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CFBISD Grant No. 2004-L02STATE OF TEXAS § COPPELL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION COUNTY OF DALLAS § GRANT AGREEMENT This Educational Development Grant Agreement ( "AGREEMENT ") is made by and between the city of Coppell, Texas ( "CITY "), Coppell Education Development Corporation ( "CEDC ") and the Carrollton/Farmers Branch Independent School District (the "CFBISD "), acting by and through their respective authorized officers. WITNESSETH: WHEREAS, the CITY is authorized by TEX. LOC. Gov'T CODE § 379A to provide educational development grants to publicly funded institutions through the CEDC for the promotion of literacy, foreign language and career technology for a skilled workforce; and WHEREAS, the CITY seeks to support programs for promoting literacy, foreign language and career technology for a skilled workforce; and WHEREAS, the CFBISD has submitted a grant application No. 2004 -L02 to provide funding for materials for a Focus on Reading program and a paraprofessional to manage the program at Riverchase Elementary School in Coppell (the PROJECT); and WHEREAS, the CFBISD serves 409 students from the CITY, and has developed the PROJECT in order to raise the technology levels of all the students; and WHEREAS, CFBISD is in need of funding the half -time instructional technology support person and seeks the assistance of the CEDC for such assistance; and WHEREAS, the CITY has determined that making an education development grant to the CFBISD in accordance with this AGREEMENT will further the objectives of the CITY, will benefit the CITY and the CITY's inhabitants and will promote career technology in the CITY. NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, and other valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows: 1. Subject to availability of funds collected from the 379A sales tax, the CITY agrees to provide the CFBISD an education development grant (the "GRANT ") in an amount not to exceed Forty -four Thousand Dollars and no cents ($44,000.00). 2. CFBISD agrees to utilize the GRANT to fund a half -time instructional technology support person at Riverchase Elementary School in Coppell. COPPELL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT GRANT Page 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS 3. CITY agrees to provide the GRANT of Forty -four Thousand Dollars and no cents ($44,000.00) funds payable on a quarterly basis with the first payment to be made in November 2004. Funds to be expended in accordance with the budget categories set forth in the GRANT application. 4. On a quarterly basis beginning no later than February 1, 2005 the CFBISD shall submit personnel costs for this GRANT to the CEDC. The detailed expenditures shall include, but not be limited to, salaries, number of students from Coppell served, grade levels actually served, and any changes in personnel during the period covered by this GRANT. 5. In the event the CFBISD breaches any of the terms of this AGREEMENT or fails to use the GRANT for the purposes set forth herein, then the CFBISD, after expiration of the notice and cure period described herein, shall be in default of this AGREEMENT. As liquidated damages in the event of such default, the CFBISD shall, within thirty (30) days after demand, repay to the CITY, the GRANT with interest at the rate of eight percent (8 %) per annum from the date of receipt of the GRANT until paid. The parties acknowledge that actual damages in the event of default would be speculative and difficult to determine. Upon breach by CFBISD of any obligations under this AGREEMENT, the CITY shall notify the CFBISD in writing, who shall have thirty (30) days from receipt of the notice in which to cure such default. If CFBISD fails to cure the default within the time provided herein, or, as such time period may be extended, then the CITY at its sole option, shall have the right to terminate this AGREEMENT without further notice to the CFBISD. 6. The terms and conditions of this AGREEMENT are binding upon the successors and assigns of all parties hereto. This AGREEMENT may not be assigned without the express written consent of CITY and CEDC. 7. It is understood and agreed between the parties that CFBISD, in the use of the GRANT and in satisfying the conditions of this AGREEMENT, is acting independently, and that the CITY and/or the CEDC assumes no responsibilities or liabilities to third parties in connection with these actions. CFBISD agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the CITY and the CEDC from all such claims, suits, and causes of action, liabilities and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, of any nature whatsoever arising out of the CFBISD'S performance of the conditions under this AGREEMENT. 8. Any notice required or permitted to be delivered hereunder shall be deemed received when sent by United States mail, postage pre -paid, certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the party at the address set forth opposite the signature of the party. 9. This AGREEMENT shall be governed by the laws of the State of Texas; and venue for any action concerning this AGREEMENT shall be in the State District Court of Dallas County, Texas. 10. In the event any one or more of the provisions contained in this AGREEMENT shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, COPPELL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT GRANT Page 2 illegality, or unenforceability shall not effect the other provisions, and the AGREEMENT shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provision had never been contained in it. EXECUTED this f S /74 day of 0-64 :4 - L.- , 20 EXECUTED this a-0 day of Bv. Bv. ATTEST: Bv. COPPELL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT GRANT Page 3 CITY OF COP XAS ATTEST: BY: �� //(S' President 255 Parkway Boulevard P.O. Box 9478 Coppell, Texas 75019 JIM WIT r, CITY MANAGER 255 Par ay Boulevard P.O. B 9478 Coppe 1, Texas 75019 , 2004. COPPELL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SIGNED this day of 2clefer- , 2004. STATE OF TEXAS § COUNTY OF DALLAS § My Commission Expires: CARROLLTON - FARMERS BRANCH INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT ATTEST: � % ,0 . ;, ‘ D. Bob, . zi,z.%4?-..?.)s\:sik‘l � ,,-\-. 7'\ • _ re o 1 �� , Ex p'c . r .q � 0 ° S‘S IS" !M itt COPPELL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT GRANT Page 4 4 Z : G4 7 (7; f f/ DR. ANNETTE GRIFFII< , SUP Carrollton- Farmers Branch In 1445 North Perry Road Carrollton, Texas 75006 By: Cajnd-c-e..L.. CITY'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT Notary Public, State of Texas ENDENT ent School District This instrument was acknowledged before me on the f oday of 2004, by Jim Witt, City Manager of the City of Coppell, Texas, a Texas municipality, on behalf of said municipality. STATE OF TEXAS COUNTY OF DALLAS This instrument was acknowledged before me on the day of , 2004, by j j ? i /9/fraos, of the Coppell Education Development Corporation, on behalf of said corporation. �t0000 l s 11.0,, S. �� My Commission expires:�`Q y P Ue�j ..,L'.,, ° • qTE of y., I. '®® :;'+ 9e (36"-crt CARROLLTON/FARMERS BRANCH INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT STATE OF TEXAS COUNTY OF DALLAS This instrument was acknowledged before me on the `7 —� day of (QCkb , 2004, by Dr. Annette Griffin, Superintendent of Carrollton/Farmers Branch Independent School District, on behalf of said district. My Commission expires: COPPELL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION • SHARON A. SCRIVNER S Notary Public STATE OF TEXAS Commission Expires 06/04/05 1 COPPELL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT GRANT Page 5 Notary Public, State of Texa it.A87J Notary Public, State of Texas Project Title: Focus on Reading Principal Applicant: Holly Barber Title of Principal Applicant: Principal ISD Represented in Application: Carrollton- Farmers Br Project Period: August 2004 — May 2005 Total Amount Requested: $44,000 Printed Names & Titles of Grant Approvers; Signatures; and Dates Holly Barber, Principal Principal Applicant Sign re Title (Required) Soheila Danz, Parent Team Member Title (Optional) Team Member Title (Optional) Holly Barber Principal of School (Optional) Coppell Education Development Corporation Grant Application Annette Griffin 12' Z-!'� District Superintendent (Required) John Tepper * *School Board Pres (Required) Signature 8/06/04 Date 8/06/04 Date Signature Date 8/06/04 Date ignature1�7/ Date 9 * *Signifies approval by the School Board of Trustees e Date 8/6/04 1:33 PM 1 I. Abstract of Program /Activity Abstract, not to exceed 300 words, indicating the program/activities to be undertaken with grant funds and a timeline for such program/activities. Please refer to "Guidelines for Required Sections" in the CEDC Grant Application Overview for further details on completing this section. The ability to decode the printed word and comprehend at high levels is key to academic success and daily functioning. Traditional approaches to the teaching of reading don't meet the needs of all students. Last year at Riverchase Elementary our Literacy Specialist served 49 students who were struggling in reading. Dozens more below -level readers were tutored in the regular classrooms. Teachers recommended 22 students in grades K -5 be retained due to low reading levels. Twelve students in grades 3 -5 failed the reading portion of the TAKS test. Alternative methods of reading instruction must be found to supplement current practices to meet the needs of these struggling readers. Focus on Reading (FoR) is a comprehensive reading improvement program that provides evidence -based instruction in the critical elements of reading - fluency, vocabulary development, and comprehension. Selected students in grades 2 -5 participate in 80 minute daily sessions for 7 weeks. The goal is 200% improvement in the child's initial reading rate. The program is delivered through the computer via a software program that individualizes to meet each child's needs. An instructor oversees the appropriate implementation and analyzes students' daily work to make decisions regarding subsequent lessons. Ten students per session are considered the maximum enrollment. Up to four sessions could be scheduled each day and enrollment changes each seven weeks. This means up to 160 students could be served during the year. The cost for the site license and associated auxiliary materials is $19,000. A full time paraprofessional would be needed to manage the program. Depending upon the 8/6/04 1:22 PM 2 employment date, salary and benefits for the remainder of the year this amount could be up to $25,000. The school district is providing the ten computers and headphones. Total request for this grant is $44,000. 8/6/04 1:22 PM 3 II. Description of Proposal & Nature of Request Description of the purpose of and the educational need and importance for the proposed program/activities, including the relevance to one or more of the three approved funding areas: literacy, foreign language, and/or career technology for a skilled workforce. Riverchase will serve about 430 students in kindergarten through grade five during the 2004 -05 school year. If history repeats itself, 15 -20% will be categorized as below level in reading at some point during the school year. (Below level is defined as one or more semesters below current grade placement.) Five to ten percent are working a full year or more below placement. Past interventions have included tutoring sessions with a variety of school personnel, remedial reading classes with special education teachers or a reading specialist, school -home coordination for additional reinforcement, and peer tutoring. In spite of multiple approaches to improve students' reading levels, a significant number finish the year below grade level. For the 2003 -04 school year, teachers recommended 22 students in grades K -5 be retained due to low reading levels. Twelve students in grades 3 -5 failed the reading portion of the TAKS test. No Child Left Behind and professional practice dictates that all children perform at grade level expectations. Traditional techniques have obviously not been successful for all children and alternative instructional methods need to be employed. Carrollton- Farmers Branch ISD has piloted an individualized, comprehensive, computerized reading program on six campuses during the 2003 -04 school year. The program, Focus on Reading (FoR), provides a placement process that gives instruction targeted to each student's needs. While monitoring is computer- managed, a detailed reporting and management system provides data which is reviewed by the instructor. The 8/6/04 1:22 PM 4 instructor can then make informed adjustments to the program as needed. Daily sessions of 80 minutes, for up to 10 students, continue for seven weeks. At the end of the seven week program, students are dismissed and a new group begins. Up to four sessions are held during each day. The goal is a 200% increase from each student's initial reading rate. The seven week program begins with a check of the efficiency of each student's eye movements. The student reads a computer screen while wearing special goggles called a Visagrah. The Visagraph traces the pupil movement 60 times per second using infrared sensors and detects if there are any visual difficulties. Following the reading, a comprehension check determines whether or not the subject read with reasonable comprehension. Specifically, the Visagraph analyzes the student's • fixations (number of eye stops), • regressions (number of reverse eye movements), • span of recognition (average words), • duration of fixation (average length of eye pauses), • rate of reading with comprehension (words per minute), • rate without rereading (excluding all time for rereading), • directional attack (percentage of reverse -to- forward eye movements) and • relative efficiency (overall performance in relation to grade level norms). The students' fundamental reading process efficiency is then measured against national norms. The system prescribes and evaluates corrective instruction in the form of visual discrimination and reading fluency training. 8/6/04 1:22 PM 5 Literature provided by National Learning Systems, the parent company for FoR, states that 90% of learning comes through the visual pathway and that 60% of students with learning difficulties have delays in visual skill development. Of the 12 cranial nerves, 6 are dedicated to vision.' As your eyes coordinate across each line of print, pausing three to five times per second, words are perceived and received by short term memory where meaning emerges. The efficiency of your fundamental reading process determines the ease and accuracy with which you achieve literal understanding. And all higher levels of comprehension depend on this basic understanding. An individual's fundamental reading process is typically acquired by trial and error in grades K through 3. The efficiency is reflected in your oculomotor activity (eye movement) as you read. Your fundamental reading process cannot be consciously controlled but can be trained. By carefully analyzing inefficient eye movements and training the eye to rapidly scan without sacrificing comprehension, many reading problems can be rectified. Additional screenings in comprehension, decoding, and vocabulary help determine the students' beginning instructional level. Each daily lesson follows a specific format with content and duration of components individualized for each student. Each guided reading lesson provides: • Key vocabulary introduction and word recognition practice; • Preview strategies as preparation for more comprehension reading; • Self -paced reading to introduce the new selection and author's style; • Timed left to right reading to change basic reading skills; and • Comprehension skill questions and directed rereading if errors occur. 8/6/04 1:22 PM 6 Literature from National Learning Systems cites numerous studies in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas which demonstrate significant improvement in standardized reading test scores after FoR was employed in schools. Among those was Blair Intermediate School in Carrollton- Farmers Branch ISD. There the lowest performing students gained 2.3 reading levels in a 6 week target program. At -risk students in Duncanville increased 2.2 reading levels and 1.8 vocabulary levels in summer school. The program is implemented by a trained paraprofessional. Initial training is two full days with follow -up sessions throughout the year. The school district has an employee certified to conduct FoR training and is willing to provide the training free of charge. The district will also provide the hardware needed (computers, headphones, and printer). Project goals are simply to have every targeted student reading on or above grade level at the conclusion of the student's participation in FoR or to have increased a minimum of one year (in seven weeks). Due to the state mandates for all third and fifth graders to pass TAKS reading to be promoted, these grades will be the first to be addressed. In subsequent sessions in the year, fourth graders and second graders will also be identified to participate. The program will be deemed successful if: • All students who participated in FoR pass reading TAKS. • All students who participated in FoR increased their reading levels by a minimum of one year. • Riverchase Elementary reduced the number of recommended retentions due to reading difficulties by two thirds. 8/6/04 1:22 PM 7 Riverchase Elementary wishes to join the other CFBISD schools which will be using FoR as a supplement to classroom reading instruction. Six schools piloted the program last year. Three more (four including Riverchase) will be coming on board in 2004 -05. The other nine schools are able to purchase the program with Title 1 funds. Riverchase does not qualify for Title 1 and would not be able to have the program if not funded through the Coppell Education Development Corporation. References 1. Solan, H.A., Larson, S., Shelly - Tremlay J., Silverman, M. and Ficarra, A. (2001), "Role of Visual Attention in Cognitive Control of Oculomotor Readiness in Students with Reading Disabilities," The Journal of Learning Disabilities, Volume 34, Number 2, March/April 2001. 2. Focus on Reading brochure, National Learning Systems, Inc., Oklahoma City, OK, www.nlsread.com. 3. Reading Achievement Results with Focus on Reading, National Learning Systems, Inc Oklahoma City, OK, www.nlsread.com. 8/6/04 1:22 PM 8 III. Detailed Budget Outline proposed expenditures for resources and personnel requested in the proposal. Actual costs are not to exceed this estimate. Budgets should account for current/future price fluctuations as well as salary/benefits increases. The total cost of this proposal is as follows: $19,000 for the site license for Focus on Reading and auxiliary materials (i.e. manuals, Visagraph). $23,000 for the salary and benefits for a full time paraprofessional for the 2004 -05 school year. There is no additional funding source. 8/6/04 1:22 PM 9 IV. Project Measurements and Evaluation This section should include a detailed description of expected outcomes, numbers of students served and measures to be applied to determine overall project effectiveness. While Focus on Reading could potentially serve students in grades 1 -5, it is projected that the first year will center on grades 3 -5. The exact numbers at each grade level will depend upon the needs of students. Testing will be conducted after the first two weeks of school to determine priorities. Ten students will be served in each time block. Two to four daily time blocks will be conducted each seven week period. One hundred sixty students could be served during the 2004 -05 school year. The per pupil cost for $54,000 would therefore be $338. It should be noted, however, that this is the first year cost. After the site license is purchased, the only recurring cost would be the paraprofessional salary. The project will be evaluated based on: • Passing rates of reading TAKS scores (quantitative data) • Pre and Post evaluations of participants' reading levels (quantitative) • Reduced retention rates due to below level reading performances (quantitative) The project will be deemed successful if: • All students in grades 3 -5 pass their reading TAKS test • All participants increase their reading level by at least one grade. • Retention rates due to below level reading are reduced by 2/3. See Implementation Schedule on following pages. 8/6/04 1:22 PM 10 Strategy Person Responsible Timeline Formative Evaluation Summative Evaluation Train instructor in Focus on Reading program H. Barber, Z. Lovitt, S. Ginsburg September 2004 Log of training schedule Log of training schedule Identify students to be served in first round H. Barber, FoR instructor, S. Ginsburg September 2004 Preassessment results Preassessment results Additional training for FoR instructor every six weeks Z. Lovitt September 28, 2004 and every six weeks thereafter Log of training schedule Log of training schedule Conduct first round of instruction FoR instructor September - mid November 2004 Reports the 2 and 4 weeks of instruction Students' reading levels Weekly debriefing sessions to review students' progress and program implementation FoR instructor, Z. Ginsburg Weekly throughout year Student progress charts Student's reading levels upon exit of program Identify students for second round H. Barber, FoR instructor, S. Ginsburg Mid November 2004 Preassessment results Preassessment results Conduct second round of instruction FoR instructor End of November - early February 2005 Reports the 2 and 4 weeks of instruction Students' reading levels Administrators' meeting for campuses with FoR Z. Lovitt January 2005 Log of meeting agenda Log of meeting agenda Identify students for third round H. Barber, FoR instructor, S. Ginsburg Early February 2005 Preassessment results Preassessment results Conduct third round of instruction FoR instructor Early February -late March 2005 Reports the 2 and 4 weeks of instruction Students' reading levels Implementation Schedule and Evaluation 8/6/04 1:22 PM 11 Identify students for fourth round of instruction H. Barber, FoR instructor, S. Ginsburg Late March 2005 Preassessment results Preassessment results Conduct fourth round of instruction FoR instructor Early April - May 2005 Reports the 2 and 4 weeks of instruction Students' reading levels Evaluate TAKS results H. Barber, staff May 2005 Data from 2004 Data from 2005 Evaluate retention rates due to reading levels H. Barber, staff May 2005 Data from 2004 Data from 2005 8/6/04 1:22 PM 12