Welcome to the Best Practices Peer Discussion Group!

Willie Mae Brown, University of Colorado Denver, Moderator

Our objectives will be to Examine and discuss the following:

Working Organization; Anatomy of a File Label; and Excel

Spreadsheet Setup: Find the best way to organize your work and working files;

“Canned” Email examples: Discuss time-saving emails and documents created over 10 years of AmeriCorps Coordinating;

Question and Answer session about your problems and issues and

brainstorm on how to solve common problems!

Working Organization

My desk system:

4-tiered basket system:

First basket is all Time Logs, un-separated

Second Basket: 2010-2011 logs

Third Basket: 2011-2012 Logs

Fourth Basket: Exits to be processed and other paperwork (or baskets can be set up however the order works for you!

Utilize AmeriCorpscompact.org site for the Report functions! Also you may want to utilize Excel and set up a system similar to what is shown here:

Excel Spreadsheet Setup

LastName FirstName Grant Year email address Hours

Allen Kristin 2010-2011 kristin.allen@ucdenver.edu 675

Alves Ulisses 2010-2011 ulisses.rio@gmail.com (name problem) 900

Bel 2nd Term Rita 2010-2011 rita.bel@ucdenver.edu 300

Jones Abby 2010-2011 abby.jones@ucdenver.edu 450

This method can:

manipulate the information any way you wish using the Sort & Filter functions

send emails to Your Compact Service Corps students only with Copy & Paste-

tell you how many students are in a particular grant year by Find & Select

keep an immediate running total of how many students you have (however, you have to make sure you keep this list current!

You can also list 2nd Term students as noted above to further sort if need be

Add any other columns of information you want or need to keep organized

Separate information by Grant Year and have a page for each year

Files: Broken out into separate grant years? Second Term Files separate as well? Color-coding first and second-term files both within a Grant Year

and between Grant Years? (example: my 2010-2011 students are all in Green jackets, my 2011-2012 students are in yellow jackets in separate file drawers) however, 2nd Term file jackets are always the same color to minimize confusion, even in different grant years (mine are blue!)

Are you keeping correspondence between yourself and your students in each file?

Are you using a Forms Checksheet or other Checksheet to track required paperwork?

How do you label your files?

Working Organization Continued

AMERICORPS FORMS CHECKSHEET:

Form Needed: Complete? Need? Notes?

Enrollment Form-do you collect one?

Contract X

Criminal History/Auth/Verif/NSOPR X X X

Citizenship Verification X

PRF/Service Summary or Site Sup Agreement & Service Plan 4 Success

X X X

Time Logs & Service Reflection or Monthly Accomplishment

X

Exit Form & Student Survey X Exit form rec’d-Need survey

Coord Mid-Term Evaluation (900 hour students only

n/a

Coordinator End of Term Evaluation

Comments: Last check-all sigs done? School Site Added to CBC/changed in ACC?

Anatomy of a File Label:

First Term Files:

And for Second-Term files:

2009-2010 Grant Year 450 hours MAURER, Robert 02/18/2010

2nd Term 2011-2012 Grant Year 450 hours MAURER, Robert M. 02/18/2010

“Canned” Email Examples Should YOU have them?

“Canned” emails serve many purposes. Some of

them are:

Ease of communication with students

Never-miss accuracy of important information

Ease of dissemination of important information to students in group and individual situations

Keep students in compliance!!

Backup in files in case of disputes

Let‘s look at some examples:

Dear Currently Serving Compact Service Corps AmeriCorps student:

Hello! If you are receiving this email, you are a member of our AmeriCorps Compact Service Corps. This new Grant Year we underwent a name change, that reflects changes in the Regional Program. You may at some point notice that some of your colleagues who signed up in previous Grant Years are called UCAN Serve. Those folks enrolled before August 19, 2011. I wanted to advise you of this in case you see paperwork that looks different from what you’re using. This will be the first time some of you are receiving this email, and this will be an updated refresher for others of you, who have turned in documentation to me already, so I would encourage you to please look over it, even if you think you’ve seen it before.

I would like to refresh you on document responsibility and other items. If you are Teacher Licensure, School Psychology, or in the Counseling focus of School Counseling, you will be using the Time Log that says “Education”. If you are in the Counseling Focuses of Clinical Mental Health, Couple/Family, or Multicultural, you will use the one that says “Healthy Futures” located in your Handbook.

Site Supervisor Partnership Letter-make sure you go over this document with your Supervisor, complete it and return it to me with your Service Plan for Success. Make sure the Supervisor is aware that they will need to do a Survey at the end of your Service, measuring your participation at that school or agency. They will sign it and date it the first day of your Service at your Site.

AmeriCorps-IMPORTANT!! FAQ and Service Updates-from Willie Brown, Coordinator (see handout-this slide info is for illustrative purposes only)

AmeriCorps Signature Responsibility Email

Dear Currently Serving AmeriCorps student: If you are receiving this email, it is because I would like to refresh you on signature responsibility on your Time Logs. In any given month, you may or will have multiple signatures on your Time Log, from both your Instructor(s) and Site Supervisor, depending on how you are moving through your Program.

Here’s who should sign your Time Logs, and for what reason:

Indirect Hours: Must be signed for by the Instructor of the course(s) you are taking. If you have multiple courses, have each instructor sign the log.

Direct Hours (if you are serving them at this time) The person who signs the Service Summary must also be the person who is actually watching you perform those hours, and will sign your Time Log each month as verifying those hours. So the person we are calling your “Site Supervisor” on the service summary, in actuality may be your CT, not the overall Site Supervisor. Please only have whomever signs your Service Summary sign your Time Logs for Direct Hours, because signatures on Summaries and Time Logs must ALWAYS match. If you submit a Time Log with a signature other than what is on your Service Summary, I will contact you to pick up your Time Log and have the correct signature done, or fill out a new Service Summary.

Signatures for Hybrid Courses: Must be signed by the Instructor of that course, since you will see them at some point.

Completely Online Courses: Please have the instructor of the course send me an email advising me that you are active and participating in their online course, and that you will not see the instructor for that course. (I will sign for those hours).

PLEASE DO NOT HAVE TIME LOGS SIGNED BY EITHER YOURSELF OR YOUR SITE SUPERVISOR UNTIL AFTER ALL HOURS FOR THAT MONTH ARE SERVED. For example, if you served hours through the end of January, do not have the Instructor or Supervisor sign for those hours before January 31st. if there are Time Logs with dates noted before hours were served, you will be asked to pick up the Time Logs and have them re-signed and re-dated.

I hope this helps you more accurately record on your Time Logs. Thank you!

Willie Mae Brown

Admissions Counselor and AmeriCorps Grant Coordinator

School of Education and Human Development

University of Colorado Denver

Campus Box 106, P.O. Box 173364

Denver, CO 80217-3364

AmeriCorps Signature Responsibility, con’t.

Subject: Americorps 2012 Grant Year Time Logs and Reflections -from Willie Brown, Coordinator

Dear Currently Serving AmeriCorps students:

If you are receiving this email, you are (or will be if you are serving a Second Term and I just have not yet gotten your new paperwork) in my 2011-2012 Grant Year. If you go to this link:

http://www.cccompact.org/programs/csc/forms

and click on the PDF link to the right of this sentence:

11-12 Time Logs-EDUCATION; click on Bookmark Icon to go to a specific month

Or

11-12 Time Logs-HEALTHY FUTURES; click on Bookmark Icon to go to a specific month

Depending on if you are EDUCATION FOCUS or HEALTHY FUTURES FOCUS.

January 2012’s Time Log and Project Accomplishment Forms will be there for you to utilize this month, and every month through 2012. The form is interactive, so you can add your hours on the page itself, type the Reflections, and then print them to get your signatures. If you have turned in your January hours to me already, thank you! If not, I will be looking for them by the 10th of this month. If you just Oriented in February, then you are currently logging hours and I will see your information next month.

If you will be serving a Second Term and I still need your new paperwork, get it to me ASAP so I can send you your new Invitation to Enroll!! Also, in case you drop off information to me after our regular hours (8am to 5:30pm), there is a mail slot to the left of the glass doors of suite 701-leave them there, and I will get them-it’s a secured box. I hope this helps you. Thank you!

Willie Brown

Dear Currently Serving AmeriCorps student:

I am still in need of the following items to complete your initial file requirements:

Service Plan for Success & Site Supervisor Verification Form - filled out by yourself and your Site Supervisor

(the assumption here is that the student did all coursework first, and is now at a Site)

Please respond to this email as soon as possible so we may complete your file. Please be aware that hours turned in are not valid if your file is not otherwise in compliance. Thank you very much!

Willie Brown

(**Note: This email can be modified to fit any of the above situations, such as just need Service Plan, still need Exit Survey or whatever!

Dear Currently Serving AmeriCorps Students: When listing your Service Activities on either your Monthly Service Reflection forms or your Monthly Project Accomplishment Forms that go with your Time Logs, please be detailed in your description of your service, for example including such things as what you are learning, how you intend to apply that knowledge as you progress in your Program, and how you might plan to implement the knowledge you are gaining, and how you are interacting with your students and clients.

This is really important to us as a Program, and is really important for our Federal Funders, as it tells them why our AmeriCorps program is important, and also highlights the difference you are already making at your Sites, and the work you are doing with your students and mental health clients.

We want to continue to see AmeriCorps grow and thrive as a program, and your information gives us the information we need to continue to show why we are and will continue to be a viable program that serves many needs in our communities. Thank you so much for your cooperation in this important area of your reporting!

Willie Brown Willie Mae Brown Admissions Counselor and AmeriCorps Grant Coordinator (303) 315-6310 office, (303) 315-6311 fax

AmeriCorps-Monthly Service Reflection/Project Accomplishments- details-from Willie Brown, Coordinator, University of Colorado Denver School of Education and Human Development

AmeriCorps-Time Log done in Pencil-need indelible format- from Willie Brown, Coordinator

Dear Student: I am in receipt of your AmeriCorps time logs, thank you! However in the

future, please fill out your time logs in ink, not pencil. AmeriCorps requires that logs be done in an indelible form. This email will serve as confirmation of this communication and your reminder of this requirement. Please be aware that hours turned in are not valid if your file is not otherwise in compliance. Thank you very much! Thanks!

Willie Brown

AmeriCorps-Multiple months on your Time Logs- from Willie Brown, Coordinator

Dear Student: As you were advised in Orientation, you may not complete multiple months on one Time log. Each month must have a separate Time Log. You included days from ______(insert month here) 2010 on your ______ 2011 log, and it threw your numbers off. I have reduced the hours accordingly.

Please re-log your _______ hours so all of _______ is all on one Log and turn in. Please help me keep your totals straight by just doing one month on one log. The log is here for you to copy if you need to see the weeks in (early or late) _________. Thank you.

Willie Brown

AmeriCorps-Site Supervisor signature or new Service Summary needed - from Willie Brown, Coordinator

Dear Currently Serving AmeriCorps student:

Please note that I am in need of the following items for your file:

Site Supervisor signature - signature on Time Log does not match Service Summary. You may either fill out a new Service Summary (attached) or pick up your Time Log and obtain the signature listed on your Service Summary on file in this office. I have attached a new Service Summary should you need one.

Please respond to this email as soon as possible so we may complete your file. Please be aware that hours turned in are not valid if your file is not otherwise complete. Thank you very much!

Willie Brown

Dear Student: Just a note from me to advise you that as of the second week of 2011 you completed the 60 hours of Indirect Service toward your 300 hours. I could only use ____of the ____ Indirect (Member Development) hours you submitted for _____ 2009 toward your Indirect totals, however, your Direct hours are fine. So please stop logging Indirect hours. Your totals may be different from what I have if you are counting those extra Indirect hours.

So your totals as of the end of ______ , 2011 are:

60 Indirect Hours

0 Direct Hours

60 total hours

So you will turn in 240 more Direct hours to me to complete your 300 hours. If you feel these numbers are incorrect, you must come in to the office and see me so we may compare hours, and you must initial your timelog. Otherwise this communication will stand as your verification of your Indirect hours.

I hope this helps you when planning the remainder of your Service. Thanks!

AmeriCorps-300 Hours-INDIRECT Service Complete-from Willie Brown, Coordinator

Exit Emails: Different Emails for Different Students

Dear Student: I show that you have completed your AmeriCorps hours and are ready to Exit the Federal

system, as soon as your remaining hours approve. Please advise if you will want a new Term of Service so I may send you the appropriate paperwork to fill out. If so, please advise where your Internship will be so we may see if the school qualifies under the new AmeriCorps rules.

THE SURVEY:

As the last REQUIRED item to complete your term of service, Take the Online Survey: http://www.questionpro.com/a/TakeSurvey?id=956783

* You must complete the survey in order to receive your AmeriCorps Education Award.

