This document has been created to provide grantees information. Additional information may be found in the originally posted Request for Applications questions and answers. For any questions regarding the annual reporting data spreadsheet, cohort and budget adjustments, and updating institution of higher education (IHE) or nonprofit educational service provider (NESP) partnerships, email DELPIGrant@ctc.ca.gov.

Sections:
The questions and answers are divided into the following categories:
Eligible Candidates
Partnerships
Budget
Data Reporting
Years of Service Requirement
Additional Questions

Eligible Candidates

  1. Q: Do candidates need to be employed by the LEA for a minimum number of years to be eligible for the grant program?
    A: No.
  2. Q: Do candidates need to be employed full-time to be eligible for the grant program?
    A: No.
  3. Q: Are substitute teachers eligible? 
    A: Substitute teachers with a teaching or services credential eligible to pursue an administrative services credential, including individuals who will apply or who have applied to an administrator program, are eligible.
  4. Q: Do part-time certificated employees such as a part-time TOSA qualify? 
    A: Yes. 
  5. Q: Can we accept applications from an interested candidate if they are not employed by our LEA at the time they submit their application?
    A: This is a local decision. In order to start receiving any kind of grant-funded support, a candidate must be employed by the LEA
  6. Q: Which LEAs can a county office of education support?
    A: Any LEAs, districts, or district consortiums that are within the lead county office of education.
  7. Q: For COEs: We are a County Office. Can we use grant funds to support an administrator candidate from a school district or charter school that is supported by our county office of education even if that school district or charter school was not named in our original application?
    A: Yes.
  8. Q: Can a county office of education recruit candidates from an independent charter that has a CDS code within the county the COE supports?
    A: Yes.
  9. Q: If a grant candidate resigned from a partnering district and got hired with another partnering district within the same county office of education grantee, can the candidate still continue in the grant program? 
    A: Yes. As long as they are still employed by a district that the COE supports, the candidate may continue to receive grant funds.

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Partnerships

  1. Q: Can we add new IHE or NESP partners? 
    A: Yes. Please email DELPIGrant@ctc.ca.gov to request additional partners. Note a partnership agreement is required.
  2. Q: Using the Partnership Agreement form, can we add new LEA partners to a consortium?
    A:  No. The Partnership Agreement form is only to add new IHE or NESP partners.
  3. Q: Is it possible to add our IHE, NESP, and approved LEA consortium partners to CTC's email distribution list so that they receive updates directly?
    A: LEA grant leads may authorize IHE, NESP, or approved LEA consortium partners by emailing DELPIGrant@ctc.ca.gov the names and email addresses of individuals.
  4. Q: If a consortium partner has their own IHE partners that are in addition to the lead grantee’s IHE partnerships, can candidates enroll with the consortium partner’s IHEs?
    A: No. Candidates may only enroll with IHEs approved with the lead grantee LEA. The lead grantee LEA may submit a partnership agreement to add the IHE partners.
  5. Q: Are we permitted to distribute grant funds to our NESP, and then have the NESP distribute funds to our IHE partner?
    A: This is a local decision.
  6. Q: Can we reallocate funds that were originally budgeted for a specific NESP partner if we decide to no longer work with them?
    A: Yes. Grant funds can be reallocated across other approved grant budget categories and if the total of individual changes across all candidates is under 10% under the total grant budget. Grant funds can be reallocated across other approved grant budget categories and if the total of individual changes across all candidates is under 10% under the total grant budget. If changes are above 10%, please contact DELPIGrant@ctc.ca.gov
  7. Q: We applied as a consortium of LEA partners. As a consortium, are we permitted to invite LEAs outside of our consortium (i.e., LEAs that are not named in our applications), but that serve public school students and communities in our regions, to sponsor administrator candidates for our approved DELPI administrator credentialing program using the DELPI grant funds that were awarded to us?
    A: No.
  8. Q: Is there a process for a consortium member pulling out of the partnership or is that a local process and decision?
    A: It is a local process and decision. Please notify the Commission which partner(s) will no longer be a part of the consortium.
  9. Q: What happens if a lead LEA can no longer serve as lead for a consortium?
    A: The grant award will be forfeited, and grant funds must be returned to the Commission.
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Budget

  1. Q: What is the general timeline for receiving the DELPI grant funds each year?
    A: The annual grant award is sent in two disbursements: a 90% disbursement and a 10% disbursement. 90% of the LEA’s first annual grant award is sent after the start of the 2024-25 fiscal year. Going into the second and subsequent years of the LEA’s project performance period, the disbursement of the 90% of grant funds are contingent on submitting and meeting the annual data reporting requirements from the prior fiscal year. The disbursement of the remaining 10% of grant funds are contingent on submitting and meeting the annual data reporting requirements for the current fiscal year.
  2. Q: In our grant applications, we made yearly projections for administrator candidates who will be sponsored by participating LEAs. Are we permitted to exceed our yearly projections in any given year as long as we stay within our overall allocations across the 3-year grant term, and if so, what is the process? 
    A: Yes. As long as the total number of slots does not exceed the total slots awarded.
  3. Q: Can we make individual budget changes to meet the needs of candidates?
    A: Yes. Only if it is across approved grant budget categories and if the total of individual changes across all candidates is under 10% under the total grant budget. If changes are above 10%, please contact DELPIGrant@ctc.ca.gov. 
  4. Q: What if we want to add a new budget category?
    A: Grantees may not add a new grant category, as that changes the scope of the Commission-approved grant program. 
  5. Q: If a budget change form is submitted to remove a category, can that category be added back later? 
    A: No. The intent of a budget change form is to address an unforeseen issue from the time the grant application was approved. The budget change form is not intended to provide unlimited changes.
  6. Q: Once we have submitted a budget request change form, do we have to fill it out every year? 
    A: No. Budget change forms only need to be submitted once. 
  7. Q: What is the annual year of grant funds, calendar or fiscal year?
    A: The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.
  8. Q: What if a candidate takes summer classes, what fiscal year does it go into?
    A: Expenditures occur during the grant period July 1-June 30 of each program year, and within program requirements. Grantees may reimburse the candidate (with appropriate receipts) or the loan company/entity if summer school tuition is paid for before June 30th. After July 1st, funding will be reported in the next academic/fiscal year.
  9. Q: What if the candidate’s financial aid grant is paying for tuition, can we still reimburse the candidate?
    A: Candidates who are receiving other funding that pay for tuition should only be reimbursed for receipted expenditures in addition to what the other grant funds have paid for. Grant funds may be shifted to another approved grant budget category to meet each candidate’s need.
  10. Q: Can candidates be funded by multiple grants?
    A: Yes. A candidate may be funded by multiple grants as long as the grant funds supplement and do not supplant other grant or financial support opportunities.
  11. Q: If we do not use all of our allocated slots, do we lose them?
    A: No. Unused slots may carry over to the next fiscal year.
  12. Q: Is there a penalty if we fall short of our yearly cohort projections?
    A: It may affect the LEA’s grant stewardship status for future grant opportunities from the Commission.
  13. Q: We were awarded $30,000 in grant funds per candidate. We have a candidate who received $10,000 in funds and then dropped out of school and is no longer enrolled. Are we allowed to enroll a new candidate, and if so, do they have access to the full grant slot amount?
    A: Yes. Note that the candidate who dropped out will be included in the cohort repayment calculation. Additionally, access to the full slot amount is dependent on the grantee’s available funding.
  14. Q: If a candidate does not use all of their funding in one fiscal year, can we carry that over to the next year’s allocation for that candidate?
    A: Yes. 
  15. Q: We have a candidate that was enrolled in one year of the grant program. In year two, they were not active in the grant program (not enrolled in an IHE and not receiving grant funds). Can they reenroll in the grant program in future years?
    A: This is a local decision. Note that a candidate who does not earn a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential will be included in the cohort repayment calculation.
  16. Q: When a candidate defers their program completion, can we choose whether to reserve their allocated funds for their future completion or reassign any remaining funds to a new candidate within the same budget category?
    A: Yes.
  17. Q: Is there a sample candidate agreement or commitment form?
    A: No. Candidate agreements should be locally created to address local needs and legislative requirements.
  18. Q: What needs to be included in the candidate agreement or commitment form?
    A: Please review the authorizing legislation. Note that authorizing legislation states, “An administrator candidate shall agree in writing to serve in a school within the jurisdiction of the grant recipient that sponsored the candidate or another public school in California for a period of at least two school years. The administrator candidate shall also commit in the written agreement to annually report to their sponsoring local educational agency where they are employed and their current contact information until they have completed their service requirement. Upon receiving the preliminary administrator credential, the administrator candidate has four years to complete the two-year service requirement.”
  19. Q: Based on the LEA’s candidate agreement or commitment form how does a candidate that exited early pay back the LEA?
    A: Per authorizing legislation, “Grant recipients may recover from a sponsored candidate who fails to earn an administrator credential, or who fails to complete the period of placement, the amount of grant funding invested in the administrator candidate’s training. The amount to be recovered shall be adjusted proportionately to reflect the service provided if the administrator candidate served at least one year, but less than two years, at a public school in California.”
  20. Q: Will the CTC recover funds from an IHE or NESP partner?
    A: No. Authorizing legislation requires the Commission to recover funding from LEA grantees if more than ten percent of sponsored candidates in a local educational agency’s yearly program cohort failed to earn an administrator credential or failed to meet their commitment.
  21. Q: Are there any PCA codes or resource number for this grant?
    A: No. LEAs may determine their own fiscal coding system or use the LEA’s grant award number.
  22. Q: What if we do not have any (or much fewer) candidates to report because we were planning?
    A: Grant applications were accepted based on having a program ready to be implemented with interested candidates. There are no planning funds associated with the DELPI Grant Program. 
  23. Q: If we have “Program Administration” costs as a budget category, we spent time planning the program, can we still use the administrative funds for slots that are not filled?
    A: No. There are no planning funds associated with the DELPI Grant Program. LEA grantees may only claim grant funds for administrative purposes per filled slot. 
  24. Q: How should we calculate “Program Administration” costs based on our LEA’s indirect rate?
    A: This is a local decision.
  25. Q: Can the 5% cap on “Program Administration” costs be claimed even if we don’t have all our slots enrolled?
    A: No. “Program Administration” costs may only be claimed for filled slots.
  26. Q: Internally, should an LEA transfer all “Program Administration” costs each fiscal year, or can an LEA wait until the end of the grant project period, and then do a final transfer to cover the “Program Administration” costs?
    A: This is a local decision. Expenditures shall comply with all applicable provisions of federal, state, and local rules, regulations and policies related to the administration, use, and accounting for public school funds, including but not limited to, the Education Code of the State of California. 
  27. Q: Can “Program Administration” costs be claimed for a candidate that has applied to an IHE, but the candidate has not submitted any documentation for reimbursement? 
    A: No.
  28. Q: Can grant funds retroactively reimburse a candidate prior to the grant approval date?
    A: No. Grant funds may only reimburse candidates for costs incurred beginning on July 1, 2024. Moving forward, candidates may be reimbursed at the beginning of their cohort year. 
  29. Q: Can tuition funds be given directly to candidates, or does it have to go to the IHE directly?
    A: This is a local decision. 
  30. Q: How does the grant impact the candidates’ taxes?
    A: Each candidate is in a different situation, and they may contact their tax advisors.
  31. Q: If a candidate enrolls mid-year, do they have access to the full grant slot amount?
    A: Yes. 
  32. Q: Is candidate reimbursement dependent on when a candidate’s IHE classes start?
    A: This is a local decision. Note that any candidate included in the annual cohort will be used to calculate any repayments to the Commission.
  33. Q: If a candidate doesn’t get enrolled until the following semester, do we lose the money for that slot?
    A: No.
  34. Q: Can candidates’ loans be repaid?
    A: Yes. Note that loans may only be repaid for items in approved budget categories that were expended in the DELPI Grant program. 
  35. Q: We have just launched our own internal induction program. Could we use these funds set aside to pay for the costs or participation in that program? I am assuming the money could go to any induction program? 
    A: Yes. A LEA may use grant funds to support candidates in an internal induction program if “Administrative Services Credential induction costs” is an approved budget category. To add a new induction program through an IHE partner, a completed partnership agreement is required.
  36. Q: What if a DELPI recipient leaves the district before their induction funds are utilized?
    A: If funds are allocated to an administrator candidate and the administrator candidate does not use them, the unused funds stay with the LEA until the end of the DELPI Grant Program.
  37. Q: What if a DELPI recipient decides not to become a school admin and chooses not to pursue induction and hence does not need the funds? 
    A: If a candidate chooses not to become a school administrator, they will be included in the calculation of the LEA’s yearly program cohort who failed to earn an administrator credential or failed to meet their service requirement.
  38. Q: In the funding columns, do we only enter the amount per candidate that was approved in the grant application or the actual amount that was spent?
    A: Enter the actual amount that was spent.
  39. Q: What if we spend more money per candidate on the spreadsheet?
    A: An LEA will not be reimbursed for anything over $30,000 per candidate. If the LEA chooses to use local funds to provide candidates additional funds beyond the award amount, do not include that on the data sheet.
  40. Q: Are receipts needed for all budget categories?
    A: Documentation is needed for all grant items. Per the Grant Award Agreement, grantees may be audited by the state and will need to verify that the project’s expenditures were properly documented.
  41. Q: What documentation is needed to collect the correct information for permissible spending?
    A: Collect the appropriate receipts that are locally deemed acceptable. Per the Grant Award Agreement, grantees may be audited by the state and will need to verify that the project’s expenditures were properly documented.
  42. Q: Are candidates required to submit a receipt before receiving a disbursement?
    A: It is a local decision as to whether or not candidates are required to submit receipts prior to receiving a disbursement. Note: as part of the grant award agreement, grantees agreed to maintain satisfactory financial accounts, documents, and records for the DELPI Grant Program and to make them available to the State for auditing at reasonable times.
  43. Q: Can a computer be purchased to support online courses?
    A: No. Grants funds may not be used to purchase technology (e.g., cell phones, laptops, cameras, etc.).
  44. Q: Can e-books be purchased?
    A: Yes. Please note that candidates may only be reimbursed for e-books if the “IHE Tuition, fees, and books” budget category was approved.
  45. Q: Can parking fees at an IHE campus count as part of Candidate: Administrator program costs (tuition, books, exams, and/or fees)?
    A: Yes.
  46. Q: We know that a non-allowable use of grant funds is “Traveling to professional conferences unless it is demonstrated that attending significantly advances the grant program”. If we can provide justification that a professional conference would significantly advance the grant program, can we use grant funds to support participant travel to that conference?
    A: Yes. Please consult with Commission staff prior to this kind of expenditure to confirm eligibility of the proposed travel expenses.
  47. Q: If a candidate must retake a course or an exam, can they pay out of pocket if necessary?
    A: This is a local decision.
  48. Q: Does money have to be given to candidates by June 30th? Or is there a grace period into July, after the fiscal year?
    A: Candidates may be reimbursed for expenditures through June 30th. Account for all expenditures in the annual data reporting spreadsheet through June 30th. 
  49. Q: If we are processing reimbursements and won’t be able to process them by June 30th because I am missing receipts, can a candidate receive funding after the end of the fiscal year?
    A: Expenses incurred between July 1st through June 30th must be reported on the annual reporting data sheet due the second Friday in July. An LEA can follow their local financial procedures for reimbursement. 

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Data Reporting

  1. Q: What if I don’t have access to the annual data reporting sheet, even though I manage the grant?
    A: Annual data reporting sheet was shared with each grant lead and data lead. If the grant lead has changed, contact DELPIGrant@ctc.ca.gov. If an LEA contact needs access, have the grant lead email DELPIGrant@ctc.ca.gov to confirm approval to access the data reporting sheet.
  2. Q: If there is a problem with our annual data reporting sheet what should we do?
    A: Contact DELPIGrant@ctc.ca.gov.
  3. Q: What data sheet version do we submit?
    A: Only the Commission-approved data sheet that was shared with each grant lead will be reviewed. Grantees may make an internal copy; however, those versions will not be reviewed by the Commission. 
  4. Q: What if we do not turn in the data by the due date?
    A: 10% of grant funds will be withheld, and the following grant year(s) may not be funded. It may affect the LEA’s grant stewardship status for future grant opportunities from the Commission
  5. Q: We will only start to receive grant funds in the 2025-2026 fiscal year, per our approved budget. Do we still need to submit in the annual reporting requirement for the 2024-25 year
    A: No.
  6. Q: Do we need to fill out the “Current Administrators” tab in the annual reporting sheet if we did not spend any grant funds to support current administrators?
    A: No.
  7. Q: What if I don’t know the candidates’ information?
    A: Funding for the DELPI Grant program is contingent on satisfactory annual progress in implementing the DELPI Grant program detailed in the initial application, annual certification of candidates, updated annual budget plan expenditures, and to provide annual data as specified in the RFA. 
  8. Q: If we have leftover slots, do we leave those rows blank?
    A: Yes.
  9. Q: What if a candidate drops out, do we still track them?
    A: Yes. All candidates receiving grant funds should be included on the sheet. 
  10. Q: How extensive or detailed should the summary narrative be?
    A: Please limit the text to 200 words or less per question.
  11. Q: What if I don’t see an IHE or NESP partner listed on the reporting data sheet?
    A: Only approved IHE and NESP partners from the application will be listed on the reporting sheet. New IHEs or NESPs will be added after they are approved. To add new IHE and/or NESP partners, contact DELPIGrant@ctc.ca.gov. Please note that partnership agreements are still required.
  12. Q: What if the candidate changes their IHE? How do we report that?
    A: Update the “Credential Program Partner” column (column K) within the Data Entry – Cohort tab on the datasheet.
  13. Q: If a candidate defers the completion of their program, how do we report this on the annual data reporting sheet?
    A: Select the option “Has not earned preliminary credential” for the question “What is status of candidate's preliminary credential?” in column N
  14. Q: If someone early exited from our LEA’s DELPI Grant Program, do we continue to report on their preliminary credential if we know they moved to another LEA and got their preliminary credential while employed at another LEA?
    A: No. Note that the candidate should be listed as an early exit.
  15. Q: Is there a process or protocol we should follow if someone leaves the program before earning their administrative services credential (exits early)? 
    A: Yes. Report this information as part of the annual reporting requirement. In the annual reporting sheet, select “Exited DELPI Program early before earning credential” for the question “What is the status of the candidate’s preliminary credential” in column N. Also select a reason in column P (“If candidate exited early before earning preliminary credential, explain here”). 
  16. Q: We are trying to fill out our annual data report. The reporting instructions say “enter data in the yellow cells and do not enter data into gray cells.” We have entered in our candidate’s names onto the data sheet but all the cells in the “Service Requirement Information” section (columns R-AC) are still grayed out. Don’t we need to fill these out?
    A: The “Service Requirement Information” only needs to be updated once a candidate has earned their preliminary administrative services credential. On an annual basis, update the status of the candidate’s preliminary credential in column N. Once “Earned preliminary credential” is selected in column N, the “Service Requirement Information” section will turn yellow, prompting LEAs to submit this information.
  17. Q: When can we start entering data? How soon can we enter data after the annual data is submitted?
    A: You may start entering data as soon as your LEA is ready. 
    After the annual data submission, LEAs may start entering data for the next fiscal year as soon as the LEA receives confirmation from Commission staff that the data for the previous fiscal year was satisfactorily submitted.
  18. Q: Is there a way to not have to re-sign every time for the datasheet?
    A: After entering the code, check the box that says, “Keep me signed in.”
    Arrow pointing to check box which says
  19. Q: I didn’t get the code for the spreadsheet. How can I get access?
    A: First, check your junk folder and try again. This step can take a few minutes. Next, contact your IT team in case there are additional web filters. Please note that the Commission does not send out these codes directly, they are sent from Microsoft.
  20. Q: What happens if there are issues with our report?
    A: Commission staff will contact the grant lead and data support staff. Please note the disbursement/release of the remaining 10% of grant funds and next fiscal year’s funds are contingent on submitting and meeting all data requirements as required by statute. Failure to comply with funding terms or reporting requirements could put future funding opportunities at risk.
  21. Q: Can the annual reporting data spreadsheet be shared with Commission staff before it is “officially submitted” for early feedback? 
    A: Yes. Please submit this request as early as possible.
