[MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER 1: OTAN-- Outreach and Technical Assistance Network. 

DAVID STANG: Hello. My name is David Stang. My colleague, Abby Medina, and I would like to welcome all of you to the adult education instrument training for 2021-22. We sincerely hope you and your families are all well, and thank you for attending this virtual training. 

For those of you who don't know us, Abby and I our education program consultants in the Adult Education Office or AEO. The training will focus on Federal Program Monitoring or FPS and, more specifically, the adult education instrument for the upcoming year. 

Speaking of the instrument, you should all have a copy of this year's instrument with you today. We will refer to it often, and you will want to follow along and take notes. If you do not have a copy already, please pause the presentation and download a copy. You can find the instrument at the first link on slide 32 in the resources. Abby? 

ABBY MEDINA LEWIS: Thank you, David. The purpose of today's training is to define compliance monitoring, what it is, and what it is not, provide an overview of the adult education program instrument. This session will provide you with an understanding of the CDE's adult education program instrument, which is a tool used to ensure agencies receiving WIOA, Title II AEFLA funds are in compliance with federal and, where applicable, state law. 

This session will also provide clear expectations on the specific evidence required for each item on the adult education program instrument. So today's agenda includes federal program monitoring as stipulated by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, which is also known as WIOA, Title II AEFLA program. 

We will also take a look at the instrument items and review of evidence requests that you will be expected to know and upload into the CDE monitoring tool, also known as CMT. So just a quick side note, CDE Monitoring Tool or CMT training is a separate training and will not be addressed in this session. The FPM Office will provide the training on CMT, and details regarding CMT training will be shared via email soon. 

In the meantime, we provided you with a link to the CMT web page in the resources page of this PowerPoint slide, which we will show you at the end of this session David and I will also hold an interactive live to our question and answer session on August 9 from 10:00 AM to noon. 

Agencies scheduled for review this year must view this prerecording in its entirety prior to participating in the live Q&A session. Only those participants that have viewed this prerecorded session will be allowed to participate in the live Q&A webinar. Registration will be required to participate in the Q&A session. We will email you the link to register for the Q&A webinar at least two weeks before the session. 

Finally, in the live Q&A webinar, you will also have an opportunity to hear from two agencies that were reviewed last year. Guest presenters will share their FPM experience, as well as share strategies for a successful review. David? 

DAVID STANG: The WIOA, Title II AEFLA grant requires the CDE to conduct on site and online monitoring in all adult education providers. Any and all adult education federal grant recipients will be selected for review at some point. On-site reviews are typically more comprehensive in nature. 

They are conducted at the adult education agency and include a review of documents or evidence requests, observations of the program offerings in classrooms, and interviews with key personnel. Online reviews are similar but do not include much of what occurs in the review process at an actual site or location. 

The review of documents is the same in both processes. Because of COVID-19, all reviews conducted this past year were completed online. This year, some agencies will be reviewed onsite and others online. The purpose of monitoring reviews is to ensure agencies are in compliance with federal, and where applicable, state laws. The current monitoring cycles for this program year 2021-22. Abby? 

ABBY MEDINA LEWIS: Thank you, David so you're probably wondering what is compliance monitoring. Compliance monitoring is simply an overall determination of whether agencies receiving federal funds are meeting statutory program and fiscal requirements for certain programs. It is CDE's fulfillment of regulations to ensure that state and federally-funded agencies meet minimum compliance. 

It is also an opportunity to examine and improve your agency policies and procedures. This could include, but not limited to, your assessment policy, your no-fees policy, time accounting, and other programmatic and fiscal policies. 

Compliance monitoring is not an audit. We are not auditors. We are program reviewers. It is not a "gotcha" opportunity to take funding back from your program. David? 

DAVID STANG: The program instrument-- all programs, whether they be Adult Ed, Before and After School, or fiscal monitoring, all developed program instruments to guide monitoring reviews. And within those instruments are categories or items that the reviewer looks at during each review. The adult education instrument has 10 items or categories of which Abby and I are going to review with you today. 

ABBY MEDINA LEWIS: The 2021-22 instrument is organized into 10 different categories or what we call items. Each item has a respective list of evidence requirements that must be provided by agencies to meet federal requirements. These 10 Adult Ed items or AE items are-- number one-- collaboration, alignment, and support services; AE 02-- financial accountability; AE 03-- data collection and program effectiveness; AE 04-- staff qualifications and professional development; AE 05-- needs assessment; AE 06-- serving individuals with disabilities; AE 07-- intensity, duration, and flexible scheduling; AE 08-- evidence-based instructional practices and reading instruction; AE 09-- effective use of technology and distance learning; and finally, AE 10-- integrated education and training. 

These 10 instrument items may look and sound familiar to you. Because if you recall, when you applied for the grant, these are the same as the federally imposed considerations that you were required to respond to in your real RFA. 

So what are evidence requests? Evidence requests are examples of documents that agencies upload into the CMT or CDE Monitoring Tool to demonstrate compliance. All evidence to request must be uploaded into CMT 30 days prior to the first day of a review. 

For example, if the first day of your review is scheduled in November 1, then you are required to upload and certify all evidence requests by October 1. It is important to get all of your evidence into CMD 30 calendar days prior to the first day of your review to allow the CDE program review just enough time to review the evidence and provide you with comment on each instrument item. 

The CDE program reviewer is required to provide updates for each item no later than 15 calendar days prior to the first day of the review. So if you are unsure about a particular evidence request, please contact your CDE Adult Education consultant or reviewer and ask for clarification. 

Now, we will begin our deep dive of the 10 Adult Ed instrument items that I shared with you in previous slides. David, can you please start us off with the first item? 

DAVID STANG: If you would look at page one of the instrument, I'd like to bring your attention to the initial description or legal guidance section that you will see for each item. Item one or AE 01-- Collaboration, Alignment, and Support Services include all of the federal guidelines the Adult Education Office uses to guide the review for this item. 

We highly encourage you to read each guidance section for all of the items to, one-- provide you with an overview of the item, that is, what is the item really about-- collaboration, alignment, support services. You should expect to see guidance in these areas. 

The first guideline, 1.04, for example, reads eligible provider demonstrates alignment between proposed activities, and services, and the strategy and goals of the local plan, as well as the activities and services of the one-stop partners. 

Guideline 1.1 reads, eligible providers activities coordinate with other available education training and social service resources in the community. Secondly, the AEO included each guideline or federal regulation in the initial section of each item as a foundation for each evidence request that is required within the adult education instrument. 

This is what we are looking for in this section. And these are the areas we are required to monitor for this item. It makes sense that under AE 01, for example, we will see collaboration with other partners and providers, that we will see alignment with the local plan, support services for students. 

In addition, if there are any findings during the course of the review, these guidelines are what we use to form the legal basis of each finding. With slide 13, we're going to take a closer look at actual evidence requests. Each item includes a number of documents or evidence requests. Agencies are required to upload it to CMT, CDE Monitoring Tool. 

In many instances, we are asking for a very specific piece of evidence. The purpose of requiring evidence requests is to ensure recipients of federal funding meet minimum compliance. To do so, we ask that you upload the requested documents or in some cases the equivalent evidence to meet compliance. 

If you look on page 2 of the Adult Ed instrument, the first evidence request you see is memorandum of understanding or MOU. The description for MOU reads, MOUs are formal/informal agreements that demonstrate current collaborations or partnerships with the adult education program. 

Agencies are required to upload at least one MOU or informal agreement with another provider, contractor, or agency that reflects the types of services being provided by each partner. That is, how are the agencies collaborate? What does the partnership on behalf of students involved? Can agencies upload more than one MOU? 

Of course, I'd say two or three are ideal. In order to meet minimum requirements for this item, however, at least one MOU must be uploaded. The description for the next evidence request resource guide indicates evidence that demonstrates resources available to Adult Education students-- resources such as child care, transportation, counseling, tutoring, et cetera. 

Current and prior year-- agencies should have available to students a resource guide, some kind of pamphlet. In some cases a catalog. Even a web page can be used to meet minimum compliance with this request. The point is, how do students know what services are being offered? What examples of support are available to them in the event they need child care, a counselor, or tutoring? 

If you also notice, this evidence request indicates agencies must upload a resource guide for the current and prior year. Some say current and prior three. In some cases, if your review is scheduled early in the year, you may not have anything to upload for the current year. 

It's OK. Please be sure to clarify with your reviewer what, if anything, needs to be uploaded if you see current year in your review as scheduled in the first few months of the year. In this case, agencies should be able to upload a resource guide. 

The next evidence request reads secondary evidence request. This is not a required request. In the event an agency is having trouble meeting minimum compliance, and agency doesn't have an MOU or resource guide available, the reviewer, in some cases, might ask for supplemental evidence of collaboration to help an agency meet minimum compliance. 

Having an MOU, for example, is a requirement. But in some cases, if an agency has both phase one and phase two of their umbrella MOU with the AJCC in place, a reviewer might be OK with an agency uploading supplemental evidence of collaboration. They don't have a current MOU in place. 

If you look at the description, examples of supplemental evidence could be recent meeting agendas, sign-in sheets, meeting minutes, et cetera. But only upload these documents if asked by your reviewer. 

This brings us to the final evidence request for AE 01. The description for this evidence request reads, current signed MOU of the local Workforce Development Board that outlines the activities and services of each partner in overarching AJCC delivery system to support the goal of the local plan. 

This request includes both phase one and phase two of the MOU. Some agreements may include both in one document. Typically, each phase is developed separately. But in either case, phase one should reflect all of the services being provided by each of the partners involved with an MOU, as well as the name of each partner and actual signatures from the appropriate representatives at each agency. 

Phase two should be an MOU with all of the cost sharing agreements between all of the agencies. Again, as we move to AE 02, please remember to read the initial guidance section to decide. The initial evidence request for AE 02 reads, historical inventory list of all equipment purchased for $500 or more per Education Department General Administrative Regulations, EDGAR, and code requirements, and a record of last physical check items. 

If no purchases were made, indicate as much by posting a comment in CMT. For this evidence request, you will also see under item instructions specific guidance related to equipment inventory outlined by the Adult Education Office. 

Provide percentages of Adult Education and Family Literacy Act funds used-- serial numbers, resource codes, location of equipment, and items that were disposed of and how they were disposed current and prior three years. 

If your agency has not purchased any equipment this year, be sure to indicate that in a comment. And if you have any questions about the format or how to organize the document, again, be sure to ask your reviewer. The description for general ledger is a general description used by all program offices at CDE, detailed general ledger for the specific resource codes being reviewed. 

The general ledgers should include a date, description, vendor name, and total amount for each expenditure line item. The specific instructions pertaining to the Adult Education Office are to include specific resource codes or a Adult Ed 3905, 3913, 3926 and 6391 are all examples of the resource code we would expect to see in an agency general ledger. 

Ledgers from the current and prior three years should be uploaded into CMT. What reviewers are looking for primarily with this evidence request are to, one, confirm the expenditures, which were reported to the CD and the final ECR for each resource, and, two, to ensure that federal expenditures are allowable under federal regulations. 

The description for in kind and other nonfederal expenditures requires agencies to explain or document how expenditures are calculated and included in the final expenditure claim reports or ECRs. Again, what you upload into CMT should be reflected in each year's ECR. 

Your description can be a simple word document, which reflects your agency's actual and kind expenditures and aggregate and/or an explanation of what your in kind expenditures are. Be sure to ask your reviewer if you're not quite sure what in kind means or if you're not the one who submits the final PCR each year. 

Agencies are not allowed to charge student fees for any program where federal funds are provided to agencies. Registration fees, fees for books, tuition are all examples of fees agencies are not allowed to charge. 

Agencies should include in their catalog, or website, resource tag, somewhere clearly visible to students they are not being charged fees. Ideally, we encourage and would like to see an actual policy indicating students will not be charged fees in any federally-sponsored Adult Ed program. 

However, as long as an agency clearly communicates it is not charging fees, it should meet minimum compliance. Agencies fees policies for the current and prior years should be uploaded. Organizational charts should include the names and titles of staff and board members reflecting leadership at the district and Adult Education level. 

Board minutes only apply to community-based organizations, including charter schools. Two samples from each year for the current and prior year will meet minimum compliance. The description for Staff Funding Report indicates that funding percentages for all Adult Education personnel should be included. 

There is a template, for example, on the compliance monitoring webpage at CDE. Or simply ask your reviewer for an electronic copy. The report should be for the current and prior three years. Again, it's for all Adult Ed staff, not just AEFLA-funded positions. 

Reviewers look at this request over three years to establish a trend, that is, to ensure state dollars are the primary source of funding for the overall compensation of work performed by Adult Ed personnel. 

Time and Effort Policies and Procedures are written policies for documenting time and effort of employees that work on federal programs. Your agency's policy should include specific practices for documenting actual hours worked, as well as internal controls and employee training around the counting of time. 

The two most important components of this request are, first, to make sure your agency has a policy. If you don't have one, get started on it right away. And, second, make sure what is reflected in your policy is what is actually taking place with respect to time account. Please work with your reviewer if you have more specific questions. 

Examples of time and effort records can include personnel activity reports, semi-annual certifications, or other equivalent records. Documentation to support salaries and benefits charged to each program funding source under review should be provided. Again, work with your reviewer to determine the number of samples for each quarter to be uploaded into CMT. 

Supplemental Evidence of Financial Accountability-- this request was added to the instrument this year to provide both agencies and reviewers additional opportunities to meet compliance. Again, as Abby mentioned, the purpose of the review is not to trip agencies up. It is the agency's responsibility to provide the appropriate evidence or documentation. 

It is your reviewer's responsibility to assist your agency with knowing what evidence meets minimum compliance. In the event reviewers need more information to be compliance, they may ask you to upload additional documentation in this area. Examples of supplemental evidence are payroll records, position control reports, and detailed ledgers for object codes 4000 and 5000. 

Abby, are you ready to talk data and program effectiveness? 

ABBY MEDINA LEWIS: Absolutely. Thank you, David. So the next item is AE 03, which is data collection and program effectiveness. The CDE requires all WIOA Title II AEFLA grantees to use the TOPSpro Enterprise or TE database system to collect and report adult learner demographics and program information. In addition, the WIOA Title II AEFLA-funded agencies are required to comply with a national reporting system or NRS for adult education requirements. 

So for this item, AE 03, data collection and program effectiveness, we are verifying if your agency is meeting data accountability requirements in accordance with WIOA II AEFLA grant. There are nine evidence requests related to data collection and program effectiveness of which five evidence requests are simply agency reports that you generate in CASAS TE. So let's go over each evidence request. 

The first one is data integrity reports or what you all know as DIR. And here, you will upload DIR for current and prior year. The DIR is the TE report that shows a snapshot of all adult education students enrolled in your Adult Ed programs. The DIR contains information including, but not limited to, demographic data, pre, post-test data, integrated education and training or IET data, and so on. 

The second evidence request is Federal Tables 4, current and prior three years. This is a report generated from TE again. It's called measurable skills gained by entry level report. The third evidence requests under AE 03 is Federal Table 5, current and prior year. This is also a TE-generated report. Federal Table 5 is what you commonly know as a core follow up outcome achievement report. This report contains federally required outcome measures related to employment, HSE, HSD achievement for secondary education and training. 

The fourth evidence request is FERPA policy. FERPA is the federal law that protects the privacy of personal information and student education records. The law applies to all education organizations that receive funds under an applicable program of the United States Department of Education. Providing the WIOA Title II AEFLA services in California entails program staff obtaining personal information or records from individuals applying for or receiving the WIOA Title II AEFLA services. Any personal information contained in these education records is protected under FERPA. 

The fifth evidence request is Social Security Consent Form, current year. Now, FERPA generally requires an adult student's written consent for disclosure of personally identifiable information or PII contained in education records. Unless, a specific exception applies. The CDE requires that any organization providing WIOA Title II AEFLA services to adults in California ask for the voluntary participation in the provision of Social Security Numbers and the execution of a voluntary written consent allowing the CDE to share participant data, so that the CDE can obtain employment and wage information required for performance reporting requirements under WIOA. 

So for this particular evidence request, we are asking you to upload a copy of your current Social Security Consent Form. The sixth evidence request is high school diplomas awarded, current and prior three years. Here, we are asking for evidence listing high school diploma or HSD awarded in the current and prior three years. 

Please do not include high school equivalency or HSE list. Also, when you upload this HSD award list in CMT, please do not include student first and last names. These are considered PII or Personally Identifiable Information that I had mentioned in the earlier evidence request. So please redact student names and/or birth dates. You may not include student PII in CMT. 

For minimum compliance, you can upload a list of just the student IDs and the date the high school diplomas were awarded for each student. Next slide. OK. So the seventh evidence request under AE 03 is local assessment policy. Re-review your local assessment policy to make sure it is current and not missing the six required components. 

