Bidders’ Conference January 6, 2014 1:30 PM -3:30 PM Boston, MA

1. FY2014- FY2015 RTTT-ELCG Project 5.3: Early Education Partnerships: Birth to Third Grade Strategy Fund Code 808 Bidders’ Conference January 6, 2014 1:30 PM -3:30 PM Boston, MA

2. Today’s Agenda • Welcome • Overview of the FY2014 - FY2015 RTTT-ELCG Project 5.3: • Questions and Answers • Grant Posting/Grant Timeline/Submission Deadline • Grant Application Components • Purpose/Funding • Eligibility • Grant Priorities and Requirements • Nuts and Bolts of the Application Submission Process • Application Forms and Documents • Budgetary Guidance & Allowable Use of Funds • Grant Specific Documents • Re-cap of Submission Process

3. Questions and Answers (FAQ) To ensure consistency in responses • At the end of the Bidders’ Conference presentation, an EEC staff member will record questions. • It is suggested that questions be submitted in writing. • Those questions will be reviewed and answered in the FAQs. • All other questions must be emailed by January 7 by 4:00 PM to RTTTProcurement@MassMail.State.MA.US • Subject line: FY2014- FY2015 RTTT-ELCG Project 5.3: Early Education Partnerships: Birth to Third Grade Strategy : Fund Code 808 • The FAQ document will be posted online on or around January 17,2014 • The FAQ document then becomes an official part of the Grant Application.

4. Posting of Grant Related Information • Grant Posting Available: • On Comm-PASS at www.comm-pass.com • On EEC’s website at http://www.mass.gov/eec under Funding Opportunities- -Open Competitive Grants • Grantees are responsible for checking EEC’s website and Comm-PASS for any updates to the Grant Application Information.

5. Grant Application Timeline

6. Grant Submission Deadlines The EEC Central Office must have all documents by February 3, 2014 by 4:00 PM Mail submission: • One (1) original hard copy • Three (3) hard copies Electronic submission: • ALL grant application documents (except Administrative documents)

7. Grant Application: Follow the Checklist • Checklist for Grant Application • Signed Cover Page • FY 2014-FY2015 RTTT-ELCG Project 5.3 Budget Workbook • FY 2014-FY2015 RTTT-ELCG Project 5.3 Narrative Questions • Copy of Indirect Cost Rate Approval Letter (if you are claiming Indirect Cost) • Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) developed by Applicant • FY2014 - FY 2015 RTTT-ELCG Project 5.3 Budget Workbook Components: • Grant Budget Summary (Read-Only) • State Budget Summary (Read-Only) • RTTT-ELCG Year 3 (b-1): March 1, 2014 - June 30, 2014 • RTTT-ELCG Year 3 (b-2): July 1, 2014- December 31, 2014 • In-Kind Budget - Year Three • RTTT-ELCG Year 4(c-1): January 1, 2015 - June 30, 2015 • RTTT-ELCG Year 4(c-2): June 30, 2015 - December 31, 2015 • In-Kind Budget - Year Four • Program Contacts • Communities Served • Languages Spoken

8. Grant Appendices (For reference only) • Appendix A: Budget Workbook Instructions • Appendix B: Evaluation and Rating Criteria   • Appendix C: Grant Payment Terms, Grant Expenditures, Termination, Recoupment of Funds, and Relevant Law • Appendix D: List of Prioritized Communities • Appendix E: Framework for Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating PreK-3rd Grade Approaches

9. FY2014-FY2015 RTTT-ELCG Project 5.3: Early Education Partnership: Birth to Third Grade Strategy Funded by the Race-to-the-Top/Early Learning Challenge Grant P-3 Elements1 • Cross-Sector Work • (Governance, strategic plans) • Administrator Effectiveness • (Leadership is inclusive/facilitative and focused on instruction) • Teacher Effectiveness • (Focus on credentials and professional development; professional dispositions; professional community) • Instructional Tools • (Curriculum content; alignment of standards and curricula; pedagogical methods) • Learning Environment • (Student-centered learning culture (classroom and school)) • Data-driven Improvement • (Data and assessment used to improve instruction) • Engaged Families • (Families and communities engaged in student learning) • Continuity and Pathways • (Focus on children’s movement through the continuum) 1 Kauerz, Kristie (2011). Sustaining Your Work: PreK-3rd Implementation and Evaluation Framework; a presentation to ESE PK-3 grantees. Harvard University: Cambridge, MA.

