RFP No.: 95-0000 2
Chancellor’s Office
California Community Colleges
Academic Affairs Division
Request for Proposals (RFP)
Fund for Instructional Improvement (FII)
Fund for Instructional Improvement Request for Proposals (RFP)
Specification for Loans
RFPNo. 12-051 and RFP No. 13-049
RFP Specifications
and
Application Instructions and Evaluation Criteria
2012-13 and 2013-14 Funding Fiscal Years
Application Deadline:
Applications must be received in the Chancellor’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on
Tuesday, February 5, 2013, for the Initial Competition Phase and if funds are,
available for the Secondary Open Funding Phase, until the funds are expended.
Fund for Instructional Improvement RFP
(RFP No 12-051 and No. 13-049) (Rev. 10/12)
RFP No.: 95-0000 2
Fund for Instructional Improvement RFP Checklist
NOTE: This checklist is a tool for districts to use when filling out their applications. If the district’s application contains the following information then the packet will be complete.
§ Four (4) complete applications.
q All of these applications with original signatures (Any colored–nonblack–ink) on the:
ü Grant Agreement Face Sheet (Chief Executive Officer/Designee signature)
ü Application Budget Summary (Chief Business Officer/Designee signature)
§ Enter the correct RFP Specification Number in upper right-hand corner of the Loan Agreement Face Sheet
§ Complete Contact Page
§ Complete Abstract Page (Use a Narrative Format.)
§ Table of Contents
§ Narrative
q Need (Statement of Problem)
q Objectives
q Procedures/Activities
q Evaluation Design
§ Annual Workplan (See Appendix B.)
q Objectives
q Procedures/Activities
q Performance Outcomes
q Timelines
q Responsible Person(s)
§ Application Budget Summary (4 original CBO/Designee signatures) (See Appendix B.)
§ Application Budget Detail Sheet (See Appendix B for format example and blank form.)
§ No supplemental material (DO NOT include appendices or other supplemental information unless specifically requested in the RFP.)
§ Staple applications in upper left corner (DO NOT use binders or other covers)
§ Mail applications to:
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
Academic Affairs Division
Attn: FII Loan Application Enclosed (RFP# 12-051 and/or 13-049)
1102 Q Street, Suite 4554
Sacramento, CA 95811-6539
Applications must be received at the Chancellor’s Office
by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 5, 2013.
Fund for Instructional Improvement RFP
(RFP No 12-051 and No. 13-049) (Rev. 10/12)
Table of Contents 2
Page
SECTION I Introduction, Purposes and Uses of the Funds, and Scope
A. Introduction 1
B. Purposes and Uses of the Funds 1
C. Scope 2
SECTION II Application Instructions and Evaluation Criteria and RFP Specifications
A Intent 7
B. RFP Funding Categories 7
C. Eligibility 7
D. Resource/Reference Materials 7
E. RFP Clarification 8
F. Rejection of Application 8
G. Application Review Process 8
H. Scoring Criteria 10
J. Loan Appeal Procedures 10
K. Application Format and Instructions 11
L. Calendar of Key Dates for RFP Process 16
M. Calendar of Key Dates for New Grants Awarded 16
RFP Specifications for New Loan Awards 17
SECTION III Appendices
Appendix A Article I: FII Division/Program-Specific Legal Terms and Conditions – LoanAgreement
Article II: FII Standard Legal Terms and Conditions – Loan Agreement
Appendix B Application Forms
Appendix C California Education Code, Article 7, Sections 84381-84384
Appendix D California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Articles 1, 2, and 3
Appendix E Standing Orders of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, Sections 424 and 425
Fund for Instructional Improvement RFP
(RFP No 12-051 and No. 13-049) (Rev. 10/12)
SECTION I Introduction, Purposes and Uses of the Funds, and Scope 5
A. Introduction
The passage of AB 1173 (Vasconcellos) in 1977, established the Fund for Instructional Improvement (FII). The Fund for Instructional Improvement (also called “the Fund” throughout this RFP) provides loans to improve learning and teaching in community colleges through the development, implementation, and evaluation of alternative educational programs and services in accordance with the California Education Code, Article 7, Sections 84381-84384 (Appendix C), and the California Code of Regulations, Sections 56652-56684 (Appendix D).
In creating the Fund, the Legislature found and declared that the following five conditions affect instructional improvement in California Community Colleges:
· Community college instructional patterns continue to rely heavily on traditional classroom teaching methods due to legal, fiscal, and attitudinal constraints.
· Alternative instructional programs should be developed which reduce the barriers between school and work, link academic knowledge and learning outside the classroom, improve problem-solving abilities, and place greater responsibility with the student in defining individual learning objectives and means.
· Stimulating a greater level of institutional alternatives requires limited, experimental changes in State financing of instructional program. Such financing experiments should involve the reallocation of State resources.
· Few State and institutional resources are utilized to improve or retrain teachers, and additional dollars should be expended for such purposes.
· Colleges should develop a more adequate means of serving the needs of non-traditional students including the poor, re-entering women, and blue-collar workers.
B. Purposes and Uses of the Funds
The award of FII loans is governed by the California Code of Regulations Title5, section 56652. Title 5 provides loans to improve learning and teaching in community colleges through development, implementation, and evaluation of alternative educational programs and services. Eligible programs and services supported through this fund must promote improvement or innovation through a systemwide or local initiative with a focus at least in part on one of the following three areas:
1. Nontraditional Instruction
a. Internships and experiential learning opportunities;
b. Individualized and instructional contracts that require students to develop learning objectives;
c. Development of interpersonal skills; or
d. Independent Study.
2. Program Development
a. Efforts to address the special learning needs of educationally disadvantaged students; or
b. Educational services for new populations such as older or working adults.
3. Faculty/Staff Development
a. Intersegmental summer programs including research projects and seminars;
b. College programs bringing visiting scholars to local districts;
c. Interdisciplinary programs involving local non-college institutions in arts and sciences;
d. Intersegmental research and public information projects on topics of special concern to rural and urban California regarding the environment, social history, and culture; or
e. “Summer Bridge” programs for the transition of faculty into college life.
C. Scope
There are two (2) fiscal years addressed in this RFP. The 2012-13 and 2013-14 RFP for the Fund for Instructional Improvement includes the following RFP Specification:
1. FII RFP Specification for Loan Awards (RFPNo.12-051 and 13-049)
FII Loans are available for successful applicants who demonstrate proposed uses for the loan amount that further objectives associated with the Fund’s purpose as described in either part B of this section, “General Purposes and Uses of the Funds” or one of the eight recommendations of the “Student Success Task Force” of 2011. Loans are interest-free and paid back to the Fund for Instructional Improvement through the apportionment process. Repayment takes place in three annual payments beginning the funding year after the loan award. The primary uses of loans historically have been to purchase equipment; however, loans have been used for other academic purposes.
The need statement should describe the problem or issue that the project is designed to remedy. The problem described should be able to be realistically addressed within a recommendation of the Student Success Task Force adopted by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors (BOG) in January 2012, and is appropriate for the target population and/or geographic region defined in the project description.
a. Student Success Task Force of 2011 Recommendations
In January 2011, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors embarked on a 12-month strategic planning process to improve student success. Pursuant to Senate Bill 1143 (Chapter 409, Statutes of 2010), the Board of Governors created the Student Success Task Force. The resulting 20-member Task Force was composed of a diverse group of community college leaders, faculty, students, researchers, staff, and external stakeholders. The California Community Colleges Student Success Task Force report was written and presented to the Legislature in February 2012. The Student Success Task Force report contains recommendations aimed at improving the educational outcomes of students and the workforce preparedness of the State. There are 8 broad recommendations and 22 sub-set recommendations contained in the report. Taken together, all the recommendations would strengthen the community college system by expanding those structures and programs that work and realign resources with what matters most: student achievement.
The eight broad recommendations are listed below.
Recommendation 1
Increase College and Career Readiness
Recommendation 2
Strengthen Support for Entering Students
Recommendation 3
Incentivize Successful Student Behavior
Recommendation 4
Align Course Offerings to meet Student Needs
Recommendation 5
Improve the Education of Basic Skills Students
Recommendation 6
Revitalize and Re-envision Professional Development
Recommendation 7
Enable Statewide Leadership and Increase Coordination Among Colleges
Recommendation 8
Align Resources with Student Success Recommendations
b. Local Level Initiatives
An applicant may also address a local initiative. The local initiative must align with the specified uses and purpose of the Fund as described in part B of this section, “General Purposes and Uses of the Funds”.
Applicants will provide strategies for developing planning or implementation practices to meet the identified goals and objectives. List the objectives for the project as performance objectives with accompanying timelines.
2. FII RFP Funding Phases for Loan Awards (RFPNo.12-051 and 13-049)
a) Initial Competition Funding Phase
This phase of the FII funding cycle for both 2012-13 funds and 2013-14 funds is set for 90 days concurrently. The RFP will be released and proposals accepted for 90 days for both fiscal years. All proposals received during this period will compete among the applications received within each fiscal year for the funds within the fiscal year and will be allocated on a competitive basis. Colleges may apply for more than one fiscal year. All proposals will be received and reviewed by a panel using the same criteria. Funds will be awarded to the highest ranking proposals until either all funds are expended or all projects with a qualifying score are funded. Proposals must have a minimum average qualifying score of 75 points.
b) Secondary Open Funding Phase
If after the “Initial Competition Funding Phase” there are unallocated funds within a designated fiscal year, the Chancellor’s Office will accept proposals for the remaining funds for that fiscal year on a first come first served basis. Proposals are still subject to the established funding criteria and will be evaluated and scored and must receive a minimum score of 75 points in order to be funded. However the priority for this phase is based on when the request is received and not the highest ranked proposal.
Legal Terms and Conditions
The legal provisions contained in Appendix A, which is included in this booklet, are the ones that will apply to the loans awarded under this RFP Specification. Rather than list the provisions again, they are incorporated into the loan agreement document by reference on the Loan Agreement Face Sheet. Applicants must, therefore, retain this manual for future reference.
Information
If you have any questions or need more information regarding this RFP Specification, please contact LeBaron Woodyard, Dean, Academic Affairs by telephone at (916) 445-1780, by email at ; or mail at the Chancellor’s Office, California Community Colleges, 1102QStreet, Suite 4554, Sacramento, CA 95811-6539.
Fund for Instructional Improvement RFP
(RFP No 12-051 and No. 13-049) (Rev. 10/12)
SECTION II Application Instructions and Evaluation Criteria and RFP Specifications 22
A. Intent
Section II contains general instructions, procedures, formats, and timelines for submitting project applications to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO). It has been developed with the intent of establishing, to the extent possible, consistent practices and procedures for the submission, evaluation, and allocation of a variety of State and federally funded projects administered through this office.
Applications should therefore be submitted utilizing the format and sequence described in these Application Instructions and Evaluation Criteria and address the RFP Specification for the project for which funding is sought.
B. RFP Funding Categories
1. 2012-13 FII RFP Specification for Loan Awards (RFPNo.12-051) has $302,000 in total funds available. Loans may be awarded up to a maximum of $302,000 each per college.
2. 2013-14 FII RFP Specification for Loan Awards (RFPNo.13-049) has $302,000 in total funds available (subject to final approval of the 2013-14 California State Budget). Loans may be awarded up to a maximum of $302,000 each per college.
C. Eligibility
Only community college districts are eligible to apply. All applications recommended for approval shall have or obtain approval of the Board of Trustees of the districts.
D. Resource/Reference Materials
The RFP Specification will provide the necessary list of resource or reference material for completion of a grant or loan application, if applicable.
E. RFP Clarification
If any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in this RFP is discovered, immediately notify the Chancellor’s Office, Academic Affairs Division, Vice Chancellor, of the error and request a written modification or clarification of the document. A clarifying addendum will be given to all parties who have obtained the RFP, without divulging the source of the request. Insofar as practical, the Chancellor’s Office will give such notice to other interested parties, but the Chancellor’s Office shall not be responsible for failure to do so.
F. Rejection of Application
The Chancellor’s Office reserves the right to reject any and allapplicationsreceived.
A loan application shall be rejected prior to scoring if:
· It fails to meet the requirements of the RFP Specification and does not follow the application instructions.
· Either the Loan Agreement face sheet is not signed by the Chief Executive Officer (or authorized designee) or the Application Budget Summary is not signed by the Chief Business Officer (or authorized designee) in an ink color other than black.