COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 85
April 22, 2005
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo
Lynne DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Announcement
of Award Opportunity for a Comprehensive School Reform Grant (CSR), Title I,
Part F, of the No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001 |
The
Department of Education is pleased to announce a sixth round of competitive
grants under the United States Department of Educations Comprehensive School
Reform (CSR) program. The purpose of the grant initiative is to provide
financial incentives for whole-school reform, specifically in high-poverty
schools that are not succeeding in effectively teaching all children.
Eligible
Applicants:
Eligible for Comprehensive School Reform funding are schools that meet the division
and school criteria listed below.
Division Criteria:
The school must be located in a school
division that has, based on the 2003-2004 Standards of Learning assessments,
the following:
1) Sixty (60) percent to 100
percent of its schools warned under the Regulations Establishing Standards for
Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia(SOA) and
2) Sixty (60) percent to 100
percent of its schools not making
adequate yearly progress (AYP) in
reading (English/language arts) or mathematics or both
reading and mathematics
1) The school did not make
AYP in:
a) Reading (English/language arts)or
b) Mathematics or
c) Both reading and mathematics
2) The school must be accredited with warning.
Priority
will be given to schools with the lowest AYP performance (all students or by
subgroups) in reading (English/language arts) and mathematics. Priority will
also be given to schools that did not make AYP in both reading
(English/language arts) and mathematics and are warned in English/language arts
or mathematics or both. Successful applicants will receive a maximum annual
award of $300,000, renewable for two additional years, provided federal funds
are available.
School Reform Models. Eligible schools that have
been identified as those among the lowest performing schools will receive
special assistance from the Department of Education in selecting an appropriate
model. Applicants are encouraged to examine Appendix A, which contains four
research-based models or concepts that have gained national recognition or that
have proven successful in Virginia schools.
The
Department of Educations Technical Assistance Resource Document,
Models/Programs That Include Instructional Methods That Have Proven to be
Successful with Low Achieving Students, may also be used. This document can be
found at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2004/inf235a.pdf
Conditions for Awarding
CSR Grants. The conditions for awarding
CSR grants are:
(1) Implementing
reforms based on scientifically-based research components and effective
practices. These components can be found in Attachment B.
(2) Agreeing to undergo an end-of-year student achievement
evaluation review before approval for second- and third-year funding.
(3) Consenting to receive regular monitoring
visits by technical assistance providers to assist with program implementation.
(4) Sending a school team to the Department of Educations
CSR professional development trainings throughout the grant period.
Required
Training for Applicants. A required technical assistance session will be
provided for all potential applicants. The superintendent, a representative of
the central office elementary or secondary instructional team, the Title I
coordinator, the school principal, and a lead teacher should attend the
training. The training will focus on the procedure for applying for CSR funds.
The training will be held Wednesday, May 18, 2005,
from
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Sheraton Park South, 9901
Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, Virginia
23235. The
Department of Education will provide lunch and
breaks.
On-site registration will begin at 8 a.m. Directions
to the
hotel
can be found at http://hotels.sidestep.com/hoteldetails/
us/va/richmond/sheraton_park_south_hotel.
Registration Information. Registration will be
managed by the Outreach Program Services at Virginia Tech. Attachment C
contains a registration form to be returned by fax on or before May 12, 2005,
to Nancy Rakes, conference registrar, at Virginia Tech. Her fax number is (540) 231-3306. If for any reason attendance plans change,
please contact Ms. Rakes (nancyr@vt.edu) at
(540) 231-2922.
Application Submission. The grant application
packet will
be available at the workshop. Applications must be received
at the Department of Education
by 4 p.m., Friday, June 17,
2005.
If you have questions,
please contact Mrs. Martha Chacon-Rodriguez, CSR specialist, at Martha.Chacon-Rodriguez@doe.virginia.gov
or (804) 371-2932.
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf085a.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf085b.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf085c.doc