1. School Improvement Grants (SIG) Title I §1003(g) Grant Writing Workshop
West Virginia Department of Education
Division of Educator Quality & System Support
Office of Federal Programs
Office of School Improvement
January 29, 2014 1 1

2. Webinar Review SIG Title I - 1003(g) background documents
Eligible schools
SEA allocation of funds
SIG Intervention Models
SEA and LEA roles
Timeline

3. SIG Title I - 1003(g) Background Documents
USDE Guidance
Technical Assistance
Information for Grantees
WVDE Guidance
SEA Application
LEA Application
List of Eligible School
Webinar and Workshop presentations

4. FY13 Eligible SIG Schools
DISTRICT
SCHOOL
Barbour
Philippi Middle
Junior Elementary
Berkeley
Burke Street Elementary
Braxton
Braxton County High
Cabell
Peyton Elementary
Fayette
Ansted Elementary
Collins Middle
Grant
Union Educational Complex
Hampshire
Hampshire Senior High
Kanawha
West Side Elementary
J E Robins Elementary
Lincoln
Lincoln County High
Midway Elementary
DISTRICT
SCHOOL
Logan
Buffalo Elementary
Man Senior High
Chapmanville Senior High
Mercer
Spanishburg School
Preston
Tunnelton-Denver Elementary
Summers
Summers County High
Taylor
Anna Jarvis Elementary
Wayne
East Lynn Elementary
Wayne Middle
Webster
Webster County High
Glade Middle
Wood
Jefferson Elementary Center

5. Allocation of Funds
Federal FY2013 SIG funding will be received by the WVDE by April 2014.
It will be awarded to selected LEAs/Priority schools by the end of May 2014 to begin pre-implementation activities.
Funding will be available for:

6. Allocation of Funds (2)
All grants will be targeted for schools; LEA applications will not be funded in this funding cycle
Selection of schools will be done through a competitive application process
Annual budgets can range from $50,000-$2M per school

7. Allocation of Funds (3)
Based on WV’s availability of $3,189,829 for the three year period, funding level expectations are as follows:
3-5 schools will be funded
Annual school budgets should range between $200,000 and $400,000
All budgets are subject to negotiation

8. SEA Role
Write and submit the application to ED to receive the 1003(g) funds
Establish criteria related to the overall quality of the LEA’s application and to the LEA’s capacity to implement fully and effectively the required interventions
Select SIG grantees and issue grant awards
Monitor the LEA’s implementation of interventions in and the progress of its participating schools
Hold each SIG funded school accountable annually for meeting, or being on track to meet, the LEA’s student achievement goals

9. LEA Role
Submit a competitive application to the SEA for the 1003(g) school improvement funds
Implement one of the four models in the Priority school(s) it has agreed to serve through its application
Provide adequate resources to each Priority school it commits to serve in order to implement fully one of the four proposed interventions
Establish three-year student achievement goals in reading/language arts and mathematics and hold each funded Priority school accountable annually for meeting, or being on track to meet, those goals

10. Reporting & Evaluation
For schools receiving SIG funds, LEAs/schools will be required to report annual, school-level data on outcome measures and leading indicators
Required Priority school reporting and monitoring will meet most of these requirements
USDE reserves the right to require additional information at anytime throughout the funding period

11. Timeline Dec 2013- January 2014 February 2014 Submit SEA application
Provide webinar to LEA leaders with eligible schools
Provide an application workshop for LEA/school representatives January 29, 2014
February 2014
Provide technical assistance with the application
Receive LEAs applications - due to SEA February 19, 2014
Conduct clarification interviews February 26-27, 2014
March – April 2014
Review LEA applications
Award LEA grants
May 2014 – September 2017
Implement SIG interventions in selected schools
Receive technical assistance from WVDE School Improvement Coordinators
Monitor and report progress

12. SIG Intervention Models
School closure
Turnaround
Restart
Transformation

13. School Closure and Turnaround
West Virginia Applicability
School closure and the turnaround intervention options are complicated by the rural nature of the state
More than half of all West Virginia schools are in rural areas
Approximately 40 percent of students statewide are from rural areas, more than double the national average of 19.4 percent
25 of the 55 districts in West Virginia support only one high school
It is not realistic to replace the principal and more than fifty percent of the staff in districts that are currently struggling to fill all of their teaching positions with highly qualified teachers

14. Restart
This option is not currently an option in WV because there is not a charter school law. If a charter school law would pass in WV, this could be an optional SIG intervention in the future.

15. Transformation The Transformation model is applicable in WV…
Under SIG’s transformation model, a school is required to implement all of the following four strategies:

16. Developing Teacher and School Leader Effectiveness
Transformation (2)
Developing Teacher and School Leader Effectiveness
Use rigorous, transparent and equitable evaluation systems that take into account data on student growth
Identify and reward school leaders, teachers, and other staff who have increased student achievement and the graduation rate
Replace the principal who led the school prior to commencement of the transformation model
Provide relevant, ongoing, high-quality job-embedded professional development
Implement strategies designed to recruit, place, and retain high-quality staff

17. Implementing Comprehensive Instructional Reform Strategies
Transformation (3)
Implementing Comprehensive Instructional Reform Strategies
Use data to identify and implement comprehensive, research-based, instructional programs that are vertically aligned from one grade to the next as well as aligned with State academic standards
Promote the continuous use of student data to inform and differentiate instruction to meet students’ needs

18. Extending Learning Time and Creating Community-Oriented Schools
Transformation (4)
Extending Learning Time and Creating
Community-Oriented Schools
Provide more time for students to learn core academic content by expanding the school day, the school week, or the school year, and increasing instructional time for core academic subjects during the school day
Provide more time for teachers to collaborate
Provide more time for enrichment activities for students
Provide ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement

19. Providing Operating Flexibility and Sustained Support
Transformation (5)
Providing Operating Flexibility and Sustained Support
Give the school sufficient operating flexibility (including in staffing, calendars/time, and budgeting) to implement fully a comprehensive approach to substantially improve student achievement outcomes
Ensure that the school receives ongoing, intensive technical assistance and related support from the LEA, the SEA, or a designated external lead partner organization (such as a school turnaround organization or an EMO).

20. Application Excel Spreadsheet format Cover page
Part A: Schools to be Served
Part B: Descriptive Information (including District Capacity Index)
Part C: Budget Directions
Individual School Budgets (Total will calculate automatically)
Assurances

21. Application Cover

22. Part A

23. Part B

24. Part B

25. District Capacity Criteria Poor Satisfactory Commendable Points Earned
Criteria
Poor
Satisfactory
Commendable
Points Earned
1 point
2 points
3 points
LEA governance
State takeover district
Limited SEA intervention
No SEA intervention
Title I audit reports
Findings in areas requiring a repayment of funds
Findings in areas noted-repayment of funds not required
No findings in the fiscal area
Approval of the district strategic plan by OEPA
Not approved by OEPA
Approved by OEPA with revisions
Approved by OEPA without revisions
Development of schools as professional learning communities
The LEA has not yet begun to address the practice of a PLC or an effort has been made to address the practice of PLCs, but has not yet begun to impact a critical mass of staff members.
A critical mass of staff has begun to engage in PLC practice. Members are being asked to modify their thinking as well as their traditional practice. Structural changes are being met to support the transition.
The practice of PLCs is deeply embedded in the culture of the LEA. It is a driving force in the daily work of the schools. It is deeply internalized and schools would resist attempts to abandon the practice.
Identification of district leadership team and assignment of responsibilities
No district leadership team nor identified person assigned for monitoring implementation
Lacks specific identification of personnel for the district leadership team and for monitoring implementation.
A specific district leadership team is identified and one or more persons are assigned for monitoring implementation.
Total Points
District Capacity

26. Part B

27. Part B

28. Part B

29. Part C

30. Part C

31. Part C

32. Part D

33. Selection Criteria
The following criteria will be utilized to rank applications:
a total score of eleven or more points on the capacity index
Higher point totals received on the Descriptive Narrative for alignment between diagnostic recommendations and goals
Complete and accurate budgets
Completion of all assurance statements

34. Questions

35. WVDE Contacts
Office of Federal Programs Melanie Purkey Office of School Improvement Mickey Blackwell Your assigned School Improvement Coordinator