Ltr1-13: Common Core

Dear County Superintendents of Schools:

NOTICE OF THE FIRST APPORTIONMENT FOR THE
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS IMPLEMENTATION FUNDS
FISCAL YEAR 2013–14

This apportionment, in the amount of $622,006,100, is made from funds provided in Assembly Bill (AB) 86, Section 85 (Chapter 48, Statutes of 2013). Funding is in support of the integration of academic content standards in instruction adopted pursuant to sections 60605.8, 60605.85, 60605.10, 60605.11, and 60811.3 of California Education Code (EC) for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, for purposes of establishing high-quality instructional programs for all pupils. This apportionment provides a payment of approximately 50 percent of the 2013–14 entitlements.

School districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and state special schools receiving these funds may encumber the apportioned funds any time during the
2013–14 or 2014–15 fiscal years. As stated in AB 86, Section 85 (d), the local educational agencies (LEAs) shall expend funds for any of the following purposes:

• Professional development for teachers, administrators, and paraprofessional educators or other classified employees involved in the direct instruction of pupils that is aligned to the academic content standards.

• Instructional materials aligned to the academic content standards.

• Integration of these academic content standards through technology-based instruction for purposes of improving the academic performance of pupils, including, but not necessarily limited to, expenditures necessary to support the administration of computer-based assessments and provide high-speed, high-bandwidth Internet connectivity for the purpose of administration of computer-based assessments.

As a condition of receiving these funds, the LEA must develop and adopt a plan delineating how funds shall be spent. The plan shall be explained in a public meeting of the governing board of the LEA before its adoption in a subsequent public meeting. Detailed expenditure information is due to the California Department of Education (CDE) at the end of fiscal year 2014–15. The method and format for this report has yet to be determined.

As stipulated in AB 86, Section 85(b), the CDE is allotting an equal per-pupil amount using prior-year enrollment data. The per-pupil award amounts are estimated at $200 per pupil using California Longitudinal Public Achievement Data System fall enrollment data as of October 2012 and certified on or before May 24, 2013. Any incremental adjustments to the award amount will be made in the second apportionment in October 2013; however, the CDE does not anticipate large entitlement variations in subsequent apportionments.

Warrants will be mailed to each county treasurer approximately three weeks from the date of this Notice. For standardized account code structure coding, use Resource Code 7405 and Revenue Object Code 8590, All Other State Revenue. Common Core State Standards implementation funds will be subject to the annual audits required by EC Section 41020.

The CDE has sent an e-mail to each county superintendent, addressed to the county’s CDEfisc e-mail address, to inform him or her of this apportionment. The e-mail contained a link to the CDE Categorical Programs Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/ where, under the program name, the letter and schedule for this apportionment are posted. The CDE requested that the e-mail be forwarded to all school districts and charter schools in the county.

If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Barbara Murchison, Program Administrator, Common Core Systems Implementation Office, by phone at 916-319-0387 or by e‑mail at BMurchison@cde.ca.gov. If you have any questions regarding this apportionment or the payment process, please contact Karen Almquist, Fiscal Consultant, Categorical Allocations and Management Assistance Office, by phone at 916-327-4406 or by e-mail at KAlmquis@cde.ca.gov [Note: the preceding contact information is no longer valid and has been replaced by Julie Klein Briggs, Fiscal Consultant, Categorical Allocations and Management Assistance Unit, by phone at 916-323-6191 or by e-mail at JBriggs@cde.ca.gov.].

Sincerely,

Jeannie Oropeza, Deputy Superintendent
Services for Administration, Finance, Technology, and Infrastructure Branch