Notice of Funding Opportunity - Iowa Department of Education
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Notice of Funding Opportunity
State Agency Name: Iowa Workforce Development in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Education
Funding Opportunity Title: Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship (TPRA)
Announcement Type: Initial
CFDA Number: 84.425U
Important Dates
Deadline
Applications for TPRA funds are due by Monday, March 31, 2022, at 3:00 pm Central Time.
Application Notification
A Notice of Intent to Award will be posted on the following websites:
• www.earnandlearniowa.gov
• www.iowagrants.gov
• https://educateiowa.gov
• https://www.futurereadyiowa.gov
Guidance
Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) and the Iowa Department of Education (IDE) will host an initial webinar to
provide information and an opportunity for a live Q&A on Friday, January 21 at 1:00 pm. Join via Zoom
(passcode 731284). Webinars, recordings, and additional guidance will be posted on the Earn and Learn website
and on the IDE website.
Program Description
The most important resources Iowa’s students have in school are their teachers. For this reason, it is critical to
Iowa’s success that we keep the great teachers we currently have while bringing additional talented educators
into the profession. The U.S. Department of Education recently urged states to use funds made available
through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief
(ESSER III or ARP ESSER) Fund to address growing the teacher workforce.
The IDE and IWD are committed to using federal relief funds for transformational investments in our education
and workforce systems that will produce sustainable educational and employment benefits for Iowa’s children
and youth. One such project is the Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Program (TPRA),
funded by ESSER III state program funds; the program will begin in the 2022-2023 school year.
Future Ready Iowa establishes the goal of 70 percent of Iowans in the workforce having education or training
beyond high school by 2025 but also seeks to strengthen the talent pipeline long-term. To support this
statewide goal, TPRA will award competitive grants to reinforce combined efforts and regional initiatives that
accelerate teacher and paraeducator credential attainment.
1Notice Purpose
The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity is to solicit TPRA applications from Iowa school districts for
one or both of the following funding models. There is a post-completion program level service expectation tied
to the awarding. Successful awardees are required as part of the formal awarding to complete a three year in-
state service residency. This three-year residency period must be completed within the state of Iowa and must
amount to 36 months of total in-service time. NOTE: This requirement does not apply to high school student
awardees.
Models
IDE and IWD seek applications for funding both of the following registered apprenticeship models:
High School and Adult-to-Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship
A registered apprenticeship model designed to help high school students and working adults begin a career as a
paraeducator while earning credit toward an associate’s (AA) degree.
Paraeducator-to-Teacher Registered Apprenticeship
A registered apprenticeship model designed to help certified paraeducators continue to work while earning
credit toward their bachelor’s degree (i.e., BA, BS) and teaching license.
Table 1. Funding Priorities: Registered Apprenticeship Pathways
Description High School to Adult-to-Paraeducator Paraeducator-to-Teacher
Cohort begins Fall 2022 Fall 2022
Program duration 2-3 years 2 years
Eligible applicants Public districts in partnership with a Public districts in partnership with a
related training provider with an approved related training provider with an approved
paraeducator program. Participants may teacher preparation program. Participants
receive an AA degree. may receive a BA or BS degree.
Year commitment 3 years for adults (not high school 3 years
students)
Covered costs Paraeducator program tuition and full Teacher preparation program tuition and
salary for high school students working as 50% of salary while working for the district
an aide and 50% of salary when working as a paraeducator and completing
for the district as a classroom aide after coursework.
graduation and completing coursework.
Maximum $47,000 per participant.
Paraeducator program tuition and 50% of
salary for adults working as a
paraeducator for the district and
completing coursework.
Maximum $40,500 per participant.
2Description High School to Adult-to-Paraeducator Paraeducator-to-Teacher
Total number of 25-30 20-25
anticipated grants
to districts
Total number of 100 100
anticipated
individual
participants
2. Funding Priorities
IDE and IWD seek applications that emphasize the following funding priorities:
• Cultivate partnerships between school districts as employers and OJT providers (e.g., Iowa community
colleges, colleges, universities) to address local and/or regional teacher and paraeducator employment
needs.
• Implement strategic recruitment that increases the number of eligible non-certified paraeducators and
high school students receiving competitive employment wages and stackable credentialing pathways via
the Registered Apprenticeship Program.
• Promote the attainment of industry-recognized and nationally portable credentials by high school
Iowans from underrepresented populations.
