Decision Filter
Use this tool to help decide how to develop activities when writing a grant application whether a formula or
competitive grant or to provide guidance in how funds are to be spent when funds have been received for a
program. Do not move to the next question until you have answered the earlier question positively.
1. Does the activity or budget expenditure meet the needs of the school district as assessed and prioritized
in a comprehensive needs assessment? Consideration must be given to several items.
a. Is the needs assessment based on objective data, not subjective opinion?
( 1) Data will include, drop out rate, graduation rate, disaggregated achievement test data,
attendance rate, percentage of highly qualified teachers and difference in the
percentage of these teachers teaching minority and low-income students as compared
to other students, schools identified for improvement, and other data as required by
legislation and good judgment.
(2) Have implications of data been established with input from all constituent groups?
b. Have implications been prioritized as to their effect on student achievement?
c. Are the needs being met in priority order?
( 1) If not, are the needs that are higher than the one being met by this activity being met
with funding from another source?
(2) If yes, proceed to the next question. If no then meet that need with a different activity
allowed under the purposes of this grant, before doing the originally proposed activity.
2. Does the expenditure or activity supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, or Local funds?
a. Are the proposed activities or costs mandated by the state?
( 1) If yes, in most instances you cannot fund the activity or expenditure, you presume the
activity to supplant the state mandated activity.
(2) If no, then you may proceed to question 3.
b. If the proposed activity or cost is mandated, in certain instances you may be able to overcome
the presumption that supplanting will result by providing written documentation demonstrating
that the LEA would not have the resources to meet the state mandate.
( 1) Carefully identify the activities the LEA would have supported in the absence of the
funding from the grant.
(2) Identify other discretionary funding that is budgeted.
1. If there were other discretionary funding it would have to be moved to this
activity before spending grant funding.
2. If not you would be supplanting.
c. See question E-15 and E-16 from the Title II Guidance document revised October 5, 2006.
3. Is the activity or budget expenditure allowed in the legislation and related circulars?
a. Title II allows 7 general items listed starting on page 27 in section E of the Guidance document
dated October 5, 2006 or 10 items listed in lettered paragraphs in Section 2123 of Title II, NCLB.
b. OMB Circular A-87.
4. If the prior three main questions have been answered positively and you have considered all the
underlying points then you may proceed with the activity as a part of your 5 year plan.
a. If the grant has already been written and approved one additional question must be asked. Is
the activity or expenditure described as a part of your original grant application?
( 1) If yes, then you may proceed with the activity.
(2) If not then you must amend your application by asking for permission to include it in
your approved application.
Disclaimer: This tool is not a complete tool for developing a project application, only a quick way to help
determine if activities or expenditures meet the minimal basic requirements of a program application.
Adapted from copyrighted material with permission.