The Smart Scholars Early College High School Program

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The Smart Scholars Early College High School
Program

• RFP Webinar August 13, 2009
• Presenter Joseph P. Frey
• Associate Commissioner, Office of Higher Education

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarTodays Agenda

• Background
• Overview of Smart Scholars ECHS RFP
• Questions from participants
• via chat box
• The recording of this webinar will be posted on
  our website
• http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/smartscholars.html

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarPurpose of the
Smart Scholars ECHS Program

• To increase high school graduation rates
• To increase the number of students who complete a
  postsecondary credential or degree
• Target student population students from
  populations traditionally underrepresented in
  college

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarThe Smart
Scholars Early College High School Program

• In 2007, the Board of Regents proposed the Smart
  Scholars ECHS Program to help close the student
  achievement gap.
• This comprehensive program builds upon
• programs that provide college courses to high
  school students, such as College Now, Early
  College High School Programs, and SUNY and
  independent colleges and universities
• the active work of the Departments opportunity
  programs to assist educationally at-risk students
  to graduate from high school and achieve success
  in college.

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarEarly Research

• Research conducted since 2002 by the American
  Institutes for Research and SRI International to
  evaluate the Early College High School Initiative
  (ECHSI).
• ECHSI Evaluation
• Mix of qualitative and quantitative methods
• Based primarily on 2007-08 data from 157 Early
  College High Schools
• Other sources also (publicly available data,
  transcript data, student surveys)

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarECHS Early
Research

• ECHS are reaching their target populations
• 67 of ECHS students are members of minority
  groups
• 59 qualify for free or reduced price lunches
• 46 will be first-generation college students
• ECHS have high attendance rates
• Average daily attendance 94
• 85 progress from one grade to the next
• ECHSI Evaluation

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarECHS Early
Research

• ECHS students are earning college credit
• Graduates earned about a semester to one year of
  college credit
• ECHS students are continuing on to college
• 88 of ECHS graduates enrolled in college the
  next fall
• 41 chose to attend four-year institutions
• 47 chose to attend community colleges
• ECHSI Evaluation

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarThe Smart
Scholars Early College High School Program -
Overview

• Partnerships of public schools, BOCES, or charter
  schools with institutions of higher education
  will establish approximately 23 Smart Scholars
• Early College High Schools (ECHSs).

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarThe Smart
Scholars Early College High School Program -
Overview

• Partnerships of the following entities are
  eligible to respond to the RFP

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarThe Smart
Scholars Early College High School Program -
Definitions

• LEA local education agency
• Public schools, BOCES and charter schools within
  NYS
• Preference will be given to LEAs classified as
  high need or very high need for the purposes
  of this RFP.
• RFP definitions
• High Need a school that had an Overall State
  Accountability Status in 2008-09 of Requiring
  Academic Progress - Year 1 through Year 6.
• Very High Need a school that had an Overall
  State Accountability Status of Requiring Academic
  Progress Year 7 or above or was identified as a
  School Under Registration Review (SURR).

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarThe Smart
Scholars Early College High School Program -
Definitions

• To find listing of High Need Schools
• Clicking on this link and look under Column L
  within the MS Excel file
• http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/nyc/APA/Differentiated_A
  ccountability/DiffAccProsStatus2010.07022009.xls
• This information can also be found on the
  Differentiated Accountability webpage of the
  NYSED website
• http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/nyc/APA/Differentiated_A
  ccountability/DA_home.html

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarThe Smart
Scholars Early College High School Program -
Definitions

• To find a listing of Very High Need Schools
• Clicking on this link and look under Column L
  within the MS Excel file, for schools Requiring
  Academic Progress Year 7
• http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/nyc/APA/Differentiated_A
  ccountability/DiffAccProsStatus2010.07022009.xls
• Also, Appendix D-2 in RFP contains a listing of
  Schools Under Registration Review (SURR) (in
  Tables A-C), which are considered very high
  need schools.

