Updated December 22, 2018

On December 21, 2018 the TDSB received further memos from the Ministry regarding the status of Education Program Other (EPO) grants. The TDSB also received Ministry announcements relating to Parents Reaching Out (PRO) grants. Highlights include:

• No changes to the program/funding cuts announced 14th (see Table 1 below)
• In-year program funding reductions (see Table 2 below)
• Update on more EPO programs to be funded (see Table 3 below)
• Approval of Parents Reaching Out (PRO) grants (see below)

Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants

The Ministry of Education has now confirmed PRO grants will proceed and the Ministry has also announced approvals on a school-by-school basis (The Ministry had previously placed the grants on hold pending a review).

PRO grants support local school councils, Parent Involvement Committees and not-for-profit organizations working with parents. This funding is for applicant projects that support equity, wellness and academic achievement.

TDSB System-Wide PRO Highlights

• The Toronto District School Board has been awarded $381,901 for the 2018-19 Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants. This funding is to support 374 School Councils and 2 Regional/Provincial projects.
   
• The total amount of PRO Grants for School Councils for which the TDSB has been approved is $369,901.
   
• The total amount of PRO Grants for Regional/Provincial Projects for which the TDSB has been approved is $12,000. The Transfer Payment Agreement(s) for the project(s) below will follow in January 2019.
   
• Parent Engagement Conference and Networking Event ($8,000) and Mindful Parenting ($4,000).

 

School-By-School PRO Grants

See the list of TDSB schools to receive PRO grants

The Ministry will be notifying grant applicants directly, on or before January 10, 2019. As a follow-up, the Ministry will be sending the Board a Transfer Payment Agreement in January 2019. The total amount above will then be transferred to the TDSB once the Ministry has received the signed agreement. School boards are asked to allocate these funds to individual school accounts. As per the 2018-19 Project Guidelines and Terms & Conditions, recipients are required to provide reports confirming expenditure of funds as well as the outcomes achieved to enhance parent engagement. Projects must be completed and the funds expended by August 15, 2019.

Update on Education Program Other (EPO) Funding
As noted, the TDSB received more Ministry information on the status of EPOs and we have adjusted Tables 2 and 4 to reflect these changes. Additional programs now have Ministry funding commitments in Table 4. The Board was also informed of in-year funding reductions to existing programs as shown in Table 2.

EPO Application Based Projects and Programs to be Funded

As of December 21, 2018, the Ministry is confirming that the following programs will be ready to launch and accept applications starting Wednesday, January 9, 2019. Closing date for applications is Friday, January 25, 2019, with funding decisions anticipated for February 2019. The eligible funding period for projects will be the 2018-19 school year.

• Physical Activity in Secondary Schools (PASS) Projects – Supports initiatives to increase the number of secondary school students participating in physical activities outside of instructional time with a focus on less active students.

(Schools apply for this funding. They receive coordination support
from Leadership and Learning)

• Student Success Leaders (SSL): Supporting Racialized Students Projects – Supports school boards in creating safe and welcoming school environments, particularly for students experiencing social isolation, bullying, discrimination, and systemic racism.
   
• Indigenous Student Learning and Leadership Projects – Supports leadership development opportunities for Indigenous students (Grades 7 to 12).

(New program – details to follow.)

• Children and Youth in Care Transportation Funding – Supports transportation to enable students in care to remain in their home school on a temporary basis when they experience a residence placement change.

(TDSB did not receive funding for this program in the past two school years.)

• Speak-up Projects – Supports students (Grades 7 to 12) to lead projects and collaborate with others to shape their educational experience and make a difference in their schools.
   
• New Teacher Induction Program – Enhancing Teacher Development Fund

(The Ministry of Education will contact the New Teacher Induction
Program (NTIP) leads to launch the application process for the
Enhancing Teacher Development Fund.)

 

EPO Direct Funding Commitments
As of December 21, 2018, the TDSB received a funding commitment for:

• French as a Second Language EPO for 2018-19 ($541,514)

Funding supports professional learning opportunities for FSL teachers and research, activities for students in FSL programs to improve and apply French language skills and cultural understanding in authentic situations and expansion of French immersion and extended French programs.

• Language Nest (Indigenous Language) (Funding TBD)

Funding helps Indigenous students become fluent in their native language.
 

In-year Funding Reduction to EPO Grants – Table 2
As of December 21, 2018, the TDSB was informed that the following programs will receive in-year reductions in funding. Programs will need to be adjusted for the balance of the 2018-19 school year to reflect the changes in funding:

• Adult and Continuing Education Corrections – this grant supports the delivery of educational services leading to OSSD for adult corrections population using a model that is flexible and accessible to best meet their educational needs and goals and support transition to further education or workplace upon release. Based on 2017-18 funding, this grant reduced from $100,000 to $62,500 in 2018-19.
• Literacy Gap Closing Grades 7 to 12 – this grant supports the design and implementation of professional learning and capacity building opportunities that best meet the adolescent literacy needs specific to the TDSB. Based on 2017-18 funding this grant reduced from $137,750 to $58,000 in 2018-19.
• Managing Information for Student Achievement (MISA) Professional Network Centre (PNC) – this grant supports recipient-targeted, directed, implemented and assessed project-related activities that are applied in accordance with two or more of the four Province-defined priority funding areas (Professional Learning, Research & Evaluation, Knowledge Creation/Mobilization and Inter-PNC Evidence Creation). This grant was originally announced to be $200,000 and has been reduced to $60,000 in 2018-19.
• Techno Math – this grant supports school teams to work collaboratively with colleagues across the Province to integrate content from a technological education course offered in their board and a grades 9 or 10 applied mathematics course. The project is team-taught or taught in tandem by mathematics and technological education teachers. This grant was originally announced at $74,900 and has been reduced to $50,745 in 2018-19.
• Enhancing Experiential Learning – this grant enables TDSB to provide more community-connected learning experiences and to ensure that all children, youth and adult learners have multiple and varied experiential learning opportunities throughout their school year. Funding is to support: Leader of experiential learning, professional learning, effective experiential learning opportunities, and career study project. This grant was announced at $1,069,705 and is now reduced to $970,000 in 2018-19.

 

Table Summaries

TABLE 1 – Grants Cancelled in 2018-19 (NO CHANGES)

(There were no transfer payment agreements for these grants – Transfer Payment Agreements (TPAs) are formal funding agreements outlining service expectations and reporting requirements of the grant. The TDSB was cautioned by the Ministry to not proceed with these programs pending further notice. This table includes the funding levels provided by the Ministry in the 2017-18 school year to show fiscal impact.)

 

TABLE 2 – In-year Funding Reduction to Grants - 2018-19 (CHANGES)

(The TDSB has been notified by the Ministry that these grants will be reduced in-year. More data is expected from the Ministry in January 2019 and staff will provide further analysis of fiscal impact for the January meeting of the Finance, Business and Enrolment Committee.)

 

TABLE 3 – Grants Continued in 2018-19 (CHANGES)

(The Ministry has confirmed that these grants will continue for 2018-19. This list identifies the programs where the TDSB has received a confirmation and/or a Transfer Payment Agreement with the Ministry.)

 

TABLE 4 – Grants Announced in March 2018 with no funding commitment
and/or TPA has been Issued (CHANGES)