1003 School Improvement Grant (SIG) Application

Connecticut State Department of Education
Turnaround Office
Request for Proposal (RFP) 820
1003 School Improvement Grant (SIG) Application
Charlene M. Russell-Tucker
Commissioner of Education
Application Issue Date: Monday, June 8, 2026
Application Due Date: Friday, July 31, 2026

SIG 1003 | Table of Contents
PART I: 1003 SIG Application Instructions ............................................................................... Page 3
A. Submission Instructions 3
B. Timeline Summary 3
C. Questions 3
PART II: 1003 SIG Overview ..................................................................................................... Page 4
A. 1003 SIG Overview 4
B. Eligible Schools 4
C. 1003 SIG Award Selection Criteria 4
D. CSDE Turnaround Framework 4
E. Requirement for Evidence-Based Interventions 5
F. Modifications and Annual Renewal 6
PART III: 1003 SIG Application and Budget Instructions .......................................................... Page 7
A. eGMS ESSA SIG Competitive Application 7
B. Budget Proposal 8
C. Submitting the Application in eGMS 9
PART IV: Appendices ............................................................................................................... Page 10
A. Appendix A: List of Eligible Schools 10
B. Appendix B: 1003 School Improvement Grant Application Scoring Rubric 12
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
The Connecticut State Department of Education is committed to a policy of equal opportunity/affirmative action for all
qualified persons. The Connecticut Department of Education does not discriminate in any employment practice,
education program, or educational activity on the basis of: race; color; religious creed; age; sex; pregnancy; sexual
orientation; workplace hazards to reproductive systems; gender identity or expression; marital status; national origin;
ancestry; retaliation for previously opposed discrimination or coercion; intellectual disability; genetic information; learning
disability; physical disability (including, but not limited to, blindness); mental disability (past/present history thereof);
military or veteran status; status as a victim of domestic violence; or criminal record in state employment, in accordance
with applicable statutes unless there is a bona fide occupational qualification excluding persons in any of the
aforementioned protected classes. Inquiries regarding the Connecticut State Department of Education's
nondiscrimination policies should be directed to:
Attorney Louis Todisco
Connecticut State Department of Education
By Mail: 450 Columbus Blvd., Suite 505 | Hartford, CT 06103-1841
By Telephone: 860-713-6594; By Email: louis.todisco@ct.gov
Freedom of Information:
Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) Section 1-210 et seq. (FOIA), all questions and responses to this RFP
are considered public records and every person shall have the right to (1) inspect such records promptly during regular
office or business hours; (2) copy such records in accordance with C.G.S. Section 1-212(g); or (3) receive a copy of such
records in accordance with C.G.S. Section 1-212.
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PART I: 1003 SIG APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Submission Instructions
Review and follow all directions carefully when completing the 1003 SIG application. All applications must be
submitted via email to Amanda Baksa at amanda.baksa@ct.gov. All applications must be received by 11:59
PM on Friday, July 31, 2026. Please note that all applications become the property of the Connecticut State
Department of Education (CSDE) and are subject to disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA). Once applications are approved by CSDE, districts will then upload the application through the
eGrants Management System (eGMS). Complete all of the required components. The application will be
deemed incomplete and not rated if required components are not submitted. Completed applications in the
eGMS must include the following:
Required Components:
School Selection
District Application and Assurances
School Plan
Budget Proposal
B. Timeline Summary
Process Date
1. CSDE releases 1003 SIG application to districts with eligible schools June 8, 2026
2. Districts submit 1003 SIG applications via eGMS. July 31, 2026
3. CSDE approves plan and awards 1003 SIG funds to districts. September 2026
C. Questions
All questions regarding 1003 SIG should be directed to:
Amanda Baksa, Associate Education Consultant, CSDE | E-mail: amanda.baksa@ct.gov
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PART II: SIG 1003 OVERVIEW
A. 1003 SIG Overview
Title I, Part A, Section 1003 SIG authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as
amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, provides states and districts with funds to leverage
change and turn around chronically underperforming schools. The CSDE anticipates identifying its third cohort
of ESSA 1003 SIG schools through a competitive grant process. For this third cohort, approximately $2.3 million
in 1003 SIG funds are available for competition for the 2026-27 school year. The district may apply for awards
with a minimum of $50,000 per year for eligible Focus schools and a minimum of $200,000 per year for eligible
Title I-identified Turnaround schools. No school may be awarded more than $500,000 per year.
