Grant Management

This SPDG Directors Webinar features presentations on two timely topics for SPDG projects: using artificial intelligence to strengthen dissemination and data visualization, and building local education agency (LEA) capacity to use IDEA Part B data for continuous improvement.

Lisa Dieker will demonstrate practical applications of AI for dissemination and data visualization, highlighting ways SPDG teams can communicate project outcomes more effectively to different audiences.

Topics Covered

• Encumbered/committed funds are excluded from carryover calculations; carryover = remaining G5 balance minus encumbered funds.
• G5 is the authoritative source for actual expenditures; state accounting reports may differ but discrepancies must be resolved.
• Continuation funding decisions are based on encumbered amounts plus drawdown activity — large unexplained balances trigger scrutiny.

Key Concepts Clarified

During this session, we will take a deeper dive into procurement. The Tennessee SPDG team will share how they have set themselves up for success in their contracting processes and overall spending practices. We will also review a fiscal resource that may be especially helpful to new grantees and others navigating SPDG fiscal and procurement requirements.

During this first session, Dr. Jennifer Coffey laid the groundwork for the community by framing GrantWISE as a space for fiscal and programmatic excellence in discretionary grants. She highlighted the purpose of the group, upcoming meeting dates, and several core topics we’ll return to over time — including procurement, internal controls, subrecipient monitoring, cash management, budgeting resources, and APR-related budget explanations.