Questions and Answers

RTTT Annual Program Report (APR)

General

  1. Do LEAs that did not expend any RTTT funds during the last school year need to file an Annual Program Report?

    Yes. By doing so the LEA can provide an update on progress toward annual performance targets and report on any actions taken by the district or charter school regarding Network Teams, Common Core implementation or preparations to implement the teacher and principal evaluation system. The information on local activities, even if undertaken at no cost charged to your RTTT allocation, will be helpful in describing efforts statewide to prepare for more substantive implementation in School Year 2012-13.

  2. If a district contracted with their BOCES, do they need to do an APR or will the BOCES complete the report since they performed the contracted services?

    Since school districts and charter schools are the legal subrecipients of the State’s Race to the Top grant, these entities must report on the activities and outcomes supported by these funds.

  3. Is there any way to see the full report template at the outset so I can see all the questions before starting to complete the form?

    An online tutorial for completing the Annual Performance Report template is now available on the Department’s RTTT webpage. You can also print the screens to get a hard copy of the report. The on-line APR template can be completed all at once or in multiple sessions – just be sure to save your changes before logging off.

  4. What happens if my district cannot complete the Annual Performance Report on time?

    The purpose of the APR is to give NYSED a snapshot of reform activities being undertaken at the local level and to gauge LEA progress toward meeting the student outcome targets they have set in their approved Scope of Work. This snapshot will help inform the Department’s plans for professional development and technical assistance through this school year. The Department also has an obligation to ensure that these federal funds are being expended for their intended purpose and to report on our State progress to the U.S. Department of Education. The APR is an important component of our monitoring and reporting system.

    Please not that any delays in filing a Final Expenditure Report (FER) will delay final reimbursements to the LEA.

Student Outcomes

  1. Where do I get the data needed to make the requested assessment of progress toward our annual targets for school year 2011-12?

    Baseline Target Data: Please use the baseline target numbers contained in the LEA’s Scope of Work document. Copies of each participating LEA’s approved Scope of Work can be found at:

    http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/scopeofwork/.

    As a reminder, LEAs will be comparing their actual performance to their local annual targets contained in their approved Scope of Work, not the State-level ones listed in the New York State RTTT Scope of Work.

    Student Outcome Data: The Department has provided a one-page summary of student outcome data to assist LEAs in completing their APR. These updated reports are available by logging onto the IRS portal (http://portal.nysed.gov) and selecting “LEA Goals for Student Outcomes (RTTT).”

    Districts may also use the most recent data files provided by NYSED through your nySTART account or through the Level 2 reporting environment.

    Please note that Tables 1 and 2 refer to student performance on the grades 4 and 8 English language arts (ELA) and mathematics state assessments administered in the spring 2012. These data are available at:

    http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/pressRelease/20120717/home.html

    Table 3 refers to the assessment performance and graduation outcomes of the 2007 cohort as of June 2012. The graduation rate data are available at:

    http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/pressRelease/20120611/home.html

    Regents exam performance can be determined from the scores contained in the drill-down reports found on nySTART or in the Level 2 reporting environment.

    Because these data are not currently public, the Race to the Top Annual Performance Report does not ask LEAs to report the numerical difference between these two numbers, just your assessment of whether the LEA has exceeded, met, or did not meet it targets.

    Please note that there may be slight differences in results on the different reports based on the “as of” date of the data.

  2. Student assessment results in the data repository are more current than what was used to establish baseline metrics in my LEA’s Scope of Work. What data set should I use to make the requested assessment of progress toward our annual targets for School Year 2011-12?

    Since LEAs set the RTTT targets based on the data available at the time of Scope of Work submission, please use the baseline numbers contained in that document. Copies of each participating LEA’s approved Scope of Work can be found at:

    http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/scopeofwork/.

    As a reminder, LEAs will be comparing their actual performance to their local annual targets contained in their approved Scope of Work, not the State-level ones listed in the New York State RTTT Scope of Work.

  3. As 3-8 State assessment subgroup data and 2011-12 Regents results are not currently public, what data and/or resources are districts supposed to use to fill out the Scope of Work updates for 2012 (i.e., state assessment data, Regents data) to determine if they have met their targets?

    See Question 5 for answer.

  4. Can you please clarify which cohort (school year 2007 or school year 2008) should be used to complete Table 3 for the year 2 APR (for school year 2011-12)?

    The 2007 total cohort data provided to districts via the IRS portal should be used for Table 3. The updated student outcome reports are available by logging onto the IRS portal (http://portal.nysed.gov) and selecting “LEA Goals for Student Outcomes (RTTT).”

  5. On the LEA Scope of Work documents, there is a footnote that NYSED will provide new baseline data for the 2006 cohort through June 2010 that incorporates the new federal cohort definition. Are these updated data available yet?

    These data were not made available and should not be considered for purposes of completing the Annual Program Report. Please use the baseline target numbers contained in the LEA’s Scope of Work document.

  6. We are a K-8 school district*, and as such, we do not have data for high school performance or college persistence. I cannot submit the report because the system is requiring an entry in these two fields.

    In those few instances where a participating LEA is not a PreK-12 educational agency, the Department asks that you respond to the questions about student outcomes for populations not enrolled in your LEA by selecting “Met Target.” The Department will maintain a list of LEAs that have these grade configurations and reconcile individual records before compiling any statewide reports.

    * This also applies to school districts that are just K-5, 6-8, 7-9, or 9-12. For grades that your school does not have data for enter “Met Target.”

