1 of 42

Addressing Equity�In Grant Writing

Presented by K14 Pathways Regional Joint Venture �a project of the Strong Workforce Program

​

2 of 42

Today’s Session

  • We will examine our personal commitment to equity
  • We will learn and practice strategies to approach each equity element of the K12 SWP Grant
  • These writing techniques will be transferable to any grant you write
  • Outcome: learn approaches to finding and using data to address equity needs as you write any grant. We will use the K12 SWP grant as our model.
  • Presenter: Linda Wells

3 of 42

Need to know :

  • Know your why
    • Why is this important to you?
    • Why is serving this demographic, or equity in general, important to you?
  • Know your who
    • Who is your targeted population?
  • Know your what
    • What is your plan?
    • What select strategies will result in effective outcomes for your targeted population

4 of 42

Today’s schedule

  • Welcome – 5
  • Know your why – 10
  • Know your who (targeted population) – 20
  • Know your what (general plan) – 20
  • Know your how (objectives) – 20
  • Know your when (workplan) – 15
  • Wrapping up – 5
  • Questions as we go

5 of 42

Know Your Why

6 of 42

Funding Underserved Populations

Current State

2020 Shifts

    • Economic Inequities
      • Wage disparity
      • Essential employees
      • Health benefits; sick days
    • People of Color
      • African Americans – Justice System
      • Attacks on Asians; model minority myth
      • Transgender youth; nonbinary
    • Housing, Transportation, Health Care
    • Systemic Discrimination
    • Feel like there’s nothing you can do

​

Know

Know your why

• Intention

• Impact End Product

• Why is equity � important to you?

• Personal connection

• Personal belief

• Previous results with � students (Focal � Student)

• With these funds, you can and will make a difference

​

Video

Short Video Clip

When you know your why the work is important to you, then the work becomes more important

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytFB8TrkTo

Breaktime Michael jr comedy

Breakout groups – �What is your why? �Why is equity important to you? �What is important about equity to you?�What do you want to accomplish regarding equity with your grant?

7 of 42

Know your who

8 of 42

Using Data to identify equity issues

9 of 42

Who is your targeted group?

  • Problem Statement sets the tone and demonstrates your knowledge of the issue.
  • Rubric specifies what reader needs to know: Demographic, enrollment and completion data for the target student population that identifies equity gaps on access and opportunities, and complete HS courses aligned to high-potential CTE programs (like STEM) at disproportionate rates

​

10 of 42

Using Data to identify your subgroup

  • As a group, we will look at different data sites
  • You will select a site or two and get two demographic facts
    • Graduation rate for a subgroup
    • Any other relevant fact about the same subgroup
  • You will draft at least 2 sentences to begin your problem statement.
  • You will share and discuss initial problem statements pointing out what is effective and identifying what else you might want to know

11 of 42

What are target groups?

  • Ethnic Demographics
    • African American, Latinx, Pacific Islanders
  • English Learners
  • Gender
  • Socioeconomics
  • Justice involved youth
  • Unhoused
  • Youth in Foster Care
  • Students with disabilities

​

​

Special populations, as defined by Perkins V are:

  • Individuals with disabilities
  • Individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including low-income youth and adults
  • Individuals preparing for nontraditional fields
  • Single parents, including single pregnant women
  • Out-of-workforce individuals
  • Homeless individuals
  • Youth who are in, or have aged out of, the foster care system
  • Youth with a parent who is a member of the armed forces and is on active duty
  • Individuals with other barriers to educational achievement, including individuals with limited English proficiency�

​

12 of 42

Go down the rabbit hole!

