Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2019 Fund Code: 248

The Systems for Student Success (SfSS) Initiative

Funds Allocated:$395,000.00 (Federal)
Funds Requested:$395,000.00
Purpose: The Systems for Student Success (SfSS) Initiative is designed to support districts that want to thoughtfully examine and systematically address their students' most significant barriers to learning. The Initiative provides participating districts with grant funding, targeted assistance and networking opportunities to not only identify and prioritize these barriers, but to then plan and implement systems and strategies to address them. Plans are developed through the lens of five interrelated domains: school climate, engaging instruction for academic and social-emotional learning, proactive student support, systematic family engagement, and strategic partnerships. In addition, districts go through a process of assessing and redesigning the infrastructure they need to support this work with coherence (e.g., policy changes, role shifts, resource needs, teaming structures, etc.). There are two grant opportunities outlined in this RFP: SfSS Implementation grants and SfSS Planning grants.
Number of Proposals Received:10
Number of Proposals Recommended:10
Number of Proposals Not Recommended:0
Result of Funding:
Each participating district will be expected to:
  • Develop and/or Implement an action plan that describes specific systems and strategies to target high priority barriers to learning. Depending on district needs, districts will:
    • Participate in a facilitated self-assessment, data analysis and prioritization process. This will involve a leadership/planning team and 2–3 district-based meetings designed to dovetail with district/school improvement planning.
    • Implement an action plan developed based on data-informed needs to support removing barriers to student learning.

  • Collect and analyze data that captures the "conditions for learning" within the district/schools (e.g., school climate, academic engagement, student support, social emotional learning and family engagement). This data will be used to inform current and future planning.
  • Participate in two cross-district meetings with other grantees participating in this project.


RecipientsAmounts
Chelsea Public Schools$35,000
Fall River Public Schools40,000
Framingham Public Schools40,000
Holyoke Public Schools40,000
Lowell Public Schools40,000
Pittsfield Public Schools40,000
Somerville Public Schools40,000
Southbridge Public Schools40,000
Waltham Public Schools40,000
West Springfield Public Schools40,000
Total Federal Funds$395,000

Last Updated: November 23, 2018