National Math and Science Initiative
Frequently Asked Questions
Topics of frequently asked questions:
Eligible entities

1. What is the difference between a Supporting Partner and a Training and Incentive Program Organization?

The Supporting Partner’s role is to bring management expertise, financial stability, and important connections to key state officials. The Supporting Partner may be any type of entity (e.g., non-profit, for profit) and does not receive NMSI funding. The Training and Incentive Program Organization is the grantee, and its role is to operate the program on a day-to-day basis. The Training and Incentive Program Organization must be a non-profit, tax-exempt entity. Each applicant needs to have both a Supporting Partner and a Training and Incentive Program Organization.

2. Who is eligible to be the grantee (the Training and Incentive Program Organization)?

The grantee must be a tax exempt, non-profit, non-governmental entity. Foundations, business-education partnerships, and educational non-profits are examples of suitable grantees.

3. What if a suitable grantee does not currently exist in our state?

One may be formed for the purpose of receiving funding and implementing the grant. Paperwork for establishing the entity must be completed, but the organization may apply without yet having the submitted paperwork approved.

4. Can a non-profit entity that is not tax exempt be a grantee?

Yes, but it will have to set up a tax exempt, non-profit entity to receive funds and operate the grant.

5. Could an entity be both the Supporting Partner and the grantee?

Yes, so long as the entity meets the criteria for both roles laid out above and in the RFP. For example, a foundation with a passion for improving education could both provide the matching contribution and fulfill other aspects of the Supporting Partner role, while simultaneously starting a new non-profit tax-exempt division to administer the Training and Incentive Program. The foundation would have to hire staff with the expertise and skills to implement this program.

6. If the Supporting Partner does not have all of the attributes identified as desirable in the Request for Proposal, but if the Supporting Partner and the grantee organization have them all covered in combination, is this acceptable?

Yes.

7. Does a new board need to be formed for this project if there is an already existing one?

A new board does not need to be formed if your organization's board is able to bring the high-profile strategic and management advice and connections that are needed for the board of this program.

8. The higher education system in our state is interested in partnering with us on the grant. What role could they play?

A higher education system could serve in a variety of roles depending on their level of interest and the capabilities of other partners already involved. At the most involved end of the spectrum, a university could act as the Supporting Partner. A subset of the university’s board of directors could act as the board for this program, and a university-affiliated nonprofit institute could apply as the grant administrator.

There are several other, less involved roles a university could fill--anything from holding College Board endorsed summer institutes for training to being a cooperative sponsor in establishing a data system with P-16 capabilities.

Universities may also be interested in the RFP we have open for the UTeach program, which is a program that recruits and prepares math, science, and computer science majors for teaching careers. To download an application, visit: http://www.nationalmathandscience.org/pdfs/030607UTeach_RFP.pdf.

9. Is there a minimum of assets a Supporting Partner needs to have on hand to be eligible?

Supporting Partners must commit to providing the match outlined in the RFP but are not required to have this money already on hand. That said, given the financial responsibilities of the Supporting Partner, having significant financial resources already in place will be considered a strength.

10. How important is it for the grantee to have a statewide rather than regional mission?

While regional grantees are eligible, they need to demonstrate significant connectivity with key officials throughout the state and be willing to extend their reach beyond their typical boundaries.

11. My district is interested in this grant, can we apply?

Not directly. There are two things an interested district can do to bring the program to its schools. The first is to cultivate a Supporting Partner. NMSI or the state department of education should be able to tell the interested district whether any Supporting Partners have expressed interest in applying for the grant in the district’s state. The second is for the district to advocate their selection as an initial location for the grant within their state. Key considerations in district selection include the desire of the district for the grant and the district’s willingness to make changes in order to ensure the success of the grant.

12. Is the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program eligible for funding?

While IB is a rigorous and important course of study, it is not eligible for our program. The National Math and Science Initiative program for was designed as a scale-up of a proven model, Advanced Placement Strategies (APS), cited by the Rising Above the Gathering Storm report. APS is designed to provide training and incentive programs for mathematics, science, and English AP and pre-AP courses. As a scale-up oriented organization, NMSI’s mission does not include creating new programs around other advanced courses of study, regardless of how worthy they may be.

13. Are non-AP, dual credit courses eligible for funding?

The grant does not support non-AP, dual credit courses. If, however, a dual credit course were aligned with the course outline for an AP course and both prepared and encouraged students to take the AP exam, it would be eligible for funding.

14. Do proposals have to include all three subjects (math, science, and English)?

Yes, programs need to include all three components--math, science, and English. While we are the National Math and Science Initiative, we believe that the communication skills developed in an AP English course are foundational to success in math and science--both in high school and beyond. The experience of APS in Texas has been that this is particularly important in the most disadvantaged schools, where AP English Language exams scores of 2 or higher have been linked to significantly greater college persistence.

Proposal Development

15. May a new or existing entity hire a grant writer and be reimbursed by the grant if funded?

No.

16. What guidance would you give to an entity that does not yet have the expertise to develop fully a proposal?

There are no restrictions on who may be on the proposal writing team. NMSI expects that many proposals will be crafted with input from a variety of key stakeholders. Governors’ offices, state departments of education, math and science interest groups, school district specialists in Advanced Placement, university centers for improving math and science, and businesses with interest in improving education may all provide valuable expertise (or even take the lead) in proposal development.

17. What kind of help is available during the grant writing period?

NMSI will be available to answer any and all questions that arise during the process. We will update the frequently asked questions on the website on a weekly basis. We will also conduct weekly conference calls on Fridays to answer questions.

18. What is the anticipated role of the Governor?

The Governor should be supportive of the proposal and the entity making the application. The strongest proposals will include significant involvement in the full proposal by the Governor’s office. As the project is funded, the general role would be one of supporting scale-up and sustained implementation through policy and budget recommendations, contingent on the success of the project.

Grant Accountability

19. Is my grant guaranteed for the full six years?

Entities faithfully implementing the program will be provided with assistance to help them succeed for the full six years. However, progress shall be evaluated annually and continuation of the grant each year will be contingent upon performance. NMSI is committed to being a partner with grantees and is committed to providing assistance and guidance to remove any barriers to successful implementation.

20. How will progress be evaluated?

In the first year, progress will be determined by the completion of scale-up activities, including hiring and training initial staff, selecting districts and schools, personnel trained, materials in place, commitments for courses being offered in the 2008-2009 school year, good project management and fiscal accountability. Subsequent years will be based largely on the increased participation of students in math science and English AP courses and an increase in the number scoring three or higher on these national AP exams. The quality of instruction, degree of scale-up opportunities, and expansion of supporting partners will be evaluated as well.

21. How much progress must be demonstrated to be considered successful?

There is not set percent increase identified at this time. Progress will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

22. How will progress be reported?

Each grantee must be able to document and report the number of students taking AP courses, their scores, and demographic information for program evaluation. All data on student performance must have individual student information in electronic form. Progress on the completion of planned project activities shall be documented on an electronic project management tool to be developed later.

Matching Requirements

23. Is a match required? If so, how much?

Yes. The Supporting Partner’s match is 25 percent of the non-direct, administrative expenses of the grant and shall be determined by the total dollar amount devoted to staff, facilities, utilities, materials production, postage, travel, etc. The match estimates on page 7 of the application are approximations and may be different for each grant.

24. Must the match be in hand prior to receiving grant approval?

No; however, the match commitment must be documented in the proposal.

25. What happens if the match does not come through?

NMSI will assist the grantee in obtaining matching money. If the match cannot be raised to support required activities, NMSI may discontinue the grant at the end of that fiscal year.

26. Can the Supporting Partner or the grantee provide an in-kind match?

Yes, as long as they are goods or services devotedly exclusively to support the administration of the grant. The match is applied to the grantee’s expenses related to staff, facilities, travel, materials production, etc.

27. Why is the match percentage different from the declining percentage of the operating expenses funded by NMSI?

The declining grant support is to be made up by other sources, preferably state and local, though possibly federal, resources needed to sustain the model. A plan for institutionalization of the elements of success is a critical component of full proposal development and will be an important factor for NMSI in grantee selection. This is separate from the required match, which partially covers administrative expenses.

