Bold Goal #1: Third Grade Reading

Funding Opportunity: High Quality Preschool Experiences

United Way of Summit County

Request for Proposal Application

Bold Goal #1

65% of APS 3rd Graders reading at or above grade level(Baseline: 38%)

Funding Opportunity

High Quality Preschool Experiences

2018

2018 Funding Request for Proposal

Applications are due September 15, 2017 by 11:59 p.m.Please email completed applications, in both Microsoft Word and PDF (signed) formats, along with requested documents to .

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered for funding.

Bold Goal

/

Strategy Area

/

Sub-Goal

/

Funding Opportunity

Third Grade Reading
65% of APS 3rd Graders reading at or above grade level / Kindergarten Readiness / 1,100 ready kids entering APS kindergarten in 2021 / High quality preschool experiences

High Quality Preschool Experiences

Objective /
  • Local preschools achieve higher Step Up to Quality Ratings
  • Children are ready for kindergarten and sustain development through third grade

Funding Priority* /
  • Site-based early childhood opportunities
  • Professional development for early childhood practitioners

Target Population /
  • Infants to five-year-olds in Akron, and the professionals that serve them

Preference Given /
  • Approaches to expand preschool access
  • Innovative ideas to address barriers to improve Step Up to Quality ratings
  • Preschools with a Step Up to Quality plan in place that will be shared with UWSC at application
  • Programs already engaged with Summit Education Initiative

Indicators /
  • Developmental delays are identified before kindergarten using ASQ and ASQ-SE, and appropriate intervention is documented
  • Program participants demonstrate readiness through the State’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment
  • Step Up to Quality Ratings
  • Programs complete Transition Skills Summary (TSS) with students, and review results with parents/guardians

Program Requirements /
  • Ability to track and report on prescribed indicators
  • Commitment of program manager or frontline worker to participate in UWSC led coalition (attend at least 75% of quarterly meetings)
  • Supply UWSC with aggregate TSS data (site reports)
  • Use of an evidence-based preschool curriculum

*Program types that are not listed in the “Funding Priority” section are welcome to apply only if they are able to show they work toward the same objectives, serve the same population, meet program requirements and monitor the indicators prescribed within this strategy area.

SECTION 1.CONTACT INFORMATION & AUTHORIZATION

Organization Name:
Mailing address:
City: / State: / OH / Zip:
Program Name:
Amount Requested: / $per year
President/CEO or Executive Director Name:
Phone Number: / Email Address:
Application Contact: / Program Manager:
Title: / Title:
Phone: / Phone:
Email: / Email:

The RFP for which you are requesting funding is:

Bold Goal #1: Third Grade Reading

Funding Opportunity: High Quality Preschool Experiences

If applying for more than one RFP, a separate application must be completed for each program. RFP applications and instructions can be found here:

As an authorized representative of my organization, I certify that the statements contained herein are true, complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge. (Both signatures are required.)

CEO/Executive Director Signature: / Date:
Printed Name:
Board Chair Signature: / Date:
Printed Name:

SECTION 2.GENERAL AGENCY & PROGRAM INFORMATION

Please complete the following narrative questions. Please note: responses cannot exceed 1,000 characters.

  1. Name and brief (2-3 sentence) description of the program for which you are requesting funding?
  1. What is your organization’s mission?
  1. How does this program support your organization’s mission?
  1. Address(es) of Program Site(s), if different from above:
  1. How long has your organization been operating this program?
  1. If this is a new program, why is it being developed now?
  1. If an existing program, how many unduplicated clients has this program served in the last three years (calendar or fiscal):

2016:

2015:

2014:

  1. Provide a short bio of the organization leadership and program staff that will be associated with this program. Please include relevant experience and/or educational credentials or certifications for each.
  1. Please list the top three agencies this program collaborates with and briefly explain the collaboration:
  1. Describe the tool(s) used by your organization to collect and aggregate programmatic data.
  1. Is this program currently funded by United Way of Summit County?

☐Yes

☐No

  1. If awarded this grant, how will your organization leverage[1] the funds to generate additional resources for your organization?
  1. If full funding is not available, how will that affect this program?

SECTION 3.DETAILED PROGRAM INFORMATION

The following questions are specific to how your program fits within the selected RFP model.

  1. This application is for:

☐Site-based early childhood opportunities

☐Professional development for early childhood practitioners

☐Both

☐Other

  1. We know that 90% of children who begin kindergarten prepared for success will pass the third-grade minimum standards. Therefore, we need to exceed current levels of kids ready for kindergarten to reach our third-grade reading goal. What is this program’s track record for preparing children for kindergarten?
  1. What will it take for this program to produce more (by volume or percent) kids ready for success in the Akron Public Schools? For example, more staff, fewer sites, a new curriculum, etc. Please be specific and detailed.
  1. What are some possible setbacks or barriers that could prevent your program from achieving success? How can they be solved or avoided?
  1. Describe how this program engages parents and caregivers.
  1. Briefly describe the organization’s plan for succeeding within the Step Up to Quality rating system. (A more detailed plan can be attached at the end of this application.)
  1. Describe the population that the program serves. Include demographic, socioeconomic and geographic (APS Clusters, zip codes, etc.) descriptions.
  1. Describe how the program is structured (e.g. students meet one hour per week for one year)
  1. Does this program use evidence-based[2] and/or performance-based[3] practices? Please briefly describe here and provide links to supporting documentation.
  1. Describe this program’s working relationship with Summit Education Initiative.
  1. Please report on and project the following:

Current inability to report on prescribed indicators does not restrict a program’s ability to apply, but will be expected if funded. If the program cannot currently report on these numbers, place an ‘x’ on the line provided. If the indicator is not applicable to the program structure, place “NA” on the line provided (i.e. the program works within preschools but is not a preschool and is not responsible for Step Up to Quality Ratings).

To the best of your ability, please only report on children in the RFP’s target population.

Projections in applicable areas are required and expected to be for the RFP’s target population.

PROGRAM YEAR ENDING2016
ACTUAL / PROGRAM YEAR ENDING2017
ACTUAL / PROGRAM YEAR ENDING2019*
PROJECTED / PROGRAM YEAR ENDING 2021**
PROJECTED
Number of children with developmental delays identified before kindergarten using ASQ and ASQ-SE, and appropriate interventions pursued / Delays identified
Referrals made
% Referral success rate
/ Delays identified
Referrals made
% Referral success rate
/ Delays identified
Referrals made
% Referral success rate
/ Delays identified
Referrals made
% Referral success rate
Number of complete Transition Skills Summary Reports reviewed with parents/caregivers / Completed TSSs
% Reviewed w/ parent
/ Completed TSSs
% Reviewed w/ parent
/ Completed TSSs
% Reviewed w/ parent
/ Completed TSSs
% Reviewed w/ parent
Number and percent of program participants demonstrating readiness through the State’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment(On-Track in literacy (263-298)) / ( / %)
/ ( / %)
/ ( / %)
/ ( / %)
Step Up to Quality Ratings for the sites to be funded through this application (Akron sites only) / Not rated / 3 Stars
1 Star / 4 Stars
2 Stars / 5 Stars
/ Not rated / 3 Stars
1 Star / 4 Stars
2 Stars / 5 Stars
/ Not rated / 3 Stars
1 Star / 4 Stars
2 Stars / 5 Stars
/ Not rated / 3 Stars
1 Star / 4 Stars
2 Stars / 5 Stars

*The program year ending 2019 will, for most programs, mark the first year of Bold Goal funding.

**The fall of 2021 is when we will need to hit our Kindergarten Readiness sub-goal.

Explanation of numbers in indicator chart, if needed:

  1. Does this program track indicators not prescribed that demonstrate progress toward the Bold Goal? If so, please explain.

SECTION 4.BUDGET REQUIREMENTS

All applications must include the following financial documents:

  • Program budget submitted using the UWSC template provided at
  • Current year agency budget submitted as an attachment in the format used by your organization.
  • Optional: Budget Narrative (if necessary)
  • Pages 1 (Part I & II), 9 (Part VIII) and 10 (Part IX) of the most recently completed IRS Form 990
  • Most recent audited financial statement as follows:

Agency budget $500,000 and over / independent financial audit or OMB A-133 audit
Agency budget $200,000 - $499,999 / financial review
Agency budget $25,000 - $199,999 / financial compilation
Agency budget $24,999 and below / summary of C/R and C/D
  • Most recent Year End (fiscal or calendar) financial statement

SECTION 5.OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Please provide or attach any additional information you believe is relevant to this application. This may include, but is not limited to, agency annual reports, independent program audits.

Please save and send this application as both a MS Word Document and a signed PDF.

1

[1]Leverage means using UWSC funds as an influencer to secure additional funds, resources and/or services for the organization and/or program.

[2] Evidence-based programming is supported by scientific evidence to prove that they have a positive impact on the served population. Evidence based is different from anecdotal evidence and even historical traditions, conventions, feelings, or beliefs. While stories, anecdotes, and testimonials are great to have, they don'tqualify as evidence-based. One resource (of several) to identify evidence-based programming is Child Trends (

[3] Performance-based programming encompasses two things: 1.) the ability to collect data and measure, analyze, format, and communicate program outcomes, and 2.) the ability to prove and demonstrate that data and outcomes are used for continuous improvement of the program.