Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2024: Supporting Arts & Cultural Vitality Teams

Fund Code: 718

Purpose:

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:

new grant recipients to implement an arts program review
returning grant recipients to engage in action planning around their FY23 ACV review.

Priorities:

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.

Eligibility:

All Massachusetts public schools are eligible to apply. Districts can have a single school or group of schools participate. Charter schools or regionals are also eligible to apply.

Funding Type:

State Line Item 7010-0033

Funding:

Approximately $80,000 is available. Total amount of awards will be determined based on quality of proposals received.

Maximum award size is determined by the total student enrollment of all participating school(s) that will conduct the review process. Each member of the review team will 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.

Size Tier 1: Schools enrolling up to 2,000 students (total)
may apply for up to $5,225 to support a minimum of 5 review team members

Size Tier 2: Schools enrolling 2,001 or more students (total)
may apply for up to $7,225 to support a minimum of 7 review team members

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.

Fund Use:

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.

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).

New recipients of the Grant:

Will use the Arts & Cultural Vitality Index to conduct a review of their arts programming.
Are required to share a summary of the review team's process and findings with DESE as a deliverable.

Returning recipients of the Grant:

Will use the initial review from FY23 to polish results and conduct an action plan to address identified priorities.
Are required to share the review team's action plan with DESE as a deliverable.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval – 6/30/2024
This is a one-year competitive grant without continuation offered to those awarded.

Program Unit:

Office of Literacy and Humanities
Center for Instructional Support

Contact:

Dawn Benski

Date Due:

Friday September 29, 2023

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.

Required Forms:

Additional Information:

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 a non-evaluative way to collect feedback and understanding of how review teams engage with the Index.

Grant recipients will be required to have the review facilitator attend a launch meeting, mid-point check-in meeting, and an exit interview. Review team members will be required to attend four PLC meetings.

Districts are encouraged to review multiple schools individually using the ACV Index instead of district-wide arts programs. 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.

EdGrants Submission Instructions:

Any grant-related questions must be emailed to dawn.m.benski@mass.gov by September 14th. 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 September 20th.

Email one (1) complete set of all required documents (Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V) to: CISgrants@mass.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.

Please use the provided original Word or Excel formats (e.g., not converted to a PDF; with the exception of the signed Part I, Part IV, and Part V, which should be converted to PDF).

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.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023