COMPARABILITY
Federal Programs Fall Directors’ Conference
Embassy Suites - Charleston, WV
December 11, 2013

Comparability
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Requires that LEAs document that the services provided with state and local funds in Title I schools are comparable to those provided in non-Title I schools.
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State and local funds must be used in participating schools to provide services that, taken as a whole, are “at least comparable” to services in schools that do not participate in
Title I schools .

Comparability
Comparability must be met by LEAs on an annual basis.

Comparability
•
Comparability requirements do not apply to a district that does not have more than one building per grade span.
•
Federally funded staff are excluded from comparability calculations.

Locating Comparability

Forms and Procedures
Download the spreadsheets

Report Forms to Submit
1. Assurance Form
2. Form A or B
3. Form C, D and/or E

Assurance
Assurance from required for submittal of comparability

Signature Required

Detailed School Data
Each LEA must provide the total number of public schools located within the district using either Form
A or Form B.
Form A: c omplete when the schools within grade-spans are similar in size (based on student enrollment).
Form B: complete if there is a significant difference in the enrollments of schools within a grade-span, dividing the schools into a small enrollment group and a large enrollment group.

Comparability Spreadsheets
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Use forms C, D, and/or E to verify comparability
•
Compare schools based on
– student/instructional staff ratio or
– student/instructional staff salary expenditure ratio.
•
The LEA must demonstrate comparability in either of the two methods – it is not required in both.

Comparability Forms C, D, E
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An LEA with only one building per grade span is not required to complete Form C, D or E.
•
An LEA may exclude schools with an enrollment of 100 or fewer students from its comparability determinations.

Form C: All Schools Title I

Student Enrollment Data
Student enrollment data is obtained from the current year’s Percent
Needy (5-17 )

Instructional Staff enter the FTE of State or locally funded instructional staff for each school listed

Staff members to include/exclude

Form C: All Schools Title I

Form D: All Schools Title I
This form is utilized if there are schools not comparable in Form C

Form E: Title I and Non
Title I Schools

But, if all schools in a particular grade span (i.e. middle) are not being served
…..complete Form E for the middle school grade span
Multiple Grade-Spans
If serving all elementary and middle schools…complete
Form C for each grade span.

Not Comparable
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If an LEA is found to be out of compliance with the comparability requirements, the LEA must take corrective action to rectify the noncompliance.
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Documentation of the corrective action and confirmation of comparability must be submitted to the West Virginia Department of
Education.
•
LEAs in violation of the Title I comparability requirements are subject to withholding or repayment of Title I, Part A funds.

Task:
 Find a partner
 You will have 2 minutes to explain comparability with your partner.
 Your explanation should include an explanation of the four questions on the next slide.
 Switch roles.

Elevator Speech
Components
1. Define comparability of services.
2. How often must a district demonstrate comparability?
3. How would you determine if a district does not have to demonstrate comparability?
4. What is the purpose of excluding “all federally funded” staff when determining comparability calculations?

The 2013-2014 comparability report must be submitted electronically to eamccoy@access.k12.wv.us
on or before January 6, 2014.

Ryan Saxe
WVDE
School Improvement Coordinator rsaxe@access.k12.wv.us
@ryansaxe
Kathy Hypes
WVDE
School Improvement Coordinator khypes@access.k12.wv.us
WV School Improvement
@wvschoolimprove