SampleSchool District
CCR Action Plan Budget
July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016

MIDDLE GRADE INITIATIVE

Allocation / Target
► GEAR UP MGI / federal:$43,300.00 (see note 1/) / Estimated Costs
Strategy / GEAR UP MGI / Federal
MGI Objective:Increase the number of 8th graders who enter high school college and career ready.
Section 1: Early Readiness
Increasing student academic achievement through curriculum and instruction improvements in response to data.
1.1Curricular Actions
1.1a Establish Classroom Libraries
1.1b Lesson Study on Math and Literature
1.1c Project Based Learning / School Personnel:
+$1,700.00 4 teacher stipends, salary benefits
Operating:
+$3,600.00 library materials
+$200.00 lesson study books
+$1,000.00 classroom supplies
Travel:
+$2,800.00 PBL 101 training, Flagstaff, August 2015, 2 teachers
=$9,300.00 TOTAL 1.1a,b,c
1.2Instructional Actions
1.2a CCU Workshop “Teaching Reading Effectively” / School Personnel:
+$1,200.00 2 teacher/trainer stipends, salary+benefits
+$6,000.00 20 teacher stipends, salary & benefits
Operating:
+$0.00
Travel:
$1,000.00 2 attendees, Teaching Reading Effectively workshop, August 2015
=$8,200.00 TOTAL 1.2a
SUBTOTAL SECTION 1 (1.1 + 1.2)
NOTE: budgeted costs for tasks 1.1 + 1.2 must be greater than or equal to 25% of Sample School District’s total GEAR UP MGI budget / $17,500.00
Section 2: Early Awareness
Creating a school-wide culture that fosters all students’ preparation and motivation for a full range of postsecondary options.
2.1 Early Awareness Activities & Strategies [Required]
2.1a Career Interest Inventory
2.1b College and Career Planning Guides
2.1c Transition Activities / School Personnel:
+$1,200.00 16 substitute teachers’ pay
Operating:
+$600.00 lunches for 120 8th-graders
+$1,600.00 bus transportation
Travel:
+$0.00
=$3,400.00 TOTAL 2.1a,b,c
2.2 Early Awareness Activities & Strategies
2.2a College and Career Planning Training Program
2.2b Electronic Portfolios
2.3c Lunch Conversations With Community Members / School Personnel:
+$1,200.00 Multiple teacher stipends, salary & benefits
Operating:
+$20,000.00 30 Dell laptops + 2 laptop carts
Travel:
+$0.00
=$21,200.00 TOTAL 2.2a,b,c
SUBTOTAL SECTION 2 (2.1 + 2.2)
NOTE: budgeted costs for tasks 2.1 + 2.2 must be greater than or equal to 25% of Sample School District’s total GEAR UP MGI budget / $24,600.00
Section 3: ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
Implementing, monitoring, and reporting on progress and impact of actions taken in response to data, and participating in capacity building opportunities.
3.1 CCR Teams [Required]
3.2a,b,c Preparing For Next Year (2016-17) [Required]
3.3 Reporting [Required]
3.4a,bCapacity Building (see note 3/)
Spring 2016, budget $300 per required attendee for mileage+lodging+meals, add others at District cost. / Travel:
+$1,200.00 4 attendees, MGI Super Summit, Spring 2016
=$1,200.00 TOTAL 3.4a
TOTAL / $43,300.00

NOTES:

1)The GEAR UP / federal allocation for Sample School District is $43,300.00. Total costs requested for reimbursement from GEAR UP may not exceed this amount. At least 25% of budgeted funds must be allocated toward completion of tasks described in Section 1 Early Readiness and at least 25% of budgeted funds must be allocated toward completion of tasks described in Section 2 Early Awareness.

2)No GEAR UP funds may be requested for Tasks 3.1, 3.2, or 3.3.

3)Required attendees for the 2016MGI Super School Summit include at least one District representative plus members of the College and Career Readiness (CCR) team at each school; budget $300 per attendee for mileage + lodging+ meals, add others at District cost.

MGI Quarterly Financial Packet Guidelines and Instructions

1.Approved GEAR UP MGI action plans drive the budget. Associated costs are funded by federal (GEAR UP reimbursement) resources. Therefore, federal cost principles apply to expenditure of GEAR UP MGI funds. Further guidance on this is provided in Item 7 below.

