May 2004 DOE Administrative Memorandum

In Every Issue:
Secretary's Column
CANS

In This Issue:

Proposed district accreditation model takes shape
Dakota STEP, STAARS and the “1 Percent Rule”
Governor’s 2010 Education Initiative moves forward
Two administrative rules regarding Birth to 3 added
Training to focus on sexual harassment and bullying prevention
Scholarships to technical institutes available
Educators should save receipts for reinstated deduction

Secretary’s Column
By Dr. Rick Melmer, Secretary
South Dakota Department of Education

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Ray Simon, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, speak at the Teacher Leadership Conference in Pierre. Ray shared his favorite Dr. Seuss story, “Hooray for Diffendoofer Day.” (A refreshing deviation from what you might expect of a federal government employee!)

If you are not familiar with the story, it’s about the Diffendoofer School in Dinkerville. Miss Bonkers, a teacher who is “different-er than the rest,” saves the day for the principal, Mr. Lowe, and the entire school by rising to a challenge, trusting in her skills and inspiring her students to achieve.

The story reminded me of the great resource we have in our teachers, and it reminded me that it is absolutely critical that we, as administrators, invest wisely in this resource. The opportunities to invest are endless, and any dollars put towards this investment will pay off in the long run. You will be rewarded with skilled, well-equipped and positive teachers – the type of teacher you want to have on your team.

Sending your teachers to professional development workshops is one way to keep them fresh and up-to-date on all the latest research and teaching tools available to educators. That is the purpose behind Governor Rounds’ Teacher Leadership Conference. Mentoring programs also provide a vehicle for supporting first-time teachers and principals, so they can benefit from the years of experience that have gone before them but still blaze their own paths.

Finally, one of the easiest ways that you can invest in your teachers is to listen to them. This simple action, often overlooked amidst a school administrator’s many responsibilities, pays great dividends. So, invite your teachers into your office for a few minutes of face-to-face time. Visit them in their classrooms. Facilitate opportunities for your teachers to share with, and to learn, from each other. Those few minutes that you invest in your teachers today will contribute to a productive and happy team down the road.

CANS

Deadline approaching for return of “Survey of October Data”
Nov. 15 is the deadline for National School Lunch Program authorized representatives to return the “Survey of October Data,” which was mailed Sept. 24. The survey must be returned by this date to assure the October claim for reimbursement will be processed. It should be returned to the South Dakota Department of Education’s Child and Adult Nutrition Services, 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501.

Required by federal regulation, the survey is used for many purposes. Information gathered is used to select sites to be visited during the school food authority’s review and to determine site eligibility for the School Breakfast Program severe need option, Summer Food Service Program and Daycare Home tier level. It also is used to report site eligibility to the National Center for Education Statistics for the core summary data.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Guidance concerning reauthorization offered

The recent child nutrition reauthorization brought many changes. Packets outlining the most immediate changes were mailed to agencies the last week of October. Most of the changes affected schools.

The biggest positive change was that the former Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot was made a program, and the number of states able to participate in the program was expanded. Ten schools on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation are now part of this program.

Following are some additional highlights. Child and Adult Nutrition Services will continue to provide policy and guidance as new information becomes available.

Child Care – Most of the changes put into law what had been implemented through policy previously.

Made permanent the option for proprietary centers to qualify for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), if at least 25 percent of the children served are from households qualifying for free or reduced-price meals.
Age limit for children served whose meals can be claimed in emergency shelters was raised from 12 to 18 years.
Term of agreements between homes and providers was lengthened.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was directed to work with states and CACFP to look at ways to reduce paperwork.
Duration of Tier 1 determination based on school eligibility goes from three to five years.

School Lunch

Severe Need Breakfast – Schools that served 40 percent or more of lunches in the second prior year and that participate in the breakfast program can receive additional reimbursement for free and reduced-price breakfasts without the previously required cost-accounting.
Full-year eligibility – The previous requirement to report changes in income/family size was eliminated for school programs only. Unless families were given temporary approval, the approved benefits are good for the entire school year.
Categorical eligibility for migrant, runaway, homeless children – School nutrition programs should work with the coordinators of these programs to determine children that these descriptions apply to and make them categorically eligible for free meals. No further verification is required.
Encourages consumption of foods in school nutrition programs specifically recommended by Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Some of the items that go into effect July 1, 2005:

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems must be in place in all schools.
Food safety inspections must be conducted twice annually in all schools. Reports of inspections to be posted in schools. States must gather information, analyze and report to USDA.
States must provide training and increase review activity focused on administrative error reduction.
School must offer fluid milk in a variety of fat contents. (Eliminated requirement for milk offered based on prior year’s sales.)
Verification process is moved up to begin Oct. 1 (beginning in October 2005) and to be completed by Nov. 15.
Allows (does not require) schools to substitute nondairy beverages. Beverages must meet standards developed by USDA.
Prohibits restriction on sale of milk on school premises or during school events.
Requires household applications instead of single-child applications.

Furthermore, schools must have wellness policies established by June 30, 2006. More information will be forthcoming on this issue, as it becomes available to us. Schools can continue to work towards that process through participation in Team Nutrition and Coordinated School Health activities.

Finally, the piece many have been waiting for – End Reduced Price Meals – was authorized as a pilot program for five states but has not yet been funded.

Schools take the HealthierUS challenge
Obesity is a growing concern for school children across this country. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service encourages schools to take an active role in addressing the issue through a program called HealthierUS School Challenge.

The program recognizes elementary schools that have taken steps to ensure that their students’ health is top priority. It also provides a challenge for schools that are not there yet. Under this program, schools can be certified as either Silver or Gold Team Nutrition Schools.

A basic set of criteria has been established at the national level for a school to be certified. The criteria are:

be an elementary school (If yours is a K-12 building, your challenge is with the elementary attendance center.)
be enrolled as a Team Nutrition School (You can enroll by going to www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Join/index.htm or contact South Dakota’s Child and Adult Nutrition Services for a Team Nutrition enrollment form.)
offer reimbursable lunches that demonstrate healthy menu planning practices and principles of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and that meet U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutrition standards
provide nutrition education to students
provide students the opportunity for physical activity
maintain an average daily participation of 70 percent or higher of school enrollment for reimbursable lunches
adhere to guidelines established by Food and Nutrition Services for foods served/sold in schools outside the National School Lunch Program

For more information about the HealthierUS Challenge, visit www.fns.usda.gov/tn/HealthierUS/index.htm.

Some requirements regarding verification process changing

Beginning with the school year of 2005, school food authorities (SFAs) will be required to report their verification activity and results to the South Dakota Department of Education’s Office of Child and Adult Nutrition Services (CANS). Additionally, state agencies must report the SFA data to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services.

Submission of this data on a SFA basis will enable state agencies and Food and Nutrition Services to better understand certification errors and to improve oversight activities. This will help ensure that free and reduced-price subsidized meals are provided only to eligible children.

Be sure to refer to the National School Lunch Program Memo #51 for instructions on how to count the number of applications a SFA has on file as of Oct. 31. The SFA must choose to do either a focused verification or random verification method, as described in Memo #51.

Each SFA submitted, in their annual agreement, the dates they would use to complete the required verification process. The deadline to complete the process at the local level remains Dec. 15for school year 2005. CANS will provide a specific form for SFAs to report the results of their verification information, which will be due no later than March 1, 2005.

For further information on verification, refer to the USDA “Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual” (1991).

Proposed district accreditation model takes shape

Thanks to feedback from administrators, the Department of Education has revised its district accreditation model. The revised model is a two-tiered system – opposed to the three-tiered system originally proposed. During its 2004 session, the South Dakota Legislature charged the department with reviewing the existing accreditation model.

With the new model, South Dakota would add a performance-based element to its accreditation process, which currently is strictly regulatory in nature. Under the new model, districts would choose one of two routes to accreditation: 1) state accreditation or 2) regional accreditation through North Central Association or another approved agency.

The two routes are similar. Both require completion of regulatory standards, which districts already are doing. In addition, both routes require creation of a district improvement plan and an onsite review on a five-year cycle. In developing a district improvement plan, districts will be able to pull from resources such as the Consolidated Application Form and information gathered at data retreats. They won’t be forced to re-create the wheel.

A third route – called exemplary accreditation – still is being explored as a possibility for the future.

Superintendents should watch for a mailing that offers more details about the proposed system. The state Board of Education will discuss district accreditation at its Nov. 15-16 meeting in Pierre.

For more information, contact Melody Schopp at the Department of Education, (605) 773-5232. melody.schopp@state.sd.us

Dakota STEP, STAARS and the “1 Percent Rule”

Please watch your mail for information on the 1.0 Percent Rule regarding the STAARS alternate and Dakota STEP assessments.

South Dakota students with significant cognitive disabilities have the option of taking, as determined by their IEP teams, the STAARS alternate assessment in place of the Dakota STEP statewide assessment. Up to 1.0 percent of the advanced and/or proficient scores on the alternate assessment can be reported as proficient for the purposes of calculating adequate yearly progress.

Alternate assessments that exceed this 1.0 percent at the district level will be considered not proficient, unless a request for exemption has been approved by the Department of Education. Districts must complete an exemption application form by Dec. 1, 2004.

Information on requesting this exemption was mailed to superintendents and special education directors Oct. 25. It also is available on the department’s Web site at http://www.state.sd.us/deca/Special/rule_exemption/index.htm.

For information, contact Michelle Powers at (605) 773-3327. michelle.powers@state.sd.us

Governor’s 2010 Education Initiative moves forward

Universal access to preschool, individual learning plans for students, and recruitment and retention of quality teachers. These are some of the hot topics that came out of the 2010 Education meetings held this summer.

