I am forwarding an invitation to participate in the grant reading process
for TLCF (Technology Literacy Challenge Funds) grants. School library media
specialists are involved in these grants. It's a great opportunity to see
how other school systems operate and be part of the process to determine
funding. Most of all, it is a chance to update your own grant writing skills
by critically evaluating grants and seeing the difference between successful
and less than successful ones. This may be the end of the TLCF funds, but
there are several opportunities in the next few months for other federal
grants. School library media specialists will soon see an announcement for
grant opportunities connected to the new school library resources program,
established under the recently reauthorized Elementary and Secondary
Education Act, which was funded this year at $12.5 million. Start brushing
up on identifying needs and meeting grant proposal criteria by reading TLCF
grants!
Sylvia K. Norton
Learning Technology/Library/Media and Information Services Specialist
Maine Department of Education
Maine State Library
64 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Telephone 207-287-5620, 1-800-322-8899
Fax 207-287-5624
[log in to unmask]
> -----Original Message--------
>
> Enclosed is an invitation, a registration form, and the Commissioner's
> Informational Letter #50.
>
>
> The Maine Department of Education will be holding the peer review process
> for the TLCF (Technology Literacy Challenge Fund) Grant on Monday through
> Wednesday, March 18, 19 and 20, 2002 in the DOE classroom located on the
> 5th floor of the Cross Building (New name for the State Office Building).
> Each of you expressed an interest last December in helping to read the
> grants.
>
> Readers may sign up for one, two or three days. The State will provide
> lunch and coffee/juice each day. The State will reimburse travel at .30 a
> mile and hotel rooms for readers who come from long distances (over 60
> miles).
>
> The day will run from 7:45 (to locate reasonable parking) until grants are
> competed by the team. There will be a short introduction, signing of the
> confidentiality and no conflict of interest certification and training
> each day and readers will be expected to read about six grants each day.
>
> Complete the attached form to register as a peer reviewer.
>
> ---------
>
>
>
> TLCF Reviewers Request to Participate Form
>
> Name:______________________________ District: ___________________________
>
> Home Address: _________________________________________________________
>
> Work Phone _______________________ Home Phone _________________________
>
> Email ___________________________________________
>
> Please email, fax (624-6791) or reply by mail on or before March 8, 2002
>
> 1. Select the day(s) you wish to be considered to participate
> [ ] Monday March 18 [ ] Tuesday March 19 [ ] Wednesday March 20
>
> 2. List any school districts from which you would have a conflict of
> interest in reviewing their grant. Examples (work for the district,
> spouse or family member work for the district, live in the district, was
> part of the planning team for this district's application)
>
>
>
>
>
> Check the appropriate box if questions below apply
>
> 3. Hotel rooms will be reimbursed at the State rate of $55 for those
> traveling over 60 miles and wish to stay in a hotel to be part of the
> review.
> [ ] Yes, I will be seeking this reimbursement.
>
> 4. [ ] I have a special dietary need for lunch. Please note your needs
> _____________________________
>
> We will be contacting you concerning your request by email or phone and
> mailing an information package to the address you listed above. For more
> information contact Richard Riley at 624-6816,
> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > or Dennis kunces at 624-6815,
> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]> >.
>
> Requests can be emailed to the above address to Richard Riley or Dennis
> Kunces or faxed to 624-6791. The mailing address is:
> Dennis Kunces
> ME DOE
> 23 State House Station
> Augusta, ME 04333-0023.
>
>
>
> TO: ALL SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS
>
> The following message is being sent at the request of the Commissioner.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------------
>
> ***** Please forward to Technology Literacy Challenge Funds Grants
> Coordinators *****
>
> Note: The Administrative and Informational Letters are available also on
> our website at the following address:
> http://www.state.me.us/education/edletrs/homepage.htm
> <http://www.state.me.us/education/edletrs/homepage.htm>
>
>
> INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 50
>
> POLICY CODE: GFC
>
>
> TO: Superintendents of Schools and
> Technology Literacy Challenge Funds Grants Coordinators
>
> FROM: J. Duke Albanese, Commissioner
>
> DATE: February 25, 2002
>
> RE: Technology Literacy Challenge Fund Grants
>
> On November 5, 2001, the Department of Education sent Informational
> Letter No. 32 inviting applications for Technology Literacy Challenge Fund
> Grants. This was in anticipation of a final USDOE
> reauthorization/appropriation to the State of Maine for that purpose as
> indicated in Informational Letter No. 44 on April 5, 2000, and a memo from
> Heidi McGinley on May 25, 2001.
>
> Soon after the grants were submitted, received, and reviewed for
> completeness by the DOE, discussion began about the grant review process
> and the gathering of necessary data for submission of the State plan. DOE
> also reviewed the federal grant award cycles and grant award cycles to
> local schools over the last several grant periods.
>
> After review of the grant activity, discussion with the DOE grant
> staff and the USDOE, we have determined that in fact, the final USDOE/TLCF
> grant award was made to the State of Maine in January, 2001 and that award
> was made to local school districts in March, 2001 in the amount of $1.7
> million for activity during both the 2000-01 and the current 2001-02
> school year. There is no additional year of funding under the original
> TLCF grant program, as correspondence from the Department over the last
> year and a half, and as the application package you received with
> Informational Letter No. 32, November 5, 2001, anticipated.
>
> Therefore, we regret to inform you that there are no new federal
> funds to fund the full grant applications submitted December 20, 2001.
> There is, however, a balance in the 2001-2002 TLCF account of $377,
> 714.13, which will now be awarded as soon as possible.
>
> After considerable deliberation based on the reduced amount of money
> available, we have decided that the balance of the TLCF Grant money will
> be awarded as follows:
>
> We will keep the grant review and award process intact. We will
> review and score the applications using the same evaluation criteria and
> process that was described in the application materials you received from
> us and will award grants up to $20,000 per district based on the amount
> requested in the application.
>
> We will recruit peer reviewers for the grant applications submitted
> and will begin the review process immediately.
>
> We will award grant awards to the successful applicants by April 26,
> 2002. Naturally, there will be fewer awards than originally anticipated.
>
> These additional grant funds, as well as any local balances you
> might have, must be spent by September 30, 2002.
>
>
> Looking ahead to the next five years under the new Elementary and
> Secondary Education Act Title II-D Educational Technology State Grants,
> there will be a federal appropriation awarded to states for technology
> grants to local schools. The award to the State of Maine will be
> $3,075,000 for FY 2002. The federal money will be awarded to states based
> on a formula of 50% by competitive grants based on poverty levels and 50%
> by entitlements based on poverty levels. It is anticipated that these
> funds will be awarded to states, including Maine, in July, 2002. The
> grant application process for school districts under this grant will
> involve new regulations and guidelines, and will require a new application
> process.
>
> DOE staff, including Kim Quinn, the Coordinator of Learning
> Technology, will be attending information and training conferences
> sponsored by the USDOE in February 2002, on new federal grant programs for
> Learning Technology. I can assure you that it will be a DOE priority to
> inform you of, and involve you in, the technology grant planning and
> training process, to put a state grant process in place and to award the
> funds to local districts as soon as funding is available, which is
> sometime after July 2002.
>
> I apologize for the inconvenience this process has caused you, and I
> commend you for the differences you have made in improving the learning
> opportunities of Maine's children by integrating technology into the
> classroom.
>
>
>
>
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