Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2006

School Redesign: Expanding Learning Time to Support Student Success - Planning and Early Implementation state grants are intended to support a district's effort to redesign schools to have longer school days and/or years. The grants provide resources for districts to plan the innovative redesign of selected schools that will offer challenging, research-based, and varied learning experiences focused on raising student achievement.

Districts will plan to expand the hours and/or days of operation in schools by at least 30% over current schedules for their entire school populations. The increased time is intended to:

• provide more instructional opportunities in mathematics, literacy, science and other core subjects to support student achievement;

• integrate enrichment opportunities into student learning; and

• provide educators with increased opportunities to plan and to participate in professional development.

The Planning and Early Implementation Grants provide districts with the funds to engage in the analysis and planning needed to develop Implementation Plans for redesigned schools with expanded learning time to better meet student, school, and district goals. Successful districts will consider how they would redesign the school day and year around a comprehensive educational program. Redesign will likely include changes to student assignment and schedules, teacher schedules, staffing, instruction, curricula, transportation, as well as, coordination with partner organizations in order to capitalize upon an expanded school schedule.

Planning and Early Implementation Grant Application Process

• Through an analysis of district and school student performance data, and needs and objectives identified in district and school improvement plans, establish a vision and rationale for expanding time in identified schools.

• To enable districts to explore the feasibility of school redesign by assessing need, interest, readiness and capacity of schools to increase the school schedule by at least 30%.

• To engage in preparing a preliminary design of expanded learning time that offers additional instructional and integrated enrichment opportunities as well as increased opportunities for teachers to plan and receive training.

• To support the initial outreach to district partners, including but not limited to, collective bargaining units, community-based organizations, and universities and colleges, to collaborate on the design and implementation of the expanded learning time initiative.

• development of a detailed action plan for September 2006 startup of redesigned expanded learning time school(s);

• engagement of school and community partners in a comprehensive and collaborative planning process to garner the needed investment, commitment, participation and coordination for the implementation of expanded learning time school(s);

• establishment of clear measures and procedures for assessing the effectiveness and monitoring the progress of the expanded learning time school initiative; and

• development of a comprehensive budget for the expanded learning time school initiative that includes funding commitments from the district and partners.

All districts are eligible to apply, but not less than 75% of the grants will go to districts with 25% or more students eligible for free or reduced price meals.

Preference will be given to:

• districts that have high percentages of students performing in the failing/warning or needs improvement performance categories on the MCAS; and/or high poverty rates;

• districts with plans that have the greatest potential for district-wide impact; and

• districts that plan to partner with community-based organizations or institutions of higher education.

$425,000 is available for Planning and Early Implementation Grants.

A minimum of $25,000 will be awarded to each grantee.

Friday, September 30, 2005 (All applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. at 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148.)

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

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

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

• Part III - Required Program Information (Parts 1- 3): [ WORD | PDF ]

• Data Profile(s) for each school (Attachment A): [ WORD | PDF ]

• Current School Improvement Plan(s) for each selected school. (Only 1 copy)

• Letters of support for the planning process from school committee(s), all collective bargaining units that may be involved in the implementation, and any external partners (community-based organizations, higher education institutions, etc.)

Submit 3 sets, each with an original signature of the Superintendent/Executive Director. Mail to:

Diane Beck
School and District Improvement Planning
Massachusetts Department of Education
75 Pleasant Street
Malden, MA 02148-4906