administrators;
b. Address the needs of students with different learning styles, particularly students with disabilities, students with special needs (including students who are gifted and talented), and students with limited English proficiency;
c. Provide training in improving student behavior in the classroom and identifying early and appropriate interventions to help students with special needs;
d. Provide training to enable teachers and principals to involve parents in their children’s education, especially parents of limited English proficient and immigrant children; and
e. Provide training on how to use data and assessments to improve classroom practice and student learning.
5. Developing and implementing initiatives to promote retention of highly qualified teachers and principals, particularly in schools with a high percentage of low achieving students, including programs that provide teacher mentoring from exemplary teachers and administrators, induction, and support for new teachers and principals during their first three years; and financial incentives to retain teachers and principals with a record of helping students to achieve academic success.
6. Carrying out programs and activities that are designed to improve the quality of the teaching force, such as innovative professional development programs that focus on technology literacy, tenure reform, testing teachers in the academic subject in which teachers teach, and merit pay programs.
7. Carrying out professional development programs that are designed to improve the quality of principals and superintendents, including the development and support of academies to help them become outstanding managers and educational leaders.
8. Hiring highly qualified teachers, including teachers who become highly qualified through State and local alternate routes to certification, and special education teachers, in order to reduce class size, particularly in the early grades.
9. Carrying out teacher advancement initiatives that promote professional growth and emphasize multiple career paths (such as paths to becoming a mentor teacher, career teacher, or exemplary teacher) and pay differentiation.
Audit Objective – To determine that expenditures are allowable and properly recorded.
Suggested Audit Procedures:
• Obtain a copy of the approved project plan and approved program budget from the local program coordinator.
• Review expenditures to determine that expenditures are in accordance with the approved project plan.
• Review salary expenditures to determine that personnel paid from these funds do not exceed budgeted personnel in approved program budget.
B. Allowable Costs/Cost Principles
Addressed in the NC Department of Public Instruction Cross-Cutting Requirements.
C. Cash Management
Addressed in the NC Department of Public Instruction Cross-Cutting Requirements.
E. Eligibility
Eligibility for Subrecipients – This compliance requirement does not apply at the local level. The local auditor is not required to test for compliance with this requirement.
G. Matching, Level of Effort, Earmarking
1. Matching
This compliance requirement does not apply at the local level. No testing required.
2. Level of Effort
Addressed in the US Department of Education Cross-Cutting Section.
H. Period of Availability of Federal Funds
Addressed in the US Department of Education Cross-Cutting Section and Federal Compliance Supplement.
Compliance Requirement - Expenditures may not be incurred before the project begins. Any expenditure prior to the beginning date are considered unallowable and must be refunded to SEA.
Audit Objective – To determine that no expenditures were incurred prior to the date the project began.
Suggested Audit Procedure:
· Review transactions to verify that no expenditures were incurred prior to the approved application beginning date.
I. Procurement and Suspension and Debarment
Addressed in the NC Department of Public Instruction Cross-Cutting Requirements.
L. Reporting
Addressed in the US Department of Education Cross-Cutting Section and NC
M. Subrecipient Monitoring
This compliance requirement does not apply at the local level. No testing is required.
N. Special Tests and Provisions
Addressed in the US Department of Education Cross-Cutting Section, the NC Department of Public Instruction Cross-Cutting Requirements and Federal Compliance Supplement.
Compliance Requirement - An LEA that has not been identified as in need of improvement or corrective action under Title I may transfer up to 50 percent of its formula allocation under the Teacher Quality State Grants (PRC 103), Educational Technology State Grant (PRC 107), Innovative Programs (PRC 059) or Safe and Drug Free Schools (PRC 048) to supplement its allocation under any of the programs listed. Funds may also be transferred to supplement the Title I (PRC 050) allocation.
An LEA identified as in need of improvement may only transfer up to 30 percent of its allocation for the programs listed above only if it transfers the funds to: (1) supplement its school improvement allocation; or (2) carry out Title I LEA improvement activities. An LEA identified as in need of corrective action may not transfer any funds.
Audit Objective - An LEA that wishes to transfer funds must: (1) notify the SEA, at least 30 days prior to the transfer, of its intent to transfer funds; (2) modify each local plan affected by the transfer, and (3) provide SEA, not later than 30 days after the transfer, with a copy of the modified plans.
Suggested Audit Procedures:
· Verify that the LEA transferred no more than the allowable 50 (or 30) percent of funds from any of the programs listed above
· Verify that the LEA notified the SEA, at least 30 days prior to the transfer, of its intent to transfer funds
· Verify that the LEA modified each local plan affected by the transfer
· Verify that the LEA provided the SEA, not later than 30 days after the transfer, with a copy of the modified plans.
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