Name of Grant Program:
MA Creativity/Innovation Initiative
Fund Code:
189
PART III - REQUIRED PROGRAM INFORMATION (NARRATIVE) AND INSTRUCTIONS
Please provide the following information.
1. Overview of the Targeted Curriculum Project
Offer a short overview of the curriculum project to be addressed through this initiative, including the
subject matter, school(s) and grade level or levels or course and how an existing or new curriculum unit will
be enhanced with the addition of new elements that involve students in skill development for creativity and
innovation. (Word limit: 250)
2. Schedule for Project in FY15 and 16
All districts must use their grant funds to support the review, design, adaptation, and implementation of
project-based curricula aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and designed to promote
students’ creativity and the capacity for innovation.
Please indicate your district’s intended schedule for curriculum writing and implementation in the context of
this two-year initiative (second year continuation grant contingent on funding availability and grantee
successful completion of Year 1 grant requirements):
Target curriculum
[ ] Reviewing and adapting existing curriculum
[ ] Developing new curriculum
Schedule
[ ] Posting to the Contextual Learning Portal and implementation in FY2015
[ ] Posting to the Contextual Learning Portal in FY2015 and Implementation in FY2016
3. Staff Plan and Professional Development
Identify by name, grade and title the lead administrators and teachers who will be involved in this initiative.
These are the educators who will support the writing, redesign and/or adaptation, posting and implementation
of the curricula to enhance creativity and the capacity for innovation by:





Learning how to use project-based curricula designed to promote creativity and innovation.
Reviewing and approving drafts of curriculum revisions for publication/posting;
Submitting drafts and final products for posting to the ESE Contextual Learning Portal;
Attending and making presentations at ESE grant convening(s) and the Connecting Activities
Conference on May 19, 2015;
Becoming knowledgeable about the indicators of success for teachers promoting creativity and
innovation, including changes in teachers’ classroom practice; and
4. Participating Partners
Identify partnering community organizations, cultural institutions, higher education institutions or educational
consulting groups that will be involved in the self-assessment, review, planning, design, and implementation of
the new or revised curricula. Provide names and titles of the individuals who will participate, if available.
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5. Detailed Plan for Initiative (limit six pages)
Data-Based Decision-Making
A. Provide a summary of the data analyzed to determine why the school(s) and grade level or levels, or course
identified in Question #1 were selected.
B. Provide the title and a brief explanation of the new or existing curriculum unit that you propose to enhance
or create.
C. As a result of having used the Rubric for Projects that Foster Creativity and Innovation, identify one or
more dimensions and the specific elements that you plan to enhance, and describe briefly what you plan to
do in these areas.
Dimension from Rubric
I.
Plan for Curriculum Enhancement (refer to specific elements)
Alignment with the
Massachusetts Curriculum
Frameworks
II. Learning Environment
III. Time and Resources
IV. Classroom, Community,
and Career Connections
V. Reflection and Assessment
Curriculum Design Phase
D. Identify the major ideas and questions the curriculum unit will explore, the knowledge and skills targeted,
and the related grade-level standards in one or more Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks that will be
the focus of your curriculum unit. Applicants may refer to examples in the Contextual Learning Portal or
the Understanding by Design template of the Massachusetts Model Curriculum Unit project and other
resources on that site to organize their initial project design.
E. Describe how the new or revised curriculum will provide opportunities for students to practice creativity and
innovation, take risks, devise multiple solutions, assess their own work, and develop demanding standards
of excellence.
F. Describe how the new or revised curriculum will provide opportunities for students to explore potential
careers, and understand local business, community or cultural organizations. Describe how your curriculum
will make innovative use of technology.
G. Indicate the approximate number of school staff, students, and external partners who will participate in the
curriculum design phase, the number of sessions planned, and the format of the sessions (e.g., districtbased meetings, school study groups, grade level meetings).
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Curriculum Implementation Phase
H. Describe your plan for implementing the new or revised curriculum and documenting how students,
teachers, and partners respond to the curriculum as it is implemented.
a. Provide an anticipated calendar of meetings or working sessions in FY2015.
b. Please address the following schedule in your plan: Recipients must post a first working draft of
the curriculum to the Contextual Learning Portal by February 23, 2015, a second draft by May 1,
2015, and the final product by June 19, 2015.
I.
Describe anticipated first indicators of success, including student engagement and achievement and
changes in teacher practice.
J.
Describe how the district plans to sustain the curriculum initiative beyond the life of the grant, including the
possibility of extending classroom work into a summer component or involving a wider group of
students.(Include a short description of how this initiative may fit into a potential second year of funding)
K. Describe how the curriculum initiative fits into the district’s overall plans for increasing college and career
readiness.
5. Evaluation and Performance Measures
A. Describe the program’s anticipated improvements for students that will result from implementation of the
new or revised curriculum unit.
B. Use the charts below to present performance measures that the program will track. These outcomes
may include “process” metrics that may not have an explicit objective measure (i.e. not necessarily an
exam or test). These metrics will be used in potential applications for continuation funding in FY2016.
Anticipated
Outcome(s) of
Design Phase
How will it be measured?
By When?
Example: A
stronger
partnership
between the
school and the
community
organization
Example: Documentation/Postings about
the progress of the curriculum design
phase on the websites of both the school
and the community organization
End of January, March, and
June 2015
How will it be
measured?
Baseline # and/or
% (Students)
Target # and/or
% (Students)
By When?
Attitude Survey of
students involved in
course in FY15 and
FY16
15 students, 30%
reporting high
engagement
25 students,
60%reporting
high
engagement
Baseline
June 2015,
repeated
june 2016
Anticipated
Outcome(s) of
Implementation
Phase
Example: Stronger
student
engagement
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The person in the district to contact regarding the evaluation is:
Evaluation Contact Person/Title __________________________________________________
Email: ____________________________________________________
Phone: __________________________________________________
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