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  **Mod 7: The Elements of Grant Writing - Part 1** **[|Essential Questions] | [|Objectives] | [|Reference] | [|Readings]** || **Essential Questions** **Instructional Objectives** > > > **Required Readings** **Reference:** Hall-Ellis, Sylvia D., and Ann Jerabek. "Glossary of Grant Terms." //Grants for School Libraries//. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. 151-156. Print. Available in e-reserves Institute for Museum and Library Services. "Glossary to Support Grant Reporting." //IMLS//. Web. 5 Jan. 2011. **Instructor's Notes** **Comprehensive Grant Applications** In Mod 5, you developed a letter proposal to a local business or organization that presented an idea for funding. A letter proposal is less formal and shorter, generally less than five pages, than a comprehensive grant application. The letter proposal can be more proactive as you can suggest an idea for funding and it is mostly used locally with companies and businesses. A comprehensive grant application that is required by state and federal government agencies, as well as large corporations or foundations, is generally reactive in that you are responding to something the agency wants to fund for specific reasons. Sometimes they also supply online forms that must be completed with limited space to answer questions such as need or evaluation. Government agencies that announce a RFA (request for applications) will also be quite specific about the sections required in the proposal. Failure to respond to the listed components of the grant will doom the grant. While the list of proposal sections will vary from funder to funder, most comprehensive grants consist of the following components. Depending on the type of grant and agency, other items may be required, such as financial and legal statements or certifications. **Cover Page and Proposal Title** The information listed on a cover sheet of a grant application is usually predetermined by the funder. In some cases, it will be a form that is to be completed. The form will almost certainly ask for a title. Although it is one of smallest details of a proposal, a catchy title can often sway the grant reviewers. Give some thought to what it is you want to do. Readers are inundated with proposals. Let yours stand out by giving it a unique name that can be projected into a simple recognizable word. For instance, when the Division of School Libraries in the PA Dept. of Education developed a program to teach students to conduct online searches, the proposal was entitled: //Linking Information Needs: Technology, Education and Libraries//. The first letters of each of these words was used to spell out the word “lintel”, which according to Webster means "a horizontal architectural member spanning and usually carrying the load above an opening." This spawned the name LINTEL for the project. LINTEL was easy to remember and catchy while the full title of the project was not. Acronyms are one good way to create a memorable title for a project. **Abstract** The abstract, occasionally called the “executive summary,” is usually the first section read by a grant reviewer or evaluator. However, it should be the last thing the grant writer develops or revises as the grant often is changed or altered as it is written to comply with the funder's criteria. When a reviewer reads the abstract, he or she wants to gain an overview of the entire project—the who, what, where, when, and why questions need to answered. An abstract must contain clear, concise language that is free of jargon and should focus on the objectives of the program and how they will be achieved and evaluated to determine success. Unique characteristics of the proposal should also be included in the abstract. In some cases, an abstract is not required, but it is often a good idea to have a short abstract on the title page. An abstract is usually between 250 to 500 words and will not exceed one page. If an abstract or executive summary is required by the funder, they will state the maximum length that the abstract can be usually by number of words. Often the abstract is published with the list of funded projects on a funder's web site or in their publications. A well-written abstract is appreciated by the readers. On the other hand, a poorly written abstract makes their job more difficult and cause confusion. Below is an example of an abstract from a federally-funded school library project. After reading a well-worded abstract, it should be clear what the project is going to do and why is it important. **Abstract** The Gallia-Vinton Educational Service Center (ESC) in collaboration with the Gallia County Local Schools seeks a grant of $350,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to support “Gallia L.E.A.D.S. (Literacy Education and Developmental Services) Libraries.” The project will provide for 1,654 students in grades K-8 living in a rural Appalachian county in southeastern Ohio and attending four elementary schools and two middle schools to improve student reading skills and academic achievement. The average family poverty rate in the Gallia County Local School District is 30.05%.
 * [[image:http://library.mansfield.edu/images/module7.gif width="160" height="142" align="left" caption="Mod 7"]] ||  **LSC 5530 School Library Advocacy**
 * 1) After locating a grant opportunity that fits the needs of the school and forming the development committee, how do I write a successful, comprehensive grant application?
 * 2) What components are included and how do I find the information to support the request?
