The purpose of this competitive grant is to provide funding support for schools to conduct an arts program review using DESE's Arts & Cultural Vitality (ACV) Index. The grant will support stipends and necessary materials for the members of school review teams. Participating schools will receive guidance about using the ACV Index tools and resources, funding to compensate a team within the school to do this work, and support from DESE Arts specialist for:
DESE seeks to fund schools who wish to use the ACV Index to support equity and access within school arts programs. The goal is to ensure high-quality, culturally responsive, and equitable arts education programs in the Commonwealth. In doing so, students experience a powerful and empowering sense of agency to celebrate their own and other cultures in and through their arts education.
Competitive priority will be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status. Priority will be given to new applicants to the Supporting Arts & Cultural Vitality Teams grant.
All Massachusetts public school districts, charter schools, and collaboratives are eligible to apply. LEAs can have a single school or group of schools participate.
State Line Item 7010-0033
Grant awards are contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act.
Approximately $80,000 is available. Total amount of awards will be determined based on quality of proposals received.
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.
This grant will support schools to conduct an arts program review using DESE's Arts & Cultural Vitality (ACV) Index. Grant recipients can use funds to support the cost of stipends for team members and administrative costs (i.e., supplies) associated with conducting the review, action planning, or implementation/monitoring (as applicable).
Grant recipients may select up to 7 team members made up of staff members to receive a stipend. Each member of the review team should receive up to a $1,000 stipend as compensation for approximately 8-10 hours of work outside the regular school hours on the ACV Index Team. Applicants may additionally request up to $225 for administrative costs such as materials.
Funds may not be used to purchase technology (e.g., iPads, headphones), data systems, or instructional resources (e.g., instructional materials and student activity materials).
Applicants must indicate which one of the three possible tracks the funds will support. All grant recipients will be required to have at least one grant facilitator participate in the online sessions of a Professional Learning Community hosted by DESE.
New recipients of the Grant (Track 1):
Returning recipients of the Grant from FY24 (Track 2):
Returning recipients of the Grant from FY23 or FY24 (Track 3):
Upon Approval – 06/30/2025*
*This funding can PAC into the summer months (FY2026 7/1/2025 – 8/31/2025). If an applicant determines they do need to PAC funding, they must take action to do so. Communicate to the program unit overseeing this grant and complete a decrease to the FY2025 award to roll the remainder into FY2026. All decreases need to be completed by April 15th to PAC these grant funds. Funds cannot be PAC'd into summer if they are not reduced from FY2025 to roll into FY2026. Grantees who PAC funding, will need to reapply for a summer continuation in May/June of 2025 for a 7/1/2025 start date.
Office of Literacy and HumanitiesCenter for Instructional Support
Dawn Benski
Tuesday November 05, 2024; 5:00 p.m. Eastern
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.
To learn more about the Arts & Cultural Vitality Index, visit DESE's arts webpage: Arts & Cultural Vitality Index - Center for Instructional Support
DESE will work with schools/districts to observe one or more review meetings in-person in a non-evaluative way to collect feedback and understanding of how review teams engage with the Index [required].
Grant recipients will be required to have a grant facilitator attend a virtual launch meeting, four virtual PLC meetings, and a virtual exit interview. All review team members will be invited and encouraged to attend four PLC meetings. For information on the launch and PLC meetings, visit: Center for Instructional Support Program Offerings 24-25
Large districts are encouraged to review multiple schools individually using the ACV Index instead of a district-wide review. Review Team members should represent diverse voices and roles within the school community. A school or district administrator outside of the arts is required to serve as a member of the review team. Applicants are encouraged to include a student as a member of the review team.
Questions and Answers:Any grant-related questions must be emailed to dawn.m.benski@mass.gov by October 21st. Responses will not be sent directly to the questioner. Responses will be posted to this website Arts & Cultural Vitality Index - Center for Instructional Support by October 25th. Here applicants can find all the questions asked regarding this funding opportunity and DESE's response.
The FY25 0718 Supporting Arts & Cultural Vitality Teams 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$)
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. 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 forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.
Last Updated: October 9, 2024
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