An evaluation of responses to the pre-qualification survey suggests that this organization has sufficient access to data and has the ability to report on student characteristics and program outcomes. Therefore, AT&T invites the organization to respond to the Aspire Local High School Impact Initiative RFP. Please carefully review the following information prior to beginning the RFP response using the link provided in the invitation email. Section 3: Proposal Submission & Requirements Proposals will only be accepted using the online application process. Faxed copies of the proposal will not be accepted. However, the required supporting documentation described in Section 3.4 below should be faxed using the appropriate cover sheet(s) available for download in the online application. REMINDER: All proposals must be submitted to AT&T by 5:00 p.m. CT on the due date specified in the invitation email. 3.1 Elements of the Online Application All proposals will conform to the online application format as follows: 3.1.1. Organization Information Provide the Employer Identification Number (EIN) Organization s legal name, organization s primary contact (leadership) and the development contact along with appropriate information (phone, fax, email, and web address), etc. if applicable. 3.1.2. Project Summary Provide a brief summary of your proposed project/program. (Example: To support an innovative Advisory program designed to improve graduation rates and academic performance for incoming freshman at USA High School.) 3.1.3. Project Cost Provide the projected total cost of the proposed project for entire funding period. 3.1.4. Amount of Request from AT&T Provide the total amount of funding that you are requesting from AT&T. (May not exceed $300,000) 3.1.5. Other Funding Sources Describe other sources of funding that are, or will, be secured to support the proposed project. P a g e 1
3.1.6 Organization s Mission Provide a brief description of your organization s mission and history including any special recognition or honors the organization has received. 3.1.7. Project Description Provide a full description of your proposed program, including the needs it addresses and the services that will be provided, incorporating the information requested in the list below: Evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed project/program in improving student outcomes. This can include independent, objective evaluations commissioned by your program or another organization. Information on the students who will be served, their numbers and characteristics, the means of diagnosing their individual needs, and specific strategies that will be deployed to respond to these needs. Demonstrate that the project has the full support of participants, such as teachers, administrators, etc. Area(s) of Emphasis: The Project Description should integrate the components of the different program emphasis areas as described in Section 2 of the RFP. Evidence for each of your selected area(s) of interest should be incorporated into this narrative. Provide a description and justification of the area(s) of interest, as well as the specification intervention classifications and their related strategies (or, other strategies employed by your program). 3.1.8. Publicity Plan Describe how the organization plans to announce and promote the proposed program to gain the cooperation and participation key stakeholders. Marketing/publicity plans should include regular opportunities to inform the community about your program and how it successfully meets the objectives of this grant program. Any attribution to AT&T or AT&T Foundation funding must be reviewed and approved by AT&T. 3.1.9. Sustainability Program Plan Describe the plan(s) that your organization will employ to sustain the program beyond the term of this contribution. 3.1.10. Evaluation Plan AT&T has a strong interest in supporting programs that use data effectively to strengthen program operations and improve outcomes. Please describe your corporation s current capacity to collect and use data to conduct research or P a g e 2
evaluations, as well as any planned enhancements that will be in place during the period of AT&T funding, to provide reliable, student-level data on the following items: The at-risk characteristics of the students you serve, including, for example, whether they have repeated a grade, failed core courses, have reading or math scores that are significantly below grade level, have had significant attendance problems over a sustained period, and/or have behavioral and disciplinary problems. The intensity and duration of students active participation in the program, such as the number of weeks or months of their participation, the number of hours per week or month of their participation, and a brief description of the types of services they receive. Key outcomes measures, including high school graduation, on-time promotion to the next grade, completion of core courses and credit accumulation, improved grades and test scores, improved attendance, and reduced behavioral and disciplinary problems. (Include the extent to which you are able to provide these data for students who have left your program but remain in the same high school or school district.) AT&T understands that it may not be possible to provide data on all of the elements listed; however, the capacity of programs to produce data will be an important factor in assessing applications for funding. The proposal should indicate the elements for which the organization can (or will be) able to provide reliable data, the timing and format of the data s availability, the source of the data, and the relationship that the program has with the provider of the data to ensure continued availability in a timely manner. Describe the measurements and methodology you will use to evaluate both the implementation of your program in terms of level or intensity, and measureable student outcomes expected to be impacted by participation. 3.1.11. Project Measurements/Outcomes Describe the anticipated outcomes for students served by this program during funding period (2012/14) and the key measures you will use to demonstrate those outcomes (Example: More than 80% of USA high school freshman served by this program will progress to the next grade level. We will track this outcome using student record data on credit accumulation and GPA.) 3.1.12. Description of Clients Served For the student population served by your program, provide the percentages of White, African-American, Native American, Asian, Hispanic or Other minority, their age percentages (Children, Teens, Mixed-Ages) and the percentage that are P a g e 3