 * 1)  Gather research and best practices to support a grant application
 * 1)  Write a needs statement for a grant application
 * 1)  Write goals, objectives, and relevant activities for a grant application
 * 1)  American Association of School Librarians. //Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs//. Chicago: ALA, 2009. Print. Pages 35-36. Available in e-reserves
 * 2) Browning, Beverly A. //Grant Writing for Educators//. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree, 2004. Print. Chapters 3.
 * 3) Hall-Ellis, Sylvia D., and Ann Jerabek. “Project Design.” //Grants for School Libraries.// Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003. 31- 35. Print.Available in e-reserves.
 * 4) Tahouri, Parisa. "Winning Grants." //Library Media Connection// 24.2 (Oct. 2005): 46-47. //Academic Search Complete//. Web. 7 Jan. 2010.
 * Cover Page
 * Abstract
 * Table of Contents
 * Needs or Problem Statement
 * Goals and Objectives
 * Activities/Procedures
 * Personnel/Facilities
 * Time Line
 * Evaluation Design
 * Dissemination
 * Sustainability
 * Budget
 * Letters of Support/Appendices
 * Name of Applicant:** Gallia-Vinton Educational Service Center **State:** OH
 * Amount Recommended:** $350,000
 * Number of Students Served:** 1,654

“Gallia L.E.A.D.S. Libraries” will: As part of the evaluation, data will be collected to indicate success in the key performance areas of: 1) percentage of students who are proficient in reading, 2) number of books and media resources purchased per student, and 3) difference in number of purchases of library materials between participating schools and the national average. (Word count = 217) From: The list of 50 funded grants in FY (fiscal year) 2010, awarded under the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries federal program. Funded projects are annually announced by reproducing the one-page abstracts provided by the grant writers. **Table of Contents** While you may never see a table of contents listed as part of the grant application process, it is a good idea to always include one in your proposal if possible. It is very helpful to a proposal reviewer to be able to quickly locate certain details in a proposal using a table of contents. This also helps the writing team as it guides them through required components of the proposal. **Needs or Problem Statement** The needs or problem statement explains why the program, services, or research is needed at this time, or at a particular place for a specific population. Grant readers want to read a well defined section with evidence that can be documented in literature, statistical data, or a needs assessment conducted especially for the project. The difference between the current situation and the desired one must be explained clearly. The need section should clearly define the link between the needs and the project to be funded. The funder must be convinced that there is a **definite** need for the project and that funds from the grant can help solve the problem. Your needs statement should demonstrate that you have a thorough understanding of the problem that you are attempting to solve. You may have to conduct research and include statistical data. If so, then you must be certain that you have access to the latest and most reliable data. Funders often reject proposals because of problems in the needs statement. For instance, they may not understand the problem or why the solution will help. Your needs must be supported with data whether from scientifically-based research, action research, locally–conducted surveys, or documented “best practices”. You really need to do your home work and include up-to-date statistics and use reliable sources. Much of the research that you studied in Mod 2 and is summarized in //School Libraries Work//! can be referenced. However, whenever possible, cite the original research either at the end of the grant or the end of the needs section. For example, cite Keith Curry Lance’s original Pennsylvania study instead of referencing //School Libraries Work!// which is a popular compilation of credible research done by others. Stephen Krashen’s book //The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research// (2nd ed., Libraries Unlimited, 2004) is another excellent compilation and review of the literature on reading research. However, when possible document the original sources, especially if applying to state or federal education agencies. The funder will want to know why this problem should be of special interest to them. Make the connections by linking your need to their mission and goals. Justify why the problem should be of interest to the funder. If you do your homework correctly in seeking a funder, you will be able to relate your problem to the mission and focus of the funder very clearly. Always talk in terms of the effect on students or student learning. If you want to purchase hardware or software, describe the impact it will have on the lives of the students who will benefit by using them. You are not requesting equipment because you want new toys to play with. Do not write in the first person tense as shown in this example. Be careful to remove jargon. Keep your witting simple and easy to read. If you need to use technical terms, explain them. Readers do not like to feel stupid when they review your proposal. Do not assume that the grant reviewers know anything about your school, students, needs, or the research on the topic. I always like to have my husband, a manager in car sales, read my grant applications. I figure if he can understand what I want to do and why, anyone can. It has really helped me to qualify parts of grant applications. Proofreaders are key! Below are two different examples. The first “Statement of Need” is a section from a grant application requesting funds for an environmental education program from a corporation. This is from a previous