You are on page 1of 12

1

Application Guidelines
for Grant Proposals


Deadlines:
Quarterly grant requests over $1,000: January 2, April 1, July 1, October 1
Monthly Small grant requests (requests $1,000 or less): Last Friday of every month

Grant Requirements:
Proposals must fulfill the mission of the Barberton Community Foundation:
To improve, nowand forever, the quality of life for Barberton residents
Proposals must exclusively benefit the citizens of Barberton, the City of Barberton or the Barberton City Schools.
Proposals should demonstrate both a measurable need and impact on the community
Any proposal for the benefit of Barberton City Schools and its students, must first be submitted to the Superintendent
for review and approval by the Barberton City School District Board. Only after the proposal is approved by the School
Board, will it be reviewed by the Barberton Community Foundation
All proposals must include one copy of full board minutes noting the organizations governing body has approved
submission of the application

Grant Eligibility:
Applying organization must be a qualified organization, which means an organization described in Section 501(c)(3)
and Sections 509(a)(1) or (2) of the Internal Revenue Code OR is a government unit described in Section 170(c)(1) and
170(b)(1)(A)(v) of the Code
The organization must have been in existence for a minimumof two years prior to application. The organization need
not have been a qualified organization for two years

Grants are not given to:
Projects that do not exclusively benefit the citizens of Barberton
Individuals
Fund on-going operating expenses
Fund debt-reductions, deficits or previous obligations
Fund annual fund raising drives or fund raising activities
Fund political projects, sabbatical leaves or scholarly research
Fund venture capital for competitive profit-making activities
Religious organizations for religious purposes
Endowments housed at institutions other than the Barberton Community Foundation

Proposal Checklist:
1. For Quarterly Grant : Submit a total of 12 copies of cover sheet and narrative pages, and, if applicable,
organization history page
For Small Grant: Submit a total of 6 copies of the cover sheet and narrative pages, and, if applicable, organization
history page
2. Submit 1 copy each of Board minutes approving the proposal, organizational chart, current year budget for the
organization and board of directors list
3. Submit 1 copy of the most current audited financial statement or 990
4. For new applicants or those who have not submitted in over five years, please supply Organizational Background
information and include a copy of the IRS Determination Letter

2

Quarterly / Small Grant Application
Cover Sheet

Name of Organization: Barberton Middle School
Full Mailing Address: 477 Fourth St. Northwest, Barberton, OH 44203
Program Contact and Title: Nick Martin (graduate student and substitute), Phil Hodanbosi (instructional coach)
Telephone: 330-745-9950 (school office) Email: ndm3@zips.uakron.edu and phodanbosi@barbertonschools.org
EIN Number:
501(c)3 organization? ___Yes ___No
This project will exclusively benefit the residents of Barberton: __x_Yes ___No

Project Overview
Project Title: Barberton Middle School Calculators
Start Date: Fall 2013 or Spring 2014 End Date: Fall 2015
Amount Requested: $1197.60 Total Project Budget: $1197.60
Summary Briefly give a very general overview of your grant request/project (2 sentences max)

When sixth and seventh grade math students at Barberton Middle School take the new online state assessment during the 2014-
15 school year, they will be required to only use standard four-function calculators. There are not enough of these calculators
currently available for all sixth and seventh grade students to practice using them before the assessment, and it would be helpful
for all students to use the same model to standardize instruction for teachers and for future students to be able to use these
calculators for years to come.
Project Objectives and Measurement of Results
List up to 3 project objectives (must include howyou will measure project results)
1. Sixth and seventh grade math students will meet the Barberton City School districts overall goal of seeing a two
percent increase in the number of students who pass the state assessments over the previous year. Results from the
Spring 2014 Ohio Mathematics Achievement Assessment and the Spring 2015 PARCC mathematics assessment will
be compared to determine if this goal has been reached for sixth and seventh grade math students.
2. Sixth and seventh grade math students will set goals at the beginning of the 2014-15 school year about the scores
they want to have on the PARCC mathematics assessment later in the year. All Barberton Middle School students
complete a Contract for Excellence to set these goals. Our goal for the project will be to have at least 75% of students
reach their individual goals. This goal will be measured by comparing the results of the PARCC assessment to the
students individual goals.
3. Since the calculators that students would be using in class do not have the same advanced functions or features as
scientific or graphing calculators, students will have to deepen their mathematical skills by planning out how to solve


3



problems and applying critical thinking and estimation skills to determine if solutions are reasonable and accurate.
This goal will be measured by the teachers through classroom activities, assessments, and observations of students.