Don’t

research

13 of 42

Start with SIS and website

  • SIS (student information system) – if you can access SIS data, set up queries, then you can access real-time data at anytime. If you can’t set up your queries, connect with IT Department and request queries.
  • District webpage – fast facts, data department, dashboards
  • Start with your knowledge and verify it with data – African American, Latinx, English Learners – draft your Problem Statement and identify what you want to know – use fields if you know them
    • Grade levels, 9-12
    • Ethnicity, all
    • Enrollment and completion of Biology, Chemistry, Physics (identify if a-g)
    • Enrollment and completion of Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II
    • Data on repeating any of these courses
    • Graduation
    • Student HO or non UID

14 of 42

Sample Statement – �figure out the data you’ll need

  • For 2019, Giants Unified School District had an overall graduation rate of XX%. White students averaged XX% and Asians averaged XX%, but African Americans graduated at XX% and Latinx students averaged XX%.
  • Need to know all the graduation rates – can I get info spanning 5 years? Should I use cohort? Should I show graduating over 4 or 5 years?
  • In 2019, XX% of graduates met a-g requirements, but only XX% African Americans and XX% Latinx met these requirements.
  • I should find out how many attempted a-g and did not pass; Need all who completed a-g; should I pull all STEM data? Are there any patterns?

15 of 42

Using your SIS

  • You have access to SIS info – you can pull your own queries, You may need to have someone help you set them up initially.
  • You can request SIS info – you want a detailed request, using field names, if possible. Get the Query name so you can make future requests
  • District may post much of the information you want – check the website
  • You can’t get SIS info – you’ll have to use another source.
    • Not as detailed or current
    • Can rarely manipulate it

​

16 of 42

Data sources – Student demographics

17 of 42

Looking for patterns

  • Patterns can be a clue to a systemic inequity. Examples:
  • Students pulled from CTE senior year to make up classes – typically failed 9th grade English or Algebra
  • Few EL students participating in CTE because of other requirements
  • Students who must attend summer school to make up failed courses cannot participate in summer CTE – when paid internships occur
  • Students will not attend courses at community college because they don’t know how to get there
  • May not be able to address systemic inequities yet, but helps to identify them

​

​

18 of 42

Activity 2 – use data to begin to identify subgroup

  • Using any of the data sites, identify at least two statistics on your targeted subgroup. Make one of your choices the subgroup graduation rate.
  • Use your data to begin to draft a problem statement that you will discuss in your breakout group. At least two sentences. It’s practice, so done is perfect.
  • SAMPLE: �“Whisper Unified School District has a graduation rate of 76%, but Latinx students have a rate of 68%. The rate is similar for males (66%) and females (69%). Latinx graduates who continue post-secondary education typically enroll in a two-year community college (43%, or approximately 800 students).”

​

​

19 of 42

Know your what

20 of 42

What’s your plan?

  • What are you going to do? Create a new Pathway? Advance one of your existing programs?
  • How will you select a sector/industry?
  • How will you increase your subgroup participation and success?
  • Start with Regional Plan to determine high-growth, high-wage fields

​

​

21 of 42

Regional Plans

​

22 of 42

Use Regional Plan

  • Open your Regional Plan
  • Goal – get a general idea on how the Regional Plan can inform your grant – what does it say about the sector, anticipated growth, living wages, etc.
  • First, run a search on the sector/industry you are considering
  • General search, look at the document structure, etc.
  • Pull at least one statistic from the plan that supports a choice regarding an industry and draft a sentence to share with your breakout group. “The Desert Regional Plan indicates health careers show a projected growth of 12% for the next five years. This is a high-wage field where earnings average $30/hour with an Associate’s Degree.”

​

23 of 42

Building your Plan - Demo Data Sites

​

​

24 of 42

Sample Statement – write to the rubric

The Bay Area CCC Regional Plan identifies a local need for Cybersecurity professionals. Growth in Cybersecurity is high, DOL anticipates an 18% annual growth rate for the next decade. In the Bay Area, there were more than 100 job openings with an average annual salary of $85K. Currently, only 5% of local tech employees are Latinx, and for Latinas the rate is 2%. Local employers need highly trained new employees that help them diversify the workplace.

Given this need, we will establish a new Cybersecurity Pathway as part of our ICT sector. Our community college partner offers stacked certification in Cybersecurity and we will work closely to provide a pipeline to this program.

