Data-Driven Family Engagement Tools for Head Start and State Preschools

Learning Genie is an app for ECE educators and family service workers for Distant Learning and Family Engagement including tracking in-kind. During the COVID-19 crisis, Learning Genie offers free tools till the end of 2020 under a grant (or in-kind) to support all ECE agencies for Distance Learning and track school readiness outcomes.

PRESCHOOL PORTFOLIO APP- LEARNING GENIE

Learning Genie also provides a useful application for portfolio-building. The portfolio tracking and tagging systems could be readily applied to DRDP 2015, Florida VPK, Head Start (HS), Early Head Start (EHS), Montessori, and other state or private-backed assessment tools.
The California Department of Education recently released of funding information towards the historic UPK initiatives. We have compiled the key information about each of the funding opportunities and a brief summary of some ideas of how Learning Genie can support you with these funding requirements. We hope you find the information and resources helpful as you plan and implement the UPK program. 

Please note that this is a living, breathing document that will be updated as new information is available from the CDE. Any questions in the meantime? Just reach out, and we’ll assist in any way possible!”

Learning Genie Early Learning Platform Overview

  • Whole-Child Approach, Connecting UTK,CSPP, ELO programs as well as CBO and SpecialEd under one child developmental profile and one assessment.

  • UPK/UTK lesson planning, instruction and reflection platform aligned with California Preschool Learning Foundation and Preschool Curriculum Frameworks

  • UPK/UTK approved DRDP-Assessment Platform

  • Dual Language Immersion Tools to power monolingual teacher to partner with parents to create multi-language environment for all DLL kids

  • Build-in Professional Development Support for CTC Teacher Residential Program

  • Comprehensive LEA wide data dashboard and reports on UPK/UTK assessment, Dual Language Learning progress tracking, and Professional Development progress tracking.

Plan submission to school board due date: June, 2022
Eligibility: LEA’s
Total funding available: $200 million dollars

Brief overview:
The 2021–22 State Budget package established the UPK Planning and Implementation Grant Program as a state early learning initiative with the goal of expanding access to prekindergarten programs at local educational agencies (LEAs). This grant program provides $200 million for the California Department of Education (CDE) to allocate directly to LEAs based on a statutory formula to support planning and implementation costs associated with expanding prekindergarten options, such as universally-available transitional kindergarten (TK), CSPP, and Head Start for eligible students, and other local and community-based partnerships.

Grant funds may be used for costs associated with creating or expanding CSPP or TK programs, or to establish or strengthen partnerships with other providers of prekindergarten education within the LEA, including Head Start programs, to ensure that high-quality options for prekindergarten education are available for four-year-old children. Allowable costs include, but are not limited to: (1) planning costs, (2) hiring and recruitment costs, (3) staff training and professional development, (4) classroom materials, and (5) supplies.

As a condition of receiving grant funds, state law requires each LEA to create a plan articulating, how all children in the attendance area of the LEA will have access to full-day learning programs the year before kindergarten that meet the needs of parents, including through partnerships with the LEA’s expanded learning offerings, the After-School Education and Safety Program, the California state preschool program, Head Start programs, and other community-based early learning and care programs (EC Section 8281.5).

Under state law, the plan must be developed for consideration by the LEA’s governing board or body at a public meeting on or before June 30, 2022, after which the LEA must provide data, as specified by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, to the CDE. The CDE must encumber funds by June 30, 2024. LEAs will have until June 30, 2025, to use the funds.

Links to the CDE webpage and Planning templates:


Focus Area A: Vision and Coherence

Recommended Planning Questions

  • What is the LEA’s vision for UPK? [open response]
  • In addition to TK, what service delivery models will be integrated to offer UPK programming, including the nine hours of total extended learning and care programming around the TK instructional time for families that opt in? In developing this component of the plan, LEAs should include partners such as CSPP, Head Start, and other early learning and care providers to ensure local services and funding are maximized and coordinated in response to parental needs and choice. [open response]
  • Describe the planned administrative structure that will support and monitor the UPK program and facilitate connections with the ELO-P as well as non-LEA-administered early learning and care programs that will support the extended learning components of UPK. [open response]
  • Identify and assign each individual that will be responsible for key functions pertaining to implementing UPK (for example, academic or educational services, early childhood, facilities, human resources and labor, special education, English learner or multilingual programs, partnerships, including early learning and care and ELO-P, assessment and data collection, professional learning, workforce recruitment and preparation support, or others). [open response]
  • Identify how UPK leadership will be integrated in the decision-making process at the executive or cabinet level. [open response]
  • Describe how the LEA’s proposed UPK model will be integrated with the district’s LCAP. [open response]
  • Describe how the LEA plans to ensure the inclusion of students with disabilities in UPK classrooms and who will be involved in the process. [open response]
  • Describe how the LEA plans to support sites in building connections between them and ELO-P, as well as early learning and care partners. [open response]

How Learning Genie can help:

Whole-Child Approach, Connecting UTK,CSPP, ELO programs as well as CBO and SpecialEd under one child developmental profile and one assessment.
Learning Genie is an all-in-one platform for data-driven child portfolio and observations, assessment and lesson planning for early learning. It seamlessly integrated with all LEA’s student information system/data system and could be flexibly configured to connect multiple programs. It enables collaboration among LEA’s UTK program, CSPP program, ELO program, as well as SpecialEd inclusive programs to work on one child’s portfolio and assessment, and submit one child assessment report back to SIS. Our secured bridge feature also enables LEA and Community Based Partners, Head Start programs to share securely as well. This unique solution will support continuous education and collaboration across multiple programs to provide full-day learning programs (9 hours of education) under the new UTK requirement in one system with one child progress report card.




Focus Area B: Community Engagement and Partnerships

Recommended Planning Questions

  • How does the LEA’s UPK Plan prioritize parental needs and choices? [open response]
  • How does the LEA plan to meaningfully engage extended learning and care partners in the development of the LEA’s UPK Plan? [open response]
  • What actions does the LEA plan to take to partner with local R&Rs; LPCs; and existing early education, child care, and expanded learning providers within the LEA’s attendance boundary to support parents to access services across LEA-administered and non-LEA-administered programs for extended learning and care and other supports? [open response]
  • How does the LEA plan to create or grow partnerships with early learning and care providers serving children with disabilities (including how the LEA plans to collaborate with their SELPA to enroll more children with disabilities in inclusive UPK opportunities)? [open response]
  • Develop sample program schedules that describe how the requirements of the ELO-P will be met for UPK, including the use of ELO-P funds or other fund sources; how they will be combined with the instructional day to offer a minimum of nine hours per day of programming (instructional day plus ELO-P or other supports); and how they will offer a minimum nine-hour summer or intersession day. [open response]

How Learning Genie can help:

Whole-Child Approach, Connecting UTK,CSPP, ELO programs as well as CBO and SpecialEd under one child developmental profile and one assessment.
Learning Genie is a platform of child’s portfolio and assessment, as well as teacher lesson planning tools. It seamlessly integrated with all LEA’s SIS and could be flexibly configured to connect multiple programs . It enables collaboration among LEA’s UTK program, CSPP program, ELO program, as well as SpecialEd inclusive programs to work on one child’s portfolio and assessment, and submit one child assessment report back to SIS. Our secured bridge feature also enables LEA and Community Based Partners, Head Start programs to share securely as well. Learning Genie thus will support various wrap-around settings to provide 9 hour of education under the new UTK requirement in one system and ultimately create one child report card.


Focus Area C: Workforce Recruitment and Professional Learning

Recommended Planning Questions

  • How does the LEA plan to recruit the educators needed to implement its UPK Plan (including CSPP teachers, assistant teachers, TK teachers, and TK teachers’ instructional aides and assistants)? [open response]
  • How does the LEA plan to partner with CSPP, Head Start, and other early learning and care providers to offer joint professional learning opportunities? [open response]
  • What is the LEA’s planned strategy for providing professional learning for educators across the LEA’s P–3 continuum? Plans might include the following: [open response]
    1. Who will receive this professional learning?
      1. By role (lead teachers, assistant teachers, administrators, coaches, and so forth)
      2. By grade (TK staff, kindergarten through third grade staff, on-site preschool staff, off-site preschool staff, and so forth)
    2. What content will professional learning opportunities cover?
      1. Effective adult-child interactions
      2. Children’s literacy and language development (aligned with the California Preschool Learning Foundations and the California Preschool Curriculum Frameworks)
      3. Children’s developing math and science (aligned with the California Preschool Learning Foundations and the California Preschool Curriculum Frameworks)
      4. Children’s social-emotional development (aligned with the California Preschool Learning Foundations and the California Preschool Curriculum Frameworks)
      5. Implicit bias and culturally- and linguistically-responsive practice
      6. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma- and healing-informed practice
      7. Curriculum selection and implementation
      8. Creating developmentally-informed environments
      9. Administration and use of child assessments to inform instruction
      10. Support for multilingual learners, including home language development and strategies for a bilingual classroom
      11. Serving children with disabilities in inclusive settings, including Universal Design for Learning
      12. Engaging culturally- and linguistically-diverse families
    3. How will professional learning be delivered?
      1. Coaching and mentoring
      2. Classroom observations and demonstration lessons with colleagues
      3. Workshops with external professional development providers
      4. Internally-delivered professional learning workshops and trainings
      5. Operating an induction program
      6. Partnerships with local QCC professional learning in CSPP settings
      7. In mixed groupings (for example, TK and CSPP teachers)
  • How does the LEA plan to facilitate the development of a district early education leadership team (across grade levels and departments) and promote site-based horizontal and vertical articulation (P–3) teams to support student transitions, share strategies, and collaboratively monitor student progress?

How Learning Genie can help:

Learning Genie platform enables Preschool and UTK teachers to share age-appropriate lesson plans and activities from original creation or existing resources/curriculum aligned with California Preschool Learning Foundation and Preschool Curriculum Frameworks, as well as Common Core Standards.
Being the most comprehensive system used by California early learning educators and administrators, the Learning Genie platform has accumulated a rich library of best practices, lesson plans, and activities resources to support classroom and instructional practices, especially the social-emotional learning and executive function activities, for mixed/blended learning, and with learners with disabilities and multilingual learners.
The built-in ‘observe’, ‘reflect’, ‘plan’, ‘implement’ logic (cycle of inquiry), and auto-generated child’s development progress report will guide teachers to conduct more intentional teaching and focus on individualized plans for each child.

Focus Area D: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Recommended Planning Questions

  • Describe how the LEA will develop or select a curriculum for UPK classrooms that aligns with the California Preschool Learning Foundations and California Preschool Curriculum Frameworks. [open response]
  • Describe the intended timeline for curriculum implementation, including steps for piloting and gathering input from UPK teachers, and a process for ensuring curriculum fidelity. [open response]
  • What actions does the LEA plan to take to support effective classroom organization practices and behavior management strategies to ensure a positive learning environment for a diverse population of UPK students?
  • Describe how classroom practices for UPK (TK and other preschool programs the LEA operates or has on site) will be integrated and aligned.
  • What instructional practices does the LEA plan to implement to support children with disabilities in UPK (for example, implementing Universal Design for Learning, providing specialized services in the classroom with peer models,implementing social-emotional strategies such as the Pyramid Model)? [open response]
  • What instructional practices does the LEA plan to implement to support the language and overall development of multilingual learners? [open response]
  • How does the LEA plan to assess dual language learners (DLLs) in areas other than English language acquisition? [open response]

How Learning Genie can help:

  • UPK/UTK lesson planning, instruction and reflection platform aligned with California Preschool Learning Foundation and Preschool Curriculum Frameworks
    The platform enables Preschool and UTK teachers to share age-appropriate lessons and activities from original creation or existing resources/curriculum. In this platform, resources are pre-aligned with CA preschool foundation DRDP as well as CCSS. The built-in ‘observe’, ‘reflect’, ‘plan’, ‘implement’ logic (cycle of inquiry) and auto-generated child’s development progress report will guide teachers to conduct more intentional teaching and focus on individualized plans for each child.
  • UPK/UTK approved DRDP-Assessment Platform
    Learning Genie is a CDE approved portfolio and assessment platform to support State preschools, UTK and Kindergarten child assessment. It is integrated with SIS for roster and gradebook, directly connected with state system DRDPonline to generate authentic domain scores for child progress report cards and school readiness assessment.
  • Dual Language Immersion Tools to power monolingual teacher to partner with parents to create multi-language environment for all DLL kids
    Learning Genie’s DLL module enables LEA to meet AB1363 mandates for dual language learners at a significantly reduced cost. The tool will support monolingual teachers to conduct multi-language vocabulary lessons and maximally enables parents to support children’s home language and English development. The tool also translates report cards and DLL teaching instructions to families. The data dashboard will support LEA to meet AB1363 and CDE’s reporting requirements.
  • Comprehensive LEA wide data dashboard and reports on UPK/UTK assessment, Dual Language Learning progress tracking, and Professional Development progress tracking.
    The comprehensive dashboard enables directors to generate formative reports for continuous quality improvement such as PDSA meetings. It will also facilitate summative reports for board meetings and annual reports.

a

Index keywords: professional development, workforce, CSPP, UTK

Letter of Interest (LOI) due date: January 19, 2022 (NOTE: LOI is required.)

