Budgets for the use of implementation grant funds will be reviewed and scored as part of the application process. Generally, all expenditures must contribute to establishing new community school sites and/or expanding or continuing programs at any community school site(s) to improve student outcomes. Budgets that include non-allowable, excessive, or inappropriate items will receive a lower score. The CDE will require applicants to revise budgets that include non-allowable, excessive, or inappropriate items. Allowable expenditures may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Integrated Support Services
- Professional development, planning time, and staffing to discover, review, plan, and address student needs and learning loss related to the COVID-19 crisis, including through targeted instruction and intensive tutoring.
- Common planning time for teachers by school, grade, and/or subject area to develop a shared vision for what students should know and be able to do, and how to work with families and community partners.
- Professional development on and design of programs and strategies that promote positive behavioral interventions, restorative practices, and trauma-informed instructional approaches, including the creation of advisory systems that ensure students are well-known and supported.
- Development of leadership coaching and support to strengthen collaborative leadership amongst site administrators, teachers, families, students, and community partners.
- Professional development and support for school and LEA staff to implement coordinated and integrated strategies for student supports within and across schools and districts, such as an MTSS, coordination of services team (COST), or other classroom and school day supports.
Family and Community Engagement
- Professional development and programmatic support for teachers and staff on strategies to develop trusting, inclusive, and collaborative relationships with families and community members.
- Professional development and staff time for building and strengthening connections between teachers, students, and families, such as culturally responsive engagement practices, strengths-based student-family-teacher conferences, virtual or in-person home visitation programs by school staff, and family engagement action teams.
Collaborative Leadership and Practices for Educators
- Funding for a comprehensive and collaborative assessment of school and community assets and needs.
- Training and planning meetings between personnel and partners, including counselors, teachers, families, students, health professionals, college faculty, governmental agencies, community service organizations, and businesses, to support program sustainability and build awareness in the region on the benefits of community schools.
- Funding for dedicated staff (including community school coordinators) to support and facilitate partnerships and discover professional development opportunities to build capacity for collaborative education and community leadership structures and practices.
- Participation in and utilization of programs and strategies that promote positive behavioral interventions, restorative practices, and trauma-informed instructional approaches.
- Professional development that builds the capacity of educators and administrators to effectively engage input and leadership from students, families, and community members in community school decision-making processes.
- Planning for collaboration time among educators to identify and develop plans for meeting student needs.
Expanded Learning Time and Opportunities
- Professional development to expand and enrich curriculum through deeper learning strategies such as project-based learning that connects to concerns and/or organizations.
- Stipends, planning time, and support for educators (including teachers, expanded learning program staff, and other community partners working at school sites) to plan expanded learning time activities, including enhanced coordination between school-day and expanded learning time programs and activities for after school and/or summer programming.
- For LEAs serving elementary school students, stipends, planning time, and support for educators (including teachers, childcare and early learning program staff, expanded learning program staff, and other community partners working at school sites) to plan early learning programs, including enhanced coordination between kindergarten through grade twelve educators and school staff, expanded learning time programs and activities, and childcare and early learning programs.