Raleigh NC - Drop Out Prevention Grant Process Has Started
Sunday, September 21, 2008 at 6:55 PM
Posted in Drop Out Prevention Grant
by DCN
**PLEASE NOTE QUICK DEADLINES BELOW**
Drop Out Prevention Grant
Process Has Started
See http://www.ncpublicschools.org/racg/resources/prevention for official information.
The Dropout Committee held its first meeting last Thursday (9/11). The Committee must award grants to three separate categories:
1. Category 1 - Applicants from 2007 that were not selected for funds (2007 unfunded proposals—Applicants do not have to re-apply.)
2. Category 2 - 2007 grantees that may apply for additional funds (renewals)
3. Category 3 - New applicants for grants this year (2008 applicants/grantswho did not apply in 2007. Unsuccessful 2007 applicants will have to re-apply with a new lead applicant/organization.
3. Category 3 - New applicants for grants this year (2008 applicants/grantswho did not apply in 2007. Unsuccessful 2007 applicants will have to re-apply with a new lead applicant/organization.
The legislation limits grants to three per county this fiscal year. So if 3 proposals from one county are selected in one category this year, then none from that county will be eligible from the other two categories.
Applicants fromCategory 1 (2007 unfunded proposals) will NOT have to re-apply this year. The Committee must award $5.5M to applicants in this Category. The Committee spent a fair amount of time talking about revising the cut score for Category 1 (2007 unfunded proposals). In 2007, there were 90 proposals that met the 180 cut score, but not all of them were funded. There were others that weren't funded because they didn't meet the cut score. I think there are 115 proposals that weren't funded last year. This year's legislation requires them to set a new cut score and to give priority to proposals that "would serve those students in local schools that have a four-year cohort graduation rate of less than sixty-five percent." The co-chairs had hoped the Committee would set a new cut score at this meeting, but the members debated what should be done first: setting a new cut score or identifying the programs that met the second requirement. Staff provided a list of schools that meet the second requirement (65% graduation rate). When they looked at the 115 proposals and narrowed them down to the graduation requirement, the $5.5M isn't enough to fund all of them - which means a cut score will be needed. But there were several members who didn't want to penalize proposals that didn't meet last year's cut score (because of concerns from last year related to how the scoring was done). So they decided to create a subcommittee that will read all the remaining proposals. Their challenge will be to stick to objective, legally defensible criteria in determining which of the 2007 unfunded proposals will receive funds this year.
Here's the Committee's proposed timeline for Category 1:
· Determine new cut score for 2007 unfunded proposals (they didn't do this) 9/11
· Committee meeting to review, rank and award 2007 unfunded proposals 9/16 & 9/22 (tentative)
· Notify 2007 unfunded applicants that they now qualify for funds 10/24
· Distribute funds to 2007 unfunded proposals 10/30
Categories 2 & 3: The Committee spent hours talking about the rubrics - which will be used to score proposals in these two categories. Rubrics are used because they provide objective, legally defensible criteria for choosing among the applicants. A rubric identifies each component, weights each component, and then gives points depending on the degree to which the proposal addresses the component. For example, Budget is one component. There may be 15 points possible for the budget: up to 5 for the level of detail and up to 10 for the degree to which the budget is aligned to the proposed program's objectives. Next they break down each of the subcomponents. For the level of detail in the budget, 0 pts if the budget does NOT include adequate detail; 3 pts if it "provides a budget that identifies the total funds requested and describes other funding sources, if any, that will be used; 4 pts if the proposal provides a budget that identifies the total funds requested and generally explains the use of grant funds (e.g., personnel salaries, materials & supplies, etc); or 5 pts if the proposal provides a detailed budget that clearly identifies the total funds requested, specifically explains the use of the grant funds, AND describes other funding sources, if any, that will be used.
For Category 2, the applicants will be required to provide a "progress report" that includes a notarized statement that describes how last year's funds were spent.
There will be different rubrics for each of the categories 2 & 3 because different weights will be given to different components. A number of changes were made in order to address last year's concerns that professional applications received higher scores. This year's legislation specifies that the "demonstrated need for a grant, level of collaboration, ability to increase attendance, graduation shall be given greater weight than the quality of the written grant."
The RFP's are written based on the rubrics. The Committee reviewed and approved each of the RFP's, which should be made available today on the DPI website. The Speaker and PPT have authorized them to extend the grant selection date for these two categories by one month to December 1.
Here is thetimeline for Categories 2 & 3:
· Revise RFP and rubric for renewals and 2008 applicants 9/11
· Announce/publish RFP's for renewals and 2008 applicants 9/15
· Identify reviewers for renewals and 2008 applicants 9/15
· Deadline for RFPs from renewals & 2008 applicants 10/31
· Calibration exercise (?) and distribute proposals to reviewers 11/3
· Evaluations of categories 2 & 3 proposals 11/3-13
· Evaluated proposals back to DPI 11/14
· Committee meets to determine awards from categories 2 & 3 11/20
· Notify categories 2 & 3 award recipients 11/24
· Distribute funds for categories 2 & 3 12/1
After the RFPs are published and before the proposals are due, there will be 8 technical assistance meetings - two sessions/day in each of the 8 educational districts of the state. These are for the renewals & 2008 applicants/grants (which can include unsuccessful 2007 applicants with a new lead applicant for 2008) (i.e., categories 2 & 3). The morning sessions (9-12) will be for 2008 applicants. The afternoon sessions (1-3) will be for renewals.
9/23 Region 3 DPI/Raleigh
9/25 Region 4 Cumberland Co Schools/Fayetteville
9/26 Region 1 Martin Community College/Williamston
9/29 Region 2 Wayne Co Schs/Goldsboro
9/30 Region 7 Davie Co Schs/Mocksville
9/30 Region 8 McDowell Co Schs/Marion
10/1 Region 5 Guilford Tech Comm Coll/Jamestown
10/2 Region 7 Charlotte-Meck Prof'l Center/Charlotte
9/25 Region 4 Cumberland Co Schools/Fayetteville
9/26 Region 1 Martin Community College/Williamston
9/29 Region 2 Wayne Co Schs/Goldsboro
9/30 Region 7 Davie Co Schs/Mocksville
9/30 Region 8 McDowell Co Schs/Marion
10/1 Region 5 Guilford Tech Comm Coll/Jamestown
10/2 Region 7 Charlotte-Meck Prof'l Center/Charlotte
(Notes from Robin S. Johnson, General Counsel, Office of the Speaker, North Carolina House of Representatives)