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Peer Reviewer Orientation Webinar FY 2010 Training Program for federal trio programs. July 28, 2010. AGENDA. Welcome and Introductions Logistics Overview of Training Program Selection Criteria Review Process Expectations of Reviewers Peer Reviewer Tips Q’s and A’s. Logistics.
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Peer Reviewer Orientation WebinarFY 2010 Training Program for federal trio programs July 28, 2010
AGENDA • Welcome and Introductions • Logistics • Overview of Training Program • Selection Criteria • Review Process • Expectations of Reviewers • Peer Reviewer Tips • Q’s and A’s
Authorization • Title IV, Part A, Subpart 2, Section 402G of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). Note: The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) made significant changes to the HEA. • Regulations • 34 CFR part 642 Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs.
Purpose • Provide financial assistance to train the staff and leadership personnel employed in, or preparing for employment in, Federal TRIO Program projects. • Build success within all TRIO projects • Eligible Applicants • Institutions of higher education. • Public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations.
Activities funded • A Training Program project trains the staff and leadership personnel of Federal TRIO Program projects to enable them to more effectively operate those projects. • A Training Program project may include on-site training, on-line training, conferences, internships, seminars, workshops, and the publication of manuals designed to improve the operations of Federal TRIO Program projects.
Activities funded continued • Each year, one or more Training Program projects must provide at least one training session on each requisite topic listed within a specific priority that is tailored to the needs of TRIO staff with less than two years of TRIO project experience.
Funding and Project periods • Estimated Available Funds for FY 2010: $3,424,802 • Estimated Range of Awards: $350,000 - $450,000 per year • Estimated Average Size of Awards: $425,000 • Estimated Number of New Awards: 8 • Project Period for New Awards: Up to 24 months • Funding – do not request more than the maximum listed for a priority or the application will be rejected.
Absolute Priorities • Priority 1. Training to improve: recordkeeping; reporting student and project performance; and the rigorous evaluation of project performance in order to design and operate a model TRIO project. • Priority 2. Training on: budget management; and the legislative and regulatory requirements for operation of projects funded under the Federal TRIO Programs.
Absolute priorities continued • Priority 3. Training on: assessment of student needs; proven retention and graduation strategies; and the use of educational technology in order to design and operate a model TRIO project. • Priority 4. Training on: student financial aid; college and university admissions policies and procedures; and proven strategies to improve the financial literacy and economic literacy of students, including - basic personal income, household money management, financial planning skills, and basic economic decision-making skills.
Absolute priorities continued • Priority 5. Training on: proven strategies for recruiting and serving hard to reach populations -- including students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, students who are individuals with disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths, students who are foster care youth, or other disconnected students. • We will fund at least one grant for each of the 5 priorities.
Number of applications per entity • An applicant must submit a separate application for each priority for which they are requesting funding. • One application, per priority, per applicant is eligible to compete. Should we receive more than one application for a given priority from the same entity, we will use the last application submitted for the competition for that priority. • Each eligible entity may have up to five applications in the competition.
NEED (25 points) • Applicants are not required to address need for the project, as need for the training under each absolute priority has been established. Be certain to identify in box 15 of SF 424.
Absolute Priority #1 Recordkeeping; reporting of student and project performance; and the rigorous evaluation of project performance in order to design and operate a model TRIO project.
Absolute Priority #2 Budget management; and the legislative and regulatory requirements for operation of the Federal TRIO Programs.
Absolute Priority #3 Assessment of student needs; proven retention and graduation strategies; and the use of educational technology in order to design and operate a model TRIO project.
Absolute Priority #4 Student financial aid; college and university admissions policies and procedures; and improving the financial literacy and economic literacy of students, including – basic personal income, household money management, financial planning skills, and basic economic decisionmaking skills
Absolute Priority #5 Strategies for recruiting and serving hard to reach populations, including students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, students who are individuals with disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths, students who are foster care youth, or other disconnected students.
Narrative 50 pages The Project Narrative should provide, in detail, the information that addresses each selection criterion. To facilitate the review of the application, you should provide responses to each of the following selection criteria in the following order.
Project Design • Plan of Operation (20 points) (34 CFR 642.31(a)) • High quality in the design of the project; • An effective plan of management that insures proper and efficient administration of the project; • A clear description of how the objectives of the project relate to the purpose of the program; • The way the applicant plans to use its resources and personnel to achieve each objective; and
Plan of operation continued • A clear description of how the applicant will provide equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented, such as— • Members of racial or ethnic minority groups; • Women; • Handicapped persons; and • The elderly.
Project design • Evaluation Plan (10 points) (34 CFR 642.31(d)) The Secretary looks for information that shows methods of evaluation that are appropriate for the project and, to the extent possible, are objective and produce data that are quantifiable.
RESOURCES • Adequacy of Resources (20 points) (34 CFR 642.31(e)) • The facilities that the applicant plans to use are adequate; and • The equipment and supplies that the applicant plans to use are adequate.
resources continued • Quality of Key Personnel (15 points)(34 CFR 642.31(b)) • The qualifications of the project director and other key personnel to be used in the project; • Time commitments of personnel; • The extent to which the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented; and • Past experience and training, in fields related to the objectives of the project.
BUDGET (10 points) (34 CFR 642.31(c)) • The budget for the project is adequate to support the project activities; and • Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the project.
Review process3 Non-Federal Readers Each reader reviews and scores the application in accordance with the selection criteria --- awarding up to 75 points. Readers score is the average of the 3 reviewers’ scores. The remaining 25 points is earned by applying under one of the 5 absolute priorities.
Prior experience points Currently funded grantees may earn up to 15 prior experience points from their success in the prior grant cycle. • Participants served • Participants benefited from training • Other goals and objectives • Administrative requirements PE points will only be used when – in a specific priority – there are insufficient funds to fund all applications at the next reader total score.
Expectations of Reviewers • Participation in the Training Program Orientation for Field Readers. • Begin the reading electronically on August 5, 2010.The first two applications must be read and scored in their entirety and the completed technical review forms uploaded into the e-Reader system prior to your arrival in the Washington, DC. • The on-site phase of the peer review activity will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, August 9, 2010.
Expectations of Reviewers continued • You should plan to be available during regular business hours (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) each day of the activity. • You are required to attend all paneling sessions. • There will be no provisions for the continuance of the e-Reading activity once the on-site portion of the activity is completed and you return to your home location. Note: Complimentary WiFi will be available for your use on site with your personal laptop. In addition, there will be a computer lab available at the hotel.
Peer Reviewer Tips • Write from the mindset that the application starts at zero and must earn each point, not that they start at 75 and have points deducted. • Write on each sub criterion, and only that sub criterion; do not interject your own personal feelings/opinions. Make your comments as objective as possible. If you find a particular aspect especially weak, do not continue to deduct in multiple sections for the same reason, only penalize once. • Provide your assessment in the first sentence of each comment. This means using evaluative language to describe the quality of the proposal. For example, use descriptive adjectives such as “strong, comprehensive, excellent, well documented, etc. or weak, lacking, confusing, etc”. • Avoid mushy/middle of the road words such as “adequate”. Each comment needs to be fully justified with data/examples from the application. If you find a particular criterion strong, provide examples to explain why it is strong. If you find something weak, you must fully explain why this is worth not awarding points and what would have made for a better plan.
Peer Reviewer Tips continued • Try to avoid using the same “boilerplate” language for every review. Make sure your comments apply specifically to the application in question.Do not make reference to page numbers or charts/tables from the application in your comments. • Do not use the first person (e.g. “I, we, us”). • Format your comments such that it is clear you have assessed each numbered or lettered sub criterion under both strength and weakness. Every time the T.R.F. divides up the questions of the selection criteria, your comments should as well. • When you are awarding points under strengths, do not indicate the point total. When you are not awarding points under weaknesses, write “(X point(s) not awarded)” after your comment.
Peer Reviewer Tips continued • If you do not find a weakness for a given criterion, write “No weakness noted.” • Formatting example:STRENGTHS1) “The applicant well documents….”2) “The proposal clearly demonstrates…”3) “No strengths noted.”WEAKNESSES1) No weaknesses noted.2) No weaknesses noted.3) “The applicant should have provided…” (2 points not awarded) • Be careful to make sure the points awarded/not awarded add up appropriately for each selection criterion. It will save us considerable time if your math is correct before you submit.
Peer Reviewer Tips continued • Above all, read over (or even read aloud) each comment before you save it.
Contact information Suzanne Ulmer or Virginia Pinkney Suzanne.ulmer@ed.govVirginia.pinkney@ed.gov 202.502.7789 202.502.7735
