EARSS RFA Fact Sheet 2024

Expelled and At-Risk Student Services Grant

The Expelled and At-Risk Student Services (EARSS) grant program is authorized by Colorado Revised Statute (C.R.S.) 22-33-205 to assist in providing educational and supportive services to students who have been expelled, are at-risk of expulsion, are truant, are at-risk of becoming habitually truant, and/or are considered chronically absent.

Systems Development Grant

The purpose of this 18-month opportunity, called the EARSS System Development Grant, is targeted to support capacity building to minimize exclusionary discipline or improve attendance including reducing court referrals regarding attendance.

Grant Details

This application includes two different options that applicants will be asked to select one of for their application: Discipline Focused or Attendance Focused. Each topic, Discipline and Attendance, have sub-topics available with corresponding performance measures pre-designed. The applicant will be asked

to select one of the sub-topics available and complete any necessary information, as required, for the performance measure.

Reporting Requirements

Discipline Focused: Data points that will be reviewed to determine the effectiveness of the program will include: self-reported progress and state reported student discipline counts including total number of in school suspensions, out of school suspensions, and expulsions for the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 school years.
Attendance Focused: Data points that will be reviewed to determine the effectiveness of the program will include: self-reported progress and state reported attendance rates including chronically absent and habitually truant rates for the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 school years.

Priority Funding

The grant is intended to focus on the highest need schools so applications that are identified as having a higher-than-average rate of out of school suspensions or higher than average rate of chronic absenteeism during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school year will receive priority funding points.

District level applications and/or Individual schools are invited to apply.

Key Dates:

August 1, 2024: Informational webinar

September 16, 2024: Optional intent to apply is due

September 30, 2024: Application due

October/November 2024: Application review, selection of grantees, and recommendation to the State Board of Education

January/February 2025: Grants are awarded, beginning of 18-month grant period

CDE’s Office of Dropout Prevention and Student Re-engagement administers the Expelled and At-Risk Student Services Grant. The office provides coordination, research and leadership to assist local education providers in implementing efforts to improve student engagement with the goal to improve the dropout, graduation and completion rates every year while decreasing exclusionary disciplinary rates.

EARSS Webpage

Contact Information:

Amy Werpy

720.470.7558

Werpy_a@cde.state.co.us

Schedule a Meeting with Amy:

MEETING REQUEST

Discipline Focused

The following options, Systems Updates and Alternative to Exclusionary Discipline, are intended for schools or districts who want to improve current discipline systems to reduce out of school suspensions and expulsions.

Systems Update: The goal of the Systems Update program is to conduct a systemic review of discipline systems update or adapt current systems and ensure broad understanding and consistency across the school or district in disciplinary response.
Alternative to Exclusionary Discipline: Design and implement a disciplinary model focused on utilizing non-exclusionary discipline practices in response to disciplinary infractions. This could be an alternative to suspension and/or expulsion intervention, or a reintegration process for the student upon return to school from an exclusionary discipline leave.

Attendance Focused

The following options, Systems Updates, Attendance Collaborative, and Attendance Campaign are designed to review and improve current practices regarding attendance.

Systems Updates: The goal of the Systems Update focus is to look at and improve current attendance policy and trends, processes and procedures regarding attendance interventions, and ensure understanding and consistency the school or district in reporting and responding to absences.
Attendance Collaborative: Grantee will establish an interdisciplinary attendance team focused on decreasing the number of excused and unexcused absences by matching students and families with appropriate support, enabling the student(s) to attend school more frequently.
Attendance Campaign: Design and implement an attendance campaign to increase awareness of overall school attendance. This may include materials to be used to communicate the importance of attendance within the community.

Available Funds and Duration of Grant

A minimum of $350,000 is available starting in the FY24-25 school year, with funding contingent on approval of appropriations from the State Legislature. Grants will be awarded for an 18-month term beginning January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Funded applicants for the 2024-2025 school year are not guaranteed any additional funding beyond the 18-month funding period. Funds must be expended by June 30, 2026.

Funding requests cannot exceed $50,000 for the 18-month period. It is anticipated that at least 7 applications will be awarded, with additional approvals if funding allows.