Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2006

Priorities are to:

• support programs that provide one-to-one Adult Basic Education (ABE) instruction through the use of well-trained volunteers as the primary service delivery model; and

• support organizations with the capacity to deliver volunteer tutoring programs throughout the state or a significant portion of the state.

Eligible applicants are public and private non-profit entities that include cities and towns, school districts, community colleges and other institutions of higher learning, correctional facilities, and public and private non-profit agencies, including community-based organizations.

Applicants are required to provide an auditable matching share of 20% of the total amount of the requested funding. Currently funded grantees must provide a matching share that is equal to their current matching share (maintenance of effort amount) or 20% of the requested amount, whichever is greater.

Funds may be used for ABE instructional services delivered by well-trained volunteers, including Adult Basic Education, pre-adult secondary education, adult secondary education, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), pre-literacy ESOL. Computer literacy (basic skills and abilities that support the use of computers) may also be offered as a supplemental instructional component. Eligible students are individuals 16 years of age or older who: are not enrolled in a secondary school; have the capacity to acquire basic reading and writing skills; lack the level of reading, writing, and/or numeracy skills expected of a high school graduate (even if they possess a high school diploma); and/or are limited English proficient who are not willing and/or able to enroll in a Community Adult Learning Center.

Funds may be used for both personnel and non-personnel costs.

Personnel costs may include: recruitment; volunteer/student orientation; volunteer training and ongoing support; required and ongoing assessment of student progress; establishing and maintaining tutor/student matches; counseling; follow-up; referral; data collection/entry; and administration.

Monday, January 10, 2005

Competitive proposals must be received at the Department by 3:00 p.m. on the date due.

1. Letter of Intent to Apply Form: [ WORD | PDF ]

2. Part I - General - Program Unit Signature Page - (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants): [ WORD | PDF ]

3. Part II Budget Detail Pages (Include both pages): [ WORD | PDF | EXCEL | Instructions]

4. Part III - Required Program Information: [ WORD | PDF ]

5. Statement of Assurances: [ WORD | PDF ]

6. Schedule B - Cost Sharing or Matching Schedule: [ WORD | PDF ]

• See Table 2 for instructions and requirements: [ WORD | PDF ]

All applicants must submit a program design that is consistent with the Guidelines for Effective ABE and the ABE Rates System. All applicants must complete and submit the following required components of the Department of Education's web-based planning and reporting system, the System for Managing Accountability and Results Through Technology (SMARTT) system. (See Additional Information.)

Elements of the SMARTT Plan:

• Class plan

• Class Funding Detail Sheet

• Flex/Set Aside/ Foundation Sheet

• DOE Direct Staff Plan

• DOE Direct Staff Salary Analysis

• DOE Direct Project Staff Salary Report

• DOE Direct Summary Sheet

• DOE Direct Prototype Budget Sheet

• Administrative Cost Worksheet

• Non-DOE Staff Plan

• Non-DOE Project Staff Salary Report

• Non-DOE Summary Sheet

• Non-DOE Prototype Budget Sheet

• Summary (of both DOE and Non-DOE) Budget Sheet

• Summary (of both DOE and Non-DOE) Staff Plan.

Hard copies of the above components of the SMARTT plan must be submitted in Appendix C.

Applicants are required to provide an auditable matching share of 20% of the total amount of the requested grant award. Currently funded grantees must provide a matching share that is equal to their current matching share (maintenance of effort amount) or 20% of the requested amount, whichever is greater.

• ABE Curriculum Frameworks

• ABE Professional Standards

• Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual

• Class Size Chart

• Countable Outcomes Manual

• Glossary

• Guidelines for Effective Adult Basic Education (Revised 10/2004): [ WORD ] | [ PDF ]

• Indicators of Program Quality

• Needs Points Chart

• SMARTT Program Planning (Elements the SMARTT Plan)

The Letter of Intent to Apply Form must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2004. It should be sent by Certified, Registered, or Return Receipt Requested mail.

Mail to:

Karen McCabe
Adult and Community Learning Services
Massachusetts Department of Education
75 Pleasant Street 4^th Floor
Malden, MA 02148-5023

Proposal
Submission
Instructions:

Due:
Monday,
January 10, 2005

Submit 7 sets of the proposal, with an original signature (in blue ink) of the Superintendent/Executive Director/President on TWO sets.

Proposals are due on Monday, January 10, 2005 by 3:00 p.m.

Mail to:

Charlene Collins, Fiscal Liaison
Adult and Community Learning Services
Massachusetts Department of Education
75 Pleasant Street 4^th Floor
Malden, MA 02148-5023