1 of 23

Problem Statement and Objectives

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

2 of 23

Today’s Schedule

  • Welcome
  • Analyzing the Problem Statement
  • Analyzing the Objectives
  • Affirmation for the week:
  • Everything works out for me
  • Everyone wants me to succeed

3 of 23

Problem Statement

  • 7 Cs of grant writing:
  • Clear – Clarity is the priority
  • Concise – 2500 characters
  • Compelling – urgency
  • Convincing – data
  • Considerate – attentive to what they want
  • Connected – alignment throughout your proposal; a holistic proposal
  • Compliant – use the rubric

4 of 23

Use Rubric to Create Sample Statement Outline

  • Name the LEA and any relevant demographics or facts
  • Describe issues in the LEA
  • Identify equity gaps
    • What is the subgroup? What data confirms this selection?
    • What are current access issues?
    • What is the high school completion rate average & subgroup
    • What is the HS completion rate for STEM courses or other CTE relevant courses
  • Using information from your Regional Plan, what sector/industry has challenges or needs that could be matched with the student need?
  • How do you know this?
    • SWP Regional Plan Data
    • Labor Market Data

5 of 23

Most important

  • Write your draft
  • Don’t worry about length, grammar or even capturing all the rubric requirements
  • Draft: getting something on paper is perfection
  • Turn unanswered elements into questions

Turn note: Dual Enrollment into question: �How does dual enrollment support post-secondary transition?

6 of 23

Process

    • Use outline from rubric

Draft

    • Issues
    • Clarity
    • Omissions

Read

    • While reading
    • Placeholders
    • Notes

Edit

Read Using Rubric

7 of 23

Problem Statement

  • This is your first impression on the reader
  • Make it easy for the reader to give you the funding: Clarity, Compelling Story, Concrete Actions
  • Strong opening and closing
  • Meet the rubric measurements
  • Use your 2500 characters wisely… when you edit

8 of 23

Name the LEA and any relevant demographics or facts

Central City School District (CCSD) is an urban district comprised of six high schools, serving primarily Latino students (48%). Central City has two primary industries, Hospitality, Tourism, & Recreation, and Information Communication Technologies (ICT). The Covid crisis caused Central City to experience a serious economic downturn. The Central Workforce Development Board identified more than 20% of hotels and restaurants closed permanently and those that remain open have suffered income losses of nearly 50% and more than 25% of the workforce was laid off during 2020. The ICT sector in Central City continued, though most employees worked from home during 2020 and are only now beginning to return to work.

What is working in this statement? What is redundant or missing?

9 of 23

Describe issues in the LEA. Identify equity gaps. What is the subgroup? What data? What are current access issues? What is the high school completion rate average and subgroup. What is the HS completion rate for STEM courses or other CTE relevant courses?

CCSD has operated a robust hospitality Pathway for more than a decade, but, with the economic hit from Covid, and with data that has shown our hospitality students are not obtaining high wage positions, we want to expand our ICT Pathway opportunities and ensure equitable program participation. Examining our CTE enrollment and completion data, we found of the 411 students enrolled in the Hospitality Pathways, 64% were Latinx; of the 222 students enrolled in ICT Pathways, only 18% were Latinx. The Hospitality Pathway completion rate for 2019 was 89% for all students, 78% for Latinx. The ICT Pathway completion rate for 2019 was 77% for all students, 61% for Latinx.

Using rubric, what could strengthen this statement?

10 of 23

The following access issues were identified: 1) disproportionate enrollment rate for Latinx in Hospitality Pathway (64% enrolled; 48% total demographic) and ICT (18% enrolled with 48% total demographic); 2) disproportionate completion rate for Latinx. Hospitality completers who continued to the Hospitality Pathway at Central Community College (98 students) only 33 students completed at least one CCC course. Only 3 Latinx students continued to the ICT Pathway at CCC.

Issues: mixing up access at the HS level with completion at CC level. Solve by changing first sentence:

Latinx students face challenges accessing and completing Pathways at both the high school and community college level.

11 of 23

The Central CCC Regional Plan identified three goals aligned with our plan. These include providing students with a livable wage, continuing to post-secondary training and certification and program completion. Labor Market Information indicates there will be significant growth in the Cybersecurity field, which is a high paying wage. Industry leaders have indicated a need and commitment to diversify the workforce.

To meet student and industry need, we will establish a new Cybersecurity Pathway at Urban High School. Cybersecurity is a high-wage, high need field that will provide students with a livable wage. We will align our program with Central Community College (CCC) which has a Cybersecurity program with stackable certificates.

A priority for CSD and the BACCC Regional Plan is program completion. To support post-secondary transition, our senior year course will be dual enrollment which will help our program completers enter CCC with completed credits. (Room to say how dual enrollment helps? Could add in workplan?)

This Pathway will focus on ensuring equity in enrollment, completion and employment. We will work with CCC to determine strategies for rapid, successful program completion that results in employment.

