Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2010

The purpose of this state-funded continuation grant program is to assist school districts with the development and establishment of:

1. comprehensive programs to promote school safety and help prevent violence in schools, from whatever causes; and/or

2. in-school programs and services to address, within the general education school program, the educational and psycho-social needs of students whose behavior interferes with learning, particularly those who are suffering from the traumatic effects of exposure to violence. (Students suffering from the traumatic effects of exposure to violence shall include, but not be limited to, those exposed to maltreatment, family or community violence, war, homelessness, or any combination thereof.)

Priority will be given to programs that:

1. are based on empirically validated interventions (i.e., science/research-based with proven effectiveness);

2. educate students to the same academic standards and curriculum frameworks as taught to all students; and

3. support the development of the following program components:

   1. creating a school environment where students can focus, behave appropriately, and feel safe, and where problems can be prevented through the comprehensive use of schoolwide, classroom-based, small group, and/or individual interventions in creating a safe and positive school climate;

   2. collaborating with others where appropriate, including (but not limited to): broadly recognized experts in the fields of child trauma and family and community violence; community mental health centers and hospitals; battered women shelters; and local district homeless liaisons;

   3. providing ongoing information-sharing and professional development opportunities and support for teachers, administrators, and other school personnel so that they can: understand and identify the symptoms of trauma; be aware of effective techniques of managing behaviors and promoting learning in children displaying symptoms seen commonly in those who have been victims of or witnesses to violence; and develop the skills and resources to identify and intervene with at-risk students;

   4. evaluating school policy and existing school and community programs and services to determine whether and to what extent students suspected and/or identified as suffering from trauma can receive effective supports and interventions that can help such students to succeed in their public school programs and, where necessary, be referred quickly and in confidence to appropriate services;

   5. reviewing of school policies that may exacerbate inadvertently school-related difficulties for traumatized children and/or further traumatize students who have been victimized by child maltreatment, or who have witnessed violence in the home or community;

   6. creating structures/protocols that support teachers, school staff, parents/guardians, and families as they address the needs of children and youth who have been victimized by violence or who have witnessed violence in the home and/or community;

   7. helping students play a key role in keeping the school safe;

   8. equipping students and teachers with the skills needed to avoid conflict and violence; and

   9. helping schools and individuals to further connect with the community and share resources.

Due to limited state funds available for the grant line item in FY2010, continuation grant amounts are restricted to the following formulas.

• For each continuation grantee entering Year 2 (originally awarded Fund Code: 791 grants in FY2009), the maximum FY2010 grant amount is equal to 27% of the grant amount in FY2009.

• For each continuation grantee entering Years 3, 4, and 5 (originally awarded Fund Code: 791 grants in FY2006-2008), the maximum FY2010 grant amount is equal to 14% of the grant amount in FY2009.

The Department reserves the right to alter the award to each funded school district. See Attachment A in the Additional Information section below for a list of list of eligible continuation grant applicants and the maximum grant amount that may be applied for in FY2010.

Grant funds may be used for salaries for staff to coordinate the program, teacher stipends, consultants, substitutes, a range of approaches to address behavior issues, technology, travel, conferences, purchase of materials and supplies, printing, and reproduction of materials.

These funds may not be used for programs serving exclusively students with disabilities.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due.

1.      Part I - General - Program Unit Signature Page - (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

2.     Part II Workbook - Budget (II-A) and Budget Narrative (II-B)*
   
   (Print and mail with the application all four budget and budget narrative pages. See important opening instructions below.)

3.     Part III - Required Program Information

4.     Part IV - Student Support Collaboration and Coordination

5.     Grant Assurances

6.      Safe and Supportive Learning Environments Evaluation Tool

*NOTE: The Budget and Budget Narrative Workbook is a Microsoft Excel file which includes macros that enable the workbook to compute totals and summary tables.

1. For Microsoft Office 2000/2003, you may need to change the security setting in Excel before opening the file. In Excel, click 'Tools', 'Macro', and then 'Security'. When the dialog box appears, change the security setting to 'Medium' and then click 'OK'. You can now open the budget file.

2. For Microsoft Office 2007, you must save the workbook as an earlier version of Excel (.xls not .xlsx).

1.      Attachment A - List of eligible continuation grant applicants and the maximum grant amount for which they may apply in FY2010.

2.     Schedule C (Optional form for the FY10 application, to be completed by any partnering agencies that are external to the district. Note: Different partnering agencies can be listed on separate Schedule C forms if that is helpful.)

3. Budget Detail - Description of Line Item Information

Submit two (2) sets, each with an original signature of the Superintendent/Executive Director.