Proof of Concept Proposals
Overview
Teacher leaders, who are investigating new strategies, and with school support (see below), may submit a Proof of Concept Proposal.
The objective of the Proof of Concept Proposal is to provide teacher leaders with an avenue for requesting funding of small-scale demonstration projects. Each of these proposals should result in:
A teacher leader who is prepared to provide professional development to others in order to expand successful strategies to other classrooms;
Development of a “digital kit” — a set of digital materials, including teaching resources and student created artifacts, that can be used by other teachers who want to implement the project in their own classroom; and
An opportunity for other teachers to observe students engaged in the proposed activities.
Proof of Concept Proposals should include classroom activities that are designed to support student achievement and:
is engaging and provides an opportunity for a variety of students to shine;
encourages collaborative learning and teamwork;
results in a higher percentage of students who are on task; and
provides an opportunity for all students, including lower skilled students, to produce and/or publish work for an external audience.
Recipients of successful Proof of Concept Proposals are invited to work with their school Technology Team and submit a School Initiated Innovation Proposal for full scale funding.
Timeline & Review Process
Applications will be scored up to three times/year, depending upon available funding, by a proposal review committee. The review committee will consist of a cross section of educators, specialists, and administrators.
Proposals that are approved for implementation will be scheduled into the Tech Services workflow. Proposals that are not approved will be returned to the school for revision and resubmission.
Prior to reviewing proposals, committee members will receive a basic introduction to the SAMR model and will read and discuss several articles (e.g., Technology Integration for the New 21st Century Learner). This will provide a foundation for common understanding and vocabulary for evaluating proposals.
Each request will be considered on its merits with reviewers evaluating each proposal to ensure that all required elements are complete and clearly articulated.
All approved requests will be reviewed by the Technology Services Bond Project Manager to ensure that adequate funding is available. Adjustments may be made to accommodate the funding of as many requests as possible during a given year.
Proposals will be reviewed multiple times/year as outlined below.
Submit a Proposal
A limited amount of funding has been set aside to support new Proof of Concept Proposals, with approximately 15-20 proposals funded annually at no more than $5,000/proposal. Please note that the funding of these proposals may be impacted by the number of funding requests for School Initiated Innovation Proposals.
Each school may submit a limited number of these proposals (based on school size), making it critical for the school principal to determine which proposals align with school priorities and should be submitted for review.
Small Schools (< 400 students) = 1 proposal/year
Medium Schools (400-800 students) = 2 proposal/year
Large Schools (> 800 students) = 3 proposals/year
Please keep in mind that these proposals should be embraced by the school, seen as an integral component of the school's vision, and upon successful implementation, would be submitted as a School Initiated Innovation Proposal.
Click here to access the Proof of Concept Proposal.
Click here to access the Proof of Concept Proposal Checklist.
Additional support is available through the Springfield Education Foundation.