FY2023: Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts (GLEAM), K–5 and 6–12 Continuation

Fund Codes: 509 and 510

Purpose:

Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts (GLEAM) K–12 grants will support deep and lasting improvements to schools' multitiered system of support for Literacy, enabling schools to better serve all students, especially historically underserved students; and ensuring that all students can reach their literacy potential.

GLEAM grants will support schools to implement components of a multi-tiered system of support for ELA/Literacy in grades K–12, which have been shown to promote equity of access and achievement for diverse students. This grant will focus on supporting:

• Adoption and implementation of high-quality core curricular materials and intervention materials for ELA/Literacy
• Onsite customized support responsive to districts' and schools' strengths, needs, challenges, and opportunities
• Professional development and support for teachers, principals, and literacy coaches to support skillful and culturally responsive tiered instruction.

Priorities:

DESE seeks to award GLEAM continuation grants to entities that:

• Articulate a clear approach to effectively implementing either a) high quality core curricular materials or b) comprehensive literacy action plan
• Speak to a plan for ensuring sustainability beyond the grant funding period
• Center equity, inclusion, and cultural responsiveness in moving district GLEAM goals forward
• Articular a clear approach to onsite customized support that reflects the strengths and needs of the district and schools involved in GLEAM

Eligibility:

Only districts, schools, and grade spans currently awarded a FC509 or FC510 GLEAM grant may apply for this continuation grant:

• Boston Day and Evening Academy
• Brockton Public Schools
• Community Day Charter Public Schools
• Everett Public Schools
• Learning First Charter Public Schools
• Leominster Public Schools
• Lynn Public Schools
• Methuen Public Schools
• New Bedford Public Schools
• Quaboag Regional School District
• Quincy Public Schools
• Randolph Public Schools
• Revere Public Schools
• Salem Public Schools
• Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District
• Waltham Public Schools
• Webster Public Schools

No new schools or grades may be added to this application.

Funding Type:

Federal CFDA: 84.371

Funding:

There is approximately $4,500,000 available for FY23.Recipients will need to provide detailed cost information to DESE to demonstrate compliance with grant priorities and approved fund uses in order to draw down funds over the grant period.

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:

This continuation grant will provide funding for FY23 GLEAM activities. Following the grant period, recipients are expected to continue implementing the materials and practices initiated by this grant, and will have access to ongoing customized assistance from DESE specialists as needed.

Track 1: This track strengthens the Tier 1 core Literacy learning experience offered to all students.

1. Purchase of the selected curricular materials. This grant will fund half the cost of procurement of ELA/Literacy curricular materials, with the other half paid by the applicant;
2. Professional development for teachers and administrators to support skillful and culturally responsive implementation of the new curricular materials;
3. Professional development for Literacy Coaches or similar building-based Literacy Leaders in a collaborative support network, organized and sponsored by DESE;
4. Customized support from an expert Literacy consultant onsite periodically throughout the grant period, responsive to the needs of the school.

Track 2: This track strengthens Literacy support for students across all three Tiers.

1. Purchase of instructional materials for use in Tier 2/3 interventions, assessment(s), based upon the results of the needs assessment. This grant will fund half the cost of procurement of instructional materials, with the other half paid by the applicant. The grant will fully fund the cost of assessments
2. Professional development for teachers and administrators to support skillful and culturally responsive implementation of interventions, assessments, or materials for any selected tier(s) of focus, as determined by the needs assessment. The grant will fully fund the cost of professional development.
3. Professional development for Literacy Coaches or similar building-based Literacy Leaders in a collaborative support network, organized and sponsored by DESE;
4. Customized support from an expert Literacy consultant onsite periodically throughout the grant period, responsive to the needs of the school.

For full details about the GLEAM program and how funds may be used, please see the Fund Use Details attachment.

For both tracks, the entity will be required to maintain the "GLEAM Leadership Team." This team will work together to coordinate and enact the multi-year work of this initiative, across schools if applicable, and will also attend DESE-run conferences for GLEAM recipients. Stipends are available for GLEAM Leadership Team members

Project Duration:

Upon Approval [no earlier than October 1, 2022] – August 31, 2023.

Continuations for recipients should be available for additional funding in FY24 (Anticipated October 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024) to enact the full multi-year GLEAM program.

Note that grant funds will only be approved to fund the specific activities listed in the Fund Use Details attachment. Initial awards will be partial, to cover the costs of initial GLEAM activities, and additional funds will be awarded based upon availability and recipient performance over the multi-year program period.

Program Unit:

Office of Literacy and Humanities
Center for Instructional Support (CIS)

Contact:

Allison Pickens

Date Due:

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Required Forms:

If applying for grades K–5, please use fund code 509 forms.
If applying for grades 6–12, please use fund code 510 forms.

Forms for Fund Code 509 (for grades K–5 applicants)

• Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page
• Part II — Budget Details. Please use the "K-12 Continuation Budget Calc" tab of the provided template to calculate an estimated budget for FY23 and FY24.
• Part III — Required Program Information
• Part IV — Schools Assurance
• Part V — District Assurance

Forms for Fund Code 510 (for grades 6–12 applicants)

• Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page
• Part II — Budget Details. Please use the "K-12 Continuation Budget Calc" tab of the provided template to calculate an estimated budget for FY23 and FY24.
• Part III — Required Program Information
• Part IV — Schools Assurance
• Part V — District Assurance

Note on Budget Details.
Please use the provided Budget template to calculate each annual budget. This budget will allow us to determine the number of grants that may be awarded. This does not necessarily represent your final award amount. Costs for some items, like materials purchases, cannot be accurately budgeted until the actual product to be purchased is identified. In those cases, the Budget template provides estimates to be used in the application. Recipients will be able to seek budget amendments after award to reflect accurate costs.

Additional Information:

Using federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) funding, the Department expects to award $19 million in grants to support improvements in ELA/Literacy teaching and learning in preK–12 between FY22–FY25, under the program name GLEAM (Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts).

A second cohort of GLEAM grant recipients will be selected to begin receiving funding in the future. Entities that participated in GLEAM Cohort 1 may be eligible to apply for another round of funding for GLEAM Cohort 2.

GLEAM funds are also available for preschool. GLEAM Preschool grants will support recipients to increase local access to high quality preschool, through preschool classrooms run by districts and EEC-licensed early education programs, enabling the preschool system to better serve all children, especially historically underserved students; and ensuring that all children can reach their potential in language and literacy development.

GLEAM recipients will be required to prepare and provide data requested by the Department in order to evaluate the effectiveness of grant funds and activities. In the first year this data will be primarily focused on inputs, such as number of teachers trained or materials selected. In future years this data will include outcomes, such as student performance on assessments and surveys of participating teachers. In addition, a national evaluation of this federally-funded program is being conducted; recipients will have the option to opt in to this national evaluation and to access additional related funding through the evaluator.

Any questions about GLEAM grants must be emailed to GLEAM@mass.gov . Q+A will be posted to Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts (GLEAM) Grant Program.

Informational office hours about GLEAM grants and assistance for applicants are available. Please register here: GLEAM Office Hours [Optional] Meeting Registration.

Submission Instructions:

Submit all required grant materials through EdGrants. In EdGrants, districts are required to create and name the project. Please use the following naming convention for your "Applicant Project Name" in EdGrants:

• FY23 FC509/510 GLEAM Grant Continuation.

All items listed under the required forms sections of this RFP should be uploaded/attached in the Attachments List formlet of the Application Submission in EdGrants. This includes a signed/scanned PDF of Part I. The final budget the applicant is requesting will be entered directly into EdGrants as part of the application process.

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

Please note: It is up to the district to determine who they want to add as EdGrants Front Office users in order to submit this 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.

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 (August 4, 2022). Late and/or incomplete applications cannot be accepted.

Last Updated: May 17, 2022