Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2006

The priorities for the use of Massachusetts Department of Education Adult Basic Education program and staff development funds are to:

1. establish a network of Regional Support Centers prepared to work with and under the guidance and direction of Department staff, as well as with staff from the other Regional Centers, a Central Development and Coordination Center, and Massachusetts adult education programs;

2. provide high quality, results-based program and staff development focused on proven and effective approaches to school/educational program improvement and, in particular, teaching and learning in key content areas that are responsive to Department priorities and to Massachusetts program and practitioner needs as assessed formally;

3. assist Adult Education Centers to implement a data-driven, cyclic continuous improvement process of self-assessment, goal-setting, planning, and evaluation that will assist them to achieve their continuous improvement goals and that will help them to implement action improvement plans that result from monitoring;

4. develop educational and administrative leadership skills among Adult Basic Education Program Directors and increase their understanding of and capacity to implement successfully federal and state requirements;

5. increase the number of programs, teachers, and other Adult Basic Education professionals who participate in high quality professional development;

6. assist Massachusetts Adult Basic Education programs to develop and implement curricula and assessments CLASSed with the standards in the Massachusetts ABE Curriculum Frameworks;

7. promote diversity in adult education program staffing and in the pool of training consultants; and,

8. document outcomes and progress.

The funding available for the Regional Program and Staff Development Centers for ABE programs is approximately $2 million in state (667) and federal (343) grants.

Each Regional Program and Staff Development Center award will be based on core regional functions common to all Centers, the number of funded programs in the region, and the specific scope of work negotiated. Each regional award is estimated to be between $368,500 and $375,500.

Applicants proposing to operate a Regional Program and Staff Development Center are eligible to apply for additional funding to provide either or both of the following Program Service Options: a statewide resource collection and research repository (up to $140,000); and/or an adult learner statewide membership organization (up to $30,000).

1. Personnel

   The combined total of personnel costs, including fringe and indirect costs, may not exceed 80% of the total award.

   Each Regional Center will be required to hire qualified individuals to fill the following positions at a minimum.

   • Regional Support Center Director (1.0 FTE)

   • Regional Field Technology Specialist (A minimum of 0.75 FTE must be allocated to technology-related training, technical assistance, and other support to ABE programs and practitioners.)

   • Regional Curriculum and Assessment Specialist (A minimum of 0.5 FTE must be allocated to assessment-related training, technical assistance, and other support.)

   • Regional Workforce Development/Community Planning Specialist(s) (A minimum of 0.25 FTE must be allocated to coordinating activities designed to assist the field with the integration of workforce development and strategic community planning.)

   Each of the three specialist positions listed above may be combined with other duties to create a full- or part-time position provided the minimum FTEs are provided in each of the defined primary areas.

   Support staff and other positions needed to fulfill the purposes of the grant program are allowable, provided that the combined total of personnel and indirect costs do not exceed 80% percent of the grant total.

2. Flexible Consulting Funds

   Massachusetts' professional development system for Adult Basic Education is intended to build upon state-of-the-art expertise among practitioners and researchers and to support and develop practitioner leadership by using practitioners as trainers, coaches, and facilitators whenever they have a mastery of the content. Accordingly, each Program and Staff Development Center will be required to reserve a minimum of 15% of its total award in flexible consulting funds, the specific allocation of which will be negotiated in the annual work plan development and approval process.

3. Other Non-Personnel Items

   Allowed are other non-personnel items necessary to implement the annual work plan and to document outcomes: (e.g., supplies for training and office operations, including postage; hardware and software; staff in-state and out-of-state travel; printing; telephone and Internet access; memberships and subscriptions; advertising; equipment maintenance; etc.).

   Applicants with a current approved federal indirect cost rate will be required to submit a copy of its current approval letter. Please note that the maximum allowable indirect cost rate that may be charged to this grant is 8% of the subtotal of direct costs. Any entity that does not have a current federal rate may apply to the Massachusetts Department of Education for a maximum 5% indirect cost rate using the attached FY2005 Indirect Cost Rate Application

   All budgets and staffing of the Regional Program and Staff Development Centers are subject to negotiation. Additional details related to grant expectations and fund use will be provided at the Bidders' Conference. Please refer to Requirements of Mass. ABE Program and Staff Development Provider System: [ WORD | PDF ].

Applicants selected for funding will receive state-of-the-art videoconferencing hardware from the Department. The grantee's matching share of program costs shall be adequate ISDN or IP connectivity to enable videoconferencing (minimum 384 KB, 768KB is preferable if connection is IP), as well as the provision of quality, fully accessible space for program operations, and other in-kind institutional support such as administrative and technology support. These must be provided at no cost to the grant. No other match is required of a Program and Staff Development Regional Support Center.

Maintenance of Effort: In each subsequent year of this multi-year grant award period, the program is required to maintain an auditable level of institutional support that is no less than equal in square footage, quality, and value to that provided in its first year.

Appendix A: Organizational Chart requested in Question 2, Section II.A.

Appendix B: Job Descriptions and Resumes requested in Question 1, Section II C.

Appendix C: Three examples requested in Question 1, Section II.B.

Appendix D: Floor Plan requested in Question 4, Section V.

The Massachusetts Department of Education requires that Adult Learning Centers (ALCs) fund certain minimum levels of engagement in program and staff development. Funding is provided to support those requirements. A minimum of 2.5% of each salaried staff person's annual paid hours (or 12 hours/year, whichever is greater) must be allocated to professional development activities. An additional 15 paid hours is required for new direct service staff to complete a New Staff Orientation. Further, Department-funded ALCs must assign and pay staff to conduct program development activities for at least 3.5% of total paid staff hours and they must use a process that integrates program and staff development. Every Department-funded ALC grant includes dedicated funding to pay for the required release time for staff and program development, as well as additional funds to hire substitute teachers. Each Department ALC grant also includes funding to support a Program and Staff Development Facilitator (approximately 6 hours/month) who works to ensure that the program uses a planning process that links program development activities and staff/professional development.

These requirements and the funding that supports them are explained further in the first three documents listed below.

• Requirements of Massachusetts ABE Program and Staff Development Provider System: [ WORD | PDF ]

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

• Fiscal Year 2006 - Fiscal Year 2010 Multi-Year Request For Proposals (RFP) for Adult Basic Education (http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/grants/grants06/rfp/calc.html)

• Definition of Massachusetts ABE Regions: [ WORD | PDF ]

• FY 2005 SABES Workplan ([ WORD | PDF ]), which outlines the full scope of work for the program and staff development provider system for FY2005

• Massachusetts Professional Standards for Adult Basic Education Teachers ABE Professional Standards

• Massachusetts Guidelines for Professional Development Providers (http://www.doe.mass.edu/pd/providers.pdf)

• Massachusetts ABE Curriculum Frameworks

• Massachusetts ABE Indicators of Program Quality

• Massachusetts System for Managing Accountability and Results Through Technology (SMARTT):

  http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/smartt/default/ http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/smartt/planning/userguide_06.doc

• Massachusetts Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual

• Massachusetts ABE Countable Outcomes Manual

• Department of Education Adult and Community Learning Services http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls

• Massachusetts Unified State Plan: www.doe.mass.edu/acls/wiatitleii/default.html

• Grants for Schools: Getting Them and Using Them - A Procedural Manual (http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/Grants/procedure/default.html)

7/1/2005 - 06/30/2006 (State Funds - Fund Code: 667)

9/1/2005 - 08/31/2006 (Federal Funds - Fund Code: 343)

Renewal for up to two additional years is subject to the appropriation of adequate funding and satisfactory performance.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

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

The Letter of Intent to Apply Form must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 5, 2005. It should be sent by Certified, Registered, or Return Receipt Requested mail.

Mail to:

Helen Jones
Adult and Community Learning Services
Massachusetts Department of Education
75 Pleasant Street 4th Floor
Malden, MA 02148-4906

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 for Program and Staff Development Providers: [ WORD | PDF ]

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

7. Applicants who intend to apply for indirect cost coverage must also submit an Indirect Cost Rate Application:

Submit six (6) sets, with an original signature of the Superintendent/Executive Director/President on TWO sets.

Proposals are due Tuesday, February 22, 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 02148-4906

Applicants who deliver proposals in person or by courier should be sure to request a receipt. Mailed proposals should be sent by Certified, Registered, or Return Receipt Requested mail.

All applicants requesting funding to operate a Regional Program and Staff Development Center must limit their response to no more than twenty-five (25) pages, single-spaced with 12-point font.

Applicants requesting funding to provide a statewide resource collection and research repository must limit their description of this service to no more than five additional pages.

Applicants requesting funding to sponsor a statewide adult learner organization must limit their description of this service to no more than three additional pages.Budget narrative, match narrative, and appendices do not count toward the page limit.