RFP - Blended Pre-K Classroom Program Grant Cohort 4

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Blended Pre-kindergarten Classroom Program

Grant Cohort 4

Submission Deadline Date: March 11, 2024

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW

1.1 Program Purpose and Goals

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Office of Early Childhood Education is seeking competitive written proposals from qualified Applicants to provide blended prekindergarten classrooms implementing the Blended Prekindergarten Classrooms Grant Cohort 4 through grant awards issued by the Mississippi Department of Education.

The Office of Early Childhood Education seeks to improve access to high-quality early childhood programs for children in Mississippi school districts, with an emphasis on providing inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities.

The Program’s goals are that:

• More children will enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school.

• More families will have access to high-quality early education programs.

• Prekindergarten programs will receive resources and support to increase quality.

• High-quality prekindergarten programs will collaborate with other early childhood education programs and related services.

• Prekindergarten programs will use curricula that are evidence-based and aligned with the MDE’s Early Learning Standards for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four-Year-Old Children.

• Prekindergarten programs will implement an integrated, effective system of early childhood curriculum, instruction, assessment, and program evaluation.

• Prekindergarten programs will implement consistent and appropriate learning goals for children and demonstrate progress towards achieving these targets.

Prekindergarten students with disabilities have the right to be included with their non-disabled peers to the extent appropriate to meet their individual needs, as provided for in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Inclusion is not a service delivery option, but rather a belief system that guides all the practices in a school. Inclusion philosophy adheres to the principle that all staff members believe it is their job to provide the best education for all children, respecting their students’ diversity and maximizing their potential. The strong preference is that each child be a fully participating member of the learning community, as determined by the needs of the individual child. An inclusive environment meets the needs of every child, not just a child with a disability, but any child, regardless of learning difference.

Inclusion benefits children with and without disabilities, as they become skilled at:

• Initiating positive social interactions

• Having pride in their achievements

• Using improved language and communication skills

• Solving problems creatively

• Developing patience and compassion

• Understanding and accepting their own and others’ strengths and gifts

• Helping others

A grant agreement will be signed to include a multi-year grant not to exceed three (3) years. All grant awards are at the discretion of the State Board of Education (SBE). Each year of the grant shall be contingent upon successful completion of the services in the preceding year’s grant, availability of funds, and performance evaluation. This solicitation and any resulting grant agreement shall be governed by the applicable provisions of the State Board of Education Grant Policies. The grant agreement Assurances and Standard Terms and Conditions have been included as Form 2 and Form 3 for your review and acceptance.

A copy of this solicitation, including all attachments and any subsequent amendments, including the Question-and-Answer amendment, if issued, will be posted on the MDE website under “Public Notice” Request for Applications, Qualifications, and Proposals section. It is the sole responsibility of all interested Applicants to monitor the website for updates regarding this solicitation.

1.2 Eligibility Criteria

This solicitation is to provide information required to submit a response to this Request for Proposal (RFP). Please be aware that changes to previous requirements and/or eligibility solicited may have been made.

A public school district may apply for one or more classrooms at one or more schools within the district.

If the applicant is a charter school, the applicant must include the charter to serve pre-K in the school.

Applicants that previously received a subgrant award must be in good standing with the MDE to receive an award through this solicitation. If applicable, Subgrantees must have previously submitted:

• any final evaluation reports and data as required;

• any annual performance reporting data;

• finalized all monitoring review corrective actions;

• any requests for reimbursement of allowable expenditures following MDE’s reimbursement process; and

• the Year-End Budget Report.

If a previous Subgrantee is not in good standing, the proposal will be disqualified and will not be considered for an award.

The awarded Subgrantee must meet the following criteria to submit a proposal for these services:

Any school district in the state of Mississippi is eligible to apply for these grant funds. Districts who have applied for or who are currently receiving Collaborative funds are not precluded from applying for these grant funds to implement additional classrooms. However, Blended funds may not be added to existing classrooms that are receiving Collaborative funds.

Unique Entity ID (UEI) Requirement

The UEI number is a unique number used to identify Subgrantees. The federal government uses the UEI to track how federal money is allocated to Subgrantees.  All Subgrantees must have an active UEI Number, that is unrestricted and accessible at www.sam.gov . Please visit Guide to Getting a Unique Entity ID for more information.

To receive an UEI Number, you must register with the System Award Management (SAM).  Any debarred person or Applicant will not be eligible to apply and receive Federal funds.

Verification and documentation of the registered active UEI must be submitted with the proposal (e.g., www.sam.gov correspondence indicating the status and expiration date, UEI notification email, etc.) Please remember that your UEI must be unrestricted and accessible to the public. Failure to obtain and register your UEI number will result in rejection of the proposal.

1.3 Pre-Proposal Conference

The MDE will host a virtual workshop on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 3:00 pm to assist potential Subgrantees with understanding the program and the proposal process.  There is no cost for the workshop; however, registration is required. Proposal workshop participation is not required to apply but is highly encouraged. Please send an email to cataylor@mdek12.org no later than Friday, February 16, 2024 to obtain link to attend the conference via TEAMS.

1.4 Conflict of Interest

Each Applicant receiving an award for funds must maintain a written conflict of interest policy.

SECTION 2. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

2.1 Scope of Work

Districts who participate in this program will be expected to:

• Provide an inclusive program for pre-K children that reside in their district;

• Utilize a co-teaching model for instruction;

• Follow the information provided in the Mississippi Early Learning Guidelines; and

• Improve outcomes for pre-K children, including those with disabilities.

2.2 Program Activities

Applicants receiving an award are responsible for utilizing these funds to carry out activities that advance student achievement and support student success, including but not limited to:

• Using curricula that are evidence-based and aligned with the MDE’s Early Learning Standards for Classrooms Serving Infants Through Four-Year-Old Children;

• Implementing an integrated, effective system of early childhood curriculum, instruction, assessment, and program evaluation;

• Implementing consistent and appropriate learning targets for children and demonstrating progress towards achieving these targets; and

• Utilizing developmentally appropriate methods and strategies as recommended by the Early Learning Coaches and other MDE Early Childhood Education Staff.

Subgrantees are also obligated under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to ensure that their proposed program activities are outlined and are accessible to persons with disabilities.

2.3 Program Reports and Evaluation

The MDE Office of Early Childhood will monitor each program yearly. The MDE will use these documents to monitor the program:

1. Early Learning Collaborative Monitoring Tool (Standard 17.2 is embedded in this document.)

2. Effectiveness Evaluation Plan for Early Learning Collaboratives and Other Pre-K Classrooms located at www.mdek12.org .

The Early Learning Collaborative Monitoring Tool will be used to support the professional development of staff and to assess the implementation of high-quality practices within the blended prekindergarten classrooms.  Programs will also be monitored for compliance with IDEA, using the same monitoring protocols utilized by the MDE Office of Special Education for all IDEA programs. Also, all prekindergarten students in Mississippi who receive special education services will be assessed through the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) process upon determination of eligibility for services and again just before their sixth birthday, as indicated in the State Performance Plan, as a measure of (1) improved positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships), (2) acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/communication and early literacy), and (3) use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.

2.4 Proposal Review and Selection Process

Phase I – Compliance

Proposals are reviewed by MDE program staff to determine if all formatting and submission requirements are met. If any proposal fails to meet the established deadline or Required Elements, the proposal will be disqualified. Please review the submission deadline and the Required Elements. Proposals that are not received by the deadline or fail to provide the information as specified in the “Required Elements” will not be considered for an award and the Applicant may reapply at a future date.

Phase II – Review and Scoring

An evaluation committee, authorized by the MDE, shall evaluate and score each proposal based on the quality of the proposed activities and the evidence provided to demonstrate the capacity of the Applicants to implement the proposed program. The evaluation committee is comprised of expert proposal readers from various related professions and backgrounds.

