Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2008

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

1. support 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 aligned with the standards in the Massachusetts Adult Basic Education 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 $1.8 million in state (667) and federal (343) grants. An additional $140,000 is available to support a statewide Adult Basic Education Research and Resource Collection.

Each Regional Program and Staff Development Center award will be based on core regional functions common to all Centers and the specific scope of work negotiated. Each regional award is estimated to be between $360,000 and $400,000. Grantees should plan on level funding but be prepared to adjust their budget according to responsibilities assigned in the approved FY2008 work plan.

he grantee with the additional responsibility of providing a statewide Adult Basic Education Research and Resource Collection is eligible for additional funding over the core regional center grant.

A. Personnel

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

1. Regional Support Center Director (1.0 FTE)

2. Regional Field Technology Specialist (A minimum FTE equal to FY2007 distributions must be allocated to technology-related training, technical assistance, and other support to ABE programs and practitioners. This is 0.5 FTE in Southeastern Massachusetts and 1.0 FTE in each of the other four regions.)

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

4. 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 part-time specialist positions listed above may be combined with other duties to create a full- or part-time position as long as 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 personnel costs do not exceed the limits described below.

The combined total of personnel costs, including fringe and indirect costs, may not exceed 85% of the total core Regional Program and Staff Development Center award. Costs related to the statewide Adult Basic Education Research and Resource Collection are exempt from this requirement and do not count toward the cap.

B. Flexible Consulting Funds

The 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 when they have mastery of the content. Accordingly, each Program and Staff Development Center will be required to reserve a minimum of 11% of its total core Regional Program and Staff Development Center award in flexible consulting funds, the specific allocation of which will be negotiated in the annual work plan development and approval process. Costs related to the Adult Basic Education Research and Resource Collection are not considered in the total award for calculating the 11% flexible consulting requirement.

C. 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 their 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 Department's FY2008 Indirect Cost Rate Application.

All budgets and staffing of the Regional Program and Staff Development Centers are subject to negotiation.

Fund Code 667: 7/1/2007 - 6/30/2008 - Continuation

Fund Code 343: 9/1/2007 - 8/31/2008 - Continuation

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due.

Submit three (3) sets, each with an original signature of the Superintendent/ Executive Director in blue ink. Mail to:

Charlene Collins, Fiscal Liaison
Adult and Community Learning Services
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148-5023