Funding Available
TO THE ELIGIBLE APPLICANT ADDRESSED:
SUBJECT: Request for Application for the Limited English Proficient Student Success Initiative, Cycle 4
Eligible Applicants:
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is requesting applications from eligible school districts and open enrollment charter schools that have been selected for eligibility based on the following criteria:
· A district or charter school whose Limited English Proficient (LEP) student population was below the state rate of 45% for Passing All TAKS Tests taken on the Standard Accountability Indicator based on the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) 2006 and
· A district or charter school who has not met Title III, Part A, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOS) in one or more of the following school years: 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and/or 2006-2007
Applicants have been ranked in order based on the three following criteria:
1. the number of years in AMAOS for the 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years
2. the request by a district for a Bilingual Education Exception for the 2007-2008 school year
3. the district’s rating on the Standard Accountability Indicator in AEIS 2006
The eligibility list will be posted on the TEA Grant Opportunities webpage at http://burleson.tea.state.tx.us/GrantOpportunities/forms. Shared services arrangements (SSAs) of eligible districts and charter schools are eligible to apply. Educational service centers (ESCs) are not eligible to apply.
Description of Program:
The purpose of the LEP Student Success Initiative Grant, Cycle 4, is to provide intensive programs of instruction for students with limited English proficiency as well as to provide training materials and other teacher training resources to assist teachers in developing the expertise required to enable students of LEP to meet state performance standards.
The LEP Student Success Initiative Grant, Cycle 4, will target:
· LEP students who have not achieved the “Met Standard” performance level on all tests of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for the 2007-2008 school year
· LEP students at risk of not advancing to the next grade level or LEP students not completing student accrual of credits that lead toward high school completion in the 2007-2008 school year
· Recently immigrated LEP students
· LEP Students that have been in the United States for five years or more and are in “Beginner” status based on Reading Proficiency Test in English (RPTE) scores for the 2006-2007 school year.
Project Funding:
The LEP Student Success Initiative, Cycle 4 will be implemented during the 2008 – 2009 and 2009-2010 school years. Applicants should plan for a starting date of no earlier than August 1, 2008, and an ending date of no later than December 31, 2009. Funding will be provided for approximately 18 projects. Each project will be awarded an amount not to exceed $750,000.00 per district, open enrollment charter school or SSA for the project period. This project is funded 100% from nonfederal sources ($7,850,000).
Mandatory Notice of Intent to Apply:
All prospective applicants are required to submit their Notice of Intent to Apply by May 16, 2008. The Mandatory Notice of Intent must be sent to the Document Control Center, Room 6-108, Texas Education Agency, William B. Travis Building, 1701 North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701-1494 (Fax: 512-463-9811). Failure to notify TEA of the intent to apply will disqualify the applicant from submitting an application.
Selection Criteria:
Eligible applicants have been ranked on the selection criteria stated above and based on districts or charter schools with the highest need. TEA will award grants for the applications received from the top of the list of eligible grantees until all available funds are exhausted.
TEA is not obligated to approve an application, provide funds, or endorse any application submitted in response to this Request for Application (RFA). This RFA does not commit TEA to pay any costs before an application is approved. The issuance of this RFA does not obligate TEA to award a grant or pay any costs incurred in preparing a response.
Requesting the Application:
A complete copy of the RFA may be obtained by writing the Document Control Center, Room 6-108, Texas Education Agency, William B. Travis Building, 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701; by calling (512) 463-9304; by faxing (512) 463-9811; or by e-mailing . Please refer to the RFA number and title in your request; provide your name, complete mailing address, and telephone number including area code. The RFA will also be posted on the TEA Grant Opportunities website at http://burleson.tea.state.tx.us/GrantOpportunities/forms for viewing and downloading. In the “Select Search Options” box, select the name of the program/RFA from the drop-down list. Once you have selected the name of the grant program, scroll down to the “Application and Support Information” to view all documents that pertain to this RFA.
Applicant’s Conference:
An applicant’s conference will be held on Friday, May 9, 2008, from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. on the Texas Educational Telecommunication Network (TETN) available at each regional Education Service Center (ESC) (TETN Event # 30882). In order to locate the nearest TETN facility, please contact the TETN site manager at your regional ESC. Questions relevant to the RFA may be sent to Roberto Manzo at or faxed to 512-463-9811 prior to May 6, 2008. These questions along with other information will be addressed in the presentation. The conference will be open to all potential applicants and will provide prospective applicants an opportunity to receive general and clarifying information about the program and RFA.
The entire Applicant’s Conference will be digitally recorded. Prospective applicants who are not able to attend the Applicant's Conference may request a password to download the video stream that is viewable on their computer desktop. Applicants should contact the TETN Site Manager at their local educational service center (ESC) to request the procedures to download the video stream. To locate the nearest TETN facility, the following webpage has links and contact information for each ESC in Texas: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/ESC/
Clarifying Information:
For clarifying information about the RFA, please contact Carlos Garza, Division of Discretionary Grants, TEA, (512) 463-9269.
In order to assure that no prospective applicant may obtain a competitive advantage because of acquisition of information unknown to other prospective applicants, any additional information that is different from or in addition to, information provided in the RFA will be provided only in response to written inquiries.
Copies of all such inquiries and the written answers thereto will be posted on the TEA website in the format of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at http://burleson.tea.state.tx.us/GrantOpportunities/forms. In the “Select Search Options” box, select the name of the program/RFA from the drop-down list. Scroll down to the “Application and Support Information” to view all documents that pertain to this RFA
Deadline for Receipt of Applications:
Applications must be received in the Document Control Center of TEA by 5:00 PM (Central Time), Tuesday, May 29, 2008, to be eligible to be considered for funding.
Sincerely,
Nora Ibáñez Hancock, Ed.D.
Associate Commissioner
Office for Planning, Grants and Evaluation