Student Support Services (SSS) FY 2020 CompetitionPeer Reviewer Training

January 29, 2020

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Welcome!

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Peer Reviewer Training Presenters:

Mrs. Lavelle Wright

Dr. Tanisha Hamblin-Johnson

Resource Documents:

SSS Application Instructions

FY 2020 SSS Reviewer Resource Guide

FY 2020 SSS Sample Technical Review Form (TRF)

Purpose of the Peer Reviewer Training

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Overview of the SSS Program

Reviewer’s Role and Responsibilities

ED staff’s Role and Responsibilities

Field Reading

Selection Criteria and Competitive Preference Priorities Review

Q & A

Overview of the SSS Program

• One of Seven Distinct Outreach Support Programs Under the TRIO Umbrella

• Currently 1066 projects at IHEs Nationwide

• Approximately 202,255 Postsecondary Students Served

• Projected for FY 2020

• $1.6 Billion Allotment across all TRIO programs (Est.)

• $24.1 Million – SSS continuation awards

• $313.8 million – Student Support Services new awards

• 1066 Grants (Est.)

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Role and Responsibilities

of the Peer Reviewer

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Available for Paneling Sessions

Provide Knowledge and Experience

Ensure Confidentiality

Notify ED Staff of Conflicts of Interest

Participate Actively in Panel Discussions

Ensure Comments are Entered into the G5 System in a Timely Manner

Role and Responsibilities

of ED Staff

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Provide Panel LogisticsProvide

Monitor the Progress of Individual ReviewsMonitor

Foster Panel DiscussionsFoster

Review Structure

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Field Reading Sessions

• Dates: February 10-21, 2020• All-Electronic Review Session

• Dates: March 2-13; March 23-April 3; and April 13-April 24, 2020• Hybrid Review Sessions – Week 1: Remote

Week 2: Onsite in DC

Complete reading, entering comments into the G5 system, panel sessions (calls and in-person), editing, and finalizing reviews.

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Field Reading Process• Access to applications no later than the Thursday

preceding the start of the session.

• Panel Monitor Contact• Verify log into G5 and access their applications• Ensure the process is understood• Explain expectations

You should have AT LEAST 2 applications read and comments entered in G5 by 8:30am Tuesday morning on Week 1.

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Field Reading Process (con’t)

• Paneling All schedule times are Eastern Standard Time.

• WORD is your friend!Technology can be unreliable at times.

NOTE: ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE CLEARED BY THE END OF DAY ON THE LAST FRIDAY OF THE SESSION!

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Understanding the Technical Review Forms (TRF’s)

Your evaluation is critical!

• Provide an assessment; in your own words. An assessment should be provided in the first sentence (use adjectives/qualifiers).

• Include data or examples from the application. • Comments should be at least 4 sentences long.

Provide a comment for each sub-criterion

Things to Avoid• One sentence comments• Use of First Person• Abbreviations• Referencing Page or chart/table number• Names of persons• Copy/Paste material straight from the application.

Please note that the Department reserves the right to replace reviewers who are perpetually disregarding the aforementioned instructions.11

Understanding Technical Review Forms (TRFs) con’t

These are examples on how strengths and weaknesses should be formatted.• Formatting Example:

STRENGTHS1) or i) “The applicant’s plan is comprehensive….”2) or ii)“The proposal clearly demonstrates…”3) or iii) No strengths noted.

• WEAKNESSES1) or i) No weaknesses noted.2) or ii)The applicant failed to provide…”(2 points

not awarded)12

Scoring and Tips for Comment Writing

• A numerical score and comment is provided on the strengths and weaknesses for each criterion. Scores must be given in whole numbers, not fractions or decimals.

• Comments are commensurate with the scores assigned. For example, if a low score is assigned to a response, it is the reviewer’s responsibility to justify that score with appropriate weaknesses.

• Sentences are to be complete and grammatically correct. One-sentence comments are not acceptable.

• Comments are to be constructive, free of personal biases, and understandable.

• Questions should not be used in comments, as there is no ability for the applicant to respond.

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Scoring and Tips for Comment Writing (cont’d)

• There are no explicit statements in comments that recommend proposal for funding.

• The use of first-person singular is not allowable. (Example: “I thought”, “I wanted to see”)

• If zero is entered because there are no strengths, the reviewer must write “none” or “no strengths noted” in the space for comments. All reviewers must be in agreement that criterion/criteria was/were not addressed in order to not award any points.

• Panels must discuss variances of eleven (11) points or more in reviewers’ scores. If after thorough consideration, a panel cannot resolve the disparity in scores, the panel must fill out a record of discussion form.

• Page numbers should not be cited within comments.

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SSS SELECTION CRITERIA

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SSS Selection Criteria Point Assessments

• A. Need (24 points)

• B. Objectives ( 8 points)

• C. Plan of Operation (30 points)

• D. Institutional Commitment (16 points)

• E. Quality of Personnel ( 9 points)

• F. Budget ( 5 points)

• G. Evaluation Plan ( 8 points)

• H. Quality of Project Design ( 5 points)

Total Maximum Score for Selection Criteria =

105 points16

Need1. Data about students enrolled or accepted for enrollment at the applicant institution who meet the eligibility requirements of §646.3 .

Provide data relating to:

demographics of the students currently enrolled as they relate to their families’ income and first-generation status based on their parents, and

percentage of families with median household incomes at the applicant’s institution.

Use of data more than 3 years old.

2. Information about academic and other problems that eligible students encounter at the applicant institution .

Provide data relating to:

services that are and are not available to the eligible population and explain why more or different activities or services are needed

3. Information regarding the differences between eligible Student Support Services students compared to an appropriate group.

(i)Retention and graduation rates.

(ii) Grade point averages.

(iii)Graduate and professional school enrollment rates (four-year institutions only).

(iv) Transfer rates from two-year to four-year institutions (two-year institutions only).17

Objectives• Objectives may not be rewritten, restated or reworded.

• All points will be awarded based on whether the objectives are ambitious and attainable based on the need and the resources indicated.

• Applicants must provide comparative data to show why the percentage that is proposed for each standardized objective is ambitious and attainable.

• Program Profile Form

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Plan of OperationThis criterion contains five sub-criteria, and applicants should have addressed all five sub-criteria for a total of 30 points. The application should provide information on who, what, when and how the project will provide services to meet its goals and objectives. The plan of operation is the work plan for the application.

• The plan to inform the institutional community .

• The plan to identify, select, and retain project participants with academic need.

• The plan for assessing each participant's need for specific services and monitoring his or her academic progress at the institution to ensure satisfactory academic progress.

• The plan to provide services that address the goals and objectives of the project.

• The applicant's plan to ensure proper and efficient administration of the project; and, where appropriate, its plan for coordination with other programs for disadvantaged students.

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Institutional Commitment

This criterion contains four sub-criteria, and applicants should have addressed all five sub-criteria for a total of 16 points.

In this section the applicant should demonstrate:

• committed facilities, equipment, supplies, personnel, and other resources to supplement the grant and enhance project services;

• that there are established administrative and academic policies that enhance participants' retention at the institution and improve their chances of graduating from the institution;

• a commitment to minimize the dependence on student loans in developing financial aid packages for project participants by committing institutional resources to the extent possible; and

• an assurance of the full cooperation and support of the Admissions, Student Aid, Registrar and data collection and analysis components of the institution.

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Quality of Personnel

This criterion contains three sub-criteria, and applicants should have addressed all three for a total of 9 points.

In this section the applicant should describe:

• qualifications of the Project Director position.

• qualifications of the other Key Personnel positions.

• the plan to employ personnel that have overcome barriers similar to the project participants.

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BudgetThis section is worth 5 points. In this section the applicant should demonstrate that the project budget is:

• reasonable,

• cost-effective, And

• Adequate

• Modified Total Direct Cost22

Evaluation

In this section, worth 8 points, the applicant should have demonstrated that the applicant's methods for evaluation—1. Are appropriate to the project andexamined, in specific ways, using appropriate baseline data, the success of the project in improving the objectives of the project for participants; and2. The applicant’s intent to use the results of an evaluation to make programmatic changes. 23

Quality of Project Design

In responding to this criterion applicants should have addressed how the design of the project:

• demonstrates a rationale utilizing a logic model to demonstrate theoretical and operational relationships among the key project components and desired outcomes, and

• how they will achieve their intended goals and the ongoing efforts to examine the effects of the project components.

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COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITIES

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Competitive Preference Priorities

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1. Fostering Flexible and Affordable Paths to Obtaining Knowledge and Skills (3 points).

2. Fostering Knowledge and Promoting the Development of Skills That Prepare Students To Be Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens (2 points)

SSS TotalPoint Assessments

• A. Need (24 points)

• B. Objectives ( 8 points)

• C. Plan of Operation (30 points)

• D. Institutional Commitment (16 points)

• E. Quality of Personnel ( 9 points)

• F. Budget ( 5 points)

• G. Evaluation Plan ( 8 points)

• H. Quality of Project Design ( 5 points)

•CPP 1 ( 3 points)

•CPP 2 ( 2 points)

Total Maximum Score for Selection Criteria and CPPs = 110 points 27

Questions

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