Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math TSTEM Academies Startup, Cycle 3

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Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
(T-STEM) Academies Start-up, Cycle 3

• RFA 701-07-122
• Technical Assistance Session
• September 2007

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Introductions

• Communities Foundation of Texas
• Anne McClellan, Program Officer for T-STEM
  Academies
• Dee Chambliss, Program Officer for T-STEM
  Academies
• Meredith Wedin, Lead T-STEM Academy Leadership
  Coach

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Agenda

• THSP and T-STEM Background
• STEM Education Design, and CFT Technical Support
• Overview of T-STEM Academies, Start-up Cycle 3
  RFA
• Questions Answers

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THSP and T-STEM Background
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What is the Texas High School Project?

• Public-private alliance dedicated to ensuring
  that all Texas students graduate high school
  ready for college and career success and prepared
  to be contributing members of the community. 
• Focus on high-need schools and districts
  statewide, with an emphasis on urban areas and
  the Texas-Mexico border.  

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THSP Our Work

• In classrooms Implementing intervention
  programs for at-risk students
• In schools Creating new models to address 21st
  Century student educational needs
• In districts Empowering district administrators
  to change practices and policies to support
  campuses
• In people Developing innovative preparation and
  professional development programs for teachers
  and school leaders

Reform efforts underway in more than 600 Schools
200,000 Students
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Texas Science Technology Engineering and Math
(T-STEM) Initiative

• 71M in public/private funding initiative to
  pilot innovative ways to improve student
  achievement in math and science and increase the
  number of students who enter STEM career fields

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T-STEM Investments to Date
Academy Center coverage Leadership investment
Texas AM
New Deal ISD
Irving ISD Harmony Science Waxahachie ISD Dallas
ISD Richardson ISD
Burnham Wood Harmony Science

• Dallas

Fort Worth

• El Paso

Texas Tech
UTEP
Waco ISD
UT Tyler
Temple College

• Austin

Manor ISD
Regions XIII XX
UTeach at U of H

• Houston

• San Antonio

Aldine ISD YES Prep Harmony Science KIPP
Harmony Science North East ISD
UTMB
Corpus Christi ISD
Region I

• Brownsville

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T-STEM Academies Grantees

• Early Innovators (2005)
• A.J. Moore Academy, Waco ISD
• Irving Academy, Irving ISD
• Carver High School, Aldine ISD
• Academies (2006)
• New Deal ISD
• Burnham Wood Charter School
• YES College Preparatory School
• Harmony Science Academies
• Texas Bioscience Institute, Temple College
• Early Innovator (2006)
• Texas Bioscience Institute, Temple College

• 2007 Academies
• Northeast ISD
• Richardson ISD
• Corpus Christi ISD
• Dallas ISD
• KIPP Houston
• Waxahachie ISD
• Manor ISD
• Carrollton Farmers Branch
• Uplift
• 2008 Academies
• Uplift
• 2 IDEA
• El Paso ISD
• Longview ISD
• Valleyview ISD
• San Antonio School of Excellence
• La Sara ISD

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Current Centers Grantees

• El Centro del Futuro Region 1 in Edinburg,
  partnering with UT Pan Am, 13 school districts,
  and the UT Dana Center
• Transformation 2013 Region 13 in Austin,
  partnering with ESC Region 20 in San Antonio, the
  UT Austin College of Engineering, San Antonio
  ISD, and Taylor ISD
• North Texas STEM Texas AM, partnering with
  Dallas ISD, and ESC Region 10 in Richardson
• Texas Tech TSTEM Texas Tech, partnering with
  Lubbock ISD and ESC Regions 15, 16, 17, and 18,
  which are housed in San Angelo, Amarillo,
  Lubbock, and Midland
• El Paso TSTEM UT El Paso partnering with 12
  school districts in the El Paso area, and ESC
  Region 19 in El Paso

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New Centers

• Dana Center at UT Austin
• E. TX T-STEM Centers RFA - Preliminary awards
  announced Mar. 6, 2007
• UT Tyler partnering with TX AM Texarkana, ESC
  Regions 5-8, 6 ISDs in N.E. TX, UTMB
• UT Medical Branch partnering with Rice Univ., TX
  State, NASA, ESC Regions 3-5, Houston Museum of
  Natural Science, 9 ISDs (including Houston,
  Galveston, Cypress Fairbanks), UT Tyler

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Why T-STEM Was Created

• School Performance failure to meet the TAKS
  math standards and failure to meet the TAKS
  science standards and federal AYP standards.
• College Readiness Advanced Placement exams in
  Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics than
  the nation and lower percentages of students
  scoring a 3 or higher.
• The number of Hispanic and African American
  students in Texas who score a 3 or higher on the
  Chemistry and Physics AP exams is fewer than 500.
• Of the 20 fastest-growing occupations projected
  through 2010, 15 of them require substantial
  mathematics or science preparation.
• On the TIMSS, U.S. 8th graders were out performed
  by 7 of the 13 other countries in mathematics and
  5 of the 13 other countries in science.
• Students with higher level mathematics skills
  earn up to double the amount earned by others
• Students of all income levels who take rigorous
  mathematics and science courses in high school
  are more likely to go to college.

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Texas Six Target Industry Clusters

• Advanced Technologies and Manufacturing
• Nanotechnologies and materials
• Micro-electro-mechanical systems
• Semiconductor manufacturing
• Automotive manufacturing
• Aerospace and Defense
• Biotechnology and Life Sciences
• Information and Computer Technology
• Communications Equipment
• Computing Equipment
• Information Technology
• Energy
• Oil and gas production
• Power generation and transmission
• Renewable / Sustainable energy sources

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STEM Education

• Teaching and learning strategies that challenge
  students to innovate and invent
• Model real world contexts for learning and work
• Integration of math, science, and technology with
  other subject areas
• The design process driving student engagement

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STEM Academy Design and CFT-THSP Technical
Support
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Academy Mission

• The mission of the T-STEM Academies is to
  provide a rigorous, well-rounded, education with
  outstanding science, technology, engineering and,
  and mathematics (STEM) instruction to graduate
  students who are prepared to pursue postsecondary
  level coursework and careers in STEM and to act
  as demonstration sites to inform best practice in
  STEM teaching and learning.

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Academy Goals

• The T-STEM Academies are committed to meeting
  the following three goals through the design and
  implementation of a T-STEM Academy Blueprint.
• Goal 1 T-STEM Academies will develop the
  capacity of schools to design, implement, sustain
  and/or replicate successful school development
  models.
• Goal 2 T-STEM Academies will transform
  instructional practice to model real world
  contexts for learning to improve student
  achievement for all students.
• Goal 3 T-STEM Academies will serve as
  demonstration sites to inform STEM teaching and
  learning statewide.

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What is STEM Education?

• Teaching and learning strategies challenge
  students to innovate and invent
• Model real world contexts for learning and work
• Integrate math, science, and technology with
  other subject areas
• The design process drives student engagement

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Attributes of a STEM Student

• Problem-solvers
• Innovators
• Self-reliant
• Logical thinkers
• Technologically literate
• Sense of identity

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THSP Technical Assistance

• Academy Design Blueprint Design Tools
• Details school development progress across eight
  primary areas. (Blueprint)
• Provides indicators for continuous progress
  (Continuum)
• Common tool enable schools to benchmark their
  work against others for shared learning.
  (Progress Report)
• T-STEM Innovation Coach Framework and Innovation
  Coaches
• Details Monthly visits to Academies, needs
  assessment site visit reports
• Coaching on leadership, school development, and
  data-driven decision making face-to-face, by
  phone, by email
• T-STEM coaches network resources to further the
  success of the Academies

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THSP Technical Assistance

• T-STEM Academy Training
• Target conferences focused on high impact
  strategies in Math, Science and STEM education
• Data-Driven Decision-making and assessment
  training
• T-STEM Innovation Network
• Online convenings, professional development
  opportunities, resources, showcase exemplars of
  practice, lesson plans, etc.

