Guidelines for Writing Proposals For Comprehensive System of Personnel Development Projects
Submit to: Nebraska Department of Education Equity & Instructional Strategies 301 Centennial Mall South P.O. Box 94987 Lincoln, NE 68509-4987 ATTN: Alice Senseney
Proposal (Form NDE 09-028) *Awards contingent upon availability of Federal Funds to NDE
Due October 15, 2009 Late Applications will not be considered
TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Background A. Purpose B. Overview of Funding Categories II. Proposal Guidelines A. Unique Proposal Content 1. Job-Embedded System of Professional Development (Study Groups/Learning Communities) 2. Instructional Strategies for Equity B. Project Quality Components 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Letter of Intent - NDE 09-028 Certification regarding lobbying, debarment, etc. - NDE 06-067 Prior CSPD funding summary (if applicable) Table of Contents for proposal Narrative a. Needs Statement – Data, documentation and processes to identify and support need b. Plan of Operation - Objectives - Activities - Timeline - Evaluation c. Budget d. High Quality Professional Development e. Project Scope
C. Dissemination/Evaluation Requirements D. Submission Requirements III. Review and Selection Criteria A. How the Proposals will be Rated B. Review Process/Specific Guidelines
Enclosures:
Letter of Intent - NDE 09-028-required Certification regarding lobbying, NDE 06-067-required Prior CSPD funding summary-required for agencies with CSPD projects in 2008-2009 Plan of Operation sample format Budget sample format Screening checklist Project Rating Sheet
Must be in Equity & Instructional Strategies Office by 5:00 p.m. October 15, 2009
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Background A. Purpose The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), Special Populations and School Improvement/Equity & Instructional Strategies teams through the Special Education Advisory Council’s Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) Committee is issuing the enclosed Request for Proposals (RFPs) to meet staff training priorities identified in the area of personnel development in special education, related services personnel, and regular educators serving special education students and their non-disabled peers in inclusive settings. Successful proposals will focus on improving educational results for Nebraska students with disabilities receiving a free appropriate public education (upon diagnosis to age 21) and their non-disabled peers through the provision of knowledgeable and skillful staff in inclusive settings. B. Overview of Funding Categories IMPORTANT: The CSPD Committee lists 2 training priorities in the area of personnel development in special education, regular education and related services aimed at improving educational results for Nebraska's students. Ideally projects will improve instructional practice for all educators in a school system; however, to be eligible for funding professional development must be designed to include special education personnel and/or impact students with a disability. The CSPD Committee solicited personnel development training needs from a variety of sources. During the committee’s spring meeting, these needs were reviewed and combined into two special education priorities. There are two specific training content priorities (#1 and 2). Professional Training Priorities* 1. Job-Embedded Systems of Professional Development (Study Groups/Learning Communities) 2. Instructional Strategies for Equity Because other resources are available, CSPD funding is not allocated for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Positive Behavior Support Systems, or Response to Intervention projects. If your primary training need is specifically related to: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Positive Behavior Support Systems, Response to Intervention, please contact the respective NDE staff to access training resources. (Autism Spectrum Disorders Network, Teresa Coonts, 402-595-1810, teresa.coonts@nebraska.gov, Traumatic Brain Injury or Response to Intervention, Rose Dymacek, 402471-6695, rose.dymacek@nebraska.gov or Positive Behavior Support Systems, Jolene Palmer, 402-4712944, jolene.palmer@nebraska.gov). Each training priority has specific criteria, which the proposal must address (see section II A). Projects may not exceed $9,500. Responsive projects will be ranked by reader rating score and funded from high to low as funding permits. * FUNDING OF PROJECTS WILL BE CONTINGENT UPON AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL FUNDING TO NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (NDE).
