You are here

Federal Programs and Supports Unit (FPSU)

Banner listing Federal Programs & Supports Unit; Every Student Succeeds.

Our Work

The Federal Programs & Supports Unit (FPSU) administers programs and distributes funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), most recently reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Program. FPSU oversees Title I School Improvement through Empowering Action for School Improvement (EASI) grants, as well as other Federal formula and competitive grants and awards.

ESEA is the longstanding federal law focused on K-12 education that helps ensure equitable opportunities for all students. ESEA's most recent reauthorization, ESSA, emphasizes:

  1. Opportunities for historically underserved students
  2. Local control and flexibility based on local context
  3. Access to high academic standards and effective educators
  4. Assessments that measure student progress towards meeting high academic standards
  5. Federal accountability and actions for results
  6. Preparation for student success in college and careers
  7. Investment in high-quality preschools
  8. Leverage of evidence-based practices

ESSER programs provided relief funds for schools and districts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impact of COVID-19. 

FPSU Mission

FPSU's mission is to ensure that the Federal programs we administer provide all Colorado students significant opportunities to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education and close educational achievement gaps.

FPSU Purpose and Structure

FPSU is comprised of three offices:

  • Program Effectiveness
  • Program Implementation
  • Program Monitoring

FPSU administers Federally-funded programs that support historically underserved students and establishes standards, indicators, and protocols for assessing local programs and systems. Our goal is to strengthen the field's capacity to implement higher quality programs and systems supported and funded by ESEA/ESSA and ESSER. FPSU strives to ensure that grant applications, application and program review protocols, and approval criteria reflect quality program standards, maximize efficiency, and improve program design and implementation in ways that optimize student outcomes. Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting ensure Federal programs and funds are leveraged effectively to design and implement local programs in support of historically underserved students using evidence-based strategies and promising practices including those of Colorado's High Achieving Schools (HAS).

FPSU implements Colorado's ESSA Plan and Equity Plan, designs and delivers the Equity and Excellence Conference, and collaborates on the development, dissemination, and use of the Equity Toolkit.


Unit Program Support: Emily Owen

Offices

Program Effectiveness

Office Supervisor: Tina Negley

FPSU's Program Effectiveness Office evaluates the effectiveness of ESEA programs, as reauthorized under ESSA, and fulfills Federal academic accountability and data reporting requirements. The Program Effectiveness team collects, manages, and analyzes data to inform funding decisions and program quality. We look beyond accountability, evaluating program impact and identifying and disseminating best implementation practices. Program Effectiveness also evaluates the impact of ESSER funds.

Major Duties: 

Program Implementation

Office Supervisor: Laura Meushaw

FPSU's Program Implementation Office supports the identification of effective uses of ESSA and ESSER funds and how best to leverage them to meet students' needs. The Program Implementation team ensures that local plans and applications for funds meet program intent and are designed to improve student outcomes students.

Major Duties: 

Program Monitoring

Office Supervisor: Tammy Giessinger

FPSU's Program Monitoring Office oversees ESSA and ESSER implementation to ensure program, activity, and service implementation meets the program intent, improves student outcomes, and complies with Federal legislation and regulations.

Major Duties: 

Contact Us


Formerly Unit of Federal Programs Administration

FPSU works very closely with offices formerly part of the Unit of Federal Programs Administration (UFPA). 


COVID-19 and Federal Programs

For information pertaining to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on programs managed by the FPSU, visit: