Perkins Special Populations

Perkins Special Populations

Grants

2014– 2015RFP

March 2014

Notice of Nondiscrimination

It is the policy of the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability in any educational programs, activities, or employment. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should contact the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education MOA Coordinator at .

Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education |March 2014Page 1 of 13

Perkins Special PopulationsGrant Request for Proposal

Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education |March 2014Page 1 of 13

Perkins Special PopulationsGrant Request for Proposal

Table of Contents

Grant Information3

Narrative Information6

Strategic Plan Template7

Proposed Budget Worksheet9

Statement of Assurances10

Scoring Guide11

Definitions12

Checklist13

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Perkins Special Population Grants

Serving Special Populations: The State Executive Leadership Team, comprised of administration at both the Office of Public Instruction and Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, has committed to expend up to $60,000 during the 2014-2015 grant cycle to serve special populations.

General Information

The purpose of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 is develop more fully the academic and career and technical skills of secondary and post-secondary students who elect to enroll in career and technical education (CTE) programs, including special populations. Funds made available under this Act for career and technical education activities are provide to supplement and supplant non-federal funds expended to carry out career and technical education activities.

Purpose

As outlined in the State’s 2008-2012 Plan for the Administration of the Carl D. Perkins Improvement Act, up Carl D. Perkins Reserve funds may be allocated to serve special populations. The uses of these funds will meet the requirements of the Perkins Act.

Targeted Population

Carl Perkins law defines Special Populations as:

a.)Individuals with disabilities;

b.)Individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including foster children;

c.)Individuals preparing for non-traditional fields;

d.)Single parents, including single pregnant women;

e.)Displaced homemakers;

f.)Individuals with limited English proficiency.

Eligibility

Eligible entities include Perkins eligible: secondary school districts, tribal colleges, two-year programs, community colleges and Perkins consortiums. This funding is also available to Community Based Organizations and State of Montana Job Services who partner with eligible Perkins School Districts and Postsecondary Programs.

Award: Up to threeone-year grant awards of no more than $20,000 eachwill be available to entities serving individuals residing at state correctional institutions or at institutions that serve individuals with disabilities are eligible to apply for funds.

Important Dates:

• Application deadline: April 21, 2014
• Grant winners notified: May 23, 2014
• Grant funds available: July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015
• Q1 Financial Report: Oct. 30
• Q2 Financial Report: Jan. 30
• Q3 Financial Report: April 30
• Q4 Financial Report: Aug. 30
• Mid-Year Narrative Report Due: Dec. 12, 2014
• Final Narrative Report deadline: June 1, 2015
• Final Fiscal Closeout Report Due: August 30, 2015

Use of Funds: Funds MAY be used to (list is not inclusive):

• Develop career and technical education programs that prepare students, especially those characterized as “special populations” for subsequent employment in high-skill, high-wage occupations;
• To develop and support less than one-year certification or credential programs to develop workforce skills for special populations
• To support programs that lead to high skill, high wage, or high demand occupations for special populations;
• To provide activities to prepare special populations, including single parents and displaced homemakers, for high skill, high wage, or high demand occupations that will lead to self-sufficiency;
• To provide equal access to CTE programs for special population students;
• (Example: Night classes; On-Line)
• To make students aware of programs that prepare CTE students, including special populations, academically and technically for opportunities in postsecondary education or entry into high wage, high skill, or high demand occupations in current or emerging occupations;
• For professional development that provides the knowledge and skills needed to work with and improve instruction for special populations;
• To provide academic and CTE teachers, faculty, administrators, and career guidance and academic counselors with the knowledge, skills, and occupational information needed to assist parents and students, especially special populations, with career exploration, educational opportunities, education financing, and exposure to high skill, high wage, or high demand occupations and non-traditional fields;
• To provide preparation for non-traditional fields in current and emerging professions, and other activities that expose students, including special populations, to high skill, high-wage occupations;
• Support Career & Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs), especially with respect to efforts to increase the participation of students who are members of special populations;
• Conduct a review of CTE programs in order to identify and adopt strategies to overcome barriers that result in lowering rates of access to or lowering success by special population students;

Funding Restrictions: No Perkins funding may be used for administration, outside of the 5% mandated by federal legislation. Administration consists of the following (this list is not inclusive):

• Grant Management
• Indirect Costs
• Monitoring and Evaluating Program Effectiveness
• Assuring Compliance with State and Federal Law
• Administration of the Local Grant Application

Perkins funding may be used for salaries for work that is directly needed to accomplish the goals and objectives of the grant. Institutions and organizations are responsible for providing the required documentation to support time and effort reporting for any employee working on Perkins activities.

Commitment of Participation, Reporting and Evaluation:Full participation includes providing necessary reports, including quarterly financial reports, a written mid-year and final report that documents project activities, populations served (including # of participants), and outcomes achieved, as well as a final expenditure sheet at year end.

Application Materials and Instructions:Complete applications must include the following:

• Proposal Narrative (See attached “Narrative and Budget Information” for instructions on what to address and “2014-15 Scoring Guide” for the criteria and scoring process that will be used to evaluate proposals)
• Strategic Planning Sheet
• Proposed Budget Worksheet (Attached)
• Statement of Assurances (Attached)

Application Submission Process:To be considered for funding, anelectronic version of the complete application, including a scanned copy of the signed Statement of Assurances,must be received by 5:00 pm on April 21, 2014. Faxed copies will not be accepted. Electronic copies should be sent to:

Questions: For questions about the submission process, please contact OCHE staff at 406-444-0608 or .

Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education |March 2014Page 1 of 13

Perkins Special PopulationsGrant Request for Proposal

Narrative & Budget Information

In 3-6 pages, please provide a short proposal addressing your request for Carl D. Perkins Career & Technical Education funding. The proposal should include:

• How this funding will be used to serve special populations. Please be specific.
• Need for funding
• Timeline for Activities
• Expectations & Outcomes
• # of Participants served, and out outcomes will be measured

Strategic Plan: Non-Trad Activities

Campus:______

SAMPLE Budget Worksheet

Title of Project: ______

Project Start Date: Project End Date: June 30, 2015

*Matching funds from other sources are not required.

Statement of Assurances

Assurances form a binding agreement between the eligible recipient fiscal agent, the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, and the U.S. Department of Education that assures all legal requirements are met in accordance with state and federal laws, regulations, and rules.These assurances apply to program activities and expenditures of funds.Compliance to general and specific program assurances is the legal responsibility of the eligible recipient.

The Eligible Recipient Fiscal Agent certifies the following statements:

• The Fiscal Agent understands and will comply with the provisions, regulations and rules of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.
• The Fiscal Agent will use federal funds to supplement the eligible recipient’s CTE programs of study and will not use federal funds to supplant existing funds or reduce general or other funds.
• The Fiscal Agent will provide, on request, complete and accurate data as required.
• The Fiscal Agent understands and will comply with all applicable assurances for Federal Grant Funds. These assurances can be found at:
• The agency agrees to provide required descriptive and statistical reports, including a written final report and final expenditure sheet at year end.

Print Name of Authorized Fiscal AgentTitle

Signature of Authorized Fiscal AgentDate

Print Name of Authorized InstitutionalRepresentativeTitle

Signature of Authorized InstitutionalRepresentativeDate

Scoring

Each proposal must contain the following information which will be weighted as shown.

1. Proposal identifies specific service to special populations
2. Timeline is clear and responsible parties are identified
3. Major activities are described and meet the intent of the RFP (uses of funds)

1. Goals and anticipated outcomes are clear
2. The project will serve individuals who meet the qualifications of special populations
3. Targeted population is sufficient to meet project goals/outcomes

1. Plan for evaluation/outcome measurement is identified
2. Responsible parties for evaluation activities (data collection, final report) are identified
3. # of Participants that will be served is included

1. Budget narrative matches budget items
2. Budget narrative explains what budget items are and their purpose
3. Proposed budget is reasonable
4. Budget items are allowable pursuant to RFP guidelines

1. Narrative meets page requirements and is well written
2. Spelling and Grammar is accurate
3. Additional detail is provided

Definitions:

Special Populations Include:

• Individuals with disabilities;
• Individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including foster children;
• Individuals preparing for non-traditional fields;
• Single parents, including single pregnant women;
• Displaced homemakers; and
• Individuals with limited English proficiency.

Individuals with Disabilities—

• In General.—The term ‘individual with a disability’ means an individual with any disability (as defined in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102)).

• Disability Status: The term “disability status” as used in section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) of the ESEA refers to a “child with a disability,” which under section 9101 of the ESEA has the same meaning as the term in section 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Under section 602(3) of the IDEA, the term “child with a disability” means a child “(i) with mental retardation, hearing impairments (including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including blindness), serious emotional disturbance (referred to in this title as `emotional disturbance'), orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities; and (ii) who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services.”

Individuals from Economically Disadvantaged families, including foster children[Section 132(b)]—

• Secondary schools use free and reduced lunch eligibility to determine the economically disadvantaged status.
• Postsecondary institutions use Pell Grant or Bureau of Indian Affairs eligibility.

Individuals Preparing for non-traditional fields –

• The term “non-traditional fields’ means occupations or fields of work for which individuals from one gender comprise less than 25% of the individuals employed in each occupation or field of work.

Single parents, including single pregnant women—An individual who

• Is unmarried, divorced, or legally separated from a spouse; and
• Has a minor child or children for which the parent has either custody or joint custody; or is pregnant

Displaced Homemaker—An individual who

• A. Has worked primarily without remuneration to care for a home and family and for that
• reason has diminished marketable skills; or
• Has been dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer supported by that income; or
• Is a parent whose youngest dependent child will become ineligible to receive assistance under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) not later than 2 years after the date on which the parent applies for assistance under such title; and
• Is unemployed or underemployed and is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or upgrading employment.

Individual with Limited English Proficiency—The term ‘individual with limited English proficiency’ means a secondary school student, an adult or an out-of-school youth who has limited ability in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language, and—

• Whose native language is a language other than English; or
• Who lives in a family or community environment in which a language other than English is the dominant language

Perkins Special populations

Grants

2014-2015 CHECKLIST

Required

Budget

Proposal Narrative

Strategic Planning Sheet

Statement of Assurances (Signed)

Optional

Letters of Support

Other

Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education |March 2014Page 1 of 13

Perkins Special PopulationsGrant Request for Proposal