Special Education Resource Leads Request for Applications - California Department of Education

Special Education Resource Leads Request for Applications Technical Assistance Webinar presented by the Special Education Division on January 5, 2023 CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Overview and Questions The Special Education Resource Leads (SERL) Grant Request for Applications (RFA) can be found on the California Department of Education (CDE) web page https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r18/spedresourcelead23rfa.asp If you have questions regarding the RFA, please submit them through the webinar chat function. An SERL RFA Questions and Answers document will be available on the CDE SERL Grant RFA web page for reference. Additional questions regarding this webinar or application process can be emailed to the CDE at SpecialEducationLeads@cde.ca.gov. 2

I. Background In 2017, the California School Dashboard (Dashboard) was launched to help districts identify strengths and weaknesses. In response to the needs illuminated through the Dashboard, California developed the California Statewide System of Support (SSOS). This system of support is designed to build local capacity and assist Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in identifying and eliminating inequities, as part of the continuous improvement process. The Special Education Resource Leads were established initially through Senate Bill 511, then enacted as California Education Code (EC) 52073 in 2018. Then titled Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Content Leads and System Improvement Leads . In June 2022, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 181, which amended EC sections 52073.1-52073.2 to update language regarding augmented funding, a focus on Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) and a partnership with a Family Empowerment Center (FEC), and the inclusion of County Offices of Education as eligible applicants. 3

II. Program Purpose The CDE, working in collaboration with the CCEE, is authorized to establish a process to select, subject to the approval of the Executive Director of the SBE, in consultation with the Department of Finance, SELPAS, COEs, or a consortia thereof to serve as Special Education Resource Leads to work with lead agencies selected pursuant to EC sections 52073.1 and 52073.2, and other COEs to improve pupil outcomes as part of the SSOS. The process to select SERL grantees shall ensure that no more than 10 special education resource leads are selected to provide specific expertise on special education issues within the statewide system of support. At least three resource leads shall be selected in a manner to ensure statewide representation and focus directly on building local and regional capacity to support local educational agencies in achieving the goals, actions, and services identified in their local control and accountability plans. 4

III. Funding Available (1) This application covers the grant period beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2028. Funds are available to each applicant based on the application and proposed budget. The total grant budget for this RFA is $12,000,000 per year. EC 53072.2 Two million dollars annually is specifically budgeted toward the Lead selected for ADR. The SERL Grantees are selected for a term not longer than five years. Continued funding for the second, third, fourth and fifth years is contingent upon a favorable annual review by CDE/CCEE of each Leads progress on goals and deliverables. 5

III. Funding Available (2) Grant awards will be determined based on each scored application and proposed budget submitted. Grant awards issued thereafter are made contingent upon the availability of annual funds. If the California Legislature takes action to reduce or defer the annual funding upon which this grant award is based, then awards will be amended accordingly. 6

IV. Eligibility Requirements (1) Individual applicants must be a COE, SELPA or an appropriate partnership or consortia of COEs and/or SELPAs. Applications for the ADR Lead must also partner and apply with one or more family support organizations that provide support for families of pupils with disabilities. All applicants must provide statewide representation and meet these requirements: Demonstrate expertise in both the state priorities and federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act indicators and an understanding of the relationship between them. Ability to build capacity of other SELPAs or COEs to provide effective assistance and support LEAs under the state and federal priorities. Capacity and willingness to work with and coordinate other Lead Agencies within the statewide system of support, to provide coordinated assistance and supports to LEAs to improve student performance and close the achievement gap for students with disabilities (SWDs). 7

IV. Eligibility Requirements (2) 4. Demonstrate knowledge and expertise in the research and evidence of implementation and improvement sciences. 5. Willingness to establish measurable goals for improved performance across multiple measures. 6. Ability to define a clear vision for collaboratively addressing the needs of LEAs across the state, define the specific role each member LEA in the partnership will hold in contributing to statewide coverage, develop a plan for implementing those roles, and demonstrate expertise and capacity to implement the plan. 7. Make a compelling case for the requested funding, and explain how the services will be evaluated. 8

IV. Eligibility Requirements (3) In addition, each Lead role will have its own specific eligibility criteria and requirements. This RFA is seeking applicants to fill the following roles: Individualized Education Plan Best Practices (1 Lead) Universal Design for Learning (1-2 Leads) Capacity Builder (3-5 Leads) English Learners (1 Lead) Alternate Dispute Resolution (1 lead, must partner with a FEC) Full descriptions of the requirements for each role can be found in the RFA, section B. 9

V. Project Requirements In accordance with EC Section 52073.2, grant applicants shall serve LEAs, providing technical assistance, ensure statewide representation and focus on building SELPA capacity to support local educational agencies in achieving the goals, actions, and services identified in their local control and accountability plans. Section B identifies the knowledge and expertise all applicants must demonstrate in accordance with EC Section 52073 and details the services each applicant must provide in accordance with EC Section 52073.2 as a condition of funding. Ongoing communication, collaboration, and partnership with the CDE and other Leads are integral. Applicants must attend and participate in regular meetings convened by the CDE and CCEE, as appropriate. 10

VI. Administrative Requirements Reporting The Lead will participate in regular meetings to be convened by the CCEE and the CDE. Additionally, the following regular reporting will be required: An annual project plan by each grantee, a quarterly fiscal activity report, a quarterly project report, mid-year interviews. Grantees shall utilize templates for the reports developed by the CDE and CCEE. An annual project plan outlining short- and long- term goals, including methods of evaluating progress related to the work is also required. Quarterly project reports must describe the progress the grantee has made towards achieving the goals established in the annual project plan, as well as identification of next steps for continued progress, growth, and sustainability of the work in the field. Grant Award Notification, Payments and Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) Selected grantees must sign and return the Grant Award Notification before work may begin and disbursement of funds can be made. Grant payments are issued up to the reported expenditures. ICR is the approved CDE rate for the fiscal year in which the funds are spent. 11

VII. Selection Process All applications will be screened to ensure the components as described in Section IV, Application PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES. A complete application is submitted via email. The Application Narrative should be submitted as a PDF file. The PDF document should not exceed 15 pages. Applicants may separately attach supporting evidence. Points will be awarded based on completeness and responsiveness of the application to each of the required application components. The number of grant awards will be based on the number of eligible applications and the amount of available funding. Final approval of grant awards for successful applications will be decided by the CDE Special Education Division. 12

VIII. Application and Budget Scoring Face Page [not scored] Vision, Expertise, and Proposed Activities (30 Points) Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation Activities (40 Points) Metrics to Monitor the Progress of Proposed Activities (20 points) Budget and Budget Narrative [10 points] 13

IX. Application Format and Submission Requirements (1) Interested applicants must submit Full Application for the SERL Grant to the CDE Special Education Division by email at SpecialEducationLeads@cde.ca.gov by 5 p.m. on January 31, 2023. Use Special Education Leads Application for the subject line. The applicant must copy and paste the narrative questions into a separate document to be included as part of the application package. The application process is conducted by providing a PDF containing the information requested for the Application Narrative via email. The PDF file name should contain the applicant s name. The file size is limited to 15 pages and 1MB. Applicants may separately attach supporting evidence. The last submitted application will be the one considered for review. 14

IX. Application Format and Submission Requirements (2) The CCEE and the CDE are not able to modify the application information after it is submitted and incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Page length and formatting requirements will be evaluated. Applications that do not adhere to the requirements may be disqualified from review: Typed applications in Portable Document Format (PDF); Font: Arial 12 or Times New Roman 12; applications must follow numerical sequencing outlined in RFA; the application narrative is limited to 15 pages (1MB) formatted to 1 margins. All pages, including budget documents, must be numbered sequentially. 15

Next Steps Interested applicants must submit a Full Application for the SERL Grant to the CDE Special Education Division by email at SpecialEducationLeads@cde.ca.gov by 5 p.m. on January 31, 2023. Review Section IV of the RFA in order to adhere to all required deadlines. Refer back to Sections IV & V of the RFA before submitting your application. An SERL RFA Questions and Answers document will be available on the CDE SERL Grant RFA web page for reference. Additional questions regarding this webinar can be emailed to CDE at SpecialEducationLeads@cde.ca.gov. 16

Questions and Answers 17

Thank you for your time and good luck! 18