NMSI CRP Program Teacher

Welcome Packet
 Contents

Who to Contact Sheet

CRP Overview

LTF Overview

NMSI Mentoring Program

2018 Blackboard Onboarding

NMSI 2018-19 Teacher Travel

Policy

Travel & Hotel Instructions

Chrome River At-a-Glance

Chrome River Quick Start Guide

Timeline of Activities
YOUR PROGRAM MANAGER: YOUR OPERATIONS COORDINATOR:

NAME: NAME:

EMAIL: EMAIL:

TEACHER TRAVEL POLICY: 2018-19 NMSI Teacher Travel Policy

TEACHER TRAVEL INSTRUCTIONS: 2018-19 NMSI Travel and Hotel Instructions

BLACKBOARD:
WEBSITE: nms.blackboard.com
USERNAME/PASSWORD SUPPORT: nmsisupport@blackboard.com
Customer Support: nmsisupport@blackboard.com

**BLACKBOARD WILL HOUSE ALL COLLEGE READINESS PROGRAM

MATERIALS FOR YOUR REFERENCE.

EGENCIA (TRAVEL BOOKING)

WEBSITE: www.egencia.com
PHONE: 1 (866) 397-2677
TO OBTAIN AN EGENCIA LOGIN/PASSWORD PLEASE EMAIL:
helpdesk@nms.org

CHROME RIVER (EXPENSE

REPORTING) WEBSITE:
https://app.chromeriver.com/login
TO OBTAIN A CHROME RIVER
LOGIN/PASSWORD PLEASE EMAIL:
helpdesk@nms.org

CRP SYSTEM:
WEBSITE: https://crp.nms.org
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: helpdesk@nms.org

LTF SYSTEM:
WEBSITE: http://training.nms.org/
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: helpdesk@nms.org

*PLEASE NOTE: NOT ALL NMSI TEACHERS WILL HAVE AN LTF LOGIN. YOU
WILL ONLY HAVE AN LTF LOGIN IF YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH AT LEAST
ONE CYCLE OF THE LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS TEACHER TRAINING.
 College Readiness Program

Transforming Education
Through the proven College Readiness Program, NMSI partners with schools systems to set and pursue higher expectations for students,
support teachers, and increase access and achievement in rigorous math, science and English courses. CRP is one of the most
powerful and effective ways to ensure that all students, especially those furthest from opportunity, thrive and reach their highest potential
as problem solvers and lifelong learners who pursue their passions and tackle the world’s toughest challenges.

Results + Impact Elements of Success

NMSI’s CRP has made a dramatic and lasting difference in more
than 1,200 public high schools across 34 states, driving
unparalleled gains in the number of students earning qualifying
scores on AP math, science and English exams. The program:
Course-Specific Focused
• Boosts AP performance in partner schools by 10 times the Training Study Sessions
national average after just one year and produces continued
positive results over three years.
• Records outstanding gains for female and minority students. Supports from Equipment
AP Experts & Supplies
• Succeeds across all school settings — traditional and charter,
rural and urban, coast to coast.
Expanded
College

D
Online
Curricular Readiness Exam Fee
Subsidies
Resources

Percentage Increase in AP Qualifying Scores in T

Math, Science and English at CRP Partner Schools Shared

Performance Goal Setting &
Analysis Accountability

After One Year of CRP1 Academic

& Program
91% Experts

71% 73%

U.S.

NMSI Why Advanced Placement?

15%
7.8%
7.4% Participation in AP courses provides students the opportunity to
ALL STUDENTS FEMALE STUDENTS
experience college-level learning and assessments while still in
AFRICAN-AMERICAN &
LATINO STUDENTS high school, setting them up for success beyond the classroom.
After Three Years of CRP2 Qualifying scores (3 or higher on a 5-point scale) earn students
credits at most U.S. colleges and universities. These credits reduce
157%
financial burden and serve as a prime indicator of college
preparedness and success. Students who score a 2 or lower still
114% 113%
are more likely to graduate college in four years than their peers
U.S. who don’t take AP and their peers who take dual
enrollment courses through a two-year college. The impacts are
NMSI
event greater for African-American and Latino students.
35.8%
15.6% 14.9%
Next Steps
ALL STUDENTS AFRICAN-AMERICAN & FEMALE STUDENTS
LATINO STUDENTS

We are looking for schools to join our program in the 2019-2020

1. N = 902 NMSI partner schools that completed at least one year of CRP between 2009 and 2017,
compared with the national increase (approximately 23,000 schools)
school year. If you think CRP is a good fit for your school or
over the same time period. district, please contact Mort Orlov at morlov@nms.org for more
2. N = 691 partner schools that completed three years of CRP between 2011 and 2017 compared with
the national increase over the same time period.
information.

© 2018 National Math + Science Initiative | nms.org

 Laying The Foundation

Empowering Teachers
NMSI believes STEM education is the greatest lever to unlocking student potential, and quality STEM education starts with
well-trained and well-supported teachers. Delivered by expert educators, NMSI’s Laying the Foundation helps teachers
raise expectations and advances students’ levels of thinking and learning. The program allows teachers in grades 3-12
to build and maintain subject matter expertise, enhance abilities to lead diverse classrooms, use new technologies and
prepare students to be confident and creative problem solvers.

Results + Impact Elements of Success

Nearly 50,000 teachers nationwide have participated in
NMSI’s Laying the Foundation to date.

Students whose teachers implemented LTF materials

and instruction scored significantly better on ACT As- Insight Into Model

pire™ math and reading assessments.* Student

Experience
Lessons

Collaboration Formative &

& Feedback Summative
Opportunities Assessments

Equipped &
H
Empowered

U
Teacher-to-
Teachers STEM Labs
Teacher & Activities
Instruction

Backmapped Multiple
from AP® Strategies for
Frameworks Instruction
Instructional
Scafolding

{ }
“Laying the Foundation was phenomenal.
I’ve learned how to scaffold, how to
differentiate, how to teach the skills
necessary for my students to find success.”
— Denise King, Maynard Jackson High School,
Atlanta, Georgia
For more information about NMSI’s Laying the Foundation,
contact Jen LoPiccolo at jlopiccolo@nms.org.
Preview sample lessons at
nms.org/freelessons
Find a training near you
nms.org/register-for-training.aspx
Why It Works
• Builds on research-based strategies and best practices
• Creates a foundation of confident and creative
problem-solvers early in a student’s educational
experience
• Developed and delivered by master teachers and
content experts
• Builds the capacity of school’s systems to
advance student achievement at all grade levels
The National Math and Science Initiative has been accredited as an
Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing
Education and Training (IACET).
*Phelan, J. and Brown, R. (2017). ALSDE/A+ College Ready LTF teacher implementation
evaluation study
(West Coast Analytics Research Report). Irvine, CA: West Coast Analytics.
ACT Aspire™ is a trademark of ACT, Inc.

