This grant supports ongoing work of the districts with state-designated Career Technical Education CTE programs towards alignment and preparation for demonstration of implementation of the Career Technical Education CTE frameworks by June 2027. Districts will submit demonstration through a Grants for Education Management System GEM$ Supplemental Application Form.
Through this process, districts will update and implement program scope and sequence tools to guide the implementation of Career Technical Education (CTE) Frameworks and competency-based systems within state-designated Career Technical Education CTE programs.
Districts will support school teams in the framework alignment process by developing the scope and sequence to inform curriculum design, lesson planning, assessment practices, and student engagement strategies.
As part of the alignment, districts will provide information about their program framework alignment including addressing these questions, at the core of high quality Career Technical Education CTE programs:
What is the progression of coursework students experience in the program in alignment with the Career Technical Education CTE Framework?
What work-based learning opportunities are built into the program in alignment with the Career Technical Education CTE Framework?
Which industry recognized credentials and postsecondary credits (college, licensure, apprenticeship, etc.) do students have the opportunity to earn in alignment with the Career Technical Education CTE Framework?
How do students engage in My Career and Academic Plan MyCAP including career exploration and postsecondary planning as part of the program in alignment with the Career Technical Education CTE Framework?
Who are the program educators in alignment with the Career Technical Education CTE Framework?
What roles and perspectives are represented in the Program Advisory Committee and how often do they meet to support Career Technical Education CTE Framework implementation?
Priority will be given to applicants that demonstrate readiness and capacity to:
Implement Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to ensure equitable access to deeper learning, especially for students with disabilities and English learners.
Align practices with the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA 2020 Framework and English Learner Blueprint.
Train staff in high-leverage best practices for students with disabilities (e.g., scaffolded support, explicit instruction, Universal Design for Learning UDL).
Provide professional development and coaching to support effective tool use and framework implementation.
Integrate High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) with competency-based curriculum and assessment.
Establish instructional leadership structures that promote culturally and linguistically sustaining practices.
Engage in student-led career development planning and foster student ownership and self-monitoring of learning progress.
Priority will be given to districts and schools in the strategic transformation region and districts and schools in Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE’s Accelerating Achievement initiative.
Eligible applicants include any school district 5 or more state-designation Career Technical Education programs.
Federal 7043-8000 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance CFDA 84.048
Federal grant funds must adhere to:
The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including General Laws G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
Approximately $500,000 is available for this grant program.
This Request for Proposal RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this Request for Proposal RFP document.
Allowable expenditures include:
Upon Approval* – 6/30/2027
* Grant start date cannot be prior to Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this Request for Proposal RFP’s Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot be obligated beyond the project duration end date.
Office of College, Career, and Technical Education
Garvy Altine
781-338-3905
Monday October 19, 2026
Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Competitive Grant Submission Policy
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "Local Educational Agency LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in Grants for Education Management System GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the Local Educational Agency LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the Request for Proposal RFP.
All responses must be submitted through proper steps and received by the due date/time 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.
Questions and Answers — Applicants can find all the questions asked regarding this funding opportunity and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE’s response in the Grant application template on Grants for Education Management System GEM$.
The FY27 FC 426A Career Technical Education CTE Frameworks and Competency Based Implementation (Fall/Spring) will be submitted in our Grants for Education Management System GEM$ system.
Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)
New organizations that do not have an established Local Educational Agency LEA with Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE skip to Step 3.
Step 1: Establish and assign proper roles before the grant due date/time. Grant Submission at the Local Educational Agency LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, Local Educational Agency LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off.
All roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to Grants for Education Management System GEM$, maintained at the Local Educational Agency LEA level or sent in to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Request for Proposal RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the Grants for Education Management System GEM$ homepage under Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.
Step 2: Submit the grant through all Local Educational Agency LEA steps in Grants for Education Management System GEM$. There are three Local Educational Agency LEA steps a competitive grant must be submitted through by the due date and time to be considered for funding:
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted once the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "Local Educational Agency LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in Grants for Education Management System GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the Local Educational Agency LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the Request for Proposal RFP. Please plan accordingly.
The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.
Step 3: (If applicable) New organizations request temporary organization access. New organizations are entities that have not been established as an Local Educational Agency LEA in Grants for Education Management System GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization established in Grants for Education Management System GEM$ must contact the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.
Temporary Access will need to be created by Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE before you can then assign the proper roles and submit the grant as outlined in Steps 1 and 2.
Failure to provide Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE with Grants for Education Management System GEM$ Temp Organization Access Request at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.
Last Updated: September 30, 2026