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Grant Writing: Grant Proposal Package

Katherine Correa Perochena

Department of English, Grand Canyon University

ENG-507-0500: Grant Writing

Dr. Cooper

December 24, 2020

Grant Writing: Grant Proposal Package

Grant Proposal

Cover Letter

Katherine Correa Perochena

Mia Howerton
Program Manager
U.S. Department of Education, OESE
400 Maryland Ave SW
Washington D.C. 20202-6244

Dear Ms. Howerton:

As a society, we have faced many dilemmas this year, but as educators, we are constantly
learning new ways to combat these problems; we learn how to overcome and be better for our
students. With your encouragement to present our proposal to Supporting Effective Educator
Development (SEED), we at Cypress Bay High School know you share our beliefs that we need
to be the best we can be for our children. At present, we are seeing that student’s have been
negatively impacted by Covid-19, both mentally and educationally. Even worse, when polled at
our school, the student’s do not feel they have the knowledge or tools to support themselves
when facing hardships.

It is Cypress Bay High School’s goal to ensure the students are better supported through
incorporating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into the everyday curriculum. However,
teachers do not feel adequately prepared, nor do they feel like they can do so. With the support of
SEED, we know that we will represent the program’s mission of developing educators that will
be the best they can be for future generations.

Sincerely,

Katherine Correa
English Teacher
[email protected]
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Cover Page

Cypress Bay High School’s

Grant to Support Effective Educator Development

Names and Affiliations of Project Director(s):

Name:
Katherine Correa English Teacher
School: Cypress Bay High School
Mailing address:  18600 Vista Park Blvd
Weston, FL 33332
Phone: (754) 323-0350 Email: [email protected]

Additional Proposers:
Christine Banach Ana Alonzo Denise Jacks Brad Franks
Kathy Harrington Danielle Cecilia Fonseca Zack Sedell
Karen McNeely Nasciemento Aida DeGouveia Eva Rothal
Derek Schweitzer Ariel Maldonado Nick Montecalvo Nori Suarez
Michelle Tobon Carol Warnock Claudia Jose Jimeniz
Kate Dwyer Rebecca Bueno Fernandez Kathleen
Lizette Logan Lisa Herron Rosa Marmeno McDonald
Michael Pappas Lisa Crow Christina Doogue
Areille Meireles Lauren Cavanagh Hope Fisher
Michael Stember Jennifer Cook Rachel Iannacone

Abstract:

Within Godsey’s (2020) findings, we are seeing that students are suffering academically and
emotionally from the impact of Covid-19. Educators are often looked to for support; however,
our students are reporting that they do not know who to turn to, and teachers do not feel
adequately prepared to incorporate social and emotional learning (SEL) in classroom lessons.
Therefore, Cypress Bay High School wants to better support the staff by incorporating
developmental SEL lessons that will benefit the overall wellbeing of our student population.

Amount Requested: $12,304.99

Executive Summary

As the United States nears its end of a year in the state of a pandemic, we can see and

understand the effects Covid-19 is having on students. Godsey (2020) recognizes that education

gaps are occurring due to the stark differences highlighted between the household incomes; this

is also impacting the already hurting mental state of the students. Additionally, Maughan (2020)

states, “Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, the critical role of schools and educators as sources of

support, connectedness, and stability has never been more visible” (p. 40).

The Broward County Public School system is aware of students’ needs and working on

making social and emotional learning an integral part of the curriculum; however, our students

are indicating that we are not at the county standard. Teachers are sharing that they do not always

make SEL a focus in the classroom because of the difficulty. However, as Edgar, Morrison, &

Morrison (2020) demonstrate, the process is always as, possibly more, important than the

product.

At Cypress Bay High School, we intend to use our professional learning communities

(PLCs) to make the process easier for our staff. PLC leaders will learn the methods of SEL,

gather the material, and distribute it in relation to the varying subjects. We are then looking to

see how the students practice these skills in their own lives and how they find these tools

beneficial. Keeping track of this data, we want to see an increase of students taking ownership of

their own lives while also feeling supported and ready to take on varying challenges. With the

Supporting Effective Educator Development Grant, we will prepare and support our educators by

giving them the skills needed to be the best they can be for their students.

