Consortium+Information

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= 2017-18 Title III Consortium = = = For the 2017-18 grant year (7/1/2017 - 9/30/2018) our English Learner (EL) grant includes 29 districts from southeast and south central Nebraska (primarily ESU regions 4, 5, 6, and 9). In order to access Title III funding, districts with an allocation of less than $10,000 must consort. The EL population of our member districts ranges from 1 student to over 80 students (as of June 2017), which means the individual district allocations range from $117 to $9,327. However, member districts should be more concerned with our overall budget of $46,872 plus significant carryover from the previous year. We use some of these funds to provide consortium-wide professional development and resources. Also, when districts have a local ELL-related expense that is allowable under the federal regulations, they should request reimbursement for the expense regardless of the district's individual allocation. For the particular guidelines of this grant, pease see NDE's website: []. Contact Jen with questions about a specific project or resource.

=2017-18 Grant Information = Please contact Jen with your Title III and English Learner related questions and needs!

Jen Madison ESU 4 919 16th Street Auburn, NE 68305 402.274.4354

In March of 2017, a letter and corresponding documents regarding 2017-18 consortium participation were mailed to superintendents of the current consortium. Please don't hesitate to contact Jen with your questions. (Previous years' documents are available upon request.)
 * 2017-18 Intent to Participate**


 * [[file:2017 Commitment Letter.pdf]]
 * [[file:Title III Program Agreement 2017-18.pdf]]
 * [[file:ESSA Grant Consortium Information.pdf]]


 * Important Note:** Due to changes in ESSA regulations, English Learner counts were pulled from NSSRS/ADVISER in June 2017 to determine 2017-18 allocations.

Updates for Leaders:
 * Current: [|August 2017]
 * Previous
 * [[file:Title III English Learner Update - April 2017.pdf]]

=Request Title III Funds = To request reimbursement or payment for approved uses of Title III funds, please complete the fillable PDF and return to Jen Madison or Sue Knickman at ESU 4 via mail, fax, or email.

[|Title III Request for Funding] (Click to view and download.)


 * Important Notes:**
 * Pre-approval is strongly recommended to ensure that your expense can be funded according to the grant requirements. ** Include all invoices, //itemized// receipts, and/or other ** ** pertinent **** information. **
 * ESU 4 can only pay vendors directly if we are placing the initial order. Otherwise, please plan to use district funds and request reimbursement.
 * ESU 4 is able to reimburse for substitute pay at the district rate; however, FICA remains the district's responsibility.
 * Stipends for allowable events will be determined based on the specific event.
 * Mileage will be reimbursed at the current government rate.
 * Use of Title III funding for food is very limited and specific. Please ask first.

To learn more about Title III allowable expenditures, [|click here].

=Parent Notification Letter =

Title III and Nebraska Rule 15 require that "The school district shall notify the parent, or guardian, or other person enrolling the student that the student qualifies for services..." (Rule 15 003.04). Our consortium drafted a letter in the spring of 2017 and commissioned translations in various languages. ESU 4 Consortium districts may use this letter to fulfill the requirements of Rule 15 and Title III.

[|ESU 4 Title III Consortium EL Placement Parent Letters]

=Consortium Goals = The primary goal of our consortium is to improve student achievement in all content areas. A significant part of this effort requires supporting districts' efforts to involve families and ensure that all staff utilize research-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices through professional development. See how some of our districts have sought to meet these goals. This is NOT a complete list of how the funds can be used!


 * Limited English Proficient (LEP)**
 * **Parent Involvement **
 * Family Nights/Activities
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Parent Meetings (some have included language lessons)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Translation (for non-required activities)


 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Supplemental Instruction & Materials **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">extra services such as additional summer school and tutoring to students to supplement core language instruction
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">various supplemental instructional materials (those used in addition to core language instruction) many of which are //available upon request for preview and check out//:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Rosetta Stone// Online v.3
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Language for Learning / Espanol to English//
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Great Source //Access// (Newcomers, English, Math, Science, History)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Direct Instruction Spoken English//
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//Imagine Learning English//
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">High Performance Writing //
 * //Essentials for Writing//
 * //Daily Oral Vocabulary Exercises//
 * //Academic Vocabulary for English Learners//
 * //Words for Academic Writing//
 * //others!//


 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Professional Development **//(just a sample of past activities)//
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in;">ELL Network (consortium-wide professional development and discussion)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in;">EL specific coursework tuition (e.g. tuition for ESL/ELL courses towards an endorsement or advanced degree)
 * //Newcomers in Your School//, Center for Applied Linguistics (consortium-wide opportunity, summer 2016)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in;">//Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners//, McREL (consortium-wide professional development opportunity)
 * //Teaching Basic and Advanced Vocabulary,// Marzano Research Laboratory (consortium-wide opportunity, summer 2011)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in;">Professional Library Resources (many resources available on loan)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in;">District-specific in-service and training (e.g., T//eaching ELLs: Issues to Consider and Strategies to Apply//, Norris Middle School; //Stages of Language Acquisition//)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in;">participant expenses (e.g., mileage, fees, lodging, substitute reimbursement) to attend appropriate professional development


 * Immigrant Education (IE)**
 * Regional Professional Development (//e.g., CAL Newcomers in Your School//)
 * Family Literacy and Parent Outreach Activities
 * Activities to Introduce Students to the Educational Systems and Civics Education
 * Activities Coordinated with Community-Based Organizations

=<span style="color: #00801c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">AMAO Status = The Nebraska State Department of Education sets yearly goals (**Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives**; which are also called AMAOs) for English language learners in the following areas: • AMAO I: The number of students making progress in learning English • AMAO II: The number of students becoming proficient in English • AMAO III: The number of English language learners making AYP

Due to state (ELDA to ELPA21) and federal (NCLB to ESSA) transitions, AMAOs will not be calculated for 2015-16 or 2016-17.
 * 2015-17 ESU 4 Consortium Status:**


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">2014-15 ESU 6 Consortium Status: **
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">AMAO I: MET **
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">AMAO II: MET **
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">AMAO III: n/a **

Since our consortium AMAO status for the most recent results was MET, individual districts are ** not required ** to send any kind of notification to parents regardless of the district-level status. Thus, district-level information is for informational purposes only. For more information about Title III accountability, please visit NDE's page: [].

<span style="color: #00801c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5;">**Federal Guidance Regarding Supplementing vs. Supplanting** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> One of the requirements for use of Title III funding is that the grant should be used only to supplement ELL programming rather than supplant what school districts are required to provide under other statutes. Often, this must be determined on a case-specific basis; however, these documents provide sound guidance:
 * NCLB Title III Session - July 2014: [[file:NCLB Title III Session July 2014 final.pdf]]
 * [[file:Federal Grant Update 2012.pdf]]

=<span style="color: #00801c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Time & Effort Logs = <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In order to request reimbursement or payment for salaries/stipends, a completed Time & Effort Log is required to document the time and activities paid with Title III funds. The log must document daily time and tasks, and it must be signed by a supervisor, dated, and submitted each month. Contact Jen if you need an appropriate template or form.

=<span style="color: #00801c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ELP Standards Alignment = <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 17.7272720336914px;">Title III and Rule 15 require ELL programs to be aligned with state English Language Proficiency Standards.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none;">[|Alignment Process Materials]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none;">[|Nebraska Content Standards]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Program Resources
 * Imagine Learning: Scope and Sequence
 * <span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//Rosetta Stone//:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none;">[|Scope and Sequence]
 * <span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none;">[|Course Outline (more detailed)]
 * //DISE//: <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; line-height: 1.2; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__ [|Table of Contents] __
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> Language for Learning: [|Scope & Sequence]

= NCLB Monitoring Reviews = Each district and ESU receiving funds from any of the NCLB formula grants will be monitored at least once every three years. Our next consortium review is anticipated in spring 2020. For this review, Jen may be required to collect specific documentation from EACH member district (e.g., parent notification letters).

Is your district prepared? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Go to this link to download the monitoring guide checklist: []. (Scroll down to the "Monitoring Guides/Checklists/Forms Section".)


 * 2016-17 ESU 4 Monitoring Report:**


 * 2013-14 ESU 6 Title III LEP Monitoring Report:** [[file:Title III Review Report May 2013.pdf]]

=<span style="color: #00801c; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">EL Program Review = Nebraska's Rule 15 (Section 008) requires each district to conduct an annual review of its English Learner Program. Further, a written summary report of the findings must be kept on file in the district superintendent's office and made available to the public upon request. While there is not a specific form or format for the process or summary report, we do have access to several tools for guidance:
 * [|Rule 15: A Guide for Implementation]: Download the Guide for Implementation, which includes a template to guide the district team through the review.
 * [|NDE EL Learning Module, 008 Program Review]: This brief video module provides background information as well as a guided review. Access requires a free Moodle account.
 * [|Consortium Resources]: This is a Google folder containing shared resources. For example, several samples/templates for the written report are included.

= Online Programs for Students =

Rosetta Stone
The consortium has purchased 50 individual user licenses of [|Rosetta Stone Foundations] use as supplemental language support. These licenses are available to consortium districts on a first-come, first-serve basis. Participating districts must designate a District Administrator who will have access to local accounts to manage curricula and reports. Please email jmadison@esu4.net for more information or to register new users.
 * Foundations Version
 * To Launch Rosetta Stone as a Registered User: []
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">New Supplemental Materials

Imagine Learning English
In 2012, the consortium arranged for a group purchase of the //Imagine Learning// engine. Currently, we have 65 individual learner licenses for //Imagine Learning// (Cloud version) for use as supplemental language instruction and practice. This system does require minor installation and teacher training. If your district is interested in using this program, please contact Jen for more information!
 * Imagine Learning Support: [].
 * To access the teacher dashboard as a registered user: [].
 * To access the student learning portal as a registered user: [|http://myimaginelearning.com].
 * Contact Jen for your district's site code.

= Reimbursement for Coursework = Tuition for coursework of teachers/leaders specifically meant to benefit English Learners may be reimbursable for personnel in consortium districts, //depending on current grant funding priorities and availability//. Generally, these parameters apply:
 * The class must specifically apply to serving English Learners.
 * The class must be offered by an accredited institution.
 * Title III will only reimburse tuition (not other institution fees) that are not already being paid/reimbursed by any other scholarship, grant, etc.
 * Documentation must be completed and submitted to Jen (jmadison@esu4.net).
 * [|Title III Funding Request form]
 * W-9 (if not already on file at ESU 4)
 * official course name and description (i.e., syllabus)
 * itemized invoice/receipt
 * transcript showing successful completion (grade C or above)
 * If asked, the teacher will share a component of learning at an ELL Network (can be informal).
 * Because these are federal funds, reimbursement can take a few months.
 * **Contact Jen before the course to ensure approval and discuss details.**

= Information from NDE = Please visit the Nebraska Department of Education website for current information.


 * ESU 4 Title III Consortium **

Aurora Public Schools, Beatrice Public Schools, Blue Hill Public Schools, Deshler Public Schools, Diller-Odell Public Schools, Doniphan-Trumbull Public Schools, Dorchester Public Schools, Fairbury Public Schools, Harvard Public Schools, Heartland Community School, Johnson County Central Public Schools, Kenesaw Public Schools, Lewiston Consolidated Schools, Malcolm Public Schools, Meridian Public Schools, Milford Public Schools, Nebraska City Public Schools, Norris School District 160, Raymond Central Public Schools, Seward Public Schools, Silver Lake Public Schools, South Central Nebraska Unified 5, Southern School District 1, Sutton Public Schools, Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Public Schools, Thayer Central Community Schools, Waverly School District 145, Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools, York Public Schools
 * 2017-18 Member Districts **

//*indicates districts also receiving Immigrant Education funds// Aurora Public Schools, Beatrice Public Schools, *Blue Hill Public Schools, *Centennial Public School, Diller-Odell Public Schools, Doniphan-Trumbull Public Schools, *Dorchester Public Schools, Fairbury Public Schools, Harvard Public Schools, *Heartland Community School, *Johnson County Central Public Schools, Lewiston Consolidated Schools, Malcolm Public Schools, Meridian Public Schools, Milford Public Schools, *Nebraska City Public Schools, *Norris School District 160, Raymond Central Public Schools, Seward Public Schools, Silver Lake Public Schools, South Central Nebraska Unified 5, Sutton Public Schools, *Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Public Schools, *Waverly School District 145, Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools, *York Public Schools
 * 2016-17 Member Districts **

//*indicates districts also receiving Immigrant Education funds//
 * 2015-2016 Member Districts **
 * Aurora Public Schools, Beatrice Public Schools, Blue Hill Public Schools, *Centennial Public School, Deshler Public Schools, Diller-Odell Public Schools, Doniphan-Trumbull Public Schools, Dorchester Public Schools, Fairbury Public Schools, Harvard Public Schools, *Heartland Community School, Johnson County Central Public Schools, Lewiston Consolidated Schools, Malcolm Public Schools, Meridian Public Schools, Milford Public Schools, *Nebraska City Public Schools, *Norris School District 160, Raymond Central Public Schools, Red Cloud Community Schools, *Seward Public Schools, South Central Nebraska Unified 5, Southern School District 1, Superior Public Schools, Sutton Public Schools, *Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Public Schools, *Waverly School District 145, *Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools, *York Public Schools


 * Past Consortia:**

Auburn Public Schools, Beatrice Public Schools, Deshler Public Schools, Diller-Odell Public Schools, Dorchester Public Schools, Fairbury Public Schools, Heartland Community School, Johnson County Central Public Schools, Lewiston Consolidated Schools, Malcolm Public Schools, Meridian Public Schools, Milford Public Schools, Nebraska City Public Schools, Norris School District 160, Raymond Central Public Schools, Seward Public Schools, Waverly School District 145, Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools, York Public Schools
 * 2014-2015 Member Districts **

Auburn Public Schools, Beatrice Public Schools, Diller-Odell Public Schools, Dorchester Public Schools, Fairbury Public Schools, Johnson County Central Public Schools, Lewiston Consolidated Schools, Malcolm Public Schools, Milford Public Schools, Nebraska City Public Schools, Norris School District 160, Raymond Central Public Schools, Waverly School District 145, Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools, York Public Schools
 * 2013-2014 Member Districts **

Auburn Public Schools, Beatrice Public Schools, Centennial Public School, Diller-Odell Public Schools, Dorchester Public Schools, Fairbury Public Schools, Johnson County Central Public Schools, Johnson-Brock Public Schools, Lewiston Consolidated Schools, Malcolm Public Schools, Milford Public Schools, Nebraska City Public Schools, Norris School District 160, Seward Public Schools, Waverly School District 145, Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools, York Public Schools
 * 2012-2013 Member Districts **

Auburn Public Schools, Beatrice Public Schools, Diller-Odell Public Schools, Dorchester Public Schools, Fairbury Public Schools, Johnson County Central Public Schools, Johnson-Brock Public Schools, Lewiston Consolidated Schools, Malcolm Public Schools, Meridian Public Schools, Milford Public Schools, Nebraska City Public Schools, Norris School District 160, Seward Public Schools, Shickley Public Schools, Waverly School District 145, Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools, York Public Schools
 * 2011-2012 Member Districts **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** 2010-2011 Member Districts ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Auburn Public Schools, Beatrice Public Schools, Centennial Public Schools, Diller-Odell Public Schools, Dorchester Public Schools, Fairbury Public Schools, Johnson County Central Public Schools, Lewiston Consolidated Schools, Malcolm Public Schools, Meridian Public Schools, Milford Public Schools, Nebraska City Public Schools, Norris School District 160, Seward Public Schools, Shickley Public Schools, Southern School District 1, Waverly School District 145, Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools, York Public Schools <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: 0px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 2600.5px; width: 1px;">[]. <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: 0px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 2509.5px; width: 1px;">28 districts