Government Grant Sample #1

Cushing Public Schools

The following grant is a wonderful example of excellent planning, collaboration with area partners, program evaluation, and budget development. Objectives are specified and designed to directly meet the stated needs leading to the overall goal of the project. This is an actual federal proposal that was funded and contains all the typical parts to grants given by the federal and state government agencies.

Cushing Public Schools
21 st Century Community Learning Centers Application
March, 1998

Program Narrative

The proposed project, the Cushing Community Learning Center (CCLC), was developed in collaboration with school district personnel, community organizations, city and county representatives, students, and parents. Figure 1 presents a visual model of the CCLC's initial organization and operation of multiple sites (3). One of the strongest aspects of this program's extended day and extended year action plan is the ability to respond to changing needs and interests of the students and adults served and the willingness of the school district and the coalition to adapt to those needs.

(1) Need for the project.

(A) Provision of services for students at-risk of educational failure.

A series of meetings, held in November 1997 by three different organizations in Cushing, Oklahoma, discussed concerns for at-risk students in the Cushing community. Although these meetings were planned by different groups (Cushing Schools, Children's Medical Center, and the Advisory Board for the Cimarron Correctional Facility) for different purposes, all three groups came to a similar conclusion: the community needs to address the problem of excess, unsupervised idle time that allows Cushing youth to "to get into trouble." Cushing is a rural community with limited activities to offer children and youth. Many of these youth get into trouble because they are bored. Therefore, members of these three groups began to work together to assess the gaps in services for children and youth, to collaborate with public and private service providers, and to develop plans for addressing this problem. In the process, related needs were defined, primarily educational needs of at-risk children and their families. This proposal was developed to address those needs.

Many working parents cannot provide supervision and constructive activities for young people above the age of nine. They resist going to "baby care" programs. Too many youngsters must provide after-school care for their younger siblings. Citizen groups identified the need for a strong program that addresses these children's needs and entices them to take advantage of academic offerings through well-organized, relevant recreational options. Any viable plan must provide an environment that children and youth choose to attend. Underachieving children can. not be forced by their parents or their teachers to learn; they can be encouraged through support and by offering a complete program responsive to their interests and needs.

In the 1990's, Oklahoma has dramatically increased their academic standards, especially the number of required courses for high school graduation. Many college-bound and vocational-technical students from every economic strata are unable to fit electives into their academic schedules during the regular school day. The new requirements are so rigorous that most Oklahoma schools have shifted to seven-hour days and have moved athletics and other activities out of the school day; there is simply little room for electives.

This has created substantial problems for lower-performing students. Students who fail one or more subtests on the state criterion-referenced test require re-teaching in specific areas, but there is no time in which to do it. High school students who are credit deficient (failed one or more courses) often drop out of school because of a lack of opportunity to "catch up their credits." A three year study of Project GRADS drop out demonstration program housed at Central Area Vo-Tech School revealed that "none of the students who attended summer school dropped out of school" (GRADS Final Report, pg. 45, 1992). Additionally, all Oklahoma students must pass the 8 th grade reading test and be enrolled in school in order to obtain a driver's license when they reach age 16. Many students, often the disadvantaged, need additional reading instruction to reach this criterion. Classes offered in the extended day and extended year community learning center program will fill these gaps in service while providing a safe, secure environment that meets students' nutritional, recreational, cultural and academic needs.

The proposed CCLC brings a number of community organizations together in a collaborative effort to better serve at-risk youth and adult populations: Cushing Public Schools, City of Cushing, Cushing Police Department, Cushing Regional Hospital, Cushing Youth and Community Center, Cushing Board of Commissioners, Cushing's Oklahoma Parents as Teachers, Cushing Public Library, Cushing Literacy Council, Payne County Health Department, Cushing United Way, Cushing Community Education, Cushing Senior Citizen Center, Geographic Club, Cushing Community Theatre, Valley Hope Alcoholism & Drug Addiction Treatment Center, Sac & Fox Art Gallery, and the Cushing Arts & Humanities Council, as well as volunteers from other civic organizations and local churches. Letters of Participation are appended. The CCLC will remain under the direct supervision of the Cushing School District and the project director; however, the collaboration will be led by the Advisory Council (AC), which will be represented by participating organizations, students and parents served, and ethnic groups, such as the Sac and Fox Tribe. Since children may be intimidated by a large gathering of adults, a separate Kids Council for students will help formulate program offerings and be represented in the larger AC.