Project Budget
Revenue Amount Secured? Expenses Amount Requested of Barberton ComFdn
Barberton Com Fdn Salaries / Benefits
Fees for Service Contracted Services
Membership Dues Supplies / Equipment $1197.60 $1197.60
In-kind In-kind expenditures
Other Funders (list) Advertising
Printing
Other (list)



Total Total


4
Quarterly / Small Grant Application
Project Narrative


In the space allotted (1 page), describe the population to be served and how it will benefit from this project. What do
you expect to happen as a result of this grant? How will you measure your results? How will you fund this
program/project in the future?


































Required Attachments
(You must provide ONE COPY OF EACH)
Full board minutes approving this specific application
Organizational chart
List of Board of Directors
Organization budget for current year
Copy of the latest audited financial statements or 990

5
Quarterly / Small Grant Application
Organizational Background


If this is your first application to the foundation, or if it has been more than five years since you last applied to the
Foundation, please supply your organizational background in the space allotted (1 page) and attached a copy of IRS
Determination Letter.

History Service Area Major Services Provided to the Community Other funders































Copy of IRS Determination Letter (attach separate page)









6





Supporting Documentation (for the purposes of this assignment only)

Current Educational Environment
Barberton Middle School, which opened in September 2011, serves more than 1100 students in
grades 5-8 in the Barberton City School District. Prior to the 2011-12, the district had two middle schools
for students in grades 6-8. Students from each of the middle schools were merged into the new school, and
the fifth grade was moved from the elementary schools to the middle school. Barberton Middle School was
rated Effective on the 2011-2012 state report card from the Ohio Department of Education.
Barberton Middle School gives students and teachers a chance to use technology in a variety of
ways that support and enrich the teaching and learning experience. Teachers in all classrooms have access
to either a laptop or desktop computer with Office 2010 applications, an interactive whiteboard (Hitachi
StarBoard) with LED projectors, and Internet connectivity. Students have access to thin client computers
in each classroom (5-7 machines) and are able to use the interactive whiteboard using a stylus. There are
also four computer labs available in the building. Teachers and students can also use student response
systems and netbooks that are shared between several classrooms. Students at the middle school are also
required to take a technology course as one of their exploratory classes. Barberton Middle School also
features a state-recognized STEM program where students can develop their skills in such areas of interest
as structural engineering, audio/video broadcasting, and computer aided drafting.
Teachers at Barberton Middle School work on grade-level teams that consist of at least one
language arts teacher, math teacher, social studies teacher, science teacher, and at least one intervention
specialist. There are two teams for each grade level. Teachers on these teams have common planning time
every day and participate in embedded professional development during this time. The district also has two
instructional coaches one for language arts and one for math who often lead these professional
development sessions for teachers, including Mr. Phil Hodanbosi, the mathematics coach.

Limitations
Texas Instruments, the brand of calculator that would be purchased if this grant project is approved,
does not provide online training or in-person for four-function calculators (training is only provided for
more advanced scientific and graphing calculators). One possible solution is that training that would help
the sixth and seventh grade math teachers learn how to integrate these calculators effectively into
instruction would come from Mr. Hodanbosi during teachers common planning time or from Ms. Michelle
Gasser, the districts technology coach who offers computer classes for teachers after school for
professional development credit.
The Texas Instruments educational website, http://education.ti.com, does provide several examples
of classroom activities for middle school math teachers. Teachers would be able to download these
activities from the website and adapt them to meet the individual needs of their students. Teachers would
also be able to share if these activities were successful during their common planning time each day.
Texas Instruments makes overhead models of their most common graphing calculators, so teachers
can display a calculator screen to the entire class. However, overhead models are not made for the four-
function calculators that would be part of this project. All the teachers at Barberton Middle School have
interactive whiteboards in their classrooms. Therefore, teachers could find an online calculator tool that
could be opened on their laptop and then displayed to the class using the whiteboard. Using the stylus pen,
teachers could demonstrate to the entire class how to work out problems while students perform the same
computations at their desks. One possible calculator that teachers could display to the class can be found at
the following website: http://www.online-calculator.com/full-screen-calculator/.

