363 Availability of Workforce Investment Act, Title II, Section 223 funds for State leadership activities for July 1, 2005--June 30, 2006

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Availability of Workforce Investment Act, Title II, Section 223 Funds for State Leadership Activities for July 1, 2005--June 30, 2006

[35 Pa.B. 1437]

   I.  Authorization

   The Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (Bureau) is releasing these priorities based on knowledge as of this date.

   A.  Title II of The Workforce Investment Act of 1998, The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, provides funds to local eligible provider agencies through the Department of Education (Department) for the establishment of adult education and family literacy programs that will:

   1.  Assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency.

   2.  Assist adults who are parents to obtain the educational skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children.

   3.  Assist adults in the completion of a secondary school education.

   B.  Eligible applicants include local education agencies and public or private nonprofit agencies, organizations and institutions.

   Consistent with the purpose of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act for Program Year 2005-06, the Department will give primary consideration to programs for the educationally disadvantaged.

   The Federal share of a grant will be 75% of the total cost of the program. The applicant must provide 25% match of the total cost of the program. The local match may be in kind. Other Federal funds may not be used for the local match unless specifically identified as eligible for use as matching funds.

   C.  Restrictions placed upon the Department by the United States Department of Education on the administration of the grant include:

   1.  Not more than 12.5% of the State's allotment shall be used for State Leadership Activities.

   2.  Not more than 5% of a local applicant's grant may be used for administrative costs, unless the Bureau approves a higher percent in advance.

   II.  Application Procedures and Program Guidelines

   A letter of intent is due at the Bureau by March 11, 2005. The letter of intent should be a one-paragraph description of the proposed project. Applications for State Leadership funds must be completed online and submitted by means of the e-grant website at egrants.ed.state.pa.us to the Bureau. Instructions and the application guidelines are available on the Bureau website at www.paadulted.org and the e-grant sites. Faxes will not be accepted.

   Note:  The Bureau reserves the right to consider proposals received after the deadline, and if appropriate, to approve them if and when funds become available.

   III.  Funds for State Leadership Activities are Made Available under section 223(a)(2) for One or More of the Following Activities.

   Specific priorities that support these activities for Program Year 2005-2006 as follows.

   1.  The establishment or operation of professional development programs to improve the quality of instruction provided under local activities required under section 231(b).

   2.  The provision of technology assistance, including staff training, to eligible providers of adult education and literacy activities to enable the eligible providers to improve the quality of the activities.

   3.  The support of State or regional networks of literacy resource centers.

   4.  The monitoring and evaluation of the quality of, and improvement in, adult education and literacy activities.

   5.  Incentives for program coordination and integration and performance awards.

   6.  Developing and disseminating curricula.

   7.  Other activities of Statewide significance that promote the purpose of this title.

   8.  Coordination with existing support services, such as transportation, childcare and other assistance designed to increase rates of enrollment in, and successful completion of, adult education and literacy activities to adults enrolled in the activities.

   9.  Integration of literacy instruction and occupational skills training and promoting linkages with employers.

   10.  Linkages with postsecondary educational institutions.

Specific Priorities--State Leadership 2005-2006

   This program year, the professional development system is under analysis by a third-party evaluator. As a result, the Bureau is continuing many of the existing priorities under a 1-year extension of the current contract, with modifications to some funding amounts. Funding for the six regional professional development centers will also be continued with a 1-year extension. Only one new priority is being offered for bid. Read the specifications and participate in the bidders' conference.

   The bidder's conference will be a videoconference on March 2, 2005, at 11 a.m. The six regional professional development centers (PDC) have identified locations where this meeting can be downloaded. Contact a local PDC or the Bureau, [phone].

   1.  Communications for Professional Development--Continued

   The successful applicant will provide support for the design and/or publication of the Bureau's newsletters, reports, handbooks and brochures as needed. The project will direct and provide systematic communication and coordination for the Bureau, PDCs and professional development projects. Specifically, this project will support Bureau communication by providing:

   *  Quarterly publication of Fieldnews.

   *  Annual production of ABLE Provider Directory and Annual Report.

   *  Annual update of ABLE Pages.

   *  Maintenance of the Bureau website.

   *  Assistance for PDC publications and websites.

   *  Support for Bureau-related websites.

   *  Annual publication of Success Story and APEX Booklet.

   2.  Support of Adult Education Professional Development--Continued

   The successful applicant will be responsible for administration, fiscal management and support of Statewide adult basic education professional development activities and other Department activities to include provision for support of State Leadership requirements and initiatives under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, support of various adult basic and literacy conference activities, support of Act 42 Council activities and provision of honoraria for presenters at State-sponsored activities.

   3.  Supports for Bureau Workforce Coalitions--Continued

   The successful applicant will provide technical assistance to Bureau coalitions, building on activities begun in the Planning for Change project funded in 2001-02. Grantees will guide and support adult education coalitions in attaining regional workforce development goals, including increased/improved communication with regional Workforce Investment Boards and CareerLink Centers and the development, implementation and monitoring of an Adult Education Coalition Workforce Plan. The project applicant will provide support to all Statewide coalitions.

   4.  Training--Continued

   The successful applicant will work with the Bureau to coordinate the maintenance of existing expertise and existing training opportunities in areas including, but not limited to, assessment and instruction in learning differences, technology, ESL, workforce, reading, writing and numeracy. All training will be referenced to scientific or evidence-based research. All training sessions will include a briefing packet for dissemination of information to participant's agency upon return. Each training registration in E-campus will identify observable or measurable outcomes.

   Activities in this project should build on the expertise that has been developed in this Commonwealth in the specific areas being addressed. The project must show the capacity to have lead trainers to provide support to PDC trainers when necessary, the ability to provide training when appropriate and the intent to respond to various Bureau requests.

   A goal of this priority will be to identify, with input from the professional development system staff and the ABLE Administrator's group, the training modules--formally known as CORE modules--that are no longer in demand and to retire those modules to the State literacy resource center. Bureau staff will have final approval.

   No funding in this priority is to be used for the development of new training activities without Bureau approval.

   5.  Statewide Technology Support for Administrative Activities--Continued

   The successful applicant for this ongoing initiative will strengthen the Bureau's ability to collect accurate data on agencies' educational services and on Statewide professional development activities. This project will insure high-quality agency data submission through interim and final data checks. This project will provide agency staff members with necessary training and technical assistance to use technology for administrative activities, especially data management. This training and support will be provided through working with and building capacity among PDC staff, if appropriate. The training and support will be provided directly by the project staff, when appropriate. The project will maintain the current electronic databases and registration system for agency and professional development activities. It will facilitate the reporting of Act 48 hours. It will also provide professional development center staff members with necessary training and technical assistance to use technology for tracking professional development activities, enabling PDCs to collect and report data for the Bureau's Professional Development System. No funding in this priority is to be used for the development of new training activities without Bureau approval.

   6.  State Literacy Resource Center--Continued

   The successful applicant will maintain a clearinghouse of adult basic education materials and resources for learners and educators in this Commonwealth. The recipient will be responsible for collecting final reports, monographs or other materials from recently funded Bureau projects to establish a comprehensive collection of Pennsylvania publications. There will be close coordination with the Bureau website. The State Literacy Center website will include research citing evidence-based practices and recent publications of interest to adult basic education and family literacy practitioners. Dissemination of hard copies to meet requests from the field will also be a responsibility of the grantee.

   7.  Analysis of Professional Development System--Continued

   The successful applicant will work with the Bureau to design and conduct an evaluation of the current Bureau professional development system and recommend the inclusion of the Family Literacy Training System, Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth, Distance and Literacy Corps training into the existing professional development system that is managed through the Bureau's Division of Special Programs and Projects.

   8.  Development of Specific Training Topics--NEW--Up to a Total of $75,000 for All Topics (can be bid separately or together)

   A.  Train teachers for high-intensity instruction with welfare clients.

   *  Successful applicant must bring all partners together for planning. This project is a collaboration between the Department of Public Welfare, the Bureau and local adult education provider agencies in designated areas of need. Training may begin as small group regional training or large institute models; however, support for teachers must be sustained through a network of teachers, welfare staff and the Bureau. Networking and training may also be a combination of face-to-face, online or distance strategies.

   *  Accommodate in these trainings all of the grantees that are awarded special funds to work with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families clients.

   *  Include the integration of Workplace Foundation Skills in curriculum.

   *  Demonstrate experience or extensive research in intensive instructional models.

   *  Demonstrate experience or extensive research in instructional programming for welfare clients.

   *  Include at least one PDC staff member from each region, so that local reinforcement is available, if needed.

   *  Development to be completed by August 31, 2005. Training available by September 1, 2005.

   *  Design training for both teachers and administrators.

   B.  Develop strategies for teachers, counselors, administrators and adult basic education students to promote greater success as students transition into higher education or job training.

   *  Successful applicant must work with existing group of Bureau-funded agencies that are already in various stages of support for transitioning students. Support this existing group as its agencies formalize their system and develop their expertise, so that they can mentor other Bureau-funded providers who want to assist students in transition.

   *  Support the creation of local networks through which training can occur. The training and support model will provide replicable, local, face-to-face training that builds capacity with local partners. This training will address the specific needs of adult basic education students as they transition into work, higher education or career training.

   *  Training will address the schema that needs to be developed by students for successful transition and by adult education providers for assisting the transition period by building formalized systems within their agencies.

   *  Training will address student supports that could be put into place in various locations.

   *  Successful bidder will work closely with Bureau staff on the development of this project.

   C.  Develop online training for new administrators.

   *  This training will be coordinated with the existing New Teacher and Family Literacy Administrator online training.

   *  The Bureau staff will approve content.

   *  Training will be aligned with the PA Adult Administrator Competencies.

   *  Online trainers will be in place to support this course.

   *  Training will be available to new administrators as needed.

FRANCIS V. BARNES, Ph.D.,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 05-363. Filed for public inspection February 25, 2005, 9:00 a.m.]