Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia
Department 160 - RULES OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Chapter 160-1
Subject 160-1-4 - GRANT PROGRAMS
Rule 160-1-4-.280 - Title I School Improvement Grants

(1) Purpose of Program. School Improvement Grants, authorized under section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Title I or ESEA), are grants, through State educational agencies (SEAs), to local educational agencies (LEAs) for use in Title I schools identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that demonstrate the greatest need for the funds and the strongest commitment to use the funds to provide adequate resources in order to raise substantially the achievement of their students so as to enable the schools to make adequate yearly progress and exit improvement status.

(2) Terms and Conditions. Under the final requirements published in the Federal Register in December 2009, School Improvement Grant ("SIG") funds are to be focused on each State's persistently lowest-achieving Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring ("Tier I schools") and, at an LEA's option, persistently-lowest achieving secondary schools that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I, Part A funds ("Tier II schools"). An LEA may also use School Improvement Grant funds in Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that are not identified as persistently lowest-achieving schools ("Tier III schools"). In the Tier I and Tier II schools an LEA chooses to serve, the LEA must implement one of four intervention models: turnaround model, restart model, school closure, or transformation model. The School Improvement Grant funds will remain available for obligation and expenditure through September 30, 2013.

(3) Eligible Recipients. In awarding subgrants, an SEA must "give priority to the local educational agencies with the lowest-achieving schools that demonstrate - (A) the greatest need for the funds; and (B) the strongest commitment to ensuring that such funds are used to provide adequate resources to enable the lowest-achieving schools to meet the goals under school and local educational improvement, corrective action, and restructuring plans under section 1116." The regulatory requirements expand upon these provisions, further defining LEAs with the "greatest need" for School Improvement Grant funds and the "strongest commitment" to ensuring that such funds are used to raise substantially student achievement in the persistently lowest-achieving schools in the State.

To identify the persistently lowest-achieving schools in the State, and SEA must take into account (a) the academic achievement of the "all students" group in a school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics combined; (b) the school's lack of progress on those assessments over a number of years in the "all students" group; and (c) the school's graduation rate (less than 60 percent over a three-year period).

(4) Criteria for Award. The annual grant award process consists of identifying the persistently lowest-achieving schools eligible for the grant, notifying the local educational agencies and providing the required School Improvement Grant application, reviewing and approving submitted applications, and notifying grantees of awards following State Board of Education Approval.

LEAs must submit a comprehensive School Improvement Grant application to the State educational agency, which must: identify the school intervention model the LEA will implement in each Tier I and Tier II school it commits to serve; demonstrate that the LEA has analyzed the needs of each school, selected an intervention for each school, and has the capacity to enable each school to implement, fully and effectively, the required activities of the school intervention model it has selected; describe actions it has taken, or will take to design and implement interventions consistent with the final requirements; a budget indicating the amount of School Improvement Grant funds the LEA will use to support school improvement activities; include the required assurances; indicate any waivers that the LEA will implement with respect to the School Improvement Grant funds; and include any other provisions required by the United States Department of Education or SEA.

(5) Directions and Deadlines for Applying. Requests for information and applications should be directed to the Office of Education Support and Improvement, School Improvement, 1870 Twin Towers East, 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30334.