Overview of Reporting Requirements
In accordance with Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 CFR §75.118 and §75.253, recipients of multiyear discretionary grants must submit an annual performance report (APR) demonstrating that substantial progress has been made toward meeting the approved objectives of the project. In addition, discretionary grantees are required to report on their progress toward meeting the Program Performance Measures (PPMs) established for the program and any Project-Specific Performance Measures (PSPMs) that were included in their approved grant applications. Data reported for the PPMs are aggregated across cohorts and summarized in an annual report. Reporting is done through the Grantee Reporting System (GRS) on the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) National Literacy Center website.
Reporting Cycles
The CLSD program has two reporting cycles for each performance period – Update 1 and Update 2. The program office will send guidance through G5 to project directors in advance of each reporting period. The guidance will provide all information necessary to complete the report, including the deadline to submit.
In a typical performance period (October 1 — September 30) the following information will be collected:
Update 1 — Annual Performance Report — budget expenditures for the first (October 1 — December 31) and second quarter (January 1 — March 31), projected carryover template, Annual Performance Report (APR) data, final PSPM data*, and signed cover sheet
Update 2 — Ad Hoc Annual Performance Report — budget expenditures for the third (April 1 — June 30) and fourth quarter (July 1 — September 30), revised annual budget, APR data, final PSPM data, final PPM data, and signed cover sheet
* Note — only performance data that is final and complete for a performance period should be included in a report. For example, if a PSPM provides quantitative data on an activity that only occurs in November of each year, then the data on that activity should be reported on the APR. The majority of final data, including PPM data, will be reporting on the Ad Hoc APR.
Performance Reports
A complete Ad Hoc or APR submission includes the Executive Summary (see sample ) and the signed Cover Sheet along with the following sections:
- Section A — Program Performance Measure (PPM) Information
- Section B — Project Specific Performance Measure (PSPM) Information
- Section C — State Level Activities
- Activities Table
- External Evaluator
- Other Literacy Funding Sources
- Literacy/Reading Legislation
- State Literacy Plan
- Section D — Subgrant Competition Information
- Section E — Subgrantee Details
- Section F — Budget Information
- Indirect Costs
- Budget Information
The purpose of the Ad Hoc APR is for grantees to provide data that were not available in the spring and a project update. Grantees will also use the budget tool to report expenditures and complete the revised annual budget.
Program Performance Measures (PPMs)
PPMs are measures established for the grant program that must be reported annually. All grantees will submit an APR that includes data addressing these performance measures. Performance targets must be established by each grantee and made for each year of the performance period, not to exceed five years. The measures are specific to each grant cohort and can be found in the Notice Inviting Applications for the respective cohort. The cohort year refers to the fiscal year in which the grant was initially awarded. Information on current and past cohorts can be found on the Department's webpage. The PPMs for the CLSD cohorts are:
- (1) The percentage of participating four-year-old children who achieve significant gains in oral language skills, as determined by a State-approved measure.
- (2) The percentage of participating fifth-grade students who meet or exceed proficiency on State reading/language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(2)(B)(v)(I) of the ESEA.
- (3) The percentage of participating eighth-grade students who meet or exceed proficiency on State reading/language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(2)(B)(v)(I) of the ESEA.
- (4) The percentage of participating high school students who meet or exceed proficiency on State reading/language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(2)(B)(v)(I) of the ESEA.
- (5) The percentage of evidence-based activities implemented by subgrantees that meet the requirements of strong or moderate evidence in the definition of “evidence-based†in this notice.
- (1) The percentage of participating four-year-old children who achieve significant gains in oral language skills, as determined by a State-approved measure.
- (2) The percentage of participating fifth-grade students who meet or exceed proficiency on State reading/language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(2)(B)(v)(I) of the ESEA.
- (3) The percentage of participating eighth-grade students who meet or exceed proficiency on State reading/language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(2)(B)(v)(I) of the ESEA.
- (4) The percentage of participating high school students who meet or exceed proficiency on State reading/language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(2)(B)(v)(I) of the ESEA.
Project-Specific Performance Measures (PSPMs)
PSPMs are established by each grantee in the approved grant application and may be refined with the approval of the program officer at the start of the grant project. These measures are unique to each grant project.
Using the Project-Specific Performance Measures Chart
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved Project-Specific Performance Measures (PSPM) Chart will help you establish targets and determine how data will be collected for each of the PSPMs for your approved project. Once the grant is awarded, the project director will work with the assigned program officer to complete the chart. (Grantees must ensure that the final, approved version is saved to the official grant file.)
Step 1 Enter Project Goals - In the first column, enter the project goals from the approved application.
Step 2 Enter PSPMs - In the second column, enter the measurable PSPMs that align with the goals.
Step 3 Enter Baseline or Target Data for Year 1 - In the next column enter available baseline data or establish a target for each PSPM. This may not be consistent across measures. Below are two examples to illustrate two different types of measures and how to address them in the PSPM chart.
- Goal 1 — Increase the literacy achievement of students in participating school districts.
- Example Measure — Participating school districts will demonstrate an increase in literacy proficiency across all participating grade levels by at least 3 percentage points per year.
- In this example, the subgrants would need to be awarded to determine baseline data and establish subsequent targets.
- Goal 2 — Develop and implement a Statewide Comprehensive Literacy Plan.
- Example Measure — The Statewide Comprehensive Literacy Plan is published and annual targets for related outreach activities, including training and communication, are met or exceeded.
- In this example, annual targets could be established early on the project based on input from SEA staff and others.
Targets can be either a number or a percentage. If any targets were stated in the grant application, the targets in the chart should align. In some cases, you may need to set targets once current data is available. For example, if the measure is written to indicate a 10-percentage-point increase over the previous year, then the target can be set after the data for the previous performance period is available.
Grantees should plan to work with their program officer on development of the PSPMs and establishing targets.
Grantee Reporting System (GRS)
The GRS is part of the Grantee Portal on the CLSD National Literacy Center website and is the system grantees will use to manage performance reporting.
GRS Access
Project directors need an account to receive access to GRS. The project director can request that other staff members working on the CLSD project at the State educational agency (SEA) level have access to the GRS. To make this request, the project director should contact literacy@seiservices.com with the staff member's name and email address. These staff members will also be added to the Center's email list to receive event and other announcements.
Resources
The GRS handbook provides a step-by-step overview, including screenshots, on how to use the system to complete and submit an APR.
The GRS training includes a presentation recording that was provided to grantees.