Disabled or Low Income. Also describe the percentage of students you serve living in Rural, Urban Cluster or Metro areas. 3.1.13. Organization Financial Data Provide revenue, expenses, assets and liability figures for the preceding three years. 3.4 Required Documentation to Accompany the Online Application While faxed copies of the proposal will not be accepted, the required supporting documentation described here must be faxed using the appropriate cover sheet(s) available for download in the online application. Signed Cover Letter (click here for template). The signed cover letter should contain the following information: 1. Name and address of applicant, 2. Name and contact information for person authorized to commit organization to the terms of the contribution, 3. Statement of agreement to cooperate with any third party evaluator retained by AT&T to analyze the data provided by the applicant, 4. Statement that the applicant will not use funds for services covered by e- rate discounts, if applicable, and 5. Assurances pertaining to the ability to collect the student-level data required for this grant. (If the applicant is not directly affiliated with a school district (e.g., a university center or a non-profit service organization), please provide letters of commitment from participating school districts that indicate your ability to provide the student-level records required for this grant program. Evidence of government instrumentality or an Internal Revenue Service determination letter stating that the applicant is a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that it is not a private foundation under Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. Please ensure that your evidence of government instrumentality or tax determination letter is valid (i.e. expired IRS Advance Ruling letters are not acceptable). A list of the current board of directors/trustees and their corporate affiliations. Include this information in the requested Appended Documents using appropriate fax cover sheet. Line item budget (click here for template) and budget narrative. Clearly describe your project budget, providing a short but thorough narrative that explains the background of the budget items. List, by funder and amount all other funding sources for this project. Line item budget that are not submitted using the template provided will not be accepted. P a g e 4
Project implementation timeline. The timeline should include a descriptive plan showing implementation activities, key milestones and dates. Describe what steps and strategies you will employ to achieve your program s goals. For instance, if your program implements a student advisory program that is designed to keep students on track to graduate high school, one mechanism through which this will occur is by the assignment of an adult on campus to monitor their students overall academic progress, and coordinate any types of interventions or academic services that may be available. Audited financials for the previous three years. Audited financials should detail revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, and overhead (fundraising, administrative, and facility costs). If application is being submitted using a fiscal agent, financial for the fiscal agent must be provided in addition to those of the requesting organization. Other documents may be requested. A signed letter(s) of support from key administrators, such as the principal or head of the school and/or the school superintendent. IMPORTANT: Please review the application for completeness prior to submission to AT&T. All sections must be complete and all accompanying documentation must be faxed using the approved cover sheet as requested. To ensure applicants submit the requisite documents for the RFP, please use the document checklist here. 3.5 Review and Funding Process All invited, qualified proposals will be considered by a review panel and evaluated on the criteria defined within the RFP guidelines. Grantees will be notified of funding decisions on or before June 30, 2012. 3.6 Report of Project Results Organizations awarded funding under this RFP program will be required to submit status reports on a periodic basis. Report methodology will be communicated to awardees at a later date. 3.7 Grantee Obligations and Deliverables Should funding be awarded as a result of this RFP, Applicant(s) will be expected to sign a Contribution Agreement and must also agree to do the following: Provide an approved plan for implementing the program. Submit a brief report on implementation status on a per semester basis. Attend status conference calls with AT&T or AT&T s designated evaluator upon request. Alert AT&T to implementation problems related to the program. P a g e 5
Provide student-level data for the current program year and two prior years, as well as appropriate comparison (non-participant data) as defined in the datasharing agreement (DSA; click here for Sample DSA). Submit a final report at the conclusion funding period. Understand that the award may be suspended or revoked if reporting is not conducted in a timely manner, or program implementation significantly deviates from the approved plan. P a g e 6