Date Received ________
Application Number ________
OREGON STATE LIBRARY
Appendix B
GRANT APPLICATION
LIBRARY SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY ACT
GRANT CYCLE FOR FFY 2005
This form is available for download on our web site at:
http://www.osl.state.or.us/home/libdev/lsta.htm. Use 12 point Times New Roman, with one inch
margins.
Part I: General Project Information
1.
Project title: “Planning for a Statewide Early Literacy Initiative”
2.
Applicant: Multnomah County Library
5.
6.
Address: 205 NE Russell, Portland, OR 97212
Contact person: Ellen Fader Phone: 503-988-5408
Email: ellenf@multcolib.org
U.S. Congressional Districts: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th
List geographic target area to be served by the project: Entire State of Oregon
7.
Estimated number of persons benefiting from the project: 223,005
8.
Description of persons benefiting from the project: Ultimately, Oregon’s 223,005
persons under five years of age, their parents, and caregivers.
9.
Participating libraries and other partners (if any): Fifteen Project Advisors, early
literacy stakeholders, and staff from Oregon’s 296 public library outlets.
10.
Project abstract (please be brief):
3.
4.
A. Need: Oregon’s public libraries have the ability to greatly impact the early reading
experiences of preschool children by reaching thousands of parents, caregivers, and children.
However, a lack of statewide coordinated efforts, hesitancy by public librarians to take a
leadership role as promoters of early literacy skills, staff inexperience regarding how best to train
parents and caregivers in these skills, unstable funding, and a widespread uncertainty about how
to locally use the many evidence-based approaches, hampers consistent improvement in positive
reading outcomes for Oregon’s children.
B. Goal: To develop a coordinated statewide early literacy initiative plan featuring public
libraries as the leaders in the implementation of the best evidence-based practices.
C. Objectives and activities to meet the objectives: (1) Invite 15 public librarians and
other early literacy stakeholders from key agencies to serve as Project Advisors; (2) Contract
with an experienced Project Consultant with expertise in both public libraries and in early
literacy research; (3) Hold five to ten meetings in each of Oregon’s regions in order to establish
which best practices are currently used, facilitate the development of the plan, solicit broad-based
input on possible implementation strategies, and to disseminate project information; and (4)
Release the draft plan, making it widely available for comments and feedback.
2
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
Abstract Continued
D. Indicate the most relevant goal and high-level outcome from the Oregon Library
Services and Technology Act Five-Year State Plan 2003-2008 that will be addressed.
LSTA Goal 4, high-level outcome 4, “Oregon citizens experience improved library service
through sustainable, cooperative partnerships between libraries and other agencies,” and LSTA
Goal 6, high-level outcome 6, “All Oregonians have access to excellent tax-supported library
service regardless of age, location, or economic status.”
11. Describe how the LSTA project will continue especially noting local support:
The purpose of this grant is to fund a planning project to do the work necessary in order to create
a realistic plan of action for the solution of our stated problem. This planning grant will put
together a statewide plan for success, with the end point of this planning project the starting point
for implementing an early literacy action plan. Once our stated goal is accomplished, there is no
need to continue this LSTA planning project.
12. List letters of support for the project (name, affiliation) that are attached to this application:
Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library Services; Judith E. Harold,
Springfield Public Library; Ken Reading, Umatilla County Special Library District; Claudia
Jones, Eastern Oregon Early Literacy & Learning League
PLEASE FILL IN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANTICIPATED LENGTH OF YOUR
GRANT PROJECT:
(Check applicable boxes)
THIS IS THE
1st YEAR
2nd YEAR
3rd YEAR
OF A
ONE YEAR GRANT PROJECT.
TWO YEAR
THREE YEAR
For projects that are multi-year be sure to include an estimate of the funds anticipated to be needed for the future
years in the budget discussion.
OF THE APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY THIS AGENCY, THIS ONE HAS A PRIORITY OF: n/a.
Part II: Project Budget
Proposed project budget (use this format only):
(Double click on the table below to enter data.)
