New Grant Program Focused on High School Success for At-Risk Students

AT&T High School Success
Special Grants Program

Overview
In April 2008, the AT&T Foundation launched a new grant program
focused on high school success for at-risk students. The program will
direct funds to eligible nonprofit organizations and schools across the
country and offers two types of grants:

• Project support is for existing high school retention
  programs with a successful track record of achieving effective results.
  The support may be used to continue programs in their current form,
  expand them to serve additional students, or add a component to
  strengthen the program. Project support is intended for programs that
  are ready to operate in their current or modified form by the first
  semester of the 2008 - 2009 school year. Grant payout will range from
  $50,000 - $100,000 a year for up to four years (2008 - 2011).
• Planning/capacity-building
  support is for efforts that need additional planning time and
  resources. Applicants for these grants must demonstrate that they will
  be able to identify the administrative, financial and programmatic
  support needed to commence program implementation during the first
  semester of the 2009 - 2010 school year. Grant payout will range from
  $25,000 - $35,000 for one year only.

The AT&T Foundation seeks to support the most effective programs that:

1. Intervene early. Priority will be given to programs that
   begin serving students who are either in ninth grade or are making the
   transition from eighth to ninth grade. Funding will also be considered
   for programs that begin serving students in 10th grade; however, no
   funding will be provided to programs that begin serving students after
   10th grade.
2. Get results. AT&T is looking for programs
   that will produce reliable data on the characteristics of the students
   they serve and produce measurable results on the outcomes for the
   students participating in the programs.

Eligibility
Please carefully review the following information. The AT&T
Foundation will not be able to provide funding outside the eligible
guidelines. If you have questions about eligibility, please contact
AT&T toll-free at 1-800-591-9663.

Qualifying Organizations

• School districts and school district foundations (Note:
  Foundations must have 501(c)(3) public charity status. Private
  foundations are not eligible.)
• Charter school foundations
  and private school foundations (Note: Foundations must have 501(c)(3)
  public charity status. Private foundations are not eligible.)
• Nonprofit organizations:
  • That
    work on-site with public and private education institutions or that
    work with public and private education institutions on a project basis
  • AND have 501(c)(3) public charity status

Characteristics of At-Risk Students
Applicants must document that the students being served are at least a
moderate risk of dropping out of high school unless they receive the
services of the proposed program. In particular, applicants should
provide reliable data that they are serving students who display
characteristics such as:

• Repeating a grade in elementary or middle school or failing to be promoted on time from ninth grade to 10th grade.
• Reading or math test scores that are significantly below grade level.
• Significant attendance problems during a sustained period.
• Failing to pass ninth grade core courses on time in English and/or math (typically Algebra I).
• Behavioral or disciplinary problems (as documented, for example, through referrals from teachers or counselors).

Program Outcomes
The programs should be designed to improve success in high school, as reflected in the following outcomes:

• Increased high school graduation rates
• Increased rates of on-time promotion to the next grade
• Increased credit accumulation and completion of core courses
• Improved grades and test scores
• Reduced behavioral and disciplinary problems

Please review the Request For Proposals and Application document
entitled "AT&T High School Success Application" for additional
guidelines and definitions.

_______________________________________________________________

The Foundation is offering grants to schools to continue or expand
successful programs. The grants could provide $50,000 - 100,000 a year
for four years. The deadline is short – May 19!!

The information is listed above and can also be found at:
http://www.att.com/gen/corporate-citizenship?pid=11520