A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Section E. Applying for Funds

Funds will be made available to States in two installments, $400 million on July 3, 2000, and $900 million on October 2, 2000. States may obligate funds to LEAs beginning on those days, and the funds remain available for obligation by LEAs until September 30, 2002. In the case of teachers hired with Class-Size Reduction funds as employees of the LEA, obligation occurs when the teachers perform their teaching services. For services to be performed by a contractor who is not an employee of the LEA, e.g., recruitment, evaluation, or certain professional development services, obligation occurs when the LEA enters into a contract to obtain the services.

The Department will send each State the forms necessary for applying.

LEAs will request Class-Size Reduction funds as part of their Title VI applications to the State. (See section 6303 of the ESEA.) Most States require LEAs to submit Title VI applications annually. However, if an LEA's Title VI application is not due in the spring of 2000, the LEA should submit its Class-Size Reduction application as an addendum to its Title VI plan already on file with the SEA.

In applying for funds, an LEA must include a description of its program to reduce class size by hiring additional fully qualified teachers. In obtaining this information, the State is encouraged to ask the LEA for such data as:

• A description of how the LEA measures class size for each grade level:

  • Average (total number of students in the grade divided by the number of regular classes for that grade), OR
  • Maximum (the greatest number of students in any regular class serving that grade).
• The amount that will be spent for:
• Teacher salaries.
• Recruitment and training costs for new, certified regular and special education teachers and teachers of special needs children, in grades kindergarten through three (or in other grades or subjects for LEAs that do not serve grades kindergarten through three), including teachers certified through State and local alternative routes.
• If applicable, such other expenses as testing new teachers for academic content knowledge, testing new teachers to meet certification requirements, or providing professional development to teachers.
• LEA administrative costs.
• The number of teachers the LEA plans to hire or retain for the school year 2000-2001 with the funds it receives from the Class-Size Reduction Program, and of those teachers:

  • The grades they will teach.
  • How many of the new teachers will be "regular" classroom teachers.
  • How many will be continuing teachers hired under the first year of the program.
  • How many of the new teachers will be special education classroom teachers.
  • How many of the new teachers will fall into some other category.

• The current size of regular classes in grades kindergarten through three.
• The current size of regular classes in grades four through twelve, if the LEA intends to hire teachers in those grades.
• The amount of a new, fully qualified teacher's starting salary in the LEA.
• How the school or LEA will ensure that any new teachers hired with these funds are fully qualified and certified to teach in the classrooms to which they will be assigned, including a description of any professional development activities planned and, if appropriate, how these activities will be coordinated with activities funded under Title II of the Higher Education Act.
• How class size will change in grades kindergarten through three (or in other grades or subjects, if class size in grades kindergarten through three has already been reduced to 18 with fully qualified teachers or the LEA does not serve grades kindergarten through three) as a result of these funds.
• If the LEA has already reduced class size in grades kindergarten through three (or in other grades or subjects for LEAs that do not serve grades kindergarten through three) to 18 or fewer children, but some of its teachers for those grades are not fully qualified to teach in the classrooms to which they are assigned, a description of the specific activities or programs the LEA plans that will ensure that all teachers in those grades will become fully qualified within the shortest possible time period.
• If class size for grades kindergarten through three (or in other grades or subjects for LEAs that do not serve grades kindergarten through three) in all the schools of the LEA is already at 18 or below with fully qualified teachers, documentation of this fact and a description of how the LEA will use the funds to:

• Make further class-size reductions in grades kindergarten through three (or in other grades or subjects for LEAs that do not serve grades kindergarten through three);
• Reduce class size in other grades; or
• Carry out activities to improve teacher quality, including professional development.
• ? The LEA's plan for producing an annual report to parents on its progress in reducing class size; increasing the percentage of classes in core academic areas taught by fully qualified teachers who are certified within the State and demonstrate competency in the content areas in which they teach; and on the impact that hiring additional highly qualified teachers and reducing class size, has had on increasing student academic achievement.
• An assurance that the LEA will use its Class-Size Reduction funds only to supplement, and not to supplant, State and local funds that, in the absence of those funds, would otherwise be spent for activities authorized by the Class-Size Reduction Program.
• An assurance that the LEA will ensure the equitable participation of private, nonprofit elementary and secondary school personnel in any professional development activities if it makes such activities available to public school personnel with these funds.
• A request for waivers of any State or Federal requirements that the LEA believes are necessary to carry out its class-size reduction plan.

[Section D. Distribution of Funds]

[Section F. LEA Uses of Funds]