• 1.  What is the Columbus City Schools board policy on grants?

    The board policy 6110 - GRANT FUNDS can be found here:  https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/columbus/Board.nsf/Public#

    The board policy 6325 -  PROCUREMENT – FEDERAL GRANTS/FUNDS can be found here:  https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/columbus/Board.nsf/Public#

    The board policy 6111 -  INTERNAL CONTROLS – FEDERAL AWARDS can be found here:  https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/columbus/Board.nsf/Public#

    The board policy 3113 – CONFLICT OF INTEREST can be found here:  https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/columbus/Board.nsf/Public#

    The board policy 6112 – CASH MANAGEMENT OF GRANTS can be found here:  https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/columbus/Board.nsf/Public#

    The board policy 6114 -  COST PRINCIPLES - SPENDING FEDERAL FUNDS can be found here:  https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/columbus/Board.nsf/Public#

    The board policy 6116 - TIME AND EFFORT REPORTING can be found here:  https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/columbus/Board.nsf/Public#

     

    2.  What is considered family for the purpose of  family engagement? 

    The Every Student Succeeds Act does not define family, but local educational agencies and schools should be sensitive to the diverse kinds of family support structures, according to non-regulatory guidance.  Extended family members, including grandparents, aunts, or uncles often play critical roles in the lives of students.  Students who are homeless or unaccompanied youths may have a network of “family members” extending beyond their biological relatives.

     

    3.  Is it okay to reserve more than 1 percent of a local educational agency’s Title I allocation or family engagement?

    Yes.  The 1 percent set-aside of a Title I allocation is meant as a minimum, not a maximum, for family engagement where local educational agencies receive a Title I allocation of more than $500,000.  If a district has an allocation of $500,000 or less, it must comply with all of the Every Student Succeeds Act’s family engagement requirements, but it does not have to reserve any specific amount of Title I funds, according to non-regulatory guidance.

     

    4.  Can a local educational agency spend Title I funds on family engagement without getting input from parents?

    No, it must get input from parents on how Title I funds are spent on family engagement.

     

    5.  Can a school or local education agency spend Title I funds on food for family engagement activities?

    Food is not a required expenditure of Title I, so local educational agencies must be able to show how food expenses are reasonable and necessary for student achievement.  Schools have typically gotten into trouble for spending excessively on food without keeping any supporting documentation, like receipts and a parent sign-in list from the family engagement night.  They fail to provide an explanation for how food costs were related to student achievement, according to federal monitor reports.

     

    6.  Can schools spend Title I on take-home education materials for parents?

    Yes.  Schools are required to provide materials and training for parents to help improve student achievement.

     

    7.  Must schools and local education agencies teach parents about the harms of copyright piracy?

    Yes, this is required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Section 1116(e )(2), but the subject probably does not need a whole class. Some states integrate the subject into regular family engagement activities.

     

    8.  Is it okay to get support from a business or community partner to do family engagement?

    Yes.  Collaborating with a community partner is mentioned both as a possible district initiative and as a way for schools and local education agencies to build parent capacity.

     

    9.  Must schools communicate with parents in their native language?

    The Every Student Succeeds Act provides some leeway here, asking schools to communicate with parents with limited English to the “extent practicable” in a language they understand.

     

    10.  Is it a good idea to have multiple meetings on family engagement?

    Yes.  Flexibility is encouraged to accommodate parents and maximize participation.

     

    11.  Must high schools have parent-teacher conferences to review the school compact as it relates to an individual student?

    No, it is necessary for elementary schools, but not for secondary schools.

     

    12.  Should schools try to reach parents at home or in the community?

    Yes.  Reaching parents at home is mentioned in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Section 1116 as both a district strategy for family engagement and as a means for building parent capacity.

     

    13.  Should schools and local educational agencies build capacity of teachers and school staff for family engagement?

    Yes.  Building teacher capacity is required under the Elementary and Secondary Education, Section 1116 (e)(3).  Parents can also assist in the training of teachers and school staff.  ESEA Section 1116(e)(6).