Each proposal will be evaluated using the criteria for the proposal and scoring process. The evaluation committee will recommend proposals from highest to lowest ranking to be funded by the MDE.

A minimum of five evaluation committee members will review and evaluate each proposal and score utilizing a rubric. A reader may award up to 100 points for each proposal. A proposal must receive a minimum total quality score of 70 before the proposal can be considered eligible for funding. The MDE will allocate funding based upon the average scores of all committee members and will fund Applicants, based on the highest to lowest scores, until funding is exhausted or all eligible Applicants receive funding.

The MDE reserves the right to reject any portion of the proposal and negotiate with potential Subgrantees to address any issues that may impact the proposal or funding.

After the selection process, Applicants that were not recommended to the State Board of Education (SBE) for funding may receive copies of the evaluator’s comments and feedback upon a formal request to the MDE Office of Public Reporting only.

2.5 Proposal Scoring Criteria

This section covers the criteria an Applicant must address in the plan of action to obtain the maximum points available to score 100 points upon submitting a proposal.

The proposal shall consist of the Applicant’s program operating plan to address the certain criteria below. The stated plan must be clear, concise, and be implemented with fidelity upon the SBE approval. When completing the proposal, please remember that Applicants will not be permitted to change the program’s scope (i.e., type of services and/or target population) that is originally outlined in the proposal, scored by the evaluation committee during the proposal review process, and approved by the SBE. This is designed to provide an open competitive, fair, and transparent process for all submitting a proposal.

A. Capacity (19 Points Available)

I. Inclusive Practices

Describe current inclusive practices demonstrated in the school district. Give specific information about how these practices look at the elementary level, particularly the school where the blended prekindergarten class will be located.

Evidence may include State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) data for:

Indicator 5 - Percent of children with IEPs aged 6 through 21 served:

A. Inside the regular class 80% or more of the day;

B. Inside the regular class less than 40% of the day; and

C. In separate schools, residential facilities, or homebound/hospital placements.

Indicator 6 - Percent of children with IEPs aged 3 through 5 attending a:

A. Regular early childhood program and receiving the majority of special education and related services in the regular early childhood program; and

B. Separate special education class, separate school, or residential facility,

or other documentation of how students with disabilities are included in district programs (academic or extracurricular).

II. Collaborations

Describe successful collaborations between general education and special education staff, specifically at the elementary level. This can include documentation regarding Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), joint trainings, agendas from collaboration meetings, and/or

district/school policies that document how general and special education staff work together to increase inclusive practices. Documentation should provide evidence that these collaborations contributed to positive student outcomes, which may include percentage of growth in various subject areas for students participating in inclusive programs and/or positive student results in behavior or other non-academic areas.

III. Co-Teaching Plan

Describe the district’s plan for implementing a co-taught classroom, including the areas of responsibility for the general education and special education teachers. Include how the district will include time in the schedule for teachers to plan together to maximize instructional impact.

IV. Student Data

Describe the district’s experience managing student data, including using a student data package for managing and reporting student information. Evidence should include which staff members on the elementary and district level (by position) have experience managing and reporting student data. Include which staff members manage MSIS data, and those that enter data into the district’s data package, and how many years of experience each staff member has.

V. Professional Development

Describe the district’s experience with implementing high-quality professional development programs during the last 5 years. Evidence can include agendas for PLCs/staff meetings, certification received by staff members for attending specific trainings, and/or documentation of staff training and subsequent student growth in academic or non-academic areas, such as increased test scores and/or lower discipline referrals.

VI. Personnel

Briefly describe the personnel who will serve in leadership roles for the program within the Lead Partner. List each person’s name, title, experience, and role in leading the program.