  7. Table 3 in the Annual Program Report is asking for 2011-2012 data for four-year cohort graduation rate. This rate would include students who just graduated in August and these data will not be available for some time.

    For federal reporting purposes, Year 2 ends on June 30, 2012. So, August graduates should not be included in your calculations to determine your responses in Table 3. Again, as in the other tables, the Department is asking for your assessment of whether the LEA has exceeded, met or did not meet its targets -- not the exact numeric result.

  8. Last year NYSED provided data for establishing the LEA baseline for College Persistence metrics via the business portal (Table 4). Is there any plan to provide updated information to districts? Currently the ability of districts to track student postsecondary outcomes is limited, and districts are struggling to evaluate their 2011-12 performance targets for these particular student outcomes.

    College persistence data are collected once a year from SUNY and CUNY. At this point in this annual cycle, the Department is in the process of verifying the data submissions and will not be able to produce updated LEA-specific annual reports on results in time to complete the RTTT APR. The Department understands that most LEAs do not have the capacity to collect these data and rely on the NYSED report. If this is the case for your district or charter school, simply select the response “Do Not Know.” However, if an LEA does collect these data, they should choose another response for the options available that best represents its assessment.

  9. On Table 3: High School Performance “% students scoring at or above 75%” does not correspond to the nySTART categories “65%-84%.” Will that score be changed to correlate with results or will it be expected that we compile our own data to match the 75%?

    The scores listed in the APR tables will not be changed. Again, as in the other tables, the Department is asking for your assessment of whether the LEA has exceeded, met or did not meet its targets -- not the exact numeric result.

  10. If my school submitted an APR using data that our district calculated for student outcomes should my school resubmit our APR using the data in the new student outcome reports that were recently posted by NYSED on the IRS portal?

    If an LEA finds that the student outcome data from NYSED is significantly different than what the LEA calculated and it affects the answers given on the APR, then the district or charter school can re-submit its report. IRS Portal Users with a submit/certify role can unsubmit the APR so that changes can be made. The un-submit button can be found on the summary page of the Annual Program Report.

  11. What are the consequences for not meeting a target?

    The purpose of the APR is to give NYSED a snapshot of the LEA’s progress towards meeting its own annual performance targets and to identify where the Department needs to provide guidance and technical assistance. Since the APR is intended to be – in large measure – an LEA self-assessment, the information submitted to the Department will not be used for any part of the State’s accountability system.

  12. In my LEA's approved Scope of Work, we did not set annual performance targets for some of the subpopulations listed in Table 2 because the numbers of students in these subgroups were either zero or very small. What is the most appropriate way to complete Chart 2 given this situation?

    The Department has revised the drop down box options in Chart 2 to include a "Not Applicable" response for LEAs to use in this situation.

  13. It is my understanding that districts are not required to submit performance data on subgroups that are under 30. We can now select “Not Applicable” in those categories on the Annual Program Report. However, do districts need to resubmit the Race to the Top Scope of Work, with Student Outcomes and Work Plan in Tables one to four reflecting that information?

    LEAs are not expected to submit updated or revised local Scopes of Work as part of the Year 2 Annual Performance Report. LEAs may need to resubmit their Scopes of Work if the LEAs want to substantively amend their activities and/or original budget for Year 3. Guidance on what "triggers" the need for a Scope of Work resubmission is available at: Ameded Scope of Work.

  14. My district has some subgroups that have dropped below 30 since our original RTTT application was filed. Are we now allowed to enter “Not Applicable” in those categories even though baseline numbers are listed from our original application?

    Yes, a district can enter “Not Applicable” under these circumstances.

Final Expenditure Report

  1. If funds budgeted for a specific funding year are not used, will the funds carry over into the next school year or are the funds lost for that specific funding year?

    Any RTTT funds budgeted, but not expended, by the LEAs in a prior year will be available as carryover. The exact amount of the carried over funds will be calculated once the LEA’s current year Final Expenditure Report has been approved.

Year 2 Budgets

  1. Is there an expected date of when the 2012-13 RTTT budget will be available on the business portal?

    The Department is currently programming the business portal for Year 3 budget submissions. Once opened, LEAs can submit their Year 3 budgets for NYSED approval. After Year 3 budgets are approved, LEAs can begin submitting claims for reimbursement of expenses incurred since July 1, 2012. School district superintendents and leaders of participating charter schools will be notified by email when the Year 3 budget form is available on the business portal.

  2. There was an original Scope of Work (SOW) submitted nearly two years ago by all districts participating in which they detailed their allocations by “activity code.” Now that training programs and other activities are up and running there are instances where the actual expenditures do not line up directly with the activity codes as submitted with the SOW. Should the information be updated in the SOW document and resubmitted?

    LEAs will have the opportunity to adjust their overall RTTT budgets as part of the upcoming Year 3 budget submissions. The Department anticipates that small changes in the Year 3 proposed budget (compared to the Activity Level Budget initially submitted with your Scope of Work) will be reviewed and approved through the annual budget process.

    In cases where the proposed Year 3 budget changes represent a substantive change in the LEA’s plans, the LEA will be required to submit a revised Scope of Work document. Examples of what could constitute a substantive change include, but are not limited to: Decisions to cancel or add an Allowable Activity; delays in implementing a local activity by more than a few months; or reallocating funds among budget categories of a percentage greater than a certain amount. Specific guidance on what will trigger the need for an LEA to submit a revised Scope of Work will be included in the guidance accompanying the opening of the Year 3 budget submissions.

Last Updated: November 2, 2012