Competitive 2018–2019 Services to Students with Autism Grant Program Published on the TEA Grant Opportunities Page

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Texas Education Agency
Correspondence

News Bulletin

Competitive Grant Opportunity Published on the TEA Grant Opportunities Page

January 26, 2018

TEA is announcing the availability of grant funds for the 2018–2019 Services to Students with Autism grant program. Request for Application (RFA) #701-18-107 is authorized by the Texas Education Code, 29.026 as added by House Bill 21, Section 3, 85th Texas Legislature, 2017. The RFA is available on the TEA Grant Opportunities Page.


Eligibility

All Texas local educational agencies (LEAs) are eligible to apply.

 

Grant Period

  • May 1, 2018, through August 31, 2019.
  • This grant is expected to have up to 1 year of continuation funding subject to future appropriations by the Texas Legislature.

 

Funding

  • A total of approximately $10,000,000 is available for this grant program.
  • It is anticipated that approximately 10 grants will be awarded.
  • Grant awards are expected to range up to $1,000,000.

 

Description

The 85th Texas Legislature passed HB21 authorizing funding for a grant program to support innovative school-wide models to provide exceptionally effective services to students with autism.  The grant program is intended to provide funding to individual grantees and collaborations that seek to implement innovative programs that effectively address the unique academic and functional needs of students with autism. Successful applicants may focus on new and innovative practices, or new and innovative ways to remove barriers to effective implementation of accepted practices, or both. While there is an emphasis in this grant program on innovation, any application that is selected will demonstrate strong evidential support for the methods selected to be employed in the program.

As part of the process, applicants will develop student outcomes-based metrics on which their program will affect positive impacts. These metrics and their associated improvement goals should have substantiated baselines and demonstrate an inclusive organizational culture that values high levels of rigor and high expectations for all students.

In addition to what is described above, strong applications will also demonstrate the integration of substantial feedback from stakeholders, including parents, educators, and community members. Preference will be given to applications that include collaborations among school districts, and/or open enrollment charter schools. Applicants are also encouraged to engage in collaborative activities with regional educational service centers (ESCs) and institutions of higher education (IHEs).

 

Application Deadline

Applications must be received by the Texas Education Agency by 5:00 p.m. (Central Time), March 8, 2018, to be considered for funding.