​

25 of 42

Activity 3 – General Plan

  • Use your local plan and other data sources to identify an appropriate pathway.
  • Write at least two sentences about your general plan. Be sure to include the sector/pathway you will include and the data that convinced you to focus on that pathway.
  • Be ready to discuss in your breakout group

26 of 42

Objectives

  • You’ve identified the subgroup and the Pathway
  • Now you have to develop your Objectives
  • Start thinking about alignment – every choice leads to the next choice.
  • We will focus on writing an objective that closes the equity gap.

27 of 42

Objectives – support the success of the plan

  • We will establish a new two-year Cybersecurity Pathway at General High School that will seamlessly transition to the General Community College certification program. This new Pathway will focus on recruiting and successfully transitioning Latinx students.
  • This is the program goal. What activities will have to take place to make this successful?
  • General HS – hire CTE Cybersecurity teacher, purchase curriculum, purchase equipment, get school/admin support, identify strategies to support Latinx students, how to recruit?, address math computational skills
  • Community College – find ways to connect students with community college, set up visits, mentors?, projects?
  • Industry – get industry support regarding partnerships, internships – this will be a challenge
  • For each need, create an objective.

28 of 42

Work backwards and forwards

  • As you develop your objectives, you may realize you need additional information in your Problem Statement or Work Plan.
  • For example. At General High School, more than 50% of Latinx students fail at least one semester of Algebra which is taught in the 9th grade. This limits access to CTE tech programs because they must make up these credits. Students may have lost the opportunity to learn relevant computational math skills that will contribute to success in the Cybersecurity Pathway. Traditionally, students who have performed poorly in math are not considered good prospects for ICT Pathways and are not recruited.

29 of 42

3 types of evidence-based strategies

  • Literature, peer-reviewed – scholar.google.com, JSTOR
  • Programs with a track record (CCSF Bridges to Biotech)
  • Programs history (dual enrollment, tutoring)
  • Show connection to resolving the problem – use a logic model �(no need to use this for K12-SWP)
  • Search sample “What strategies increase Latinx student success with computing?”

​

​

30 of 42

Objectives – link it back to your plan

  • At General High School, more than 50% of Latinx students fail at least one semester of Algebra which is taught in the 9th grade. This limits access to CTE tech programs because they must make up these credits. Students may have lost the opportunity to learn relevant computational math skills that will contribute to success in the Cybersecurity Pathway. Traditionally, students who have performed poorly in math are not considered good prospects for ICT Pathways and are not recruited.
  • Validate data – through SIS and conversations with site staff
  • By Fall 2022, a math tutor will be hired to support Cybersecurity students in addressing computational and problem-solving skills. The tutor will meet weekly, in-class with students, for up to 40 hours annually.
  • By Fall 2022, staff professional development will be conducted in anti-bias training that addresses program access for youth of color.

​

31 of 42

Objectives

  • Identify the activities that must be done to reach the goal
  • Aligned with issues and addresses
  • May work back and forth
  • Simple objectives: By Fall 2022, hire a 0.4 CTE credentialed Cybersecurity teacher.
  • By Fall 2022, purchase Cybersecurity curriculum and equipment.
  • By Fall 2023, General High School will offer a Cybersecurity dual enrollment course. This will support the transition to post-secondary education.
  • Beginning with the Fall 2022 cohort, 80% of participants will complete at least two work-based learning activities annually, as measured by teacher records. WBL increases the sense of belonging in the industry, increases student competency and confidence, and provides an authentic work experience.
  • Beginning with the Fall 2022 cohort, a Latinx Cybersecurity Club will be established. The function of this group will be to increase academic success and create a sense of belonging in the industry. Based on CAHSI Signature Practices, we will use this club to serve as a Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) group. PLTL improves academic performance in gatekeeper courses, such as Algebra II. Annually, 80% of Latinx Cybersecurity Pathway participants will attend 70% of the club meetings, which are held monthly, as measured by teacher records.

32 of 42

Connect the dots for the reader

  • Don’t leave the connections in your head – ex. We will provide tutoring.
  • Connect it – Our community college partners identified successful completion of Algebra II as a factor in post-secondary Pathway success. To increase completion of Algebra II, we will fund a Latinx tutor to work with students in small groups on a weekly basis, for up to 80 hours annually.
  • We will establish a Latinx Cybersecurity Group and will purchase t-shirts for them. We will meet monthly and provide pizza for the students.
  • We will establish a Latinx Cybersecurity Club. This group will function as cohort, to support program persistence and to create a sense of belonging. Using outside funds, we will purchase group t-shirts, designed by the students. We provide food during a monthly lunch meeting, and learn how to work as a study group, examining class readings. This affinity group will support student transition to the community college Pathway.

