ADVANTAGEARKANSAS PUBLIC SCHOOL RESOURCE CENTER

Summer 2014

2014 -2015:A

Crossroads in

Arkansas Education

INSIDETHIS ISSUE

Education Calendar ............................................3Director’s Report ............................................... 42014-2015: A Crossroads in AR Education ..... 6BloomBoard ....................................................... 7APSRC Interviews Senator Johnny Key ......... 8Schools to Receive State Grades ..................... 10PARCC Continues Controversy ..................... 11APSRC Fall Conference .................................. 14Summer PD in 12 Tweets ................................ 16Leveraging Federal Funds for Ed-Tech ......... 18Title I and Homelessness ................................. 20Supreme Court Update .................................... 21E-Rate Basics .................................................... 23E-Rate Changes ................................................ 25State Contracts ................................................. 26Ed Super Highway Chooses AR as Pilot ....... 26Legislators Look at Transportation ................. 27AR Increases Implementation of MAP .......... 28

MEETTHE LEADERSHIPOfficersPolicy Board Chairman ..................................................... Mike WilsonCharter School Board Chairman ....................................... Rob McGillRural School Board Chairman ....................................... Daryl Blaxton

Policy BoardErnest CunninghamLuke GordyDr. Fitzgerald Hill

Johnny KeyDr. David RankinSherman Tate

Diane TatumJim WaltonRandy Zook

APSRC StaffExecutive Director ...................................................... Scott SmithDirector of Finance Services .......................... Dr. Bobbie DavisDirector of Teaching & Learning ............. Barbara Hunter CoxDirector of Technology ...................................... Dr. John AhlenDirector of Communications ............................... Katie CliffordDirector of Charter Development ........................ Tyler BarnettAssociate Director of Finance - Procurement ..... Jane BentonStaff Attorney ............................................................ Tripp WalterStaff Attorney .....................................................Jennifer DedmanTeaching and Learning Specialist ........................ Teresa ChanceTeaching and Learning Specialist ...................... Kristi CampbellFinance Specialist ............................................... Patsy HammondFinance Specialist ........................................................ Gary ParishFinance Specialist ...................................................... Doug BrownInstructional Technology Specialist ...................... Trent SaraciniOffice Manager ........................................................... Lisa WaltersAdministrative Assistant ........................................ Jodie Fairchild

APSRC AdvantagePublished quarterly by the

Arkansas Public School Resource CenterVictory Building

1401 West Capitol, Suite 315Little Rock, AR 72201

501-492-4300

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EDUCATION CALENDAR August 2014

6 EdmodoCon 7 LEADS Training for New Administrators 7 TESS Training for New Administrators 11-12 Joint Education Committee Meeting 14-15 State Board of Education Meeting 18 First Week of School 21 CIV on ESEA calculation

September 2014

1 Labor Day 8-9 Joint Education Committee Meeting 9 Deadline to Submit District Conversion Charter Applications 11-12 State Board of Education Meeting 17 Charter Authorizing Panel Meeting 23 APSRC Fall Conference

October 2014

9-10 State Board of Education Meeting 13 Columbus Day 13-14 Joint Education Committee Meeting 15-16 Charter Authorizing Panel Meeting 31 Halloween

What exciting things do you have planned for the first week of

school? Share them with us and you just might see them featured

on the APSRC website!

ADVANTAGE| Summer 2014 | 3

DIRECTOR’S REPORT Scott Smith

Dear APSRC Members,

Every summer I find myself commenting about how fast time is flying by. This summer certainly was a whirlwind for APSRC. We have traveled to national conferences, brought on new staff, conducted state-wide trainings, experienced our second special legislative session on teacher insurance, and revamped our menu of services to provide to you - our member schools.

APSRC is proud to welcome three staff members to our team. Tyler Barnett joined our staff in July as the APSRC Di-rector of Charter Develop-ment. Coming to us from the Missouri Department of Edu-cation, Tyler and his wife are looking forward to life in The Natural State.

We hope that you’ll mark your calendar and save the date for our APSRC Fall Conference. This year’s conference will be held on September 23 at the Hot Springs Convention Cen-ter. As always, you can count

on a day full of information, learning, networking, and great conversation. Look for more information about our keynote presentation and breakout ses-sions coming in the next few weeks.

If you haven’t had the chance to look at our eResources Digital Learning Portal, I would en-courage you to take the time to do so. With over 1200 courses available to Arkansas students, there are dozens of ways our portal can be used to benefit your school or district. If you would like to talk to someone about how other schools and districts are utilizing this re-source, give our office a call. We’d be happy to visit with you.

Each and every school year is important. But this school year is particularly pivotol for edu-cation in Arkansas. Educators and students will see changes this year that they have been anticipating for quite some time now. Arkansas students will take a Next Generation As-sessment this coming spring. Teachers and administrators

will be evaluated using TESS and LEADS. Schools will re-ceive grades based on the new statewide A-F grading system. And on top of it all, Arkansas will prepare for a change in the political landscape as we wel-come a new Governor in Janu-ary. We have devoted this is-sue of the Advantage to these changes.

In this crossroads year, you can count on APSRC to be con-stant and strong. We are here to serve you - our member dis-tricts and schools. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything that APSRC can do to assist you.

Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year!

Sincerely,

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2014-2015: A Crossroads in Arkansas Education

The 2014-2015 school year will bring about some major shifts in the landscape of Arkansas Education.

This year, districts will see the full implementation of Next Generation Assessments as stu-dents take the PARCC assess-ment. Teachers and adminis-trators will be evaluated using TESS and LEADS. Schools will be given grades through our new statewide A-F school grading system, signed into law last spring.

And, on top of it all, a new Governor is sure to bring about change when he (whomever it is) takes office in January.

In addition, this school year will see changes in teacher in-surance and health plans and a loss of health insurance ben-efits for part-time employees.

Each of these shifts will im-pact education in Arkansas. In some cases, we know or can predict what the impact will be. We can anticipate the change and be prepared. But in other cases, we are learning as we go. Or, to quote one of my colleagues, we are “building the

plane as we’re flying it.” Some-times we cannot see the impact until we have reached the des-tination. Or, until we are in the midst of the journey.

There are mixed feelings across the state about many of these changes. There are many dif-ferent viewpoints on each of these issues.

As educators, it is our responsi-bility to prepare for each change in order to provide the best possible learning environment for our students. Big changes also bring big opportunities for progress and improvement.

At APSRC, it is our hope that some of these shifts tak-ing place this school year will provide the opportunity for

student growth and improve-ment in student learning.

In this edition of the Advan-tage, we will explore in depth some of these changes and large shifts.

This is an exciting time to be in education, and we hope that Arkansas educators are looking forward to this school year as much as we are!

With the start of each school year, there are always feelings of anticipation, excitement, nervousness, and familiarity.

We hope that summer has been a time to rest and rejuvenate so that you’re prepared for all the excitement that this school year will bring. ■

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BloomBoard: The Next Generation of Teacher Evaluation

This has been the “summer of BloomBoard” as Arkansas educators receive training on how to utilize this online solu-tion that enables educators and organizations to understand some of their most pressing questions, including:

• How can educators pinpoint the areas where we are excelling, as well as the areas requiring improvement? • How can we save time and fo-cus on creating learning paths to support individual and organi-zational growth? • What resources are available to help us rapidly improve with-out exhausting our budget?

Using BloomBoard, schools and districts are able to collect and analyze educator effec-tiveness data, provide targeted feedback and support, and en-able educators to create per-sonalized learning roadmaps.

Even more important than that is that BloomBoard will provide EVERY educator in Arkansas with access to a diverse library of digital professional develop-ment resources. These digital

professional development of-ferings will support growth, build knowledge, improve in-struction and are directly cor-related to the Danielson frame-work and the statewide Teacher Excellence Support System (TESS).

Educators can assess their indi-vidual or organizational needs to discover professional devel-opment content that’s right for them. BloomBoard profession-al development resources are aligned to Arkansas’ specific teaching and learning evalu-ation components. Content recommendations are peer and data-driven to ensure that the learning process is personal-ized and relevant. In order to discover personalized profes-sional development content, educators can:

• Browse a comprehensive mar-ketplace of professional devel-opment resources derived from high-quality publishers such as PBS TeacherLine, Wiley, Educa-tion Development Center, and KDP Connect; and• Upload and share content—used within their own school,

district or organization or to be shared with other collaborative partners.

BloomBoard also provides a specific set of data sets to allow for informed decision making by teachers and administra-tors. Arkansas educators will be able to access information to assist them in understand-ing their school’s strengths and identify key areas for support. Data may be collected from a variety of sources: evalua-tions, coaching, student data, climate/feedback surveys, and more. BloomBoard’s unique vi-sualization tools allow schools and districts to aggregate this information with easy-to-use reporting dashboards.

Using BloomBoard’s analytics tools, administrators can:

• Obtain insight to identify effec-tive ways to support their educa-tors’ development;• Construct reports to send to states or districts to fulfill man-date requirements; • Select relevant dashboards from a menu of the most popu-lar reporting options; and • Design customized dashboards to view data based on the unique needs of their school or district.

APSRC Interviews Senator Johnny Key

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Senator Johnny Key of Moun-tain Home, one of the biggest advocates for Arkansas schools, and certainly one of the most knowledgeable legislator in terms of education policy, has recently closed the book on his legislative career.

After 6 years as a member of the Arkansas House and 5 1/2 as a member of the Arkansas Senate, Sen. Key is now serving as the Associate Vice President for University Relations for the University of Arkansas System.

Most recently, Sen. Key has

served as the Chair of the Sen-ate Education Committee. In his time in the legislature, he experienced several important legal cases and school choice. His institutional knowledge and historical perspective are unmatched by others in the legislature.

APSRC was proud to conduct an interview with Sen. Key about his time in the Arkan-sas legislature. This interview asked Sen. Key to look at three things - where education in Arkansas has been, where it is now, and where it is going.

Look for this exclusive inter-view with Sen. Key to be re-leased by APSRC soon!

Senator Key, we thank you for your service to the students and schools of Arkansas. We appreciate your dedication to ensuring the best possible education for each student in the state. Your leadership and hard work have had a positive impact on the school districts of Arkansas. On behalf of our member schools and districts, thank you. We look forward to your continued work on behalf of the students in Arkansas. ■

One of the greatest benefits of Bloomboard is that it allows teachers and administrators to create their own personal-ized professional growth plan. Teachers can view feedback provided by their administra-tors and coaches and set per-sonal learning goals aligned to their strengths and areas for improvement.

Using BloomBoard, educators enjoy increased autonomy and are afforded more opportuni-ties to collaborate with peers and administrators - all while saving time and fostering a more supportive teacher devel-opment process.

BloomBoard will incorporate all aspects of TESS, includ-ing all required forms so that schools can simplify their eval-uation and observation cycle, save time, improve educator feedback and collaboration, and manage state and district requirements. Educators use the evaluation and coaching tools to:

• Manage evaluations, observa-tions, feedback, and coaching sessions;• Customize BloomBoard ac-cording to their own processes and frameworks;• Collect information (classroom observations, meetings, summa-

tive reviews, and artifacts);• Align the collected informa-tion with their organization’s in-structional rubrics;• Integrate evaluation informa-tion with student data and cli-mate/feedback survey data to generate comprehensive reports to satisfy educator effectiveness mandates; and• Gain access to all these tools and resources at no cost.

Want to learn more? Join us at the APSRC Fall Confer-ence where the Keynote at our Luncheon will be delivered by Jason Lange, the creator of BloomBoard. ■

BloomBoard, ctd.

