May 13, 2020

WHAT'S INSIDECharter SchoolsCurriculum & InstructionEducator EffectivenessElevating EducatorsFunding & DisbursementsGrant Accountability and Transparency Act

Illinois Educator SurveyIllinois Report CardISBE Board MeetingsNutrition ProgramsTruants’ Alternative & Optional Education ProgramIn Brief

Dear Colleagues:

We have answered more of your frequently asked questions about English Learners on our website.This updated guidance includes information about the ACCESS test, Title III grants, licensure,assessment and placement of students, curriculum, and testing for the Seal of Biliteracy. You canaccess the new FAQ here (/Documents/EL-Remote-Learning-FAQ-5-11-20.pdf).

While we’re on the topic of multilingual students, I want to congratulate the 100 West Aurora Highseniors who earned the Seal of Biliteracy, plus another 68 who earned Commendations toward

biliteracy this year. Those credentials were earned in seven different languages (Arabic, French, Kamtok, Persian Farsi, Spanish, Swahili,Vietnamese), and 10 trilingual students earned Seals in two different languages! You can view a video honoring these amazing students here

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIu_2NnhSLY).

I’d like to alert you to some upcoming opportunities to learn more about meeting the needs of our youngest students. The Erikson Institute isoffering three free webinars this month: one on social-emotional learning focusing on relationships as regulators (tomorrow at 3 p.m., registerhere (https://erikson-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uXp21nkySmubP6GQzOqvHQ)); one for teachers of emergent bilinguals (pre-kthrough 3rd grade) offering supports for distance learning (May 21 at 3 p.m., register here (https://erikson-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_agzReFD8RnecOq-aiO5Qtw)); and one for family care providers, regarding developmentally appropriatetechnology (May 28 at 6 p.m., register here (https://erikson-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pwjEHvBLQ-uXTEUWcOPIJg)). Additionally, theDirector of Illinois Virtual School is hosting a free webinar on how to facilitate online discussions with remote learners in grades 6-12 (May 15 at1 p.m., registerhere (https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VtIk_CSHRH-pyRL29iqZ7g)).

At the other end of the spectrum, May is Older Americans Month, and the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) is encouraging all Illinoisans to“Make Your Mark” in the lives of our older adults. Delivering a meal, writing a letter, or just a simple phone call to check-in will certainly bring asmile to anyone’s face.

Today in Illinois, people 85 years of age and older is the fastest growing segment of the older population, and by 2030, individuals 65 years ofage and older will comprise almost 25 percent of Illinois’s population. Members of this age group, along with individuals with underlying medicalconditions, are among those most at risk for health complications related to COVID-19. Wearing a mask in public continues to be one of thebest ways to protect the health of our older community members.

For more information on how you can Make Your Mark, and for programs and services available to assist older adults in Illinois, visitwww.illinois.gov/aging (http://www.illinois.gov/aging) or contact the state’s Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 (hearing impaired call 888-206-1327) or by email aging.ilsenior@illinois.gov (mailto:aging.ilsenior@illinois.gov).

Today I want to give the royal treatment to the Queen Bee School District in Glendale Heights. Queen Bee is a Tier 1 district where 38 percentof the students are English Learners, and 49 different languages are spoken. As of late April, the district had achieved a 90 percentparticipation rate and 80 percent assignment turn-in rate for remote learning. They’re also providing remote social services, using the first 10minutes of connection to speak to a parent and the remainder of the time to video chat with the student. Keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

Carmen

DATES AND DEADLINES

Please note this is not a complete list of events, meetings, and deadlines. For more events and details, visit the ISBE Calendar page(https://www.isbe.net/Pages/ISBE-Meetings.aspx).

