The Extended Access to Library Media Services program allows public school media centers to be open during evenings after school. This enables students and their parents to make use of the media center facilities including multi-media computers connected to the Internet.
- YES
Students attending Alpha Elementary School have little or no access to public library facilities due to lack of transportation and other factors related to their socioeconomic status. Approximately 90% of Alpha Elementary School students are eligible to participate in the federal free and reduced fee lunch program. In 2000, Alpha Elementary School received a "D" grade due to low reading scores on standardized tests. After-school access to the school's media center will give students access to tutoring services, books, computers, and materials that will help them carry out their homework assignments and help them improve their academic achievement.
- NO
Decker High School, one of ten public high schools in the county, draws students mainly from the east side of the city and surrounding area. The school includes several of the district's special programs. The total enrollment is approximately 1,600 students. The student population reflects the entire spectrum of the learning and economic scale.
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Special Projects Grants from the Division of Cultural Affairs support proposals that will promote cultural development in the state. The Division of Cultural Affairs has pledged resources toward making the arts accessible to special constituencies including persons with disabilities and minorities.
- YES
This project will involve the 172 students from Gateway High School who are in the marching band. This band has been invited to participate in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It will be the only band to represent Florida in the parade. Approximately 71% of these students are black, 22% are white, and 7% are Hispanic, Asian, Native American, and multiracial. Approximately 65% of the students are economically disadvantaged and, unless their travel expenses are subsidized, they may be unable to make the trip.
- NO
Our students have limited access to cultural resources. They come from working class homes. They need to learn about the arts in order to achieve the Sunshine State Standards. Also, it is well known that students who are artistic have better critical thinking skills and higher test scores. Although the community has several museums, most students do not visit them and thus have very little knowledge about the arts.
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Grants are awarded to permit local schools to plan, develop, and implement activities to help students acquire basic skills in reading, writing, or mathematics. Priority is given to schools with a special need for assistance because a high percentage of enrolled students are from low income families or because student achievement is low.
- YES
Approximately 89% of the students enrolled in Dell Elementary School are eligible for free and reduced fee meals. The school's grade of "D" reflects the fact that more than 75% of students are achieving at levels 1 and 2 on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT). It is well documented that most students who are not successful in learning to read in the early grades will never catch up. (Francis, 1996; Juel, 1988).
- NO
As many as 60% of our nation's children find learning to read a formidable challenge. Recently studies clearly document that children who fall behind in early grades rarely catch up. Students in our school have fallen behind in reading. Unless they receive remediation, they could be doomed to a lifetime of menial work and illiteracy.
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The purposes of the Local Reading Improvement Grant are to provide children with the readiness they need to learn to read once they enter school, to teach every child to read in the early childhood years; and to provide early literacy intervention to young children who are experiencing reading difficulties.
- YES
Three schools were selected for program participation based on lowest reading scores on the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT). The percentages of students scoring at level one (the lowest level) on this test were 66% at Briggs Elementary School, 74% at Stratton Elementary School, and 75% at Deere Elementary School.
- NO
Student achievement in reading varies greatly from school to school, with one district middle school scoring "critically low" in reading comprehension on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. District-wide about one-fourth of middle school students score in the lowest three stanines of this reading test, and about 40% score in the lowest four stanines.
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In an effort to encourage the development of creative and innovative ways of teaching students, the district has allocated funds to support a teacher mini grants program during the 2000-01 school year. Teachers may apply for grants to improve student academic achievement using new and innovative programs. Pilot programs that are successful may be implemented districtwide.
- YES
The Sunshine State Standards in Language Arts addresses the need for all children in all grade levels to be able to use reference materials for a variety of purposes. As our school serves children from low socioeconomic backgrounds (more than 90% free and reduced fee lunch), it is highly unlikely that these children have access to reference materials in their homes. Neither do we have funds in our school budget to allow for the purchase of these materials without having to forego another much needed item to benefit our students.
- NO
Our students need hands on experience to understand the process of production, distribution, and consumption.
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