2022–27 Liberty Partnerships Program

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Grant Application Documents

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Through this RFP, New York State Education Department (NYSED) seeks to identify Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) that will create strong school and community partnerships to deliver research-based programming to students enrolled in public and non-public schools that are identified as having a high risk of students dropping out of school.

As leaders in the educational community, IHEs are encouraged to collaborate, design and implement programming that creates new strategies that influence the way schools work and the way we treat students as active participants in their own learning.

The Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP) was established in 1988 under Section 612, Subdivision 6 of the Education Law to address the significantly elevated high school dropout rate among New York’s youth. The authorizing legislation stated, “the failure of many young New Yorkers to complete their secondary education limited their opportunity for a life of fulfillment, prevents them from advancing into postsecondary education and hinders the State’s efforts to provide a well-trained workforce for business and industry in New York.”

The purpose of the Liberty Partnerships Program is to provide for a continuity of services throughout a student's progression through secondary school for those students who are identified as at-risk of dropping out. Services to be provided under this section may include skills assessment, tutoring, academic and personal counseling, family counseling and home visits, staff development activities for personnel with direct responsibility for such students, and mentoring programs.

EDL § 612; “…awards shall be made on a competitive basis to degree-granting institutions of higher education or consortia of degree-granting higher education institutions in cooperation with school districts and not-for-profit community-based organizations. In addition, in areas of the state where no degree-granting institution or consortium of degree-granting institutions of higher education can provide appropriate services to students, the commissioner may award grants to not-for-profit community-based organizations in cooperation with school districts.”

Each proposal must be submitted by at least one New York State eligible degree granting Institution of Higher Education (IHE) acting as the fiscal and project coordinator for a partnership with a Local Education Agency (LEA) and a Community Based Organization (CBO).

In a designated Regent’s Region of the state in which no IHE applies to provide appropriate services to eligible students, a not- for-profit community-based organization(s) in cooperation with a LEA may apply. The CBO would then apply as the lead agency with an IHE and LEA as identified partners. If such an application is made in a region where an IHE has applied, the CBO application would be deemed ineligible.

Although SUNY and CUNY colleges may use their respective “Research Foundation” as their fiscal agent if they receive a LPP award, the Research Foundation is not a degree-granting institution and therefore cannot be the applicant.

According to EDL § 612; the priorities shall include schools identified by the Commissioner as in need of assistance; rural schools with students at risk; programs which provide for small group partnerships with low student-staff ratios; colleges which demonstrate a high level of commitment to programs in such fields as education, social work, psychology, and sociology, and involve faculty members and graduate students from these degree programs.

The requirements shall include:

1. The IHE must have a partnership with at least one LEA that falls within the categories below:
   1. Be a school eligible for schoolwide programs under Title 1, Section 1114 of Every Student Succeeds Act, and the families of these students, or
   2. Be a school with at least 40 percent of students eligible for free or reduced priced lunch; and the families of these students or
   3. Be identified as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) school, or a Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) school or
   4. Be a rural school with students at risk.

Priority Schools including a Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) school, or a Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) school

1. Identifying students who are at risk of dropping out of middle or secondary school.
2. Projects with an overall student enrollment of at least 200 students with at least 40 students enrolled at each partner school and/or LEA.
3. A project that involves volunteers, parents, and current or former LPP students.
4. A project that provides continuity of services throughout a student’s progression through middle or secondary school.
5. A project that provides the following services and activities:
   1. Skills assessment/ Personal Learning Plans (PLPs)
   2. Social emotional assessment
   3. Tutoring
   4. Mentoring
   5. Academic, Personal, and Family Counseling and home visits
6. A project that provides staff development for personnel with direct responsibility for eligible students.
7. A project which has cooperative relationships with school districts and not for profit community based organizations to ensure continuity of services until students graduate from high school or receive a high school equivalency diploma.
8. A project which provides sufficient space and institutional resources consistent with other academic support programs on the campus for the effective operation of the project. This would include sufficient access to space needed to conduct the following: group meetings/workshops, conferencing, confidential academic and/or financial counseling, program administration, and tutoring services. Should a conflict regarding this provision arise, LPP- SED shall investigate the situation and issue a written decision regarding the adequacy of the access and space.

According to EDL § 612; the student risk factors for being eligible for participation in LPP shall include: poor academic performance, poor attendance, discipline problems, teenage pregnancy or parenting, residence in a homeless shelter or temporary living arrangement, substance abuse, child abuse or neglect, limited English proficiency, or other identified factor affecting school performance.

1. A Non-Mandatory Notice of Intent (NOI) may be submitted by June 21, 2022.
2. An RFP Conference by Webinar will be posted here on May 17, 2022. Eligible applicants planning to apply for funding are invited to view the presentation.
3. All questions must be submitted to: LPPRFP@nysed.gov through the close of business on June 3, 2022.
4. A question-and-answer summary will be posted here no later than June 14, 2022.
5. Applications due electronically and posted marked by June 28, 2022 at 5pm.
6. Project Period: September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2027.
7. Annual Operation Dates: September 1 through August 31.

Applicants should check the NYSED LPP website regularly for Updates to this funding opportunity.

Applicants must submit one original and two (2) paper copies (both the narrative application and the budget/budget narrative) as well as a flash drive containing a complete electronic copy (including attachments) of the proposal in one PDF file and a copy of the budget documents (FS-10, Composite Budget, and Budget Narrative) in separate PDF files, in a sealed envelope labeled “Liberty Partnerships Program Application GC 22-007”.

Applications must be sent to the address shown below:

New York State Education Department Office of Access, Equity and Community Engagement Services Liberty Partnerships Program 89 Washington Avenue, Room 971 EBA Albany, NY 12234 Email: LPPRFP@nysed.gov

The State of New York has implemented a new statewide prequalification process (described on the New York State Grant Opportunities page ) designed to facilitate prompt contracting for not-for-profit vendors. All not-for-profit vendors are required to pre-qualify by the grant application deadline in order to be eligible for this grant. This includes all currently funded not-for-profit institutions that may have previously received an award and are in the middle of the program cycle. Please review the additional information regarding this requirement in the Prequalification for Individual Applications section of this RFP.

The State Education Department Contacts:

Program:

Carlos Garcia (LPPRFP@nysed.gov)

Fiscal:

Samuel W. Rose (LPPRFP@nysed.gov)

M/WBE:

Brian Hackett (LPPRFP@nysed.gov)

Application in PDF | Application in Word Master Grant Contract Template in PDF | Master Grant Contract Template in Word