These six required components are number one, training and dissemination of local guidelines for implementing the California assessment policy. Two, initial orientation and placement into program and instructional level. Three, progress testing, pre-test, and post-test. Four, use of tests administration manuals. Five, training requirements for administering standardized assessments. And finally six, test security agreements. 

In an on-site review, we may ask you specific questions about your policy and procedures. Also, if your remote testing agreement is not included in your local assessment policy, please upload a copy of your remote testing agreement here. Payment point summary, current and prior three years. We compare your payment point summary with your HSD list, high school diploma list, and also with your Section 243 co-enrollment list, which is a required evidence request in item AE 10. If there is a discrepancy in numbers, we will require you to explain and/or perform an analysis of the data. 

The ninth evidence request is the persister reports, current and prior year. This is a TE report on educational gains and average attendance by educational functioning level or EFL. So the bottom line really and key points for item AE 03 are these. Agencies who upload required evidence for this item successfully demonstrate that personnel are knowledgeable and that the statistical and other data are properly maintained and secured for a period of three years. 

During an on site visit, we also interview your CASAS coordinator and other key data staff. David, take it away. 

DAVID STANG: Thanks, Abby. Under staff qualifications and professional development, please upload it to CMT, a list of all not just federally funded Adult Ed personnel and their respective assignments for the current prior year. Duty statements for the current and prior years should be uploaded to CMT as well, including statements for administrators and staff. Duty statements can include a range of evidence. Ideally, we are looking for job descriptions or statements for each employee describing responsibilities and activities. In some instances, however, job descriptions for teachers, for example, in certain program areas, may meet minimum compliance. 

ESL instructors, under the category of beginning ESL, may all have similar duty statements. And in some cases, depending on the description, that may be appropriate. Professional development planning documents include sign in sheets, agendas, minutes, master calendars of events, and descriptions of training for the current and prior years should be uploaded into CMT. One note here, the description for this request indicates that your CIP should also be uploaded here. You do not need to do this since it is a primary request under needs assessment. 

Professional development records to be uploaded to CMT are agendas, calendars, certificates, sign in sheets, minutes, training materials, et cetera. Examples for the current and prior year should be included. Staff credentials, the final evidence request for AE 04, should include a sortable spreadsheet of all certificate and staff displaying credentials and full staff name, including full middle name. 

Credentials should be commensurate with current and prior year assignments. That is teachers with single and multiple subject credentials at the K-12 level can teach in any subject area. Instructors at the community college obviously, have a different set of minimum qualifications they must follow. But community colleges also must upload the documentation or evidence the agency uses to determine candidate eligibility that meets minimum compliance. 

Adult Ed teachers in the K-12 system, with designated subject credentials, must be working in those areas. Agencies that fall under the category of community business organizations must also provide some documentation that addresses staff qualifications. Your agency may not require a specific teaching credential, but it should have some written process, something in place that explicitly speaks to qualified staff and quality instruction in order to meet minimum compliance. Abby. 

ABBY MEDINA LEWIS: Thank you, David. AE 05, needs assessment. So for this item, we are asking for a total of five evidence request as follows. AEFLA demographic reports, Federal Tables 1, 2, and 3, current and prior year. 

Federal Table 1 is a TE report showing participants by educational functioning level or EFL. Federal Table 2 is a TE report also showing participants by age, ethnicity, and sex. And Federal Table 3 is a TE report showing participants by program time. So for this evidence to request, you will be uploading Federal Tables 1, 2, and 3 for current and prior year. 

The second evidence request is the community demographics report for current year. Examples of this could be a US Census Bureau report or other statistically valid and reliable reports. The third evidence request is English literacy and civics education needs assessment, current and prior year. 

Please upload a copy of your EL Civics Needs Assessment Survey that you administer to your students. Note that current and prior year is required here. If your current year's survey is exactly the same as the last year's survey, please indicate that in a comment in CMT, so that the reviewer is aware that there is no change to your survey form. 

The next evidence requests under needs assessment is Civics Objectives and Additional Assessment Plans or what we all know as COAAPs, current and prior year. This also only applies to agencies funded for EL Civics. Basically, this is a printout of your selected COAAPs that CASAS has approved for the current and prior year. Continuous improvement plan, current year. Now, as the know, the CIP, or continuous improvement plan, is a new deliverable that consolidated the former three required deliverables namely PD plan, technology and distance learning plan, and the IELCE plan. 

So for this evidence request, you are required to upload your approved CIP for current year, 2021-22. The key point for this item, AE 05, needs assessment, is that we are verifying whether your programs and services are consistent with the demographics in your area, and that you are responsive to regional needs. 

AE 06, serving individuals with disabilities. There is only one evidence requests under this item, and that is the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA policy. Simply uploading your district nondiscrimination policy will not meet minimum compliance for this item. 

To meet minimum compliance for this item, we are asking you to upload a copy of your agency's written policy to accommodate students and staff with disabilities. Additionally, what procedures have your district or agency adopted to ensure students with IEPs or individual education plans and Section 504 plans have equitable access to your programs, activities, and transitional services? Again, if you are not sure about this particular evidence request and need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact your CDE reviewer. Next slide, David. 

DAVID STANG: Each of the evidence requests under AE 07, intensity duration and flexible scheduling, require you to upload documentation for the current prior year. Under this item, reviewers are looking for appropriate intensity, rigor, duration of time spent in the classroom, and flexibility on the part of the agency to provide services based on student need. It may be a concern for example or even a finding of services aren't offered at a time when students can attend classes. 

Course outlines would ideally be created at the district or academic program level. But outlines developed at the Adult Ed program level can meet minimum compliance. Be sure to consult with your reviewer. She or he may not ask you to upload every single outline, but rather a few examples from each program area simply to demonstrate compliance. 

Courses approved by the local board should indicate the board is aware. Some recognition of the Adult Ed program and the classes services being provided. Under AE 08, the distinction between sample curriculum and sample instructional materials of courses, is that curriculum is the overarching or umbrella materials. 

The program used to guide instruction. Any licenses the agency has purchased textbook or publisher agreements, which indicate the curriculum being used throughout the program shouldn't 't be uploaded into CMT. Sample and instructional materials are individual lesson plans, worksheets appropriate to the level of instruction, learning opportunities for adults, and not merely materials that would be used in a second or third grade classroom for elementary school students Abby. 

ABBY MEDINA LEWIS: The next item is AE 09, effective use of technology and distance learning. Basically, for this item, we are looking for evidence that technology is being used in the classroom. Note that class schedule catalog, which is an evidence request under AE 07, and equipment inventory, which is an evidence request under AE 02, are required evidence under this item also. Because we are verifying if they support what you wrote in your continuous improvement plan or CIP. 

Federal Table 5A, current and prior year. This evidence request applies only to agencies width distance learning programs. If your agency does not have a distance learning program, indicate that in a comment in CMT. Finally the last AE item is a AE 10, integrated education and training. 

This item only applies to agencies who are receiving WIOA Section 243, IELCE funds. If you do not have a 243 IELCE program, simply indicate that by posting a comment in CMT. If your agency has an approved Section 243 IELCE program, then you are required to submit the following evidence. The first one is Program 243, Civic Objectives and Additional Assessment Plan, or COAAPs, current and prior year. This is your CASAS approved 243 COAAPs. 

The second evidence requires evidence of co-enrollment, current and prior year. This is a list of your ESL students co-enrolled in a 243 IET course. The list should identify the training program that the ESL student is co-enrolled in. Again, please do not include student names or PII. 

Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education, IELCE report, current and prior year. This is a copy of your CASAS approved IELCE plan for the prior year and IELCE report for the current year. Remember, that for current year, your IELCE report is part of your CIP plan or C-I-P plan. 

You only need to upload the IELCE report portion of your CIP plan here since you already uploaded the CIP plan in item AE 05, needs assessment. Now, David is going to take us through the next slide and communicate some common areas of concern. 

DAVID STANG: Thanks, Abby. If we haven't already talked about this, we should take a minute to say, reviews are opportunities for the AE 0, the consultants who are conducting the reviews, and all of you to work together. We are not looking to create findings, take funding back from agencies. 

In fact, in some respects, the degree to which reviews are successful is an indication to the feds that we are doing our due diligence to provide appropriate guidance, technical assistance, program development strategies, et cetera. That being said, there are a few areas in which to be particularly mindful. Be sure your time accounting documents reflect what is in your time accounting policies and procedures. If they don't match, that in itself could be a red flag to reviewers to take a closer look. 

Also, take initiative. Reach out early to your reviewer to find out specifically, what will meet minimum compliance. Always run purchases by your regional consultant, if possible, to make sure they're allowable. Items such as equipment, furniture, graduation supplies are often mistakenly thought of as allowable expenditures. But in reality, they typically are not. Assign someone knowledgeable about data and CASAS deliverables to work with you on the review. 