10. Instructional Tools Cross-Sector Work Data – driven Improvement Learning Environment Teacher Effectiveness Cross Agency Collaboration on P-3 Engaged Families Continuity and Pathways Administrators Effectiveness

11. Funding and Distribution of Grants • ~ $ 2.4 million dollars are available • Up to $100K per applicant, per year (March 1, 2014-December 31, 2014 and January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015) • Grantees may apply for: • Collaboration Stage of Community Alignment and/or; • Mid-Stage of Community Alignment and/or; • Sustainable Stage of Community Alignment

12. Are YOU eligible to apply? • All communities are eligible to apply • EEC will prioritize high need communities that are defined as: • Gateway Communities, • District with Level 4 Schools, and/or • Home Visiting Communities • Communities with Family Resource Centers with an EHS School Liaison • Communities that are part of the Campaign for Grade Level Reading Learning Network • See Appendix D for a list of Communities

13. Grant Priorities • Leveraging community resources to invest in a Birth through Third Grade approach • Build upon and improved early learning outcomes throughout the early elementary school years through aligned standards, a comprehensive assessments system, family engagement, and professional development. • Improve coordination and continuity of educational efforts between the Pre-K and K-3 system.

14. Eligible Activities • Salaries and fringe benefits • Consultants or subcontractors hired to carry out activities or specific provisions of the grant at a specific rate per hour/day. For example, funds to support a Coach for alignment between community-based early education and care programs and public school Pre-K to Grade 3 for alignment of evidence based tools or practices; • Training Stipends: • Professional Development skill attainment to implement curriculum and coaching and mentoring for educators. • Supplies and materials to implement grant activities • Printing and reproduction • In-state travel

15. Eligible Activities • Purchase educational trainings aligned with Core Competencies, such as workshops on: • achieving accreditation; • inclusion of children with special needs; • adaptations to curricula or learning environments to foster positive development; • improving and/or increasing the family support skills of educators; • improving the learning environment for children for whom English is a second language; • serving high needs children including those with special needs, those experiencing homelessness, children of teen parents, families experiencing domestic violence, and children involved with the Department of Children and Families or Department of Transitional Assistance.

16. Grant Review • Strength of the proposal • MOU demonstrates cross-sector commitment and accountability • Community’s self-evaluation strategies are achievable • Clearly demonstrate the funding will improve improved early learning outcomes throughout the early elementary school years through aligned standards, a comprehensive assessments system, family engagement, and professional development.

17. Grant Requirements • Detailed budget • Support Brain Building in Progress initiative • Incorporate the tagline on printed materials • Refer to the website at www.brainbuildinginprogress.org; • Display logo  

18. FY2014/FY2015 Reporting Requirements • A written narrative progress report provided quarterly. • Monthly submission of Request for Funds. • EEC reserves the right to modify and/or add additional reporting requirements, fund tracking mechanisms, and/or performance measures for the grantee(s) to follow related to any of this grant funding.

19. Application Forms and Documents To submit by mail and email: • Checklist for Grant Application • Signed Cover Page • FY 2014-FY2015 RTTT-ELCG Project 5.3 Budget Workbook • FY 2014-FY2015 RTTT-ELCG Project 5.3 Narrative Questions • Copy of Indirect Cost Rate Approval Letter (if you are claiming Indirect Cost) • Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) developed by Applicant

20. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Standard Administrative Forms: • A signed Commonwealth Terms & Conditions form  • W-9 with DUNS #  • Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing  • Authorization for Electronic Funds Payment (EFT) Form  • Federal Funding and Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Reporting Requirements If not already on file with EEC, you will need to fill out and mail to the EEC. You do not need to email these materials the Administrative Forms, please only sign and mail these in with your grant application if they are not on file.

21. Budget Workbook Components There are 11 tabs that make up the entire Budget Workbook. • #1 Grant Budget Summary (read only) • #2 State Budget Summary (read only) • #3RTTT-ELCG Year 3 (b-1) • #4 RTTT-ELCG Year 3 (b-2) • #5 In-Kind Budget Year 3 • #6 RTTT-ELCG Year 4 (c-1) • #7RTTT-ELCG Year 4 (c-2) • #8In-Kind Budget Year 4 • #9 Program Contact • #10 Communities Served • #11 Languages Spoken

22. Allowable Fund Use • Personnel: • Costs associated with staff time that will be used to carry out the grant requirements. • Fringe Benefits • Travel: • Expenses for program administrators, program coordinators, and professional staff for in-state travel costs required to implement grant specific activities. • Equipment - NOT APPLICABLE FOR THIS GRANT. • Supplies: • Cost of Programmatic Supplies that will be used to carry out the required services of the grant including but not limited to purchasing instructional materials including assessment and curriculum related costs.

