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Just For the Kids

The new Hawaii data on the Just for the Kids web site and database, www.just4kids.org, presents an opportunity for public schools and their partners to easily access and use student and school data , and improve the focus and relevancy of their school improvement efforts.

The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation is awarding mini-grants of up to $5000 in flexible funding for public schools, parent groups, or nonprofit organizations that want to use Just for the Kids school data as a tool for planning, self-assessment and focused improvement.

 

Planning Grant Description

Grant amounts:

  

$1,000 - $5,000

Grant process:

  

Competitive application process - a maximum of $100,000 total

Grant Purpose:

  

Applicants can apply for funds to:

  • Use JFTK data to build new partnerships and alliances that can enhance school improvement efforts
  • Incorporate JFTK data usage into school improvement efforts

Eligible Applicants
(Examples):

  
  • School Community Councils
  • PTSA
  • Charter School Boards
  • Principal Affinity Groups
  • School Improvement Specialists
  • School Complex Areas
  • Nonprofit education organizations or associations

Eligible Activities
(Examples):

  

Grant requests must be tied to a specific activity or product, such as:

  • Academic & Financial Plans
  • SCC planning processes
  • Parent Engagement
  • Internal audits
  • School accreditation
  • Sharing best practices with other schools

Planning Grant Goals:

 
  • Support public schools and complexes to use student JFTK data for assessment, budgeting, or instructional planning
  • Support peer learning, partnership building, and the sharing of best practices between comparable schools
  • Support parents and community members in using data to focus their engagement and advocacy efforts
  • Surface affinity groupings and planning efforts that can increase their effectiveness by using JFTK data and tools in creative and proactive ways

Eligible Usage
of Funds
(Examples):

  
  • Convening: Space, meals, retreats, facilitators, and limited travel
  • Stipends: Small stipends for teacher/principal time on weekends, evenings or vacations

Requirements:

  
  • Grants must be made directly to a school or nonprofit organization
  • Projects must include school or Complex Area participation
  • Applicants must specify which JFTK tools will be used and how
  • Applicants will produce one final report of lessons learned, and share final product
  • Applicants will participate in a year-end meeting with all funded parties to present learning and experiences
  • Preference will be given to joint applications that represent several complexes, schools, or cross-sector collaborations

Deadline:

  

Friday, December 15, 2006

Application Process:

  

Please click here to submit an online application for a Just for the Kids planning grant.

Questions:

  

Please contact Marisa Castuera: marisa@castlefoundation.org.

 

Examples of Previously-Funded Projects

Just for the Kids Planning Grants Awarded September 2006

 

Haleiwa Elementary School:  This Title I school aims to investigate best practices and learn to use assessment information to drive instruction.  With the goal of greatly impacting student achievement, Haleiwa Elementary will match the Best Practices study and framework on the JFTK website to student and teacher needs, and train teachers on how to implement the best practices instructional strategies in their classrooms. The full-time math and reading coaches will visit classrooms to ensure implementation, follow-through, and continuous learning.  Parent nights will be conducted to educate parents on the classroom efforts.  Their project will include the principal together with 20 teachers, 7 support staff, 2 parents, 2 community members and 1 student.

Waihee Elementary School:

Waihee will conduct a five-year strategic plan process, and train all certified and classified staff on how to connect the data and resulting plan to instructional change so that all the disadvantaged students in the school can meet or exceed the benchmarks for reading and math.  Preliminary analysis showed that it is primarily “disadvantaged subgroups” that are not meeting benchmarks, so efforts will be targeted toward these students.  This school is in School Improvement, Year 1 as a result of falling short of Adequate Yearly Progress goals, and will apply JFTK funds toward building a plan to meet their benchmarks. 

  

Kipapa Elementary School:  Kipapa will use JFTK grant funds to conduct a full needs assessment on the school’s position, progress, strengths and weakness.  They will use data and analysis to drive this year’s Academic and Financial Plan.  The baseline report produced will be the foundation for a school-wide discussion of improving student achievement in reading and math, and the Academic and Financial Plan will be formed accordingly.  In addition, the self-audit tool of JFTK will be used to identify areas of strength and areas needing improvement. The planning process will include all school staff and 18 parent representatives.


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