Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2010

The purpose of this state-funded competitive grant program is the development of Collaborative Partnerships for Student Success to supplement existing school district resources. Created and implemented by the school(s)/district(s) and community partners with student/family involvement, each community's Collaborative Partnership for Student Success (CPSS) is expected to include the following elements:

1. Assist students with the transition into the early high school years and serve as a part of a comprehensive intervention process to help students meet and exceed the Competency Determination standards on their initial taking of the 10^th grade ELA and Mathematics MCAS, and on their initial taking of a high school level Science and Technology/Engineering MCAS;

2. Increase student (and family) awareness on the purposefulness of their high school experience in relation to future opportunities through the development of preliminary career and college plans;

3. Increase school district and community partners' ability to provide school year and summer academic support in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and/or science and technology/engineering to students eligible for these services. See the Fund Use section below for class year eligibility and more details; and

4. Develop a CPSS product (or products) to increase college and career readiness, which may or may not include enhancement of a previous year's CPSS product.

Funding priority will be given to districts and community partnerships that have supporting data showing high percentages of students who have not yet met the Competency Determination required for high school graduation and that can demonstrate that their program will help to close achievement gaps where they exist currently.

Program parameters include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Provide eligible students with small group instruction that addresses identified gaps in their acquisition of knowledge and skills;

2. Offer engaging, innovative, and creative activities and strategies that help prepare students to transition successfully into and succeed throughout high school so that they are ready for higher education and careers. Activities may include Community Service Learning (CSL) projects, work-based learning activities, and theme-based multidisciplinary work that engages students in their learning and educational and career goals, etc.;

3. Serve districts and communities whose students (and/or whose families) have challenging needs including, but not limited to, economic hardship, language literacy issues, and disabilities, and/or whose students are from families with educational and professional backgrounds that result in them being less familiar with and/or having limited understanding of the affect educational decisions have on future economic, career, and educational opportunities;

4. Pilot relevant components of the CPSS in both school year and summer academic support programs; and

5. Partner with other schools and community-based organizations that are invested in student success. NOTE: A partnership with at least one feeder middle school and at least one of the recipient high schools is required if proposing to serve eighth graders during the school year and/or summer.

Entities eligible to apply for funds include:

All public school districts, charter schools, and approved private special education schools and collaboratives -

1. that are serving Massachusetts public school students in the classes of 2012-2014 (grades 8-10 as of September 2009) who scored at the Warning or Needs Improvement categories (levels one or two) on their most recent ELA and/or Mathematics MCAS test(s); and/or

2. that are serving any students in classes of 2012-2014 who scored at the Warning or Failing level on their most recent Science and Technology/Engineering MCAS.

Final grant recipients and award amounts will be based on the quality of the proposed programs and the amount of funds available. Applicants are expected to estimate a reasonable per pupil cost.

All grant recipients will receive a joint Fund Code: 619/592 grant that will cover the planning of the Collaborative Partnerships for Student Success, as well as the associated Academic Support programs. Eligible applicants may submit a Fund Code: 619/592 proposal for up to $50,000 (if in Category A*) or up to $30,000 (if in Category B**) to cover school year and summer costs combined. The specific amount applied for should reflect the scope of services proposed (not necessarily the maximum allowable).

• The school year budget (Fund Code: 619) must be submitted for planning, recruitment activities, and school year services that will take place upon approval through June 30, 2010.

• The summer budget (Fund Code: 592) must be for services and activities that will take place July 1, 2010 - August 31, 2010.

The total of the two budgets (619 and 592) must not exceed the maximum amount noted above.

*CATEGORY A Districts may apply for up to $50,000.

The following school districts are eligible to apply (as the lead applicant) for up to $50,000. This list was created using a formula that incorporated district size as well as the most recently available MCAS scores.

• Boston
• Brockton
• Chelsea
• Chicopee
• Everett
• Fall River
• Fitchburg
• Franklin County Regional Vocational Technical
• Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical
• Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical
• Holyoke
• Lawrence
• Lowell
• Lynn
• New Bedford
• North Adams
• Oxford
• Salem
• Somerville
• South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical
• Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical
• Springfield
• Webster
• Worcester

Total available funds for Category A: approximately $300,000.

