FY2023: Building Capacity for High-Quality Instruction through EdTech

Fund Code: 124

Purpose:

The purpose of this federally funded competitive grant program is to provide funds for districts to adopt or expand capacity-building programming that builds the collective expertise of educators to utilize technology to deliver high-quality instruction.

In addition to providing professional development opportunities for educators in effective uses of educational technology, the Department is specifically seeking to fund programming that aligns to longer-term strategic plans of LEAs to develop wide-scale capacity for all classrooms to effectively leverage technology to enhance teaching and learning.

Priorities:

Grant Focus Areas
Proposals for grant funds must demonstrate how the use of funds will directly align to each of the following required elements:

1. Effective Instruction: Effective instruction is relevant, real-world, and interactive, and leads to student demonstration of mastery, creativity, and identity. It combines multiple elements of evidence-based pedagogy and practices, including: culturally sustaining pedagogy, high-quality instructional materials, linguistically supportive practices, standards-based and grade-appropriate instruction, trauma-informed practices, and universal design for learning. To prepare students to fully participate in and contribute to society, college and career ecosystem, and global economy that are increasingly leveraging technology, effective instruction should also build students' knowledge and skills in technology and digital literacy (MA DLCS ).
2. High-Quality Professional Learning: The Learning Policy Institute conducted a meta-analysis of rigorous studies to identify elements of professional development that demonstrate a positive link to student outcomes. They include being content-focused, incorporating active learning, supporting collaboration and job-embedded contexts, using models and modeling, providing coaching, offering opportunities for feedback and reflection, and continuing for a sustained duration.
3. Effective Use of Technology to Support Instruction: When used strategically and effectively, technology can enhance teaching and learning. Educators who are skilled in the use of educational technology are able to leverage a wide variety of tools and programs for various needs and environments, effectively integrate various pedagogical approaches using technology to deepen learning, and are aware of and abide by all laws, regulations, and best practices in safety, data privacy, and security.
4. Equity and Digital Equity: The 2017 National Education Technology Plan (NETP) documented the existence of a digital use divide in the United States. In addition to often not having equitable access to devices and internet connectivity at school, students who reside in lower-income communities and communities of color also lack access to meaningful opportunities to engage with technology. Rather than using technology in creative and transformative ways, they largely interact with technology for content acquisition, "drill-and-skill" programs for remediation, and test preparation. Centering equity in educational technology requires prioritizing access and opportunities for students who traditionally have less access.
5. Sustainability of Capacity-Building Efforts: The short-term funds provided by this grant, alone, will not result in long-term, meaningful change in how educators leverage technology to deliver high-quality instruction. Grant funds should be one part of a broader LEA strategy to build internal capacity over the course of multiple years, so that eventually all classrooms — and students — are able to benefit from the collective expertise in educational technology.

Competitive priority will be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status. Additionally, districts identified as requiring assistance through the state's accountability system, as well as LEAs serving traditionally underserved and underrepresented populations, including one or more of the following selected populations below, are strongly encouraged to apply and will be given priority for award distribution.

• English Language Learner
• Students With Disabilities
• High Needs
• Low Income

Eligibility:

School districts, charter schools, career vocational-technical education schools (CVTE), education collaboratives, and Approved Special Education Schools (ASES) are eligible to apply. Applicants may also submit one application representing multiple LEAs and/or eligible organizations through the use of a Schedule A.

Other non-LEA organizations may also apply on behalf of an LEA or multiple LEAs, such as regional service centers or nonprofits that support schools and districts with educational technology-related efforts. Such applicants would need to submit a signed agreement (such as an MOU or contract) with any district(s) it is applying on behalf of.

Funding Type:

Federal CFDA 84.425

Funding:

A total of approximately $500,000 will be awarded to schools and school districts for expenditure in FY2023 (through August 31, 2023).

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:

Funds must be used to adopt or expand capacity-building programming, projects, and activities that build the collective expertise of educators to utilize technology to deliver high-quality instruction. Proposals for grant funds must demonstrate how the use of funds will directly align to each of the following required elements:

1. Effective Instruction
2. High-Quality Professional Learning
3. Effective Use of Technology to Support Instruction
4. Equity and Digital Equity
5. Sustainability of capacity-building efforts

The requested amount should be appropriate and reasonable for the scope of the proposed program, and the total number of staff and students impacted by the funding. Activities must be reasonable, appropriate, and consistent with all applicable state and federal requirements.

• Funds may be used to support programming costs including but not limited to provider fees, staff stipends, instructional materials, and other expenses associated with implementing grant funded programming.
• No more than 10% of the funds may be used for materials and supplies, and no more than 20% for program coordination. Proposals allocating more than 10% of funds for materials and supplies, and more than 20% for program coordination will be disqualified.
• Funds may not be used for equipment (e.g. devices, laptops, smartboards)

All grant funds must be expended by August 31, 2023.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval – August 31, 2023.

Note: Pending budget appropriation, continuation of funding will be available in fiscal year 2024 (FY24). Eligibility for funding in FY24 is based on meeting grant requirements and FY24 continuation grant.

Program Unit:

Office of Educational Technology

Contact:

Jackie Gantzer

Phone Number:

(781) 605-4255

Date Due:

Thursday September 22, 2022 5:00 p.m.

Required Forms:

• Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page

• Part II — Budget Details
  • FY2023 detailed budget
  • FY2024 non-binding budget estimates (dependent on meeting grant requirements and receiving a continuation grant)
  
  

• Part III — Required Program Information Form

• Schedule A (If applicable)

• MOU, Contract, or other formal agreement (if non-LEA applying on behalf of LEA) (If applicable)

Additional Information:

Information Webinar: Due to the competitive nature of this grant program, all questions about the Funding Opportunity documents and process will be addressed during the Grant Information Webinar on Wednesday, August 17^th, from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

• The Department will host a webinar to walk interested applicants through the RFP and respond to questions. You must register to receive the zoom link.
• The webinar will be recorded and posted to the Office of Educational Technology's web page by Friday, August 26^th.

Guidance for completing Grant Budget Request — Section IIB of the Grants for Schools: Getting Them and Using Them, A Procedural Manual provides guidance for completing the required budget workbook.

Submission Instructions:

Submit all required grant materials for the Building Capacity for High-Quality Instruction through EdTech grant to this email: k12edtech@mass.gov

1. Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page
2. Part II (FY2023) — Budget Details (A detailed FY2023 budget)
3. Part II (FY2024) — Budget Details (Non-binding estimates for FY2024, dependent on meeting grant requirements and receiving a continuation grant)
4. Part III — Required Program Information Form
5. (If applicable) Schedule A
6. (If applicable) MOU, Contract, or other formal agreement (if non-LEA applying on behalf of LEA)

Grants will be evaluated after the grant deadline. Recipients will be notified of their award status.

Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the Part I, Budget, and Schedule A (if applicable) and any required documents in EdGrants. Once selected, recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.

Last Updated: August 12, 2022