For the primary point of contact for the program (for example, the pre-K coordinator or manager), describe what other responsibilities this person has and the expected number of weekly hours this person will devote to the pre-K program. The coordinator of the program should have knowledge of child development and expectations of four-year-old children, be able to coordinate a grant program, work cooperatively with all partners, and be a resource and support for the teachers.

This person will need to be responsive to MDE, the requirements of the RFP, and the application the district submits to MDE. Districts that include an identified program contact that will devote at least 50% of his/her time to the prekindergarten program will receive 1 (one) additional point for this section.

B. Program Requirements (46 Points Available)

I. Commitment to Program

Describe the district’s plan to sustain student access to a high-quality early childhood program after the end of the grant period.

II. Children Served, Classroom, Class Size, and Teacher-Child Ratio

Please remember the following requirements:

• Children with disabilities who will be served in the program with grant funds must be at least three years old.

• Children without disabilities who will be served in the program with grant funds must be three or four years old by September 1st of the school year, depending on whether the district decides to serve three- and four-year-olds or just four-year-olds without disabilities.

• No more than 20 four-year-old or 14 three-year-old children may be served in one class under the Mississippi Early Learning Guidelines. In addition, for this grant program, a minimum of 15 four-year-old or ten three-year-old children must be served in one class.

• Mississippi requires teacher-child ratios of one adult for every ten four-year-olds or every seven three-year-olds.

• Students without disabilities to participate in the program will be administered a screening assessment to determine current functioning level. Students from above age level, at age level, and below age level will be chosen, with approximately 1/3 of students (without disabilities) falling into each category.

• Students with disabilities will be chosen based on the decision of the student’s IEP committee.

• The composition of the class should include approximately 40% of students with disabilities and 60% of students without disabilities. (Each class must contain less than 50% of students with disabilities to be considered a general education program.)

a. Indicate whether the blended prekindergarten class will serve three-year-olds, four-year-olds, or both, for students with and without disabilities.

b. Indicate how many students will be served in the class, (depending on the ages of students served).

c. Indicate how many teachers/paraprofessionals will be utilized in the blended prekindergarten class.

d. Describe how students without disabilities will be screened and subsequently chosen to participate in the program, including what screening instrument will be used.

III. Staff Qualifications

The required method for providing services in this classroom will be co-teaching by a general education teacher and special education teacher. A paraprofessional can be added, based on the needs of the classroom, but is not required.

Instructional staff, including teachers and paraprofessionals, must hold specific qualifications to participate in a blended prekindergarten classroom. These qualifications are:

General Education Teachers – Hold a valid state license to teach prekindergarten (License 151, 153, 116, 152, or 120)

Special Education Teachers – Hold a valid state license to teach prekindergarten special education (License 211, 221, 222, or 223) OR be dually certified in prekindergarten general education and prekindergarten special education

Paraprofessionals – Hold an Associate’s degree in early childhood education, child development, or a related field

Because of the focus on whole child development, in addition to educator licensure, each teacher must be credentialed in Early Childhood. See information regarding teacher and paraprofessional credentialing, pages 15-18, at: https://mdek12.org/sites/default/files/Offices/MDE/OAE/OEER/Early%20Childhood/Early%20Childhood%20Early%20Learning%20Guidelines%203's%20%204's%202018%20FINAL%20with%20no%20mark-ups.pdf .

a. Indicate how many teachers the district will need to hire to meet requirements.

b. Describe the district’s plan to recruit and retain qualified staff for the blended kindergarten class.

IV. Professional Development

All instructional staff must attend at least 15 hours of early childhood specific annual professional development, including professional development in early literacy. 1 (One) preference point will be added to this section for districts that include specific training on co-teaching practices.

a. Explain the district’s plan to provide appropriate professional development for prekindergarten staff.

b. Explain how the district will organize a professional learning community (PLC) in order for staff to collaborate with kindergarten staff, service providers, other agencies that serve prekindergarten children, and/or early learning staff in neighboring districts, to increase teacher capacity.

V. Learning Standards and Guidelines

Blended prekindergarten classes must use Mississippi’s Early Learning Standards for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four-Year-Old Children and Mississippi Early Learning Guidelines for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four-Year-Olds (depending on the ages of children served). Agreement to use the learning standards and guidelines is required to be determined eligible for the grant funding.

a. Certify that the district’s blended prekindergarten class will use Mississippi’s Early Learning Standards.

Yes, the Blended program will use the Early Learning Standards for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four-Year-Old Children.

No, the Blended program will not use the Early Learning Standards for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four-Year-Old Children.

b. Certify that the district’s blended prekindergarten class will use Mississippi’s Early Learning Guidelines.

Yes, the Blended program will use the Early Learning Guidelines for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four-Year-Old Children.

No, the Blended program will not use the Early Learning Guidelines for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four-Year-Old Children.

c. Describe how program leaders will ensure that standards and guidelines are being utilized in the class, including technical assistance and “drop-in” checks for implementation, and that lesson plans reflect which standards are being addressed daily. Include lesson plan format with clear alignment to standards and instruction requirements outlined in the guidelines.

VI. Curriculum

Blended prekindergarten classes that are funded through this grant program must use an evidence-based curriculum that is designed to prepare students to be ready for kindergarten. The curriculum must place an emphasis on early literacy and be aligned with MDE’s Early Learning Standards for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four- Year-Old Children. The curriculum shall contain thematic units of activities and ideas designed to provide children the opportunities and experiences needed to master the performance standards in the Early Learning Standards for Classrooms Serving Three- and Four-Year-Old Children and must be implemented with fidelity. This curriculum is comprehensive and should be implemented with fidelity to obtain the expected evidence – based child outcomes. MDE has identified one curriculum that meets these requirements—Mississippi Beginnings: Pre-K in conjunction with Building Blocks Pre-K.  The open-source curriculum can be found at this link: https://www.mdek12.org/EC/Mississippi-Beginnings-Curriculum . Mississippi Beginnings: Pre-K was derived from Focus on Pre-K which can be found at bpsearlylearning.org/prek-copy.

In the process of implementing and utilizing the Mississippi Beginnings: Pre-K curriculum, the MDE will conduct a quasi-experimental design study to measure child outcomes. Approved programs will be expected to participate in this study. The study will be looking at child data at the classroom and site.

If you would like to submit a curriculum other than MS Beginnings for consideration, you must provide evidence from an independent review that the curriculum is evidence – based. Curricula chosen for the Blended prekindergarten will have to meet the MS Code 37-21-51 definition of an “evidence-based program,” which means “An "evidence-based curriculum" is an age-appropriate curriculum that demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on: (i) Strong evidence from at least one (1) 60 well-designed and well-implemented experimental study; (ii) Moderate evidence from at least one (1) well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study; or (iii) Promising evidence from at least one (1) well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias.”

According to the Pew Charitable Trust’s Results First Initiative, “Evidence-based programs and practices have been evaluated multiple times and found to be effective using rigorous methods such as randomized controlled trials, statistically controlled evaluations, or a single large multisite randomized or statistically controlled evaluation. Typically, these programs have specified a set of procedures that allow for successful replication.” Please be aware that all “research” does not rise to the level of quality required for an “evidence – based” designation. Internal research done by a curriculum’s writers and used in marketing materials likely does not qualify.

Either MS Beginnings or another curriculum needs to be addressed, as one is required to be determined eligible.

a. Certify that the blended prekindergarten classroom will use an evidence-based curriculum. Designate whether it will be MS Beginnings or another evidence-based curriculum. If another curriculum is chosen, requirements outlined in MS Code 27-103-159 must be met.

MS Beginnings (DO NOT DELETE)

Other Evidence-Based Curriculum

b. Describe how program leaders will ensure that the curriculum is being implemented with fidelity.

VII. Supports for students with disabilities

Students with disabilities must receive appropriate services as stated in their Individual Education Programs (IEPs).

a. Describe how program leaders will ensure that the needs of students with disabilities will be met as identified on their IEPs. Possible sources of evidence include notification to parents, written program policy on inclusion and non-discrimination, enrollment of children with disabilities, and adaptations to curriculum to address IEP goals.

VIII. Assessments

Districts who receive this grant must participate in state assessments, which include the Mississippi Kindergarten Assessment Scoring System (MKAS2) and the Brigance Screen III. The teachers (and paraprofessionals, if included in classroom) will be evaluated with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Further information about these assessments can be found in the Effectiveness Evaluation Plan on this webpage: www.mdek12.org/ec . Districts can incorporate additional age-appropriate assessments, if desired.

a. Indicate what assessments the district will implement in the blended prekindergarten class in addition to state assessments. Write “not applicable” if no additional assessments will be used.

IX. Parent Engagement

Parent engagement is a key component of quality early childhood programs.

a. Indicate how the district will market the program to parents to ensure that all children, including hard-to-reach children, have access to the program.

b. Describe activities the district will implement in order to engage parents in learning.

X. Coaching Component

Blended Programs will have access to coaches (early childhood and family engagement/transition) provided and funded by the MDE, Office of Early Childhood. Coaches will need access to Blended classrooms to assist teachers and administrators with quality improvements to include but not limited to lesson plans, curriculum, learning centers, CLASS observations, Comprehensive Early Learning Assessment/Screener, Kindergarten Readiness Assessment data, Early Learning Guideline components, and Early Learning Standards components. Through the course of assisting the teachers, coaches may video the teacher interacting in the classroom with the children to use as a mentoring tool. After use of the video during the visit, the videos will be deleted. Sites are expected to access and welcome the coaches to support teachers and administrators.

Agreed

C. Budget (35 Points Available)

All Applicants must submit a Budget Overview, a Budget Summary, and a Budget Narrative.

When determining the amount to be requested for school districts, please consider the need and the number of students to be served. All Applicants must submit a budget.

Allowable Expenses with approximate percentage of total budget

Personnel and Benefits – 67% of total budget

Furniture and Materials– 17% of total budget

Curriculum – 2% of total budget

Technology (including Assistive Technology) – 5% of total budget

Assessments for Students (diagnostic and progress monitoring) – 1.5% of total budget

Professional Development – 3.5% of total budget

In-State Travel – 2% of total budget

Other (must be described and justified) – 2% of total budget

Project funds must be used for activities that directly support the accomplishment of the project purpose, priorities, and expected outcomes. All expenditures must be consistent with applicable state and federal laws, regulations, and guidance.

Applicants must list all budgetary costs based upon the narrative components and program design and ensure that the budget includes a line-item description for every allowable cost necessary to carry out the goals and objectives of the proposed program. It is advisable to consult with the financial office of the applying agency prior to submitting the proposal.

Successful Subgrantees may use grant funds for allowable costs only during the grant award period. Any costs occurring outside the grant award period are solely the responsibility of the Subgrantee and will not be reimbursed by the MDE.

SECTION 3. GRANT AWARD AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Funds are subject to appropriations by the state/federal government. This grant will be awarded in the amount of $150,000 for the first fiscal year/project year, with up to two (2) year(s) subsequent funding of $110,000 per fiscal year/project year, contingent upon availability of funds. Year one (1) will occur July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025, with July 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024, to be a planning period for the district. Students will begin attending in January 2025 when the school district resumes classes after the winter holidays. Years two (2) and three (3) will be July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026, and July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027, respectively, with students attending the full school year for both years. All grants will be awarded contingent upon appropriations, proper implementation of the proposed project implementation, completion, and submission of all required documentation. Funding to eligible Applicants is subject to the SBE approval. The Mississippi Department of Education reserves the right to negotiate grant award amounts with all potential Subgrantees.