  22. Q: If we submit our annual data report much earlier than the deadline, will we be sent our 10% check sooner? For example, the deadline for the 2024-25 data report is July 11, 2025. If we submit our report in April, can we receive our check after that?
    A: If the annual data report is submitted and approved by the Commission before mid-May, the 10% payment can be processed earlier. Payment processing will begin in July for reports submitted after mid-May.
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Years of Service Requirement

  1. Q: Is there a requirement for administrators to report years of service? If so, do we have a form for them to complete?
    A: Per authorizing legislation, “The administrator candidate shall also commit in the written agreement to annually report to their sponsoring local educational agency where they are employed and their current contact information until they have completed their service requirement. Upon receiving the preliminary administrator credential, the administrator candidate has four years to complete the two-year service requirement.” For years of service data collection, LEAs may decide locally how to track and collect that data (e.g., form, survey, exit interview, post-exit survey, etc.) to complete the annual data reporting spreadsheet.
  2. Q: Our LEA is a County Office of Education. For their two-year service requirements, should admin candidates sign an agreement with us and/or with the district who they are employed by?
    A: Administrator candidates should sign an agreement with the grant recipient. Authorizing legislation states “The administrator candidate shall also commit in the written agreement to annually report to their sponsoring local educational agency where they are employed and their current contact information until they have completed their service requirement.” 
  3. Q: We're wondering how CTC defines the term "administrator." Is your definition limited to principals and/or assistant principals, or does it also include other administrator types who serve in schools, such as a Dean of Instruction, Dean of Culture, School Counselor, etc.?
    A: Any administrator position at a school site requiring an administrative services credential. Authorizing legislation states that an administrator candidate shall agree in writing to serve in a school within the jurisdiction of the grant recipient that sponsored the candidate or another public school in California for a period of at least two school years.
  4. Q: We know that CTC can recover grant funds from grant recipients whose candidates do not meet the grant requirements. However, we're wondering if CTC can/will also make efforts to recover funds directly from the administrator candidates who do not meet their requirements?
    A: No. Authorizing legislation requires the Commission to recover funding from LEA grantees if more than 10 percent of sponsored candidates in a local educational agency’s yearly program cohort failed to earn an administrator credential or failed to meet their commitment.
  5. Q: For years of service, what if a candidate completes the first year with the sponsoring LEA, leaves the LEA, and completes and their second year as an administrator some other public school in California?
    A: On the annual data reporting spreadsheet (cohort tab, Column R), indicate “Yes” that they were hired within the grantee LEA for at least one of the two required years of service.
  6. Q: Is there a minimum participation threshold for when someone is considered to have exited the DELPI Program early? For example, would it be counted differently if someone participated in the grant program for two weeks versus 11 months?
    A: If an administrator candidate receives support through the use of DELPI grant funds and then leaves the DELPI Program before earning their administrative services credential, they are considered to have exited the DELPI Program early. 
  7. Q: How will the Commission calculate if more than ten percent of sponsored candidates in a LEA’s yearly program cohort failed to earn an administrator credential or failed to meet their service commitment?
    A: Using the data provided in each LEA’s annual reporting sheet, the Commission will calculate if more than ten percent of candidates leave the DELPI program before earning their administrative services credential or do not complete the two-year service requirement. For example, if 20 candidates receive grant funds as part of a LEA’s 2024-25 cohort and three of those candidates leave the DELPI program before earning their administrative services credential, this would be calculated as a 15 percent attrition rate. A cohort’s final attrition rate will be calculated after that cohort has had four years to complete the two-year service commitment upon receiving the preliminary administrator credential. 
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Additional Questions

  1. Q: Will there be additional rounds of DELPI funding?
    A: As of the award date in May 2024, nearly the full $10 million allocated to the DELPI grant was awarded. At this time, DELPI grant funds are not available for future rounds of funding.
  2. Q: How can we make recommendations to request additional grant funding?
    A: Contact your local representative on the state legislature.
  3. Q: Given the federal executive order regarding the termination of activities related to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), do we need to change anything about how we are implementing our DELPI programs?
    A: No. Because this is a state funded grant, at this time grantee LEAs should continue implementing the programs as approved in the awarded grant applications.
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Updated March 18, 2025