Oklahoma is primarily a rural state. Oklahoma has 547 public school districts. Over 80% of these districts are classified by the State Department of Education as rural. For enhanced convenience of the youth and their parents, CCLC will be offered at three sites within the school district: Harmony Elementary School, Cushing Middle School, and Cushing High School. Cushing is a rural school district, and having these 3 locations will help serve both those patrons who live in the country as well as those who live in town. Additional classes, such as aerobics, gymnastics or tumbling, dance team, cheerleading, racquetball, soccer, and some art classes requiring specific equipment may be taught at the Cushing Youth and Community Center or other locations deemed appropriate like the city park.

Harmony Elementary School provides ample space for outdoor recreational activities and an outdoor educational laboratory, including a pond, garden, amphitheater, bluebird trails, animal tracking, etc. It also has a media center, computer laboratory, cafeteria and gymnasium in addition to classrooms. Transportation from other area elementary schools to the after school program will be provided. CCLC programs at Harmony will be held from 3:30 until 5:15 p.m., at which time students will be transported home unless their parents prefer to pick them up.

Cushing Middle School is centrally located in the community. Students (either children or adults) will have access to 28 computers with Josten's learning software and Internet connectivity. In addition to the computer lab, students may use the school cafeteria, classrooms, and outdoor areas. Programs will be conducted from 3:30 until 8:30 p.m. Evening programs, those beginning after six p.m. (on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday), will encourage parents and other community adults to participate. Some classes, such as keyboarding and other computer-related courses, will allow parents and children to learn together.

The High School campus, located two miles east of the Middle School, includes a pond for aquiculture, classrooms, computer labs, library, greenhouse, home economics equipment, auditorium, and a lobby area that can be used for special events. Based on previous experience with students of this age, most the activities will be conducted in the evening after 6:00 p.m.

These three community center sites will provide an ongoing, year round program of adult-supervised, safe activities that respond to the needs of the community. Other CCLC activities will be conducted at the Cushing Youth and Community Center (CYCC), a city-sponsored organization. Extended day activities will include the following general format: snack and get acquainted time; supervised, planned recreational activities (basketball, volleyball, rollerblading, skateboarding, dodge ball, soccer, tennis, dance, cheerleading, gymnastics, hobbies, crafts); academic opportunities, including computer-assisted instruction for remediation, re-teaching, or acceleration; literacy programs; tutoring and homework assistance; cross-age reading; make-up courses for credit-deficient high school students; keyboarding, database, word processing, computer-accounting programs, using the Internet, or other similar computer-related programs identified by the community; cooking, etiquette, grooming, sewing; other special interests identified by the Advisory Council and the community during subsequent years.

(B) Extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be addressed.

1. Children and youth, aged nine through eighteen, lack proper supervision after the school day, and they need appropriate leisure-time activities. In Payne County, the number and rate of juvenile violent crime arrests per 100,000 for youth aged 10 through 17 has increased over six times during the last ten years. The number of child deaths has risen from 30.5 to 44.7/100,000 (OICA, 1995). The problem is further evidenced by observations of local law enforcement and judicial officers, by complaints from local citizens, and by local focus groups. The problem will be addressed through a safe, supervised recreational plan that provides age-appropriate activities for elementary, middle school, and high school students after school, evenings, and during the summer. Students will participate in the planning of these activities. These activities will offer.6 expanded learning opportunities for Cushing children and youth that will boost self-esteem, confidence levels, morale, etc., all of which contributes to reduced drug use and violence. The design of the CCLC program will help build better relationships between parents and their children, youth with other youth, and citizens and their community.

2. Additional assistance is needed to help all children achieve at the highest levels. In the Cushing school district, over 30% of the adult population has less than a 12 th grade diploma. 42 out of the 175 9 th graders and 51 of the 7 th and 8 th grade students failed one or more courses during the first semester of 1997-98 school year. Students with low basic academic skills are nine time more likely to drop out of school, and this relationship is held for all sex, race, and income groups (Berlin and Sum, 1988). Therefore, students who lack sufficient credits to graduate with their age-peers and those who have been retained are more likely to drop out of school. Approximately 15% of the former eighth-grade students have not passed the reading proficiency test; 10% have taken the exam more than once. 20% of the elementary students have been identified as "at-risk" because they lack basic skills proficiency. The program will include the ability to earn credits for high school-age students and to remediate weak skill areas. "Remedial" instruction will be geared toward accelerating learning rather than the traditional slowed-down, watered-down curriculum offered to children who fall behind. Teaching strategies will include computer-assisted instruction, cooperative group work, and activity-based learning.