3.1 Use of Funds

Funds are used for program implementation, as well as for operating expenses such as:

• Personnel and personnel benefits;

• Staff development and training;

• Consultants, subcontractors, and evaluators; and

• Classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.

Applicants should be aware that funds must be used in a manner consistent with all requirements of the statute and must be used only to supplement, not supplant, any federal, state, local, or non-federal funds available to support activities.

3.2 Responsibilities of A Fiscal Agent

The following are some of the expectations, roles, and responsibilities of a fiscal agent:

1. As the official Subgrantee, all awards must be adopted by the Local Board of Education for LEAs or the Board of Directors for non-LEAs.

2. Administer the subgrant from award to closeout in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

3. Serve as the Subgrantee representative and point-of-contact for all business management aspects of the award agreement.

4. Apply appropriate management controls using management systems, checklists, and records, including, but not limited to:

• Internal Controls

o Safeguard assets; ensure reliability of accounting data and subgrant terms and conditions

• Operating Controls

o Fiduciary procedural manuals; budgetary control

• Accounting Controls

o Implement controls to ensure reliability of recorded financial data;

o Maintain appropriate level of transaction review and authorization;

o Develop and implement proper procurement procedures and cash management procedures that are well defined; and

o Develop procedures that facilitate timely review and audit of financial activity.

• Compliance Controls

o Consider mechanisms to monitor and review compliance with subgrant terms (i.e., ensure grant funds are disbursed only to eligible Subgrantees);

o Ensure all expenditures and disbursements are consistent with the objectives of the subgrant award and comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing the program and use of funds.

• Document Control System

o Develop written documentation of adequate internal operating and accounting controls that demonstrate evidence of controls related to grant compliance.

5. Assemble appropriate staff resources and communicate all compliance requirements and resources of the subgrant.

6. Keep abreast of changes in policies, procedures or requirements and continue to advise program staff of subgrant requirements.

7. Request any further “prior approvals” when identified.

8. Submit subgrant reimbursement requests no later than June 30 with liquidations by July 12 of each fiscal year.

• Eligibility of Expenditures

o Adhere to the list of eligible activities for which funds under the program may be spent, as well as allowable cost objectives in applicable cost principles; and

o Ensure that transactions are made in a reasonable and prudent manner, are allowable and allocable, and avoid double charging and ensure that credits are applied appropriately.

9. Prepare necessary reports:

• Source Documentation

o Appropriately support transactions entered into the Subgrantee’s system

o Documentation tracks each subgrant transaction and supports the validity of financial data reported; and

o Maintain separate funding lines for funds

• Audit Trail

o The lowest level of detail the system should provide is documentation that supports all transactions (e.g., invoices, contracts, purchase orders);

o The overall recordkeeping system should be able to trace financial statement balances through the Subgrantee’s general ledger, cash books and other journals; and

o Amounts claimed on financial statements and reports accurately reflect the accounting books and records from which they were prepared.

10. Use feedback from site visits by the MDE to enhance the program, show

Subgrantee’s strength and demonstrate commitment to the project.

11. Keep the MDE and the public aware and informed about grant project

progress.

12. Evaluate the extent to which measurable project objectives are being met.

13. Liquidate all obligations incurred under the award within the set

deadline.

14. Ensure and oversee the performance of final audits and resolution of

findings.

15. Establish adequate system for records retention.

3.3 Audit

Please note that the Subgrantee is required to, if applicable, have the financial and compliance audits conducted in accordance with the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1966 and 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart F – Audit Requirements. Any non-federal entity that expends $750,000 or more in a year in federal awards shall have a single or program specific audit conducted for that year in accordance with the provisions of 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart F. If the non-federal entity did not expend $750,000 or more in a year in federal awards, a letter MUST be provided stating that this requirement does not apply.

