Section 260.120  Application Procedures and Content

a)         When an allocation for professional development grants is made available pursuant to Section 260.100(a) of this Part, the State Superintendent of Education shall issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) specifying the information that applicants shall include in their proposals, informing applicants of any bidders' conferences, and requiring that proposals be submitted no later than the date specified in the RFP.  The RFP shall provide at least 45 calendar days in which to submit proposals.

b)         It is the intention of the State Board of Education to approve Reading Improvement Professional Development Grants for no more than a three-year period.  Each RFP will indicate whether the grant will be funded for one, two or three years.  Funding in each subsequent year is subject to a sufficient appropriation for the program and satisfactory progress of the grantee in the previous grant period. (See Section 260.140 of this Part.)

c)         Each RFP shall indicate the descriptive information that initial applicants will be required to provide about their proposed programs.  For the purposes of this Subpart B, initial applicants are those that did not receive funding under this Subpart in the year previous to an application or that are completing the last year in a funding cycle.  The proposal description shall include:

1)         evidence of the applicant's need for the professional development (e.g., reading achievement data, rationale for targeting specific grade levels or schools, current availability of and access to other professional development opportunities);

2)         the criteria for identifying participants to receive the professional development;

3)         a list of the activities and services to be provided and how those will improve reading instruction;

4)         evidence of commitment of the school staff in implementing or continuing the reading program that was the focus of the professional development;

5)         a description of the strategies to be employed for participating staff to share their knowledge with other staff in the school; and

6)         the data to be collected and methods to be used to determine the success of the professional development program on improving reading instruction and student achievement in reading.

d)         The RFP shall require completion of a budget summary and payment schedule as well as a budget breakdown, i.e., a detailed explanation of each line item of expenditure.

e)         Each RFP shall identify any area or areas of high priority for the funding cycle.

f)         Each RFP shall include certifications, assurances and program-specific terms of the grant, as the State Board of Education may require, to be signed by the applicant that is a party to the application and submitted with the proposal. 

g)         Applicants may be requested to clarify various aspects of their proposals.  The contents of the approved proposal, containing the materials submitted under subsections (c), (d) and (f) of this Section, shall be incorporated into a grant agreement to be signed by the State Superintendent or designee and the superintendent of the school district or, in the case of other eligible applicants, by the authorized official.

(Source:  Added at 33 Ill. Reg. 4031, effective February 23, 2009)