Winning the Grant Game

Here's some disturbing news: New York, with close to two million students living in poverty, received $1.9 million in federal school library funds last year, while Oklahoma, with one-sixth as many poor kids, landed just under $1.4 million.

Why did Oklahoma secure such an enormous sum, while Texas and Florida were awarded a mere $890,000 combined? And why did Oklahoma receive $18.66 for each dollar that was allocated to Mississippi, even though both states have about the same number of eligible students? Unfair as it sounds, "In the competitive process, that's what you get," says Beth Fine, an education specialist at the Department of Education.

Now in their second year, the grants were awarded by the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program, which falls under President Bush's education reform plan, No Child Left Behind, and offers school libraries federal funding for the first time in more than 30 years. But it's not a lot of money. Congress approved $12.5 million in 2002 and $13 million for 2003.

Funding inequities are common when it comes to competitive grants, but it seems even more egregious when students in needy school libraries miss out on a government program specifically designed to help them succeed. After reviewing last year's Improving Literacy Through School Libraries grant applications, one can't help but ask, did Oklahoma end up the second biggest winner after New York simply because it hired talented grant writers? No, says Margaret McNeely, manager of the program, which is administered by the Department of Education.

"The answer isn't bringing in outside help, the answer is in writing a good application," McNeely says, adding that funding decisions are based on how well applicants present a comprehensive proposal to improve literacy through their schools' libraries. "Oklahoma did a good job of understanding what it meant to prepare an application and making sure it made sense."

Technically, anyone—a school librarian, technology specialist, grant writer, or even a parent—can prepare an Improving Literacy Through School Libraries application, as long as it's signed by the district superintendent. Ideally, however, the process should involve intense collaboration among school librarians, a grant writer, and school administrators, says Ruth Bucke, a librarian at the K–7 Camp Curtin School in Harrisburg, PA. Her district's application was rejected, something Bucke blames on higher-ups who brought in an outside grant writer who barely consulted with school librarians.

With more than 5,000 eligible school districts competing for so little money, it's no wonder that many states ended up shortchanged. Although 94 school districts in 33 states received grants averaging $75,000, a close examination reveals serious funding inequities. Students in rural Alaska, for example, received an average of $132, while inner city schools in California got just $37 per student. Even Rhode Island—the home state of Democratic Senator Jack Reed, the key legislator responsible for securing these school library funds—received a paltry $20 per student. "The school library program, like the entire No Child Left Behind Act, is suffering from an insufficient amount of funding," Reed says. "Because of this inadequate funding, children and libraries in every state are being left behind."

How can applicants ensure they get a fair share of this year's grant money? Simply put, by satisfying all of the application's strict rules. Before you even think about applying, determine if your school district meets the program's most fundamental requirement—at least 20 percent of your students must come from families with earnings below the poverty line. Don't apply if only 19.9 percent of the kids in your district qualify. (A list of eligible districts can be found at www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/LSL/eligible.)

Once eligible, don't waste space explaining how poor your district is—you already qualify for a grant. Instead, focus on the main criteria that will help determine whether you get funding: provide a detailed action plan that describes how to use your school libraries to improve student literacy; explain how you plan to accomplish that goal; and outline the concrete objectives, or outcomes, your literacy program will achieve. This isn't a grant to buy more school library materials, it's a program that awards money to needy media centers that show they can improve student literacy. Many applicants make the enormous mistake of failing to make the connection between their program's activities and the government's goals. For example, one district described a detailed plan to create an Internet-based automation system that would be integrated into an existing reading program so students, teachers, and parents could easily access it. The application wasn't funded because the grant writer failed to explain how the program would specifically help improve reading or add to the existing reading program.

Remember, specify what actions you will take in your district's school libraries to improve reading skills. It's not enough to list books and materials you plan to buy. "The Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program means that libraries are a means to an end—the end is to improve literacy, and literacy means reading achievement, not information literacy," McNeely cautions. "You need to design a program that will improve reading skills of students in your school."

An important question—and the heart of the application—requires a narrative explaining how you intend to use the funds to boost literacy. Include the age and condition of school library resources, including book collections; your access to technology; and the availability of well-trained certified library media specialists. This information is required even if most of the funds will not be spent on books. A good answer will provide hard data to back up your needs assessment. Be sure to include information about your student population, the percentage of students reading at grade level, the size of your book collection and the subjects it covers, the average copyright year of books, the number of computers in school libraries, and the number of certified librarians in each school. Explain how these conditions affect operations in school libraries, and what areas need improvement, as well as identify missing services that affect kids' reading levels. Don't expect to get a grant if your funding needs stem from state or local budget cuts.

The grant won't cover building a new media center or renovating a school library, however, there are limited funds available for bookshelves and other materials if they are specifically tied to meeting your goals. "Remember, the school library media resources have got to be linked to improving reading achievement," McNeely says.

Another critical part of the application is also the most challenging. Each applicant must propose an evaluation plan that addresses both the long- and short-term objectives of the project and its impact. For example, what is the expected outcome of more closely aligning your library collection to the district's reading plan, will this increase student use of the school library, and will circulation increase? You must also propose a method of assessing the impact of your program on student reading achievement. "You need to show you are making a difference in the lives of kids," McNeely stresses.

Other important requirements include detailing how media specialists, teachers, parents, principals, and other administrators will collaborate in designing and implementing the project. Show that your program is based on objective, rigorous, and scientifically proven research, which means university studies must prove that your proposal is an effective approach to student learning. (For more information on scientifically based research, visit www.ed.gov .) Applicants must also demonstrate how their programs will work with other district activities at the state and local levels. One district in Texas explained that its grant money would be used along with state funds to improve its book collection, while another state grant would go toward paying for the district's technology needs.

At press time, the Department of Education expected to release its 2003 applications by the end of February, allowing for a 60-day deadline. Applications will be reviewed in midsummer, and awards will be handed out shortly after that, hopefully giving districts enough time to start their projects in August. (To download an application, go to www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/LSL .)

Who evaluates the applications? Last year 150 reviewers, including librarians, administrators, and reading specialists, pored through 540 applications. Each section was graded accordingly and a final score was tabulated. The Department of Education then decided which districts were to receive funding and the amount. Although more poor rural school districts were funded than poor urban school districts (because there are more poor rural school districts), every effort was made to fund regions proportionate to the number of applications coming from that area, McNeely says. Grant amounts were determined by the scope of the project and the number of schools in a district. This year's grants are expected to range from $20,000 to $300,000.

There is no limit to the number of times a district may apply, but since this year's application will be different from 2002's, applicants must submit a new proposal.

What's the best advice for those daunted by the vigorous process?

"Study the application package, respond to the selection criteria explicitly and directly, and assume nothing," McNeely says. "If you take it step-by-step, it's much more logical and understandable than you might initially think. And don't be afraid to call us for help."

For grant writing assistance, e-mail the Department of Education at lsl@ed.gov. A phone number will be listed in the application.