December 5, 2007
Dear Select County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, School Principals, Superintendents of State Special Schools, Categorical Program Directors, and Parent Involvement Specialists:
Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement Program Funding Opportunity
The 2006-07 State Budget Act allocated $15 million to the Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement Program to improve academic achievement by improving communication between schools and parents. The Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement Program provides one-time grants to eligible schools in which a majority of teachers and families agree to participate in home visits and/or community-based meetings to improve parent involvement and strengthen communications between parents and schools.
The California Department of Education (CDE) is announcing Round 5 of the Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement Program Request for Applications (RFA). Eligible applicants are schools, direct-funded charter schools, California Schools for the Deaf, and California Schools for the Blind that maintain kindergarten or any of grades one through twelve inclusive and are ranked 1-5 deciles of the Academic Performance Index (API), based on 2005-06 assessment data. Schools may receive from $15,000 to $35,000 each to implement this program.
Please visit the CDE Nell Soto Parent/Teacher Involvement Program Request for Applications Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r16/nellsotorfa07.asp for additional information. The deadline for all applications is January 25, 2008. The original and two copies of the complete application must be received at the CDE by the above date. Please send the application to:
Dr. Howie DeLane
School and District Accountability Division
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 6208
Sacramento, CA 95814
If you have any questions regarding the application, please contact Dr. Howie DeLane, School and District Accountability Division, at (916) 319-0377 or by e-mail at nellsotogrant@cde.ca.gov.
Sincerely,
William Waroff, Director
School and District Accountability Division
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1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814