LASO Cycle 2

In October 2023, ϲʿ2023 is continuing to offer streamlined, consolidated grant applications, focused on a few grant programs that are bundled and that help accelerate academic gains.

The Learning Acceleration Support Opportunities (LASO) is the next iteration of a universal consolidated application cycle that strategically batches grant funding opportunitiesthat aresupporting with continued learning acceleration and innovation opportunities.

LASO Cycle 2 program grants are focused on three of the five learning acceleration strategies: Instructional Materials, More Time and Innovative School Models. Use the links on this page to browse all the grants and read up on each grant's latest news, access to newsletters, program guidelines, contact information, and resources.

For general follow up questions, emailLASO@tea.texas.gov. For program specific questions, please email the contact for each grant found in their corresponding section below.

LASO Cycle 2 Highlights by the Numbers

Overall Awards

  • 393 total LEAs awarded in LASO Cycle 2 up from 212 awarded in LASO Cycle 1
  • ~$187 million awarded in LASO Cycle 2 through direct grants or in-kind awards

Rural Awards

  • 173 rural LEAs awarded in LASO Cycle 2 up from 77 awarded in LASO Cycle 1
  • Rural LEAs more than doubled in their award totals - over $51 Million, up from $21M in last year's cycle

By Region

  • All but 2 ESC regions saw an increase in the number of awarded LEAs and no ESC region saw a decrease in the number of districts receiving an award.

Strong Foundations Planning Supports (SFP)

Milestones

Reminder: HQIM Learning Labs

Sign up to visit one an Innovator Learning Lab! Learning Labs provide you an opportunity to visit an Innovator district to see students engaged with rigorous, grade level content in real time and learn what planning happens in the background to implement HQIM effectively. HQIM Learning Labs will be hosted in fall 2024 and spring 2025. Thehas instructions with how to request a visit!

Past Due: Roadmap Planning Tool

Milestone date was 8/16. If you need an extension, ask your AP to fill out the extension request on the deliverable survey.

Reminders & Next Steps

Community of Practice

CoPs are an essential time for district leaders engaged in the Strong Foundations Planning grant to come together to share best practices and challenges. You won’t want to miss our spotlight districts, Stafford MSD & Borger ISD talk about their experiences in the Strong Foundations Planning grant! A reminder that attendance for at least one district leader is required at monthly Community of Practice meetings.There are two options for attendance:

  • Thursday, September 19 at 11:00am (for districts with 800 or less students) -
  • Friday, September 20 at 9:00am (for districts with over 800 students) -

Make-up any missed CoPs by following the instructions on the.

Resources

Newsletters

Contact Information

Hannah Cox, Director of HQIM Adoption Supports
Alleigh Nicholls, Program Manager
strongfoundations@tea.texas.gov

Strong Foundations Implementation Supports (SFI)

Action Items

  • PAST DUE: SFI Contact Form
    • Complete theto create a roster for all participants at your LEA.
  • PAST DUE:
    • Submit completed plan to your approved provider.
  • PAST DUE:
    • Submit completed action plan to your approved provider.
  • Due Friday, September 13: Submit SFI Pre-Implementation Survey
    • See more information in the Reminders and Next Steps section.
  • Professional Learning and Flexible Supports
    • Plan with your approved provider (Product Advisor) for the delivery of professional learning and flexible supports for district and school leaders, coaches, and teachers.
  • Collaborate with Implementation Advisor
    • Collaborate with your approved provider to receive support for developing upcoming action plans, to schedule school-based Learning Walks, and for on-going leadership coaching.
    • Submit completed Action Plans to your approved provider (Implementation Advisor) by the date agreed upon.
  • Learning Walks:Learning Walks are observations conducted by leadership teams that focus on systems-level implementation to identify patterns and trends that inform system-level change management.
    • Learning Walk Resources:
      • Theprovides guidance, questions, and action strategies to support productive and impactful learning walk cycles

Reminders and Next Steps

SFI Pre-Implementation Survey

To better understand your experiences, the ϲʿ2023 team will be asking every participant from your LEA to complete 5 surveys this year. These surveys should take participants about 10-15 minutes to complete.

  • Action required:Please send the appropriate links to the members of your team who should complete them.
  • Note: participants who were on the roster you submitted to ϲʿ2023 have already received communications from the Strong Foundation Implementation (SFI) Team via Qualtrics with a direct link to the survey on August 12.They do not need to take the survey again.
  • Survey participation is a crucial element of program success and continuous improvement of the grant,please ensurenoreply@tea.texas.govis whitelisted for all participants at your LEA/schools.Doing so prevents important SFI emails from being marked as spam and being routed to your junk folder. Read more about.

Reminder: Upcoming Leader Community of Practice (CoP) Opportunities

The SFI Implementation Team is excited to announce the opportunity to join a community of practice for leaders to collaborate, reflect, and share experiences. Sign up forand please invite other district and school leaders who would like to participate.

  • TheSFI Executive Leader CoPsessions provide collaborative learning fordistrict executive leadersimplementing HQIM. It is a platform for leaders to engage in short bouts of new learning from a featured keynote speaker, while also experiencing focused small-group discussions.
  • Executive Leader CoP Sessions
    • October 10, 2024, 9:00–10:30 a.m. - Communicating the Instructional Vision to Stakeholders
    • January 9, 2025, 9:00–10:30 a.m. - Aligning Educator Experience, Selection, Support, and Collaboration to HQIM
    • March 13, 2025, 9:00–10:30 a.m. - Focusing on Continuous Improvement and Sustaining Implementation
  • TheSFI School Leader CoPsessions allowschool and program leadersto continuously improve HQIM practices on campus while building their capacity as instructional leaders. Leaders who attend these sessions will foster resiliency in their schools as they are equipped to support the strong continued use of HQIM for students. Each session will be delivered twice to provide flexibility in the leaders’ attendance.
  • School Leader CoP Sessions:
    • September 17 and 19, 2024, 10:00–11:30 a.m. - Campus-Based Instructional Coherence and Instructional Management
    • November 5 and 8, 2024, 10:00–11:30 a.m. - Instructional Leadership in HQIM Implementation
    • February 18 and 20, 2025, 10:00–11:30 a.m. - Sustaining the Change and Synthesizing the Learning

Reminder: HQIM Learning Labs

Sign up to visit one an Innovator Learning Lab! Learning Labs provide you an opportunity to visit an Innovator district to see students engaged with rigorous, grade level content in real time and learn what planning happens in the background to implement HQIM effectively. HQIM Learning Labs will be hosted in fall 2024 and spring 2025. Thehas instructions with how to request a visit.

Resources

Newsletters

Contact Information

Gloria Matthews, Program Lead for Strong Foundation Implementation
strongfoundations@tea.texas.gov
(512) 463-7942

Kristi Michaels, Director HQIM Implementation Supports
strongfoundations@tea.texas.gov
(512) 470-9235

Technology Lending Grant (TLG)

Program Updates

The TLG awards have been extended until June 30 (previously April 30) to give LEAs more time to use their funds. This means there are two more months in the grant cycle to purchase devices or internet access. The extension benefits the students by providing them with more time to access digital content for the rest of the school year.

Engagement Opportunities

We value our partners in the field and want to stay connected!Whether it’s through site visits, review opportunities, or focus groups, we offer various ways for you to connect with ϲʿ2023 and contribute to the field of education.If you are interested in participating in engagement opportunities,!

Resources

Newsletters

Contact Information

Lisa Walker, Digital Content Manager
techlending@tea.texas.gov
512-463-9601

Blended Learning Grant (BLG)

Program Updates

[Required] Communities of Practice meetings.

  • April 2nd 10am -12pm or April 4th 10am - 12pm
  • Registration link is under “PD Opportunities” in the ϲʿ2023 Learn Canvas Course

[Due April 5th] Completion of Quarter 3 Data Submission Assignment

[Request by May 10th] NEW Blended Learning Observation Rubric

If you would like to give ϲʿ2023 feedback on their draft of the BLG Ecosystem rubric + look-fors, please follow the instructions below:

  • Watch the
  • Access the + add comments
  • Tryout the rubric survey in a few classrooms

[Request] Upcoming Blended Learning walks at your campus?

  • If you have spring BL walks scheduled soon and would like more peer observers from the BLG cohort, please and it can be shared on the Canvas course.

Resources

Newsletters

Contact Information

Michael Strange, Blended Learning Program Manager
BlendedLearning@tea.texas.gov
(512) 463-9616

Math Supplemental Curriculum Licenses (MSC)

Program Updates

Total Funding Available : $25 Million​

Range of Award​: In-Kind Supports Only​

Total Grantees​: 200+ LEAs ​

վԱ​: Ready to Launch for ​Spring of 23-24; Must start by Fall of 24-25

Next Steps

  • Fall Kickoff Webinar (optional)
    • September 12th | 11:00-12:00 P.M. CST
  • Fall Kickoff Office Hours (optional)
    • September 19th | 10:00-11:00 A.M. CST
  • Submit Sample Schedules (via Google Form emailed to main POC)
    • Due no later than 30 days after start date.(required)​
  • Data Monitoring Plan (via Google Form emailed to main POC)
    • Due no later than 30 days after start date.(required)
  • All licenses must be accessed by 10/31/24
    • May result in a reduction in non-accessed licenses or possible removal from the provider selected if zero access has occurred.

Resources

Newsletters

Contact Information

Colby Self, Director of Texas Tutoring Supports
accelerated.instruction@tea.texas.gov
512-463-7271

Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (APCSP)

Program Updates

ϲʿ2023's first APCSP Grantee Quarterly Convening

This first convening is scheduled forMarch 28, 1PM CST.Convening attendance is required for at least one person from each grant-awarded district.The meeting will be to support specific assurances including the naming of a program management Point Person for the grant, the completion of the eGrants process, the submission of a budget, the APCSP course description, and identifying strategies that worked and those that did not. We will discuss district goals, where we are now, and strategies to attain our goals. Convenings will always include the sharing of challenges, their solutions, and celebrations.

Next Steps

AP CSP Course Description

Write a District Course Catalog description for 2024-2025.

Create a College Board Account

The AP CSP course was developed by the College Board to help meet an imminent need for a computer science prepared workforce.

To offer the AP CSP course, a school must have staff to manage the AP program for the school or district, at least one administrator and one teacher.

  • School administrators must have an account to verify and approve teachers, access the course approval process through the AP Audit, and order AP exams.
  • Teachers must have an account with the College Board to access the course approval process through the AP Audit, submit a syllabus, and gain access to course resources including daily videos, ppt presentations, content reviews, practice exams, and question banks.
  • Students must have an account to access AP Classroom and AP CSP resources, take practice exams and complete teacher assignments. The College Board student account also provides access to scholarship information and additional college and career planning tools and resources.

Resources

Newsletters

Contact Information

Kay Humes, Statewide Advanced Academics Coordinator
Kay.Humes@tea.texas.gov
advancedacademics@tea.texas.gov
512-463-8823

ADSY Summer Learning Accelerator (ADSY)

Program Updates

Attend the Make-up Grant Kick-Off Call

Date:March 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM CT

If a representative from your LEA was unable to make the grant kick-off call on March 11th, pleasefor the make-up call scheduled for March 20th at 1:00 PM.

Visit and bookmark the

On the ADSY SLA hub, you’ll find all things related to grant requirements, program design resources, and your LEA’s ADSY SLA folder with a copy of your Strategic Plan for completion by theMay 15th deadline.

Complete theSurvey

Complete theto update information for the point of contact serving as the ADSY Summer Learning Accelerator Project Manager for the district and include any additional personnel that will be involved in the work.

