Funding Options for US Schools

The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, now allows states and school districts to devote more of their federal resources to technology infrastructure to support distance learning for students and for professional development for teachers who are teaching remotely, many for the first time.

By providing a streamlined process to obtain funding flexibilities, states will be able to quickly make decisions to meet the needs of their students.

The Federal Government is allowing states flexibility in the use of funds and other requirements covered under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), including the Title I, Parts A-D, Title II, Title III, Part A, Title IV, Parts A-B, and Title V programs.

Specifically, states may request a waiver of:

• Section 1127(b) of Title I, Part A of the ESEA to waive the 15% carryover limitation for Title I, Part A funds;
• Section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) to extend the period of availability of prior fiscal year funds, for Title I, Parts A-D, Title II, Title III, Part A, Title IV, Parts A-B, and Title V, Part B programs, and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Children and Youth program;
• Section 4106(d) of Title IV, Part A of the ESEA to waive a needs assessment to justify the use of funds;
• Section 4106(e)(2)(C), (D), and (E) of Title IV, Part A of the ESEA to waive content-specific spending requirements;
• Section 4109(b) of Title IV, Part A of the ESEA to waive spending restrictions on technology infrastructure; and
• Section 8101(42) of the ESEA to waive the definition of “professional development,” which might otherwise limit the ability to quickly train school leaders and teachers on topics like effective distance learning techniques.

Additional Funding Sources

• Title I – Renzulli Learning has proven to increase reading comprehension and readingfluency scores with Free/Reduced Lunch populations (Field, 2007).
• Title II(D) – The primary goal of Title II(D) funds is to improve student academicachievement through the use of technology. Renzulli’s web-based tool is a nextgeneration, inquiry-based platform that applies technology to curriculum delivery anddifferentiation.
• Special Education – The personalization of curriculum made possible through Renzulliallows special education populations to participate with engaging, visually-orientedresources suited to their strengths & abilities.
• Restructuring School Funds – Many major urban school systems have incorporatedtheRenzulli program as a much-needed engagement initiative for schools facingAdequateYearly Progress (AYP) penalties.
• Intervention Funds – Through “pilot” implementations that focus on student interests,administrators have discovered Renzulli’s ability to reach behaviorally-challenged andat-risk populations. We provide much needed motivation for these students, which paydividends through reduced disciplinary events and increased attention spans in class.
• ESOL/ELL – Students complete the Profiler in their native language to accurately identify interests, expression and learning styles. Teachers can see a student’s Profile in English and in their native language. Students are then assigned to their English language grade level within Renzulli Learning.Teachers leverage Renzulli Differentiation Engine and match ELL students to personalized learning activities matched to their strengths and interests. The end result is that students learn English faster and skills acquired through Renzulli ELLA are transferable to other subject areas.
• Textbook Funds – Customers have used traditional textbook funds for Renzulli bycategorizing our program as the next generation, personalized “textbook”. This rationaleis furthered by our unique ability to not only provide resources correlated to national &state standards, but to evolve the delivery of that content to incorporate individualstudentinterests and learning styles.
• Magnet Grants – Renzulli counts over 100 Magnet school customers around the country.Administrators have leveraged Renzulli’s student personalization capabilities as arecruitment tool for attracting a diverse parent applicant-base. Our database also allowsfor seamless integration with all magnet themes.
• Instructional Technology – Renzulli develops students and teachers’ technology skillsby providing an easy-to-use curriculum application. Many customers have shifted theirInstructional Technology budget priorities from teaching technology as an end-unto-itself(mouse skills, keyboard skills, etc...) to a means-the-the-end of enabling great teachingand learning.
• ParentOrganizations – Due to Renzulli’s personalized approach to teaching eachparent’s child, as well as the Parent Portal - which allows parents to proactivelysupport their child’s achievement - many PTA / PTO organizations have supportedto program fiscally.
• After School Programs – Dozens of customers have partnered with their afterschool providers to fund a Renzulli investment. These strategic alliances enable acontinuum of learning by providing a means to accomplish a “beyond-the-bell”curricular handshake.
• Corporate Partners – Renzulli provides a highly visible connection to the localcommunity. Technology, community center, and financial companies have allfunded our program thanks to administrator fund-raising efforts.
• 21st Century Grants – Renzulli Learning is available for students, parents, teachers,and administrators 24 hours a day, 7 days a week which provides opportunities toincrease achievement during school, after school, and over holiday and summerbreaks.
• Distance Learning – Through basic internet connectivity, teachers and studentscan safely and securely collaborate on lessons, assignments, and projects. This“anywhere, anytime” portability has afforded districts with the justification to usefunds assigned to supporting rural, trade, and transportation-challenged populations.
• Professional Development – We provide a host of Professional Developmentservices that empower educators with an easy-to-use scaffolding approach for theimplementation of differentiated instruction.
• “Virtual” Teacher Aides – Several innovative customers have re-allocated part-time headcount funds to an investment in Renzulli. Thanks to our automatedresource match-making process, teachers are able keep the entire class on taskwith less need for classroom aides.
• Homeless Grants – Given the transientnature of homeless students,Renzulli’sportability has been cited as a solution to tracking the progress and portfolio of thispopulation.
• Donor Grants – Donor Grants is a company who's mission is to make it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.

Funding Options for Renzulli Learning