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Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2018

Expanding Access Project
Fund Code: 402

Purpose: The purpose of this federally funded competitive Perkins Expanding Access Projects Grant is to support the mission of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to prepare all students for success after high school.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is committed to ensuring all students have equal educational opportunities to career development education. The Office for College, Career, and Technical Education implements the Carl D. Perkins Career & Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006, which provides for the support of career development education programs and services for all students, including students who are members of special populations.

Perkins IV goals align with the goals of the Office for College, Career and Technical Education, and is committed to providing career awareness, and whose vision is to raise awareness within the education and greater community to ensure equitable access for all students to participate in career/vocational technical education programs and career development education.

The Office for College, Career and Technical Education's goals to support career development education for all include:

  1. Coordinate and promote the pursuit of equitable access to career/vocational technical education across districts, two-year state colleges, and individual secondary/postsecondary career and technical education programs.

  2. Collaborate with other DESE offices, business/industry (PACs/GACs), students, parents/guardians, community colleges, and other stakeholders in ensuring equitable access to career/vocational technical programs in Massachusetts.

This project supports the vision of the Office for College, Career and Technical Education through the development and implementation of four major projects, which include the following:
  1. Creation of a Chapter 74 statewide Exploratory Framework.
  2. Creation of Chapter 74 vocational technical education framework for Aviation Maintenance Technology.
  3. Creation of a written vocational technical teacher test for Aviation Maintenance Technology.
  4. Chapter 74 Linkages
Priorities: This grant requires the creation of a lead agency and partnership administrator, and up to four partnerships, with districts and/or a community college. The school district(s) in the partnership must have a Chapter 74 state-approved vocational technical education Exploratory Program. One school district in the partnership must be designated as the lead agency. The lead agency must designate an individual to be the partnership administrator.

The partnership administrator may assign a project administrator to oversee all work, and up to eight (8) project managers/co-managers to oversee the development of each project. The partnership administrator, project administrator, and project managers will work in consultation with the Office for College, Career and Technical Education.

The membership of all project teams will be selected by the partnership administrator, and/or project administrator, in consultation with the Office for College, Career and Technical Education. The membership of each team will contain representatives as identified in the descriptive requirements for each project outlined below.

Project One: Creation of a Chapter 74 Exploratory Framework
The purpose of the Chapter 74 Exploratory Framework Project is to create a vocational technical education framework for Chapter 74 state-approved exploratory programs. The Exploratory Framework will be based on the Vocational Technical Education Regulations 603 CMR 4.03(4)(e) and focus on;
  1. Current statewide college and career readiness initiatives
  2. Equitable access to all career/vocational technical programs, for all students
  3. Student personal and physical safety
  4. Exposure to and understanding of all aspects of industry for students
  5. Incorporate the MA Model for Career Development Education, along with Benchmarks and Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MASCA) state and national standards, as determined appropriate by the team.
The Vocational Exploratory Framework will be of sufficient size, scope, and quality to effectively deliver a Chapter 74 vocational exploratory program in accordance with MGL Chapter 74 standards, the Vocational Technical Education Regulations 603 CMR 4.0, and the associated Vocational Guidelines for Vocational Education Exploratory Programs, and the federal Vocational Guidelines for the Elimination of Discrimination and Denial of Services Based on Race, Color, Sex, National Origin and Disability.

The Vocational Technical Exploratory Framework team will align the framework with national and/or state third party credentials and/or licensure, as appropriate. The team will identify current best practices and allow for replication of the framework for Chapter 74 exploratory models across the state. The framework will be written in the format of the six strands in the Massachusetts Vocational Technical Education Framework.

The Chapter 74 Exploratory Framework team will create a plan to ensure the new draft framework is vetted by the vocational technical education community and appropriate stakeholders during the 2017 - 2018 school year. Additionally, during the 2017-2018 school year, the team will provide for the roll-out of the new Chapter 74 Exploratory Framework and any necessary technical assistance for statewide implementation. Therefore, the Exploratory Framework Team members will be available to deliver the framework to the field in collaboration with the Office for College, Career and Technical Education, as necessary, with technical assistance sessions during the 2017-2018 school year. Required Team Composition: Discussed below.

Project Two: Creation of Chapter 74 Vocational Technical Education Framework for Aviation Maintenance Technology.
In accordance with Perkins IV, this project supports the creation of a new Vocational Technical Education (VTE) Framework, for an emerging occupational career in high skills, high wage or a high demand occupation, and includes the integration of coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and technical knowledge and skills.

Project Two will consist of a VTE Framework Team titled - Aviation Maintenance Technology Framework Team. The Aviation Maintenance Technology Framework Team will develop a new vocational technical education framework for the Aviation Maintenance Technology Program.

The team will create the applicable Vocational Technical Framework based on the program's alignment with the occupational areas national and/or state licensure requirements, and third-party credentials, as appropriate. The Aviation Maintenance Technology standards must be aligned to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certification 147.

This project includes the review of Massachusetts' eleven (11) Career Clusters, to ensure the proper placement of the Aviation Maintenance Technology Program within Massachusetts' clusters, to determine appropriate cluster placement and/or the expansion of Massachusetts Career Clusters, in accordance with MGL Chapter 74, section 1, and the vocational technical education regulations 603 CMR 4.0. The Vocational Technical Teacher Testing Program will serve in an advisory capacity/consultant(s) in the development of the Aviation Maintenance Technology Vocational Technical Framework. Required Team Composition: Discussed below.

