Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2006

Priorities are to support state and county jails and correctional facilities that:

• provide a continuum of Adult Basic Education (ABE) instructional and support services. Grantees must offer adult students access to instructional services from basic literacy or beginning English language proficiency through high school level skills;

• provide instructional and support services based on the needs and assets that have been identified as existing within the facility;

• provide high quality services that are effective in assisting adults to think critically and achieve their goals within the facility and upon release as family members, workers, community members, and life-long learners;

• enable adults to succeed in post-secondary education;

• serve the students most in need of literacy and English communication skills;

• integrate ABE instructional services with other workforce development services and outside educational facilities; and

• implement highly effective teaching methods based on research and evidence based practice.

Funds may be used for ABE instructional services, including Adult Basic Education/ literacy, pre-adult secondary education, adult secondary education, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), pre-literacy ESOL, and Adult Diploma classes that are designed in accordance with the Guidelines for Effective ABE and the ABE Rates System. Eligible students are individuals 16 years of age or older who: are not enrolled in a secondary school; have the capacity to acquire basic reading and writing skills; lack the level of reading, writing, and/or numeracy skills expected of a high school graduate (even if they possess a high school diploma); and/or are limited English proficient.

Applicants proposing to operate programs providing ABE for incarcerated adults may also apply for the following non-rate based classed: supplemental non-rate based classes (e.g., writing, computer literacy, health, citizenship); and the stand alone non-rate based classes (GED in a content area and drop-in learning centers).

Applicants proposing to operate programs providing ABE for incarcerated adults may also apply for Participatory Health Education (Program Service Option 2). Note: Refer to the Guidelines for Effective ABE for additional information.

A limited amount of available funds will be set aside for the following.

Student Leadership - Programs may request set aside funds for projects and/or activities that create opportunities for student participation in one or more of the following areas: planning; evaluation; governance; curriculum development; mentoring; outreach; and public relations; etc. Programs that incorporate specific leadership training for students and/or health education will be given priority for student leadership set aside funding. Requests should not exceed $2,000.

Education Reintegration Counselors - Programs may request set aside funds for a .5 F.T.E. Education Reintegration Counselor. A limited number of programs will be selected to receive funding for this pilot.

Community Planning - Correctional applicants will be allocated $1,500 of Foundation Funding to enable their education counselor (or another fulfilling this role) to participate in Community Planning.

7/1/2005 - 6/30/2006 (State-funded - Fund Code: 563)

9/1/2005 - 8/31/2006 (Federally-funded - Fund Code: 285)

Monday, January 10, 2005

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

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: [ WORD | PDF ]

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

• See Table 2 for instructions and requirements: [ WORD | PDF ]

All applicants must submit a program design that is consistent with the Guidelines for Effective ABE and the ABE Rates System. All applicants must complete and submit the following required components of the Department of Education's web-based planning and reporting system, the System for Managing Accountability and Results Through Technology (SMARTT) system. (See Additional Information.)

Elements of the SMARTT Plan:

• Class plan

• Class Funding Detail Sheet

• Flex/Set Aside/ Foundation Sheet

• DOE Direct Staff Plan

• DOE Direct Staff Salary Analysis

• DOE Direct Project Staff Salary Report

• DOE Direct Summary Sheet

• DOE Direct Prototype Budget Sheet

• Administrative Cost Worksheet

• Non-DOE Staff Plan

• Non-DOE Project Staff Salary Report

• Non-DOE Summary Sheet

• Non-DOE Prototype Budget Sheet

• Summary (of both DOE and Non-DOE) Budget Sheet

• Summary (of both DOE and Non-DOE) Staff Plan.

Hard copies of the above components of the SMARTT plan must be submitted in Appendix C.

Applicants are required to provide an auditable matching share of 20% of the total amount of the requested grant award. Currently funded grantees must provide a matching share that is equal to their current matching share (maintenance of effort amount) or 20% of the requested amount, whichever is greater.

• ABE Curriculum Frameworks

• ABE Professional Standards

• Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual

• Class Size Chart

• Countable Outcomes Manual

• Glossary

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

• Indicators of Program Quality

• Needs Points Chart

• SMARTT Program Planning (Elements the SMARTT Plan)

The Letter of Intent to Apply Form must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2004. It should be sent by Certified, Registered, or Return Receipt Requested mail.

Mail to:

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

Proposal
Submission
Instructions:

Due:
Monday,
January 10, 2005

Submit 7 sets of the proposal, with an original signature (in blue ink) of the Superintendent/Executive Director/President on TWO sets.

Proposals are due on Monday, January 10, 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