Section 269.60  Criteria for the Review of Applications

Applications for grants will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:

a)         Need (20 points) A summary of the program’s needs is included within the proposal that includes the process used with the community to determine the need for the project, the availability of resources for the project, and the data used to determine the need.

b)         Quality of the Plan (20 points)

1)         The proposed activities are expected to improve student academic achievement as well as overall student success.

2)         The proposed activities are research-based and provide a multicultural curriculum for disenfranchised communities, expand the teaching of African American history, develop leadership skills, and provide an understanding of the tenets of the civil rights movement.

3)         The proposal contains details on how positive discipline practices, including restorative justice practices, will be instituted.

4)         The proposal contains details on how students will have access to mentors.

c)         Capacity (30 points) The proposal contains:

1)         A detailed plan of civic engagement activities that will occur during the program.

2)         Detailed information on how teachers in Freedom Schools program will be recruited and retained.

3)         Evidence that teachers will be trained to provide high-quality teaching that includes a curriculum that is engaging, culturally relevant, and challenging.

4)         An explanation of how teachers in the Freedom Schools program will have access to summer jobs and teaching experiences that serve as a long-term pipeline to educational careers.

5)         A detailed plan that centers around the goal of supporting family well-being and children’s development.

6)         A plan on how students will be recruited and retained.

7)         A description of how the proposed activities are likely to contribute to the achievement of program goals and objectives, including a realistic timeline, and of how the proposed activities correlate to the proposed budget. The proposal demonstrates the organizational capacity to fulfill the requirements of the grant and provide adequate support for the program.

8)         A budget and budget detail that is relevant to the number of students served.

9)         Previous experience or capacity that demonstrates the ability to provide educational and related activities that will complement and enhance the academic performance, achievement, and positive youth development of the students to be served.

10)       Evidence that the applicant has the experience or capacity to provide wrap-around supports and opportunities to students and families.

11)       Evidence that program leadership will be inclusive.

d)         Evaluation (10 points) The proposal has a detailed evaluation plan that includes pre-assessment and post-assessment administration. Evaluation methods include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data.