ESEA Technical Assistance and Guidance

ESEA Proportional Share and Equitable Services Guidance

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires a Local Educational Agency (LEA) to consult with non-public (non-profit) school officials regarding the size and scope of the equitable services to be provided, the proportion of funds that is set aside for equitable services, and how that proportion is determined. Once shares are available, the ESEA requires an LEA to provide this information to non-public school officials and the State education Agency (SEA), NHED. This information is collected semi-annually in August and February to meet this requirement. Below is the document utilized to report proportional shares to NHED, calculators to assist in the calculation of equitable shares, and related guidance provided by NHED, and nonregulatory guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education.

23-24 Semiannual Proportional Share Distributions

Title I, Part A Equitable Services Guidance

Title I, Part A Equitable Services Calculator

Title I, Part A Nonregulatory Guidance for Equitable Services (updated May 17, 2023)

Title VIII Nonregulatory Guidance for Equitable Services (updated July 17, 2023)

Proportional Share and Title I, Part A Equitable Services Calculator- PPT

ESEA Transferability

Transferability is a flexibility authority under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which allows Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to transfer up to 100% of the funds received under a specific title program to other programs. This authority gives LEAs the ability to better address the needs of their unique student populations and ensures the delivery of meaningful programs. Please reference the below guidance and PowerPoint to help guide you on utilizing this authority.

Transferability- PPT

Transferability Guidance (updated 10/28/2024)

Title I, Part A District-to-District Allocation Transfer Request

Per Section 1126(b) of ESEA, allocations amongst LEAs may be transferred among those LEAs that receive Title I, Part A if:

1. Two or more LEAs serve, in whole or in part, the same geographical area;
2. An LEA provides free public education for children who reside in the school district of another LEA; or
3. There is a merger, creation, or change of boundaries of one or more LEAs. 

LEAs must have an approved and updated internal policy on transferring Federal funds from one LEA to another, along with a formal agreement (such as an MOU) between both parties. The agreement, at a minimum, must outline how the Federal funds will be maintained and how all requirements will be met between both parties. 

If two LEAs agree to such transfer, the following document must be approved by NHED prior to a transfer taking place. 

Title I, Part A District-to District Allocation Transfer Request Form and Guidance

Title I, Part A Distribution of Funds Requirements

Per ESSA Section 1113, an LEA with multiple school attendance areas must distribute their allocation by rank order. In an effort to aid in this process, NHED created a Distribution of Funds page under the Title I, Part A grant within the Grants Management system. The below PowerPoint speaks to this requirement, how to use the Distribution of Funds page, and the applicable rules and laws. 

Title I, Part A Distribution of Funds- PPT

Title I, Part A GMS Carryover Feature

Per ESSA Section 1127(a), not more than 15% of Title I, Part A funds allocated to a district for any fiscal year may remain available for one additional fiscal year. However, if a district receives less than $50,000 for any fiscal year this law does not apply. Lastly, once every three years, a State may waive this limitation if the district's request is both reasonable and necessary and/or supplemental appropriations for Title I, Part A become available. This process has historically been addressed via email between the district and NHED, but starting with the 23-24 grant closeout, this process will be addressed upon filing the final report for the grant. Additional information about this process can be found in the slide deck below. 

Title I, Part A GMS Carryover Feature Guidance

Title I, Part A GMS Carryover Feature- PPT

GMS Activity Level Approval

A recent attribute (Summer 2023) has been added to the Grants Management System (GMS) to allow approval at the activity level; this way substantially approvable activities can move forward through the GMS process and LEAs can obligate federal funds, meanwhile the unapproved activities can continue to be worked on allowing for a more expeditious spending of federal funds. The below guidance will outline the purpose and process changes noted as a result of this attribute.

Activity Level Approval- PPT

Activity Level Approval Guidance

GMS Budgets and Consolidated Application

The Grants Management System (GMS), more specifically, the activities and budgets written within GMS are currently acting as the application for ESEA Title Programs. However, not all requirements set forth by ESSA Legislation are being met by utilizing this system, therefore we are proposing a consolidated application to ensure all requirements are being met. Additionally, during this meeting we discuss some steps that are being taken to address issues as they arise to ensure compliance (i.e. intent to apply/spend documentation, grant award notifications, etc.).

GMS Budgets and Consolidated Application- PPT

GMS Budgets and Consolidated Application- 12/12/23 Meeting Recording

ESEA Consolidated Application- PPT

GMS Procurement Language

This Power Point will clarify the requirements behind what does or does not need to be written or provided in GMS regarding the procurement of goods or services with federal funding. 

Procurement Language PPT

Noncompetitive Procurement  

The following guidance and request form was created to clarify the requirements of noncompetitive procurement (also known as sole source) per 2 CFR 200.320 (c) and provide a uniform request document to be utilized for all ESEA programs when requesting noncompetitive procurement. Please reach out to your program contact manager for questions or requests of noncompetitive procurement.

Noncompetitive Guidance and Request Form 

Indirect Costs

Indirect costs are expenses essential for the general operation of an organization but not directly attributable to a specific project or program. These may include administrative salaries, utilities, and office supplies. Below is a link to the negotiated indirect cost rates for each LEA and a fact sheet to assist in calculating these rates for grant allocations. For further information on indirect cost calculations, please contact your program manager.

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rates | Department of Education (nh.gov) 

Fact Sheet: Calculating Indirect Costs on Federal Funds

ESEA Spring 2024 Conference

The ESEA Spring Conference took place on March 26th and 27th at the New Hampshire Department of Education. Attendees took part in a variety of sessions ranging from equitable services to parent and family engagement, as well as a live demonstration of the newly developed ESEA Consolidated Application. Below are the PowerPoint presentations and handouts that were presented and provided during this conference. 

Session Presentations 

• Academics- ELA
• Academics- Mathematics
• Equitable Services
• Evidence Based Practices
• GMS 101
• McKinney Vento
• Parent and Family Engagement
• Title I, Part A
• Title II, Part A
• Title III, Part A
• Title IV, Part A
• Title IV, Part B
• What's New in ESEA

Handouts

• ESEA Consolidated Application How-To Field Use Guide
• Evidence Based Practices
• GMS 101 Helpful Tips
• Title IV, Part B

ESEA Office Hours

The Office of ESEA Title Programs regularly conducts office hour trainings consisting of a variety of ESEA topics. The published calendar of Office Hour topics can be found here with the associated Zoom link: Office Hour Calendar. The presentations shared during such Office Hours will be made available below, after they have been presented. If you have any questions about a particular topic, please reach out to the Program Manager listed on the Office Hour. 

Office Hour Presentations 

• ESEA Office Hour Kick Off and General Program Topics
• Title I, Part C, Migrant Education Program Introduction
• Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment - Developing Activities 
• Title IV, Part A Needs Assessment Criteria
• Title IV, Part A LEA Program Facilitator's Allowability Guide
• Expectations for Activity Narratives in GMS
• Using Evidence Based Practices for Title IV, Part A
• Title III, Part A Grant Writing
• Title II, Part A General Information
• Title IV, Part A 22-23 Public Report form
• 2024-09-25 Title II Office Hours
• 2024-10-02 Title I Part A Office Hour - Evidence-Based Practices
• 2024-10-09 Title IV-A Allowability Flow Chart
• 2024-10-23 Title II-A Office Hour
• 2024-10-30 Writing Activities in GMS
• 2024-11-06 OPTIONAL Title IV-A 2022-2023 Public Reporting Objective Collection Tool
• 2024-11-20 ESEA Program GMS Activity Writing Infographic
• 2024-11-20 Title II-A Office Hour Presentation