Technical Assistance Workshops for Prospective Applicants

We will hold three regional technical assistance workshops and one webinar to assist prospective applicants who are interested in submitting applications in response to the FY 2007 Notice Inviting Applications. We will present information about the SLC program, the absolute and competitive priorities, selection criteria, program requirements, the submission of applications through Grants.gov, and other information. Materials presented at these meetings also will be posted on our website.

If you plan to attend one of the regional technical assistance workshops, we encourage you to register so that we can be sure to have enough printed materials available for participants. However, you do not need to register in order to attend. You may register at the following link: http://www.edjassociates.com/doed/slc2007

December 3, 2007, 9:00 am
St. Louis, MO
Renaissance Grand and Suites Hotel
Crystal Ballroom
800 Washington Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63101
Phone: (314) 621-9600
www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/stldt-enaissance-st-louis-grand-
and-suites-hotel

December 7, 2007, 2:30 pm
Washington, DC
Marriott Metro Center
775 12th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 737-2200
www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasmc-marriott-at-metro-center/

December 10, 2007, 9:00 am
Scottsdale, AZ
Chaparral Suites Resort
Arizona-Barcelona Ballroom
501 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85280
(800) 528-1456
www.chaparralsuites.com

December 12, 2007, 3:00 – 5:00 pm (EST)
Webinar
To participate in the webinar, please register by emailing your name, telephone number, and email address to: slc@optimalsolutionsgroup.com

• Making Grants.gov Work for You
  PDF (1.7M) (December 2007)

• Smaller Learning Communities FY 2007 Grant Competition
  PDF (180K) (December 2007)

• Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Funds (November 26, 2007)

  • Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: January 10, 2008
  • Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 25, 2008



• Notice of Final Priority, Requirements, and Selection Criteria for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 and Subsequent Years' Funds (May 18, 2007)

http://www.grants.gov

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) in the U.S. Department of Education is seeking qualified individuals to evaluate applications and facilitate peer review panels for funding under the FY 2007 Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program competition. The Federal Register notice is available online at http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/
2007-4/112607a.html

Peer reviewers and panel facilitators will meet in the Washington, DC metropolitan area for 2 days in early March 2008 to train for the off-site technical review of eligible SLC grant applications. Upon completion of all required duties, OESE will pay reviewers and facilitators an honorarium, a daily per diem, as well as their travel and hotel expenses.

Experience

Reviewers and facilitators should have experience implementing, documenting, or evaluating policies, programs, or practices at the national, state, or district level to improve the academic achievement of public high school students. OESE is particularly seeking individuals who have experience and expertise in:

• Implementing academic advising, college counseling, and other programs and strategies to increase the participation of low-income and first-generation college students in postsecondary education;
• Improving the successful participation of low-income students in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or dual credit courses;
• Implementing smaller learning communities or other personalization strategies to strengthen academic support for students in large high schools.
• Increasing the academic achievement of low-income and minority adolescents in reading, mathematics, or science;
• Dropout prevention and recovery; or
• Implementing comprehensive, district-wide strategies to reform high schools and prepare all students for postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation.

Other Requirements

The review process will involve a combination of on-site and remote panel conferencing over a period of 2 weeks, therefore all reviewers and facilitators must:

• Be a proficient PC user
• Have Internet access and proficiency in Internet navigation
• Be flexible and available to schedule and participate in panel conference call discussions during this 2-week period.

Resumes or Curriculum Vitae

Individuals interested in serving as reviewers or facilitators should email their resume or curriculum vitae to smallerlearningcommunities@ed.gov by January 19, 2008. Please make "SLC peer review" the subject line of your email. Each resume or curriculum vitae should include information that makes clear the individual’s relevant experience and expertise.

Each resume or curriculum vitae also must include:

• Education: A list of all postsecondary degrees earned by the individual, including the year each degree was awarded, the institution that awarded the degree, and major area of study.
• Current position: The title of the individual’s current position, the name of the individual’s employer, and a summary of the individual’s duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Individuals who are consultants should identify their most recent clients and describe the services they provided to them.
• Previous positions: A list and description of each of the professional positions the individual has held over the last 15 years, including the title of each position, the employer, dates of employment, and a summary of the individual’s duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments.
• Publications: If applicable, a list of relevant articles or books the individual authored or co-authored, including the title, publisher, and date of publication.
• Contact information: The individual’s preferred postal and email addresses and work, home, and fax telephone numbers.

Conflict of Interest

Some individuals may have a conflict of interest that disqualifies them from participating as reviewers. An individual may not serve as a reviewer, and should not submit a resume for consideration, if a local educational agency submits a grant application for the SLC competition that—

• The individual helped to develop; or
• If funded, would benefit the individual or his/her spouse financially.

About the Smaller Learning Communities Program

The Smaller Learning Communities program awards discretionary grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to support the restructuring of large public high schools with enrollments of 1,000 or more students. On May 18, 2007, the U.S. Department of Education published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Priority, Requirements, and Selection Criteria for the FY 2007 competition. The notice is available at the link below: