Located in:
- III. Operational Planning ElementsThe Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that support the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II.(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
- b. State Operating Systems and PoliciesThe Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the State operating systems and policies that will support the implementation of the State strategy described in Section II Strategic Elements . This includes—
- 5. Distribution of Funds for Core ProgramsDescribe the methods and factors the State will use in distributing funds under the core programs in accordance with the provisions authorizing such distributions.
- 5. Distribution of Funds for Core Programs
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
III. b. 5. B. i. Multi-year Grants or Contracts
Current Narrative:
The Department of Workforce Development is the State’s eligible agency for adult education and literacy programs. DWD is responsible for administering funds and providing program/performance oversight to adult education and integrated English literacy and civics education (IELCE) grantees.
Indiana’s adult education and IELCE grantees, which are eligible providers under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) will continue to receive their program 2017-18 grant funds through June 30th, 2018 on the condition that they adhere to both State and Federal grant expectations. These expectations are measured through annual applications, financial reports, and program performance reports.
For grant year 2017-18 DWD held a competitive application process for all federal AEFLA funding. Eligible applicants addressed and were scored on responses to the 13 considerations in Title II of WIOA as well as several state specific considerations. These funds were awarded July 1, 2017 for grant year 2017-18.
For grant year 2018-19, DWD will hold a grant continuation grant process, for all federal AEFLA funding that will determine the funding eligible providers will be awarded starting July 1, 2018. DWD has not determined if it intends to issue a new competitive request for application or grant continuation for adult education funding for program year 2019-20.
The review of submitted proposals for the continuation grant covering program year 2018-19 will include rating responses to the 13 considerations in Title II of WIOA and the relevant provisions of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). DWD intends to:
TIMELINE: The following steps will be taken in conducting the AEFLA competition:
•February 2018: DWD publishes its one-year Federal AEFLA Requests for Applications, which is aligned with the priorities of the approved State Unified Plan (SUP);
•February-March 2018: DWD provides technical assistance to eligible providers through a question submission process;
•April 2018: Due date for AEFLA continuation and competitive grant applications;
•April 2018: AEFLA grant applications are reviewed and scored by selected grant reviewers;
•April-May 2018: DWD conducts review of budgets and other grant requirements and develops a rank-ordered slate based on applicant scores;
•May 2018: DWD announces AEFLA grant applicants that will receive funding;
•July 1, 2018: AEFLA grant providers begin grant cycle, programming, and funding.
For grant year 2018-19 adult education grants funding will be awarded to programs in three ways; (1) seventy five percent (75%) of the total available adult education funds will be allocated based on a formula that accounts for the performance of each individual grantee during the previous program year; (2) up to twenty percent (20%) of the total available adult education funds will be awarded on a competitive basis to eligible grantees to provide integrated education and training (IET) programs; (3) at least five percent (5%) of the total available adult education funds will be awarded on a competitive basis to eligible grantees to provide adult education and literacy activities in partnership with local employers, either on or off worksite, as part of DWD’s Workforce Education Initiative.
To determine if an eligible grantee continues to be an organization of demonstrated effectiveness, all applicants will be required to provide data demonstrating their ability to improve skills of low-literate adults in the applicable academic areas related to the RFA. While eligible applicants will be free to submit additional data demonstrating their effectiveness as an adult education provider, all applicants will be required to submit data from DWD’s adult education student data management system (InTERS) for program year 2017-18. This data represents each program’s individual performance as measured by national reporting system (NRS) tables and is aggregated for reporting to the United States Department of Education (USDOE) and the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE). The students represented in this data cohort will include all adult basic education (ABE) students, English language learners (ELL), and/or IELCE students.
Applicants will also be required to demonstrate its record of improving the knowledge and skills needed to transition successfully to postsecondary education, skills training, or employment. Each application will be reviewed to determine whether it meets the standard of demonstrated effectiveness. Applications that do not provide sufficient evidence of demonstrated effectiveness will be eliminated from the competition.