Application available date: January 31, 2022
Application due date: March 16, 2022
Award notification date: June 15, 2022 (anticipated)
Eligibility: LEA’s

Total funding available: $100 million dollars
Funding amount: TBD and based upon successful RFA submission. Preliminary funding estimates by county can be found in the LOI document.

Brief overview: LEA’s must submit a successful RFA, delineating how they will increase: 1) the number of CSPP and TK classroom educators, and 2) the competencies of CSPP, TK and K classroom educators to provide developmentally-appropriate, inclusive, and culturally- and linguistically responsive instruction.
Links for additional information and resources:

LOI content
While the link to the LOI document materials is available above, we thought it would be helpful to share the questions for requested information. This information is not required, but requested by CDE to help inform technical assistance needs. Information provided will not be scored.

Proposed Service Area and Partners
7. If information is available at this point:

  1. If your LEA is proposing to serve multiple counties, please list the countiesyou intend to partner with.
  2. If your LEA is planning to apply on behalf of other LEAs, which LEA(s) within the same county or counties is your LEA proposing to serve?
  3. If your LEA is planning on applying on behalf of a consortium of non-LEA providers, which non-LEA early education providers are you intending to serve, including community-based CSPP providers and Head Start providers?
  4. Please specify any additional project partners, such as institutes of higher education, or planned activities to engage additional partners between now and submission of an application.
  5. Please specify the amount of funding you anticipate requesting. This amount cannot be greater than the maximum county funding specified in the County Funding Resource section of this LOI.

Source: Early Education Teacher Development Grant Program Mandatory Letters of Intent document

How we can help:

    Our platform is perfectly designed to increase the competencies of CSPP, TK and K classroom educators.

  • Built-in Professional Development Support
    The platform enables teachers and coaches (or model teachers and mentors) to share LIVE observations, reflections, lesson plans and other resources. It can be viewed as a ‘virtual shadowing’. Coaches can provide timely, responsive feedback to teachers to support individual growth and development, and utilize the platform to facilitate high quality PLC meetings (in person or virtually) to provide the opportunity for teachers to learn from their peers.
  • UPK/UTK lesson planning, instruction, data and reflection platform aligned with the California’s Preschool Learning Foundations, Preschool Curriculum Frameworks and Common Core State Standards
    The platform enables CSPP, TK and K teachers to share age-appropriate lessons and activities originally created by other early learning educators or from existing resources/curriculum. Instructional content resources are pre-aligned with California’s Preschool Learning Foundations, the DRDP and Common Core State Standards. The built-in ‘observe’, ‘reflect’, ‘plan’, ‘implement’ logic (cycle of inquiry) and auto-generated child’s development progress report will guide teachers to conduct more intentional teaching and optimize personalized and responsive learning opportunities for every child/student.

a

Index keywords: CSPP, UTK , workforce quality and effectiveness-funding

Plan adoption due date: December 30, 2021

Total funding available: $1.5 billion dollars
Funding amount: Please see the Schedule of Allocations (link below).
First apportionment: Fall 2021 (scheduled)
Second apportionment: Spring 2022 (scheduled)
Eligibility: LEA’s and State Special Schools

Reporting Requirements: In addition to developing a plan for allocated funds, LEA’s are required to submit annual data and expenditure reports.

Brief overview: The purpose of these funds is to provide professional development activities to support educator (certificated and classified ) quality and effectiveness. LEA’s must develop a plan describing how appropriated funds will be used, and the plan must be presented to the LEA’s governing board and adopted by December 30, 2021. Funds can be expended through June 30, 2026.

Links to the EE webpage and support resources

Each LEA is required to develop a plan detailing how they will spend these funds. While there is no template available for the plan’s development, a list of activities for which funds can be used is provided below and on the EE FAQs webpage. (Please see link above).

  • Coaching and mentoring of staff serving in an instructional setting and beginning teacher or administrator induction, including, but not limited to, coaching and mentoring solutions that address a local need for teachers that can serve all pupil populations with a focus on retaining teachers, and offering structured feedback and coaching systems organized around social-emotional learning, including, but not limited to, promoting teacher self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and responsible decision making skills, improving teacher attitudes and beliefs about one’s self and others, and supporting learning communities for educators to engage in a meaningful classroom teaching experience.
  • Programs that lead to effective, standards-aligned instruction and improve instruction in literacy across all subject areas, including English language arts, history-social science, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science.
  • Practices and strategies that reengage pupils and lead to accelerated learning.
  • Strategies to implement social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, suicide prevention, access to mental health services, and other approaches that improve pupil well-being.
  • Practices to create a positive school climate, including, but not limited to, restorative justice, training around implicit bias, providing positive behavioral supports, multitiered systems of support, transforming a schoolsite’s culture to one that values diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and preventing discrimination, harassment, bullying, and intimidation based on actual or perceived characteristics, including disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, language, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
  • Strategies to improve inclusive practices, including, but not limited to, universal design for learning, best practices for early identification, and development of individualized education programs for individuals with exceptional needs.
  • Instruction and education to support implementing effective language acquisition programs for English learners, which may include integrated language development within and across content areas, and building and strengthening capacity to increase bilingual and biliterate proficiency.
  • New professional learning networks for educators not already engaged in an education-related professional learning network to support the requirements of subdivision (c).
  • Instruction, education, and strategies to incorporate ethnic studies curricula adopted pursuant to Section 51226.7 into pupil instruction for grades 7 to 12, inclusive.
  • Instruction, education, and strategies for certificated and classified educators in early childhood education, or childhood development.

Source: CDE Educator Effectiveness Funds 2021 – 26 FAQ’s webpage

How we can help:

    Our resources are perfectly suited to support educators of preschool through third grade classrooms and are well-aligned to several strategies and activities identified for this funding source.

  • Built-in Professional Development Support and Professional Development Webinars
    The platform enables teachers and coaches (or model teachers and mentors) to share LIVE observations, reflections, lesson plans and other resources. It can be viewed as a ‘virtual shadowing’. Coaches can provide timely, responsive feedback to teachers to support individual growth and development, and utilize the platform to facilitate high quality PLC meetings (in person or virtually) to provide the opportunity for teachers to learn from their peers. Furthermore, we have numerous professional development webinars available for teachers that focus on the whole child/student’s development and to help teachers achieve their professional development goals.
  • UPK/UTK lesson planning, instruction, data and reflection platform aligned with the California’s Preschool Learning Foundations, Preschool Curriculum Frameworks and Common Core State Standards
    The platform enables CSPP, TK and K teachers to share age-appropriate lessons and activities originally created by other early learning educators or from existing resources/curriculum. Instructional content resources are pre-aligned with California’s Preschool Learning Foundations, the DRDP and Common Core State Standards. The built-in ‘observe’, ‘reflect’, ‘plan’, ‘implement’ logic (cycle of inquiry) and auto-generated child’s development progress report will guide teachers to conduct more intentional teaching and optimize personalized and responsive learning opportunities for every child/student.
  • Dual Language Immersion Tools to power monolingual teacher to partner with parents to create multi-language environment for all DLL children/students
    Learning Genie’s DLL module keeps teachers and families connected (via any home language) and authentic partners in children’s bilingual and biliteracy development, while also helping LEA’s effectively and efficiently adhere to state requirements and mandates (e.g., AB1363). Teachers can easily conduct multilingual vocabulary lessons and partner with parents to continue the learning at home. The tool also translates other resources (e.g., progress reports), and enables two-way communication so teachers and families stay easily connected. The data dashboard will support LEA to meet AB1363 and CDE’s reporting requirements.

a

Index keywords: CSPP, UTK , workforce supply, work force quality

Letter of Interest (LOI) due date: December 13, 2021 (NOTE: LOI is optional.)
Application due date: February 14, 2022

Total funding available: $25 million dollars
Award amount: Up to $250,000 per applicant
Who can apply: LEA’s in partnership with IHE’s that operate a CTC-approved teacher preparation program.

Brief overview: The goal of this funding opportunity is for Local Education Agencies (LEA’s) and Institutions of Higher Education (IHE’s) to cultivate partnerships to develop the capacity to design and implement a teacher residency program within the applicant LEA(s).