7




Need
In 2010, Ohio became a member of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and
Careers (PARCC). PARCC is a group of 22 states who are working together to create a common set of K-
12 assessments in the areas of English and math that are built around the skills that students will need to be
successful in college and future careers. These assessments are designed to measure the Common Core
State Standards that Ohio had adopted and will replace the current Ohio Achievement Assessments and
Ohio Graduation Tests. The PARCC assessments will be first administered to Ohio students during the
2014-15 academic year.
In J uly 2012, PARCC adopted a calculator policy for students who will be taking the mathematics
assessments. According to this policy, sixth and seventh grade students will only be permitted to use an
online four-function calculator with square root on these assessments. At the present time, there are not
enough of these hand-held calculators available for all the sixth and seventh grade students and teachers to
use during the school day in order to prepare for taking the assessment. In order to maintain standard,
consistent instruction that will help students and teachers learn how to use these calculators effectively in
class to solve problems while preparing for the PARCC assessment and meet the other goals of the project,
it would be ideal for all students, teachers, and intervention specialists in the sixth and seventh grade to
have the same model of calculator with the same features and the same buttons in the same place.
Even though these calculators are not individually expensive, most of the children who attend
Barberton Middle School come from low-income families or high-poverty environments. According to
October 2012 data provided by the Ohio Department of Educations Office of Child Nutrition, out of the
1094 students who were enrolled at Barberton Middle School at the time, 726 students were eligible for the
Free Lunch program and an additional 110 students were eligible for Reduced Lunch. In all, 76% of the
total student enrollment at the school was eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch. Many families whose
children attend Barberton Middle School would not be able to afford these calculators.

Goals of Proposal
One of the primary goals of this project is to help the sixth and seventh grade students deepen their
knowledge and ability to work with numbers and be able to apply mathematical skills and concepts to real-
world problems. Since the calculators the students would be using will have limited functions and features,
students will be required to think through the process of solving a math problem, instead of relying solely
on a calculator with advanced functions, and be able to interpret their answers for accuracy and
reasonableness. Students will be able to determine what math problems require a calculator to solve and
problems that would not require a calculator to solve. Within sixth and seventh grade math, our goal would
be that the students have a decreased reliance on calculators to solve problems and deepen their overall
understanding of mathematical skills and concepts.
One of the other primary goals of this project is to prepare the sixth and seventh grade students and
teachers at the middle school for the 2014-15 PARCC mathematics assessment (and future PARCC
assessments) by giving them the right tool that simulates the exact online learning environment that
students will encounter during the assessment. For many students, taking a formal assessment online could
be a brand new experience. Since students are used to taking paper-and pencil tests (as the current Ohio
Achievement Assessments are administered), students will have to adjust to the layout (user interface) of
the new online assessment and be familiar with its features in order to successfully navigate through the
assessment. At this time, it is unknown whether students will have the chance to take practice assessments
in the same format featuring the online calculator. Therefore, it is important for teachers to replicate the
online environment that students will encounter when taking the future PARCC mathematics assessments


8




as much as possible, which includes the same calculator style. These calculators for sixth and seventh
grade math students and teachers would be just one part of the schools more extensive plan to have the
necessary hardware, software, and other support needed to successfully implement the new PARCC online
assessments.
Currently, the Barberton City Schools has a district-wide goal of increasing the total number of
students who pass each of the Ohio Achievement Assessments in the four core content areas (reading,
mathematics, social studies, and science) by two percent each year. Even though the exact criteria for
passing the PARCC assessments have not been set yet, there will be a similar goal for this project of seeing
at least a two percent increase in the number of sixth and seventh grade students who pass the PARCC
mathematics assessments given in the 2014-15 academic year (when compared to the results of the
mathematics Ohio Achievement Assessment for those two grades from Spring 2014).
Currently, all students at Barberton Middle School complete a Contract for Excellence. Students
meet with their homeroom teachers and set individual goals for scores that they want to achieve on the
Ohio Achievement Assessments in language arts and math later in the spring. Students reflect on these
goals four times a year and write out what changes they will need to make (if any) in order to accomplish
these goals. For this project, the sixth and seventh grade math students will complete a Contract for
Excellence at the beginning of the 2014-2015 academic year and set personal goals for the PARCC
mathematics assessment that will be administered in the spring of 2015. Our goal for this project will be to
have at least 75% of the sixth and seventh grade math students reach their personal goals for the math
assessment.

Technology Proposal
If this grant is approved, we would purchase the Texas Instruments TI-503SV 8-Digit Display
Calculator. This calculator performs the four basic functions, as well as square roots and percents. The TI-
503SV calculator runs on battery power (D389 battery), but it also has a power off button that will conserve
battery life. Therefore, it will be important for teachers to emphasize to students to always turn the
calculators off before returning them. The students would not be permitted to take the calculators home,
but would have to leave them at school.
Since the calculators for this project do not have the same features and functions as more advanced
calculators, students will have to create more plans for solving math problems. Students will have to
analyze the information given in the problem, determine the appropriate strategies needed to solve the
problem, and finally evaluate whether an answer is reasonable and accurate. Students would also have
many opportunities to communicate their plans to classmates and support their plans with sound arguments,
as well as critique their classmates plans for solving the problem by finding any flaws in logic or
reasoning. Students could also have opportunities to collaborate on plans to solve problems with shared
input from a group. Students would not be permitted to take calculators home, but have to leave them at
school.
According to the Common Core standards, grade six mathematics instruction should be centered on
the following four areas: 1) understanding ratios and rate concepts and using ratios and rates to solve
problems; 2) using prior knowledge of multiplication and division to divide fractions by fractions and
extend student knowledge of numbers to rational numbers; 3) solve one-variable equations and inequalities
and evaluate algebraic expressions; and 4) developing an understanding of statistics.
1) Students would learn how to set up proportions to solve unit rate problems by setting up proportions
using paper and pencil. Students would use the calculators to perform the computations to solve it.
If the proportion is not set up correctly, then students will likely not get the correct answer.

9


Students would also learn how to set up percent problems without using a calculator and then use a
calculator to check their answers.
2) It is difficult to divide fractions by fractions using a standard four-function calculator unless
students know the decimal equivalent of the fractions that are in the problem. Therefore, students
would learn how to divide fractions by fractions using traditional paper and pencil methods by
multiplying by the reciprocal, deepening students ability to work with rational numbers and
helping to achieve part of the goal of decreased calculator reliance. Students will also learn how to
convert common fractions into decimals and vice versa, in case students need to convert a decimal
answer from a calculator into a fraction when working out a problem.
3) Students would learn how to correctly set up equations to solve problems and use a calculator to
perform the computations. In those cases where the computations are easier, teachers will
encourage students to use paper and pencil or mental math. When evaluating expressions using
order of operations, teachers will have to emphasize to students that four-function calculators only
perform computations in the order in which they are entered, not following the mathematical order
of operations. Therefore, the teachers will have to demonstrate to students how to plan out their
work on a separate sheet of paper and use a calculator (or mental math) to perform a series of
separate computations and write down the answers to parts of the expression during the process of
reaching the solution. Students will need to know the correct order of operations, instead of just
typing numbers and symbols into a calculator as they are written in the problem.
4) Students will learn to evaluate whether or not they need a calculator at all when they are creating a
plan to solve statistical problems. For example, students will learn that it is appropriate to use a
calculator to add a group of numbers when calculating the mean or to attempt to find a pattern
within a data set, but not appropriate to use a calculator when choosing the correct measure of
center or constructing histograms or box plots.
According to the Common Core State Standards, grade seven mathematics instruction should be
centered on the following four areas: 1) analyzing proportional relationships and use them to solve real-
world and mathematical problems; 2) extending understanding of numbers by applying properties of whole
number operations to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers; 3) solving problems involving
scale drawings and calculating area, surface area, and volume of two- and three-dimensional shapes; and 4)
comparing two different data distributions and using random sampling to draw inferences about
populations.

