FY2021: Massachusetts 21^st Century Community Learning High Quality Project Based Learning (HQPBL) Curriculum Development and Implementation Enhancement Grant

Fund Code: 614

Purpose:

The purpose of this federally funded targeted enhancement grant for 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Exemplary Program grantees is to build the collective capacity of districts, schools, and organizations to implement and sustain high quality project based learning (HQPBL) practices.

Priorities:

• To increase student engagement and learning through the development of creative and innovative, hands on programming that is interactive, relevant, and supports social and emotional learning, and career readiness and success.

• To provide participating educators, schools, districts, and community based programs the opportunity to enhance and expand current practices and/or try new approaches to learning in which students are actively collaborating and engaging in project based learning (PBL) that is coherently aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.

• To support opportunities that help close opportunity and achievement gaps and prepare students for a strong future.

• To develop strong collaboration and partnerships for planning and implementation in order to align and leverage resources, and to develop shared outcomes for success.

• To provide innovative, shared professional development opportunities for teachers, administrators, and community-based partners.

Key Grant Requirements:

• For currently funded Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Grantees:
  These HQPBL Curriculum Development and Implementation practices and programming will be integrated over time across grade levels into school day practices. Participating schools must commit to sending a team that includes at least one school administrator and 3–5 teachers to a 3-day institute. These practices will be developed and honed during the fiscal year 2020-2021 (FY21) school day, and curriculum will be developed and submitted by June 30, 2021.

• For currently funded Out of School Time Grantees (OST):
  These HQPBL Curriculum Development and Implementation practices and programming will be integrated over time. Participating educators must have attended a PBL [which could include Service Learning (SL)] training in FY19 and/or FY20 or demonstrate previous experience implementing PBL/SL. These practices will developed and implemented during FY21, and curriculum will be developed and submitted by June 30, 2021. Community based organizations that are the lead grant recipient must have representation, including teachers, from the partnering school as part of the curriculum development team.

• All applicants must demonstrate that there is sufficient support and time allotted to planning and curriculum development.

Eligibility:

• Recipients of an FY18, FY19, or FY20 Fund Code (FC) 646) Exemplary Programs grant (Promising, Practitioner, and/or Demonstration sites) are eligible to apply See Addendum A in the Additional Information section for a list of eligible schools/sites.

• OST only: Participating educators must have attended an HQPBL (which could include SL) training in FY19 and/or FY20 or demonstrate previous experience implementing PBL/SL.

Funding Type:

Federal CFDA: 84.287

Funding:

Up to approximately $300,000 is available.

Applicants may request up to $25,000/site.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guideline as listed in the initial RFP document.

Fund Use:

Funds must be used solely to support the priorities of this Enhancement Grant. These include:

• Stipends for educators to develop curriculum
• Materials necessary to the curriculum development process

Funds allocated under this federally funded grant program may be used only to supplement, not supplant, funds that local educational agencies, schools, and community-based organizations would otherwise expend for extended learning opportunities.

Indirect costs are not allowed on this grant.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval (No earlier than 7/1/2020) – 8/31/2021

Program Unit:

Office of Student and Family Support

Contact:

Karyl Resnick

Phone Number:

(781) 338-3515

Date Due:

Friday, May 15, 2020
See the Submission Instructions section below for additional details.

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due.

Required Forms:

Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page — (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

Part II — Budget Detail Pages / Budget Narrative (Excel Workbook)

Part III — Required Program Information

Required Reporting

Participating schools/programs will be required to submit quarterly progress reports on curriculum development

Participating schools/programs will be provided with a template for development of the HQPBL curriculum

Additional Information:

Addendum A — Eligible Schools/Sites

The district/school/program must support the release time necessary to attend workshops, coaching activities, and other supports.

Submission Instructions:

Email completed applications and all required documents and a scanned copy of the signed Part I document to cclc@doe.mass.edu.

Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget in EdGrants and upload required documents. Grant recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.

For Guidance Documents regarding EdGrants, visit EdGrants: User Guides and Information.

For information on upcoming EdGrants webinar trainings email EdGrants@doe.mass.edu.

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.

Last Updated: April 7, 2020