Recently, participants at Governor Rounds’ Teacher Leadership Conference also offered their input into the 2010 Education process. In addition to the topics of early childhood education and teacher retention, the teachers’ discussions focused heavily on parental involvement and accountability. They also talked about the realities of how budget cuts and growing class sizes affect their classrooms.

So, what’s next with the 2010 Education Initiative? All of the information gathered at the grassroots level will go to Governor Rounds and his team to assess and prioritize. Stay tuned for more!

Two administrative rules regarding Birth to 3 added

Effective Nov. 15, 2004, two new rules have been added to Chapter 24:14:04 (financial matters) of the Administrative Rules of South Dakota governing Early Intervention. The rules were implemented to provide clarification on appropriate allowable costs regarding billing for travel time and mileage when providing early intervention services to eligible children.

Because formal publication in the full rules document may not occur for many months, it is recommended that this information be inserted into your current copy of the Early Intervention rules. The full body of these rules may be found at: http://legis.state.sd.us/rules/rules/2414.htm. Since this document does not yet have these two new rules included, you may download the additional rules at: http://www.state.sd.us/deca/Secretary/adminrules/PH%2024-14-04%20Financial%20Matters%20LRC%209-20-04.htm

For your convenience, a copy of the two new rules follows.

CHAPTER 24:14:04
FINANCIAL MATTERS

24:14:04:12.01. Reimbursement if travel is necessary solely to provide early intervention service. Reimbursement of mileage and travel time is available only if travel is necessary solely to provide early intervention services. If the service provider is required to travel to a location away from his or her home or office for another purpose, mileage and travel time are then available only for the portion of the travel required for the sole purpose of providing the early intervention services.

Source:

General Authority: SDCL 13-37-1.1
Law Implemented: SDCL 13-1-23, 13-14-1, 13-37-1.1

24:14:04:12.02. Reimbursement for travel to place of other employment.

The mileage between a provider’s home and that provider’s other place of employment that is not for the purpose of providing early intervention services is not subject to reimbursement if the provider travels from the provider’s home to that other place of employment and then travels to an eligible child’s home. Mileage may be paid for a provider’s travel only if the travel from the provider’s other place of employment to an eligible child’s home and back to the point of origin, or to an equidistant point, is for official early intervention business. The provider may not be reimbursed for travel home if the travel is conducted as a responsibility of the provider’s other place of employment.

Source:

General Authority: SDCL 13-37-1.1
Law Implemented: SDCL 13-1-23, 13-14-1, 13-37-1.1

For further information, contact Jan Elsing at (605) 773-2536 or Crystal Goeden at (605) 773-5799. jan.elsing@state.sd.us or crystal.goeden@state.sd.us.

Training to focus on sexual harassment and bullying prevention

To assist schools in creating positive school climates, the Office of Career and Technical Education will sponsor a sexual harassment and bullying prevention training session. The session will be held Jan. 25-26, 2005, in Pierre at the Kneip Building, 700 Governors Drive, Conference Room 3. The workshop will run 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.

School administrators and Title IX coordinators are invited to attend the workshop. Participants will receive hands-on training on topics such as bullying prevention, sexual harassment, school climate, and Title IX. They also will develop school safety plans to implement in their schools. Training will be provided by Colorado State University’s Interwest Equity Assistance Center.

The training is limited to 50 participants. Cost is $30 per person, which pays for supplies, materials, breaks and a working lunch both days.

For more information and to request a registration form, call the Office of Career and Technical Education at (605) 773-3423. The pre-registration deadline is Jan. 14, 2005.

The training is cosponsored by the Interwest Equity Assistance Center, Denver, Colo., and the Department of Education’s Office of Career and Technical Education.

Scholarships to technical institutes available

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Scholar program recognizes students who have completed a minimum of two credits in one of the following CTE programs: agriculture, business and marketing, family and consumer science, health occupations, information technology, technology education, and trade and industry, and a third credit in a supporting academic area.

High school students designated as CTE Scholars are eligible for admission to all four South Dakota technical institutes. To learn more about this program and how to apply, contact the Office of Career and Technical Education at (605) 773-7006.

Educators should save receipts for reinstated deduction

The Internal Revenue Service advises teachers and other educators to save their receipts for books and other classroom supplies. Educators will be able to deduct up to $250 of such expenses again this year, following recently enacted legislation.

The Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 reinstated the educator expense deduction, which had expired at the end of last year, for both 2004 and 2005. Expenses incurred any time this year may qualify for the deduction, not just those since the act was signed on Oct. 4.

The deduction is available to eligible educators in public or private elementary or secondary schools. To be eligible, a person must work at least 900 hours during a school year as a teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide.

An educator may subtract up to $250 of qualified out-of-pocket expenses when figuring adjusted gross income. This deduction is available whether or not the taxpayer itemizes deductions on Schedule A.

The IRS suggests that educators keep records of qualifying expenses in a folder, noting the date, amount and purpose of each purchase. This will help present a missed deduction at tax time.

For more information, contact Eileen McCormick at the Internal Revenue Service, (202) 283-0179 or Eileen.K.McCormick@irs.gov.