Item
Personnel
Fringe Benefits
Travel
Equipment
Supplies
Contractual
Library Materials
Total Direct Charges
Indirect Charges
Total Budget
Local Cash Local In-kind
$0
$31,680
$0
$8,554
$12,848
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$12,848
$40,234
$0
$0
$12,848
$40,234
Proposed second year LSTA amount: n/a
LSTA
$0
$0
$5,562
$0
$4,500
$68,000
$0
$78,062
$1,717
$79,779
Proposed third year LSTA amount: n/a
Total
$31,680
$8,554
$18,410
$0
$4,500
$68,000
$0
$131,144
$1,717
$132,861
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
3
Part III: Project Narrative (Attach additional pages. See the criteria for grant proposal
evaluation in the Grant Guidelines as well as the Grant Application Instructions for more
information on this section.)
A. Background of Applicant (describe the agency's ability to undertake this project)
As reported in the FY02-03 Oregon Public Library Statistics (updated 6/30/04), Multnomah
County Library serves a population of 670,250 people, 468,661 of whom are registered library
borrowers. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 6.4% of the county’s population is under 5 years
of age. Multnomah County Library presently offers many programs and services designed to
address the early childhood years of 0-8— the most important period for literacy development.
Multnomah County Library’s Early Childhood Resources is a unique combination of outreach
programs and specialized library materials serving children pre-birth to kindergarten, their
families and caregivers. The goal of all of the Early Childhood Resources outreach programs is
to support parents and caregivers in the process of building the experiential and linguistic
foundations necessary for future reading and academic success. Early childhood specialists and
librarians coordinate programs, with staff working closely with the early childhood community to
promote library services and to act as a liaison between both entities.
Since January 2000, Early Childhood Resources has partnered with Portland State University
in the Early Words Language and Literacy Initiative, initially funded by a grant from the
Commission on Children, Families & Community. Early Words (www.earlywords.net) provides
training and mentoring to childcare providers and parents to improve children’s emergent literacy
development. In recognition of Multnomah County Library's on-going efforts, School Library
Journal selected the Early Words program to receive its third annual Giant Step Award, an honor
given to the public or school library that has most improved its youth services. This award also
came with a $10,000 prize from the Gale Group, cosponsor of the award.
To increase available resources for its early childhood programs, Multnomah County Library
continues to develop new partnerships. For example, Connecting for Kids is a partnership
between the library, Leaders Roundtable, and the Multnomah Commission on Children, Families
& Community, designed to improve the educational success of the children of Multnomah
County. The library is also one of twenty demonstration sites selected to test and train others in
the use of materials developed in Every Child Ready to Read @ your Library®, a joint project of
the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children, divisions of
the American Library Association (www.pla.org/earlyliteracy.htm).
Ellen Fader, Coordinator of Youth Services, serves on the Task Force for Every Child Ready
to Read @ your Library® and Renea Arnold, Coordinator of Early Childhood Resources, has
developed many of its key training modules. Renea Arnold and Nell Colburn, Early Childhood
Librarian, regularly contribute to School Library Journal. Library staff also advises The Oregon
Community Foundation on its Oregon! Ready to Learn education initiative, which specifically
targets gaps in readiness throughout the state by encouraging programs with elements of early
literacy and language development. Thanks to these collaborative efforts and other grants,
including the recent two-year LSTA grant supporting Child C.A.R.E. (Create A Reader Early),
Multnomah County Library is well-qualified to take the lead on this proposed statewide early
literacy planning effort with Oregon’s public libraries.
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
4
B. Detailed statement of need
According to the 1991 Carnegie Foundation report, Ready to Learn, A Mandate for the
Nation:
•
35% of children in the United States enter public schools with such low levels of the
skills and motivation that are needed as starting points in our current educational system
that they are at substantial risk for early academic difficulties.
•
This problem, which is usually placed under the rubric of school readiness, is strongly
linked to family income. The National Assessment of Educational Progress has
documented substantial differences in the reading and writing ability of children as a
function of the economic level of their parents. For example, among African-American
and Hispanic students in the U.S. (two groups who experience disproportionate rates of
poverty) the percentages of Grade 4 students reading below the basic level are 64% and
60%, respectively (National Center for Educational Statistics).
•
The relationship between the skills with which children enter school and their later
academic performance is strikingly stable. For instance, research has shown that there is
nearly a 90% probability that a child will remain a poor reader at the end of the fourth
grade if the child is a poor reader at the end of the first grade. Further, knowledge of
alphabet letters at entry into kindergarten is a strong predictor of reading ability in 10th
grade.
