MindPlay® recognizes the challenges that schools and districts face in terms of securing funding for programs. To assist in this endeavor, you will find a list of some of the organizations below that provide funding for research-based programs. The possibility of securing grant funding is available from numerous federal, state, and private sources. The grants which are available include: awards, continuing support, fellowships, general support, and matching funds. Furthermore, many grants support early literacy, after school programs, Special Education, professional development and English Language Learner (ELL) reading programs that the MindPlay programs address.
Because MVRC aligns so closely to reading Response to Intervention (RtI) (http://mindplay.com/response-
U.S. Department of Education – http://www.ed.gov
Located on the homepage is the Grants and Contracts Information Center area. According to the U.S. Department of Education website, it administers about 200 grant programs. The website provides useful information about program descriptions, applications and guidelines for some of the top grants including: Goals 2000 (Education), Innovative Education Program Strategies-Title VI, National Challenge Grants for Technology in Education, and Title I, Part A.
The Foundation Center – http://fdncenter.org
According to its website, The Foundation Center’s mission is to “strengthen the nonprofit sector by advancing knowledge about U.S. philanthropy.” One of the ways it accomplishes this goal is by providing education and training on the grant-seeking process. Its website provides helpful information about education grants at: http://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_education.jhtml.
Funds for Learning – http://www.fundsforlearning.com
Funds for Learning is an educational technology consulting firm that specializes in helping K-12 schools, libraries and businesses “benefit from this and other ed-tech funding opportunities designed to get them connected to the Internet.”
Funding Specifics
Schools and districts are eligible for federal funding through competitive and entitlement grants.
The entitlement programs consider economic factors relating to a school’s student population, often percentage of students in Free and Reduced Lunch program.
Entitlement programs and MindPlay
Title IA: Improving Basic Programs
Provide funds to ensure students in high-poverty schools meet challenging state academic content and student achievement standards.
Title I: School Improvement
Provide funds to substantially raise the achievement of students in lowest-performing schools.
Title IA: Supplemental Educational Services (SES)
Provides funds for additional academic instruction designed to increase the academic achievement of students in Title I schools in the second year of improvement, Corrective Action or Restructuring
Title III: English Language Acquisition
Provides funds to improve the education of Limited English Proficient (LEP) children and youths by helping them learn English and meet challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards.
Competitive Grants and MindPlay
Competitive Grant programs are awarded based upon specific criteria and are discretionary. These programs focus on specific goals, for example: grade-level reading programs, early literacy initiatives, technology, or after-school programs. Competitive grant funds are awarded to State Education Agencies that receive the awarded funds and then release them to Local Education Agencies.
21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC)
These grants support the creation of community learning centers that provide services, during non-school hours, to assist students in meeting state and local standards in subjects such as reading and math. Centers should offer students an array of enrichment activities that complement regular academic programs. Literacy and other education services should be offered to the families of participating children.
IDEA/Special Education, Part B
Funding to ensure that children with disabilities (aged three through five children included) have access to a free, appropriate public education that meets each child’s unique needs and prepares the child for further education, employment and independent living.
Response to Intervention
RtI provides districts the opportunity to use up to 15% of Special Education funds for students in Kindergarten through Grace 12 who are not identified as needing special education and related services, but who need additional support to succeed in the education environment.
Race to the top – Early Learning Challenge
Competitive grants for the improvement of early learning and development programs for young children.
Race to the Top – District (RTT-D)
Provides funds to local (LEA) improvements in teaching and learning that improve student achievement and teacher effectiveness.
Investing in Innovation
Funds innovative practices that have an impact on improving student achievement, closing achievement gaps, decreasing dropout rates, increasing high school graduation rates or increasing college enrollment and completion rates.
Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy (SRCK) Program
Competitive grant funds for creating a comprehensive literacy program to advance literacy skills – including pre-literacy skills, reading, and writing – for students from birth through grade 12, including limited-English proficient students and students with disabilities.