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To: EII Integrated Communications, Charter School Leaders, K-12 Public Information Officers, Superintendents
From: Dr. Charlene Williams, Director of Oregon Department of Education
Date: September 29, 2023
Re: Now Available - Early Literacy Success School District Grant Application Template and Guidance
Dear Early Literacy Success Initiative Partners,
Literacy is in the air! We are excited to share new resources supporting the implementation of the Early Literacy Success School District Grants as part of the Early Literacy Success Initiative, intended to help support every district and eligible charter school to successfully apply for these important grant dollars.
The Early Literacy Success Initiative secures $90 million in non-competitive, application-based grants for the biennium to support comprehensive early literacy plans (defined as pre-kindergarten through third grade) in order to increase early literacy statewide.
Application Resources
The following resources will be useful for preparing the grant application for the Early Literacy Success School District Grants:
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Oregon’s Early Literacy Framework provides the content to engage in deep learning and frame the big picture of effective early literacy.
- The Program Review Tool guides applicants through applying the Framework to their given setting and includes eight questions that will be required in the Application.
- The Application Planning Template is a practical tool in which an applicant lays out what they will be required to submit alongside the Inventory and Budget.
- The Literacy Inventory and Budget includes the template for the inventory required by the legislation and provides pre-populated budget cells that help with planning for allowable expenses. This will be required as an attachment in the Application.
- The Guidance helps summarize the legislation and lays out how the grant program works, while providing clarity in what will be expected and reviewed.
- The Application holds all of the questions in the Template as well as the questions in the Program Review Tool and will be the location for uploading the Literacy Inventory and Budget. It comes via Smartsheet on Dec. 1 (and closes on Jan. 8) and will align with the Integrated Guidance tools and reporting infrastructure.
Key Application Dates
- The submission window opens on December 1, 2023, and closes on January 8, 2024.
- Applicants can backdate expenditures to October 1, 2023.
- When planning the application development, keep in mind that the grant application must have been presented to and approved by the school board at an open meeting.
- Grant agreements will be issued once applications have been reviewed and meet requirements.
The following implementation timeline will help you anticipate the key steps moving forward.
October - November 2023
- Applicants develop their early literacy plans and inventories and prepare applications.
December 2023 - February 2024
- Applicants share applications with their school boards, as required by the Early Literacy Success Initiative.
- Applicants will have through February 28th, 2024, to submit the board minutes; however, the review of applications will not be complete until the board minutes are received.
December 1, 2023
- Submission window opened through Smartsheet and through the current Integrated Guidance Application and Reporting Dashboards.
January 8, 2024
- Submission window closes.
January - March 2024
- Updated Integrated Guidance released, fully aligning Early Literacy Success School District Grants with the other six integrated programs.
- Initial literacy plans for the 2023-25 biennium reviewed and approved.
March - May 2024
- Grant agreements are finalized, and funding begins to flow.
Optional Office Hours
Office hours are an opportunity for applicants to learn more as well as hear what their peers are doing as they begin the application process.
Questions?
All district and eligible charter school resources and related materials will be updated on the Early Literacy Success Initiative website.
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