DoDEA Educational Partnership Awards Grant to Coronado Unified School District

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Educational Partnership awarded a $1.25 million grant to the Coronado Unified School District through the Promoting Student Achievement at Schools Impacted by Military Force Structure Changes FY 09 Competitive Grant Program. The school district supports students whose families are stationed in the San Diego area. The grants focus on enhancing student learning opportunities, student achievement, and educator professional development at military-connected schools with projected military student growth between 2007 and 2009 due to force structure changes. This data is based on a Report to Congress on Assistance to Local Educational Agencies for Defense Dependents Education published in March 2008. School districts serving 22 military installations identified through that report were invited to submit a grant proposal. “I am truly pleased the grant was awarded to the Coronado Unified School District. This funding will enable the school district to implement their plan, the Advancing Achievement for the 21st Century Learning Project, for the academic success of our military children,” said Commanding Officer of Naval Base Coronado Captain Yancy B. Lindsey. “I look forward to another successful educational year for our military children, who will benefit from this grant and the continuing great work of our School Liaison Officers and Local Partnership Councils, as we all focus on enhancing their learning opportunities.” Coronado Unified School District is a pre-school through grade 12 district serving Naval Base Coronado. It has a total student enrollment of 3,082; 37% of our students are military-connected. The goal of Project SATT -21 is to increase the achievement of students by providing an individualized, computer-assisted instructional program. “This grant will assist the children of Coronado to achieve a different level of knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens in the 21st century,” said Dr. Jeffrey P. Felix, Superintendent of Coronado Unified School District. “The profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and those they need in typical workplaces will be addressed with all parts of this grant,” Felix added. “By providing a method for more children to become proficient learners, we will be aligning classroom environments with real world environments and infusing 21st century skills into their learning.” “This is the first year DoDEA has been able to execute our grant program and it’s very gratifying to be able to offer assistance to the schools that are educating our military’s children.” said Dr. Shirley Miles, Director of DoDEA. “We are looking forward to seeing how the districts implement the programs they’ve developed. We know that all children in the grant recipient districts will benefit from these awards.” DoDEA’s aim is to enhance the education of military students, but funds may be used to raise student achievement for all students. In FY 2007, the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act allowed DoDEA to expand its reach to the approximately 92% of military students that do not attend DoDEA Schools. Through collaboration with the Department of Education, DoDEA is working to ease the transition of military students and providing resources to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) who educate military dependent students. DoDEA consists of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools located overseas, and the Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools located in the U.S. and its territories and possessions. DoDEA provides education to eligible DoD military and civilian dependents from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. DoDEA also provides support and resources to Local Education Activities throughout the U.S. that serve children of military families.