Section 235.220  Proposal Review and Approval of Proposals

a)         Proposals shall first be screened to identify those proposals that demonstrate the greatest need for social and emotional consultation services as evidenced by the proportion of students in the program who come from families experiencing the type of problems outlined in Section 235.200(b) of this Part.  Proposals shall be separated into the following three categories:

1)         proposals that are among the top one-third of all proposals received demonstrating the largest proportion of students who meet the criteria;

2)         proposals that are among the middle one-third of all proposals received demonstrating the largest proportion of students who meet the criteria; and

3)         all other proposals.

b)         Within each of the three categories set forth in subsection (a) of this Section, the proposals shall be reviewed and scored using the qualitative criteria set forth in subsection (c) of this Section to determine which proposals provide evidence of a "qualified program".  "Qualified programs" shall be those scoring at least 60 out of 100 total points.

1)         All qualified programs within the category set forth in subsection (a)(1) of this Section shall be funded before funding any qualified programs in the categories set forth in subsection (a)(2) or (a)(3) of this Section.

2)         All qualified programs within the category set forth in subsection (a)(2) of this Section shall be funded before funding any qualified programs in the categories set forth in subsection (a)(3) of this Section.

c)         Proposals submitted for funding to offer social and emotional consultation services shall be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria.

1)         The proposal presents adequate procedures for assessing the specific needs of teachers for assistance in supporting the social and emotional development of their students and in managing difficult classrooms.  (20 points)

2)         The proposed activities are comprehensive and sound, offer a varied and full range of staff development experiences, and provide sufficient opportunities for learning so as to allow staff to effectively incorporate the training into their classroom management plans. (30 points)

3)         The proposed provider of the social and emotional consultation services has the qualifications and experience in early childhood mental health to successfully implement a high-quality training program.  The proposed staffing level is sufficient to assure that the proposal's activities and services will be provided in an effective and efficient manner. (30 points)

4)         The proposed budget is consistent with the proposal's activities and appears to be cost-effective, as evidenced by the cost in relation to the numbers to be served and the services to be provided. (20 points)

d)         The State Superintendent of Education shall determine the amount of individual grant awards.  The final award amounts shall be based upon:

1)         the total amount of funds available for the social and emotional consultation services; and

2)         the resources requested in the top-ranked proposals, as identified pursuant to subsections (b) and (c) of this Section.

(Source:  Added at 30 Ill. Reg. 19383, effective November 28, 2006)