1) Students will learn how to solve percent problems, including those involving discounts, interest,
tips, and percent increase or decrease. Students will learn how to create a plan to solve the problem,
set up a proportion on a piece of paper, and then use a calculator to perform the computations to
solve it. If the proportion is not set up correctly, then students will likely not get the correct answer.
2) Students will learn how to perform using rational numbers on paper and pencil, instead of using
calculators. Students will need to apply equivalence properties to rename fractions for adding and

10


subtracting unlike fractions and possibly reduce fractions to simplest form. More advanced calculators
have a simplifying feature for fractions, but the standard four-function calculators for this project will
not. Therefore, students will have to apply their divisibility rules to reduce fractions. Students will also
need to multiply by the reciprocal in order to divide fractions by fractions.
3) Students will learn how to choose the correct area, volume, or surface area formula to solve a
problem, examine the given values in the problem, and determine a plan to solve the problem using
that formula.
4) Students will analyze data sets to make predictions about the probabilities of events occurring in the
future and calculate the probabilities of compound events using lists, tree diagrams, and
simulations, all without the use of a calculator. This will help students develop critical thinking
skills, since they will have to evaluate their methods for finding the probabilities for accuracy (are
all possibilities of an event or outcome included) and determine the most appropriate way to model
the problem.
Personal Qualifications

Mr. Nicholas Martin is currently seeking a Masters degree in Instructional Technology from The
University of Akron. He graduated from The University of Akron in May 2006 with a Bachelors Degree
in Middle Level Education with concentrations in mathematics and social studies. After graduation, Mr.
Martin has worked as a middle school math teacher at two private schools in the Akron area, a guest
teacher for several school districts, and as a teacher for Sylvan Learning Center since 2008.
From September 2010 to November 2010, Mr. Martin worked as a long-term guest teacher in a seventh
grade math classroom at U.L. Light Middle School in Barberton. U.L. Light was one of the two middle
schools in Barberton that merged into the current Barberton Middle School. In the spring of 2011, Mr.
Martin was hired as an OAA math tutor at the same school. From March to May 2011, Mr. Martin worked
with small groups of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who barely passed the previous years OAA
to prepare them for the 2011 OAA in May 2011. During these two experiences, Mr. Martin worked with at
least three current sixth and seventh grade math teachers at Barberton Middle School who would directly
benefit from this project. In addition, Mr. Martin graduated with honors from Barberton High School in
2001. Therefore, Mr. Martin would have a personal connection with the school and personal interest in the
success of this project.

Mr. Phillip Hodanbosi currently serves in the role of mathematics instructional coach for the
Barberton City Schools. He has over 40 years of classroom experience on both the secondary and
collegiate levels, including teaching eighth grade math in the Barberton City Schools.

Sixth and seventh grade math teachers and intervention specialists at Barberton Middle School
participate in a district-wide professional development program called Tech Academy. Teachers are
grouped into three levels based on their experience and comfort level integrating technology into the
classroom. Teachers can also take technology workshops after school.




