2014 Request for Applications: RFA 101Amanda Flanary

Governor’s Office of Early Childhood

Goals and Objectives

• Review “Big Picture” for Community Early Childhood Councils• Introduce the vision for CECCs• Review the 2014-15 CECC Request for

Applications• Discuss strategies for submitting a high

quality application• Review what has and has not changed• Review critical dates

OUR GOAL: To have a highly effective Community Early Childhood Council in EVERY COMMUNITY

Increasing School ReadinessIt’s a COMMUNITY issue

Where are our children?• Head Start – Serves at-risk families at

100% federal poverty level 3s and 4s (Nationally funded to reach only 40% of eligible children)

• KY State Funded Preschool – Serves at-risk 4s up to 150% poverty level and 3s with disabilities

• Data suggest that as many as 50% of children are not in Head Start, Preschool or Child Care.

Improving School Readiness is a COMMUNITY issue.

A New Business Model

Children Enter Kindergarten Ready

High Quality Early Learning

EnvironmentsSupportive Families

Access to Data for Community

Planning

Participation in STARS

A great early childhood workforce

Families understand child health and

developmental needs

Common Kindergarten

Entry Screener

Scholarships & PD Plans

Families are engaged

Children have access to

appropriate services

Data is shared by early

childhood programs

A Business Model

Kentucky’s Early Childhood SystemHow CECCs fit in

Kindergarten Readiness Screener

TQRIS

Parent Engagement

Professional Development

P-20 Data Collaborative

Early Learning

Standards & Assessments

Improve School

Readiness

• CECCs are the “webbing” to the plan

• CECCs pull all the state systems together

• CECCs make it happen on the local level

• CECCs inform communities and promote change

2013 Application ProcessThe Results

Topic 2011-2012 2012-2013

Number of applications received 69 74

Counties represented 105 111

Councils that did NOT apply 16 5*

Counties NOT represented 16 9

Councils that did not apply last year but did this year

13 14

Comparison to FY2011-2012

* Note: Some Councils indicated that they intend to continue to operate in 2013-2014 even without funding

CECC Activities Over TimeActivity Summary 2010-11 to Current

FY 2010-11

FY 2012-13

FY 2011-12

Other

RTC

HANDS

First Steps

Advocate

Health Care Professional

Higher Education

Civic Organization

Library

Health Department

Cooperative Extension

STARS

FRYSC

Child Care Aware

Head Start

Child Care

School District

0 50 100 150 200 250

156

21

21

28

30

33

43

46

47

52

53

59

94

96

131

196

219

2013 Application ProcessCouncil Membership by Category

2013-2014 CECC Membership Type

Shift in CECC Strategy

New Priorities Last Year’s RFA

Focus on School Readiness Goal: Improve School Readiness• Improving Environments• Supporting Families• Increasing Access to Data

• Governor’s Office of Early Childhood• Early Childhood Advisory Council

Increased Collaboration• Ensure ALL children are ready for

Kindergarten

Required Members

Increase use of Data

• Child Care• Head Start• Public Pre-School

• Kindergarten Screener, child assessment, developmental screening

• Data driven decision making• Measuring results• Continuous improvement

Focused on Outcomes

2014 CECC PrioritiesResponsive, Intentional and Deliberate, Evolving

Increasing School Readiness

Increase Collaboration

Increase Use of Data

2014 Priorities

Responsive• Utilizing new information (Early Childhood Profiles)• Developing new resources (School Readiness

Definition, Parent Guides, RFA Toolkit)

• Improved Community Needs section• Development of a Strategic Plan• Focused on high-impact activities• Deliberate data and outcomes

Intentional & Deliberate

Evolving• Strengthening Collaboration (Required Members)• Building on a foundation of success

Observations from 2012-2013Refining the Process

Recommendations for CECC 2014-2015

• Required Components – Some applications were missing required components ; use the checklist• Detailed Descriptions – Be intentional and

thorough when preparing your application• Templates – Provides structure and order

to an application.• MOU Process – Process must be followed

to ensure timely funding.

Suggestion: Write questions in the margin of your copy of the RFA

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsTimeline of Critical Dates

April May JuneMarch

2014

March 17, 2014RFA AvailableResources and Checklist April and May, 2014

Statewide Technical Assistance

May 15, 2014Applications due

July

JulyAward notifications

March 23- April 3, 2014CECC Regional Trainings

April 15, 2014Intent to Apply Due

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsRestrictions and Guidelines

• Fiscal Agent – Must be quasi -governmental or non-profit agencies• Administrative Cost – Must NOT exceed

5% of total award• Reporting – Required to submit an end of

year report (Template Provided).• Multiple Applications– If received for the

same service area, both applications are disqualified.• New Templates – Work Plan, Members

list, Budget

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsRestrictions and Conditions – MOU Process

Memorandum of Understanding

Step 1 MOU Mailed to Fiscal

Agent

Step 2MOU Signed by Chair or Fiscal Agent return

ORIGINAL to GOEC

Step 3GOEC signs and sends to Finance for review

Step 4Once approved by

Finance, GOEC receives Effective Date

Step 5GOEC requests CECC to submit an invoice for

FULL AMOUNT

Step 6Invoice approved by

Finance

Check Mailed to CECC

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsMandatory Requirements

• Conflict of Interest – Every member MUST fill complete and return every year• Required Members – Representatives of

Child Care, ALL Head Start and ALL School Districts• Ready Kids Conference– We encourage

CECCs to send 2 members to the Conference June 16- 18, 2014

EXAMPLE: If a CECC has a 4 county service region which has 6 school districts and is served by two Head Start Agencies, the CECC MUST have representatives from ALL school districts and ALL Head Start agencies as members of their council

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsApplication Cover-page and Project Summary

• Template found in the Appendix and in RFA Toolkit

• Strongly suggest using the templates

• Project Summary – Tell us what you have done, not your mission statement. BE CONCISE

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsSummary of Previous Activities

• Focus on what you have LEARNED not what you have done

• Include how strategies have changed to respond to needs

• Identify outcomes of previous activities

• Demonstrate progress toward goals

• Not applicable for new or re-established CECCs

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsCommunity Needs

• Data provided by Early Childhood Profile

• Analyze data on the profile

• Identify patterns and where data relates to other data

• Identify areas of MOST NEED• All of the data on the profile is meant to

be actionable

• May need additional data for more detail

• ALL PROJECTS SHOULD BE TIED TO AN IDENTIFIED NEED

Governor’s Office of Early ChildhoodUsing Screener Data to Support School Readiness

• Combine Screener results with additional EC related data

• Displays data on a County level with a State Summary

• Provide a easy-to-use tool with actionable data elements

• Informs Councils and Communities on their efforts to improve School Readiness

• Created in partner ship with• Governor’s Office of Early Childhood• Kentucky Department of Education• Early Childhood Advisory Council• Kentucky Center for Employment

Workforce Statistics• Cabinet for Health and Family Services

2013-2014 Kindergarten Screener ResultsTerminology and Variables

Variables

Every child is eligible for kindergarten once they meet the age requirement. Schools must be ready to meet the needs of all eligible students.

• When the screen was conducted (15 days prior to 30 days after)

• Who conducted the screen (kindergarten teacher, councilor, assistant teacher, etc.)

• Where the screen was conducted (classroom, recruiting event, etc.)

• Social Emotional screen variables (who filled out, how much guidance)

• Some cohort differences between data sets

• School Districts detailed data on screener results

Terminology

• Ready• Not Ready

Early Childhood Profiles2013-2014 Kindergarten Screener Results

Early Childhood ProfilesHighlights Section

Data Provided• Preschool and Head Start Enrollment• Families receiving CCAP funds• Definitions of Preschool and Head

Start eligibility • Third grade assessment results

Patterns • Coverage – Are you reaching all

children?• Are families taking advantages of

services (CCAP, HANDS)• Contrast screener results with

Assessment results• Note large variances. How can we do

better?• Not an apples to apples comparison

Early Childhood ProfilesHighlights Section

Data Provided• Demographic information• Services to families (TANF, KCHIP,

subsidies First Steps)• Early Care and Education Workforce

outlook• CECC Contact Information

Patterns • Access to coverage – notice gaps or

struggles • Are families taking advantages of

services • How effective are partners reaching

at-risk populations• Compare screener results to levels of

access to eligible families

Early Childhood ProfilesHighlights Section

Data Provided• Rated vs. not rated centers• STARS participation• Number of centers and capacity• Certified vs. Registered centers

Patterns • Coverage – Are you reaching all

children?• Are children in high quality rated

centers• How many licensed centers vs.

certified centers?• How to increase participation?

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsStrategic Plan

• Clearly explain how you plan to address your needs addressed in the Community Needs

• Your opportunity to express your plan• Outline how your plans address needs

• Identified Need• Proposed Activity• Identify Outcome• Measure Progress• Show effect on School Readiness

• Include timelines and due dates• Include partners necessary to conduct

successful activity

Address community needsLook for patterns in the data

http://kidsnow.ky.gov/School%20Readiness/Pages/profiles.aspx

County vs. State resultsResults by domain3rd Grade Assessment Note strengths and opportunities

http://kidsnow.ky.gov/School%20Readiness/Pages/profiles.aspx

Address community needsLook for patterns in the data

Case StudyCognitive and General Knowledge

Develop your Strategic Plan•Describe need identified in the analysis of

the data•NEED: Cognitive and General

Knowledge•OUTCOME: Increase the number of

children that screen “Ready” in Cognitive and General Knowledge by 15% by 2015

Strategies to achieve outcome•Building Strong Families• Professional Development

Questions to ask yourself•What have we done in the past?•What was successful/what wasn’t?•How can we do better?•What are other partners doing?

Case StudyINCREASE COGINITVE AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Develop your Strategic Plan

Building Strong Family Engagement• STEM Days• bornlearning Academies

Resources• Puzzles for families • Blocks and other shape based toys

Professional Development• Training• Kentucky Science Center •Ages & Stages Questionnaire

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsCase Study

Case StudyINCREASE COGNITIVE AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

STEM Day• Provide puzzles and blocks for families• Find a technology partner• Print fliers• Recruit vendors• Train screeners on ASQ

Professional Development• Organize training• Hire a certified trainer• Provide space• Develop printed material

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsCase Study

Case StudyINCREASE COGNITIVE AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Develop your Strategic Plan

How will outcomes be measured?

How is the target population?

Can we plan to make it work?

What resources can we utilize to ensure success?

Who else has resources you could use to achieve your outcome?

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsCommunications Plan

• Communication and awareness is critical to a CECC’s success

• Promotes collaboration among partners• Increases parent awareness

Why a communications plan?

Strategies to complete

• Governor’s Office of Early Childhood provides messaging via e-blasts

• Tell us how you plan to disseminate these messages to your partners

• Report back to us how messages were used• Electronic, social media, printed, other• Councils that do not have an electronic

presence still must complete the plan

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsBudget

• Narrative should clearly describe how CECC plans to use funds to support activities identified in the strategic plan

• Budget template provided in Appendix

• Applications should be submitted using the template

• Clearly tie expenditures to activities identified in the narrative

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsRequired Components

• List of members (ALL MEMBERS – including all School Districts and All Head Starts

• Letters of Commitment Verifies required members

• Conflict of Interest forms Filled out by ALL members

• Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit online templates

Applications will not be considered until all components are received.

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsSubmission of Application

• Should not exceed 20 pages• Does not include cover-page or required forms or

RFA appendices• Times New Roman or Arial font (12 pt)• Double-spaced• Text in charts or graphs may be single spaced• Graphs and charts should not be used in excess• All margins 1 inch

• Applications must be post marked no later than MAY 15, 2014

• Any received after this date will be deemed non-responsive

• Mailed and hand delivered• 1 original and electronic copies on a CD or a USB

drive• Within 10 business days of May 15, 2014 GOEC will

provide applicants notification of receipt of application

2014 CECC Request for ApplicationsScoring and Evaluation

• Applications will be reviewed by multiple independent reviewers

• Refer to Appendix D for scoring criteria

• Reviewers will utilize Appendix D to score applications

• Final score will represent a composite of independent reviews

Thank you!

Questions/Answers

Governor’s Office of Early Childhood125 Holmes St.Frankfort, KY 40601502-782-0200

http://kidsnow.ky.gov