FY22_OSEP_Informational_Webinar 323A.pdf

State Personnel Development Grants (SPDG)

CFDA 84.323A

Fiscal Year 2022

Deadline: July 25, 2022

Office of Special Education Programs U.S. Department of Education

• Slides are for guidance only and information has been summarized due to logistics of the webinar.

• Please read the entire Notice Inviting Applications (NIA).

• Please review the recorded webinar titled “Applying for

Office of Special Education Programs Discretionary Grants” for additional information related to submitting an application.

Note Regarding Webinar https://osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/informational-webinars-osep-funding-opportunities

• Purpose of the SPDG Program

• Assistance for Developing Your Plan

• Absolute Priorities

• Definitions

• Contracts & Subgrants

• Government Performance Results Act (GPRA)

• General Requirements

• Selection Criteria

Today’s Topics

• The purpose of this program, authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is to assist State educational agencies (SEAs) in reforming and improving their systems for personnel preparation and professional development in early intervention, educational, and transition services in order to improve results for children with disabilities.

Purpose of the State Personnel Development Grant Program (SPDG)

• Informational Webinars do not take the place of reading through the entire application package.

– Certain sections of the application package will be highlighted, but other important information will not be.

• Best practice tips may be provided, but please keep in mind this is a peer-reviewed competition.

• If you are receiving new SPDG money in FY 2022 you cannot apply for a grant.

– Grantees in a no-cost extension may apply.

• The only eligible applicants are State Educational Agencies (SEAs).

Reminders

• The National Association of State Directors of Special Education, in partnership with OSEP, recorded a series of webinars that provide guidance to potential applicants for the SPDG program.

Other Sources of Assistance https://www.livebinders.com/b/2530809

• OSEP also provides information on developing performance measures and logic models to assist you in preparing a quality application.

• Evaluation resources from CIPP can help you plan for your external evaluation and help you create strong performance measures.

Logic Model & Evaluation Resources https://www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel https://osepideasthatwork.org/evaluation?tab=eval-resources

The notice contains three absolute priorities.

…Absolute Priority 1 is from the notice of final priorities and definitions published in the Federal Register on August 2, 2012 (77 FR 45944). Absolute Priority 2 is from sections 651 through 655 of IDEA, as amended by ESSA. The Competitive Preference Priority is from the notice of final priority (2022

NFP).

Absolute Priorities

Whether or not you are responding to the competitive preference priority you are required to respond to Absolute Priority 1 and 2.

Absolute Priority 1: In order to meet this priority, an applicant must demonstrate…

(1) Use evidence-based (as defined in this notice) professional development practices that will increase implementation of evidence-based practices and result in improved outcomes for children with disabilities;

Provide ongoing assistance to personnel receiving SPDG-supported professional development that supports the implementation of evidence-based practices with fidelity (as defined in this notice); and

Absolute Priority 1 cont.

• Use technology to more efficiently and effectively provide ongoing professional development to personnel, including to personnel in rural areas and to other populations, such as personnel in urban or high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) (as defined in this notice).

Absolute Priority 1 cont.

Absolute Priority 2 (overview)

An applicant must submit a State Personnel Development Plan that identifies and addresses the State and local needs for the personnel preparation and professional development of personnel, as well as individuals who provide direct supplementary aids and services to children with disabilities…

[1

Competitive Preference Priority Supporting an IDEA Part C Comprehensive System of

Personnel Development (0 or 3 points)

• The purpose of this priority is to fund projects designed to enable the State to meet the CSPD Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) requirements of section 635(a)(8) and (9) of the IDEA.

• In order to be considered for a grant under this priority, if the SEA is not the State LA for IDEA Part C, an SEA must establish a partnership, consistent with IDEA section 652(b)(1)(B), with the State LA responsible for administering IDEA Part C.

Defining Terms – “Personnel” “As defined by section 651(b) of IDEA, the term “personnel” means special education teachers, regular education teachers, principals, administrators, related services personnel, paraprofessionals, and early intervention personnel serving infants, toddlers, preschoolers, or children with disabilities, except where a particular category of personnel, such as related services personnel, is identified.”

Fidelity means the delivery of instruction in the way in which it was designed to be delivered.

Defining Terms -- Fidelity

Projects funded under this program must--

• (a) Budget for a three-day project directors' meeting in

Washington, DC, during each year of the project;

• (b) Budget $4,000 annually for support of the SPDG

Program website currently administered by the University of Oregon (www.signetwork.org); and

• (c) If a project receiving assistance under this program authority maintains a website, include relevant information and documents in a form that meets a government or industry-recognized standard for accessibility.

Additional SPDG Requirements

Contracts & Subgrants

(c) ---An SEA that receives a grant under this program--

(1) Must award contracts or subgrants to LEAs, IHEs, parent training and information centers, or community parent resource centers, as appropriate, to carry out the State Personnel Development Plan; and

(2) May award contracts and subgrants to other public and private entities, including the lead agency under Part C of IDEA, to carry out the State plan.

An SEA that receives a grant under this program must use--

(1) Not less than 90 percent of the funds the SEA receives under the grant for any fiscal year for the Professional Development Activities described in paragraph (a); and

(2) Not more than 10 percent of the funds the SEA receives under the grant for any fiscal year for the Other Activities described in paragraph (b).

(d) Use of Funds for Professional Development-

• Projects use professional development practices supported by evidence to support the attainment of identified competencies;

• Participants in SPDG professional development demonstrate improvement in implementation of SPDG-supported practices over time;

• Projects use SPDG professional development funds to provide activities designed to sustain the use of SPDG-supported practices;

• Projects improve outcomes for children with disabilities.

