new jersey department of education€¦ · address the workforce demands of new jersey’s economy....

New Jersey Department of Education

Notice of Grant Opportunity Teach STEM Classes in Nonpublic Schools

Dr. Lamont Repollet Commissioner of Education

Kevin Dehmer Assistant Commissioner

Finance

Jessani Gordon Director

Interdistrict School Choice and Nonpublic School Programs

February 2020 Application Due Date (extended): May 15, 2020

New Jersey Department of Education P.O. Box 500

Trenton, NJ 08625-0500

http://www.state.nj.us/education

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NJDOE Office of Nonpublic School Services; February 2020

Table of Contents

Section 1: Grant Program Information ____________________________________________________ 3

Overview of the Grant Program _____________________________________________________ 3

Submission Instructions ___________________________________________________________ 3

Application Evaluation ____________________________________________________________ 4

Grant Funding ___________________________________________________________________ 4

Notification _____________________________________________________________________ 4

Provisos ________________________________________________________________________ 4

Reporting Requirements ___________________________________________________________ 5

Section 2: Nonpublic School and District Information ______________________________________ 6

2.1 Nonpublic School Information ___________________________________________________ 6

2.2 Partnering District Information ___________________________________________________ 6

Section 3: Teacher Eligibility __________________________________________________________ 7

Section 4: Nonpublic School STEM Class Information & Student Impact ________________________ 8

4.1 STEM Class Information ________________________________________________________ 8

4.2 Student Impact _______________________________________________________________ 9

4.3 Teacher’s Proposed Class Schedule _______________________________________________ 9

4.4 Total School Student Enrollment ________________________________________________ 10

Section 5: Agreements from Teacher, District & Nonpublic School ___________________________ 11

Section 6: Teacher’s Compensation ___________________________________________________ 11

Section 7: Application Checklist ______________________________________________________ 12

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Section 1: Grant Program Information

Overview of the Grant Program

P.L. 2019, c. 256 establishes a new grant program that provides additional remuneration for publicschool teachers to teach STEM classes in nonpublic schools during hours mutually agreed upon by theteacher, district and nonpublic school. Eligible teachers must meet one of the following criteria: holdcertification to teach STEM, be enrolled in a STEM program, or provide a written commitment to pursuea STEM program within two years.

The grant program is designed to incentivize teachers to obtain the necessary qualifications to teach STEM subjects; incentivize individuals to enter the teaching profession to fill the demand for qualified educators in STEM subjects; help address the difficulties public and nonpublic schools face in attracting qualified educators in the STEM fields; and improve statewide access to education in the STEM fields to address the workforce demands of New Jersey’s economy.

Nonpublic schools that wish to participate in the grant program must contact the Executive County Superintendent offices for the lists of teachers interested in participating in the program to pursue possible teaching arrangements. The lists were provided by public school districts and sent to their respective county office, and will be shared with nonpublic schools upon request.

Grant applications are for STEM classes for grades 5 through 12 that will be taught in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

Please find answers to frequently asked questions in the FAQs for this grant program.

Submission Instructions

Eligibility:

This grant opportunity is available to nonpublic schools that are registered with the New Jersey Department of Education (Department) and have formed a partnership with a public school teacher and a school district.

Format:

Type all responses and submit electronically as a Word document or PDF.

Submission:

The nonpublic school/s must submit a separate grant application for each teacher with whom it wants to form a partnership to teach STEM classes in grades 5 through 12.

More than one nonpublic school may submit one grant application jointly, provided the students from the partnering schools will be in one physical location for the STEM classes. The school in which the teacher will teach will be the lead school. Information on the partnering schools must be provided as document 2.1, including school name, school code, school grade levels, total school student enrollment, address, and

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/PL19/256_.PDF

https://www.nj.gov/education/counties/

https://www.nj.gov/education/counties/

https://www.nj.gov/education/nonpublic/grants/STEMgrantFAQ.pdf

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contact information (name, phone & email).

Submit an electronic copy of the application (Word document or PDF) to [email protected]. Paper copies and faxes of the grant application will not be accepted.

Submission deadline (extended): Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 15th (extended deadline). Without exception, an application received after this deadline will not be accepted.

Application Evaluation

All applications must be complete. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applications will be evaluated for thoroughness and accuracy and according to the point values specified.

To the maximum extent possible, the Department will select at least three nonpublic schools in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State to participate in the program, and nothing shall prohibit more than three nonpublic schools in each region of the State from participating.

Selection of this grant opportunity is competitive and applications that receive a low evaluation score may not be approved.

Grant Funding

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:6-137 through 141, grant funds are subject to the limit of funds appropriated for the program. Approved grant funds will be allocated by the Department to the school district of each eligible teacher participating in the program, which in turn will provide compensation to participating teachers based on the following:

A. A participating teacher will receive an amount equal to the teacher’s annual salary as calculatedon a per-hour basis multiplied by the number of hours the teacher teaches STEM classes at anonpublic school under the program.

B. Payments received by a participating teacher under the grant program will not be considered“compensation” under N.J.S.A. 18A:66-2.

C. The grant program will not infringe upon the collective bargaining agreement between themajority representative of the collective negotiations unit in which the participating eligibleteacher is a member and the school district in which the teacher is employed.

Notification

Grant applicants will be notified of the Department's decision in the spring 2020, and teaching will begin in the 2020-21 fiscal year, which is July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.

Provisos

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:6-139 3.e.: “If at any time a participating nonpublic school determines that a participating eligible teacher is not in compliance with the program or is violating the nonpublic school’s code of conduct, the nonpublic school may submit information to the commissioner supporting its

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determination, and request that the teacher be removed from participation in the program at the nonpublic school. The information submitted shall demonstrate noncompliance with the program, the nonpublic school’s code of conduct, or the nonpublic school’s faculty handbook. After reviewing the information, the commissioner may terminate the teacher’s participation in the program at that nonpublic school.”

Acceptance into this grant program does not guarantee a teacher will meet the requirements for certification.

Participating teachers agree to return grant funds if enrollment has not occurred within two years of the date when teaching in the nonpublic school begins.

The grant program will not infringe upon the collective bargaining agreement between the majority representative of the collective negotiations unit in which the participating eligible teacher is a member and the school district in which the teacher is employed.

Reporting Requirements

At the conclusion of each school year, the nonpublic schools participating in this grant program agree to submit a report on the school’s implementation of the program, including:

(1) teacher’s class schedule for grant year, including the days and classroom hours that theparticipating eligible teacher taught in the nonpublic school

(2) any scheduling obstacles that were encountered and how they were addressed

(3) any recommendations to improve the program and its effectiveness

(4) any observational information pertinent to the program

(5) copy of any teachers’ proof of enrollment in a degree program or a coherent sequence ofcourses1 in science, mathematics, technology, or computer science for grants awarded toteachers who met eligibility criteria (2) and (3) on p. 8

(6) if a partnering teacher who has been awarded a grant through this program obtains certificationduring the grant period, provide a copy of the teacher’s valid and effective provisional orstandard instructional certificate2 issued by the State Board of Examiners with an endorsementin a science field, mathematics, technology education, or computer science education.

(7) any additional information requested by the Commissioner

1 Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9-2.1 2 Defined in N.J.A.C. 6A:9B.91(a)3 Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-9.1(a)

https://www.nj.gov/education/code/current/title6a/chap9b.pdf


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Section 2: Nonpublic School and District Information

2.1 Nonpublic School Information

If more than one nonpublic school is submitting this grant application jointly, provide information for lead school below and provide information on the partnering schools as document 2.1.

School name:

School code:

School grade levels (must include any of grades 5 to 12):

Total school student enrollment:

Address:

Contact Name: Phone number:

Email:

2.2 Partnering District Information

School district name:

District code:

Contact Name: Phone number:

Email:

Chief administrator name:

Teacher Applicant Contact Information

Name: Phone number:

Email:

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Section 3: Teacher Eligibility

The teacher applicant must be employed in a public school and must meet one of the three criteria listed in the table below. Indicate the criteria that the applicant teacher meets and provide the required documentation. Label the documentation as indicated in the table.

Teacher Eligibility Criteria Documentation Required Select the criteria the teacher meets and provide the documentation. Label as indicated.

(1) holds a valid and effectiveprovisional or standardinstructional certificate3 issuedby the State Board of Examinerswith an endorsement in ascience field, mathematics,technology education, orcomputer science education

Copy of teacher’s valid and current certification or tracking number (Label as 3.1)

(2) is currently enrolled in a degreeprogram or a coherentsequence of courses4 inscience, mathematics,technology, or computerscience

Official documentation from college or university stating teacher is a current student enrolled in a degree program or a coherent sequence of courses in science, mathematics, technology, or computer science (Label as 3.2)

(3) will enroll in a degree programor a coherent sequence ofcourses 5in science,mathematics, technology, orcomputer science within twoyears of the date whenteaching in the nonpublicschool begins

• Teacher’s letter of intent toenroll in a degree programsigned by both the teacherand school district (Label as3.3)

• Teacher’s agreement toreturn grant funds ifenrollment has not occurredwithin two years of the datewhen teaching in thenonpublic school begins(Label as 3.4)

3 Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-9.1(a) 4 Defined in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-2.1 5 Defined in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-2.1


https://www.nj.gov/education/code/current/title6a/chap9.pdf




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Section 4: Nonpublic School STEM Class Information & Student Impact

4.1 STEM Class Information

Provide below the proposed STEM class names, class descriptions and grade levels (for grades 5 to 12 only). Include specific examples of curriculum or design approaches and any specific equipment or resources that will be available to students enrolled in the class. If the teacher will teach multiple classes, provide this information for each class. Respond with a detailed narrative. Attach additional pages if needed and label as 4.1. Maximum Points Awarded: 25 points

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4.2 Student Impact

Provide below the projected student enrollment by proposed STEM class name and the number of teaching hours per class for the 2020-21 school year. If the teacher will teach multiple classes, provide this information for each class. If the teacher will teach multiple periods/sections of the same class, list only once. Make sure to provide totals. Maximum Points Awarded: 25 points

STEM class name Projected student enrollment in STEM class

Number of teaching hours per STEM class in 2020-21 school year

Total

4.3 Teacher’s Proposed Class Schedule

Provide the STEM teacher’s proposed class schedule in the nonpublic school. Label as 4.3.

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4.4 Total School Student Enrollment

Provide below the total nonpublic school student enrollment by grade level.

Grade Student Enrollment

K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Total

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Section 5: Agreements from Teacher, District & Nonpublic School

Provide agreements that shall include, at a minimum, the required provisions listed below. Signatures must be from the chief administrator of the district, the chief administrator of the nonpublic school and the teacher, as applicable. Label as 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3.

5.1 Agreement between the district and nonpublic school which must, at a minimum, include the following provisions:

a. District and nonpublic school agree to the teaching hours in the nonpublic school6.Include the hours in the agreement.

b. Nonpublic school must agree to indemnify the district for claims arising from theprogram.

5.2 Agreement between the teacher and the nonpublic school which must, at a minimum, include the following provisions:

a. Teacher agrees to adhere to the nonpublic school’s code of conductb. Teacher agrees to provide only secular instruction at the nonpublic school

5.3 A copy of the teacher’s contract with the district or award letter (signed employment agreement must include yearly salary).

Section 6: Teacher’s Compensation

Provide below the following information about the teacher’s compensation. The grant award amount will be based on the teacher’s annual salary as calculated on a per hour basis and the number of hours teaching STEM classes at the nonpublic school. The teacher’s hourly salary shall be based on a 10 month year and 35 hours/week.

A. Teacher’s current annual salary:

B. Teacher’s current annual salary as calculated on per-hour basis.Base hourly salary on a 10 month year and 35 hours/week:

C. Total number of hours teaching STEM classes at nonpublic schoolin school year (must agree with hours indicated on 4.2):

D. Teacher’s salary/hr × hours teaching STEM (B × C):

6 Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:6-139 3.a.(2), the application shall include “acknowledgement from both the nonpublic school and school district that the eligible teacher will teach at the nonpublic school during hours following completion of the teacher’s duties at the public school, unless alternative scheduling is mutually agreed upon by the school district and nonpublic school and is reflected in a signed agreement.”

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Section 7: Application Checklist

Use the following chart to ensure all requested information and documents are provided. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Section Application Component Checklist Point Value

Document number

Section 2.1 Nonpublic school information

If more than one nonpublic school submits grant application jointly, provide Information required in section 2.1 for each of the partnering schools

n/a 2.1

Section 3: Teacher Eligibility Criteria

Criteria 1 n/a 3.1

Criteria 2 n/a 3.2

Criteria 3 n/a 3.3; 3.4

Section 4: Nonpublic School STEM Class Information & Student Impact

4.1 Nonpublic School STEM Class Information 25 n/a

4.2 Student Impact 25

4.3 Teacher’s proposed class schedule n/a 4.3

4.4 Total school student enrollment n/a

Section 5: Agreements from Teacher, District & Nonpublic School

5.1 Agreement between district and nonpublic school with required provisions

n/a 5.1

5.2 Agreement between teacher and nonpublic school with required provisions

n/a 5.2

5.3 Copy of teacher’s contract with district or award letter with annual salary

n/a 5.3

Section 6: Teacher’s Compensation

n/a n/a n/a

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