News & Announcements
Call for Proposals: Improving Behavioral Interventions, Reducing School Disciplinary Removals, and Reconnecting Suspended and Expelled Students to Baltimore City Public Schools
OSI-Baltimore, along with partnering foundations, individual donors, and the United Way, announced today its second Request for Proposals to fund programs that will work to reduce suspensions and expulsions in Baltimore City Public Schools. This RFP is the second in a series and includes an Option A and an Option B. Option A will fund programs that reduce suspension and expulsion and improve school climate. Option B will support programs that link youth removed from school for disciplinary or criminal charges to transitional education services, and reconnect them to school.
OSI-Baltimore's goal is to fund programs that will make a lasting difference and create opportunities for the most vulnerable families in the city. School suspension and expulsion often result in students being pushed out of school and being discouraged from returning.
OSI wants to help Baltimore City school principals and teachers adopt alternative disciplinary practices to help students stay in stay in school. The Request for Proposal, attached below, is designed to support programs that reduce school suspension and expulsion rates and help students return to school quickly.
For further background on school suspension and alternative practices, see the issue brief produced by OSI grantee Advocates for Children and Youth.
Awards
Program Development grants (available under Option B only) will be one-year grants for a maximum of $20,000. All other grants will be made for a period of up to two years, subject to satisfactory progress in year one. Most grants will be awarded in the range of $25,000 to $80,000 per year. Applicant organizations must currently work in the youth services field, have demonstrated success, and intend to use grant funds requested under the RFP to develop, expand and/or enhance their programs.
An orientation session will take place from 10 a.m. to noon, on Wednesday, September 27, 2006, at OSI, 201 North Charles Street, Suite 1300.
Deadline
Applications are due October 10, 2006.
More Information
For Baltimore City schools contact information please see the Baltimore City Public School System website at www.bcps.k12.md.us.
The Maryland State Department of Education has school level data and information on suspension and expulsion levels on its website at www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE.
For more information on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports please visit its website at www.pbis.org.