•
There is tragedy in these facts because children's lives depend on success in school.
Children who start school behind typically stay behind. Their lives are at risk.
According to data collected by the National Household Education Surveys Program, which
examined the frequency at which parents reported engaging in various literacy-building activities
with children ages 3-5 who were not yet enrolled in kindergarten, the percentage of children who
engaged in certain literacy activities also varied by the child’s race/ethnicity:
•
White children were more likely than Black or Hispanic children to be read to or told a
story frequently. They were also more likely than Hispanic children to be taught letters,
words, or numbers.
These findings should be of special concern to Oregonians. The U.S. Census reports that from
1990 to 2000 the total number of Hispanics in Oregon grew 144%, making Hispanics the largest
minority group in Oregon, a rate of increase in the foreign born population that is the 16th highest
in the country. Furthermore, 12.4% of Oregonians live below the poverty level.
The period of early childhood development is unique—physically, emotionally, mentally, and
socially. The human brain achieves approximately 85% of its adult size by age 2 ½ years, and
90% of total growth by age 3. This period of growth corresponds to a young child’s attainment of
important developmental milestones, including emotional regulation and attachment, language
development, and motor skills. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have found that shortterm visual memory—a key element in brain development—expands significantly in the second
half of the first year of life. What’s more, by the time they reach their first birthdays, babies have
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
5
as much short-term visual memory as that of an adult. Short-term visual memory is crucial for
infants trying to learn about the world around them. Babies must be able to remember an object
they have seen before but are not looking at – a skill that helps them start comparing objects to
learn what makes them similar and different.
Early literacy theory emphasizes a natural unfolding of skills through the enjoyment of books,
the importance of positive interactions between young children and adults, and the critical role of
literacy-rich experiences. By focusing on the importance of the first years of life, we give new
meaning to the interactions young children have with books and stories. Looking at early literacy
development as a dynamic developmental process, we can see the connection (and meaning)
between an infant mouthing a book, the book handling behavior of a two-year-old, and the page
turning of a five-year-old. We can see that the first three years of exploring and playing with
books, singing nursery rhymes, listening to stories, recognizing words, and scribbling are truly
the building blocks for language and literacy development.
Children whose parents read to them become better readers and perform better in school.
Other family activities, such as telling stories and singing songs also encourage children’s
acquisition of literacy skills. Children’s early experiences with books are among the most
significant indicators for their success in learning to read in school, and supportive efforts that
begin very early in life are the most successful. Results from Every Child Ready to Read suggest
that before attending parent training sessions, many parents of 0-23 month olds were the least
likely to share books and use the library, but after attending the sessions, they dramatically
increased their frequency of use.
In Oregon, the most recent Children First for Oregon Report Card assigns a C+ to the
category of early care and education, despite this ongoing research that confirms the importance
of print rich environments, early literacy activities, and early exposure to reading. Yet, Oregon is
home to several proven programs that help families and child care providers meet the challenges
of the early years, such as Benton County’s Early Outreach, Clackamas County’s First Teacher,
Deschutes County’s Ready Set Go, Jackson County’s Champion for Literacy, Marion County’s
Salem-Keizer Early Literacy Project, Lane County’s Success By Six, Coos County’s CARE
Connections, and Douglas County’s First By Five. However, although many of these programs
reflect collaborations among child care centers, child care providers, parents, teachers,
community service organizations, and universities, few list public librarians among their
partners.
What will it take to provide better early education and care for Oregon’s children between the
ages of 0-3? It will take the development of an action plan that proposes strategies to coordinate
and implement a statewide early literacy effort by Oregon’s public libraries.
“The potential power behind a workable, statewide, public library led plan for ramping up
early literacy programming in every Oregon community is enormously valuable for public
library support in the 21st century in rural Oregon. Our regional experience coupled with the
credible experience and research of others indicates that investments in best practice based early
childhood development programs yield returns far exceeding most private or public investments.
This is a big breakthrough for struggling, rural public libraries because we’ll have solid
ammunition to show our communities that early literacy development led by public libraries is
really a community economic development solution resulting in better working public schools,
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
6
more educated workers and less crime.” – Ken Reading, Umatilla County Special Library
District
“Springfield Public Library’s work with child care providers, teen parents and Head Start
continually reminds us that there is a great need for early literacy specialists to find more
efficient, effective ways to train and educate more parents, teachers, caregivers and children.
