Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2023: Deeper Learning Implementation Grant

Fund Code: 105

Purpose:

The Deeper Learning Implementation Grant will support school and district-based initiatives that advance effective and equitable access to deeper learning experiences—grade-level, real-world, relevant, and interactive—especially for historically underserved students. This competitive grant will provide funding for schools and districts to expand their use of high-quality materials, cultivate effective instructional practices, and develop student learning experiences that advance deeper learning for all students.

Through Deeper Learning, students build their knowledge, produce authentic work, and build a deeper ownership of learning that can be applied to the real world—today and tomorrow. Currently, Massachusetts public schools are leaders in the nation in student performance, but not all students are achieving at their highest potential. Students need to be able to successfully interpret information; research, understand, and apply new concepts; and collaborate with a range of people in diverse settings.

This competitive grant seeks to uplift strong examples of deeper learning implementation in the field. It is part of a broader DESE effort to understand and spotlight strong and diverse examples of how school and district teams across the Commonwealth are expanding student access to deeper learning. For more information about deeper learning, see the Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning.

This grant will support initiatives that work toward ensuring every student in Massachusetts can experience an immersive deeper learning education by supporting schools to create stronger instructional materials and establish school-based conditions for deeper learning.

This grant will support schools and districts in the following ways:

Strengthening existing high-quality instructional materials to increase alignment to deeper learning and the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
Creating professional development and support for teachers, principals, and coaches to enhance instruction aligned to deeper learning
Developing student learning experiences aligned to high-quality curricular materials, such as accelerated learning programming, immersive field trips, or the purchase of materials to support student-driven projects.
Development and enactment of deeper learning projects.

Note: Schools and districts may be asked to share artifacts and learning materials associated with this grant to ensure alignment to key priorities of the grant and to uplift best practices across the state.

Priorities:

Equity. All students should have access to high-quality deeper learning experiences. Proposals will be prioritized that expand access to deeper learning opportunities for all students; providing professional development for teachers who serve all students; and/or providing learning opportunities to all students where previously these opportunities were not available.

Deeper learning. Proposals that will promote curricular materials and instruction that is aligned to deeper learning—grade-level work that is real-world, relevant, and interactive. Proposals that prioritize student engagement in active, on-going, meaningful learning experiences which develop students' knowledge and dispositions, which are thoughtfully standards-aligned, and which are part of a broader grade-appropriate plan for student learning will be preferred over "one-off", disconnected experiences for students.

HQIM as a foundation for Deeper Learning. Proposals that seek to strengthen their existing High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) in alignment with deeper learning.

All applicants should propose projects within one or more of the following categories:

High-quality professional development for educators focused on deeper learning instruction.
Adoption of high-quality curricular materials that will accelerate student learning and/or amplify access to deeper learning.
Deeper learning experiences for students aligned to strong curricular materials (e.g., vacation academies, accelerated learning programming, field trips, resources.

LEAs will be given competitive priority in scoring for each of the following eligibilities:

Identified as requiring assistance according to the state accountability system
Serve a population of students of which over 50% are identified as low-income.
Total student population is comprised of 10% or more students identified as English Learners.
Current or previous members of the Kaleidoscope network
Previous members of the DESE Evaluating and Selecting HQIM Network who is currently in year 3 or 4 of curriculum implementation

Evaluation: The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be evaluating grant impact. Grant recipients will be required to share a description of the outcomes of the grant, artifacts, and products as requested; recipients may also be required to provide an external evaluator access to observe or attend grant activities.

Eligibility:

This grant is available to all public-school districts or charter schools in Massachusetts.

Funding Type:

Federal CFDA: 84.425

Funding:

There is $500,000 available for this grant for FY23 and will distributed among recipients.

Funding is contingent upon availability. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

Subject to appropriation, meeting grant requirements, and submission of required documents, funds will be awarded to recipients. Grants funds are to be used to support implementation of deeper learning initiatives in schools as outlined in this grant.

The following are allowable costs:

stipends for educators
costs for ongoing professional development or curriculum work (e.g. stipends, substitutes, etc.)
evidence-based, high-effect size Deeper Learning programming costs (e.g. partners, learning experiences)
Curricular materials and resources

The following are not allowable costs:

food and refreshments
indirect costs
out-of-state travel
staff salaries
maintenance/repairs
purchase of technology, computer software or hardware, unless a compelling case can be made for how these materials are necessary to fully implement the proposed intervention.

Schools should align with local policy requirements, including district policy, local collective bargaining agreements, etc.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval – 8/31/2023

Program Unit:

Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning

Contact:

Michelle Ryan

Phone Number:

(781) 338-3251

Date Due:

Thursday, February 9, 2023 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern

*All responses must be received by the due date listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not submitted on time will not be reviewed. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity.

Required Forms:

Additional Information:

As a part of this grant activity, all recipients will be invited to attend a 60-90-minute virtual convening in February or March to meet recipients and receive an overview of additional grant program and resources.

Submission Instructions:

Complete and submit all grant forms and materials:

Email one (1) complete set of all required documents to kaleidoscope@mass.gov by Thursday February 9, 2023

Subject line: District Name, FY23 Deeper Learning Implementation Grant Application.

Please use the provided filetypes (word and excel).
Signature pages should be sent pdf documents.

Applicants will receive a confirmation when the materials are received. Early submission is strongly encouraged to ensure the complete application is received and confirmed by 5pm on the due date.

Awarded Recipients: Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget and submit all required grant materials through EdGrants. Once selected, grant recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.

Last Updated: January 26, 2023