© 2018 National Math + Science Initiative | nms.org

 Mentoring
College Readiness Program Training Cycle
2018-2019 Description
NMSI believes that Mentors can provide a useful support and supplement to the
College Readiness Program’s professional development cycle by serving as trusted
and experienced advisors for Program Teachers. The primary purpose of Mentoring
is to provide Program Teachers new to teaching AP or who want to grow as AP
Teachers with more individualized support to teach their AP course successfully.
Program teachers will engage in routine conversations with Mentors and will follow
a specific course of study, which will target areas of practice such as accurate and
actionable student feedback, reteaching strategies to address student
misconceptions, and data-to-action planning.

The target audience for mentoring services are AP teachers who have taught the
course for less than three years and AP teachers who are looking for intensive
support in increasing their qualifying score rates. Teachers will work with their
Mentors to establish a learning agenda and personal goals for the year.

Purpose
Program Teachers participating in mentoring will receive support in
developing a deep understanding of the goals, objectives, and rigor of an
AP course.
using data to improve performance and to plan instruction more
effectively.
using effective assessment and feedback practices to gauge student
learning and to improve student performance.
Mentor Assignment
To be assigned a Mentor, Program Teachers must complete an application during
their registration process.

Time Commitment
Teachers should expect to spend approximately 2-4 hours each month interacting
with their Mentors.

Mentoring Activities
The Mentor is responsible for interacting with the Program teacher on a weekly basis
throughout the academic year to provide guidance and support, and Mentors will
assist Program Teachers in creating personal development plans.

Teachers are responsible for providing the mentor guidance on what AP-level
content knowledge and instructional skill they would like to strengthen and/or
augment. Some activities led by Mentors include how to use data to guide
instructional decisions, how to create and implement rigorous content, how to pace
the course effectively, how to understand and apply AP scoring guides, and how to
provide timely and effective student feedback.

Copyright © 2018 National Math and Science Initiative, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us at www.nms.org.
 Mentoring
College Readiness Program Training Cycle
2018-2019

Because mentoring is a time commitment, teachers who request a mentor are

expected to engage in mentoring activities and conversations each month, to answer
emails and phone calls, and to respond to NMSI’s requests for information about the
effectiveness or usefulness of the program.

Mentors and teachers are encouraged to use a variety of communication tools to

foster timely and effective communication, ranging from email exchanges, to phone
calls, to video conferences. Teachers will have access to mentors in synchronous
and asynchronous platforms, including through NMSI’s learning management system
(LMS). Mentors and teachers are encouraged to use the most convenient
communication platform that works for them.

Reporting
Mentors complete a monthly report documenting number of interactions, activities
and concepts covered, and potential topics to cover during the following month.
Teachers are asked to complete a user satisfaction survey monthly. Data from these
reports are shared with NMSI staff and relevant stakeholders to guide mentor
preparation, program management, and content development.

Copyright © 2018 National Math and Science Initiative, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. Visit us at www.nms.org.
 Overview of NMSI’s Blackboard
Services: AP Lounge

NMSI’s Blackboard is a learning management system that provides resources and

support to teachers in the College Readiness Program. All CRP teachers will be
enrolled in Blackboard so they can participate in an “AP Lounge” specific to their
course. The AP Lounge is the section in Blackboard where teachers access the
following tools and resources:
Training materials and modules, including reference materials from the 2018
College Readiness Program Summer Institutes
Classroom-ready resources, including instructional units, lessons, and skill-
building activities
Discussion boards monitored by AP experts
Professional development resources, such as videos, teacher notes, sample
pacing guides and calendars, and other materials to help implement AP
courses successfully

Accessing Blackboard and the AP Lounge

All teachers registered for the 2018 NMSI CRP Summer Institutes will be enrolled
automatically in Blackboard. Teachers will receive a Blackboard username and
password 1-2 weeks before their Institute begins. Teachers are encouraged to check
their spam or junk folder for the email account they used to register in NMSI’s CRP
system if they have not received their username and password before the Summer
Institute. If teachers are unable to access their accounts using the provided
usernames and passwords, or if teachers do not find their Blackboard information,
they should contact NMSI’s Help Desk at HelpDesk@nms.org for assistance.

Navigating the AP Lounge

Once teachers have their usernames and passwords, they can access NMSI’s
Blackboard by going to nms.blackboard.com. The link to their AP Lounge will appear
in the right-side column under “My Courses.”

Once teachers click on the AP Lounge link, they will be taken to the AP Lounge
Home Page. From this Home Page, teachers can access links to curricular supports/
content materials, the latest CRP training materials, NMSI Mock Exam instructions, a
course discussion board, and their mentoring group page (if enrolled). To access
training materials and other curricular resources, teachers can also click on the CRP
Toolkit icon on this page.
CRP Toolkit
When opening the CRP Toolkit, teachers will see three icons: Training Materials,
Curricular Supports, and Instructional Resources.

Training Materials: Here, teachers will find the latest training materials and modules
from the 2018-2019 CRP teacher training events. These training materials may also
be found on the Home Page of the Lounge.

Curricular Supports: Here, teachers will find classroom-ready resources such as units,
assessments, and short-term lessons aligned to AP frameworks and course
expectations. A link to these Curricular Supports/Content Materials can also be
found on the Left Navigation Menu of the Lounge.

Instructional Resources: Here, teachers can access activities and skill-building

exercises that help students practice and mastery discrete skills necessary for
success in the AP classroom. Materials include such techniques and strategies such
as grouping activities, skill-builder worksheets, annotation exercises, and graphic
organizers.

NMSI is continuously building its Blackboard resource library; check back frequently
to access new materials!

