2014 Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grants: Open Now, Due April 28th!
The US Department of Education’s (ED) Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grants are now open! This program funds school counseling programs, just as the name indicates. Applicants may propose projects for new or expanded existing programs. The most competitive projects will be those: demonstrating the most significant need for counseling services, evidencing the most innovative and likely-to-be-successful approaches, and with significant potential for replication in other schools.
We’re providing basic information about the grant program on this site. For complete details, visit the official ED website for the program.
Program Overview: The ED program site states, “Projects should: (1) use a developmental, preventive approach, (2) expand the inventory of effective counseling programs, (3) include in-service training, and (4) involve parents and community groups.”
Additionally, the RFP states on pages 13 and 14 (underlining added): “Each program funded under this section shall–
(A) be comprehensive in addressing the counseling and educational needs of all students; (B) use a developmental, preventive approach to counseling; (C) increase the range, availability, quantity, and quality of counseling services in the elementary schools and secondary schools of the local educational agency; (D) expand counseling services through qualified school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, other qualified psychologists, or child and adolescent psychiatrists; (E) use innovative approaches to increase children’s understanding of peer and family relationships, work and self, decision making, or academic and career planning, or to improve peer interaction; (F) provide counseling services in settings that meet the range of student needs; (G) include in-service training appropriate to the activities funded under this Act for teachers, instructional staff, and appropriate school personnel, including in-service training in appropriate identification and early intervention techniques by school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, other qualified psychologists, and child and adolescent psychiatrists; (H) involve parents of participating students in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the counseling program; (I) involve community groups, social service agencies, or other public or private entities in collaborative efforts to enhance the program and promote school-linked integration of services; (J) evaluate annually the effectiveness and outcomes of the counseling services and activities assisted under this section; (K) ensure a team approach to school counseling in the schools served by the local educational agency by working toward ratios recommended by the American School Health Association of 1 school counselor to 250 students, 1 school social worker to 800 students, and 1 school psychologist to 1,000 students; and (L) ensure that school counselors, school psychologists, other qualified psychologists, school social workers, or child and adolescent psychiatrists paid from funds made available under this section spend a majority of their time counseling students or in other activities directly related to the counseling process.”
Award: Awards can be for up $400,000 per year for up to three years.
Who Can Apply? Local Educational Agencies (LEAs–school districts) and charter schools considered LEAs by their states are eligible to apply.
When is the Deadline? Applications are due by 4:30 Washington DC time on 4/28/2014 and must be submitted through grants.gov.
Something Cool or Unique About this Program: Five technical assistance calls will be offered by ED for potential applicants: 3/27/2014 3pm; 4/3/2014 10am; 4/3/2014 3pm; 4/10/2014 10am; and 4/10/2014 3pm. All times are Washington, DC time. Go to the program’s Applicant webpage and scroll down for login and dial-in information for each call.
Where Can I Get More Information? More information can be found at www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/applicant.html. Questions my be directed to Competition Managers:
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Lisa Harrison at Lisa.Harrison@ed.gov or (202) 453-6730
- Loretta McDaniel at Loretta.McDaniel@ed.gov or (202) 453-6720
If you’d like to apply for this grant and you need assistance, please email us at info@insightgrants.com.
Good luck to all applicants!
ED Funding Forecast Shows Many Opportunities on the Horizon
A review of the US Department of Education’s (ED) Forecast of Funding Opportunities shows funding priorities have shifted as the President and Congress attempt to respond to the increasing need to keep schools safe for students, teachers, and administrators alike. The first major change to the Forecast for FY 2014 shows Congress has supported several new mental health and safety grant programs for schools proposed by the President in addition to a key existing program.
Two School Climate Transformation Grant programs will be available for the first time in 2014: one for states (SEAs) and one for school districts (LEAs). The President requested at total of $50 million for the two programs. We await the RFPs to determine the final amounts available. Both programs will seek to prevent and reduce bullying and other problem behaviors through implementation of evidence-based programs according to information available at http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/school-safety-overview.pdf.
Eve Birge, Program Manager for the LEA grant, states, “The purpose of the School Climate Transformation grant program is to help States and school districts build local capacity to train teachers and other school staff to implement multi-tiered behavioral frameworks to improve school climate.”
More information about the School Climate Transformation grants will be released this Spring when their RFPs are available. Presently, applications/RFPs for both programs are forecasted for release on or around April 11th with deadlines on or around May 21st.
