11554.
(a) To be eligible to receive a grant under this chapter, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the department at the time, in the manner, and containing the information as the department may require.(b) At a minimum, an application shall include all of the following:
(1) A description of a plan to significantly improve the academic, health, and social outcomes of children living in an identified neighborhood and to support the healthy development and well-being of children and youth in the neighborhood by providing a continuum of cradle-to-college-to-career solutions. This plan shall address the needs of the whole child, whole family, and whole community, as identified by the needs assessment described in paragraph (4). The continuum of solutions shall be based on the best available evidence, including, where available, strong or moderately strong evidence. The plan shall also ensure that, over time, pupils not living in the neighborhood who attend the target school or schools have access to services within the pipeline of services.
(2) A description of the geographically defined area or neighborhood to be served and the level of distress in that area based on indicators of need and other relevant indicators. The statement of need in the neighborhood shall be based, in part, on results of a comprehensive needs assessment and segmentation analysis. The application may propose to serve multiple, noncontiguous areas.
(3) A description of the applicant’s measurable short-term, long-term, and annual goals for expected outcomes of the grant, based on program and project indicators, as described above, that includes all of the following:
(A) Performance goals for each year of the grant.
(B) Projected participation rates over time and any plans to expand the number of children served over time by the grant program.
(C) Annual goals for evaluating progress in improving systems, such as changes in policies, environments, or organizations that affect children and youth in the neighborhood.
(4) An analysis of the needs and assets of the neighborhood identified, including all of the following:
(A) A description of the process through which the needs assessment and segmentation analysis was produced, including a description of how family and community members were engaged in the analysis.
(B) An explanation of how the applicant will use the needs assessment and segmentation analysis to determine the children with the highest needs and ensure that those children receive the appropriate services from the continuum of cradle-to-college-to-career solutions.
(C) A description of both the academic indicators and the family and community support indicators that the applicant will use in conducting the needs assessment.
(5) (A) A description of solutions that will be used in the continuum of cradle-to-college-to-career solutions based on data collected, including a description of solutions specifically targeting children, family members, community members, and children not attending schools or programs operated by the applicant and its partners.
(B) The process by which each solution will be implemented and an expected timeline for launching each solution.
(C) The estimated per child cost and cost projections over time, including administrative costs, to implement each solution.
(D) The estimated number of children, by age, in the neighborhood who will be served by each solution, including the percentage of all children of the same age group within the neighborhood proposed to be served with each solution and the annual targets required to increase the proportion of children served to reach scale over time.
(E) How the segmentation analysis was used to target the children and youth to be served.
(F) Financial projections of the cost of solutions over time.
(G) The best available evidence supporting each proposed solution.
(6) A description of the process used to develop the application, including the involvement of family and community members.
(7) A description of the process by which to develop, launch, and implement a longitudinal data system that integrates pupil-level data from multiple sources to measure progress on academic and family and community support indicators for all children in the neighborhood.
(8) A description of how the applicant has done all of the following:
(A) Linked or is making progress to link the longitudinal data system to school-based, local educational agency, and state data systems.
(B) Made or will make data accessible to parents, families, community residents, program partners, researchers, and evaluators at either the individual or aggregate level as appropriate while abiding by federal, state, and other privacy laws and requirements.
(C) Managed and maintained the system, and plans to manage and maintain the system over time.
(9) An explanation of how the applicant will continuously evaluate and improve the continuum of cradle-to-college-to-career solutions, including both of the following:
(A) A description of the metrics that will be used to inform each solution of the pipeline.
(B) The processes for using data to improve instruction, optimize integrated pupil supports, provide for continuous program improvement, and hold staff and partner organizations accountable.
(10) An identification of the fiscal agent, which may be any eligible entity.
(11) A list of federal, state, local, and private sources of funding that the applicant will secure to comply with the matching funds requirement in Section 11555.
(c) Before receiving a grant under this chapter, the applicant shall do all of the following:
(1) Collect data, including publicly available data, for the academic indicators and use them as program and project indicators.
(2) Collect data, including publicly available data, for the family and community support indicators and use them as program and project indicators.
(3) Perform an analysis of community assets within, or accessible to, the neighborhood, including, at a minimum, all of the following:
(A) Early learning programs and networks, including home visiting, high-quality childcare, Early Head Start programs, Head Start programs, and prekindergarten programs.
(B) Community centers, after school programs, and other opportunities for activities outside of school hours.
(C) Transportation.
(D) Parks.
(E) The availability of healthy food options and opportunities for physical activity.
(F) Existing family and pupil supports.
(G) Businesses and employers located in the community.
(H) Institutions of higher education.
(4) Provide evidence of successful collaboration that has led to changes in child outcomes within the neighborhood.
(d) An eligible entity, as part of the application, shall submit a preliminary memorandum of understanding, signed by each partner entity or agency. The preliminary memorandum of understanding shall describe, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1) Each partner’s commitment and contribution toward achieving each result at population level by using a backbone agency to coordinate a collective impact initiative.
(2) Each partner’s financial and programmatic commitment toward the strategies described in the application, including an identification of the fiscal agent.
(3) The governance structure proposed for the Promise Neighborhood, including a system for how the lead entity will serve as a backbone agency and hold partners accountable, representation of the geographic area on the eligible entity’s governing and advisory boards, and resident engagement from the neighborhood in the organization’s decisionmaking.
(4) Each partner’s long-term commitment to providing cradle-to-college-to-career pipeline services that, at a minimum, accounts for the cost of supporting the pipeline, including the period after grant funds are no longer available, and potential changes in local government.
(5) Each partner’s mission and plan that will govern the work that partners do together, including an aligned theory of improvement.
(6) Each partner’s long-term commitment to supporting the pipeline through data-driven decisionmaking, including data collection, monitoring, reporting, and sharing.
(7) Each partner’s commitment to ensuring sound fiscal management and controls, including evidence of a system of supports and personnel.
(8) Each partner’s commitment to mobilizing local government service integration to improve outcomes for families and children in the neighborhood as measured by increased employment, improved education, decreased poverty, reduced crime, and improved health status.