The purpose of this competitive grant opportunity is to provide supplementary support to school districts currently engaged in the implementation of MyCAP or interested in entering the planning phase of My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP). MyCAP is a student-driven process designed to ensure all students graduate from high school college, career, and civic ready. The MyCAP process requires schools to create a scope and sequence for every grade in three domains personal, social, career development and academic and planning to guide the implementation MyCAP. This grant will provide planning team members the supplementary support necessary to attend professional development, to hold team meetings outside-of- school hours to create a scope and sequence for every grade or begin implementation of the scope and sequence or purchase materials for the MyCAP process.
This grant is intended to provide high school leadership teams working on the school-wide implementation of MyCAP with funding to: (a) convene the team outside of school hours for the creation of a middle or secondary school scope and sequence and/or pay for substitutes while team members attend in-person trainings; (b) design or begin the implementation plan for the rollout of MyCAP; (c) identify a metric(s) for assessment of student success.
Grant applicants must identify a team that at a minimum includes four members representing a cross-section of professional roles i.e., administrator, school counselor, teacher. special education or English Learner teacher, and also including student representation. The team will create a scope and sequence that will address the three domains of college and career readiness in each year middle and/or high school as well as identify learning objectives, lessons, activities and resources available to meet those objectives, and the artifacts that will be captured in the individual student MyCAP. The focus of the work should be on creating a scope and sequence that will empower and engage students in planning for postsecondary success based on their individual interests, strengths, passions, implementing the scope and sequence, and providing professional development opportunities for whole school buy-in
All Massachusetts public school districts, including charter schools, regionals school districts, collaboratives, approved special education schools and other LEAs.
State 7009-6600
Approximately $850,000 is available.
This grant will prioritize at least 25% of available funds available for schools and districts in chronically underperforming status. If applications are not received from schools in status, funds will be distributed to other applicants.
There will be two dates (Option 1 and Option 2 below) for applying for these grant funds but funding is contingent upon availability at the time of the particular Option due date. 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.
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.
Funds may be used for costs associated with out-of-school time training and meeting time for team members to create the scope and sequence and implementation plan. Allowable uses include, but are not limited to, the following:
Additional Notes:
Funds must be used in alignment with the purpose and priorities outlined and as described in a budget, budget narrative, and required program information that is submitted to the Department's Office of College, Career and Technical Education (CCTE).
Upon Approval – 6/30/2025
Office of College, Career, and Technical Education
Lisa Harney781-338-3903LIsa.m.harney@mass.gov
Round 1: Friday July 19, 2024*
Round 2: Friday September 13, 2024*
Round 3: Friday October 11, 2024*
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 listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not received 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.
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date listed in the RFP.
Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application by the due date listed in the RFP.
The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.
New Organizations: Grant Submission requires applicants to have their organization established in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization established in GEM$ must contact the DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.
Failure to provide DESE with GEM$ Temp Organization Access Request at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.
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: October 2, 2024
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