ADVANTAGE| Summer 2014 | 9

Schools to Receive New A-F Performance Grades in November

As a result of Act 696 of 2013, all Arkansas schools will now receive A-F performance grades, beginning this school year. These grades will be pub-lished on school report cards which will be made available to the public. This Act was passed in order to help the public bet-ter understand how schools are performing. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Hendren, a member of the Senate Educa-tion Committee.

ADE was tasked with creating the system of grading in order to prevent any redundancy or conflict in adding an additional accountability system - on top of the two the state already has.

Dr. Denise Airola of the Office of Innovation at the University of Arkansas recently presented the new grading system and calculation to the State Board of Education.

Dr. Airola told the Board that this system of accountability was designed to correlate with the ESEA accountability desig-nations schools already receive.

Dr. Airola also told the Board that this calculation, out of every model they ran, has the least correlation with poverty and school size.

One topic still being discussed is ALE’s and how the system

will impact them. Commis-sioner Tony Wood suggested that a new calculation for ALE accountability be created.

In their August meeting, the State Board of Education re-leased the rules for public com-ment. The proposed rules can be accessed on the ADE web-site at: http://www.arkansased.org/divisions/legal/rules/pend-ing. If a person would like to make a public comment on these rules, it must be done be-fore the deadline on September 16.

ADE expects to release the school performance grades in November. ■

A further look at the calculation...Schools with Graduation Rate

Overall School Score =(Weighted Performance Score + Gap Adjustment) + (Improvement) +

(Graduation Rate + Gap Adjustment)

Schools without Graduation RateOverall School Score =

(1.5)(Weighted Performance + Gap Adjustment) + (1.5)(Improvement)

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In early July, the New Mexico State Procurement Office de-nied a protest by the American Institutes for Research, which had delayed contract work to develop the PARCC assess-ment for next year. Students and teachers across the country were virtually “on hold” until this legal matter was settled.

The State Purchasing Agent was quoted as saying:‘No vendor, including AIR, has any right to substitute its own views and business policy deci-sions for any state agency.’

Mitchell Chester, the Com-missioner of Elementary and Secondary Education for Mas-sachusetts and Chair of the PARCC states Governing Board issued the following statement:

“This is great news for New Mex-ico and all of the PARCC states. We have been confident from the start that New Mexico con-ducted a fair and open request-for-proposals process, and this decision confirms that. It also allows us to get back to the work started by states and strength-ened by thousands of teachers: developing a new generation of high-quality assessments de-

signed to better measure wheth-er students are on track for col-lege and careers. PARCC is not a product that states have chosen to buy; it’s an assessment sys-tem they have worked to build together. Our states and schools are moving forward in their de-cision and implementation pro-cesses.”

But in August, the American Institutes for Research headed back to court in an effort to in-validate a contract giving Pear-son the right to develop, ad-minister and score the PARCC exams.

The contract was awarded in New Mexico, but it includes pricing that applies to the en-tire consortium, including Ar-kansas. PARCC officials expect most member states to adopt the contract, which gives Pear-son the testing business for four years.

AIR is now requesting that the contract should be divided into two contracts. The first would allow Pearson to continue its work during the first year of the exams but then there would be a competitive bidding process for the following years of ad-ministering and scoring of the

PARCC exams. Of course, this will be a significant fiscal ar-rangement for the assessment company who receives the as-sessment contract.

“If you’re going to tie up testing in 14 states for the next four to eight years with a single vendor, which is their business model, it ought to be based on a fair and open competition,” said Jon Co-hen, president of AIR Assess-ments.

PARCC did respond with a press release that alleges that the AIR appeal would not delay the new Pearson development exams.

“The PARCC consortium is not interested in appeals of appeals that have already been decid-ed and only serve to improve AIR’s market share,” PARCC spokesman David Connerty-Marin said. “The consortium is focused on implementing high quality standards in the best in-terests of kids and the states are continuing with that work.”

So Arkansas is still on target to utilize PARCC assessment in the next school year with spring assessment. Or until the next lawsuit is filed. ■

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PARCC Testing Consortium Continues Controversy

eResources Digital Learning Portal LaunchedeResources Digital Learning pro-vides students with a wide range of teacher-led courses and teacher-facilitated courses delivered via the Internet. The eResources Digital Learning Portal provides students access to online high school and middle school courses by utilizing the unique capabilities and quali-ties of the Web.

This multi-state program provides enhanced learning opportunities for high school and middle school stu-dents.

Teacher-led online learning mirrors the role of a traditional classroom teacher in a virtual environment. This format usually makes use of a Web-based course management system or application such as Black-board to create an online learning

Online courses have been found to be a particularly valuable option for the following: 1) college bound students in need of advanced or specialized coursework; 2) students wanting to improve their skills in specific subject areas; 3) gifted or advanced students in need of ex-panded educational offerings; 4) homebound or other reasonable need for credit recovery to complete the graduation requirements.

Courses include video, audio, on-line quizzes and tests, and projects that students complete and submit to the teacher. In most cases, tests provide immediate feedback.

Students will have an online note-book that serves as their personal note taking space as well as the tool for submitting assignments.

environment for students.

Teacher-facilitated online learning enables an educator to work with one or more students to provide coach-like assistance with their online course or learning activities. Teach-ers can facilitate student learning through a combination of face-to-face interactions and exchanges us-ing communication tools commonly found in most Internet-based course management systems. This delivery mode can be compared to some in-dependent study activities used in high schools.

Through the eResources Digital Learning Portal, there are hundreds of online courses available for gener-al education, advanced placement, honors courses, and credit comple-tion purposes.

www.elearning-resources.net

eResources uses both public and private providers, including: Aventa Brigham Young Edison Learning Florida Virtual K12 Lincoln Northwestern University University of Nebraska

Registration is now open!

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www.elearning-resources.net

Links, notes, pictures, and other in-formation can be stored in the note-book. Students can use e-mail and course specific discussion boards to communicate with their teach-er and other students taking the course.

Each course also includes a course guide which includes information such as an overview of the course, objectives, and how the course will be graded.

