**Slide 1:**

**Teaching American History Grant Program (TAH)**

FY 2009

Pre-Application Workshop

**Slide 2:**

**How Did We Get Here?**

The Teaching American History (TAH) program is a professional
development program for K-12 history teachers. TAH is designed to raise
student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge, understanding, and
appreciation for traditional American History. Senator Robert Byrd (D,
West Virginia) strongly felt that American history should be taught as a
separate subject, apart from social studies. He was also concerned that
students did not have an adequate knowledge or appreciation for American
history and the great accomplishments of our Founding Fathers.

In addition, Research has shown that many students lack basic knowledge
of American history. In an effort to correct this situation, the
Teaching American History program was initiated in 2001.

**Slide 3:**

**Statutory Highlights TAH**

Title II, Part C, Subpart 4 of the

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended by the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001

-   Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) may apply

-   Should provide services to teachers only, not students

-   Should focus on traditional American history as defined in the
    statute

-   3 to 5 year Grants

-   Yearly Grant Competitions

-   Must address one Absolute Priority

-   Only one TAH grant is awarded for each LEA each year

http://www.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory/index.html

**Slide 4:**

**Absolute Priority**

All applicants MUST address the Absolute Priority.

Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that are
considered LEAs under State laws, working in partnership with one or
more of the following entities:

-   An institution of higher education

-   A non-profit history or humanities organization

-   A library or museum

**Slide 5: **

**What's NEW for TAH in 2009?**

-   New Selection Criterion (Need for Project)

-   New GPRA Performance Measures

**Slide 6:**

**Program Goal**

To raise student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge,
understanding and appreciation for [traditional American
history]{.underline}.

**Slide 7:**

**What is traditional American history?**

The term traditional American history includes the significant issues,
episodes, and turning points in the history of the United States. It
includes how the words and deeds of individuals have determined the
course of our Nation and how the principles of freedom and democracy
articulated in the founding documents of this Nation have shaped
America\'s struggles and achievements and its social, political, and
legal institutions and relations.

**Slide 8:**

**Services Provided under TAH**

-   High-quality in-service or pre-service professional development
    activities to improve American history content knowledge

-   Collaboration among other teachers and history experts

-   Summer institutes and summer immersion activities

-   Historical field experiences

-   Teacher mentoring and coaching

**Slide 9:**

**Who is Eligible to Receive a TAH Grant?**

-   Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that
    are considered LEAs under State laws

-   A consortium of LEAs

(LEAs forming a consortia must submit letters of participation support
from each participating LEA.)

**Slide 10:**

**Who May Participate in a TAH Grant?**

-   Must be a history teacher with the LEA or consortium of LEAs
    participating in the TAH grant

-   May be studying to be a teacher

-   May be a private school teacher; however, grant will not provide any
    direct services to the private school

**Slide 11:**

**Past TAH Competitions**

-   2007

-   Applications Received: 326

-   Applications Reviewed: 288

-   Applications Funded: 122

-   First time funded: 57

2008

-   Applications Received: 344

-   Applications Reviewed: 303

-   Applications Funded: 121

-   First time funded: 54

-   5-year Awards: 75

**Slide 12:**

**Application Process**

-   Submit application using Grants.gov

-   Prescreening

-   A panel of 3 non-federal reviewers will evaluate the application

-   The panel will prepare a review of the application and assign points
    to each selection criterion. The highest score an application may
    receive is 110

**Slide 13:**

**Application Process**

-   Final scores are standardized and placed on a funding slate with
    scores in order highest to lowest

-   Applications are awarded down the funding slate until all funds are
    used.

-   All awards are funded for 3 to 5 years.

-   TAH has the authority not to fund previous applicants based on past
    performance and compliance (34 CFR 75.217 (d)(3)(ii) and (iii))

**Slide 14:**

**Selection Criteria Maximum Points**

Project Quality 45

Evaluation 25

Need for Project 15

Management Plan 15

Competitive Preference Priority 10

Maximum Total 110

**Slide 15:**

**Project Quality**\
**Maximum 45 Points**

**Slide 16:**

**Project Quality**

-   Has highest value and is considered central to the a TAH application

-   Applicant should describe, in detail, the applicant's plan to
    deliver high quality American history content to project
    participants

-   Applicant should list and discuss the historical content periods
    being covered and the format used to cover the content

-   Content delivered should focus on traditional American history as
    described in the [Federal Register]{.underline}

**Slide 17:**

**Project Quality**

-   Plan should foster the teaching of American history as a separate
    academic subject

-   American history content should be delivered by highly qualified
    history professionals

-   Applicant should have solid relationships with high qualified
    historical partners

-   Applicant should provide clear, concise and measurable objectives
    that explain what the project will do to support the overall goal of
    the TAH program

**Slide 18:**

**Evaluation\
Maximum 25 Points**

**Slide 19:**

**Why is EVALUATION so important?**

-   Helps to measure program progress

-   Allows you to report that progress easily and quantitatively

-   Provides an outside perspective or your project

-   Allows ED to gather evidence of program effectiveness

**Slide 20:**

**Evaluation**

-   Evaluations are vital in proving that a program is effective and
    worthy of federal funding

-   Applicant should provide a clear description and discussion of its
    evaluation design

-   Evaluation plan should identify an evaluator and provide his/her
    qualifications

-   Evaluation plan should identify what data will be collected, when it
    will be collected and what methods will be used for collection

**Slide 21:**

**Evaluation**

-   Evaluation plan should include objectives that provide qualitative
    and quantitative results

-   Objectives should include benchmarks to monitor progress toward
    stated goals

-   Project objectives and activities should align with TAH Performance
    Measures

**Slide 22:**

**Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA)**

-   Holds ALL federal agencies accountable for using resources wisely
    and for program results

-   ALL federal agencies must prepare strategic plans to address what
    each program's goals are and how well they are meeting those goals

-   ALL applicants must address both TAH GPRA Performance Measures

**Slide 23:**

**2009 TAH GPRA Performance Measures**

1\) The average percentage change in the scores (on a pre-post
assessment of American history) of participants who complete at least 75
percent of the professional development hours offered by the project.
The assessment will be aligned with the content provided by the TAH
project, and at least 50 percent of its questions will come from a
validated test of American history; and

2\) The percentage of TAH participants who complete 75 percent or more
of the total hours of professional development offered.  

Grantees will be expected to provide data on the two measures.

**Slide 24:**

**Need for Project\
Maximum 15 Points**

**Slide 25:**

**Need for Project**

-   Applicant should provide facts/data that support a clear need for a
    TAH project in the targeted LEA(s)

-   Applicant should discuss the number of history teachers in the
    LEA(s) and their qualifications, or the lack there of

-   Applicant should discuss the history professional development
    currently being offered at the LEA(s) and student performance in
    history

-   Applicant should discuss how the TAH project will help improve
    teachers' ability to teach American history effectively

**Slide 26:**

**Management Plan\
Maximum 15 Points**

**Slide 27:**

**Management Plan**

-   The management plan serves as a blue print of how the TAH project
    will operate

-   Applicants should propose a project period for the TAH grant (3 to 5
    years)

-   Management plan should discuss project activities and how each
    activity relates to project objectives

**Slide 28:**

**Management Plan**

-   Management plan should provide timelines of project activities and
    the staff person responsible for their completion

-   Management plan should include job description, responsibilities and
    time commitments for project director and all key personnel

-   Management plan should show that project costs are reasonable and
    necessary to complete all project activities and services provided

**Slide 29:**

**Competitive Preference Priority (CPP)\
Maximum 10 Points**

**Slide 30:**

**CPP**

-   CPP represents Department-wide goals and objectives

-   CPP is optional for applicants and not required for TAH funding

-   Applicants that elect to apply for the CPP may receive up to 10
    additional points

-   CPP should be properly labeled in order to receive points

-   CPP should be found in front of the Program Narrative along with the
    response to the Absolute Priority

**Slide 31:**

**Schools Districts with Schools in Need of Improvement Corrective
Action, or Restructuring**

Projects that help school districts implement academic and structural
interventions in schools that have been identified for improvement,
corrective action, or restructuring under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

**Slide 32:**

**CPP Definitions**

-   What causes a school to enter school improvement status?

A school that does not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), as defined
by the State's accountability system for two (2) consecutive years, as
AYP is defined by the State's accountability system, must be identified
for school improvement.

-   What purpose is served by identifying a school for improvement?

Identifying a school for improvement serves as a formal acknowledgement
that the school is not meeting the challenge of successfully teaching
all of its students. The identification marks the beginning of the
school improvement process, a set of structured interventions designed
to help a school identify, analyze, and address issues that prevent
student academic success. The SEA and LEA will provide a school that is
identified for improvement with extensive support and technical
assistance in designing and implementing a plan to improve student
achievement.

**Slide 33:**

**CPP Definitions**

-   What is corrective action?

Corrective action is a significant intervention in a school that is
designed to remedy the school's persistent inability to make adequate
progress toward all students becoming proficient in reading and
mathematics.

-   What causes a school to be identified for corrective action?

If a school that receives Title I, Part A funds does not achieve its
annual progress targets for four years, the LEA must identify the school
for corrective action.

**Slide 34:**

**CPP Definitions**

-   What is restructuring?

A school that misses its annual achievement targets for five (5) or more
years is identified for restructuring. If a school does not make AYP for
five years, the LEA must create a plan to restructure the school. If the
school does not make AYP for six years, the LEA must implement this
plan. Generally speaking, under NCLB when a school is in *restructuring*
status, the LEA must take intensive and far-reaching interventions to
revamp completely the operation and governance of that school.
Restructuring means a major reorganization of a school's governance
structure arrangement by that LEA.

-   What causes a school to be identified for restructuring?

A school is identified for restructuring if it does not make AYP after
one school year of corrective action.

**Slide 35:**

**CPP**

-   Applicant should first identify and list schools to be served that
    meet one or more of the criteria under the CPP

-   Applicant should discuss how each school meets one or more of the
    criteria under the CPP

-   Applicant should discuss how they will assess the history content
    needs of the above listed schools and their plan to meet those needs

-   Applicant should include how they will recruit history teachers from
    the above listed schools

**Slide 36:**

**3 to 5 year Budget Awards**

-   All successful applicants will receive 3 years of TAH funding, up
    front

-   If the applicant chooses, the applicant may request up to an
    additional 24 months of funding

-   If the applicant requests the additional funding they must submit a
    524 form for all years

-   Additional funding years are awarded as continuation and are subject
    to available grant funds and substantial progress made by the
    applicant

**Slide 37:**

**Budget**

-   Applicant may apply for a 3, 4, or 5 year grant and should identify
    which they are applying for

-   For each year of the requested period, applicant will submit a plan
    for grant activities and detailed budget narrative.

-   If applicant is applying for the full 60-month period, the amounts
    requested per year for years 4 and 5 should be comparable to the
    amounts requested per year for years 1-3.

**Slide 38:**

**Budget**

-   Applicant should complete one budget summary form using Form 524 for
    all budget years requested

-   Budget summaries and Budget narratives should be attached to the
    Budget Narrative Form

-   All costs must be reasonable and necessary to complete project
    activities and meet project objectives

**Slide 39:**

**So, How Much Can I Get? (For a 3-year grant)**

-   \$500,000 for LEAs with enrollments less than 20,000 students;

-   \$1,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments of 20,000 - 300,000 students;
    and

-   \$2,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments above 300,000 students

-   LEAs may form consortia and combine their enrollments in order to
    receive a grant reflective of their combined enrollment.