• Support regional connections between school districts and teacher preparation programs across the
state to expand teacher registered apprenticeship opportunities geographically with a demographically
diverse and equitable program entry point for all interested stakeholders.
• Demonstrate a strong partnership with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS) for serving
students with disabilities.
• Priority for the paraeducator funding will go first to high school student registered apprentices to
paraeducators and currently employed Paraeducator adults who want to earn their AA degree.
3. Performance Measures
All applications must include performance measures that logically connect a program’s goal(s) with proposed
activities. Performance measures should include to the extent possible whether the expected results were
achieved. The following performance measures are required as part of the grant:
• Intent and strategy to meet the reporting requirements;
• Number of anticipated registered apprentices per cohort (i.e., high school students, current
paraeducators, adults entering program from outside of the educational system or field);
• Anticipated wages (include increases) for each registered apprentice;
• Number of registered apprentices from an underrepresented population enrolled;
• Number of registered apprentices with disabilities and how the school district will collaborate with IVRS
to support these positions;
• Number of registered apprentices completing the program;
• Number of registered apprentices earning a credential;
• Total number of credentials earned; and
• Describe your plan and ability to track and measure the performance measures.
34. Program Authority
IDE’s authority in conjunction with the IWD’s authority to award these grants is found at Iowa Code section
84A.13 and section 2001 of the ARP Act of 2021.
5. Definitions
• ARP ESSER or ESSER III: The ARP Act’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.
• Apprentice: A person employed in a program who is provided combined classroom and on-the-job
training under the direct and close supervision of a highly skilled worker in an occupation recognized
as an apprenticeable trade and registered by the United States Department of Labor’s Office of
Apprenticeship and meeting the standards established by that office.
• Apprentices: A reportable registered apprentice who received grant-assisted services.
• Demographics: Information regarding underrepresented populations being served.
• Employee: A paid non-certified paraeducator, certified paraeducator (18 or older), or non-certified
high school student (16 or older) who is hired as a registered apprentice for the TPRA program.
• Employer sponsor: Any high school sponsor that combines academic and technical classroom
instruction with work experience through a registered apprenticeship program and pays an
employee.
• Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS): The public agency that provides expert, individualized
services to Iowans with disabilities to achieve their independence through successful employment and
economic support. IVRS can assist with accommodations or other services needed for an eligible
individual with a disability to be successful in the apprenticeship program.
• Memorandum of understanding (MOU): An agreement between two or more parties outlined in a
formal document.
• On-the-job training (OJT): A workforce development strategy where employers of all sizes have an
opportunity to train, mentor, and hire candidates as they become fully proficient in a particular skill
set or job function.
• Outcome: A type of performance measure that indicates progress toward achieving the intended
result of a registered apprenticeship program and usually represents a change in the situation of
beneficiaries of a service, such as completing a training program or securing employment upon
completion of training provided.
• Paraeducator: An employee who works alongside and under the supervision of a licensed or
certificated educator to support and assist in providing instructional and other services to children,
youth, and their families.
• Registered apprenticeship: An apprenticeship in a certified program providing to each trainee
combined classroom and OJT under the direct and close supervision of a highly skilled worker in an
occupation recognized as an apprenticeable trade and registered by the United States Department of
Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship and meeting the standards established by that office.
• Related training instruction (RTI): The classroom and/or lab learning experiences of registered
apprentices. Hours spent in the classroom are designed to complement the OJT component of
apprenticeships and enhance the learning experience.
• Stackable credential: Being part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time to
build up an individual’s qualifications and help them to move along a career pathway or up a career
ladder to different and potentially higher-paying jobs.
• Tuition: A sum of money charged for teaching or instruction by a school, college, or university.’
• Wages: A fixed, regular payment — typically paid on a daily or weekly basis — made by an employer to
an employee, especially to a manual or unskilled worker.
4Award Information
Estimated Available Funds
The State of Iowa has appropriated $9 million of the IDE’s ESSER III funds reserved for state-level activities to
support the expansion of the Registered Apprenticeship Program.
Estimated Award Amount
The IDE, through IWD, is providing up to $40,500 over a three-year period for each high school student or
current non-certified paraeducator in a cohort completing a registered apprenticeship in the High School-to-
Paraeducator model. The IDE, through IWD, is also providing up to $47,000 over a two-year period for each
certified paraeducator in a cohort completing a registered apprenticeship in the certified Paraeducator-to-
Teacher licensure model.
The IDE will ensure grants are awarded equitably across the state geographically, regardless of district size. The
minimum number of registered apprentices required in each cohort is 10. Districts unable to achieve the
minimum number for a cohort are encouraged to partner with another district close in proximity. To qualify for
a grant, districts will be required to officially complete the registered apprenticeship process through the IWD
Registered Apprenticeship Division by partnering with a community college or four-year college or university for
the High School-to-Paraeducator model and a four-year college or university for the Paraeducator-to-Teacher
model.
Funding will support:
• Tuition and fees at $7,000 per year for up to three years at a community college or other provider.
• Tuition and fees at up to $17,000 per year for up to two years at a public or private four-year college or
university or other provider.
• Hourly rate of $12 for high school aides while still in school and $6.00 (0.5 of $12 per hour) for aides and
paraeducators for up to 30 hours per week for 36 weeks. For the High School-to-Paraeducator model,
this sums to $6,500 per year for three years, for a total of $19,500.
• Hourly rate of $12 for high school aides while still in school and $6.00 (0.5 of $12 per hour) for aides and
paraeducators for up to 30 hours per week for 36 weeks. For the Paraeducator-to-Teacher model, this
sums to $6,500 per year for two years, for a total of $13,000.
Program and Award Period
An employer sponsor must provide IWD an MOU proving that it is partnering with a community college and/or
four-year college or university to create or expand an existing registered apprenticeship program. The employer
sponsor must also hire high school students or non-certified paraeducators as registered apprentices. Awardees
are required to seek reimbursement of funds by June 30, 2024. Any unexpended grant dollars must be returned
to IWD thereafter.
The recipients must provide detailed reports to IWD by December 31 of each year in IowaWORKS. This includes
but is not limited to registering all high school employer sponsors, RTI partners, and individual student
apprentices.
Type of Award
The IDE and IWD will award funding to provide high school employer partners per registered apprenticeship
cohorts for RTI tuition and employee wages. Funding will support:
● Tuition and fees at $7,000 per year for up to three years at a community college.
5● Tuition and fees at up to $17,000 per year for up to two years at a public or private four-year college or
university.
● Hourly rate of $12 for high school aides while still in school for a yearly total of $6,500 per year for three
years or a grand total of $19,500.
● Hourly rate of $6.00 for aids (0.5 of $12 per hour) for up to 30 hours per week for 36 weeks. This sums
to $6,500 per year for two years for a grand total of $13,000.
Use of Funds
Grant funds must be used to reimburse employer sponsors for RTI tuition and employee wages. Grantees are
required to comply with the use of funds requirements of the ARP Act of 2021’s ESSER III Fund.
Reporting Requirements
As a recipient of federal emergency dollars, IDE must comply with several reporting requirements specified in
the ARP Act, such as providing quarterly reports to the U.S. Department of Education regarding the state’s use of
funds. Quarterly reports must provide a detailed accounting of the use of funds and any additional reports the
secretary of education deems necessary.
In accepting funds from the IDE, the grantee must also comply with the applicable reporting requirements.
Specifically, the grantee must provide quarterly reports to the IDE documenting the amount of ESSER III funds it
has spent and account for its ESSER III expenditures on an ongoing basis, as the secretary of education may
require additional reports on a more frequent basis. In that case, the IDE will ask the grantee to provide
spending information more frequently.
In addition to the reporting requirements specified in the ESSER III award, each awardee must submit wage and
tuition reports to document which registered apprentice the funds were spent on. This will certify funds were
used in accordance with the grant application and grant program. All grantees must provide a detailed report of
the use of funds by December 31 of each program year to the director of IWD. The report must include, but is
not limited to:
● Partner organizations;
● Date funds received;
● Amount of funds received;
● Number of registered apprentices registered in the program;
● Number of registered apprentices who completed the program;
● Credential(s) the registered apprentices are working towards;
● Credential(s) earned by each registered apprentice;
● Number of total certifications earned by registered apprentices;
● Employment and wage outcomes at the registered apprenticeship start and completion (i.e., wages
must include one raise per registered apprenticeship and up to four);
● First and last name of each registered apprentice or employee who received assistance or support;
● Date of birth of each registered apprentice or employee who received assistance or support;
● Home address of each registered apprentice or employee who received assistance or support; and
● Demographics of each registered apprentice or employee who received assistance or support.
Payment Schedule
The executed grant agreement will specify conditions for payment and payment schedule.
6Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS) Supports
IVRS can provide the following supports to individuals with disabilities who are eligible for services and have an
individualized plan for employment (IPE). Individualized services available include the following:
• Counseling and guidance,
• Additional funding and supports for postsecondary training,
• Assistive technology,
• Job readiness training,
• Pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS) for students with disabilities,
• Benefits counseling,
• Job coaching,
• Transportation, and
• Disability-related skills training.
Eligibility Information
• Eligible applicants include employer sponsors registered with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of
Apprenticeship partnering with related OJT providers (e.g., Iowa community colleges, colleges,
universities) in good standing with the State of Iowa.
• Colleges and universities must be accredited by an agency approved to do so by the U.S. Department of
Education, and educator preparation programs must be approved by the Iowa State Board of Education.
• Employer sponsors must be registered in IowaWORKS with IWD to complete the application for this
grant.
• Grantees must comply with all applicable provisions of state and federal laws pertaining to
nondiscrimination, sexual harassment, and equal employment opportunity.
Additional Considerations
Additional consideration will be given to organizations and programs in local workforce areas and regions
throughout the State of Iowa that document how the program will impact the expansion of both the High
School-to-Paraeducator and Paraeducator-to-Teacher pathways.
Additional consideration will be given to organizations and programs that recruit and register apprentices from
underrepresented groups and at-risk youth.
Application and Submission Information
Applicants must submit applications electronically via IowaGrants.gov. IWD recommends that applicants create
an account and begin the application in advance of the deadline. For registration guidance, refer to Appendix B.
The applicant’s authorized representative must be the person who submits the application. The authorized
representative must be using their own IowaGrants.gov account to sign in and submit the application.
Official email communication from IWD regarding this application will be issued from
iowa.grants@webgrantsmail.com. Applicants are required to ensure these communications are received and
responded to accordingly.
7Application Content
Applicants will enter or attach the following components of a complete application in IowaGrants.gov:
General Information
• General information – cover sheet.
• Program information.
Program Description
Summary of the high school registered apprenticeship program (see Appendix A).
Populations to Be Served
Populations of prospective paraprofessionals and teachers to be served by the program.
Program Design
• Registered apprenticeship (i.e., RTI and OJT),
• Connection to Future Ready Iowa goal,
• Perceived barriers and planned supportive services,
• Employer sponsors and other partnerships involved in registered apprenticeship program success, and
• Stackable credentialing (where applicable).
Performance Measures
The following performance measures are required as part of the grant. Clearly identify any additional outcomes
relevant to the program:
• Intent and strategy to meet the reporting requirements.
• Number of anticipated registered apprentices per cohort (i.e., high school students, current
paraeducators, adults entering the program from outside the educational system or field).
• Anticipated wages (include increases) for each registered apprentice.
• Number of registered apprentices from an underrepresented population enrolled.
• Number of registered apprentices completing the program
• The number of registered apprentices earning a credential.
• The total number of credentials earned.
• Describe your plan and ability to track and measure the performance measures.
Organization Capability Narrative
The ability of the district and community college and/or college or university partners to support the program
for the duration of the grant award period.
Budget Summary & Budget Narrative
A detailed description of the proposed budget.
Partnership with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Service (IVRS)
• Describe any contracted programs with IVRS in your district.
• Number of registered apprentices with disabilities connected to IVRS.
• Number of registered apprentices with individualized education plans (IEPs) or 504 plans in grades nine
through 12.
Application Attachments
Please provide any relevant attachments.
8Minority Impact Statement
Authorization, Assurances, and Certification
See Appendix A for further instructions and application guidance.
Submission Dates and Times
Please see the Important Dates section at the beginning of this announcement for the submission deadline. The
IWD reserves the right to extend the submission deadline, and any notice of such extension will be posted on
the IWD website, Future Ready website, IDE website, and IowaGrants.gov.
Attempted submission of a completed application after the stated due date and time will not be allowed by the
system. If a submission is attempted after the published date and time, the applicant will receive a notice stating
that the funding opportunity is closed.
Application Review Information
Criteria
Section Points
Program Design 50 Points
Population to Be Served 20 Points
Performance Measures 10 Points
Organizational Capacity 10 Points
Number of Anticipated Registered Apprentices 10 Points
Total 100 Points
Review and Selection Process
A review team will use the criteria listed in this section to review applications under this funding announcement.
Applicant Clarification
Some applicants may receive requests to provide clarifying information and/or make changes to their
application, including the budget. This information is used by IWD staff in making funding recommendations.
