CR Analysis
Excellence in Research Practice - Exceptional Training Services
Evaluation & Research Grant Writers Conflict Resolution
Working with schools and school districts
Dear Gail,
We like to research and write about important topics at CR Analysis. The current newsletter subjects were carefully chosen to be informative and thought provoking. Please feel free to contact us with your thoughts and comments. We look forward to hearing from you. Please keep in mind, we are ready to assist you with your grant writing, evaluation and program development needs.
Where's the $$$
It is estimated that California will receive more economic recovery money than any other state, or close to $85 billion dollars. Education will receive 11.8 billion and 19.5 billion will go to Health and Human Services. Additionally, last week Attorney General Eric Holder announced another 24 million will be funded to community based crime prevention programs such as Project Safe Neighborhood, and 16 million in grants will go to school intervention and prevention programs. The lions share of the $$$ will be awarded through grants. The best place to find and apply for a grant is grants.gov. Both state and federal grants can be found through that site.
Is it School Violence or Youth Violence?
The Chicago Public School District has our attention. On a national level we are witness to Chicago's tragic high level of youth violence. The youth violence in Chicago is being referred to as school violence, but is that an accurate portrayal of what is occurring? Does it matter that the violence is called school violence? I would argue yes it matters, because school violence has implications of a breakdown within the school system concomitant schools being ultimately responsible to stop school violence. School violence does happen, but it usually floods into schools from the outside community. The recent murders and beatings of youth in Chicago are occurring in the community when students walk to and from school. Read On......
Gates Gives Millions to a Few
In November of 2008, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invited thirty school districts to compete for a $500 million dollar grant that would be awarded to a select few. Over the past year, participant districts were systematically eliminated for multiple reasons by the Foundation. By late September five districts were still in the running for the so called Deep Dive funds: Hillsborough County, Memphis, Omaha, Pittsburgh and a consortium of Los Angeles Charter Schools. Four Deep Dive finalists will be named next month. Clearly, the Gates Foundation is putting an emphasis on teachers, teacher training and professional development. The award will change how winning districts respond to and interact with teachers, including giving merit pay and dismissal processes. An additional interest of the Gates Foundation is Charter Schools. Over the past two years the Gates Foundation has begun to heavily fund Charter Schools. As the largest private source of educational reform in the nation Gates is changing public school education, whether or not for the better remains to be seen.
From the Editor:
Next month I will write an article on the middle and high school program, SpringBoard, developed by College Board and highly touted to increase the number and broaden the diversity of students prepared for college-level work when they graduate high school or when they participate in the AP program. SpringBoard is running in 23 school districts across the country. CR Analysis has evaluated the program for two years in Florida schools. According to SpringBoard developers the program is being used in a few San Diego Schools. SpringBoard is a Gates Foundation funded program. Is SpringBoard improving student achievement?
The current focus in education is on Professional Development for teachers. Next month we will focus on theories and application of Professional Development in public schools.
Make it a Great Day,
Gail