Apply for CALI Reads
Download the CALI Reads Application
How to Apply
Eligible Districts
District applicants will be competitively selected based on the following criteria:
- Need — Ranks as Red, Orange, or Yellow on the CDE Dashboard in ELA Performance for all students and students with disabilities (Note: priority given to applicants who rank on the CDE Dashboard) accordingly;
- Readiness — Demonstrates via the application narrative a focus on school-wide literacy and support of student with disabilities and evidence of district-wide collaboration and leadership, data decision-making, inclusive programming and tiered systems of support.
CALI Reads Eligibility: California School Dashboard 2019
Use this map as a quick reference of California districts and school sites who are red, orange, or yellow for all students in English Language Arts on the California School Dashboard in 2019.
Click the arrows in the upper left-hand corner of the map to expand the legend.
Participation Benefits Overview*
Each participating district is eligible to receive funds to support both district and school site activity, plus additional indirect goods and services, such as coaching.
- Participation Funds to support release time or extended time for project activities and literacy training
- District Support Team and Site Implementation Team Funds to support participation at the district and school site level
- Teacher Release funds for a Regional Workshop facilitated by CALI team
- Teacher Release funds for Literacy Training with online modules and coaching
- A District Coach to support systems development
- A Site Coach to support literacy training and instruction
- Access to Literacy and Systems Materials, Videos, Modules
- Funds for sets of high-interest, low-level classroom books
- Support from a Parent Training Information (PTI) regional partner
*Note: Small or rural districts who are unable to identify three eligible middle schools within their district for project participation can apply as a consortium or request assistance in forming a consortium from CALI Reads. See application materials for details on how to apply as a consortium.
Direct and Indirect Project Funds, Goods and Services
*Please note that the following are estimates based on current projects
Support District Participation | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
District Support Team (DST) | $1,000 x 3 sites |
$1,000 x 3 sites |
$1,000 x 3 sites |
$1,000 x 3 sites |
$1,000 x 3 sites |
Host Location for One Day Regional Workshop | $1,500 | $1,500 | $1,500 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
Teacher Training | $7,500 x 3 sites |
$7,500 x 3 sites |
$7,500 x 3 sites |
$9,000 x 3 sites + $2,700 additional site |
$9,000 x 3 sites + $2,700 additional site |
Supplement Training | n/a | $1,500 total |
$1,800 x 3 sites |
$900 x 3 sites |
$900 x 3 sites |
One-Day Regional Workshop Participation | 1,000 x 3 sites |
$1,200 x 3 sites |
$1,000 x 3 sites |
$1,350 additional site only |
$1,350 additional site only |
Site Implementation Team (SIT) | n/a | $800 x 3 sites |
$800 x 3 sites |
$800 x 3 sites |
$800 x 3 sites |
Funds for High-Interest Low-level Readers | n/a | $500 x 3 sites |
$500 x 3 sites |
$500 x 3 sites |
$500 x 3 sites |
Total | $30,000 total |
$42,000 total |
$45,300 total |
$43,650 total |
$43,650 total |
Description of Funds for the Support of District Participation
District Support Team (DST)
Grant funds are to support the District Support Team (DST) overseeing project implementation and participation in 3 annual meetings. DSTs are formed by both two to three participants at the:
- District level in roles such as the Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Director of Special Education, Director of Ed Services, District Literacy Coach, and
- Middle School Site level in roles of Lead Admin, resource, and/or teachers.
Host Location for One Day Regional Workshop
Funds are to support District efforts to host the annual workshop at a District Office (or suitable location).
Teacher Training Funds
Funds are to support ~10 teachers per middle school team to participate in CALI Reads activities. Participation includes (but not limited to) engaging in online literacy training modules, collaborating with the site coach and colleagues, lesson planning, and completing digiCOACH walkthroughs.
Supplemental Training Funds
Funds support release time for subgroups of teachers to participate in extra training opportunities.
