Federal Grants & Programs
Jessica Miller
Job Title:
Federal Grants & Programs Director
Degrees:
Bachelor, Science Elementary Education, Northern Arizona University
Masters, Elementary Education, Northern Arizona University
Masters, Education Leadership Emphasis: Curriculum & Instruction, Northern Arizona University
Masters, Elementary Education, Northern Arizona University
Masters, Education Leadership Emphasis: Curriculum & Instruction, Northern Arizona University
Email:
Welcome!
The Federal Grants & Programs Department is responsible for managing the state and federal No Child Left Behind entitlement grants: Title 1 (Education for Disadvantage Students); Title 2 (Recruitment and Retention of Highly Qualified Teachers); Title 3 (Education of Migratory Students and English Language Learners); and, Title VI (Indian Education). Curriculum also manages School Improvement Grants and supports the implementation of School Improvement Plans.
ADE Resources
Native American Indian Education
The Office of Indian Education (OIE) administers federal and state programs to meet the educational and cultural needs of Native American students. The office implements A.R.S. §15-244, Indian Education Act, providing outreach to all of Arizona’s local educational agencies (LEAs) on reservations and urban areas with high populations of Native American Indian students.
ESSA Tribal Consultation
Tribal Consultation is required by law for certain schools meeting criteria defined by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, Public Law 114-95. School districts, also called Local Education Agencies (LEAs), who meet one of these criteria are required to consult with tribes in their area.
Coolidge Unified School District is required to consult with the following tribes:
- Ak-Chin Indian Community
- Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
- Gila River Indian Community
- Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
- San Carlos Apache Tribe
- Tohono O'odham Nation
The Indian Student Eligibility Form (ED 506) is filled out one time by parents/guardians to document eligible Indian students. The form serves as the official record of the eligibility determination for each individual child included in the student count. A separate ED 506 Form is required for each Indian child. A new form does not have to be completed each year of enrollment in the school district as long as a signed, completed form is on file and there is documentation that the student was enrolled during the count period. Turn in all completed forms to Justin Rico CUSD Native American Liaison.
More Questions?
Contact the Parent Liaison - Dan Aleman
Or, view the available links above under ADE Resources
Gifted Education
Mission
Champion the academic, intellectual, social, and emotional development of Arizona’s gifted and advanced learners by ensuring gifted learners in Arizona receive an appropriate gifted education commensurate with their abilities and potential.
The Gifted Education program provides leadership and assistance in providing appropriate gifted education services in our K-12 for gifted and advanced learners so they may develop and achieve according to their abilities and potential.
More Questions?
Contact the Coordinator - Rebecca Longoria
Or, view the available links above under ADE Resources
Unique Population Programs
The Coolidge Unified School District (CUSD) delivers targeted support for unique populations who are a part of our district and community. Our district specifically works to support students who are multilingual, experiencing homelessness, placed in foster care, or are a part of migrant families. Below you will be able to find information about each program and our designated district contact for each in case you have additional questions or need any assistance.
Homeless & Foster Care Resources
English Language Learners (ELL)
The Office of English Language Acquisition Services (OELAS) provides help for English Learners and Migrant students using the expertise and cumulative experience of the practitioners in Arizona to guide school districts, teachers, and families in effective ways to support high student achievement.
Joining Program
When first registered with a school district, parents/guardians will complete a Home Langauge Survey form which will determine if a student is a second language learner. If the student is identified as a second language learner then they will take the Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA) placement test that will measure the student's English language proficiency. To learn more about the AZELLA placement test visit the Arizona Department of Education website.
If you would like to learn more about the Coolidge English Learners Program contact:
Jessica Miller
ELL/Migrant Interventionist
(520) 723-2040 Ext. 2427
McKinney-Vento Homeless
The Homeless Education Program (HEP) is dedicated to ensuring that all children and youth experiencing homelessness have access to public education which they are entitled under the federal McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act. The HEP mission is to ensure that homeless children and youth have access to a free, appropriate public education, comparable to that provided to the children of any Arizona resident and consistent with Arizona's mandatory school attendance laws.
Parent and Family Rights
- Your child can be enrolled in school, even if you do not have required documents such as a birth certificate or shot records.
- Your child may be to stay at the same school, and you may be able to receive transportation to that school.
- Your child can receive free school breakfast and lunch.
Who Qualifies for the McKinney-Vento Act?
The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." The act provides examples of children who would fall under this definition:
- Children and youth:
- sharing housing due to the loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;
- living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of alternative accommodations;
- living in emergency or transitional shelters
- abandoned in hospitals;
- whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc.);
- living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations;
- Migratory children and youth living in any of the above situations.
If you would like to learn more about the Coolidge Homeless Program contact:
Ana Garcia
Homeless/Foster Care Liaison
(520) 723-2040 Ext. 2425
Migrant
The Migrant Education Program's (MEP) mission is to impact teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms so that migratory students achieve high academic success. The program provides supplemental services to students of Migratory Workers from the ages of three through twenty-one and provides funding and support to local school districts.
Eligibility Information
When parents/guardians register a new student or enroll a returning student they will be asked a series of questions to determine if the student(s) and their families are eligible for the Coolidge Migrant Program. Families who qualify will be contacted by our district's program contact to move forward with the next steps of joining our program.
If you would like to learn more about our Migrant Program contact:
Veronica Chavez
Migrant Program Coordinator
(520) 723-2040 Ext. 2429
Foster Care
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) contains key provisions to promote educational stability and success for students in foster care:
- Children in foster care should remain in the school they attended before entering foster care or before a placement change (school of origin).
- The transportation of a child in foster care,, to their school of origin, is a shared responsibility between the LEA (public school district or public charter) & the child welfare agency.
- The only reason a child in foster care would have to change schools is that it is in the best interest to go to a new school.
- If it is in the best interest of a child in foster care to go to a new school, the new school would need to immediately enroll that child even without relevant paperwork.
If you would like to learn more about the Coolidge Foster Care Program contact:
Ana Garcia
Homeless/Foster Care Liaison
(520) 723-2040 Ext. 2425