Program:
EXPLORE and PLAN TESTING
- Budget:
-
$22,000
- Category:
-
Education
- Population Served:
-
Other Named Groups
Program Description:
The PLAN and EXPLORE tests are designed to guide and support schools in their efforts to improve studeent's readiness for life after high school. EXPLORE helps eighth-graders plan for their high school coursework and their post–high school choices. EXPLORE includes four multiple-choice tests covering English, mathematics, reading, and science. EXPLORE tests have content similar to the PLAN and the ACT. PLAN serves as the midpoint check of academic progress in high school. It is designed to improve students' preparation for education, training, and work after high school while they still have time to adjust their high school courses. PLAN has content similar to the ACT. These assessments have long been desired by AAPS staff, but unavailable due to funding. 2009-2010 is the second year the Educational Foundation is funding this project.
Program Long-Term Success:
The desired outcomes for this porgram are improved student/parent/counselor preparation and planning for post-high school options for every student.
Program Short-Term Success:
Program Success Monitored by:
Program success will be monitored by guidance counselors improving their contacts with students for purposes of planning.
Program Success Examples:
A great example of program success is the parent of a 10th grader in 2008-2009 who thanked the Educational Foundation for funding the tests. The parent, her daughter, and her daughters counselor at Pioneer High School used test results to map out a summer learning program, practice ACT tests, and course selections that will improve her daughters eligibility for college.
Program:
Elementary Enrichment Coorinators
- Budget:
-
$52,000
- Category:
-
Education
- Population Served:
-
Children Only (5 - 14 years)
Program Description:
The grant for elementary school enrichment coordinators will provide funding to secure the staffing necessary for implementation of enrichment programming across all elementary schools. Enrichment planning and coordination will be characterized by embedded programming vetted by enrichment coordinators and supported by school faculty members. Scheduling of enrichment activities will be balanced across grade levels, developmentally appropriate, and accessible by all students.
Program Long-Term Success:
Program Short-Term Success:
Program Success Monitored by:
Program Success Examples:
Program:
Teacher Grants
- Budget:
-
$30,000
- Category:
-
Education
- Population Served:
-
Children and Youth (infants - 19 years.)
Program Description:
Grants are made to individual/teams of teachers for innovative and creative ideas to supplement classroom teaching. Grants range from $500 - $1,000. Ann Arbor Public Schools staff can apply annually.
Program Long-Term Success:
These grants are intended to inspire students and staff. Long-term success of the program as a whole is assessed by the number of grants that are applied for annually.
Program Short-Term Success:
Program Success Monitored by:
Everyone receiving a Teacher Grant from the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation is required to complete an end of year report assessing goals to outcomes.
Program Success Examples:
Program:
Elementary Wold Language Program
- Budget:
-
$108,400
- Category:
-
Education
- Population Served:
-
Children Only (5 - 14 years)
Program Description:
Funding supports the Ann Arbor Languages Partnership. A collaborative undertaking of the Ann Arbor School District and the Teacher Education Program at the University of Michigan School of Education, the Ann Arbor Languages Partnership (A2LP) promotes language diversity, learning, and achievement in the District’s schools to make new languages a tool and a resource for all students.
Program Long-Term Success:
Program Short-Term Success:
Program Success Monitored by:
Program Success Examples:
Program:
Environmental Science Program Support
- Budget:
-
$35,479
- Category:
-
Education
- Population Served:
-
Children Only (5 - 14 years)
Program Description:
The Ann Arbor Public Schools has a long history of environmental science programs. The philosophy of the AAPS Environmental Education Program is to support and enhance the curriculum with outdoor education experiences stressing knowledge, characteristics, interrelationships and uses of natural resources.
Specifically, AAPSEF funds are for the following
programs: Kensington Metropark (1st
grade, $16,286), Gravel Pit and Life Cycles (2nd grade, $5,464 and
$2,319) and Hydrology and Planetarium (6th grade, $11,410). Total student participation in these programs total nearly 4,000.
Program Long-Term Success:
Program Short-Term Success:
Field trips funded through this grant were developed to be aligned with the curriculum at appropriate grade levels. In the short term, students have hands on experiences in the area of science being studied.
Program Success Monitored by:
Program Success Examples: