PHASE I: Grantee Agency Information

The following Central Valley agencies were funded in 2006 under Phase I of the Initiative. 

California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
2210 K Street, Suite 201
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 446-7904
Contact: Kirsten Hill, Staff Attorney;  Santiago Avila-Gomez, Staff Attorney

Website: www.crlaf.org

Community Partnership for Families of San Joaquin
PO Box 1569
Stockton, CA 95267
(209) 444-5509
Contact: Loretta Thomas, Project Lead

Website: www.cpfsj.org

Community Services and Employment Training (CSET)
PO Box 1350
Visalia, CA 93279
(559) 732-4194
Contact: Raquel Gomez, Program Lead

Website: www.cset.org

Fresno Center for New Americans
4879 Kings Canyon Road
Fresno, CA 93727
(559) 255-8395
Contact: Kia Vang, Project Manager
Contact: Kia Lor, Outreach Specialist

Website: www.fresnocenter.com

Reading & Beyond (formerly Fresno Covenant Foundation)
2727 N. First Street
Fresno, CA 93703
(559) 226-4672
Contact: Matilda Soria, Research & Development Director

Website: www.fresnocovenantfoundation.org

Phase I: Past Events

March 15-16, 2007: Grantee Orientation to the FIE Initiative (Sacramento)
FIE grantees were first convened in March 2007 to clarify common goals under the FIE Initiative. Agencies were exposed to research and best practices related to family engagement and to data related to school and student academic performance in the Central Valley region. The logic model was introduced to agencies as a tool to critically examine their projects and to ensure alignment with their expected outcomes and goals for the two-year grant period.

May 24-25, 2007: All-Grantee Symposium I (Fresno)
The first grantee symposium was convened to assist agencies in examining the capacity-building needs of parents and schools along various stages in the educational (pre-K to 12) pipeline and in understanding how they can leverage their resources to affect changes at these stages. Tools and strategies for building partnerships with schools were introduced. Agencies also had the opportunity to share their logic models as "works in progress" in order to communicate their projects and gain critical feedback from their FIE partner agencies. In collaboration with Monica Kaiser of Kaiser Group, Inc., agencies began the development of an initiative-wide logic model to assist the group in understanding the goals and expected outcomes of the broader initiative and in communicating their common goals to external stakeholders.

September 17, 2007: Educating English Language Learners (Fresno)
English Learners (EL) represent approximately 25% (over 1.5 million) of the student population in California. Agency staff learned about California's complex EL system and effective strategies used to meet the unique needs of EL students. Policy issues and their implications for advocacy and reform were also discussed.

September 18, 2007: College Knowledge (Fresno)
FIS provided a 1-day learning institute for agencies to learn more about how to promote a college-going culture in schools and how to share college information with students and parents. Policy issues and their implications for advocacy and reform were also discussed. FIS' GOT College curriculum was shared as an example of how to engage parents, students, and schools in conversations about high expectations and promoting a pathway to college for all students. Visit the FIS website to learn more about our GOT College! program.

November 1, 2007: Evaluation Planning and Implementation (Fresno)
Agency staff learned how to design internal evaluation tools and processes to carry out a cost effective and quality program evaluation based on agency logic models. Monica Kaiser of Kaiser Group Inc. provided additional guidance to Executive Directors and agency staff to ensure an effective evaluation strategy for FIE projects and other agency programs. The development of effective, parent-friendly evaluation tools was also discussed.

December 6-7, 2007: All-Grantee Symposium II (Sacramento)
This symposium focused on the policy context for education reform in California. Agencies discussed policy issues in their own communities and were exposed to strategies for engaging communities in policy advocacy. Experts from Los Angeles shared lessons learned from their experience engaging families in a successful 2005 policy campaign to implement a more equitable, rigorous, and college-ready (A-G) curriculum for students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Legislative staff from the Senate and Assembly Education Committees shared their perspectives on the role of community-based organizations and families in shaping education policies.

February 24-26, 2008: Education Trust West Third Biennial Conference: Closing California's Achievement & Opportunity Gaps For more information, visit http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/etw/

March 20-21, 2008: Using Data to Effectively Advocate for Children, Families, and the Community (Visalia)
During this learning institute, agencies learned how to access, organize, analyze, and use data to advocate for changes in school policies and practices. Agencies were provided hands-on experience accessing California state test results (California Standards Test, CST) and accountability reports (Adequate Yearly Progress, AYP) and analyzing such data for their own local schools. After analyzing gaps in student achievement identified by the data, staff members learned about research-based instructional practices in order to be able to recognize and advocate for such practices in local schools.

June 16-18, 2008: All-Grantee Symposium III
Community-Based Advocacy: Strategies to Promote Equitable Changes in Policy & Practice
Hosted by the Community Partnership for Families of San Joaquin (Stockton, California)

Building on the momentum of previous symposia, and agencies' enhanced capacity to advocate on behalf of children, families, and communities, this event focused on deepening agencies' understanding of successful advocacy strategies and their capacity to implement them. Specifically, staff members learned about developing a media/communications strategy and an organizing strategy to enhance their advocacy efforts.

October 6-7, 2008: Phase I Symposium (Fresno)
Grantees funded under Phase I of the FIE Initiative participated in a symposium designed to enhance organizations' advocacy efforts.  The symposium covered coalition-building as an effective advocacy strategy, as well as provided information about nonprofit advocacy and the law.  At the end of the two days, each grantee presented an advocacy plan that incorporated the knowledge and skills developed throughout the course of the initiative and received critical peer feedback so that the plans serve as a guide to sustaining and expanding their advocacy efforts.

December 4-5, 2008: Phase I Final Symposium (Sacramento)
During this final symposium of FIE Phase I, grantees learned techniques to help them communicate a compelling story about their advocacy efforts and the impact they have had on local communities.  Exercises and activities throughout day 1 focused on improving grantees’ ability to communicate their story to a variety of audiences (e.g. the public, the press, elected officials and funders) and for a variety of purposes (advocacy, marketing, public relations, and fundraising).  The second day provided a framework to understand advocacy storytelling by focusing on an issue of significance to the Central Valley and California – English Language Learners.  Elizabeth Jimenez, CEO of GEMAS Consulting , and Diane Ujiiye, Director of Asian and Pacific Islanders California Action Network (APIsCAN) shared their expertise.  FIE Phase I grantees: For electronic copies of  tools and other materials distributed at the symposium, please contact Rosario Perez.

FIE Phase I Agenda & Documents

Previously, this page was used to share documents distributed and referred to during grantee meetings as well as other tools meant to assist grantees with the implementation of their projects.

All-Grantee Meeting Documents

Orientation to the FIE Initiative
March 2007
Agenda
Bibliography of Parent Engagement Literature
Luis Moll's Funds of Knowledge - English
Luis Moll's Fuentes de Conocimiento - Spanish
Summary of Parent Involvement Research (Tinkler, 2002)
What Parents Need to Know and Do Template
Agency Strengths & Needs Activity - Notes
State of Education in the Central Valley (Power Point)
State of Education in the Central Valley - graphs (Word Doc)
Data Questions & Needs Activity Handout
Data Questions & Needs Activity - Notes
Harvard Family Research Project Logic Model Guide
Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide
Logic Model Templates
Sample Logic Model

Symposium I:  Building Partnerships for Educational Reform
May 2007
Agenda
Educational Pipeline Template
Finding Common Ground Venn Diagram
School Partnerships Checklist
Steps to Building Partnerships with Schools
Afterschool Matters (Spring 2004) - School-CBO Relationships
Los Angeles Times: "State Faces Shortage of Skilled Workers"
Networking Dinner Invitations

Learning Institute:  Educating English Learners
September 17, 2007
Agenda
Powerpoint Presentation
Data Search Worksheet
Key Data Questions
Laws that Govern Education of EL Students
Current Debates related to Educating English Learners
Second Language Acquisition Powerpoint (Dr. Arenas)
Education Funding for English Learners
Types of Elementary English Learners (Olsen)
Types of Secondary English Learners (Olsen)
Comprehensive EL Instructional Programs
Tools for Parents of Students Learning English

Learning Institute:  College Knowledge
September 18, 2007
Agenda
Powerpoint Presentation
40 Developmental Assets (Search Institute)
College GPA Requirements
A-G Courselist
Data Questions (Homework)
College Opportunity Indicators (UC/ACCORD)
Building an Advocacy Agenda
Criteria for Selecting an Issue
FIS GOT College! Curriculum & Implementation Guide

Learning Institute:  Evaluation Planning
November 1, 2007
Agenda
Evaluation Planning Tools
Evaluation Exchange:  Advocacy and Policy Change
A Guide to Measuring Advocacy and Policy
Handbook of Data Collection Tools:  Companion to "A Guide to Measuring Advocacy and Policy"
Tips for Parent-Friendly Evaluations
Sample Parent Post-Survey 1 (THS)
Sample Parent Pre-Survey (GOT College)
Sample Parent Pre-Survey (RWM)
Sample Parent Post-Survey (RWM)

Symposium II:  Influencing Education Policy through Advocacy
December 6-7, 2007
Agenda
Advocacy Scenarios
Closing the Achievement Gaps: Using Data to Drive Action (Volume I)
Closing Achievement Gaps:  Collecting & Analyzing Your School's Data (Volume II)
TES Data Powerpoint (Julie Mendoza)
The A-G Story:  Lessons from a Grassroots Movement for Educational Equity in Los Angeles
Panelist Bios
Nonprofit Lobbying Law Handout (CLPI)
Making Your Voice Heard:  How to Work with Congress (available: Center on Congress at Indiana University)
Criteria for Selecting an Issue
Checklist for Choosing a Problem & Issue
Issue Life Cycles
Power Analysis pwrpoint (Lester Garcia)
Power Analysis Handout
Media pwrpoint (Lester Garcia)
Strategy Planning Tool: Nine Questions
Basic Principles of Message Development
Using Media to Advance Your Issue
Creating Tailored Messages
Summary Notes