California Department of Education

QEIA Guidance and Application

Quality Education Investment Act

Applications must be received by the

California Department of Education

no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 30, 2007

School Improvement Division, High Priority Schools Office

California Department of Education

1430 N Street, Suite 4401

Sacramento, CA 95814-5901

(916) 324-3236

California Dept. of Education

January 2007

Contents

Page

I. General Information

Overview2

Opportunity to Improve2

Eligibility3

Funding Levels3

Funding Allocations4

Reporting Requirements4

County Office Monitoring4

Program Accountability4

Fiscal Accountability5

Termination of Funding5

Appeals Process5

Teacher Experience Index5

II. Program Guidelines

Timeline6

Performance Expectations6

Public Review7

Responsibilities of the District or Chartering Authority and7

the School Community

County Office of Education Technical Assistance7

Districts Applying on Behalf of Schools under the Regular 8

QEIA Requirements

Districts Applying on Behalf of Schools under the Alternative 9

QEIA Requirements

III. Submission of Applications

Priorities and Identification of Program Option11

Regular QEIA Application Requirements11

Alternative QEIA Application Requirements12

Priority Funding Under the Alternative Option12

IV. Review and Selection of Applications

Review of Applications13

Selection Process13

Appendix A.School District Implementation Considerations for the14

Quality Education Investment Act of 2006 (QEIA)

Appendix BQuality Education Investment Act Forms20

Appendix CQuality Education Investment Act Information Resources21

I. General Information

Overview

Senate Bill 1133, Article 1.8, commencing with California Education Code (EC) Section 52055.700, known as the Quality Education Investment Act of 2006 (QEIA), authorizes school districts and other local educational agencies to apply for funding for elementary and secondary schools and charter schools. Funds are available for use in performing various specified measures to improve academic instruction and pupil academic achievement. Schools ranked in decile 1 or 2 on the 2005 Base Academic Performance Index (API) are eligible for QEIA funding. Approximately $3 billion is available for the next seven years to improve the quality of academic instruction and the learning environment at the lowest-performing schools in the state through, among other efforts, class size reduction, improved teacher quality and training in schools at all grade levels, and improved pupil-to-counselor ratios in funded high schools.

The intent of the QEIA is to:

  • Improve the quality of academic instruction and the level of pupil achievement in schools in which pupils have high levels of poverty and complex educational needs;
  • Develop exemplary school districts and school practices that will create the working conditions and classroom learning environments that will attract and retain well qualified teachers, administrators, and other staff; and
  • Focus school resources, including all categorical funds, solely on instructional improvement and services to pupils.

Opportunity to Improve

The QEIA presents a unique opportunity for districts and chartering authorities to apply for significant resources on behalf of eligible schools with the most critical needs. Districts and chartering authorities may need to coordinate and distribute other resourcesin addition to the QEIA funding to effectively implement the program at the school level. Successful QEIA implementation will involve the effective and efficient use of resources, including coordinating the new QEIA funds with other district fiscal resources to maximize benefits for pupils. Districts and chartering authorities are encouraged to gauge their capacity to support school improvement actions and coordinate necessary resources. To that end, they should consider creating a budget plan covering nine to ten years that integrates categorical funding into the school plan in order to allow for phase in and for phase out when the program ends in 2013-14. Further, there are a number of considerations for districts and chartering authorities as they assist their schools with implementing the statutory requirements. Many of these considerations are discussed in Appendix A, School District Considerations for the Quality Education Investment Act of 2006. Districts and chartering authorities are strongly encouraged to consult with the school community and surrounding public to review and discuss these considerations prior to applying for participation.

As part of the application process, districts and chartering authorities will have the opportunity to prioritize funding in their schools. Specifically, districts and chartering authorities with more than one eligible school will be able to designate which of their schools will be the first to be selected for funding, which will be second, and so on. Districts and chartering authorities are encouraged to carefully consider the needs and conditions of all of their eligible schools in determining the most appropriate prioritization for funding. This consideration should reflect the district or chartering authority’s general plan for improvement of student academic performance, reflecting a broad perspective of the circumstances its schools face, and the most effective means of addressing the needs of each low performing school. Districts with schools with high California High School Exit Exam failure rates are encouraged to give those schools high priority.

A limited number of schools will be funded under an alternative application option. The alternative option allows schools to propose a plan for improving student academic performance through school improvement strategies other than those established in QEIA legislation. This application option offers schools more flexibility in the school improvement strategies they select. Schools considering whether to apply under the alternative application option should determine whether an alternative school improvement plan would better serve their students, and should review the section entitled “Districts Applying on Behalf of Schools Under the Alternative QEIA Requirements” on page 9, prior to selecting their application option.