Until we reach more, there will continue to be: no books at all at some child care sites, teen
parent classes that never address early literacy, children who are not read to weekly, let alone
daily, no interactive literature discussions, etc, etc. I think the proposed initiative is critical to
Oregon communities.” – Judith E. Harold, Springfield Public Library
“In 1998 the Washington County Commission on Children and Families carried out a
Benchmark Study on children entering kindergarten. One statistic that was shocking yet
mobilizing for the Youth Librarians in Washington County was this: Over 50% of children
studied were not familiar enough with reading to know what to do with a book when handed one.
Since then, we have been working towards creating a county where books are in the forefront of
early childhood. This statewide initiative can only enhance our efforts, and will certainly help
other counties get on board.”- Angela J. Reynolds, Washington County Cooperative Library
Services
Oregon’s public libraries have the ability to greatly impact the early reading experiences of
preschool children by reaching thousands of parents, caregivers, and children. Oregon’s public
libraries can offer opportunities for families and child care providers to learn best practices in
readiness techniques for infants and toddlers. Oregon’s public librarians can help their local
communities identify gaps in early literacy readiness and determine the most effective ways to
address them. Oregon’s public librarians can help increase access to exemplary “ready to learn”
programs. Oregon’s public libraries have the research, strategies, organizational skills, and
creativity that are highly valued by community partners. Oregon’s public librarians can provide
continuing education for caregivers who need licensing or re-licensing. Oregon’s public
librarians can offer programs to parents that reaffirm messages delivered by caregivers, develop
booklists, plan opportunities to learn about and visit the library, explicitly model early literacy
behaviors, and provide easy strategies for parents to use at home. Oregon’s libraries big and
small have a key role to play in their communities, disseminating early literacy information to
parents, child care providers, early childhood educators, children’s advocates, and political
decision makers. However, a lack of statewide coordinated efforts, hesitancy by public librarians
to take a leadership role as promoters of early literacy skills, staff inexperience regarding how
best to train parents and caregivers in these skills, unstable funding, and a widespread uncertainty
about how to locally use the many evidence-based approaches, hampers consistent improvement
in positive reading outcomes for Oregon’s children.
C. Goal, objectives, and activities (include timeline)
The goal of this proposed grant project, “Planning for a Statewide Early Literacy Initiative” is
to develop a coordinated statewide early literacy initiative plan featuring public libraries as the
leaders in the implementation of the best evidence-based practices. Others will be invited to help
answer the question of how best to work together to ensure that public libraries can lead early
literacy efforts. A draft plan will be released during this project’s final quarter for public
comments. This plan will propose implementation strategies to launch a successful Oregon early
literacy initiative, including measurable objectives that define a realistic “plan of work,” budget
details, and a plan for evaluation.
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
7
Five objectives will accomplish this goal:
(1) By January 2005, invite 15 public librarians and other early literacy stakeholders
from key agencies to serve as Project Advisors
(2) By February 2005, contract with an experienced Project Consultant to execute all of
this project’s activities
(3) From March-August 2005, hold five to ten meetings in each of Oregon’s regions to
facilitate the development of the plan, solicit broad-based input, and to disseminate
project information
(4) By September 2005, release the draft plan, making it widely available in print and via
the Web, and establish a public comment process
(5) By December 2005, widely disseminate a revised Final Plan with implementation
strategies for launching a successful Oregon early literacy initiative
Project Timeline & Activities:
Month 1: Upon award notification, the 15 pre-selected Project Advisors confirm their intent to
serve and develop a preliminary meeting calendar. Project Advisors issue a Request for Proposal
(see attached) and select the Project Consultant.
Month 2: Project Advisors meet with the selected Project Consultant and adopt a final meeting
schedule, confirm project objectives, and assign project roles & responsibilities. The Project
Consultant conducts an environmental scan of pertinent demographic, programmatic, and other
trends that have a bearing on early literacy initiatives in public libraries. Invitations are issued for
the first of several regional meetings scheduled.
Month 3: The Project Consultant schedules phone interviews with selected public libraries
offering exemplary early literacy programs to obtain information and opinions. An online “best
practices” survey is created. A statewide assessment or inventory of early literacy programs in
Oregon’s public libraries is compiled. Data is collected and analyzed. The first of several
regional meetings is held.
Months 4-8: Project Advisors meet a second time with the Project Consultant. Invitations are
issued and the rest of the scheduled regional meetings/forums are held. LSTA program and fiscal
reports are prepared and submitted quarterly.
Month 9: A draft plan is created proposing implementation strategies for launching a successful
Oregon early literacy initiative, including measurable objectives that define a realistic “plan of
work,” budget details, and a plan for evaluation. This draft plan reflects the work done during the
facilitated regional meetings, as well as the scanning, assessment, and data collection handled by
the Project Consultant. A logic model is prepared to assist with the planning and evaluation
process, reflecting the available resources, activities, outcomes, and desired impacts shared by
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
8
the regional meeting attendees. These documents are posted online and widely disseminated for
feedback from the library community.
Month 10-11: An article or workshop presentation is written/developed for a future statewide
conference. Comments are received on the posted reports. A third meeting is held between
Project Advisors and the Project Consultant to review comments and feedback from the library
community. Grant seeking research is conducted to uncover the most likely grant prospects for
funding a future implementation phase. A matrix of likely funders is shared. The LSTA Peer
Evaluation is conducted.
Month 12: The Final Plan is released. Final LSTA reports are prepared and submitted.
Our Post-grant vision: Oregon’s public librarians begin to take more responsibility for
sharing important information about early literacy research with parents and child care providers.
Oregon’s public librarians begin to recognize the important role they play and become passionate
about this role. Oregon’s public librarians begin to do more outreach to find out what their local
community needs, and translate the latest early literacy research and best practices into their daily
service. Oregon’s public librarians receive the recognition they deserve as a key community
partner and as a resource that their community cannot do without. Consistent public messages
reinforce their leadership role, as more experienced librarians respectfully mentor and coach
others that are newer to practices that nurture early literacy. Future funding to implement certain
strategies identified during this planning grant will be sought from government, corporate, and
private sources, including an LSTA proposal in April 2006. This coordinated action plan is
eventually implemented statewide, fostering an atmosphere that supports camaraderie among
librarians.
Project Staffing:
MaryKay Dahlgreen, Youth Services Consultant at the Oregon State Library, has agreed to
serve as Lead Project Advisor & Oregon State Library Staff Liaison. Ms. Dahlgreen provides
consulting assistance to public libraries in Oregon, overseeing programs and activities that
include: Ready to Read, Letters about Literature, Mother Goose Asks Why, Family Poetry
Project, and the Focus on Children and Young Adults Institute. Ms. Dahlgreen also serves as
State Library liaison to Oregon’s Child: Everyone’s Business, a statewide collaboration of public
and private partners working to increase awareness about the importance of healthy brain
development during the early years of life. Ms. Dahlgreen will contribute an estimated 16 hours
per month in 2005 to consult on our proposed project. As Lead Project Advisor, Ms. Dahlgreen
will participate in all of the activities described for the other Project Advisors below. In addition,
she will advise the selected Project Consultant in executing all of this project’s objectives, and
with the dissemination of information to other early literacy stakeholders. Ms. Dahlgreen’s
substantial in-kind contribution of time, estimated at 192 hours, is not reflected in the project
budget.
In July 2004 fifteen Project Advisors were invited to serve, contributing a time commitment
of approximately 80 hours in 2005. (Please see attached list of those invited to serve, their
resumes, and letters of support.) These Project Advisors will play a number of important roles to
ensure the success of this statewide planning effort. Project Advisors will:
•
Help issue the RFP to select the Project Consultant in January 2005
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
9
Attend project meetings with the Project Consultant
Adopt a final meeting schedule
Confirm project objectives
Assign project roles & responsibilities
Participate in at least one of five to ten public meetings held throughout Oregon from
March – August 2005
Help identify the names of those who should be invited to these regional meetings,
including public librarians, child care providers, educators, and representatives from
early literacy programs, and United Way agencies
Help facilitate regional discussions
Help with local arrangements
Supply information to the Project Consultant and comment on the draft plan
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Although the role of Project Advisor is not compensated, LSTA grant funds will be used for a
mileage reimbursement pool to defray the cost of their project travel, their meals at all work
sessions, and project-related long distance charges. These Project Advisors serve with the
permission of their organization; however, their organizations are not defined as an “official
grant designated participating partner,” but rather represent a more informal coalition of early
literacy stakeholders. For this reason, LSTA partnership forms are not attached.
Project Advisors will establish regular communications about this project with agencies, such
as the Oregon Commission on Children & Families, Oregon Health Division of the Department
of Human Resources, Oregon Department of Education, Oregon State Library, Oregon Child
Care Resource & Referral Network, Oregon Center for Career Development in Childhood Care
& Education, Oregon Child Care Division of the Employment Department, Early Childhood Care
& Education Council of Multnomah County, and the Oregon Commission for Child Care.
The Project Consultant will be an independent contractor selected through a competitive
Request for Proposals (RFP) process. A draft RFP is attached, which describes the proposed
timeline, scope of work, deliverables, desired qualifications, and proposal submission details. It
is expected that the selected Project Consultant, whose contract will be paid with LSTA grant
funds, will have the following relevant education and experience:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Masters in one of the following or related fields: Business, Education, Child/Human
Development, or Library Science (required)
At least 7 year(s) of relevant experience (required)
Work that demonstrates an understanding of early literacy development (required)
Experience working on statewide planning projects (required)
Excellent communication and facilitation skills (required)
Familiarity with outcome-based evaluation and logic models (required)
Project management skills (required)
Experience in working with people from diverse cultures (preferred)
Experience working with public libraries (preferred)
Grant seeking experience (preferred)
Experience working with LSTA grant projects (preferred)
This project’s regional meetings will encourage attendees to ask and answer such relevant
questions as “What does the early literacy research tell us to do to prepare young children for
10
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
reading?” and "How do we align our services to incorporate these best practices? These
regional meetings will provide Oregon’s librarians and early literacy stakeholders with:
•
An opportunity to share, promote, and demonstrate some of early literacy’s researchbased practices
•
A chance to discuss how to boost Oregon’s participation in programs, such as Every
Child Ready to Read @ your Library®
•
A chance to share, discuss, and tackle the challenges public librarians are facing in their
efforts to become principal partners in the building of their community’s foundation for
early learning
•
An opportunity to contribute ideas to a statewide action plan for early literacy success
•
An exchange of information, leading to future dissemination of early literacy’s best
practices, the establishment of informal mentoring and coaching networks, and invitations
to participate in formal training sessions
Final
Plan
Public librarians
Early Literacy Stakeholders
Project Advisors & Lead Project Advisor
Project Consultant’s work
Project Organization Chart
11
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
D. Budget narrative
Project Budget Details:
a. Personnel
Local In-kind
(1) Lead Project Advisor, MaryKay Dahlgreen
Estimated contribution of 16 hours x 12 months is not included in this budget
$0
(15) Project Advisors
Estimate based on $22/hr x 8 hours per month x 10 months
$31,680
LSTA
$0
b. Fringe Benefits (used an average of 27%)
Local In-kind
$8,554
LSTA
$0
c. Travel
Local Cash
Project Advisors’ share of mileage reimbursement
Estimated at 10,832 miles at .376 cents/mi
$4,073
Meals
Project Advisors’ share estimates $50 per diem for 10 meetings x 15 people
$7,500
Hotels
Project Advisors’ share estimates one night each for 15 people at $85/night
$1,275
LSTA
Shared Mileage Pool
Estimated at 10,803 miles at .376 cents/mi
$4,062
Meals
Working lunches @$10/per person = $10 x 15 people x 10 meetings
$1,500
d. Equipment
$0
e. Supplies
Local
$0
12
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
LSTA
Long Distance Phone Charges
Estimated at $10 per month x 10 months x 15 people
$1,500
Printed Reports
Estimated at 200 / $15.00 each
$3,000
f. Contractual Services
Local
$0
LSTA
Project Consultant
Estimate at $85 x 800 hours
$68,000
g. Library Materials
$0
h. Total Direct Charges
Local Cash & In-kind
$53,082
LSTA
$78,062
i. Indirect Costs
Local
$0
LSTA
Multnomah County’s indirect charge for 2005 is 2.2%. (Please see attached)
$1,717
j. Total Budget
Local
$53,082
LSTA
$79,779
$132,861
A few words about continuation:
The purpose of this grant is to fund a planning project to do the work necessary in order to
create a realistic plan of action for the solution to our stated problem. This planning grant will put
together a statewide plan for success, with the end point of this planning project serving as the
starting point for beginning to implement an early literacy action plan for all communities in
Oregon. Once our stated goal is accomplished, there is no need to continue funding this LSTA
planning project.