While this application is for a one-year school improvement plan aligned to the 2026-27 school year, awarded
funds under Section 1003 of ESSA will remain available for use through September 30, 2028, consistent with
federal Tydings Amendment guidelines. Districts must obligate funds according to their Year 1 plan. Up to 20%
of unspent funds may be carried over into the following year to support sustainability and continued
implementation. Carryover is tracked annually, and schools may request an exception above the 20% threshold
no more than once every three years.
B. Eligible Schools
States must give priority in awarding 1003 SIG funds to districts that demonstrate the greatest need for the
funds and the strongest commitment to use the funds to substantially raise the achievement of students
attending the persistently lowest-achieving schools. Connecticut schools that are eligible to participate in the
SIG program are schools designated as either Turnaround or Focus schools identified through the 2024-25 Next
Generation Accountability System results. A complete list of eligible schools can be found in Appendix A.
C. 1003 SIG Award Selection Criteria
Using Appendix B: The 1003 School Improvement Grant District Application Rubric, a selection
committee will review and score all applications that meet the minimum submission requirements:
1. School for which the application is submitted must be an eligible Focus or Title I-identified Turnaround
School.
2. A completed application must be submitted via eGMS by Friday, July 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
All awards are subject to the availability of funds. Grants are not final until the award letter is executed. Given
the number of eligible applicants, the CSDE anticipates a highly competitive process resulting in funding
being awarded to only those applicants submitting well-developed applications and transformative plans that
directly focus on the reason for their designation.
D. CSDE Turnaround Framework
All 1003 School Improvement Grant (SIG) plans must articulate comprehensive, evidence-based strategies
across four critical domains identified by the Connecticut State Department of Education's (CSDE) Turnaround
Office: (1) Talent, (2) Academics, (3) Culture and Climate, and (4) Operations. These strategies must adhere
to federal requirements, ensuring that only interventions supported by strong, moderate, or promising evidence
are eligible for 1003 SIG funding.
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The funded school is committed to making targeted, transformative investments in the following key areas:
* Talent: Implement robust systems for recruiting, hiring, developing,
evaluating, and retaining high-quality school leaders, educators, and
support personnel to build and sustain instructional excellence.
* Academics: Develop and execute a rigorous, standards-aligned
academic program that is engaging, culturally responsive, and designed
to ensure that all students reach high levels of academic achievement.
* Culture and Climate: Cultivate a safe, inclusive, and supportive school
environment that promotes student well-being, elevates instructional
quality, and strengthens partnerships with families and the broader
community.
* Operations: Establish efficient and effective operational structures that
optimize the use of time, staffing, and financial resources to support
instructional priorities and long-term sustainability.
In cases where implementation of the SIG plan affects provisions within existing collective bargaining
agreements for administrators or teachers, all necessary negotiations will be conducted in accordance with
applicable contractual obligations.
If the SIG plan impacts elements of the collective bargaining agreements applicable to the
administrators and teachers employed by the local board of education, such provisions must be
negotiated in accordance with existing contracts.
E. Requirement for Evidence-Based Interventions
Under ESEA, as amended by ESSA, states must identify two types of low-performing schools:
* Targeted support and improvement (TSI) schools, which are schools with one or more consistently
underperforming subgroups.1 In Connecticut, these schools are referred to as Focus schools.
* Comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) schools, known in Connecticut as Turnaround
schools, which include:
the lowest-performing five percent of Title I schools in the state;
o
any public high school failing to graduate one-third or more of its students; and
o
Title I schools with a consistently underperforming subgroup that, on its own, is performing as
o
poorly as students in the lowest-performing five percent of Title I schools, and that has failed to
improve after the school has implemented a targeted support and improvement plan.2
Focus and Turnaround schools3 must develop plans for improving student outcomes that (among other things):
* are informed by all the indicators for differentiating schools listed above;
* include evidence-based interventions (see box below); and
* are based on an assessment of the school's needs.4
1 ESSA, Section 1111(c)(4)(C)(iii) and Section 1111(d)(2). ESSA does not define what it means to be consistently underperforming but rather leaves it
for states to define.
2 ESSA, Section 1111(c)(4)(D).
3 For CSI (Turnaround) schools, the Local Education Agency (LEA) develops the plan, which must be approved by the school. ESSA, Section
1111(d)(1)(B).
4 ESSA, Section 1111(d)(1)(B) and Section 1111(d)(2)(B).
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Definition of "Evidence-Based" in ESSA
Evidence-based means an activity, strategy, or intervention that:
i. demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on
(I) strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental study;
(II) moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study; or
(III) promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with
statistical controls for selection bias; or
ii. (IV) demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research findings or positive evaluation that such activity,
strategy, or intervention is likely to improve student outcomes or other relevant outcomes; and (II) includes ongoing
efforts to examine the effects of such activity, strategy, or intervention.
Section 1003 funds can only be used to support activities that meet ESSA's top three tiers of evidence. In
other words, Section 1003 funds can only be used to fund activities, strategies, or interventions based on a
study that demonstrates the activity, strategy, or intervention has a statistically significant effect on improving
5
student outcomes. While Focus and Turnaround schools must implement evidence-based interventions
under ESSA's school improvement requirements, this requirement does not directly affect their use of Title I,
Part A funds under ESSA.
F. Modifications and Annual Renewal
The CSDE must evaluate annually if the district is eligible to have their 1003 SIG application renewed. The
Commissioner or his/her designee may, on the basis of such review, address with district and school leadership
a lack of sufficient progress or other implementation issues at the school. If the school does not enact changes
or the changes are unlikely to result in sufficient progress or adequately address implementation concerns, the
Commissioner may take appropriate actions to ensure sufficient progress at the school, including, but not
limited to, developing a revised 1003 SIG Plan.
Additionally, the schools must demonstrate progress with regard to the following indicators:
* school classification/rating;
* discipline incidents;
* dropout rate;
* student chronic absenteeism rate;
* progress on student achievement on assessments for both regular education and high needs
subgroups;
* progress on student growth on assessments in Grades 3 through 8 for both regular education and high
needs subgroups;
* number and percentage of students completing advanced coursework, early-college high schools, or
dual enrollment classes (high school only);
* four-year and six-year cohort graduation rate (high school only); and
* teacher attendance rate.
5 ESSA, Section 8101(21)(B) stating:
(B) DEFINITION FOR SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES FUNDED UNDER THIS ACT. When used with respect to interventions or improvement activities or
strategies funded under section 1003, the term ''evidence-based'' means a State, local educational agency, or school activity, strategy, or
intervention that meets the requirements of subclause (I), (II), or (III) of subparagraph (A)(i).
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PART III: 1003 SIG eGMS APPLICATION AND BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS
A. eGMS ESSA SIG Competitive Application
The ESSA SIG Competitive Application and Budget consists of multiple parts, including:
* School Selection: The district identifies grant contact information and information about the school(s) for
which the district is applying for 1003 SIG funding.
* District Application: The district is required to describe its strategy and structure to support school
turnaround efforts at the district level, including how external partners will be evaluated. The district's
responses to the seven questions on the District Application are limited to 900 characters.
* School Plan:
School Data: After identifying school, district, and fiscal contact information, for each school
o
for which the district is applying for 1003 SIG funding, the district must submit performance
targets based upon historic data and ESSA Milestone targets. The application will also ask for
a reason for identification, which can be found on EdSight.