23. Allowable Fund Use Continued • Contractual: • Consultants or subcontractors hired to carry out activities or specific provisions of the grant at a specific rate per hour/day. For example, funds to support a Coach for alignment between community-based early education and care programs and public school Pre-K to Grade 3 for alignment of evidence based tools or practices; • If an applicant proposes subcontracting some of its required services, the applicant must submit the proposed subcontracted services from each subcontractor and other partners as part of its Grant Application response. • Training Stipends: • Professional Development skill attainment to implement curriculum and coaching and mentoring for educators. • Other: • Advertising • Printing/Reproduction • Rental of Space

24. Allowable Fund Use Continued • Indirect Costs: • All Indirect Costs for the lead agency and subcontractors (if applicable) cannot exceed 8% of the grant requested amount. • Funds to be distributed to localities, Early Learning Intermediary Organizations, Participating Programs and other partners. • Funds from Other Sources used to support the State Plan • Any financial contributions being made by any other source to further support this project through the repurposing or reallocation of existing Federal, State or local funds (e.g. CCDF, Title I, IDEA, State preschool, Head Start Collaboration and State Advisory Council funding, Home Visiting, Title V MCH, TANF, Medicaid, Child Welfare, Statewide Longitudinal Data System, and foundation and other private funding sources). • Any financial contributions to this project being made by private entities such as foundations.

25. Unallowable Fund Use • Out-of-State Travel • Purchase of Food • Lobbying Expenses: Grant funds shall not be used to cover costs incurred by employees, lobbyists, or consultants to influence anylocal, state or Federal legislation or policy in either the Legislative or Executive branch. • Any costs paid for by other means (to ensure no funds are supplanted) • Computer hardware • Equipment purchase, rental and/or repair • Conferences and conference fees

26. Accessing the Budget Workbook: Step 2: You must click, on the Options box located to the right of the Security Warning. Step 1: OPENING THE FILE: Click on the link: FY2014_FY2015_RTTT_ELCG_Project _3.5_Budget_Workbook.xls.

27. Accessing the Budget Workbook Step 3: After clicking the ‘Options’ button, a Security Alert box will appear. In order to use the workbook; you must click: ‘Enable this content’ and click ‘OK’.

28. Saving the Budget Workbook • SAVING AND NAMING THE FILE: • Once the file is open, select ‘File’ and then select ‘Save As’. The file is currently named FY2014_FY2015_RTTT_ELCG_Project_5.3_Budget_Workbook.xls. Edit the current file by adding your Agency Name. The file will now have the following name format:  (Example): FY2014_FY2015_RTTT_ELCG_Project_5.3_Budget_Workbook_ABC_Agency.xls • Be sure to keep the exact filename as designated by the Department of Early Education and Care.

29. Using the Budget Workbook In the excel document, look for a series of colored tabs. These tabs are located on the bottom of the excel spreadsheet. Click a colored tab to access a specific page (each tab is labeled). Navigate the tabs by using the arrows found on the lower, left hand corner of the excel document. These are the different tabs for the grant application. Tabs #3-#11 must be filled in by you. The first two tab are read only. Use these arrows to navigate and access all of the tabs.

30. TAB # 1: Grant Budget Summary: • This tab has all of the totals from the entire budget narrative spreadsheet request. (Ex: if funds are being requested in tab 3, these amounts will show up automatically in tab 1). • PLEASE DO NOT FILL IN ANY INFORMATION IN THIS TAB.

31. TAB # 2: State Budget Summary:

32. TAB# 5 & TAB #8: In-Kind Budget • As indicated in the Grant Application (RFR) document, a program match is required of all applicants. Please note that “program match” is a flexible definition.  It can be considered cash or in-kind matching funds by the applicant. The match must be a minimum of 25% of the total grant funding received and must serve to enhance the activities listed in the “Required Services” section of this grant. The In-Kind budget must be entered on the IN-KIND Budget Year Three and In-Kind Budget Year Four tabs. Please refer to the Grant Application for any additional guidance needed regarding In-Kind funds.

33. TAB #3: RTTT-ELCG Year 3 (b-1) • A detailed budget narrative must be submitted. The following information, at a minimum, must be included for each budget category in the enclosed Excel Workbook. • Project: This information has already been completed and is populated on each tab. • Agency: Provide the Agency Name. • Project Date: This information has already been completed and is populated on each tab. • Person Completing the Budget and Narrative: Provide the name of the person completing this workbook. • Date Submitted: Provide the date when the workbook is being submitted. • PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU COMPLETE ALL COLUMNS IN THE BUDGET NARRATIVE SPREADSHEET FOR ALL LINE ITEMS BEING REQUESTED.

34. Line 1: Personnel

35. Line 1: Personnel Continued… In this tab, fill in: • position, • description, • the Full Time Equivalence (FTE), • Base Salary • Full Time Equivalence (FTE): Staff time must be reported in Full Time Equivalences (FTE) under this grant. Example • Total Annual Salaries: For the purposes of the budget the Base Salary is defined as the entire salary that an employee will receive for one fiscal year.

36. Line #2: Fringe Benefits • The total fringe is calculated against the total salary (not the base salary) of each position under Personnel for the budget period. • The Fringe Contribution amount is added to the Total Request amount. • Provide a breakdown of the Fringe benefits. • If fringe exceeds 35%, provide a breakdown of categories and percentages. • If fringe is less or equal to 35%, provide breakdown of categories and percentages, if possible. • EEC will review the breakdown and contact you. • If the amount is coming from another source, please provide the name of the source(s) . • Example: • Basis for cost estimate calculation is position total from (Personnel Line) x fringe benefit % (Agency fringe rate) = Fringe Benefit Percentage Total.

37. Line 3: Travel List: Name and Position of staff who is traveling AND Estimated Miles per Month and the Number of months Fill in the ‘Mileage Rate*’ (*must be your agency’s reimbursement rate, if applicable). Write the Total Travel Cost in the Direct cost and/or Admin cost column.

38. Line 4: Equipment

39. Line 5: Supplies For each Supply Listed provide Quantity to be purchased, basis for computation, and total. Please list Description of Supply

40. Line 6: Contractual Fill in the Purpose Fill in Name of the consultant and choose the title from the list of choices in the drop-down menu.

41. Line 7: Training Stipends For each Stipend listed provide purpose and description of stipend, cost of stipend and total. Please list stipend to be provided

42. Line 8: Other Provide purpose of expenditure, cost per item and total for each expense Provide major type or category

43. Line 10: Indirect Costs • State the Indirect cost rate and total for each category IDCR is being applied Identify category to which IDCR is being applied You can use an indirect cost rate ONLY IF your agency submits documentation stating the approved rate. Under no circumstances can the use of the indirect cost rate exceed the amount of funds (8% of the total grant) allocated to administrative purposes.

44. Lines 12, 13, 14 & 15 • LINE 12:Funds set aside for participation in grantee technical assistance • [NOTE: this is blacked out because this is a federal category reserved for the State]. • Line 13: Total Funds Requested • Automatically calculated: • The sum of expenditures in lines 9-11 for each time period of the budget for the agency. • Line 14: Other Funds Allocated to the State Plan. • Any financial contributions being made by any other source to further support this project through the repurposing or reallocation of existing Federal, State or local funds (e.g. CCDF, Title I, IDEA, State preschool, Head Start Collaboration and State Advisory Council funding, Home Visiting, Title V MCH, TANF, Medicaid, Child Welfare, Statewide Longitudinal Data System, and foundation and other private funding sources). • Any financial contributions to this project being made by private entities such as foundations. • Line 15: Total Budget • Automatically calculated: • The sum of expenditures in lines 12-13 for time period of the budget.

45. Additional Tabs: • Tabs #4, #6 & # 7 following the same format as Tab # 3. • RTTT ELCG Year 3 (b-2) • RTTT-ELCG Year 4 (c-1) • RTTT-ELCG Year 4 (c-2) • A detailed budget narrative must be submitted for all line items requested.

46. TAB #9: Program Contacts Enter the program contact information for the following categories; Grant Coordinator, Lead Agency Contact, Superintendent/Executive Director, Summer and Fiscal Contact.

47. TAB # 10: Communities Served Check off all communities served by the grant. If the grant serves an entire region, please check off the region that represents the service area.

48. TAB # 11: Languages Spoken List all the major languages spoken by the families in the communities you serve.

49. Narrative Questions • All applicants must respond to the following questions. Points assigned to sections/questions are reflective of the value and expectations regarding thoroughness of responses. • The maximum number of points available is 70. • Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – 10 points • Birth to Third Grade Strategy Plan – 10 points • Clearly state which stage: collaboration stage, mid-stage and/or sustainable stage your community is proposing to support through Birth to Third Grade Alignment. • Ability of applicant to use grant funds to leverage other resources – 10 points • Framework for Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating PreK-3rd Grade Approaches Kauerz, K. & Coffman, J. (2013) Framework for Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating PreK-3rd Grade Approaches. Seattle, WA: College of Education, University of Washington - 10 points • In-Kind Budget –10 points • FY2014/FY2015 Budget – 10 points • Priority Community – Up to 10 points 

50. Re-cap of Submission Process Submission: • By Mail: one (1) original, signed copy, three (3) copies of ALL documents (including Administrative Forms, if applicable) • By Email: Email ALL individual documents as one email* to: RTTTProcurement@MassMail.State.MA.US. (do not email Administrative forms) (*Save your email with the name of this grant and your agency) The ENTIRE submission process must be completed by: February 3, 2014 (Your hard copy and electronic copy must be get to the EEC office before 4:00 PM)