ARRA/Economic Stimulus Plan for Education

Suggestions for use of special education ARRA funds are:\n\n1. Teacher salaries and salaries for other trained educators. Possible use could also be trained para professionals that will help a child benefit from an inclusive placement.\n\n2. Scientifically research based curriculums in the areas of reading and math, which are required by No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Many school districts are continuing to use outdated curriculums that are not proven to help children learn reading and math. Once a school district purchases the curriculum and trains their teachers the benefits will continue for years to come.\n\n3. Obtain state of the art assistive technology devices and also provide training in their use to enhance access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities.\n\n4. Provide intensive district wide professional training for regular and special education teachers, that focuses on research based curriculums and strategies in the areas of reading, math, writing, and science.\n\n5. Provide intensive district wide professional development in the area of positive behavioral supports and plans to improve outcomes for children with disabilities. Many children with disabilities are continuing to be suspended and expelled for behavior that is part of their disability; though this is not allowed under IDEA. School wide use of positive behavioral supports and plans will benefit all children not just those with disabilities.\n\n6. Hire transition coordinators to work with employers in the community to develop job placements and training for youths with disabilities. This will ensure that children graduating will have a job and a future!\n\n

PowerPoint presentation that gives examples of maintenance of effort (MOE) from a fictitious school district.

School districts, county offices of education, direct funded charter schools will receive SFSF funding to offset reductions to state general purpose and categorical program funding reduced pursuant to Senate Bill 4 (Chapter 12, Statutes 2009-10, Third Extraordinary Session). This search engine allows counties and districts in California to see their estimated allocation for 2009.

In March, the State Legislature approved a pilot program that seemed tailor made for her situation. Called Traders to Teachers, it is designed to turn unemployed finance professionals into math teachers in three months. Successful candidates, who are not required to have been math majors, will attend classes free at Montclair State University.

Shovel-ready projects - or not?

Roundtable topic: Accountability, Transparency, Workforce Management and Optimizing Federal Dollars. This webinar will take place on May 12, 2009. 2:00 PM EDT/11:00 AM PDT.

Up-to-date guidance on the recently-signed ARRA and its effect on education and education reform

This new document from the US Dept of Education outlines capital spending and teacher-quality reporting expectations, with more capital-spending flexibility of ARRA funds than initially expected. Lots of great Q & A's in here that help clarify program uses.

The first of $44 billion in economic-stimulus aid for education began flowing out to states last week-along with new teacher-quality reporting requirements for states and districts, and significantly more spending flexibility on school construction than many administrators had expected.

Texas Impact brings you footage of US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan highlighting the ambitious goals of the ARRA education funds. Video comes from the ARRA Implementation Briefing on Friday, April 3, 2009.

This PowerPoint was presented as a webinar session by EdWeek on April 30th. It brings together the latest information and analysis of economic stimulus funding and covers funding considerations for school districts, including economic impact of school infrastructure projects, school modernization needs that can be covered under these funds and other issues.

Montana Dept of Public Instruction's plan for management of IDEA Funds secured under ARRA. Includes discussion of maintenance of effort.

In addition to the new programs established through ARRA, the U.S. Dept of Education will be temporarily increasing funding for a wide array of existing programs including progra,s authorized under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Dell Computers - Economic Stimulus Learning Center. Current focus is on the ARRA funding distribution. Later the site will highlight funds available for technology and related investments. As details become available, they plan to update this site with eligibility criteria, grant resource tools, news alerts and more.

First and most pertinent, Title II D of NCLB, Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT), is slated to receive $1 billion new dollars in addition to the existing $267 million in the program. Congress would use the current version of NCLB to distribute this and other education dollars. As a result, the basic structure of EETT will be used for the new money.