Title I, Part A Flexible Learning Program (FLP) FY15 Data Collections Conference Classic Center Athens, Georgia August 27, 2014

Presenters Jennifer Davenport, Ed.D. Title I, Part A Program Manager Federal Programs – Title I [email protected] (404) 463-1955 Margo DeLaune Title Programs Director Federal Programs – Title I [email protected] (404) 657-1796

Purpose  This session will provide an overview of Georgia’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) Flexibility Wavier as it relates to the requirement of the Flexible Learning Program (FLP) for Title I, Part A schools that have been designated as either a Priority, Focus, or Title I Alert school .

Georgia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver Overview

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent “Making Education Work for All Georgians” www.gadoe.org

Georgia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver • Georgia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver does not waive the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The wavier does, however, waive requirements of section 1116 of ESEA specific to public school choice (Choice) and supplemental educational services (SES).

Georgia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver Immediate Advantages of Georgia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver Approval

• Identifies Title I Reward, Priority, and Focus Schools as prescribed by US ED; • Identifies Title I and non-Title I Alert Schools, which are unique to Georgia, and provide greater emphasis on subgroup performance and issues; • Uses all state assessments in the identification of Priority, Focus, and Alert Schools; • Exercises greater flexibility with federal funding;

Georgia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver Immediate Advantages of Georgia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver Approval

• Authorizes and requires districts to provide Flexible Learning Programs (FLPs) as an alternative to Supplemental Education Services (SES) for designated Priority, Focus, and Title I Alert Schools (when applicable). • Follows state law (O.C.G.A. §§ 20-2-2130–20-2-2131) Intradistrict Transfer instead of NCLB Public School Choice.

Georgia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver Immediate Advantages of Georgia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver Approval

• For those Title I schools that have been designated as Priority or Focus, the waiver allows those schools to waive the minimum 40 percent poverty requirement to be eligible to be served as a schoolwide Title I schools.

Flexible Learning Program (FLP)

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent “Making Education Work for All Georgians” www.gadoe.org

What is the Flexible Learning Program (FLP) ?  FLP is a supplemental academic intervention that is required for Priority Schools, Focus Schools, and Title I Alert Schools (where applicable).  FLP allows districts to design an extended learning program tailored to meet the needs of the school and students with greatest academic need.  FLP replaces supplemental educational services (SES)

Comparison of SES to FLP The FLP replaces Supplemental Educational Services (SES) formally required of schools in needs improvement. SES

FLP

• Required the use of outside providers approved by the Georgia Department of Education (Department) to provide free tutoring to eligible students based on Federal Rank Order • Was designed to improve the academic achievement of individual students

• Allows districts to design and provide supplemental extended learning opportunities to eligible students based on Federal Rank Order • Is designed to improve the academic achievement of individual students

What is the Goal of the Flexible Learning Program (FLP)?  The goal of the FLP is to improve the academic achievement of the most academically at-risk students in the school. For Title I, Part A, the academic areas to be served are reading, English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

Which Schools Must Implement a Flexible Learning Program (FLP)?  In general, Title I schools that have been identified as Priority, Focus, or Title I Alerts Schools (where applicable).  Title I Priority, and Focus receiving school improvement 1003(g) funding (SIG) and/or RT3 Lowest Achieving Schools (RT3/LAS) are not required to implement an FLP due to the requirements for extended learning time in the SIG.

How are Students Selected for the Flexible Learning Program (FLP)?  All students in a school offering the FLP are eligible for FLP services.  FLP services may not be limited to a specific grade level(s) or a specific subgroup of students (students with disabilities, ELLs, females, white students, etc.).

How are Students Selected for the Flexible Learning Program (FLP)?  Students are targeted for the FLP using two distinct but related ranking systems applied in the order outline below: 1. Multiple, educationally related, objective selection criteria by core content area (the area served by the FLP) that will be applied to determine the rank order list of eligible students by greatest academic need. 2. Federal FLP Rank Order

Is Attendance tracked for the Flexible Learning Program (FLP)?  Data related to student attendance in FLP is critical to the evaluation of the program.  In some instances, student attendance in FLP is not tracked through the LEAs student information system (SIS) since the FLP occurs outside of the regular school day in some schools.  One example of a time when the SIS might track FLP attendance is in a middle school where the FLP is a part of the connections program.

FLP Delivery Models  Sample FLP delivery models include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Before/After school Saturday school Summer school Intersession During the school day A combination of delivery models

FLP Delivery Models  Students may participate in more than one of the delivery options for FLP. In other words, a student could participate in both the during school and Saturday FLP offerings.

FLP Instructional Strategies  FLP instructional strategies include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Tutoring Small group instruction Whole class instruction Computer assisted instruction Combinations of instructional strategies

FLP Instructional Strategies  It is not necessary to track instructional strategies at the student level in SIS because FLP schools have defined the instructional strategies to be used at the school level in their Department approved FLP.  SES required the tracking of instructional strategies because the instructional strategies were defined at the outside provider level which was in essence an unknown for the LEA.

New Requirements Based on the ESEA Flexibility Waiver Extension  All Priority Schools must offer Flexible Learning Program (FLP) – Any district having a school designated as a Priority School that falls within the rank order of Title I schools served, must serve such school provided that the school falls within the rank order of schools within the district. This also applies to districts using grade span grouping to identify Title I schools to be served.

New Requirements Based on the ESEA Flexibility Waiver Extension  All Focus Schools status must offer Flexible Learning Programs (FLP)  For all Priority and Focus Schools required to offer FLP: – Elementary schools offering a specials or activity class (music, art, etc.) are encouraged to offer the FLP as a part of the rotation during this time period.

New Requirements Based on the ESEA Flexibility Waiver Extension  For all Priority and Focus Schools required to offer FLP: – Middle schools offering connections are encouraged to offer the FLP as a part of the rotation during this time period. – Where specials/activity classes or connections classes are not offered as a part of a school’s regular daily schedule, LEAs are encouraged to extend the school day to provide FLP within the regular school day schedule.

New Requirements Based on the ESEA Flexibility Waiver Extension  For all Priority and Focus Schools required to offer FLP: – For all schools not implementing the FLP through either specials/activity classes, connections classes, or an extended school day offering, such schools must offer two of these opportunities for all students to access the FLP:  Before School  After School  Intercession

 Saturday Session  Other

QUESTIONS

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent “Making Education Work for All Georgians” www.gadoe.org

Contact Information Jennifer Davenport Georgia Department of Education Title I, Part A Program Manager [email protected] (404) 463-1955 Margo DeLaune Georgia Department of Education Title Programs Director [email protected] (404) 657-1796