1. UNDERSTANDING AND WRITING ACCESS PROPOSALS
ACCESS Electronic Proposal Writing
Sunday, September 16, 2018
UNDERSTANDING AND WRITING ACCESS PROPOSALS
Each year schools are allotted a dollar amount to write proposals based upon the percentage of dollars generated the prior year. These allotments are not a guarantee of funding since the requested items must meet the guidelines of the program. They must be approved by the regional ACCESS committee and also meet the guideline for purchasing within SDP. All ACCESS dollars must be used to request items to enhance the learning experience of our special education students.
The proposal must identify the population of students who will use the items and provide a description of how they will benefit from the requested materials. Only approved District vendors may be used when requesting items. All materials are the property of SDP and the school of purchase. If equipment will be transferred to another location, the appropriate approvals must be obtained and transfer paperwork completed.
See page two for the objective or goal of the proposal writing process.
January, 2017
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2. Goals to consider when writing a proposal:
ACCESS Electronic Proposal Writing
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Goals to consider when writing a proposal:
To enhance the learning experience of students who have IEPs and are identified as part of the special education population in need of ancillary support.
To engage students with learning disabilities in hands on projects and assist them in meeting their IEP goals.
To make learning inclusive for students in the special education program.
To support or increase a student’s level of mental or physical ability.
Examples of items that are ordered to enhance the learning experience of the special education students are:
Examples of some hands on materials Supports for Physical assistance:
Touch screens for computer use Stander and other positioning equipment
Math and reading manipulative Walker and gait trainers
Communication flash cards, Bingo lingo games Joysticks and other adaptive devices for the
Listening Centers with headsets computer
Handwriting without Tears
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3. Instructions to complete the ACCESS Proposal
ACCESS Electronic Proposal Writing
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Instructions to complete the ACCESS Proposal
On the SDP website click on Sitemap on the top toolbar
Select the letter S
Click on Office of Special Finance
Under Forms click on Access Proposal and type only on the yellow areas; remember the ordering page calculates the dollar amounts for you.
Print out the completed form and save it so you have a copy (please keep an electronic copy)
Click on the Proposal Submission form and have everyone sign that is listed on the form, if applicable (if there’s a therapist assigned to your school)
Submit the completed proposal and submission form to the ACCESS Office at the Education Center, Suite 323.
The designated ACCESS committees will meet and determine the approved proposals. Approval/denial letters will be sent to the Principal and to the proposer or person who submitted the packet. Note: This is not the final level of approval, grant compliance monitors will also have to approve the order as part of the ordering process. This is done as part of the Grant Override Process.
The school is responsible for ordering materials after the proposal approval letter has been received; see your School Operations officer or secretary upon receipt of the approval notice to coordinate orders and to place the order before the Procurement’s ordering deadline.
The proposal form and the submission form is found on the School District’s website through the Office of Special Finance. Follow the instructions provide to completing the proposal and adhere to the due dates. If all applicable signatures from therapists are not on the submission form, the proposal will be returned.
It is the responsibility of the school to process Access orders once a letter of approval has been received by the school. Letters are sent to principals and proposers/persons submitting proposal. No orders are processed by the Access office. Please consult with your school operations officer or secretary.
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4. Proposal Statement of Need

5. What is the Statement of Need?
The statement of need advises the reviewer of the student population that will use the materials, the purpose of the requested materials and how the student will benefit from the materials requested.
Identifying the IEP goals that will be addressed is an important part of the proposal statement.

6. Vendor Information for Ordering To be given to your school’s purchasing agent upon receipt of the approval notice.
A vendor number must be included for the proposal to be reviewed by the committee.

7. Vendor Info for Ordering Continued- The proposal has 11 vendor order pages.

8. Proposal Submission form-all signatures are required to be accepted by the Access committee.

9. Important Notice Regarding Electronic Devices
All Proposals for portable electronic devices, such as iPads, digital cameras, laptops, TV/DVD players, communication devices and printers will require a detailed security plan be included in the proposal. This security plan is to include: who will have access to the equipment, where it will be secured and who will maintain the sign out sheet/inventory of the devices. We will also require the name of the Mobile Device Coordinator who is registered with the Education Technology Office as the MDC for the school.
NOTE: If your proposal does not include the required security plan, it cannot be considered by the committee. There will be absolutely no exceptions to this requirement.

10. Important Information for the 2016-2017 Proposal Process
Proposals are to request only the items that are immediately necessary for students to meet their IEP &/or therapy goals. First priority will be given to proposals written by therapists for adaptive materials, communication devices, and therapy equipment. Please be sure that your school committee is aware of this when they meet to review the proposal before its submission to the ACCESS Office.
The signed Proposal Submission form must reflect all service provider signatures, even if the provider is only servicing 1 student in your building. Proposals failing to have a completed form with their submission will forfeit their opportunity to have their proposal reviewed.
Psychologists and Therapists, including Speech, Hearing, OT and PT, should contact their program coordinator in the Office of Specialized Services for their testing and technology needs. We will not be able to cover these items through the school proposal process this year. All requests will be considered through a partnership with OSS to assure coordination with the materials being requested and current OSS policy.
Only typed submissions of the correct proposal forms will be considered by the review committee. Handwritten forms and those using prior year coding will be rejected and the school will forfeit their opportunity to submit a proposal.
Only items requested from approved SDP vendors may be considered. The vendor number should be included in the appropriate space on the proposal form.
All completed proposal packets are due in the ACCESS Office, 440 N. Broad Street, Suite 323, before 4 pm on Friday, January 27, We will not be able to accept late submissions, incomplete packets or faxed versions.

11. Warnings:
Proposal requests are for student materials. A proposal written that says “Teacher will…” indicates a proposal for the teacher not the student. Be very careful of the wording.
ACCESS monies are for special education students. Do not write a proposal for students in the regular education programs.
Only approved School District vendors may be used to order materials. Be sure to include the approved vendor number on the proposal order form.