2 Louisiana Believes Objective: The Department is providing districts increased support in preparation for the 14-15 school year. As districts plan for.

2Louisiana Believes

Objective: The Department is providing districts increased support in preparation for the 14-15 school year. As districts plan for the 2014-15 school year, the Department will provide three key types of support.

1. The District Planning Guide will frame the key decisions districts make and illustrate the Department-produced resources that will support this decision-making.

2. The District Planning Calls will be a place where the Department shares key information about how districts can use the available resources to make the decisions cataloged in the guide.

3. The Network teams will support districts use of the tools within planning processes.

Welcome

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WHAT: The District Planning Guide is a tool for planning that can be used by districts in a variety of ways. It is designed to support district decision making around key focus areas to improve instruction and learning.

WHY: Each district’s approach to planning is unique and requires focus most relevant to district needs. This guide was created to elevate key milestones, Department resources, and decisions for consideration. This information is intended to help districts identify the planning priorities most relevant to their district.

HOW:Districts may choose to use the guide in whole or parts. The questions and resources suggested by the guide can be considered by the District Planning Team and, if desired, supported by the Network Teams.

District Planning Guide 2014-2015

Align Resources

MILESTONE DECISIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

Determine needs and associated costs across focus areas (Determine by April)

Across all the focus areas, aggregate all the district level needs for next year. Estimate costs for all items to be purchased.

Determine what funds are available across the district and their associated flexibilities (Determine by May)

Use the Department’s financial dashboard for your district and other district level tools to determine all sources of funds available and how these funds are being spent.

Determine which current expenditures can be discontinued.

Align available funds to needs (Complete Unified Application by June 13)

Review Use of Funds guidance to determine allowable uses for each source of funds.

Determine how to fund each of the needs identified, braiding funds where possible.

Use Unified Application to apply for federal funds and state grants.

The Planning Guide highlights how the resources we are providing assist you in this work.

District Financial Dashboard: What funds are available and how have we been using

them?

What is the District Financial Dashboard? LDOE has developed this dashboard to support your academic planning process by providing a:• Summary of 11-12 Expenditure data as reported by districts to LDE • Listing of 13-14 Grant Award amounts• Summary of how 2013-14 grant funds are budgeted to support Classroom

Support Strategies.

How does the District Financial Dashboard support the planning process? • Consolidates complex information from multiple financial reports • Provides a starting point to facilitate a conversation about how money is spent

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Historical expenditures and current grant funds available

Details on current Unified Application budget

Details on current Title I School Level Funding

The district financial dashboard provides:

Funding Flexibilities

LDOE has taken efforts to reduce burdens and provide Louisiana’s educators with increased flexibilities. The efforts include:

• Redesigning state oversight mechanisms to reduce burden (i.e. eGMS Unified Application Design, Consolidated Monitoring)

• Eliminating burdensome planning requirements that do not add value• Revising the use of funds guidance

Flexibilities allows districts to:• Support transition to higher curriculum standards• Support teacher evaluation • Prepare for college and readiness assessments • Offer arts education • Provide rewards for highly effective teachers• Improve school climate• Increase parent and community engagement

Managing Risk

How does LDOE manage risks associated with fiscal flexibility? • Point-of-contact support and budget alignment tools• Pre-Award Controls • Unified Application review and approval process

• Request for Funds

LDOE’s goal in managing risk• Provide opportunities for flexible use of federal funds while ensuring Louisiana’s

LEAs are in compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations• Ensure Louisiana’s LEAs are aware of any risk associated with proposed budget

and activities

Coming Soon• Clear guidance on the program specific impacts of supplement not supplant• Comprehensive listing of compliance considerations

Use of Funds: How can we use different funding sources to support our

priorities?

What information does the Use of Funds guidance provide? • Examples of how different funding sources can be used to support priorities• Information on each grant program

How does Use of Funds guidance support planning? • Provides info-graphics that demonstrate how available grant funds can support

your academic priorities• Provides guidelines that establish the parameters for use of funds• Provides program specific descriptions that support the alignment of available

funding sources to priority activities

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List of funding sources at the top with a check mark to indicate whether example activities may be allowable

The info-graphics provide:

Unified Application: How do we apply for and align available funds to needs?

What is the Unified Application? The Unified Application is the consolidation of 30+ grant applications into one process that allows schools districts to plan based on district needs.

How does the Unified Application support planning? • Promotes alignment between your academic priorities and financial resources• Increases opportunities to braid funding sources • One-stop-shop for all grant management functions

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The Unified Application provides:

Details on how your budgets support your priorities

Planning and Budgeting Support: Supporting the Plan

What planning and budgeting support is being provided? • Network Teams, NCLB, IDEA and fiscal points-of-contact are

available to support your needs throughout the planning phase

How will LDOE’s support assist your planning process? • Provide technical guidance to help you achieve maximum flexibility

as you develop your plan and budget• Provide support to help you achieve compliance with all applicable

rules and regulations

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The Department will increase professional development support for districts:

• Provide free and recommended professional development: • Focus on ELA instruction, math instruction, and school collaboration

structures • Calendar including DOE provided PD for the 14-15 year (including June

Teacher leader event, in person training, virtual support)• Recommendation of standards-aligned quality PD providers (for purchase)

• Release math and ELA packaged recommendations: • Guides package reviews of curriculum, assessment and PD with DOE created

materials to illustrate one recommended approach for curriculum, assessment, and professional development

Professional Development

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Direct Support

Structure Support

District Academic Implementation Calls

January 29: Preview curriculum guidebooks, technology footprint, field test basicsFebruary 19: Math and ELA recommended curriculum and training plan, spending flexibilityMarch 12: Curriculum guidebook review, final field test prep, Compass final evaluation informationApril 2: Assessment guides, field test update, updated EAGLE resourcesMay 7: Unified application, field test update, teacher leader and Superintendents conference prep June 11: Streamlined district reporting, field test wrap up, summer support

Network Support • Support use of planning guide to help districts prepare for 2014-15• Support execution of plan• Regional principal collaboration opportunities

Teacher Leaders • Double size (each school allowed to send at least 2 teachers) • June in person training (June 3rd and 4th in New Orleans) • Monthly email communication • Virtual training and collaboration all year • Regional collaboration opportunities throughout the year

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Calendar and TimelineKey Dates Action January 28 & 29 • Network 5 Planning Meeting (28th): Baton Rouge

• District support call (29th) • Network 3 Planning Meeting (29th): Baton Rouge, (30th): Lake Charles

February 6 & 7 • Network 4 Planning Meeting (6th) – Baton Rouge• Network 1 Planning Meeting (7th) – Bossier City

February 19 & 20 • District support call (19th) • Network 2 Planning Meeting (20th): West Monroe

March 1 • Resource Release: 1 math and ELA guide book (6-8), PD training recommendations , PARCC administration support tools

March 12 • District support call

April 1 • Resource Release: 1 math and ELA guide book (high school)

April 2 • District support call

May 1 • Resource Release: 1 math and ELA guide book (3-5), ELA online framework, 14-15 assessment items and Eagle rerelease

May 7 • District support call

June 3-5 • Resource Release: 1 math and ELA guide book (K-2)• Teacher Leader Event: June 3 & 4• State Superintendents Collaboration: June 4 & 5

June 11 • District support call

Next Steps: Contact your POC

We are here to support your vision for achievement!