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T-STEM Academy Blueprint

• The T-STEM Academy program requirements have been
  benchmarked against national best practices in
  school development. These benchmarks are used as
  inputs into the design and development stages of
  the school.
• The Academy uses blueprint as a guidepost to
  develop an implementation plan for building a
  school infrastructure that reflects high and
  consistent learning expectations and performance
  standards for all students as measured by
  internal and external measurement tools.
• The design blueprint implementation plan reflects
  a consensus among staff and key stakeholders on
  how the Academy helps diverse learners build the
  requisite skills and strategies to become highly
  functioning STEM-literate graduates.
• The Academy is clear about the specific skills
  that must be addressed that are essential to STEM
  literacy skills, i.e., the types of skills
  necessary to meet demands of advanced high school
  coursework, higher education, the world of work,
  and lifelong learning.

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T-STEM Academy Blueprint

• What is the basis of the school design?
• 80 of the academy design is solid school
  development
• Blueprint Benchmarks
• Mission-Driven Leadership
• School Culture and Design
• Student Outreach/Recruitment, Selection/Retention
• Teacher-Leader Selection, Development/ Retention
• Curriculum
• Instruction
• Strategic Alliances
• Budget / Finance

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RFA Overview
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Eligibility Criteria District Requirements

• A Texas school district or open enrollment
  charter is eligible to apply for the T-STEM
  Academies Start-up Cycle 3 Grant if the school
  district or open enrollment charter school
• Serves a student population of greater than 40
  percent economically disadvantaged students and
• Has received a rating of Exemplary, Recognized,
  or Academically Acceptable under the 2007 state
  accountability system.
• Eligible school districts or open enrollment
  charter schools must submit a separate
  application for each planned academy.

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Eligibility Criteria Campus Requirements

• A T-STEM Academy shall
• Be an autonomous school located on a stand-alone
  facility or sharing a facility with an existing
  school
• Serve Grades 6-12 or Grades 9-12 with an active
  relationship with the feeder middle school(s)
• Be small, serving approximately 100 students per
  grade
• Be open enrollment, hosting lotteries for
  admission
• Serve a student population of greater than 40
  percent economically disadvantaged students
• Be located on a campus that exhibited
  characteristics that strongly correlate with high
  school dropout rates (including but not limited
  to, high 9th grade failure and retention rates)
  during 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07 school
  years
• Not share a facility with a campus that received
  a rating of Academically Unacceptable under the
  state accountability rating system in 2005, 2006,
  or 2007 and
• Follow all requirements and indicators outlined
  in this RFA and in the T-STEM Academy Design
  Blueprint (Attachment 1 in RFA).
• A campus that fails to meet one or more of the
  campus eligibility requirements by the end the
  planning year will not receive implementation
  funding under this grant program.

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Additional Eligibility Criteria

• A district or open enrollment charter applying
  for this grant must be financially viable as
  determined through fiscal review by the Division
  of Financial Audits at TEA
• An open enrollment charter school applying for
  this grant must have the proper approved
  amendment request to the open enrollment charter
  from the commissioner and
• A T-STEM Academy shall not be located on a campus
  receiving funding from Texas Education Agency
  (TEA), the Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT),
  or the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)
  under any of the following grant programs a TEA
  Texas High School Redesign and Restructuring
  Grant, Cycle 2 or Cycle 3 a TEA or CFT Early
  College High School Grant a TEA or CFT T-STEM
  Academy Grant a CFT Redesigned High School
  Grant a CFT New Schools Grant or a BMGF
  Redesign Grant.

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Additional Eligibility Criteria

• An open enrollment charter campus shall become
  ineligible for grant funding (or if a campus has
  applied for and received funding for this grant,
  will have its grant funding placed on hold) if
  the commissioner notifies the campus charter
  holder of the commissioners intent to
• revoke or non-renew such charter under TEC
  Chapter 12, or
• close the campus under TEC Chapter 39, for any of
  the reasons set forth in either statutory
  provision.
• A consortium of eligible school districts may not
  submit an application for a T-STEM Academy as a
  shared services arrangement. The application
  must be submitted by one eligible school district
  or open enrollment charter school on behalf of a
  campus within that district. A T-STEM academy
  may enroll students from neighboring districts,
  as long as the district enrolling those students
  receives Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding
  for those students.
• Campuses receiving funds under this grant program
  must be rated under the standard accountability
  rating system.

