ESSA CSI LEA Authorized Use of Funds

Allowable Use of Funds and Evidence-based Interventions | Capital Outlay Expenditures

Allowable Use of Funds and Evidence-based Interventions

The California Department of Education (CDE) requires LEAs that receive ESSA, Section 1003 school improvement funds, to prioritize and focus these funds towards the area(s) identified for improvement for each school that was identified for CSI, based on the school-level needs assessment(s) and root cause analysis.

LEAs must only expend its ESSA school improvement funds at or on behalf of its CSI-eligible schools on evidence-based interventions/strategies/activities directly related to the following CSI plan development and implementation efforts:

• Building capacity
• Collaborating with educational partners
• Conducting needs assessments and root cause analysis
• Selecting and implementing evidence-based interventions/strategies/activities
• Using data and outcomes to monitor and evaluate improvement efforts
• Reviewing/identifying and addressing, through implementation of the CSI plan, resource inequities, which may include a review of LEA- and school-level budgeting

ESSA school improvement funds must not be expended on district-wide activities that include schools that are not eligible for CSI or at schools that are not eligible for CSI as is consistent with the CSI LEA Application for Funding.

Under the ESSA, CSI plans are required to be evidence-based. Section 8101(21)(A) of the Elementary and Secondary Act, as amended by the ESSA, defines an evidence-based intervention as being supported by strong evidence, moderate evidence, promising evidence, or evidence that demonstrates a rationale. ESSA, Section 1003 funds require the use of “evidence-based” interventions that meet higher levels of evidence. The table below lists ESSA’s top three levels of evidence.

Demonstrate a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes:

The use of federal funds, including ESSA, Section 1003 funds must be consistent with the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards . In addition, the usage of ESSA, Section 1003 funds must be consistent with the requirements within the Application for Funding from which the fiscal year funds were awarded.

The California legislature also stipulated in the current and previous budget acts that ESSA, Section 1003 funds shall not be expended to hire additional permanent staff.

For Federal guidance on Supplement not Supplant for School Improvement (PDF), see question 29a, pages 21 to 22.

Capital Outlay Expenditures

Federal requirements located in the Office of Management and Budget guidance pursuant to Title 2, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 200.439(b)(2) (Cost Principles for Equipment and other capital expenditures) require a subgrantee to obtain prior written approval from the Federal awarding agency or from its awarding agency prior to incurring the cost of a Capital Outlay expenditure. As a result, the LEA must obtain prior written approval from the CDE in order to make a Capital Outlay purchase with ESSA, Section 1003 funds for CSI that have a unit cost of $5,000 or more (CDE approval is not required if the unit cost per item is $4,999.99 or less before taxes and other fees).

For the purpose and intent of the ESSA CSI LEA subgrant, the LEA shall use this form to request approval from the CDE for the following proposed Capital Outlay expenditures only:

• Object Code 6400-Equipment
  • Computer Systems Only
    
    
• Object Code 6500-Equipment Replacement
  • Computer Systems Only
    

No other Capital Outlay expenditure requests within the object code 6000 series will be approved, as they do not align with the purpose and intent of the ESSA CSI LEA subgrant. More information about Capital Outlay guidelines, (Procedure 330) is located in the California School Accounting Manual (PDF).

The LEA may request approval for Capital Outlay expenditures by submitting the following documents:

• Title I CSI Capital Outlay Expenditures Request Form (PDF)
• Detailed quote/s/ for the proposed expenditure/s/

Email these documents to CSICapEx@cde.ca.gov.

Resources

ESSA CSI LEA Applications for Funding

Every Student Succeeds Act

Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

Evidence-Based Interventions Under the ESSA (PDF)

CDE Evidence-Based Interventions Under the ESSA

For additional information related to CSI, please visit the CDE CSI web page.