Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Helps Northern California School Districts Compete for $40 Billion in Federal Education Grant Funding

Grants can save threatened academic programs and improve student achievement nationwide

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — June 28, 2010 — How could local schools help students with a piece of $40 billion? For those facing deep budget cuts, the possibilities are virtually limitless. Competition for federal grants is fierce but local educators are gaining a competitive advantage with free grant-writing workshops hosted by global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH).

Representatives from school districts in Northern California and the Central Valley recently attended these workshops in Sacramento and Fresno to discover what federal grant reviewers are looking for in a winning application. HMH National Grant Writing Specialist Nancy Updegraff explained to groups of approximately twenty five educators how to identify available funding, make applications stand out and highlight the factors that are most important to grant reviewers when making decisions.

“As one of the persons responsible for grant writing at Clovis Unified School District, I know firsthand how competitive and complex the application process is,” said Rick Watson, Administrator for Curriculum and Support Services at CUSD. “CUSD is submitting two grant applications this year, and I walked away from the grant-writing workshops feeling much more prepared to turn in a winning grant application. I left knowing the key qualities for which grant reviewers are looking, and now have Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s support system to turn to whenever I have questions. There is just nothing else out there like this for educators.”

California schools can apply for 13 different federal grants totaling $40 billion. The awards range from $1 million to $30 million and can be used by local districts to improve data collection, measure student and teacher performance and create specialized programs for struggling students. The grant application process can be complex, time-consuming and in some instances now requires sophisticated computer software that many districts lack. HMH has a national team of grant writing experts that works with local educators to simplify the process and take advantage of a variety of public and private funding opportunities.

“Federal education grants under the Obama administration can really help schools shield students and protect instruction,” said John Sipe, Western Region Vice President, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. “We are committed to helping California schools win grant funding through our specialized grant-writing instruction. The competition for grant funding is fierce, and our program will help local districts position themselves for success.”

A Race to the Top grant application can take nearly 700 hours in staff time to complete, while smaller grants require an approximate 120-hour investment on the part of local educators. Schools used to employ grant writers, but many of these positions have been eliminated due to budget cuts. HMH’s workshops fill a critical need at a critical time.

HMH staff remains available to support districts throughout the process.

“I relate my grant writing workshops to my experiences as a special education teacher when I had to make the most of scarce resources to help children with unique challenges,” Updegraff said. “I turned to grants to find the money needed to help my students, and the educators at our workshops can take advantage of similar opportunities. Our experience can literally help put millions into local schools at a time when every penny makes a big difference.”

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global education leader and the world’s largest publisher of educational materials for pre-K–12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit www.hmhpub.com.

CONTACT:
For Houghton Mifflin Harcourt:
Margeaux Esler
916-448-5802
mesler@randlecommunications.com

Josef Blumenfeld
Vice President, Communications
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
617-351-5432
Josef.blumenfeld@hmhpub.com