Risk is assessed on an annual basis. The Aspire staff use a Risk Assessment tool to evaluate the local program’s level of risk for managing the Aspire grant. The level of risk - high, medium, or low – is a determining factor in awarding grants and the amount of intervention/program monitoring needed post award.

The State Aspire office conducts Local Program Desk Reviews on all funded programs. The Desk Review is a high-stakes accountability document that measures programs’ levels of achievement against state targets in participants’ measurable skill gain and follow-up outcomes. It also evaluates assessments being used, pre and post testing rates, as well as compliance with other grant requirements. Desk Reviews are used, along with the assessment of risk, to determine programs in need of technical assistance and/or on-site monitoring reviews.

Local programs must submit annually a signed Local Program Data Certification Checklist which is modeled after the federal checklist. This document verifies program compliance with NRS and state follow-up survey requirements. Aspire staff monitor compliance with this and other federal and state requirements during on-site reviews.

On a quarterly basis, Aspire state staff review ABLELink data and follow-up with the local programs to ensure accuracy. Information from the Local Program Desk Review and quarterly data monitoring drives the development of the Local Program Improvement Consultation Plan (PICP). The PICP is a prescriptive continuous improvement tool resulting from a collaborative process designed to assist local program administrators as they examine data to select and implement strategies for program improvement. The primary objectives of the PICP are: 1. To identify program goals, strategies, resources and tools to support successful program improvement 2. To assist programs in analyzing data and performing a gap analysis to identify program improvement efforts.