NMSI Mentoring Groups/Circles

NMSI mentoring is provided solely online, and Blackboard is the main avenue in
which our mentors and mentees are asked to communicate. Those who are enrolled
to receive one-on-one mentoring support will find they have been added to their
mentor’s Mentoring Group/Circle Page. Teachers can access this mentor group page
by following the NMSI Mentor Groups/Circles link on the Left Navigation Menu of the
AP Lounge.
This Mentor Group/Circle page should be used as the main avenue of
communication with your mentor. Within it, you will find an emailing function, a
group discussion board, and a link to your group’s Blackboard Collaborate room.
These tools can be used to communicate with you mentor, as well as the rest of their
mentoring group.

The Blackboard Collaborate room is a virtual meeting space (similar to Skype

or Google Classroom) in which you can meet with your mentor in real time,
see each other face-to-face, and share/present materials while in discussion.
You’ll find a link to this virtual room in the group description of your group
page.
 NMSI Travel Policy for TEACHERS 2018-19 REVISED 04.19.18
This policy is applicable to all teachers participating in NMSI sponsored events as attendees. Registering
for a NMSI event confirms that you will comply with NMSI's travel policy.

Teachers will book all travel, including hotels, directly through Egencia. We will no longer
reserve blocks of rooms for each training. Lodging must be booked through Egencia no later
than 30 days from the start date of the event.

All air and ground travel must be booked through Egencia no later than 30 days from the start
date of the event.

Prior written approval from NMSILogistics@nms.org is REQUIRED for any out of policy travel.
Email NMSILogistics@nms.org to secure approval and upload a copy of your written approval
in Chrome River when you create your expense report. If written approval is not obtained, you
will not be reimbursed.

You must submit all reimbursement requests through Chrome River (www.Chrome River.com),
NMSI’s online expense reporting system, within 30 days of the event. Reimbursement requests
submitted after this deadline will not be eligible for reimbursement.

Quick Reference Guide

Guidelines for Reimbursement ........................................................................................................ 2
Modes of Travel .............................................................................................................................. 2
Guidelines for Public Transportation (bus and train) ........................................................................ 2
Guidelines for Travel Using a Personally Owned Vehicle ................................................................ 2
Guidelines for Travel Using a Rental Car ........................................................................................ 2
Guidelines for Air Travel .................................................................................................................. 3
Guidelines for Lodging .................................................................................................................... 4
Guidelines for Meals........................................................................................................................ 4
NON-REIMBURSEABLE EXPENDITURES .................................................................................... 5
Responsibility of Initial Costs ........................................................................................................... 5
Chrome River Travel Reimbursement Tips ...................................................................................... 6

REVISED 04.19.2018
Guidelines for Reimbursement
Chrome River, www.Chrome River.com, is the system utilized by NMSI to reimburse teachers for travel
expenses when attending NMSI sponsored events. If you do not have a Chrome River account, please email
the NMSI Help Desk (helpdesk@nms.org) for assistance. NMSI will reimburse your travel expenses to attend
training based on the agreement in your school's Memorandum of Understanding and NMSI's travel policy.
Because your flight and hotel are billed directly to NMSI, there will be no need for you to upload your receipts
for these charges in Chrome River.

Modes of Travel
NMSI does not stipulate the mode of travel (automobile, train, airplane, bus, Uber/Lyft, etc.) that attendees
must utilize when traveling to a NMSI sponsored training event. However, NMSI does stipulate that attendees
utilize prudence in selecting travel arrangements that are reasonable and safeguard donor and grant funds.
Attendees are required to show financial responsibility when making travel arrangements, selecting reasonable
and least cost options as available.

Guidelines for Public Transportation (bus and train)

Attendees selecting public transportation over air travel to the training event site will be reimbursed actual
expenses up to the cost of a roundtrip airline ticket. Travel receipts are required.

Guidelines for Travel Using a Personally Owned Vehicle

Teachers attending NMSI sponsored events may drive a personally owned vehicle, based on the below
stipulations:

Student Study Sessions are considered local and therefore not eligible for mileage reimbursement.

A maximum of $500 total round trip is reimbursable based solely on the mileage calculator in Chrome
River. Fuel is not a separate reimbursable item. Travelers are reimbursed at the Federal Mileage
Reimbursement Rate.

• NMSI does not provide or reimburse for hotel accommodations while a traveler is en route to a training
event site. Attendees wishing to take more than a single day’s drive to the training event site will be
responsible for their own hotel costs while en route.

If you carpool, only one person in the vehicle may submit for mileage reimbursement.

There are no exceptions to this policy.

Guidelines for Travel Using a Rental Car

Rental cars are authorized when:

An attendee resides within 50-250 miles of the training event site or

An attendee resides further than 250 miles of the training event site but requires a rental car during the
event.

Additional rental car guidelines:

All rental car reservations must be booked through Egencia (www.egencia.com), NMSI’s online travel
system. Renting a car requires the use of a personal credit card. The cost of the rental car, applicable taxes,
parking fees, tolls and gasoline will be reimbursed upon submission of receipts through Chrome River. Submit
the final rental car receipt, which can be obtained through the rental car website. An estimate of charges as a
rental car receipt will not be accepted.

NMSI does not reimburse for insurance purchased through rental car companies. Do not rent a car if you do
REVISED 04.19.2018
not have personal auto insurance. Check your personal auto insurance policy to determine whether covers a
rental car in case of an accident. If you choose to purchase rental car insurance, please deduct the amount
and add a note in the comments of the car rental section in your Chrome River expense report.
NMSI does not reimburse rental car upgrades. If you choose a vehicle upgrade, GPS, XM Radio, etc., please
deduct the amount and add a note in Chrome River explaining the difference between the rental car receipt
and requested reimbursement amount.

Home to Event Rental car reimbursement is limited to one car per four teachers who are from the same
campus and attending training at the same location for the same days. For longer distances, it is expected that
you will select the most effective and economical travel.

Airport to Event Participants who fly to a location for training may rent a car or use other types of
transportation, such as a ridesharing service, taxi or public transportation, while in the city/town of the training.
NMSI will reimburse participants for that transportation through the submission of receipts in Chrome River.
Rental car reimbursement is limited to one car per four teachers who are from the same campus and attending
training at the same location for the same days. Do not purchase rental car insurance or upgrades as these
are non-reimbursable expenses.

Guidelines for Air Travel

Individuals traveling more than 200 miles from the training site are eligible for air travel. Teachers traveling 200
miles and under are not eligible for air transportation.
• All flights must be booked through Egencia and are directly billed to NMSI. Reservations
made outside of Egencia will not be reimbursed without prior written approval from
NMSILogistics@nms.org.
• All air and ground travel must be booked through Egencia no later than 30 days from the start date
of the event. NMSI will not approve travel for flights booked beyond this deadline.
NMSI does not reimburse change ticket fees or seat upgrades. With the submission of mileage and/or
receipts through Chrome River, NMSI will compensate you for the expenses listed below.
o Roundtrip transportation to airport and home.
▪ Mileage to and from the airport and your home OR
▪ Fees for a taxi, ridesharing service or public transportation.
o Airport parking fees. It is expected that the most economical parking option will be used. DO
NOT use the airport valet or express parking.
o Airline fee for one checked bag per flight.

Please keep in mind that you must select a flight at or near the lowest logical fare provided by Egencia. If you
select a flight that is out of policy, it will be reviewed by NMSI staff within 48 hours of booking and you could
be required to select another flight. You will receive an email at the email address you provide from NMSI to
confirm approval or provide additional instructions.

Please note that you cannot leave a session early for travel purposes. Teachers may not book a flight home
earlier than 4 p.m. on Saturday for a Fall Two-Day Training, 6 p.m. on Friday for a Spring training or 6 p.m. on
the final day of summer training.

Car vs. Air Travel

NMSI expects everyone to use the most effective and economical mode of transportation.

REVISED 04.19.2018
Guidelines for Lodging

Individuals traveling more than 50 miles from their home to a training site are eligible for lodging. You must
select refundable rooms which show as “cancelable” in Egencia. “No show” fees will not be eligible for
reimbursement in Egencia.

You must book your hotel directly through Egencia. Please see the table below for the maximum number of
nights covered by NMSI.

Event Type Training Days Maximum Allowable Nights

Fall Two-Day Training Friday-Saturday 2

Spring Training Friday 1

Summer Institute Four training days 4

*If there is not a flight available to get you to your final destination by 10 p.m. the night before your event is
scheduled to begin, NMSI will approve an additional night’s stay at your hotel. In this case, prior written approval
must be received from NMSI prior to hotel reservations being made. Requests for approval must be sent to
NMSILogistics@nms.org.

Please keep the following in mind when booking your hotel:

• NMSI will directly pay your hotel (room & tax) and flight costs booked through Egencia
• NMSI will not reimburse or directly pay for flights, hotels or rental cars booked outside of Egencia
• NMSI will not approve any lodging in excess of the GSA Lodging Rate for each training location
• You will be required to provide your credit card upon check-in to the hotel for incidentals. If you provide
a debit card, most hotels will apply an immediate holding charge. You will be responsible for any
additional charges incurred outside of room & tax.
• Because your flight and hotel are billed directly to NMSI, there will be no need for you to upload your
receipts for these charges in Chrome River.

Attendees wishing to turn their NMSI sponsored travel into personal travel will only utilize Egencia for
the official, NMSI sponsored, portion of their lodging. All personal hotel accommodations will be made
outside of Egencia.

Guidelines for Meals

NMSI may provide meals and/or per diems for meals at events. Per diem requests must be submitted through
Chrome River and are paid after the event with other event expenses. When provided a per diem, you are not
required to provide receipts for meals as they are reimbursed based on the GSA per diem rate. You are solely
responsible for any meal spending over the per diem rate.

When Meals Are Not Provided

Overnight Stay
If NMSI does not provide meals at an event, teachers who are staying overnight will receive per diems for
breakfast ($11), lunch ($12) and dinner ($23). Teachers eligible for lodging will receive a dinner per diem
on the night before the first day of training and will receive per diems for breakfast, lunch and dinner for
each day of the training. If free breakfast is provided at the hotel, NMSI will not reimburse breakfast per
diem.
REVISED 04.19.2018
 No Overnight Stay
Teachers who travel to an event for the day and return home will receive a per diem for lunch ($12)
if lunch is not provided.

When Meals Are Provided

At some events, NMSI or the hotel may provide breakfast and/or lunch. Teachers will not receive a per
diem when meals are provided, either at the hotel or training site. NMSI’s policy follows the federal
accounting guidelines.

NON-REIMBURSEABLE EXPENDITURES
• Hotel Incidentals, including mini-bar charges, toiletry items, movies and laundry service
• Medical expenses while traveling
• Parking tickets, fines or traffic violations
• Wi-Fi (hotel or airplane)
• Airline change fees or seat upgrades
• Fees associated with non-service animals. Approval to travel with a service animal must be
requested by emailing NMSILogistics@nms.org at least 45 days prior to the event. The traveler is
responsible for identifying all additional costs (travel and lodging) that will be incurred because of a
service animal
• All additional costs not specifically authorized in this policy require prior authorization from
NMSILogistics@nms.org
• Any charges not related to NMSI events

Responsibility of Initial Costs

Please find below a summary of the costs initially paid by NMSI and those initially paid by you and reimbursed
by NMSI.
Travel Item Initially Paid by Cost Initially Paid Additional Information
NMSI by Teacher
Flight X When you book a flight through Egencia it
is charged to NMSI’s corporate account.
Car Rental X NMSI will not reimburse for upgrades or car
insurance on rental vehicles.
Cab/Ride X
Sharing
Hotel X When lodging is booked through Egencia
at or below the GSA rate, it is charged to
NMSI’s corporate account.
Food X Food expenses are reimbursed by NMSI at
a per diem rate.

REVISED 04.19.2018
Chrome River Travel Reimbursement Tips
It is required that you use Egencia to book NMSI travel (car, hotel, flight).

ALWAYS choose the most economical mode of transportation/travel.

Go to Chrome River.com to file for reimbursement. NAME YOUR REPORT with event, location and date. Follow
the example under the Report Name box. Be sure to use the network name instead of the school name for
location.

The date on each expense must be the actual date of service, not the date you submitted your report.

Select your Activity carefully. Begin by typing NMS, wait for the list to populate, and select the appropriate activity
(CRP, Mentoring, Student Study Sessions, Spring Training, CRP SI, LTF). You will never select NMSI101.

You can set up ACH direct deposit by clicking on your name in the upper righthand corner. Go to setting/personal
settings and you will see the banking options.

Dated, itemized, clear receipts are required for all expenses except for per diem meals. Electronically attach your
receipts to your expenses by dragging and dropping them from your computer to the area indicated in Chrome
River. Receipts must be in jpeg or other photo file format.

The FINAL ITEMIZED is required for rental car reimbursement. Go to the car rental car company website to get
this. An estimate of charges is not an acceptable receipt.

If you choose to drive over 200 miles, keep in mind that NMSI will reimburse up to $500 roundtrip of those travel
expenses.

Prior approval from NMSILogistics@nms.org is required for all out of policy expenses. Upload your approval
correspondence along with a receipt when submitting for reimbursement in Chrome River. Communicate any
irregularities through Chrome River in the notes.

Submit expenses within 30 days of attending. You will receive payment within two weeks of approval by Finance.

Check Chrome River often after submitting to see if your report has been returned needing corrections. To add an
expense after you have submitted, click on your report name and RECALL.

REVISED 04.19.2018
 TRAVEL & HOTEL INSTRUCTIONS

Thank you for registering for a NMSI training. We have engaging trainers and outstanding content
prepared to enhance your subject-matter expertise and your teaching.

The purpose of this document is to provide you will general guidelines for traveling to and from NMSI
events.

If attending a workshop (Fall Two-Day, Spring Training) or Summer Institute requires you to travel, NMSI
will directly pay for any required flights and your hotel room within the guidelines set below. NMSI will
also reimburse teachers for rental cars and some other expenses, based on the guidelines provided.

Please Note the following general guidelines for travel:

Personal Vehicle: Training Destination is less than 200 miles from your home you may drive your personal
vehicle and NMSI will compensate you for mileage to and from the training event and your home.

Rental Car: Training Destination is between 50-200 miles from your home, or you fly to a location for a
training event NMSI will pay for the cost of the car rental in lieu of the mileage reimbursement.

Air Travel: Training Destination is more than 200 miles from your home. Teachers traveling 200 miles or
less are not eligible for air travel.

NMSI Expects everyone to use the most effective and economical mode of transportation.

Quick Reference Guide

Making Travel Arrangements........................................................................................................................ 2
Booking Instructions ..................................................................................................................................... 2
FLIGHTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 2
HOTEL ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
GROUND TRANSPORTATION....................................................................................................................... 11
REIMBURSEMENTS...................................................................................................................................... 11
Making Travel Arrangements
I have an Egencia account
If you have used Egencia for NMSI travel, login at www.egencia.com and proceed following the
instructions below.

I do not have an Egencia account

Please email the NMSI Helpdesk at helpdesk@nms.org immediately so they can create your account.
Once that happens, you will receive your login credentials from Egencia. Once you have received your
credentials, login at www.egencia.com and proceed following the instructions below.

Booking Instructions
FLIGHTS
1. Select “Book” at the top left of the page, and then select “Flights” to search for flights from your
home airport to the destination airport for this event. Use the following parameters to choose
your flights:

• Arrive the day before the start of the event

• Depart the last day of the event after 4 P.M. for Fall Two-Day training and after 6 P.M. for
Spring Training and Summer Institutes
o If flight options are limited, talk with your NMSI Operations Coordinator or your
NMSI Program Manager
o Click the large blue “Search for Flights” button at the bottom of the screen.
2. The next screen is where you will select your flights.

• Egencia will show the Best value flight based on NMSI’s suggestions. You can click SELECT
button to choose this departure and return flight.
• If you would like to choose individual departure and return flights you will need to select
them in the list of available flights listed below.
o You will select a departure flight first (from your home airport). The next screen will
prompt you to select a departure flight (from the training location’s closest airport).
Remember not to select a return flight before 4 P.M. or 6 P.M. depending on your
training type to allow you to finish the entire day’s training and give sufficient travel
time to the airport.
3. Once you have selected your flights, you will be taken to the Flight Details page. Confirm that
the flights you have chosen are correct.

a. Review the rules and restrictions information.

b. Click the “I have read and accept the rules and restrictions” checkbox
c. Click the Continue to Checkout button.
 4. The next screen prompts you to enter trip preferences. You must enter the following
information under “Information Requested by Your Company:”

a) School Association: Please select your home school from the dropdown menu
b) Purpose of Travel: Please select the appropriate training from the dropdown menu
c) Training Site: Please select the event and training site you are traveling to (for example:
Spring Training, Atlanta, GA)
d) School Site Visited: Please select the training location.

Once you have completed this information, click “Continue.”

 5. On the next page, your personal information must be entered in the “TSA Secure Flight” section.
You cannot continue booking without this.

When you are done, click “Continue.”

6. The last page provides a review of your travel and payment information. Depending on the
airline you may be prompted to select your seat location. Under “Payment Information,” select
Teacher Card. This will ensure that your flight is billed directly to NMSI. Be sure to scroll to the
bottom and select “Complete the purchase.”

Once the flight is booked via Egencia you will get final confirmation after NMSI has reviewed and
approved the travel. Upon NMSI review and approval you will receive an email confirmation from
Egencia. Review that email carefully.

HOTEL
You will book all hotel accommodations directly through Egencia. We will no longer reserve blocks of
rooms for each training. This will allow you to select the hotel of your choice near the training location.
Please find below a few helpful reminders:

• NMSI will directly pay your hotel (room & tax) and flight costs booked through Egencia
• NMSI will not reimburse or directly pay for travel booked outside of Egencia
• NMSI will not approve any lodging in excess of the GSA Lodging Rate for each training location
(this rate is automatically accounted for in Egencia, this link is provided for informational
purposes only)
• You will be required to provide your credit card upon check-in to the hotel for incidentals. If you
provide a debit card most hotels will apply an immediate holding charge. You will be responsible
for any additional charges incurred outside of room & tax.
• Because your flight and hotel are billed directly to NMSI, there will be no need for you to upload
your receipts for these charges in Chrome River.

Booking Instructions

1. Visit our travel site, Egencia, at www.egencia.com to book travel. If you do not have an Egencia
account, please email the NMSI Help Desk at helpdesk@nms.org to obtain one.
2. Enter your name, the address of the training location, and the dates lodging will be needed and
select “Search Hotels.”

3. Select your desired hotel within the appropriate price range. Please note, you must select a
hotel that says “Paid by my Company” as those are hotels that can be billed to the NMSI card.
You must select refundable rooms which show as “cancelable”.
4. Select your preferred room. Please note, you must select a hotel that says “Paid by my
Company” as those are hotels that can be billed to the NMSI card. You must select refundable
rooms which show as “cancelable”.
5. If applicable, enter any personal loyalty program numbers to receive credit for your stay. Then,
complete the information requested by NMSI:

a) School Association: Please select your home school from the dropdown menu
b) Purpose of Travel: Please select the appropriate training from the dropdown menu
c) Training Site: Please select the event and training site you are traveling to (for example:
Spring Training, Atlanta, GA)
d) School Site Visited: Please select the training location.
On the same screen, you will also need to select the NMSI AMEX card for payment and select “Book
Now”.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION
If you are flying to a location for training you may rent a car or use other types of transportation such as
Uber, taxi, or public transportation. NMSI will provide reimbursement for the cost of a rental car for travel
to and from the event. NMSI suggests that teachers traveling from the same campus share a rental car.
Rental car reimbursement is limited to one car per each four teachers who are from the same campus and
attending training at the same location for the same days. NMSI will reimburse participants for other types
of transportation with the submission of receipts.

If one or more other teachers from your school is attending the training, determine who will rent a car for
the group.

To book a rental car you will need to login to Egencia at www.egencia.com.

1. Select “Book” at the top left of the page, and then select “Cars” to search for rental cars.
2. Choose your pick-up location
3. Choose your Drop-off location
4. Choose your pick-up and drop-off dates and times
5. In the next screen you will review the available option and choose “Select” on the car you wish
rent
6. In the Car Details page please review the rates information and rules and restrictions
7. At the bottom of the screen under Select an option, click Continue to checkout
8. Continue the checkout process

Additional rental care guidelines and information:

• If you do not have personal auto insurance, do not rent a car.

• Your personal auto insurance may cover the rental car in case of an accident. Check your personal
auto insurance policy to determine if it covers a rental car.
• You are requested to stay within $50/day unless there is not an option or you have special
circumstances.
• More than one teacher can be listed as a driver.
• If prompted, select Teacher Travel as the approver for your rental car reservation.
• NMSI cannot reimburse for the cost of rental insurance.
• NMSI does not reimburse for add-on navigation services or rental car upgrades

REIMBURSEMENTS
After the event, you will need to submit receipts for the car rental, parking, gas, and other travel related
expense in Chrome River to be reimbursed for these expenses. You can access Chrome River at Chrome
River.com.

If you do not have a Chrome River account login and password, please reach out to the NMSI Helpdesk
at helpdesk@nms.org to request your credentials. This must be a separate email from your request to
create an Egencia account. You will have 30 days from the date of the event to submit your
reimbursement in Chrome River.
If you have general questions around travel, or require special circumstances approval, please reach NMSI
Program Delivery and Operations(PDO)team at nmsilogistics@nms.org.

For more detailed travel information please read the NMSI Teacher Travel Policy that can be found here:
NMSI 2018-19 TEACHER Travel Policy.

Thank you!

National Math + Science Initiative Program Delivery and Operations Team

 Chrome River at a Glance

1. Go to Chrome River.com and log in.

2. Look on the bottom right hand of the dashboard for the Chrome River Quick
Start for detailed instructions.
3. +New at the upper right starts a new expense report.
4. Name your report by Event, Location, Date of Event (2 Day Baton Rouge LA
11/3/17)
5. Add expenses by clicking the + in the middle of your screen.
a. Select the desired mosaic button. Buttons with arrows will display additional options.
b. Date: Change the date to reflect the date of the expense. (For multiple nights in a
hotel or car rental, use the date of the first day.)
c. Spent: Enter the amount.
d. Business Purpose: Use this field to explain the expense. This would also be an
excellent place to explain extraordinary circumstances and the name of the school,
school district and state.
e. Receipt Attached box should already be checked.
f. ONLY CHECK THE COST CENTER OVERRIDE BOX IF you are a teacher in our
program who needs to expense items to somewhere other than your home school.
For instance, we do have some teachers who on occasion present. In that case, the
teacher's home school shouldn't be paying the expenses.
g. Activity: Begin by typing in your activity OR type NMS and that will pull up every
activity. Ie: math, LTF, CRP, etc. Please choose this activity carefully! (For fall or
spring training, type in 102 or day. For SSS, type in stu.) Hint: Teachers and
Consultants will never use NMSI101 or 9999 personal/non- reimbursable.)
h. Select: Choose the location. Again, please choose this carefully!
i. +Add Allocation: This is for splitting expenses. If you did an SSS and stayed for
Mentoring,
for instance, you would need to charge some expenses to the SSS and some to
Mentoring.
j. Upload Attachments: Easily upload receipts from your desktop by clicking the blue
box in the lower right-hand corner called "Upload Attachments." For other receipt
uploading instructions, see Chrome River Quick Start.
k. Once complete, hit SAVE to add transaction.
l. Continue adding expenses by clicking on the + until you have entered all your
expenses.
m. add your receipts until each expense has a paperclip next to the Pay Me amount
(Meals/Per Diem is the only exception. NO RECEIPTS REQUIRED FOR PER DIEM.)
Click on any expense on the left-hand side and notice the UPLOAD ATTACHMENTS in
a blue box on the lower right-hand side. Click on this to upload your receipts to
attach to each expense.
6. To submit an open expense report, click SUBMIT in the upper right-hand corner of the
Expense Entry Screen. To submit the report from the DRAFT expenses list, highlight the
report title and click SUBMIT on the right-hand side.
7. Email helpdesk@nms.org for login assistance.
8. Please read the Chrome River quick start for expense submission detailed instructions.
9. We strictly enforce the reimbursement deadlines and the travel policy. You can find the most
updated version attached to your emailed assignment AND on the Chrome River dashboard.
EXPENSE EXPRESS Training Guide

Quick Start Guide

www.Chrome River.com
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

Table of Contents
Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide................................................................... 2
Launching and Logging in to the Chrome River Application .................................... 2
First Log In ..................................................................................................................... 2
Regular Log In ................................................................................................................ 2
Creating a New Expense Report .............................................................................. 3 -5
Adding Receipts ....................................................................................................... 5-6
Upload PDF Receipts ..................................................................................................... 5
Email or Fax PDF Receipts With Cover Page ................................................................ 6
Email Memo Receipts .................................................................................................... 7
Submitting a Report ..................................................................................................... 8
Policy Compliance Warnings & Violations ...................................................................... 8
Report Tracking ............................................................................................................ 9
Inquiry Reports ............................................................................................................. 9
Creating a shortcut on your phone ..................................................................... 10-11
Android Users .............................................................................................................. 10
IOS Users .................................................................................................................... 11

pg. 1
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-StartGuide

This guide will give you the basics needed to hit the ground running with Chrome River EXPENSE. Detailed user
guides are available in the Chrome River Help Center, accessible via the “Help” link in the upper right-hand corner of
the application. (Click on your name in the upper right-hand corner and a menu of options will appear.) We also
included helpful documents on your dashboard that are produced just for NMSI. All help from the Help Center was
created for all Chrome River users so there are instructions for items we do not reimburse. Always refer to the
NMSI Travel Policy (on your dashboard).

Launching and Logging in to the Chrome River

Launch Chrome River from any web browser at https://app.Chrome River.com/login. You
must disable pop-up blockers for www.Chrome River.com in order to view and print PDF
reports. Click the links below to access instructions for the most common web browsers.
• Internet Explorer (Internet Explorer 11 or newer is required)
• Chrome
• Safari

FIRST LOGIN (New Users Only)

Click the Forgot Password link and enter your email address. Chrome River will send you an email with a
temporary password. You will be prompted to set your own unique password. Each time you login, you
will enter the information below (under Regular Login) unless you check the Remember Me box.

REGULAR LOGIN (Existing Users and New Users once they've set a unique password)
Complete the Login Screen:

i. User ID: Your login code

ii. Password: Password chosen by you
iii. Company ID: www.nms.org

pg. 2
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

Creating a New Expense Report AND Proper Report Title Naming

A new expense report can be created for each event (SSS, 2-Day, LTF, CRPSI, Mentoring, etc.), or events can be combined into
a single report.
1. From the Home Dashboard, click the + New in the upper right-hand corner.
2. Expense Entry Screen will appear.

a. Report Name: Event Type, Location, Date (SSS AZ Buena 4/21/17)

Event Type:
Fall 2 Day CRP Summer Institute
Mentoring* Spring Training
Content LTF
SSS
***Note: If your Report Name is not in the proper format (modeled above), it will be returned to you
so that you can make corrections and it will DELAY your payment.
*Mentoring report title format NYC: NYC F2F Mentee Name Date of Mentoring
OR NYC SSS Mentee Name Date of Mentoring (if submitting a combined report)
ONE MENTEE PER EXPENSE REPORT
b. Save
There are two main options for adding expenses when clicking the + button
a. Direct - create "cash" out of pocket transaction
b. Off Line - emailed items, receipt images & HTML emails

pg. 3
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

DIRECT EXPENSES:
a. Select the desired mosaic button. Buttons with arrows will display additional options.

b. Date: Change the date to reflect the date of the expense. (For multiple nights in a hotel or
car rental, use the date of the first day.)
c. Spent: Enter the amount.
d. Business Purpose: Use this field to explain the expense. This would also be an excellent place to
explain extraordinary circumstances and the name of the school, school district and state.
e. Receipt Attached box should already be checked.
f. ONLY CHECK THE COST CENTER OVERRIDE BOX IF you are a teacher in our program who
needs to expense items to somewhere other than your home school. For instance, we do have
some teachers who on occasion present. In that case, the teacher's home school shouldn't be
paying the expenses.
g. Activity: Begin by typing in your activity OR type NMS and that will pull up every activity. Ie: math,
LTF, CRP, etc. Please choose this activity carefully! (For fall or spring training, type in 102 or day.
For SSS, type in stu.) Hint: Teachers and Consultants will never use NMSI101 or 9999
personal/non- reimbursable.)
h. Select: Choose the location. Again, please choose this carefully!
i. +Add Allocation: This is for splitting expenses. If you did an SSS and stayed for Mentoring, for
instance, you would need to charge some expenses to the SSS and some to Mentoring.

pg. 4
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

j. Upload Attachments: Easily upload receipts from your desktop by clicking the blue box in the lower
right-hand corner called "Upload Attachments." For other receipt uploading instructions, read
below.
k. Once complete hit SAVE to add transaction.
l. Continue adding expenses by clicking on the + until you have entered all your expenses.
m. Now, it is time to add your receipts until each expense has a paperclip next to the Pay Me amount
(see left hand side above) and meaning all receipts have been uploaded. (Meals/Per Diem is the
only exception. NO RECEIPTS REQUIRED FOR PER DIEM.) Click on any expense on the left-hand
side and notice the UPLOAD ATTACHMENTS in a blue box on the lower right-hand side. Click on this
to upload your receipts to attach to each expense. Or, you can upload them all into one expense
and drop and drag the individual expenses. (Try it! It's pretty cool!)

pg. 5
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

OFFLINE TRANSACTIONS:
These are "cash" receipts sent in using “Snap & Send”, or HTML emails sent to
expensememo@chromefile.com . The transactions are treated as an out of pocket expense. Please see
receipt section below for a detailed picture.
3. In the preview pane on the right side of the screen, you can see a summary of the expenses you
have added and add notes, receipts and items to your expense report.

4. After the expenses have been added to the report, click SUBMIT if you are done or click CLOSE return to
the Expense Dashboard.

Attaching Receipt Images

Receipt images may be uploaded as a PDF, JPG, or GIF, emailed, or faxed to be immediately attached to your
expense report.

U P L O AD PDF R EC E I PT S
If you choose to upload PDF receipts, the maximum size for a single upload is 5 MB, and the combined size of
all the PDF, JPG, or GIF uploaded must be 100 MB or less. From Within the Expense Report: On the
Expense Entry Screen, click on the Upload Attachments. Click on Browse File to Attach to attach your
images file(s). Once uploaded, you can drag & drop the receipts on to the desired expense item. This action will
link the image to the line item.