Link to application materials:
https://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/grant-funded-programs/teacher-residency-grant-program

3.a CTC RFA for Teacher Residency Grant
Brief overview: This funding will be for LEA/IHE partnerships to implement a teacher resident program within the applicant LEA.
RFA release date: Late 2021 (anticipated)

3.b CTC RFA for Teacher Residency Expansion Grant
Brief overview: This funding source will be for LEA/IHE partnerships to expand their teacher residency programs with the applicant LEA(s).
RFA release date: Early 2022 (anticipated)

While the link to all application materials is available above, we thought it would be helpful to also provide the narrative questions that must be answered. A complete application must include the narrative and all appendices.

1. Provide an overview of the Teacher Residency Partnership to be Developed between the Applicant LEA(s) and the Collaborating IHE(s) (10 points)
Provide an overview of the collaborative partnership to be developed under the Teacher Residency Capacity Grant program. A complete response will address all of the following:

  1. The LEA or consortium’s rationale for applying for a Teacher Residency Capacity Grant, and
  2. The LEA or consortium’s intended IHE partner(s) that has a Commission-approved educator preparation program in the targeted credential area and the reasons for selecting the identified IHE(s). This reasoning may include factors such as geographic location, building upon existing partnerships, a description of how the LEA and IHE will reciprocatively support each other with existing needs, etc.

2. Describe the Local Need for Special Education, STEM, Computer Science, TK, Kindergarten, and/or Bilingual Education Teachers OR to Diversify the Teacher Workforce of the LEA(s) to Match the LEA(s) Community’s Diversity (10 points)
Describe and provide data to support the local need for planning and implementing a teacher residency program that (a) supports residents in one of the designated shortage fields including special education, bilingual education, computer science, STEM, TK, or kindergarten and/or (b) meets local efforts to recruit, develop support systems for, provide outreach and communication strategies to, and retain a diverse teacher workforce that reflects the LEA community’s diversity. Descriptions may include but are not limited to (1) a description of prior efforts to meet local needs; (2) current needs; and (3) the specific needs to be addressed in the proposed Teacher Residency Capacity Grant Program, including

  1. The number of special education, STEM, bilingual education, computer science, TK and/or kindergarten teachers currently serving on less than a preliminary teaching credential.
  2. The target number of residents to be served annually.
  3. The schools in which residents would potentially be placed.
  4. The rationale for the selection of the identified target schools.
  5. Demographic gaps between student and teachers within the LEA.

3. Describe the Components of the Capacity Building Process to be Implemented Through the Teacher Residency Capacity Grant Program (20 points)
Describe each of the following:

  1. How the partnership will design, develop the capacity for, and be ready to implement an expanded or new Teacher Residency Program in the applicant LEA or consortium. Applicants may provide a table indicating the range of planning/capacity building activities and the participants from the LEA and the IHE as applicable to each planned capacity building activity in response to this criterion. This design should include activities that will result in a deep partnership and a sustainable model such as: a shared vision, a recruitment strategy that will increase the LEA’s resident teacher retention rates, an MOU between the LEA and IHE, a plan for program evaluation, a vision of an effective program completer, a financial model, recruitment/selection plans, etc. Additional information on best practices for teacher residency sustainability can be found in this report published by Bank Street and the Learning Policy Institute.
  2. The plan for creating new or building upon existing structures to recruit, select, and train mentors while maintaining consistency with the Commission’s program standards. This plan may include expanding the current process for selecting mentors to support student teachers, borrowing elements from a new teacher induction program, utilizing existing specialist/coach support models, including teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, etc.
  3. How the teacher residency program would assure that residents have opportunities to work with students in an experienced mentor teacher’s classroom.
  4. The plan for designing a cohort model approach within the Teacher Residency Program.
  5. The plan to determine how the existing Commission-approved teacher preparation programs offered by a regionally accredited institution of higher education will be modified to work specifically with the partner LEA(s), or how the new Teacher Residency Program at the IHE will be tailored to work specifically with the partner LEA(s), as applicable. Plans may also include, but are not required to incorporate, strategies to eliminate duplicative coursework for competencies that are met during the residency placement, development of Integrated Undergraduate Teacher Preparation pathways, etc.

4. Key Program Personnel and Shared Program Governance (15 points)
Provide a chart or graphic that identifies the management staff from both the LEA or consortium and the IHE(s) who will be responsible for the shared overall management of the Teacher Residency Capacity Grant, including position title, roles and responsibilities, and the full time equivalent (FTE) of each position. Identify which staff will be responsible (a) for the overall management of the Teacher Residency Capacity Grant, (b) for the fiscal management of the program, and (c) for assuring that the Teacher Residency Capacity Grant functions as a consistently shared responsibility between the LEA or consortium and the partner IHE(s).

Identify other key staff who may not have direct program administration responsibilities but who will have important roles in implementing the Teacher Residency Capacity Grant Program. For example, these other key staff could include individuals serving within the planned program such as mentor teachers, co-teachers, professional learning community leaders/organizers, and others whose services and contributions are or will be critical to the successful implementation of the planned Teacher Residency program. Broad stakeholder involvement during capacity building is encouraged and is a best practice as LEA and IHE partnerships consider the sustainability of a teacher residency program. Representatives from stakeholder groups such as Human Resources staff, LEA leadership, site administrators, union leadership, etc. should participate in designing an innovative staffing plan that includes hiring of residents and a plan to retain them. (Per authorizing legislation, see (i)(j) of Appendix A.)

5. Timelines and Assurances (10 points)
Important Note: Applicants should keep in mind the intent of the authorizing legislation to provide support for capacity building in preparation for implementing a teacher residency pathway within the applicant LEA or consortium as well as for applying for a Teacher Residency Grant in an upcoming Teacher Residency Grant competition.

Applicants must provide assurance that, if funded, they will respond to the Commission’s requirements to collect and submit data as required. Data requests include but are not limited to credential areas explored, successes, challenges, lessons learned, and potential to apply for residency grants.

Applicants should indicate the expected timelines for:

  1. Completion of the planning and capacity building process
  2. Readiness to apply for a Teacher Residency grant in upcoming competitions;
  3. Recruitment of the initial cohort of Residents for the Teacher Residency Program;
  4. Enrollment of the initial cohort of Residents in the IHE Teacher Residency preparation pathway;
  5. The starting school year for the first cohort of Residents (e.g., 2022-23, 2023-24).

Note: Applicants may submit a table of expected timelines in response to this criterion.

6. Budgets and Budget Narratives for the Capacity Grant, including Matching Funds (25 points)
Provide a Budget Summary (Appendix G) for the proposed Teacher Residency Capacity Grant. In addition, applicants must also provide a budget narrative explaining how each of these costs was determined/calculated for both the grant funds and the matching funds. Applicants should consider the most efficient and effective use of time, fiscal resources, material resources, and the expertise and preparation of those involved in planning and implementing the Teacher Residency Capacity Grant when determining costs to be funded by the grant funds and costs to be funded by the matching funds.

7. Statutory Priority Points (up to 10 points total)
Applicants must fill out and submit the Statutory Priority Points form (Appendix F).

Source: CTC Request for Applications for Teacher Residency Capacity Grants

How Learning Genie can help:

  • Built-in Professional Development Support for the CTC Teacher Residency Program
    The platform enables student teachers and mentor teachers (or model teachers and mentors) to share LIVE observations, reflections, lesson plans and other resources. It can be viewed as a ‘virtual shadowing’. Mentor teachers can provide timely, responsive feedback to student teachers to support individual growth and development, and utilize the platform to facilitate high quality PLC meetings (in person or virtually) to provide the opportunity for student teachers to learn from their peers. Furthermore, we have numerous professional development webinars available for student teachers that focus on the whole child/student’s development and can help student teachers achieve their professional development goals.
  • Comprehensive LEA-wide data dashboard, data analytics and reporting features to track professional development activities, make timely, effective decisions to best support participants and share progress with key stakeholders.
    The comprehensive dashboard will enable grantees to generate formative reports to gauge progress on professional development and other key grant activities, and make timely continuous quality improvements to ensure grant goals are achieved and participants are receiving the best learning experience possible. A variety of data reports can be easily generated for various types of reports and presentations (e.g., board presentations and annual reports).
  • In-kind Match Requirement
    We can support LEA’s and their partners with the required in-kind match for this funding source. Please contact us (information below) so we can work with you to design a plan that meets your needs.

a

Index keywords: ELO, CSPP/TK, School Age, Before and after school program
Total funding available: $1.75 billion dollars
Funding amount: Determined by entitlement calculation for each LEA

Brief overview: While a formal proposal/grant is not required for this funding source, LEA’s must complete a program plan for how they will provide high-quality expanded learning opportunities for children and students with the appropriated funds they have received. The plan must be approved by the LEA governing body and posted on the LEA’s website.