Issues:

Strayed from outline; did not use Regional Plan info in a strong way; did not have a strong closing statement

12 of 23

Objectives

  • Align with the Problem Statement
  • Address local/regional workforce needs from LMI or Regional Plan
  • Lead K-12 Pathway students to �post-secondary Pathways
  • Describe efforts to close equity gaps by improving access and completion of CTE opportunities and courses. This includes activities designed to improve outreach and increase academic supports.
  • Write SMART goals
  • Due to 2500 character count, group similar ideas
  • Consider allowable expenses (for when these are transferred to work plan)

13 of 23

Crafting Objectives

  • Different for each grant – some want more detail than others. �Make objective an outcome.
  • Signposting and numbering helps
    • 1. Establish New Cybersecurity Pathway
      • 1.1 Secure needed elements for course
      • 1.2 Recruit and enroll students with an emphasis on Latinx students
    • 2. ENSURE SUCCESSFUL POST-SECONDARY TRANSITION
      • 2.1 Create Dual Enrollment Course
      • 2.2 Offer Industry Sponsored Event teaming HS students with CC students
    • For K12 SWP – 2500 characters for all objectives
      • Keep it simple
      • Expand in Work Plan

14 of 23

NOVA allows text formatting

15 of 23

Identify Objectives with �Problem Statement

  • Use Problem Statement to identify initial objectives and actions.
  • To meet student and industry need, we will establish a new Cybersecurity Pathway at Urban High School. Cybersecurity is a high-wage, high need field that will provide students with a livable wage. We will align our program with Central Community College (CCC) which has a Cybersecurity program with stackable certificates.
  • Objective 1: Create new Cybersecurity Pathway at Urban High School
    • Hire teacher, obtain curriculum, recruit and enroll students – equity for Latinx?, secure classroom, start with year 1 in fall 2022, give teacher time to plan Spring 2022, existing Urban HS teacher eligible for ICT CTE cred?
  • Objective 2: Align Cybersecurity Pathway with Central Community College
    • Create dual enrollment course, talk to CCC what’s going on with completion rate?, opportunities for HS students to work with CC students, what has created sense of belonging for Latinx at CCC, is there a Latinx club or group? What has worked/not worked in post-sec transition? What are they doing with SWP funds?

16 of 23

Objectives – �non allowable expenses

  • Supplanting existing funding
  • Providing sub-grants/mini-grants (contracts OK)
  • CTE courses prior to 7th grade
  • Equipment for personal or admin use
  • Furniture, unless integral to course or a reasonable accommodation
  • Food/meals outside of a working meeting
  • Purchasing facilities (see the RFA)
  • Purchasing promotional items (pens, t-shirts), journals, subscriptions
  • Traveling outside the US
  • Providing activities or services for students not enrolled in Pathway

17 of 23

Writing Objectives

When writing objectives, try to make each:

  • Align with the Problem Statement
  • Address local/regional workforce needs from LMI or Regional Plan
  • Lead K-12 Pathway students to post-secondary Pathways
  • Describe efforts to close equity gaps by improving access and completion of CTE opportunities and courses. This includes activities designed to improve outreach and increase academic supports.
  • Use SMART Goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time- Based

18 of 23

Objective Analysis

Establish Cybersecurity Pathway at Urban HS

By Spring 2022, an 0.5 FTE Cybersecurity Teacher will be hired to teach the first year of Cybersecurity Pathway and plan for Year 2 (plan to hire existing UHS math teacher who meets ICT CTE credential requirements). Teacher will recruit students for the course, with a goal of enrolling 70% Latinx, 50% male/female. Teacher will identify and prepare strategies to support the completion of all students, with a focus on strategies to support Latinx students. Strategies will address any academic needs and put structures in place to ensure successful completion.

By Fall 2022, curriculum for the courses will be identified and purchased, a minimum of 30 students will be enrolled in the Pathway, with an additional 30 joining Fall 2023.

(780 characters)

  • SMART –
    • Specific
    • Measurable
    • Attainable
    • Relevant
    • Time-Based
  • Rubric: Aligned with the Problem Statement
  • Addresses local/regional workforce needs from LMI or Regional Plan
  • Lead K-12 Pathway students to post-secondary Pathways
  • Describe efforts to close equity gaps by improving access and completion of CTE opportunities and courses. This includes activities designed to improve outreach and increase academic supports.

Enrollment goal: 70% Latinx

19 of 23

Objectives – Practice Together

  • Volunteer – write a strong closing statement. 3 sentences.

  • Rubric: Aligned with the Problem Statement
  • Addresses local/regional workforce needs from LMI or Regional Plan
  • Lead K-12 Pathway students to post-secondary Pathways
  • Describe efforts to close equity gaps by improving access and completion of CTE opportunities and courses. This includes activities designed to improve outreach and increase academic supports.

20 of 23

Problem Statement & Objectives

  • Use 2500 character judiciously
  • Be as specific as possible
  • Use rubric requirements to establish an outline, write that outline without judgment and edit later
  • Share a compelling story with a strong opening and closing. Convince your reader with facts. Write SMART objectives
  • When you edit, think from different perspectives: a proposal reader, a Superintendent, an industry partner and a post-secondary partner
  • When ready, share your statement and objectives with partners

21 of 23

The Many Roles of Grant Writing!

Cat Wrangler – Create Clarity from Chaos

Analyst – Streamline & Strengthen

Champion – Creating Equity & Employment

22 of 23

Links for Worker Demographics

23 of 23

Congrats!

  • Draft! Any draft is a perfect draft!
  • Please join us for additional sessions
    • All are on Wednesday beginning at 3 PM
    • Session 4 – Work Plan & Budget – September 8, 2021
    • Session 5 - Q&A – September 15, 2021
    • Send draft Work Plan statements to Linda Wells Linda.Wells.Ed.D@gmail.com
  • Please complete evaluation https://forms.gle/LLiYRk6Np7Ek7n1s5
  • 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