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COPS in Schools Training Frequently Asked Questions Who is required to attend this CIS training? The grant condition requires that the grantee send to training the actual CIS officer(s) who is deployed into the school(s) as a direct result of the grant. The officer(s) must be in and around the primary and secondary school(s) at least 75% of his or her time. This condition also requires that one designated administrator from the school or school district into which officer(s) are deployed attend this training. Only one school administrator per grant will be required and permitted to attend regardless of the number of schools or school districts in which CIS officer(s) are deployed. The school representative must be an administrator with general educational oversight (e.g., Principal, Assistant Principal, and Superintendent) and must be directly involved with the CIS program in the partner school(s). Considering the training uses a team-based approach, CIS officer(s) and the school administrator are strongly encouraged to attend together. How do I register for training? If your department has deployed the CIS officer(s) into your school(s) we encourage you to register them for the training session for which you are eligible by returning the appropriate registration form that is enclosed for each participant, or by registering them online at www.copsinschools.org. Please note that there are two types of registration forms: one for the CIS officer(s) and one for the school administrator partner. Each individual must register by completing a separate registration form, even if you plan to share a room. Please submit all registration forms for all participants at one time to better coordinate registration. The registration deadline is June 8, 2007, and registration will be closed when the target class size has been confirmed. If you submit a registration prior to the deadline and your registration is accepted, you will receive a confirmation by fax within five business days. Qualifying registrations will be accepted if space is available. How do I make travel arrangements? Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements. Please do not make your team’s travel arrangements until you receive a faxed confirmation of your registration. Confirmations will be faxed on a rolling basis through June 8, 2007. Please contact PRCPI with details of your travel plans before purchasing your airline tickets. As the final day of training concludes at 2:30 p.m., participants are advised that they must stay until 2:30 p.m. or they will not be reimbursed for their hotel, meals, or travel expense. Reimbursement forms are issued at the conclusion of training and must be claimed in person by each participant. If booking your return flight, please keep in mind that due to airport check-in procedures, you will need to arrive at the airport 1½–2 hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. Therefore, do not book a flight earlier than 4:00 p.m. on the final day of training. If no return flights are available after 4:00 p.m. and/or you are unable to arrive home by 11:00 p.m., you may request to stay over an additional night. The additional cost of this extra hotel night plus one day of per diem may not exceed the $1,200 maximum reimbursement amount and approval of the extra night is subject to availability. Keep in mind that changes to airline reservations may not be reimbursable. As a result, it is important to verify all information and confirm your registration prior to finalizing your airline travel. How do I make hotel reservations for the training session? Hotel reservations are made for your team by completing the hotel section of the registration forms enclosed or online at www.copsinschools.org. Participants may ONLY register at the hotel by completing an electronic or paper registration form. You will not be reimbursed for reservations made on your own. In order to be registered, you must guarantee your first night’s arrival by credit card or check. Your credit card will not be charged nor will your check be cashed unless you do not arrive on the night indicated and have not notified PRCPI in advance of your change in plans. You will receive confirmation of your hotel reservation approximately five weeks before the training. Please review your reservation at that time and let PRCPI know immediately if you need to change your reservation. To ensure that you are not charged for the first night’s lodging, you must notify PRCPI of any change in your reservation at least five days before your scheduled arrival. Any changes made to the reservation after that time (including early, unscheduled departures) will be at the participant’s expense and will not be reimbursed. Who will pay for this training? The COPS Office will reimburse required attendees for travel, per diem, and lodging costs, up to a maximum of $1,200 per person. The $1,200 should cover allowable expenses for attending this training. Any expenditure in excess of this amount will be borne by grantees. The COPS Office has made every attempt to schedule training in cities with travel and lodging costs that allow grantees to attend trainings without exceeding the maximum reimbursement of $1,200. Attending a meeting within the geographic region in which you are located may produce cost savings. You may also wish to consider sharing a room, if appropriate, to minimize your costs. How will I be reimbursed for lodging, travel, and per diem? Reimbursement forms and information will be provided to participants at the closing of the training program and may only be picked up by the individual participant. If a participant fails to attend the entire training program, that individual will not be reimbursed for any travel expenses and will likely be required to attend a complete CIS training session at a future date to fulfill the grant requirement with expenses paid by the grantee. Reimbursements to participants will be processed approximately 30 days after the logistics provider receives a signed and correctly completed reimbursement form following the training.
Will the COPS Office grant exceptions or waivers of the COPS in Schools training requirement? All CIS grantees must attend a CIS training, regardless of any prior training they may have received. This is an innovative, team-based training, designed to supplement previous trainings and to serve as an introduction for grantees who have not previously attended training. The COPS Office does not discourage grantees from attending other trainings in addition to the COPS Office-sponsored training. However, only the CIS training will satisfy this additional grant condition. Only attendance for the entire training program will qualify an individual as a participant in the training and count towards completion of the training requirement. What happens if I do not attend the entire training session? A participant failing to attend the entire training program will not be reimbursed for any travel expenses and the grantee will be required to send an individual to a complete CIS training session at a future date, to fulfill the grant requirement with expenses borne by the grantee. If your agency is found to be in non-compliance with this grant requirement, the grantee may be barred from receiving future COPS grants. Furthermore, you may be required to pay back COPS funding or other legal remedies may be applied. Unanticipated, emergency situations will be evaluated on site by COPS Office and PRCPI staff on a case-by-case basis. Charges resulting from an unscheduled, early checkout will be borne by the participant. If you are unable to commit to the entire scheduled program, please select a different training session. Additional training sessions will be announced at a later date. Contact information: If you have questions about logistics, registration or reimbursement, please contact: |