11





Implementation Timeline
This project will begin in the fall of 2013 and end in the fall of 2015. Here is a detailed
implementation timeline for this project:

Fall 2013 Purchase classroom sets of four-function calculators for sixth and seventh grade teachers at
Barberton Middle School (purchase will be made by the districts mathematics coach, Phil
Hodanbosi)
Sixth and seventh grade math teachers and intervention specialists will have initial
discussions about how to integrate the calculators into their instruction during common team
planning times and embedded professional development time
Spring 2014 Distribute four-function calculators to the sixth and seventh grade teachers
Sixth and seventh grade teachers can start integrating the calculators into instruction, if
desired, on a limited or full basis (decisions will be made by the individual teachers or
perhaps teams of teachers)
Sixth and seventh grade math students will take Ohio Achievement Assessment in
mathematics (April 2014). Results from this assessment will be used to set the baseline to
measure increase in students passing the new PARCC assessment
Fall 2014 Four-function calculators will be fully integrated into sixth and seventh grade math
instruction at Barberton Middle School
Sixth and seventh grade students will be expected to only use the four-function calculators
in math class, including all in-class work and assessments
Sixth and seventh grade math teachers and intervention specialists will have frequent
discussions during common team planning time about strategies to help all students learn
mathematics skills and concepts using the calculators
Sixth and seventh grade math students will complete the Contract for Excellence and set
goals for success on the PARCC assessment
Spring 2015 Sixth and seventh grade math students will take the online PARCC mathematics
assessments (exact dates to be determined)
Sixth and seventh grade math teachers and intervention specialists will meet (possibly with
Mr. Hodanbosi) to evaluate student learning outcomes during the school year, determine the
strengths and weaknesses of the project, and create a plan for student success in mathematics
for the 2015-16 academic year
Fall 2015 Evaluate student results on the sixth and seventh grade PARCC mathematics assessment to
determine if there was an increase of two percent of students who passed the assessment
over the OAA from the year before (the district goal) and determine if at least 75% of
students reached their personal goals set in the Contract for Excellence
Using the PARCC assessment results, the sixth and seventh grade math teachers and
intervention specialists will meet (possibly with Mr. Hodanbosi) to modify the plan for
student success in mathematics, if needed, and determine the most effective uses of the
calculators in the classroom

Budget
Texas Instruments TI-503SV 8-Digit Display Calculator
http://www.staples.com/Texas-Instruments-TI-503SV-8-Digit-Display-Calculator/product_522649
$4.99 each x 240 (eight classroom sets of 30 calculators) =$1197.60

12




Evaluation and Assessment
Sixth and seventh grade math teachers will evaluate whether there was a two percent increase or
decrease in student scores from the Spring 2014 Math Ohio Achievement Assessment and the 2015
PARCC mathematics assessment. Teachers will also evaluate whether at least 75% of students met their
individual goals that were written on the Contract for Excellence.
During the school year, teachers will evaluate student performance on in-class activities and unit
assessments to determine if students are making appropriate decisions about when to use the calculator to
solve problems and, if a calculator is needed, choosing appropriate strategies that will help students arrive
at accurate solutions to problems.
If PARCC releases a sample version of the online calculator that students will be expected to use,
then teachers will meet to modify the strategies they use with students (if needed) to match the style of the
calculator that will be offered on the assessment. Teachers might need to point out different locations of
buttons, for example.

Continuation and Extension
Sixth and seventh grade math teachers and intervention specialists at Barberton Middle School, in
coordination with the districts instructional coach, will continue to explore effective strategies for using
the calculators to meet student needs. Teachers will also evaluate possible PARCC assessment questions
that are released to teachers, similar to test questions that were released by the state for the OAA, to give
students sample questions to practice before taking the actual assessment in future years.
Students will also be surveyed after taking the first PARCC mathematics assessment to determine if
students felt that using the four-function calculators in class prepared them well to be successful on the
assessment. Did they have to apply the skills that teachers showed them? How did students actually use
the calculator on the assessment? Did the calculators help the students deepen their mathematics skills,
because they had to rely on the calculators less? Students could also be informally interviewed during the
school day to collect data about the calculators.
In addition to collecting data from students, the sixth and seventh grade math teachers would also be
surveyed or interviewed after students take the first PARCC assessment. All the teachers would be asked if
they felt they had sufficient training on how to use the calculators effectively in the classroom, if they felt
students were able to plan out how to solve problems successfully, and if they felt students were able to
apply reasoning skills to estimate answers to problems in which students did not use calculators.

You might also like