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Application Due Date

• Six complete applications must be received at TEA
  on or before 500 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday,
  October 16, 2007, according to the application
  submission procedures in Part 1 of the RFA.
• TEA will not accept nor consider for funding any
  late competitive applications for any reason.
• TEA accepts no responsibility for delays in mail,
  shipping, and courier service.

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Other Important Dates
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Program Purpose

• The purpose of the T-STEM Academies Startup,
  Cycle 3 grant is to increase student achievement
  by
• engaging and exposing students to innovative
  science and math instruction, and
• creating demonstration sites to inform math and
  science teaching and learning statewide
• To that end, every academy will
• provide a rigorous, well-rounded education
• establish a personalized culture with the
  expectation that all students will achieve
  postsecondary success and
• provide teacher and leadership development.

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Program Goals

• Align high school, postsecondary education, and
  economic development activities across the areas
  of STEM and the broader high school curriculum
• Establish T-STEM academies in areas of high need
  across the state that will produce Texas high
  school graduates from diverse backgrounds with
  the preparation to pursue careers in STEM related
  fields and
• Establish a statewide best practices network for
  STEM education to promote broad dissemination and
  adoption of promising practices from the
  initiative and to improve math and science
  performance for students across Texas.

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Program Description

• A school district or open enrollment charter
  school receiving grant funds will plan during the
  2007-2008 school year and will open a T-STEM
  academy no later than August of 2008.
• Funding will be dispersed in two phases Planning
  and Implementation.
• All academies will use the Design Blueprint to
  guide planning and implementation.

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Program Requirement 1

• Rider 53, Texas High School Completion and
  Success Initiative, requires that funds be
  expended on programs that support the improvement
  of high school graduation rates and
  post-secondary readiness.

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Program Requirement 2

• The T-STEM Academy must be small, serving
  approximately 100 students per grade.
• Must present a plan to eventually serve either
  grades 6-12 or 9-12.
• If serving grades 6-12, must plan to add at least
  two grade levels per year,
• If serving grades 9-12, must plan to add at least
  one grade level per year and must develop a plan
  to work actively with the feeder middle school(s)
  

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Program Requirement 3

• The T-STEM Academy must be open enrollment,
  hosting lotteries for admission.
• Must target students who are low income, from
  underrepresented student groups, at-risk, and/or
  first generation college-goers,
• Must result in a student population of greater
  than 40 economically disadvantaged students.
• Must outline a plan for recruiting, selecting,
  supporting, and retaining high need and
  underrepresented students.
• May not select students based on ability, grades,
  test scores, or teacher recommendations.

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Program Requirement 4

• The T-STEM Academy may be located on a new,
  stand alone campus or share a facility with an
  existing high school.
• Must not be located on the same facility as a
  campus
• that received a rating of Academically
  Unacceptable
• under the state accountability rating system in
• 2005,2006, or 2007.

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Program Requirement 5

• The T-STEM Academy must use the T-STEM Academy
  Design Blueprint as a planning and evaluation
  tool.
• If the T-STEM Academy is not making adequate
  progress towards the full implementation of all
  of the Design Blueprint Indicators as determined
  by TEA, the academy may not receive
  implementation or continuation funds.

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Program Requirement 6

• T-STEM Academies must offer a rigorous,
  well-rounded course of study for all students,
  including
• alignment of all curriculum, instruction and
  assessment to state standards, supporting the
  success of all students to take and pass four
  years of high school math and four years of high
  school science
• a tight technology infrastructure plan for
  technology use across the disciplines
• the acquisition of 12 30 hours of college
  credit through dual credit, AP, or IB courses
  and
• participation in curricular academic activities
  centered on applied science, technology,
  engineering and math, such as UIL competitions
  (robotics, math) or science and technology fairs.

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Program Requirement 7

• A T-STEM Academy must reflect todays
  postsecondary learning and work environment by
• incorporating project and work-based, contextual
  learning with a global perspective into the
  curriculum
• integrating technology into all aspects of the
  school culture, including the school curriculum,
  co-curriculum and daily operation
• creating and using applied and team learning and
• providing opportunities for alignment with the
  states economic development clusters and for
  students to seriously consider careers in STEM
  fields (such as teacher-externships, student
  internships, apprenticeships, co-ops, service
  learning, or capstone projects with a
  presentation and a defense).