Therefore, our objectives are to have ready-made, SEL material that is available for all

teachers and to make ensure that all teachers are comfortable with the lessons. This will allow for
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students to feel better supported and at ease when incorporating SEL in real-life scenarios. Our

PLCs will be utilized as ways to evaluate our outcomes of these lessons. Are they working? This

data will be measured and tracked for our records and ways to improve, but will also be supplied

to the county and the SEED organization.

Proposal Narrative

What is to happen to our next generation as they enter this “new normal”? How are they

to begin to function if they are unable to acquire the skills that are demanded of them in the

world outside of a classroom? Covid-19 is showing the world that it is causing more than health

problems, and in the academic setting we are seeing downfalls in more than one area. Our

students are suffering both academically and mentally, and it is becoming clear that there is a

connection between the two.

Through evidence and research conducted within our school setting, we can see that

teachers and students are suffering. Not only are they falling behind academically, but there is a

significant decrease in support as the distance between teacher and student increases. As

Godsey’s (2020) research shows, “about 15% of students in the United States…don’t have high-

speed internet access at home” which means that “students with lower skills, fewer resources,

and less supportive family units are going to suffer exponentially more as they access less of the

curriculum” (p. 24). Covid-19 his highlighting these differences and the demand for emotional

support and life skills is increasing. Maughan (2020) states, “Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, the

critical role of schools and educators as sources of support, connectedness, and stability has

never been more visible” (p. 40). As such, the skills involved with social and emotional learning

(SEL) are proving to be vitally important for our students. If we continue to neglect these skills,

we will see our students slip further behind, both in their education and in their mental state.

With an abundance of research shows the increasing need for SEL in the classroom, we

need to better prepare our teachers and develop the skills necessary for providing such learning

for our students. At present, not enough teachers are prepared to support these new problems that

students have; Supporting Effective Educator Development matches our goal or providing highly
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effective educators for our students. We want to meet their needs and prepare them for life. To

do so, we (educators) too need to continue to enhance our own skills.

As a collective unit, our school, Cypress Bay High School, we work to continue to

surpass in county standards in order to best server our students. With this in mind, we know that

SEL is at the forefront of their current needs. Therefore, we want them to feel better supported

and prepared to enter the world after high school. With this as the focus, we know that students

will be equipped to handle the tasks at hands and develop the skills that are needed when

confronted with difficult situations. Since this is our main goal, we also need to focus on our

staff; the staff needs to feel comfortable and willing to incorporate SEL into their everyday

lessons.

As to achieve these goals, we need to start right away. To promote the incorporation of

SEL in the classroom, the first people that need to be considered are the department heads.

Before they are approached, a month is needed to gather material for each departmental need(s);

this will help break the lessons into more compatible lessons. Once this material is ready, the

department heads will then relay lessons and materials to group leaders for each grade. The

remainder of the school year will allow teachers to gather at their meetings to distribute

information at each meeting, discuss what is and is not working for their students, and work to

improve for subsequent lessons. This will also allow for teachers to fine tune what will benefit

and compliment their designated subjects. As the idea is to start right away, this tracked and

measurable data will also allow for teachers to improve their lessons for years to come.

The first task – or activity that will be done to complete the objectives – will be to gather the

lessons and materials from the county. This will allow for the head of this proposal to put

together the information to pass along to the remaining staff. Other useful resources will come
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from CASEL (The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning). Once this has

been achieved, the next task would be to pass along the information. A meeting should be held

with all department heads present. If the material is already sectioned off and ready to present,

the department heads will be more willing to relay the information. The first step is crucial to

making the implementation work. If the heavy load of the work is not done from the get-go, I do

not think the remaining staff will want to take on extra work and responsibility.

While the task will be heavy loaded at the front end of incorporation, it will be something

that will be easily maintainable once the groundwork is completed. The bulk of the tasks will

come from gathering the information and teaching it to the staff. From there, teachers will be

able to work within their groups to better tailor their lessons to fit the needs of their students.

Less funding will be needed later on as, again, the bulk of what is needed will only be needed to

implement the initial material and lessons.

References

Gillard, A. (2020). Teachers’ Perspectives of Students’ Social and Emotional Changes During an

Adventure-Based Program. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education &

Leadership, 12(3), 322–332.

Nazerian, T. (2020). LOOKING AHEAD: Four ways 2020 might shape the future of teacher

prep. Literacy Today (2411-7862), 38(3), 26–29.