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21st CCLC November 23, 2004 Conference Call – Monitoring

Below are notes taken from past conference calls. These are not the most comprehensive, but give a general idea as to what was discussed.

Participants:
Allentown
Bedford
RSVP
Tuscarora IU 11
York

PSLA (as moderator)
Dorothy Hershey

Questions about Monitoring

1. If a school district is the grantee with multiple sites, does each individual program site get a monitoring visit?

-No, the grantee is visited. Questions are asked about all the sites, but only 1 site visit is arranged. That site visit is determined by the grantee.

If time allows and the grantee really wants to, 2 site visits can be arranged. Both site coordinators will then be present the entire day for monitoring questions.

Otherwise, the monitoring visit only looks at calendars from sites, if the site coordinators are meeting to share resources, and if the sites have working relationships with each other.

2. From the time of the notice for a monitoring visit, how long until the visit?

-We will usually give 4-6 weeks notice.

We will also send you the monitoring instrument so you know the questions and can prepare the materials. One suggestion is to create a folder of materials for each question.

We don’t want this to be a surprise. The purpose of the monitoring visit is to see how we can best provide technical assistance.

3. We had a limited English population. Will you provide an interpreter when meeting with the parents?

-A new staff was just added that is bilingual in Spanish. Please let us know if you have any language requirements.

4. You suggested that we conduct parent focus groups before the monitoring visit. Should we have a focus group during the visit for you, as well?

The focus groups are more for the sites to see how you’re doing. We only need to meet with one or two parents. Please do let us know that you are trying different ways to connect with parents and get their input.

5. Will you send out a list of approved national conferences like last year?

-Because of extenuating factors, the list has not been fully put together yet. We hope to have it by the first week of December.

One conference that is approved is the Beyond the Bell conference in mid-February in Atlanta.

6. How long do we have to complete the APR?

   -Until the end of January

For multiple site grantees: The school district decides if they complete the APR or the sites do. Be sure to collaborate so there’s no overlap.

7. Do you need information on our volunteers?

   -Yes! Record the number, what they’re doing, etc. Those statistics are always impressive to use in other areas, so it’s good to gather them.

GOOD NEWS!!! (Additional Funding)

There will be limited funding for an additional 2 years! This will be non-competitive. If the monitoring visit goes well, you will be funded the 4th and 5th years at 50% of what you received in the 3rd year.

Money can be carried from year 3 to year 4.

You can apply for the Cohort 3 group. The RFP will hopefully be out by the end of February.

Next steps

Bring back information and ideas from conference call to your staff and program!

****PSLA asked for anyone who is not a member of the Yahoo group to let them know so an invitation can be sent.

**** If you are interested in having the topic of this call done as a workshop at your site, just get a group of 10 or more teachers or staff together and PSLA can come to you.

????Questions????

Contact PSLA staff:

Cindy Belliveau
215-573-6535
bellivea@pobox.upenn.edu