Needs Assessment: Using the linked Comprehensive Needs Assessment Rubric and User
o
Guide, the school in collaboration with the district must complete a needs assessment,
identifying the school's level of implementation for each of the talent, academics, culture and
climate and operations indicators. In addition to a score, the application also asks for
evidence and reasoning. The needs assessment must be completed with stakeholder
engagement. Stakeholders are the individuals, groups, and organizations with a legitimate
interest in, or who are meaningfully affected by, the decisions and outcomes of a school or
district. This includes district and school-level leaders, certified and non-certified staff,
parents and guardians, community members, community organizations, and students where
appropriate. Genuine stakeholder engagement ensures these voices actively inform and
shape decision-making, rather than simply receiving its results.
Significant Strengths, Growth Areas and Resource Inequities: The school and district must
o
identify significant strengths and growth areas highlighted by the needs assessment and
complete a root cause analysis of each of the growth areas. For the purpose of the 1003 SIG
grant, the root cause is the basic cause (or causes) that can reasonably be identified that the
school/district leadership has control to fix and, when fixed, will prevent (or significantly
reduce the likelihood of) the problem's recurrence. Along with the root cause, the school and
district must identify resource inequities - the unequal or unfair distribution of resources
that creates a disproportionate burden on specific groups. All students must have access to
resources necessary for high-quality education, including distribution of quality teaching
staff, technology, interventions for students with disabilities and English Learners, access to
high-quality curriculum resources, transportation, before- and after-school programming,
etc. These growth areas will serve as the school's Priorities in an upcoming section.
Overarching School Improvement Goals: The school and district must identify two to three
o
"National/State Benchmark" and two to three "Internal Benchmark" school improvement
goals to advance the school's reform priorities. Identify specific, measurable, achievable,
relevant, and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T.) school improvement goals that are aligned to ESSA
targets and local progress monitoring assessments. Overarching school improvement goals
must focus on student outcomes, not on adult actions.
Specific Evidence-Based Interventions to Address School Reform Priorities: Using the
o
previously identified growth areas, the school and district must identify a core set of
evidence-based interventions for which the school will use Title I, Part A, Section 1003 SIG
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funding. Interventions must be aligned to the identified growth areas and overarching school
improvement goals. Summarize the selected interventions and identify a S.M.A.R.T. goal
aligned to each intervention. It is not necessary to select strategies for each of the four
components of the CSDE Turnaround Framework; interventions should align to identified
school reform priorities and to the overarching school improvement goals. Using definitions
of evidence-based interventions, the school and district must identify the level of the
evidence-based intervention (strong, moderate, promising), the source, and information to
substantiate why the intervention is identified at the selected level. To support applicants, the
CSDE has compiled resources into Evidence-Based Guides aligned to the T.A.C.O.
Framework.
* School Budget Proposal: The school and district must complete a budget proposal for each school using
the application budget page and the State's Uniform Chart of Accounts. See below for more information
about completing the school budget proposal.
B. Budget Proposals
Using the application budget page, create a budget proposal outlining new costs associated with the SIG 1003
School Plan. The budget proposal and aligned budget narrative must indicate the amount of 1003 SIG funds
requested by the district to:
* implement the selected evidence-based interventions in each school the district commits
to serve;
* conduct district-level activities designed to support implementation of the selected
evidence-based interventions; and
* support school improvement activities, at the school or district level, for schools the district
commits to serve.
The budget request for each school must be of sufficient size and scope to support full and effective
implementation of the selected intervention over a one year period. A district may request funds for district-
level activities that will support the implementation of school intervention models and must include not less
than $50,000 per year if the school is a Focus school and not less than $200,000 if the school is a Title I-
identified Turnaround School. Schools may not apply for more than $500,000 per year.
1003 SIG funds may not be used to supplant federal and non-federal funds, but only to supplement funding
provided to 1003 SIG schools. In particular, a district must continue to provide all funds that would have been
provided to the school in the absence of 1003 SIG funds. This requirement applies to all funding related to full
implementation, including pre-implementation activities.