May14

Employment Information System (EIS) 2020 – Salary, Benefits, Days Absent, Evaluations, RemovingMissing Positions & Data Quality Webinar(https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7447123503251294224)

May15

Deadline to submit Special Education DCFS Youth-in-Care Verification to IWAS

May15

Deadline to submit Educator Effectiveness Grade Range Feedback Survey(https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hv5kA8ZJ9Eq1LDNameV30QQ53mBiUxpNoyfmYnNTYYhUQVpWMDRWNzAzQU1ONVRSODUxWlVUNlU4Ti4u)

May18

FY 2021 Truants' Alternative and Optional Education Program (TAOEP) RFP Webinar(https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6370047410506381067)

May20

Illinois State Board of Education meeting(https://www.isbe.net/Lists/ISBECalendar/DisplayForm.aspx?ID=4488)

May22

Deadline to submit CTE Educator Pathway Grant applications (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Career-Technical-Education.aspx)

May29

Deadline to submit 2020-21 Student Advisory Council applications(https://www.isbe.net/studentvoices)

May31

Deadline to complete the Illinois Educator Survey(https://uisits.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7X3cbKDu7VnbjRb)

June1

Deadline to review EBF Preliminary FY 2021 Data (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/ebfdistribution.aspx)

June5

Deadline to submit Illinois Teacher of the Year and Those Who Excel nominations(https://isbe.submittable.com/submit)

June26

Deadline to submit TAEOP Request for Proposals in IWAS

COVID-19 – IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Each week, this section will contain a list of the resources and information posted to the COVID-19 webpage (/Pages/covid19.aspx) overthe past week. Please continue to check the COVID-19 webpage (/Pages/covid19.aspx) on a daily basis for the newest updates andinformation.

Messages from the State Superintendent

Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala (/Documents/Message-05-11-2020.pdf) - May 11Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala (/Documents/Message-05-8-20.pdf) - May 8

General Guidance

ISBE Guidance for Schools and Districts (/Documents/FAQ-5-8-20.pdf) – May 8DCFS/ISBE Joint Guidance on Student Wellness Checks (/Documents/DCFS-ISBE-Student-Wellness-Visit.pdf) – May 6Summer School Guidance for Schools and Districts (/Documents/Summer-School-2020-Guidance.pdf) – May 6Governor’s Office- Restore Illinois: A Public Health Approach to Safely Reopen our State(https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/sfc/servlet.shepherd/document/download/069t000000BadS0AAJ?operationContext=S1) - May 5

Special Education

Special Education FAQ (/Documents/SPED-FAQ-05-08-20.pdf) - May 8

Multilingual Education

English Learner and English Learner Services During Remote Learning FAQ (/Documents/EL-Remote-Learning-FAQ-5-11-20.pdf)- May 11

CHARTER SCHOOLS

PUBLIC ACT 101-0291 REQUIRES PARENT MEMBER AND TRAINING FOR CHARTER BOARDS

Public Act 101-0291, which became effective on Jan. 1, 2020, creates new requirements for all charter boards or governing bodies to becompleted by Jan. 1, 2021.These changes include:

Each board or governing body must include a member who is a parent/guardian of a current student enrolled at the charter school.Each voting member of the charter board or governing body must complete required annual professional development leadership training.

Information about the new requirements and the authorized training providers can be found in PA 101 0291(http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=101-0291&GA=101).

Please email any questions to charter@isbe.net (mailto:charter@isbe.net).

CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION

DRIVE-UP WI-FI HOT SPOTS

In order to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois agencies have worked collaboratively to provide this map/list of Drive-UpWi-Fi Hotspots throughout the state of Illinois (http://illinois.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=23e8046edd2940bc8ad3ad1725e47cd0). We encourage you to help us enhance this map by submitting your school district’s Wi-Fi hotspotsvia a brief survey (https://arcg.is/1LufGK).

Please contact Samantha Leav at sleav@isbe.net (mailto:sleav@isbe.net) with questions regarding the map or survey.

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EDUCATOR EFFECTIVENESS

SEEKING FEEDBACK ON ENDORSEMENT APPLICATION PROCESS

ISBE is exploring potential changes to endorsement grade spans to streamline the current endorsement application process for educators,provide districts with greater flexibility when hiring, and alleviate unnecessary preparation regulations for institutions of higher education. Wehave met with several stakeholder groups over the last few months to obtain feedback on condensing and revising the existing early childhood,elementary, middle grade, secondary, and special endorsement grade spans. Ultimately, we would like to have one grade range associatedwith each endorsement.

We need your feedback! We are particularly interested in your thoughts regarding the proper grade range for kindergarten and the value ofmiddle grade preparation programs. Please take this short survey (https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hv5kA8ZJ9Eq1LDNameV30QQ53mBiUxpNoyfmYnNTYYhUQVpWMDRWNzAzQU1ONVRSODUxWlVUNlU4Ti4u) on or before Friday,May 15. We value your feedback and perspective.

ELEVATING EDUCATORS

LIFE CHANGER OF THE YEAR CAPSTONE AWARD

Nominations are now open for the Life Changer of the Year -- The 2019-20 Capstone Award. This award is for school district employees whowill be retiring at the end of this academic year. This year is especially hard for those individuals who are retiring. After many years of studentsbeing an important part of their lives, it feels so empty -- no good-byes, no closure on a life dedicated to education and the love of teaching.Please consider nominating a special person who has dedicated his/her life to the educational field. Guidelines and a link for nominatingsomeone for the award are now available (http://app.lifechangeroftheyear.com/nominate.cfm) .

ILLINOIS TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND THOSE WHO EXCEL NOMINATIONS

Nominations are still being accepted for Illinois Teacher of the Year and Those Who Excel categories until June 5. We recognize that duringthis uncertain time there maybe limitations to meeting the June 5 deadline for some schools; we hope this deadline will not need to be pushedback. However, if the need exists, we will be flexible with that deadline. If you plan on nominating someone and foresee an issue with the June5 deadline, please contact Jeff Seiler at jseiler@isbe.net (mailto:jseiler@isbe.net). Nominations can be submitted through the new online portalfound in both the Teacher of the Year (/Pages/teacher-of-the-year.aspx) and Those Who Excel (/Pages/Those-who-excel.aspx) webpages.

You can also spread the word about the awards by sharing our Teacher of the Year video (https://vimeo.com/375524493)on social mediawith the hashtag #ElevatingEducators.

FUNDING & DISBURSEMENTS

CLAIM DATA FOR 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR CAN NOW BE ENTERED IN PTCRS

Please visit our updated Transportation website (/Pages/Funding-and-Disbursements-Transportation-Programs.aspx) for the following newresources to assist you in completing your 2019-20 claim in the Pupil Transportation Claim Reimbursement System (PTCRS).

2019-20 Transportation Claim Overview – COVID-19 Statement (/Documents/2019-20-Transportation-Claim-COVID-19-Overview.pdf)

Pupil Transportation Claim Reimbursement System User Guide (/Documents/PTCRS-User-Guide.pdf)

Student Transportation Reimbursement Claim Instructions (/Documents/pupil_reimburse_instruct.pdf)

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Depreciation Instructions Student Transportation (/Documents/PTCRS-Depreciation-Claim-Instructions.pdf)

Mileage and Cost Allocation Worksheet (/_layouts/Download.aspx?SourceUrl=/Documents/pupil-trans-mile-cost-alloc-wksht.xlsm)

Estimated Student Transportation Claim Completion Worksheet (/_layouts/Download.aspx?SourceUrl=/Documents/Estimated-Trans-Claim-Reimb-Tool.xlsm)

Important Change to Note:

2019-20 Transportation Claim Overview – COVID-19 Statement (/Documents/2019-20-Transportation-Claim-COVID-19-Overview.pdf)

Reminders:

Criminal Gang Safety Hazard System is Open105 ILCS 5/29-3 provides that each school board may provide free transportation and may receive reimbursement from the StateSuperintendent of Education for the busing of any student who resides less than 1½ miles from the school they attend when conditionsare such that walking either to or from that school for attendance or to or from a pickup point or bus stop constitutes a serious hazard tothe safety of the student due to a course or pattern of criminal gang activity, as defined in Section 10 of the Illinois Street Gang TerrorismOmnibus Prevention Act (740 ILCS 147/10). It provides that a school board may provide free transportation in such cases, but does notmandate such transportation. It also provides that this transportation shall not be provided if adequate transportation for the public isavailable.

Criminal Gang Safety Hazard Guidelines (/Documents/Criminal-Gang-Act-Safety-Hazard-Guidelines.pdf)

Criminal Gang Safety Hazard Instructions (/Documents/Trans-Safety-Hazard-System-instructions.pdf)

Department of Children and Family Services Youth-in-Care. Federal changes were made to provisions under Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires that greater educationalstability be provided for students in foster care. Foster care students must remain in their school of origin if it is determined to be in theirbest interest. The determination is made via collaboration with Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the district(s)involved based on a variety of factors. Additional costs for transportation should not be a factor to move a student out of his/her originalschool of origin.

Districts that have made student best interest determinations that require transportation of a foster care student to his/her school of originand incur additional costs for providing such transportation may seek reimbursement of 50 percent of the actual cost from DCFS. Toqualify for this reimbursement, districts must complete the DCFS Transportation Invoice form(https://www2.illinois.gov/dcfs/aboutus/notices/Documents/CFS_906-8_Youth_in_Care_Transportation_Reimbursement_Invoice.xls) andsubmit it to:

Department of Children and Family ServicesOffice of Education and Transition Services406 E Monroe St., Sta. 23Springfield, IL 62701

Attention: Molly Uhe-Edmonds, DCFS Deputy Director of Education and Transition Services

Questions regarding the DCFS Transportation Invoice may be directed to Molly Uhe-Edmonds at Molly.Uhe@illinois.gov(mailto:Molly.Uhe@illinois.gov). The deadline to submit all transportation invoices to DCFS for reimbursement is June 15, 2020. Paymentof 50 percent of the approved costs will be vouchered by ISBE on or before Aug. 31, 2020. The remaining 50 percent of additional costsnot covered by DCFS are claimable on the district's 2019-20 Pupil Transportation Claim due to ISBE on or before Aug. 15, 2020.

Per statute, the Annual Pupil Transportation Reimbursement claim is due to ISBE on or before Aug. 15.

If you have questions regarding PTCRS, please contact Christine Kolaz at ckolaz@isbe.net (mailto:ckolaz@isbe.net).

SPECIAL EDUCATION DCFS YOUTH-IN-CARE VERIFICATION NOW AVAILABLE

Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) enrollment calculations must account for and deduct DCFS youth-in-care (YIC) who participate in the state’sSpecial Education Individual Orphanage (Section 14-7.03) and Regular Education Orphanage (Section 18-3) programs. Districts receive fullstate funding for these students through a separate claim process.

ISBE is requesting that all districts submit final DCFS YIC who are special education students enrolled in the district on or before March 1,2020, for approval in I-Star by Friday, May 15. The School Code statutes for both orphanage programs require that districts submit claims toISBE on or before June 15. However, that claim deadline is too late for ISBE to verify and deduct the special education DCFS YIC studentsfrom each district’s EBF enrollment in time to complete fiscal year 2021 EBF calculations.

In order to assist districts in the same manner as last year, ISBE has made available a list of each district’s DCFS YIC in the EBF enrollmentverification tool to meet the May 15 deadline. Districts are now able to download a list of possible special education YIC students to review,determine if they are special education, and enter them into I-Star with the appropriate Fund Code of E or F. To download this list of possiblespecial education YIC students, perform the following steps:

1. Log in to IWAS.2. Select “Student Information System” from My Systems.3. Select “Evidence-Based Funding” from the menu on the left side of the screen.4. The EBF Review screen will be displayed. You will see a link below the enrollment counts: “Download a List of Possible Special Education

Youth-in-Care Students,” along with additional information.5. Click the link to start the download of an Excel document that contains the list of possible special education youth-in-care students.

