PARTNERSHIP/GRANT OPPORTUNITY FOR

LOCAL BUSINESSES & ORGANIZATIONS

FREDERICK COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

DEADLINE: Thursday, April 5, 2007 by 2 pm

Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) invites businesses and community-based organizations in Frederick County to join in its application to the Maryland State Department of Education for funding through the 21^st Century Community Learning Center Program. Through a sub-grant or contractual arrangement, FCPS can assist with funding the activities proposed by partner organizations.

FCPS currently has a 21^st Century Community Learning Centers grant from the Maryland State Department of Education to operate centers at Hillcrest, Lincoln and Waverley Elementary Schools. The grant was awarded in December 2004, with the Frederick Community Learning Centers (FCLCs) operational in March 2005. Each site operates its own community learning center; however, partners operate programs at each of the three sites. The current round of funding ends in December 2007; the new round of funding will provide grant monies for another three years.

Purpose of the Grant Program: The 21^st Century Community Learning Centers is a federal grant program, with funds coming from the United States Department of Education to the Maryland State Department of Education for dissemination to local entities. The purpose of the 21^st CCLC program is to create community learning centers that provide students with academic enrichment opportunities as well as additional services designed to complement their regular academic program. Community learning centers must also offer families of participating students literacy instruction and related educational development. Proposed activities must target students and families of students who attend schools eligible for Title I schoolwide programs or schools that serve a high percentage of students from low-income families.

FCPS Focus: The FCLCs will continue operating at Hillcrest, Lincoln and Waverley. Students are targeted for participation in the FCLCs if they are not meeting identified grade-level standards in language arts and/or math. Currently, the FCLCs provide after school academic enrichment for students not meeting grade-level standards, child care, character education, family and adult literacy, recreation and youth development opportunities.

Number of Students Currently Served: The FCLCs currently serve 147 students at Hillcrest, 93 students at Lincoln and 85 students at Waverley. It is anticipated that these numbers will remain stable over the next three years.

Application Deadline: Thursday, April 5, 2007 by 2 pm

Project Period: September 1, 2007 – August 30, 2010

Anticipated Subgrant Funding: $198,000 in Year 1, $148,500 in Year 2, and $99,000 in Year 3

Number of Subgrants to be Awarded: 3-5

Cost-Sharing or Matching: The amount of money awarded to FCPS is expected to be $317,900 in Year 1, $280,500 in Year 2 and $187,000 in Year 3. The decreased funding levels are intended to transition grantees toward self-sufficiency. Thus, services in Years 2 and 3 should be at the same level as in Year 1, with an in-kind or matching contribution from your organization covering the decrease in funds.

Allowable Activities: Funds may be used to provide activities outside of school hours that:

• Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs and activities, such as youth development and engagement activities, substance abuse and alcohol prevention, service-learning, violence prevention, counseling, art, music, recreation, technology education, and character education programs, that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students.
• Offer families of students served by the FCLCs opportunities for literacy instruction and related educational development.

Submission Information: Submit by Thursday, April 5, 2007 by 2 pm to Doreen Bass at Frederick County Public Schools, 115 East Church Street, Frederick, MD, 21701. Note that applications sent by mail must be received by 2 pm on Thursday, April 5.

Submission Format: Applicants must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Include an original, signed cover letter from your organization’s chief executive officer attesting to the proposed activities, the budget, and the cost-sharing requirement. The cover sheet must include contact information for the person who will serve as liaison to the FCLC Project Team.
• Limit the application narrative to five pages, excluding the cover sheet and budget section.
• Use 1” margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
• Double space all text in the five-page narrative.
• Use a 12-point font in the five-page narrative.

Review Process: The FCLC Project Team will review applications based on the review criteria, as discussed above. Applicants may be called to answer follow-up or clarifying questions. A decision regarding which partner organization(s) will be included in the FCPS application will be made by April 11. All applicants will receive a letter indicating their partnership status. The FCPS application is due to the Maryland State Department of Education by April 24. It is anticipated that we will be informed of our funding status by the Maryland State Department of Education by mid-June 2007.

Technical Assistance Meeting: All potential applicants are required to attend a technical assistance meeting on Thursday, March 22, 2007 from 2-4 pm in the Board Room at FCPS’ Central Offices, 115 East Church Street, Frederick, 21701. Attendance at this meeting is mandatory for your organization to be considered for this partnership opportunity.

Technical Assistance: Questions regarding this partnership opportunity should be directed to Doreen Bass, Grants Coordinator, Frederick County Public Schools at 301-696-6855 or doreen.bass@fcps.org.

Review Criteria: Your application must include the following sections, which will be evaluated out of a total of 100 points. Project Services and Management Plan constitute the application narrative and should total no more than five pages.

• Project Services (50 points): Thoroughly describe the services that your organization will provide to students. Address the likelihood that these services will lead to improvements in student achievement as measured by rigorous academic standards, or changes in student behavior. Research that supports the proposed activities should be discussed. Also include background information on your organization, any past experience it has in working with students or FCPS, and its success in providing proposed services. Success should be measured by increases in student achievement, attendance, or participation in a past program.

• Management Plan (30 points): Describe the timeline involved. Be specific about the number of activities that will be offered, when they will be offered, and how many students will be involved. Be specific about who will plan the activities and who will be working directly with students. If volunteers will be used, list the qualifications of the volunteers, how they will be recruited, and the training they will be provided. The Maryland State Department of Education requires that criminal background checks be conducted on all employees, in accordance with standards set forth in Section 5-560 et seq. of the Family Law Article of the Maryland Annotated Code. Discuss how your organization will meet this criteria. Lastly, include the name and qualifications of the project director; this will be the person who should serve as your organization’s liaison with the 21^st Century Project Team.
• Budget (20 points): Include a detailed budget for each year of the project. The below table should be used, with a separate table for each year of the project. Use as many rows as possible to show the detail of your budget. Note that indirect costs are allowed, but cannot exceed 2.86% of total direct costs. Also include detailed information on the cost-sharing requirement, including the amount of funds to be provided to the project per year in each of the budget categories and the source of the funds.

Year 1 Budget
Item	Unit Cost	# of Units	Calculation	Total
Personnel
Fringe Benefits
Travel
Equipment
Supplies
Total Direct Costs
Indirect Costs
Total Costs

Year 2 Budget
Item	Unit Cost	#of Units	Calculation	In-Kind*	Total
Personnel
Fringe Benefits
Travel
Equipment
Supplies
Total Direct Costs
Indirect Costs
Total Costs

* Sources of in-kind contributions should be included as a footnote to this table.

Year 3 Budget
Item	Unit Cost	#of Units	Calculation	In-Kind*	Total
Personnel
Fringe Benefits
Travel
Equipment
Supplies
Total Direct Costs
Indirect Costs
Total Costs

• Sources of in-kind contributions should be included as a footnote to this table.