North Dakota REA (formerly JPA) Service Reimbursement Definitions

The required adminitrative and student services which each approved JPA must provide to member districts in order to be eligible for reimbursement can be categorized into three (3) levels of involvement:

Coordination:  The JPA is providing essentially only in-kind assistance such as Lead Administrator or Coordinator time to implement the service.  The activity involved is related to expanding or extending existing programs available to one or more member school districts in the JPA or assisting in bringing in new or additional services for member districts.  The program or service must be approved by the JPA Governing Board and adopted as a JPA service by participating districts who intend to include the service as one of the required two administrative/student services received from the JPA.
 
Co-sponsorship:  The JPA is funding a substantial part of the cost of the program and may be providing some amount of in-kind service also.  The activity involved is related to expanding or extending existing programs available to one or more member school districts in the JPA or assisting in bringing in new or additional services for member districts.  The program or service must be approved by the JPA Governing Board and adopted as a JPA service by participating districts who intend to include the service as one of the required two administrative/student services received from the JPA.
 
Sponsorship:  The JPA initiated the program and is providing the funding and in-kind support to operate the administrative/student service.  The activity involved is related to expanding or extending existing programs available to one or more member school districts in the JPA or assisting in bringing in new or additional services for member districts.  The program or service must be approved by the JPA Governing Board and adopted as a JPA service by participating districts who intend to include the service as one of the required 2 administrative/student services received from the JPA.
 
Administrative Functions Definitions – HB 1154
 
a.       Business Management:  Management by the JPA of school district level business functions normally handled by a school district business manager.
 
b.      Career and Technical Education Services Management:  Providing or coordinating the provision of career and technical education coursework which requires a vocationally certified teacher. 
 
c.       Curriculum Mapping and Development:  Coordinating or managing the mapping or development of K-12 curriculum for individual districts or groups of districts including ownership of licensing for curriculum mapping software and related products for use by member schools.
 
d.      Data Analysis:  Management of district level data in any area except school district finances on behalf of individual districts including providing servers and/or software, staffing for data processing or data analysis or development of learning strategies related to database decision making.
 
e.       Federal Program Support:  Management of any of a number of federally funded school programs such as Title I on behalf of member districts in ways that go beyond collaborative development of applications for program funding.
 
f.        Federal Title Program Management:  Management of federal Title programs on behalf of member districts including, but not limited to, hiring staff, program evaluation, etc.
 
g.       Grant Writing:  Applying for grants from any source which will be received by the JPA and expended on behalf of at least two member districts.
 
h.       School Improvement:  Management of state school improvement processes on behalf of individual districts for at least two districts within the JPA.
 
i.         School Safety and Environment Management:  Providing safety training in a variety of areas, safety inspections such as boiler inspection or air quality management and/or assisting member school districts in areas such as heating and cooling efficiency studies and upgrades.
 
j.        Special Education Services Management:  Management by the JPA of special education services on behalf of at least two districts within the organization.
 
k.      Staff Development:  Coordinating or providing staff development for K-12 teachers in at least two member districts.
 
l.         Staff Retention and Recruitment:  Any combination of activities from motivational incentives to actual recruitment and employment of needed staff for member districts.
 
m.     Staff Sharing:  Management at the JPA level of sharing of staff between two or more districts within the joint powers organization.
 
n.       Technology Support:  Providing assistance in provision of school technology or maintenance of school technology to two or more districts within the JPA including but not limited to, ownership of software licenses, purchasing equipment, underwriting line charges for connectivity, or staffing technology system maintenance programs.
 
o.      Any other functions approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction:  If a JPA wishes to provide a service which does not seem to fit any of the above, a written request to the State Superintendent outlining the provision or the service to be provided should be sent to the Department for review.
 
Student Services Definitions- HB 1154
 
a.       Advance Placement Classes:  Coordinating or providing advance placement classes from curriculum written and prepared by the college board and taught by teachers with training in advance placement curriculum instruction to two or more districts in the joint powers organization who were not providing these courses before the 2005-2006 school year.
 
b.      Alternative High Schools or Alternative High School Programs:  Coordinating or managing alternative high schools or alternative high school programs approved by DPI which are open to students from multiple districts within the JPA.
 
c.       Career and Technical Education Classes:  Providing career and technical education classes taught by vocationally certified teachers to two or more districts within the JPA.  Courses and programs would be managed and funded through the JPA.
 
d.      Counseling Services:  Coordination and/or management of school counseling services ranging from collaborative scheduling at the JPA level to actual employment of counselors for member school districts.
 
e.       Common Elementary Curricula:  Development and/or coordination of common K-6 curricula for at least two member districts.
 
f.        Distance Learning Classes:  Coordination of or actual provision of distance learning classes not provided to member districts before the 2005-2006 school year.
 
g.       Dual Credit Classes:  Coordination of or actual provision of dual credit coursework in addition to dual credit courses provided in member school districts before the 2005-2006 school year.
 
h.       Foreign Language Classes:  Coordination of or actual provision of access to any foreign language classes approved by DPI which were not provided in member schools before the 2005-2006 school year.
 
i.         Library and Media Services:  Coordination of library and media services including hiring library personnel and/or managing a regional library media system and including computerized management of library resources among schools representing a majority of students within a JPA.
 
j.        Summer Programs:  Coordination of or actual provision of regional JPA sponsored summer school activities which are open to students from a majority of the JPA’s member districts.
 
k.      Supplemental Instruction Program:  Coordination or actual provision of programs of supplemental instruction as required by No Child Left Behind.
 
l.         Any Other Services Approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction:  If a JPA wishes to provide a student service which is not outlined in letters a-k, a written request outlining the intended service should be submitted to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for review and approval.