Depending on your browser, the download may start immediately in the lower left corner of your browser window or may prompt you for alocation to save the download.

6. If no students are identified in this group, a message will be displayed to indicate that no students were found and no further action isrequired.

Districts that submit a special education orphanage approval record with a begin date on or before March 1 in I-Star by May 15 will be able tosubmit a claim by June 15 as normal. Students submitted after May 15 will not be claimable for special education orphanage; however, theirenrollment will be included in the district’s EBF enrollment count if they were active on October 1 or March 1. Districts may enter an approvalrecord in I-Star and make a claim by June 15 for students who have a begin date of March 2 through the end of the school year and weresubmitted after May 15. Thank you for your continued partnership as we work to ensure that all Illinois students get the resources they deservefor academic excellence and postsecondary success.

Districts should work with their staff who enter I-Star students or their special education joint agreement partner, as appropriate. Each district isresponsible for ensuring that all DCFS YIC who are special education students are entered in I-Star.

Questions pertaining to the operation of I-Star should be directed to Harrisburg Project at support@hbug.k12.il.us(mailto:support@hbug.k12.il.us) or phone (800) 635-5274. Questions pertaining to special education student approvals can be directed toJamie Johnson at jjohnson@isbe.net (mailto:jjohnson@isbe.net).

GRANT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY ACT

FY 2021 GRANT PRE-QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The ISBE GATA Department would like to remind grantees of the following requirements needed to apply for grant funds in the 2020-21 schoolyear:

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FY 2021 ICQAll grantees must complete and submit the FY 2021 Fiscal and Administrative Risk Assessment Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ).The ICQ is in the GATA Grantee Portal (https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/%20ISBE). ISBE will not approve FY 2021 grant applications norwill awards be made without the FY 2021 ICQ. For reference, the portal provides access to prior year ICQ responses.FY 2021 Organizational Risk AssessmentPrior to applying for FY 2021 grants, all grantees must complete and submit the Organizational Risk Assessment. The Organizational RiskAssessment is in the IWAS system under Active Grants. Results will apply to all FY 2021 ISBE grants. Grant-specific assessments will beincluded in each FY 2021 grant application and results from these two risk assessments will generate the Programmatic Risk Conditions.ISBE will not approve FY 2021 grant applications nor will awards be made without a completed Organizational Risk Assessment. SAM.govAll grantees must maintain an active DUNS number and registration with the federal System for Award Management (SAM). SAMregistrations must be renewed annually. ISBE encourages all grantees to review their account status on the SAM website(https://www.sam.gov/SAM/) and to renew at least eight weeks prior to expiration. Expired or invalid SAM accounts will delay the ISBEgrant application process. ISBE will not approve FY 2021 grant applications nor will awards be made to grantees with expired SAMaccounts. Renewal assistance is available through the Federal Service Desk at (866) 606-8220. There is no cost for support services or touse SAM.gov.

If you have any other questions regarding these requirements, please direct them to GATA@isbe.net (mailto:GATA@isbe.net).

ILLINOIS EDUCATOR SURVEY

REQUEST TO COMPLETE THE ILLINOIS EDUCATOR SURVEY

The Illinois Education Association, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Principals Association, Illinois Association of School Administrators,and the Illinois State Board of Education request the feedback of Illinois’ teachers and administrators to better understand your needs aseducators and employees during remote learning and the anticipated transition back to in-person school. We would like your perspectives onwhat students need now and in the fall to be best set up for success. We know you have a lot on your plate. If you have a few minutes, pleaseshare your lessons learned with us and tell us how we can support you and your students – from technology, to PPE, to professionaldevelopment. Please complete the Illinois Educator Survey (https://uisits.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7X3cbKDu7VnbjRb) by May 31. Yourresponses will be anonymous.

