Another Talent Search Update!

I hope you all are having a great holiday break! Just a couple of things I wanted to put out there:

As many of you all already know, the final RFP is out! Here is a link to the RFP:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3lxna0qel7bdnta/2020%20TS%20RFP_PKG00264704-instructions.pdf?dl=0

Highlights: CLOSING DATE: February 26, 2021

CPP 1: Fostering Knowledge and Promoting the Development of Skills that Prepare Students to be Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens (Up to 2 points)

CPP 2: Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) Education, with a particular focus on Computer Science (Up to 2 points)

CPP 3: Applications that Demonstrate a Rationale.

Under this priority, an applicant proposes a project that demonstrates a rationale (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1). (Up to 2 points)

Page 87 of the RFP: The competitive preference priorities are limited to 8 pages total.

Formatting according to pages 86 & 87 of the RFP:

"We recommend that you limit the application narrative to the equivalent of no more than 65 pages, double-space all text in the application narrative, and single-space titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. Use an easily readable font such as Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. Use a font that is either 12-point or larger and number the pages consecutively."

This contradicts what is listed in the Federal Register and on page 25 of the RFP:

"We recommend that you limit the application narrative to no more than 65 pages...Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all the text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs."

Hopefully, this "double versus single spacing" contradiction within the RFP and the Federal Register will be addressed during ED's Talent Search Pre-Application Webinars that start the week of Jan 11th. To register for these workshops, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/talentsearchcompetition

Look for one more post tomorrow about NEC Follow-Up Proposal Writing Workshops scheduled for Jan 2021, and I will leave you all alone until next year!

Goodbye, 2020! Happy New Year! Best wishes for a healthy & safe 2021!