OSBA simplifies planning for Student Success Act grant applications
Friday, September 6, 2019
The Student Success Act grant application process has begun, and OSBA has created a simplified guide to help district leaders engage their students, staff, families and communities.
The act is expected to generate $1 billion a year for education, with roughly half that available to districts based on enrollment through the Student Investment Account. To access the money, districts must perform a local needs assessment for their continuous improvement plans, with an emphasis on looking at student groups that have historically faced education disparities.
The Oregon Department of Education is requiring robust and documented community engagement and equity considerations. School districts should start the process this month, including a board meeting to inform the community about the process. Districts must submit a continuous improvement plan by Dec. 6.
ODE is still writing the grant application rules, but it plans to start taking applications in the spring for a July 2020 disbursement.
OSBA Executive Director Jim Green said successful implementation of the act will vastly improve the education opportunities available to Oregon’s children.
“We need to prepare our boards for the work ahead,” he said.
ODE put together an extensive Student Investment Account Engagement Toolkit to guide school leaders. OSBA, working with Hilltop Public Solutions, has boiled down that guide to essential points to help districts plan.
OSBA knows that for many of Oregon’s smaller districts with limited staffs, school board members will need to do much of the engagement work.
OSBA’s guide contains a requirements summary, key dates and a link to a sample plan. OSBA also has a resource page and will be offering other supports, such as templates for social media posts, town halls and surveys. District leaders can access additional resources by contacting OSBA Legislative Services at lsattenspiel@osba.org or rdonovan@osba.org.
