Narrative: d. 2.

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Office of Adult Education Initiatives (AEI) will ensure direct and equitable access to grants and contracts and will use the same grant or contract process for all eligible providers in the state. All applicants follow a detailed request for proposal, and each proposal is evaluated by a team of trained evaluators and AEI staff. AEI will establish a work group of core partners and Combined State Plan partners to develop a communications/outreach plan to announce, inform, and provide technical assistance to eligible providers across Colorado for Section 243 funds, alongside Section 231 and Section 225 funds. Written proposals will be solicited through a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) which provides application procedures and forms to be completed by applicant organizations. RFP information will continue to be provided throughout the year to all persons on the AEI provider email distribution list and to others with an interest in adult education and family literacy. The announcement will also be placed on the CDE web site, communicated through the official CDE newsletter, and in the public notices sections of the state’s largest newspapers.

CDE will use the considerations specified in section 231(e) of WIOA to fund eligible providers by incorporating each of the considerations into the narrative portion of the application. Each applicant will be required to provide narrative detail to demonstrate how the applicant will meet each consideration. Finally, CDE will attach a point-based scoring rubric weighting each of the considerations.

AEI will award Integrated English Literacy and Civics grants to eligible providers that will prepare adults who are English language learners for unsubsidized employment within in-demand industries and occupations that lead to economic self-sufficiency and will integrate with the local workforce development system and its functions to carry out the activities of the program. English literacy, defined as instruction designed to help English language learners achieve competence in the English language, will be provided in the context of civics education, defined as an educational program that emphasizes contextualized instruction on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, naturalization procedures, civic participation, and U.S. history and government to help students acquire the skills and knowledge to become active and informed parents, workers, and community members.

Through the competitive RFP process, eligible providers will be asked to describe models for career pathways for eligible individuals, including professionals with degrees and credentials in their native countries. AEI will continue to support sub-grant recipients and connections with training and employment through evidence-based practices.