Although this planning project does not require continuation funds, the selected Project
Consultant will be asked to provide a matrix of good grant prospects to potentially fund the
future implementation of the recommended strategies that arise from this planning process.
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
13
E. Evaluation method
The consultant selected for this project will be responsible for designing the evaluation
method used. The selected candidate will have experience in the field of outcome-based
evaluation, and will be familiar with the design and use of a logic model for evaluation.
A logic model is a systematic and visual way to present and share an understanding of the
relationships among the resources available to operate a project, the activities planned, and the
anticipated changes or results. The consultant will help us correlate our planned work (resources,
inputs, and activities) with our intended results (outcomes and impact). Planning goals,
objectives, and key audiences will also be identified. This logic model will help us assess
whether what we are doing is what we had planned to do to achieve our desired results. Using a
logic model in project planning will help us more clearly describe the issues we are trying to
address, specify the assets each public library may have, identify our desired results or vision of
the future by describing what we expect to achieve if our plan is implemented, list the influential
factors that will affect our efforts, list general, successful strategies or “best practices” that our
planning and research has identified, and state the assumptions (e.g. principles, beliefs, and
ideas) behind the how and why these identified change strategies will work in Oregon’s public
libraries.
One of our core values throughout this planning project is to involve as many participants in
our activities as possible. We will be able to determine the quality of this inclusive process by
looking at both the numbers (such as the numbers of librarians attending our regional meetings),
as well as the quality of their experience and the quality of our final action plan. Indicators of
quality may include our ability to accommodate attendees’ needs for specific meeting schedules,
their feedback to our requests for input, and their reaction to the research information shared at
these gatherings. Context questions (evaluating relationships and capacity), implementation
questions (assessing quality and quantity), and outcome questions (measuring effectiveness,
magnitude, and satisfaction) will serve as the building blocks for our evaluative process. Our
expected outcomes include:
•
•
•
•
Increased community awareness of the importance of early literacy
Increased community awareness of the important role played by public libraries
Increased understanding about the challenges facing local libraries
Increased ability to implement new early literacy programs in public libraries.
Public library and community agency staff comments will be collected at each regional
meeting, by email, through surveys, and via the Web. Modified tools for evaluation, like the
library output data forms and interview guides used for staff evaluation in Every Child Ready to
Read will also be used in this project.
This planning project holds significance for statewide library development, as well as for
national literacy initiatives. The U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), in collaboration with other federal agencies, has begun to follow a national
sample of children born in the year 2000 from birth through first grade. This survey has already
begun to provide important information in an early childhood longitudinal study (www.nces.gov)
designed to include two overlapping cohorts: a Birth Cohort and a Kindergarten Cohort. Some
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
14
questions about public library use by these children and their families are included, which will
provide invaluable data to the public library profession in three or four years.
Once the proposed planning project is completed, the Final Plan will feature its own
evaluation component. This evaluation portion is likely to:
•
•
•
•
•
Determine the increased number of programs involved/children benefiting at public
libraries
Evaluate the improved confidence of library staff in sharing early literacy information
with parents and caregivers
Assess how well information gained from those involved in this statewide initiative was
shared
Evaluate the effectiveness of techniques used
Propose some measurements regarding how easily public librarians were able to
implement best practices
Expected outcomes once the Final Plan is implemented include: an increased number of those
trained; more programs involved and/or children benefiting; demonstrated improvement in a
library’s ability to effectively serve children; increased levels of school readiness for infants and
toddlers in care situations; and increased confidence and levels of knowledge/use of early
childhood language and literacy development skills exhibited by parents, caregivers, and child
care providers.
