Community Grants Program is now accepting applications
The College Spark Washington Community Grants Program is an annual, competitive statewide program focused on building the effectiveness of grantees that have demonstrated experience serving low-income students and generating knowledge related to college readiness in middle school and successful transition to college.
The Community Grants Program will be accepting Letters-of-Interest (LOI) through October 14, 2014. You can visit our website to learn more about promising practices for improving the Community Grants Program outcome indicators. All projects that receive Community Grants funding must measure their impact by using at least one of the outcome indicators below:
Outcomes that focus on middle school success
- Increase the number of students who enroll in and pass 8th grade Algebra
- Reduce the number of middle school students who trigger two or more of three early warning indicators: five or more absences during a single school semester, one or more course failures, a suspension, or expulsion
Outcomes that focus on the successful transition to college
- Reduce the number of students who require development education when they transition from high school to college
- Increase the number of students who pass their first college-level English or math course - either while in high school, after taking development education classes, or directly upon entering college
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and schools that work with middle school, high school, and college students.
Want to learn more about the Community Grants Program?
Since 2005, College Spark Washington has granted more than $40 million throughout Washington state, with $14 million directed to the annual Community Grants Program.
|
College Spark launches new College-Ready Math Initiative
College Spark Washington is investing $12 million over seven years in a new College-Ready Math Initiative to help low-income students graduate from high school with strong math skills and avoid remediation in college. The Initiative includes a variety of evidence-based strategies and programs designed to help students improve their scores on the 11th grade Smarter Balanced Assessment, which measures Common Core State Standards, and provide high school seniors with a 'last chance' opportunity to develop the math skills they need to avoid remediation in college or earn college-level math credits while in high school.
The programs include:
Intensified Algebra - An algebra program that combines a growth mindset curriculum with pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 course content.
Senior Year Transition Courses - Math and English Language Arts courses for seniors who score below the college-ready level on the Smarter Balanced Assessment in 11th grade. Students who pass the course will be considered college-ready by the majority of colleges in Washington and permitted to enroll in college-level math courses without additional placement testing.
Equity in Higher Level Math - Research consistently shows that students who take rigorous math courses during their senior year do better in college than other students. Studies also show that many of the low-income students and students of color who could succeed in such courses are missing from these classes. A variety of strategies will be funded to increase access to and success in higher level math courses.
|