Optional: Attend Office Hours

Attending office hours is a great way to receive additional support while planning for your LEAs first ADSY SLA summer program!

Available Dates:

  • Friday, April 511:00 AM-12:00 PM
  • Friday, April 1911:00 AM-12:00 PM
  • Thursday, May 211:00 AM- 12:00 PM

Optional: Grant Supports | Design and Implementation Partner/ Technical Assistance

  • andfrom the Vendor Fair of ADSY-Approved Vendors
  • If your LEA is interested in partnering with a technical assistance provider to assist in planning your summer program, we suggest contacting your chosen TA Provider from the list promptly.
  • For the recording- you can begin the Vendor Presentation at5:16.

Take note:

The Design and Implementation Partner selected will support LEAs in creating the ADSY SLA summer program Strategic Plan to meet goals and ensure high-quality summer programming at the designated PK-5 campuses. As your LEA deliberates on selecting a Design and Implementation Partner, we urge the district summer planning team to contemplate the specific areas of thewhere they require support and to determine which D&I Partner will assist in achieving your summer program goals.

Resources

Newsletters

Contact Information

Ruchamah Belizor, Summer Learning Models Manager
adsy@tea.texas.gov
512-936-6066

Pathways in Technology Early College High School (PTECH)

Program Updates

Register for the CCRSM Leadership Summit

This exciting annual event will convene the statewide CCRSM network. Join ECHS and P-TECH districts, campuses and their partners to collaborate with peers on innovative ideas as we elevate best practices across the CCRSM Network. We hope to see you this comingJune 12th -14th, 2024 in Corpus Christi!

Timely Topics

Outcomes-Based Measures for the 24 – 25 Program Application Cycle

The refreshedandwere released in June 2023 and introduced the revised path to designation and updated CCRSM outcomes-based measures (OBM). To receive the designated status, programs with more than five years of operation must meet the revised OBMs.

Resources

Newsletters

Contact Information

Darin Ford, CCRSM Coordinator
ccrsm@tea.texas.gov
512-463-9371

Early College High School (ECHS)

Program Updates

Register for the CCRSM Leadership Summit

This exciting annual event will convene the statewide CCRSM network. Join ECHS and P-TECH districts, campuses and their partners to collaborate with peers on innovative ideas as we elevate best practices across the CCRSM Network. We hope to see you this comingJune 12th -14th, 2024 in Corpus Christi!

Timely Topics

Outcomes-Based Measures for the 24 – 25 Program Application Cycle

The refreshedandwere released in June 2023 and introduced the revised path to designation and updated CCRSM outcomes-based measures (OBM). To receive the designated status, programs with more than five years of operation must meet the revised OBMs.

Early College High School and Senate Bill 1887

During the 88th Legislative Session, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 8, which aims to improve the transferability and applicability of college credits across institutions. SB 8 amends the definition of Early College High School (ECHS) programs in Texas Education Code (TEC) §29.908 and creates the Texas Direct Degree.

Previous statute required ECHS programs to allow students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and either an associate degree or at least 60 hours towards a baccalaureate degree. SB 1887 requires that ECHS students have the opportunity to earn either an applied or an academic associate degree. Existing ECHS programs are not required to change to their course offerings or pathway, if the ECHS is complying with the requirements that students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree.

Separately, SB 1887 creates the, which is awarded to students who complete the Texas Core Curriculum and one of the seven identified THECB fields of study. The Texas Direct degree allows students to transfer their courses as a block directly to their selected major. ECHS programs are not required to offer the Texas Direct Degree.

Resources

Newsletters

Contact Information

Darin Ford, CCRSM Coordinator
ccrsm@tea.texas.gov
512-463-9371

School Action Fund (SAF)

Program Updates

SAF Cycle 7 (LASO) Continuation Grant

To receive SAF Cycle 7 (LASO) Continuation funding, eligible applicantsmust completethe application for either the 2024-2026 School Action Fund Continuation grant (original Planning grant recipients) or the 2024-2025 School Action Fund Implementation Continuation grant (original Implementation grant awardees).

