New Federal Money for Community Schools
February 1 , 2008 Vol. V, No. 2

In This Issue

Coalition Update: Report to the Field
Funding Available for Full Service Community Schools
Workshops Set for 2008 National Forum
Come Work for the Coalition!

In the News
California Students Send Message: Fix our Schools

Research, Publications, and Tools
Study Finds Stronger Engagement in Public Education Yields Better Results
Practical Evaluation Methods for AfterSchool Program Effectiveness
A Long-Term Evaluation of Afterschool Programs in Los Angeles
Strong Families and Successful Youth: How to do it
The Children in Room E4

Coalition Update: Report to the Field

Funding Available for Full Service Community Schools

The new federal budget contains $5 million to fund Full Service Community Schools. The Coalition is grateful to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for his successful efforts to secure these funds. This funding is a critical first step towards garnering congressional support for community schools.

The language defining the use of these funds is included in the recent Appropriations Conference Report. To view specific language click here.

We understand from U.S. Department of Education officials that they will issue an RFP for these monies in the Federal Register as early as the next two weeks, with a 60 day turn around.  The RFP will be tailored closely to the conference report language. The Department will be making between 8 and 15 awards between $75,000 and $500,000 available.  The lower number reflects the minimum that an individual school can receive and makes clear that smaller districts are potential applicants. There will be a peer review process for selecting applicants. 

While the number of awards is small, we hope that there will be a substantial number of applications.  We can leverage these limited funds if we have a high number of applicants who tell their Senators and Representatives about their interest in Full Service Community Schools.

The Coalition will be tracking the RFP and let you know when it comes out. 

Workshops Set for 2008 National Forum

The Coalition is pleased to announce the workshop sessions for our National Forum. Take a look at this overview. Are you spreading the word and getting your team together? We look forward to seeing everyone in Portland! To register, click here.

Come Work for the Coalition!

The Coalition is now seeking applicants for two new positions, Deputy Director and Research Associate.  We are seeking people who bring passion to efforts to improve the well-being of children, families and communities; experience working across the boundaries of schools and other institutions; and the ability to work with diverse constituencies.

• The Deputy Director will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Coalition work. We require strong management skills and solid written and oral communications skills.
• The Research Associate will be responsible for a range of research, writing and communications tasks that are essential to ongoing Coalition operations. 

Please send potential candidates our way and share these opportunities with your constituency.  Resumes should be sent to Maame Ameyaw at ameyawm@iel.org.