FY 2023–24 GMART CSI LEA Reporting Instructions

Quick Tips

Logging On

User names and passwords are emailed to LEA Superintendents. Passwords are case-sensitive and cannot be reset or changed by the LEA. If more than three attempts to log on have been made within one hour, the user will be locked out of the system and an automated email notification will be sent to the School Improvement and Support Office (SISO) mailbox for support. Once the account is unlocked, the LEA’s three contacts, listed under the LEA Contact Information tab, will receive two emails containing the LEA’s logon credentials.

Contact the SISO by phone at 916-319-0833 or by email at SISO@cde.ca.gov for assistance.

CSI LEA Fiscal Information Web Page (Select Funding Year)

The CSI LEA Fiscal Information web page displays the different years of funding for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) CSI LEA subgrant. Future years will be added to this page once school eligibility has been determined. Grant years will be labeled “Fiscal Year 2018–19,” “Fiscal Year 2019–20,” and so forth.

Fiscal Data Entry

• Expenditure fields require data entry and cannot be left blank. Enter “0” as the amount where there are no actual expenditures. If “0” is not entered in the appropriate field, an error message will appear. Error messages must be addressed before a report can be successfully submitted in the GMART.
  
  
• The dollar amounts on all pages can be entered as whole numbers only. Decimals are not allowed.
  
  
• Negative amounts are not allowed.
  
  
• Symbols such as dollar signs ($) and commas (,) are not allowed.
  
  
• The following is the only acceptable format for an amount:

123456

• The GMART is designed to use the latest available Indirect Cost Rate (ICR).

The GMART Menu Options

Funding Application

LEA Contact Information

California Department of Education (CDE) Contact Information

Budget Summary

Grant Management Reports

Federal Reports

Report History

GMART Requests

Funding Application

The LEA has access to submit and view its funding application. However, once its funding application has been approved, the LEA can no longer edit its application. Approved funding applications can only be viewed as reference documents.

LEA Contact Information

This page displays subgrant coordinator information reported by the LEA and must be updated by the LEA in the GMART. This information will be used to send updates and notifications pertaining to the ESSA CSI LEA subgrant. The LEA Contact Information page requires the following information for the Primary Grant Coordinator, Secondary Grant Coordinator, and Fiscal Coordinator:

• Name
• Title
• Phone Number
• Extension (optional)
• Email Address
• Fax (optional)
  
  

California Department of Education (CDE) Contact Information

This page displays contact information for the SISO. When calling, reference the ESSA CSI LEA subgrant in order to be directed to the appropriate CDE staff for assistance.

Budget Summary

Upon submission and approval of Grant Management Report 1, the Budget Summary tab will allow the LEA to request a revision of its previously approved Budget Summary. When reporting expenditures, total expenditures for each object code must align with the last Budget Summary Table and Narrative completed by the LEA and approved by the CDE.

If an LEA attempts to submit expenditures in excess of 10 percent of the last approved Budget Summary (required in Report 1), the GMART will display an error message indicating as such and the LEA will need to resolve the error. The LEA may either revise the expenditure report or submit a Budget Summary revision by selecting the “Budget Summary” tab. This tab will only become available once Report 1 has been approved by the CDE.

The Budget Summary tab will display the FY, LEA name, current budget status, preliminary and final allocation amounts, Budget Summary Table and Narrative, and Budget Summary History.

Budget Summary Table

The Budget Summary table will display the details of the last approved budget, with additional columns for the LEA to enter the revised amounts. The total Revised Budget Summary amount must not exceed the LEAs Final Allocation Amount.

To add or edit an entry to the table, the LEA must select “Edit” in the “LEA Action” column to enter data into the “Revised Budget Amount” column for each major object code. From the drop-down menu in the “Revised Budget Detail” column, select the corresponding project activity. More than one project activity may be selected for each major object code.

The LEA must also provide a detailed justification for the increase or decrease from the last approved budget amount. Select “Edit” in the “LEA Action” column to enter data into the “Revision Justification” column.

The Budget Summary table will display error messages if the GMART determines there are inconsistencies with the proposed submission. Revisions cannot be submitted until the errors have been resolved.

