Program B: Support Services

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Program B: Support Services

Program Authorization: R.S. 17:1751 through 2754; and 2757 through 2759; R.S. 36:651

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The mission of the Support Services Program is to provide the infrastructure needed to advance strategies, which will broaden the implementation of and support for standards-based mathematics and science education efforts.

The goals of the Support Services Program are:

To incorporate regulations and directions established by state policymakers to help broaden support for standards-based SMT education in Louisiana.

To stimulate administrative support for education improvement at the school and district levels.

The Support Services Program includes the following activities:

1. Support Services - Provides staff for the management and administration of LaSIP programs, designs leadership development workshops which provide assistance to districts as they prepare to implement the Louisiana Accountability plan, and recommends reform measures for mathematics and science education through LaSIP/Delta RSI Professional Development Projects, Regional Partnerships, Challenge Grant, and the Delta InTech Grant.

2. Regional Partnerships - Designed to promote and coordinate efforts and resources (programs, people, and finances) of educational and community stakeholders at the regional and district levels to support and sustain mathematics and science reform. Proposals are solicited from the eight Louisiana Department of Education (LDE) regions of the state. Regions must work collaboratively with multiple organizations including school districts, institutions of higher learning, the LDE Regional Service Center, and private entities such as business, industry, Chambers of Commerce, and local agencies. Grants for Regional Partnerships are awarded on a competitive basis following a review process, which involves out-of-state consultants.

3. Louisiana Challenge Grant - serves as a model to enhance student achievement by networking underserved communities. The Challenge Grant is developing comprehensive programs that use telecommunications to increase participation in high-tech learning by underserved K-12 students in five Louisiana school districts. The Challenge Grant provides access to children in underserved communities to Internet in schools, recreation centers, preschool facilities, and after-school tutoring programs to communicate with other students on-line. Participants involved in the Challenge Grant five school districts (Natchitoches, Calcasieu, Jefferson, Lafayette, and Monroe City Schools), five universities (Northwestern, McNeese, University of New Orleans, University of Southwestern Louisiana, and Northeast), and LaSIP. Statewide partners include BESE, BoR, Governor's Office, Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators, LDE, LaNET, Louisiana Public Broadcast (LPB), and BellSouth. The LaSIP Challenge Grant does not receive the funds, which finance the five district sites. These funds are granted to Natchitoches Parish School Board, recipient of the U.S. Department of Education. Natchitoches Parish School Board contracts with LaSIP to provide administrative oversight for the grant. LaSIP does contract with the University of Southwestern Louisiana for evaluation of the overall program. LaSIP's role in this grant is purely administrative. Subgrants are funded through the Natchitoches Parish School Board.

OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Unless otherwise indicated, all objectives are to be accomplished during or by the end of FY 1999-2000. Performance indicators are made up of two parts: name and value. The indicator name describes what is being measured. The indicator value is the numeric value or level achieved within a given measurement period. For budgeting purposes, performance indicator values are shown for the prior fiscal year, the current fiscal year, and alternative funding scenarios (continuation budget level and Executive Budget recommendation level) for the ensuing fiscal year (the fiscal year of the budget document).

GENERAL PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR THE PROGRAM

SOURCE OF FUNDING

The source of funding for this program includes General Fund, Interagency Transfers, Self-generated Revenues and Federal Funds. The Interagency Transfer is derived from the transfer of federal National Science Foundation funds from Northeast Louisiana University to assist in the implementation of the Rural Systemic Initiatives Program. The Self-generated Fevenue includes two sources: private, non-profit contributions and a transfer from the Natchitoches Parish School Board to administer the Challenge Grant for Technology in Education from the U.S. Department of Education. The source of Federal Funding is the Mathematics and Science Education Reform grant from the National Science Foundation. General fund is appropriated for purposes of rent and the legislative auditor which are unallowable federal charges.

ANALYSIS OF RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL FUND	TOTAL	T.O.	DESCRIPTION

$58,961	$1,956,130	69	ACT 19 FISCAL YEAR 1998-1999

			BA-7 TRANSACTIONS:
$0	$0	0	None

$58,961	$1,956,130	69	EXISTING OPERATING BUDGET – November 20, 1998

$0	$1,788	0	Annualization of FY 1998-1999 Classified State Employees Merit Increase
$0	$768	0	Classified State Employees Merit Increases for FY 1999-2000
$0	$350,000	0	Acquisitions and Major Repairs
$0	($350,000)	0	Nonrecurring Acquisitions and Major Repairs
$0	($472)	0	Rent in State-owned Buildings
$0	($34,800)	0	Personnel Reductions
$0	$21	0	Civil Service Fees
$0	($36,507)	0	Reduction of Travel per request
$0	$6,000	0	Restoration of salaries

$58,961	$1,886,011	69	TOTAL RECOMMENDED

$0	($70,119)	0	DIFFERENCE (TOTAL RECOMMENDED AND EXISTING OPERATING BUDGET)

The total means of financing for this program is recommended at 96.0% of the existing operating budget. It represents 93.0% of the total request ($2,021,957) for this program. The decrease can be attributed to a position which was cut at the agency’s request.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

$44,554		Other Professional Services for statewide planning, meeting development, information dissemination on Challenge Grant
$46,170		Other Professional Services for consultants to conduct reviews
$75,000		Other Professional Services for conference planning, speakers and associated expenses for other self-generated grants
$120,380		Other Professional Services for information dissemination ($24,000); and evaluation of in-service programs ($42,905)

$286,104		TOTAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

OTHER CHARGES

$492,447		Flow-through funds for eight (8) Regional Partnership Initiatives (RPI). The purpose of the RPI is to coordinate efforts and resources of educational and community stakeholders to facilitate and sustain mathematics and science reform. Each RPI has a full-time coordinator, an Advisory Committee, and a Project Director. (Federal Funds)

$144,257		Payments to Challenge Grant personnel domiciled at universities. The purpose of the Challenge Grant is to develop a systematic model to enhance student achievement by providing instructional technology networking capabilities to underserved communities. (Self-generated funds for administration; other program costs are budgeted with Natchitoches Parish School Board).
$4,882		Legislative Auditor Expenses

$641,586		TOTAL OTHER CHARGES

		Interagency Transfers:
$54,079		Rent payment to Division of Administration
$168		Civil Service payment
$23,013		Accounting and Budget Services of State Department of Education
$17,701		Increase in flow-through funds for eight (8) Regional Partnership Initiatives (RPI) (federal funds)

$94,510		TOTAL INTERAGENCY TRANSFERS

ACQUISITIONS AND MAJOR REPAIRS

$6,940		Computer upgrade and printers (federal funds)

$6,940		TOTAL ACQUISITIONS AND MAJOR REPAIRS

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