Skip Left Navigation Menu

• General Instructions
  • Completing Form
  • Getting Help
• Definitions
• FAQ
  • Government Performance & Results Act

Skip Content

Frequently Asked Questions

Time Period

1. When are reports due?

Annually.

Each MSP project is required to report its MSP activities during each 12-month period after the award of the MSP grant. You have 60 days beyond the end of each 12-month reporting period for submitting the report to the U.S. Department of Education through your State Coordinator. For example, if your grant award date is September 1, 2005, your report would include activities that took place from September 1, 2005, through August 31, 2006, and the Annual Performance Report is due to the U.S. Department of Education by the end of October 2006.

Because the award dates differ among grantees, the due dates also vary. However, ALL reports for the preceding Federal Fiscal Year (July - June for MSP grants) MUST BE SUBMITTED by November 30 of the following year. The single exception is for 13-18 month awards. Projects with 13-18 month awards have only one report due to the U.S. Department of Education 60 days beyond the end of the 13-18 month reporting period. Projects of 19 months or more duration must submit a report to the U.S. Department of Education 60 days after each 12-month reporting period. Therefore, a project of 19 months duration is required to submit two annual reports.

2. What time period does the report cover?

The time period for the report is for the previous 12-month annual performance period.

Report Users

1. How do I add other users to the reporting system?

Because the MSP APR is a closed system, only authorized users are allowed access to the system. The administrator of the system, Washington Software Inc. (WSI) is in charge of granting authorization to users based on requests from State Coordinators, MSP Project Directors or Department of Education MSP staff.

If desired, other users may be allowed access to the system, if authorized by a current authorized user - either a State Coordinator or the Project Director. To obtain access for others, there are several steps to follow:

1. Authorized user must send an email to WSI [msp@wasoftware.com] to request that WSI create an account for the new user. In the email, specify the following:
• User name (first name, last name)
• User email address
• Level of authority for this user: Can this user enter data on the report, or is the user authorized to have "read-only" access?
• If being authorized by the State Coordinator, include the name of the State
• If being authorized access to a specific project by a Project Director, include the title of the MSP Project.
2. WSI will create an account for the new user on the APR system.
3. WSI will then send an email to the new user providing them a User ID and a temporary password.

As the Authorized User for the system, the MSP Project Director will be able to define the level of access for any other users that he/she will allow. After a new user has contacted Abt / WSI to create a new user account, the system will send an email with username and password to the user for the URL http://apr.ed-msp.net. The user should find a list of projects that are assigned to him/her after logging in the system.

A project director can also use a 'Report User' page to add / remove existing users from an APR report.

MSP Project Information

3. Should information about the lead organization be included with descriptive information about the partner organizations?

Yes. In report section I. MSP Project Information, C. Partner Organizations, create a separate project partner form for each partner including the lead organization by clicking on the link, Add Project Partner.

Professional Development Models

1. What is the definition of a summer institute?

The term summer workshop or institute means a workshop or institute, conducted during the summer, that -

1. is conducted for a period of not less than 2 weeks;
2. # includes, as a component, a program that provides direct interaction between students and faculty, and
3. may provide for follow-up training during the academic year that is conducted in the classroom for a period of not less than three consecutive or nonconsecutive days, except that -
• if the workshop or institute is conducted during a 2-week period, the training shall be conducted for a period of not less than 4 days; and
• if the training is for teachers in rural school districts, the training may be conducted through distance learning.

Program Evaluation

1. How should local evaluation reports be submitted?

Evaluation reports are submitted as files uploaded within the evaluation section of the online reporting form.

State Review

1. What is the involvement of state coordinators in the reporting process?

State coordinators review each report for their state and officially submit the report to the U.S. Department of Education.

2. How do I submit a complete report to my state coordinator for review?

Only the official Project Director can submit the APR. To submit the report, click on Change APR Status beside the appropriate project on your APR homepage. You will see two tabs near the bottom of the table representing two submission options: Submission and Partial Submission. By selecting the Submission tab and clicking on the Submit to State button, you will submit the report to the State Coordinator and at the same time change the report's status to "Approval Pending." The report will become read-only. You will not be able to edit the report unless you receive an email notifying you that your State Coordinator has requested revisions.

3. How do I request a partial submission of my APR?

If your APR is due to your state coordinator before all of your data are available, you may request a partial submission. You may only use a partial submission when one or more of the following is not yet available: gains in teacher content knowledge, student achievement data, or the evaluation report. Complete all other sections of the APR, and then click Change APR Status beside the appropriate project on your APR homepage. Select the Partial Submission tab and indicate which data are missing. Your report's status will change to "Approval Pending | Partial Submission - Incomplete." All sections of your APR will become read-only, except for the specified sections with missing data. Contact your state coordinator to let them know when the missing data will be available. Your state coordinator is responsible for agreeing upon a Revised Due to ED date with Abt Associates staff (msphelp@abtassoc.com). When the state coordinator reviews your APR, they will temporarily submit it to ED along with the Revised Due to ED date, and your report's status will change to "Partial Approval Granted." When your data become available, you are expected to enter the data and re-submit your report to the state. To do this, click on Change APR Status next to the appropriate project, enter the missing data, uncheck the missing data, and click on Submit to State. At this time, your entire report will become read-only unless you receive a message notifying you that revisions are needed.

Copy of Report

1. How do I save and print the report?

At the bottom of the Table of Contents page, there is a link, Download as html. The Download as html option will allow you to save the report as it appears on the website. Once your report is saved, you can print the file.

Additional Questions

1. Whom should I contact with questions?

• For questions about the MSP program in your state, contact your MSP State Coordinator.
• For questions about the MSP program, legislation, and national policy guidance, contact the U.S. Department of Education:
  • Patricia O'Connell Johnson Patricia.Johnson@ed.gov
  • Miriam Lund Miriam.Lund@ed.gov
  • Jimmy Yun Jimmy.Yun@ed.gov
• Each of these contacts at the Department of Education is responsible for different states. Consult the list below for your state contact: