background and legislative intent · web view(doc, docx, or pdf) – required – this section...

Request for Application (RFA)

STEM Innovation Grant: Math in Real Life

2015-2017

GRANT APPLICATION DUE DATE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016

Oregon Department of EducationOffice of Learning

255 Capitol Street NESalem, OR 97310-0203

It is the policy of the State Board of Education and a priority of the Oregon Department of Education that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age or disability in any educational programs, activities, or employment. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should contact the Oregon Department of Education, 255 Capitol Street NE, Salem, OR 97310; Telephone (503) 947-5600; Fax (503) 378-5156.

STEM Innovation Grant RFA:

Math in Real Life

ContentsBackground and Legislative Intent....................................................................................3

Equity Lens.....................................................................................................................4

General Information........................................................................................................5

Application Narrative....................................................................................................15

Appendix A - Definitions...............................................................................................19

Appendix B – Application Cover Page..............................................................................21

Appendix C - List of Project Partners...............................................................................23

Appendix E – Activities and Timeline...............................................................................27

Appendix F – Math in Real Life Network Structure...........................................................28

Appendix G – Scoring Guide...........................................................................................29

Oregon Department of Education

STEM Innovation Grant: Math in Real Life

Background and Legislative Intent

In 2011, the Oregon Department of Education disseminated the Oregon STEM Education Initiative to catalyze the formation of regional STEM Education Partnerships by defining STEM education and goals related to preparation for college, careers, and citizenship needed for improvement in STEM education.

In 2013, the Oregon Education Investment Board proposed strategic investments to support Oregon’s attainment of the 40/40/20 goal. The Oregon STEM Investment Council and the Oregon Education Investment Board recommended expanding activities related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Supported activities would lead to increased student interest, preparation, and attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for success in related degrees and careers.

In 2015, HB 3072 directed the Department of Education to distribute monies that expand and sustain regional networks that support STEM education. Specifically, four STEM innovation grants were identified to expand the implementation of effective programs related to STEM and propose innovative approaches or programs that provide professional development to transform instruction within the STEM disciplines.

The four STEM innovation grant programs focus on:

1. Providing regional teacher professional development in applied mathematics in grades 7 through 10.

2. Identifying and piloting computer based adaptive learning environments for students in kindergarten through 8th grade.

3. Providing professional development to promote digital literacy grades 7 to 12.


“STEM Education is an approach to teaching and lifelong learning that emphasizes the natural interconnectedness of the four separate STEM disciplines. These connections are made explicit through collaboration between educators resulting in real and appropriate context built into instruction, curriculum, and assessment. The common element of problem solving is emphasized across all STEM disciplines allowing students to discover, explore, and apply critical thinking skills as they learn. “

Oregon Department of Education, 2011

http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/stem/stemframeworksummary-dec2013.doc

http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/stem/stemframeworksummary-dec2013.doc

4. Partnering with existing out-of-school time STEM programs to expand student opportunities grades 4 to 8.

In order to transform STEM education in Oregon, there will need to be a change in the complexity of the STEM content as well as in the knowledge and skill teachers bring to instructional practice and the ways in which students are engaged in the instruction. All STEM Innovation grants are designed to address the definition, outcomes and complexity of the STEM Education Initiative.

Equity Lens

All STEM Innovation Grant recipients will be expected to incorporate and adopt the principles of the Oregon Equity Lens, the perspective through which the Oregon Department of Education considers the creation of strategic opportunities for students of color. The Equity Lens provides twelve core beliefs that fuel opportunities to bolster success for diverse student populations across the state. The beliefs most pertinent to the work of this set of grants are highlighted below:

We believe that everyone has the ability to learn and that we have an ethical responsibility and a moral responsibility to ensure an education system that provides optimal learning environments that lead students to be prepared for their individual futures.

We believe that the students who have previously been described as “at risk,” “underperforming,” “under-represented,” or minority actually represent Oregon’s best opportunity to improve overall educational outcomes. We have many counties in rural and urban communities that already have populations of color that make up the majority. Our ability to meet the needs of this increasingly diverse population is a critical strategy for us to successfully reach our 40/40/20 goals.

We believe that resource allocation demonstrates our priorities and our values and that we demonstrate our priorities and our commitment to rural communities, communities of color, English language learners, and out of school youth in the ways we allocate resources and make educational investments.

We believe that communities, parents, teachers, and community-based organizations have unique and important solutions to improving outcomes for our students and educational systems. Our work will only be successful if we are able to truly partner with the community, engage with respect, authentically listen -- and have the courage to share decision making, control, and resources.


http://www.ode.state.or.us/superintendent/priorities/final-equity-lens-draft-adopted.pdf

And, we believe in the importance of supporting great teaching. Research is clear that

teachers are among the most powerful influences in (student) learning. An equitable

education system requires providing teachers with the tools and support to meet the needs of each student.

General Information

A. Purpose of the Math in Real Life project

The Math in Real Life project will support the expansion of regional networks to create an environment of innovation in math teaching and learning. The focus on applied mathematics supports the natural interconnectedness of math to other disciplines while infusing relevance for students. During 2015 to 2017, the project will support a limited number of networked math learning communities that will focus on developing and testing applied problems in mathematics. The networks will help math teachers refine innovative teaching strategies with the guidance of regional partners and the Oregon Department of Education.

There are four categories of outcomes related to this project.

Student mathematics content knowledge:o Increase student mathematics achievement aligned to Oregon standards

through implementation of applied mathematics problems.o Decrease the mathematics achievement gap between historically

underserved students and their peers through implementation of applied mathematics problems.

Student attitudes and beliefs that are correlated to higher achievement:o Increase student interest and enthusiasm in math by providing more

opportunities to engage in interactive, student-centered problems that are based in applied mathematics.

Teacher instructional practices: o Increase pedagogical preparedness of teachers to successfully implement

inquiry-based practices within applied mathematics instruction.o Increase teacher knowledge of the application of mathematics.

Teacher attitudes and beliefs about themselves and students:o Increase teacher enthusiasm and self-efficacy for mathematics to stimulate

inclusion of more challenging open-ended applied mathematics activities within instruction.

o Increase teacher beliefs that all their students are capable of doing mathematics.


B. Type of Grant

This grant begins March 1, 2016 and ends on June 30, 2017. Under certain circumstances and with prior notification, ODE may approve use of grant funds between June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017.

The maximum funding for any single proposal serving a single regional project is $250,000. There is no minimum amount for a proposal. ODE anticipates funding 5 to 10 projects for a total of $1.25 million. The STEM Investment Council may advise ODE to negotiate a lower award in order to fund additional proposals to meet other desired criteria such as geographic distribution. Based on the availability of state resources, this grant begins March 1, 2016 and ends on June 30, 2017.

C. Eligibility

Eligible applicants include Oregon public school districts, Education Service Districts (ESD), public charter schools, community colleges, universities, or combination of such entities. Other Oregon entities may partner with an eligible entity for the proposed project; however, the eligible entity must retain accountability and fiscal responsibility for the implementation of the proposed activities.

D. Grant Requirements

This grant supports regional networks of math teachers in grades 7 to 10. The network is coordinated through a Regional Partnership Team that works closely with the Oregon Department of Education to support teachers as they develop and implement applied mathematics problems. A diagram of the structure can be found in Appendix F.

In order to accomplish the purpose of this project, grantees will:

Develop a Regional Partnership Team: Each successful applicant will have a regional partnership team committed to implementing quality applied mathematics tasks in grades 7-10. Each partnership team will be required to have at least five representatives attend statewide meetings three times during the project.

o The partnership team must include: post-secondary education (university, community college, and/or

apprenticeship program). school district(s) with higher than state averages of historically

underserved students (students in poverty, students of color, English language learners, or students with disabilities).


contextual partner(s) that, at a minimum, provide support in identifying and reviewing high quality applied mathematics problems. Contextual partners may be drawn from communities, schools, workforce, trades, or others.

regional connector(s) that have as part of their mission to improve educational opportunities for students in their region. These may be Education Service Districts, STEM Hubs, or Regional Achievement Collaboratives.

o The partnership team may include: an organization other than a school that provides services for

historically underserved students as part of their mission. school districts with lower than state averages of historically

underserved students (students in poverty, students of color, English language learners, or students with disabilities).

Provide Coordination: Each partnership team will coordinate communication, professional development, and technical assistance among teacher learning communities over the course of project. This coordination includes:

o assuring teacher teams receive appropriate professional development and technical assistance to collaboratively develop, implement, and revise six to eight applied math lessons between March 2016 and June 2017.

o coordinating collection of evaluation data and final lessons.o participating in face-to-face meetings and virtual conferences with staff at

the Oregon Department of Education. o evidence of commitment and/or past experience in carrying out quality

professional development in mathematics, including (1) building teachers’ content knowledge of applied mathematics and capacity to put in practice, (2) building teachers’ capacity to notice, analyze, and respond to students’ thinking, (3) building teachers’ productive habits of mind, and (4) building strong collegial relationships and structures that support continued learning.

Develop Networked Teacher Learning Communities: The primary work of this project occurs in teams of four or more teachers who will collaborate to develop applied math lessons and implement those lessons in their classrooms. Teams may be organized around grade levels or math context and may cross school boundaries if it does not impede collaboration. The work of the teams is coordinated by the Regional Partnership Team. These teacher teams must be committed to:

o implementing the general framework of a lesson study structured process which includes opportunities for small groups of teachers to (1) plan; (2) carry out and/or observe; and (3) refine and reflect on applied mathematics lessons in their math classroom.


https://www.collaborativeclassroom.org/sites/default/files/media/pdfs/lessonstudy/learning_forward.pdf

http://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Research_and_Advocacy/research_brief_and_clips/Research_brief_15-Goldsmith(1).pdf

http://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Research_and_Advocacy/research_brief_and_clips/Research_brief_15-Goldsmith(1).pdf

o creating six to eight applied math lessons that will be implemented in math classes.

o collecting samples of student work to help evaluate the effectiveness of the grant project.

Focus on Real Life Mathematics: This project focuses on building capacity to implement applied mathematics problems in grades 7 to 10. This will be accomplished by providing math teachers in the networked learning community with access to context expertise as well as practices for developing and teaching applied math lessons. The Regional Partnership Team is responsible for coordinating this work. In order to meet this focus the project will:

o provide teachers with opportunities to learn how math can be applied in a meaningful context. The context may be derived from school or community and should have relevance to student interest.

o address relevant grade–level concepts and practices.o demonstrate the potential integration of separate mathematical concepts in

one applied math task or lesson, as well as the integration of other core academic content and community resources.

o provide students with experiential learning opportunities in mathematics. o potentially support:

career pathways for students that lead to high wage and high demand occupations.

Essential Skills graduation requirement of applying mathematics in a variety of settings.

Apply Principles of Equity: Differences in student achievement often reflect a gap in opportunities to learn in ways that address individual needs. This project uses applied mathematics to transform math teaching. All students are provided with additional opportunities to excel. In order to provide equitable access to instruction supported in this grant, projects will:

o address students’ backgrounds, experiences and knowledge when designing, implementing and assessing the effectiveness of the regional professional learning community.

o create and implement an action plan to address the needs of historically underserved students.


E. Use of Funds

Grantees must be able to spend funds according to acceptable accounting procedures and be able to provide evidence of such procedures. Costs must be necessary and reasonable to complete the project and be authorized and not prohibited under State or local laws.

Reasonable costs will not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person, are ordinary and necessary for the operation of the program, and represent sound business practices. Lack of documentation is a primary reason for audit findings. Documentation must be available to support each expenditure and may be requested by the Oregon Department of Education at any time.

Projects will be funded for eligible expenses incurred through June 30, 2017. Under specific ODE guidelines, awardees may also receive advanced payment for summer activities occurring between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2017. Awardees will be required to submit an updated proposal to ODE that outlines anticipated summer expenditures no later than April 1, 2017. The proposal should be based on activities already identified and budgeted for in this RFA and may only use remaining grant funds. No additional funds will be awarded for summer activities.

Use of funds may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• stipend and travel reimbursements for individuals attending meetings, conferences, or other professional development activities required by this project,

• release time for educators during the school year for activities related to the project,• materials for classroom implementation related to the content of project activities,• direct staff expenses related to program, activities, coordination and evaluation to

project activities, • consultation services with a direct alignment to the project outcomes and activities,• support of professional development programs aligned to the project outcomes and

activities,• reasonable expenditures for food at professional development sessions, and• administrative costs not to exceed 5% of the total proposed budget.

Funds may not be used for:

• costs associated with writing the proposal,• contractual obligations that began prior to the award date,• purchase of material that becomes the property of any individual or organization

other than eligible project partners or recipients,• purchase of services for personal benefit beyond the project outcomes and

activities,• purchase of office equipment unless directly linked to the program outcomes,


• purchase of real property (fixed property such as land or buildings), and• purchase of computer hardware.

F. Reporting and Assurances

Successful applicants will be expected to participate in the evaluation related to the stated outcomes. Data from the evaluation will be included in reports to the Oregon STEM Councils and the Oregon Legislature. Any submission of evaluation materials that include images of minors must be accompanied by a signed release form by a parent or guardian.

Evaluation data of this project may include but is not limited to the following:

• quarterly online progress reports,• regular posting of teacher-developed tasks to a site identified by the Oregon

Department of Education,• limited set of student work related to tasks developed by teachers,• interviews and/or surveys conducted by ODE staff or evaluators, and• one interim report on student participation.

By signing the assurances included in this application, the grant recipient agrees to cooperate with ODE and the Office of the Chief Education Officer to collect and report such data to the extent that it is possible.

G. Scoring and Appeals Process

A review committee will score all complete grant applications that are electronically submitted to the Oregon Department of Education using the process described in this grant by 5:00 pm (PDT) on January 22, 2016. All applications will be scored using the scoring criteria provided in this document. Each application will have at least three reviewers.

The Oregon STEM Council will make final recommendations based on the score and other criteria identified in this Request for Application. The Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction will make the final award decision.

The Oregon Department of Education will notify all successful and unsuccessful applicants and will provide a summary of comments and suggestions related to their applications. Applicants will have one week from the date of the notification letter to contest the process used in making the funding decision through the method identified in the notification. Once appeals have been considered, the award decisions made by the Deputy Superintendent are final.


H. Contact Information

For assistance related to the STEM Innovation Grant: Applied Math Regional PLCs Grant application, please contact:

Mark [email protected]

Tom [email protected]

Donna [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]



I. Timeline and Important Dates

Completion Dates Activities

December 4, 2015 Request for Application (RFA) available online.

December 7, 2015 Technical Assistance Webinar – Understanding the RFAhttps://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1313518742775623170

January 5, 2016 Technical Assistance Webinar – Grant Submissionhttps://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1912286386983627521

January 22, 2016 Applications due to ODE by 5:00 PM PDT

February 5, 2016 Applicants expected to be notified of preliminary award

February 19, 2016 Deadline for appeal submission

February 26, 2016 Applicants expected to be notified of final award

April 17, 2016 State wide Partner Team Meeting 1

May 15, 2016 Progress Report 1 due to ODE by 5:00 PM

August 31, 2016 Submission of first completed lessons

October 21, 2016 State wide Partner Team Meeting 2

November 18, 2016 Progress Report 2 due to ODE by 5:00 PM

December 1, 2016 Upload of at least 4 lessons

March 17, 2017 State wide Partner Team Meeting 3

April 28, 2017 Progress Report 3 due to ODE by 5:00PM

May 26, 2017 All developed lessons complete and uploaded. Student work samples completed.

June 30, 2017 Final activity report due to ODE by 5:00 PM


https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1912286386983627521

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1313518742775623170

J. Required Application Section

Only complete applications meeting the specifications listed below will be scored. Each of these sections are described more fully in the following pages.

Please submit the application documentation with the file types listed below.

1. Cover Page (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – Identify each school district that will participate in the grant activities. The cover page is available in Appendix B.

2. Application Narrative - Sections A through E (doc, or docx) – REQUIRED – This section may not exceed 10 pages. All required tables may be included as appendices and are not included in the total page count.

3. Activities and Timeline – Section F (doc, or docx) – REQUIRED – This section should consist of the table in appendix E. There is no page limit.

4. Budget – Section G (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – This section should include a narrative and budget worksheet from appendix D. There is no page limit.

5. Statement of Assurances (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – One assurance statement signed by a project director who is authorized by the fiscal agent.

6. Partner Commitment Letters (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – These letters should identify the specific commitment made by each participant in the project. Commitment letters should be included for all members of the partnership team and each participating district.

7. Appendix (doc, docx, or pdf) – OPTIONAL– Any supporting charts, graphs, tables and other materials may be placed in an Appendix and referenced in the proposal.

K. Format and Application Instructions for Submission

ODE is not responsible for incomplete submissions. Applicants will not be notified if an application appears to be incomplete. Please check all files before submission. All applications must meet the following criteria:

• 12-point font, • double-spaced,• 1-inch margins on the sides, top, and bottom of 8½” by 11” paper,• maximum 10 page narrative as described in the Required Application Section, and• numbered pages.


An electronic version of the completed application including a scanned copy of the signed Statement of Assurances and Statement of Commitment, in Word (.doc or .docx), or pdf format must be received by ODE via Secure File Transfer by 5:00 PM on January 22, 2016.

Secure File Transfer Process – An electronic version of the complete application must be submitted to Mark Freed ([email protected]) using the Secure File Transfer system available on the ODE district website: https://district.ode.state.or.us/apps/xfers/. Follow the instructions provided on the secure file transfer website. Multiple files must be compressed (zipped) into a single folder for submission. Please name the files as follows: the agency it is being submitted from, underscore, and Grant Name (i.e. OregonESD_Math in Real Life). Only complete applications submitted by the due date will be scored. Contact the ODE helpdesk at 503-947-5715 if you need assistance with the Secure File Transfer

Process.


An electronic version of the Grant Application

must be submitted to [email protected]

via Secure File Transfer by

5:00 PM on January 22, 2016

https://district.ode.state.or.us/apps/xfers/


Application Narrative

The overall project requirements for the Math in Real Life Grant are described earlier in this RFA. The application narrative is focused on determining the readiness of the applicant to implement those requirements with the guidance of the Oregon Department of Education.

A. Partnerships (20 points)

Math in Real Life Grant supports a vision of implementing applied mathematics through a network of math teachers supported by a regional partnership team. The partnership team not only coordinates the efforts of the project, it also builds regional capacity to continue work beyond the life of the grant. The specific role of the partnership team is described in the Grant Requirements section of this RFA.

How well is this project prepared to implement a partnership team?

Include the following in your response:

• a list of participants in the partnership team (see appendix C), • a description of the previous experience of team members running successful projects

that involve partnerships, and• a description of any professional development work by partners involving applied

mathematics or other innovative math practices.

B. Coordination (20 points)

The Math in Real Life Grant supports a vision of coordinating multiple collaborative teacher teams to develop, implement, and revise applied mathematics tasks. The coordination of such a project includes collection of data related to evaluation of the project.

How will your partnership team address the coordination of the grant work to ensure meeting identified goals and outcomes?


• a description of experience related to coordinating projects that cross school or district boundaries,

• a strategy for monitoring the network and continually adjusting project activities to better meet the goals of the grant,

• a strategy for assuring that all math teachers involved in the project will be able to participate in collaborative professional development for no less than 60 hours during the life of the project, and


• a strategy for monitoring the generation and collection of required data for project evaluation.

C. Learning Communities (20 points)

The Math in Real Life Grant supports a vision of implementing applied mathematics using learning communities of math teachers.

How does this project address the development of learning communities that involve math teachers?


• evidence that recommended school staff have previous professional development experience deepening their content knowledge in mathematics in connection with one or more STEM disciplines,

• description of how additional teachers, administrators, post-secondary, and community partners will be selected for this project who are ready to focus on applied STEM teaching and learning,

• description of how the grant will implement the general framework of a lesson study structured process, and

• implementation of quality professional development in mathematics.

D. Real Life Mathematics (20 points)

The Math in Real Life Grant supports a vision of implementing applied mathematics using exemplar lesson(s) that demonstrate the potential integration of the separate elements of mathematics, including the integration of other core academic content and community resources.

How does this project address applied mathematics?


• partners' experience providing students with experiential learning opportunities in mathematics,

• identification of sources for context that can be supported by school and community resources and have potential for demonstrating application of appropriate grade-level mathematics,

• description of how the work could potentially support career pathways for students that lead to high wage and high demand occupations, and

• description of how the work would potentially support the Essential Skills graduation requirement of applying mathematics in a variety of settings.


E. Equity (20 Points)

Quality teaching and learning provides a pathway to economic prosperity. A well designed regional mathematics learning community aligns with the Equity Lens by encouraging all students to succeed academically and technically in preparation for future careers.

In Oregon, historically underserved students include students experiencing poverty, students with disabilities, students of color, and English language learners. For this purpose, "historically underserved" also includes students who pursue careers that are historically non-traditional for their gender.

How will this project increase participation, support, and retention of historically underserved students?


• identify the specific activities within this project that are intended to recruit historically underserved students,

• identify specific activities within this project that are intended to provide support for historically underserved students, and

• identify specific activities within this project that are intended to help retain historically underserved students.

F. Activities and Timeline

Use the table in Appendix E to identify the specific activities associated with implementation of the project. Include a timeline for each activity that will lead to completion of the project. Grant funded activities may begin March 1, 2016. Most activities should be completed by June 30, 2017. Under certain circumstances and with prior notification, ODE may approve use of grant funds between June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017. Examples of summer activities include teacher professional development and curriculum development.

G. Budget

The budget section is required but will not be scored separately. Information provided in the budget and budget narrative may be used by reviewers to support their evaluation of the grant activities and sustainability.

(1) Budget Worksheet

Complete a budget worksheet for the project. Any proposed funding for activities between June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017 should be described in the budget narrative.


(2) Budget Narrative

Describe how the amount in each line item of the budget was determined. Relate this description to the proposed activities and outcomes.

• Identify roles and responsibilities for each individual with a salary funded partially or entirely through this grant.

• Identify the nature of the contracted services included in the professional and technical services.

• Identify specific events and venues if travel includes conferences and meetings in other states.

• List representative examples of supplies and materials.

(3) Required Meetings

There will be three required meeting for at least five leaders from each project. The one-day meetings will take place in Salem and will focus on topics critical to the success of the project such as:

• developing contextual lessons,• management of a learning community, and• evaluating student work.

Include funds for transportation, food, lodging, and substitute costs (calculated at district or state rates) for these meetings in your proposed budget.


Appendix A - Definitions

(1) “Achievement Gap” means the gap in achievement (state test scores in science and mathematics as well as postsecondary degree attainment in STEM) that often exists between students who are economically disadvantaged, students learning English as a second language, African American, Hispanic or Native American compared to their peers.

(2) “Applied mathematics” engages students in meaningful learning through individual and collaborative experiences that promote their ability to make sense of mathematical ideas and reason mathematically while solving open-ended problems based in real-world situations. Selected applications should leverage natural connections with other disciplines that inspire interesting and useful extensions of mathematics in a variety of settings.

(3) “Authentic” means using real world questions, problems, and tasks—often drawn from local community issues and industries—as the focus to drive the learning experiences, deepen understanding, and developing rich contextual connections across a variety of STEM and non-STEM disciplines.

(4) “Career and Technical Education (CTE)” is a comprehensive educational program for students based on industry needs. CTE includes coursework in areas such as health care, engineering, and computer science.

(5)“Career Pathways” are collaborations between education and training partners from secondary schools, community colleges, universities, private career schools, apprenticeships, and/or industry trainers, to provide standards-based curriculum and give direction to the school-based experiences of a student. These career pathways are complete, non-duplicated sequences of learning experiences aimed at preparing students for occupations in specific career areas.

(6) “Core Academic Content” means content that is defined by standards adopted by the State Board of Education. STEM core academic content includes science and math.

(7) “Equity Lens” refers to the commitment and principles adopted by the Oregon Department of Education to address inequities of access, opportunity, interest, and attainment for underserved and underrepresented populations in all current and future strategic investments.

(8) “High Need School District” is a district with higher than state averages of historically underserved students (students in poverty, students of color, English language learners, or students with disabilities)

(9) “Postsecondary Institution” means any public or private educational institution that serves students beyond grade 12.

(10) “Regional STEM Hub” means a commitment of a group of key stakeholders from different sectors such as, but not limited to school districts, informal education providers, postsecondary institutions, business & industry, student-focused nonprofits, students, families, community members and policy makers to advance state and local educational goals related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics and career & technical education (CTE).


(11) “STEM Education” means an approach to teaching and lifelong learning that emphasizes the natural interconnectedness of the four separate STEM disciplines, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Developing and deepening content knowledge and skills in science and mathematics is the foundation of STEM teaching and learning. The natural connections among science, mathematics and STEM are made explicit through collaboration between educators resulting in authentic and appropriate context built into instruction, curriculum, and assessment. The common element of problem solving is emphasized across all STEM disciplines allowing students to discover, explore, and apply critical thinking skills as they learn.

(13) “Historically Underserved Students” are students whom systems have placed at-risk because of their race, ethnicity, English language proficiency, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, differently abled, or geographic location.


Appendix B – Application Cover Page

Adjust for your needs(Please print or type – all fields must be completed.)

Project Name:

Amount Requested:

Project Director:

Organization:

Address:

City: State: Zip:

Phone: Email:

Grant Fiscal Agent Contact:

Organization (must be an eligible fiscal agent):

Address:

City: State: Zip:

Phone: Email:

TOTAL # OF STUDENTS THAT WILL BE SERVED:

TOTAL # OF EDUCATORS THAT WILL BE SERVED:

Name of School District(s) (Add additional rows if needed)


Math in Real Life2015-2017 Statement of Assurances

• The fiscal agent assures and certifies compliance with the regulations, policies, and requirements as they relate to the acceptance and use of state funds for programs included in this application.

• The recipient agrees to carry out the project as proposed in the application. • The recipient will submit all required reports and data to the Oregon Department of

Education as outlined in the application. • The recipient agrees to participate in all mandatory meetings identified in this application. • Violations of the rules or laws may result in sanctions, which may include but are not limited

to reduction, revocation, and/or repayment of the grant award.• The applicant certifies that to the best of their knowledge the information in this application

is correct; that the filing of this application is duly authorized by the governing body of this organization, or institution, and that the applicant will comply with the general statement of assurances.

Printed Name of Project Director Signature of Project Director Date


Appendix C - List of Project Partners

The following individuals and/or organizations have reviewed, discussed, and agreed to their part in implementing the project proposed in this grant application:

Section 1: Post-Secondary Partners

Name Title Organization

Lead Contact

Additional Contact(s) (optional)

Section 2: School District Partners

Name Title Organization High Need District? (Y or N)

Lead Contact


Section 3: Contextual Partners



Lead Contact


Section 4: Regional Connectors


Lead Contact



Section 5: Additional Partners



Section 6: Commitment Letters

A letter of commitment must be included for each partner listed above and each school district identified on the cover page. A commitment letter specifically addresses what the participant will contribute to the project. The letter also addresses the commitment of the partner beyond the life of the grant. Commitment letters demonstrate a greater involvement in a project than letters of support.


Appendix D – Budget Worksheet

Project Name: _______________________________________________________________

Fiscal Agent: ________________________________________________________________

Object

InstructionRegular1XXX(Expenditures NOT related to Staff Development)

InstructionalStaff Develop2240(Instructional Staff Development)

Total by Object

Anticipated Matching

Funds

1XX Salaries

2XX Benefits

31X

Instructional, Professional & Technical Services

34X Travel

390

Other general Professional & Technical Services

4XX Supplies & Materials

460Non-Consumable Items

470 Computer Software

690Administrative Costs @ 5 %

Total by Function


Appendix E – Activities and Timeline

Describe the specific activities associated with the attainment of each of the project outcomes in the table in Appendix D.

Activity – Activities may include planning and implementation. The project should have significant implementation activities by Fall 2016.Timeline – Indicate the beginning and ending month and year for each activity.Person(s) responsible – Indicate the names, positions, or groups that will be responsible for making sure the activity will be accomplished within the proposed timeline.

Activity Timeline Person(s) responsible


Appendix F – Math in Real Life Network Structure

Appendix G – Scoring Guide


Sections/Guiding Question High Scoring Response Middle Scoring Response Low Scoring Response

Application Narrative

A. PartnershipsHow does this proposal demonstrate that the applicant is prepared to implement a partnership team?

The partnership includes additional partners that will enhance the project.

Partnership has multiple members that have worked together in the past on education-related projects.

Partnership has significant experience with professional development related to applied mathematics.

All required partners are identified.

New partnership with some relevant experience running projects involving multiple partners.

Partnership has some experience working with professional development in innovative mathematics practices that may not include applied mathematics.

Not all required partners are identified.

New partnership with little experience running projects involving multiple partners.

Partnership has very little experience working with professional development in mathematics.



B. CoordinationHow will your partnership team address the coordination of the grant work to ensure meeting identified goals and outcomes?

The partnership team has past experience coordinating professional development projects across multiple schools and/or districts that would help enhance the effectiveness of this project.

The partnership has identified specific times and processes to help the team improve project goals and outcomes and has identified how that information will be used to improve implementation.

The proposal indicates a strong commitment to providing the amount of professional development required and identifies specific strategies that will be used to meet that requirement.

Specific processes for collecting project data described.

The partnership team has past experience coordinating professional development projects that cross school and/or district boundaries.

The partnership has identified specific times and processes to help the team improve project goals and outcomes.

The proposal indicates a strong commitment to providing the amount of professional development required but actions to assure that is met are not well described.

General processes for collecting project data described.

The partnership team has past experience with professional development projects that did not involve multiple schools or districts.

The partnership has a general plan for tracking progress and adjusting project activities.

The proposal provides little evidence that the project is committed to providing the required hours of professional development.

No processes identified to collect project data.



C. Learning CommunitiesHow does this project address the development of learning communities that involve math teachers?

Majority of teachers involved in the project have prior experience with improving math practice through math-related professional development.

Specific selection process for identifying project participants that will lead to strong commitment and participation in the project.

Proposal describes a professional development framework consistent with a lesson study model implemented with fidelity.

Proposal describes strategies that will help teachers improve practice and develop networking opportunities that are likely to continue beyond the life of the grant.

Majority of teachers involved in the project have prior experience with math-related professional development.

General selection process identified for participants in the project.

Proposal describes a professional development framework consistent with a lesson study model

Proposal describes strategies that will help teachers improve practice and develop networking opportunities.

Few teachers involved in the project have prior experience with math-related professional development.

No selection process identified for participants in the project.

Proposal describes a professional development framework inconsistent with a lesson study model

Proposal presents general ideas about how to improve help teachers improve practice and develop networking opportunities.



D. Real Life MathematicsHow does this project address applied mathematics?

Proposal describes examples of experiential learning opportunities that would help students understand mathematics in context relevant to the students and community.

Proposal describes examples of experiential learning opportunities that would help students understand mathematics in context.

Proposal provides little description of experiential learning opportunities that would help students understand mathematics in context.

E. EquityHow will this project increase participation, support, and retention of historically underserved students?

The proposal clearly describes the historically underserved student populations served within the scope of the project.

The proposal identifies specific evidence-based activities that will increase the participation of historically underserved students in this project.

The proposal identifies specific evidence-based activities that will ensure the success and continued participation in this project by historically underserved students.

The proposal acknowledges the historically underserved student populations within the scope of the project.

The proposal identifies activities to increase participation of historically underserved students in this project.

The proposal identified some activities to support the success and continued participation of historically underserved students.

The proposal generally acknowledges there are historically underserved students in participating institutions.

The proposal does not identify activities related to participation of historically underserved students.

The proposal does not identify activities related to success and continued participation of historically underserved students.


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