Request for Proposals
March 3, 2008
Public Broadcasting Service
PBS TeacherLine
Local Innovation Fund
(Year 4 – August 1, 2008 to July 31, 2009)
Public Broadcasting Service
2100 Crystal Drive
Alexandria, Virginia 22202-3785
Local Innovation Fund
Table of Contents
I.
Introduction
1
II.
Local Innovation Fund RFP
1
III.
Who May Apply for Local Innovation Funds?
2
IV.
What Range of Funding May Be Requested, and What Other Sources of Funding
Support Exist?
2
V.
For What Purposes Can Local Innovation Fund Awards Be Used?
3
VI.
What Can’t Be Done with Local Innovation Fund Awards?
3
VII.
How will PBS Evaluate Proposals?
4
VIII.
What Kinds of Reporting and Record-Keeping Will Be Required?
4
IX.
PBS Contract Requirements
5
X.
Format and Required Elements for Proposals
5
XI.
Local Innovation Fund RFP Timeline
6
Attachments:
PBS Local Innovation Fund Project Subcontract Agreement
Application Form
Evaluation Rubric
Local Innovation Fund RFP 2008-09
I.
Introduction
PBS TeacherLine (www.pbs.org/teacherline) is a provider of high-quality, online professional
development courses for PreK-12 teachers with the goal of both improving teacher quality
and increasing student achievement. Funded in 2000 by a grant from the U.S. Department
of Education, TeacherLine has collaborated with the nation’s leading educational
organizations such as ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), NCTM
(National Council for Teachers of Mathematics), and other experts to develop rigorous,
research-based online courses that provide a sustained, intensive course experience for the
learner. PBS TeacherLine offers over 130 online facilitated courses in early literacy,
reading/language arts, math, science, instructional strategies and instructional technology.
The service is complemented by PBS TeacherLine Peer Connection, an online suite of tools
and resources to help instructional coaches mentor and support teachers in their daily
classroom experiences.
PBS TeacherLine is distributed nationally by PBS working in partnership with its local
member stations. Stations participate in TeacherLine as a State/Regional Coordinator
(SRC), Local Course Provider, or Promotion station, depending on their institutional
affiliations, shared resources, partnerships, and other funding sources. Stations provide
some of the following services:
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II.
Promote, market, and offer locally-administered TeacherLine courses.
Promote TeacherLine at the local level, directing learners to enroll in nationally
offered courses.
Develop relationships with local school districts, intermediate service agencies, state
departments of education, and related professional organizations.
Recruit teachers to facilitate locally offered TeacherLine courses.
Develop promotion, marketing and outreach initiatives, and track their success.
Recruit, train, manage, and coordinate stations within a state or region for the
dissemination of TeacherLine.
Local Innovation Fund RFP
In August 2005, PBS was awarded a second, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of
Education to sustain and significantly expand its TeacherLine professional development
service. In its proposal to the Department of Education, PBS described the strong
foundation and promising track record achieved over the past five years through the
coordinated local and national efforts of PBS, member stations, and their local education
agencies (LEAs) and wrote:
Annually, PBS will allocate Local Innovation Funds to stations participating at any of the
above levels. The funding will support projects that demonstrate creative strategies for
the promotion and implementation of PBS TeacherLine, particularly to high-need schools
and districts. Funded projects will demonstrate clear, measurable outcomes and align
with the overall PBS program goals.
Simply put, the Local Innovation Fund (LIF) is intended to assist participating TeacherLine
stations to build upon their existing work and grow the TeacherLine program in their
communities. PBS has set aside $800,000 of the overall grant budget for the Local
Innovation Fund to provide support to participating TeacherLine stations and their local
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Local Innovation Fund RFP 2008-09
partner institutions. This “seed funding” can help stations establish relationships and reach
out to new partner agencies; experiment with new promotional strategies; design and
implement special outreach efforts to reach Title I and high-need schools; conduct research
and needs assessments in their communities to refine implementation of TeacherLine;
and/or experiment with new models of service delivery (incorporating face-to-face
workshops, customizing course content, etc.) with the goal of generating greater
participation and/or repeat engagement with the service.
The Local Innovation Fund Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals to fund projects
which will demonstrate creative strategies for the promotion and implementation of PBS
TeacherLine, particularly to high-need schools and districts. Funded projects will
demonstrate clear, measurable outcomes and align with the overall goals of PBS
TeacherLine. Activities associated with funded projects will begin on August 1, 2008 and
are to be completed on July 31, 2009.
While the Local Innovation Fund is not intended to finance general, day-to-day TeacherLine
operational expenses of participating PBS member stations, PBS recognizes that there will
naturally be some overlap between the new innovative projects proposed for this RFP and
the existing infrastructure and processes that stations have in place.
Proposals are due to PBS no later than April 28, 2008. For questions regarding this
RFP, please contact Sandie Pedlow, director, Station Relations, PBS TeacherLine at
703-739-5796 or SPedlow@PBS.org.
III.
Who May Apply for Local Innovation Funds?
This Local Innovation Fund RFP is open to all PBS member stations currently participating in
the TeacherLine program or partnering with an SRC. Stations within an SRC territory may
apply directly or in partnership with their SRC. A station may receive Local Innovation Fund
awards in multiple years of the program (i.e., an award in Year 3 of the grant period does
not make a station ineligible in Year 4).
IV.
What Range of Funding May Be Requested, and What Other Sources of
Funding Support Exist?
There are two levels of Local Innovation Fund awards for which stations may apply:
Level 1: SRCs and Local Course Providers may request funds in any amount between
$10,000 and $60,000. The average grant awarded will be $30,000.
Level 2: Stations participating in TeacherLine as a Promotion station or participating within
an SRC territory may apply for up to $10,000.
In order to ensure that the greatest number of stations can benefit from the Fund, no
station should submit more than one proposal to PBS.
It is expected that stations will support their TeacherLine program activities through other
mechanisms beyond the Local Innovation Fund, including securing local grants and/or
underwriting support as well as program income generated through TeacherLine local
course fees and revenue sharing from PBS. All participating stations are paid a revenue
share by PBS TeacherLine for learners from their territory enrolled in a nationally offered
TeacherLine course.
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Local Innovation Fund RFP 2008-09
Pursuant to federal requirements of the U.S. Department of Education, all net revenues
from TeacherLine activities at both the national and local level must be reinvested in
TeacherLine program activities.
V.
For What Purposes Can Local Innovation Fund Awards Be Used?
PBS is seeking to fund well-structured, innovative projects that engage new partners, create
new strategies for promotion and implementation, encourage retention and repeat learners,
reach new learners and school districts, or establish a partnership with a university for local
graduate credit. Local Innovation Funds will also support research and needs assessment to
refine the implementation of TeacherLine or to conduct R&D planning with new partner
agencies to grow the service.
Projects eligible for the Local Innovation Fund may include but are not limited to the
following proposed examples:

Build on an existing TeacherLine initiative to ensure repeat enrollments, and/or reach
untapped audiences with special professional development needs. Create a plan for
learner retention and repeat enrollment.

Establish a new partnership with an organization that will share resources and
strategically collaborate to secure TeacherLine implementation with a special
emphasis on Title I schools and high-need districts.

Launch a creative, well-executed promotional and marketing campaign with clearly
defined goals and the components to track success. Enrollment can flow to either
local or national courses or Peer Connection.

Work with a marketing/sales consultant to provide training to TeacherLine station
staff and/or SRC station partners. Retain consultant for assistance on closing sales
or implementing strategic marketing initiatives. Attend marketing seminars.

Target a school or group of schools that have a local site-based coaching or new
teacher mentoring model and do a needs assessment for the implementation of PBS
TeacherLine courses and Peer Connection.

Create a cohort of TeacherLine learners with face-to-face training, and a sequence of
courses leading to a special endorsement by a math, reading, instructional
technology or other local educational agency (state departments of education, state
math teachers association, etc.).

Conduct a market needs assessment, explore partnerships and develop a business
plan to become a Local Course Provider or State/Regional Coordinator (SRC).
Local Innovation Fund awards may be used to cover a substantial portion of staffing if (a)
the personnel identified are critical to the success of the project; (b) the employee’s
activities can be fully aligned to the project’s work scope; and (c) the station has other
resources to cover necessary project components (e.g., travel, materials). Over time,
increasing percentages of staff time should be covered by non-grant funds.
VI.
What Can’t Be Done with Local Innovation Fund Awards?
In general, Local Innovation Fund awards are intended to encourage experimentation with
projects that will increase the implementation of PBS TeacherLine in local communities.
Though they may partially cover a station’s ongoing, operational expenses, they are not
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Local Innovation Fund RFP 2008-09
intended to be a replacement for the local grants that were awarded during the previous
five-year TeacherLine grant cycle.
Local Innovation Fund awards cannot be used to underwrite participants’ enrollment fees or
to pay for graduate credit fees. The LIF funds cannot be used for course license fees or seat
fees paid to PBS. The funds cannot be used to cover learner course discounts offered by the
station. Incentives, whether they are monetary or actual gifts given to a learner to take a
course, are not allowed to be subsidized with federal grant funds. Federal grant funds
include program income that is generated by a TeacherLine grant.
VII.
How will PBS Evaluate Proposals?
All proposals will be reviewed by an external panel with expertise in education and public
broadcasting. PBS staff will review the panel’s recommendations and make the final funding
decisions.
Proposals will be reviewed based on the following criteria (see attached evaluation rubric
that will be used by the panel members):

Project clearly articulates how the proposed activities expand upon existing efforts at
the local level and break new ground.

Project goals and target audience are clearly defined.

Project takes into account Title I or high-needs schools and districts.

Project helps build strong partnerships and demonstrates interest and commitment
from related organization(s), station(s), and/or schools and district administrators to
increase reach, implementation, and impact.

Project implementation plan is well-structured—that is, it describes a specific
initiative versus a whole range of ideas—and has clearly-defined benchmarks and
outcomes to help track progress and success.

Budget is clear, reasonable and aligned with the scope of work.

Internal capacity to support the project is appropriate.
grant funds are encouraged but are not required.

