Peek's Perspective

Closing the Gap:
Your Ticket to
Grant Money

One of the easiest ways to acquire grant money for your school is to find an achievement gap to close. Almost every school has some type of achievement gap; and many granting entities are interested in investing their money to help close those gaps. Find the gap(s) in your school and you might be on your way to some grant money.

[content block] Typically, serious achievement gaps exist between economically advantaged and disadvantaged students. Gaps of that nature can be found in many, many schools. Differences of 2 years or more in reading and math levels are frequently found when the acheivement of economically disadvantaged students is compared to those who are not.

Other gaps may exist between minority and non-minority students and between suburban, rural, and urban students. Minority, rural, and inner-city students may appear to lag in achievement because of their race or where they live but, on closer observation, it is often their economic status that produces gaps.

Some gaps can be traced to reduced expectations on the part of parents, educators, or the community as a whole. Grant money may be useful in implementing programs to reduce those gaps too.

Another achievement gap, which is typically not explained by economics, is one that can exist between male and female students in the mathematics and science areas. All too often that gap can be tracked to lower expectations by teachers and the larger educational community. Grant money can help schools build high expectations and achievement for all.

Achievement gaps can usually be pinpointed by comparing test scores of various student groups. If you find one or more of the achievement gaps I've mentioned in your school or classroom, remember that the existence of that gap provides an excellent reason to apply for grants to help reduce or eliminate it.

Don Peek is former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. Learn more about The School Funding Center at the bottom of this newsletter.

Article by Don Peek
Education World®
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