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Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2018

Title II-B: Massachusetts Mathematics and Science Partnership Program, Continuation
Fund Code: 150-A

Purpose:	The purpose of the program is to improve student achievement in science, technology/engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through intensive, effective professional development activities that focus on deepening educators' knowledge of subject matter standards, disciplinary practices, and student learning. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has established the following goals for the MMSP program. GOAL I Develop and implement an effective and sustained course of study for in-service educators of STEM by integrating the courses of study into schools of arts and sciences and/or education at institutions of higher education. GOAL II Develop and implement a systemic approach to STEM education by integrating professional development with district and school STEM improvement initiatives. GOAL III Increase the number of STEM educators in the partner school districts who participate in effective professional development and advance their content knowledge and effective instructional practices. GOAL IV Identify credible, instructionally useful measures of student learning that measure student impact relative to subject matter standards in the professional development course(s).
Priorities:	Proposed MMSP partnership activities must address the following requirements: at least 45 hours (per course) of effective professional development (PD) for STEM educators relevant to STEM topics in state standards and the student learning measures to be developed. The PD should include special education teachers and teachers of English learners as possible. The PD should focus on: Mathematical Rigor: balancing conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application. Grades 3-8, with a focus on proportional reasoning; and/or Science and Technology/Engineering: balancing disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and application. Kindergarten - High School implementation of the revised Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) standards. (Note: For both math and science, other grades may be included if it substantively supports the work in the target grades.) at least 24 hours of follow-up activities per course to guide the implementation of standards-based instruction and facilitate connections between the PD course(s) and student learning measures. See additional activities that follow for possible connections to school and district work. development and implementation of student learning measures related to STEM subject matter standards and disciplinary practices. These measures may include, but shall not be limited to, portfolios, approved commercial assessments, district-developed pre and post unit and course assessments, and capstone projects. integration of the state evaluator into program planning and compliance with state and federal reporting requirements. (See Additional Information for the MMSP Evaluation Approach for Partnerships.) at least 50% of the participating educators must be from High-Need Districts. (See Additional Information for the MMSP High-Need District list.) all PD initiatives funded by this grant program will be implemented in accordance with the Massachusetts Standards for Professional Development. In addition to the planning practices described in this RFP, the district must affirm that any PD conducted with the use of grant funds meets Massachusetts Standards for Professional Development. (See Additional Information.) These standards encourage a set of coherent learning experiences, with those experiences being systematic, purposeful, and structured over a sustained period of time with the goal of improving teacher practice and student outcomes. High-quality PD enables educators to facilitate the learning of students by acquiring and applying knowledge, skills, and abilities that address student needs and improvement goals of the district, school, and individual. MMSP partnerships proposing continuation work are encouraged to include additional activities for the High-Need Districts that integrate the PD with local STEM improvement initiatives (e.g., improvement plans, curriculum alignment or instructional documents, instructional leadership training and protocols, and/or Individual Professional Development Plans). Additional MMSP partnership activities may include: creating district/school STEM documents aligned to the Frameworks and/or STEM school improvement plans/curricula; creating district/school STEM documents for the implementation and/or transition plans for the revised STE standards; providing instructional leadership training to facilitate effective site-based supplemental activities and standards-based instruction or evaluation of instruction that incorporates the Curriculum Frameworks; and/or providing additional team or professional learning community (PLC) time for teachers to analyze data from common assessments and adjust measures or assessments.
Eligibility:	MMSP Partnerships which will be applying for their third and final year of MMSP funding (Cohort 9) or their second and what is planned to be final year of funding (Cohort 10) are eligible to apply for FY2018 continuation grants to continue and/or expand their work with core partners as established in the previous award. This is a competitive continuation grant opportunity open to existing MMSP partnerships meeting the criteria just noted. A minimum of fifty percent of the teachers participating in a partnership's activities must be employed in an MMSP-qualifying High-Need District. (See the list of MMSP-qualifying High-Need Districts under Additional Information.)
Funding Type:	Federal, Title II-B CFDA 84.366
Funding:	Approximately $1,164,994 will be available as the sum total to be distributed for these continuation grants, and the separate partnership grant awards will derive from this sum. This total may change in the event that there is returned MMSP funding that may be received late by the Department, as late returns are not expected but are a possibility. The level of funding for continuation grant awards will depend primarily upon the number of teacher participants and the number of students impacted, as described in a clear and thoughtful proposal which details what the PD participation and impact will entail, as well as the quality of the MMSP work done to date. The initial level of funding could change during the year based on changes to the awarded program (e.g., scope, number of courses or participants, and follow-up activities). The grant budget may be amended to reflect program changes. Grant recipients are required to contact the program liaisons to discuss any proposed change to the awarded program. In order to be cost effective, the cost per teacher participant should be approximately $2300 per course. (This is an estimate and may be lower or higher depending on the proposed program activities.) Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding is to become available it will be distributed under the same guideline as listed in the initial RFP document.
Fund Use:	Funds awarded shall be used to supplement, not supplant, state and/or local funds that would otherwise be used for proposed activities. Funds may be used to support STEM professional development programs, course development, the development of common assessments, and activities that integrate the PD with the administration of those assessments and with local STEM improvement initiatives. Funds may be used for administrative costs, stipends, substitutes, materials for professional development, program evaluation, program dissemination, etc. Note: Grant funds may not be allocated to pay for both a participant's graduate credit tuition and to provide a stipend. Funds may not be used for equipment (costing more than $5000 per unit), space rental, or food. Funds may not be used for equipment or instructional materials for the students of the participating teachers. Funds may not be used for full-time staff positions. 10% of the total proposal is set aside for the state evaluator, University of Massachusetts Donahue institute. Indirect costs, if charged, must be at the Department's approved rate and may not exceed a rate of 8%. Administrative costs and indirect costs combined may not exceed 20% of the total budget. Consultant fees may not exceed $100 per hour, up to $750 per day. All budgets and budget descriptions must be aligned with the program activities and reflect any coordinated uses of resources from other sources.
Project Duration:	Upon Approval - August 31, 2018
Program Unit:	Office of Instructional Support
Contact:	Craig Waterman, and cc Eve Bassett
Phone Number:	(781) 338-3244
Date Due:	Tuesday, August 8, 2017 Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on date due.
Required Forms:	Part I - General - Program Unit Signature Page - (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants) FY18 Budget Template (This is a budget template for the applicant to utilize while working through their final budget request in order to prepare for entering it into EdGrants. Please feel free to use this template when preparing for Application Submission. This Is Not the Budget. The actual final budget the applicant is requesting will be entered directly into EdGrants as part of the application submission process.) Part III - Required Program Information Part IV - Partner Contributions and Commitments
Additional Information:	MMSP Evaluation Approach for Partnerships High Needs Districts List Massachusetts Standard for Professional Development Guidance for MMSP STEM Syllabus and a Sample Definitions of Terms Scoring Rubric
Submission Instructions:	Submit one (1) hardcopy set of the complete application package with an original signature of the Superintendent/Executive Director and a complete electronic copy to Craig Waterman cwaterman@doe.mass.edu and cc Eve Bassett, eve.bassett@doe.mass.edu with "Applying Organization's name and FY18 MMSP Continuation" in the subject line. The due date of August 8, 2017 applies to both hard copy and electronic submission. Mail to: Craig Waterman Office of Instructional Support Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 75 Pleasant Street Malden, MA 02148-4906 Awarded Recipients: Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget and Part I in EdGrants. Once selected, recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.