Government Grant Sample Abstracts

Following are abstracts of grants that have been written by The School Funding Center and have been awarded the funds for the various projects.

Marshall ISD
Region VII ESC

Award Amount: $343,314

Serves 1,931 students in 5th through 8th grade on 4 campuses.
The Marshall Reading Academies has three major objectives. The first will be to implement the Boys Town reading and special education guided reading program in the effort to reverse reading failure in grades 5-8. Intervention will be provided for all students, struggling to read and write on grade level, through programs such as: Project Read, Written Expression, and Reading Renaissance. An optional extended-day/year program will provide Reading Academy Labs. Ruby Payne's "Children of Poverty" inservice will be used to train all 5-8th grade staff to work with parents. Parents will be given the opportunity to be trained on when and how to assist student performance at home. College students majoring in education will be trained in the three components and will be assigned to model and appropriately assist student performance in the extended-day/year program. All teachers, aides, preservice teachers and family members will be trained in practical ideas for assisting students' reading and writing, especially expository text.

Tuloso-Midway ISD
Region II ESC

Award Amount: $153,485

Serves 927 students in 5th through 8th grade on 2 campuses.
This project proposes to increase student achievement in reading through the coordination of several reading programs. These programs include Open Court: "Breaking the Code", Word Wise, Accelerated Reader, Reading Renaissance, and Drop Everything and Read. In addition to classroom reading activities, students will participate in an extended day and extended year program. Parents and students will be able to benefit from the extended library program. Parents will also be able to participate in family literacy nights. Teachers will receive staff development on a variety of topics including but not limited to: teaching ESL, strategies for at-risk students and the newly implemented reading programs.

San Marcos ISD
Region XIII ESC

Award Amount: $500,000

Serves 430 students in 5th through 8th grade on 3 campuses.
At the intermediate level the development of efficient and effective readers will be addressed through a comprehensive and intensive small group reading program. Reading specialists will provide small group reading instruction as part of the school day, to supplement regular classroom instruction, with additional opportunities for students to gain decoding, word attack and comprehension skills. In addition to professional development in programs such as Reading Renaissance and Language Enrichment a demonstration teacher will travel to each campus to team-teach with the general education teachers. Parental involvement will be increased through activities such as Family Reading Nights, parent universities, reading time at school during the regular and extended school year, Summer Reading Camps, and Parents Night Out. Parents and students will work at home on reading improvement through the San Marcos CISD Reading at Home program and Accelerated Reader facilities at local schools.

Ft. Worth ISD
Region XI ESC

Award Amount: $575, 000

Serves 3929 students in 4th through 8th grade on 7 campuses.
This project proposes to establish Reading Academies at seven high-need campuses. The academies will implement Direct Instruction (DI) reading to increase student achievement through carefully structured instruction. These programs are designed to prevent reading failure through the use of several interventions such as whole class, one on one and small group instruction, in-class supplemental help, additional tutorials, after school instruction and summer programs. Staff development will ensure that teachers obtain the knowledge ands skills necessary to implement the program, prevent student failure and help students experience success and build self-confidence. The goal of the parental involvement program is to provide parents with the knowledge and skills necessary to become partners in their children's education, assisting students to reach their full potential as learners and providing education that strengthens the family and promotes responsibility. The program includes two major components: age appropriate instruction for children while their parents are in child literacy development classes and literacy activities for parents and their children together.

CONLEY ELEM.
Fort Bend ISD
Region IV ESC

Award Amount: $293,860

Serves 450 students in 2nd and 3rd grade on 33 campuses.
In order to have all student reading on grade level by the end of grade three, approximately 10% of the students in grades 2 and 3 will be targeted to participate in an extended day program. These are students who are reading below grade level, showing evidence of not being able to pass TAAS reading in 3rd grade and are being considered for grade retention. The extended day program will provide additional instruction for students learning to read and for students who need improvement in their reading skills. Additionally, students will be able to participate in two summer reading academies. The proposed summer academy for 3rd grade in 1999 and for 2nd and 3rd grade in 2000 would provide an additional 112 hours the first summer and 80 hours the second summer of systematic, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, decoding, reading comprehension, writing and vocabulary for the targeted students. Parents will work with their children through reading packs sent home at least once a month, training sessions that provide helpful tips, and through participation in field trips and classroom activities.

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