The State Education Department is offering competitive grants for schools in need of improvement that are not identified as persistently lowest-achieving (PLA) schools. Districts with Tier III schools that are in improvement, corrective action or restructuring status are eligible to apply. In the application schools must either propose replacing the existing school or commit to a whole-school redesign. The design must fall within one of the following categories.
1. College Pathways School Design
2. Full-Service (wrap-around services) Design
3. Arts and/or Cultural Education School Design
4. Industry Partnership Design
5. Virtual/Blended/Online School Design
6. Education Partnership Organization / Charter Management Organization (EP0/CMO) Design
Districts must work with an educational partner. The choice of a partner is made by the district and can include higher education institutions, local businesses, community organizations and other non-profit educational organizations with evidence of success in managing a school change process.
Funding for the Innovation grants will come from the RTTT grant. Districts must submit a Letter of Intent by 7/26/2011. The application is due by 8/31/2011. Districts will need the signature of the local union president on the assurance of collaboration form in order to complete the application.
Copies of the application and additional information on the allowable designs can be found at http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/rfp/ta-05/