Title IV, Part A of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides supplemental resources to local school districts to build capacity to help ensure that all students have equitable access to high quality educational experiences.
Title IV, Part A is one of four principle programs that are available to districts through formula grants under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the current reauthorization of ESEA. The other programs are Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; and Title III, Part A.
The priorities of Title IV, Part A are to:
Districts are required to prioritize funds to schools based on one or more of the following criteria:
they are among the schools with the greatest need (as determined by the district);
the have the highest percentages of low-income students;
they are identified for comprehensive support and improvement;
they have consistently underperforming subgroups; and
they are identified as a persistently dangerous public elementary school or secondary school under section 8532 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
Note: Title IV, Part A does not require that funds are allocated directly to schools. Funds may be used for district-wide and other programming/activities that support as many students and teachers as possible, particularly those in schools that meet the three Title IV priorities.
In addition to the above priorities, the Title IV, Part A program supports Massachusetts' goals and strategies (listed below) by encouraging effective investments that promote continuous program improvement and better outcomes for students.
State Goal, Core Strategies, ESSA Priorities and Our Way Forward in Massachusetts Initiatives
The goal of Massachusetts' public K-12 education system is to prepare all students for success after high school. Our five core strategies to accelerate the pace of school improvement are:
Massachusetts has identified four priority focus areas under its plan for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act:
Additionally, districts may explore the use of these funds to support the "Our Way Forward " initiatives. This includes:
Evidence-Based PracticesESSA encourages, and in select cases, requires, states and districts to implement "evidence-based" practices, activities, strategies, and interventions with demonstrated evidence of effectiveness. Evidence-based practices refer to interventions for which there is evidence of significant positive impact that can be found in published research papers, literature reviews, or DESE research briefs. Alternately, evidence-based practices can be those local practices that a district or state has previously instituted, measured, and found to be effective. Please visit the How Do We Know initiative for more information on evidence-based practices.
A district is eligible to receive funds based on criteria established by the United States Department of Education (ED). District allocations are calculated by formula in the same proportion as to the districts' prior year's Title I, Part A allocation. Grants are awarded to local school districts after state review and approval of its application.
Federal CFDA: 84.424A
FY21 Fund Code 309 Title IV, Part A District Allocations
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available for allocations, it will be distributed under the same guideline that appear in this RFP document. Unclaimed funds (funds not budgeted for in EdGrants) will be redistributed to eligible districts via competitive RFP.
Funds may be used for a wide variety of activities* to support one or more of the Title IV, Part A priorities above, including but not limited to: direct services for students, professional development for staff, salaries for personnel to carry out programs and services, and supplemental educational resources and equipment.
Districts with an allocation of less than $30,000 must spend funds on one or more of the three Title IV, Part A Priorities (see top of Priorities section above).
Districts with an allocation of $30,000 or more must:
No more than 15 percent of funds used for activities to support the effective use of technology may be used "for purchasing technology infrastructure. (e.g., devices, equipment, software applications, platforms, digital instructional resources and/or other one-time IT purchases.) For example, a district with a $100,000 allocation that chooses to spend $60,000 on technology (maximum allowable), may only spend a maximum of $9,000 on technology infrastructure.
Upon Approval through 6/30/2021 (Year 1) *
* The period of availability for this grant award can be extended 15 months beyond Year 1 by utilizing the multi-year feature for this Funding Opportunity in EdGrants. The extended period is broken up by fiscal year, as follows: 7/1/2021 – 6/30/2022 (Year 2); 7/1/2022 – 9/30/2022 (Year 3).
Resource Allocation Strategy and Planning
Federal Grants
(781) 338-6230
Monday, September 14, 2020
Signature Page — Standard Contract Form (Tab 1 of Consolidated Application) with an original signature of the Superintendent/Executive Director Note: Please sign and date your cover page and ensure the amount matches the amount budgeted. Electronic signatures cannot be accepted.
Title IV Budget must be entered both on the consolidated workbook tab as well as in EdGrants in the Budget Entry formlet. The budget tab in the workbook and the EdGrants budget should match.
Schedule A (if applicable)
Note: Applicants may only legally claim expenses to the grant starting from the date of final DESE approval. The start date for the grant is the date on which the district submits substantially approvable budget and information for the grant. Therefore, to expedite approval, it is essential to have district staff that can be reached in July and August to respond to questions, as needed.
Submit the Application Submission and required grant materials in EdGrants
In EdGrants, districts are required to create and name the project. Please use the following naming convention for your "Applicant Project Name" in EdGrants:
FY21 FC 309 Title IVA Applicant Numbe10For example, Abington (0001) would name the file as FY21 FC 309 Title IVA 0001
In EdGrants, district staff assigned the role of "Front Office User" enter the Title IVA grant budget, attach a PDF of the Signature Page with an original signature of the Superintendent/Executive Director, , a PDF of the signed FY21 Federal Grant Assurances Signature page, and a Schedule A form if it's applicable.
Note: The entire Consolidation Application Workbook must be uploaded with your Title I budget in EdGrants. This is the only place your entire FY21 Consolidated Application workbook will be uploaded.
For additional submission instructions, see the "Read Me First" tab of the FY21 Consolidated ESSA Application workbook.
For Guidance Documents regarding EdGrants regarding EdGrants, visit EdGrants: User Guides and Information.
Please note: It is up to the district to determine who they want to add as EdGrants Front Office users in order to submit the grant application as well as payment request information. Please review the EdGrants: User Security Controls to make informed decisions regarding assigning your district level users.
Last Updated: July 13, 2020
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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