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarThe Smart
Scholars Early College High School Program -
Definitions

• IHE institutions of higher education
• SUNY, CUNY, independent and proprietary colleges
  and universities
• 2- 4-year
• Must be accredited, http//ope.ed.gov/accreditatio
  n/
• Programs must be registered by NYSED, Office of
  College and University Evaluation,
  http//www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue/
• CBO community-based organization
• Private, non-profit 501(c)3 organization
• Representative of a community
• Provides educational and/or human services
• May be a partner but cannot be an applicant

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of the
RFP Mandatory Requirements

• College credits must be transferable to the
  partnering IHE
• Completed or in development articulation
  agreements or letters of intent must be submitted
  with proposal
• MOUs (executed or in development) or letters of
  intent outlining the roles and responsibilities
  between the LEA, IHE and CBO (if applicable) must
  accompany proposal

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of
the RFP Eligibility Requirements

• All public schools (especially high need/very
  high need schools), charter schools and BOCES in
  NYS, and eligible public, independent and
  proprietary institutions may respond to RFP.
• Existing ECHS may respond to this RFP however,
  proposal must illustrate a new or expanded level
  of service, and/or the ability to serve more
  students.
• Partnerships must provide strategies designed to
  seek financial stability for the long-term
  operation of the Smart Scholars ECHS.
• CBOs can participate in partnerships, but cannot
  be an applicant.
• Contracts may be awarded to achieve geographic
  distribution of awards.

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of the
RFP Eligible Activities Pre-Opening Planning
Phase

• Hiring a program director/school leader/principal
  and staff
• Developing a budget and business plan
• Establishing a suitable site/facility for the
  school
• Writing MOUs/letters of intent between the IHE
  and the LEA, including transfer of earned credits
  to the IHE partner (MOUs in development and draft
  letters of intent are acceptable)
• Designing an aligned curriculum, standards and a
  sequence of courses that allow students to earn
  an average of 20 or more college credits while
  completing high school and required Regents exams

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Smart Scholars ECHS Webinar Overview of
the RFP Eligible Activities Pre-Opening
Planning Phase

• Conducting outreach activities to staff and
  families at nearby middle and elementary schools,
  as well as to community-based organizations
• Establishing student recruitment and selection
  criteria
• Coordinating high school and college faculty,
  support services, calendars, transportation and
  establishing on-going governance structures
• Developing assessment tools and instruments to
  evaluate college-readiness, student outcomes and
  program success, to make improvements, and to
  refine the assessment model throughout the
  development of the Smart Scholars ECHS
  partnership schools.

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Smart Scholars ECHS Webinar Overview of
the RFP Eligible Activities Implementation
Phase

• Academic and social support services
• Data collection, sharing, reporting, and
  evaluation
• Student recruitment, community education and
  engagement
• Joint professional development for high school
  and college faculty
• School design and planning team activities (e.g.
  curriculum development)
• Support for college-high school partnership
  liaisons
• Travel and fees for relevant professional
  development

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Smart Scholars ECHS Webinar Contract Period

• Two cohorts of ECHS partnerships -
• Planning phase for first cohort begins December
  1, 2009, to enroll students in September 2010
• Planning phase for second cohort begins September
  1, 2010, to enroll students in September 2011
• Two separate RFPs will result in contracts and
  grants for a period of four years each
• It is anticipated that 12,000,000 for the two
  cohorts will be available for the total Smart
  Scholars Early College High School Program
• It is anticipated that Gov. David Paterson will
  seek legislative approval in the 2010-2011 State
  budget process for a second infusion of
  6,000,000 to sustain the second cohort

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Smart Scholars ECHS Webinar Overview of
the RFP-Required Elements of Proposal Narrative

