NCTM Equity in Math Grants for Grades 6 to 12 – DUE: 11-2-18

Organization: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Amount: $8,000
Due: 11-2-18

Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (NCTM 2014) suggests that for the Access and Equity Principle, teachers model high expectations for each student’s success in problem solving, reasoning, and understanding as well as promote the development of a growth mindset among students (p. 115). In 2016, NCTM’s Board of Directors reaffirmed this focus by expanding the language to equity, access, and empowerment.

To these ends, the purpose of this grant is to incorporate classroom materials or lessons that will improve the achievement of student groups that have previous records of underachievement, sometime identified by race, gender, region, or culture. For 2019-20, grants with a maximum of $8,000 each will be awarded to persons currently teaching mathematics in grades 6-12. This award is for individual classroom teachers* or small groups of teachers collaborating in one grade or across grade levels. Proposals must address the following: the mathematics content as defined in the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics of NCTM; the plan for improving achievement of the targeted students; and the anticipated impact on their achievement. (*The definition of a classroom teacher is an individual who spends half or more of his/her work time teaching in the classroom.)

The applicant must be a current (on or before October 12, 2018) Essential or Premium member of NCTM or teach at a school with a current (on or before October 12, 2018) NCTM Pre-K-8 school membership and currently teach mathematics in grades 6-8 or 9-12 at least 50 percent of the school day. Activities are to be completed between June 1, 2019, and May 31, 2020. Past recipients of this grant are ineligible to reapply. No person(s) may receive more than one award administered by the Mathematics Education Trust in the same academic year.

Interested teachers are invited to submit a proposal. The 2019-20 MET Proposal Cover Form must be completed and serve as the top page of each copy of the proposal. The proposal must be typewritten, double-spaced and single-sided (please organize as outlined below), with margins of at least one inch on 8.5 ” x 11 ” paper. Font size must be no smaller than 10-point (Times Roman suggested), and the width between characters should be normal (100%).   The proposal (as one PDF document) is to be submitted electronically to metgrants@nctm.org by 11:59 PM ET on November 2, 2018. No mailed or faxed copies will be accepted. Duplicate or revised applications will not be considered. Lack of an applicant’s signature will automatically disqualify the proposal.  No indirect costs.

Note: This grant is awarded to an individual teacher. The award must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service, and it is subject to federal income taxes. A Form 1099 will be sent to the grant recipient at the end of the calendar year. If you have any questions about your own income tax liability, you should contact the Internal Revenue Service or your tax counsel. These sources can advise a recipient on the proper way to report project expenses.

View the scoring rubric. This rubric is used by reviewers to rate proposals and determine which proposals will be selected for funding.

Proposal Requirements

I. Proposal Cover Form (Microsoft Word)
❏ Complete all requested information.
❏ Must include NCTM member number.
❏ Must be signed.

II. Proposal (Three pages maximum)
Plan
❏   Describe the what, how and why of the equity plan.
❏   Address the mathematics content improvement needs.
❏   Include a description (data) of past underachievement and the target group(s).
❏   Delineate the planned growth.  Delineate the plan for improving achievement of targeted group.

Outcome
❏  Explain how the plan will be evaluated to assess the impact of the proposed project on targeted students’ learning.
❏  Describe how you plan to determine if the current achievement gap narrows.

III. Budget (Two pages maximum; table format)
❏ No Indirect Costs.
❏ Include itemized budget, presented in line-item table format.
❏ If the total budget for a proposed project is greater than the grant maximum, indicate clearly what the grant funds will cover and what additional funding sources might be available to complete the total budget.
❏ Be specific and indicate how you would allocate $8,000 from this award to be used for expenses related to achieving the goals of the proposal.

IV. Background and Experience
❏ Provide a maximum of one page in outline format.
❏  Describe your formal education including the institution, type of degree, major, minor and date each degree was granted.
❏  Describe your teaching experience related to this grant proposal.  Indicate the school(s), teaching assignments, and other pertinent information, including continuing education and professional activities.

V. Principal’s Letter of Recommendation
❏ One-page maximum.
❏ Signed letter on school stationery.
❏ Confirm the teaching status of the applicant, the existence of the current mathematics achievement gap of the target population(s), and support for the proposed project and its evaluation.

Final Report Requirements
❏  Submit a two to three-page double spaced report including an itemized report of expenses.
❏  Document the project’s activities.
❏  Describe the post-project achievement gap analysis.
❏  Eighty percent of the approved budget, not to exceed $6,400, will be paid at the beginning of the project.  The remainder will be paid on receipt of a final report and verified expenses (with receipts) related to the proposal.

The Mathematics Education Trust was established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.