Section 75.630  Implementation Grants – Procedures and Content of Proposals

Implementation grants shall be offered in years when the level of available funding is such that one or more new partnerships may be funded or, for partnerships already funded, a new group of individuals may be supported in addition to the group of candidates already enrolled.

a)         When sufficient funding is available, the State Superintendent of Education shall issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) specifying the information that an applicant must include in its implementation proposal, informing an applicant of any bidders' conferences, and requiring that proposals be submitted no later than the date specified in the RFP. The RFP must provide at least 45 calendar days in which to submit proposals.

b)         Each proposal submitted in response to an RFP must include all of the following components:

1)         Descriptive information about each entity involved in the partnership, including the roles and responsibilities of each partner.

A)        The postsecondary institution must indicate specific information about the institution's success in facilitating internship programming that is credit-bearing for postsecondary students, particularly in areas serving each of the career pathways aligned to the ACTE cluster for Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources.

B)        The community-based organization or nonpublic educational entity must include its mission statement, organizational structure, and goals or policies regarding internships, adult learning, or agricultural education programs and services, including the applicant's existing competencies to provide agricultural internship programs, if applicable, and a list of any education-related accreditations that have been achieved.

2)         The goals and objectives of the partnership in ensuring a program that is successful and sustainable.

3)         A description of the need for the program, which must include all of the following:

A)        Information about the deficiencies and needs of current pre-service agricultural education teachers with respect to experiences, skills, and knowledge of each of the career pathways aligned to the ACTE cluster for Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources.

B)        Information about the agricultural industry careers that are identified as in-demand or upcoming for Illinois.

4)         A description of the program to be implemented, which must include all of the following information:

A)        The partnership's plans for recruiting and providing support to individuals enrolled in the program, including working with internship employers to ensure that the individuals are able to fully participate in the program.

B)        Strategies that will be employed to ensure that individuals enrolled in the program are adequately prepared to successfully progress through the program. These strategies must include, but are not limited to, assistance to ensure each intern understands and is able to conform with the employment conditions and expectations set forth by the employer and facilitate any reasonable accommodations needed to ensure intern success.

C)        Coursework and experiences needed to complete the program, which must include the length of the program and sample schedules.

D)        Identification of potential sites where agricultural internships will occur.

E)        Expectations for candidates' performance levels needed to continue their participation in the program.

F)         Considerations for the methods of program-related payments to be made, including to employers and interns, taxes, and insurance.

5)         A plan for evaluating the impact of the proposed program and activities, which shall correspond to the applicable specifications set forth in the RFP.

6)         Budget information that corresponds to the categories of allowable expenditures identified in the RFP, completed on the forms provided and detailing each line item of expenditure. The budget information shall cover the entire period of time during which the proposed group of candidates is expected to participate in the internship program.

A)        Applicants must demonstrate that grant funds will supplement and not supplant amounts typically devoted by the institution of higher education to, and other resources available for, assisting teacher candidates.

B)        If necessary due to the budget exceeding grant funds available, applicants must describe the steps that will be taken, if any, to secure additional financial support for the partnership and its program over a period of time.

7)         Any certifications and assurances the State Superintendent of Education may require.

(Source:  Added at 44 Ill. Reg. 14770, effective August 27, 2020)