[MCAEnews] Workplace ESOL Curriculum and Materials rfp from Comm Corps

[The MCAE Advocate]

 Karen Shack from Commonwealth Corporation has asked MCAE to help
publicize its Request for Proposals  for Workplace ESOL Curriculum and
Materials.
 Kenny Tamarkin 
 Executive Director 
 MCAE 
 KTamarkin at mcae.net 
 978-979-1906 
	NOTICE of REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 
	WORKPLACE ESOL CURRICULUM AND MATERIALS 

EXTENDED CARE/HOME CARE FOCUS       
	Commonwealth Corporation, a quasi-public agency of Massachusetts, is
requesting proposals from curriculum developers with experience in
Workplace ESOL.   
	The deadline for submission is Friday March 14, 2008 at noon.  Work
must be completed by June 30, 2008.  Up to $50,000 will be available;
one to three projects will be funded. 
	Please see RFP below.  For additional information please contact:  

	Karen Shack 

	617 727-8158 x 2250  

	kshack at commcorp.org [1] 
	ESOL Curriculum Materials Project 

	Request for Proposals 
	Background: 
 The Extended Care Career Ladder Initiative (ECCLI) is a state funded
program that supports career advancement for entry-level extended care
and homecare employees.  

	See  (http://www.commcorp.org/eccli/index.html [2]).  Since its
inception, these funds have been used to provide a broad range of
services including ESOL classes provided at the workplace.   The
Commonwealth Corporation is now seeking bidders who will build on the
lessons learned from previous workplace ESOL programs to create or
refine work-contextualized healthcare English language classroom
curricula and materials for use in multi-level ESOL classroom and/or
in online learning.  The goal of these curricula should be to improve
English skills and to assist students even as they pursue beginning
and intermediate level English learning, so that they will ultimately
be better prepared to handle college level work .  The Commonwealth
Corporation anticipates available funding of up to $50,000 and
anticipates awarding between one and three grants. 
	These materials will be made available online to all future ECCLI
recipients.  All materials developed through the use of ECCLI funds
will be the property of Commonwealth Corporation. 
	Focus of Work: 

	We are seeking proposals from individuals, organizations or
businesses that describe a specific set of English language learning
needs, and develop extended and homecare contextualized curriculum
materials to be used by Massachusetts Workplace ESOL instructors in
classrooms or online learning. 
	Recommended Process for Preparing a Proposal. 

	A proposal must include:
 1.A narrative (up to five pages) that: 

	a.   provides evidence of qualifications and proven experience in
workplace ESOL curriculum development. 

	b.  addresses the issues described in the Successful Bids section
below and clearly describes the curriculum products that will be
created in terms of intended learners, levels, learning objectives,
and approximate length (number of pages).  All products must be
provided in an online (.html, pdf, or MSWord) format as well as in
hard copy.  

	c. provides evidence that workplace ESOL teachers will participate
in development and/or review of curriculum materials. 

	2. A budget and budget narrative to explain line items other than
staff time. 

	3. Timeline for project. 
	Successful bids will include in the narrative or appended materials:
	·         Brief review of Massachusetts ESOL instructors’ access
to and use of workplace ESOL instructional materials and activities
that are contextualized to extended care/homecare settings and
targeted to (potentially) college bound students.  
	·         Description of workplace ESOL instructors’ priority
needs/preferences for contextualized ESOL materials that will increase
students’ readiness for college level work.  
	·         Description of Massachusetts’ workplace ESOL
instructors’ level of interest and willingness to utilize the
proposed contextualized materials if they were provided at no cost.  
	·         Evidence of Massachusetts’ workplace ESOL
instructors’ willingness to provide user feedback to the bidder on
the materials created. The evidence might take the form, for example,
of attached letters of commitment to review the materials.  
	In developing the narrative a successful bidder will have contacted
a minimum of three Massachusetts workplace healthcare ESOL programs
and a representative group of extended care and/or home care employers
who have participated in ECCLI funded workplace based programs. (a
list of ESOL providers and ECCLI employers will be available from 
Kshack at commcorp.org [3] by February 28).  The bidder will identify
what publicly available high quality print and online healthcare
workplace ESOL materials are currently available to ESOL instructors
in Massachusetts. 
	Once the grant is awarded the project will include as a deliverable
at least one health care contextualized ESOL curriculum. The proposal
should describe the process that the bidder will employ to create it,
including whether the curriculum will be developed newly or will be a
refining of an existing curriculum.  
	The bidder will create new and or refine existing classroom
materials to be used in a workplace based ESOL classroom.  The
curriculum and materials produced must:  
	·         Be focused on teaching English in an extended and/or home
care work context and preparing learners for college level academic
work and success at college;  

	·         Include an introduction to teachers on how to use the
curriculum, a description of the level and other characteristics of
ESOL learners for whom the curriculum is intended;  

	·         Include learning objectives, group and individual
learning activities, ongoing ways of assessing learning;  

	·         Be provided electronically and be in final format
appropriate for instructors to use with minimal adjustment.  
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
	Within six weeks after the award of the grant the bidder must submit
a detailed outline of the curriculum that includes all the learning
objectives and learning activities.  This outline must be approved by
Commonwealth Corporation before completing the project. 
	Before the final curriculum is submitted it should be reviewed by
Workplace ESOL teachers.  A list of their major recommended changes
and the specific changes made to address them should be included with
the final product. 
	Eligible Applicants: 

	Individuals and organizations with a proven track record in
curriculum development. 
	Timeline:
 Work must be completed by June 30, 2008 
	Selection Criteria: A description of the RFP selection process will
be available through Karen Shack by February 28, 2008 
	Proposal and Budget:  Must be received by Friday, March 14 at noon.
 Must be received in hard copy to: 

	Karen Shack  

	Commonwealth Corporation 

	Schrafft Building 

	529 Main Street, Suite 110 

	Boston, MA  02129-1122 
	Additional copy of proposal and budget must be received via e-mail
to kshack at commcorp.org [4]       Karen J. Shack Commonwealth
Corporation kshack at commcorp.org [5] 617-727-8158 x 2250 


Links:
------
[1] mailto:kshack at commcorp.org
[2] http://www.commcorp.org/eccli/index.html
[3] mailto:Kshack at commcorp.org
[4] mailto:kshack at commcorp.org
[5] mailto:kshack at commcorp.org
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