Revised Budget Summary Narrative

Explain how the revised costs associated with each major object code and project activity continue to relate to development and implementation of the CSI plan, including how the costs directly support implementation of evidence-based interventions/strategies/activities and reason/s/ for identification.

The Remarks box below the Revised Budget Summary Narrative is optional and can be used to provide additional information or answer clarifying questions from the CDE about the submitted data.

Once all data have been entered, select the “Submit Budget Summary Request” button to submit the request for approval.

The "Export Budget Summary and Revision History to Excel" button downloads the data into a Microsoft Excel file format. The file can be opened for viewing or saved for future reference. The file name is "ESSALEABudgetSummaryExport.xls”.

Budget Summary History

LEAs may use the drop-down menu to view a specific Budget Summary Submission. Approved submissions will be labeled “Approved”.

Grant Management Reports

This page is used to revise Funding Plans, submit expenditure data, and other related information at the end of each performance period.

School Closure Request Form

This prompt will appear at the start of each reporting period and must be completed before the LEA is able to access and submit the required report. LEAs will be asked if any of its CSI-eligible schools closed during the specified performance period.

• If the LEA answers no, then the LEA can continue to the Grant Management Reports tab to complete the required report.
  
• If the LEA answers yes, then the LEA must select the name of the closed school from the drop-down list and select the date of closure. If the LEA has additional schools to report as closed, then the LEA may select “Add Another School” to repeat this process until all closures have been reported.
  
  

The CDE will verify the school closure date/s/ using the California School Directory (Directory). If the school closure date provided by the LEA does not match the date in the Directory, then the CDE will use the date provided in the Directory as the official closure date.

Note: LEAs may report a school closure at any time by utilizing the GMART Requests tab.

LEAs with One CSI-eligible School

If the school closure request is submitted for a direct-funded charter school or an LEA with only one CSI-eligible school, then the LEA must closeout the subgrant in GMART and may not expend any additional CSI funds. Please note the CDE may need to bill the LEA to recover any overpaid funds, based on the school closure date and expenditures claimed.

LEAs with Two or More CSI-eligible Schools

LEAs with two or more CSI-eligible schools will be required to redistribute any amounts allocated to the closed school to the LEA or its remaining CSI-eligible school/s/. If the LEA does not have any other open CSI-eligible schools to reallocate to, then the LEA must closeout the subgrant in GMART and may not expend any additional CSI funds. Please note the CDE may need to bill the LEA to recover any overpaid funds, based on the school closure date and expenditures claimed.

Allocations

Displayed at the top of the Grant Management Reports page is the LEA’s allocation amount. Depending on the subgrant performance period timeline, this amount could include the Preliminary Allocation, Revised Allocation, Final Allocation, or it may have just one of the named allocations displayed. The current allocation amount appears at the far right of the table. The current allocation amount matches the column labeled as “Active” in the funding plan.

Funding Plan

The Funding Plan table lists the LEA and school name(s) in each row and includes columns listing the allocation amounts. There can be up to three funding columns labeled the Preliminary Funding Amount, Revised Funding Amount, and Final Funding Amount. Each column will be designated either “Closed” or “Active.” All allocation amounts that are no longer the current allocation are labeled as “Closed”. The LEA can only revise the “Active” column, and the “Active” column total must match the corresponding current allocation column of the LEA Allocation table.

• For example, if the “Revised LEA Allocation” Funding Plan column is labeled as “Active”, then the total distribution must match the Revised Allocation in the allocations table.
  
  

Justification for Funding Plan Changes

If the LEA changes its Funding Plan, the LEA must provide a justification for all Funding Plan changes in the justification text box below the Funding Plan table.

• Justification for Funding Plan Changes Example: School A’s allocation was reduced by $25,000 due to contract savings for capacity-focused leadership coaching. School B was increased by $25,000 to include contracted services for coaching, modeling, observations, and feedback cycles designed to build the coaching capacity of site-based coaches.
  
  

The Justification for Funding Plan Changes textbox has a 4000-character limit.