3. Disadvantaged children do not have access to activities that children from homes with higher income levels take for granted. 28% of Cushing's school-aged children live in non-traditional households: single parents, living with grandparents, living with others or alone (local survey, 1994). In Cushing the unemployment rate is only 6%, but 19% of the households are below the poverty level (Oklahoma School Indicators, 1996). The average household income is only $16,351, and 49% of the students qualify for free and reduced school meals (Oklahoma School Indicators, 1996). The Cushing community has a large number of working poor. The gap in opportunities for working-class and poor children has life-long implications. Exposure to activities such as dance, gymnastics, etiquette,.7 sports camps, modeling, social decision making, music, art, computer games, conflict management and resolution, ACT preparation classes, and drug and alcohol avoidance have given children and youth from economically comfortable or from more traditional households an enormous advantage over their less fortunate peers. CCLC will address these problems by offering opportunities for non-competitive play and social interaction.

4. Students and parents alike need to learn to use technology. Technology is replacing lower skilled jobs with jobs requiring higher skills and more education (National Commission on Working Women, 1988). The ability to use technology and access to that technology represent Oklahoma's greatest hope for economic parity (The Daily Oklahoma, 1997). Keyboarding is not available to students in Cushing until high school, and many students can not fit this elective into their schedules. CCLC's plan to offer keyboarding and computer applications, including Internet access, will address this need. The program also intends to allow youth and adults the opportunity for free play on the computers, a time for games, Internet exploration, etc. Technology will be a part of the array of CCLC services that can help youth and adults move from entry-level, minimum wage positions. It will also draw adults who have felt intimated by technology into the information age. In many cases they can learn new skills alongside their children.

5. The Cushing Literacy Council reports that requests by adults for help in learning to read currently outweigh adult volunteer tutors. According to the Literacy Pro Training conducted by the Oklahoma Literacy Coalition and the Literacy Resource Office of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries (Feb. 19 and 20, 1998), poor children start out well behind their middle-class peers; by the time middle-class children reach kindergarten they have been read to by adults for 1,000 hours while their poorer peers have been read to less than 55 hours. This deficit impacts language development, listening skills, and ultimately progress in school. Adults who are functionally illiterate have considerable handicaps; without intervention, they pass the problem to their children. The CCLC will address this situation by reading to children, by enlisting and training more tutors for adults, and by using technology to improve reading skills..8

6. The community has no safe, legal place for children and youth to roller blade or skateboard. A delegation of young people attended a recent city commission meeting to plead their case; other youths have communicated their complaints through a writing project. A significant number of these students also need academic assistance. The CCLC program at the Middle School site would provide supervised rollerblading, roller blade hockey, and skateboarding. This will entice these youngsters to become more involved in the educational opportunities at the CCLC.

7. Parents of children at all ages report that they need help in knowing how to raise their children. Studies and surveys indicate that most parents care deeply about their children (Oklahoma Academy of State Goals, 1989), yet this generation has not had the benefit of parenting knowledge that was traditionally passed through extended families and church or community activity. In order to reverse current trends and raise children who can succeed in school and become equipped for 21 st century competition for resources, we must provide parents with the skills to raise capable children (Glenn, 1987). Henderson (1987) has shown that children whose background places them at risk of failing or falling far behind will outperform their friends for years - if their parents are given training in home teaching techniques. Substance abuse education will be integrated into the parent education component by Valley Hope. Thus, integrating parent educational opportunities and parent training with activities for their children are important aspects of the proposed project. Additionally, parents court ordered to attend parenting classes have no local options. Funding and organizational structure for these classes is lacking, even though the community has access to professionals and peers trained in this area. The Parents Assistance Center will help provide parent education classes in the CCLC.

8. Child day care workers in the area need professional development points to maintain their licenses. During meetings to plan the proposed project, these workers have requested that CCLC provide high-quality programs such as Developing Capable People and Systematic Training for Effective Parenting Skills to help them meet this obligation.. CCLC will provide training in these areas for all interested parties. Daycare providers are required to have training in CPR and first aid. Payne Co. Health Dept. will provide a certified CPR instructor for this training and make it available to a wider audience.

9. Students and parents report that additional assistance in career counseling and curriculum planning is needed. Eighth, ninth, and tenth grade students often do not plan ahead to take courses that will enable them to pursue their career goals. Too often they have no career goals, and they find out too late that they have not taken the courses they needed to enroll in vocational technical education, to graduate from high school with their peers, or to enroll in postsecondary education. Employment counseling and assistance in obtaining employment training will also be available for all ages.

10. Disadvantaged children do not enroll in fine arts classes as often as children with more advantages and confidence. During the year, CCLC will offer drama, music, special art projects, training for young people in the Very Special Arts that allow disabled children to fully participate in a wide variety of arts and crafts.

(4) The proposed CCLC addresses specific community needs while meeting the requirements of the authorizing legislation in nine specific areas. While #6 (Nutrition and health) and #13 (Services for individuals with disabilities) are not specifically enumerated as programs, Payne County Health Department and Cushing Regional Hospital are coalition partners and will assist CCLC patrons in receiving health information and services. Participating children and youth will have daily access to nutritional snacks, and information on nutrition will be included in a variety of other programs. Individuals with disabilities will be encouraged to be full participants in all CCLC programs and will be represented on the Advisory Council.

Quality of Project Services.

(A) Quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment. The Advisory Council, which will include representatives from the member organizations in addition to representatives from specific identifiable groups in the community (women, girls, people from all racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups, children, youth, senior citizens, adults.10 and children with disabilities, child care workers, mental and physical health care providers, educators, business people) will be advocates for the groups they represent and guide the programs offered through the CCLC. The Special Services Cooperative, which serves individuals with disabilities in 26 school districts in north central Oklahoma, will be represented on the Advisory Council as well. They will offer guidance on ensuring participation of this population as well as specific opportunities that will appeal to their clients. The Advisory Council will help the CCLC identify any unforeseen barriers to equal access or to full participation on the part of students, teachers, parents, and other program beneficiaries with special needs. Since the program is multifaceted and located in handicapped accessible and friendly buildings, identified problems can be quickly corrected. Neither the Cushing School District nor the participating organizations in the CCLC discriminate on the basis of gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. The active participation of all groups is a primary goal of the project.

(B) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the proposed project on the intended recipients of those services. Project planners have crafted the proposed programs so as to have the following results: o Reduce the numbers of unsupervised children and youth o Reduce the numbers of students engaged in passive activities o Increase interaction with community and youth o Reduce juvenile misdemeanors and felonies o Fewer retained students o Improved grades o Increased school attendance o Increased number of students passing state criterion-referenced tests o Increased number of students and parents comfortable with technology o Increased numbers of adults receiving literacy services o Increased reading levels of functionally illiterate youth and adults o Increased knowledge of parenting skills o Increased parent participation in school activities o Increased communication among diverse socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups

All of which have the desired impact of reducing drug use and violence through the array of inclusive and supervised services that are required and authorized by the statute..11

(C) The extent to which the services to be provided by CCLC involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing effect of the services. The school district and the partner collaborators have been involved in extensive discussions related to meeting the needs of the community's children and youth. Before the request for proposals was received, needs addressed by the proposed CCLC had been discussed among coalition partners. Letters of Participation and collaboration are appended.

During the first three months of funding, the Advisory Council, comprised of partner collaborators and representatives from groups served by CCLC, will meet monthly to identify barriers to participation, to focus the program personnel on specific needs, and to make recommendations for improvements in services. After the initial three months, the Council will meet quarterly unless program problems suggest more intensive participation on the part of the Council. Meeting times will be posted at all CCLC locations, in the schools, in the newspaper, on KUSH radio, and with coalition organizations. Individuals who were not selected initially for the Advisory Council will be encouraged to provide input. As a part of the program evaluation, participant partners will be surveyed to provide formative feedback.

(3) Quality of the Management Plan

(A) Adequacy of procedures to ensure feedback and continuous improvements in the CCLC. The Project Director (PD), Ms. Linda Wasson, has extensive community education experience and is on the State Community Education Advisory Board. She will assume the duties of management and the responsibility for ensuring that project goals and objectives are met. She will meet with the Advisory Council and with the Kids Council, made up of student participants of all ages, to ensure that participants are receiving a program that meets their academic needs while addressing their interests. The PD must work with the project evaluator to develop and distribute survey and other evaluation instruments to parents, teachers, participants, partners, and community members. She will also be responsible for reporting to the building principals and to the local school board. Ms. Wasson will be responsible for maintaining all project records.

The Dropout Prevention Liaison (DPL), Gary Aldridge, supervises district alternative education and dropout prevention programs. He will work with the PD to coordinate efforts of the alternative and related programs conducted during the school day with the extended day and extended year activities of the CCLC. The DPL brings experience in working with high-risk students to the program. His coaching experience will be helpful in planning and implementing recreational activities. He will also meet regularly with the Advisory Council, with school personnel, the PD and other project staff. He and the PD will report all program activities to the Cushing Board of Education.

Ms. Wasson (PD) will work with the Curriculum Director and teachers from specific content areas to develop criteria for competency-based high school credits. They will implement a system for reporting day teacher expectations to the extended-day teachers, assistants, and tutors. The PD will have the major responsibility for maintaining schedules, hiring personnel for the varied activities, and securing volunteers for others. When appropriate, and to the greatest extent possible, the PD will use high school students as paid assistants and as volunteers.

The building principals will act as Site Coordinators (SC) and will liaison with the regular school program. Issues relating to building usage, maintenance, and regular teacher expectations will be handled by the SC. The SC, Advisory Council, and program personnel will develop a handbook that outlines the rules, regulations, and policies related to program participation. It will cover issues of cost of participation, behavioral expectations, scholarships, attendance, credit attainment, make-up work, and equipment that will be provided by the CCLC as well as that which must be provided by parents or community groups. Procedures for making changes in policy will also be covered as well as procedures for appeal of decisions.

A Site Director (SD) will be available at each site whenever the program is operating. This individual will not be teaching, coaching, or assisting with activities. The primary duty of the SD is to ensure a safe and orderly environment for children and youth to learn and play. While safety is of paramount importance, the SD must maintain a welcoming atmosphere that encourages participation. The SD will assist with financial management, including gathering scholarship applications and other relevant documents. Informational materials from other.13 collaborating agencies will be available through the SC's offices (e.g., library cards, WIC applications, community theatre tickets). Site Coordinators will take calls from parents or others who have concerns about the program. They will assist with publicizing activities of the CCLC and with gathering on-going formative evaluation data. This aspect helps keep the program more immediately responsive to community needs. All project personnel will cooperate with the Oklahoma Technical Assistance Center (OTAC), which will evaluate the program on both formative and summative bases. Vitae for key project personnel are appended.

In order to make the transition into a self-sustaining program after the grant period ends, a sliding-scale of charges will be implemented initially for the CCLC. Students who qualify for the free lunch program, they will be charged $1.75 per day. For families with more than 1 child participating in the program, an adjustment in charges per day for each additional child will be made. Applications for full scholarship for families in crisis accepted. Families who qualify for the reduced lunch program will pay $2.30 per day. Those families not eligible for free or reduced priced meals will pay $2.85 per day. The sliding scale format will continue to be used, with modest increases each year, to the break-even point at the end of the 3-year funding period. A chart depicting a monthly payment schedule is appended. This payment schedule was used successfully in the Lawton, OK program. The number of participants will also determine the size of the increases, as will the availability of other funding options. Short courses for adults, and those for high school credit will also have minimal fees. Funds derived from the program will be deposited into an account, which is accessible to CCLC, by the school district. The money will be used to pay project expenses.

The management plan for CCLC allows for efficient functioning. It also provides for adaptation and flexibility of services. Formative feedback and evaluation are integral components of this plan.

(B) Plan to ensure that a diversity of perspectives are brought to bear in the operation of the project. The plan to ensure a diversity of perspectives is remarkably simple; thus, easy to implement. The Advisory Council that helps set policy, plan programs, seek participation, and provide services is composed of collaborating organizations, teachers, parents, business people, counselors, psychologists, health care providers, senior citizens, youths, ethnic group representatives, city officials, law enforcement, the judiciary, disabled individuals, and advocates for the disabled. Additionally, input from community groups and individuals will constantly be solicited. Opportunities for anonymous input will be available at school sites, in the newspaper, and through regular mailings. The PD routinely conducts needs assessments (sample appended) for Community Education programs, and understands the importance of identifying community academic, psychological, recreational, employment, cultural, and social needs. The PD, SD, SC, DPL, and project personnel will be alert for opportunities to solicit advise and input. Evaluations by patrons in the various activities will allow refinement and improvement.

