The California Department of Education (CDE) recently released a Request for Applications (RFA) for Cohort 4 of the California Community School Partnership Program (CCSPP) implementation grants. Applications are due by 11:59 PM on February 7, 2025. As many of you know, the CCSPP grant applications take a good deal of time, thought, and work. We encourage you to think through whether you want to apply, and if so, to take some steps to make the process as efficient – and impactful – as possible.
It’s worth noting that community school development is not about a grant program or a funding stream. It’s about building people’s capacities to work in teams towards a shared vision for their schools, to gather and analyze data and set priorities, to engage in shared decision making and to set up structures for inclusive leadership. It’s about building the relationships it takes to transform schools into places where all students thrive, and belong.
Now, is it easier to start and grow this work with funding? Sure. But do you need separate funding to do this work? No. It’s harder, but still entirely possible to seed, grow and sustain community school development without a dedicated grant.
For some LEAs and sites, a funding opportunity is on the horizon in the form of the CCSPP Implementation Grant Cohort 4 RFA. Before we get into the best approaches to take with this grant application, consider this. The RFA spells out funding requirements and priorities. For example, one of the funding priorities is that applicants have previously received a planning grant. Make sure you (and the sites you’re applying for) meet eligibility requirements and other priorities before you start your application development process.
Once you’ve committed to applying for the grant, ground your work not just in completing the application, but with an eye towards the future. What do you want to do whether you get the grant or not? How will you get there? Read on for our best tips on using the CCSPP implementation grant application to continue to build a strong foundation for CS development, whether you get the grant or not.
First things first, read through the RFA in its entirety–and carefully. Make sure you understand the eligibility requirements, the application components, the parameters for funding, and the instructions for submitting your completed application. Flag any questions you have or clarifications you need. Then start to organize the information. And, do you. Maybe you’re a checklist kind of person, or a pile-of-Post-its person! Whatever works for you, just get organized.
Take a look around – what artifacts do you already have on hand that map to the requirements of the RFA? Have you been working on an asset map and needs assessment already? Do you have different artifacts from your work on the planning grant? See what you have on hand before you make a plan to complete the other requirements.
If you’re working with a team to develop the grant application, make sure everyone’s clear about roles, responsibilities and deadlines. Consider backwards mapping from February 6, 2025, and create an “arc of the application,” timelining out what activities, meetings, conversations, or work blocks you’ll all do when.
And yes, we know the grant is due on February 7th and not the 6th – but do you really want to be loading documents into the system, tying up loose ends, and making sure everything went according to plan on the actual deadline day….? Me neither. Put dates and deadlines on the calendar, make sure you understand your LEA’s internal approval processes, procedures, and timelines–and give yourself time for reviews, revisions and rewrites.
The RFA requires a plan – use this opportunity to put together or expand on a strategic plan, one that will guide how you use the funds and allow you to lay the groundwork for continued CS development between now and when the grants are awarded, and then beyond. Not just for the application, but for your work with, without and beyond the CCSPP grant. Build off the work that you did with your planning grant, and on the other ways you’ve been undertaking CS development. What’s the strategy behind applying for this grant? What’s your vision for your schools? For your community school work? Taking time to think through the “why” of your CCSPP implementation grant application, grounding the different components in a shared vision for your LEA and schools, and being strategic in how you put together the grant components all help set a solid foundation for CS development – whether you get this round of funding or not.
Remember that community school development work is about teams. Don’t land on a strategy or put together plans by yourself. Build a team to support your application development process – involve a range of interest holders and different departments within your LEA. Think through how you’ll include parent, teacher, and student voice in your community school development efforts. Part of your plan should also include who should be at the table now, and throughout your CS development work. Including a wide range of interest holders in both developing your CCSPP grant application and, more importantly, continuing to grow your community school work will strengthen not just the grant components but your overall work for the long run.
Make sure you’re communicating early, clearly and often with the people who need to be involved in putting together your CCSPP implementation grant application. The RFA requires applicants to identify school sites that will participate in the implementation grant. For some of you, this “site selection process” will involve providing site teams with information about the grant opportunity, clear information about expectations of and benefits to participating schools, what will be needed for the grant application, and what CS development will look like longer term.
Ditto for other interest holders – parents, youth, teachers, community partners, school site councils, other municipal agencies. Make sure people who will be asked to lead, participate in and support CS development get information about this work clearly, consistently, early and often.
The California Department of Education is hosting a webinars on CCSPP this November. Learn more and register for their next webinar on Tuesday, November 19th at 2:00pm PST.
Read the RFA in its entirety, and thoroughly.
Put pen to paper and make your plans.
Decide what kind of additional support you might need (from your LEA’s grant writing team? From an external grantwriter?).
Sign up for the CDE’s next CCSPP webinars on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, starting at 2:00 P.M.
Take a deep breath. With a plan in hand, you’ll be able to pull the application components together AND build upon your foundation for CS development so your work will continue and grow, even if you don’t get the grant.
Have questions? CSLX is always happy to help, and we encourage you to contact the California Department of Education.
Melissa Mitchell is a community school practitioner with more than fifteen years in the field. Her experiences range from Community School Coordinator to leading the Federation for Community Schools, a Illinois-wide capacity building and policy organization. Melissa has supported community school development in a variety of ways, from providing coaching and direct technical assistance to schools, districts, practitioners and community partners to working with legislators and policymakers to develop supportive-state level policies that advanced community school development across Illinois.
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