ARRA Title I Waivers

ISBE  has been approved for the following waivers from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) in accordance with the guidance, available at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/title-i-waiver.doc. 

ISBE encourages interested parties to review ED’s guidance for additional details about who may apply for a waiver and how districts may use any freed up funds resulting from these waivers. 

Please send any questions or concerns on this matter to nclb@isbe.net.

  1. Waiver of 14-day notification requirement for the 2009-10 school year
    • This waiver will apply to a limited number of schools, specifically, high schools that start school prior to September 1 and are either newly identified for improvement for the 2009–2010 school year or are schools that could possibly have exited improvement status for the 2009–2010 school year but did not. 
    • All other schools will have had their AYP results sufficiently in advance of the start of school so to have the notification letters approved and distributed.  All LEAs, including those covered by the waiver must still meet the statutory requirement to provide notice prior to the start of the school year. 

  2. Waiver of the prohibition on Schools or LEAs in status from being approved as SES providers for the 2009-10 school year
    • This waiver will allow schools or LEAs in improvement status to serve as an SES provider, if they can demonstrate they have an effective program through the ISBE application process. Note that, unless already approved, schools or LEAs will need to be approved by ISBE to serve as an SES provider.
    • No school or LEA in improvement status can serve students as an SES provider until the school or LEA is approved by ISBE through the state’s application process and ED has granted ISBE this waiver. 

  3. Waiver to exclude some or all of the Title I, Part A ARRA funds in determining an LEA’s 20 percent obligation for choice-related transportation and SES
    • This waiver will allow LEAs to exclude some or all of the Title I, Part A funds they receive under the ARRA in calculating their “20 percent obligation” for choice-related transportation and SES.
    • LEAs must use any funds freed up by the waiver to address needs identified based on data, such as Statewide or formative assessment results. 

  4. Request to exclude Title I, Part A ARRA funds in determining the 10 percent professional development set-aside for an LEA in improvement
    • This waiver will allow LEAs that are in improvement or corrective action status to exclude some or all of the Title I, Part A funds they receive under the ARRA in calculating their 10 percent professional development set-aside.
    • LEAs in improvement will still be required to provide the basic 10 percent set-aside.
    • LEAs must use the funds freed up by the waiver to address needs identified based on data, such as Statewide or formative assessment results.

  5. Request to exclude Title I, Part A ARRA funds in determining the 10 percent professional development set-aside for a school in improvement
    • This waiver will allow schools in improvement status to calculate their 10 percent professional development set-aside in accordance with the specific formula.  
    • Schools in improvement will still be required to provide the basic 10 percent set-aside.
    • Schools must use the funds freed up by the waiver to address needs identified based on data, such as Statewide or formative assessment results.

  6. Request to exclude Title I, Part A ARRA funds in determining the per-pupil amount for SES
    • This waiver will allow LEAs within Illinois to exclude some or all of the Title I, Part A funds they receive under ARRA in calculating the per-pupil amount for SES. 
    • LEAs thus have the option, but are not required, to reduce the per-pupil amount for SES.

  7. Request to Waive the Provision that Prohibits an SEA from Granting to an LEA a Waiver of the Carryover Limitation More than Once Every Three Years
    • This waiver would enable ISBE to waive the carryover limitation more than once every three years for an LEA that needs the additional waiver because of the ARRA, which provided a supplemental Title I, Part A appropriation.
    • This waiver will only apply to districts that need a second (or third) waiver within three years because of its Title I, Part A ARRA funds.

If you have questions about applying for waivers 2-6, please contact your Principal Consultant in the Innovation and Improvement Division at 217-524-4832 or you may send any questions or concerns to nclb@isbe.net.