FLAGS - Family Literacy Alliance of Greater Syracuse

Two new postings on the U.S. Department of Education Web site provide information of great interest to states following the release of President Bush's FY06 budget proposal. The first is a state-by-state breakdown of PROPOSED ALLOCATIONS for No Child Left Behind and other major federal education programs.

A list of the 48 federal education programs -- from Arts in Education to Women's Educational Equity -- TARGETED FOR ELIMINATION in the president's budget. It provides a brief summary of each program and the rationale for eliminating it.

New York Middle Schools
In an effort to improve the quality of its middle schools, NEW YORK is giving them more freedom to experiment and restructure. A policy approved last week by the Board of Regents, among other things, will allow teachers in failing middle schools to spend less time on nonacademic subjects and more time on math and reading.

New CAAL Report Urges National Opportunity System for Adults
There are not enough young people in the educational "pipeline" to fill the nation's workforce needs in the decades to come. Thus, it is essential to focus more attention and resources on the three million adult education students in the system and the 30 to 50 million other adults with low basic skills. A National Opportunity System for Adults, built on stronger links between adult education and community colleges, is needed urgently, and will benefit the nation and all parties involved…..

From The Future of Children -

School Readiness: Closing Racial and Ethnic Gaps
Edited by Cecilia Rouse, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn and Sara McLanahan, this volume includes eight articles written by some of the nation's leading scholars on this topic. The articles address the size of the gap, synthesize what is known about its causes, and identify some policy solutions.

From Connect for Kids-
Kids Take Some Hits in Budget, Round One
Vocational education programs, child care, and health insurance for low-income children are targeted for cuts in President Bush's proposed fiscal 2006 budget. Connect for Kids Advocacy Director Jan Richter follows up on her Feb. 7 look at the local impact of federal budget decisions with a round-up of how the president's plan stacks up for kids.

Other Information -

The School Readiness Indicators Initiative works with 17 states to develop a comprehensive set of school readiness indicators to inform public policy for young children and their families. This initiative is sponsored by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Ford Foundation.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Jordan Fundamentals: Support for Teachers in Low-Income Schools
The Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program was established in 1999 to recognize outstanding teaching and instructional creativity in public secondary schools that serve economically disadvantaged students. The program is presented by the Jordan Brand, a division of Nike, Inc. and administered by Scholarship America.
Applicants must be public school teachers or paraprofessionals working with students in grades one through twelve and be employed by an accredited public school where at least 50 percent of the school's student population is eligible for the free or reduced school lunch program. Applicants must develop an original lesson plan or thematic unit that demonstrates high expectations for students. Applicants are encouraged to involve students in
the development of this plan or unit.
Up to four hundred grants of $2,500 will be awarded each year. Two hundred grants will be awarded in grades one through six, and two hundred grants will be awarded in grades seven through twelve. Grant funds must be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, or costs related to field trips, software, and other items required to implement and assess the proposed lesson or thematic unit.
Deadline: June 15, 2005

Department of Education - Demonstration Grants for Indian Children
The Department of Education announces the availability of grants to support programs to improve the educational opportunities and achievement of preschool, elementary and secondary Indian students. Administered through the Office of Indian Education, priorities under this program include: (1) increasing school readiness skills of three-and four-year old American Indian and Alaska Native Children; and (2) enabling American Indian and Alaska Native Children high school graduates to transition successfully to
postsecondary education by increasing their competency and skills in challenging subjects. Proposed projects should develop, test, and
demonstrate the effectiveness of services and programs for preschool, elementary and secondary Indian students.
Approximately $2,472,924 is available for 10 awards. Grant awards range from $100,000 - $275,000. The average award is $247,292. Eligible applicants include state and local educational agencies, Indian tribes, federally supported elementary or secondary schools for Indian students, and Indian institutions.
Application Deadline: March 17, 2005

New Grant from U.S. Dept. of Ed
The U.S. Department of Education is offering local educational agencies with at least 20 percent low-income students grants to improve student reading skills. Applications are due by March 14, 2005.

NOTE: If you have difficulty accessing any of these items, please contact nvolk@unitedway-cny.org.