Eligibility

Public and charter schools that are ranked in deciles 1 or 2 on the Base Year 2005 API report are eligible for the QEIA. A school must have a valid API in order to be eligible for the program. A school with an API with an asterisk pursuant to EC Section 52052(f)(1) is not eligible for funding.

Schools funded under the High Priority Schools Grant Program (HPSGP) that have not met the annual growth target requirements under EC Section 52055.650 and are designated as a state monitored school are eligible for funding provided the school undergoes a rigorous review directed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI). A rigorous review indicates that a school has either undergone an academic audit pursuant to EC Section 52055.650 and has demonstrated progress on areas identified for corrective action by the School Assistance and Intervention Team (SAIT), or has undergone an academic audit but has not received the first completed progress report. Schools funded under the HPSGP that have met or are meeting the requirements of EC Section 52055.650 are eligible if they agree to meet all accountability requirements of both the HPSGP and QEIA programs. These schools are identified in bold font on the list of eligible QEIA schools available on the CDE Web site at

Funding Levels

Funding levels are determined based on enrollment numbers as reported in the most recent, certified California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS). Commencing in 2008-09, the first full year of funding, $402 million is available to fund the project. Kindergarten and grades one to three will receive $500 per pupil; grades four to eight will receive $900 per pupil; and grades nine to twelve will receive $1,000 per pupil. Funding levelswill be adjusted annually based on the prior year’s certified CBEDS enrollment numbers. For the 2007-08 fiscal year, $268 million is available, and the per-pupil funding amounts will be prorated to reflect this lower funding base.

Funding Allocations

Funds will be released to districts on an annual basis. Award notifications will be sent in May 2007. For the 2007-08 year, 80 percent of the funds will be released in July 2007, and 20 percent will be released in January 2008. Allocations in future years will follow a similar schedule.

QEIA funding isfor supporting school improvement efforts at schools selected in spring 2007. Funds are allocated to these schools through the school's CDS code. The school's certified CBEDS from each prior year will determine funding levels. If a school merges with another school during the term of the program and does not retain its original CDS code, the funding for that school will cease. If a school breaks up into smaller schools, each with its own CDS code, only the school with the original CDS code and its students will be eligible for further funding.

Reporting Requirements

Districts or chartering authorities must submit annual expenditure reports to the California Department of Education (CDE) by the last working day of each August. The district or chartering authority is responsible for ensuring that reports are accurate, complete, and submitted on time.

County Office Monitoring

County Offices of Education also play a critical role with implementing the QEIA. County Offices of Education must work closely with their QEIA-funded districts to monitor the annual implementation of QEIA and ensure that the district has the resources needed to assist schools participating in the program. Funding of $2 million will be provided to county offices annually to sustain these monitoring activities.

Program Accountability

A school that is funded by QEIA and continues to meet the program and achievement requirements of QEIA shall be funded annually through the 2013-14 fiscal year. For schools accepting QEIA funds, the county superintendent presiding over the school is responsible for monitoring the school’s compliance with all program accountability measures identified below:

  • Class size reduction requirements;
  • In high schools, a pupil-to-counselor ratio of no more than 300 to 1;
  • That each teacher in the school, including intern teachers, is highly qualified in accordance with NCLB;
  • That the average experience of classroom teachers in the school is equal to or exceeds the average for the school district for this type of school; and
  • That the school exceeds its schoolwide API growth target averaged over the first three years of full funding;
  • That professional development is provided to at least one-third of teachers and instructional paraprofessionals in the school annually;
  • That the school meets all of the requirements under the Williams v. State of California settlement by the end of the first year of full funding, and in each year of funding thereafter; and
  • That the school meets all requirements, as applicable, under the alternative program (EC Section 52055.760).

Fiscal Accountability

A district or chartering authority receiving funds on behalf of a school must ensure that those funds are expended on that school, except that QEIA funding received in 2007-08 may be used for facilities necessary to meet class size reduction requirements if all funds are spent on any funded schools within the district. For example, if a district has three QEIA-funded schools and only one of those schools needs additional classrooms to meet class size reduction requirements, first-year QEIA funds from all three schools may be pooled to cover the cost of the new classrooms at the school that needs them. QEIA funds may not be used for any of the district’s non-QEIA schools, and QEIA funds provided after 2007-08 may be used only for the school for which they are provided. Funds may be expended for any purpose identified under the school site’s Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) established under EC Section 64001, however,priority for expenditure must be for achieving the requirements of QEIA.

Termination of Funding

The county superintendent shall notify the SSPI if a school is not at least one-third of the way toward meeting each of the program and fiscal accountabilityrequirements listed in the previous sections by the end of the first year of full funding(2008-09), or at least two-thirds of the way toward meeting each of the program and fiscal accountabilityrequirements listed in the previous sections by the end of the second year of full funding(2009-10).The SSPI shall terminate funding for a schoolthat has not achieved full implementation by the end of the third year of full funding (2010-11) and for each year thereafter. Funding shall also be terminated if a school declines to participate or there is evidence of fraud or fiscal irregularity during the program.

Appeals Process

A school district or chartering authority may appeal the decision to terminate funding to the State Board of Education (SBE), provided the school district or chartering authority demonstrates that the data upon which the county superintendent of schools relied is in error, and that the school in question can fully demonstrate its compliance with the applicable requirements (EC Section 52055.740(d)).

Teacher Experience Index

A uniform process for calculating average teaching experience will be developed by the CDE in conjunction with stakeholders prior to June 30, 2007 (EC Section 52055.730(d)).

II. Program Guidelines

Timeline

A number of important dates are identified below for districts or chartering authorities intending to apply for QEIA funds.

Important Dates
Guidance and Application posted on the CDE website / Week of February 5, 2007
Invitation letters sent to districts with eligible schools and posted on the CDE website / Week of February 5, 2007
Local boards hold public meeting prior to application submission /
Prior to March 30, 2007
Applications due to the CDE /
March 30, 2007
The SSPIand Secretary of Education review and recommend applications to the SBE /
April 30, 2007
The SBE approves applications /
May 9-10, 2007
Grant award notification letters sent to districts /
May 2007
Signed grant award notification returned to the CDE / Within 10 days of receipt by the district
First apportionment of funding allocations distributed / July 2007
QEIA schools begin to implement their programs / July 2007

Performance Expectations

The QEIA provides an opportunity for districts and chartering authorities to apply for significant resources on behalf of eligible schools with the most critical needs. Consequently, schools, districts, and chartering authorities participating in the QEIA will need to agree,through the signing of formal assurances, to the following responsibilities by accepting funds:

  • Implement with fidelity. Research has demonstrated the importance of maintaining fidelity with the plan that is developed for a school. QEIA schools are expected to maintain fidelity throughout the life of the program by ensuring that their plans are fully implemented, monitored, and modified as necessary to meet changing school needs.
  • Ensure fiscal integrity in the use of QEIA funds. These funds are intended to be fully expended for the specific purpose of improving student academic performance in selected schools. All activities funded through the QEIA should clearly assist the school toward this goal.
  • Provide a timely response to QEIA reporting requirements. Districts participating in the QEIA must comply with annual monitoring activities conducted

by their county office of education. The CDE may request information directly from districts with schools participating in the QEIA (EC Section 52055.765). The district or chartering authority is responsible for ensuring that information provided is accurate, complete, and submitted in a timely manner.

Public Review

Schools participating in the QEIA must hold a public meeting with their local governing boards prior to submission of their applications (EC Section 52055.755). The purpose of this meeting is to inform parents and community members about the requirements of the program and to discuss plans for improving academic achievement at their schools.

In addition, the district or chartering authority must meet and confer with the county superintendent of schools in the jurisdiction; the principal and school site councils of the participating school(s) as applicable; a representative of the parent teacher association of the school(s); other public advisory groups as applicable; and with the exclusive bargaining unit representative for the local bargaining unit(s) (EC Section 52055.750(a)(5)).

Responsibilities of the District or Chartering Authority and the School Community

A successful school improvement program requires active involvement by the school’s district or chartering authority as well as the school community. Research findings support the idea that school districts play an integral role in the improvement process and continued success of schools. Given these findings, the district or chartering authority should demonstrate a clear and ongoing support role in the development, implementation, and monitoring of the program and share equal responsibility with the school. Although matching funds are not required, districts or chartering authorities are expected to demonstrate a substantial and real commitment to support and assist each school by leveraging other funds and coordinating resources in an effort to implement school-wide reform. The intent is for districts or chartering authorities to engage in long term planning for their schools.

The school community is likewise expected to play a role in working with the district or chartering authority to ensure successful implementation and ongoing monitoring of the QEIA. The school community includes the school’s administrator(s), faculty, staff, parents, and other local community members interested in improving the school.

Districts or chartering authorities with schools eligible for participation in the QEIA must sign an assurance that they have read and considered the elements of the School District Implementation Considerations for theQuality Education Investment Act of 2006, located in Appendix A of this document.

County Office of Education Technical Assistance

The SSPI and the Secretary of Educationwill select two county offices of education to provide regionaltechnical support, document best practices, and provideinformation regarding those practices and other support information to schools, districts, and charteringauthorities participating in QEIA (Section 52055.730(j)). One-time funding of $5 million is available for this purpose with the intent that county offices seek foundational and other financial support to sustain and expand regional technical assistance services.