October 21, 2005
State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces Grants
to Help Refugee Students Improve Academically
SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced that the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Department of Social Services (DSS) will work together to administer a $1.36 million federal grant to help refugee students in the state.
The Refugee School Impact Grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to help refugee students perform at grade level.
"Refugee students not only face the challenge of seeking protection in America from persecution in their home countries, but also learning our language, and dealing with cultural differences," said O'Connell. "These grants will offer students a variety of programs to help them perform at grade level so they can eventually establish a new life filled with dignity, independence, and opportunities that Americans enjoy."
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement, California has 84,280 school-aged refugees who arrived in the United States between 1988 and 2001. That is more than any other state in the nation. CDE's and DSS' joint application was selected as an awardee by a review panel after a rigorous review process. The panel found that California provided convincing documentation that refugee students in the state would benefit from the proposed programs and activities that had measurable and realistic outcomes based on the budget proposed.
CDE applied for the grant with DSS that has an existing Refugee Programs Bureau. Both state agencies are operating under an Interagency Agreement through which CDE will administer the competitive subgrants that will be offered to local education agencies beginning in fiscal year 2005-06.
Through the subgrants, local education agencies will provide intensive and innovative educational programs designed to help refugee children improve their English fluency and make progress toward grade-level proficiency. Such programs may include English as a second language instruction; after-school tutorials, activities, and clubs; cognitive enrichment programs; parental outreach programs; and interpreter services. The subgrants may also be used for teacher salaries and bilingual and bicultural counselors.
For more information on the Refugee School Impact Grant program, please visit RFA: Refugee Students Assistance.