1) On the ϲʿ2023 Grant Opportunitiessearch for the applicable School Action Fund grant (see above) in theApplication Namefield. Complete parts 1 (PDF) and part 2 (Excel) of the application.

2) E-mail completed, signed applications tograntapplications@tea.texas.govby 5:00 p.m. CT, May 28, 2024.

Both Application Part 1 (PDF) and Application Part 2 (Excel) are required when submitting. The application may be signed with a digital ID, or it may be signed by hand and scanned. Then submit via email.

Training Opportunities

Upcoming ϲʿ2023 Kindergarten–12 STEM Professional Development Dates

Leadership Training

This immersive professional development prepares campus administrators STEM leaders to shape, support, and sustain STEM initiatives within their district or campus. Participants will learn by doing, engaging directly in the instructional approaches most critical to the STEM endeavor: project-based learning, design-based challenges, and computational thinking. Working backward from a model vision for STEM education, the session culminates with leaders collaboratively planning for real-life implementation of STEM programming.

  • Region 13: May 30–31, 2024
  • Region 10: June 11–12, 2024
  • Region 15: June 17, 2024
Teacher Training

This professional development prepares teachers for successful implementation of STEM instruction in their classrooms by immersing teachers directly in the role of STEM learner, engaging first-hand in high-impact STEM practices such as project-based learning, design-based challenges, and computational thinking. To better understand the role STEM plays in education, educators will make connections between the Texas STEM framework, STEM fluency skills, and contemporary workforce demands. Most importantly, educators will begin embedding these STEM strategies into what matters most—their daily work with students.

  • Region 17: June 13–14, 2024
  • Region 13: June 12–14, 2024

Resources

Newsletters

Contact Information

Laura Hyatt, School Action Fund Manager
Laura.Hyatt@tea.Texas.gov

Estimated Funding

Grant Name Estimated Funding Grant Type Estimated Range ofAward Estimated Awards
Strong Foundations Planning (SFP) $20.8 Million Direct Grant $140K to $400K 70-110LEAs
Strong Foundations Implementation (SFI) $111.2 Million Direct Grant $100K to $5M+ 75-150 LEAs
Technology Lending Grant(TLG) $5 Million Direct Grant Up to $225K 50-100 LEAs
Blended Learning Grant (BLG) $5.49 Million Direct Grant

Planning —
$110K-$400K

Strategic Operations —
$190K-$500K

10 to 12 LEAs for each

Math Supplemental Curriculum (MSC) $25 Million In-Kind Supports No Direct Funding
(In-Kind only)
250+ LEAs
Early College High School (ECHS) $1 Million Direct Grant Up to $100K 10 LEAs
Pathways inTechnology ECHS (P-Tech) $1 Million Direct Grant Up to $100K 10 LEAs
School Action Fund (SAF)
*Including SAF ADSY Full Year
$10.6 Million Direct Grant
In-Kind Supports
$185K-$500K
(per Campus)
36 Campuses
Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles (CSP) $1.2 Million Direct Grant Up to $100K Up to 30 LEAs
ADSY Summer Learning Accelerator $9 Million Direct Grant Up to $25K-$400K 25-35 LEAs

Timeline

    Application Window | FromOctober 23, 2023 until December 7, 2023, 5pm CST (45 days)
    Awards announced to the field |February 8, 2024
    Notice of Grant Award (NOGA) | February 8, 2024 - April 9, 2024 (60 days)

    Additional Resources & Information

    Title Description

    Overview General Webinar

    The general webinar deck and recording provides information on the following:

    • Overview of Learning Acceleration Support Opportunities (LASO) Cycle II Grant
    • Application Timeline and Key Components
    • Key Resources Available
    Grant-SpecificOnePagers

    The LASO Cycle II One Pager Overview document provides key preliminary grant information like: Program Description, Program Commitments, Eligibility, Program Timeline, Funding.

