Students & Families Adult Education Adult & Community Learning Services
Adult and Community Learning Services

Questions & Answers about the FY10 RFP entitled "Program and Staff Development Regional Support Centers for Adult Basic Education"

Q: If a proposal is brought to the Department in person, to whom should it be delivered?

A: Applicants are advised to ask for Lorraine Domigan, Office Manager in the Adult and Community Learning Services unit. Please ask for a receipt for the proposal and avoid leaving it with the Department receptionist on the first floor.

Q: Is the Letter of Intent to Apply required? Will an application be accepted from an agency that hasn't submitted the Letter.

A: The Letter of Intent to Apply is an important planning tool for the proposal review process. Although an application may be accepted from an agency that hasn't submitted a Letter of Intent, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit one.

Q: Will a list of applicants be publicized?

A: No. However, a list of grant recipients will be published on the Department's Grants Information page.

Q: On page 1 of the RFP, the "Purpose" section states that an applicant might possibly receive support to operate "one or more of five" Regional Support Centers. Would you please clarify this statement and/or describe how this arrangement would work?

A: With this RFP, the Department offers new flexibility for any agency with the appropriate capability to operate more than one Center. However, it is incumbent on an applying agency, and not the Department, to describe in detail its plan for operating at multiple sites as well as demonstrate its capability for doing so.

Q: Do separate original signature pages need to be submitted for each of the two budget fund codes?

A: Only one original signature page is required for two budgets. Past experience has shown, however, that the proposal review process is expedited with separate original signature pages submitted for federal and state funds.

Q: Should an applicant with an Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) that has been approved by the Department submit a statement of that rate?

A: Yes. Otherwise, the applicant should submit an Annual Application for Indirect Cost Rate (see the "Required Forms" section of the RFP)

Q: Does an applicant provide one ICR statement for the application package or one for each funding source?

A: One statement for the application package is sufficient.

Q: Section II, Question 2 of the Required Program Information (RPI) asks about the applicant's support for the "Central Resource Center." Shouldn't this question be asking instead about the applicant's support for a "Regional Support Center?"

A: Yes, it should.

Q: For Section II, Appendix A, could an applicant give a simple summary of the agency overall budget?

A: Yes.

Q: Section II, Appendix B calls for two examples of program and staff development services and identifies 4 descriptors of those services. Should that item be answered with regard to both of the given examples, or just one of the examples, or in a more general way?

A: Please briefly address all four descriptors for both examples.

Q: In Section II, Appendix C, "technology" is not included in the list of content areas for staff expertise. Has the position been eliminated?

A: The areas of expertise listed in Appendix C reflect the focus of this RFP on teaching and learning. The RFP does not identify any required positions, only required functions. Please note that the required functions listed under "Fund Use" still include assisting practitioners with the integration of technology into classroom instruction and providing technical assistance with program hardware and software.

Q: In Section III of the RPI, is Question 2 referring to the design of professional development programs?

A: Yes.

Q: Section IV, Item e refers to "student outcomes." What kinds of data are counted as student outcomes? Student demographics? Student performance?

A: "Outcomes" refer to the results or accomplishments that occur because of the service provided by the ABE program. By this definition, student demographics are not considered outcomes. Item IV e refers to the impact of at least one professional development program or service on either (a) teacher practice or (b) student learning gains and/or goal achievement.

Q: The total number of points for proposal evaluation appears to be 95. Is that the maximum number of points an applicant can receive, or will 5 points be allocated for something else?

A: The points do, in fact, total 95. No additional points will be added.

Q: For Section IV, Item b, how does ACLS define distance learning? What constitutes a DL activity?

A: The Department's ACLS unit has adapted a definition of DL for purposes of student instruction but not for purposes of professional development delivery. There is flexibility for applicants to offer their own definition of DL. The following definition of DL found from the National Reporting System Implementation Guidelines, July 2007 may be helpful: "Distance education is formal learning activity where students and instructors are separated by geography, time or both for the majority of the instructional period Distance learning materials are delivered through a variety of media including, but not limited to, print, audio recording, videotape, broadcasts, computer software, web-based programs and other online technology distance or time. Teachers support distance learners through communication via mail, telephone, e-mail or online technologies and software."

Q: In Section IV, Item b, is the 9% benchmark based on the total number of DL activities offered in the region or the state? Should applicants assume that this item doesn't include technical assistance that may be offered on the use of hardware or software technology?

A: The percentage is based on the total number of activities statewide. The item refers more formalized learning than technology TA. The expectation is that distance learning will be used for the full range of topics needed by practitioners, and not just topics related to technology.

Q: Does Item b in Section IV refer to training that is required for field practitioners or training that the Department may require professional development providers to offer based on the negotiated work plan?

A: The item refers to trainings that are required for practitioners in the field, such as the New Staff Orientation, trainings in Americans with Disabilities Act, SMARTT, Cognos, ABE Program Design, and certain assessment trainings such as BEST+ and REEP.

Q: For the required trainings mentioned in Section IV, Item c, how will the Department determine practitioner participation by role?

A: Multiple roles for Massachusetts ABE practitioners are quite common; and staff members at ACLS are working to develop a system for identifying practitioner participation by role in the SMARTT database. In the event that the system is not ready by July 1, 2009, applicants will receive further instruction about this measure of accountability.

Q: The second footnote in the textbox under Section IV of the RPI refers to pre- and post-course assessments but omits reference to the current option of a project for the practitioner. Does this note signal a change in practice?

A: No, the intent is not to change current practice. The words "or project" may be added to the end of the note.

Q: Will there be a FAQ page for questions about this RFP?

A: Questions may be e-mailed to: FY10ProgramAndStaffRFP@doe.mass.edu. They will be answered in the "Hot Topics" section of the ACLS website.

Q: Where can applicants find a final version of the ACLS Strategic Plan?

A: The Strategic Framework for ABE will not be finalized during the period that this RFP remains open. The latest published draft may always be found at the following link: http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/sp/framework.doc.

Q: For E-mailed questions what is the time frame for responses?

A: The target time for response is 5 business days

Q: Is there a projected date when applicants will hear results?

A: The projected date is about the end of May 2009.