New Vision & Parent, Family and Community Grant Programs

Portland Schools Foundation Grant Programs Goals 1.Supporting excellence, equity, and innovation in teaching and learning in Portland Public School District 2.Rewarding inspiring and innovative teaching 3.Providing venture capital to principals, teachers, parents, and community leaders to power academic achievement in PPS District schools. Strategies  New Vision  Parent, Family, and Community

Grants Program Priorities New Visions Awarded to schools (or teams of schools) in the Portland Public School District to significantly build the school’s capacity to raise student achievement and close the achievement gap for low-income children, children of color, English Language Learners, and new populations (within one year). Every school in the city has an achievement gap – and every school is eligible to apply. Proposed targets and activities align with project goals, have specific outcomes for students and staff (parents and community) and are measurable Focus on capacity building with the school to eliminate student achievement disparities Innovation that supports long-term improvement, alignment with school improvement plans and District goals (data, equity, and instruction) as well as engages students, teachers and principals in closing the gap, and can inform the practices of other schools in the school district.

Grants Program Priorities Parent, Family and Community Align with PPS District priorities (data, equity, and instruction) and the Office of Student, Family Support Services Mission Statement :  OSFSS strives to eliminate education barriers, increase classroom readiness, and enable full engagement in learning by support students, families, and school staff.  New Partnerships to ignite civic spirit and responsible action  Develop strong independent organizations representing parents and community members invested in success of public schools Specifically address the achievement gap for low-income children, children of color, English language learners and new populations (within one year) Develop school-based leadership to improve student achievement and school performance  Build the knowledge, skills and abilities of parent and community leaders as advocates  Specific strategies for parents or community-based groups to work with educators of different students’ learning needs Engages students, teachers and principals in closing the gap, and can inform the practices of other schools in the school district.

Grants Program Basics  New Visions: Due Date 4/1/08; Awards 5/08  Parent, Family, Community: Due Date 4/25/08; Awards 6/08 Your proposal should include… Application cover page with contact information Proposal of no more typed pages than: New Visions (14 without or 16 with PFC addendum) Parent, Family, Community (10 pages) Includes: Narrative Budget Budget narrative Any additional letters of support or collaboration Does not count toward maximum number of pages

Working Session Participate in developing your proposal as a team or in small groups, from Concept to Evaluation. It’s All About the Process!!

How To Write A Successful Application Writing Goals & Objectives

Parent, Family, Community [School] is a beloved part of the neighborhood. Many of our current parents and grandparents attended the school themselves. When we close the building we will be saying goodbye to a significant part of Portland’s history. Due to changes in our attendance boundaries, we will also lose up to one quarter of our current student population. Many of these are from families with higher incomes and education, who have devoted countless hours and dollars to our school. Given the emotional aspect, loss of volunteers, and limited financial ability for the move, we feel a Community Outreach Coordinator is crucial to the success of our new school. New Vision Youth who attend [School] depend on the stability of the program and come to rely on services that address practical needs in terms of academics, employment and personal development. The following quantitative data depicts some of the youth characteristics: 43% of youth are basic skills deficient 80% enter employment for the 1 st time while enrolled 43% of youth receive public assistance 55% African American 55% Female Staff have found that quantitative data collected does not accurately depict life circumstances of youth. The following stories serve to exemplify youth circumstances and successes. [One youth] came to [School] with a goal of finishing high school and attending college. While working with staff, she stayed on course and caught up with needed classes using tutoring and mentoring services at [School]. After graduation, she went to a community college. Story Examples

Timeline Dates Project Activities

Evaluation Plan (Golden—Current tools collected by most PPS Schools) Elementary  Literary Assessment Benchmarks  Degree of Reading Assessment  Teacher Based writing sample Building Level  Attendance  Math—End of unit tests Middle School & High School  Math—End of unit tests  Writing—Anchor (Common) Assignment  Grades Parent, Family & Community  Attendance  Parent Surveys  Site Council (# of Parents involved, attendance)  Request quarterly numbers from applicants  Show role of PTA or Site Council within school; what have they initiated or impressions of?  Organize focus groups/ Interviews  Parent/Family Advocate for student Teacher’s view of family advocacy  Photos of events showing difference in attendance and/or engagement

Available Research Connected by 25 Initiative New Growth In Stomptown The Fourth R Executive Report Regional Equity Atlas

Helpful Resources  Information sessions (2/7,12,13,28 and 3/4,5,11)  Questions about: * RFP or proposals: Ryan at , Ext. 11 Catherine at , Ext. 32 * Timelines, requirements, additional materials: Comfort at , Ext. 20 * Media or Portland Schools Foundation: Tripp at , Ext. 21

Thank you for your interest in the New Visions & Parent, Family and Community Grants Programs! Go to for more information.