9 A.V. SCHOOLS TO GET EXTRA STATE CASH GRANTS WILL HELP LOW-ACHIEVING STUDENTS LEARN, MEET API STANDARDS.

Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO Staff Writer

LANCASTER -- Nine low-performing Antelope Valley schools will receive a total of $450,000 in state funding to develop plans to improve student achievement.

The money is part of $24.7 million being provided statewide to 207 school districts serving 494 schools under the High Priority Schools Grant Program.

``We've already been tweaking up plans to improve student achievement. This will allow us to do more,'' said Superintendent Larry Phelps of Mojave Unified School District, one of the local recipients.

The nine schools in the six school districts will each receive a grant of $50,000.

The schools are Douglas and Mojave elementary schools in the Mojave Unified School District; Tierra Bonita Elementary School in the Eastside Union School District; Antelope, Daisy Gibson and Lake Los Angeles elementary schools in the Keppel Union School District; Mariposa School in the Lancaster School District; Desert Willow Intermediate in the Palmdale School District; and Wilsona Achievement Academy in the Wilsona School District.

The funding was announced Friday by the state.

The High Priority Schools Grant Program is intended to help schools in the bottom half of rankings in the state's Academic Performance Index.

The grants provide additional resources to target student performance.

This year's grantees were selected from a total of 307 districts serving 689 schools that were eligible to apply for this funding.

``This program helps districts with low-performing schools to be more active in helping children sooner (rather) than later in their academic careers,'' state schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell said in the announcement.

The schools that get the funding must develop a plan designed to improve student learning and school academic performance, and must include implementation of State Board of Education-endorsed components supporting academic student achievement.

The funds can be used for salaries and benefits for technical assistance with the development of the school plan, release days for planning meetings, substitute costs, teacher and principal training necessary for developing the school plan, and minimal costs for supplies.

Under this funding program, grantees would be responsible for meeting ``significant growth'' targets of 10 points on the API over three years, and positive growth in two of the last three years that they participate in the program.

Bart Hoffman, Keppel's director of instructional services, said in the subsequent years after the first year of planning, the district will get more funding to implement the plan.

``We are excited to have the opportunity to provide coaching support and much-needed help with assessment and monitoring,'' Hoffman said.

Schools that meet these targets will exit the program. Schools that fail to improve will be required to undertake further corrective actions to improve student achievement.

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com

[phone]