Project Three: Creation of a Written Vocational Technical Teacher Test for Aviation Maintenance Technology.
Perkins IV supports teacher preparation programs that address the integration of academic and career and technical education and that assists individuals who are interested in becoming career and technical education teachers and faculty, including individuals with experience in business and industry. This project consists of the creation of a written vocational technical teacher test, to support industry professionals transitioning to become vocational technical teachers in Massachusetts. The written vocational technical teacher test ensures the delivery of high quality vocational programs to students, aligned with Massachusetts' Vocational Frameworks, and that vocational teachers and administrators are highly qualified and eligible for Chapter 74 vocational technical teacher licensure.

Project Three will consist of the Test Development Team for Aviation Maintenance Technology. The team will create the Aviation Maintenance Written Vocational Teacher Test. (Members from Project Two Aviation Maintenance Technology Framework Development Team may be members of Project Three Aviation Maintenance Technology Test Development Team).

The Massachusetts Vocational Technical Teacher Testing Program Executive Director and Co-Director will be the Project Managers. The Vocational Teacher Testing Program Administrators, and staff will be members of the Test Development Team and will lead the work in consultation with the Contractor, Project Administrator, and the Office for College, Career and Technical Education.

Under the direction of the Massachusetts Vocational Technical Teacher Testing Program, a plan will be developed to ensure the new written test meets current program testing standards. The written test must be developed in accordance with current practices utilized by the Massachusetts Vocational Technical Teacher Testing Program. The test will be vetted for bias, readability and reliability, normed appropriately, and provide for written test-bank questions. During the 2017-2018 school year, the Test Development Team members will be available to assist the MA Vocational Technical Teacher Testing Program with the implementation of the written teacher test, and any activities, as appropriate. Required Team Composition: Discussed below.

Project Four: Chapter 74 Linkages
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act supports the development and expansion of secondary to postsecondary articulation of career and technical education programs. Articulation Agreements are designed to provide students with a non-duplicative sequence of progressive achievement leading to technical skills proficiency, a credential, a certificate, or a degree; and linked through credit transfer agreements between the two institutions.

Massachusetts currently has fourteen (14) statewide articulation agreements for students enrolled in Chapter 74 vocational technical programs in fourteen occupational areas.

The goal of the Chapter 74 Linkages Project is to create a Chapter 74 statewide apprenticeship articulation agreement for students enrolled in c.74 secondary Electrical Technology Programs in Massachusetts.
  1. The Chapter 74 Linkages Project Team will collaborate with the Division of Professional Licensure - Board of Electricians, Electrical Apprenticeship Providers, and other stakeholders to conduct scoping work to investigate the feasibility of a secondary Chapter 74 Electrical Apprenticeship Program. Should the feasibility be determined, the Linkages Project Team will coordinate with the Office for College, Career and Technical Education to facilitate the development of the Chapter 74 Secondary Electrical Apprenticeship Articulation.
Required Team Composition: The Chapter 74 Linkages Project Team will consist of secondary and postsecondary career and technical education professionals, and individuals who currently administer Linkage Programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels.


Required Team Composition

Teams Memberships for Project One, Three, and Four will include the following three (3) categories of representation:

  1. A team of up to five highly qualified Chapter 74 licensed technical teachers from several schools (if applicable).
    Additionally:
    For the Aviation Maintenance Technology Program Framework and Test Development teams, there must be representation of technical teachers and/or administrators currently teaching the Perkins Aviation Maintenance Technology Program at Westfield Academy.
    For the Chapter 74 Exploratory Project Team there must be a minimum of two licensed Guidance Counselors on the team.
    Teams should reflect the geographical diversity of the commonwealth and ideally include representatives of both vocational technical and comprehensive high schools (as appropriate for each project).

  2. An advisory committee comprised of representatives from: industry, postsecondary education, and registered apprenticeship (if applicable) that will meet with the technical teachers team a minimum of two times (mid-way through the draft process and to review the final draft).

  3. A team of academic teachers, one English Language Arts, one Mathematics, and one Science and Technology/Engineering, to work with the team of technical teachers to create a crosswalk between the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Technology/Engineering and the Technical Strand of the Vocational Technical Education Frameworks.
Eligibility:Eligible applicants include all Massachusetts school districts with a Chapter 74 Exploratory Program, school consortia, or postsecondary institutions with Perkins career/vocational technical education programs. All districts which are partnership members must also have a Chapter 74 Exploratory Program. One school district in the partnership must be designated as the lead agency. The lead agency must designate an individual to be the partnership administrator.

Funding Type:Federal CFDA: 84.048

Funding:Total funds available: $295,000. 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 guideline as listed in the initial RFP document.

Fund Use: Grant funds must be used in accordance with Perkins IV and may be used to provide stipends for; partnership administrator, project administrator(s), project manager(s), team members (subject matter experts), MA Voc. Tech. Teacher Testing Program administrators/staff, clerical support, project development meetings - rate per hour (if applicable), project development writing/work - rate per hour (if applicable), substitutes, workshops (if applicable), materials, travel expenses.

Funds may not be used to supplant local or state funds. Funds shall supplement, and shall not supplant, non-Federal funds.

Perkins funds must be spent in accordance with Perkins guidelines. For allowable uses of Perkins funds, please refer to the Perkins IV Manual.
Project Duration:Upon Approval through 8/31/18
Program Unit:Office for College, Career, and Technical Education
Contact:Lisa M. Sandler
Phone Number:(781) 338-3956
Date Due:Friday, January 26, 2018

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due. Email grant submission to lsandler@doe.mass.edu.

Required Forms:
Download Word Document
Part I - General - Program Unit Signature Page - (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)
Download Excel Document
Part II - Budget Detail Pages (Include both pages.)
Download Word Document
Part III - Required Program Information
Additional Information:
Massachusetts Perkins IV Manual
Submission Instructions:Awarded Recipients: Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget, Part I and Part III in EdGrants. Once selected, recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.