Mansfield student assignment. Her Works Cited was listed at the end of the grant and is not given here. **Statement of Need** Located in a rural part of central New York, one would think that the children who attend the Middlesex Valley Elementary School would be constantly exposed to nature and their environment. The fact is that many children, regardless of where they live, spend a great deal of their time indoors engaged in activities that are not directly related with the natural world. Recreation tends to involve activities such as watching television and playing video games. Instead of walking, children are being transported about in buses and cars. During the school day, children spend the majority of their day in classrooms. In fact, there is a growing trend to reduce or eliminate recess or any outdoor time. Humans and the environment in which they live are in constant interaction and it is our responsibility to help our students understand the ecosystem in which they live and the impact that it has on all the people who live in it. Because of the lack of exposure to environmental issues, many children are at risk of not developing positive environmental attitudes. They need to develop a sense of respect and caring for the natural environment. Children need to know that it is not just adults that make a difference in their environment. Children need to know why they should recycle and how, when to turn off lights that aren’t needed, and other conservation strategies. They need to know about caring for our wildlife and taking care of the earth we live on. Studies have shown that on the average, Americans spend more than 95% of their time indoors. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, two out of three Americans do not score a passing grade of correctly answering 70% of the questions on environmental tests. They have also found that 95% of the parents surveyed support environmental classes and activities in our schools. Environmental education is not a luxury; it has become a necessity in order to preserve our wildlife and our environment. When Richard Wilke, professor of Environmental Education at the University of Wisconsin, was asked about the importance of studying the environment, he paraphrased Gaylor Nelson, former U.S. Senator and founder of Earth Day: How long can a person live without doing a math problem or spelling a complex word? How long can habitats survive without air to breathe or water to drink? Now is the time to focus on teaching our children the importance of wildlife and environmental issues and how these issues affect our lives everyday. The next example is from a federal education grant application requesting funds to conduct research on the impact of principal’s knowledge about school library programs and to provide a training program for principals. You can easily see the difference. The higher up the food chain you go when requesting grant funds, the better your research needs to be to convince the funder of your need. Note that the “Works Cited” had to be in the APA format at the end of the grant as specified in the grant application instructions. **Assessment of Need** There are 94,342 school library media centers in the United States today (Rubin). School libraries team with activity each day providing resources and promoting reading while library media specialists (SLMSs) teach virtually all of America’s young people the information literacy skills necessary to be productive, contributing members of our society. Students who experience a strong school library media program (SLMP) enter the working world or higher education with the skills needed to effectively and efficiently manage the glut of information that Americans experience today. Research has shown that the availability of a full-time, certified SLMS is critical to imbedding information literacy in school curriculum (Church; Lance). Although there have been tremendous efforts to replenish dwindling numbers and certify more SLMSs, there is still an increase in schools without such staff. This situation is partially due to the ignorance of tax payers and school leaders who do not know about the significant contributions that a SLMP can make on the academic achievement of students and, consequently, they do not fund them. During the past ten years, 19 states have participated in research studies that correlate student learning and school library programs (//School Libraries Work//!). Led by the work of Keith Curry Lance, all the studies have corroborated the significant educational role that library media specialists and quality SLMPs play. Many of the studies focused on standardized reading test scores and found that higher scores are found in schools with strong school library programs (AASL). Having adequate and qualified staff, access to up-to-date resources and technology, and an information literacy program integrated with classroom curriculum and collaboratively implemented with classroom teachers are the proven, essential components necessary to an effective SLMP. Although a full-time, certified SLMS is the key element in providing such a program, the potential cannot be achieved without a building level administrator who provides the leadership to fund adequate library resources and appropriate staffing levels and to flexibly schedule and provide access to library facilities. In a 2002 study of 242 principals conducted by //School Library Journal//, only 41 percent indicated that “the school library has a positive impact on students’ standardized test scores.” Only 47 percent of the surveyed principals indicated that “there’s a direct link between an effective media center and increased student achievement” (Lau 32). Research has documented that school principals at all levels, Pre-K thru 12 grades, know very little about managing or sustaining effective school library media programs and therefore are