21CSLA Webinar FAQ
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy (21CSLA) webinar.-
May an applicant propose a planning period?
A planning period will be included in this process. The program will be designed collaboratively by grantees, the California Department of Education, and the California Collaborative of Educational Excellence so the implementation plan has not yet been determined. Please propose a timeline that your partnership has the capacity to implement.
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Are there any connections to the Administrative Services Credential Tier Two?
There is not a required connection stated in the Request for Applications.
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Many and applicant propose to serve cohorts of educators and what timeline is expected? How many leaders will be trained in each region?
The Request for Applications specifies leaders or teams of leaders. It does not give an exact number. This determination will be made in collaboration with the Center, Regional Academies, California Department of Education, and California Collaborative of Educational Excellence after selection has been made. The goal is to eventually serve them all. Be clear about your capacity. A timeline will be collaboratively developed with all of the selected grantees.
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Can a Regional Academy applicant serve only a part of a region?
The 21CSLA Team, the California Department of Education, and California Collaborative of Educational Excellence plan to award applicants that can provide training throughout the Geographic Lead Agency Region that they apply to serve.
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May an applicant submit multiple applications for the Regional Academy in order to change the lead applicant depending on which regions are awarded to the partnership?
Yes. Applicants may submit multiple applications proposing a different lead agency depending on the regions they are selected to serve. Applications will be scored in panels for each region. Applicants proposing to serve multiple regions will receive different scores per regional panel and may be selected to serve one or more of the regions they propose to serve.
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May an applicant select the curriculum and program they intend to use?
The 21CSLA Program will be collaboratively designed by the Center, Regional Academies, California Department of Education, and California Collaborative of Educational Excellence. Applicants with experience and expertise with a specific curriculum or program may propose these as potential options in their application.
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May an organization/institution of higher education/county office of education provide letters of support for two different applicants?
Yes. It is permissible for an organization to provide letters of support for multiple applicants.
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Does an applicant have to complete an Intent to Submit an Application Online Form (Form A) in order to be eligible to submit an application?
Yes. Applicants are required to submit an Intent to Submit an Application Online Form (Form A). Only applicants that submit the Intent to Submit an Application Online Form by the deadline will be able to submit an application -
May an applicant submit an Intent to Submit an Application Online Form (Form A) after the February 11, 2020, 4:00 p.m. deadline?
No. The Intent to Submit an Application Online Form is now closed. Only applicants that submitted the Intent to Submit an Application Online Form by the deadline will be permitted to submit an application.
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Do spaces count toward the character limit on the online application?
Yes. Spaces count toward the character limit. There is a countdown feature in the application.
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Are applicants allowed to include visual diagrams and/or charts as part of the application?
No. The online application system does not allow for visual diagrams, charts, or graphs to be included. Please provide narrative responses only.
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Is a copy of the Request for Applications (RFA) webinar available?
Yes. It is available on the California Department of Education 21st Century California School Leadership Academy web page.
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May an applicant apply for the role of the Center and a Regional Academy?
Yes. An applicant may apply for both roles. However, a separate online application must be completed for each role.
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May an applicant apply to serve more than one region?
Yes. An applicant may apply to serve more than one region. On the online application, the applicant must indicate which region(s) they plan to serve. If more than one region is selected, the applicant should demonstrate their capacity to serve the regions selected as well as develop an appropriate budget.
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Are the character limits for each of the sections posted anywhere other than in the actual online application?
Yes, the character limits are posted in the application instructions (Form B-1 for the Center and Form B-2 for the Regional Academy) in the back of the RFA.
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Does an applicant need to provide all supporting documentation and forms as a zip file or will paper copies be accepted?
A complete application will be submitted electronically via an online form. Applicants must attach, as one zip file, all supporting evidence and forms. This includes, but is not limited to, the Budget, Budget Narrative, Certifications and Assurances, and Letters of Support, if applicable. Paper copies will not be accepted.
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Are the grant amounts of $1 million for Regional Academies and $2 million for the Center minimum amounts? Is there a maximum for the Academies? For the Center?
Yes. One million for the Regional Academies and $2 million for the Center are the minimum amounts as referenced in the RFA. There is a total of $13,779,000 to support the Center and Regional Academies annually, pending future availability of funds.
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As a Center applicant, do we include a budget for program delivery or will delivery of the program be on an academy budget?
The Center and each of the Regional Academies will support its own work. -
Will the Center be responsible for delivery of the learning program directly to the education leaders or will that be the responsibility of the Regional Academies?
The Center is responsible for administering and facilitating the 21CSLA system as a whole with the California Department of Education, California Collaborative of Educational Excellence, and the 21CSLA Advisory Committee. The Regional Academies will serve their regions and will support the costs of program facilitation at the regional level.
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If one application section is less than the minimum characters, can we use more in another section?
No. Each section has its own maximum character count.
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Will grant reporting occur on a quarterly basis? Do you have more information on how that will occur? Will it be through the Center established through the grant?
Reporting will occur on a quarterly basis. The reports will be submitted to the California Department of Education and California Collaborative of Educational Excellence. -
What do the Regional Academies need to include in our budget related to what will need to be paid to the Center?
Regional Academies should not include funding for the Center in their budgets.
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If we have a subcontractor, do they have to be identified as a "partner?"
The RFA does not provide definitions of subcontractors and partners.
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Will the program be provided free of charge to districts that qualify for differentiated assistance? And Title II funding?
Per statute, the 21CSLA programming must be provided free of charge, to local educational agencies that receive Title II funds on a statewide basis.
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Can the position descriptions for unfilled staff roles be included as attachments along with CVs for existing staff?
Yes.
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In which part of the application would you expect to see a description of program design? Part Two?
Yes. A description of the program design may be included in Part Two.
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Are you able to estimate the length of the planning period for statewide CSLA?
Not at this time.
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Are we to include an organization chart as one of the attachments?
The “Organizational Chart” mentioned on pages 53 and 61 is actually Form D, the “Activities Timeline and Responsible Parties Template.” Please complete Form D.
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For the Center application can there be two co-leads, or will this jeopardize a submission since the RFA states there can only be one lead?
No. The RFA states there can be only one lead applicant.
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You mentioned no charts or graphics, but can we include a table as in Form D?
No. Visuals such as charts, graphs, or tables other than the forms provided will not be accepted.
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In Form D (for Regional Academy applicants), would it be allowed to include a brief narrative to explain our proposed timeline, activities, etc.?
Yes.
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Are there any changes to the timeline? Do you still expect to announce the Intent to Award on April 3, 2020?
Yes. An errata that outlines a few changes to the timeline has been posted. Please note that the Intent to Award has been changed to May 4, 2020.
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It is not clear in Part 3 how much the Regional Academies will be asked to do of data analysis. Regional Academies have different data collection and use different requirements than Centers, correct?
There will be an outside evaluator but each grantee is also required by statute to identify metrics to measure the effectiveness of the professional learning they provide.
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Also, will we have the chance to do a budget revision when the final curriculum or program is determined?
Yes, applicants may be asked to revise budgets as stated in the RFA.
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Can position descriptions for unfilled staff roles be included as attachments, along with CVs for existing staff?
Yes.
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Can we propose a principal investigator and two co-coordinators?
The RFA states there can be only one lead applicant.
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Please explain the 1,000-character count description for the budget, Part 7. Is this to be a narrative? Or a repeat of what is in the budget?
It is a narrative response to provide an explanation of the budget as required in Part 7B.
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What is the requirement to notify or include private schools?
Applicants are encouraged to engage with private school educators in their regions as a best practice. However, the state has met its obligations to reserve a proportional share for equitable services for private schools for the 21CSLA Program and applicants are not required to notify private schools. Applicants must “Describe how the applicant may include private school participation” as noted on page 35 of the RFA.
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Are there discussions with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing about 21CSLA being accepted as partial fulfillment for the Clear Administrative Services Credential?
No.