| New Business - Grants |
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Title: Recommendation: Description: The reapplication of the Reading First Continuance Grant will continue to provide funding in FY08 for reading coaches at the original 21 schools that met Reading First criteria according to the state system of accountability. Funds secured from the grant are in the amount $1,616,485.00. The original grant period began in the last quarter of FY04. This is the fourth year of the grant. Funding will continue for a total of six years pending annual DOE approval and will be based on a 10% declining funding model. The funds will be used to: • purchase intervention programs that have been identified by Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) as meeting reading First criteria for addressing the needs of K-3 students in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The Reading First Grant will be evaluated in terms of increased K-3 reading performance as measured by the outcome assessments mandated by the Florida Department of Education. In FY04, the Florida Department of Education sent an eligibility list with criteria for the selection of schools that qualified to participate in the reading First Grant. The following 21 elementary schools were selected at that time and continue to participate in the Reading First Grant project for FY07: Allamanda, Benoist Farms, Berkshire, Boca Raton, C.O. Taylor/Kirklane, Coral Sunset, Crosspointe, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Galaxy, Heritage, Indian Pines, Lantana, Meadow Park, North Grade, Orchard View, Plumosa, Seminole Trails, U.B. Kinsey/Palmview, Charter School of Boynton Beach, Glades Academy, and Joseph Littles-Nguzo Saba Charter. The objective of the continuation of the Reading First Grant is to continue to provide funding for the reading coaches at the participating schools. The Reading First coach will continue to: • provide training for K-3 teachers in Reading . They will also be responsible for organizing the administration and reporting of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) state assessments as required by the Reading First Grant. Continuance of the Reading First Grant development with use of a web-based data management and student reporting system for K-3 classrooms will provide information to help manage and improve instruction for individual students, classrooms, and schools. In addition, the continuance of the Reading First grant will enable schools to implement proven methods of scientifically based reading instruction in classrooms in order to prevent reading difficulties in grades K-3. Through the Reading First Quarterly Data Report, schools are able to track students' performance. The report provides the effectiveness of core instruction (ECI) and the effectiveness of interventions (EI), which is beneficial for tracking the growth of individual students in acquiring critical early reading skills. Finally, the Reading First grant provides professional development for teachers using scientifically based reading programs, and to ensure accountability through ongoing, valid and reliable screening, diagnostic, and classroom-based assessment. In 2006, 19 elementary schools and three charter schools participated in the Reading First grant. As a result, the 21 schools have begun to implement research-based instructional practices that meet the needs of the individual student. The aligning of assessment and instruction has become a practice at Reading First schools. Although backdating agreements is not our standard practice, it was necessary in this particular case due to grant timelines. It does not prejudice the rights of the School Board Financial Impact: For Additional Information, contact: Attachments (list):
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