Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2023: Integrating Social and Emotional Learning into Academic Learning

Fund Code: 151

Purpose:

The goal of this federally funded competitive grant program is to build school and district capacity to:

Measure students' social and emotional (SE) skills and competencies and effectively use data to identify areas of need, and support students to develop specific skills/competencies within a tiered system of support; and/or
Engage in explicit teaching and learning of SE skills/competencies that are integrated and applied throughout all subject areas.

Priorities:

Through this grant, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and/or its partners will provide, in addition to the grant funds, technical assistance, professional development and/or coaching to support school and/or district teams in one or more of the following priority areas.

Priority 1 — The Social and Emotional Learning Indicator System (SELIS) survey supports a strength-based, tiered approach to developing students' social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies. Developed by researchers in partnership with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), SELIS identifies students' self-reported SEL strengths in five core competencies. The data enables educators to support students in areas in need of development within a tiered system of support. DESE will provide participating districts with SELIS data and technical assistance to make meaning of the SEL data in an integrated system of support.
Priority 2 — Using Service-Learning (SL) to Teach and Reinforce SE Skills Across Content Areas (SL/SEL Integration): This priority is designed to support teachers' instruction, tap and empower students' sense of agency, boost students' collaborative skills, and spark students' interest in future civic work.

Through this priority teachers will create a service-learning experience for students based on their own content standards (aligned with state and/or district curriculums). By applying multiple frameworks (CASEL's Social Emotional Learning, KIDS As Planners Service-Learning, Connect Science Blueprint, etc.), teachers will learn how to design a unit(s) that engages students in learning. The result is a project-based learning unit that integrates science and/or health, social and emotional learning, social studies, mathematics, literacy and more.

Priority 2A: Middle and High School Units focused on Health Topics

Priority 2B: Planning Grant to Create Connect Science Unit(s) (3^rd – 5t^h Grade, SEL, Science, SL)
**Only districts that have participated in a Connect Science Institute are eligible to apply for Priority 2B.

Competitive priority will be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status.

Please see the Additional Information section below, as well as Part III — Required Program Information for full details about the key grant activities and grant requirements for each of the above priorities.

Eligibility:

All Massachusetts public school districts and collaboratives are eligible to apply.

Funding Type:

Federal CFDA: 84.424

Funding:

Approximately $250,000 is available. Approximately 30% of funds will be prioritized for schools and districts in chronically underperforming status.

Applicants may apply for one or more of the listed priorities as follows.

Priority 1 — SELIS Cohort 2: up to $10,000
Up to 10 new districts (Cohort 2) will be funded under this category.

Priority 1 — SELIS Cohort 1: up to $5,000 The eight (8) districts (Arlington, Chelmsford, Fall River, Granby, Martha's Vineyard, Methuen, Peabody, and Taunton) that received Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Fund Code (FC) 151 funds for SELIS may apply for up to $5,000 to support ongoing administration and participation in training and networking.
Priority 2 — SL/SEL Integration: up to $15,000
Up to $10,000 if applying for one subcategory (2A or 2B)
Up to $15,000 if applying for both subcategories (2A and 2B)

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 may be used to support stipends for staff engaged in grant activities, substitutes, materials and or supplies.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval – 08/31/2023

Pending appropriation and the meeting of all grant requirements, awarded applicants will be eligible for a one-year continuation grant in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 (Upon Approval (no earlier than 9/1/2023 – 8/31/2024) to support continued participation.

Program Unit:

Office of Student and Family Support

Contact:

Kristen McKinnon

Phone Number:

(781) 338-6306

Date Due:

Thursday, August 4, 2022 (Note: Due date has been extended.)

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due.

Required Forms:

Additional Information:

Applicants should reference these documents for additional details about the key grant requirements for each grant priority.

Private School Equitable Services under ESSA resources

Submission Requirements:

Please email all required forms to achievement@mass.gov with the subject line "FC 151 Application"

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: July 6, 2022