PLEASE ATTACH A COPY OF THE SURVEY VERIFICATION WITH YOUR EXIT FORM SO WE MAY VERIFY YOUR TERM COMPLETION.

THE EXIT FORM:

I have attached an Exit Form for you to fill out so we may get you out of the system when those hours approve and get your award on its way to you.

I have included a checklist for you to make sure you complete all needed items. Please utilize it to save time-especially if you cannot complete all items at the same time!

Once you have exited the program, you will be able to access your Eli Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. For specifics on what you may use your award for, go to this link: http://edaward.org/

Exit Email for students who want a Second Term (this email can be modified for students NOT serving another term as well)

You have the option to use the "My AmeriCorps Portal" that will allow you to request your Eli Segal AmeriCorps Education Award benefits online. Once you register, you can create your requests online and submit to your Education or Financial Institution for processing. Through the online payment system, you can request AmeriCorps Education Award payments, Interest Accrual payments, and Forbearance on your qualified student loans. Additionally, this automated system will let you view the status of your requests, provide up to date information on your AmeriCorps Education Award balances, show the history of your requests and even let you update your contact information online. Go to this link for a tutorial on using the My AmeriCorps Portal system to submit payment requests: http://www.cccompact.org/sites/default/files/My-AmeriCorps-Portal-and-Online-Payments_0.pdf

EXIT EMAIL CONTINUED-SERVING SECOND TERM:

Qualifications for Schools for New Term of Service:

If the Member is serving in a K-12 public school, the school must be defined as high-need by meeting at least one of the following categories:

• Title I status

• Free and Reduced Lunch percentages (greater than or equal to 50%)

• Student mobility percentages (greater than or equal to 40%)

• Statewide Academic Assessment Tests (low or unsatisfactory rating)

• Student drop-out rates (greater than 5%)

If you are in our Clinical Mental Health, Couple/Family, or Multicultural Counseling Programs, make sure your Organization is a qualified non-profit that holds 501c3 status, if you will be serving a second term. Please advise me if you are one of these focuses if you are a Counseling student, so I send you the correct forms to re-enroll.

EXIT EMAIL CONTINUED-SERVING SECOND TERM

Dear Student: Please fill out the attached Criminal History Check Pre-Reflection Form, and the Contract. See my

directions below. I need the original documents, I cannot accept faxes or scans. Once I have these, and they have been

processed, you will receive an Invitation to Register from AmeriCorps at your Official University email address, and you will follow the instructions and go on and get registered. That date will be your start date. Thanks very much!!

TO COMPLETE THE PAPERWORK ATTACHED HERE: On the first page of the Contract, all I need is your name and the number of hours you will serve (300,

450, 675 or 900) and my name where it says “The AmeriCorps Coordinator at this school is…” Do NOT fill in the dates where it asks for Term of Service dates. On the High School Diploma

Information on page four, work across horizontally-put an “x” in the box that says you have a HS Diploma, then go to the left and fill in your High School name and City (example: Pomona High School, Pomona, CA), and the month and year you graduated high school. Then sign the Contract page (but DON’T date it!!) and return everything at the same time.

I will also be sending you the new Paperwork that will need to be completed and returned. This

paperwork takes the place of what used to be the Service Summary. They are called the Site Supervisor Agreement and Service Plan for Success, as well as the link to find new Time Logs, and Project Accomplishment Forms( the new name of the Monthly Reflection Form). Thank you!

Willie Brown

Paperwork for New Term of Service (will have attached CHC Auth, PRF & Contract)

Dear Exiting AmeriCorps Student:

If you are receiving this email, I have not received your Exit forms and Surveys to get you Exited

from the AmeriCorps system, per the Exit email that was sent to you. Students must be Exited

30 days after their last Date of Service, and we are fast approaching that date for you. Please

reply to this email and let me know when I can expect those forms from you. Also, be aware that

if you are eligible to serve a Second Term, that Term cannot start until you have been Exited

from your first Term, and the paperwork done for the Second Term so I can send you another

Invitation to Enroll. Thank you for your immediate compliance in this important matter.

Willie Mae Brown

Admissions Counselor and AmeriCorps Grant Coordinator

School of Education and Human Development

University of Colorado Denver

Campus Box 106, P.O. Box 173364

Denver, CO 80217-3364

AmeriCorps-Exit Form and Survey needed ASAP! From Willie Brown, Coordinator