Need For The Project SPDG Competition FY

The NEED FOR THE PROJECT is the foundation of the SPDG application  Scoring criteria: the range of points awarded is  (1) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.  (2) In determining the need for the proposed project the Secretary considers the extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses. 2

To Consider  The needs identified should be the underlying basis for justifying OSEP funding your project.  These needs should relate to the other components of the SPDG (e.g., significance, project design, resources, management plan and evaluation). 3

First Rule: Address only those needs that are relevant to the SPDG application  DO NOT include a global summary of the entire universe of a state's needs. –This will cloud the identification of relevant issues, and –make it difficult for the reviewers to identify what you are applying for in your SPDG application.  DO highlight the uniqueness of your State. 4

2 nd Rule: Use data to support the needs you have identified  Use SPP/APR data  619 data  State certification data  PBIS State Evaluation Data  NAEP  IDEA Data  AYP 5

The Need for Project should provide information about the following areas:  Specific gaps in services –Nature and magnitude of the gaps in services  Specific weaknesses in services –Nature and magnitude of the weaknesses in services 6

Provide information about… (cont.)  Infrastructure: both existing and any projected additions to/ changes in infrastructure resulting from the SPDG grant activities  Opportunities identified that are existing and to what extent they will be addressed by the proposed SPDG project 7

Nature and magnitude of the gaps or weaknesses in services  It is critical that you indicate how serious of a need this is, remembering Rule # 2 that you support the magnitude of the need with data.  The need may be specific to a low incidence group, but the magnitude of need for that group may be very significant. 8

Example: ABA personnel training  Example: While the percentage of students with Autism accounts for only 4 % of the state's special education population the incidence of identification of students with Autism has increased 250% over the past three years. 9

Example cont.  Of those students identified with Autism approximately 45% of their IEPs require services involving ABA staff or ABA related activities. Currently we have been able to identify only 10 ABA certified staff in the state. In addition, surveys of 820 special education professional staff serving students with Autism have identified a need for training related to ABA in their top 3 priorities 10

Existing infrastructure and any projected changes in infrastructure resulting from the grant activities  It is helpful to provide your state's demographics and service delivery models to provide context for what you are proposing in your grant, but be concise. –Reviewers just need to know those aspects of infrastructure that relate to what you are proposing. 11

Example: State demographics and service delivery model(s)  There are 501 school districts and 123 Charter Schools in our state that serve as LEAs for the provision of FAPE for students with disabilities. The total enrollment of students with disabilities (age 3-21) in the state is 310,692, which comprises 14% of the total student enrollment.  Of the total 624 LEAs, 123 serve students designated as rural with total school district enrollments of less than (X) students. 12

Example cont.  Our current professional development delivery model is provided through a 3-tier system. The first tier (provide a brief description of your system)...  The turnover rate for special education teachers in these designated rural LEAS is the highest in the state (provide data).  Our proposal of a distance learning model delivery system of professional development to improve our infrastructure is based on … 13

Opportunities that exist and to what extent they will be addressed by the proposed project  Provide concise information that is applicable to the needs you are addressing in the SPDG. 14

Example  In our state's attempts to address the needs of retention of special education teachers in our small rural school districts, we have recently initiated a pilot, with an IHE, of a distance learning model delivery system of professional development.  The initial results of that pilot are....( provide data regarding this opportunity). 15

Reviewer Comments + Applicant reported qualitative findings of needs assessment efforts that were used to determine need of the proposed project. + Clear connections were made between gaps and project objectives (p. 9-16). - Additional data (quantitative) to support overall need for some objectives (3, 4, and 5) would have provided a more complete picture of need in this section. 16

17 -- …there was no connection in this section to significance of the project on the targeted populations identified by the applicant… + The need for the project is nicely outlined and focuses on students with disabilities in the state, especially those from diverse ethnic backgrounds as this is a growing population with unique support needs. Specific data are provided on pages 2-5.

18 + Data are provided on page 7 regarding poor academic performance among students with disabilities (in the schools they will be working in) in comparison to students with disabilities state-wide. This discrepancy also applies in the discipline area as well (p. 8). + The section highlighting the need for increased parent involvement (p ) appears especially important due to the diverse immigrant population base in the state.

In Summary  The NEED FOR PROJECT section should address those needs that are relevant to the SPDG application.  Use data to support the needs you have identified.  Be concise.  Ensure that design flows from need. 19