The Teacher Diversification Pilot Program Competitive Grant is directly aligned with the third strategic objective listed in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's new educational vision , which sets ambitious and long-term expectations of the learning experiences for students across the Commonwealth. The Department is deeply committed to providing aligned support to districts, schools, and programs so that this vision may become a reality and will continue to work with districts, schools, and educators to promote teaching and learning that is antiracist, inclusive, multilingual, and multicultural; that values and affirms each student and their families; and that creates equitable opportunities and experiences for all students, particularly those who have been historically underserved.
Strategies must be informed by a review of the school's or district's qualitative and quantitative data related to teacher recruitment and retention efforts. In addition, identified strategies must be aligned with the school's or district's strategic plan.
The Department strives to strengthen our partnerships with school communities across the Commonwealth. As such, grant recipients will be asked to support the Department's efforts to capture previous and current impact data as a result of your school or district utilizing these funds. All grant awardees will be required to send a team of participants (HR directors, teachers, district staff, and school leadership) to consistently attend and participate in the Teacher Diversification PLC in service of creating diverse and holistic learning communities. Please note that absences from the PLC will result in subsequent withholding of grant funds until a plan of consistent attendance is created with the school/school district and the Department. The PLC will be a hybrid 1-year commitment consisting of both in-person and virtual meetings that will be held through the 2023-24 school year to support schools and districts as they seek to develop or enhance their holistic talent diversification strategies. The dates of the PLC have already been confirmed and can be provided in advance of an official grant award announcement to ensure your teams' availability. Additional details regarding the professional development series will be provided to grant recipients, including school and district team composition for the professional development series and session dates.
All individuals supported by Options B (financial incentives and retention stipends) and C (financial support), of this grant must commit to teaching in the school or district for a minimum of 3 years and demonstrate a commitment to supporting students from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
It is the Department's intention to conduct a robust evaluation of this grant, using both Department staff and outside researchers. This research will include but might not be limited to: surveys that all recipients of financial support or stipends will be required to complete, data collection, interviews, and observations.
Applicants may propose using grant funds to strengthen existing teacher recruitment and retention programs in one or more ways.
Option A: High School Education PathwayThe Department continues to support high quality and high impact, grow-your-own strategies such as high school education pathways. High school education pathways can be a key strategy to support the development of a racially diverse and culturally responsive teacher workforce. These pathways uniquely expose students to the teaching profession for students who may not have considered teaching and/or need support to enter the profession. As such, high school education pathways are critical levers to support the recruitment and development of prospective teachers by implementing a model that is tailored to address the needs of the school or district. The proposed pathway must clearly articulate how students from traditionally underrepresented sub-groups will be recruited and provided the opportunity to engage in the pathway.
While high school education pathways funded through this grant program do not have to adhere to a specific model, proposed models should include the following effective components:
Please note that the Department may invite high school pathway program participants to attend virtual meetings to share their guidance and feedback on various DESE initiatives. If invited, participation would be optional.
Option B: Financial Incentives to Recruit and Retain Classroom Teachers: Loan Repayment Reimbursement, Relocation Assistance, Sign-On Bonuses, and Retention BonusesSchools or districts may propose using grant funds to support recruiting and retaining diverse teachers. Financial incentives that can be supported by this grant include:
Option C: Financial Assistance: College GraduatesSchools or districts will identify LEA employees with a bachelor's degree and provide tuition assistance to support enrollment in, and the completion of, an approved educator preparation program to advance their role toward becoming a licensed classroom teacher. In addition, LEAs may provide these individuals with Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) preparation classes through an approved Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) provider and pay for associated MTEL examination fees.
Option D: School Culture Support
Competitive priorities for this grant will be given to:
Schools and districts that applied for the FY 24 Teacher Diversification Grant FC 253 will be ineligible to apply for this grant. This grant is open to all school districts, charter schools, career vocational technical education schools, and education collaboratives. All grant applicants are strongly encouraged to join and participate in the PLC prior to award notifications.
Federal CFDA: 84.425 Federal Coronavirus Relief Programs - Federal Grant Programs
Federal grant funds must adhere to:
Approximately $3,000,000 will be awarded to schools and school districts.
If your school or district is awarded funds, receiving funds from this grant will be contingent upon your school district's consistent attendance and participation in the Teacher Diversification PLC.
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 is to become available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines as listed in the initial RFP document.
The total grant award will be determined by financial needs articulated by eligible schools and districts and may be modified by the Department. The requested amount should be appropriate and reasonable for the size and scope of the proposed program.
Funds must be used to support local school or district efforts to strengthen and diversify existing teacher recruitment and retention efforts. Activities must be reasonable, appropriate, and consistent with all applicable state and federal requirements.
Options A through D: Grant-funded activities must conclude by the project duration end date of June 30, 2024.
Option B and Option C (as applicable): Applicants may provide stipends to current classroom teachers to support pathway planning and implementation.
FY24 Upon Approval* – 6/30/2024 FY25 7/1/2024 – 9/30/2024
All grant-funded activities must be paid by the project duration end date of September 30, 2024. All grant recipients will be expected to provide an annual summary report on grant-funded activities and outcomes once the grant is completed.
Center for Strategic Initiatives
CSI@mass.gov
Friday, January 5, 2024*Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. (EST) on the date due.
* All responses must be received by the due date and time listed in this RFP. All responses must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions section of this RFP. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not submitted on time will not be reviewed. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed in this RFP.
Part III — Required Program Information Form
Part IV — Grant Assurances
Email all required forms in their original Word or Excel formats (e.g., not converted to a PDF; except the signed Part I document which should be converted to PDF), to CSI@mass.gov . Note: Electronic signatures are required on the emailed versions. Grant applicants will receive a confirmation message within 2–3 days via email upon receiving the submission.
Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the FY24 approved budget in EdGrants and upload the required documents. Grant recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.
Last Updated: December 20, 2023
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