Peer Reviewed Grant Writing-watkins

The Lamar University Electronic Journal of Student Research Fall 2007

National Focus: Enhancing Student Achievement and Teacher Efficacy Through Effective Grant Writing and Creative Instructional Programming Debbie Watkins PhD Student in Educational Leadership The Whitlowe R. Green College of Education Prairie View A&M University Prairie View, Texas

William Allan Kritsonis, PhD Professor and Faculty Mentor PhD Program in Educational Leadership The Whitlowe R. Green College of Education Prairie View A&M University Member of the Texas A&M University System Visiting Lecturer (2005) Oxford Round Table University of Oxford, Oxford, England Distinguished Alumnus (2004) College of Education and Professional Studies Central Washington University ______________________________________________________________________________

ABSTRACT Today’s educator is faced with the challenging perspective to provide the highest quality of education to an ever increasing and diversified population of student learners. Society in general requires that our students be educated not only in the liberal, academic arts, but also that graduating high school seniors will have the technological skills and capabilities to live and work effectively in the 21st century. These mandates require that skilled teachers, effective school administrators, and the community at large develop and initiate successful educational, research based programs that will effectively meet the goals and objectives of the educational community and private sector employer. To enhance the opportunity for academic excellence, school districts are relying more on outside sources to fund their educational needs. A primary source for increasing the funds available for educational needs can be solicited and obtained through the art and science of grant

writing for a wide array of educational needs and objectives. By diligently seeking to apply for and receive educational grant awards from the various entities offering such assistance, student achievement, teacher efficacy, and community approval for the local educational system will be greatly enhanced through the effective use of grant funding and operation of extended programs based on the financial awards afforded by successful funding of local, state, and federal grant opportunities. _______________________________________________________________________ _ Introduction School districts are faced with the growing dilemma of providing state of the art education in both rural and urban communities where adequate educational funding is often lacking. Rural and urban school districts face significant challenges in providing a significant and relevant education to their community and school population with limited funding sources and heavy daily expenditures leaving little or no money for innovative and creative academic programming projects needed to benefit and enhance the educational needs of the students assigned to their educational care and area of educational responsibility. The result for diminished funding in critical areas of academic need is that many school districts find themselves meeting below expectation levels on state accountability tests and reflect a poor and diminishing influence in their local communities based on the performance level of the students and schools within their selected academic jurisdiction. Purpose of the Article The purpose of this article is to outline a concise plan on how independent school districts can improve academic achievement through the use of grant funding opportunities at the local, state, and federal levels. School teachers, their administrators, and the community at large can benefit significantly from outside funding based on the successful application and retention of grant funding for school projects, curriculum enhancements, and technology acquisitions for academic purposes that would not be obtainable unless outside funding sources were identified and available for school use and funding acquisitions. Scanning the Environment The first step in securing financing and funding for special projects within a district is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the district and school for which the funds are being sought. The procedure for this step in the grant writing process can be illustrated most effectively utilizing the acronym S.W.O.T. S.W.O.T. communicates the idea that school districts and individual campuses seeking grant money must effectively determine what their educational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for

achievement and success are within the district. Once determined, school districts can make an effective plan on how to proceed with learning objectives and funding requests from outside organizations. Grant Writing Opportunities Opportunities for grant acquisitions are numerous. Funding sources include local businesses, service organizations, major corporations, government agencies, and private and corporate educational endowment funds. Business leaders have much to gain from students who are well educated and who have learned and developed needed skills to enhance the economic and private employment sector within the community. Business organizations are therefore a prime source of funding opportunities for grant writers seeking additional funding and financial aid in strengthening local programs and educational initiatives. Government has also allotted millions of local, state, and federal dollars to enhance educational funding over and beyond a district’s basic school funding and budget mandates. Research has shown that grant writers who “acknowledged the benefits of using individual interests to learn the general concepts surrounding grant writing and connecting the learning back to their respective transfer environments” (Lundin, 2006) were more successful in communicating the needs of their organization than those who had no relevant connection to the subject matter proposed within their written submitted grant proposal. To qualify for grant funding, educators must be able to demonstrate a specific need and be able to outline the goals and objectives necessary to bring the project to successful fruition. The grant recipient must also be able to successfully measure the progress and accomplishments of the grant money requested in a manner conducive to the original grant request and submitted proposal. The Language and Linguistic Requirements of Effective Grant Writing Each grant is a unique proposal based on the specific requirements and merits of the specific organization funding the grant request and proposal. Research studies indicate that certain proponents found inherent within successful grant proposals are consistent with effective grant writing procedures and grant writing proposal techniques. For successful federal grant submissions, the variables that form the comprehensive funding success model were: number of proposals submitted, consortium arrangements, number of offices held in a professional association….the research team size, education or training in grant writing, and attendance at professional association meetings. (Cole, 2006) However, inherent within each grant are basic components that are consistent with the majority of grant requirements and written submission applications. Most organizations will have their own initial form to complete to provide the basic

information needed to see if your organization meets the funding requirements of the specific funding entity. Once this form is completed, a four to five page narrative is usually requested to back up the original documentation presented in the organization’s initial qualifying grant submission form. Consistent with almost all grants is the requirement by the grantor to have a demographic picture of the school and district which are requesting the grant money and funding opportunities. Demographic information can include the number of students within the district, poverty levels, students on free and reduced lunch programs, the number of special population students, and teacher to student classroom ratio numbers. These statistical representations of the district allow the grantor to analyze more directly the needs of the district and to assess how their contributions may potentially benefit the requesting school and educational district. Once the demographic picture of the district is complete, the grant writer must then elaborate on how the funding requested will enable the district to operate more efficiently and enhance student learning and achievement. Although all grant projects and submissions are unique to their particular organization, most grants include basic proponents that describe and detail the potential grantee’s reasoning, purpose, and plans for submitting the grant application. In line with the submission, most organizations require an Executive Summary or Abstract. This is an opportunity to provide a narrative of the district and school which are applying for the specific grant money being offered by the funding organization. After the Executive Summary, most organizations require a written Needs Assessment. The Needs Assessment outlines the targeted area of concern and tries to emphasize and reiterate to the funding organization why their particular school is in need of additional funding and how this funding will enhance and support the educational goals and objectives of the requesting school and educational district. Following these two narratives, most organizations require a program description. The program description outlines precisely what the objectives of the program are that is to be funded, how these objectives will be accomplished, and how success will be measured and gauged through out the program. To be competitive and effective, learning and object goals specified in grants must be tied to research based theories of learning. When a project or grant writing proposal has been submitted to a potential grantor, the funding organization will want to see that their investment in the organization will be effective and used for the proposed causes requested in the grant. When grant writers utilize sound principles of educational learning theories in their documents, the validity of the request gains credibility and feasibility with potential donors and increase the likelihood of the grant being funded. Developing a Reputation for Accountability and Successful Grant Administration Being awarded a monetary grant award is not only an honor to the organization, but also a mandate for higher accountability and results-based success stories based on the acquisition and implementation of the grant money requested. Research conducted at Pepperdine University concluded that successful grants reveal a story and contribute to the overall well being of the community it serves (Lapenta, 2006). Funding organizations

want to see results in the money that they have invested in an organization and expect excellence in the implementation of its use. Being a wise steward of these funds will help to solidify a solid and respected reputation within the grant funding community of donors and financial providers for funding activities with one’s own school and district. A reputation for success in managing and securing grant funding will provide the foundation for larger and more complete grant writing opportunities in the future. Concluding Remarks In conclusion, school districts must have more discretionary funding opportunities to enhance the educational climate, curriculum, and student academic growth and achievement factors in the classroom. Grant writing and funding acquisition opportunities provided by private sector and government organizations can provide needed funds to enhance and revitalize the educational learning environment. Grant writing is vital to the overall well being of any organization. Educational organizations, in particular, can benefit greatly from the use of grant money and funding opportunities for activities and classroom enhancements not readily available through the typical budget of the local school district. Grant writing in the 21st century is an effective and needed educational tool that can help to provide greater opportunities for quality instruction and innovative curriculum support opportunities in the classroom that will benefit not only students and teachers, but that will also positively affect the surrounding community and business organizations who depend on a well educated populace for future economic success and growth. References Cole, S. (2006). Federal funding success factors: A replicated quantitative analysis. Retrieved June 29, 2007, from UMI Proquest, 2006 Website: http://pvezproxy.tamu.edu:2082/pqdweb?did=1203566721&sid=1&Fmt=2&client Id=47589&RQT=309&VName=PQD Lapenta, B. PhD (2006). Uncovering the qualities of successful grant applications: A grounded theory approach. Retrieved June 29, 2007, fromUMI Proquest, 2006 Website: http://pvezproxy.tamu.edu:2082/pqdweb?did=1192179511&sid=9&Fmt=2&client Id=47589&RQT=309&VName=PQD Lundin, D.L. EdD (2006). Educational program planning and transfer of learning strategies: A descriptive study of professional development in grantsmanship. Retrieved June 29, 2007, from UMI Proquest, 2006 Website: http://pvezproxy.tamu.edu:2082/pqdweb?did=1192179511&sid=9&Fmt=2&client Id=47589&RQT=309&VName=PQD Formatted by Dr. Mary Alice Kritsonis, National Research and Manuscript Preparation Editor, National FORUM Journals, Houston, Texas. www.nationalforum.com