**Slide 40:**

**Allowable/Unallowable Costs**

All project costs must meet the following criteria:

Allowable- either permitted or not specifically prohibited

Allocable- necessary for project success

Reasonable- costs that would be incurred by any prudent person

**Slide 41:**

**Allowable Costs (examples)**

-   Transportation, meals, and lodging for project participants in
    approved activities

-   Purchase of participant testing materials

-   Consultants or contractors to provide professional development
    activities

**Slide 42:**

**Allowable Costs (examples)**

-   Tuition and stipends for project participants

-   Substitute teachers

-   Rental space for project activities and events

-   Travel to history conferences, but not EVERYONE

**Slide 43:**

**Unallowable Costs (examples)**

-   Rental of building space to house TAH project

-   Construction, renovation, or remodeling of any facilities

-   Technology purchases that are not directly related to administering
    the grant

-   Computers/laptops for teachers to own

-   Ipods and digital cameras for teachers to own

-   Student activities

-   General office equipment

**Slide 44:**

**Indirect Costs**

LEAs may charge indirect costs, which are a percentage of the total
grant.

-   To establish an Indirect cost rate, LEA must obtain an Indirect Cost
    Rage Agreement from its cognizant agent.

-   Partners may charge indirect costs but should those should be
    addressed in the partner contract.

-   Applicant should submit a copy of its approved indirect cost rate
    agreement with its application.

ED's Indirect Cost Group Office
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/fipao/icgindex.html

**Slide 45:**

**Indirect Cost**

Indirect costs are any costs incurred that may not be directly
attributable to the project, such as:

-   Utilities

-   Maintenance fees

-   Rent

-   Internet Fees

**Slide 46:**

**General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (GEPA - Section 427)**

-   Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-382)

-   All applicants seeking federal funding must submit a GEPA statement

-   Applicant must identify one or more of the Six (6) types of barriers
    that may prevent participation in this grant and how they will
    overcome the barrier(s)

> --Race
>
> --Gender
>
> --National Origin
>
> --Color
>
> --Disability
>
> --Age

**Slide 47:**

**General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (GEPA - Section 427)**

-   Carefully read the instructions included in the application package

-   Include GEPA statement in the Table of Contents

-   Must be presented as a separate narrative

-   Must be succinct, clearly identifiable, and brief

**Slide 48:**

**Formatting**

-   Include a Table of Contents

-   Only use one side of each 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper

-   Double space all text in the narrative

-   Single spacing of text in charts, graphs, and tables is acceptable

-   1 inch margin for top, bottom, and sides of narrative

-   Use no less than a 12 point font

-   Preferred fonts:

> --Times New Roman
>
> --Arial
>
> --Courier New

**Slide 49:**

**Page Limit**

-   Applicant should adhere to a 25 page limit of the Project Narrative

-   Project Narrative includes applicant's response to all selection
    criterion

-   25 page limit does not include responses to priorities, abstracts,
    budget narratives, or any necessary forms

**Slide 50:**

ALL Applications MUST be submitted via Grants.gov, unless the applicant
has obtained a waiver.

**Slide 51:**

**Exceptions for Electronic Submission**

You may qualify for an electronic submission waiver if:

-   You do not have Internet access

-   You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the
    Grants.gov system

If you are submitting a waiver, you must:

-   Mail or fax a written statement to Dr. Alex Stein explaining your
    need for a waiver

-   If mailing, your letter must be postmarked no later than two weeks
    before the application deadline date

**Slide 52:**

**Exceptions for Electronic Submission**

Submit all Electronic Submission Waivers to:

Dr. Alex Stein

US Department of Education

400 Maryland Ave., SW, Room 4W206

Washington, DC 20202-5960

202-401-8466 fax

**Slide 53:**

**Oh NO!! They DID NOT Read My Application!**

-   Application is not time and date stamped by Grants.gov on or before
    4:30:00 PM on the deadline date

-   Applicant does not address the Absolute Priority

-   Applicant submits a paper copy of an application without getting a
    waiver

**Slide 54:**

**Questions?**

You may contact the Teaching American History team at

teachingamericanhistory@ed.gov