• The Proposal Narrative
• Proposal Summary limited to a single,
  letter-sized page, font no less than 11 point
• Proposal Narrative limited to 25 pages, 1 inch
  margins, how the partnership will address the
  following
• Target Population
• must provide college-ready courses to students in
  high need/very high need schools in grades 9 - 12
• may serve grades 6 8 with academic and college
  readiness support
• target and enroll students who are at risk of
  dropping out of school (economically
  disadvantaged, English language-learners, and
  first-generation college entrants)
• ECHS must be small, we anticipate serving no more
  than 100 students or less per grade level

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of
the RFP-Required Elements of Proposal Narrative

• P-16 Partnership
• Defined roles of partners
• Plans for articulation of credit between LEA(s)
  and IHE(s)
• Evidence of long-term financial stability of
  Smart Scholars ECHS
• Evidence of an active partnership, including
  joint decision-making procedures
• Opportunities for teachers and IHE faculty to
  collaborate through planning, teaching, and
  professional development.
• Confirmation that only accredited colleges with
  programs registered by NYSED, Office of College
  and University Evaluation will award college
  credit and degrees, http//www.highered.nysed.gov/
  ocue
• Engagement of parents, student care givers,
  school leaders, local community organizations
• Evidence that LEA is high/very high need, if
  applicable

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Smart Scholars ECHS Webinar
Overview of the RFP-
Required Elements of Proposal Narrative

• Curriculum and Academic Rigor
• Provide the plans for developing a detailed,
  multi-year, vigorous curriculum
• Students receive Regents diplomas and an average
  of 20 or more college credits
• Courses are aligned with higher level courses at
  partner IHE
• Provide pathways to an associate or baccalaureate
  degree
• Evidence of capacity to assess college readiness
  of each incoming student

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Smart Scholars ECHS Webinar
Overview of the RFP-
Required Elements of Proposal Narrative

• School Design
• must be an autonomous high school that
• is located on the IHE partners campus,
• is a stand-alone high school near a college or
  university campus, or
• is a small learning community within a larger
  high school that is near a college or university
  campus
• must be a full-day program

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Smart Scholars ECHS Webinar
Overview of the RFP-Required Elements of
Proposal Narrative

• Support Structures What will a Smart Scholars
  ECHS look like?
• Provide plans for
• Strategies that foster a college-going culture
• Bridge programs, college activities and visits
• Personalized learning environment and support
  services
• Tutoring, mentoring
• Social and emotional support services
• Advisory structures, personalized learning
  communities, individual graduation plans,
  guidance and counseling
• Access to IHE facilities, resources, and services
• University faculty, libraries, science labs,
  technology, writing centers, artistic and sports
  facilities and activities
• Substantial parental and community involvement
• Activities designed to encourage high school
  completion and success

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of the
RFP-Required Elements of Proposal

• Staffing
• P-12 teachers and college faculty have the
  appropriate background to deliver specific
  college courses and the ability to provide
  accelerated instruction to students at risk of
  not graduating from high school
• Common planning time for instructional staff and
  others, including school leaders and IHE faculty
• Teacher support and guidance through teacher
  mentoring, professional development, and
  induction programs
• Job description and plans for a qualified
  principal/school leader/program director

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of the
RFP-Required Elements of Proposal Narrative

• Budget
• Demonstrate how contract funds will be spent,
  consistent with eligible costs that may include,
  but are not limited to
• Tuition and fees
• Textbooks
• College liaisons
• Support for high school and college staff
  collaborations
• Discuss and justify all costs requested in the
  Cost Proposal RR Fiscal Form FS-10 Proposed
  Budget
• Budget must not include any cost to students

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarSummary of
Submission Documents - to be submitted with
proposal

• Specific submission documents in the following
  categories are listed in the RFP and must be
  submitted with the proposal
• Staffing and Management
• Partnership Agreements and Partner Profiles
• Student and Community Outreach
• Curriculum
• Student Support Structures
• Budget and Sustainability
• Signed Ability to Meet Mandatory Requirements
  form

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarSubcontracting
and Staff Changes

