September 20 and 27, 2017

Acceleration Grant Informational Webinar

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Welcome

Overview of the GradNation Acceleration Grant

• America’s Promise Alliance and AT&T Collaboration

• Purpose of the GradNation Acceleration Grant

• Eligibility Criteria

• Grantmaking timeline

• Key Application Components

• Benefits for Grantees

• Application & Selection Processes

Q&A

Agenda

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• AT&T: AT&T Aspire brings together the power of AT&T’s network – its employees, technology and work with best-in-class organizations – to improve access and quality of education and job training. Since 2008, AT&T has committed $400 million to create a diverse and skilled workforce that powers our company – and our country – for the future. www.att.com/aspire

• America’s Promise Alliance leads an alliance of organizations, communities and individuals dedicated to making the promise of America real for every child. As its signature effort, the GradNation campaign mobilizes Americans to increase the on-time high school graduation rate to 90 percent by 2020 and prepare young people for postsecondary enrollment and the 21st century workforce. www.americaspromise.org

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GradNation Acceleration Grant• Intended to support state- and community-level efforts poised to get even

more young people to high school graduation and postsecondary

success. All to accelerate progress to a 90 percent graduation rate.

Objectives • Accelerate Graduation Rate Progress through the GradNation Action

Platform

• Accelerate Progress in Priority States

Purpose of the GradNation Acceleration

Grant

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High school graduation: Where is the

nation?

• As America’s Promise takes a more focused approach to the GradNation campaign, we find ourselves drawing upon the hard work and success of practitioners and community leaders across the country.

• The GradNation Action Platform acknowledges and reflects their accomplishments and elevates them for others to learn from and replicate.

Graduation Rate For the Class of 2015: 83.2 percent

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Action Platform

Use high quality data to monitor cohort

progress, identify struggling students,

inform effective interventions, and

provide accountability for overall

progress.

Respond to non-academic factors that

influence school participation and

performance (e.g., chronic absenteeism,

social-emotional development, impacts of

poverty).

Improve school climate by promoting a

sense of caring and connection between

students and in-school staff through

disciplinary practices and polices that are

inclusive and ensure students stay in

school through to graduation.

Increase the number and quality of

caring adult relationships in students’

lives.

Re-engage young people who have left

school by providing accessible and

effective options for completing high

school prepared for success in college

and/or career.

Connect the high school

experience with pathways to

postsecondary education,

workforce readiness and

participation, and overall adult

success.

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Top 10 Priority States

1. California

2. Colorado

3. Florida

4. Georgia

5. Michigan

6. New Mexico

7. North Carolina

8. Oregon

9. Pennsylvania

10. Washington

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America’s Promise will fund proposals from two (2) eligible state

organizations and three (3) eligible community organizations.

Applicant Eligibility Criteria

• State Organization:

A state-level government agency, statewide nonprofit, or statewide community-based

organization

Must have a role as a ”statewide convener” that facilitates cross-sector collaboration

• Community Organization:

Local nonprofit or community-based organization, Local government agencies (e.g.,

local educational agencies) and educational foundations

Must demonstrate role as a “local convener” that facilitates cross-sector collaboration

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GradNation Acceleration Grant Applicant

1. In a priority state

2. Doing work aligned to the GradNation Action Platform

4. Are an eligible state or community organization

If you are:

Then, you should apply for a GradNationAcceleration Grant!

3. If you’re not a district, you’re partnering with a district(s)

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Grantmaking Timeline Overview

Sep 13: Application

Released

Sep 20+27: Informational

Webinars

Nov 8: Applications

Due

Jan: Announcement

of Winners

Useful links and documents:- Grant Application Portal- Application template- Scope of Work template- Budget and Budget Narrative template- Review Criteria- Frequently Asked Questions

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Grant Application Sections and Level of Effort

• Section 1: Proposal Aligned to GradNation Action Platform • Six yes/no questions; three narratives; one Scope of Work

• Section 2: Ability to Accelerate• Three narratives

• Section 3: Impact• Three narratives; one set of performance measures

• Section 4: Budget and Budget Narrative• One excel budget

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Yes or No Questions

Narrative Questions

Click Here to View the GradNationAction Platform

Click Here to View the Review Criteria

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What Does the Scope of Work Document Look Like? Click Here to View the

Scope of Work Template

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Budget and Budget Narrative Template

What is needed in a budget narrative? The budget narrative should indicate what the dollar amounts will accomplish (e.g., 2 FTEs, meeting materials, web development contract).