Budget Summary

Completed for the first time in Grant Management Report 1, the Budget Summary table combines LEA- and school-level budget amounts for CSI project activities. The total Budget Summary amount must not exceed the final LEA allocation identified in the Funding Plan.

To add or edit an entry to the table, the LEA must select “Edit” in the “LEA Action” column to enter data into the “Budget Amount” column for each major object code. From the drop-down menu in the “Budget Detail” column, select the corresponding project activity. More than one project activity may be selected for each major object code.

If the LEA would like to claim expenditures for object codes 6400–6500 (computer systems only) with a unit cost of $5,000 or more, the LEA is required to obtain prior written approval from the CDE. The Title I CSI Capital Outlay Expenditures Request Form (PDF) is located on the CDE CSI LEA Authorized Use of Funds web page.

Indirect cost guidelines allow that up to $25,000 of each individual sub-agreement may be coded to Object Code 5800, Professional/Consulting Services and Operating Expenditures, with the remainder charged to Object Code 5100—Sub-agreements over $25,000. Indirect costs may not be claimed for expenditures in Object Codes 5100 (Sub-agreements over $25,000), 6400–6500 or 6700 (Capital Outlay).

Since the subgrant crosses multiple fiscal years, the Budget Summary Table does not use a specific ICR to cap the amount an LEA may budget for indirect costs. The amount of indirect costs an LEA may claim is based on actual expenditures (minus any excluded costs) reported by the LEA during required reporting periods and is determined by the ICR of a given FY in which the expenditure occurred.

Please see Question 12 on the Frequently Asked Questions about Indirect Costs web page for help with budgeting for indirect costs.

The Budget Summary table will display error messages if the GMART determines there are inconsistencies with the proposed submission. The summary cannot be submitted until the errors have been resolved. Once all data is entered, the Total Budget Summary will calculate automatically.

Budget Summary Narrative

For the Budget Summary Narrative, the LEA is required to:

1. Explain how the costs associated with each major object code and project activity relate to development and implementation of the CSI plan, and
   
2. Explain how the costs directly support implementation of evidence-based interventions/strategies/activities and reason/s/ for identification.
   
   

The Budget Summary Narrative textbox has a 4000-character limit.

CSI Plan Approval/Adoption Information

The CSI Plan Approval/Adoption Information is required for Report 2 only. This table displays the school name(s) in each row and columns that display the Type of CSI Plan, CSI Plan Approval/Adoption or Scheduled Approval/Adoption Date by “School” and “LEA”, and CSI Plan Justification by “School” and “LEA”.

To add or edit an entry in the table, the LEA must select and enter the following from the CSI Plan Approval/Adoption Data Entry:

• Select the school eligible for CSI from the drop-down list.
  
• For the school selected, select the type of CSI Plan that was developed for the fiscal year. The options include the School Plan for Student Achievement or the Local Control and Accountability Plan (for single school districts and charter schools, as applicable).
  
• Select the Approval/Adoption Date or Scheduled Approval/Adoption Date.
  
• Enter the date the CSI Plan was or will be approved/adopted by the School:
  
  
  • If the Scheduled Approval/Adoption Date was selected, the LEA must provide a justification in the justification text box indicating why the CSI plan has not yet been approved/adopted.
    
• Enter the date the CSI Plan was or will be approved/adopted by the LEA:
  
  
  • If the Scheduled Approval/Adoption Date was selected, the LEA must provide a justification in the justification text box indicating why the CSI plan has not yet been approved/adopted.
    
• Select the “Save” button to populate the school CSI Plan Requirements data to the table.
  
  

The CSI Plan Approval/Adoption Information table will display an error message if the GMART determines that there are inconsistencies with the proposed submissions. The report cannot be submitted until the errors have been resolved and all school CSI Plan Requirements data have been entered.

The “Export CSI Plan Approval/Adoption Information to Excel” button downloads the data into a Microsoft Excel file format. The file can be opened to view or saved for future reference. The file name is “CSISSchoolPlanData.xls.”

Expenditure Reports

The Expenditure Report table displays all reporting periods: Reports 1, 2, 3, 4, and the Final Report. However, the LEA will only be able to edit the current reporting period; prior and future reports will not be accessible. The LEA must report expenditures by major object code for all sites combined at the end of each performance period.

