Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Program

The Delaware Department of Education serves as the administrative/fiscal agent for the Title II Adult Education and Family Literacy Act. Consequently, DDOE through Title II resources will fund providers who can effectively offer adult education, literacy, workplace adult education and literacy activities, family literacy and English language acquisition activities, integrated English literacy and civics education, workforce preparation activities or integrated education and training services to eligible individuals. Individuals eligible for these services are defined as: (1) at least 16 years of age; (2) not enrolled or required to be enrolled in a K—12 school according to Delaware law; and (3) basic skills deficient or not possessing a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent and have not achieved an equivalent level of education or is an English Language learner. Through the “Request for Proposal (RFP)” process, any eligible provider can apply for grant funding in alignment with section 203 (4) of WIOA. The process used to allocate funding will the Request for Proposal process mandated by the state’s Office of Management and Budget. There will be public announcements of the RFP’s available on the Delaware Bid Solicitation Directory and on the Delaware Department of Education Bid Solicitations website. The RFP application package available on these websites will include the state’s regulations regarding funding, all required forms, the narrative and budget questions to be answered, and assurances. This process will assure that all potential applicants receive the same information regarding the bidding process. Prior to submission, a pre-bid meeting will be held to further explain the various components of the RFP application and to answer questions. Since the pre-bid meeting is not mandatory, questions regarding the application package can also be submitted on the two Bid Solicitation websites prior to a “Response to Questions” deadline. All answers will be accessible to any potential applicant on the two Bid Solicitation websites regardless of attendance at a pre-bid meeting. All applications will be sent to the DDOE Business Office for review to ensure that only complete application packages are forwarded to the Adult and Prison Education Resources Team for review. Each applicant’s response will be reviewed by a group of representatives from the Workforce Development Board, DOE Adult and Prison Education Resources and community stakeholders. Applications will be evaluated and scored based on Title II considerations, capacity to provide effective services and budgetary considerations. A rubric aligning minimum and maximum scores for each component of the proposal will be part of the application process. The review team will determine an average score for each application. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to those proposals with acceptable scores for the geographic areas in which they propose to provide services. Grant awards will be made public to ensure transparency. Grants will be awarded based on multi—year funding with recipient performance monitored on a quarterly basis. Continuing grant applications will be due annually. This yearly submission will give each funded program the opportunity to document its effectiveness, unique interventions, best practices and areas where technical assistance, both locally and system wide, is needed. It will also provide a mechanism to propose programmatic innovations. An Annual Report of Program Performance will be developed for public review. This report along with quarterly desktop audits of program effectiveness will be shared with the Workforce Development Board. Technical assistance will be offered to those programs not meeting performance targets. A consistent inability to meet performance targets will result in a funding reduction. If program performance does not improve after technical assistance, defunding will result. Funding will be allocated to direct and administrative services. A minimum of 82.5% of Title II funding will be allocated to grants and contracts under Section 231 and to carry out Section 225 of which not more than 20% of the total amount will be used. A maximum of 12.5% of Title II funding will be allocated for State leadership activities under Section 223 and not more than 5% of Title II funding or $85,000 whichever is greater will be allocated for administrative expenses of the DDOE. Eligibility Criteria for Providers Applying for Title II Funding Eligible providers who can apply for Title II funding include but are not limited to: (1) local educational agencies; (2) community based organizations; (3) faith based organizations; (4) volunteer literacy organizations; (5) institutions of higher education; (6) public or private nonprofit organizations; (7) libraries; (8) public housing authorities; (9) a nonprofit institution not previously described; (10) consortiums or coalitions of agencies, organizations, libraries, institutions; or (11) an employer and entity previously described. Eligible providers must also commit to following all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding the provision of educational services within Delaware. Legislative Considerations: In the RFP application, respondents will have to address the legislative considerations for the different activities being proposed. These responses will provide evaluators with information to determine the provider’s capacity to deliver high quality and effective instruction. All respondents will have to provide the information on how they will support the purposes of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act including: 1. How the program will provide services and supports to adults with barriers to employment including: low skilled; English Language learners; displaced homemakers; low income individuals; Indians, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiians; individuals with disabilities; older individuals; ex—offenders; homeless individuals; youth exiting foster care; individuals with substantial cultural barriers; migrant and seasonal farmworkers; long term unemployed; individuals exiting SSA, title IV, part A; incarcerated offenders and other institutionalized individuals; and single parents; 2. Valid and reliable data reflecting past effectiveness in delivering literacy services to adult sub—populations including those targeted as possessing barriers to employment; 3. How the program will support the Delaware Workforce Development Board’s strategic plan while preparing participants for the entry into or promotion within the workplace and/or transition into postsecondary education and/or training opportunities; 4. How the program will work with local One Stops to align activities and integrate services to support job—ready adult learners; 5. How the program will offer a flexible schedule of service provision that will support successful completion of studies; 6. How the program will incorporate accelerated instruction and technology for academic instruction for learners who can benefit from these options; 7. How the program will provide reading instruction that is evidence based and geared to adult learners; 8. How the program will provide reading, writing, speaking, mathematics and/or English language acquisition instruction and identify the best practices, current scientifically valid research and/or effective educational practice which form the basis for the proposed instructional delivery; 9. How the program will deliver contextualized academic instruction that aligns with the state’s workforce development plan and adopted academic standards; 10. How the program will engage participants in knowing and exercising their rights and responsibilities as citizens; 11. How the program will ensure that staff meet DDOE Adult Education certification requirements; 12. How the program will deliver high quality professional development focused on program delivery and improvement to staff; 13. How the program will coordinate with other entities including WIOA partners, postsecondary education and training entities, one—stop centers, community based organizations, nonprofit organizations for the development of career pathways; 14. How the program will promote concurrent enrollment with enrollment in programs and activities under Title I, as appropriate; 15. How the program will coordinate with other entities to support supplemental services needed by participants to successfully complete their studies; 16. The program’s history in maintaining a high quality information management system that can report measurable participant outcomes and monitor program progress; 17. Is the program located in an area with a demonstrated need for additional English language acquisition and civics education programs based on valid and reliable data; 18. How the program will meet the State adjusted levels of performance and how data will be collected to report on performance indicators; 19. How the program will coordinate with other entities including the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, to support individuals with disabilities in the completion of their goals; applicants will also have to describe the types of services they wish to offer and the strategies they will use to deliver the services. The services required for funding consideration are: appropriate contextualized instruction, including critical thinking skills, focusing on reading, numeracy and writing content areas as described in the National Reporting System guidance for eligible participants based on entry assessment scores. Instruction will be available for individuals demonstrating abilities at NRS Educational Functioning Levels 1 - 6; appropriate English Language Acquisition instruction as described in the National Reporting System guidance for ESL Educational Functioning Levels 1- 6; civics education focusing on the rights and responsibilities of citizens and civic participation in communities; digital literacy that provides the skills and understanding necessary to perform tasks effectively and thoughtfully in digital environments; self—management skills that prepare/reinforce abilities needed to be effective and efficient in the workplace, home and community; job readiness skills that assist a person in choosing and preparing for a job, post-secondary training/education or advancement in a job; and workplace readiness skills that assist a person to be successful on the job; and financial literacy skills that assist a person in managing their resources to attain their work and personal goals. In addition, funding will be available for Integrated Education and Training projects which combine contextualized ABE or ESL instruction with workforce preparation and workforce training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster (acting as a bridge to state developed Career Lattices or industry recognized career ladders). Specific funding, under Section 225, will be targeted towards the provision of the WIOA services outlined above that are aligned with security concerns present in a correctional setting. The WIOA services outlined above and described in application packages must be available for individuals with disabilities and other populations with barriers to employment. Finally, WIOA funds, under Section 223, will be available for the professional development of program staff and for technology enhancement.