ILLINOIS REPORT CARD

2020 REPORT CARD UPDATE

ISBE is producing and releasing the 2020 Report Card in the same manner as last year, but with some data collection modifications due to thesuspension of in-person instruction.

As previously mentioned, this year’s Report Card will not include assessment data due to the suspension of in-person instruction. Detailedinformation regarding other data submissions and verifications will be available next week in the Report Card Rundown.

The Report Card Rundown is a short monthly newsletter consisting of data system openings/closings, reminders, webinars, and keyinformation regarding the Report Card. In order to subscribe, visit www.isbe.net/reportcard (http://www.isbe.net/reportcard) and click“subscribe.” If you have already subscribed previously, you do not need to re-subscribe. Please note district superintendents, principals, andROE superintendents/ISC directors will automatically receive the Rundown without subscribing. All issues will also be postedatwww.isbe.net/reportcard (http://www.isbe.net/reportcard).

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We also ask that all district and school administrators ensure their contact information in ISBE’s Entity Profile System (EPS) is accurate andcurrent, in light of any staff or administration changes occurring in the upcoming months. This will help to ensure all administrators are receivingany direct communications sent by ISBE. Any updates to contact information in EPS can be made via IWAS. View additional guidanceregarding updating information in EPS (/Documents/eps-guidelines.pdf).

UPCOMING WEBINAR: EIS 2020 – SALARY, BENEFITS, DAYS ABSENT, EVALUATIONS, REMOVING MISSING POSITIONS &DATA QUALITY

Data Strategies and Analytics staff are hosting a webinar from 10-11:30 a.m. on May 14. The webinar will cover all Employment InformationSystem (EIS) Salary and Days Absent data for 2020 along with correcting Missing Positions. The webinar will also provide detailed instructionon how to identify and correct EIS Missing Position records and submitting Educator Evaluations. There will be a Q&A period at the end of thewebinar. Registration is now available (https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7447123503251294224).

ISBE BOARD MEETINGS

MAY 20 VIRTUAL BOARD MEETING

ISBE’s next Board meeting will be held virtually at 10 a.m. on May 20. Click the “Listen In” livestreaming link that will be available atwww.isbe.net (http://www.isbe.net) homepage on the day of the meeting to listen.

Individuals who wish to sign up for public participation must complete the sign-up form (/Pages/Illinois-State-Board-of-Education-Calendar.aspx), which will be available on from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on the day of the meeting. Once you have completed the form, follow thebelow link to participate.

Public Participation: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/708857797 (https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/708857797)Dial in: (786) 535-3211. Access Code: 708-857-797.

NUTRITION PROGRAMS

USDA EXTENDS LOCAL WELLNESS POLICY TRIENNIAL ASSESSMENT DEADLINE

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) requires all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or SchoolBreakfast Program to complete a triennial assessment of their Local School Wellness Policy at least once every three years. Triennialassessments must determine, for each participating school under its jurisdiction, 1) compliance with the wellness policy, 2) how the wellnesspolicy compares to model wellness policies, and 3) progress made in attaining the goals of the wellness policy.

Due to school closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recognizesthe increased challenges schools may face in completing the required triennial assessment of their Local School Wellness Policy. As a result,FNS has established a nationwide waiver for schools unable to meet the originally determined deadline.

Previous guidance under the HHFKA required schools to complete their first triennial assessment by June 30. Under the nationwide waiver,FNS has provided a new deadline of June 30, 2021. Sponsors intending to utilize the waiver must complete this short survey(https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hv5kA8ZJ9Eq1LDNameV30YN4UE7KFCBIk6YNbUZgVP1UOFdTMVk3UzY2MUtDRkM1OVk2QktBWEUwWC4u) no later than June30. Schools that are on track to complete their first triennial assessment by the original deadline are encouraged to do so.

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More information and resources on Local School Wellness Policies can be found on the ISBE School Nutrition page (/Pages/Local-School-Nutrition-Wellness-Policy.aspx). Any questions can be directed to Beth Tanner of the Illinois State Board of Education Nutrition Department atetanner@isbe.net (mailto:etanner@isbe.net).

PANDEMIC EBT APPLICATION AVAILABLE

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) made the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) applications available for families(https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/) on May 1. P-EBT is a new special benefit that can help families buy food for their school age children whowould normally receive National School Lunch Program (NSLP) free or reduced-priced meals when schools are in session. All families withschool-age children who attend schools approved for Community Eligibility Provision are eligible for the benefits as they receive NSLP meals atno charge.

Families that currently receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits do not need to apply for P-EBT benefits. Theseadditional P-EBT benefits will be loaded into Illinois LINK EBT accounts along with regular SNAP benefits. Families that do not currentlyreceive SNAP benefits but do have children who receive NSLP free or reduced-priced meals will need to apply directly with IDHS. The fastestway for families to receive benefits is to complete the application for P-EBT that is available online (https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/).(Click“Apply for Benefits” at the link.) A paper application in English (http://www.dhs.state.il.us/OneNetLibrary/12/documents/Forms/IL444-5235.pdf) and Spanish (http://www.dhs.state.il.us/OneNetLibrary/12/documents/Forms/IL444-5235S.pdf) is also available and can besubmitted as an attachment by email to DHS.FCS.PEBT@illinois.gov (mailto:DHS.FCS.PEBT@illinois.gov). IDHS created a flyer(http://www.dhs.state.il.us/OneNetLibrary/27897/documents/Brochures/4980.pdf) to help families with the application process. We are askingNSLP sponsors to share this flyer with their families. A Spanish version of the flyer(http://www.dhs.state.il.us/OneNetLibrary/27897/documents/Brochures/4980S.pdf) is also available.

Please remind your school communities that families can participate in both P-EBT and any meal distribution program that is currently availableat their school. They do not have to choose one or the other, as these programs operate independent of each other.

ISBE is working in partnership with IDHS to ensure that this validation is available for all NSLP sponsors, both public and nonpublic. Thank youto all the schools that participate in the NSLP for submitting data by the April 17 deadline. We are asking that you please continue to verify thatcount, so that all families that are eligible can access the additional financial support provided by P-EBT. Instructions for this crucial verificationcan be found online (/Documents/P-EBT-collection.pdf).

If NSLP sponsors need assistance with the data submission/update, please email the ISBE Nutrition Department at cnp@isbe.net(mailto:cnp@isbe.net). If families need technical assistance with the application, please direct them via email to IDHS atDHS.FCS.PEBT@illinois.gov (mailto:DHS.FCS.PEBT@illinois.gov).

PAID LUNCH EQUITY TOOL AVAILABLE FOR SY 2020-21

The Paid Lunch Equity (PLE) Calculator for School Year 2020-21 (/Pages/Nutrition-Resource-Management.aspx) is available online under thePLE section, along with U.S. Department of Agriculture Guidance and an exemption form.

PLE is a requirement under Section 205 of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 for all schools with pricing programs that participate inNational School Lunch Program. The purpose of PLE is to increase paid meal prices to be more equal with funds brought in from free andreduced-price meal reimbursements.

PLE EXEMPTION: Any School Food Authority (SFA) with a positive or zero balance in its nonprofit school food service account as of Dec. 31,2019, is exempt from PLE pricing requirements found at 7 CFR 210.14(e) for school year 2020-21. SFAs that had a negative balance in thenonprofit school food service account as of Dec. 31, 2019, must follow PLE requirements when establishing their prices for paid lunches in SY2020-21. Read the USDA’s full PLE: Guidance for School Year 2020-21 (/Documents/PLE-Guidance-SY-20-21.pdf).

To be considered for the exemption for SY 2020-21, SFAs will need to submit the SY 2020-21 Exemption Form (/Documents/PLE-Exemption-Form-SY-20-21.pdf), which includes instructions. Please scan the completed and signed form and email it topleexemption@isbe.net (mailto:pleexemption@isbe.net). Be sure to maintain a copy for your records.

For additional questions, please reach out to the Resource Management team at cnp@isbe.net (mailto:cnp@isbe.net).

TRUANTS’ ALTERNATIVE & OPTIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

FY 2021 TAOEP RFP APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE IN IWAS

Note: Entities that were part of Cohort 19 or Cohort 20 (initial year of three-year cycle) should NOT use this system. You will receive a separatenotice for the opening of the TAOEP Continuation grant that should be completed for continued funding.

Section 2-3.66 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/2-3.66] authorizes the State Board of Education to provide grants for the establishment ofTruants' Alternative and Optional Education Programs (TAOEP). The grant may serve students with attendance problems and dropouts up toand including those who are 21 years of age. Programs may provide truancy prevention and intervention services to students and their parentsand/or serve as part-time or full-time options to regular school attendance. These services can help students remain on track to graduate fromhigh school ready for college and career.

The TAOEP Request for Proposals (RFP) will not include an allocation. However, the application must include the itemized budget informationwith the total funds requested. Applicants approved for funding will be required to submit an amended application that will include the agencyapproved allocation and Notice of State Award and Grant Agreement pages.

Allocations are preliminary, and payment under this grant is subject to passage of a sufficient appropriation by the Illinois General Assembly orsufficient appropriation by the U.S. Congress for federal programs. Obligations of the State Board of Education will cease immediately withoutfurther obligation should the agency fail to receive sufficient state, federal, or other funds for this program.

The deadline for submitting the TAOEP RFP application via IWAS is 4 p.m. on June 26. Please make sure that your approval groups areproperly assigned through IWAS to access and transmit your application. A technical assistance webinar(https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6370047410506381067) will be held at 1:30 p.m. on May 18. Technical assistance on items notcovered by the instructions and procedures may be obtained by contacting Brian Houser in the ROE-ISC Department at bhouser@isbe.net (mailto:bhouser@isbe.net)or by phone at (217) 785-9998.

IN BRIEF

EDUCATOR RESOURCES

National Board has released a new brief (https://www.nbpts.org/CovidTeacherLeadership/) that shines a light on the extraordinaryleadership National Board Certified Teachers are exhibiting and provides suggestions for policy and system leaders to support teacherleaders -- and all teachers -- right now and in the long term.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

GENYOUth is providing grants of up to $3,000 per school to supply much-needed resources for meal distribution and delivery efforts toget food to students during COVID-19. GENYOUth specializes in a range of national initiatives including Fuel Up to Play 60 in partnershipwith National Dairy Council and the NFL. More information about their COVID-19 Emergency School Nutrition Funding opportunity isavailable at https://covid-19.genyouthnow.org (https://covid-19.genyouthnow.org/)

NEW

SCHOOL RECOGNITION

Congratulations to the Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Illinois’ K-12 recipient of the 2020 U.S. Department of Education GreenRibbon designation! The honor is given to schools for their commitment to healthy, safe, and sustainable learning environments. TheJoseph Sears School is one of only 39 nationwide honored for their innovative efforts to address the three “pillars” of the program:reducing environmental impact and utility costs, improving health and wellness, and ensuring effective sustainability education.

STUDENT RECOGNITION

Congratulations to the 23 Illinois students named as semifinalists in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program(https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/2020/semifinalists.pdf)! The program was established in 1964 to recognize and honor some of thecountry’s most distinguished graduating seniors. Up to 161 students are chosen annually from among outstanding seniors to become U.S.Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. A total of 621 semifinalists have been selected fromacross the country. These semifinalists form the pool from which the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be chosen. The scholars will beannounced in early May. For more information, visit the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program webpage(https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/index.html).

FEATURED CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Learn more and apply for the below career opportunities at ISBE!Special Education Private Facility Per Diem Rate Setting (/Lists/ISBECareers/CareerDisplayForm.aspx?ID=412)

View all open positions at ISBE (/Pages/Careers-at-ISBE.aspx).