To add or edit an entry in the table, the LEA must select the “Edit” button for each Object code Description to input data into the “Expenditure Amount” fields.

When the LEA has completed all report requirements, the LEA will select the “Submit” button and the complete report will be submitted to the CDE for review. The LEA will receive an automated message that the report has been submitted.

Additional Notes:

• Total expenditures for each object code series must align with the last Budget Summary Table and Narrative completed by the LEA and approved by the CDE. If submitted expenditures exceed budgeted amounts by 10 percent or more, the GMART will display an error message indicating as such and the LEA must resolve the error by either revising their expenditures or submitting a budget revision. Budget revisions must be approved by the CDE prior to the LEA expending the funds for which a budget revision is required.
• If the LEA claims expenditures for object codes 6400–6500 (computer systems only) with a unit cost of $5,000 or more, it must provide the date that its Title I CSI Capital Outlay Expenditures Request Form (PDF) was approved by the CDE in the text box under the Expenditure Reporting table.
  
• The LEA may claim part or all of the maximum allowed indirect costs, based on reported expenditures to date (including from past reports).
  
• The amount of indirect costs that an LEA can claim are determined by the ICR of a given FY in which the expenditure occurred.
  
• The Expenditure Report table will display error messages if the GMART determines there are inconsistencies with the proposed submission. The fiscal report cannot be submitted until the errors have been resolved.
  
• The Remarks text box below the Expenditure Report table is optional and can be used to provide additional information or answer clarifying questions about the expenditure data from the CDE.
  
• The CDE will review the report and provide notification by email if the report is "Approved” or “Requires Revisions”. If a report requires revisions, select the “Show Report Submission and Review History” button to determine why the report requires revisions and the actions the LEA must take in order to correct and resubmit the report. A report that requires revisions will be accessible in the GMART for revisions and resubmissions.
  
• The “Show Report Submission and Review History” button displays the history of all submissions, feedback, and CDE approvals.
  
• The "Export Report to Excel" button downloads the data into a Microsoft Excel file format. The file can be opened to view or saved for future reference. The file name is "ESSALEAReportDataExport.xls”.
  
• If the LEA has a $0 Cash Balance, the LEA will only have the option to press the “Request to Closeout Subgrant” button. This will open the Final Expenditures and Closeout Report. The Subgrant Performance section will also be viewable.
  
• If the LEA has a Cash Balance within $25 of its Final Allocation, then a pop-up box will indicate that the LEA is within $25 of expending all of its Final Allocation and will ask if the LEA wishes to closeout the subgrant now or continue to expend its CSI funding. Press the “OK” button to proceed to the Final Expenditures and Closeout Report. If the LEA is not ready to closeout, then press the “Cancel” button and the LEA will continue to submit its reports at pre-determined intervals.

Final Expenditures and Closeout Report

Note: Only viewable when the LEA has a zero cash balance or chooses to closeout.

Please review the information in the reports for accuracy and completeness. The information in these reports will be prepopulated for the LEA. Remarks are optional.

Subgrant Performance Report

Note: Only viewable when the LEA has a zero cash balance or chooses to closeout.

The LEA must provide complete responses to four prompts:

• Prompt 1: Describe the LEA’s vision for using CSI funds to improve school and student outcomes in schools identified for CSI.
  
• Prompt 2: Describe the evidence-based strategies that improved school and student outcomes.
  
• Prompt 3: Describe the challenges the LEA faced, the problems that were overcome, and key lessons learned. What changes were made as a result of this information in order to improve school and student outcomes?
  
• Prompt 4: Describe how the LEA will sustain improvements made.
  
  

Once all prompts have been answered, select the “Submit Report” button to notify the CDE that the report has been submitted. The LEA will receive an automated message that the report has been submitted.

The “Show Report Submission and Review History” button displays the history of all submissions, feedback, and CDE approvals.

The "Export Report to Excel" button downloads the data into a Microsoft Excel file format. The file can be opened to view or saved for future reference. The file name is "CSIPerformanceData.xls.”

Federal Reports

The LEA is required to report fiscal data under the Federal Reports tab in the GMART in accordance with ESSA, Section 1003(i) for the school improvement funds it received under ESSA, Section 1003(a). Reporting of the required federal data will be based on the Federal Reporting Timelines located on the CDE CSI LEA Reporting Requirements web page.

For each assigned grant period, the LEA will be required to provide the following information:

• The amount of funds each CSI-eligible school received, and
• The types of strategies implemented in each school with such funds.
  
  

Note: LEAs should report the funds that were made available to its CSI-eligible schools with or without the actual cash revenue (i.e., a check received from the CDE) behind it. For example, some LEAs “front load” their CSI school’s budget once it sets the Funding Plan and then sets up an “accounts receivable” to reimburse the funds distributed to the school. So, LEAs should report whatever funds it made available to its CSI-eligible schools during the specified timeframe.

To add or edit an entry into the table, the LEA must enter the school-level amounts received and the types of strategies implemented with ESSA CSI funds.

The following are some examples of strategies from the United States Department of Education that may be implemented in schools eligible for CSI:

• Increasing access to effective teachers or adopting incentives to recruit and retain effective teachers
  
  
• Increasing or redesigning instructional time Implementing interventions based on data from early warning indicator systems
  
  
• Reorganizing the school to implement a new instructional model
  
  
• Implementing strategies designed to increase diversity by attracting and retaining students from varying socioeconomic backgrounds
  
  
• Replacing school leadership with leaders who are trained for or have a record of success in low-performing schools
  
  
• In the case of an elementary school, increasing access to high-quality preschool
  
  
• Changing school governance
  
  

The “Show Report Submission and Review History” button displays the history of all submissions, feedback, and CDE approvals. Once all prompts have been completed, select the “Submit Report” button to notify the CDE that the report has been submitted. The LEA will receive an automated message that the report has been submitted.

Report History

The Report History tab provides a running record of the LEA’s report submission history, the Budget Summary Narrative, the CDE’s review and approval history, the Justification for Funding Plan changes, and any remarks from the LEA or CDE. LEAs may use the drop-down menu to view a specific Grant Management Report Submission.

GMART Requests

LEAs may use this tab to revise a previously submitted and approved grant management report, report a closed school, or ask a question. LEAs will be prompted to select one of these three options from a drop-down menu.

Revise a Previously Submitted Report

The LEA will be able to select the report that needs to be revised from the drop-down menu. Only past reports that have been submitted and approved by the CDE will be selectable as options.

The LEA will be further prompted to select one of three reasons for revision:

1. Funding plan adjustment,
2. Revise expenditures and/or indirect costs, or
3. Revision due to Federal Program Monitoring (FPM) findings
   
   

The LEA will also need to include a detailed justification in the text box provided as well as the first and last name of the person submitting the request. The LEA will then be able to revise the requested report as needed and resubmit it for approval.

Note: The CDE does not have authority to allocate funds past the subgrant end date; therefore, requests to increase reported expenditures after the subgrant ends will not be approved. Revising past reports may result in the CDE initiating the billing process to recover overpaid funds.

Closed School Submission

The LEA may report school closures at any time by selecting the School Closure Request Form. From there, the LEA will be able to select the school from the drop-down list and select the date of closure. The CDE will verify the date of closure using the Directory. If the school closure date provided by the LEA does not match the date in the Directory, then the CDE will use the date provided in the Directory as the official closure date.

Depending on how the LEA distributes its CSI funds, a funding plan adjustment may be required as a result of school closure.

Ask a Question

LEAs will be required to select one of the following topics from the drop-down menu:

• Use of Funds
• Reporting Timeline
• Reporting Requirements/Subgrant Closeout
• Budgeting
• CSI Plan/CSI Prompts
• Billing Information/Returning CSI Funds
• GMART
• FPM Findings
• Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) Opt-Out Eligibility
• Federal Reporting

Specific details related to the inquiry should be placed in the provided textbox. LEAs may also indicate whether it would prefer a phone call or emailed correspondence in response.

Request History

LEAs may use this feature to view a table of all submitted and approved requests.