State and local educational agencies can apply for DOE’s High School Graduation Initiative grants
6/25/2010
By Cynthia Hobgood
The Department of Education's High School Graduation Initiative (HSGI) awards discretionary grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) to support the implementation of effective, sustainable, and coordinated dropout prevention and re-entry programs in high schools with annual dropout rates that exceed their state average annual dropout rate. Funds also may be used to support activities at middle schools that feed into high schools that have dropout rates that exceed the State average.
Grants are awarded for up to 60 months and may be used for such activities as: the early and continued identification of students at risk of not graduating; providing at-risk students with services designed to keep them in school; identifying and encouraging youth who have left school without graduating to reenter and graduate; implementing other comprehensive approaches; and implementing transition programs that help students successfully transition from middle school to high school.
Who May Apply: SEAs and LEAs on behalf of high schools with annual dropout rates that exceed the State average annual dropout rate. Funds also may be used to support activities at middle schools that feed into high schools that have dropout rates that exceed the State average annual date.
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $45,000,000. (Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2011 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.)
Estimated Range of Awards: $350,000-$3,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $900,000.
Maximum Award: Any application that proposes a budget exceeding $3,000,000 for a single budget period of 12 months will be rejected. (The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.)
Estimated Number of Awards: 50.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Eligible Applicants: SEAs to support activities in schools that serve students in grades 6 through 12; and have annual school dropout rates that are above the State average annual school dropout rate; or middle schools that feed students into schools that serve students in grades 6 through 12 and have annual school dropout rates that are above the State average annual school dropout rate.
LEAS that operate schools that serve students in grades 6 through 12; and have annual school dropout rates that are above the State average annual school dropout rate; or middle schools that feed students into schools serve students in grades 6 through 12 and that have annual school dropout rates that are above the State average annual school dropout rate.
Note: Applicants must identify the specific schools that will receive project services and provide evidence that, using the most recent available data, those schools serve students in grades 6 through 12, and have annual school dropout rates that are above the State average annual school dropout rate or are middle schools that feed students into schools that serve students in grades 6 through 12 and that have annual school dropout rates that are above the State average annual school dropout rate.