Competitive Title II.D (Educational Technology) Grant Program
Program At-A-Glance
eMINTS in Delaware
(enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies program)
Funding Source / Federal Title II.D
Grant Types / Year 1 – Competitive
Year 2 – Renewable/ Continuation
Applicant Types / Districts or Charter Schools
New eMINTS implementation
Eligibility Requirement(s) / High-need LEA who is:
- among districts in the state with the highest numbers or percentages of children from families with incomes below the poverty line(determined by the U.S. Census)*see last page of RFP, and
- serves one or more schools identified for improvement or corrective action under ESEA OR has a substantial need for assistance in acquiring and using technology.
Applicant may only submit (or be involved in) one grant application
Funds Distribution / Year 1 - Funds are distributed across the state and will be distributed to Districts
Year 2 - Continuation
Maximum Grant Award Amounts / Year 1 – One (1) award will be given. Award amount: $312,868
Year 2 – $72,868
Budget items must relate directly to the project being implemented and must be directly related to the goals of the program. Applicants may be contacted for budget revisions. Adjustments will be made to budgets during the award period at the discretion of the Delaware Department of Education, where necessary.
Grant Expenditures / Two-year grants support eMINTS-required technology equipment and resources and professional development costs
Set aside funds for Year 1
- Training: $12,500 per trainer
- To support eMINTS National Trainer Travel: $1120 per trainer
- Program evaluation by eMINTS NationalCenter $2500 per site per year
- Training: $5,000 per trainer
- To support eMINTS National Trainer Travel: $1120 per trainer
- Program evaluation by eMINTS NationalCenter: $2500 per site per year
Match Requirement / None
Technical Assistance Requirement / Any LEA interested in applying MUST participate on the Elluminate session with both DDOE and representatives from the eMINTS program. This will take place on April 22, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. E-mail Wendy Modzelewski, to RSVP. Please write “eMINTS Call” in the subject line. You will then be e-mailed a reminder and information for logging in to participate. Prior to the call, make sure you have access to the Internet and speaker and microphone capabilities. Information on Elluminate is included in the RFP.
Application Due Dates / Year 1 applications – May 8, 2009 at 12PM
Year 2– TBD within the grant application, based on performance report
Submission Process / Paper application (original plus two copies)
Approval Status Notification / On/before May 19, 2009
Effective Approval Date / TBD-based on required approval from the state
Approval End Date / Grant Project ends September 15, 2011, the second year of grant.
Y1 – FY09 Grant Period ends September 15, 2010 with funds encumbered by 9/15/2010 and liquidated by 12/15/2010
Y2 – FY10 Grant Period ends September 15, 2011with funds encumbered by 9/15/2011 and liquidated by 12/15/2011
Payment Schedule / District Request, with up to 75% available for year 1 of Grant and balance in year 2 (based on Performance and Final Expenditure Report)
Reporting Requirements and Due Dates / Y1 Grant Funds and Project Narrative
Mid Year: December 15, 2009
- Y1 Annual: July 15, 2010
- Due: September 15, 2010
- eMINTS will provide some data for this report
- Mid Year: December 15, 2010
- Y2 Annual: July 15, 2011
- Due: September 15, 2011
- eMINTS will provide some data for this report
1
Introduction
The Title II.D Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech or EETT) Program was signed into law with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L.107-110). This legislation reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and established the Ed Tech Program that consolidated the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund (TLCF) Program and the Technology Innovative Challenge Grant (TIC) Program into a single state formula grant program (ESEA Title I, Part D, Subpart 1).
The primary goal of the Ed Tech program is to improve student achievement through the use of technology in schools. It is designed to ensure that every student is technology literate by the end of the 8th grade, and to encourage the effective integration of technology with teacher training and curriculum development to establish successful research-based instructional methods.
Title II.D provides both formula and competitive grant funding for Delaware. This document details the competitive grant program; included are program guidelines, application forms and procedures, grant implementation rules, and scoring criteria.
In Delaware, we will use the competitive Title II.D funds to begin the eMINTS program in districts/classrooms across the state. We began the eMINTS program in the 2008-2009 school year in A.I.DupontMiddle School in the RedClaySchool District and in two charter schools: Thomas Edison Charter (elementary) and Kuumba Charter (elementary). This program began and continues in Missouri and other states supporting educators as they integrate multimedia technology into inquiry-based, student-centered, interdisciplinary, collaborative teaching practices that result in higher levels of student performance. eMINTS began as a demonstration project in 1997 and is now a large scale program involving more than 16,000 students in classrooms across Missouri. Extensive research has been conducted throughout the life of the program by an evaluation team based at Missouri's Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis. A wealth of information, including the full set of research about this project is available on the eMINTS website at Several other states including Utah, Maine, Arkansas, Alabama and Nevada have used Title II.D competitive grant funds to establish eMINTS programs in schools and districts across their states. Evaluation data from those states also show strong student performance gains from the program.
1
Table of Contents
Program at a Glance / 1Introduction / 3
Table of Contents / 4
Program Guidelines / 5
Program Overview / 5
Competitive Sub-Grant Program Information / 6
Program Rules / 6
Funding / 6
Funding and Reporting Periods / 6
Type of Grants / 6
Distribution of State Funds / 7
Grant Awards / 7
District Match / 7
Eligible Applicants / 7
Application Requirements / 7
Application Procedures / 8
Application Deadlines / 8
Application Contact Person / 8
Application Components / 8
Completing the Application for State Assistance form / 8
Completing the Building and Participation Information form / 9
Completing the Proposed Budget Information from / 9
Developing the Project Narrative / 9
Year 1 Project Narratives / 9
Example Required and Optional Objectives / 10
Example Budget Explanations / 13
Year 2 Project Narratives / 15
Allowable Costs / 15
Unallowable Costs / 17
Assurances and Submission Process / 17
Application Review and Approval Process / 17
Review and Approval Process / 17
Review Criteria / 18
Application Narrative Scoring Criteria / 18
Poverty and Technology Need Scores / 19
Appendices / 20
Application Forms / 20
Cover Form with Assurances / 20
Building and Participant Information Form / 21
Proposed Budget Form / 22
Writing the Project Narrative (Outline) / 23
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) / 24
Grant Writing Guiding Questions / 28
Application Pre-submission Checklist / 33
Elluminate Call Information / 34
U.S. Census Data, 2008 / 35
1
Program Guidelines
Program Overview
The Title II.D Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech or EETT) Program, signed into law with the No Child Left Behind Act, was established to provide formula and competitive grants to help improve student achievement through the use of technology in schools. The program is designed to ensure that every student is technology literate by the end of the 8th grade, and to encourage the effective integration of technology with teacher training and curriculum development to establish successful research-based instructional methods.
Districts in both formula and competitive Title IID grants are required to spend at least 25 percent of the grant funds on technology professional development. No match is required.
Competitive Grant Program
The federal No Child Left Behind program requires the competitive grant program to fund projects that implement scientifically based instructional methods that result in high academic achievement, as well as targeting “high-need” local educational agencies (LEAs). A high-need LEA is:
- among districts in the state with the highest numbers or percentages of children from families with incomes below the poverty line, and
- serves one or more schools identified for improvement or corrective action under ESEA OR has a substantial need for assistance in acquiring and using technology.
Delaware Title II.D competitive funds will be used to help districts implement the eMINTS instructional model. eMINTS stands for enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies, a collaborative education program sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department of Higher Education, and the University of Missouri System Office of Academic Affairs, and administered by the eMINTS NationalCenter. eMINTS transforms schools into places for learning where teachers and students use multimedia tools to better understand the world, work together, and achieve at new and higher levels. The eMINTS NationalCenter programs include professional development experiences for all educators (teachers, administrators, education technology specialists, and library media specialists) who are interested in implementing the eMINTS instructional model in their schools.
The eMINTS instructional model is a set of research-based strategies integrating technology and best teaching practices to create a learning community where teachers and students explore and create knowledge together using a variety of resources. Teachers facilitate student learning through the use of essential questions that stimulate thinking, build curiosity, create connections, and generate long-lasting knowledge through issues that matter to students. This instructional model requires conscious alignment of curriculum, professional development, and school vision.
The eMINTS program has shown to be effective in assisting students improve their performance. Statewide evaluation of Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) results determined that eMINTS has a positive impact on student achievement. The evaluation compared the performance of eMINTS students with like students in the same districts and with overall statewide averages. For more information, visit Students in Utah eMINTS classrooms also achieved higher outcomes on the Utah state test when compared to students in non-eMINTS classrooms. See articles in: Technology Horizons in Education (T.H.E.) Journal reporting Utah eMINTS results: , CCSSO Newsletter, CCSSO Presents New Report from Its Successful Practice Series by Evan Omerso, August 9, 2007: and the CCSSO 2007 publication, Changing the Face of Education: Missouri Leads the Way:
Competitive Sub-Grant Program Information
Program Rules
Funding
The General Assembly makes an annual appropriation for the Technology Grants Program to the Department of Education that administers state and federal education technology programs. The funding for the Title II.D program is based on federal appropriation estimates. Annually, the Department advises districts of the estimated Title II.D appropriation and the purposes for which grants may be awarded.
Funding and Reporting Periods
Funds may not be expended or obligated prior to approval.
The eMINTS program will be a two-year grant. This grant will be funded for one year at a time.
Year 1 grants are competitive. Year 2 funding is non-competitive and available if adequate progress is shown during Year 1.
Reporting:
Year 1
- Mid-year Report (Narrative & Fiscal)–December 15, 2009, generated by the DDOE
- eMINTS Annual Narrative – September 15. 2010
- Budget Summary/Expenditure Report of Federal Funds – December 15, 2010
Year 2
- Mid-year Report (Narrative & Fiscal) – December 15, 2010, generated by DDOE
- eMINTS Annual Narrative – September 15, 2011
- Budget Summary/Expenditure Report of Federal Funds - December 15, 2011
Final Evaluation Reports
- Year 1 Budget Summary/Expenditure Report of Federal Funds FY09 – December 15, 2010
(3 months following Grant End). - Year 2 Budget Summary/Expenditure Report of Federal Funds FY10 – December 15, 2011
(3 months following Grant End). Reporting analysis of both Year 1 and Year 2. - eMINTS Final Narrative – December 15, 2011. eMINTS is available to assist with data for your report if necessary documents are submitted to eMINTS National in a timely manner. eMINTS will also be submitting their final evaluation of the Grant.
Type of Grants
The intent of the Title II.D competitive grant program is to help districts enhance curriculum and instruction through the use of education technologies and, in Delaware, support district participation in eMINTS professional development programs. The goal of the program is to create school-wide improvement and change. School-wide projects must promote the use of the eMINTS instructional model (high-quality teaching powered by technology) in systemic implementations that result in schools characterized by strong learning communities. Applications may include all grade levels K-12.
There are two types of grants: New and Established. (A new district is newto the eMINTS program. An established district has at least one teacher who has completed at least one year of the two-year comprehensive eMINTS professional development program.). A district or charter school may only submit and/or participate in one application.
Distribution of State Funds
Funds will be given for New or Establishedgrants for Year 1 and will be a continuation into year two based on progress in year one. The intent is to award one grant to a high need LEAs.
Grant Awards
The size of the awards are as follows:
Year 1 – Up to 1 award will be given. Award amount: $312,868
Year 2 – $72,868
Grants are awarded for two years. All first-year applications are competitive in nature. Year 2 funding is not competitive; however, funding is contingent on successful implementation of year one activities, reported in a Mid Year Report, submitted by December 15, 2009 and continued support and implementation of the eMINTS program through June 2010.
Budget items must relate directly to the project being implemented and must be directly related to the goals of the program. Applicants may be contacted for budget revisions. Adjustments will be made to budgets during the award period at the discretion of the Delaware Department of Education, where necessary. Awarded Districts and/or Consortia must commit to both years of the grant and successful implementation of the eMINTS professional development instructional model.
District Match
Matching funds are not required for competitive Title II.D grants. However, systemic school reform requires time and effort and grant proposals that demonstrate creative and synergistic uses of multiple program resources, including personnel, equipment, software, and funding sources (state, federal, and local) will be more competitive.
Eligible Applicants
As required by law, Title II.D competitive funds must target "high-need” districts, defined as schools serving the highest numbers and/or percentages of children living in poverty based on U.S. Census data. See the FY09 TITLE II.D COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM –U.S. Census data, Fall 2009, last page of this document.
Application Requirements
Applications must:
- show financial and personnel commitment to the intensive eMINTS professional development program
- show commitment to make the appropriate resources available for the teachers and students
- show commitment to follow the established rules and timelines of the program (and not include software or hardware outside the scope of the eMINTS program)
- utilize at least 25 percent of requested funds to address staff professional development in technology
- set aside funding, approximately $2,500 per grant to address project evaluation efforts – evaluation will be coordinated by the eMINTS NationalCenter using evaluators external to eMINTS.
- Set aside funds to support eMINTS trainer’s travel, approximately $1,120.00
- Comply with Title II.D Federal Legislation, Regulations and Guidance
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Application Deadlines
An application with original signatures must be submitted along with two copies of the application. Year 1 applications must be postmarked no later than May 8, 2009 or, if hand-delivered, received in the office of the DelawareCenter for Educational Technology, 35 Commerce Way, Dover, DE by 12:00 p.m. on or before May 8, 2009. A timeline indicating when Year 2 will begin must be given, remembering that funds must be encumbered on or before September 15, 2011 and liquidated by December 15, 2011. The funding period for competitive grants begins the date the grant is approved by the Department.
Application Contact Person
The application requires designation of a project contact person. This person should be a member of the planning team since the contact must be familiar with the project and must be able to make decisions about the project, whether a single district or consortium project. Ideally, the contact should be a building principal or central office administrator (e.g., a superintendent, assistant superintendent, or a coordinator for curriculum, instruction, or technology).
Application Components
The application consists of forms provided by the Department and a project narrative to be created by the applicant using a word processing program. The application is to be constructed in the following order:
- RFP under the Title II.D Competitive Grant Program (form)
- Title II.D Competitive Grant Program Application – Building and Participant Information (form)
- Title II.D Competitive Grant Program Application – Proposed Budget Information (form)
- Project Narrative (including letters of commitment)
Completing the Application for State Assistance (Use the application cover form provided.)
For Department Use – Do not complete this section. It will be completed by the Department should the application receive funding approval.
District Information – Provide details about the applicant district (or grant fiscal agent). Insert district name, county-district code, and the request contact information.
Grant Information – Check all appropriate grant types: Year 1 or Year 2 application, New or Established grant, District or Consortium application. Indicate the participating school buildings (and districts if consortium grant).
Project Information – Provide details about the overall project: grant request amount, number of districts/buildings participating, number of teachers, numbers of students, grade levels, and curriculum areas.