28. If a legislature provides funding for some of the elements of success, would this be considered a match?

Matching funds are to be used for staff and overhead expenses (non-direct costs), so this would have to be an allowable use of legislature-appropriated funds in order to be considered as the match. That said, legislature provided funding for elements of success may enable grantees to leverage their NMSI funding in ways complementary to the elements already in place in the state. For example, a grantee may be able to take the program to more schools in one year if NMSI funds can be focused on building strong pre-AP to complement an already robust state program for AP training and incentives.

29. What happens if an applicant produces an increase in AP scores double what they projected, leaving the entity short of incentive funding? Will this increase the required match?

NMSI will increase the state award appropriately for that year. In the subsequent year, it will increase the match if the increase is considered cumulative.

Grant Implementation and Allowable Use of Funds

30. Does NMSI have to approve the hiring of staff?

The strength of the proposed President of the Training and Incentive Organization is one of the criteria NMSI will use in selecting grantees, hiring decisions below this level will be made by the grantee.

31. Does the President have to have been an AP teacher?

No. The leadership and management capabilities of the proposed President are the most important considerations. Experience as a successful AP teacher enhances a candidacy but is not required. Experience teaching AP gives the President instant credibility with donors, school personnel, teachers, and other constituents. It also gives the President a firsthand base of knowledge from which to draw when negotiating the day-to-day considerations of the organization.

32. May staff be shared with other projects?

In the 2007-2008 school year, the President will need to be filled by a full-time 100% dedicated individual, but the Math, Science, and English directors identified to come on full-time in the 2008-2009 school year will work as part-time consultants in the 2007-2008 school year. In the 2008-2009 school year, the primary positions, including the President, Math Director, Science Director, and English Director will all need to be full time positions filled by 100% dedicated staff. Support personnel, such as human resource officers and finance managers, may be shared among projects so long as they are able to fulfill completely their duties in administering the grant from NMSI.

33. When does staff have to be on board for the grant?

The proposed President should be on board by September 1, 2007, when the scale-up grant period starts. Because much weight is given to the qualifications of the President, it is highly suggested that the applicant begin identifying prospective staff as soon as possible. It is important to identify candidates prior to them making commitments for the upcoming academic year. Additional staff will be identified and hired by the President in the fall of 2007.

34. Must each applicant strictly follow every aspect of the AP Strategies model?

NMSI donors are supporting the national scale-up of this highly successful model. Some variations may be made, but significant variation from the model is to the applicant’s disadvantage.

35. Are their elements required to be included in the budget? How do we budget for them?

NMSI is working on a model replication budget that should help grantees understand the costs of the program. The budget must include funding for the elements of success, found in the RFP. In the scale-up year, the grantee and NMSI will collaborate to select the initial round of districts and schools to include in the program. The particularities of these districts and schools will drive many of the program costs.

36. What is Laying the Foundation (www.layingthefoundation.org)? Are we expected to use their materials for our pre-AP training?

Laying the Foundation (LTF) is a pre-AP training program developed by successful AP and pre-AP teachers. In Texas, Advanced Placement Strategies uses LTF training and materials in the schools that it serves. Laying the Foundation staff have mapped the skills needed to succeed on an AP exam the junior or senior year of high school backward and created modules for each of grades 6 through 10 that ensure these skills are covered. These modules are captured in guides that serve as supplements to curricula. While grantees are required to provide rigorous, content-focused pre-AP training per the Elements of Success, they are not required to use Laying the Foundation training and materials.

LTF guides often start the lesson with a list of how the lesson maps to the Texas accountability exams (TAKS). This was done as a courtesy to Texas teachers after the guides were created. This page could be customized for any state. The LTF materials are aligned to the AP exams, not to state standards.

37. How much are the student incentives? Are they given as cash or can they be given as scholarships?

In Texas, there is quite a bit of variation in student incentives that's developed as the program has evolved. For replication, NMSI has worked to develop a standard "product set" tailored to two types of schools. NMSI will soon post model budgets for these two types of schools. The first type of school is a "launch" school where there is limited AP presence and a more intensive program is needed to drive results. On average, these schools have greater minority and economically disadvantaged students. In these schools, there will be student incentives of $100 / passed mathematics, science, and English exam. If preferred, these may be considered mini-scholarships. The second type of school is a "gains" school where there is already significant AP presence but there is still room for improvement. The intervention in these schools is focused on enhancing a program with some success rather than on building it up from a minimal starting point. This program does not include a student incentive since there is already an established culture of AP in the school. It does still include teacher incentives, as well as extensive training.

38. Can teacher incentives be given to the school instead?

NMSI thinks it is very important for teachers to receive the incentives in recognition of the incredible amount of work they do to increase AP participation and success. Participation in the program is voluntary, but we've never had a teacher opt out.

39. Are there minimum cutoffs for the percent of students receiving free and reduced price lunch in order to participate in this grant? Is there an interest in including higher performing schools and districts as well?

The goal of the Training and Incentive Program is to increase participation and success in pre-AP and AP mathematics, science, and English courses. This goal is best achieved by building successful programs in all types of schools. Even in schools that already have well-established AP programs, there are opportunities to bring more students into the program. NMSI will work with grantees to set goals for increased participation and achievement both at a high-level and by race/ethnicity and expects that achievement growth for under-represented minorities will outpace overall achievement growth.

40. What happens to unexpended grant funds?

Unexpended funds may be rolled over and will be part of the subsequent year’s budget.

41. Is the grant paid through reimbursement or advance?

The grant award is a quarterly advance to minimize cash flow problems for the grantee. Subsequent advances may be adjusted based on rate of expenditures.

42. How will grantees report grant expenses?

Grantees will use a web-based accounting tool provided by and accessible to NMSI. All payments and expenditures must be recorded with supporting documentation.

43. When are grantees expected to begin training teachers?

AP teachers participating in the 2008-2009 school year should attend College Board endorsed summer institutes, or the equivalent, in the summer of 2008. Pre-AP training starts during the fall of the 2008-2009 school year.

44. How will we know how many courses and participating students there will be in the 2008-2009 school year?

A general timeline for the scale-up period will be provided by NMSI. The first cohort of school districts and schools will be chosen in the fall of 2007. During the scale-up year, grantees will work with chosen school districts to create participation estimate and goals for success. NMSI will assist grantees in setting goals for enrollment and success, based on the experience of staff in Texas.

45. Can grant funds be used for online course development?

No; however, online AP classes may participate in the program. Grant funds may be used for the training of teachers of online courses and incentives for teachers and students of online courses.

46. Will grant funds for the enhancement of state data systems go to the SEA?

Yes.

47. Will there be an external evaluator for this project?

No. Data needed to evaluate the success of this grant will be provided by the College Board and by the grantee and its state’s SEA. NMSI is investing in enhancing grantees’ longitudinal education data systems so that important evaluative data can be provided at regular and timely intervals.

Scale-up

48. What is expected in the way of scale-up and sustained implementation?

While the portion of the grant contributed by NMSI decreases over the grant period, this may not be accompanied by a reduction in services. In fact, the opposite is expected. The strongest full proposals will have plans that involve key state officials in creating a plan for institutionalizing key elements of the training and incentive program. Further guidance on setting goals for the grant period will be forthcoming.

49. How does a grantee drive scale-up?

The partnership of the Governor and Chief State School Officer is critical to institutionalizing key program elements. NMSI will assist in working with the Governor’s office, legislative leadership and the Chief State School Officer to advocate for such state policy and funding. As stated in our RFP, "A considered plan to acquire resources to sustain and to institutionalize the training and incentive program for Pre-AP and AP courses is essential. This plan may need some success to come to fruition. Therefore the grant review process will give preference to those applicants that already have commitments, and others will be rated on their plans’ prospects for making such commitments a reality." No scale-up would be expected if results aren’t shown, in which case the grant will not be continued.