Comprehensive Supports for Early Learning

Funding Opportunity Update (posted June 29, 2022)

As of July 1, 2022, DEEL is adopting a new approach to providing Comprehensive Support for Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) classrooms. To better meet student and classroom needs quickly and effectively, the Request for Qualification (RFQ) requirement for organizations, agencies, or individuals to provide services to SPP and SPP Pathway providers is being discontinued.

Under the new approach, all SPP and Pathway contracted providers will receive a per-child allocation to meet children’s comprehensive support needs. In addition, providers will collaborate with their DEEL coach and Public Health – Seattle & King County for emerging comprehensive supports needs, and funds will be available for providers to engage in any of the following services:

• Hire an organization, agency, or individual who meets DEEL's minimum qualifications to provide comprehensive support services (DEEL will provide information on minimum qualifications will to SPP providers)
• Hire additional staff
• Provide training for educators
• Purchase materials to support individual children
• Purchase materials for the learning environment

With the adoption of the new approach, the RFQ application process detailed below and included in DEEL’s 2022 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) document is no longer applicable. This web page will remain available for the remainder of the year before being archived by December 31, 2022.

For more information on the above update to the Comprehensive Supports Request for Qualification process, please contact DEELfunding@seattle.gov.

Summary

The Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) is seeking applications from organizations, consultants, specialists and any other entities providing services described in this request for qualifications (RFQ) through the City of Seattle's 2018 Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy. The FEPP Levy aims to achieve educational equity, close opportunity gaps, and build a better economic future for Seattle students.

The Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) launched in the 2015-16 school year with the goal of providing accessible, high-quality preschool services for Seattle children designed to improve their readiness for school and to support their subsequent academic achievement. Around the same time, DEEL also created the Pathway program with the mission to support providers transitioning to SPP by providing additional supports needed to meet SPP quality standards.  

The Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) launched in the 2015-16 school year with the goal of providing accessible, high-quality preschool services for Seattle children designed to improve their readiness for school and to support their subsequent academic achievement. Around the same time, DEEL also created the Pathway program with the mission to support providers transitioning to SPP by providing additional supports needed to meet SPP quality standards.  

Purpose

The purpose of the Comprehensive Supports RFQ is to solicit applications to identify qualified organizations and individuals to provide time-limited, teacher-focused, classroom-level services to early learning providers participating in SPP and SPP Pathway. Identified organizations and individuals will work with preschool teachers who need additional and intensive coaching and/or support and have already utilized their agency's resources, DEEL's coaches, and Public Health Seattle King County's (PHSKC) mental health consultants.These services are intended to build the capacity and skills of preschool teachers working with a small number of children not on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), but who need intensive strategies inclusive of, but not limited to, behavioral, developmental, and/or connected to family/childhood trauma.

DEEL has approximately $400,000 available for 2022 to contract with selected applicants from this RFQ. Services will begin in 2022. DEEL reserves the right to re-release this RFQ throughout the FEPP Levy period. Executed contracts will have evaluation and performance expectations.  

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION TIMELINE