Courses also include informative sections such as a Table of Con-tents, Glossary, and much more--all of which are designed to help the student move more easily through the course material.

eResources Digital Learning will provide technical support to the fa-

cilitating teacher and students. eRe-sources Digital Learning will also provide informational sessions to high school counselors and adminis-trators.

Students can sample the available courses by going to Course Demon-strations on the eResources website at www.elearning-resources.net. Oc-casionally, principals, counselors, advisers, teachers, parents, and oth-ers are allowed temporary access to a course of particular interest for review.

Students who are successful learn-ing online are usually: Self-motivated Focused Independent learners Strong communicators Problem-solvers

Students do not have to be a com-puter expert to participate in online courses. Students need to know how to: Use a mouse and keyboard Get online Launch a browser Send and receive email Open, close, and save files

Online courses are not easy. Web-based digital instruction is very challenging and time-intensive. Students should expect to spend more time on these courses than on their traditional classes.

Districts and schools who are in-terested in registering students for courses through the eResource Dig-ital Learning Portal should contact APSRC at (501) 492-4300.

ADVANTAGE| Summer 2014 | 13

APSRC Fall Conference It’s that time of year again! The APSRC staff is busy preparing for our 2014 Fall Conference, and we hope you’re looking forward to it as much as we are. We are proud of the this year’s speaker line-up and look for-ward to all of the great things that will take place at the Con-ference.

The APSRC Fall Conference will be held on September 23, 2014 at the Hot Springs Con-vention Center.

As we recently announced, we are proud to host both Asa Hutchinson and Mike Ross during the opening session. You don’t want to miss the op-portunity to hear from each of the Gubernatorial Candidates about their vision for the future of Arkansas education. You’ll also have time to ask questions

of each of the candidates dur-ing this time.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Jason Lange, the creator of BloomBoard. APSRC is hon-ored to have Jason and his team at our Fall Conference. As we use BloomBoard in each dis-trict, school, and classroom this year, it is a program with which every Arkansas teacher will become very familiar. We are looking forward to hearing Jason speak about evaluation, effectiveness, and his experi-ences. The talent, understand-ing, and creativity that he brings to the table on this issue is unmatched.

Jason and his team will give two breakout sessions in addi-tion to the keynote. Along with administrators, please consider sending lead teachers or in-

structional coaches to learn from Jason and the Bloom-Board team.

Once again, we will host a legislative panel with several members of the Senate and House Education Committees. This is an excellent opportunity to have a discussion with these legislators as we head into the 2015 legislative session. We will also host a legal panel with several of the leading educa-tion lawyers in the state.

Here are a few other breakouts you can expect to see at the AP-SRC Fall Conference: Procurement for Schools Next Generation Assessment: What Now? LDC and MDC Digital Learning: Best Practices PSE Insurance Look for the full breakout list to be released shortly.

Registration is now available on the APSRC website at: www.apsrc.netLook under Upcoming Events for registration and further in-formation about the Fall Con-ference.

We’ll see you in Hot Springs! ■

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Where will you be on September 23?

We’ll see you in Hot Springs!

ADVANTAGE| Summer 2014 | 15

Summer PD in 12 Tweets

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Summer PD in 12 Tweets

ADVANTAGE| Summer 2014 | 17

Leveraging Federal Funds for Educational Technology

Richard Culatta, Director, Of-fice of Educational Technol-ogy at the U. S. Department of Education issued an open letter to educators last Spring outlining ways federal Elemen-tary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds can support ed-tech goals to use technology tools to improve teaching and learning.

Mr. Culatta’s examples are limited to Titles I, II, and III of ESEA and to IDEA. Funds from many other formula and competitive grant programs that are administered by the Department of Education (ED) may also be used for this pur-pose.

The examples do not depart from previous ED guidance, but clarify opportunities to use federal grant funds to support digital learning.

In his letter, Mr. Culatta em-phasizes that technology can help improve learning and edu-cational outcomes for students only when teachers are well-supported with appropriate resources and have an oppor-

tunity to integrate technology with high quality instruction.

EXAMPLES:

1. Professional Development-Program funds may be used to:

a. Support Teachers Using Digi-tal Learning Tools

Use Title II-A funds to hire coaches or help districts/char-ters tailor professional learning to the needs of individual edu-cators. For example, coaches might help educators learn to use selected devices, platforms, online assessments, or digi-tal materials or to implement technology supported content-specific instructional practice, based on areas identified for improvement. ESEA, Section 2123(a)(5)(A)

b. Provide Online Professional Development

Use Title II-A funds to help district/charter staff create or participate in personalized digital learning opportunities for teachers that help move dis-tricts away from one-size-fits-all professional development.

This may take the form of “blended” professional learn-ing, webinars, simulations, on-line conferences, massive open online courses (MOOCS), or online communities of prac-tice. These strategies may help teachers better understand the subjects they teach, improve their instruction, and demon-strate proficiency in using tech-nology to support learning. ESEA, Section 2113(c)(10) and 2123(a)(5).

School districts and charters may also use Title I funds for similar purposes to benefit ed-ucators in schoolwide or target-ed assistance Title I programs. ESEA, Sections 1114(a)(1), (b)(1)(D); 1115(a), (c)(1)(F)

c. Implement Systems to Collect, Manage, and Analyze Data

Districts/charters may use Title I-A funds to help educa-tors in Title I schools manage and analyze student data in or-der to improve instruction and decision-making for school improvement efforts. (ESEA, Sections 1114, 1115)2. Student Materials, Resourc-es, and Support – Federal funds may be used to provide

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www.apsrc.net/finance

access to digital materials to better support students.

