The Smart Scholars Early College High School Program Intermediary RFP

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The Smart Scholars Early College High School
Program-Intermediary RFP

• Webinar August 31, 2009
• Presenter Joseph P. Frey
• Associate Commissioner, Office of Higher Education

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarTodays Agenda

• Background
• Overview of Smart Scholars ECHS
• Intermediary RFP
• Questions from participants
• via chat box
• The recording of this webinar will be posted on
  our website
• http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/smartscholars.html

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary
RFP WebinarPurpose of the Smart Scholars ECHS
Program

• To increase high school graduation rates
• To increase the number of students who complete a
  postsecondary credential or degree
• Target student population students from
  populations traditionally underrepresented in
  college

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarThe Smart Scholars Early College High
School Program

• In 2007, the Board of Regents proposed the Smart
  Scholars ECHS Program to help close the student
  achievement gap.
• This comprehensive program builds upon
• programs that provide college courses to high
  school students
• the active work of the Departments opportunity
  programs to assist educationally at-risk students
  to graduate from high school and achieve success
  in college.

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarECHS Early Research

• Research conducted since 2002 by the American
  Institutes for Research and SRI International to
  evaluate the Early College High School Initiative
  (ECHSI).
• ECHS are reaching their target populations
• 67 of ECHS students are members of minority
  groups
• 59 qualify for free or reduced price lunches
• 46 will be first-generation college students
• ECHS have high attendance rates
• Average daily attendance 94
• 85 progress from one grade to the next
• ECHSI Evaluation

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarECHS Early Research

• ECHS students are earning college credit
• Graduates earned about a semester to one year of
  college credit
• ECHS students are continuing on to college
• 88 of ECHS graduates enrolled in college the
  next fall
• 41 chose to attend four-year institutions
• 47 chose to attend community colleges
• ECHSI Evaluation

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarThe Smart Scholars Early College High
School Program - Overview

• Partnerships of public schools, BOCES, or charter
  schools with institutions of higher education
  will establish approximately
• 11 Smart Scholars
• Early College High Schools (ECHSs).

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarThe Smart Scholars Early College High
School Program - Overview

• First cohort of Smart Scholars ECHSs
• Planning Year December 1, 2009 August 31,
  2010
• First class to begin - September 1, 2010
• Second cohort of Smart Scholars ECHSs
• Planning Year September 1, 2010 August 31,
  2011
• First class to begin September 1, 2011
• Contingent upon receipt of an appropriation
  from the NYS Legislature in the 2010-2011 State
  budget

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarThe Smart Scholars Early College High
School Program - Overview

• Partnerships of the following entities are
  eligible to respond to the RFP

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarThe Smart Scholars Early College High
School Program - Definitions

• LEA local education agency
• Public schools, BOCES and charter schools within
  NYS
• Preference will be given to LEAs classified as
  high need or very high need
• IHE institutions of higher education
• SUNY, CUNY, independent and proprietary colleges
  and universities
• 2- 4-year
• Must be accredited, http//ope.ed.gov/accreditatio
  n/
• Programs must be registered by NYSED,
• http//www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue/

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarIntermediary

• Intermediary a research and consulting
  organization that has demonstrated experience in
  the
• recruitment of qualified educators
• development of academic support services
• curriculum development
• development, implementation and evaluation of
  assessment tools
• ECHS framework
• Intermediary will assist with
• promoting best practices across the schools
• coordinating statewide leadership training
  opportunities
• importing and translating best practices from
  other states
• One intermediary will be selected

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP Webinar
Contract Period - Intermediary

• Proposals must be postmarked by November 1, 2009
• Applicants will be informed by December 1, 2009
• Intermediary projected start date
• Planning Period December 15, 2009
• Contract Period - December 15, 2009 to August
  31, 2013

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarOverview of Intermediary RFP Mandatory
Requirements

• The selected intermediary must
• meet criteria and qualifications established by
  USNY.
• be a research and consulting organization that
  possesses demonstrated technical experience in
  developing high schools partnered with
  institutions of higher education
• Must sign and return Appendix D (Agreement to
  meet Mandatory Requirements) with proposal.

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarOverview of Intermediary RFP
Eligibility Requirements

• A deep understanding of how to create a
  college-going culture
• Experience in the recruitment of appropriate
  classroom staff
• Ability to deliver instructional and leadership
  training
• Knowledge of secondary and postsecondary
  education organizational structures
• Understanding of New York State law and
  regulations

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarOverview of the Intermediary RFP
Eligibility Requirements

• Commitment to working in a diverse setting to
  support the achievement of students who are
  underrepresented in higher education
• Track record of project, fiscal and grant
  management expertise
• Ability to work cooperatively with an array of
  partners
• Skill in developing educational assessment tools
  and in assessing student progress
• Experience in providing professional development
  opportunities and training to educational
  personnel

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP Webinar
Overview of the Intermediary RFP-Required
Elements of Proposal

• Proposal Summary (limited to 1 page)
• Proposal Narrative limited to 25 pages,
  single-spaced on 8.5 X 11 paper with 1 margins
  on all sides. Font may not be less than 11
  point.

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarOverview of the Intermediary RFP
Eligible Activities Pre-Opening Planning Phase

• The selected intermediary will assist the Smart
  Scholars ECHS partnerships in the Pre-Opening
  Planning Phase
• Coordinate Smart Scholars ECHS
• high school and college faculty
• support services
• calendars and transportation
• establishing on-going governance structures
• Provide technical assistance in the development
  of a budget and business plan

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP Webinar
Overview of the Intermediary RFP Eligible
Activities Pre-Opening Planning Phase

• Articulation Assist the Smart Scholars ECHS
  partnerships in
• preparing a detailed MOU between the ECHS
  partners
• working toward the goal of statewide articulation
  between New York States 2- and 4-year colleges
  and universities.
• Engage the Smart Scholars faculty and staff to
  design an aligned curriculum and standards and a
  sequence of courses
• Provide guidelines for student recruitment and
  develop selection criteria and strategies

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP Webinar
Overview of the Intermediary RFP Eligible
Activities Implementation Phase

• Engage school and instructional leaders for peer
  learning activities
• Conduct school visits, to trouble shoot, problem
  solve and identify practices that can be shared
• Connect the Smart Scholars ECHS Partnerships with
  the national early college high school movement.
• Provide support and information regarding
  additional fund-raising to support the ECHS
  partnerships beyond the life of the grant
• Evaluate academic and social support services
  (e.g. counseling staff advisors)

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP Webinar
Overview of the Intermediary RFP Eligible
Activities Implementation Phase

• Support the partnership liaisons in joint
  planning with the LEA and support the
  principal/program director/school leaders
  coordination with the IHE
• Help to develop assessment tools and instruments,
  providing a data-driven feedback loop, including
  a plan for using results to
• evaluate college-readiness
• student outcomes
• program success
• determine improvements needed
• to refine the assessment model
• Identify professional development for Smart
  Scholars ECHS college and high school faculties

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP Webinar
Overview of the Intermediary RFP Eligible
Activities Implementation Phase

• The Intermediary will develop a rubric for
  providing USNY the following data
• Documentation of meetings and outcomes
• Methods and results of outreach to students,
  schools, parents, etc
• Quarterly fiscal reports, partnership budgets
• Hiring plans
• Student recruitment plans
• Collection and assessment of data

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarSummary of Submission Documents - to be
submitted with proposal

• Application Cover Sheet and Checklist
• Resumes of key staff
• Project Work/Management Plan
• Documentation of experience with Early
• College High Schools movement
• Documentation of other resources
• Proposal Budget
• Signed Ability to Meet Mandatory Requirements
• form
• Five (5) references with contact information
• Samples of successfully completed projects

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarOverview of the Intermediary
RFP-Evaluation Criteria - Technical (75 points
total)

• Experience (43 points)
• Understands and has the capacity to create a
  college-going culture
• (10 points max).
• Demonstrated understanding of NYS laws and
  regulations and the University of the State of
  New York (6 points max).
• Significant, documented skill in developing,
  implementing and evaluating educational
  assessment tools (6 points max).
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with
  an array of partners
• (15 points max).
• Experience in recruiting appropriate staff in
  early college high schools with ample classroom
  and leadership skills (6 points max).

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarOverview of the Intermediary
RFP-Evaluation Criteria - Technical (75 points
total)

• Management (32 points)
• Narrative provides a detailed description of the
  roles and responsibilities of the employees of
  the intermediary organization dedicated to this
  project (15 points max).
• Soundness of the applicants plan of work,
  timetable, staff and student recruitment plans
  (10 points max).
• Ability to deliver instruction and leadership
  training as well as other professional
  development (7 points max).

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarOverview of the Intermediary
RFP-Evaluation Criteria Financial Criteria(25
points)

• The narrative provides a detailed description of
  the financial and budgetary implications of the
  project (8 points max)
• Demonstrated, successful track record of project,
  fiscal and grant management expertise (9 points
  max).
• A cost-effective approach to implementing the
  proposal (8 points max).

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarOverview of the Intermediary RFP- Method
of Award

• Aggregate score will be calculated
• Minimum score 70 points
• USNY reserves the right to cancel the RFP if it
  is in the best interest of the University

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP Webinar
Q A

• At this time, questions will be taken using the
  chat feature.
• We will give you a few moments to type in your
  questions, and address them in the order that
  they are posted.
• A link to the recording of this webinar and all
  questions and answers will be posted to the
  following website
• http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/smartscholars.html

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Smart Scholars ECHS Intermediary RFP
WebinarQuestions

• Questions must be submitted to
  INTERMEDRFP_at_mail.nysed.gov

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Thank you for attending the Smart Scholars ECHS
Program-Intermediary RFP Webinar