ED Response to Prior Terms of Clearance - Attachment 1

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OSERS/REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20202-2800

Dear Project Director:

The purpose of this letter is to announce that the web-based annual reporting system initiated by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), for the American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program (AIVRS) is now available for you to access. The reporting system for the AIVRS is now part of RSA’s Management and Information System (MIS) database. The primary use of this database is to submit and track your annual performance data. Therefore, RSA request the grantees seeking continuation funds and the grantees that are in a final budget year to enter data in the MIS/AIVRS form.

In accordance with the regulatory requirement outlined in EDGAR 34 CFR 75.118 and 34 CFR 80.40, in order to receive a continuation award, grant recipients shall submit a performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information. Annual performance reports submitted in the MIS database meet the regulatory requirement and submitted reports will be reviewed to determine project’s substantial progress. Only projects determined to have made substantial progress will be awarded continuation funding.

As indicated above, RSA is seeking data entry from grantees under two different categories:

• Grantees who are seeking continuation funding for the next budget period should complete the entire AIVRS form, or

• Grantees who are reporting on the fifth budget period {specifically those under the 250B01 project award number} will not submit an ED 524B cover sheet with this reporting process, but are asked to complete the following sections of the form General Information Section

  • Section 1. Reporting Period

  • Section 2. Budget and Narrative

  • Section 8. Educational Goals and Employment Outcomes

  • Section 9. Performance Indicators

The annual report is due no later than November 15, 2006. In addition to your Web-based annual report, you must also complete the ED 524B coversheet form (enclosed). This form should be mailed to your program officer using the referenced address below for delivery on or before November 15, 2006. Form 524B must be submitted by mail or fax because it requires an original signature of the funded organization’s authorized representative. The authorized representative is the individual who signed the ED 424 Application face sheet when the application was submitted. Please note the following questions on the ED Form 524B are not applicable to your program and may be marked “NA”:

Item 2. NCES ID

Item 10. Human Subjects

For item 11 “Performance Measures Status,” please answer yes because your performance measures are entered in the online AIVRS report. Also, the second page of form 524B indicates an executive summary; please follow the enclosed instructions to prepare the summary. NOTE: data entered and submitted in the six-month report WILL NOT appear in the 12-month annual report – all data must be re-entered to reflect the entire reporting budget period (10/01/05 – 09/30/06).

The following information will help you access and complete the web-based report form:

1. The URL for the AIVRS program annual reporting form is

http://rsadev.net/

Do not select the “NEW USER” function on the Log on screen. This function only provides forms to fill out to gain access and receive a password. Please follow the instructions below.

2. You will need your PR/Award number to log into the form. Your number is found on the Grant Award Notification. Do NOT enter the “-00” or “dash, numeric, numeric” at the end of the PR/Award number as shown on other official RSA correspondence.

3. Please use your assigned password. If you do not remember the password please contact: Tammy Nelson at 202-245-7464 or email her at tammy.nelson@ed.gov (If you are locked out the system, contact Ken Schellenberg for your password and log on instructions.)

4. You may choose to print the entire form prior to entering data. This may be done in two ways:

1. On the first “Main Menu” screen click on “Publications and General Information”. On this page, click on “Download a Blank AIVRS Form in PDF Format”. (If you choose this method you will need ADOBE to access the file.)

2. At the table of contents page, after you click “ADD” (as indicated in step 10 below) and the systems takes you back to the AIVRS List, click on “VIEW” under the “Actions” column. This will take you back to a continuous page of the form (from the “Table of Contents” page through “section 14”). At this point you may print the form.

5. RSA is in the process of creating online step-by-step Instructions for this Report System. Please use the steps below to access your report.

6. Main menu – click – Data Entry (this will take you to another main menu page)

7. On Data Entry Menu – click - AIVRS

8. If the AIVRS Search page appears, then enter your PR/Award ID only (example: (H250A00000) and click search. If you have done a search before or entered data before, then the PR/Award may appear.

9. This will bring up an AIVRS List – look for your relevant Fiscal Year, in this case it is 2006. In specific, Start Date 10/01/2005 and End date of 09/30/2006 for 12-month, click the add button in the actions field.

10. This will take you to the table of contents of your form. Follow the instructions at the bottom of the table of contents page, asking you to click “ADD”. (FOR INITIAL ENTRY TO TABLE OF CONTENTS – SECTIONS CLICK ADD)

11. Clicking the “ADD” button at the bottom of the Table of contents page will take you back to the AIVRS List. Please find your report timeline as indicated in number 8 above. In the status column click “UPDATE” to begin entering data.

12. While entering data in the form, please use the “partial save and/or update” function until you are sure that you have completed entering all reporting data. For best results click partial save or update when you complete a section or leave your computer for any amount of time. The system has a timeout function that will time you out after about 5 minutes and your data will be lost. So, to be on the safe side, SAVE as OFTEN as possible.

13. Some fields have limited space and will not allow you to enter a large amount of narrative, (The Goal Name field is one of these) use the “Note” sections to include more supporting narrative information.

14. Reminder: if you are entering data in a numeric field the following characters are not accepted in numeric fields: $, decimal period (.), percentage symbol (%), dash symbol, commas, etc.

15. DO NOT USE THE “COMPLETED” FUNCTION UNTIL YOU ARE SURE YOU HAVE FINISHED ENTERING DATA FOR THIS REPORTING PERIOD.

For technical assistance in completing your form, contact the following RSA staff (preferably by e-mail) August Martin (Program Officer), Alfreda Reeves (Program Officer), or Ken Schellenberg (Systems Information Specialist). You ED Program Contact may also help you with programmatic reporting elements. They are generally available Monday-Friday9 a.m. – 4 p.m. EST.

August Martin August.martin@ed.gov 202-245-7410

Alfreda Reeves Alfreda.reeves@ed.gov 202-245-7485

Ken Schellenberg Ken.schellenberg@ed.gov 202-245-6589

16. PLEASE KEEP THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS LETTER IN A SAFE LOCATION AS YOU WILL NEED IT TO ACCESS YOUR WEB FORM DURING FUTURE REPORTING PERIODS.

17. Mailing address for the ED 524B form:

(Your Program Officer, ie., Reeves, Clark, etc.)

U.S. Department of Education

Rehabilitation Services Administration

Potomac Center Plaza, Room 5051

400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.

Washington D.C. 20202-2800

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR PR/AWARD NUMBER ON ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO THE DEPARTMENT

Sincerely,

Alfreda Reeves, Program Officer

Rehabilitation Services Administration

Enclosures

ED Form 524B

List of ED Program Officers

RSA PROGRAM OFFICERS FOR THE AIVRS PROGRAM

The following RSA staff have responsibility as AIVRS team Program Officers. These individuals have responsibility for the grants funded in the States listed under their names.

Alfreda Reeves 202-245-7485 Alfreda.Reeves@ed.gov Alaska Arizona Mississippi	Ed Hofler 202-245-7377 Ed.Hofler@ed.gov Kansas Louisana Michigan	Sonja Turner 202-245-7557 Sonja.Turner@ed.gov California Colorado Georgia Idaho	Kerrie Clark 202-245-7281 Kerrie.Clark@ed.gov Nevada North Dakota South Dakota Wyoming
Suzanne Mitchell 202-245-7454 Suzanne.Mitchell@ed.gov New Mexico New York	Kia Weems 202-245-7569 Kia.Weems@ed.gov Oklahoma Washington	August Martin 202-245-7410 August.Martin@ed.gov Connecticut Oregon Montana Minnesota Wisconsin

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