GPRA: Performance Measures

• Materials are available to assist applicants in planning to collect GPRA data.

• Please review Rubric A: SPDG Evidence-based Professional Development Components Rubric to learn about the professional development components required for the SPDG grants.

• Will need to describe the tool you will use to measure fidelity.

– This resource can help you develop your fidelity measure.

GPRA Resources https://signetwork.org/program-measures/ https://signetwork.org/content_page_assets/content_page_205/Revised_Worksheet_for_New_Grantees.docx https://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/resources/activity-7-2-fidelity-module-7-capstone-developing-fidelity-assessment https://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/module-1/usable-innovations

• Describe potential sites you plan to work with.

– We are aware that there is flux in early childhood and education systems currently.

– We are also aware that sites may change, with approval from your Project Officer, if you are funded.

• You can request a lower level of funding your first year to begin ramping up your activities as sites are ready.

– Please take into consideration a remaining balance you may have from a previous SPDG grant.

Planning & Budgeting

General Requirements

(a) Recipients of funding under this competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).

(b) Each applicant for, and recipient of, funding must, with respect to the aspects of their proposed project relating to the absolute priority, involve individuals with disabilities, or parents of individuals with disabilities ages birth through 26, in planning, implementing, and evaluating the project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).

• Highlights:

– Provision of training, technical assistance, and coaching to build the capacity of family members to participate fully in planning, implementing, and evaluating the project;

– Provision of training, technical assistance, and coaching to build the capacity of all project staff to engage families equitably;

– Provision of financial resources such as honoraria and stipends for childcare and travel, to support family members’ active participation in the project planning, implementation, and evaluation; and

– Recruitment of family members for positions on projects, including using non-traditional recruitment and networking strategies.

OSEP Expectations for Engaging Families in Discretionary Grants http://www.signetwork.org/content_pages/184-family-engagement

• Incorporating family perspectives and experiences into project operations benefits the project and its audiences.

• Effectively engaging families requires projects to clearly plan for how they will engage families, build trusting and respectful partnerships, and identify the expected outcomes of the collaboration.

• Effective engagement strategies incorporate current research.

• Effective capacity building strategies are based on the most current research on adult learning principles and coaching.

• Families need a continuum of support in order to effectively engage with projects, including culturally competent and trauma-informed supports.

• Engaging families requires commitment to carrying out intensive, ongoing work building and maintaining partnerships.

• Effective family-staff partnerships can increase the project’s efficiency and effectiveness.

OSEP’s Family Engagement Assumptions

– Estimated Available Funds: $21,666,664.

– Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 - $2,100,000 (for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico).

• In the case of outlying areas (United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), awards will be not less than $80,000.

– Other than the outlying areas, applicants must ask for $500,00 or more for each of the 5 years.

Funding Amounts

Note: We will set the amount of each award after considering--

(1) The amount of funds available for making the grants;

(2) The relative population of the State or outlying area;

(3) The types of activities proposed by the State or outlying area;

(4) The alignment of proposed activities with section 612(a)(14) of IDEA, as amended by the ESSA;

(5) The alignment of proposed activities with State plans and applications submitted under sections 1111 and 2101(d), respectively, of the ESEA; and

(6) The use, as appropriate, of research and instruction supported by evidence.

The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the application narrative to no more than 70 pages and (2) use the following standards:

• A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

• Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, reference citations, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots.

• Use a font that is 12 point or larger.

• Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

Format and Page Limit Recommendations

Other Narrative Attachments (Upload and attach to Optional Project Narrative File).

Upload the attachments as PDF or Microsoft Word documents (a read only, flattened PDF format is recommended) in the order they should appear in the application.

Suggested order...

o Reference List o Appendix A (See Dear Applicant letter and priority) o Other Appendices (See below) Resumes/Vitaes Letters Supplementary Information

Appendices

The Project Narrative Attachment Form should include the narrative (text) that addresses each of the selection criteria, listed elsewhere in this document. The selection criteria will be used to evaluate applications submitted for this competition. The narrative has recommended formatting and page limits (check the Page Limits section of this document for formatting and page limit recommendations for the competition to which you are applying). The table of contents and list of priority requirements, if applicable, do not count toward the recommended narrative page limit.

Note

Selection Criteria FY 2022, CFDA 84.323A

1. Significance (20 points)

2. Quality of the Project Design (25 points)

3. Quality of Project Personnel (10 points)

4. Adequacy of Resources and Quality of the (20 points) Management Plan

5. Quality of the Project Evaluation (25 points)

100 points

(i) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses.

(ii) The extent to which the training or professional development services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice among the recipients of those services.

(iii) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system change or improvement.

Significance (20 points)

(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.

(ii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs.

(iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing the effectiveness of project services.

Quality of the Project Design (25 points)

(iv) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.

(v) The extent to which the proposed project will establish linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing services to the target population.

Quality of the Project Design (continued)

(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project.

(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel.

Quality of Project Personnel (10 points)

(i) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.

(ii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project.

(iii) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks.

Adequacy of Resources and Quality of the Management Plan (20 pts)

(iv) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including those of parents, teachers, the business community, a variety of disciplinary and professional fields, recipients or beneficiaries of services, or others, as appropriate.

(v) The potential for continued support of the project after Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated commitment of appropriate entities to such support.

Adequacy of Resources & Quality of Management Plan (cont)

In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project.

Quality of the Project Evaluation (25 points)

THANK YOU! Jennifer.Coffey@ed.gov 202-245-6673 Grants.gov Support Desk Email at: support@grants.gov 1-800-518-4726 Grants.gov training:

https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Gr ants https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants