The RFP states that awardees will be able to use the RTL resources for the agreement year. Will stations have rights to use the tools beyond the agreement year (specifically, the online professional development courses)?
Yes. In fact, it is our hope that the work completed during the agreement cycle will stimulate long term use of RTL products and resources statewide. While some of the RTL products are available for use at little to no cost, use of all RTL materials must comply with the usage rights and licensing fees where applicable for each individual RTL property.
We currently provide professional development to child care providers and charge a fee of $4 per credit hour to sustain the program. Will we be able to charge this same fee for the RTL online courses?
The RTL online courses are distributed through PBS TeacherLine. These courses have a fee of $129 per learner. Visit PBS Teacherline for more information on working with the courses.
Can we preview the online courses?
Yes. Online courses 1 and 2 are available currently at PBS Teacherline. Go to "Help" and fill out a Help ticket with your name and email address, and request guest access for RDLA051: Raising Readers: Preparing Preschoolers for Success, and RLDA056: Raising Readers: Ready To Read and Write with Digital Media. PBS TeacherLine will email you an invitation to see the course.
Can you please explain further the requirement that stations must leverage ARRA (Stimulus) dollars? What if a partner agency does not have those dollars or has them otherwise allocated?
CPB will take into consideration the respondent’s ability to leverage existing funding and ARRA (Stimulus) dollars. The RTL Statewide Planning funding is intended to spark partnerships and infuse current work with RTL products. Other funding sources will likely be needed to fully implement and sustain most of the proposed work.
The Summer Camp is not feasible in the given agreement year. Can we modify the Summer Camp to serve after-school programs? Or, can a portion of the funds be extended beyond the May 2010 end date to allow for use of Summer Camp resources?
Out of the Blue, producer of Super Why and the Super Why Reading Camp is developing a set of Classroom Materials similar to the Reading Camp activities that could be implemented in classrooms and after-school programs. These Classroom Materials are anticipated to be available later this year. Unfortunately, we cannot extend funds beyond the end of the agreement date. However, part of the goal of this agreement is to create models for sustainable implementation of public broadcasting resources, so we do hope that activities begun during the agreement period will continue after the one-year period is complete.
Is there a second round of funding beyond this planning agreement?
Not at this time.
Is this project intended to be a pilot that could be scaled to a larger group later?
Yes. That said, CPB will consider proposals that reach a wide audience during the one year term of the agreement.
Would CPB consider the bringing of RTL resources into existing structures, weaving multi-platforms together, “capacity building”?
Yes, weaving delivery platforms together could be one way of building capacity.
Is the agreement application a “plan to plan” and then implement, all within the $50K budget?
The RTL Statewide Planning agreements are intended to spark partnerships, increase the use of RTL products and services, and encourage the leveraging of other funding. The agreement will cover a one year term with the intent of building sustainable capacities to use RTL products and services beyond the agreement term. Projects will use the funds to identify, assess at least two focus areas and then develop a plan and pilot (one or two) the scaling of products.
Please clarify the costs of the RTL resources during the agreement period.
The costs of the RTL resources will vary by resource and by market.
- The on-air properties (Sesame Street, Between the Lions, Super Why!, Word World, Martha Speaks, The Electric Company, and A Place of Our Own/Los Ninos En Su Casa) are available on TV free of charge. In addition, online resource PBS KIDS Island is free of charge.
- The three online professional development courses have a cost of $129 per participant, plus a fee for a facilitator if the station plans to host the course locally.
- Several of the community engagement products, such as the Word World Zoo Game and the Grocery Store Game, are free of charge but must be downloaded and printed. The Electric Company kit is also available online for free.
- The Super Why Reading Camp curriculum is available for free, but has a cost of $12 per child for supplies, plus printing costs and the cost of a Costume Character for Day 5 of the camp.
- Costs for the Super Why Classroom Materials, Martha Speaks Reading Buddies and the World of Words curriculum are TBD. CPB can assist with working with producers to secure resources after the agreement has been awarded.
Is there a budget worksheet we’re supposed to use?
No. Budgets should provide a thorough overview of planned expenses as well as funding sources. Please also submit a concise budget narrative with your budget.
Are there stipulations as to what we can, and cannot, spend money on?
RTL is funded through a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, so there are restrictions on how agreement funds can and cannot be spent. For reference, visit EDGAR (Education Department General Administrative Regulations), as well as OMB.
Would it be possible to extend the deadline for this proposal?
No. It is not possible for CPB to extend the deadline.
Can you please elaborate on the level of detail required in the timeline.
The timeline should articulate your plan for the various phases that are outlined in the RFP and milestones of the proposed work. These milestones and phases can be noted in bulleted or outline form.
Clarify what you are looking for in terms of the implementation phase. Do you mean the implementation of the overall planning process or do you mean testing the resources in local centers and schools?
The goal of this work is to create and test models that can be scaled widely and shared by others in the future.
Is there a quantity limit on the RTL resources?
While there is no quantity limit, all work must comply with the rights and usage licensees and fees for each individual RTL resource.
Are we expected to use all RTL resources or only some?
CPB expects proposals to utilize RTL resources to address at least two policy areas outlined in the RFP (for example, professional development for childcare providers, Title I parent education programs, teacher training programs, requirements for licensure and accreditation of childcare providers and facilities). No set number of RTL products or resources is required.
Is there a cost for the “kits” that are mentioned in the RFP?
There may be a cost for purchasing kits. This will depend on the number of kits you wish to use. CPB will provide contact information for RTL product and resource producers for this part of the work.
Can agreement monies be used to pay for the evaluation of these projects?
RTL Statewide Planning funds can be used to pay for evaluation. However, projects are highly encouraged to cover the cost of evaluation by other means. Partnerships with Universities may be one way of deferring the costs associated with evaluation. You might also consider leveraging other funding to cover the cost of the evaluation.
What is CPB looking for in terms of evaluation?
The RTL products have been developed through rigorous research processes and have been pilot tested. The focus of the evaluation can be on 1.) The assessment and alignment of products with two policy areas; 2.) Process measures to evaluate usage of and engagement with products and ability to implement products across the state.
We are having a hard time connecting with our education agency.
To encourage collaboration between public media and state education agencies, Susan Zelman, SVP for Education and Children’s Content, released the RFP to all stations and all state departments of education with a cover letter to the Superintendent of Instruction in the state. We will be happy to provide a copy of the letter to the respective station. Please send any requests for this letter to EducationE-mail@cpb.org. Stations are welcome to use the letter as an opportunity to follow up with key education leaders in the state and begin a conversation about a potential collaboration. This is all the assistance CPB can provide at this point. In the future, and outside of the RFP process, CPB can be of further assistance to facilitate linkages between public media organizations and state education agencies.
Our state agency says that it cannot promote specific products. How are we to frame the use of the RTL products in light of this?
Rather than focusing on promoting specific products, it may be helpful to focus on public broadcasting's free, accessible, research-based content that supports learning. Thousands of teachers already use and love PBS content, and the RTL curricular materials support that content. Rather than promoting products, this project seeks to align curricular materials to state standards and provide resources that will enhance existing local and state initiatives.
As to the assessments, will this be a national assessment already created or will we be responsible for creating or modifying previously used assessments?
This project asks stations to assess RTL products and resources using tools stations or state agencies already have in place or can create. We do not have a national assessment tool for Ready To Learn outside of the alignment to the RTL Literacy Framework, which is based on the recommendations of the National Reading Panel and is included in the RFP.