The financial audit shall be conducted by a certified public accountant or by an accountant certified as qualified to audit local government accounts. The audits must be performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) and the financial statements must be prepared in conformity with general accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

SECTION 4. TENTATIVE TIMELINE OF ACTIVITIES

A recommendation to the SBE for an approval of awards is anticipated for Applicants based on proposals submitted and accepted, and an evaluation and selection process. All new Subgrantees approved for funding by the SBE at that time must attend subsequent mandatory meetings for all Subgrantees. An award or non-award letter will be sent to Applicants confirming the SBE’s action. The letter will include specific information on meeting dates and times, if applicable.

Important tentative dates and activities related to this solicitation are listed below.

Important Dates	Activity
February 8, 2024 February 15, 2024	RFP Issued – Email and Post to MDE Website/Newspaper
February 20, 2024	Workshop
February 23, 2024	Deadline for submitting questions
February 26, 2024	Questions will be posted to the MDE website
March 11, 2024, 2:00 PM	Proposals deadline by 2:00 PM CST
March 19 – March 20, 2024	Evaluation of proposals
May 16, 2024	State Board of Education approval
May 17, 2024	Notification of awards and non-awards
May 31, 2024	Budget Revisions due (if needed)
July 1, 2024	Authorization to expend, pending approved revisions

SECTION 5. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

5.1. Proposal Formatting and Submission Information

Developed by the MDE, this solicitation contains all the forms and instructions necessary to apply for this grant opportunity. Please review the enclosed materials and carefully follow the instructions for completing and submitting a proposal. Before submission, review the proposal requirements to ensure that all sections and documents are complete.

The proposal must include all the required components listed below in the Submission Requirements section and must be in the exact order to proceed to Phase II of the proposal process. Failure to submit the required completed forms with signatures will result in the rejection of the proposal. The proposal will consist of the required elements listed below ONLY:

The entire proposal should not exceed 50 pages.

5.2 Submission Requirements

Proposals shall be submitted as described below with section components clearly distinguished as follows:

1. Signed Cover Page (Form 1) - Required Signature(s)

2. Signed Assurances (Form 2) - Required Signature(s)

3. Signed Standard Terms and Conditions (Form 3) - Required Signature

4. Signed Conflict of Interest (Form 4) - Required Signature

5. Sign Acknowledge of Amendments (Form 5) - Required Signature

6. Verification of the registration of the active Unique Entity ID (UEI) must be submitted with the proposal (e.g., www.sam.gov correspondence indicating the status and expiration date, UEI letter, etc.)

7. Program Plan and Implementation

8. Budget Forms A, B, & C – Complete

9. Copy of Charter to serve pre-K – (only if a charter school)

5.3 Formatting and Submission Directions

Applicants should submit proposals using the following parameters:

• Submitted on 8.5” x 11” white paper using 12-point Arial/ Times New Roman font

• Formatted using 1” margins on all sides

• Portrait setting

• Single-spaced and single-sided (pages must include the Applicant’s name and page number within the footer in the lower right-hand corner)

• The complete proposal including all attachments shall be submitted in a searchable Microsoft Office® format, preferably in Word® or Portable Document Format (PDF) only

• “Links” received to obtain a response via the RFXS will not be opened and the email will be rejected without further consideration for an award

• A response proposal received via the RFXS must include ONE proposal packet per the submission requirements.

• Duplicate submission of an electronic or mailed response proposal will result in the LAST submission being considered as a modification to the original submission. The previous submissions will be rejected and will not be considered for the evaluation and award. Any late duplicate copy will disqualify all submissions from the evaluation process for an award.

This grant competition is highly competitive. Applicants should ensure that all guidelines and requirements are met before submitting proposals. Please note that the MDE staff will not grant permission to Applicants to modify or change the criteria established in the proposal. This includes extending the date and time proposals are due.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit only the requested information. The evaluation committee will have limited time to evaluate proposals; and for this reason, the proposal should focus solely on the requirements of the solicitation. Supplementary materials such as videotapes, CD-ROMs, publications, press clippings, and testimonial letters will not be reviewed or returned.

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