Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 1 Katelyn Boucher, Neil Clifford, and Craig Kubiak LSC 5531 Module 7: Writing a Mock

Grant Application, Part II November 18, 2013 Readers to Leaders!: An After School Enrichment Program Notes to Instructor Much of this is quite obvious, but the school, its demographics, and problem at hand, while altogether realistic, were created for this assignment.

Needs Statement Literacy is at the core of the mission of the school library, and reading is a key component of literacy in all subject areas. If educators want our students to be successful, it is important that reading skills are reinforced at every turn, and as many resources as possible are devoted to promote literacy in all its forms. In fact, a study about supplemental computerassisted reading instruction in 2011 has shown to improve comprehension scores and reading fluency in all of the studys participants; and increased reading rate and reduced at-risk status in many of the participants (Gibson, Cartledge, and Keyes 260). It is apparent that the Educational Foundation for Better Readers, with its mission to support innovation and excellence in reading by funding after school enrichment programs, shares this vision. To that end, Hackett Middle School (HMS) turns to the Foundation to attempt to establish an after school program that will not only foster fundamental reading skills, but also encourage struggling students to experiment with a broad range of digital tools that will support the Common Core State Standards. It is the belief of HMS staff that the proposed after school reading enrichment program, in conjunction with a recently launched iPad technology initiative that has made 40 iPad Minis available to students in the school, will provide the impetus to bring at-risk students to grade level proficiency. Hackett Middle School is located in a culturally diverse area of Schenectady, New York. HMS serves a study body of 305 and 52 teachers. With regard to the student body, 78 have been

Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 2 determined to be at-risk in their reading performance. This statistic is due to many factors, including learning disabilities, economic disadvantages, and language-based difficulties. Due to the current economic climate, Hackett Middle School adopted a contingency budget last year. Under this budget plan, many beneficial, and even necessary, after-school programs were eliminated. There are currently no programs offered through the school to assist our students who are deemed at-risk outside of regular school hours. This is a discouraging fact, for studies have shown that if these students are not given the opportunity to improve their reading skills, they are much more likely to be disruptive in the classroom, truant from school, and at risk for dropping out of school completely. In keeping with the Gibson study previously mentioned, Hackett Middle Schools Readers to Leaders! pilot program will enable at-risk students to improve their reading skills through utilization of four new computers equipped with scanners and assistive reading software. Further, at-risk children require computer-based letter-name and letter-sound training to acquire adequate decoding and spelling skills, and to reach the level of their non-risk peers (Saine, et al. 1013). While this particular study was conducted for students at-risk for reading disabilities in elementary school, it is likely that there are middle school students facing the same difficulties and may be at the level of lower elementary school grades. Therefore, through the resources provided by the after-school program, students will be able to utilize all of their classroom materials, including the textbooks that coincide with the general curriculum. Further, it has been noted in many educational studies that student engagement must be present for a programs success; and students personal interests (including technology) and a diverse range of texts (including digital) assist in fostering this crucial engagement (Fisher and Ivey 183). When students are engaged in their learning, the expectation is that through consistent participation in the program, students will increase their reading speed and comprehension, which will help them to obtain proficiency in subjects across the general curriculum. *The program will utilize one day of training for the school librarian, reading specialist, and classroom teachers in the use of the assistive technology software (specific brand to be determined).

Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 3 Goals and Objectives

The Readers to Leaders! program has two main goals:

1: At-risk students and students with learning and reading disabilities at HMS will be enabled to improve their reading skills that will prepare them for high school and post-secondary education. Objective 1A: 80% of at-risk students will participate in 20 or more sessions of the Readers to Leaders! program at HMS from October 2014 to May 2015. Objective 1B: Students will increase reading speed and comprehension; specifically, 80% of participating students from Objective 1A will double their original reading speed.

2: Increase student proficiency in general subject areas by improving literacy/reading skills. Objective 2A: At the end of the 2014-2015 school year, students will earn higher grades across at least two subjects in the second semester as compared with the first semester of the 2014-2015 school year. Objective 2B: 80% of the school's at-risk students who attend 20 or more after-school sessions will achieve a 50% higher end-of-year New York State standardized test results in the 2014-2015 school year as compared with the 2013-2014 school year, partly as a result of the ability to better read and comprehend each subjects text.

Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 4 Activities and Procedures Goal 1: At-risk students and students with learning and reading disabilities at HMS will be enabled to improve their reading skills that will prepare them for high school and postsecondary education. Objective 1A: Students will participate in the Readers to Leaders! program at HMS from October 2014 to May 2015. Activity 1A.1: The school librarian and the English Language Arts Coordinator for Grades 6-8 will meet during the summer 2014 to identify and select potential resources for the program. Activity 1A.2: Teachers will familiarize themselves with the digital tools to be used in the program with the help of the technology teacher during the Superintendents Conference Day in August 2014. Activity 1A.3: Active recruitment of targeted at-risk students for after-school sessions will begin by mailing letters home during the last two weeks of August 2014. Activity 1A.4: Routine STAR testing, performed by entire faculty, of students will begin by mid-September 2014 to determine fluency and comprehension using. This data, along with grades from 20132014 school year, will be used as our baseline for comparison for program participants. Activity 1A.5: HMS staff will receive one training session for each tool (discussed later) in the school library during School Board determined staff development and/or Superintendent Conference days. Objective 1B: Students will increase reading speed and comprehension; specifically, 80% of participating students will double their original reading speed. Activity 1B.1: In the school library, participating students will learn how to use the iPad Mini, and will be able to create projects on them and/or school desktop computers. Activity 1B.2: In the school library, participating students will learn and utilize applications (programs), including, but not limited to, Google

Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 5 Apps for Education, Keynote, PowerPoint, Educreation, and iMovie to practice reading/literacy skills and create final products. Goal 2: Increase student proficiency in general subject areas by improving literacy/reading skills. Objective 2A: Throughout the 2014-2015 school year, students will earn higher grades across at least two subjects as compared with the 2013-2014 school year. Activity 2A.1: Employing the tools described in activity 1B.2, and while in the school library, participating students will create projects throughout all subject areas, learning how to appropriately read texts in each subject. Activity 2A.2: Periodically throughout the 2014-2015 school year, classroom teachers will report to the program administers if there is or is not any noticeable improvement (qualitative and/or quantitative) in literacy for participating students within respective content areas. Activity 2A.3: At each interim and end of quarter throughout the 2014-2015 school year, program administrators will gather participating atrisk students grades for analysis. Objective 2B: 80% of the school's at-risk students who attend 20 or more after-school sessions will achieve a 50% higher end-of-year New York State standardized test results in the 2014-2015 school year as compared with the 2013-2014 school year, partly as a result of the ability to better read and comprehend each subjects text. Activity 2B.1: Students will prepare for end-of-year standardized tests using specific subject-area review related applications on the iPad Minis and desktop computers. Activity 2B.2: Students will complete end-of-year standardized tests, as required by the State of New York. Activity 2B.3: Program administrators will gather and analyze data from the tests in activity 2B.2 and reflect upon the results.

Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 6 Personnel Grant Director: The Grant Director for the Read to Succeed! after-school program will be the school librarian at HMS. This person will be responsible for writing the grant, overseeing the grant's funding, and fulfilling any unforeseen grant responsibilities. Instructors: The program's instructors are the teachers in the school building. Teachers must be currently or recently certified in middle school English in New York State, and they may be currently teaching or retired. The instructors will administer the content of the program and report results as needed to the Grant Director. Classroom Teachers: The classroom teachers are responsible for occasionally completing surveys and/or reporting the grades and progress of the participating students (mentioned below). Funds Facilitator: The school's bookkeeper will fulfill the role of actually accepting and disbursing the grant's funds, utilizing the rules and processes that the district has in place. Students: The most obvious group would be the at-risk students at HMS that will take part in the Reading to Succeed! after-school program.

Timeline Procedure Selection of specific curriculum and materials for program Training for Instructors Letters / Invitations sent to students homes STAR testing of schools students Read to Succeed! program Analyzation of participating students grades Sustainability evaluation Date(s)
July-August 2014

Personnel Assigned
Grant Director, Funds Facilitator (Instructors and Classroom Teachers may provide input) Grant Director, Instructors, Funds Facilitator Grant Director, Instructors

Mid-August 2014

Late-August 2014

Mid-September 2014 October 2014-April 2015 April-May 2015

HMS faculty Grant Director, Instructors, Students

Grant Director, School Counselors, Instructors, Classroom Teachers Grant Director, Instructors, Classroom Teachers, Administration, Students

May-June 2015

Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 7 Evaluation Goal (1): At-risk students and students with learning and reading disabilities at HMS will be enabled to improve their reading skills that will prepare them for high school and postsecondary education. Outcome: Students will improve their reading skills (e.g., speed and comprehension), and will apply those skills for success across the general curriculum. Indicator At the end of the 2014-2015 school year, students will improve reading speed and reading comprehension in the second semester as compared with the first semester of said school year. Reading test scores from semester one and two of the same academic year (20142015). There are any number of tests that can be utilized for this, but the actual tests are likely those endorsed by the program selected for use in the program. Students who participate in 20 or more sessions of the Readers to Leaders! program at HMS from October 2014 to May 2015. At the end of the second semester of the 2014-2015 academic year, reading test scores will be analyzed by the Grant Director and Instructors at a collaborative meeting in June 2015. 80% of participating students will achieve higher reading test scores (as compared to semester one).

Data Source Applied To When / Interval Target

Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 8 Goal (2): Increase student proficiency in general subject areas by improving literacy/reading skills. Outcome: Students will improve their grades in general subject areas. Indicator At the end of the 2014-2015 school year, students will earn higher grades across at least two subject areas in the second semester as compared with the first semester of said school year. Official student report cards from semester one and two of the same academic year (2014-2015). Grades from every subject area will be included in the report. Students who participate in 20 or more sessions of the Readers to Leaders! program at HMS from October 2014 to May 2015. At the end of the second semester of the 2014-2015 academic year, report cards will be analyzed by the Grant Director and Instructors at a collaborative meeting in June 2015. 80% of participating students will achieve higher grades in at least two subject areas (as compared to semester one).

Data Source Applied To When / Interval Target

Goal (2): Increase student proficiency in general subject areas by improving literacy/reading skills. Outcome: Students will improve their standardized test scores. Indicator Data Source Applied To When / Interval Target At the end of the 2014-2015 school year, students will achieve higher standardized test scores as compared with the 2013-2014 school years test results. Official standardized test scores from the 2014-2015 and 2013-2014 academic years. Students who participate in 20 or more sessions of the Readers to Leaders! program at HMS from October 2014 to May 2015. At the end of the 2014-2015 academic year, standardized test scores will be analyzed by the Grant Director and Instructors at a collaborative meeting in June 2015. 80% of participating students will achieve a 50% increase in standardized test scores (as compared with the previous academic year).

Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 9 Dissemination The grant will be publicized in a wide array of manners, all of which is intended to increase participation in the Readers to Leaders! After-School Enrichment Program and to raise the profile of the overall library program. These ways include the following: A letter home to all parents of targeted at-risk students. A dedicated section on the schools homepage, as well as the librarys homepage. Information published in the monthly school newsletter. A write-up detailing the program will be submitted published in local newspapers. An invitation will be issued to local and state legislators to attend the kickoff of the Readers to Leaders! program. Will invite television news CBS affiliate WBRB Channel 6 of Schenectady to feature the program during its Eye on Education weekly spotlight. Color posters placed throughout the school advertising the program and its benefits. Progress reports will be sent home on a quarterly basis to parents outlining the gains students have made, projects they are working on, books they have read, and a timeline of events to come. The Foundation will receive summary reports on a quarterly basis, along with the principal, Board of Education, and faculty. A culminating Final Report will be issued that summarizes the efforts and outcomes of the program. This will be mailed to all parties and a link to the final report will be made available on the school districts homepage and the HMS homepage. A presentation regarding the success of the program will be made to the Board of Education, and an additional offer to present findings will be made to the Foundation. Additionally, information regarding the program will be presented at the Annual Leatherstocking Conference. Personalized thank-you notes to all those involved in the administration and the oversight of the program will be delivered, either by hand or by mail. Students who participate in the program will receive a diploma certificate, and a complimentary Reading Leader bumper sticker.

Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 10 Budget

August in-service computer training for 6 staff at $25/hour for 6 hours each Office supplies Stipend for 6 staff at $500 each Books and materials Advertising materials Total

$900 $200 $3,000 $3,600 $300 $8,000

Sustainability The Readers to Leaders! After School Enrichment Program is a pilot program. Once the program reaches its conclusion and grant funds have been exhausted, an analysis of the success and merits of the program will be conducted to ascertain whether the program should be pursued further. If the program is determined to be beneficial, securing other funding sources, such as from local businesses, the HMS PTO, or in-house district funding, will be necessary.

Boucher, Clifford, Kubiak 11 Works Cited Gibson, Lenwood, Gwendolyn Cartledge, and Starr E. Keyes. "A Preliminary Investigation Of Supplemental Computer-Assisted Reading Instruction On The Oral Reading Fluency And Comprehension Of First-Grade African American Urban Students." Journal of Behavioral Education 20.4 (2011): 260-282. ERIC. Web. 26 Oct. 2013. Fisher, Douglas, and Gay Ivey. "Evaluating The Interventions For Struggling Adolescent Readers." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 50.3 (2006): 180-189. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Oct. 2013. Saine, Nina L., et al. "Computer-Assisted Remedial Reading Intervention for School Beginners At Risk for Reading Disability." Child Development 82.3 (2011): 1013-1028. ERIC. Web. 26 Oct. 2013.