2.Accordingly, financial reporting and documentation standards for GEAR UP MGI fund use are high, and there is significant emphasis on scrutiny and accountability associated with their use. Audit-ready financial records of GEAR MGI costs incurred must demonstrate that they:
● are allowable as defined in federal government Uniform Guidance or “Super-Circulars”
● are in accordance with District policies and procedures
● clearly serve their designated public purpose of implementing GEAR UP MGI action plans

3.GEAR UP funds allocated to the MGI are focused on Early Readiness (increasing student academic achievement through curriculum and instruction improvements in response to data) and Early Awareness (creating a school-wide culture that fosters all students’ preparation and motivation for a full range of postsecondary options). Accordingly, requested GEAR UP funds may not be used for tasks associated with administrative tasks3.1, 3.2 and 3.3.

4.Common cost components (federal) include:

(a) School Personnel (salaries + benefits)

(b) Non-District Personnel (consultants)

(c) In-State Travel (registration, mileage, meals, lodging)

(d) Materials & Supplies

(e) Printing & Photocopying

5.GEAR UP MGI Partnerships operate on a cost reimbursement basis. School Partners request reimbursement by way of a completed quarterly financial packet using forms developed by NAU GEAR UP. The quarterly financial packet must be e-mailed (scanned image) or mailed (hard copy) on or before the due dates specified below (generally 20 days after the close of a quarter). The packet includes a Summary and Certification section and an Itemized Costs & Brief Narrative section. Supporting documentation must be included for each expense being requested for reimbursement (see Item 9 for further guidance on supporting documentation).

MGI Reporting Schedule / Submission Instructions
REPORTING PERIOD / DUE ON OR BEFORE / Mail all originals to:
Arizona GEAR UP
15451 N. 28th Ave. #216
Phoenix, AZ 85053
OR…Email scanned image of all originals to:
July 1 – Sept 30, 2015
Oct 1 – Dec 31, 2015
Jan 1 – March 31, 2016
April 1 – June 30, 2016 / October 20, 2015
January 20, 2016
April 20, 2016
July 20, 2016

6.Funds issued to the GEAR UP MGI Partner from NAU for reimbursement of expenses cannot be co-mingled with funds from other sources. This means that partners must establish a separate local account to capture GEAR UP MGI-related financial activity. This auditable transaction record of both revenue received and expenses incurred must be assigned a unique identifying number from within the Partners’ existing General Ledger account structure. Only GEAR UP MGI Agreement-related financial activity can be posted to this account. A detailed statement of each month’s account activity that conforms to generally accepted accounting principles must be submitted as part of the supporting documentation record for requested reimbursement.

7.GEAR UP MGI expenditures must be for the direct costs of the project as described in the approved Agreement work plan and budget, and authorized under federal cost principles (Education Department General Administrative Regulations, and 2 CFR Chapter I, Chapter II, Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards). NAU reserves the right to disallow costs, either before or after they have been reported and reimbursed, based on later audit or other review.

Federal cost principles on allowable costs state that they must be:

  • Reasonable (reflecting an action that a prudent person would take and generally recognized as necessary for the organization to accomplish a work plan task, guided by established institutional policies and practices);
  • Allocable (applied in proportion to relative benefits, as approximated through reasonable methods);
  • Consistently treated (anything not allowed by the partner organization is not allowed by GEAR UP);
  • Compliant with limitations and exclusions (as stated in federal cost principles, these guidelines, and the Agreement).

8.The Brief Narrative included with the financial packet must clearly identify all items requested for reimbursement, and make the purpose of each evident by correlating them to specific work plan task(s); this means that listing an employee name alone (under School Personnel) or a vendor name alone (under Operating) is inadequate.

9.Supporting documentation means copies of all Time and Effort forms, payroll registers, receipts, invoices, purchase orders, calculation sheets, transaction reports, accounting reports, e-mail correspondence, and other types of documentation in support of expenses requested for reimbursement. This includes:

  • An auditable transaction record of both revenue received and expenses incurred during the reporting period, for the separate local account established to capture GEAR UP MGI-related financial activity.
  • A payroll register that conforms to generally accepted accounting principles, as documentation for salaries, wages, and benefits of school personnel costs (for either reimbursement or cost share).
  • Copies of signed Time and Effort forms for each staff member whose personnel costs are being requested for reimbursement in a given month (partners may substitute copies of their own such forms if they meet standards of OMB Circular A-87 Appendix B(11h)).
  • All other supporting expenditure documentation, as backup for reimbursement related to travel and operatingcosts.

10.A GEAR UP Partner’s “Authorized Official” is the person who is designated in the Agreement as such. The original signature of the Partner’s Authorized Official must appear on page 1 of each quarterly financial packet submitted to the State GEAR UP Office. By signing, the Authorized Official is certifying that expenditures requested for reimbursement comply with all applicable federal regulations, that the brief narrative and cumulative report are accurate, and that all required supporting documentation is attached.

11.Questions on MGI financial reporting may be directed to:
Stephen Hart, Assistant Director – Operations, (602) 776 – 4614,