Title IV-A , Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE)
Contact information (Federal and State)
Dottie Heusman | 402-219-4802 | dottie.heusman@nebraska.gov
Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment
Title IV, Part A, also known as Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE), is part of the Every Student Succeeds Act reauthorization of the ESEA. The SSAE program is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of state educational agencies (SEA’s), local educational agencies (LEA’s), and local communities to provide all students with:
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- Access to a well-rounded education
- Improve school conditions for student learning, safe and healthy students
- Effective use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students
About the Title IV, Part A LEA Needs Assessment Tool
A needs assessment, in conjunction with stakeholder engagement, can help LEAs think strategically about the programs offered to their students. This Tool is structured to encourage LEAs to think first about the desired outcomes, then work backwards to identify the programs that will best serve those outcomes. Additionally, Title IV, Part A State Coordinators are required to ensure that LEAs receiving an award of $30,000 or greater conduct a comprehensive needs assessment that informs the selection of the proposed activities in their application. The Title IV, Part A statute requires that the needs assessment be completed once every three years.
The U.S. Department of Education has developed a comprehensive LEA needs assessment tool. Within this Tool, LEAs can enter district- and school-level outcome data (i.e., for selected schools identified by the LEA for Title IV, Part A funding). The Tool includes outcome-focused indicators. Collecting and analyzing outcome data during a needs assessment can help LEAs identify where their schools are facing challenges and stay focused on those outcomes as they implement their Title IV, Part A program. These indicators were chosen based on Title IV, Part A requirements, as well as the anticipated availability of data since many of the requested data points are used as part of federal and state reporting.
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- Title IV, Part A Program Fact Sheet
- Title IV, Part A SSAE Waiver for COVID-19
- T4PA Center Website
- Department of Education’s Non-Regulatory Guidance: Title IV, Part A (SSAE)
- Title IV, Part A Regulatory Statute
- USDE FAQ’s for Title IV, Part A
- Transferability Information
- Smoke Free Nebraska: School Information
- Gun Free Schools – Nebraska Statute
Congress authorized $1 billion in formula funding under Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to State educational agencies (SEA’s) to provide students with safer and healthier learning environments. Under the BSCA, SEA’s must award these funds competitively to high-need local educational agencies (LEA’s) to fund activities allowable under section 4108 of the ESEA.
Nebraska Stronger Connections Grant Program Overview
Title IV-A Public Reporting
NE Title IV-A Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant Program
Title IV, Part A, (also known as the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants or SSAE) in the 2015 reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act supports our nation’s commitment to equity of opportunity for all students. The Title IV, Part A the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program is intended to ensure all children graduate from high school ready to thrive in college and careers. ESSA requires that the state report how local educational agencies are using their funds, and the degree to which they are meeting their objectives and outcomes for their use of funds.
ESSA Section 4104. State Use Funds.
(a) IN GENERAL.-Each State that receives an allotment under section 4103 for a fiscal year shall-
(2) reserve not more than 1 percent of the allotment for the administrative costs of carrying out its responsibilities under this subpart, including public reporting on how funds made available under this subpart are being expended by local educational agencies, including the degree to which the local educational agencies have made progress toward meeting the objectives and outcomes described in section 4106(e)(1)(E).
ESSA Section 4106. Local Educational Agency Applications.
(e) CONTENTS OF LOCAL APPLICATION.-Each application submitted under this section by a local educational agency, or a consortium of such agencies, shall include the following:
(1) DESCRIPTIONS.-A description of the activities and programming that the local educational agency, or consortium of such agencies, will carry out under this subpart, including a description of-
(E) the program objectives and intended outcomes for activities under this subpart, and how the local educational agency, or consortium of such agencies, will periodically evaluate the effectiveness of the activities carried out under this section based on such objectives and outcomes.
How LEAs are Using Their Title IV-A Funds
The spreadsheet below reports how funds made available under Title IV-A are being expended by local educational agencies to support their students in one or more of the following ways:
- Well Rounded | providing more opportunities for a well rounded education,
- Safe and Healthy | providing them with a safe and supportive environment for learning,
- Effective Use of Technology | providing them with more effective uses of digital tools and resources.
- Flex/Transfer | transferring all or a portion of funds into another federal title program where they are needed more.
- 2% Administrative Support | LEAs may take up to 2% of their allocation to support grant administration.
- Indirect Costs | based on LEA accepted percentage for overhead of grant management.
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BCSA) Stronger Connections Grant (SCG)
Congress authorized $1 billion in formula funding under Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to State educational agencies (SEA’s) to provide students with safer and healthier learning environments. Under the BSCA, SEA’s must award these funds competitively to high-need local educational agencies (LEA’s) to fund activities allowable under section 4108 of the ESEA.
This grant will be available in the GMS for LEA’s to apply between June 13, 2023 and August 23, 2023.
For additional information please review these documents:
Nebraska Stronger Connections Grant Program Overview
SCG Directions Document
SCG FAQ’s
Nonpublic Consultation Form
NE SCG Scoring Rubric
