The following

Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation

2008/2009
Grants to Teachers Application
includes
newly revised 6/08
Rules and Regulations

The changes, if not incorporated in your

grant, can drastically affect the score of your
application

Revised 6/12/08
 NEWPORT-MESA SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

Grants to Teachers
What is the ‘Grants The Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation provides funds to certificated teachers in the
to Teachers’ Newport Mesa Unified School District to purchase or produce materials for programs and
program? projects that are creative, innovative and responsive to student needs. Funds are
presented directly to the teacher for implementation during the current school
year. The N-MSF is the only District-wide Foundation to award teacher grants. To date,
the Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation has donated well over $5,000,000.

Who may This program is open to ALL CERTIFICATED TEACHERS in the Newport Mesa Unified School
apply? District. The grant application is included in this package and is the only acceptable format,
Also found on newportmesaschoolsfoundation.org.

How are grant A Grant Readers Committee composed of over 65 community members
recipients representing the educational, business, civic and nonprofit sectors of our community, read,
determined? critique and score each application without knowledge of the applicant or the school. N-MSF
board members do not score grants. Decisions are based on the following criteria:
• concise well defined objectives, and costs
• expanded and/or interdisciplinary experiences in any subject area
• adherence to all proposal requirements
• correctly totaled budgetary items
A proposal receiving an average score of 80% or lower is not eligible to be
funded.

How many grants A teacher may submit up to four grant requests, but only one at any funding level.
may be A maximum of two grants per teacher could be granted, including the combination of a
funded per
teacher who authors an individual grant and who also participates in a team grant.
teacher?

What categories are The Foundation offers nine categories for Grant Writing:
available? 1. Humanities (Arts/Music)
2. Special Programs (Career Ed./Health Ed./Physical Ed./Library Science)
3. Language Arts (Reading/Writing/Phonics)
4. Science/Mathematics
5. Technology (please indicate subject)
6. Social Studies (Geography/History/Economics)
7. Special Education
8. Multiethnic
9. Environmental Project

What are the $$ Four $$ funding levels are offered for teachers and/or school teams of up to three teachers.
funding levels? 1. Up to $1,000 (one certificated teacher per application - no school teams)
** 2. Up to $2,500 (one teacher or maximum of three certificated teachers)
** 3. Up to $5,000 (one teacher or maximum of three certificated teachers)
** 4. Up to $10,000 (one teacher or maximum of three certificated teachers)
A teacher or school team may apply only once at any $$ funding level.
Additional proposals by the same teacher must be written for a different $$ funding level.
**School teams must select and name one lead teacher to be the official grant
coordinator.
 Do…
What are the 1. Make certain your principal is aware of your grant proposal.
procedures for 2. Complete the attached application with 12 point font (or larger) adhering specifically to
submitting a grant this revised 2008/2009 format and spacing provided.
proposal? 3. Check your proposal for correct grammar and spelling!!
4. Make eight copies of your proposal on three-holed paper.
5. Staple each individual copy of the grant proposal.
6. Double check Budget Information sheet for accuracy!!
7. Submit your applications to the Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation directly or through the
District mail. If using District mail, please date the envelope and allow 5 days for
delivery to...
Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation
PO Box 1368, Newport Beach, CA 92663
(upper parking lot - adjacent to the ENC)
1701 Sixteenth Street
Newport Beach, CA 92663
Phone: (949) 631-3293

Don't…
What factors would • Submit any proposal in a format different from the one provided
cause a proposal to • Change any spacing provided for descriptions in the application
receive a low score? • Use 11 point or smaller fonts
• Handwrite your application(s)
• Submit applications on card stock
• Calculate incorrect budget totals
• Apply more than once at the same funding level.
• Duplicate proposals with different authorship
• Submit proposals that require hiring personnel
• Submit an application via internet or fax
• Attach extra material to the proposal

If your grant is funded…

Are there specific • Implement the programs/projects as soon as possible.
requirements upon • Submit purchase receipts to the Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation as soon as
receiving my grant possible and no later than May 23, 2009. Failure to submit receipts will result in
award? disqualification from the next year’s grants program.
• Submit a summary of the grant program/project implementation to the Newport-Mesa
Schools Foundation no later than May 23, 2009.

What are the regu- • Recipient’s grant materials remain with the grantee until their retirement, resignation, etc.
lations concerning and then will remain at the last school where the recipient taught.
ownership • Materials/equipment for team grants will remain at the school site.
of grant
materials?

Are additional Applications are also available on line from the web sites www.nmft.net,
applications www.newportmesaschoolsfoundation.org, and www.nmusd.us.us.
available?

What is the deadline

for The DEADLINE is 5:00 P.M.,
submitting?
Friday, September 26, 2008
 ___________________
Code # (office use only)

This section will be removed before the application is read and scored.
Application categories
Check one category, then check the most appropriate discipline within that category
Humanities Art Music
Special Programs Career Ed. Health Ed. Physical Ed. Library Science
Language Arts Reading Writing Phonics
✔ Science or Math
Technology (indicate subjects)
Social Studies History Geography Economics
Special Education
Multiethnic
Environmental Projects

Funding amount requested (check one category)

up to $1,000 ✔ up to $2,500 up to $5,000 up to $10,000

Describe your program/project in 25 words or less:

(This part will be used for publication and in the Banquet program)

High School math software which allows the fastest possible course completion to failing students
so that they stay in school and graduate.

Return eight (8) paper copies of this signed four-page application on or before
5:00 p.m., Friday, September 26, 2008
Newport-Mesa Schools Foundation office
PO Box 1368, Newport Beach, CA 92663
(upper parking lot - adjacent to the ENC)
1701 Sixteenth Street
Newport Beach, CA 92663
Phone: (949) 631-3293

SCHOOL Estancia Credit Recovery PROJECT TITLE Accelerate Students Passing Math Who Haven
Applicant(s)
Signature(s) /

Typed Name(s) Dennis Ashendorf /

E-mail dashendorf@nmusd.us /

1
 ___________________
Code # (office use only)
Newport Mesa Schools Foundation
'Grants to Teachers'
Official Application
2008/2009
Project Title (required) Accelerate Students Passing Math Who Haven't

Application categories
Check one category, then check the most appropriate discipline within that category
Humanities Art Music
Special Programs Career Ed. Health Ed. Physical Ed. Library Science
Language Arts Reading Writing Phonics
✔ Science or Math
Technology (indicate subjects)
Social Studies History Geography Economics
Special Education
Multiethnic
Environmental Projects

Funding level requested (check one category)

up to $1,000 ✔ up to $2,500 up to $5,000 up to $10,000
Grade Level(s) (check one - for Elementary indicate P for Primary or U for Upper elementary)
Kindergarten Elementary - P U Middle/Intermediate
✔ High School District Classes
• Is your administrator aware of your grant proposal? ✔ Yes No
• Have you checked to see that, if applicable, your request meets the District requirements of health and
safety codes for students ? ✔ Yes No
• List two objectives of your grant proposal
1. Continue using a legitimate method for students, who have failed math, to pass all of their high
school math courses and satisfy state requirements.

2. Continue involving students with earning math credits at a fast pace with rapid feedback on
their success so that they will stay in school and graduate.

2
 USE ONLY SPACE PROVIDED DEFINE ALL ACRONYMS
*Do not identify your school, site council or zone in this application*

• Proposal Description
1. What is your plan?
Purchase 62 online software annual licenses. Each license supports 3-6 students. Students
will finish Algebra 1 (after failing it in a conventional classroom) and complete their state
requirement of 20 credits of mathematics. ALEKS, a UCI spinoff, has been the most
successful of the math software programs in accelerating students through the curriculum, bar
none. For example, ALEKS sees Algebra 1 as 280 objectives. An initial assessment may
eliminate 100 of them as mastered. Passing an objective means getting only four problems
correct in a row, then getting one more right two weeks later. No worksheets are used.

2. How will it be implemented?

Logging in on the first day of a semester, the students will be assessed online and then do
math continuously everyday with immediate response on only what they need to learn on an
individual basis. The teacher provides one-on-one tutorials as needed to every student and
keeps focusing each student on doing math. When surveyed, almost all students claim that
they do more math in this system than in a conventional classroom.

3. What will be purchased?

62 ALEKS annual licenses that run on currently installed computers and those at home and in
libraries.

How will you evaluate your Grant’s effectiveness? Be very specific!

Continue being the most productive math class in terms of credits issued in the school district.
Report the number of math credits attained and survey student appreciation of the method.

Determine the number of students that graduate. Last year's ALEKS users in eleventh grade
will be seniors this year. This year's ALEKS users will primarily be 10th and 11th graders. If
not in math, 80% would be on the streets. Their graduation rate will be tracked and available
for review.

Demonstrate to other math teachers how online math software allows 100% of their students
to be reached and to do math at a level the students understand.

3
 ___________________
Code # (office use only)
• Proposed Budget (be accurate, concise and specific)
(If your order has no shipping or tax, please explain)

Equipment/Materials/Supplies (list ALL) $$ Amount

62 ALEKS online licenses $2,480.00

Subtotal before tax $2,480.00

Tax ( 0.00 %)* 0.00

Subtotal with tax $2,480.00

Shipping ** $0.00

Total Cost $2,480.00

* If tax rate is other than 7.75%, please enter the actual percentage above by typing
Online order
over the 7.75 (0, 8.25, etc.), and explain here. _____________________________________
Software delivered online
** If no shipping, please explain: __________________________________________