(4) Quality of Project Evaluation. The program evaluation plan is objectives-oriented. Each component of the program will be evaluated in terms of implementation monitoring and measured effectiveness. The Evaluation Matrix lists each objective, the standards for monitoring and effectiveness, and the measures and methods used to assess the project's outcomes. The overall impact of the program will be measured by the number of parents, teachers, community members and children participating in various activities, levels of continuous participation, effectiveness ratings from all constituencies, inclusiveness, and student outcomes in terms of school achievement and engagement.

(A) Extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for examining the effectiveness of project implementation. The program evaluation will be conducted by the Oklahoma Technical Assistance Center (OTAC). The Evaluation Matrix provides an overview of the evaluation processes and measures to be used for this project. OTAC evaluation staff will devise and refine instruments for assessing program effectiveness in terms of timeliness, inclusiveness, participation, and student outcomes.

Evaluation Matrix Objective Monitoring Effectiveness Measures Statistics 1. Advisory Council Assessment & planning timely. All represented. Plans meet assessed needs. Meeting agendas. Needs assessment. Attendance. Frequency counts Cross tabulations Qualitative analyses 2. Extended day and extended year academic assistance Timely offerings for variety of academic programs. AC review Increase in skills, knowledge, courses completed. Grades, test scores, competency assessments, surveys. Frequency counts Analysis of variance Mean ratings 3. Recreational activities Variety of offerings Timeliness Flexibility All ages engaged Needs identified Service gaps noted Services provided Attendance, Satisfaction surveys Frequency counts Mean ratings Qualitative analysis 4. Parent education Timely completion AC review Needs identified Services provided Attendance Participant survey Community survey Frequency counts Mean ratings Qualitative analysis 5. Health related seminars Timely completion AC review Needs identified Service provided Attendance Participant survey Frequency counts Mean ratings 6. Fine arts projects Timely completion Variety of offerings AC review Courses and projects provided Attendance Participant survey Frequency counts Mean rating Qualitative analysis 7. Career counseling, etc. Timely offering Service provided Client satisfaction Attendance Interviews Frequency counts Qualitative analysis 8. Evaluate project Timely completion of tasks. Formative information provided. AC review. Flexibility of program response. Strategies described. Program information reported Meeting agendas. Project documents. Evaluation reports and summaries. Frequency counts Product evaluation rating Cross tabulations Qualitative analysis Analysis of variance

Program implementation will be monitored monthly by OTAC and the Project Director. The Director and key staff will meet with the evaluator on a quarterly basis to formally assess progress toward meeting the program objectives. Using this input, the Advisory Council will conduct a quarterly review of the project's progress and devise strategies to increase effectiveness and overcome any slippage. The quarterly review will use both qualitative and quantitative data as appropriate.

The effectiveness of the program will be measured quantitatively in terms of the number of students, parents, teachers, collaborators, and others participating in each program activity, reduction in the number of students failing courses, number of course credits made up by students who have failed, reduction in the dropout rate, increases in overall academic achievement by participating students, increases in school attendance and positive attitudes toward school, and participant ratings of each activity. Assessment instruments will include standardized achievement tests (norm- and criterion-referenced); archival student data; teacher, participant, parent rating form; coalition member rating form; and other evaluation information requested by the Advisory Council.

Project Goal: To provide safe, secure community learning centers that serve children from age nine through high school with age-appropriate recreational activities while helping students to meet or exceed state and local standards in core academic subjects. For ease of implementation and evaluation, the CCLC program objectives will be enumerated as tasks to be completed. Following each objective, project personnel responsible for implementation will be identified as well as information regarding anticipated time and location requirements. Note: On-going tasks are designated 'ON.'

Objective 1: Assemble an inclusive Advisory Council (AC) responsive to community needs and perspectives to develop policy, promote participation, evaluate progress, and help refine the program. [ PD, DPL] - The initial AC has been formed by gaining the agreement to serve from one individual from each collaborating group. Additional members will be sought as the program grows. The size of the AC will not be limited; any group may have a representative on the AC simply by designating a representative. Meetings will be held in a variety of locations across the community. The AC will meet monthly during first three months; develop specific committees, and set policy. After the initial planning phase, the Council will meet quarterly.

Objective 2: To provide extended day and extended year academic assistance to, minimally, 150 students; the assistance includes, but is not limited to tutoring, homework assistance, basic skill development, computer-assisted instruction, activity-based learning, outdoor education, credit attainment, computer technology and applications, and additional electives. [PD, SC, SD, DPL, project staff, volunteers, regular teachers, AC] - three school center sites - ON.