**CATEGORY B Districts/Entities may apply for up to $30,000.

All other districts, approved private special education schools, and collaboratives serving eligible students may apply in this category. (See Eligibility section above for more details.)

Total available funds for Category B: approximately $200,000.

1. The majority of funds must be used to extend student learning time as follows:

   1. In English language arts and/or mathematics by expanding successful programs or initiating new direct services for students in the classes of 2012-2014 who scored at the Warning or Needs Improvement categories (levels one or two) on their most recent ELA and/or Mathematics MCAS tests; and/or

   2. In science and technology/engineering for students in classes of 2012-2014 who scored at the Warning or Failing level on their most recent Science and Technology/Engineering MCAS.

   Additionally,

   3. students may be served who are new to the district and have not yet taken the MCAS but whose academic history and assessments indicate that additional support services are needed in order to meet the Competency Determination.

2. No more than 25% of the total amount of funding may be budgeted for supplies, which includes contractual services for licenses related to computer software. This 25% is a percentage of the total amount received through the school year (619) plus the summer (592) budgets; it does not apply to the school year budget or the summer budget independently.

3. No more than 15% of the total amount of funding may be used for program coordination costs (stipends for program coordinator, bookkeeper, secretary, evaluator, etc.). This 15% is a percentage of the total amount received through the school year (619) plus the summer (592) budgets; it does not apply to the school year budget or the summer budget independently.

4. Programs must supplement currently funded local, state, and federal programs at the school, district, or collaborative.

5. Under no circumstances may students be charged a fee to enroll in or attend the Academic Support Programs. This includes refundable registration fees.

If funds are used to provide services to students who do not meet the eligibility requirements of this grant program or to serve significantly fewer students than proposed, the Department may request the return of such funds or withhold an appropriate amount of funds not yet paid.

Fund Code: 619 Upon Approval - 6/30/2010
(for School Year Planning, Recruitment Activities, and Program Services)

Fund Code: 592 7/1/2010 - 8/31/2010
(for Summer Program Services)

All proposals must be received by Friday, January 15, 2010.

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

1.     School Year Activities (Fund Code: 619) Part I - General: Program Unit Signature Page (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

2.     Summer Program (Fund Code: 592) Part I - General: Program Unit Signature Page (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

3.     Part II Workbook - Budget (II-A) and Budget Narrative (II-B)*
   
   (Print and mail with the application all four budget and budget narrative pages. See important opening instructions below.)
   
   Note: A separate set of Budget Detail pages must be submitted for Fund Code: 619 (School Year Activities) and Fund Code: 592 (Summer Program Services).

4.     Part III - Required Program Information

5.     Assurances Document

6.     Schedule C - Statement of Participation and Support (if appropriate)

*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. In cases when applications are scored similarly, consideration will be given to funding high-quality proposals that will serve a range of geographic areas and school types.

3. Narrative Evaluations

   The Evaluation Guidelines must be used in preparing narrative reports addressing the overall effectiveness of the program (due by September 30, 2010). These guidelines will be provided by the Department to all grant recipients and posted to the Fund Code: 619/592 web pages http://www.doe.mass.edu/as/grants/?fc=619.

4. Individual Student Data Information

   Student Data Information is required to be submitted through the Department's Security Portal. Data regarding the school year time period (619) is due by July 30, 2010 and data regarding the summer time period (592) is due by September 30, 2010. Directions      and additional information are posted on the Academic Support data web page: http://www.doe.mass.edu/as/data.

5. Professional Development Sessions

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

6. Scoring Rubric

   Available upon request. (See Contact information above.)

7. Additional Guidance

   General guidance on Academic Support programs (that apply to this 619/592 grant except where obviously not applicable) can be found in the Academic Support Allocation Grant
          General Guidelines and          Vendor Guidelines.

Submit 4 sets, at least one of which is marked clearly as ORIGINAL, with original signatures on the Part I and Assurances documents of the lead applicant's District Superintendent/Executive Director. Hand-deliver (to the first floor receptionist and call x3010 to notify) or mail to: