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Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2024 and FY2025: Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts (GLEAM), K–12

Fund Codes: 509/510

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. Fund Code 509 is for grades K–5. Fund code 510 is for grades 6–12.

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 and high-quality early childhood educational experiences
Priorities:
DESE seeks to award GLEAM grants to entities that:
  • Are committed to prioritizing literacy equity and excellence, and want to collaborate with other districts statewide to make this a reality
  • Demonstrate favorable conditions and the resources, including time and commitment, necessary to make and sustain meaningful Literacy program improvements, across multiple schools if applicable
  • Bring together a diverse coalition of stakeholders committed to the activities articulated in the grant proposal, including families, diverse staff members, administrators, school committee, and students where appropriate
  • Are actively investing in equity, inclusion, and cultural responsiveness in literacy for all learners
Eligibility:

This Continuation grant is intended for FY22 GLEAM Cohort 1 FC509 and FC510 recipients. The eligible districts include:

  • Boston Day and Evening Academy (FC510)
  • Brockton Public Schools (FC510)
  • Community Day Charter Public Schools (FC509)
  • Everett Public Schools (FC510)
  • Learning First Charter Public School (FC509)
  • Leominster Public Schools (FC510)
  • Lynn Public Schools (FC509)
  • Methuen Public Schools (FC510)
  • New Bedford Public Schools (FC509)
  • Quaboag Regional School District (FC509)
  • Quincy Public Schools (FC509)
  • New Bedford Public Schools (FC510)
  • Revere Public Schools (FC510)
  • Salem Public Schools (FC509)
  • Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District (FC510)
  • Waltham Public Schools (FC509)
  • Webster Public Schools (FC510)
Funding Type:

Federal CFDA 84.371
Federal grant funds must adhere to:

  • UGG (2 CFR 200)

  • EDGAR As Applicable

  • EDGAR General Fiscal Administration 34 CFR Part 76

Funding:

There is approximately $1,900,000 available for FC509 (grades K–5), depending on the addition of preschool classrooms, and $1,470,000 available for FC510 (grades 6–12) in FY24 and FY25 [July 1, 2024 – September 30, 2024 only]. 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.

This is the final continuation grant for GLEAM Cohort 1 districts.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

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 grant will provide funding as well as hands-on support from Department specialists for up to three years for recipients to accomplish the activities listed under either Track 1 or Track 2. 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. The FY24/FY25 Cohort 1 Continuation Grant will fund:

  1. Purchase of selected curricular and intervention materials
  2. Professional development for educators and administrators
  3. Customized support from an expert literacy consultant
  4. Stipends to support the GLEAM Leadership Team

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

Project Duration:

FY24 Upon Approval* – June 30, 2024
FY25 Upon Approval* (no earlier than July 1, 2024) – September 30, 2024

* Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.

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:

Tuesday August 15, 2023

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 PreK–5 applicants)

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

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. If your district needs to cover Indirect Costs, please use this FY23 Indirect Cost Calculator to do so.

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).

The Department may seek additional information from applicants through follow-up interviews, as needed.

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.

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:

  • FY24 FC509 or FC510 Cohort 1 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 on the due date.

Last Updated: June 9, 2023

 
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