a. Provide Access to College- and Career-Ready (CCR) Digi-tal Resources

Districts/charters may use Title II-A funds to help educators better discover, use, and share content that is aligned with CCR standards. This might in-clude training for educators to find and adapt relevant Open Educational Resources (OER). ESEA, Sections 2113(c)(6) and 2123(a)(3)

b. Enhanced Instruction for English Learners with Digital Resources

Districts/chartes may use Ti-tle III-A funds to improve in-struction for English Language Learners by acquiring digital learning resources and soft-ware, including materials in languages other than English. ESEA, Sections 3115(d)(2). 3115(d)(7) 3. Educator Communication and Collaboration – Federal funds may be used for tech-

nology to enhance collabo-ration among educators, ex-perts, and parents.

a. Participate in English Learner Focused Communities of Prac-tice

Districts/charters may use Title III-A funds for online professional development ac-tivities, virtual communities of practice, and sharing of digital materials to support efforts to improve instruction for Eng-lish Learners. ESEA, Section 3115(d)(2)

4. Devices -- Federal funds may be used to purchase de-vices for students to access digital learning materials and collaborate with peers and ed-ucators.

a. Provide Students with Mobile Learning Devices

Districts/charters may use Title I-A funds to acquire devices (tablets, laptops, etc.) in addi-tion to curriculum and profes-sional development as part of a comprehensive plan in a Title I schoolwide program school.

This may include transitioning to schoolwide blended learning or personalized learning mod-els. ESEA, Section 1114

b. Provide Students with Assis-tive Technology Devices

Districts/charters may use IDEA Part B funds to provide the specific assistive technol-ogy devices and services that are identified by the IEP team as needed by an individual stu-dent to receive free appropriate public education. IDEA, Sec-tion 613(a)(2)(A)(i)

For other opportunities to use federal funds for ed-tech, please review the statutes, reg-ulations, and guidance for each federal program or contact the U.S. Department of Education.Below is the web address for Mr. Culatta’s letter. The letter also contains a web address for additional resources for plan-ning and implementing tech-nology to support learning. http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/technology/files/2013/06/Fed-eral-Funds-Tech-DC-.pdf ■

ADVANTAGE| Summer 2014 | 19

Have Additional Questions on Leveraging Federal Funds for Ed-Tech?

If you have additional questions regarding the use of federal funds for educational technol-ogy, below is a list of USDOE staff who can be contacted.

Educational TechnologyRay MyersOffice of Educational Technologyray.myers@ed.gov

Title IMonique ChismStudent Achievement and SchoolAccountability, Office of Elementary andSecondary Educationmonique.chism@ed.gov

Title IICarol O’Donnell

Teacher Quality Programs, AcademicImprovement and Teacher Quality, Office ofElementary and Secondary Educationcarol.odonnell@ed.gov

Title IIISupreet AnandStudent Achievement and SchoolAccountability, Office of Elementary andSecondary Educationsupreet.anand@ed.gov

IDEAGregg CorrDivision of Monitoring and State ImprovementPlanning, Office of Special Education andRehabilitative Servicesgregg.corr@ed.gov

Title I and Homeless ProgramsThe U. S. Department of Edu-cation issued a letter from Dr. Monique M. Chism, Director of Student Achievement and School Accountability Pro-grams that contains a major shift in the way Title I funds may be used for identified Homeless students.

The 2014 Consolidated Ap-propriations Act, P.L. 113.76, contains language that allows Title I funds to be used to pay

the salary of a local homeless liason and to pay the costs to transport homeless children and youth to and from their school of origin.

This Act also establishes that the Title I ESEA Section 1113(c)(3)(A) homeless set-aside may not be used to pay for those ser-vices.

The Title I homeless set-aside must still be used to provide

Title I instructional and relat-ed services to homeless chil-dren and youth who attend non-Title I schools. The Title I services provided to homeless children in non-Title I schools must be comparable to the Ti-tle I services provided in Title I schools.

To read the full letter from USDOE, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/titleihomelessfund2014.pdf ■

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In July of this year, the United States Supreme Court deliv-ered a decision on the matter of cell phone seizures and search-es. The decision covered two separate cases, which were ad-dressed simultaneously by the Supreme Court because they raised a common question: Whether the police may, absent a warrant, search digital infor-mation stored on a cell phone seized from a person who is under arrest. The facts of the two cases are as follows:

Riley v. CaliforniaIn Riley v. California, Riley was stopped for expired tags, but in the course of the stop, the of-ficer found Riley’s license was suspended and conducted an inventory search of the vehicle before impounding it. Upon searching, he located several firearms. During an arrest, of-ficers may conduct a “search incident to arrest,” in which police may search the area within the reach of a suspect to prevent the destruction of evidence and to discover weap-ons, thereby protecting the of-ficer from potential attack. The finding of firearms in the vehi-cle triggered a search incident to arrest, in which the officer found evidence of gang activ-ity. The officer seized Riley’s smart phone and accessed in-formation on the phone to look for further evidence of gang

Supreme Court Updateactivity, which he did find. Ri-ley was charged in connection with the information found on his phone, which Riley’s at-torney sought to suppress, or prevent from being entered into evidence against Riley, contending that the Fourth Amendment was violated be-cause the searches of the phone had been performed without a warrant. Specifically, Riley’s attorney argued that a warrant was required because no exi-gent circumstance (emergen-cy) existed.

United States v. WurieIn United States v. Wurie, Wu-rie was arrested after police observed him in an appar-ent drug transaction. Officers seized Wurie’s phone at the po-lice station and noticed he was receiving several calls from a source named in the phone as “My House.” Officers traced the number to Wurie’s resi-dence, which they raided. Wu-rie sought to have the evidence from his home suppressed on the grounds that it shouldn’t be admitted into evidence because it was reached by an improper warrantless search of his cell phone.

After hearing the cases and evidence, the United States Su-preme Court reached a deci-sion. The police generally may not, without a warrant, search

the digital information con-tained on a cell phone seized from an individual incident to arrest. A warrantless search may be reasonable only if it falls within a specific exception to the warrant requirement, such as exigent circumstances. The Court specifically declined to extend the search incident to arrest rule from United States v. Robinson to cover cell phones in the current decision.

Effect on Schools:Although the Court made no specific reference to schools or to the New Jersey v. T.L.O. case, which governs searches of students and their effects, it is clear from the holding that there is a higher expectation of privacy for digital data. The Court was well-informed about the technology as well as con-cerns arising from the potential for destruction of evidence by remote wiping of devices and data encryption.

School employees and admin-istrators currently must have a particularized suspicion for a search (must know what they are looking for) and must con-duct the search in a reasonable manner, given the circum-stances and the age and sex of the student. It is also clear that school employees may only search those areas in which the

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Do you have new faculty or staff that need to be added to the APSRC mailing list?

Email Katie at kclifford@apsrc.net

specific evidence sought may be found. After Riley, the necessary standard for the search of a stu-dent’s cell phone in future cases could now be a higher standard, such as probable cause. The Court did not comment on the standard required, but only indi-cated that a higher standard for a phone than exists in an ordinary search incident to arrest.

The current national trend indi-cates that students have a reason-able expectation of privacy to a certain extent. In G.C. v. Owens-boro Pub. Sch.,711 F.3d 623 (6th Cir. Ky. 2013), a student with a history of disciplinary and men-tal health issues was caught send-ing text messages in class and the teacher seized his phone. The principal read several text mes-sages “to see if there were an is-sue with which she could help him.” The principal did not indi-cate that she believed a search of the phone would reveal evidence of criminal activity, violations of school rules, or potential harm to other students. Because the search lacked the required par-ticularized suspicion, the Sixth

Circuit held that search of a student’s phone was unreason-able.

In Klump v. Nazareth Area Sch. Dist., 425 F.Supp.2d (E.D. Pa. 2006), a student’s phone was seized because it was displayed during school hours, in viola-tion of school rules. The school was justified in confiscating the phone, but the court held that administrators overstepped when they used the seized phone to call other students in an effort to reveal more rule-breakers. The court found the administrators failed part of the reasonableness test set forth in New Jersey v. T.L.O. because they had no reason to suspect at the outset of the search that it would reveal evidence of other school policy violations. Specifically, the search was not particularized and therefore failed the test from the begin-ning. The evidence of drug activity found on the phone was suppressed (not able to be introduced at a legal hearing) because administrators had no evidence of drug activity until

after they searched the phone. In both cases, the courts deter-mined the searches were unrea-sonable because they were too intrusive. Searches which are particularized and specific from the outset of the search may still be held reasonable by a court as long as they are reasonable in light of the circumstances and not overly intrusive.

Best Practices for Schools:A school’s safest course of action may be to confiscate phones pur-suant to a written school policy and refrain from searching the phone until a parent is present. In cases where exigent circum-stances exist, such as the threat of criminal activity, the safest course of action may be to contact the police and obtain a warrant.

Schools should have in place a set of policies that address student cell phones and other student electronic devices. This may al-low schools to avoid the difficulty of searching the phone and al-lows the student to consent to a search in order to rebut the pre-sumption. ■

Supreme Court Update ctd.

E-Rate BasicsThe E-Rate Program is adminis-tered by the Schools and Librar-ies Division of the Universal Ser-vice Administrative Company (USAC) on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission.

Each year, the E-Rate program provides approximately $2.9 bil-lion in funding to public and private K-12 schools, school dis-tricts, education service cooper-atives and public libraries across the nation for telecommunica-tions services, Internet access, in-ternal connections and internal connections basic maintenance. [E-Rate originally meant “Edu-cation” rate and was envisioned as an affordable rate for telecom-munications services and equip-ment for education entities.]

Eligible entities can apply for discounts ranging from 20-90 percent for eligible services. Discount percentages are based upon the federal school location designation (urban or rural) and criteria related to the National School Lunch Program.

The E-Rate program is intended to make basic Internet and tele-communications services afford-able for schools and to reduce the financial hardship of provid-ing access to these services. Note that E-Rate funding is expediting the rollout of high-speed band-

width for digital learning.

E-RATE FUNDING SOURCE

A Universal Service charge is paid by each customer that re-ceives telephone service across the nation. The funds derived from this charge are collected by telecommunications service providers and deposited into the Universal Service Fund. The Universal Service Fund is managed by the Federal Com-munications Commission (FCC) and funds four (4) pro-grams: Connect America Fund, Low Income, Rural Health and Schools and Libraries.

APPLYING FOR E-RATE FUNDS

Applications for E-Rate fund-ing are submitted on an annual basis. All eligible entities are encouraged to apply for E-Rate discounts for eligible services and equipment.

The next filing period window closes March 26. Unlike grant funding, whereby funds are commonly received in advance of expenditures being incurred, the E-Rate Program is a reim-bursement program comprised of two major processes. The ap-plication process is based upon projected expenditures, while

the reimbursement process is based upon actual expenditures.

The complete E-Rate funding cycle requires that a minimum of five (5) forms be submitted to the Schools and Libraries Divi-sion, each with a specific comple-tion deadline. Three (3) forms are required as part of the appli-cation process: Form 470, Form 471, and the Item 21 Attachment. Application review and funding commitment generally take be-tween three (3) and eighteen (18) months to complete.

After a funding commitment is received, a minimum of two (2) additional forms are required be-fore funds are disbursed. The reimbursement process gener-ally takes several months to com-plete. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) estimates that 12 hours is required to complete all application paperwork for Ba-sic Services (telephone, long dis-tance, cell service and Internet access). Applications for equip-ment, maintenance, or complex networks require additional time; and this time estimate does not take into consideration addition-al documentation requirements, the pro-rating of ineligible ser-vices/users, or review processes. A more realistic estimate of the time involved for simple applica-tions is between 20 and 40 hours

By Becky Rains and Neil Pennick

ADVANTAGE| Summer 2014 | 23

per year. The majority of appli-cation work is done during the application window ending this year on March 26.

Arkansas schools and libraries have received more than $204.9 million in E-Rate discounts over 15 years of the program’s exis-tence. The average Arkansas E-Rate discount for program year 2014/2015 is 80 percent.

EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE E-RATE A SUCCESS IN AR

Several entities collaborate to help schools and educational cooperatives successfully obtain E-Rate funds for technology ser-vices: Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), Department of Information Systems (DIS), and Educational Service Coopera-tives’ technology coordinators.

Each plays a significant role in assisting Arkansas applicants with the E-Rate process, includ-ing training, application filing assistance and deadline notifi-cation. Each of these organiza-tions has diligently worked to increase the amount of E-Rate funding received by Arkansas entities. E-Rate Program com-munications were enhanced through the development and distribution of ADE informa-tional newsletters, brochures and emails. In addition, ADE increased hands-on-training and focused special attention on schools with little or no E-Rate experience.

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

ADE provides guidance in the preparation and submission of school districts’ technology

plans; and provides training, out-reach and assistance to Arkansas’ K-12 applicants. The agency as-sists with the preparation of the State applications for the APSCN and Distance Learning Networks and confirms the accuracy of AP-SCN school data required for the application. In addition, ADE provides APSCN Cycle 2 Na-tional School Lunch data to DIS and creates, distributes and man-ages many of the E-Rate program forms. Certain E-Rate forms are submitted by schools to ADE and retained by ADE. ADE forwards to DIS required information for the state E-Rate application. ADE also helps ensure that K-12 public school entities provide the required information to support the State’s applications and are aware of E-Rate program rules, regulations and compliance re-quirements.

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

DIS procures E-Rate eligible ser-vices on behalf of public schools and libraries connected to the Arkansas State Network. It ne-gotiates related contracts and pays all vendor invoices related to these services. As the Billed Entity, DIS is required under E-Rate program rules to file E-Rate applications for these services. Advanced telecommunications and Internet access services are

E-Rate Basics ctd.

E-Rate

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included on the State E-Rate ap-plications, as well as the circuits connecting schools and libraries to APSCN, to the Internet, and to the State’s Distance Learning Net-work. Schools and libraries are the beneficiary of these services. As such, they are required to comply with all related program rules as if they were procuring the services themselves and filing the related applications themselves. In ad-dition, DIS provides application

guidance, assistance and train-ing to Arkansas K-12 entities and public libraries. Note that, ADE, and DIS are not eligible for E-Rate funds.

EDUCATIONAL SERVICE COOPERATIVES

The Educational Service Coop-eratives’ technology coordina-tors provide E-Rate program assistance to districts in their

service area by offering E-Rate educational labs and workshops and providing general support.

QUESTIONS?

The authors would be pleased to respond to any questions that readers may have. They can be reached at Becky.Rains@arkan-sas.gov and Neil.Pennick@arkan-sas.gov. ■

E-Rate Basics ctd.

E-Rate Changes- A 21st century E-Rate pro-gram needs to focus on 21st century needs. How we evolve from analog voice to digi-tal voice services in schools is one of those tough challenges. . . . we must remember that when broadband comes into a school, so does digital voice ca-pabilities. Yet today we spend close to a quarter of our annual E-rate budget on voice service.

- USAC is instituting a pro-cess to accelerate the speed in which all applications are pro-cessed. In particular, we are emphasizing the need to more quickly process those applica-tions that will utilize funds for scalable high-speed broadband connectivity. We will make sure that consortium-based applica-tions, those most likely to get the most services at the lowest cost, are acted on first, not last.

Federal Communication Com-mission Chairman Tom Wheeler described proposed changes to the E-Rate Program at the Chief Council of State School Officers Legislative Conference on March 17. A copy of his full remarks are available at http://www.fcc.gov/document/chairman-wheeler-remarks-ccsso-legislative-con-ference. Chairman Wheeler said, among other things:

- The nature of connectivity has changed dramatically over the life of E-Rate. But, how E-Rate funds are distributed has not.

- For E-Rate modernization to be successful, the updated program must be: 1) Focused on delivering faster-speeds to schools and librar-ies and WiFi throughout; 2) Fund-ed and future-proofed; 3) Fiscally responsible and fact-based; and 4) Friendly to use.

- We must address how to in-crease the efficiency with which the funds are spent. This is a key component of the recent public notice and a priority as we head towards a spring decision by the Commission. We are looking at three key issues.

First, why is it that prices paid by like schools in like circumstances vary so widely?

Second, how do we have a pro-gram that has a growth path in terms of the bandwidth it en-ables? And how do we ensure that growth path works for all schools, including rural schools who have not always benefited under the current rules?

Third, we need to be smart with schools and how they interact with the E-rate program. ■

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State ContractsThere are several advantages to using state contracts for pur-chasing.

State contracts meet Arkansas legal and audit requirements. They are priced based on vol-ume and are typically more convenient for the buyer. State contracts are easy to use and cut administrative costs by sav-ing time and resources. In ad-dition, state contracts provide access to the expertise of a pro-fessional procurement staff.

There are many state contracts available. Items that can be purchased through a state con-tract include: Computers Copy Machines Bathroom Tissue Office Supplies Bulk Fuel Drug Testing Kits Playground Equipment Software Vehicles Tires School Buses

A full list of available state con-tracts can be found at:www.arkansass.gov/dfa/pro-curement

Additional information is available on the APSRC weeb-site under Members Only > Fi-nancial Tools.

Do you have questions about procurement or state con-tracts? Contact Jane Benton at jbenton@apsrc.net. ■

Education Super Highway Chooses Arkansas as Broadband Pilot

Evan Marwell, the CEO and President of Education Super Highway traveled to Arkansas to be part of a press conference hosted by Governor Beebe on August 11.

At this press conference, Gov-ernor Beebe announced that Education Super Highway has chosen Arkansas as one of two pilot states where they will di-rect their broadband efforts.

Education Super Highway has been conducting research on the broadband provided to Ar-kansas schools for the past two months. In this time, they have found that Arkansas is spend-

ing far more than most states on connectivity, but it is be-ing directed to the wrong ar-eas. They told legislators that “Arkansas is using copper in a fiber world.” If that amount of money was redirected, Ar-kansas could lead the nation in school broadband. In addi-tion, by redirecting those dol-lars, our state would qualify for additional E-rate funding.