33 of 42

Activity 4 – Develop Objective in collaboration

  • In your breakout group, select one person’s issue, targeted subgroup and pathway
  • Work together to design an objective that helps close the equity gap
  • SMART goal focused on equity - Sample:
  • Beginning with the Fall 2022 cohort, a Latinx Cybersecurity Club will be established. The function of this group will be to create a sense of belonging in the industry. Based on CAHSI Signature Practices, we will use this club to serve as a Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) group. PLTL improves academic performance in gatekeeper courses, such as Algebra II. Annually, 80% of Latinx Cybersecurity Pathway participants will attend 70% of the club meetings, which are held monthly, as measured by teacher records.

​

34 of 42

Positive Considerations

  • Don’t leave points on the table!
  • Double check you have identified the subgroup dropout rate and indicate if it is higher than the average dropout rate, you may also want to compare to state rates
  • Indicate if you are serving English learners, Youth in the foster system and those who qualify for free/reduced meals (unduplicated)?
  • Are you serving Special Populations per Perkins V?
  • Are you proposing a NEW CTE Pathway?
  • Are you a NEW applicant?

​

35 of 42

Special populations, as defined by Perkins V:�

  • Individuals with disabilities
  • Individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including low-income youth and adults
  • Individuals preparing for nontraditional fields
  • Single parents, including single pregnant women
  • Out-of-workforce individuals
  • Homeless individuals
  • Youth who are in, or have aged out of, the foster care system
  • Youth with a parent who is a member of the armed forces and is on active duty
  • Individuals with other barriers to educational achievement, including individuals with limited English proficiency
  • “We will be recruiting individuals with disabilities with a goal of enrolling 10% of our initial cohort (3 of 30 students).”
  • “Our current free and reduced lunch rate is 52% of all students. Our current Pathway enrollment indicates 55% of participating students are F/R lunch. We anticipate more than 50% of our students in the new Cybersecurity Pathway will participate in Free/Reduced lunch.”�

​

36 of 42

Know Your When - Work Plan

  • Describe activities designed to improve access to and completion of high skill/ high-wage CTE opportunities for disproportionately impacted students.

37 of 42

Work Plan – Use the template

  • 4 options – you may focus on one or all
    • Curriculum & Instruction,
    • College & Career Exploration
    • Post-Secondary Transition and Completion
    • Work Based Learning
  • Objectives – link to the plan
    • You will work backwards and forward doing this
    • Look at this section early so you know what to expect

38 of 42

Example from template

39 of 42

Budget

  • Budget and budget narrative do not require any specific description of equity

40 of 42

Overall Impression of Application

  • Know what the readers are looking for -

41 of 42

Wrapping up

  • For equity, remember your why and continue to develop it
  • Use data and know this is a skill you will continue to improve
  • Don’t leave details in your head – state what you think is obvious, when necessary
  • Connect the dots for the reader – link the Problem to the Proposed Solution to the Objectives to the Workplan
  • You are the best person to craft your plan
  • Schedule your time – use the Pomodoro technique

​

42 of 42

Congrats!

  • Start with your why
  • Start early!
  • Please join us for additional sessions
    • All are on Wednesday beginning at 3 PM
    • Session 3 – Defining the Problem Statement and Creating Objectives - September 1, 2021
    • Session 4 – September 8, 2021
    • Session 5 - Q&A – September 15, 2021
  • Please complete evaluation https://forms.gle/cJYs55hModY6cj1u9
  • Bay Area Community College Consortium Technical Contacts:
    • Don Daves-Rougeaux don@baccc.net
    • Sharon Turner TurnerSharon@fhda.edu
  • For additional grant writing questions, contact Linda Wells Linda.Wells.Ed.D@gmail.com