FY2024: Massachusetts Literacy Institute

Fund Code: 583-2

Purpose:

The Massachusetts Literacy Institute Competitive Grant will support educators and administrators to create a literacy plan aligned to a multi-tiered system of support model (MTSS) for grades K–5 to better serve all children, especially historically underserved students. Through this collaborative Institute, districts will create K–5 literacy plans that include literacy leadership responsibilities, evidence-based core instruction and intervention, assessment, and data-based decision making.

Priorities:

DESE seeks to award this opportunity to LEAs that agree to create and put in place a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) aligned literacy plan to manage all the pieces of the school's K–5 literacy program, making clear what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, what resources need to be (re)allocated, and why. This competitive opportunity is targeted toward public and charter schools and districts with 5 elementary schools or less. During the Institute sessions, participants will engage in professional learning with specialists from the National Center on Improving Literacy, collaborate with their team to process and apply new learning, and network with other Institute participants. Applicants agree to the following:

1. Creation of a grant team (5–6 members) including a total of 3 teachers (this can include classroom educators, reading specialists, special education teachers, English learner teachers, or literacy coaches), a school administrator, and a district level literacy leader, administrator, and/or coordinator. For LEAs that include multiple elementary schools, representation within the district team from a range of schools is encouraged and the district team is expected to share resources and learnings with the entire district. All schools within the district must commit to the literacy action plan.
2. Full team attendance at all 7 Institute meetings (all meetings are virtual beginning in January 2024 and ending in June 2024, for a total of 17.5 hours of facilitated professional learning). All meetings will be held during the school day. In addition, teams are expected to dedicate time to meet independently for 90 minutes between each session to process materials shared, apply them to the development of their literacy plan, and work toward the completion of the literacy action plan by the end of the Institute. Team participants will receive a stipend for their time spent meeting outside of school hours to work on the literacy action plan. Funds may be budgeted for up to 3 classroom teachers to have substitute coverage for each of the seven Institute sessions. Session dates are January 3, January 31, February 14, March 13, April 24, May 15, and June 4, 2023.
3. Development of measurable, attainable, literacy goals and action steps for literacy leadership responsibilities, evidence-based core instruction and intervention, assessment, and data-based decision making over the course of the Institute from January through June with the support of the Institute facilitators.
4. Participate in all required DESE-funded grant evaluation requirements, including meeting surveys, pre-and post-tests of knowledge and practice, and focus groups of participants chosen randomly by DESE, a series of 3 sustainability surveys during the 24-25 school year conducted via email with district lead.
5. Plan and participate in one presentation of the team's completed literacy plan at an end of Institute showcase in June 2024.

Competitive priority will be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status and the Strategic Transformation Region and districts in which the total percentage of students identified as high needs is 25% or greater.

Eligibility:

Public school districts, charter schools, collaboratives, and approved special education programs that serve students in grades K–5 and have 5 elementary schools or fewer are eligible to apply. Districts who have previously been awarded this grant in FY 24 or those who participated in FC 725, the Lead for Literacy Institute, in FY23 are not eligible to apply.

Funding Type:

State Line Item 7010-0033

Funding:

Approximately $85,000 is projected to be available and will be distributed on the number of quality proposals submitted.

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:

Funds may be used for stipends or coverage for substitute teachers only. $1,000 stipend each may be budgeted for up to six grant team members for participation in professional collaboration beyond contractual hours, which includes participation in 7 (or more) planning meetings outside of school hours to process and apply professional learning between sessions and to work on and complete the literacy plan. In addition, up to $2100 may be budgeted for up to 3 classroom teachers to have substitute coverage during each of the seven Institute sessions.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval – 6/30/2024

Program Unit:

Center for Instructional Support, Office of Literacy and Humanities

Contact:

Donna Goldstein

Date Due:

Thursday, November 2, 2023*

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

* All responses must be received by the due date and time listed in this RFP. All responses must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions section of this RFP. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not submitted on time will not be reviewed. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed in this RFP.

Required Forms:

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

• Part II — Budget Details
  Complete the following sections:
  • Section 4: Stipends
    • $1,000/participant for up to 6 grant team members
  • Section 6: Substitute coverage
    • Up to $100/teacher for up to 3 teachers per team per session
  
  

• Part III — Narrative Form

• Part IV — District Assurance

Additional Information:

Districts submitting a budget with an Indirect Cost Rate must use "Indirect Cost District Rates 2024" (posted on this page) to confirm the maximum FY2024 approved indirect cost rate allowed and must fill out the Indirect Cost Rate Calculation Worksheet

For Grant Management processes, including the Request for Funds, information about requesting funds beyond the initial payment, and additional details on managing your grant, see this webpage: EdGrants: User Guides, Information and Trainings.

Districts whose proposals are accepted will be required to complete PART V: School Assurance Page with all participating grant members and submit to EdGrants.

Curriculum Data Collection: In order to be eligible for this grant, districts must have completed their LEAs Curriculum Data Collection. The data should be viewable and up to date here: Curriculum Data

Directions about the expectations and how to provide the data can be found here. Curriculum Data Collection.

Early Literacy Screening Assessment:

LEAs receiving this award will be required to share with DESE their student-level assessment data from the approved early literacy screening assessment that is administered in all schools during the grant period. DESE will support districts to submit the required data by June 30 of each year awarded. DESE will analyze the statewide data collected for research purposes. Analyses will only be reported in the aggregate (e.g., by grade-level, region, etc.) in order to meet state and federal confidentiality laws. Identifying information of LEAs and schools will not be reported. All reporting will protect the identities of students, educators, schools, districts, and LEAs.

Please submit questions to Donna Goldstein by October 24, 2023.

Responses will be posted to Literacy and Humanities page under News by October 26, 2023.

Submission Instructions:

Complete proposals must be received via email to CISGrants@mass.gov by the due date using the subject heading: [district or charter school name] Massachusetts Literacy Institute Grant proposal, Fund Code 583-2.

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 5:00 pm on the due date.

Awarded Recipients: Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget, upload Part I — Signature page and other required documents as listed in the RFP in EdGrants. Once selected, recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.

For Guidance Documents regarding EdGrants, visit Training.

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 applications as well as payment request information. Please review the EdGrants: User Security Controls to make informed decisions regarding assigning your district-level users.

Please sign up for the Grants Management Monthly Update mailing list to keep informed regarding various EdGrants deadlines.

Last Updated: October 12, 2023