Marwell and Joe Freddoso spoke to the press and legisla-tors about the results of their study. They said that the mon-ey currently being spent by most schools in Arkansas is the equivalent of a family spend-

ing between $2,800-$5,700 per month for a cable modem. 50% of the money spent by schools on connectivity goes to DIS.

Gov. Beebe has ordered a full performance audit of DIS.

Education Super Highway will now partner with ADE and Governor Beebe to work with broadband providers, over-see procurement, and build a broadband network for Arkan-sas schools.

Sen. Linda Chesterfield told Education Super Highway that this is “the most exciting news she has heard in months.” ■

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Legislators Review School Transportation Issues and Cost

The Senate and House Educa-tion Committees recently met for their August meeting. In the interim, they are charged with looking at adequacy, as well as reviewing any studies that were to be conducted. Act 1288 of 2013, originally a bill from Rep. Murdock, required a study to be done on the amount of time students spend on a bus being transported to and from school.

The Bureau of Legislative Re-search presented their survey results to the Committee. All Arkansas school districts were surveyed. In addition to their findings on transportation time, BLR also released data on the cost of school transporta-tion in Arkansas.

Here are a few key findings of this study:-There are 5,360 daily bus routes for students in Arkan-sas. This does not include ac-

tivity/athletic transportation.-The most routes run by a school district is over 200.-The average school bus size in Arkansas is 68 seats.-The average school bus route travels 45 miles each way.-The average school bus route carries 48 students.-The average first pick up time of the morning for a school bus in Arkansas is 6:51 am.-If the state were to impose a 60 minute time limit on the amount of time a student can spend on a bus (one-way), it would cost school districts $18.58 Million.-The average student in Ar-kansas travels 49 minutes on a bus to school (one-way). -The longest time any student in Arkansas spends on a bus is 161 minutes. Three students in Little Rock spend 161 min-utes on the bus each way due to M to M transfer.-The average monthly pay-ment for a school bus is $

1,591.-The Pulaski County Special School Districts drives over 20,000 miles each day on their bus routes. This is the most of any district in Arkansas.-The districts that spend the most money on transporta-tion are: Little Rock, North Little Rock, and PCSSD.-ADM is not an accurate pre-dictor of transportation costs. Other factors must be added to the calculation.-In fiscal year 2013, districts spent $184,110,997 on trans-portation, but only received $142,895,770 for transporta-tion through the matrix.

What implications will this have for the upcoming legisla-tive session? At this time, we do not know. We can expect transportation to be discussed by the legislature, but at this time, no policy recommenda-tions have come out as a result of this study. ■

Did you know... ?Geographically, the largest school district in AR is

DeWitt at 922 sq. miles.The smallest is Harmony Grove (Saline) at 22 sq. miles.

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AR Increases Implementation of NWEA MAP Assessment by nearly 40%As Arkansas moves from the ACTAAP to PARCC, many more Arkansas schools are choosing to implement NWEA MAP (Mea-sures of Academic Progress) As-sessments as a bridge assessment in the 2014-15 school year. Over 40 additional school districts have expressed interest in utiliz-ing the MAP data this upcoming year. In 2010, the U.S. Depart-ment of Education released A Blueprint for Reform: The Re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act [pdf]. With a focus on college and career readiness, the Blue-print sought to address concerns about assessments and AYP by calling for state accountability systems to “recognize progress and growth and reward success, rather than identify failure.”

As Arkansas’ student achieve-ment moves into the equation of successful teaching, schools are seeking a secondary data source for measuring growth. NWEA MAP Assessment is the tool many are choosing to as-sist Arkansas educators in this area. NWEA Research main-tains the nation’s largest reposi-tory of student achievement data—the Growth Research Da-tabase (GRD™)—and supports two arms: Advanced Research & Development, which ensures

educators can trust the validity of their products, and the Kings-bury Center at NWEA, which supports research that contrib-utes to informed educational policy. With the help of their flagship interim assessment, Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®), they’ve spent the last several decades growing closer to the goal of advancing EVERY student’s academic achievement. (See http://www.nwea.org/our-research/national-education-re-search)

Educators across the state and nation will agree that “One Size Doesn’t Fit All”. Each child learns differently. The MAP Assessment is a computerized adaptive as-sessment that tests differently, al-lowing teachers to see their stu-dents as individuals – each with their own base of knowledge. MAP presents students with en-gaging, age-appropriate content. As a student responds to ques-tions, the test responds to the student, adjusting up or down in difficulty.

APSRC partners with NWEA in providing individualized techni-cal assistance and regional pro-fessional development for mem-ber districts. In addition to these customized services, attendees at the APSRC Fall Conference will

have the opportunity to extend their learning. There will be six sessions offered throughout the conference assisting schools with implementation techniques. Schools will also share success stories and learning more about upcoming changes in the Learn-ing Continuum.

APSRC Fall Conference Sessions will offer something for every level of MAP users. Schools in-terested in learning more about what MAP can offer are encour-aged to attend sessions such as An Introduction to MAP and MPG. Current primary users are encouraged to learn more about the Children’s Progress Academic Assessments. Both new and veteran users are en-couraged to attend the sessions on Creating a data “MAP” Cul-ture and what is new at NWEA. The “What’s New” Session will focus on the “New” Learning Continuum which is replacing the DesCarte and the RIT to Resource APP. Watch for the conference program containing detailed descriptions for each session. Districts can register for the conference to be held in Hot Springs on September 23 at www.apsrc.net/fallconference.

For more information, contact Kristi Campbell at APSRC. ■

Congratulations to OPSRC on their Grand Opening!

The Oklahoma Public School Resource Center has recently

opened their doors to serve rural districts and charter schools

in Oklahoma. We look forward to their work and partnership.

Congratulations!

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