Funding amount: Determined by entitlement calculation for each LEA
Lead agency: LEA’s, though partnerships with community partners is encouraged.
Program Plan Requirements: A living document to be approved by the ‘’s governing board, uploaded onto the ‘s’s website and reviewed and updated regularly. CDE has provided a program planning guide (PPG) to support plan development.

Links to the PPG and additional support resources

Below are the questions from the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Plan Guide. (Please see the link above to access the entire document.)

  • Safe and Supportive Environment
    Describe how the program will provide opportunities for students to experience a safe and supportive environment. Include if the program will be offered on the school site or off campus. If not on site, describe where in the community it will be and how students will be supported to get there.
  • Active and Engaged Learning
    Describe how the program will provide opportunities for students to experience active and engaged learning that either supports or supplements, but does not duplicate, the instructional day.
  • Skill Building
    Describe how the program will provide opportunities for students to experience skill building.
  • Youth Voice and Leadership
    Describe how the program will provide opportunities for students to engage in youth voice and leadership
  • Healthy Choices and Behaviors
    Describe how the program will provide opportunities for students to engage in healthy choices and behaviors. Describe how students will be served nutritious meals and/or snacks during the ELO-P hours of programming.
  • Diversity, Access, and Equity
    Describe how the program is designed to address cultural and linguistic diversity and provide opportunities for all students to experience diversity, access, and equity. Describe how the ELO-P will provide access and opportunity for students with disabilities.
  • Quality Staff
    Describe how the program will provide opportunities for students to engage with quality staff.
  • Clear Vision, Mission, and Purpose
    Describe the program’s clear vision, mission, and purpose.
  • Collaborative Partnerships
    Describe the program’s collaborative partnerships. Local educational agencies are encouraged to collaborate with non-LEA entities to administer and implement ELO-P programs.
  • Continuous Quality Improvement
    Describe the program’s Continuous Quality Improvement plan.

Source: expanded Learning Opportunities Program Guide

How we can help:

    Our resources are ideal for preschool through third grade classrooms.

  • Seamlessly Connects Diverse Educational Programs and Partners (e.g., CSPP, TK, K-3, Extended Learning, LEA’s and Community-Based Organizations) to Create an Integrated Whole-Child/Student Approach to Best Meet the Needs of Every Child/Student.
    Learning Genie is seamlessly integrated with Student Information Systems (SIS), enabling LEA’s CSPP, TK and K-3 and inclusion classrooms and community-based organization’s ELO- and UPK programs to collaborate seamlessly on each child/student’s developmental portfolio and assessment, and submit one combined child assessment report back to the districts’ data system for integrated data analysis. This unique solution will support continuous education and collaboration across multiple programs to provide full-day, unduplicated learning and enrichment opportunities (9 hours of education) under the new UTK requirement in one system with one child progress report card.
  • Leverage Built-in Professional Development Resources to Support the Development of Quality Staff Across All Partner Programs
    The platform enables teachers and coaches from all partner agencies to share LIVE observations, reflections, lesson plans and other resources. It can be viewed as a ‘virtual shadowing’. Coaches can provide timely, responsive feedback to teachers to support individual growth and development, and utilize the platform to facilitate high quality PLC meetings (in person or virtually and within or among partner agencies) to provide the opportunity for teachers to learn from their peers. Furthermore, we have numerous professional development webinars available for educators that focus on the whole child/student’s development and can support teachers in achieving their professional development goals.
  • Facilitate Continuous Quality Improvement Among Partners with Comprehensive data dashboard and analytic tools.
    The comprehensive dashboard will enable partners to generate formative reports to gauge child/student progress and outcomes and progress on key grant activities, and make timely and strategic improvements to ensure grant goals are achieved and children/students receive the best learning and enrichment opportunities that meet their individual needs.

a

(New language added 12/22/21)

Index keywords: DLL, professional development, family engagement, TK/K, elementary school

Application available date: Winter 2022 (anticipated)
Who can apply: LEA’s and LEA consortia, with a focus on elementary and secondary grades

Total funding available: $10 million dollars
Recipient award amount: TBD with a minimum 25 grantees to be awarded funding

Brief overview: This is a competitive grant process to support the development or expansion of dual immersion programs supporting both students who are native speakers of English and students who are native speakers of another language. Funds can be used for curriculum, instructional materials, professional development, teacher recruitment and family and student outreach.

Information on this funding opportunity will be shared as more information becomes available.

    Your Name (required)

    Your Organization (required)

    Title (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Areas you are interested in learning more

    Please share any information you feel helpful for us to support you.