March 21, 2019
ATTENTION ALL NDE PORTAL USERS:
Please log onto your portal accounts and go to the “My Profile” tab and check to make sure your contact information (especially the email address) is up to date. It is very important to keep this information updated as the Department of Education uses the email address that is in the users’ Portal account to send vital information. Thank you!!
Register Now
Champions for Equity in Education: Better Data – Better Decisions
2019 NDE Data Conference – April 29-30, 2019 – Younes Conference Center – Kearney, Nebraska
Contact: Debe Dockhorn (402-471-2748 or debe.dockhorn@nebraska.gov) Jeannie Chastain (402-471-2288 or jeannie.chastain@nebraska.gov)
The NDE Data Conference will be held April 29-30, 2019 at the Younes Conference Center – Kearney, Nebraska.
This conference will provide opportunities to learn about how to improve data quality in the first-year of ADVISER statewide implementation, as well as hear from experts about the latest policies and techniques in education data. The conference is open to all Nebraska Public School Districts’ educators but the main audience are the people that input information into the Student Information System or those in charge of the Student Information System as well as the Administrators that “approve” the data. This conference will help to get the teams on the same page and know who to contact at NDE if there are questions, issues or concerns.
To register, or for more information, visit the conference website at https://www.education.ne.gov/dataservices/events/.
NDE: GMS Carryover Funds From 2017-18 into 2018-2019
Contact: The NDE Consultant for your district/ESU
RE: Carryover funds from 2017-18 into 2018-19 for the following GMS programs
- ESSA Consolidated Application
- Title I-A
- Title I-D
- Title II-A
- Title III-EL
- Title III-IE
- Title I-D State Agencies Application
- McKinney-Vento Homeless Application
- IDEA Consolidated Application
Due to NDE updating financial coding for the 2018-19 school year, all carryover funds from 2017-18 to 2018-19 have to be manually entered this year, therefore all carryover for programs listed above will be uploaded at the same time. These carryover funds from 2017-18 are now available.
Each district having carryover funds for one or more programs from 2017-18 will need to create an amendment in the NDE Grants Management System (GMS). NDE encourages districts to submit amendments by mid-April.
An email providing the above information has been sent to public school superintendents and ESU administrators. Please forward to others, as appropriate.
ADVISER Student Validation Errors
Contact: NDE Helpdesk (888-285-0556 or ADVISERHELP@nebraskacloud.org)
For Public and Special Purpose Schools
NDE Helpdesk staff are reviewing pertinent errors in ADVISER Validation and will be sending notification emails to appropriate persons over the next few weeks and months. We appreciate the effort made by District Data Stewards in maintaining accurate data and ensuring timely updates. Please let us know if you have any questions/concerns relating to these notifications.
Staff Reporting and Staff Leaving
Contact: NDE Helpdesk (888-285-0556 or ADVISERHELP@nebraskacloud.org)
REMINDER! DO NOT DELETE anyone from Staff Reporting that worked in your school district during the 2018-2019 school year. If they have left or are leaving put an end date in their position assignment. If you delete them, their experience at your district will not be recorded in the NDE Staff database. This database is used as a validation for Teacher Certification when they verify experience which is required when renewing certificates. If you delete their experience, the teacher may not be able to renew their certificate.
If you have deleted some staff you should not have deleted, please add them back with an end date in the staff position assignment.
2018-2019 Support for Improvement Grant – OPEN: March 13 – DUE DATE: April 10
Contact: Diane Stuehmer (402-471-1740 or Diane.Stuehmer@nebraska.gov)
The 2018-2019 Support for Improvement is open in the GMS and due to NDE April 10. Only schools identified as being in improvement will receive funding for the 2018-19 school year. Questions can be directed to the NDE Title I Reviewer assigned to your district. The Contact Us link is located at the bottom of each application page.
Nebraska PowerSchool User Group Conference
Contact: Ellie Schroeder: eschroeder@esu10.org or Andie Maupin: andrea.maupin@bpsne.net
Thursday April 11 at ESU 3 in LaVista
Registration Link Updated here: https://nebraskapowerschoolusergroup.regfox.com/nepsug-annual-conference
TENTATIVE LIST OF SESSIONS:
New Student contacts – import
Secretary Session
PowerSchool 101
EOY (End of Year)
ADVISER
Incident Management – ADVISER – Teachers
Must have customizations
Security-Role administration
Custom page management – New in 12.1
Graduation planner
What’s your question at lunch
Mirrored & Reporting Schools
NDE portal reports
Attendance – Conversions, Bell schedules, membership values, calendar
A block of rooms are reserved at: Comfort Inn Suites
8121 Eastport Parkway, La Vista, NE 68128 (5 minute drive to ESU 3)
King Bed or 2 Queen Beds for $93.00
Reservations may be made by calling the hotel direct at 402 505-7333, choose option #2 and ask for the group block “Nebraska Power School Users” Group block.
OR
https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/RO56N
*The block of rooms will held until March 20th, 2019*
IDEA MOE for Compliance Standard – OPEN: March 15 – DUE DATE: April 30
Contact: Pete Biaggio (402-471-4308 or pete.biaggio@nebraska.gov)
IDEA Part B Special Education Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Application for Compliance Standard for school year 2017-2018 opens on March 15. The report may be accessed within the NDE Portal under the Data Collection tab.
