Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2010

Program Requirements

1. Proposed programs must serve only students in the Classes of 2003-2011 who have not yet passed the 10^th grade MCAS tests or retests in English language arts and/or mathematics. Programs do not have to serve students at every class level. Programs may serve students who have yet to meet their Competency Determination in science and technology/ engineering by integrating science into mathematics and ELA instruction.

2. Preference should be given to students who must make significant progress in order to meet state graduation requirements, including students with limited English proficiency, students with disabilities, and students from the Classes of 2003-2009 (those who have completed 12th grade without obtaining their Competency Determination).

3. Proposed programs must provide identified students with a significant number of service hours in order to provide effective and intensive small-group, engaging instruction and/or one-on-one tutoring that address identified gaps in their acquisition of knowledge and skills in the learning standards of the English Language Arts and/or Mathematics Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Programs may address students' learning gaps in the learning standards of the Science and Technology/Engineering Frameworks.

4. Proposed programs must include an effective model of a transition program to encourage students to seek postsecondary study or a career, including a plan for career and college readiness.

5. Proposed programs should provide emphasis on academic content as well as the skills necessary to be successful in post-secondary education and careers.

6. Proposed programs must use innovative, research-based practices and supports designed to engage and instruct identified students.

Funding Priority

1. Funding priority will be given to applicants that collaborate with One Stop Career Centers, work and learning programs, local businesses, departments/offices within a college such as enrollment services, admissions and other internal college organizations and programming, community-based organizations, and high schools. Institutions should articulate clearly their relationships with One Stop Career Centers in Addendum A.

2. Funding priority will be given to applicants that broker or provide internships, community service learning, working and learning opportunities, and provide comprehensive programs to encourage college and career readiness.

3. Priority will be given to institutions serving students from districts with higher percentages of students from the Classes of 2003-2011 who have not yet earned their Competency Determination.

4. Priority and requested funding levels will be given to institutions or partnerships that have successfully recruited, retained, and served students with a significant number of instructional hours in past programs, as evidenced by data and narrative evaluations submitted previously to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department).

5. Priority will be given to institutions that incorporate aspects of the 21^st Century Skills initiative, build connections to post-secondary opportunities in education and the workforce, and use the Department's Contextual Learning Portal.

Applicants may request up to $36,000 for School Year programs (Fund Code: 598) and up to $16,000 for Summer programs (Fund Code: 593). Programs using the Enhancement option (Addendum B) may apply for an additional $5,000.

Applicants may submit proposals for School Year and/or Summer programs.

Subject to state budget appropriation, final grant awards will be based on the quality of proposed programs, the number of students served, the need in particular service areas, cost-effectiveness, and experience with and outcomes achieved in previous Academic Support Programs. Funds requested and budget detail pages must relate clearly to program activities.

Funds may be used for:

1. salaries for qualified teachers of English language arts, mathematics, and/or science and technology/engineering;

2. stipends to support direct services, planning, and program coordination (a maximum of 20% of the total budget may be used for the sum of administrative, management, and indirect costs);

3. consultant and contract fees to provide program-related professional development or costs for supplementary tutoring/mentoring programs or services;

4. program supplies, not to exceed 15% of the total budget;

5. contractual services, not to exceed 20% of the total budget for licenses related to computer software;

6. incentives for students that remove barriers for participation (not to include stipends for students);

7. necessary student transportation; and

8. counseling programs and services to educate parents and high school students on college and career readiness and post-twelfth grade remediation options.

NOTE: Funds used to provide services to students who do not meet the eligibility requirements of this grant constitute grounds for a request of return of funds for those students. Additionally, those applicants enrolling significantly fewer students than proposed may be requested to return unused funds for redistribution.

School Year Program (598) Upon Approval - 6/30/2010

Summer Program (593) 7/1/2010 - 8/31/2010

Friday, June 5, 2009 for Fund Code: 598 (School Year) proposals.

Thursday, January 21, 2010 for Fund Code: 593 (Summer) proposals.

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

To apply for funding, submit a grant application that includes all of the required elements.

1.      Part I: Fund Code: 598 for School Year Programs - Program Unit Signature Page
   (Part I - General: Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

   Required to be submitted with all School Year program applications.

2.      Part I: Fund Code: 593 for Summer Programs - Program Unit Signature Page
   (Part I - General: Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

   Required to be submitted with all Summer program applications.

3.      Part II Workbook - Budget (II-A) and Budget Narrative (II-B)

   Required to be submitted with all applications. Print and mail with the application all four (4) budget and budget narrative pages. See important opening instructions below.*

4.     Part III - Required Program Information - Application for Academic Support and College Transition Services for Students from the Classes of 2003-2010.

   Required to be submitted with all applications.

5.     Addendum A - Pathways Initiative FY2010 Collaboration Agreement Between Higher Education Institutions, One Stop Career Centers, and other Partners

   Required to be submitted with all applications.

6.     Addendum B - Project-Based Enhancement Opportunity

   Required to be submitted with all applications (even if selecting "NO").

*NOTE: The Budget and Budget Narrative Workbook is a Microsoft Excel file which includes macros that enable the workbook to compute totals and summary tables.

1. For Microsoft Office 2000/2003, you may need to change the security setting in Excel before opening the file. In Excel, click 'Tools', 'Macro', and then 'Security'. When the dialog box appears, change the security setting to 'Medium' and then click 'OK'. You can now open the budget file.

2. For Microsoft Office 2007, you must save the workbook as an earlier version of Excel (.xls not .xlsx).

1. Budget Detail - Description of Line Item Information

2. Narrative Evaluations

   Funded programs are required to submit a narrative report on the overall effectiveness of the program, using the Department's Narrative Evaluation Guidelines, which will be provided to all grant recipients and posted to the Fund Code: 598/593 website http://www.doe.mass.edu/as/grants/?fc=598. Reports are due July 30, 2010, for School Year programs and September 30, 2010, for Summer programs.

3. Required Student Data Submissions

   Individual Student Data Information is required to be submitted through the Department's Security Portal. Details and dates will be provided to all grant recipients and will be posted to the Academic Support Data Collection website http://www.doe.mass.edu/as/data/. Grants will NOT be awarded to programs that have not submitted their FY2008 data and narrative evaluations.

4. Professional Development/Technical Assistance Sessions

   Grantees are expected to have personnel (coordinators, data entry staff, instructors, etc.) attend appropriate Academic Support professional development workshop and data training sessions. We welcome your input and feedback on the workshops. A schedule of sessions will be sent to grantees and posted on the Department's Academic Support website (http://www.doe.mass.edu/as/pd/).

5. Scoring Rubrics

   Available upon request. (See Contact information above.)

Submit three (3) sets of all required information. (See Required Forms.) Each set should have an original signature of the College President/Executive Director.

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