Obviously, there is a close relationship to data federal funding, particularly in a pay for performance system like California. Make sure the list of high school diplomas you upload matches your payment point summary. Likewise, if you receive 243 funding, make sure you have a system in place to verify student co-enrollment, particularly in areas that relate to the amount of federal funding your agency receives. 

Reviewers are looking to confirm what you report to us and by extension, what we report to the feds. Student privacy or PII, as you all know, personal information, particularly of students is highly sensitive information. And CMT is not a closed system. We want to protect all our students and the integrity of your programs as best we can. 

Credentials-- be sure teachers are teaching in the area of their respective credentials, and that they're up to date. With respect to integrate education and training again, be proactive, reach out to your reviewer to learn exactly how to meet minimal compliance. Make sure your agency is able to verify co-enrollment of ESL students enrolled in workforce prep or workforce training. 

In FPM, a finding is a three-part statement about requirements and program items which the LEA must meet. Evidence, which indicates the LEA is not meeting the requirements and the steps the LEA take to show that it subsequently is meeting the requirements. Their official report of each FPM is the notification of findings. Findings are rarely bad things. Although, we understand the negative perception and anxiety that often accompany that. 

Findings, usually, are an opportunity to improve or shore up processes and/or systems already in place. In some instances, they are even notification to leadership that additional support or resources are needed. In any case, your reviewer has a responsibility to work with you to resolve any findings that come up in a review. 

The resolution period includes an initial 45-day window in which all findings are to be resolved. Agencies must follow explicit instructions for how to resolve findings by the 45-day deadline. If a resolution cannot be met during that time, agencies must request an extension with a reasonable justification and the expected length of time required to meet minimum compliance. In rare instances, up to 225 days may be required to resolve all findings. Resolution agreements may not go beyond 225 days. Abby. 

ABBY MEDINA LEWIS: Thank you, David. David and I thought we would like to share some tips for a successful review experience with all of you. The first one is communicate at district leadership level. Communicate and coordinate with your district review coordinator if you are an LEA. 

If you are a non-LEA, make sure you communicate and coordinate with other individuals on your team who share a responsibility in the FPM. Upload evidence into CMT early. You do not have to wait to upload until the 30-day evidence upload deadline that we discussed in the beginning of this session. 

You can start uploading evidence in CMT before the 30 days. Again, in order for the reviewer to see your documents, they need to be certified. Make sure you certify the correct evidence request, and the evidence that you want the CDE reviewer it to see. Also, document communication with a reviewer via CMT instead of email. 

Now, we understand that at times, email and/or form communication may be warranted. The reviewer will also include email and formed communication in CMT. And finally, if you know you will need more time beyond the 45-day resolution period to resolve findings, let your reviewer know as soon as possible. 

So here, we have provided you with resources and links that will help you prepare for your review. The first one is the link where you can find that 2021-22 Adult Education Program Instrument. Now this is a copy of the Word document containing all the instructions on the adult education items for 2021-22, and evidence request that you are required to upload in CMT. 

The second is the 2021-22 Adult Education Office Regional Consultants. Now, this list used to be in the CDE website. It is now in the California Adult Education reporting site you will need a login ID in order to access the site. And many of you who are submitting their deliverables already have access to this site. 

So if you want to know who your CDE reviewer is or your CDE consultant, typically, your CDE consultant will be your CDE reviewer. Unless, there are some scheduling conflicts that will require another consultant to review your agency. The third one is the FPM frequently asked questions. And here is the link of where you can find common questions regarding the federal program monitoring as a whole, not just specific to Adult Ed. 

And finally, the compliance monitoring tool or the CDE monitoring tool, this is where you can find all information regarding the CDE monitoring tool. Again, a separate training will be provided by the FPM office on the CDE monitoring tool. 

So this is the end of our session. On behalf of the CDE Adult Education Office, David and I would like to thank you for viewing this pre-recording session. Please remember to register for part two of the Adult Education Program Instrument training, which is the live Q&A webinar session scheduled on August 9th from 10 AM to noon. 

We look forward to answering questions you have in the Q&A webinar and look forward to also hearing from two guest presenters that we reviewed in the last year. So that they can share their review experience with all of you. Thank you again. Take care be well and be safe.