State Board Report
September 2018
Biennial Budget Request Approved
State Board of Education members approved the Nebraska Department of Education’s biennial budget request. The budget document communicates monetary information about the full range of Department activities and will now go to the state legislature for approval.
Early Childhood Coach Collaboration Pilot Project
The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) will determine the feasibility of building a system of early childhood coach mentoring and collaboration among coaching initiatives with the approval of this pilot project. Research indicates that coaches need support and mentoring to improve their own practice but few coaching initiatives have the resources to provide an infrastructure that includes this support. Educational Service Units 3 and 6 have agreed to host a master coach and pilot a collaborative coaching support system.
COACH COLLABORATION PILOT PROJECT
USDA Meal Service Training Grants
NDE will work closely with childcare facilities participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and provide education and support for promoting healthy childcare environments with this two year grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). NDE staff will help plan menus with a variety of healthy foods that are less expensive and available in Nebraska and demonstrate the ability to modify recipes by selecting USDA recipes.
MTSS Implementation Support Team
This cooperative agreement will continue to fund ongoing professional learning needed to assist Nebraska schools in effective implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), high quality instruction and interventions, and data-based decision making to advance academic outcomes for all students, including those at risk. During the 2018-2019 project period, the MTSS Implementation Support Team will continue to provide support to schools on a number of issues including work on new legislation calling for Nebraska schools to utilize valid and reliable screening assessments to identify students to receive reading intervention supports.
MTSS IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT TEAM
Homeless Assistance Grants
Every state educational agencies must ensure that each homeless child has equal access to the same free, public education, including a public preschool education, as other children. With the approval of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance grants NDE will provide more than $285,000 to districts across the state to support and serve homeless students.
LIST OF SCHOOLS RECEIVING GRANTS
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Nebraska schools will receive more than $2.1 million in federal funds for fresh fruits and vegetables. Money will be awarded to 113 schools through the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant Award Program (FFVP). The FFVP has been a nationwide program since 2008 and operates in elementary schools in every state.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the State Board of Education will be held on
Friday, October 5, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. at the Nebraska State Office Building.
A work session will be held on Thursday, October 4, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
For detailed information about the work session or business meeting,
visit www.education.ne.gov/StateBoard/Agendas.html.