INFORMATIONAL

  Enclosed are the informational materials pertaining to the
  1998-99 Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development (Title
  II) Grant. Eisenhower funds are distributed on a formula basis
  to school divisions for the primary purpose of providing
  professional development activities to teachers and other
  professional staff in support of the implementation of the
  Standards of Learning. Virginia's waiver in 1996 makes it
  possible to address all four core academic areas: mathematics,
  science, English, and history and social science through 1998-99.
  We expect to receive an extension to this waiver through 2001.

  To receive funding, the 1998-2001 Needs Assessment and Three-Year 
  Plan, and the 1998-99 Eisenhower application must be completed 
  and submitted by January 31, 1999.  Two new forms, listed below, 
  have been added to the application packet to ensure compliance 
  with federal guidelines.

        Cost-Sharing Contribution (Form B-4)

  Each LEA must document that it provides not less than 33%
     of the cost of the Eisenhower activities and must match
     every two dollars of Eisenhower funds to public schools
     with one dollar of local, state, or federal funds.  It is
     the responsibility of each LEA to show how this cost-sharing
     contribution will be made.  Divisions
     participating in the SOL Teacher Training Initiative may
     use these state funds to meet the cost-sharing
     contribution requirement.

        Reading Priority Budget (Form B-6)

   During the 1998-99 school year, each LEA must devote at
     least 7.5% of its Title II allocation to support
     professional development in reading.


  We realize that this is a comprehensive application. However,
  to be in compliance with federal guidelines, including the
  necessity for a triennial needs assessment and three-year plan
  that are due in 1998, additional forms are necessary. 


  The needs assessment and three-year plan will also be applied
  to the Eisenhower grants in 1999-2000 and in 2000-2001. In
  light of this, you may want to begin thinking about your 
  1999-2000 and 2000-2001 Eisenhower grants. The applications for
  these two years will require only a description of the
  activities and the associated  budgets. In order to have the
  maximum time in which to expend the funds, you will be
  receiving these two applications by the first of July in 1999
  and in 2000, respectively.  

  To allow for a thorough needs assessment, the application
  deadline  for the 1998 Eisenhower grant has been delayed until
  after the passing scores on the SOL tests have been determined
  and results have been reported to school divisions. At the
  request of Eisenhower coordinators, the application is being
  made available now so that they may begin the process of
  coordinating this grant for professional development with the
  SOL teacher training initiative. 

  Later this summer, to facilitate the application process, each
  Eisenhower coordinator will receive a computer diskette
  containing forms A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6,
  B-7, B-8, and B-9, and attachments 3, 4, and 5. The
  attachments are provided to assist in completing the
  application. Eisenhower coordinators may want to refer to
  these attachments and, in particular,to  "Frequently Asked
  Questions and Answers" (Attachment 5), before writing the
  application.

  At the request of Eisenhower coordinators, there will be
  several application-writing workshops in November. In order to
  share ideas, there will be a peer review of applications
  conducted within regions.

  To receive funding, please submit the following documents by
  January 31, 1999:

        Forms A-1, A-2, and A-3 (one original); and
        Forms B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, and B-6, and applicable
          forms B-7, B-8, and B-9 (one original and one copy).





  The completed forms should be mailed to:
  Marcia D. Perry, Eisenhower Program Coordinator
  Virginia Department of Education
  P. O. Box 2120
  Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120

  Should you have any questions or need additional information,
  please call Dr. Perry at (804) 786-7076 or send e-mail to
  mperry@pen.k12.va.us. 

  PAS/mdp

  Enclosures: 

        Overview of the 1998-1999 Dwight D. Eisenhower
          Professional Development Program

        Summary Needs Assessment and Three-Year Plan for the 
          1998-2001 Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional
          Development Programs

        Application for the 1998-1999 Dwight D. Eisenhower
          Professional Development Program

        A set of attachments to assist in completing the
          application: 
        Title II 1998-99 Allocation of Funds (Attachment 1),
        1998-99 Title II Special Computations (Attachment
          2), 
        Strategies for Professional Development (Attachment
          3),
        Indicators That Might Be Used to Evaluate Eisenhower
           Professional Development Programs (Attachment 4),
        and Frequently-Asked Questions and Answers
          (Attachment 5)


  c:    Eisenhower Project Coordinators