Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 160 - RULES OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION › Chapter 160-1 › Subject 160-1-4 - GRANT PROGRAMS › Rule 160-1-4-.280 - Title I School Improvement Grants

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
(1)
Purpose of Program.
School
				Improvement Grants, authorized under section 1003(g) of Title I of the
				Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Title I or ESEA), are grants,
				through State educational agencies (SEAs), to local educational agencies (LEAs)
				for use in Title I schools identified for improvement, corrective action, or
				restructuring that demonstrate the greatest need for the funds and the
				strongest commitment to use the funds to provide adequate resources in order to
				raise substantially the achievement of their students so as to enable the
				schools to make adequate yearly progress and exit improvement status.
(2)
Terms and Conditions.
Under
				the final requirements published in the Federal Register in December 2009,
				School Improvement Grant ("SIG") funds are to be focused on each State's
				persistently lowest-achieving Title I schools in improvement, corrective
				action, or restructuring ("Tier I schools") and, at an LEA's option,
				persistently-lowest achieving secondary schools that are eligible for, but do
				not receive, Title I, Part A funds ("Tier II schools"). An LEA may also use
				School Improvement Grant funds in Title I schools in improvement, corrective
				action, or restructuring that are not identified as persistently
				lowest-achieving schools ("Tier III schools"). In the Tier I and Tier II
				schools an LEA chooses to serve, the LEA must implement one of four
				intervention models: turnaround model, restart model, school closure, or
				transformation model. The School Improvement Grant funds will remain available
				for obligation and expenditure through September 30, 2013.
(3)
Eligible Recipients.
In
				awarding subgrants, an SEA must "give priority to the local educational
				agencies with the lowest-achieving schools that demonstrate - (A) the greatest
				need for the funds; and (B) the strongest commitment to ensuring that such
				funds are used to provide adequate resources to enable the lowest-achieving
				schools to meet the goals under school and local educational improvement,
				corrective action, and restructuring plans under section 1116." The regulatory
				requirements expand upon these provisions, further defining LEAs with the
				"greatest need" for School Improvement Grant funds and the "strongest
				commitment" to ensuring that such funds are used to raise substantially student
				achievement in the persistently lowest-achieving schools in the State.
To identify the persistently lowest-achieving schools in the
				  State, and SEA must take into account (a) the academic achievement of the "all
				  students" group in a school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments
				  under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics
				  combined; (b) the school's lack of progress on those assessments over a number
				  of years in the "all students" group; and (c) the school's graduation rate
				  (less than 60 percent over a three-year period).
(4)
Criteria for Award.
The
				annual grant award process consists of identifying the persistently
				lowest-achieving schools eligible for the grant, notifying the local
				educational agencies and providing the required School Improvement Grant
				application, reviewing and approving submitted applications, and notifying
				grantees of awards following State Board of Education Approval.
LEAs must submit a comprehensive School Improvement Grant
				  application to the State educational agency, which must: identify the school
				  intervention model the LEA will implement in each Tier I and Tier II school it
				  commits to serve; demonstrate that the LEA has analyzed the needs of each
				  school, selected an intervention for each school, and has the capacity to
				  enable each school to implement, fully and effectively, the required activities
				  of the school intervention model it has selected; describe actions it has
				  taken, or will take to design and implement interventions consistent with the
				  final requirements; a budget indicating the amount of School Improvement Grant
				  funds the LEA will use to support school improvement activities; include the
				  required assurances; indicate any waivers that the LEA will implement with
				  respect to the School Improvement Grant funds; and include any other provisions
				  required by the United States Department of Education or SEA.
(5)
Directions and Deadlines for
				Applying.
Requests for information and applications should be directed
				to the Office of Education Support and Improvement, School Improvement, 1870
				Twin Towers East, 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE, Atlanta, Georgia
				30334.
O.C.G.A. Secs.
				  20-2-14,
				  20-2-240.