One Day Regional Workshop Participation
Funds are to support up to subgroups of teachers from each middle school to attend the one-day Regional Workshop at their district office.
Site Implementation Team (SIT)
Funds to support quarterly SIT meetings for data review, planning, and progress monitoring.
Parent Workshop Funds
Funds are to support each middle school hosting an annual Family Literacy Workshop.
Direct and Indirect Project Funds, Goods and Services
Goods and Services | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Regional Coach | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
A Site Coach | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Literacy and Systems Materials, Videos, Modules | n/a | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Parent Training Information (PTI) support | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
iPads and stand | ✔ | ✔ n/a | ✔ n/a | ✔ n/a | ✔ n/a |
Wi-Fi Stipends | ✔ as needed |
✔ as needed |
✔ as needed |
✔ as needed |
✔ as needed |
Description of Table 2 Goods and Services
A Regional Coach
One Regional Coach will be assigned to each district. Their role is to support the district in building systems capacity and monitoring project implementation and collaborate and support the Site Coach.
A Site Coach
One site coach will be assigned to work with the District’s participating middle schools. Site Coaches will support participating teachers and administrators in literacy training, planning, and project implementation.
Note: Regional and Site Coaches are recruited, selected, trained, contracted, and funded by the CALI Reads project (rather than drawn from existing district staff).
* iPads
Ten iPads will be provided to each district (3 per site and 1 per district) to support the ensure flexible access to online materials and training.
* Wi-Fi Stipends
Offered by request to sites with limited Wi-Fi to support cellular access.
* Literacy and Systems Materials, Videos, Modules
Developed materials will support teacher and administrator professional growth.
* Assessment Menu
Menu of resource materials to support multi-tiered literacy systems and support collaborative data planning process.
* Parent Training Information (PTI) partner
PTI Center’s within the respective region will collaborate and facilitate family involvement at the school site, and to develop materials for family workshops.
Overview of Participant Commitments
Districts funded under this project are expected to:
- Designate a district representative
- Identify a fiscal contact for contracting and invoicing
- Commit to meeting and collaborating with a CALI Regional Coach
- Form a District Support Team (DST) of district and site administrators to meet 3 times annually
- Designate a district representative to lead the DST
- Ensure project funds are being leveraged appropriately
- Distribute designated project funds for teacher release time or extended time for CALI activities
- Select a facility for a One-Day Regional Workshop (facilitated by CALI)
Sites funded under this project are expected to:
- Select at minimum 10 site administrators and teacher participants across content areas
- Select Special Education and Intervention teacher participants for special trainings
- Designate project participants as representatives on the District Support Team, Site Implementation Team and Teacher Support Teams
- Leverage project funds to support team meetings, collaboration, and training
- Collaborate with the CALI Site Coach
- Identify participants to attend the Regional Workshop
- Host an Annual Family Workshop
- Collaborate with a Parent Training Information Center
Teachers participating on the project are expected to:
- Participate in literacy training through online training modules
- Commit to meeting, training, and collaboration with a CALI-trained Site Coach
- Apply CALI training in the classroom and monitor implementation
- Conduct digiCOACH walkthroughs
- Participate in the Site Implementation Team and/or Teacher Support Team
- Attend a Regional Workshop
- Participate in periodic data collection
Application Proccess
- Read through the CALI Reads application materials.
- Convene a team to complete the application the enclosed packet.
- Submit full CALI Reads Application.
CALI Reads
is a project funded by the Office of Special Education in partnership with the California Department of Education, Special Education Division. The project is coordinated and administered through the
Napa County Office of Education
1450 Technology Lane, Suite 200 Petaluma, CA 94954
Fax: 707-762-1438 | e-mail: info@calireads.org



The contents of this website were developed under a State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) from the US Department of Education (CALI/Award #H323A170011), Project Officer, Latisha.Putney@ed.gov. However, the contents of this site not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education and no assumption of endorsement by the Federal government should be made.
Last updated: 11/16/2020