Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2018

Title II, Part A: Building Systems of Support for Excellent Teaching and Leading
Fund Code: 140

Purpose:	Title II, Part A of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides supplemental resources to school districts to support systems of support for excellent teaching and leading. Title II, Part A is one of four principal programs that are available to districts through formula grants under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the current reauthorization of ESEA. The other programs are Title I, Part A; Title III; and Title IV, Part A.
Priorities:	The priorities of Title II, Part A are to: (1) increase student achievement consistent with challenging State academic standards; (2) improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders; (3) increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools; and (4) provide low-income and minority students equitable access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders. In addition to the above priorities, the Title II, Part A program supports Massachusetts' goals and strategies (listed below) by ensuring that all students in the Commonwealth, especially those subgroups of students who have historically been least well served, will be globally competitive and prepared for the transition after high school. Students will attain ambitious academic/content standards as outlined in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks by participating in an instructional program that well prepares them for the transition after high school, provides support for them as individuals, and ensures equitable access to great teachers and administrators. State Goal, Core Strategies, and ESSA Priorities The goal of Massachusetts' public K-12 education system is to prepare all students for success after high school. Our five core strategies to accelerate the pace of school improvement are: Strengthening standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment Promoting educator development Supporting social-emotional learning, health, and safety Turning around the state's lowest performing districts and schools Enhancing resource allocation and data use Additionally, Massachusetts has identified four priority focus areas under its plan for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act: Early grades literacy Middle grades math High-quality college and career pathways for high school students Supporting historically disadvantaged subgroups of students Curriculum Frameworks Alignment Activities funded under Title II, Part II A must be aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Examples of strategies for ensuring alignment include: High Quality Professional Development (HQPD) about the Curriculum Frameworks, content-specific HQPD on instruction, curriculum mapping, professional networks for curriculum development, or other locally developed activities. In their applications, districts will describe the data sources being used to measure and improve these activities; for example: educator evaluation data, state assessment data, local assessment data, survey data, student behavioral data, learning walks, or other sources of data. Systems of Professional Growth and Improvement ESSA requires that districts describe strategies for implementing systems of professional growth and improvement for educators in the district and how the district will evaluate the effectiveness of those systems. The Massachusetts Induction and Mentoring Survey is required under 603 CMR 7.3 and will be accepted as partial fulfillment of this requirement. Districts submit educator evaluation ratings to assess the effective implementation of the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation Framework (M.G.L. c.69, §1B) and this reporting will be accepted to further meet the ESSA requirement. Closing Achievement Gaps Consistent with the purposes of Title II, Part A, districts should also use Title II, Part A funds to improve results for student groups that have historically struggled to meet proficiency standards, in particular, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, English learners, and students receiving special education services. Potential strategies for closing achievement gaps include: HQPD on inclusive practice, HQPD on evidence-based academic interventions, HQPD on the effects of poverty on learning, HQPD on social and emotional learning and school climate supports, HQPD on supporting English learners, HQPD to support early learning and early educators, so that they are prepared to meet the needs of students through age eight, and other locally designed activities. Title II, Part A funds supplement districts' efforts to provide low-income and minority students' equitable access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders. Evidence-Based Practices ESEA requires states and districts to implement "evidence-based" practices, activities, strategies and interventions with demonstrated evidence of effectiveness. Evidence-based practices refer to interventions for which there is evidence of significant positive impact that can be found in published research papers, literature reviews, or DESE research briefs. Alternately, evidence-based practices can be those local practices that a district or state has previously instituted, measured, and found to be effective.
Eligibility:	Funds are awarded by formula to each school district. Subject to appropriation, 20% of the funds are distributed to districts based on the relative numbers of individuals ages 5 through 17 who reside in the area the district serves (based on the most recent census data); and 80 percent of the funds must be distributed to districts based on the relative numbers of individuals ages 5 through 17 who reside in the area the district serves and who are from families with incomes below the poverty line (based on the most recent Census data). (ESEA section 2102(a)). Grants are awarded to local school districts after state review and approval of application.
Funding Type:	Federal 84.367
Funding:	Title II, Part A allocations will be posted on the Grants Management website when they become available. Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding is to become available it will be distributed under the same guidelines as listed in the initial RFP document.
Fund Use:	A school district may use funds for training, recruiting, and retaining high-quality educators, including teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals. Funds must supplement, and not supplant, non-federal funds that would otherwise be used for activities authorized under this subpart. All expenditures will be closely reviewed as they relate to the priorities of this grant opportunity and according to the degree of educator evaluation implementation that has taken place in the district.
Project Duration:	Upon approval - 6/30/2018 (Year 1)* *The period of availability for this grant award can be extended beyond Year 1 based on utilizing the multi-year feature for this Funding Opportunity in EdGrants. Extended period as follows: 7/1/2018 - 6/30/2019 (Year 2); 7/1/2019 - 9/30/2019 (Year 3).
Program Unit:	Center for Instructional Support
Contact:	TitleIIAGrants@doe.mass.edu
Date Due:	September 30, 2017 Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due.
Required Forms:	FY18 Title II, Part A Application workbook (Note that budget sections of the workbook are optional - budget applications must be entered in EdGrants)    FY18 Title II, Part A Schedule A (if applicable)
Additional Information:	FY18 Title II, Part A District Allocations FY18 Title II, Part A Quick Reference Guide FY18 Title II, Part A Quick Reference Guide on Equitable Services for Private Schools District Induction & Mentoring Contact list
Submission Instructions:	Submit all required grant materials through EdGrants In EdGrants, districts are required to create and name the project. Please use the following naming convention for your "Applicant Project Name" in EdGrants: FY18 140 Title IIA (Applicant Name) In EdGrants, district staff assigned the role of "control user enter the grant budget and attach the FY18 Title II, Part A Application workbook along with a PDF of the Cover Sheet with an original signature of the Superintendent/Executive Director. See Required Forms above for additional forms that may be required from some applicants. For additional submission instructions, see the "Read First" tab of the Title II, Part A Application workbook. For Guidance Documents regarding EdGrants, visit EdGrants: User Guides and Information. Please note: It is up to the district to determine who they want to add as EdGrants Front Office users in order to submit grant application as well as payment request information. Please review the EdGrants: User Security Controls to make informed decisions regarding assigning your district level users.