• Subcontracting
• Will be allowed
• Staff Changes
• Must inform USNY of any changes in staffing among
  partners
• All staff changes are subject to the approval of
  USNY

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of the
RFP-Evaluation Criteria - Technical (75-85
points)

• P-16 Partnership (30-40 points)
• Breadth depth of bidders commitment to ECHS
  concept and viability of the project (10 points
  max)
• Student, faculty, staff recruitment planning
  strategy for engaging CBOs (10 points max)
• Completed or in development articulation
  agreements with IHEs outside of partnership (10
  points max)
• LEA is a high need school (5 bonus points)
• LEA is a very high need school (10 bonus
  points)

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of the
RFP-Evaluation Criteria - Technical (75-85
points)

• Curriculum, Academic Rigor Support (30 points)
• How a Regents diploma and an average of 20
  credits can be earned by each Smart Scholars ECHS
  student (10 points max)
• Plans yield a rigorous, high quality, full-day
  curriculum (10 points)
• Use of authentic and comprehensive measures of
  assessment (5 points max)
• Academic and social support network (5 points
  max)

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of the
RFP-Evaluation Criteria - Technical (75-85
points)

• Staffing and Management (15 points)
• Soundness of the staffing and management plan,
  defined roles of each partner and participant,
  plans to serve no more than 100 students (7
  points max)
• Teachers have the background to deliver
  college-level courses and accelerated instruction
  to students at risk of not graduating from high
  school (6 points max)
• Professional development opportunities for
  teachers and faculty (2 points max)

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of the
RFP-Evaluation Criteria Financial Criteria (25
points)

• Proposal Narrative and Budget are in agreement,
  cost justified and cost effective (7 points max)
• Cost per pupil provided and appropriate
  regional consideration given (9 points max)
• Workable plan to help sustain Smart Scholars ECHS
  after the grant period (9 points max)

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarOverview of the
RFP- Method of Award

• Aggregate score will be calculated
• Minimum score 70 points
• If more than one proposal obtains the same
  aggregate score and there are insufficient funds
  to award all proposals, the contract(s) will be
  awarded to the proposal(s) with the highest
  technical score
• USNY reserves the right to cancel the RFP if it
  is in the best interest of the University

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarTimeline

• Proposals must be postmarked by October 1, 2009
• Applicants will be informed by November 1, 2009
• Partnership Cohort 1 start date
• Planning Period December 1, 2009
• Student Entry September 1, 2010

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarIntermediary

• Intermediary a nonprofit research and
  consulting organization that has demonstrated
  experience in the
• recruitment of qualified educators
• development of academic support services for
  college readiness
• curriculum development
• development, implementation and evaluation of
  assessment tools
• ECHS framework
• Intermediary will
• promote best practices across the schools
• coordinate statewide leadership training
  opportunities
• import and translate best practices from other
  states
• One intermediary will be selected through a
  separate RFP process

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarIntermediary
Timeline

• Timeline for selection of intermediary
• Intermediary RFP Webinar
• tentatively scheduled for August 31, 2009
• Proposals must be postmarked by November 1, 2009
• Applicants will be informed by December 1, 2009
• Intermediary will be ready to begin work with
  selected partnerships on December 15, 2009

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarInterested in
being an intermediary?

• If there are any organizations participating in
  this webinar that are interested in applying as
  an intermediary, contact us and we will put you
  on our mailing list
• IntermedRFP_at_mail.nysed.gov

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Smart Scholars ECHS Webinar Q A

• At this time, questions will be taken using the
  chat feature.
• We will give you a few moments to type in your
  questions, and address them in the order that
  they are posted.
• A link to the recording of this webinar and all
  questions and answers will be posted to the
  following website
• http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/smartscholars.html

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Smart Scholars ECHS WebinarQuestions

• Questions must be submitted to
  SMARTSCHOLARSRFP_at_mail.nysed.gov

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Thank you for attending the Smart Scholars ECHS
Program Webinar