Striving Readers Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Comprehensive Literacy

ProgramProgram

Technical Assistance Webinar for Technical Assistance Webinar for the Discretionary Grant the Discretionary Grant

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Striving Readers Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Comprehensive Literacy

ProgramProgram

Technical Assistance Webinar for the Technical Assistance Webinar for the Discretionary Grant CompetitionDiscretionary Grant Competition

U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Elementary and Secondary Education

April 8, 2011

Striving Readers Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Comprehensive Literacy (SRCL)(SRCL)Is a comprehensive literacy

development and education program to advance literacy skills, including pre-literacy, reading, and writing, for students from birth through grade 12, including English learners and students with disabilities

Authorized by the FY2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Pub. L No. 111-117) under the demonstration authority in section 1502 of the ESEA

SRCL Formula GrantsSRCL Formula Grants

There are two parts to this program.

First: $10 million in formula funding◦For the creation/maintenance of

comprehensive state literacy teams and the development of comprehensive state literacy plans.

◦Funds awarded October 10, 2010◦Draft Literacy Plans submitted February

1, 2011

SRCL Competitive GrantsSRCL Competitive GrantsSecond: $178 million in competitive funding

◦ ONLY to SEAs◦ For competitive subgrants to LEAs and early

learning providers to provide literacy services◦ Notice Inviting Applications published in the

Federal Register March 10, 2011 (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/pdf/2011-5545.pdf)

◦ Notice of Intent to Apply (optional) April 4, 2011

◦ Closing deadline May 9, 2011◦ Grants to be awarded by September, 2011

SRCL FY2010 FundingSRCL FY2010 FundingThe appropriation for Striving

Readers is $200 million and breaks down as follows: ◦One-half percent set-asides for BIE and

Outlying Areas ($1,000,000 each)◦Five percent for National Activities

($10,000,000)◦$10 million for formula grants to SEAs

for State Literacy Teams, with no State receiving less than $150,000

◦Remainder for competitive grants to SEAs (roughly $178 million)

How is this program How is this program different?different?Birth to grade 12Comprehensive literacy:

◦ Considers literacy at all age/grade levels, including difficult transition grades

◦ Aligns with State standards◦ Involves working with other agencies,

programs, stakeholders◦ Addresses literacy across content areas

Broader view of literacy than previous programs – pre-literacy, reading and writing

Striving Readers Adolescent Striving Readers Adolescent LiteracyLiteracy

Important to understand: SRCL is slightly different from the Striving

Readers Adolescent Literacy program but funded under the same authority (Section 1502 of the ESEA) .

The Adolescent Literacy Program was funded from 2005 to 2009. Its last appropriation in FY 2009 was roughly $35 million. Awards were made to LEAs in 2006 and SEAs in 2009.

Its purpose is to build a strong, scientific research base for identifying and replicating strategies that improve adolescent literacy skills.

SRCL Formula GrantsSRCL Formula GrantsState Literacy Teams must develop and

implement comprehensive literacy plans that address the needs of children from birth to grade 12, particularly English learners and children with disabilities.

$10 million in formula funds for State Literacy Teams was awarded October 2010.

Under the Title I formula, most States received $150,000.

States submitted DRAFT plans to the Department on February 1, 2011. The Department will not share comments on plans until after competition but many States have posted their plans on their websites.

SRCL Competitive GrantsSRCL Competitive GrantsWho is eligible? State educational

agencies (SEAs) A state education agency (SEA), or state

department of education, is a formal governmental label for the state-level government agencies within each U.S. state responsible for providing information, resources, and technical assistance on educational matters to schools and residents.

Grant Award OverviewGrant Award OverviewGrants to SEAs will be awarded up to 5

yearsAt three years, ED will consider

performance indicators to determine funding for years 4-5

Estimated range of awards: $3,000,000 - $70,000,000 per year

Estimated number of awards: 3-18Maximum award amounts

◦ Applicants may request up to their categorical award limit per year (see Notice for amounts)

◦ Applicants may submit budget for up to five years

Award Limits Per Year, by Award Limits Per Year, by StateState Category 1 –up to $70 million: California, Texas Category 2 –up to $50 million: Florida, Georgia, Illinois,

Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico

Category 3 –up to $30 million: Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington

Category 4 –up to $15 million: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Utah

Category 5 –up to $8 million: Alaska, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming

* These limits were determined by ranking every State according to its share of the national population of children in poverty ages 5 through 17 based on data from “Table 1: 2009 Poverty and Median Income Estimates—States” released by the Small Area Estimates Branch of the U.S. Census Bureau in December, 2010.

