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2013 SOAR Act Award Announcement for Increasing Academic Quality and Special Populations Competitive Grants


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Good Evening All,

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (ELSEC) is excited to announce the winners of the 2013 Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act grant awards under the Increasing Academic Quality and Special Populations categories.  

Increasing Academic Quality

 Under the category of increasing academic quality, the application included 3 sub-categories: third party/non-profit, charter school support organization, and public charter schools. Funding will support innovative projects that improve school performance and educational outcomes. Projects will have a direct and rapid (within two years) impact on overall charter school academic achievement and on the achievement of historically under-performing subgroups.

This category received a total of 52 applications: 12 for third party/non-profit, 8 for charter school support organizations, and 32 for public charter schools. A total of $3.6M was available and applications amounted to $5,129,054. In total, $4,776,069 is being awarded.

Those entities with experience in successfully working with the charter school sector submitted applications for the third party/non-profit category. A total 12 applications competed for $1,750,000. Projects include partnerships with charter schools to support curriculum and assessments aligned to Common Core State Standards, support teacher and leader effectiveness by establishing leadership pipelines and strengthening teacher professional development, and improving student achievement through academic support programs. A total of $1,181,170 is being awarded. Each awardee will receive up to $100,000. The awardees are:

  1. Achieve Tutoring (w/Comm Academy PCS - Amos I)
  2. AppleTree Institute (w/7 AppleTree PCS campuses)
  3. AppleTree Institute (w/Center City PCS)
  4. AppleTree Institute (w/Potomac Lighthouse PCS)
  5. AppleTree Institute (w/Tree of Life PCS)
  6. Fight for Children (w/Quality Schools Initiative)
  7. Fight For Children (Joe’s Champs)
  8. New Leaders, (to be confirmed)
  9. Reading Partners, (to be confirmed)
  10. Teach for America, (w/ 28 Public Charter Schools)
  11. The Literacy Lab (w/DC Scholars)
  12. Urban Teacher Center (w/Eagle Academy PCS campuses)

Funding will support 100% of the applications received. Awardees will partner with charter schools in all PMF tiers and ESEA school designations (Focus to Reward). Through these partnerships, funding will influence academic achievement at more than 42 campuses.

The charter school support organization category received 8 applications competing for $600,000. Projects include working with charter school student readiness assessments and interventions, performance management, instructional leadership and analyzing student achievement data. A total of $550,000 is being awarded. The awardees are:

  1. Charter Board Partners, $100,000
  2. DC Association of Public Chartered Schools, $100,000
  3. DC Special Education Co-Operative, $100,000
  4. FOCUS (Data Intern Project), $100,000
  5. FOCUS (DC Data Summit), $50,000
  6. FOCUS (Performance Management), $100,000

Funding will support 75% of the applications received. Awardees will partner with charter schools in all PMF tiers and ESEA school designations (Focus to Reward). Through these partnerships, funding will influence academic achievement at more than 42 LEAs.

The public charter school category received 32 applications competing for $1,250,000. Projects will support a variety of interventions including: the creation of a new instructional program based on the model of inquiry based instruction, the expansion of a successful RTI program with a Priority school, utilizing data in schools in order to monitor and increase student progress, forming external partnerships in order to use theater to improve reading and use an outdoor classroom to improve math, creating a reading intervention program, and hiring an Student Support Team coordinator to ensure that students are properly supported in their track toward academic achievement. A total of $3,044,899 is being awarded. Each awardee will receive up to $100,000. The awardees are:

  1. Arts & Tech PCS
  2. Capital City PCS
  3. Community Academy PCS (Amos I)
  4. Community Academy PCS (Amos II)
  5. DC Bilingual PCS
  6. DC Preparatory Academy PCS (Edgewood)
  7. E.L. Haynes (Kansas)
  8. E.L. Haynes (Georgia)
  9. Eagle Academy (New Jersey)
  10. Eagle Academy (Wheeler Road)
  11. Early Childhood Academy
  12. Education Strengthens Families
  13. Excel Academy PCS
  14. Friendship PCS (Blow Pierce)
  15. Friendship PCS (Chamberlain)
  16. Friendship PCS (Collegiate)
  17. Friendship PCS (Southeast)
  18. Friendship PCS (Tech Prep)
  19. Friendship PCS (Woodridge)
  20. Hospitality PCS
  21. Howard Road PCS
  22. LAMB PCS
  23. Paul PCS (9th Grade)
  24. Paul PCS (Middle)
  25. Perry Street Prep PCS
  26. Richard Wright PCS
  27. SEED PCS
  28. Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS
  29. Tree of Life PCS
  30. Two Rivers PCS
  31. William E. Doar Jr. PCS

Funding will support 97% of the applications received. Projects represent all PMF tiers and waiver designations (Focus to Rising). Through these projects, funding will influence academic achievement at 22 LEAs. 

Special Populations

The addressing special populations category received 19 applications competing for $300,000. Funds are intended to support and serve special populations (e.g., English Language Learners, students in homeless situations, students in foster care, Pre-K, college and career readiness, and students with disabilities). Projects include content instruction in native language with simultaneous ELL instruction; professional development for teachers creating positive social-emotional environments for students; identifying and implementing comprehensive Pre-K curriculum; investing in the RTI model for PK-3 and PK-4 children to ensure young ELL students enter Kindergarten prepared to learn; and year-long curriculum for seniors to assist with the college application process, drafting personal statements and preparing for transition to college life. A total of $800,000 is being awarded. Each awardee will receive up to $50,000. The awardees are:

  1. Capital City PCS
  2. Creative Minds PCS
  3. DC Bilingual PCS
  4. E.W. Stokes PCS
  5. Eagle Academy (New Jersey)
  6. Eagle Academy (Wheeler Road)
  7. Education Strengthens Families PCS
  8. Hospitality PCS
  9. LAMB PCS (DCI)
  10. LAMB PCS (Missouri)
  11. Mary McLeod Bethune PCS
  12. Paul PCS
  13. The Next Step PCS
  14. Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS
  15. Two Rivers PCS
  16. William E. Doar PCS

Funding will support 84% of the applications received. Projects represent the waiver designations (Focus to Rising). Through these projects, funding will influence academic achievement at 14 LEAs. 

On behalf of OSSE, I would like to thank everyone who applied and congratulate the award recipients! Information regarding award documentation will be forthcoming to each award recipient.

If you have any questions, please contact Iris Bond Gill at [email protected].[email protected]