More children will be helped to enter kindergarten, as we strive to reach the 2010 target of
80% for the Oregon Ready To Learn Benchmark #18. This project also addresses LSTA Goal
4, high-level outcome 4, “Oregon citizens experience improved library service through
sustainable, cooperative partnerships between libraries and other agencies,” and LSTA Goal 6,
high-level outcome 6, “All Oregonians have access to excellent tax-supported library service
regardless of age, location, or economic status.” Relevant intermediate outcomes and targets
affected by this planning project include:
•
•
Percentage of 3-8 year old Oregonians in households below the poverty level using the
public library in the past year (FY 2008 Target = 80%)
Percentage of adult Oregonians in households below the poverty level using the public
library in the past year (FY 2008 Target = 60%)
The evaluative data collected will one day offer an Oregon comparison to the national early
childhood longitudinal study. It may also provide comparative data of interest to the Public
Library Association and Association for Library Service Every Child Ready to Read @ your
Library®, and to the Child Welfare Partnership at Portland State University, which has been
selected to conduct a five-year project-wide evaluation of Oregon! Read to Learn. Our project
also considers how best to implement many of the recommendations being proposed by
numerous state and federal agencies, foundations and associations, such as: National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development, National Center for Family Literacy, Center for
Improvement of Early Reading Achievement, American Library Association, Association for
Library Services to Children, National Research Council, I Am Your Child Foundation, Oregon
Children’s Foundation, First Book, Oregon Library Association, Oregon Health Division, Oregon
State Library, Oregon Department of Education, and the State Office for Services to Children and
Families.
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
15
How this project will be publicized:
A number of ways will be used to publicize this planning project; it is vitally important that
we have broad participation by as many public librarians as possible. Invitations, online surveys,
and written reports will be posted on the Web and announced on electronic mailing lists,
including libs-or, kids-lib, and brainiacs (for early literacy specialists). Notes from regional
meetings will be shared. Results from this planning process will be promoted to the Oregon State
Library, as well as to the broader state and national library community through: written reports,
public presentations at future conferences, and with published findings in appropriate print and
electronic media, such as School Library Journal and the OLA Quarterly. The findings, logic
model, and best practices uncovered during this planning process will be publicized and
disseminated to other librarians, elected county commissioners, Board members and key
community leaders at regional meetings and project debriefings, as well as during informal
networking with Project Advisors and stakeholders. The Final Plan from this project will be
shared with other librarians, and easily replicated early literacy programs, templates,
methodologies, training modules, and/or strategies will be offered.
16
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
Part IV: Certification of Application
1. Documentation of project participation (signatures below for each library listed under
Part I, number 9 above):
I HAVE READ THE PROPOSAL PRESENTED ON THE PRECEDING PAGES. I AM
AWARE OF THE OBLIGATIONS THAT PARTICIPATION IN THE PROPOSED
PROJECT WOULD ENTAIL. BY MY SIGNATURE I CERTIFY MY LIBRARY'S
COMMITMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROPOSED PROJECT AS DESCRIBED IN
THE PRECEDING PAGES.
Name
Library/Agency
Date
17
Appendix B, Grant Application Form
2. Certification of the fiscal agent
Fiscal Agent (if different from applicant):
Name and address: ____________________________________________________
Contact person: _________________________________ Phone: _______________
Email: ________________________________
a. I affirm that the jurisdiction or agency (henceforth, AGENCY) is the designated fiscal
agent for the project described in this application and is empowered to receive and
expend funds for the conduct of the proposed grant project.
b. I affirm that the information contained in this application is true and correct and that
the AGENCY for which I am an official has authorized me to submit this application
for LSTA grant funds.
c. I affirm that if this application were to result in the AGENCY being awarded grant
funds to carry out the project described in this application, that the AGENCY would
comply with all of the requirements for the administration of LSTA grants described
in Appendix D of the General Information and Grant Application Guidelines, Library
Services and Technology Act.
________________________________________________
Name of official authorized to enter into contractual agreements for the AGENCY
________________________________________________
Title
_________________________________________________________
Signature
Date
This form must be received at the State Library no later than 5:00 p.m. on
Friday, August 13, 2004.
Faxed copies will not be accepted. There are no exceptions. Please attach CIPA certification if
necessary (Appendix B1) and mail or deliver one copy of your application to:
Library Development Services
Oregon State Library
250 Winter St., NE
Salem, OR 97301-3950