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Proposal Guidelines The first section (A) describes project components with content unique to each proposal. The second section (B) describes project quality components required of all proposals. A. Unique Proposal Content 1. Job-Embedded Systems of Professional Development (Study Groups/Learning Communities) Proposals are sought that facilitate ongoing, job-embedded professional development designed to create a school-wide community of educators, build their instructional capacity, and encourage collaborative problem-solving at the school/district level. These projects would involve general and special educators working to improve outcomes for all students including those with disabilities in inclusive settings. These projects will result in the establishment of collaborative professional development teams based on models such as Carlene Murphy's Whole-Faculty Study Groups or Professional Learning Communities. Proposals must detail group membership, ongoing collaborative work schedule and use of CSPD funds to support job-embedded professional learning to use data and decrease achievement gaps. Additional information is available at www.nde.state.ne.us/WFSG, www.murphyswfsg.org, http://www.allthingsplc.info/, www.sedl.org/change/issues/issues61.html, or http://go.solution-tree.com/plc/. 2. Instructional Strategies for Equity School populations in Nebraska are increasingly represented with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, challenging educators to seek more effective instructional strategies. Projects in this category must provide staff development to help educators provide culturally responsive educational experiences for diverse students. Proposals must detail how the project will use local data to guide professional learning and close the identified achievement gap. Resources may be found at: www.nde.state.ne.us/ciptoolkit/equitydiversity/index.html, http://www.meac.org/, http://www.nsrfharmony.org/protocol/equity.html, and http://www.nea.org/teachexperience/careguide.html. B. Project Quality Components Before narrative include: 1. Letter of Intent - for P.L. State Discretionary Project - NDE 09-028 (this will serve as cover sheet) 2. Certification regarding lobbying, debarment, suspension and other responsibility matters NDE 06-067 Prior CSPD funded project summary (if applicable) Only those applicants who received CSPD funds for a project the previous year (2008-2009) need to complete this summary (see attached format). In addition, the final project report for 20082009 must be submitted to NDE prior to considering a grant in the following year. 4. Table of Contents for proposal Indicate page numbers and any attachments. Readers are not expected to fully read lengthy attachments. Do not include attachments in lieu of describing important information succinctly in proposal narrative. 5. Narrative Format (not to exceed 10 double spaced pages) is organized to follow the sequence of components in the review and selection criteria (see page 6). Narrative includes the following: • Clear needs statement documenting data and collaborative improvement process utilized to determine priority training need (achievement gap) • Plan of Operation including objective, activities, timeline and evaluation Page 3
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Budget demonstrating sufficient resources and commitment High Quality Professional Development specifying leadership development, research based content, and time devoted to professional learning Project Scope focusing on impacting instruction, using a systems approach and effective staff development design. Optional Bonus Points for evidence of participating in CSPD capacity-building activities.
The CSPD Committee prefers projects which use: • Local data to identify, address, and decrease achievement gaps through professional learning and supporting local school improvement efforts. • A collaborative approach involving teams of principals, regular education teachers, special education teachers, support staff, administrators, and parents. Projects without parental involvement will be considered less responsive. • An evaluation process to document impact (change in practice) as well as improved student outcomes. In other words, educators who participate in professional development projects should implement desired instructional practices as a result of the training. • Projects bringing opportunities into the state rather than utilizing resources for a few individuals in out-of-state locations. • Resources to assist in distributing CSPD efforts in districts across Nebraska rather than a small geographic area or single entity. • Principals of high quality professional development as specified by National Staff Development Council Standards (www.nsdc.org). a. Needs Statement - The learning need is clearly stated and supported by student performance data specific to project scope. - Specific evidence assists in making decisions for improving instructional practice - Needs statement has been developed by ongoing collaborative improvement processes (www.nde.state.ne.us/CIP toolkit) Plan of Operation - Objectives meet specified need and are measurable. - Activities clearly describe how objective(s) will be attained. - Timeline (sample format provided in the attachments) is detailed, realistic and includes CSPD reporting requirements and evaluation activities. - The evaluation plan clearly documents completion of activities, impact on instructional practice and improved student outcomes. Budget - Costs are justified by item and sufficient resources (staff, funds and time) are focused to meet objectives for all objectives/activities. - In-kind contributions and utilization of other funding sources are clearly described with specific allocations and demonstrate a meaningful commitment and focus on desired outcomes. The CSPD Committee will not fund proposals to support annual conferences of existing organizations or college credit courses. Purchase of equipment and out-of-state travel are not allowed. CSPD resources are not intended to be used to generate revenue through collection of participation fees. Applicants are urged to explore reallocation of existing resources to focus on 1-3 high priority professional learning targets in order to enhance impact on practice and student outcomes. Projects are encouraged to utilize other funding sources (state or federal grants) as allowed, to increase the impact of CSPD efforts. Proposals indicating coordination of various funding sources in the budget will be considered more responsive. Proposal documentation should clearly specify how funding sources are allocated to enhance project impact and not duplicate effort (sample budget format provided in the attachments). d. High Quality Professional Development Page 4
