FY09 Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Classroom Quality Grant RFR
Questions Answers
Eligible Applicant Questions
1.Where can I find information on who is eligible to apply for this UPK Classroom Quality grant?
Please see EEC’s grants website - - and under “FY09 UPK Universal Pre-Kindergarten Classroom Quality Grant” there is a link called “Eligible Applicant List for New Grants” that provides the list of eligible applicants.
2. I would like to apply for this grant. How do I get my program on the eligible list?
If your program is not on the eligible list on EEC’s website and you believe it should be because it falls into one of the three categories below, please contact Kelly Schaffer before the RFR deadline at :
- Former eligible but unfunded UPK Classroom Quality applicant, meaning you completed the application process in FY07 and/or FY08 and were fully eligible for funding but not selected;
- FY07 UPK Assessment Planning grantee; or
- Former eligible but unfunded UPK Assessment Planning applicant, meaning you completed the application process for a FY07 and/or FY08 UPK Assessment Planning grant and were fully eligible for funding but not selected AND since the time of application your program has implemented one of the EEC-approved assessment tools such that your program now meets all of the UPK Classroom Quality eligibility criteria including the use of one of the four assessment tools for at least one year.
If your program does not fall into one of the three categories above, you are not eligible for the grant this year. Please check EEC’s grants page - - for information on future grant opportunities.
3.I reviewed the list of eligible applicants and there are none from my town. Can you explain why? Is it because my town is not a top priority area?
If there are no programs from certain towns on the eligible applicant list, it isbecause there are no programs in the town that fall into the eligible applicant pool –former Assessment Planning grantees or former eligible but unfunded Classroom Quality or Assessment Planning applicants. This does not mean that there aren’t any programs in the town that meet the UPK program eligibility requirements, but means that no eligible programs have applied for UPK funding to this point.
4.My program is a current Assessment Planning grantee and we seem to meet all of the criteria for Classroom Quality. Are we eligible to apply?
No. Current UPK Assessment Planning grants were renewed in FY09 (from FY08) to allow programs sufficient time for assessment tool implementation and program sites may not receive an Assessment Planning and Classroom Quality grant simultaneously. Current Assessment Planning grantees are encouraged to apply for future UPK Classroom Quality RFR funds if they are eligible in FY10.
5.My system has a family child care provider who meets the eligibility requirements in the RFR but has not had an Assessment Planning grant and has not applied for Classroom Quality in the past. Can this provider apply?
No. Family child care systems may only apply for providers who fall into one of the eligible applicant categories listed in question 2.
6. My program applied for the Assessment Planning grant in the past and was eligible but not selected for funding. Since then, we have implemented use of an EEC-approved child assessment tool with our own funding and have been using the tool for more than one year. May we apply?
Yes, if EEC is able to confirm that you applied in the past and your program can provide documentation of use of one of the EEC-approved child assessment tools prior to November 1, 2007 and meets the other eligibility criteria, itiseligible to apply. Please contact Kelly Schaffer at ior to the RFR deadline for more information.
Application Process Questions
7. I completed the questionnaire online. Do I need to submit a budget at this time?
No, at this point in the application process, the questionnaire is the only requirement. Programs that are selected for funding will receive information once the selection process is complete about how to submit a budget and any other required forms.
Policy Questions
8.What criteria were used to identify the communities that qualify to apply for UPK grants?
Due to limited funding and under the direction of the EEC board, the new FY09 UPK Classroom Quality grantis limited to the programs specified in question 1. Programs from any community in Massachusetts are eligible to apply for UPK funding if they appear on the eligible applicant list. Programs located in select priority districts as well as programs serving high proportions of low-income children that are located in other areas will be prioritized for funding if there are more applicants than available funds. Priority districts, which were identified by EEC with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE), are based on a combination of district and school-level accountability status factors as well as poverty data. For more information on the priority districts, please see the FY09 UPK Classroom Quality RFR at
9.Why do family child care providers have to meet individual eligibility requirements while center-based program teachers do not? How does the current funding allow for turnover among family child care providers who contract within a system?
To participate in UPK, family child care providers must either be accredited by NAFCC or have a CDA or higher. Since NAFCC accreditation is not feasible for most family child care providers at this time, the CDA credential or a higher degree is currently an acceptable alternative to national accreditation. Center-based or public school programs must currently be accredited by NAEYC or NEASC to be eligible for funding.
In the event that a UPK provider leaves a system that it is affiliated with, the UPK funding would follow the provider (if she is no longer affiliated with a system) or the new system and the current system’s grant would be reduced.
Assessment Questions
10.Our program uses the Humanics National Child Assessment Form (Birth-three and Three-six). Will you accept this Assessment Form if we apply for the UPK Grant?
No. In order to be eligible for theFY09 UPK Classroom Quality grant, programs must be using one of the four EEC-approved child assessment tools, Work Sampling, High Scope COR, Creative Curriculum or Ages & Stages, for at least one year (prior to November 1, 2007). Programs that meet the remaining eligibility requirements for UPK but do not use one of these four tools can consider applying for the UPK Assessment Planning grant, if they are interested.
11.I would like to know how I go about applying for the Assessment Planning grant. What is the first step in getting involved in this? Is there a timeframe for that?
The FY09 UPK Assessment Planning grant RFR is expected to be posted to EEC’s grants website within the next few weeks. All programs that meet the eligibility requirements will be able to apply for funding. There will not be a limited applicant pool for this RFR.
Future Grant Opportunities
12.Can you tell me how I can stay informed regarding UPK grant opportunities? Is there an e-mail list I can join? Or, would you recommend I visit a website periodically?
If you would like to receive periodic announcements from EEC regarding grant opportunities, including UPK Classroom Quality and Assessment Planning grant information, you may join EEC’s distribution list. If you would like to be added to EEC’s distribution list, please submit your information at the following link - You can also visit EEC’s grants page - - for up-to-date information on current grant opportunities.
FY09 Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Classroom Quality RFR Questions & Answers - December 2008
Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care