From the Expense type: Highlight the expense type to which you would like to attach receipts. Click Browse File
to Attach to attach your images file(s).

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 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

E M AIL O R FAX PDF R ECEIPTS W I T H COV E R P AGE

Attaching receipt images by fax or email allows you to bypass the file-size limitation on images uploaded
through the application. It is also the only way to submit images as TIFF files. Note that images must be
grayscale, with a preferred resolution of 200 dpi, 300 dpi, or 150 dpi (in that order). Only PDFs and TIFFs can
be accepted.

i. Highlight the draft expense report to

which you would like to attach
receipts. Click PDF in the navigation
bar.
ii. Select COVER PAGE to generate a cover
page with a unique expense ID barcode.
iii. Send the stacked cover page and receipt(s) to
Chrome River by fax or by scanning and emailing
them.
i. Fax number: 214-540-1162
ii. Email address: expense@chromefile.com
iv. You will receive an email confirmation
message if the submission is successful or a
detailed error message if it fails.

pg. 7
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

EMAIL MEMO R EC E I PT S “ SN A P & SEN D ”

Chrome River’s Email Memo feature allows you to use your smartphone to create new expense items—with or
without images—for later attachment to an expense report online. Receipts submitted this way must be JPGs of
less than 5 MB.
1. Use your phone to take a photo of the receipt.
2. Draft a new message containing the following information.
a. To: expensememo@chromefile.com
b. From: your.name@your.company.com (optional)
c. Subject: xx.xx [dollar amount] This is an optional field. You can leave blank and allow OCR
to populate.
d. Body: For [x] business purpose This is an optional field. You can add additional information
for description if desired.
3. The "From" email address must be the one associated with your account in Chrome River EXPENSE
online.
4. Attach the receipt photo.
5. Send the message to expensememo@chromefile.com.
6. Once it is received, you will be able to view and attach the email memo in the Offline section or
Receipt Gallery. If entering as Offline that will create a cash out of pocket transactions using the
amount and Receipt Gallery will allow you to just add the receipt.

pg. 8
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

Submitting a Report
• To submit an open expense report, click SUBMIT in the upper right-hand corner of the Expense
Entry Screen.
• To submit the expense report from the Draft Expenses List, highlight it in the grid on the Expense
Dashboard. Click SUBMIT in the navigation bar.
After you click SUBMIT, you will be prompted to certify that the expenses are correct and for legitimate business
purposes and reminded that you have 15 days to submit your report. Any expenses turned in after the
15 days might result in failure to receive payment and future consulting work with NMSI.

• Clicking SUBMIT again will send the report to the first step in the approval routing process. NMSI's approval
process is a two-step process ending with finance approval.

POLICY COM PL I A N C E W A R N IN G S & V IO LA TIO N S

A breach of policy will trigger a warning or violation message when you click SUBMIT.

• A compliance warning indicates that additional information is required before the expense can be
submitted for approval and processing and indicates that the expense cannot be submitted for
approval and payment based on NMSI's policies. Click on the red warning symbol and edit (upper
right-hand side next to delete) the data and add comments. Then click SAVE to proceed. When
you've made all your corrections, you are ready to submit.

•
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide





Report Tracking
Once the expense report has been submitted, it will appear in the Submitted Expense Reports list. From here, you
can track its progress through the approval routing process by highlighting the report and clicking TRACKING.

***Note: Checks are exported Tuesdays, printed Wednesdays and mailed late Thursday afternoons. Direct
deposits are exported Thursdays and usually show up in your bank the following Tuesday. To make the export,
the report must be all the way through approvals on the day before the export. Just because your report says
"PAID" in Chrome River, it doesn't mean that you will see the money yet. The paid date indicates when the
money leaves OUR bank. Please use this tracking to see where your report is in the approval process.

Inquiry Reports
The Inquiry Dashboard (located at the top left) allows you to create reports and perform quick inquiries on all
your activity by category: expense reports, expense items, delegates, calendar, credit card items, firm-paid
items, approvals and paid expenses.

pg. 9
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

CREATING A SHORTCUT ON YOUR PHONE FOR QUICK ACCESS

For ANDROID Users:

1. Open your browser and go to: app.Chrome River.com
2. Click on the 3 dots in the upper right-hand corner.
3. Select Add to Home Screen

pg. 10
 Chrome River EXPENSE: Quick-Start Guide

For IPhone Users:

1. Do not download the app from the Apple store.
2. Open your browser and go to: app.Chrome River.com
3. Click on box with the arrow pointing up in the bottom of your screen.
4. Select Add to Home Screen

For both phone types, the icon should now display on your phones home screen. You can click on the app icon for
direct access.

pg. 11
 Timeline of Activities

Approximate Dates
March – April School and teacher onboarding
Program Teachers register in NMSI platform
Student Study Session Dates and Locations Selected
Partner School Director, AP MSE teachers & Site Coordinator receive
Letters of Expectation and Support
Partner School Director & Site Coordinators Identified for NMSI
Approximate Dates
June - August NMSI’s CRP Summer Institute
NMSI’s Laying the Foundation Teacher Training

August - September Mentor Matching and Blackboard Lounges opens

Saturday Study Session Dates and testing expectation is
communicated to students
Program Manager Visit (onsite or virtual)
Schools begin submitting AP Student Rosters by Course
AP Kick Off and/or Celebration Events scheduled

October – November Teachers attend NMSI Fall Two-Day Workshop

Student Study Sessions Begin
Program Manager Visit (onsite or virtual)
All AP Course Supplies Ordered & Receipts returned (no later than
Dec 1st)

December- February Student Study Sessions Continue

Schools develop a Mock Exam Calendar & begin administering Mock
Exams
Program Manager Visit (onsite or virtual)

March – April Mock AP Exams Administered

Teachers attend NMSI’s Spring One-Day Training
Teachers approve AP Student Rosters
Student Study Sessions Continue
Program Manager Visit (onsite or virtual)
Teacher stipend and honorariums

May AP Exam Administration

At this point, the cycle repeats throughout the Term of the MOU
with the following additional activities:
August – October Verification of AP scores for teaching awards
Verification of AP scores for student payments