| Funding Available |
October 1, 1999
TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:
SUBJECT: Request for Application (RFA) #701-99-026
Ninth Grade Success Initiative
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is requesting applications from school districts or shared-services arrangement of school districts to increase the graduation rates of the public school students in Texas by reducing the disproportionately large percentage of students who are retained in the ninth grade and reducing the similarly large percentage of students who drop out of school at the ninth grade. A public school district must serve as the fiscal agent of a shared-services arrangement. Education service centers and open enrollment charter schools are not eligible to apply.
The objective of the project is to fund programs specifically designed for students in grade nine who are at risk of not earning sufficient credit to advance to grade ten and who fail to meet minimum skills established by the commissioner, or who have not earned sufficient credit to advance to grade ten and who fail to meet minimum skills levels established by the commissioner. The program must emphasize basic skills in areas of the required curriculum and must offer students the opportunity to increase credits required for high school graduation under state or school district policy. The program may be provided by the school district itself or an entity contracting with a school district to provide the program. A school district may, with the consent of a student's parent or guardian, assign a student to the program, which may not exceed 210 instructional days.
The criteria by which grants are awarded include the quality of the proposed program and the school district's demonstrated need for the program. An approved program must include criteria
that permit measurement of student progress, and the district must evaluate the progress of students in the program and submit the results of the evaluation at times specified in the RFA. The
commissioner has established in the RFA minimum levels of student enrollment and standards of student progress required for continued funding for a program in a subsequent school year and may
eliminate funding for a program in a subsequent school year if the program fails to achieve sufficient levels of student progress. The amount of the grant awarded must also take into account
funds distributed to the school district under Texas Education Code Chapter 42, Foundation School Program.
The Ninth Grade Success Initiative will be implemented during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 school years. Applicants should plan for a starting date of no earlier than January 3, 2000, and an
ending date of no later than August 31, 2001. Funding will be provided for approximately 200 projects. Each project will be eligible to apply for an amount based on a predetermined range, with
the range taking into consideration the number of students identified by criteria to be served by the program. The range is as follows: 1) an application from a district or a consortium of
districts with total district enrollments exceeding 50,000 students is eligible to apply for a grant not to exceed $6,000,000 for each of the two years of the project; for enrollments between
5,000 and 49,999 students, the grant may not exceed $360,000 for each project year; for enrollments between 100 and 4,999 students, the grant may not exceed $100,000 for each project year; for
enrollments of fewer than 100 students, the amount is not to exceed $50,000 for each project year. Amount requested may be negotiated depending on the number of students being served. For
districts with a total enrollment of fewer than 100 students, the program may be addressed through an arrangement of shared services among districts. A school district may submit only one
application but may include similar or different programs for multiple campuses within the district. Continued project funding in the second year will be based on satisfactory progress of the
first-year objectives and activities and on general budget approval.
Applications will be selected based on the independent reviewers' assessment of each applicant's ability to carry out all requirements contained in the RFA. Reviewers will evaluate applications based on the overall quality and validity of the proposed grant program and the extent to which the application addresses the primary objectives and intent of the project. Applications must address each requirement as specified in the RFA to be considered for funding. The TEA reserves the right to select from the highest-ranking applications those that address all requirements in the RFA and that are most advantageous to the project.
The TEA is not obligated to approve an application, provide funds, or endorse any application submitted in response to this RFA. This RFA does not commit TEA to pay any costs before an application is approved. The issuance of this RFA does not obligate TEA to award a grant or pay any costs incurred in preparing a response.
A complete copy of RFA #701-99-026 may be obtained by writing the: Document Control Center, Room 6-108, Texas Education Agency, William B. Travis Building, 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701; by calling (512) 463-9304; by faxing (512) 463-9811; or by e-mailing dcc@tea.state.tx.us. Please refer to the RFA number and title in your request. Provide your name, complete mailing address, and phone number including area code. This announcement letter and full RFA will also be posted on the TEA website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/grant/announcements/grants2.cgi for viewing and downloading.
For clarifying information about the RFA, contact Geraldine Kidwell, Division of Curriculum and Professional Development, Texas Education Agency, (512) 463-9581. Applications must be received in the Document Control Center of the Texas Education Agency by 5:00 p.m. Central Time, Friday, November 19, 1999, to be considered for funding.
Sincerely,
Ann Smisko
Associate Commissioner
Curriculum, Assessment, and Technology
For further information on this topic, contact Geraldine Kidwell, Division of Curriculum and Professional Development at (512) 463-9581.