Another new grant surfacing in 2014 is Project Prevent. We anticipate $25 million will be available for awards for this program in 2014, if funds allocated align with the President’s recommendation. As proposed by the President, this grant would seek to enable school districts with high levels of violence to provide social and emotional supports and mental health services for trauma or anxiety, while also promoting conflict resolution and other school-based strategies to prevent further violence from occurring. The application is expected to be available on or around April 25th, and the deadline for applying is expected to be on or around June 9th.
A new grant for states entitled Grants to SEAs for Emergency Management will also be available in 2014 and is likely to be similar to the previous LEA grant known as Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools and its predecessor Emergency Response and Crisis Management. The President recommended up to 30 million dollars for this program. With the application opening on or around April 3rd, the grant seeks to support States in helping schools develop, implement, and improve emergency management plans. This is in response to the need of schools to strengthen their capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and crisis events. The deadline for this grant is expected to be on or around May 19th.
Congress once again supported the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant for 2014, despite the President’s proposal to cut this valuable program, which exists to help school districts establish or expand school-based counseling programs and mental health supports for students. Schools that show significant need and develop comprehensive, innovative counseling programs with significant promise for dissemination and replication are given special consideration in applying for this grant. According to the program’s website (http://www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html), “Projects should: (1) use a developmental, preventive approach, (2) expand the inventory of effective counseling programs, (3) include in-service training, and (4) involve parents and community groups.”
The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant application is forecasted for release on or around March 18th with the deadline on or around May 2nd. As this program funded down the slate in 2013, competition in 2014 is expected to be especially tough. Schools hoping to apply should begin preparing NOW.
In addition, ED will partner with the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP) on the newly-created DOJ Comprehensive School Safety Programs in 2014. Based on the President’s proposed design, this program is expected to, “provide funds for hiring school personnel including mental health professionals and school resource officers, purchasing school safety equipment, and other school safety activities.” (http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/school-safety-overview.pdf) Congress has allocated $75 Million for this program in 2014. The application is expected to be posted at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/solicitations.htm when available.
Other key opportunities supporting school safety and/or students’ mental health may be available this year through DOJ, the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the US Department of Homeland Security, and/or the States.
If you are interested in applying for any of the above grants or would like more information on Insight’s services, please contact us by phone at 716-474-0981, email info@insightgrants.com, or fill out our online contact form.
U.S. Department of Education 2014 Funding Opportunities Update
The U.S. Department of Education recently made a significant update to the Forecast of Funding Opportunities for discretionary grant programs for fiscal year 2014. To access the entire list of grant programs, visit ED.gov Grant Programs for Fiscal year 2014.
We will be covering some of the individual funding opportunities in depth here on the Insight Blog in the near future. If you are a school that has any interest in applying for any of the grant opportunities you see and are interested in speaking with Insight about our services, call us at 716-474-0981, email info@insightgrants.com, or fill out our contact form here.
Be Sure Your 2011 PEP Application is a 2011 Application!
The PEP grant application/RFP for 2011 is very similar to the application for 2010, however, some changes have been made since the last competition. Note that all RFP changes—large or small—are important! Be sure you submit an application that is developed and assembled based on the newest PEP RFP to ensure you are in a position to score as many points as possible. You can obtain a copy of the official RFP at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/whitephysed/applicant.html.
The most notable changes this year are the deadline, submission mode, and Selection Criteria.
- The 2011 PEP deadline is May 13, 2011. If you assume the deadline is the same as 2010 (July 19), you’ll miss the application period by more than two months.
- In 2011, applicants must submit their grants using grants.gov rather than e-grants.ed.gov as required last year. Register your organization now for a grants.gov account, or update your existing account to ensure a smooth and timely submission.
- Among the Selection Criteria, one criterion from 2010 has been removed (the criterion referencing target population previously placed in section B2), and two new criteria have been added. Below are the Selection Criteria for 2011 PEP according to pages 33-35 of the RFP. Criteria B2 and C2 are new this year. See the RFP for notes on what should be included to respond to each criterion.
Selection Criteria
(A) Need for the Project.
(1) 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. (10 Points)
(B) Quality of the Project Design. (40 Points)
(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. (10 Points)
(2) The extent to which performance feedback and continuous improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project. (10 points)
(3) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of Federal financial assistance. (10 Points)
(4) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, State, and Federal resources. (10 Points)
(C) Quality of the Management Plan. (30 Points)
(1) 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. (15 Points)
(2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project director and principal investigator and other key personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project. (15 Points)
(D) Quality of the Project Evaluation. (20 Points)
(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (10 Points)
(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes. (10 Points)
Carol M. White PEP is now open!
PEP is now open! The official grant deadline is 5/13/2011.
The Federal Register posting is at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-7349.htm.
The full RFP will be posted to http://www2.ed.gov/programs/whitephysed/applicant.html later today or in the next few days.
Best of luck to all!
2011 Carol M. White PEP Grant Competition
The announcement for the 2011 Carol M. White PEP grant competition is finally in queue for tomorrow’s Federal Register. That means the grant competition is scheduled to open tomorrow. Applications are listed as due 45 days from the date of that posting, so the deadline should be May 11 or 12.
Are you applying? If you are interested in applying with Insight’s assistance, email info@insightgrants.com today. We have just a few slots remaining. We have a terrific record of success with this program. In 2010 alone, we had 11 PEP grant winners. As there were only 77 winners across the nation, this means one in seven 2010 PEP winners was an Insight client.
Whether you work with Insight or on your own, very best of luck with your application this year!!
See the blog tomorrow for the official grant deadline and more information.
PEP Update: When Will We Find Out Who Won?
Most 2009 PEP applicants are now anxiously wondering when the awards announcement will be made. Several folks have emailed in the last couple of weeks asking whether I know of schools who have learned their results yet. No, I do not know of any schools that have received their results yet, but yes, I do have some idea of when the information should be available.
About a week and a half ago I emailed the federal program contact to check to see if the originally anticipated timetable for awards (originally discussed in the RFP as June or July) was still the anticipated timetable. She confirmed that ED expected to make awards “late June/early July.” As today is June 22, awards could be made any time between now and the next month. Exciting stuff, right? :o)
Many folks are also asking how they would find out their results. There are a few different ways that could happen.
Prior to announcing any grant awards, ED provides Congress with the list and allows the members a brief period (anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks) to be the first to notify and congratulate any winners within their constituency. Many members take advantage of this opportunity, but others do not. If your Representative or Senator is among those who enjoys making the announcement, you might hear from him or her directly (probably via phone or possibly fax) and/or you might see a press release from his or her office in a local paper. Remember, though, not all members do this, so not hearing from a member does not necessarily mean your application was not a winner.
ED will make its public announcement via a 2009 awards list of winning schools and their contacts at http://www.ed.gov/programs/whitephysed/awards.html and/or via a press release posted at http://www.ed.gov/news/landing.jhtml?src=gu. Additionally, ED will send out letters with instructions for “next steps” to winners via mail. While these packages are technically supposed to be sent prior to the public announcement being made, winners rarely receive them before learning they won through either their Congressional members or ED’s public announcement.
Following mail notification of all winners, ED will send out mail notifications to all non-winners that include reviewer scores and comments. (You should have THREE sets of reviewer scores and comments!) With so many people to notify, sometimes it takes weeks or even months for the non-winner packages to arrive. If it’s been a couple of months and you haven’t received anything, though, you should email the PEP contact (Carlette.Huntley@ed.gov) and request that your scores and comments be resent since several do seem to get lost in the mail every year. If you weren’t fortunate enough to win in 2009, use your reviewer scores and comments to improve your application in 2010. Please note, however, that you will still need to adhere to the newest RFP and that your application will NOT be read by the same reviewers.
Insight monitors many press release channels for PEP daily, and we frequently check both the PEP and ED Press Release sites, so we often know very soon after the winners list is posted. Additionally, using press releases from Congress and information from Congressionally-notified schools with which we are in contact, we begin compiling a “tentative” winners list of our own and then compare that to the final list. We’ve been able to learn of as many as a third of the winners prior to the official announcement this way, however only the official list will concretely name all winners. Insight will send out emails to all applicants that worked with us on PEP once the official announcement is made, as well as sending out tweets from our Twitter accounts (insightgrantspe and insightgrantsed). Certainly, if you have questions in the interim, let us know. If you didn’t work with us but would like to receive an email when the PEP awards list comes out, leave your email address under comments or email us at info@insightgrants.com. (If you send an email, please be sure to note that you are requesting a PEP awards notice email and provide your full contact info.)