Station’s past performance with TeacherLine demonstrates a strong foundation with
the program, and a commitment and effort to expand the dissemination and
implementation of the service.
In-kind resources or other
VIII. What Kinds of Reporting and Record-Keeping Will Be Required?
In compliance with federal grant requirements, stations awarded Local Innovation Funds will
be required to submit a project status and financial report on a quarterly basis, as described
in Appendix A of the standard PBS TeacherLine Agreement Form (“PBS TeacherLine
Agreement Form”). PBS TeacherLine will provide templates for stations to detail project
deliverables and updates. Also, stations will be required to submit a financial report that
itemizes the expenses incurred during the reporting period.
Payments generally will be made in four installments: upon contract execution, during the
second quarter, during the third quarter, and upon completion of the project.
The
payments are contingent upon the station’s satisfactory completion of deliverables due
during the relevant period and submission of the applicable project status and financial
report.
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Local Innovation Fund RFP 2008-09
Payment for grant activities is tied to successful completion of the deliverables
due during the relevant period, as well as submission of the project status and
financial report that reflects that funds have been expended and fully accounted
for during the grant award timeline in accordance with federal regulations. Local
Innovation Funds awarded to a station but not expended must be returned to PBS
even if all deliverables have been met and delivered.
IX.
PBS Contract Requirements
Stations submitting proposals to the Local Innovation Fund RFP shall agree to the terms of
the standard “PBS TeacherLine Agreement”, attached hereto as Attachment A.
PBS is not responsible for the cost of the station’s efforts associated with developing its
response to the RFP. PBS does not guarantee a selection will be made or a resulting project
will ensue. This RFP is not intended to restrict in any way PBS’s right to reject any proposal
submitted in response to this RFP or to negotiate an agreement with any station or stations
that will best serve the needs and interests of PBS and that meet the goals of the Local
Innovation Fund RFP. PBS reserves the right to reject any proposal for any reason including
late delivery or incompleteness.
Property Rights
PBS requires that all deliverables be created on a “work-for-hire” basis, and that PBS own
all intellectual property rights in these deliverables. Stations that own preexisting materials,
and wish to repurpose such materials for the requested deliverables, must provide PBS with
perpetual, royalty-free rights to use and modify the preexisting materials as incorporated in
the work-for hire final deliverable.
PBS Confidentiality Agreement
This RFP and its attachments contain information that is confidential and proprietary to PBS.
The disclosure of this RFP or any of its contents to any third party and the use for any
purpose other than by a party in preparation of a response to this RFP without PBS’ express
written permission is not permitted. If PBS does award a contract to any party submitting a
response to this RFP, then such party’s right to duplicate, use or disclose the information
contained in this RFP will be only to the extent authorized in the resulting agreement
between PBS and that party.
X.
Format and Required Elements for Proposals
To apply, stations must complete the attached Application Form, which includes a brief
proposal summary and budget, and submit it with the proposal narrative. In its proposal, a
station should be able to articulate clearly how the proposed scope of work builds upon and
expands previous efforts, breaking new ground.
Narrative: The proposal narrative must be limited to five pages and be formatted
to respond to the components listed below. Please list the number and statement
followed by your response.
1. Describe the project goals and intended audience. Describe how this project expands
upon the station’s existing efforts and represents something new and innovative.
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Local Innovation Fund RFP 2008-09
2. Identify the local partners that will be involved, and describe their role and
responsibilities in support of the project. How will you collaborate with the organization(s)?
Attach letters of commitment from participating organizations.
3. Describe how the project will be implemented including the sequence and scope of
project activities; it may be helpful to organize these in a chart or table, month-by-month
with a timeline of August 1, 2008 to July 31, 2009. Please describe how the activities tie
directly to (a) overall project goals and (b) anticipated outcomes. Please identify in the
chart the project deliverables that will be completed by each of the following reporting
dates: October 31, January 31, April 30, and July 31, 2009. These deliverables will be
incorporated into the station's contract.
4. Identify the anticipated outcomes. How will you define success, and how will you
measure it? If the project is a promotional/marketing campaign, describe how you will track
effectiveness of messaging and promotional material.
5. Tied to #4, above, estimate the program participation that you expect will result from
the proposed activities. If possible, please be specific about the outcomes for Title I and
high-need schools and districts in your area.
6. List key personnel and their roles in the project. Brief resumes may also be submitted
as attachments but summarize responsibilities in this section. If your station can provide
in-kind resources, please elaborate.
7. Summarize station performance with TeacherLine in the past grant year (2007-2008) if
applicable: list number of courses offered, total enrollment, partners, approximate revenue
generated, etc.
Budget: Submit a budget showing an itemized breakdown of requested funds. Attach a
brief budget narrative that provides explanation of costs and clarification of items that may
require further explanation. Federal grant requirements dictate that all budget items must
be necessary to accomplish project objectives, must be auditable, and must be incurred
during the grant period. Administrative overhead should not exceed 5%.
Budgets should be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and
must adhere to guidelines detailed in OMB Circular A-122. This Circular establishes
guidelines for non-profit organizations that must be adhered to in the administration of
federal funds. Please review OMB Circular A-122 carefully as your compliance with its
dictates will be required. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a122/a122.html#top
PBS’s Ready to Teach grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education is a cost
reimbursement contract which means that PBS is reimbursed only for actual costs
incurred. Therefore, the Local Innovation Funds must be expended and accounted
for during the Year 4 project timeline: August 1, 2008 to July 31, 2009. Funds
awarded but not expended during this time period must be returned to PBS.
XI.
Local Innovation Fund RFP Timeline
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Monday, April 28, 2008, 5:00 p.m. ET. Only
proposals submitted electronically in Word format will be considered.
Proposals must be emailed to Rachel Papagiannis, assistant director, Station
Relations, PBS TeacherLine at rapapagiannis@pbs.org.
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Local Innovation Fund RFP 2008-09
All proposals submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by PBS and an external panel with
expertise in education and public broadcasting.
PBS staff will review the panel’s
recommendations and make the final funding decisions. PBS expects to notify stations
of grant awards during the week of June 2, 2008.
Proposal Submission Checklist:

Proposal Application Form

Proposal Narrative (following proposed format and not to exceed five pages)

Budget and Budget Narrative

Letters of Commitment from Partner Organizations and Resumes of Key Personnel
7