Action under consideration
The Administration recommends that the Board of Education, acting in its capacity as Board of Directors of Philadelphia Intermediate Unit No. 26 (IU 26), authorize IU 26, through the Executive Director or his designee, to accept funds, if awarded, from various grants, as follows:
From:
All agencies, departments, boards, commissions and instrumentalities of the United States of America, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and/or The City of Philadelphia, as well as certain other organizations including colleges, universities, other institutions of higher education, and charitable or nonprofit funding entities.
Purpose:
To accept grant funds to support a broad array of non-construction/non-capital projects and ancillary programming
Grant Start date: July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2028
Grants for an aggregate amount up to: $100,000,000 in FY24 and 110% of the prior year’s amount in future years
Description:
On a recurring basis, certain agencies -- especially the Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Human Services, and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency -- provide IU26 with a substantial amount of grant funding designed to support various supplemental programs and services. These agencies require that these funds flow through intermediate units throughout the state. Board approval is needed in order to authorize award agreements with each funding agency. To avoid having to submit multiple separate action items to authorize each award individually, and to facilitate the processing of those agreements with maximum efficiency so as not to create delays in accessing the funding, the administration seeks board approval for all these funding streams via this action item.
Anticipated grants covered by this action item include but are not limited to the following:
· Title I A Funds. To support coordination of services for students in the Foster Care system, as well as other capacity-building initiatives.
· Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B. To provide supplemental, supportive programming for students with disabilities; used to subsidize a citywide supportive service infrastructure for students with disabilities that includes the acquisition and deployment of supplemental school-based and itinerant staff as well as extended- year educational programming.
· Statewide Systems of Support. To provide technical assistance and professional development on the implementation of multiple initiatives, including Targeted School Improvement supports, Supports for Effective Standards-Based Instruction (e.g., Data Governance/Quality, etc.) and Safe Schools/School Climate programs.
· Access Medicaid Reimbursement Program. To reimburse the I.U. for health-related services provided to Medicaid eligible students with special educational needs.
· Act 89 Funding – To provide appropriate mandated services to eligible students from Philadelphia enrolled in non-public schools.
· Safe Schools Targeted grants – To provide school safety equipment and programs for eligible non-public schools.
· Other grants designed to support education in Philadelphia county.
This funding supports a large portion of IU26 efforts to provide high quality services in support of education throughout Philadelphia County. Evaluation plans designed by the Office of Research and Evaluation are described within each program’s annual application, if required. A variety of data, including those from standardized tests, are used as criteria for successful programming.
Goals and Guardrails supported:
Reading Goal – Every student reads on or above grade level
Math Goal – Every student preforms on or above grade level in math
College & Career Goal – Every student graduates ready for college and careers
Guardrail #1 – Every school will be a safe, welcoming and healthy place…
Guardrail #2 – Every student will have a well-round education…
Guardrail #3 – Every parent and guardian will be welcomes and encouraged to be partners…
Guardrail #4 – Our student’ potential will not be limited by practices that promote systemic racism…