Applications may be recommended for funding even if they are not asked clarification questions. A request for
clarification does not guarantee a grant award. Failure to respond to requests adequately and in a timely
manner may result in the removal of applications from consideration.
Selection for Funding
Decisions to award grants and the funding levels will be determined per application based upon compliance with
the requirements of this funding announcement. Applicants may be selected to enter into a grant agreement,
finalizing grant terms, budget, scope-of-work provisions, and at which time the final decision to make a grant
award will be made. Submission of an application is not a guarantee of an award.
9Contact(s)
Please direct any questions regarding this notice of funding opportunity to:
Kristopher Byam Mimi Willoughby Lawrence R Bice
Registered Apprenticeship Program Registered Apprenticeship Program Administrative Consultant,
Coordinator Coordinator Educator Preparation
Iowa Workforce Development Iowa Workforce Development Iowa Department of Education
Kristopher.byam@iwd.iowa.gov Miriam.willoughby@iwd.iowa.gov larry.bice@iowa.gov
515-725-3663 515-725-1035 515-725-0101
Technical Assistance
Technical assistance (TA) will be provided throughout the application process in the form of webinars and direct
support. A TA schedule will be available on the Earn and Learn website and the IDE website and regularly
updated.
Other Information
1. If an applicant fails to meet any eligibility criterion at the time of an application deadline, the application
may still be reviewed, but the state will not make an award until all eligibility criteria are met.
2. The IWD reserves the right to request additional information from applicants to evaluate applications.
3. The IWD, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to reject all applications; to reject individual applications
for failure to meet any requirement; to award in part or total, and to waive minor defects and non-
compliance. Such a waiver will not modify the program requirements or excuse the applicant from full
compliance with program specifications or grant agreement requirements if the grant is awarded.
Submission of an application confers no right to an award or to a subsequent grant agreement.
4. All application submissions become the property of the IWD and IDE. If funds are awarded, the contents
of all applications will be in the public domain at the conclusion of the selection process and will be open
to inspection by interested parties subject to exceptions provided in Iowa Code Chapter 22 or other
provisions of law.
5. The IWD is not obligated to award any grants under this program, to pay any costs incurred by the
applicant in the preparation and submission of an application, or to pay any grant-related costs incurred
prior to the grant beginning date.
6. All decisions by the IWD are final.
7. Upon the IWD approval, the successful applicant will receive a grant agreement via email from IWD. The
applicant has 10 working days to sign the grant agreement. If the agreement is not executed within 10
working days, IWD reserves the right to cancel the award. IWD, at its sole discretion, may extend the
time for executing the grant agreement.
8. Any grant agreement awarded by the IWD shall include specific provisions, terms, and conditions.
9. The scoring committee will include members from the IDE and IWD Registered Apprenticeship Program.
10APPENDIX A: Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship (TPRA)
Please review the following information when preparing your grant application in IowaGrants.gov. The
application gathers general information, narratives, budget information, and attachments. Each section includes
prompts that must be addressed.
General Information
Complete Cover Sheet-General Information. On this form, applicants will enter basic information about their
organization, including:
● Contact information of your district’s authorized representative
● Contact information of your district’s fiscal officer or agent
● Identification of the county(ies) participating, involved, or affected by the proposal
● Complete program information. on this form, applicants will enter basic information about their
application, including:
○ Legal organization name
○ Organization type (government, nonprofit, institute of higher education, business, etc.)
○ Business address
○ Contact information of a person for program coordination
○ Amount requested
APPENDIX B: IowaGrants.Gov New User Registration Instructions
Are you new to IowaGrants.gov? Follow these basic instructions to create an account and begin your grant
application.
1. Go to www.iowagrants.gov.
2. Click “New Users Register Here.”
3. Enter your first and last name.
4. Choose an Account ID name. Please note this will be your user ID in the system.
5. Click “Save Account Details.” You may receive a pop-up message that asks if you want to continue with
your registration. Click “OK.”
6. Next, you’ll receive a confirmation email.
7. Open the confirmation email and follow the instructions. You will:
a. Click a confirmation link;
b. Choose security questions; and
c. Confirm a password.
8. Go to www.iowagrants.gov and into your account with your new username and password to finish
activation.
9. Enter your basic information and select your Program Area of Interest (Future Ready Iowa).
10. Click Register.
11. Your registration is now pending final system approval. You will receive a confirmation email once
approval is complete.You can also read