Code all expenditures in accordance with the state's Uniform Chart of Accounts as summarized below.
CODE: OBJECT:
100 PERSONNEL SERVICES - SALARIES. Amounts paid to both permanent and temporary grantee
employees including personnel substituting for those in permanent positions. This includes gross
salary for personnel services rendered while on the payroll of the grantees.
200 PERSONNEL SERVICES - EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. Amounts paid by the grantee on behalf of
employees; these amounts are not included in the gross salary but are in addition to that amount.
Such payments are fringe benefit payments and, while not paid directly to employees,
nevertheless are parts of the cost of personnel services.
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300 PURCHASED PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL SERVICES. Services, which by their nature can
be performed only by persons or firms with specialized skills and knowledge. While a product may
or may not result from the transaction, the primary reason for the purchase is the service
provided. Included are the services of architects, engineers, auditors, dentists, medical doctors,
lawyers, consultants, teachers, accountants, technical assistance support organizations, school
400 PURCHASED PROPERTY SERVICES. Services purchased to operate, repair, maintain, and rent
property owned or used by the grantee. Persons other than grantee employees perform these
services. While a product may or may not result from the transaction, the primary reason for the
purchase is the service provided.
500 OTHER PURCHASED SERVICES. Amounts paid for services rendered by organizations or
personnel not on the payroll of the grantee (separate from Professional and Technical Services or
Property Services). While a product may or may not result from the transaction, the primary reason
for the purchase is the service provided.
600 SUPPLIES. Amounts paid for items that are consumed, worn out, or deteriorated through use; or
items that lose their identity through fabrication or incorporation into different or more complex
units or substances.
700 PROPERTY. Expenditures for acquiring fixed assets, including land or existing buildings,
improvements of grounds, initial equipment, additional equipment, and replacement of
equipment. In accordance with the Connecticut State Comptroller's definition equipment,
included in this category are all items of equipment (machinery, tools, furniture, vehicles,
apparatus, etc.) with a value of over $5,000.00 and the useful life of more than one year and data
processing equipment that has unit price under $5,000.00 and a useful life of not less than five
800 OTHER OBJECTS. (Miscellaneous Expenditures) Expenditures for goods or services not properly
classified in one of the above objects. Included in the category could be expenditures for dues and
fees, judgments against a grantee that are not covered by liability insurance, and interest payments
on bonds and notes.
C. Submitting the Application
The district must submit the completed application (one for each school) in eGMS no later than Friday, July 31,
2026. The submission indicates that the superintendent has reviewed and approved the application, and the
Local Education Agency (LEA) has agreed to follow all regulations. Certifications and Assurances will be
completed by the Superintendent at the time of submission.
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PART IV: APPENDICES
Appendix A: List of Eligible Schools
District School School Classification
Capital Region Education Council
Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Turnaround
(CREC)
Academy of Computer Science and
CREC Turnaround
Engineering (MS)
CREC Ana Grace Academy of the Arts Turnaround
Derby Derby Middle School Turnaround
Goodwin University Educational Riverside Magnet School at Goodwin
Turnaround
Services (GUES) University
Jumoke Academy Charter Jumoke Academy Turnaround
Stamford Turn of River School Turnaround
Bloomfield Carmen Arace Intermediate School Focus
Academy of Computer Science and
CREC Focus
Engineering (HS)
Academy of International Studies
CREC Focus
Elementary School
CREC Academy of Science and Innovation Focus
Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts
CREC Focus
High School - Full Day
Connecticut Technical and
A.I. Prince Technical High School Focus
Education Career System (CTECS)
CTECS E.C. Goodwin Technical High School Focus
CTECS Eli Whitney Technical High School Focus
CTECS Howell Cheney Technical High School Focus
CTECS J.M. Wright Technical High School Focus
Derby Irving School Focus
Derby Derby High School Focus
Lebanon Lebanon Elementary Focus
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