Submission dates announced for ‘CLASS 2.0’ grant initiative

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Superintendents:

Our first Classroom Learning and School Supply (CLASS) Grant, offered in February 2022, received enough positive responses from our Oklahoma teachers to warrant a second opportunity. During November 1, 2 and 3, all full-time certified public school teachers directly serving PreK to 12th grade students (including school counselors, reading specialists, media specialists, speech pathologists, physical therapists, and occupational/speech therapists) are invited to submit an $800 CLASS grant. This funding is only available for one project per classroom teacher. OSDE is utilizing $6 million in ESSER funds to ensure classroom educators have the resources and materials to maximize student learning and well-being. In OSDE’s first CLASS grant, 7,649 teachers from over 1,411 schools in 462 districts and approximately 616,508 students from all 77 counties benefited directly from federal relief dollars. In a post-grant survey from Fall of 2022, teachers reported the following behaviors from their students:

To ensure equitable access, the second CLASS grant campaign will take place over three days, allowing teachers whose school district area code is:

580 to submit a project on Tuesday, November 1

918 to submit a project on Wednesday, November 2 and

405 to submit a project on Thursday, November 3.  The portal will open at 4 p.m. CT each day.

While $6 million is a significant investment, we know the funds will be expended very quickly. Below are important and timely actions that are be helpful in communicating key information to your team before the application window opens:

1. Notify all eligible educators, site and district administrators, and your IT leader of the grant opportunity and application opening date for your district (based on your district office’s area code). For more information, please visit the DonorsChoose webpage where you can view other teachers’ projects and the CLASS 2.0 webpage for theevolving FAQ document, pre-recorded webinars, and best practices documents.

2. Ask your IT admin to “whitelist” the DonorsChoose website/URL. DonorsChoose will communicate more than once with teachers whose projects receive funding. Teachers need quick access to these emails and must respond in a timely manner to confirm their project funding.

3. Determine your approval process. Every grant proposal must be approved by the site principal and/or a district administrator prior to submission, as the district assumes responsibility for and ownership of all purchases. We encourage you to determine an efficient and responsible process to ensure teachers submit projects before funding is expended AND purchase items compatible with the district’s instructional philosophy and technology platforms. By submitting a project, the teacher is ensuring that the appropriate administrator has reviewed and approved his/her project and that the project meets district guidelines and is in accordance with all state laws.

4. Encourage teachers to write a rough draft of their grant—not inside the DonorsChoose platform—in the days before the grant opens for your district.

a. Teachers will respond to the following essay prompt:

What makes your students unique and special? How has COVID-19 impacted learning over the past two years? How will the requested resources directly relate to helping students advance their academic learning or overall well-being in light of COVID-19?

b. When their specific area launch day arrives, district-approved candidates should then create their project in the DonorsChoose platform.

c. To be considered for this funding, teachers must use the corresponding campaign code that will open on the DonorsChoose site according to the area code of each teacher’s employing school district.

d. Each school district area code will have a corresponding campaign code which makes grants eligible for the OSDE-designated funding. Without the campaign code, grants will not be eligible.

e. Grants submitted on the regular DonorsChoose website prior to a district’s assigned day will not be eligible for the OSDE-designated funding.

f. This funding is only available for one project per classroom teacher.

5. Visit DonorsChoose to learn more about their platform, timelines and delivery process.

6. Invite the appropriate faculty to attend the pre-recorded webinars and office hours below. These opportunities will offer helpful support for your teachers applying for the CLASS grant. A recording of the webinars will be available on OSDE website/class grant webpage.

7. If projects are approved, their essays will be published on the DonorsChoose webpage. Ensure your teachers describe your students in realistic, yet sensitive, words and phrases. For example: “at risk” students could be “at-promise” students. “Students in poverty” are “students facing socio-economic challenges.” Get a peer editor and be a peer editor.

8. Share with teachers: DonorsChoose has a “Help Center” with articles that address frequently asked questions, how tos, and other relevant information for this campaign.

Additional training and support will be provided to assist districts and teachers with the application process. Webinars will cover the grant components, application criteria, and information tailored for administrators and teachers. Grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

WEBINAR: CLASS 2.0 Let’s Do it Again! Watch a pre-recorded webinar for an overview of the second $6 million Classroom Learning and School Supplies (CLASS)/DonorsChoose.The $6 million has been proportionally allocated, depending on the number of teachers, to three areas of the state by area code.

• Beginning Tuesday, November 1 at 4 p.m., teachers whose school district area code is 580 will submit projects until their portion of the $6 million ($1,395,600) has been expended.
• Beginning Wednesday, November 2 at 4 p.m., teachers whose school district area code is 918 will submit projects until their portion of the $6 million ($2,122,200) has been expended.
• Beginning Thursday, November 3 at 4 p.m., teachers whose school district area code is 405 will submit projects until their portion of the $6 million ($2,482,200) has been expended.

This webinar will cover the application process, grant components, who can apply, and the timeline. Grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Drop in anytime during Office Hours for questions and answers about the second $6 million Classroom Learning and School Supplies (CLASS)/DonorsChoose Grant that opens over a three-day period based on school district area codes beginning Tues., Nov. 1. Teachers whose school district area code is 580 may apply on Tues., Nov. 1. Teachers whose school district area code is 918 may apply on Wed., Nov. 2, and teachers whose school district area code is 405 may apply on Thurs., Nov 3. The portal will open at 4 p.m. each day. Teachers and administrators are welcome to stay the entire time or join briefly to ask a particular question. Grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  To join, click link below:

CLASS 2.0 OFFICE HOURS

Thursday, Oct. 27 from 7:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Join Zoom Gov Meeting, click link below:

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1611502881pwd=d0xDNUFIdU5WczBXY1NiR0NHUWlmQT09

Meeting ID: 161 150 2881                              Passcode: 996807

Thursday, Oct. 27 from 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Join Zoom Gov Meeting, click link below:

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1607267823pwd=SGhpMVRGTmpDWFd4TTAvcEV1d3Bsdz09

Meeting ID: 160 726 7823                              Passcode: 234308