i. purpose of transition from school to community- based competitive ...
SPECIAL EDUCATION PERFORMANCE GRANT 2016 – 2017 SCHOOL TO COMMUNITY-BASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT Request for Application (RFA)
I. PURPOSE OF TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO COMMUNITYBASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Special Education is requesting proposals from Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and provider-based agencies partnering with LEAs that are interested in establishing or expanding effective, school-based career development programming efforts for transition from school to community- based competitive employment for students for the 2016-17 school year. The purpose of the Transition from School to Community-Based Competitive Employment Grant is to: 1) improve competitive employment outcomes for youth with disabilities through the implementation of effective, school-based career development programming; 2) utilize a person-centered planning process as an integral component of career development; 3) provide unpaid and paid work experiences, with job coaching as appropriate, for youth with disabilities with preference for students at-risk of dropping out and/or youth who have difficulty obtaining employment, independently; 4) establish sites that can serve as models for transition from school to community- based competitive employment for youth with disabilities; and 5) actively involve the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and county/communitybased organizations such as Behavioral Health Managed Care Organizations, Intellectual Disabilities Administrative Entities, Centers for Independent Living and other disabilityspecific support organizations during the implementation of the grant-related activities.
II.
APPLICATION CRITERIA AND GRANT PRIORITIES
A. ELIGIBILITY Local Education Agencies, including school districts, intermediate units, approved private schools and charter schools, as well as provider-based agencies partnering with LEAs are eligible to apply. Grant monies will be awarded to applicants that: 1) have the ability to partner with local business and 2) are establishing or have an established school-based career development program. The funding available for each successful grant applicant is up to $40,000.00, available September, 2016 through July, 2017.
B. ASSURANCES The grantee must agree to the following assurances to ensure quality and fidelity to the stated purposes of the grant. 1) Assurance that all activities and expenditures of funds conducted in association with the program are in direct compliance with the provisions of the funding authorities. 2) Assurance that the reporting requirement outlined in the application package will be submitted in a timely manner. 3) Assurance that program staff will participate in all required PaTTAN/PDE training and technical assistance activities. 1
SPECIAL EDUCATION PERFORMANCE GRANT 2016 – 2017 SCHOOL TO COMMUNITY-BASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT 4) Assurance that collaboration with appropriate partners to strengthen and extend impact will be a priority of the project. 5) Assurance that the Fair Labor Standards Act will be adhered to within the course of implementing the grant priorities. C. GRANT PRIORITIES The following essential program goals must be addressed in the grant application. 1) Identify students who will be targeted for this grant: Targeted students need to be identified as youth with disabilities who have a have a primary post-secondary goal of competitive employment upon exiting high school, with preference for: i. youth who are at risk of dropping-out of school and/or ii. youth who have difficulty obtaining employment, independently. 2) Implement an effective school-based career development program: The grantee must codify that either: i. a school-based career development program is currently in place and is being utilized to support transition planning for youth with disabilities or ii. a school-based career development program will be developed and utilized to support transition planning for youth with disabilities. As part of the process of implementing an effective, school-based career development program, the grantee must verify and ensure that the programming addresses the following: iii. vocational assessment; 1. including those that are pre-existing and/or 2. conducted within the grant period iv. career exploration; v. instruction in employability skills, including: 1. work place skills, 2. employability skills, and 3. organizational knowledge; vi. self-advocacy skill development; vii. community mapping, including: 1. identification of high-priority jobs with family sustaining wages, 2. job analysis, and 3. travel associated with community-based assessment and work experiences; viii. travel-related implications, including: 1. travel training for youth, 2. transportation to/from community-based assessment and communityintegrated work experiences, and 3. planning to support transportation acquisition by the end of the grant cycle; ix. unpaid and paid work experience with job coaching, as appropriate; and 2
SPECIAL EDUCATION PERFORMANCE GRANT 2016 – 2017 SCHOOL TO COMMUNITY-BASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT x. SSA benefits and work incentives planning assistance. Definition: School-based career development programming addresses the needs of youth prior to and during engagement in community-based competitive work experiences and is designed to ensure success in the workplace. Effective school-based programming includes assessment, career development and evidence based instruction in all skill domain areas across people, places and environments to promote: a) generalization of skills and independence on the job; b) effective communication and interaction with employers and colleagues; c) safe behavioral regulation in a variety of situations; and d) the tools to self-advocate to have needs met. 3) Utilize a person-centered planning process to inform career development: The grantee must utilize a person-centered planning model as part of the career development process. Preference will be given to be given to applicants currently utilizing or expressing a commitment to utilize an evidence-based, person-centered planning model such as Rehabilitation for Empowerment, Natural Supports, Education and Work (RENEW), PATH, or Discovery. Definition: The evidence-based person-centered planning model needs to be a strengthbased approach that addresses: a) self-determination; b) personal futures planning; c) unconditional care; d) family and other natural and community supports; and e) systematic support and consultation. 4) Engage family/caregivers as partners in transition planning: The grantee must engage family/caregivers as participants in the transition process through a variety of means including but not limited to the following, in which a partnership with Pennsylvania’s federally funded parent training center is established: i. utilization of the Secondary Transition Checklist; ii. utilization of www.secondarytransition.org; iii. utilization of resource materials specific to secondary transition for students with disabilities; and iv. training designed to strengthen the understanding of secondary transition and the requirements for competitive, community-integrated employment. 5) Engage relevant LEA personnel: The grantee must engage the following school-based personnel, as appropriate: i. career and technology education, ii. secondary transition coordinator, iii. school guidance counselor, and iv. general and special educators. 6) Engage agency and community partners in transition planning: The grantee must engage a local agency as appropriate, such as the OVR, County-Based Office of Mental Health, County-based Office of Intellectual Disabilities, in the development and implementation of the grant project. The grantee should include a letter of support from the local agency in its grant application. 7) Engage business in transition planning and implementation: The grantee must engage one or more business with the intent to support unpaid and/or paid work
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SPECIAL EDUCATION PERFORMANCE GRANT 2016 – 2017 SCHOOL TO COMMUNITY-BASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT experiences that will lead to community-based competitive employment for youth upon completion of high school, with preference given to the following: i. Community-based experiences for youth supported by the project that result in businesses providing youth with paid work experiences while the youth are still in school. 8) Collection of student data: The grantee must support each targeted youth’s development of a career portfolio representing the youth’s experience(s) and evidence of data collected during the grant period.
D. ADDITIONAL GRANT REQUIREMENTS Beyond the priorities delineated in section C, funded projects also must demonstrate a commitment to the following requirements through explicit objectives and/or activities reflected in the grant proposal. 1) Collect, share, and report efficacy and outcome data as directed by the funder. Instructional adjustments within the school and community-based settings must be based on progress monitoring and regular data analysis. 2) Submit bi-monthly reports and a summative annual report on specified activities and budget expenditures in a format to be provided. 3) Develop training and technical assistance plans to support staff, families/caregivers, agency, and partnering businesses. 4) Agree to serve as a model site for LEAs interested in refining their effective, schoolbased career development programs in support of transition from school to communitybased employment for youth with disabilities. 5) Contribute resources and materials to populate a virtual resource library on effective, school-based career development programing. 6) Agree to disseminate materials and effective programs/practices through publications and trainings as requested by PDE. 7) Agree to present project outcomes and lessons learned at the 2017 PDE Conference (March 8-10, 2017) and the 2017 Pennsylvania Community on Transition Conference (August 9-11, 2017). 8) The director of special education from the LEA agrees to attend a grantee meeting (date to be determined) to explore the possibility of engaging in an interagency agreement with OVR to address pre-employment services for eligible youth. Such pre-employment services can include job skills development, workplace readiness, job exploration, secondary education exploration, and youth self-advocacy skills.
E. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Grant awardees will receive support as follows:
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SPECIAL EDUCATION PERFORMANCE GRANT 2016 – 2017 SCHOOL TO COMMUNITY-BASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT 1) Technical assistance provided by PaTTAN and Intermediate Unit Training and Consultation (TaC) System personnel. 2) Technical assistance and networking opportunities supporting: i. Initial grant application training on required grant elements; ii. PaTTAN and PDE trainings and/or meetings designed to provide support for funded project priorities; iii. Two (2) onsite visits with PaTTAN and Intermediate Unit TaC System staff; and iv. Other, as determined by the need of the grantee. III. BUDGET The funding available to each successful grant application is up to $40,000 (September, 2016 through July, 2017), in which the following terms apply. Equipment costs, clothing (except work uniforms – not streetwear), gift cards, food and entertainment are not an allowable expense. Supplies must be purchased prior to June 16, 2017.
IV. SUBMISSION Proposals must be received by 3:00 p.m. Friday, October 21, 2016. A single electronic submission of the application proposal and letters of agreement is preferred. Electronic submissions will only be accepted in Word (file extension .doc) or in Portable Document Format (file extension .pdf). Please send all electronic proposal submissions to [email protected]. Hard copy submissions may be addressed to: James Palmiero, Ed.D. Director PaTTAN Pittsburgh 3190 William Pitt Way Pittsburgh, PA 15238
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I. PURPOSE OF TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO COMMUNITYBASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Special Education is requesting proposals from Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and provider-based agencies partnering with LEAs that are interested in establishing or expanding effective, school-based career development programming efforts for transition from school to community- based competitive employment for students for the 2016-17 school year. The purpose of the Transition from School to Community-Based Competitive Employment Grant is to: 1) improve competitive employment outcomes for youth with disabilities through the implementation of effective, school-based career development programming; 2) utilize a person-centered planning process as an integral component of career development; 3) provide unpaid and paid work experiences, with job coaching as appropriate, for youth with disabilities with preference for students at-risk of dropping out and/or youth who have difficulty obtaining employment, independently; 4) establish sites that can serve as models for transition from school to community- based competitive employment for youth with disabilities; and 5) actively involve the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and county/communitybased organizations such as Behavioral Health Managed Care Organizations, Intellectual Disabilities Administrative Entities, Centers for Independent Living and other disabilityspecific support organizations during the implementation of the grant-related activities.
II.
APPLICATION CRITERIA AND GRANT PRIORITIES
A. ELIGIBILITY Local Education Agencies, including school districts, intermediate units, approved private schools and charter schools, as well as provider-based agencies partnering with LEAs are eligible to apply. Grant monies will be awarded to applicants that: 1) have the ability to partner with local business and 2) are establishing or have an established school-based career development program. The funding available for each successful grant applicant is up to $40,000.00, available September, 2016 through July, 2017.
B. ASSURANCES The grantee must agree to the following assurances to ensure quality and fidelity to the stated purposes of the grant. 1) Assurance that all activities and expenditures of funds conducted in association with the program are in direct compliance with the provisions of the funding authorities. 2) Assurance that the reporting requirement outlined in the application package will be submitted in a timely manner. 3) Assurance that program staff will participate in all required PaTTAN/PDE training and technical assistance activities. 1
SPECIAL EDUCATION PERFORMANCE GRANT 2016 – 2017 SCHOOL TO COMMUNITY-BASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT 4) Assurance that collaboration with appropriate partners to strengthen and extend impact will be a priority of the project. 5) Assurance that the Fair Labor Standards Act will be adhered to within the course of implementing the grant priorities. C. GRANT PRIORITIES The following essential program goals must be addressed in the grant application. 1) Identify students who will be targeted for this grant: Targeted students need to be identified as youth with disabilities who have a have a primary post-secondary goal of competitive employment upon exiting high school, with preference for: i. youth who are at risk of dropping-out of school and/or ii. youth who have difficulty obtaining employment, independently. 2) Implement an effective school-based career development program: The grantee must codify that either: i. a school-based career development program is currently in place and is being utilized to support transition planning for youth with disabilities or ii. a school-based career development program will be developed and utilized to support transition planning for youth with disabilities. As part of the process of implementing an effective, school-based career development program, the grantee must verify and ensure that the programming addresses the following: iii. vocational assessment; 1. including those that are pre-existing and/or 2. conducted within the grant period iv. career exploration; v. instruction in employability skills, including: 1. work place skills, 2. employability skills, and 3. organizational knowledge; vi. self-advocacy skill development; vii. community mapping, including: 1. identification of high-priority jobs with family sustaining wages, 2. job analysis, and 3. travel associated with community-based assessment and work experiences; viii. travel-related implications, including: 1. travel training for youth, 2. transportation to/from community-based assessment and communityintegrated work experiences, and 3. planning to support transportation acquisition by the end of the grant cycle; ix. unpaid and paid work experience with job coaching, as appropriate; and 2
SPECIAL EDUCATION PERFORMANCE GRANT 2016 – 2017 SCHOOL TO COMMUNITY-BASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT x. SSA benefits and work incentives planning assistance. Definition: School-based career development programming addresses the needs of youth prior to and during engagement in community-based competitive work experiences and is designed to ensure success in the workplace. Effective school-based programming includes assessment, career development and evidence based instruction in all skill domain areas across people, places and environments to promote: a) generalization of skills and independence on the job; b) effective communication and interaction with employers and colleagues; c) safe behavioral regulation in a variety of situations; and d) the tools to self-advocate to have needs met. 3) Utilize a person-centered planning process to inform career development: The grantee must utilize a person-centered planning model as part of the career development process. Preference will be given to be given to applicants currently utilizing or expressing a commitment to utilize an evidence-based, person-centered planning model such as Rehabilitation for Empowerment, Natural Supports, Education and Work (RENEW), PATH, or Discovery. Definition: The evidence-based person-centered planning model needs to be a strengthbased approach that addresses: a) self-determination; b) personal futures planning; c) unconditional care; d) family and other natural and community supports; and e) systematic support and consultation. 4) Engage family/caregivers as partners in transition planning: The grantee must engage family/caregivers as participants in the transition process through a variety of means including but not limited to the following, in which a partnership with Pennsylvania’s federally funded parent training center is established: i. utilization of the Secondary Transition Checklist; ii. utilization of www.secondarytransition.org; iii. utilization of resource materials specific to secondary transition for students with disabilities; and iv. training designed to strengthen the understanding of secondary transition and the requirements for competitive, community-integrated employment. 5) Engage relevant LEA personnel: The grantee must engage the following school-based personnel, as appropriate: i. career and technology education, ii. secondary transition coordinator, iii. school guidance counselor, and iv. general and special educators. 6) Engage agency and community partners in transition planning: The grantee must engage a local agency as appropriate, such as the OVR, County-Based Office of Mental Health, County-based Office of Intellectual Disabilities, in the development and implementation of the grant project. The grantee should include a letter of support from the local agency in its grant application. 7) Engage business in transition planning and implementation: The grantee must engage one or more business with the intent to support unpaid and/or paid work
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SPECIAL EDUCATION PERFORMANCE GRANT 2016 – 2017 SCHOOL TO COMMUNITY-BASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT experiences that will lead to community-based competitive employment for youth upon completion of high school, with preference given to the following: i. Community-based experiences for youth supported by the project that result in businesses providing youth with paid work experiences while the youth are still in school. 8) Collection of student data: The grantee must support each targeted youth’s development of a career portfolio representing the youth’s experience(s) and evidence of data collected during the grant period.
D. ADDITIONAL GRANT REQUIREMENTS Beyond the priorities delineated in section C, funded projects also must demonstrate a commitment to the following requirements through explicit objectives and/or activities reflected in the grant proposal. 1) Collect, share, and report efficacy and outcome data as directed by the funder. Instructional adjustments within the school and community-based settings must be based on progress monitoring and regular data analysis. 2) Submit bi-monthly reports and a summative annual report on specified activities and budget expenditures in a format to be provided. 3) Develop training and technical assistance plans to support staff, families/caregivers, agency, and partnering businesses. 4) Agree to serve as a model site for LEAs interested in refining their effective, schoolbased career development programs in support of transition from school to communitybased employment for youth with disabilities. 5) Contribute resources and materials to populate a virtual resource library on effective, school-based career development programing. 6) Agree to disseminate materials and effective programs/practices through publications and trainings as requested by PDE. 7) Agree to present project outcomes and lessons learned at the 2017 PDE Conference (March 8-10, 2017) and the 2017 Pennsylvania Community on Transition Conference (August 9-11, 2017). 8) The director of special education from the LEA agrees to attend a grantee meeting (date to be determined) to explore the possibility of engaging in an interagency agreement with OVR to address pre-employment services for eligible youth. Such pre-employment services can include job skills development, workplace readiness, job exploration, secondary education exploration, and youth self-advocacy skills.
E. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Grant awardees will receive support as follows:
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SPECIAL EDUCATION PERFORMANCE GRANT 2016 – 2017 SCHOOL TO COMMUNITY-BASED COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT GRANT 1) Technical assistance provided by PaTTAN and Intermediate Unit Training and Consultation (TaC) System personnel. 2) Technical assistance and networking opportunities supporting: i. Initial grant application training on required grant elements; ii. PaTTAN and PDE trainings and/or meetings designed to provide support for funded project priorities; iii. Two (2) onsite visits with PaTTAN and Intermediate Unit TaC System staff; and iv. Other, as determined by the need of the grantee. III. BUDGET The funding available to each successful grant application is up to $40,000 (September, 2016 through July, 2017), in which the following terms apply. Equipment costs, clothing (except work uniforms – not streetwear), gift cards, food and entertainment are not an allowable expense. Supplies must be purchased prior to June 16, 2017.
IV. SUBMISSION Proposals must be received by 3:00 p.m. Friday, October 21, 2016. A single electronic submission of the application proposal and letters of agreement is preferred. Electronic submissions will only be accepted in Word (file extension .doc) or in Portable Document Format (file extension .pdf). Please send all electronic proposal submissions to [email protected]. Hard copy submissions may be addressed to: James Palmiero, Ed.D. Director PaTTAN Pittsburgh 3190 William Pitt Way Pittsburgh, PA 15238
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