LEADERSHIP
Writing Successful Grants

Mass Networks can help to design and implement grant funded projects that address your students' real learning needs while meeting grant specifications.

Over the past eight years, Mass Networks has worked with school districts across the state designing, implementing, and evaluating technology-rich, standards-based, high-quality professional development programs focused on improving student learning outcomes. In addition to helping you draft a powerful proposal we can also help you successfully carry out your project and evaluate its results.

Click on the following links to see how we can help you with specific grants:

• Technology Enhancement Competitive Grants (code 170-B)
• Model Technology Integration Grants (code 165)
• Enhancing Education Through Technology
  (code 160-Title II, Part D)
• Improving Educator Quality (code 140)
• 21st Century Community Learning Center's Program (code 647)

------------------------------------------

Grant: Technology Enhancement Competitive Grants
(code 170-B)

Application available on DoE website:
http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/Grants/grants04/rfp/170B.html

Provides up to $200,000 over two years, with a minimum of 25% used for professional development. It favors "high need" districts that "partner with…organizations with demonstrated expertise in the application of educational technology in instruction," such as Mass Networks. Projects should utilize "universally designed technology" and focus on one of the following:

1. creating technology-integrated courses and curricula;
2. working with teacher teams and administrators to effectively use technology to teach curriculum content;
3. assessing the impact of technology on teaching and learning OR using technology for "assessment, data gathering, and analysis to inform and enhance teaching and school improvement;"
4. utilizing online distance learning strategies to offer otherwise unavailable content.

If you are applying for Grant 170-B, Mass Networks can:

• Work with your teachers to create standards-based unit and lesson plans, help the teachers explore ways to maximize the value of the technology they are using, and examine student work to evaluate the impact of their technology usage.
• Work with instructional and technology leaders to devise policies and procedures that protect the network's functionality and security while empowering teachers and students to explore and create.
• Lead "data informed instructional decision making" workshops to help local educators understand the concepts and use the tools needed for evidence-based instructional enhancement.
• Teach educators how to use TestWiz and other tools to gain insight into students' learning strengths and needs, with an emphasis on MCAS gains.
• Develop a plan to upgrade your technology infrastructure to facilitate the kinds of data collection, storage, analysis, and presentation required by education reform.
• Evaluate the impact of technology as well as the results of your grant-funded activity.

Grant: Model Technology Integration Grants (code 165)

Application available on DoE website: http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/Grants/grants04/rfp/165.html

Provides up to $30,000, with a minimum of 25% used for professional development. It favors "high need" districts that utilize teachers to "disseminate exemplary curriculum projects that use advanced technology." Proposals have to include a description of the exemplary project, a professional development plan, and a plan for making students "technologically literate."

If you are applying for Grant 165, Mass Networks can:

• Help document the exemplary project using our new Curriculum and Standards Toolkit (based on the CLASP software we originally developed for the DoE), creating a more easily replicable format suitable for adaptation and adoption by other teachers.
• Support the implementation of your professional development plan, including setting up teacher study groups.
• Help create a plan to upgrade your technology infrastructure so that it fully supports the large-scale roll-out of the exemplary project.
• Evaluate the results of your grant-funded activity.

Grant: Enhancing Education Through Technology (code 160 - Title II, Part D)

Application available on DoE website: http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/Grants/grants04/rfp/160.html

Provides amounts related to a district's Title I formula, to "integrate technology effectively into…instruction [to] assist every student in becoming technologically literate by the end of eighth grade." Projects should incorporate professional development, increase parental involvement, select "interoperable" technology components, and evaluate the results.

If you are applying for Grant 160, Mass Networks can:

• Help you integrate state and national student technology competency and information literacy guidelines into your district's curriculum and learning outcome guidelines.
• Facilitate creation of action plans to effectively implement the parent outreach strategies.
• Work with your teachers to create standards-based unit and lesson plans, help the teachers explore ways to maximize the value of the technology they are using, and examine student work to evaluate the impact of their technology usage.
• Help create a plan to upgrade your technology infrastructure so that it fully supports the large-scale roll-out of the exemplary project.
• Evaluate the results of your grant-funded activity.

Grant: Improving Educator Quality (code 140)

Application available on DoE website:
http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/Grants/grants04/rfp/140.html

Provides formula-determined amounts to "help [educators] improve pedagogy, content knowledge, their understanding of the curriculum frameworks…, [and] implement innovative professional development…that help[s]…integrate technology into curricula and instruction."

If you are applying for Grant 140, Mass Networks can:

• Work with your teachers to create fully Framework aligned Curriculum Guides, with a focus on expected student learning outcomes and assessment strategies, that are customized for your district's policies and needs.
• Help your teachers develop effective rubrics that provide "assessment for learning" that is fully integrated into instruction.
• Facilitate collaborative inquiry groups that help teachers learn the skills and methods to participate in site-based instructional decision-making and goal setting while creating a structure for collecting and analyzing student data.

Grant: 21st Century Community Learning Center's Program (code 647)

Application available on DoE website:
http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/Grants/grants03/rfp/647.html

Provides up to $800,000 in annual funding for up to 5 years for academically effective After School programs. The goal of grant-funded activity must be based on your local School Improvement Plan and an analysis of student needs - such as their scores on past MCAS and other diagnostic or achievement tests. It must also "establish procedures to evaluate program effectiveness through the collection and analysis of data."

If you are applying for Grant 647, Mass Networks can:

• Work with your teachers to create standards-based unit and lesson plans, and then examine the resulting student work.
• Lead data informed instructional decision making workshops to help local educators understand the concepts and use the tools needed for evidence-based instructional enhancement.
• Teach educators how to use TestWiz and other tools to gain insight into students' learning strengths and needs, with an emphasis on MCAS gains.
• Develop a plan to promote efficient use or define needed upgrades to your technology infrastructure.
• Facilitate creation of action plans to effectively implement the parent outreach strategies.
• Evaluate the results of your grant-funded activity on both a formative and summative basis.