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Program Requirement 8

• A T-STEM Academy must provide teacher, school
  leadership, and school development by
• Providing new teachers with support and guidance
  through teacher mentoring and induction
  programs
• Implementing a math and science teacher
  coaching-based professional development model
• Bringing together math and science high school
  teachers, higher education faculty, and private
  businesses
• Requiring weekly common planning time for STEM
  content teachers and providing training to ensure
  common planning time is well utilized
• Serving as a math and science demonstration site
  as proof points for improved practices
• Disseminating T-STEM outreach to middle schools
  and the greater district
• Requiring external networking opportunities for
  teachers
• Requiring school leadership participation in the
  T-STEM Academy Coaching model and
• Creating a distributive decision-making structure
  that is clear and understood by the following
  stakeholders students, teachers, academy design
  team, parent-community, business, community
  partners and institutions of higher education
  partners.

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Program Requirement 9

• Applicants must incorporate into their grant
  application all activities conducted with funds
  from this grant program and the program
  requirements listed in this RFA. Submission of
  the application will indicate the
  superintendents approval of the T-STEM Academy
  design and an agreement to provide technical
  assistance, evaluation data, and flexibility to
  the participating campus.

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Program Requirements 10-12

• 10. The LEA must identify how other resources
  (federal, state, local, and private) available to
  the school will be utilized to coordinate
  services to support and sustain the T-STEM
  Academy. Applicants must provide documentation
  that the district will provide a 10 or greater
  match of the total grant award.
• 11. The T-STEM Academies Startup, Cycle 3 grant
  requires that campuses receiving funding under
  this grant participate in the technical
  assistance and the T-STEM Network activities
  conducted by the Communities Foundation of Texas.
  Campuses that fail to participate in the
  technical assistance and/or network activities
  may become ineligible for implementation and/or
  continuation funds.
• 12. All entities receiving funding as part of the
  Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
  (T-STEM) Initiative must follow the communication
  guidelines set forth by the Texas High School
  Project, including guidelines regarding the
  content and format of school web sites.

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Program Requirement 13

• Applicants must develop a Memorandum of
  Understanding (MOU) with an institution of higher
  education (IHE). The MOU must describe how the
  applicant and IHE will partner to
• Deliver college credit hours to academy students,
  
• Provide teacher professional development, and
• Align academy curriculum with postsecondary
  requirements for STEM.
• The MOU is a required attachment to this
  application and will not be accepted after the
  competitive deadline.

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Program Requirement 14

• The T-STEM Academy must be an autonomous school
  serving grades 6-12 or 9-12 located within a
  larger school or on an independent campus. The
  academy must demonstrate its autonomy by
• Having a certified, full-time administrator whose
  primary duty is administration of the academy
  with the same authority and reporting structure
  as other campus principals of larger high schools
  in the school district, and
• attaching a letter, signed by the district
  superintendent, stating the districts commitment
  to providing the academy with the autonomy
  necessary to implement program requirements.
  This letter is a required attachment to this
  application and will not be accepted after the
  competitive deadline.

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Program Evaluation

• The applicant must agree to comply with any
  reporting and evaluation requirements that may be
  established by the TEA.
• Applicants must agree to cooperate with any
  information and data gathering requirements
  pursuant to the evaluation of the grant program
  by TEA.
• Applicants must report baseline district data and
  set performance targets demonstrating high
  expectations for academy performance.

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Available Funding

• Approximately 3,000,000 is available for funding
  the T-STEM Academies Start-up, Cycle 3 grants
  during the March 1, 2008 through May 31, 2010
  project period.
• Applicants are eligible to apply for up to 1,200
  per student for the projected capacity enrollment
  of the planned academy.

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Funding Formula

• Applicants proposing to serve grades 6-12 are
  eligible for a maximum amount of 840,000, and
  applicants proposing to serve grades 9-12 are
  eligible for a maximum amount of 480,000.
• Grades 6-12 (700 students i.e., 7 grades at 100
  students per grade x 1,200.00 840,000)
• Grades 9-12 (400 students i.e., 4 grades at 100
  students per grade x 1,200.00 480,000)

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Phase I Planning

• March 1, 2008 thru June 30, 2008
• School organizations awarded the Startup grants
  are eligible to receive up to 80,000 per academy
  funded during the planning phase. These funds
  are intended to support
• staff compensation for the person who will
  complete the implementation proposal during the
  planning phase,
• curriculum planning and development,
• travel to visit exemplars and best practice
  schools, and
• materials and supplies for planning.

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Phase II Implementation

• July 1, 2008 thru May 31, 2010
• Upon receipt of an implementation proposal and
  grant amendment that meets the expectations of
  TEA, each academy will have access to the
  remaining funding amount to open a T-STEM Academy
  in August of 2008. Implementation funds are
  intended to primarily support
• professional development,
• staff positions that could not otherwise be
  funded,
• materials and supplies, and
• technology.

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Use of Grant Funds

• The authorizing statute permits expenditures for
  post-award planning, design, and implementation
  of programs to improve high school completion and
  success and encourage students toward
  postsecondary education and training.
• Funds expended under this grant program should be
  used for costs associated with implementing a
  T-STEM Academy that is research-based and
  includes components focused on
• improving student performance,
• exposing and engaging students in innovative math
  and science instruction,
• instituting a rigorous curriculum for all
  students,
• redesigning structural and management practices,
• developing the skills and knowledge of teachers
  and school leaders,
• involving parents and the community, and
• establishing a long-term plan for sustaining the
  T-STEM Academy.

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Use of Grant Funds

• Funds expended through this project must be used
  for those purposes described in the Program
  Goals, Program Description, and Program
  Requirements sections of these guidelines.
• Applicants may elect to use additional resources
  and other sources of financial support to help
  maximize the effectiveness of the project goals
  and objectives. Applicants are strongly
  encouraged to coordinate federal, state, and
  local programs to eliminate duplication of
  resources.
• TEA limits the amount of funds that may be
  budgeted to administer the program to no more
  than 5 of the total grant awarded for the
  project period. Indirect costs are not allowable
  under this grant.

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Use of Grant Funds

• Budget schedules must evidence that
• project costs are reasonable in relation to
  expected outcomes
• the amount requested might realistically be
  expected to have an impact on the stated needs
  and
• the expected outcomes are sufficient to justify
  the amounts requested
• the program will identify and coordinate funding
  from several sources
• all expenditures are pertinent to and appropriate
  for the objectives/activities stated
• Grant funds may not be used for gifts,
  non-educational field trips, payment to a student
  who has not graduated for services as a tutor or
  mentor, purchase of furniture, grant writing,
  food costs, construction, renovation,
  fundraising, lease-purchases or indirect costs

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Match Requirement

• Applicants must demonstrate at least a 10 match
  of funding for grant activities
• Matching funds must be used for costs that are
  allowable under this grant
• Federal funds may not be used to meet the
  matching requirement
• Applicants must indicate match in the appropriate
  columns in the application
• Does not need to be in same class/object codes
  where grant funds are budgeted
• Records of match must be kept by business office
  in the same manner and for the same time period
  as grant funds

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Supplement, Not Supplant

• Funds for this program must be used to supplement
  (increase the level of services) and not supplant
  (replace) funds from nonfederal sources.
• Any program activity required by state law, State
  Board of Education rules, or local board policy
  may not be paid with these funds.
• State or local funds may not be decreased or
  diverted for other uses merely because of the
  availability of these funds.
• Grantees must maintain documentation which
  clearly demonstrates the supplementary nature of
  these funds.
• Applicants must describe in the application on
  Schedule 4D how program funds will supplement
  and not supplant state mandates, SBOE rules, or
  activities previously conducted with state or
  local funds.

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Activity, Progress, Evaluation Expenditure
Report Due Dates

• Report Reporting Period
  Due Date
• First Interim 03/01/08 5/30/08
  05/30/08
• Second Interim 06/01/08 12/31/08
  01/15/09
• Third Interim 01/01/09 -- 5/31/09
  06/15/09
• Fourth Interim 06/01/09 12/31/09
  01/15/10
• Final Report 01/01/10 05/31/10
  06/30/10

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Application Review Process

• Each application will be reviewed by an expert
  review panel using the review criteria outlined
  in Part 1 of the RFA.
• Reviewers will evaluate applications based on the
  overall quality and validity of the proposed
  grant programs and the extent to which the
  applications address the primary objectives and
  intent of the project.
• Applications must address each requirement as
  specified in the RFA to be considered for
  funding.
• Grant applicants must receive a score of 70 of
  the maximum points allotted in order to be
  eligible for funding through this grant program.

