Section 75.430  Criteria for the Review of Initial Proposals; Allocation of Funds

Proposals submitted for funding under this Subpart D shall be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria.

a)         Quality of the Plan (80 points)

1)         The proposed professional development and technical assistance activities appear likely to accomplish the purposes and objectives set forth in Section 75.400.  The approaches selected are comprehensive in scope and will provide effective and relevant professional development and technical assistance activities.

2)         The proposal demonstrates an understanding of the agriculture, food and natural resource industry, generally, and of agricultural education in prekindergarten through adult, specifically.  The services and activities that are proposed will be accessible to teachers and others throughout the State.

3)         Sufficient evidence is presented of the applicant's capabilities to review, modify, and develop, as needed, agricultural education curriculum and other instructional resources designed to improve and enhance the quality of agricultural education programs.  Understanding of the relationship of agricultural education to the Illinois Learning Standards is evident. 

4)         Skills related to website management are clearly articulated and adequate for maintaining and updating, as needed, the Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education (FCAE) website (www.ilaged.org) and support content for the State Board of Education's agricultural education web page.

5)         The qualifications of staff and any proposed subcontractors demonstrate extensive experience in delivering the services and activities proposed.  The applicant has presented convincing evidence of its ability to manage large-scale programs on a statewide or comparable basis.

6)         The evaluation strategies are likely to gauge the effectiveness of the services provided and measure the impact that the activities will have on agricultural education statewide, while yielding sufficient data that can be used to improve agricultural education through the project.

7)         The applicant proposes innovative use of existing resources, leveraging a variety of State and local resources in delivering and coordinating its activities and work.

b)         Cost-Effectiveness (20 points)

The proposal represents a cost-effective use of State resources, as evidenced by the amounts requested for the proposed activities in relation to the numbers to be served and the services to be provided, and sufficient evidence is presented of the applicant's financial stability.

c)         Priority consideration may be given to proposals with specific areas of emphasis, as identified by the State Superintendent of Education in a particular RFP.

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 16012, effective December 1, 2021)