School district receipt of IDEA dollars is contingent upon maintaining fiscal effort for Special Education. Districts must expend a greater or equal amount of local or local/state funds from a previous year highest level to meet the MOE requirement. Final calculations based on actual special education school district expenditures/receipts/data obtained from the 2017-2018 AFR, GMS and NSSRS are available and have been compared to the highest levels of fiscal effort. As a result, calculations for meeting the IDEA MOE Compliance Standard may have resulted in a MOE excess or shortage that requires school district review for determination of adjustments or credits that could modify the MOE level.
2019-2020 U.S. Department of Education
REAP (SRSA) Grant has opened in Grants.gov – DUE DATE: APRIL 26, 2019
Contact: Kirk Russell (402-471-2741 or kirk.russell@nebraska.gov)
Apply Now Small, Rural, School Achievement Program (SRSA). The purpose of the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program is to provide rural LEAs with financial assistance to fund initiatives aimed at improving student academic achievement.
Local education agencies (LEAs) are entitled to funds if they meet basic eligibility and application requirements. Awards are issued annually, and award amounts are determined using a formula.
To register/apply, or for more information go to Grants.gov
https://www.grants.gov/view-opportunity.html?dpp=1&oppId=313089
Staff Reporting, Time and Effort Logs and Reimbursement
Contact: NDE Helpdesk (888-285-0556 or ADVISERHelp@nebraskacloud.org)
An update has been posted to the Staff Instruction Manual located at STAFF INSTRUCTION MANUAL 20182019-v-8.0.1-March-2019.pdf for the Special Program Indicators listed on page 22. Review these changes carefully and make sure the Staff Reporting is accurate for 2018-2019, minimizing staff reporting errors, maximize reimbursement of funds. We have included the program coding and a reminder about Time and Effort logs for those that are paid with federal funds. We have also added to the GMS IDEA Funding report listed in the Portal under Student & Staff Tab under NSSRS Validation, Staff Verification Reports. You can choose the different position types to see if the staff funded by that program are listed. If not, then you may need to update the staff reporting to be able to get reimbursement for those staff not on the report.
If the appropriate staff are listed on the report, you should be able to claim those staff for reimbursement.
There will be a session at the Data Conference in April. Please come and learn more about minimizing Staff Reporting Errors, MAXIMIZE Grant Reimbursement.
Assistive Technology Specialist
Contact: Amy Rhone in Special Education (amy.rhone@nebraska.gov)
Assistive Technology Specialist (1122) is now available for districts to report if they have this position in their school district. It is NOT limited to ESU’s only. Here is the updated description and requirements for the position.
Assistive Technology Specialist (1122)
An assignment to perform assistive technology functions of a school district or Intermediate Education Agency. These duties may include, but are not limited to, providing guidance and assistance to other staff members in planning for and using assistive technology to support classroom instruction.
| Statutory Requirement | None |
| Regulatory Requirement | Nebraska Department of Education Certification, or State of Nebraska licensure by an appropriate board of examiners. 92NAC 51-007.07C3(a-c) |
Clarification on Keeping Attendance for Part-time Students, Early Childhood SPED and Rule 11 Students Served in the Home
Contact: Pam Tagart (402-471-4735 or pam.tagart@nebraska.gov)
After researching recent questions, it has been determined that Rule 1.003.03B4 and Rule 2006.02B require school districts to maintain cumulative attendance and membership records for each student. NDE will be updating the Who Reports What document to reflect these rules on keeping attendance on these students, as this is different guidance than what was supplied by NDE staff in the past. Since it is February 2019, please do the best you can for reporting 2018-2019 calendar and attendance data. Please review the Calendar Details, Student Attendance Summary, and ADA/ADM verification reports in the ADVISER Validation website to ensure students are being reported correctly.
Under ADVISER the Days in Session count for each student is determined by looking at the calendar track the student is assigned to and summing up the number of in-session days reported under that track. Only in-session days that are between the student’s enrollment entry and exit dates are counted. A student is automatically assumed to be present for all in-session days reported in their calendar track, unless an absence is reported. The number of Days Present for a student is found by summing their Days in Session from their calendar track and subtracting the absences reported for the student. The Average Daily Membership calculation aggregates the Days in Session numbers for all students, with each student’s numbers being weighted according to their FTE. The Average Daily Attendance is the same calculation performed using the Days Present numbers.
In reviewing this issue and the uses of the data, here are some things that may be affected if you do not report attendance/absence data to NDE:
- State per pupil expenditures will be lower because the divisor will include students for whom attendance is not kept and the students will look like they are 100% in attendance which may not be accurate. This calculated data element determines Nebraska’s NPEFS reporting which is used for federal allocation for IDEA programs including Title I and SPED. A lower state per pupil expenditure means Nebraska will get a lower amount in federal allocation.
- ADA/ADM is used in Calculating Title I Maintenance of Effort but it is only part of the formula.
- District per pupil expenditures will be lower for the same reason as #1.
- Some Grants use ADA.
- If these students aren’t included in membership they won’t be factored in for TEEOSA.