High Quality School Readiness Grant (formerly the Expanded Student Access Grant)

Grant Title: High Quality School Readiness Grant (formerly named the Expanded Student Access Grant)
Solicitation #: 25-DWS-S015
Funding Source: Child Care and Development Block Grant Funds and State of Utah General Funds
Total Grant Amount: To be determined
Expected Number of Awards: Multiple
Letter of Intent Deadline (REQUIRED): Friday, November 22, 2024 by 5:00 PM Letter of Intent Webform
Application Deadline: January 31, 2024, 5:00 PM: Proposals must be received no later than 5:00 PM. Proposals received after 5:00 PM will not be accepted. Proposals may not be faxed.
Program Start Date: July 1, 2025
Program End Date: June 30, 2028
Letter of Intent Informational Meeting (virtual): Letter of Intent Informational Meeting (virtual): https://youtu.be/WXmguuhpRMg 
Contact Information: Charlotte Tanner, Contract Owner, chartanner@utah.gov, 385-602-3210
Lauren Fredman, Contract Owner, lfredman@utah.gov, 385-499-3441
Kimber Burks, Contract Analyst, kburks@utah.gov, 801-814-1222

Purpose

The Utah School Readiness Program supports programs that increase school readiness, improve academic performance, and reduce remediation costs associated with poor academic outcomes. The High Quality School Readiness (HQSR) Grant is defined by the Utah School Readiness Program, available online at: Utah Code §35A-15-302

Eligibility Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Programs must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for this grant. Applications from inclusive programs are encouraged.

  1. Applicant must be an existing early childhood education program.
  2. Applicant must demonstrate during the grant period that current students have shown academic improvement. For this grant, the Utah School Readiness Board has approved the use of PEEP assessment data as the means to demonstrate student performance outcome measures as required by Utah Code §35A-15-303. As Preschool Entry and Exit Profile (PEEP) data is collected and compiled, this will be the means of demonstrating student performance in future grant programs. The subcommittee has approved a PEEP Progress average score of 103 be required for both public and private programs.
  3. Applicant’s school readiness program must meet the requirements of a high-quality program, as defined in Utah Code §35A-15-202

Who May Apply

  1. Applicant must be one of the following:
    1. Local Education Agency (LEA)
    2. Charter school with early childhood education provided by LEA
    3. Private provider
    4. Charter school with early childhood education provided by private providers

The following preschool programs are not eligible for this grant:

a. Organizations receiving Becoming High-Quality Grant funds during the 2025-2026 School Year (Utah Code §35-15-301)

Addendum