Award Limits (cont)Award Limits (cont)FAQ-Do the budget limits included in the Notice

Inviting Applications cap the total funding that a State can receive for the entire five year grant period, or do the budget limits apply for a single year of the grant?

Answer-The budget limits are for each annual

performance period, not for the entire grant period.  Thus, an applicant may propose a five year budget including annual requests up to the relevant budget cap. 

SEA Uses of FundsSEA Uses of FundsSEAs may use up to 5% for State

leadership activitiesSEAs must award 95% of funding to

LEAs and early childhood providers, using the following formula: ◦ 15% for birth to pre-K; ◦ 40% for grades K-5; and ◦ 40% for grades 6-12, with equitable

distribution between middle and high school. SEAs must design a comprehensive

literacy program

Is there flexibility in the Is there flexibility in the subgrant percentages?subgrant percentages?No, the distribution of the funds is set by

statute. Each grantee (SEA) must ensure that the total amount of subgrant funds be spent according to the percentages.

However, it is not necessary for an SEA to run three separate subgrant competitions for each funding distribution band. For example, SEAs could make comprehensive (B-12) subgrant awards.

In application, the SEA should clearly explain how it will design its subgrant competition to ensure compliance with the required funding distribution.

SEA Uses of Funds (cont.)SEA Uses of Funds (cont.)

Must fund services to children from birth to grade 12 “that have the characteristics of effective literacy instruction through professional development, screening and assessment, targeted interventions for students reading below grade level, and other research-based methods of improving classroom instruction and practice.”

Eligibility for SubgrantsEligibility for SubgrantsBy statute, eligible entities for subgrants

are: LEAs; or, In the case of early literacy, LEAs or other

nonprofit providers of early education that partner with a public or private nonprofit organization or agency with a demonstrated record of effectiveness in improving the early literacy development of children from birth through kindergarten entry and in providing professional development in early literacy, giving priority to agencies or other entities serving greater numbers or percentages of disadvantaged children.

Who is eligible for Who is eligible for subgrants?subgrants?FAQ: What entities are eligible for subgrants? Who

makes this determination?

Answer: For subgrants that will serve K-12 only, LEAs are

the only eligible entities. An LEA is a local educational agency. This is a legal status determined by State law and is most typically a school district. Charter schools may be LEAs in some States but not in others.

For subgrants that will serve birth through pre-K, SEAs must apply the statutory definition (on the previous slide).

Statutory and Program Statutory and Program RequirementsRequirementsThe Notice Inviting Applications

describes two kinds of program requirements:

Statutory requirementsAdditional requirementsApplicants are not required to address all

requirements in their application, but will be expected to comply with all requirements if funded.

Some selection criteria ask applicants to address these additional requirements

Absolute and Competitive Absolute and Competitive PrioritiesPrioritiesThe Notice includes two absolute

priorities and one competitive priority.

Absolute Priorities – applicant proposals must address Absolute Priorities 1 and 2 in order to be considered for funding.

Competitive Priority – applicant may address competitive priority and earn up to an additional five points. To receive points, priority must be addressed explicitly. Points assigned at the judgment of reviewers.

Absolute PrioritiesAbsolute Priorities

Priority 1: Improving Learning OutcomesTo meet this priority, an applicant must propose a project that is designed to improve school readiness and success through grade 12 in the area of language and literacy development for disadvantaged students (as defined in the Notice).

Definition of disadvantaged Definition of disadvantaged studentsstudentsThe term “disadvantaged students” means

children and students at risk of educational failure, such as children and students who are living in poverty, who are limited-English-proficient, who are far below grade level or who are not on track to becoming college- or career-ready by graduation, who have left school before receiving, respectively, a regular high school diploma, who are at risk of not graduating with a diploma on time, who are homeless, who are in foster care, who are pregnant or parenting teenagers, who have been incarcerated, who are new immigrants, who are migrant, or who have disabilities.

