ACET Summer Virtual Academy

Ready to kick off the year with a wealth of program and fiscal knowledge and TEA guidance? Join us for ACET's Summer Academy where we will have hands-on sessions that showcase experts from the field and an opportunity to connect with TEA. ACET's Summer Academy is designed to empower you and help you elevate your career. From the comfort of your home, car, or office, connect with like-minded professionals and gain valuable insights that will provide compliance tips and tricks at your fingertips. This is your chance to learn, network, and grow – all virtually! You won’t want to miss the Foundational or Advanced Path ACET Winter Academies! Register today and secure your spot – spaces are limited!

Agenda

Foundational

time icon06/24/2025 09:00 am

Maximizing Your Time: Strategies for Efficient Cross-Program Management

Session Description: With the number of homeless students rising and migratory students declining, recruiters face unique challenges in addressing these vulnerable groups' needs. This session will highlight dual identification strategies to address homelessness and migratory needs, overcoming barriers to enrollment, attendance, and academic success, and securing access to essential resources like transportation, meals, and counseling services. Enhance your knowledge and take actionable steps to provide comprehensive support for these student populations!

speaker headshot

Angie Balderrama

speaker headshot

Alex Nieto

time icon06/24/2025 09:00 am

Collaborating to Develop Your Grant Budgets

 Who is developing the budget for your grants? What role should you and collaboration play in the development of the budget for your grants? Together we will review Texas budget requirements and their impact on your grants. We will look at different budgeting processes and discuss which ones your LEA might be using. Learning objectives:


Explore the budgeting process and collaboration touch-points.

Review key resources available for the development of your budget.

Identify the gaps or opportunities for improvement in your LEAs current processes.

Develop a plan to enhance collaboration for your grant budget development.    

speaker headshot

Dr.Sherry Harris

time icon06/24/2025 10:30 am

Together We Grow: Title I, Part A PFE compliance and Connections with Parents

We’re excited to co-present at the Summer ACET Virtual Academy and hope you’ll join us for a real, down-to-earth conversation about Title I, Part A Parent and Family Engagement (PFE). In this session, we’ll walk through common PFE compliance findings and share how we can support LEAs in not just checking the box, but building meaningful connections with parents along the way.  You’ll get helpful tips to stay in compliance, fresh ideas to bring parents into the policy revision process, and plenty of encouragement to take back to your district. We believe that when we work together, schools, families, and communities, we all grow. 

If you're looking for practical guidance with a little humor, real talk, and a lot of heart, this virtual session is for you!   

speaker headshot

Vanessa DeLacretaz

speaker headshot

Monica Diaz

time icon06/24/2025 10:30 am

TIA vs. NBC: Two Funding Paths, One Goal — Investing in Teacher Excellence

Texas offers two powerful opportunities to recognize and reward highly effective teachers: the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) and National Board Certification (NBC). But how do they differ — and how can districts strategically leverage both to maximize funding and teacher growth? In this session, we’ll explore how these two systems align, how they are funded, and how rural and high-needs schools can benefit from stacking incentives. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to build a teacher pipeline, increase retention, and bring more dollars into your district — all while celebrating teacher impact.

speaker headshot

Marybeth Flippin

Advanced

time icon06/24/2025 09:00 am

Schoolwide Success: A Ready-to-Use Toolkit for Training Title I Principals

 Title I schoolwide programs run best when principals know what’s expected — and feel equipped to handle it! In this session, federal program directors will receive a ready-to-use training toolkit designed to help principals understand the “why” and “how” behind schoolwide program requirements. From documentation do’s and don’ts to simple systems for staying organized, this session offers practical tools and resources you can use right away to make compliance a little less complicated — and a lot more doable.

speaker headshot

Dr.Tami Knight

time icon06/24/2025 09:00 am

Clearing the Confusion: Answering PFE's Most Frequently Asked Questions

Do you oversee Parent and Family Engagement (PFE) initiatives at your school or district? This interactive session will address the most frequently asked and often perplexing questions surrounding ESSA 1116 implementation. We'll delve into practical guidance on topics such as appropriate use of funds for PFE events and provide clarity on other items such as the roles and responsibilities outlined in PFE liaison job descriptions. Attendees will leave with actionable insights and a clearer understanding of how to effectively support and manage successful PFE programs and meet ESSA 1116 and Title I, Part A compliance.  

speaker headshot

Shannon Lang

time icon06/24/2025 10:30 am

Lessons learned through the lens of a Federal Program Specialist

In this session, participants will look at practical lessons learned by a Federal Programs Specialist through years of navigating federal programs and compliance requirements. This session will offer a look into the complexities, challenges, and strategies for success in federal program administration. Participants will leave with practical ideas and resources for managing federal programs more efficiently, avoiding common pitfalls, and strengthening their approach to grant administration. 

speaker headshot

Ellen Hogan

time icon06/24/2025 10:30 am

Optimizing Federal Grant Expenditure

Learn practical strategies to plan, track, and maximize the use of federal grant funds while maintaining compliance. This session covers best practices for aligning expenditures with program goals, timelines, and allowable costs. Ideal for anyone looking to make federal dollars go further and avoid common spending pitfalls.

speaker headshot

Buffy Longoria

OurSPONSORS

Platinum

Platinum Sponsor 1 Platinum Sponsor 2 Platinum Sponsor 3 Platinum Sponsor 4 Platinum Sponsor 5 Platinum Sponsor 6

Gold

Gold Sponsor 1

Silver

Silver Sponsor 1 Silver Sponsor 2 Silver Sponsor 3 Silver Sponsor 4 Silver Sponsor 5 Silver Sponsor 6

Frequently Asked Questions


Our virtual academies cover various topics related to compensatory education, such as effective programmatic and fiscal management.
PROGRAM COMPLIANCE FISCAL COMPLIANCE
Program Evaluation Grant Draw Downs
Emergent Bilingual Supports Indirect Costs
PFE Strategies EDGAR Time & Effort
DIP and CIP Basics Decoding Grants & Finance
State Comp Ed Grant Management
Title IV, Part A Statewide Initiative SHARS Cost Report
Program Intent Code Compliance 
Our summer presenters are professionals with a great deal of experience in program and/or fiscal administration of compensatory programs.

Yes, recordings of the live sessions will be available for all registered participants to access at their convenience.
Important Deadlines | Friday June 20th 2025
PAYMENT METHOD
EFT
Send email to laurawitte@acetx.org with invoice number, name of attendee, and amount
We will not be accepting checks and will not allow cancellations.
We will not allow any cancellations because recordings of the sessions will be available for three months after the event.