Amendment 4 - Questions and Answers.pdf

RFA S-58100-00016937 – AIANSSP 2025-2030 Grant

Amendment 4

RFA S-58100-00016937 – Amendment 4

AIANSSP 2025-2030 Grant Questions and Answers

June 5, 2026

Q1

I do not have a question, but rather, a technical issue. Within S-58100- 00016937's Attachment D Fillable Application Form, the dropdown in B7 of Sheet 1, the dropdown for the Objectives, is giving me an error message "#calc" instead of the dropdown list. I was wondering if this is a personal technical issue on my end or if others are seeing the same error.

A1

You will receive the #calc error on cell B7 in Tab "1-Goal, Obj, Act &

Community" if no selection is made in the related cell B5. You must first select from the drop-down options in B5 and then the related available options will populate on the drop down for B7.

Q2 Are the goals numbered in order of importance to the program? In other words, would an application addressing Goal 1 be more competitive than an application addressing Goal 3?

A2

The AIANSSP 2025-2030 Goals are not numbered in any specific order, every Goal is a priority, and there is not an order of preference. Each application will be reviewed and evaluated based upon their Action Plan to meet the needs of one Goal and one Objective within that Goal.

Q3 Is one goal weighted more than the other? Also, will the funds for the 10 grants be distributed equally throughout the state?

A3

All AIANSSP 2025-2030 Goals are weighted evenly; please see A2.

Grants will be awarded to 10 highest ranked Applicants according to

Section 4: Evaluation of the RFA. Grants are not based upon any specific regional area, and all regional areas of the state are encouraged to apply.

Q4

The Goals and Objectives of the AI/AN Student Success Plan become intertwined when addressing them.

How might we create clarity on the one goal and one objective that will be the focal point for the grant and also describe the associated objectives and goals that might be also impacted by the work supported in the grant activities?

A4

Applicants must identify one AIANSSP 2025-2030 Goal and one Objective within that Goal. Applicants may discuss the various other Goals and

Objectives impacts in their proposed Action Plans but must clearly identify one Goal and Objective for the focus of the Application.

Q5 It was said that this money can support GYO and Tribal Schools, but that is not in the AIAN SSP. I just wonder about that answer and the explicit connection to which goal or objective.

A5

If the Action Plan demonstrates how "supporting GYO and Tribal School" supports the chosen AIANSSP 2025-2030 Goal and Objective, then

Applicants are encouraged to apply. Please see A4 for more information.

Q6

There is no mention of indirect in the RFA, but on the templates you mention to not exceed 10% or use the Grantee's federally-approved rate.

What if the federal negotiated rate is more than 10%? And is there any direction of allowable expense guidance to follow. For instance regarding participant incentives?

A6

As allowable per OAR 581-017-0687, administrative costs, which include indirect costs, will be allowed as a percentage of the Grant funds disbursed as follows up to five percent for school districts, early learning hubs, or post-secondary institutions of education, up to fifteen percent for

Community-Based Organizations, Culturally Specific organizations, or providers of early learning services and up to fifteen percent for Tribes or the Tribe’s federally recognized indirect rate, as provided in the grant agreement.

ODE has issued an addendum to correct this indirect rate information in

Attachment D Fillable Application and Sample Grants (Attachment A, B and C).

Yes, an allowable expenses guideline document will be available to

Awardees.

Q7 The grant is for one year. Is it ODE’s expectation that we propose only what we can accomplish by 6-30-27?

A7 Yes.

Q8

Recipients of the AABSS grant are along the I-5 corridor between Eugene and Portland, plus two grantees in Corvallis. That means that the rest of the state received no student success funding for supporting Black and African American students. I would hate for this to repeat again. Thank you!

A8

Grantees will be awarded according to Section 4: Evaluation of the RFA, by evaluating the information Applicants supply describing their Action

Plan as it addresses a chosen AIANSSP 2025-2030 Goal and Objective.

All eligible Applicants across the state are encouraged to apply with Bonus

Points assessed for Plan Students Served according to the table in Section

4.3: Bonus Points Evaluation of the RFA.

Q9

Is ODE conducting an inter-rater reliability training for application reviewers and, afterward, reviewing the scores for reliability to ensure they are within a similar range, rather than one set of scores being very disparate from the others?

A9

The Single Point of Contact (SPC) will provide the Evaluation Committee with comprehensive pre-evaluation training, including scoring calibration and review of a sample application to promote consistency. The SPC will also review evaluator comments and scores for alignment with the RFA evaluation criteria and assess any significant variances that may warrant further calibration to maintain a fair and equitable evaluation process.

Q10

Within Att. A AIANSSP Sample Grant-Non-Consortium, the Deliverables mention an Agency-Approved Action Plan due within 30 calendar days of

Grant execution. Will grantees be required to submit a separate Action

Plan document for this deliverable, or will the Attachment D Fillable

Application Form serve as this deliverable? Thank you!

A10

Awardees will not need to submit a separate Action Plan. The Action Plan that is submitted via Attachment D: Fillable Application Form will be reviewed and approved by the Grant Manager in order to become the

Agency-Approved Action Plan for this Grant.

Q11

Are awardees expected to expend the award allocation within one year?

Or, could we plan to use the money over several years to sustain what we have created?

A11

The awarded AIANSSP 2025-2030 Grants will be effective from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. ODE will provide funding according to Section II: Project Activities, Schedule, and Budget of Exhibit A of the Sample Grant (Attachment A, B, or C).

Q12

I would like to request a clarification around allowable uses of funds.

Would it be allowable for a School District to use funds to pay for Extended Contract in order to allow staff to participate in culturally responsive professional development and other training related to cultivating holistic systems of support?

A12 Generally Professional Development is an allowable use of funds. Please refer to Professional Development within the AIANSSP 2025-2030.

Q13 When calculating plan students served, should applicants use our total number of self-identified plan students served, or should this number only reflect those plan students with completed 506 forms?

A13 Applicants are encouraged to use the total number of self-identified Plan Students (example can be found in AIANSSP 2025-2030 Goal 2 overview).

Q14

The application will focus on 1 main goal. If we are awarded, will we be required to only engage the awarded funds in work that was outlined in our application or are we free to engage in any programs and activities that support the 5 goals.

A14 See A4.

Q15

"We are seeking clarification regarding implementation flexibility under AIANSSP Goal 5, Objective 5B: “Promote the Use of Culturally Appropriate Frameworks, Tools, and Practices to Support Native Youth Mental Health and Well-Being.”

The objective references ESDs and school districts utilizing the Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (TSEL) Framework and Standards to support the development of integrated models of mental health. As a federally recognized Tribal government and culturally specific provider serving Native youth through after-school, cultural enrichment, family engagement, leadership development, and community-based programming, we would like clarification regarding allowable implementation approaches under this objective.

Would Tribal governments and/or culturally specific organizations be permitted to develop and implement tribally grounded youth mental health and wellbeing frameworks that address the same intended outcomes of Objective 5B through Indigenous approaches and culturally rooted prevention models, rather than directly implementing a traditional school-based TSEL curriculum framework?

Examples of Indigenous and culturally grounded approaches we are considering include:

• “Culture is Prevention” concepts and models;

• Healing of the Canoe approaches and curriculum;

• Project Venture–style experiential and outdoor leadership learning;

• Tribal cultural identity development;

• intergenerational teaching and mentorship;

• language and cultural revitalization activities; and

• land-, water-, and community-based learning models.

Additionally, would after-school, summer, seasonal, and community-based Tribal programming settings qualify as allowable implementation environments for Objective 5B activities, provided the proposed Action Plan aligns with the goals and intended outcomes of the AIANSSP 2025– 2030?

Finally, would ODE/OIE consider tribally developed holistic wellness frameworks that incorporate Indigenous protective factors, trauma-informed practices, belonging, cultural identity development, community connection, and Native youth leadership development to be responsive to the intent of Objective 5B?"

A15 Yes to all questions presented in Q15. Additionally, the Grant Manager will provide final approval of the proposed Action Plans with Awardees.