FY2025: Multilingual Newcomer and Homeless Support Grant

Fund Code: 0348

Purpose:

As part of a statewide effort, the Department is providing support for districts experiencing the impact of an increase in homeless enrollment of newcomer multilingual learners. The purpose of this targeted Grant is to cover costs associated with welcoming newcomers and their families to a safe and inclusive school environment, providing high-quality instruction for newcomers with well-trained educators, and meeting the emergency and/or basic needs of these students.

Priorities:

Priority will be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status.

Through this grant initiative, applicants will prioritize one or more of the following areas as they relate to the implementation of strategies, interventions, and supports for newly arrived English learners who are also homeless.

1. Welcoming Newcomers and their Families to a Safe and Inclusive School Environment — developing systems and resources for welcoming newcomer students and their families, which can include translation and interpretation resources, developing and implementing orientation activities for students and/or families, and conducting culturally and linguistically responsive family outreach.

2. Providing High-Quality Instruction for Newcomers with Well-Trained Educators — building educator capacity to meet the needs of newcomers by supporting 1) initial ESL licensure and/or licensure advancement beyond emergency, initial, or provisional status to increase the number of certified ESL teachers; 2) Developing or procuring professional development related to supporting newcomer students effectively for all educators who serve them.

3. Meeting emergency and/or basic needs: responding to emergency and/or basic needs of newcomer students in ways that will facilitate the identification, enrollment, retention, and educational success of homeless children and youth.

Eligibility:

Districts with 10 or more English learners who are also homeless. Allocations are based on numbers:

10–21 eligible students	$7,820
21–30 eligible students	$12,500
31–50 eligible students	$18,000
51–100 eligible students	$25,000
101–200 eligible students	$50,000
201–1000 eligible students	$75,000
>1000 eligible students	$100,000

Funding Type:

State line item 1599-0514 TEFEHSEA

Funding:

Approximately $2,875,000 is available.

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:

These funds must be used in ways that are aligned to the grant purpose and priorities described above and that have reasonable likelihood of being sustained (and/or having impact) beyond the grant period. The Department strongly encourages LEAs to consider creative ways to collaborate with neighboring schools/districts to maximize regional economies of scale, e.g., HQPD.

Fund use may include, but is not limited to:

• Welcoming Newcomers and their Families to a Safe and Inclusive School Environment —
  • translation / interpretation: procure vendors to provide culturally and linguistically responsive translation services and simultaneous interpretation services to communicate with newly arrived students and their families; identify and stipend qualified staff to become Language Ambassadors or Trained Interpreters through DESE's approved training programs;
  • funding family liaisons/outreach workers and school-based counselors;
  • developing and implementing parent engagement and orientation activities, including English language classes for parents;
  • helping newcomer students and families access school and community activities
  • renting or enhancing temporary school facilities, including portable classrooms, and converting (but not constructing) space;
  • producing and securing educational resources ensuring full accessibility, including classroom materials, parent engagement resources, computers, digital services, and internet connections.
• Providing High-Quality Instruction for Newcomers with Well-Trained Educators —
  • professional development for educators: developing or procuring professional development related to supporting newcomer students effectively. PD topics could include, but are not limited to: improving instructional practices for sheltered English immersion, culturally and linguistically responsive classroom and school practices, family engagement with newcomer families, establishing welcoming enrollment systems, WIDA professional learning, etc.;
  • ESL certification support: Supporting initial ESL licensure and/or licensure advancement beyond emergency, initial or provisional licensure toward professional status.
• Emergency and/or basic needs: Respond to emergency and/or basic needs of newcomer students. Funds may be used to support any activities/expenses necessary to facilitate the identification, enrollment, retention, and educational success of homeless children and youth, such as:
  • providing wraparound services (which could be provided in collaboration with and/or through contracts with community-based organizations, and could include academic supports, trauma informed care, social-emotional support, and mental health services);
  • purchasing needed supplies (e.g., PPE, eyeglasses, school supplies, personal care items);
  • providing transportation to enable children and youth to attend classes and participate fully in school activities;
  • purchasing cell phones or other technological devices for unaccompanied youth to enable the youth to attend and fully participate in school activities;
  • providing access to reliable, high-speed internet for students through the purchase of internet connected devices/equipment, mobile hotspots, wireless service plans, or installation of Community Wi-Fi Hotspots (e.g., at homeless shelters), especially in underserved communities; and
  • providing store cards/prepaid debit cards to purchase materials necessary for students to participate in school activities;
  • other specific needs that are relevant to your district context.
• Developing and implementing data collection tools to track outputs and outcomes from this initiative

The above-mentioned examples are not exhaustive. Additional activities in support of the academic achievement and successful integration of eligible students will be considered.

To ensure the broadest access to eligible children and their parent(s), services should be offered at a variety of times including during school hours, after school, and during the weekend, or online.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval* – 6/30/2025

* 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.

Program Unit:

Office of Language Acquisition

Contact:

David Parker

Phone Number:

(781) 338-3466

Date Due:

Friday September 27, 2024

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

Submission Instructions:

The FY25 FC 0348 Multilingual Newcomer and Homeless Support Grant will be submitted in our new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.

Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)

Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These form can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Last Updated: September 3, 2024