The State Education Department has released an RFP for the new competitive Performance Improvement Grant Program which was enacted in the 2011-12 State Budget. This newly created program is funded at $250 million but the RFP indicates that the initial round of grants will be for $75 million ($25 million per year for three years).

Per the RFP the purpose of the 2012-2015 School District Performance Improvement competitive grant program is to provide grants to public school districts that have demonstrated the most success in increasing student performance, narrowing the achievement gap, and increasing academic performance among students with the greatest educational needs.

Requirements

To be eligible for the grant a district must meet a series of requirements:

• Have had a Race to the Top Final Scope of Work approved by SED by February 2011
• Demonstrate progress towards the implementation of high quality student assessments, the use of data to improve instruction and student performance and the provision of professional development to improve teacher performance
• Fully implement by the end of the 2011-12 school year the provisions of Education Law 3012-c (APPR) and the corresponding Commissioner's regulations.
• Demonstrate the greatest gains in student performance in the prior year as measured by increases in student outcomes.

Focus of Grants

Applications must focus on at least one of four priority areas that will increase student performance. These priority areas are; middle school programs, college level or early college programs, increased college admission rates, and career and technical education programs. This is a three year grant program running from May 2012 to June 2015. A total of $75 million will be awarded under this RFP ($25 million per year) to public school districts. Charter schools are ineligible for the grant. The maximum size of a grant is sliding scale based on the enrollment of the district. For example, districts with enrollments between 2,500 and 5,000 are eligible for a three year grant up to $1.8 million ($600,000 per year) whereas smaller districts with enrollments between 1,500 and 2,500 are eligible for up a $1.2 million grant ($400,000 per year).

CHART: MAXIMUM GRANT AWARDS

Note: New York City may apply as one district or individual community schools may apply separately.

Scoring Grant Applications

Applications should be postmarked by January 13, 2012 and the Education Department has indicated that first round of awards will occur during the 2011-12 school year. The Department will score the grant applications via a peer review process that will review the quality of the applications including programmatic and budget components. Applications will be scored on a 115 scale comprised of the following items:

• Academic Performance (50 points): Districts gain in student performance made between the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years in increasing performance of elementary and middle school students in English language arts, mathematics, and science as well as four year graduation rates.
• Priority Area Program (35 points): Districts must submit a program narrative on one or more of the four priority areas (middle school, early college programs, increased college admission rates, career and technical programs) based upon practices shown to improve student performance that narrows the achievement gap.
• District Need (10 points): Districts will receive additional points up to 10 points based upon free and reduced-price lunch enrollment in the district.
• Budget Narrative (20 points): A FS-10 budget form must be submitted along with a narrative explaining the relationship between the proposed expenditures and the goals of each of the priority areas which are the focus of the application.

The full RFP is available from the State Education Department website at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/funding/2012-15perfimp/home.html .