less likely to fund and support them (Campbell; Edwards; Wilson and Blake). This isn’t surprising considering that professors of educational administration-- those teaching the principal preparation courses—are themselves former school administrators. In a research study of professors of administration from across the nation, 90 percent did not see the principal as an important influence in teacher/librarian collaboration (Veltze). It is also recognized that articles written in the journals of school administrators and workshops presented at their conferences lack any or very little reference to school libraries and how to tap their potential to improve student learning. For example, a recent 2003 title marketed to school administrators, //Principals and Student Acheivement: What the Research Says// by Kathleen Cotton published by the well-respected Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, makes not one reference to principals utilizing school libraries to increase student achievement or any of the research about them. Clearly, our profession has failed to get this important research out beyond our own library circles. In addition, consider today’s school environment and the role of the principal. Principals are crisis managers, juggling educational reforms and new laws, ensuring the safety and security of students and facilities, mediating problems with parents, community, and staff, while trying to ensure AYP (annual yearly progress) of __all__ students. The No Child Left Behind Act places greater accountability on schools and principals in particular. It grants increased flexibility in how school leaders spend their educational dollars in return for setting standards for student achievement. In other words, school leaders choose which programs are funded and to what extent based on their beliefs on how effective those programs will be in increasing student achievement. It is therefore unsettling that principals and other school administrators have not yet learned about and embraced the research that school libraries do impact and improve student learning. This grant proposes to make a difference in what school administrators know about school libraries, creating awareness and advocacy about the research on school libraries and how to create and support them. School administrators are building leaders who are critical to the fostering of quality school library media programs that enhance the education of America’s youth. **Cited References** American Assn. of School Librarians. __AASL resource guides for school library media program development: student achievement__. Located at http://www.ala.org/aasl. Campbell, J. 1991. __Principal-school library media relations as perceived by selected North Carolina elementary principals and school library media specialists__. Ed.D. diss., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Church, A. 2003. __Leverage your library program to raise test scores: a guide for library media specialists, principals, teachers, and parents__. Worthington, OH: Linworth. Cotton. K. 2003. __Principals and student achievement: what the research says__. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Edwards, K. 1989. “Principals’ perceptions of librarians: a survey.” __School Library Journal__ January 35(5): 28-31. Hartzell, G. 2003. __Building influence for the school librarian__. 2nd ed. Worthington, OH: Linworth. Lau, D. 2002. “What does your boss think about you?” __School Library Journal__ Sept. 2002:52-55. Lance, K. and D. Loerschter. 2002. __Powering achievement: school library media programs make a difference: the evidence mounts__. 2nd ed. San Jose, Calif.: Hi Willow Research. MacNeil, A. and P. Potter Wilson. 1999-2000. “Preparing principals for the leadership role in library media centers.” __Applied Educational Research Journal__ 12, no.2:21-27. Rubin, R. 2004. __Foundations of library and information science__ ,2nd ed. New York: Neal-Schuman. __School Libraries Work!__ 2004. Danbury, Conn.: Scholastic. Veltze, L. 1992. “School library media program information in the principalship preparation program,” In J. B. Smith and J.G. Coleman, Jr. (Eds.), __School Library Media Annual, 1992, Volume 10__. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. Wilson, P. and M. Blake. 1993. “The Missing piece: a school library media center component in principal-preparation programs,” __Record in Educational Leadership__, vol. 12, no. 2 (Spring/Summer 1993), 65-68. Zweizig, D. and D. McAfee Hopkins. 1999. __Lessons from library power: enriching teaching and learning__. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. **Goals and Objectives** This section is an extremely important one. The goals and objectives of the project must be clearly defined and reflect what it is you are trying to accomplish. They tell the funder what will be accomplished by this expenditure of funds and how the change will be measured. Please review the development of goals, objectives, and activities as explained in Mod 7. Keep your goals and objectives realistic. Most projects really have one goal and one to three objectives. Goals represent long-range outcomes stated in broad, general terms. For example, a goal could be "Students will become more engaged in their learning when their parents become involved in their education." Another could be "Student achievement will increase due to expanded access to the library and its resources." The goals are broad. They do not define the specifics of how the goal will be achieved. Most projects have more than one objective. Each one must be stated in exact terms because they become the basis for the evaluation section. Objectives should be the major steps to be undertaken to achieve the goals. These must be specific and measurable. Do not confuse objectives with specific tasks or activities. An objective may refer to populations, behaviors, processes, products, or a combination of these elements. A close relationship exists between goals, objectives, and activities; completing the tasks or activities helps to meet the objectives, which in turn, allows you to achieve your goals. When in doubt as to whether you have written an objective, ask yourself whether there is only one way to accomplish what you have written. If your answer is yes, you have probably written an activity or task, not an objective. A good objective specifies results. For instance, "To reduce the number of sexual harassment charges made by students against other students by 50 percent."; Another is, "To increase standardized test scores of eighth graders by ten percent."; These objectives delineate Who - What - How Well. You must be careful in setting your measurements. While they must represent a change in behavior, make them obtainable. List your objectives in the order of their importance. Don’t confuse objectives (ends) with your methods (means). The best objectives use "action"; verbs written in the infinitive verb form. e.g., to differentiate, to discover, to formulate. Funders often reject proposals because the outcomes are not clear or are not measurable. And, in some cases, the objectives propose to take on more than the budget will allow. Keep your objectives realistic. Remember, you will need to evaluate each objective to determine whether or not your project was successful. **Sample Goal and Objectives** **Activities** The activities detail how an objective will be met. Activities listed under each objective are usually listed in a chronological order or in the order which they need to be completed. There may be more than three activities for some objectives, depending on the complexity of the objective. However, too many activities probably indicate that you needed an additional objective. Too few activities probably mean that you could have combined two objectives into one broader one. The grant writing committee needs to brainstorm all the steps that would need to be accomplished in order to fulfill an objective. For example, if you plan to raise test scores, how will you do this? Who will be involved? What tests will be used to determine growth? What percentage of improvement should be evidenced by how many students? If you plan to develop an information literacy curriculum, who will be involved? When will the work be done? What training is needed and how will that be provided? Will teachers be paid? If the proposal is designed for a specific population, how will the participants be chosen? However, very specific details, such as the day on which training will be held is more info than needed. It is enough to say that five training sessions will be held in the summer rather than to include exact dates, length of sessions, and who the instructor is (unless the grant is paying for a special presenter or consultant). Goals, objectives, and the activities fit together to complete how tasks will be accomplished to fulfill each objective to meet the overarching goals of the project. In some grant applications the activities are included in the section entitled “Implementation Plan” or “Project Description.” Sometimes it is merged in the time line section. As the grant writer you will need to determine where the activities will be detailed and explained. However, they are always part of a grant in one form or another as they describe what you will actually be doing. Revised 11/10
 * Acquire up-to-date school library media resources, including books;
 * Open school libraries to before and after-school (15 hours/week) and summer hours (12 hours/week) programming;
 * Increase the number of computers available in the school library;
 * Facilitate links and other resource-sharing networks among schools and school library media centers, and academic libraries;
 * Provide high-quality professional development for aides, teachers, and building administrators; and
 * Support teachers pursuing school library media specialist certification.
 * Poorly written || I want to update the books in the science area of the library making my library a better place for students and teachers. ||
 * Well written || Updating the science materials in the library will provide students with current information about the sciences and encourage teachers to utilize more library resources in their classroom instruction. ||
 * Goal: More students will graduate as a result of improved scores on the mathematics section of the state, standardized graduation qualifying test.
 * Objective 1: Utilizing grant funds, a math lab with appropriate remediation software that monitors student progress will be made available and utilized on average by 120 students per day during the 2010-11 school year.
 * Objective 2: A math tutoring program will provide individualized tutoring to 50% of the lowest achieving math students in grades 9 and 10 by the end of the 2010-11 school year.
 * Objective 3: 70% of the students who complete the math section of the Alaska State High School Graduation Qualifying Exam in May 2011, will score a "proficient" or better.
 * ~ Goal || More students will graduate as a result of improved scores on the mathematics section of the state, standardized graduation qualifying test.  ||
 * ~ Objective 1 || Utilizing grant funds, a math lab with appropriate remediation software that monitors student progress will be made available and utilized on average by 120 students per day during the 2010-11 school year.  ||
 * ~ Activity 1a || By September 1, 2010, the technology coordinator and computer lab aide will install the software on computers as approved and purchased by the Math Dept. to remediate students. ||
 * ~ Activity 1b || By September 1, 2010, the computer lab aide will have in place a system for logging students into the math software to track useage per student and report progress to their math teachers. ||