Absolute Priorities (cont)Absolute Priorities (cont)

Priority 2: Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making

To meet this priority, an applicant must propose a project that is designed to collect, analyze, and use high-quality and timely data, especially on program participant outcomes, in accordance with privacy requirements, to improve instructional practices, policies, and student outcomes in early learning settings and in elementary and secondary schools

Competitive PriorityCompetitive PriorityApplicants that meet the competitive preference

priority may receive up to an additional 5 points To meet this priority, an applicant must:

(1) propose to use technology - which may include technology to support principles of universal design for learning (as defined in the Notice) - to address student learning challenges; and (2) provide, in its application, an evidence-based (as defined in the Notice) rationale that the proposed technology program, practice, or strategy will increase student engagement and achievement or increase teacher effectiveness

Definition of universal Definition of universal designdesignUniversal design for learning (UDL): The term

“universal design for learning”, as defined under section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, means a scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice that—

(i) Provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and (ii) Reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including students with disabilities and students who are limited-English-proficient.

Selection CriteriaSelection CriteriaThere are 4 selection criteria:

(A) Quality of State-level activities (37 points)

(B) Quality of the State subgrant competition (28 points)

(C) Project management (15 points)(D) Adequacy of resources (20 points)

Full text of criteria provided in Notice and Application Package. Each criterion has several subcriteria

Quality of State-level Quality of State-level activitiesactivitiesIncludes: How SEA will align activities described

in “Additional Requirements” with its comprehensive literacy plan

SEA goals for improving literacy outcomes for all students

How SEA will provide technical assistance

How SEA will evaluate progressHow SEA will disseminate information

* For exact wording of criteria, see Notice.

Quality of State subgrant Quality of State subgrant competitioncompetitionIncludes: How SEA will run a rigorous, high-quality

competitionHow SEA will give priority to providers

serving high-poverty schools or childrenHow SEA will give priority to applications

supported by strong evidenceHow SEA will develop review process

and make process publicly available

* For exact wording of criteria, see Notice.

Project ManagementProject Management

Includes: Adequacy of Management planQualifications of key personnelEnsuring a diversity of

perspectives in design and implementation

* For exact wording of criteria, see Notice.

Adequacy of ResourcesAdequacy of Resources

Includes: Reasonableness of budget in relation to

proposed projectHow applicant plans to award subgrants

according to statutory requirementsHow applicant will leverage other State

and Federal fundsHow applicant will award subgrants of

sufficient size

* For exact wording of criteria, see Notice.

Tips for Preparing a Strong Tips for Preparing a Strong ApplicationApplication Important to remember that the application is

a contract. What is in the application must be implemented unless changes are approved.

Suggest you write the application in the order of the criteria. This will make it easier for reviewers to read, understand, and score.

Follow the page and font restrictions exactly. Don’t assume that readers know anything

about the project. Explain everything clearly. Have someone who doesn’t know about

Striving Readers read your application for feedback.

Tips for Preparing a Strong Tips for Preparing a Strong Application (cont)Application (cont)Don’t wait until the last day to submit the

application! Applicants should register in Grants.gov now and become familiar with the system.

Remember the things that will keep your application from being considered:◦ Applicant is not an eligible entity (SEA)◦ Requesting more than the budget limit for your State per

year◦ Missing the deadline (even by a minute)◦ Submitting application by e-mail or mail◦ Not addressing the Absolute Priorities

Limit attachments to necessary files that support the application narrative (should include indirect cost rate and resumes of key personnel)

State Literacy PlansState Literacy PlansFAQ: My State submitted a draft literacy plan to the

Department in February. Will reviewers consider this? Should I attach my State’s plan?

Answer: Reviewers will not have access to any

documents you may have submitted to ED, only what is included in your application.

States should not attach their literacy plans. Instead they should describe how their literacy plan addresses the selection criteria, in the project narrative.

Technical AssistanceTechnical AssistanceED will be using a portion of SRCL national

activities funds to award a contract for technical assistance in summer, 2011.◦ TA provider will help both formula and discretionary

grantees to implement comprehensive literacy programs.

◦ TA will include individualized assistance, trainings, conferences, collection of performance data, and identification of resources.

Contract will be coordinated with OESE’s technical assistance initiative. ◦ Emphasis on capacity-building and

coordination with other TA providers

ESEA ReauthorizationESEA ReauthorizationThe Effective Teaching and Learning: Literacy program ($383.3 million in the President’s FY12 budget request) would combine SRCL and other literacy programs

Would provide competitive grants to SEAs in order to support comprehensive State and local efforts aimed at improving literacy instruction from preschool through grade 12.

For more informationFor more information

For more information about SRCL, including complete application package, see: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/strivingreaders-literacy/index.html

Or contact: Deborah Spitz at deborah.spitz@ed.govMiriam Lund at miriam.lund@ed.govKatie Chase at katie.chase@ed.gov