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Projects should be designed to develop the leadership capacity of many educators in the district, utilize educational practices supported by research appropriate to the local education agency, and devote sufficient professional learning time to ensure impact on instructional practice and student outcomes. e. Project Scope Explains how the program will affect teaching practices and student achievement for students with disabilities. - Describes a systems approach impacting teams of special educators, regular educators, administrators and parents. - The staff development delivery design is aligned with best practices (www.nsdc.org). - High feasibility of accomplishing objectives and budgeted activities as proposed Optional Bonus Points The CSPD Committee has provided many capacity building activities during the 2008-2009 school year including grant projects, the Annual Excellence in Education Conference, Making Sense of Data Workshops and CSPD Grant Writing Technical Assistance Workshops. These activities have been focused upon assisting Local Education Agencies in developing the capacity to improve their professional development practices. Districts and schools have been encouraged to participate as teams to practice collaborative planning processes, increase their knowledge of high quality professional development practices, and learn how to use data to shape effective professional learning opportunities addressing student achievement gaps. Agencies participating as teams in CSPD opportunities have demonstrated their commitment to improvement by investing valuable resources toward improving professional development. The CSPD Committee is providing bonus points to proposals describing development of their local professional development practices through participation in CSPD activities for continued progress. C. Dissemination/Evaluation Requirements Timeline included in Plan of Operation Chart should indicate dissemination activities. The project year is from November 15, 2009 to September 30, 2010. While project efforts may be related to other training efforts, key budgeted training and evaluation activities should occur during grant life. The Project Director(s) listed on form 09-028 Letter of Intent (no substitutes) is expected to be available as follows: • February 5, 2010 – overview at CSPD meeting • April 21-22, 2010 – Excellence in Education Conference The Project Directors listed on form 09-028 Letter of Intent (no substitutes) will provide the CSPD Committee with a project OVERVIEW at the Committee's February 5, 2010 meeting. Describe your project's objectives, activities and expected results; include approved changes to your original application. Committee handouts should be limited to two pages and submitted to Sherri Landis by January 27, 2010. Copies of this project summary will be distributed to members prior to the meeting. The Project Director is also expected to participate in the Annual Excellence in Education Conference (April 21-22, 2010) and submit a session proposal to disseminate information on project and impact. Conference participation is an allowable budget expenditure. In addition, the Project Director will provide final written progress and budget reports to the CSPD Committee no later than October 16, 2010. Finally, projects will provide publicity for the CSPD website training calendar which includes topics, dates of training activities, locations and additional contact information. -
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES Page 5
Submit publicity for CSPD Training Calendar ................................................................. December 1, 2009 Submit Training Calendar/Report .......................................................................................January 27 2010 Project Director reports at CSPD meeting......................................................................... February 5, 2010 Submit Progress/Budget Report............................................................................................... April 9, 2010 Submit Final Report...........................................................................................................October 16, 2010 Projects must cite NDE/CSPD as the supporting agency in all written materials and all dissemination activities. The dissemination requirements are mandatory and a condition for approval. Project objectives, activities, and expenditures may not be changed without prior NDE approval. The CSPD Committee encourages projects to consider utilizing technology and distance learning capabilities where possible to maximize resources and increase training follow-up, coaching and networking. Please contact local or Educational Service Unit staff for additional information. D. Submission Requirements 1. Five (5) complete copies of the proposal and support documentation must be received by 5:00 p.m. CST on October 15, 2009 at: Nebraska Department of Education ATTN: Alice Senseney 301 Centennial Mall South P.O. Box 94987 Lincoln, NE 68509-4987 FAX or E-mail Proposals WILL NOT be accepted. Do not submit project proposal components separately. Submit complete set of application materials as described (II,B,I.). All questions regarding this application should be directed to Alice Senseney at (402) 471-2775 or E-mail: alice.senseney@nebraska.gov.
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Review and Selection Criteria A. How Proposal will be Rated Proposals will be rated through the use of the CSPD Project Rating Sheet. (See Attachments) B. Review Process/Specific Guidelines 1. Upon receipt of a proposal, NDE staff will inventory the proposal using the screening checklist. The CSPD Committee suggests utilizing the checklist as a tool to check component inclusion before forwarding the proposal to NDE. (See Attachments) LATE, FAXED, OR E-MAILED PROPOSALS HAVE NO RECOURSE AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING. INCOMPLETE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING. 2. Projects requesting funds beyond the specified budget range of $9,500 will be considered nonresponsive to the RFP. Equipment purchase/lease is not an allowable expenditure. Also, meals, lodging, etc. must follow the guidelines of the applicant agency. The Committee prefers projects, which bring training opportunities into the state rather than utilizing resources for a few individuals in out-of-state locations. Projects that do not include a parent component will be considered less responsive. Page 6
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The CSPD Committee will not fund proposals to support annual conferences of existing organizations or college credit courses. Purchase of equipment and out-of-state travel are not allowed. CSPD resources are not intended to be used to generate revenue through collection of participation fees The CSPD Committee allows the use of funds for stipends or substitutes to encourage jobembedded professional development activities. Proposals are limited to one per Project Director per priority area. Approval of a project may not be contingent upon funding of an additional project in another category. External evaluators will review each proposal and award point totals. Proposals with fewer than 70 points will be considered unresponsive. External evaluators will rank order responsive proposals in order of highest quality to lowest quality. Proposal point totals and rank will be summarized by an external evaluator and findings will be presented to the Nebraska Comprehensive System of Personnel Development Committee. The Nebraska Comprehensive System of Personnel Development Committee will review the findings and make funding recommendations.
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The results of the proposal ranking will be reviewed by the Department prior to selection of projects. Multiple projects may be selected for each RFP priority area based on CSPD prioritization of responsive proposals, funding requested and the availability of funds. ALL AWARDS WILL BE CONTINGENT UPON AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO NDE.
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