West Virginia Reading Excellence Accelerates Deserving Students
(WV READS) Competitive Grant Program
Grant Application
2008
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................2
Eligibility .....................................................................................................2
Application Submission................................................................................4
Application Process......................................................................................5
Coordination of Resources...........................................................................6
Grant Application .........................................................................................7
Project Summary .........................................................................................8
Budget Form .............................................................................................16
Budget Narrative .......................................................................................17
Grant Assurances .......................................................................................18
Selection Guidelines: Scoring Rubric .........................................................19
Final Report ...............................................................................................21
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Programs, Extended and Early Learning
For questions and/or additional information, please contact Kathy Knighton,
WV READS Coordinator, 304-558-2696 or kknighto@access.k12.wv.us
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WV READS GRANT PROGRAM
2008 Application
INTRODUCTION
In 1998, the West Virginia Legislature enacted House Bill 4306, WV Reading
Excellence Accelerates Deserving Students (READS), to establish an extended
instructional time competitive grant program focusing on reading for
students in kindergarten through grade four who may be at risk for reading
difficulties. As research clearly states, intervention is necessary when
students are younger and before patterns of failure are established.
In accordance with House Bill 4306, the WV READS grant program has been
established to assist schools in the implementation of an extended
instructional time program to prevent academic difficulties that may hinder
students from becoming proficient readers and performing at grade level in
kindergarten through grade four.
ELIGIBILITY
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Thirty competitive grants of $10,000 each are available to public
schools in West Virginia to implement a summer program.
Summer programs must be no less than four consecutive weeks with at
least four days per week.
Project directors and instructors must be employed by the local board
of education.
Grants are to serve as a further source of funding in coordination with
federal, state, local, and private funds available. Grant monies may be
utilized for any budget code, with the exception of facilities, providing
the expenditure is justifiable.
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Although this program may serve students in grades kindergarten
through fourth grade, priority for awarding grants will be given to
schools focusing on at risk and/or struggling young learners based on
the following:
 Disadvantaged children, on average, lag substantially behind
other children in literacy even before formal schooling begins.
 Kindergarten and the years leading up to kindergarten are critical
in preparing children to succeed in elementary school, especially
children from low-income families or children that have other risk
factors leading to difficulty in school.
 Providing disadvantaged children with additional time in the
summer before kindergarten and first grade accelerates
academic progress and helps close the achievement gap.
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The grant program shall address the following issues:
 Employ strategies utilizing scientifically based reading research and
effective instructional practices.
 Contain measurable goals and benchmarks for meeting those goals.
 Include an evaluation plan that monitors individual student
progress and the effectiveness of the project.
 Identify how other resources will be utilized (including monetary
and human resources).
 Link non-instructional daytime programs with reading instruction
and remediation throughout the year.
 Determine feasibility of collaborating with colleges of education for
the purpose of providing educational experiences for prospective
teachers.
 Determine feasibility for collaborating with public libraries.
 Establish partnerships with a variety of community groups and
organizations (public and private) to strengthen the community’s
involvement.
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APPLICATION SUBMISSION
Applications are to be submitted by individual schools and approved by the
county superintendent. Applications not adhering to submission guidelines
will not be accepted.
The original and two (2) copies of the application must be postmarked no
later than December 15, 2007 to:
Kathy Knighton, WV READS
West Virginia Department of Education
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Building 6 - Room 304
Charleston, WV 25305
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Grants that exceed the page limitations will not be scored.
Cover page is to be the first page of the document.
Staple (do not bind) the original and two (2) copies.
Fonts must be at least 12 points.
Margins must be a minimum of 1 inch.
Applications must be typed. No handwritten applications will be
accepted.
____________________________________________________________
TIMELINE
DATE
ACTIVITY
September 30, 2007
Distribution of applications
December 15, 2007
Submission deadline
March 2008
Notification of grant awards
June-August 2008
Site visits conducted
September 30, 2008
Final narrative grant report due
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APPLICATION PROCESS
1. COVER PAGE and PROJECT SUMMARY PAGE (required)
Complete all sections of the cover page and project summary page
beginning with general information.
2. STATEMENT OF NEED (2 pages – 20 points)
Describe the school’s need for improvement in reading based on specific
data from student assessments, progress monitoring, intervention
programs, etc.
3. EFFECTIVE, RESEARCH-BASED METHODS AND STRATEGIES (2 pages – 10
points) Discuss the scientifically based reading research used to develop
the proposal.
4. GOALS, OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES (3 pages – 20 points)
Clearly describe the goals, objectives, and activities that will be used to
implement the project. Relate the goals to the stated need and student
outcomes. Include a schedule of daily activities.
5. COORDINATION OF RESOURCES (1 page – 7 points)
Address how federal, state, local, and/or private resources will contribute
to the funding or coordination of the program.
6. COMMUNITY/PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT (1 page – 8 points)
Describe how the community and parents will be a meaningful component
in planning and implementation.
7. COORDINATION OF REGULAR AND EXTENDED YEAR PROGRAMS
(1 page – 10 points) Discuss how the extended time program will link to
the regular school year.
8. EVALUATION STRATEGIES (1 page – 10 points)
Describe the specific evaluation tools and procedures that will be used to
monitor individual student progress and determine achievement of the
project goals and objectives.
9. BUDGET and BUDGET NARRATIVE (2 pages – 15 points)
Justify the proposed budget. Grant money must be expended by
September 30, 2008. Valid codes and code combinations may be obtained
from the county office in order to complete the budget. List all sources of
funding for total project participation.
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10. SUPPLEMENTS (optional)
Up to seven (7) pages of supplemental materials are optional.
11. ASSURANCES (required)
Grant assurance form must be completed.
12. REPORTING PROCESS
Grantees will be required to submit one (1) report
 Final narrative report due September 30, 2008 (Report form is in
grant application packet).
COORDINATION OF RESOURCES
Sources of coordinated services and budget may include monetary or human
resources from:
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Energy Express
Title I
Title II
Local boards of education
Read Aloud West Virginia
Colleges or universities
Public Libraries
Special Education
Community organizations
School business partnerships
Private grant funding
Child nutrition services
Public and private foundations
Philanthropic sources
Academic Boosters Clubs (PTA, PTO, etc)
Chambers of Commerce
Foster Grandparents
The Education Alliance grant program
Local reading councils
Public Broadcasting Ready to Learn
Adult Literacy
Family Resource Networks
Community Service Components of youth service
Other supportive community avenues
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Received: _____________________
County: _____________________
Reviewed: _____________________
RESA: ______________________
Approved:______________________
WV READS COMPETITIVE GRANT
Project Application Form Cover Page
FY 09
GENERAL INFORMATION
School:_____________________________ E-mail: _________________________
Address:____________________________ Phone: _________________________
_________________________
Principal:______________________
Fax:____________________________
Project Director:______________________
Superintendent:______________________________________________________
County Fiscal Agent Responsible for this Grant: _____________________________
Phone: ____________________________
E-mail: _______________________
Title of PROJECT: ____________________________________________________
Project Description: (Briefly describe the project in 50 words or less.)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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PROJECT SUMMARY
Approximate number of students to
be served
Grade level of students
Number of professional staff
Percent of students in school on free
or reduced lunch
PROJECT SCHEDULE
Number of weeks:
________________
Number of days/week: ________________
Number of hours/day: ________________
(Include a schedule of daily activities in the grant application.)
Is your school a Title I school? ___________________
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STATEMENT OF NEED
(20 points - Limit response to 2 pages)
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EFFECTIVE, RESEARCH-BASED METHODS
AND STRATEGIES
(10 points - Limit response to 2 pages)
10
GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND ACTIVITIES
(20 points - Limit response to 3 pages)
11
COORDINATION OF RESOURCES
(7 points - Limit response to 1 page)
12
COMMUNITY/PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
(8 points - Limit response to 1 page)
13
COORDINATION OF REGULAR AND EXTENDED TIME
PROGRAM
(10 points - Limit response to 1 page)
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EVALUATION STRATEGIES
(10 points - Limit response to 1 page)
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BUDGET FORM
(10 points)
Program/
Function
Codes
Description
WV
READS
Identify and State
Amount of Other
Funding Sources
TOTAL
PROJECT TOTAL:_____________________________
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BUDGET NARRATIVE
(5 points)
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GRANT ASSURANCES
The undersigned have read the application and hereby agree
to the following:
1) Grant information is accurate;
2) Funds provided to the district or school will be used solely for the
project as described in the application, or as amended;
3) Complete grant information is provided;
4) All required grant reports will be submitted;
5) Any necessary training sessions will be attended;
6) Grant recipients will serve as technical assistants for future projects: and
7) Grant recipients will be willing to appear before the West Virginia
Legislature to share project results.
SUPERINTENDENT: __________________________________________
(Type Name)
_______________________
(Signature)
PRINCIPAL:
___________________
(Date)
_____ _____________________________________
(Type Name)_
______________________
(Signature)
_______________
(Date)
PROJECT DIRECTOR: ________________________________________
(Type Name)
Title/Position (during school year) ______________________________
_____________________________
(Signature)
___________________
(Date)
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WV READS SELECTION GUIDELINES
SCORING RUBRIC

Statement of Need (20 points)
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Is sufficient data provided to determine need?
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Are students clearly the focus of the need?
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Are the needs of young learners (K-1) specifically addressed?
 Effective Research-Based Methods and Strategies (10 points)
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Is scientifically based reading research explicitly stated?
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Do the stated strategies correlate with the research?
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Are key research components clearly stated in program development?
 Goals, Objectives, Activities (20 points)
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Do the goals, etc. relate to the stated need?
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Do the activities reflect appropriate intervention related to the essential
components of reading? (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary,
fluency, comprehension)
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Do the goals, etc. present a clear picture of the program (e.g., time line,
program agenda, student performance)
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Is the schedule of daily activities included in the grant application?
Do the goals reflect student performance standards?
 Coordination of Resources (7 points)
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Are the resources of human and financial in nature?
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Are federal, state, and local resources utilized?
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In addition to a listing of resources, is there an explanation of the
resources?
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 Community/Parental Involvement (8 points)
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Are parents and community involved in program planning?
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Are parents and community involved in a meaningful and purposeful
manner?
Coordination of Regular and Extended Time Reading Program (10 points)
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Is there a distinct linkage between the extended time program and the
regular year reading and program?
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Does the linkage appear consistent in the plan of instruction for
strengths and weaknesses as identified on student assessment?
 Evaluation Strategies (10 points)
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Are specific evaluation tools and the process for individual student
progress monitoring stated?
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Is the administration of pre and post assessment addressed?
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Does the evaluation plan provide useful data in future program
planning?
 Budget Summary (15 points)
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Are project codes listed?
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Does the budget meet the grant award of $10,000?
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Is there clear articulation of budget requested from WV READS and
other sources of funding?
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Does the narrative justify the expenditures and relate to each
objective?
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FY-08 WV READS FINAL REPORT FORM
Submit the following information by September 30, 2008.
Date __________________
County______________________
School __________________________________________________
Project Director __________________________________________
Signature of Project Director _________________________________
SECTION I Narrative (One paragraph per item is sufficient.)
 Summarize the accomplishments of the program.
 Summarize any major problems and how they were addressed.
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 Briefly describe how the program has become an extension into the
regular school year reading program.
 Briefly describe the most positive community/parental support
component of the program.
 Define the most successful coordination of services.
 Will the program be continued or be replicated within you county? If so,
how?
SECTION II
1.
2.
3.
4.
Total number of children served according to grade level: __________
________________________________________________________
Total number of children eligible for free/reduced meals: ___________
________________________________________________________
Number of community/parent volunteers participating: ____________
_________________________________________________________
Results of pre and post assessments conducted: __________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
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