FY2022: Early College Full School Impact Planning Grant

Fund Code: 466

Purpose:

The purpose of this competitive grant is to provide significant planning and resources to support a district and/or high school and college partner in designing and developing an impactful, large scale, or "full school" immersive Early College program model. This program is to be piloted over the course of three years (with students being enrolled no later than FY24). Plans that are approved by the Early College Joint Committee will also be eligible for additional implementation funding through ESSR funds.

Full school, immersive models typically entail either a full school being enrolled in an Early College program (often called "Wall to Wall"), or a scaled program that enrolls at least 400 students. These program models would be structured to award a minimum of 30 college credits to Early College students prior to their high school graduation.

Each awardee will be required to establish a leadership team to work with a design consultant/coach procured by DESE to prioritize and routinely report on planning outcomes. An initial immersion plan will be submitted by the end of FY22.

Examples of Early College immersion models may include:

• An Early College High School where 100% of the student population participates (referred to as "Wall to Wall" programs),
• A school within a school (referred to as an "Early College Academy")
• STEM Early College high schools that bridge to degrees and career opportunities
• A regional Early College collaborative school, in which multiple partnered high schools in a proximal geographic area develop a shared immersive Early College program with a local institution of higher education (IHE)

Expectations of the Grant Recipients

Plans generated by this grant opportunity are expected to generally align with the Guiding Principles and Designation Criteria.

Expected outcomes for this grant include, but are not limited to:

• Building a large-scale Early College program with intentional scope and sequencing that allows Early College students to pursue a minimum of 30 college credits.

• Creating large-scale and intentional strategies to target and serve students traditionally underserved in higher education. Such students may include: students who may be the first in their family to go to college, Black and Latinx students, students who may be English language learners, students with disabilities, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, first generation to college students, or students who may otherwise not yet possess a perception that they may be a college going student.

• Developing a widespread supportive school culture around postsecondary access and success. This includes promoting higher education through awareness activities, scheduling Early College courses during the school day, arranging transportation and textbook acquisition, and ensuring students have support services available.

Priorities:

Prioritization will be given to partnerships that aim to serve school populations with a majority of students being identified as having high needs. According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, students who are high needs are those who are designated as: low income, economically disadvantaged, an ELL, a former ELL, or a student with disabilities. Prioritization will also be given to partnerships that aim to serve students who are underrepresented in higher education, including students who are first in their generation to attend college, high needs students, and students who are racially underrepresented in higher education. Priority will also be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status.

Eligibility:

Either the intended K–12 institution or institution of higher education (IHE) partner can serve as the lead fiscal sponsor, however, the resources provided are intended to support both partners together in building a design of a program to be implemented starting in FY23.

Funding Type:

State

Funding:

Up to $150,000 is available per partnership. Up to five grants will be awarded.

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 guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

Awardees will be expected to complete a multi-year plan to engage in a 3-year pilot that will enroll students no later than 2023-2024 school year. All Plans will need to be approved by the Early College Joint Committee.

This grant cannot be applied towards capital expenses.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval – 06/30/2022

Program Unit:

Early College Office

Contact:

Kristin Hunt, Early College Director

Phone Number:

(781) 338-3310

Date Due:

November 24, 2021 — Priority Deadline
January 19, 2022 — Extended Deadline

Required Forms:

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

• Part II — Budget

• Part III — Responses

• ISA Budget/EdGrants Budget Crosswalk (only for entities who require ISAs)

Submission Instructions:

Complete proposals must be received via email to Rebekah Barr by 5:00 PM on January 19, 2022.

Awarded Recipients: Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget and Part I in EdGrants. Once selected, recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.

Last Updated: January 10, 2022