# Presentation: 318915

##  Teaching American History Grant Program (TAH)

-  Teaching American History Grant Program (TAH)
- FY 2009
- Pre-Application Workshop

##        How Did We Get Here?

**       ****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.

## 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

**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

- Statutory Highlights TAH

## 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

## What’s NEW for TAH  in 2009?

- New Selection Criterion                                      (Need for Project)
- New GPRA Performance Measures

## Program Goal

- To raise student achievement by improving teachers’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation for _**traditional American history**_.

## 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.

## 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

## 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.)

## Who May Participatein a TAH Grant?

**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

## 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

## 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

## 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))

## Selection Criteria                     Maximum Points

- Project Quality      		45
- Evaluation		25
- Need for Project                           		15
- Management Plan              		15
- Competitive Preference Priority               	10
**	****                ****Maximum Total   110****	**

## Project QualityMaximum 45 Points

-   Teaching American History (TAH)

## 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

- 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_

- Project Quality

## 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

## Evaluation  Maximum 25 Points

-   Teaching American History (TAH)

## 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

## 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

## 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

## 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

## 2009 TAH GPRA Performance Measures

- 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
- 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.

## Need for ProjectMaximum 15 Points

-   Teaching American History (TAH)

## 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

## Management Plan Maximum 15 Points

-   Teaching American History (TAH)

## 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

## 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

## Competitive Preference Priority(CPP) Maximum 10 Points

-   Teaching American History (TAH)

## 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

## 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

## 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.

## 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.

## 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.

## 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

## 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

## 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.

## 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

## 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.

## 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

## 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

## 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

## Unallowable Costs (examples)

**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

## 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

## 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

## 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

## 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

## 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

**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**

- Formatting

## 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

- 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

- Page Limit

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

## 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

## 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**

## 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

## Questions?

- You may contact the Teaching American History team at
- teachingamericanhistory@ed.gov