Objective 3: To provide age-appropriate recreational activities in a safe, secure, and supervised environment for at least 150 high-risk youth. [PD, SC, SD, DPL, project staff, volunteers, Kids Council, AC] - located at three school center sites and the CYCC - ON..17

Objective 4: To promote and offer four parent education seminars. [PD, DPL, project staff, Advisory Council] - two school center sites - ON.

Objective 5: To conduct four health-related educational seminars including substance abuse. [PD, DPL, staff, AC] - 2 school center sites - ON.

Objective 6: To enroll 30 students per year in fine arts activities and projects. [PD, DPL, SC, volunteers, staff ]- 3 school center sites, Lachenmeyer Arts Center @ CYCC - ON.

Objective 7: To provide career counseling, employment skills, and life skills training to high-risk youth and their parents. [PD, DPL, counselor, volunteers] - 1 center site - 2 nights per week for at least 9 weeks each semester and summer.

Objective 8: To evaluate the CCLC program and services so that effective strategies can be replicated. [PD, DPL, OTAC] - evaluation findings will be summarized and a handbook of effective strategies will be developed over the three-year program - ON. OTAC has established a reputation for quality evaluations. They have evaluated programs for Central Area Vo-Tech School, Cushing Public Schools, Oklahoma Parents As Teachers, Oklahoma Learn and Serve, as well as all of the state-funded alternative education programs. The quality of formative feedback has led most of these programs to be deemed worthy of replication. Replication efforts have been assisted by OTAC's ability to create reports and information that helps others schools and communities duplicate effective strategies. Cushing Public Schools also has a history of developing successful programs. See appended material for evidence of previous success.

(5) Budget Justification Cushing Public Schools proposes to develop and implement 3 community learning center sites operating under the umbrella name of Cushing Community Learning Center (CCLC). The proposed budget narrative is enclosed with Form 424a as well as a breakdown of expenses by site. The amount of federal assistance requested for three sites does not exceed the maximum award of $200,000/year per site. It is also less than the average award size of $100,000/year per site. The proposed budget is sufficient to include start-up costs and one time expenditures for software upgrades in the computer labs. It is anticipated that the amount of federal assistance.18 requested in the following 2 funding cycles will be reduced by the amount of start-up costs and the amount of revenue generated by the program fees charged to participants. Once the program demonstrates effectiveness, it is expected that other collaborative agencies will want to make some contribution to the program as well as current collaboratives increasing their amount of time, money and resource commitment to the program.

Note: The proposed CCLC specifically meets competitive priorities:

1. Projects that propose to serve early adolescents and middle-school students. 2. Projects that assist students to meet or exceed state and local standards in core academic subjects such as reading, mathematics or science, as appropriate to the needs of the participating children.

BUDGET NARRATIVE FEDERAL FUNDS

**(Dollar amounts of Cushing's expenses have been removed from the Web version. However, this section has been included to provide an example of the format and types of costs cited in a Budget Narrative).

PROPOSED EXPENDITURES

1. PERSONNEL -

Project Director: Full Salary (100%)

* To organize and develop CCLC Advisory Council with representatives from each collaborative, parent groups, and Kids Council
* To establish a Kids Council with representatives from each grade level served in extended day and extended year programs
* To conduct monthly (3 months), then quarterly meetings with Kids Council and CCLC Advisory Council
* To coordinate with the Drop-out Prevention Liaison to develop programs that target students at-risk of dropping out or to reconnect with those patrons with less than a 12 th grade education
* To coordinate with the site coordinators and site supervisors the various programs, academics, activities, etc. scheduled at each site.
* To perform major project administrative duties
* To report CCLC activities and outcomes to the School Board
* To develop and disseminate needs assessments, surveys, and class evaluation instruments with assistance from the evaluator
* To make recommendation for hiring of project staff, teachers, short course instructors, etc.
* To solicit volunteers to teach recreational, nutritional, and social courses
* To assist in the development of policies, procedures and participant handbook for CCLC patrons
* To construct and disseminate print media
* To develop PSA's for cable tv, radio, and newspapers about CCLC course offerings and activities
* To coordinate with collaborating partners to insure ongoing services
* To coordinate a fun, yet structured, interactive, safe after-school program offering extended day and extended year activities
* To foster the development of family-school-community partnerships.

Drop-out Prevention Liaison:
One-fifth time (20%)

* To coordinate with the Project Director to develop programs targeting at-risk students and former drop-outs
* To identify names and solicit participation from former drop-outs
* To attend monthly (3 months), then quarterly meetings with Kids Council and CCLC Advisory Council
* To construct and disseminate print media
* To develop PSA's for cable tv, radio, and newspapers about CCLC course offerings and activities
* To assist in coordinating with the site coordinators and site supervisors about the various programs, academics, activities, etc. scheduled at each site.
* To solicit volunteers for recreational activities and make recommendations to the Project Director regarding the recreational activities and instructors
* To report CCLC activities and outcomes to the School Board
* To foster the development of family-school-community partnerships

Secretary: To Be Hired -Half time (50%)

* To perform general clerical duties
* To maintain records concerning budget
* To maintain survey and course evaluation records for the evaluator
* To develop and maintain a database with attendance records by courses and activities for reporting and evaluation purposes
* To assist in the preparation of printed materials
* To assist with calls about the CCLC program in the absence of the

Project Director
* To assist in the development and dissemination of information regarding all program offerings and schedules at the various sites

Extra Duty Pay Assignments

Site Coordinators (3 Building Principals) to coordinate with day-time and after-school or summer school teachers, bus drivers, janitors, volunteers, etc. -

Curriculum Director to supervise development of standards-based curriculum

4 Core curriculum teachers (one from each content area) to develop standards-based curriculum -

8 extended day teachers for 3 sites - varied numbers, hours, and days depending upon the site and demand - 2720 hours

8 summer school teachers varied number at each of the 3 sites

8 teachers X 4 hrs/day X 20 days

1 summer school administrator/teacher - 80 hours.21

Other non-certified personnel -

3 teaching assistants (1 per site) for summer school
3 TA's X 4 hrs./day X 20 days
3 bus drivers for elementary extended day program
3 drivers X 160 days
3 bus drivers for elementary summer school program
3 drivers X 20 days
1 Site Supervisor for Middle School extended day program 20 hours/week X 32 weeks
1 Site Supervisor for High School extended day program 16 hours/week X 32 weeks

2. FRINGE BENEFITS -Social Security for all personnel, Teacher Retirement for all certified teachers, Health Insurance for project staff
Social Security -Teacher
Retirement -Health
Insurance - 1.70 FTE X 12 months

2. TRAVEL -
Travel to 1 Project Directors Meeting in Washington, D.C. for 2 staff members (as per application information) for 2 days
RT Airfare X 2 staff
Hotel - X 3 nights X 2 rooms
Per Diem X 3 days X 2 staff

Travel to 1 Evaluation Meeting in Washington, D.C. for Contracted Evaluator and Project Director (as per application information) for 2 days -RT
Airfare - X 2 staff
Hotel - X 3 nights X 2 rooms
Per Diem X 3 days X 2 staff
Travel for PD to attend NCEA Conference in San Diego

Conference fee -
Hotel - X 3 nights
Per Diem - X 4 days
RT Airfare

4. EQUIPMENT -.

5. SUPPLIES -
-Consumable student supplies for art, crafts, music, outdoor classroom, recreational activities, etc. X 3 sites
-Interactive CD-ROM educational games (Sim City, Zoombeenies, etc.) X 3 sites
-Adult short course software for business applications (Quicken Deluxe,
-Microsoft Office, Microsoft Publisher, etc. ) 3 sets of each X 3 programs
-General office supplies for PD, DPL, and 2 Site Supervisors

6. CONTRACTUAL

Evaluation Contractor-
Monthly monitoring and evaluation meeting with Project Director
Quarterly progress reports for Advisory Council
Preparation of evaluation, survey and other instruments with PD
Data collection from PD office
Formal data analysis and final evaluation report
Career Counseling Services
6 hrs./wk. @ 9 wk. intervals (27 wks. total)
Non-certified instructional costs
500 hrs.- extended day short course teachers
500 hours - extended day cross-age tutors
Nutritional snacks for extended day and summer school at Harmony and
Middle School sites
173 days X 150 elementary and middle school age participants for extended day
20 days X 150 elementary and middle school age participants for summer school

7. OTHER -
Telephone line dedicated for community learning center at each site - 12 months X 3 sites
Printing costs for instructional materials - X 3 sites
Computer lab (middle school) upgrade for grades 9-12
Reading - X 5 stations (licenses)
Science - 4 strands Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, & Physics -X
5 stations
Interactive Algebra I & Algebra II - 2 stations
GED pre-test and preparation X 5 stations
TOTAL DIRECT COSTS -TOTAL
INDIRECT COSTS -
TOTAL FEDERAL COSTS

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