Funding Sources

A Wide Range of Federal Funding Options

All educators—teachers, staff, and administrators—are challenged to keep up with the new demands of educating students to succeed in a connected, technology-driven world. For this reason, funding for CyberSmart! Online Professional Development may be obtained from a wide variety of sources. Consider your job title, or those of your staff, and how this product can support the goals associated with each. For example,

a classroom teacher or a librarian might concentrate on information literacy and problem-solving methods in support of a particular subject or cognitive ability;
a school psychologist may choose to look at the issue of cyber bullying; and
a special education teacher may focus on the application of assistive technologies.
an administrator might concentrate on topics concerning successful school-wide technology integration, school safety, or liability issues.

NCLB Funding

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) outlines the requirements and funding levels for Pre K–12 education programs that are administered by the United States Department of Education. Under NCLB, funding is available through Federal Entitlement programs and Competitive Grant Programs. The Office of Special Education administers formula and discretionary grants under the IDEA Act of 2004.

Consider the following sources of federal money to be eligible for funding Be CyberSmart! Online Professional Development:

Federal Entitlement Grants

Federal Entitlement programs, or Formula Funds, are non-competitive funds allocated on the basis of student enrollment. The U.S. Department of Education distributes these funds to State Education Agencies (SEA) that, in turn, distribute the funds to Local Education Agencies (LEA) or school districts. Local school districts must allocate the funds to qualifying school campuses based upon student enrollment.

Title I
Title I provides flexible funding that may be used to provide additional instructional staff, professional development, extended-time programs, and other strategies for raising student achievement in high-poverty schools.
- Part A
  Title I, Part A, is intended to help ensure that all children have the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards and assessments. Part A-SES is intended to provide after-school tutoring for economically disadvantaged students who attend schools in their third consecutive year of not making Adequate Yearly Progress. Districts must set aside between 5-15% of Title I funds for SES.
- Part C
  Title I, Part C is intended to support high-quality and comprehensive programs for migrant children to help reduce the educational disruptions and other problems that result from repeated moves.
Title II
- Part A — Teacher & Principal Training
  Title II, Part A is intended to raise the academic achievement of all students by helping schools and school districts improve teacher and principal quality and ensure that all teachers are highly qualified.
- Part D — Enhancing Education Through Technology
  The goal of the Educational Technology State Formula Grants Program is to support improved student academic achievement through the use of technology in schools and to support high-quality professional development focused on integrating curriculum and technology to improve instruction.
Title V, Part A — Innovative Programs
The Innovative Programs support state and local efforts to implement promising education reform programs, provide a continuing source of innovation and educational improvement, help meet the educational needs of at-risk and high-need students, and support programs to improve school, student, and teacher performance.

Competitive Grant Programs

Enhancing Education Through Technology
The principal goal of the Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech) Grants Program is to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in elementary and secondary schools.
21st Century Community Learning Centers
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program provides services, during non-school hours or periods, to students and their families for academic enrichment, including tutorial and other services to help students, particularly those who attend low-performing schools, to meet state and local student academic achievement standards.
Comprehensive School Reform
The Comprehensive School Reform program supports comprehensive school-wide programs that are based on reliable research and effective practices in order to improve academic achievement.