How to Win a Grant: Supplemental Priorities Part I

In May 2011, the United States Department of Education (USDE) adopted a final set of Supplemental Priorities for Discretionary Grant Programs. Applicants for USDE grants must consider these along with the more familiar absolute, competitive, and invitational priorities that grant seekers often encounter in USDE solicitations of proposals. The 16 supplemental priorities encompass a total of 50 specific priority areas that may be used for USDE discretionary grant programs.

 

Supplemental Priorities:

The supplemental priorities for USDE discretionary grant programs are intended to spur innovation, promote development and implementation of effective and sustainable practices, and support adoption and implementation of necessary reforms. The USDE may use one or more supplemental priorities in any of its discretionary grant competitions, as appropriate for each particular discretionary grant program.

 

 

This post offers a brief overview of the supplemental priorities in the focus area of Advancing Key Cradle-to-Career Educational Reforms. Within this focus area are eight priorities. The 29 priority areas within these eight priorities exert significant effects upon an organization’s go/no-go decisions about submitting proposals and, subsequently, on creating program designs and framing project objectives.

 

A later post will examine two more focus areas and 21 more priority areas that also may be used for USDE discretionary grant programs. One or more still later posts will explore the possible implications of some of the 16 supplemental priorities and some of the 50 priority areas for planning new competitive applications for USDE grant awards.

 

Advancing Key Cradle-to-Career Educational Reforms:

The eight supplemental priorities for advancing key cradle-to-career educational reforms are: (1) Improving Early Learning Outcomes; (2) Implementing Internationally Benchmarked, College- and Career-Ready Elementary and Secondary Academic Standards; (3) Improving the Effectiveness and Distribution of Effective Teachers or Principals; (4) Turning Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools; (5) Improving School Engagement, School Environment, and School Safety and Improving Family and Community Engagement; (6) Technology; (7) Core Reforms; and (8) Increasing Postsecondary Success. The priorities in this focus area encompass a total of 29 priority areas.

 

Advancing Key Cradle-to-Career Educational Reforms
Priority	Focus of Priority	Priority Areas
Priority 1	Improving Early Learning Outcomes	5
Priority 2	Implementing Internationally Benchmarked, College- and Career-Ready Elementary and Secondary Academic Standards	4
Priority 3	Improving the Effectiveness and Distribution of Effective Teachers or Principals	2
Priority 4	Turning Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools	3
Priority 5	Improving School Engagement, School Environment, and School Safety and Improving Family and Community Engagement	5
Priority 6	Technology	1
Priority 7	Core Reforms	3
Priority 8	Increasing Postsecondary Success	6

 

Advertisements