Request for Competitive Letters of Interest for Developing Middle School College and Career Readiness Free Instructional Resources and Materials

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is pleased to announce a grant opportunity to develop College and Career Readiness (CCR) Free Instructional Resources and Materials (FIRM) for middle school.  Eligible applicants may be awarded up to $725,000 for the development of instructional resources and materials. The deadline to submit the application and supporting materials is January 4, 2019.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, local education agencies (LEAs), and regional education service centers (ESCs).

Background
House Bill 18 (see Attachment 5) requires LEAs to provide CCR instruction in 7th or 8th grade as part of an existing course in the required curriculum, as part of an existing career and technology course, or as part of a new elective course. Currently, LEAs are implementing college and career readiness instruction in a variety of ways, with limited access to high-quality instructional resources and materials that support their diverse needs.

TEA seeks to design highly flexible, high-quality Middle School College and Career Readiness Free Instructional Resources Materials (MS CCR FIRM) that can be implemented easily within a variety of LEAs. The prospective grantee can choose to enhance an existing curriculum to meet all grant requirements or to develop an entirely new curriculum. The grantee will also be required to produce a set of supporting resources to support high-fidelity implementation of the curriculum in schools. To launch this project, TEA requires a pilot-and-iterate framework to ensure all resources enable schools and districts to achieve the intended outcomes. Finally, the grantee will support scaling the adoption of resources across Texas. Please thoroughly review Attachment 1 for full project requirements.

TEA believes the best way to ensure that materials are high-quality and implemented with fidelity is by selecting grantees who will ensure a user-centered design approach is integrated throughout the entirety of the MS CCR FIRM development process. Grantees also must demonstrate expertise in curriculum design and implementation.

Project Funding
The project will be funded through a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) federal discretionary grant. GEAR UP aims to increase preparation for and participation in postsecondary education among low-income students. The instructional materials will be piloted within GEAR UP subgrantee schools and, if found to be successful, we will promote broad adoption across the state.

Next Steps 
Interested applicants should thoroughly review the detailed Project Overview document in Attachment 1. To apply, submit the required responses using the templates provided in Attachments 3 and 4. Applicants should reference Attachments 5, 6, and 7 for guidance in developing high-quality responses.

Thank you,

Alexis Bauserman
Director of Beyond Grad
Special Projects Department

Application Materials

Attachment 1 – MS CCR FIRM Project Overview
Attachment 2 – MS CCR FIRM Application (Optional): Notice of Intent to Apply
Attachment 3 – MS CCR FIRM Application Part 1: Qualitative Questions
Attachment 4 – MS CCR FIRM Application Part 2: Grant Activity and Budget Plan
Attachment 5 – MS CCR FIRM Appendix: Additional Context
Attachment 6 – MS CCR FIRM Appendix: TEA Web Style Guide
Attachment 7 – MS CCR FIRM Appendix: Accessibility Guidelines

Important Dates