Once you have read this proposal, be considering what state initiatives we might collectively evaluate. Also keep in mind that this class represents three states, North Carolina, Georgia and the Cherokee Schools, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs will be considered a 51st state.
http://www.ed.gov/GrantApps/#84.318A
Grant Title: Evaluating State Education Technology Programs Grant
Organization: U.S. Department of Education
Deadline: July 28, 2003
This $4.2 million program aims to increase the capacity of states
to design,
conduct, and procure high-quality evaluations of educational
technology. To
do so, this competition supports grants to states to: (1) Build
their capacity
to conduct scientifically based evaluations of educational technology
interventions, by planning and conducting an experimental or
quasi-experimental evaluation of a State-selected educational
technology
initiative; and (2) widely disseminate pertinent information,
based on what
is learned about the evaluation methods, practices, analyses,
and
instruments used, that will help other States enhance their ability
to
conduct similar empirical evaluations. States receiving awards
will: (1)
Develop a plan to conduct a scientifically based evaluation of
an educational
intervention that uses technology applications as a tool to increase
student
achievement in one or more core academic subjects. (2) Conduct
the
evaluation in a manner that tests the impact of the intervention
as well as
the efficacy of the empirical methods, practices, and instruments
used to
assess the impact of the intervention on student achievement.
(3)
Disseminate information about the evaluation plan, its implementation,
and
the results to other States and to school districts so they may
learn from
and replicate the approach. The U.S. Department of Education
expects to
award 6 to 9 grants ranging from $300,000 to $650,000 per annum.
Any
application that proposes a budget beyond $650,000 for any of
the three
12-month budget periods will be rejected.
Contact:
Enid Simmons
(202) 708-9499
enid.simmons@ed.gov
2. Related to this week's reading, submit a one page concept paper with separate budget which would relate to your school systems role in the above grant proposal. This initial budget should consider how you allocate $50,000 per year for three years. A key to this concept paper and budget is determining what state educational technology initiative you would prefer evaluating, but you must remain flexible on this goal. Further discussion among course participants may lead to changes in the targets for evaluation. However, it is understood that each state as I have defined them will be likely to have their own educational technology initiatives so that the North Carolina group would be most likely to benefit from a common evaluation goal. Our collective grant power will come from developing evaluation criteria with common elements across all three states.
3. Submit an additional concept paper for a third RFP unrelated to the first and second ones. This would make a total of three grant concept papers so far in this course.
4. Contact a grant officer related to the first one page grant proposal that you submitted to me after it has been approved by me. This may take a couple of rewrites before this is ready. This contact might be by phone or email so make sure that you have that contact information.
(I realize that many of you are in various stages of travel or house
closings or whatever. As the July 28 deadline is firm, give this project
priority attention in your thinking and writing.)