This video is available as a NAESPA membership benefit or for a limited time as a conference attendee.
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Putting the ROI in ESEA – the Florida Journey to Level 5
Since 2022, ECTAC, Florida has partnered with the ROI Institute to provide affordable certification training to federal program administrators to build their capacity in determining the impact and the return on investment of how the federal education program dollars are used for specific, federally funded initiatives. It has always been important to determine the impact of federal funds. Given the current political climate, and the scrutiny and debate over these funds, it is even more critical to have evidence and be able to objectively tell the story of the difference that these funds are having for disadvantaged students’ ability to attain academic success. In Florida, we have created a community for student success specifically focused on measuring the ROI of ESEA funded initiatives with the goal of showing the value of what we do and what we fund in education. These impact results provide key data on which to base decisions for future use of our federal education dollars.
This talk was presented at:
2026 National ESEA Conference
February 2026
in
Denver, CO
For more information:
https://www.ectacfl.net/completed-roi-projects.html & https://roiinstitute.net/about-us/
Speakers
Maria Longa
Maria Longa is a Director in Seminole County Public School District and as such leads the East Coast Technical Assistance Center (ECTAC) in Florida. ECTAC provides networking, advocacy and technical assistance to Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) program administrators in Florida. She has 20+ years of experience at both the state and district levels managing ESEA programs and leading school improvement efforts. Dr. Longa holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Florida College of Education, a master’s in business management from the College of Business at Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in economics from the University of Tampa. Her passion and drive come from providing equity of educational options for all students regardless of family income, home language, country of origin, or location of residence. Active at both the state and national levels, Dr. Longa is the Past President of the Florida Association of State and Federal Education Program Administrators and previously the Vice President of the National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators.
Jack Phillips
Dr. Phillips is a world-renowned expert on accountability, measurement, and evaluation. He provides consulting services for Fortune 500 companies and major global organizations. He has received several awards including the Society for Human Resource Management award. He has authored or edited more than 75 books, including Show the Value of What You Do: Measuring and Achieving Success in Any Endeavor. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and Fortune Magazine. With more than 27 years of corporate experience in the aerospace, textile, metals, construction materials, and banking industries he has served as training and development manager at two Fortune 500 firms, as senior human resource officer at two firms, as president of a regional bank, and as management professor at a major state university.
Tara Konrardy
Tara Konrardy continues her 29-year mission to serve students, families, school communities, and districts. As the newest ECTAC team member, as part of the Seminole County School District, she is committed to providing information, resources, and assistance that is timely, meaningful, and actionable. Tara leverages her varied experiences in her work with State and Federal programs to design and support grant-funded programs with a focus on coordination, fiscal stewardship, innovation, and impact. She earned her Master’s from Florida Gulf Coast University and her Bachelor’s at the University of Central Florida in Exceptional Student Education. She is certified in Educational Leadership, Emotionally Handicapped, and Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum. Tara taught in self-contained and inclusion settings. At the school-level, she served as a Teacher on Special Assignment, Dean for Discipline and Attendance, and Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction for grades K-8 working in and with Title I designated schools. Tara provided professional learning at local, state, and national levels as a presenter and consultant. Most recently, Tara worked at the district-level as a Federal Programs Supervisor. She currently serves as a member of the Florida Department of Education’s Committee of Practitioners.
ESEA Network
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators is dedicated to building the capacity of education professionals to provide disadvantaged children with a high quality education. Their ESEA Network website provides a host of resources to educators at all levels.
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admin@eseanetwork.org | 800-256-6452
532 North Franklin Street | Fort Bragg, CA 95437
About Us
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (formerly the National Title I Association) is dedicated to building the capacity of education professionals to provide disadvantaged children with a high quality education. Their ESEA Network website provides a host of resources to educators at all levels.
Connect with Us
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