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Review Criteria

• A. Need for the Proposed Project
  15 points
• B. Quality of the Project Design
  20 points
• C. Quality of Project Services
  10 points
• D. Quality of Management Plan
  20 points
• E. Quality of Project Evaluation
  10 points
• F. Appropriateness of Budget 20
  points
• Application is organized and completed
• according to instructions
  5 points
• Total Possible 100
  points

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Additional Review Criteria

• G. Quality of the T-STEM Academy Design (100
  Points)
• The academy design plan adequately addresses all
  of the requirements and indicators in the Academy
  Design Blueprint (60 points)
• The Academy has developed a plan that adequately
  addresses school-wide access to technology and
  the integration of technology into all aspects of
  the academy culture, including the curriculum,
  teaching strategies and daily operation. (10
  points)
• The local education agency (LEA) will provide the
  T-STEM academy with the autonomy, technical
  assistance, evaluation data, and flexibility
  necessary to ensure the success of the academy
  programs. (10 points)
• Performance targets reflect high expectations for
  student achievement results in math and science.
  (10 points)
• The local education agency (LEA) demonstrates
  previous success in improving the math and
  science achievement of economically
  disadvantaged, middle and/or high school
  students. (10 points)
• Total Maximum Number of Points 200

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Interview Process

• The highest ranking applications will be selected
  to participate in an interview session with a
  review panel
• The week of October 29 November 2 in Austin
• Must participate in order to be considered for
  funding
• Bring design team members (including academy
  director if known)
• Final selection based on combination of
  application score and interview score

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Application Schedules

• 4C - Project Design
• Research and Rationale
• Mission-driven leadership
• School culture
• Student outreach, recruitment, selection,
  retention
• Teacher/leader selection, development, retention
• Curriculum
• Instructional model
• Strategic alliances planning

• 1 - General Information
• 4 - Program Requirements
• 4A - Executive Summary
• 4B - Needs and Objectives
• Need Statement
• Target Population

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Application Schedules cont.

• 4D - Project Services
• Support Services
• Organizational Capacity
• Technology Infrastructure
• Autonomy
• 4E - Project Management
• Component management
• Activity Timeline
• 4F - Performance Assessment and Evaluation
• Component Description
• Performance Targets
• 5 - Budget Schedules

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Required Attachments

• Letter from superintendent
• commitment to creating a new autonomous school
• MOU with IHE
• deliver college credit hours to academy students
• provide teacher professional development
• align academy curriculum with postsecondary
  requirements for STEM
• Nonprofit Organizations only
• Proof of nonprofit status
• Indicators of financial stability
• Note Applications will not be reviewed and
  scored if any of the required attachments do not
  accompany the application when it is submitted.

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Application Tips

• Pay attention to scoring criteria (located in
  Part 1)
• Address all program requirements (located in Part
  2)
• Read ALL Application Instructions (located in
  Part 3)
• Fill out all schedules, follow all formatting
  requirements (located in Part 4)
• Use the Design Blueprint as guide (Attachment 1)
• Dont forget to include all Required Attachments
• Apply using the District Number on the
  Eligibility List

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Grant Update Information

• You are responsible for periodically checking the
  TEA DISCRETIONARY GRANTS website for postings of
  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs),
  Additional/Clarifying Information, or Errata
  Notices that pertain to this RFA.
• http//burleson.tea.state.tx.us/GrantOpportunities
  /forms/

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Questions?
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Clarifying Information

• Any person wishing to obtain clarifying
  information about this RFA may submit questions
  in writing to
• Karen Harmon
• Karen.harmon_at_tea.state.tx.us
• Division of Discretionary Grants
• Texas Education Agency, Room 6-104
• William B. Travis Building
• 1701 N. Congress Avenue
• Austin, TX 78701-1494
• 512-463-9269