For Immediate Release
Tuesday, October 15, 2002
Six Madison schools have been awarded comprehensive school reform grants totaling over $592,000 for this year. Another unique grant project will provide adult mentors for 75 or more high-risk Latino students in grades 4 - 9 living in the Southdale neighborhood.
These seven grants bring to over $26 million the amount of competitive grants obtained for the Madison School District by its grants office since its inception in 1995.
"Our grants staff has done an outstanding job in obtaining competitive grants that allow Madison Schools to fund special initiatives that have been helping a wide cross-section of students succeed," said Superintendent Art Rainwater. "With state-imposed caps on our operating budget, these initiatives would not have happened without these grants."
The Comprehensive School Reform grants are from a federal program designed to help all students meet challenging academic standards. All six schools will use their grants to implement scientific, research-based school reform strategies. The grants can be renewed up to three years, and two of the schools, Hawthorne and Mendota Elementary, are renewing earlier CSR grants.
The six schools, the reform program name, and the grant amount:
"Since new federal regulations in the Leave No Child Behind Act hold schools more accountable than ever before, educators are being challenged to develop and implement reform models that have been researched and shown to increase student achievement over time," said Susan Abplanalp, lead principal for Madison elementary schools. "A CSR grant is a great asset for a school as it plans, implements and sustains the new programs."
The 3-year $330,000 mentoring grant project, under the leadership of the District, brings together partner organizations such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Centro Guadalupe and church congregations all of which possess either related expertise and connections in the Southdale neighborhood or potential pools of mentors. Students will be drawn from the three schools that serve Southdale - Allis Elementary School, Sennett Middle School and La Follette High School.
"This grant will support school success for Spanish-speaking students while giving us an excellent opportunity to work collaboratively with families and community partners," said Kathy Price, project director and coordinator of District partnerships.
For more information, contact:
Ken Syke, 663-1903 or
Howard Landsman, 663-4947
Public Information Office
545 W. Dayton St.
Madison, WI 53703
608-663-1879
email: newsrelease@madison.k12.wi.us
Last Modified: 2002-10-15
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