    StateApprovedProviderList The Learning Acceleration Support Opportunities (LASO) state approvedprovider listis a pre-vetted list of organizations that ϲʿ2023 has determinedhave the experience and expertise to support local education agencies(LEAs) with these grant opportunities. The provider list is organized by LASO grant to help LEAs exploreavailable support and providerpartnerships.
    Date Event
    October 18, 2023
    • 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. | General Webinar #1
    October 19, 2023
    • 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. | General Webinar #2
    October 26, 2023
    • 9:00am - 10:30am | School Action Fund (Option 1)
    • 1:00pm - 2:00pm | Blended Learning Grant (Option 1)
    • 2:00pm- 3:00pm | Advanced Placement Computer Science Program (Option 1)
    October 30, 2023
    • 9:00am – 10:00am |Advanced Placement Computer Science Program(Option 1)​
    • 10:00am - 11:00am |Strong Foundations Planning; Strong Foundations Implementation(Option 1)
    October 31, 2023
    • 9:00am - 10:00am |Early College High School(Option 1)​
    • 10:00am - 11:00am |Technology Lending Grant(Option 1)​
    • 12:00pm – 1:00pm |Pathway in Technology Early College High School(Option 1)​
    • 2:00pm – 3:00pm |Additional Days School Year (ADSY) Summer Learning Accelerator(Option 1)​
    • 3:00pm – 4:00pm|Strong Foundations Planning and Strong Foundations Implementation(Option 2)
    November 1, 2023
    • 2:00pm – 3:30pm| School Action Fund(Option 2)
    November 2, 2023
    • 11:00am - 12:00pm |Math Supplemental Curriculum Licenses(Option 1)​
    • 1:00pm – 2:00pm |Blended Learning Grant(Option 2)​
    • 3:00pm – 4:00pm |Additional Days School Year (ADSY) Summer Learning Accelerator(Option 2)
    November 3, 2023
    • 10:00pm - 11:00pm |Technology Lending Grant(Option 2)​
    • 11:00am – 12:00pm |Early College High School(Option 2)​
    • 12:00pm – 1:00pm |Pathway in Technology Early College High School(Option 2)​
    • 1:00pm – 2:00pm |Math Supplemental Curriculum Licenses(Option 2)
      Name Date Time
      Strong Foundations Implementation & Planning November 6, 2023 10:00 a.m.
      Strong Foundations Implementation & Planning November 9, 2023 1:00 p.m.
      Technology Lending Grant November 7, 2023 2:00 p.m.
      Technology Lending Grant November 10, 2023 2:30 p.m.
      Blended Learning Grant (BLG) November 6, 2023 9:00 a.m.
      Blended Learning Grant (BLG) November 9, 2023 11:00 a.m.
      Math Supplemental Curriculum (MSC) November 9, 2023 10:00 a.m.
      Math Supplemental Curriculum (MSC) November 16, 2023 3:00 p.m.
      Early College High School (ECHS) November 6, 2023 3:00 p.m.
      Early College High School (ECHS) November 7, 2023 10:00 a.m.
      Pathways in Technology Early College High School (PTECH) November 7, 2023 3:00 p.m.
      Pathways in Technology Early College High School (PTECH) November 8, 2023 1:00 p.m.
      School Action Fund w/ ADSY FY November 6, 2023 4:00 p.m.
      School Action Fund w/ ADSY FY November 7, 2023 9:00 a.m.
      Advanced Principles (AP) Computer Science Principles (CSP) November 9, 2023 4:00 p.m.
      Advanced Principles (AP) Computer Science Principles (CSP) November 10, 2023 9:00 a.m.
      Additional Days School Year (ADSY) Summer Learning Accelerator November 7, 2023 11:00 a.m.
      Additional Days School Year (ADSY) Summer Learning Accelerator November 8, 2023 9:00 a.m.