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Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2018

Safe and Supportive Schools Grant
Fund Code: 335

Purpose:	The goal of this state funded competitive grant program is to provide funding to districts (and their selected schools) to organize, integrate, and sustain school and district-wide efforts to create safe and supportive school environments and coordinate and align student support initiatives based on their findings from completing the Behavioral Health and Public School (BHPS) Framework and Self-Assessment Tool. The BHPS Framework and Self-Assessment Tool was created by the BHPS Taskforce and Department of Elementary Secondary Education (Department), pursuant to Section 19 of Chapter 321 of the Acts of 2008.
Priorities:	The main priorities for this grant are to ensure that each school creates a safe, positive, healthy and inclusive whole-school learning environment and makes effective use of a system for integrating services and aligning initiatives that promote students' behavioral health, by: Category A - Action Planning: Convening a school team composed of various stakeholders (e.g., including but not limited to teachers, nurses, counselors, parents, etc.) to review and respond to the questions in the Behavioral Health and Public School (BHPS) Framework and Self-Assessment Tool (Tool). Based on the results from the Tool, the team will identify school and district areas to prioritize for improvements related to creating safer and more supportive learning environments and to finalize a school and district action plan that is aligned to school and district priorities. The action plans shall address all six sections of the BHPS Framework: Leadership Professional Development Access to Resources and Services Academic and Non-Academic Activities School Policies, Procedures, and Protocols Collaboration with Families Note: Upon award, the Department will provide all Category A grantees with guidelines for convening teams to create action plans that are aligned with other district and school plans and initiatives, including but not limited to district and school improvement plans (if applicable). Category B - School Based Implementation: Implementing the school-based action plans created after completing the Tool. Applicants in this category must have previously completed a self-assessment using the Framework and Tool to create an action plan. Action plans must be submitted with the application and will be considered as part of the competitive review process. Note: Fiscal Year 2016-2017 (FY17) Fund Code (FC) 335 grantees may submit an updated action plan with this application if desired, otherwise the plan previously submitted to the Department will be considered.
Eligibility:	Massachusetts school districts are eligible to apply for funding to support school and school district teams that create school and district action plans based on all six elements of the Tool. Note: Each district may only apply to one of the categories detailed below. Applicants must propose one or more schools for the focus of this work, using the following guidelines: Category A: Applicants may apply for schools that have not yet completed the BHPS Tool with a representative team of school and district stakeholders to create school action plans. Note: If a district action plan has already been created using this process, awarded grantees are not required to redo that plan, but will be asked to revisit the plan for any needed updates. Category B: Applicants may apply for schools that have completed the BHPS Tool with a representative team of school and district stakeholders And created school and district action plans. Note: Former FC 335 grantees are eligible to apply for either of the above categories, provided the specific requirements are met for the schools to be included in the application under the appropriate category. For Category A, former FC 335 grantees may only apply for schools that have not yet utilized BHPS Self-Assessment Tool and engaged in action planning.
Funding Type:	State
Funding:	Approximately $230,000 is available to support these grants. Applicants may apply for up to $20,000 total, with a maximum of $10,000 per school under Category A or Category B. Applicants may only apply for one Category. It is anticipated that approximately 75% of the funds will be awarded through Category A, and approximately 25% through Category B. Notes about funding: Given limited funds, the Department may consider factors such as geographic distribution when making awards. Should additional funds become available as a result of unclaimed or returned grant awards, the Department may redistribute those funds in an equitable manner among other awarded grantees. 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:	Category A Grant funds may be used for teacher stipends, consultants, substitutes, and materials to be used in the development of district action plans and school action plans for those schools proposed under Category A. Funds cannot be used for: electronics (such as iPads, computers, tablets, etc.) or construction. Applicants should not include in their application for Category A, requests for funds to support activities related to action plan implementation. These funds must be used to develop action plans that incorporate all six elements of the Framework. *Note:* The Department may consider requests during the spring from Category A applicants to amend budgets to support action plan implementation, provided a comprehensive action plan has been completed and submitted. Category B Grant funds may be used for school and district based implementation coordinator(s), consultants, substitutes, evidence-based programs/initiatives,* and materials to be used in the implementation of district action plans and school action plans for proposed schools under Category B. Funds cannot be used for electronics (such as iPads, computers, tablets, etc.) or construction. These funds must be used to implement action plans that incorporate all six elements of the Framework, as submitted with the application. All applicants may consider partnering with Educational Collaboratives or other consultants to help facilitate the action planning and/or implementation process.
Project Duration:	School Year: Upon Approval - 06/30/2018 Summer: 7/1/2018 - 8/31/2018 Category A only: Pending appropriation, applicants under Category A only will be eligible for a one-year continuation grant in FY19 and part of FY20 (School Year 2018-19 and Summer 2019 until August 31, 2019) to support implementation of the action plan developed through this grant. Eligibility for this continuation grant is contingent upon submission of the required action plans and a continuation application.
Program Unit:	Student and Family Support
Contact:	Stacy Diaz
Phone Number:	(781) 338-3225
Date Due:	The application deadline has been extended to Friday, October 13, 2017. Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due.
Required Forms:	Part I - General - Program Unit Signature Page - (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants) Complete and submit signed Part I for both FY18 School Year and FY19 Summer (Summer 2018), if applicable, in one PDF. Part II - FY18 New Budget Template Complete and submit Part II for both FY18 School Year and FY19 Summer (Summer 2018), if applicable, using the respective tabs in the Budget Template provided. Part III - Required Program Information (To be entered online per the Submission Instructions below.) Grant Assurances Complete and submit for Category A and/or Category B, as applicable. Category B only - School and District Action Plans Note: Submit school action plans for all schools included for funding under Category B.
Additional Information:	Questions and Information Sessions/Webinars: Due to the competitive nature of this grant program, questions about the Funding Opportunity documents and process will be addressed during Grant Information Sessions and Webinars. Questions may be emailed in advance of these sessions to: stacy.diaz@doe.mass.edu (with FC 335 in the subject line), or can be asking during the sessions. Please see registration page for information about session dates and times and to register to participate. Program Evaluation and Professional Development Grantees shall participate in conferences to be held by the Department, as well as in an evaluation of this grant program. In addition, the Department and Safe and Supportive Schools Commission will use feedback from grantees to inform a revised version that becomes the Safe and Supportive Schools Framework. Details will be provided to all grantees once information is confirmed.
Submission Instructions:	Proposals must be submitted electronically. Applicants will create an account and be able to enter the portal for the Safe and Supportive Schools Grant RFP. Once applicants have created a user account and entered the portal for the RFP, applicants will be asked to: Enter basic information Upload the following required documents: Part I - General - Program Unit Signature Page As one PDF with signature(s) for School Year and Summer (if applicable) Part II - FY18 New Budget Template Type responses to Part III - Required Program Information Applicants may use the template provided above in the Additional Information section to review questions and draft responses ahead of time, but must transfer the responses into the online form. Do not attach this template. Upload: Grant Assurances (As one PDF with signatures for Category A or Category B, as applicable.) Category B only - District and School Action Plans Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. Applicants will not be able to submit the proposal unless data or uploads are included in all required fields. Please note that applicants are presented with two choices at the bottom of the submission webpage: <Save Draft> and <Submit>. Once Submit is chosen, you are no longer able to make edits or change the files you wish to upload. Save Draft should be used routinely until you have completed the entire process and are certain you are ready to send your materials submission to us. If problems occur while using the portal, contact Emily Taylor. 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.