The five focus areas of The California State-determined Intervention Model (CA SDIM) provide a framework for reform that ensures that local educational agencies (LEAs) can integrate and evolve current effective practice with new efforts toward increased student and school performance. Implementing the CA SDIM, under the School Improvement Grant (SIG), presents an opportunity for LEAs to collaborate with Lead Partners to implement effective evidence-based strategies designed to improve all levels and areas of student performance based on locally determined needs. Lead Partners contribute to this improvement by serving as thought partners who champion and support the efforts of their LEAs to improve the educational lives of students by offering invaluable insight and outside perspective.
Please refer to the following questions and answers to assist in the development of the partnerships between LEAs and Lead Partners in the planning year.
Do services provided to SIG LEAs need to align with the Lead Partner’s basic service model for LEA support and technical assistance?
Any services provided to an LEA by the Lead Partner should be aligned with the Lead Partner’s current model for LEA support and technical assistance. In the event that the LEA requires support and technical assistance that the Lead Partner does not currently provide, the Lead Partner may provide a recommendation to the LEA based on other resources or experts, including external service providers that may provide the needed support.
Does the LEA have any responsibility to screen and review external service providers recommended by the Lead Partner?
LEAs are responsible for ensuring that any external service providers, including external service providers recommended by Lead Partners, are screened for quality, regularly reviewed, and held accountable for their performance. LEAs should identify specific selection criteria such as experience qualifications and a record of effectiveness with similar populations. LEAs should also develop criteria used to determine the effectiveness of an external service provider’s reform plans and strategies as well as the plan’s alignment to the SIG final requirements, selected intervention model, and planned activities.
Are there limitations on the fees that a Lead Partner may charge SIG LEAs for services provided in implementation of the SIG?
Any fees that a Lead Partner charges a SIG LEA for services provided in implementation of the SIG should align with similar or identical services that are provided to non-SIG LEAs. This means that Lead Partners should not charge any additional fees for services to SIG LEAs that they provide to non-SIG LEAs at free or reduced rates. Fees for services to SIG LEAs should accurately reflect the cost to provide the interventions or activities described in the implementation chart.
What should be included in the agreement between the LEA and the Lead Partner?
The LEA is encouraged to establish the terms of the agreement between the LEA and Lead Partner, including the scope of services, in writing. This agreement may also include, but is not limited to:
- An itemized list of services that the Lead Partner will provide to the LEA;
- Specific expectations for how the Lead Partner will provide services;
- Measures to determine the effectiveness of the Lead Partner’s services;
- Terms and provisions to hold the Lead Partner and any external partners accountable for complying with the SIG final requirements; and
- Timelines and processes for ongoing review and revisions.
Can the initial agreement between the LEA and the Lead Partner be renegotiated during the grant period?
The details of the agreement should be dynamic and subject to renegotiation as needed based on the SIG school’s changing needs. The LEA and the Lead Partner should agree upon the process to renegotiate and revise the agreement on a regular basis and/or as needed.
What resources are available to learn more about the CA SDIM and the SIG?
- A full description of the CA SDIM and its required components is available in Appendix C of the SIG Cohort 4 fiscal years (FYs) 2014, 2015, and 2016, LEA Request For Applications (DOC);
- A complete description of the SIG, including rules and regulations, can be found in the Final Requirements—School Improvement Grants—Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
; and - The Federal Guidance on School Improvement Grants
(DOC) for awards made with FYs 2014, 2015, and 2016 funds.