Request for Application (RFA)
STEM Innovation Grant:
Math in Real Life
2015-2017
GRANT APPLICATION DUE DATE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016
Oregon Department of Education
Office of Learning
255 Capitol Street NE
Salem, OR 97310-0203
It is the policy of the State Board of Education and a priority of the Oregon Department of
Education that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex,
marital status, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age or disability in any educational
programs, activities, or employment. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and
nondiscrimination should contact the Oregon Department of Education, 255 Capitol Street NE,
Salem, OR 97310; Telephone (503) 947-5600; Fax (503) 378-5156.
STEM Innovation Grant RFA:
Math in Real Life
Contents
Background and Legislative Intent ................................................................................... 3
Equity Lens .................................................................................................................... 4
General Information ....................................................................................................... 5
Application Narrative.................................................................................................... 15
Appendix A - Definitions ............................................................................................... 19
Appendix B – Application Cover Page ............................................................................. 21
Appendix C - List of Project Partners .............................................................................. 23
Appendix E – Activities and Timeline .............................................................................. 27
Appendix F – Math in Real Life Network Structure ........................................................... 28
Appendix G – Scoring Guide .......................................................................................... 29
Oregon Department of Education
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STEM Innovation Grant:
Math in Real Life
Background and Legislative Intent
In 2011, the Oregon Department of Education disseminated the Oregon STEM Education
Initiative to catalyze the formation of regional STEM Education Partnerships by defining
STEM education and goals related to preparation for college, careers, and citizenship
needed for improvement in STEM education.
“STEM Education is an approach to teaching and lifelong learning that emphasizes the
natural interconnectedness of the four separate STEM disciplines. These connections
are made explicit through collaboration between educators resulting in real and
appropriate context built into instruction, curriculum, and assessment. The common
element of problem solving is emphasized across all STEM disciplines allowing students
to discover, explore, and apply critical thinking skills as they learn. “
Oregon Department of Education, 2011
In 2013, the Oregon Education Investment Board proposed strategic investments to support
Oregon’s attainment of the 40/40/20 goal. The Oregon STEM Investment Council and the
Oregon Education Investment Board recommended expanding activities related to science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Supported activities would lead to
increased student interest, preparation, and attainment in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics for success in related degrees and careers.
In 2015, HB 3072 directed the Department of Education to distribute monies that expand
and sustain regional networks that support STEM education. Specifically, four STEM
innovation grants were identified to expand the implementation of effective programs
related to STEM and propose innovative approaches or programs that provide professional
development to transform instruction within the STEM disciplines.
The four STEM innovation grant programs focus on:
1. Providing regional teacher professional development in applied mathematics in
grades 7 through 10.
2. Identifying and piloting computer based adaptive learning environments for
students in kindergarten through 8th grade.
3. Providing professional development to promote digital literacy grades 7 to 12.
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4. Partnering with existing out-of-school time STEM programs to expand student
opportunities grades 4 to 8.
In order to transform STEM education in Oregon, there will need to be a change in the
complexity of the STEM content as well as in the knowledge and skill teachers bring to
instructional practice and the ways in which students are engaged in the instruction. All STEM
Innovation grants are designed to address the definition, outcomes and complexity of the STEM
Education Initiative.
Equity Lens
All STEM Innovation Grant recipients will be expected to incorporate and adopt the principles of
the Oregon Equity Lens, the perspective through which the Oregon Department of Education
considers the creation of strategic opportunities for students of color. The Equity Lens provides
twelve core beliefs that fuel opportunities to bolster success for diverse student populations
across the state. The beliefs most pertinent to the work of this set of grants are highlighted
below:
We believe that everyone has the ability to learn and that we have an ethical responsibility
and a moral responsibility to ensure an education system that provides optimal learning
environments that lead students to be prepared for their individual futures.
We believe that the students who have previously been described as “at risk,”
“underperforming,” “under-represented,” or minority actually represent Oregon’s best
opportunity to improve overall educational outcomes. We have many counties in rural and
urban communities that already have populations of color that make up the majority. Our
ability to meet the needs of this increasingly diverse population is a critical strategy for us to
successfully reach our 40/40/20 goals.
We believe that resource allocation demonstrates our priorities and our values and that we
demonstrate our priorities and our commitment to rural communities, communities of color,
English language learners, and out of school youth in the ways we allocate resources and
make educational investments.
We believe that communities, parents, teachers, and community-based organizations have
unique and important solutions to improving outcomes for our students and educational
systems. Our work will only be successful if we are able to truly partner with the community,
engage with respect, authentically listen -- and have the courage to share decision making,
control, and resources.
And, we believe in the importance of supporting great teaching. Research is clear that
teachers are among the most powerful influences in (student) learning. An equitable
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education system requires providing teachers with the tools and support to meet the needs
of each student.
General Information
A. Purpose of the Math in Real Life project
The Math in Real Life project will support the expansion of regional networks to create an
environment of innovation in math teaching and learning. The focus on applied
mathematics supports the natural interconnectedness of math to other disciplines while
infusing relevance for students. During 2015 to 2017, the project will support a limited
number of networked math learning communities that will focus on developing and testing
applied problems in mathematics. The networks will help math teachers refine innovative
teaching strategies with the guidance of regional partners and the Oregon Department of
Education.
There are four categories of outcomes related to this project.




Student mathematics content knowledge:
o Increase student mathematics achievement aligned to Oregon standards
through implementation of applied mathematics problems.
o Decrease the mathematics achievement gap between historically
underserved students and their peers through implementation of applied
mathematics problems.
Student attitudes and beliefs that are correlated to higher achievement:
o Increase student interest and enthusiasm in math by providing more
opportunities to engage in interactive, student-centered problems that are
based in applied mathematics.
Teacher instructional practices:
o Increase pedagogical preparedness of teachers to successfully implement
inquiry-based practices within applied mathematics instruction.
o Increase teacher knowledge of the application of mathematics.
Teacher attitudes and beliefs about themselves and students:
o Increase teacher enthusiasm and self-efficacy for mathematics to stimulate
inclusion of more challenging open-ended applied mathematics activities
within instruction.
o Increase teacher beliefs that all their students are capable of doing
mathematics.
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B. Type of Grant
This grant begins March 1, 2016 and ends on June 30, 2017. Under certain circumstances
and with prior notification, ODE may approve use of grant funds between June 30, 2017 and
September 30, 2017.
The maximum funding for any single proposal serving a single regional project is $250,000.
There is no minimum amount for a proposal. ODE anticipates funding 5 to 10 projects for a
total of $1.25 million. The STEM Investment Council may advise ODE to negotiate a lower
award in order to fund additional proposals to meet other desired criteria such as
geographic distribution. Based on the availability of state resources, this grant begins
March 1, 2016 and ends on June 30, 2017.
C. Eligibility
Eligible applicants include Oregon public school districts, Education Service Districts (ESD),
public charter schools, community colleges, universities, or combination of such entities.
Other Oregon entities may partner with an eligible entity for the proposed project;
however, the eligible entity must retain accountability and fiscal responsibility for the
implementation of the proposed activities.
D. Grant Requirements
This grant supports regional networks of math teachers in grades 7 to 10. The network is
coordinated through a Regional Partnership Team that works closely with the Oregon
Department of Education to support teachers as they develop and implement applied
mathematics problems. A diagram of the structure can be found in Appendix F.
In order to accomplish the purpose of this project, grantees will:

Develop a Regional Partnership Team: Each successful applicant will have a
regional partnership team committed to implementing quality applied mathematics
tasks in grades 7-10. Each partnership team will be required to have at least five
representatives attend statewide meetings three times during the project.
o The partnership team must include:
 post-secondary education (university, community college, and/or
apprenticeship program).
 school district(s) with higher than state averages of historically
underserved students (students in poverty, students of color, English
language learners, or students with disabilities).
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
contextual partner(s) that, at a minimum, provide support in
identifying and reviewing high quality applied mathematics problems.
Contextual partners may be drawn from communities, schools,
workforce, trades, or others.
 regional connector(s) that have as part of their mission to improve
educational opportunities for students in their region. These may be
Education Service Districts, STEM Hubs, or Regional Achievement
Collaboratives.
o The partnership team may include:
 an organization other than a school that provides services for
historically underserved students as part of their mission.
 school districts with lower than state averages of historically
underserved students (students in poverty, students of color, English
language learners, or students with disabilities).

Provide Coordination: Each partnership team will coordinate communication,
professional development, and technical assistance among teacher learning
communities over the course of project. This coordination includes:
o assuring teacher teams receive appropriate professional development and
technical assistance to collaboratively develop, implement, and revise six to
eight applied math lessons between March 2016 and June 2017.
o coordinating collection of evaluation data and final lessons.
o participating in face-to-face meetings and virtual conferences with staff at
the Oregon Department of Education.
o evidence of commitment and/or past experience in carrying out quality
professional development in mathematics, including (1) building teachers’
content knowledge of applied mathematics and capacity to put in practice,
(2) building teachers’ capacity to notice, analyze, and respond to students’
thinking, (3) building teachers’ productive habits of mind, and (4) building
strong collegial relationships and structures that support continued learning.

Develop Networked Teacher Learning Communities: The primary work of this
project occurs in teams of four or more teachers who will collaborate to develop
applied math lessons and implement those lessons in their classrooms. Teams may
be organized around grade levels or math context and may cross school boundaries
if it does not impede collaboration. The work of the teams is coordinated by the
Regional Partnership Team. These teacher teams must be committed to:
o implementing the general framework of a lesson study structured process
which includes opportunities for small groups of teachers to (1) plan; (2)
carry out and/or observe; and (3) refine and reflect on applied mathematics
lessons in their math classroom.
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o creating six to eight applied math lessons that will be implemented in math
classes.
o collecting samples of student work to help evaluate the effectiveness of the
grant project.

Focus on Real Life Mathematics: This project focuses on building capacity to
implement applied mathematics problems in grades 7 to 10. This will be
accomplished by providing math teachers in the networked learning community
with access to context expertise as well as practices for developing and teaching
applied math lessons. The Regional Partnership Team is responsible for coordinating
this work. In order to meet this focus the project will:
o provide teachers with opportunities to learn how math can be applied in a
meaningful context. The context may be derived from school or community
and should have relevance to student interest.
o address relevant grade–level concepts and practices.
o demonstrate the potential integration of separate mathematical concepts in
one applied math task or lesson, as well as the integration of other core
academic content and community resources.
o provide students with experiential learning opportunities in mathematics.
o potentially support:
 career pathways for students that lead to high wage and high
demand occupations.
 Essential Skills graduation requirement of applying mathematics in a
variety of settings.

Apply Principles of Equity: Differences in student achievement often reflect a gap in
opportunities to learn in ways that address individual needs. This project uses
applied mathematics to transform math teaching. All students are provided with
additional opportunities to excel. In order to provide equitable access to instruction
supported in this grant, projects will:
o address students’ backgrounds, experiences and knowledge when
designing, implementing and assessing the effectiveness of the regional
professional learning community.
o create and implement an action plan to address the needs of historically
underserved students.
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E. Use of Funds
Grantees must be able to spend funds according to acceptable accounting procedures and
be able to provide evidence of such procedures. Costs must be necessary and reasonable to
complete the project and be authorized and not prohibited under State or local laws.
Reasonable costs will not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person, are
ordinary and necessary for the operation of the program, and represent sound business
practices. Lack of documentation is a primary reason for audit findings. Documentation
must be available to support each expenditure and may be requested by the Oregon
Department of Education at any time.
Projects will be funded for eligible expenses incurred through June 30, 2017. Under specific
ODE guidelines, awardees may also receive advanced payment for summer activities
occurring between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2017. Awardees will be required to
submit an updated proposal to ODE that outlines anticipated summer expenditures no later
than April 1, 2017. The proposal should be based on activities already identified and
budgeted for in this RFA and may only use remaining grant funds. No additional funds will
be awarded for summer activities.
Use of funds may include (but are not limited to) the following:
• stipend and travel reimbursements for individuals attending meetings, conferences,
or other professional development activities required by this project,
• release time for educators during the school year for activities related to the project,
• materials for classroom implementation related to the content of project activities,
• direct staff expenses related to program, activities, coordination and evaluation to
project activities,
• consultation services with a direct alignment to the project outcomes and activities,
• support of professional development programs aligned to the project outcomes and
activities,
• reasonable expenditures for food at professional development sessions, and
• administrative costs not to exceed 5% of the total proposed budget.
Funds may not be used for:
• costs associated with writing the proposal,
• contractual obligations that began prior to the award date,
• purchase of material that becomes the property of any individual or organization
other than eligible project partners or recipients,
• purchase of services for personal benefit beyond the project outcomes and
activities,
• purchase of office equipment unless directly linked to the program outcomes,
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• purchase of real property (fixed property such as land or buildings), and
• purchase of computer hardware.
F. Reporting and Assurances
Successful applicants will be expected to participate in the evaluation related to the stated
outcomes. Data from the evaluation will be included in reports to the Oregon STEM
Councils and the Oregon Legislature. Any submission of evaluation materials that include
images of minors must be accompanied by a signed release form by a parent or guardian.
Evaluation data of this project may include but is not limited to the following:
• quarterly online progress reports,
• regular posting of teacher-developed tasks to a site identified by the Oregon
Department of Education,
• limited set of student work related to tasks developed by teachers,
• interviews and/or surveys conducted by ODE staff or evaluators, and
• one interim report on student participation.
By signing the assurances included in this application, the grant recipient agrees to
cooperate with ODE and the Office of the Chief Education Officer to collect and report such
data to the extent that it is possible.
G. Scoring and Appeals Process
A review committee will score all complete grant applications that are electronically
submitted to the Oregon Department of Education using the process described in this grant
by 5:00 pm (PDT) on January 22, 2016. All applications will be scored using the scoring
criteria provided in this document. Each application will have at least three reviewers.
The Oregon STEM Council will make final recommendations based on the score and other
criteria identified in this Request for Application. The Deputy Superintendent of Public
Instruction will make the final award decision.
The Oregon Department of Education will notify all successful and unsuccessful applicants
and will provide a summary of comments and suggestions related to their applications.
Applicants will have one week from the date of the notification letter to contest the process
used in making the funding decision through the method identified in the notification. Once
appeals have been considered, the award decisions made by the Deputy Superintendent are
final.
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H. Contact Information
For assistance related to the STEM Innovation Grant: Applied Math Regional PLCs Grant
application, please contact:
Mark Freed
mark.freed@state.or.us
503-947-5610
Oregon Department of Education
Tom Thompson
tom.thompson@ode.state.or.us
503.947.5790
Donna Brant
donna.brant@ode.state.or.us
503.947.5622
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I.
Timeline and Important Dates
Completion Dates
Activities
December 4, 2015
Request for Application (RFA) available online.
December 7, 2015
Technical Assistance Webinar – Understanding the RFA
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1313518742775623170
January 5, 2016
Technical Assistance Webinar – Grant Submission
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1912286386983627521
January 22, 2016
Applications due to ODE by 5:00 PM PDT
February 5, 2016
Applicants expected to be notified of preliminary award
February 19, 2016
Deadline for appeal submission
February 26, 2016
Applicants expected to be notified of final award
April 17, 2016
State wide Partner Team Meeting 1
May 15, 2016
Progress Report 1 due to ODE by 5:00 PM
August 31, 2016
Submission of first completed lessons
October 21, 2016
State wide Partner Team Meeting 2
November 18, 2016
Progress Report 2 due to ODE by 5:00 PM
December 1, 2016
Upload of at least 4 lessons
March 17, 2017
State wide Partner Team Meeting 3
April 28, 2017
Progress Report 3 due to ODE by 5:00PM
May 26, 2017
All developed lessons complete and uploaded. Student work samples
completed.
June 30, 2017
Final activity report due to ODE by 5:00 PM
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J. Required Application Section
Only complete applications meeting the specifications listed below will be scored. Each of
these sections are described more fully in the following pages.
Please submit the application documentation with the file types listed below.
1. Cover Page (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – Identify each school district that will
participate in the grant activities. The cover page is available in Appendix B.
2.
Application Narrative - Sections A through E (doc, or docx) – REQUIRED – This
section may not exceed 10 pages. All required tables may be included as
appendices and are not included in the total page count.
3. Activities and Timeline – Section F (doc, or docx) – REQUIRED – This section should
consist of the table in appendix E. There is no page limit.
4. Budget – Section G (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – This section should include a
narrative and budget worksheet from appendix D. There is no page limit.
5. Statement of Assurances (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – One assurance statement
signed by a project director who is authorized by the fiscal agent.
6. Partner Commitment Letters (doc, docx, or pdf) – REQUIRED – These letters should
identify the specific commitment made by each participant in the project.
Commitment letters should be included for all members of the partnership team and
each participating district.
7. Appendix (doc, docx, or pdf) – OPTIONAL– Any supporting charts, graphs, tables and
other materials may be placed in an Appendix and referenced in the proposal.
K. Format and Application Instructions for Submission
ODE is not responsible for incomplete submissions. Applicants will not be notified if an
application appears to be incomplete. Please check all files before submission. All
applications must meet the following criteria:
•
•
•
•
•
12-point font,
double-spaced,
1-inch margins on the sides, top, and bottom of 8½” by 11” paper,
maximum 10 page narrative as described in the Required Application Section, and
numbered pages.
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An electronic version of the completed application including a scanned copy of the signed
Statement of Assurances and Statement of Commitment, in Word (.doc or .docx), or pdf
format must be received by ODE via Secure File Transfer by 5:00 PM on January 22, 2016.
Secure File Transfer Process – An electronic version of the complete application must be
submitted to Mark Freed (mark.freed@state.or.us) using the Secure File Transfer system
available on the ODE district website: https://district.ode.state.or.us/apps/xfers/. Follow
the instructions provided on the secure file transfer website. Multiple files must be
compressed (zipped) into a single folder for submission. Please name the files as follows:
the agency it is being submitted from, underscore, and Grant Name (i.e. OregonESD_Math
in Real Life). Only complete applications submitted by the due date will be scored. Contact
the ODE helpdesk at 503-947-5715 if you need assistance with the Secure File Transfer
Process.
An electronic version of the Grant Application
must be submitted to ODE.STEMGrants@ode.state.or.us
via Secure File Transfer by
5:00 PM on January 22, 2016
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Application Narrative
The overall project requirements for the Math in Real Life Grant are described earlier in this
RFA. The application narrative is focused on determining the readiness of the applicant to
implement those requirements with the guidance of the Oregon Department of Education.
A. Partnerships (20 points)
Math in Real Life Grant supports a vision of implementing applied mathematics through a
network of math teachers supported by a regional partnership team. The partnership team not
only coordinates the efforts of the project, it also builds regional capacity to continue work
beyond the life of the grant. The specific role of the partnership team is described in the Grant
Requirements section of this RFA.
How well is this project prepared to implement a partnership team?
Include the following in your response:
• a list of participants in the partnership team (see appendix C),
• a description of the previous experience of team members running successful projects
that involve partnerships, and
• a description of any professional development work by partners involving applied
mathematics or other innovative math practices.
B. Coordination (20 points)
The Math in Real Life Grant supports a vision of coordinating multiple collaborative teacher
teams to develop, implement, and revise applied mathematics tasks. The coordination of such
a project includes collection of data related to evaluation of the project.
How will your partnership team address the coordination of the grant work to ensure
meeting identified goals and outcomes?
Include the following in your response:
• a description of experience related to coordinating projects that cross school or district
boundaries,
• a strategy for monitoring the network and continually adjusting project activities to
better meet the goals of the grant,
• a strategy for assuring that all math teachers involved in the project will be able to
participate in collaborative professional development for no less than 60 hours during
the life of the project, and
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• a strategy for monitoring the generation and collection of required data for project
evaluation.
C. Learning Communities (20 points)
The Math in Real Life Grant supports a vision of implementing applied mathematics using
learning communities of math teachers.
How does this project address the development of learning communities that involve math
teachers?
Include the following in your response:
• evidence that recommended school staff have previous professional development
experience deepening their content knowledge in mathematics in connection with one
or more STEM disciplines,
• description of how additional teachers, administrators, post-secondary, and community
partners will be selected for this project who are ready to focus on applied STEM
teaching and learning,
• description of how the grant will implement the general framework of a lesson study
structured process, and
• implementation of quality professional development in mathematics.
D. Real Life Mathematics (20 points)
The Math in Real Life Grant supports a vision of implementing applied mathematics using
exemplar lesson(s) that demonstrate the potential integration of the separate elements of
mathematics, including the integration of other core academic content and community
resources.
How does this project address applied mathematics?
Include the following in your response:
• partners' experience providing students with experiential learning opportunities in
mathematics,
• identification of sources for context that can be supported by school and community
resources and have potential for demonstrating application of appropriate grade-level
mathematics,
• description of how the work could potentially support career pathways for students that
lead to high wage and high demand occupations, and
• description of how the work would potentially support the Essential Skills graduation
requirement of applying mathematics in a variety of settings.
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E. Equity (20 Points)
Quality teaching and learning provides a pathway to economic prosperity. A well designed
regional mathematics learning community aligns with the Equity Lens by encouraging all
students to succeed academically and technically in preparation for future careers.
In Oregon, historically underserved students include students experiencing poverty, students
with disabilities, students of color, and English language learners. For this purpose, "historically
underserved" also includes students who pursue careers that are historically non-traditional for
their gender.
How will this project increase participation, support, and retention of historically
underserved students?
Include the following in your response:
• identify the specific activities within this project that are intended to recruit historically
underserved students,
• identify specific activities within this project that are intended to provide support for
historically underserved students, and
• identify specific activities within this project that are intended to help retain historically
underserved students.
F. Activities and Timeline
Use the table in Appendix E to identify the specific activities associated with implementation of
the project. Include a timeline for each activity that will lead to completion of the project.
Grant funded activities may begin March 1, 2016. Most activities should be completed by June
30, 2017. Under certain circumstances and with prior notification, ODE may approve use of
grant funds between June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017. Examples of summer activities
include teacher professional development and curriculum development.
G. Budget
The budget section is required but will not be scored separately. Information provided in the
budget and budget narrative may be used by reviewers to support their evaluation of the grant
activities and sustainability.
(1) Budget Worksheet
Complete a budget worksheet for the project. Any proposed funding for activities
between June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017 should be described in the budget
narrative.
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(2) Budget Narrative
Describe how the amount in each line item of the budget was determined. Relate this
description to the proposed activities and outcomes.
• Identify roles and responsibilities for each individual with a salary funded
partially or entirely through this grant.
• Identify the nature of the contracted services included in the professional and
technical services.
• Identify specific events and venues if travel includes conferences and meetings in
other states.
• List representative examples of supplies and materials.
(3) Required Meetings
There will be three required meeting for at least five leaders from each project. The
one-day meetings will take place in Salem and will focus on topics critical to the success
of the project such as:
• developing contextual lessons,
• management of a learning community, and
• evaluating student work.
Include funds for transportation, food, lodging, and substitute costs (calculated at
district or state rates) for these meetings in your proposed budget.
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Appendix A - Definitions
(1) “Achievement Gap” means the gap in achievement (state test scores in science and
mathematics as well as postsecondary degree attainment in STEM) that often exists
between students who are economically disadvantaged, students learning English as a
second language, African American, Hispanic or Native American compared to their peers.
(2) “Applied mathematics” engages students in meaningful learning through individual and
collaborative experiences that promote their ability to make sense of mathematical ideas
and reason mathematically while solving open-ended problems based in real-world
situations. Selected applications should leverage natural connections with other disciplines
that inspire interesting and useful extensions of mathematics in a variety of settings.
(3) “Authentic” means using real world questions, problems, and tasks—often drawn from
local community issues and industries—as the focus to drive the learning experiences,
deepen understanding, and developing rich contextual connections across a variety of
STEM and non-STEM disciplines.
(4) “Career and Technical Education (CTE)” is a comprehensive educational program for
students based on industry needs. CTE includes coursework in areas such as health care,
engineering, and computer science.
(5) “Career Pathways” are collaborations between education and training partners from
secondary schools, community colleges, universities, private career schools,
apprenticeships, and/or industry trainers, to provide standards-based curriculum and give
direction to the school-based experiences of a student. These career pathways are
complete, non-duplicated sequences of learning experiences aimed at preparing students
for occupations in specific career areas.
(6) “Core Academic Content” means content that is defined by standards adopted by the State
Board of Education. STEM core academic content includes science and math.
(7) “Equity Lens” refers to the commitment and principles adopted by the Oregon
Department of Education to address inequities of access, opportunity, interest, and
attainment for underserved and underrepresented populations in all current and future
strategic investments.
(8) “High Need School District” is a district with higher than state averages of historically
underserved students (students in poverty, students of color, English language learners, or
students with disabilities)
(9) “Postsecondary Institution” means any public or private educational institution that serves
students beyond grade 12.
(10) “Regional STEM Hub” means a commitment of a group of key stakeholders from different
sectors such as, but not limited to school districts, informal education providers,
postsecondary institutions, business & industry, student-focused nonprofits, students,
families, community members and policy makers to advance state and local educational
goals related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics and career & technical
education (CTE).
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(11) “STEM Education” means an approach to teaching and lifelong learning that emphasizes
the natural interconnectedness of the four separate STEM disciplines, science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics. Developing and deepening content knowledge and skills in
science and mathematics is the foundation of STEM teaching and learning. The natural
connections among science, mathematics and STEM are made explicit through
collaboration between educators resulting in authentic and appropriate context built into
instruction, curriculum, and assessment. The common element of problem solving is
emphasized across all STEM disciplines allowing students to discover, explore, and apply
critical thinking skills as they learn.
(13) “Historically Underserved Students” are students whom systems have placed at-risk
because of their race, ethnicity, English language proficiency, socioeconomic status,
gender, sexual orientation, differently abled, or geographic location.
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Appendix B – Application Cover Page
Adjust for your needs
(Please print or type – all fields must be completed.)
Project Name:
Amount Requested:
Project Director:
Organization:
Address:
City:
State:
Phone:
Zip:
Email:
Grant Fiscal Agent Contact:
Organization (must be an eligible fiscal agent):
Address:
City:
State:
Phone:
Zip:
Email:
TOTAL # OF STUDENTS THAT WILL BE SERVED:
TOTAL # OF EDUCATORS THAT WILL BE SERVED:
Name of School District(s) (Add additional rows if needed)
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Math in Real Life
2015-2017 Statement of Assurances
• The fiscal agent assures and certifies compliance with the regulations, policies, and
requirements as they relate to the acceptance and use of state funds for programs included
in this application.
• The recipient agrees to carry out the project as proposed in the application.
• The recipient will submit all required reports and data to the Oregon Department of
Education as outlined in the application.
• The recipient agrees to participate in all mandatory meetings identified in this application.
• Violations of the rules or laws may result in sanctions, which may include but are not limited
to reduction, revocation, and/or repayment of the grant award.
• The applicant certifies that to the best of their knowledge the information in this application
is correct; that the filing of this application is duly authorized by the governing body of this
organization, or institution, and that the applicant will comply with the general statement of
assurances.
Printed Name of Project Director
Oregon Department of Education
Signature of Project Director
Date
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Appendix C - List of Project Partners
The following individuals and/or organizations have reviewed, discussed, and agreed to their part in implementing the project
proposed in this grant application:
Section 1: Post-Secondary Partners
Name
Title
Organization
Lead Contact
Additional
Contact(s)
(optional)
Section 2: School District Partners
Name
Title
Organization
High Need
District? (Y
or N)
Lead Contact
Additional
Contact(s)
(optional)
Oregon Department of Education
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Section 3: Contextual Partners
Name
Title
Organization
Title
Organization
Lead Contact
Additional Contact(s)
(optional)
Section 4: Regional Connectors
Name
Lead Contact
Additional Contact(s)
(optional)
Oregon Department of Education
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Section 5: Additional Partners
Name
Title
Organization
Additional Contact(s)
(optional)
Section 6: Commitment Letters
A letter of commitment must be included for each partner listed above and each school district identified on the cover page. A
commitment letter specifically addresses what the participant will contribute to the project. The letter also addresses the
commitment of the partner beyond the life of the grant. Commitment letters demonstrate a greater involvement in a project than
letters of support.
Oregon Department of Education
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Appendix D – Budget Worksheet
Project Name: _______________________________________________________________
Fiscal Agent: ________________________________________________________________
Object
1XX
Salaries
2XX
Benefits
31X
Instructional,
Professional &
Technical Services
34X
Travel
390
Other general
Professional &
Technical Services
4XX
Supplies & Materials
460
Non-Consumable
Items
470
Computer Software
690
Administrative Costs
@ 5 %
Instruction
Regular
1XXX
(Expenditures
NOT related to
Staff
Development)
Instructional
Staff Develop
2240
(Instructional
Staff
Development)
Total by
Object
Anticipated
Matching
Funds
Total by Function
Oregon Department of Education
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Appendix E – Activities and Timeline
Describe the specific activities associated with the attainment of each of the project outcomes
in the table in Appendix D.
Activity – Activities may include planning and implementation. The project should have
significant implementation activities by Fall 2016.
Timeline – Indicate the beginning and ending month and year for each activity.
Person(s) responsible – Indicate the names, positions, or groups that will be responsible for
making sure the activity will be accomplished within the proposed timeline.
Activity
Oregon Department of Education
Timeline
Person(s) responsible
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Appendix F – Math in Real Life Network Structure
Oregon Department of Education
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Appendix G – Scoring Guide
Sections/Guiding Question
High Scoring Response
Middle Scoring Response
Low Scoring Response
Application Narrative
A. Partnerships
How does this proposal
demonstrate that the
applicant is prepared to
implement a partnership
team?
The partnership includes
additional partners that will
enhance the project.
Partnership has multiple
members that have worked
together in the past on
education-related projects.
Partnership has significant
experience with professional
development related to applied
mathematics.
Oregon Department of Education
All required partners are
identified.
Not all required partners are
identified.
New partnership with some
relevant experience running
projects involving multiple
partners.
New partnership with little
experience running projects
involving multiple partners.
Partnership has some
experience working with
professional development in
innovative mathematics
practices that may not include
applied mathematics.
Partnership has very little
experience working with
professional development in
mathematics.
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Sections/Guiding Question
B. Coordination
How will your partnership
team address the
coordination of the grant
work to ensure meeting
identified goals and
outcomes?
High Scoring Response
Middle Scoring Response
The partnership team has past
experience coordinating
professional development
projects across multiple schools
and/or districts that would help
enhance the effectiveness of
this project.
The partnership team has past
experience coordinating
professional development
projects that cross school
and/or district boundaries.
The partnership team has past
experience with professional
development projects that did
not involve multiple schools or
districts.
The partnership has identified
specific times and processes to
help the team improve project
goals and outcomes and has
identified how that information
will be used to improve
implementation.
The partnership has identified
specific times and processes to
help the team improve project
goals and outcomes.
The partnership has a general
plan for tracking progress and
adjusting project activities.
The proposal indicates a strong
commitment to providing the
amount of professional
development required and
identifies specific strategies that
will be used to meet that
requirement.
The proposal indicates a strong
commitment to providing the
amount of professional
development required but
actions to assure that is met are
not well described.
The proposal provides little
evidence that the project is
committed to providing the
required hours of professional
development.
Specific processes for collecting General processes for
project data described.
collecting project data
described.
Oregon Department of Education
Low Scoring Response
No processes identified to
collect project data.
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Sections/Guiding Question
C. Learning Communities
How does this project
address the development of
learning communities that
involve math teachers?
High Scoring Response
Middle Scoring Response
Low Scoring Response
Majority of teachers involved in
the project have prior
experience with improving math
practice through math-related
professional development.
Majority of teachers involved in
the project have prior
experience with math-related
professional development.
Few teachers involved in the
project have prior experience
with math-related professional
development.
Specific selection process for
identifying project participants
General selection process
that will lead to strong
identified for participants in the
commitment and participation in project.
the project.
Proposal describes a
professional development
framework consistent with a
lesson study model
implemented with fidelity.
Proposal describes strategies
that will help teachers improve
practice and develop
networking opportunities that
are likely to continue beyond
the life of the grant.
Oregon Department of Education
Proposal describes a
professional development
framework consistent with a
lesson study model
Proposal describes strategies
that will help teachers improve
practice and develop
networking opportunities.
No selection process identified
for participants in the project.
Proposal describes a
professional development
framework inconsistent with a
lesson study model
Proposal presents general
ideas about how to improve
help teachers improve practice
and develop networking
opportunities.
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Sections/Guiding Question
D. Real Life Mathematics
How does this project
address applied
mathematics?
Oregon Department of Education
High Scoring Response
Middle Scoring Response
Low Scoring Response
Proposal describes examples of
experiential learning
opportunities that would help
students understand
mathematics in context relevant
to the students and community.
Proposal describes examples of
experiential learning
opportunities that would help
students understand
mathematics in context.
Proposal provides little
description of experiential
learning opportunities that
would help students understand
mathematics in context.
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Sections/Guiding Question
High Scoring Response
E. Equity
How will this project increase
participation, support, and
retention of historically
underserved students?
The proposal clearly describes
the historically underserved
student populations served
within the scope of the project.
The proposal identifies specific
evidence-based activities that
will increase the participation of
historically underserved
students in this project.
The proposal identifies specific
evidence-based activities that
will ensure the success and
continued participation in this
project by historically
underserved students.
Oregon Department of Education
Middle Scoring Response
The proposal acknowledges the
historically underserved student
populations within the scope of
the project.
Low Scoring Response
The proposal generally
acknowledges there are
historically underserved
students in participating
institutions.
The proposal identifies activities
to increase participation of
The proposal does not identify
historically underserved
activities related to participation
students in this project.
of historically underserved
students.
The proposal identified some
activities to support the success The proposal does not identify
and continued participation of
activities related to success and
historically underserved
continued participation of
students.
historically underserved
students.
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