Click Here to View the Budget and Budget Narrative Template

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Don’t Forget About the Second Tab in the Budget Template (Budget Summary)

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Characteristics of High-Quality Applications

• Demonstrate an understanding of school- and community-level

graduation rates and related data

• Describe a collaborative relationship with high schools and/or

districts.

• Demonstrate a commitment to meet the needs of students most

at-risk of not graduating: low-income students, Black and

Hispanic/Latinx students, students with disabilities, English

learners, and those served by low-graduation rate high schools.

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Our Approach to Application Review

• Using the Review Criteria, reviewers will assign scores of 0, 1, 2

or 3 for each component of the application

• Consult with partners with content expertise

• Identify top state applicants and top community applicants

• Determine final winners

[For America’s Promise Alliance internal use only.] Lead Organization/Agency: School district partner(s):

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4. Scope of Work – objectives and key milestones

• Scope of Work does not reflect a strong connection between needs of young people and a reasonable strategy; selected strategies are educationally sound; timeline for implementation may not be reasonable

• Scope of Work includes timelines, responsible parties, activities, and critical milestones

• Scope of Work reflects a connection between needs of young people and a reasonable strategy; selected strategies are educationally sound; timeline for implementation may be reasonable

• Scope of Work includes timelines, responsible parties, activities, and critical milestones

• Scope of Work reflects a strong connection between needs of young people and innovative strategies; selected strategies are educationally sound; timeline for implementation is reasonable

• Scope of Work includes timelines, responsible parties, activities, and critical milestones

Section 2: Ability to accelerate

Applicant Question 1 point 2 points 3 points 1. What current work is the

applicant doing that will be helpful in successfully executing this proposal? What existing or planned supports for young people signal the applicant’s ability to accelerate progress?

• Response describes a record of action or sufficient context that does not make continued graduation gains likely

• Response describes a record of action or sufficient context that makes continued graduation gains likely

• Response describes a record of action or sufficient context that makes continued graduation gains highly likely

2. What local, state, or national partners have supported the applicant in the past or are able to support implementation of the two-year proposal? In what ways do partners complement the proposal and/or the capacity of the applicant?

• Response describes partnerships with the lead organization that have positively impacted the schools, but not graduation rates

• Partnership efforts do not match student need such that continued gains are likely

• Response describes partnerships with the lead organization that have positively impacted the schools, but in a way that may not be connected to graduation rates

• Partnership efforts match student need such that continued gains are likely

• Response describes complementary partnerships with the lead organization that have positively impacted graduation rates

• Partnership efforts match student need such that continued gains are likely

3. What policy, political, or program conditions in the state or community make it likely that the applicant can accelerate progress on the graduation rate?

• Response describes conditions that do not increase likelihood of continued gains that match the needs of young people and what the graduation rate data indicates is needed

OR

• Response indicates a plan to create conditions to continue

• Response describes conditions that may increase likelihood of continued gains that match the needs of young people and what the graduation rate data indicates is needed

OR

• Response indicates a plan to create

• Response describes conditions that increase likelihood of continued gains that match the needs of young people and what the graduation rate data indicates is needed

OR

• Response indicates a robust plan to create conditions such that

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Benefits for Grantees

• State awards are up to $125,000 per year for two years for a

total of up to $250,000.

• Community awards are up to $50,000 per year for two years for

a total of up to $100,000.

• Support for sharing progress and results to a national audience

• Shared learning for adoption and replication in other states and

communities.

• Strengthened local capacity to improve outcomes for young

people based on young people’s needs and strengths.

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• Application Submission: Applicants should submit their application for funding

through the Grant Application Portal by midnight on Wednesday, November 8,

2017.

• Review Period: America’s Promise Alliance, AT&T, and partner organizations

will review applications through December 2017. Please see the GradNation

Acceleration Grant Review Rubric for a sense of the criteria being used to

evaluate each application.

• Application Notification: Applicants will be notified of a funding decision in

January 2018 via an e-mail to the lead organization. AT&T and America’s

Promise reserve the right to ask clarifying questions or request additional from

finalists.

Application & Selection Process and

Timeline

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Q & A

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See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the GradNation Acceleration Grant

For more information, visit our website at:http://gradnation.americaspromise.org/action-

platform/funding-opportunity

For specific questions, contact the GradNationteam:

gradnation90@americaspromise.org

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