The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded the state of California an $18 million State Challenge Grant for Leadership Development of which $2.6 million is earmarked for the participation of the state's private schools.

The purpose of the grant is to provide principals with access to high quality leadership development training focusing on whole systems improvement and technology integration. The Gates Foundation has committed to the provision of $1,000 per participating private school principal for training costs. Adherence to certain general guidelines including participation in on-line pre and post-participation surveys is required.

CAPSO leadership recently met with the program's state administrators to discuss options and policies relating to private school participation. The following possibilities were identified:

1. Participate in the state administered program at a cost of $3,000 to be paid by each participating private school.

2. Participate in a portion of the state administered program at no cost, or at a pro-rated cost to participating private schools.

3. Participate in one or more programs of lesser scale and duration than the state administered program, to be designed by private school leaders and implemented at no cost to participating schools.

Learn about the state administered program.

Option #1 entails 160 total hours of participation over a two-and-a-half year period.

Option #2 would consist of participation in a modified or scaled down version of the state administered program.

Option #3 provides the greatest degree of flexibility. CAPSO is working together with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction's Private School Advisory Committee to identify promising programs that meet the needs of private school leaders and comply with the general provisions of the grant guidelines.

The cost of any proposed program is a function of the number of projected participants, calculated at $1,000 per participating principal. This arrangement presents economy of scale opportunities. A program accommodating 100 private school principals can be budgeted at $100,000. By "blending" participants across organizational "boundaries," a combination of whole group and breakout programs can maximize dollar value, flexibility and responsiveness to local needs.

CAPSO invites California's private schools to submit ideas for program proposals to their CAPSO member organization office. Schools not currently served by CAPSO affiliates may submit their suggestions via email to: info@capso.org Title your email "Gates Grant Idea." Keep the following requirements in mind as you think about programmatic ideas:

• Only principals may participate in the program.

• The program must contain elements focusing on technology integration and school improvement.

• We expect to be granted considerable latitude. Similar Gates Foundation grants have been implemented in other states. In one, the entire project centered on the use of PDA's (personal digital assistant devices such as Palm Pilots, Handspring Visors, etc.) Some possible focal points for the integration of technology include:
  • Parental involvement/communication
  • Fiscal management
  • Teaching and Learning
  • School-wide information systems
  • Administration