Government Archives - Bowman Performance Consulting

June 22, 2017 By Bowman

Native Student Scholarship to IACP 2017

NIJ is accepting applications from American Indian and Alaska Native students in the STEM fields to attend IACP 2017.

NIJ is seeking to sponsor five (5) undergraduate or graduate students, who are American Indian or Alaska Natives studying science, technology, engineering, and math, to attend the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference (IACP) conference in Philadelphia onOctober 21–24, 2017.

These students will have the opportunity to interact with criminal justice scientists and practitioners and attend panel discussions on the most urgent issues facing communities and innovative, evidence-based solutions.

As NIJ is committed to uniting STEM research and criminal justice, and advancing diverse perspectives about persistent crime problems across a broad range of demographics and disciplines, we look forward to implementing this new program.

Learn how to apply, and share with others who may be interested

Applications are due June 30, 2017.

Filed Under: American Indian, Children, Government, Minority Issues, News, Resources, STEM Tagged With: application, children, STEM

June 9, 2017 By Bowman

My Tribal Area

*Link to the Tool

The Census Bureau collects data for the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population and publishes specific counts, estimates, and statistics. My Tribal Area gives you quick and easy access to selected statistics from the American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing statistics every year for the nation’s communities. My Tribal Area is powered by the Census Application Programming Interface (API). – See more at: https://www.census.gov/tribal/application/#sthash.YrJtwcXG.dpuf

Filed Under: American Indian, Government, News, Resources, Tribal Tagged With: census, tribal area

May 9, 2017 By Bowman

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced the Data Retrieval Tool

To protect sensitive taxpayer data, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced the Data Retrieval Tool on FAFSA.gov and StudentLoans.gov will remain unavailable until additional security protections can be implemented. Since the online tool was disabled in early March, the IRS has been working closely with FSA to safely return the tool to service. While the IRS and FSA are working to resolve issues as quickly as possible, students and families should plan for the tool to be offline until the start of the next Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) season in the fall (statement).

Identity thieves may have used personal information obtained outside the tax system to access the FAFSA form in an attempt to secure tax information through the Data Retrieval Tool.

While the tool is unavailable, the IRS and FSA remind applicants that online applications are available and operable. The income information needed to complete the FAFSA and apply for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans may be found on a previously filed tax return. Students and parents completing a 2016-17 and 2017-18 FAFSA should manually enter 2015 (not 2016) tax information. Borrowers applying for an IDR plan should submit alternative documentation of income to their loan servicers after they submit an online application. Borrowers may submit a paper copy of their tax return, copies of pay stubs, or other acceptable forms of documentation explained during the application process.

Filed Under: Government, News, Resources Tagged With: Internal Revenue Service, IRS, resource, tool

April 10, 2017 By Bowman

Milwaukee WI Disparity Study

*View the entire RFI as a PDF.

The City of Milwaukee (City) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to identify and research options available to the City in connection with the future possibility of procuring consulting services to conduct a comprehensive disparity study regarding the City’s use of minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) as contractors and subcontractors. This RFI is not a formal solicitation or Request for Proposal (RFP). Therefore, no contract will be awarded based upon submissions. This RFI is exploratory, issued solely for planning purposes and gathering information.

Filed Under: Call for Speakers / Papers / Case Studies, Government, Local, Minority Issues, News, Resources, Tribal, Women's Issues Tagged With: Milwaukee, request for information

March 26, 2017 By Dani Ebert

NIEA Statement on the White House Budget Blueprint

Washington, D.C.– The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) issues the following analysis regarding the White House’s Budget Blueprint, “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again,” released today:

Today’s budget outline proposes a significant cut to funding for domestic discretionary programs by $54 billion for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 18), including a 13% reduction in the Department of Education (ED) budget, while increasing spending on the military by the same amount. While important educational programs would see substantial reductions, the Department of Defense would see a 10% increase.

The proposed cuts concern NIEA: these programs positively impact Native students. When these cuts are negotiated by Congress, we are concerned that Native education programs are at risk of being reduced.

The 13% cut to the ED would lead to a $9 billion overall cut in funding for FY 2018. The Blueprint provides a look at the programs that may face the steepest cuts, important notes on the Blueprint are below:

The following Native education programs are not specifically identified for cuts: the Indian Education Formula Grants (Formerly Title VII and now Title VI), the Alaska Native Educational Equity Support and Assistance Act, and the Native Hawaiian Education Act.

$9 billion in cuts to the ED come from programs that are not specifically designed to serve Native students but do impact their education, particularly Native students who attend public schools. Teacher professional development programs see a $2.4 billion reduction, after-school programs see a $1.2 billion cut, and programs that offer higher education assistance for students are reduced by $4.6 billion. These reductions will limit opportunities for Native students if enacted into law.

Funding for public and private school choice would increase by $1.4 billion. NIEA has serious concerns about the $250 million in funding for a private school choice program and $1 billion in funding for portability, which risks undermining schools with high concentrations of low-income students. NIEA membership has voiced concerns with programs that support private school choice as recently as this past October, NIEA will be monitoring this proposal closely to ensure the needs of Native students are represented.

One part of the Impact Aid Program, Support Payments for Federal Property, was eliminated. This funding of the Program, $66 million FY 16, does not encompass the part of Impact Aid that most directly serve Native communities: the Indian Lands Program is not identified to be cut in this Blueprint. NIEA is nonetheless concerned, Impact Aid in its entirety remains a critical program for Native students and we continue to strongly support fully funding the Program.

Head Start is not mentioned at all in this budget outline. NIEA is monitoring funding for this program closely based on concerns voiced over the last few months.

NIEA remains hopeful that the administration will continue to avoid cuts to Native programs in the final FY 2018 Budget which is set to come out in late April or May. We will continue to work with our allies on both sides of the aisle in support of programs that support Native students.

The Department of Interior would also see a $1.5 billion reduction, a 12% cut to their budget, but the Bureau of Indian Education is not slated for reductions. Interior recommitted itself to Indian Country:

Tribal sovereignty and the Nation’s trust responsibilities to American Indian and Alaska Natives were identified as priorities for the Department of the Interior. Ensuring self-determination and providing support to tribal governments were acknowledged as responsibilities of the Department.

For a full copy of the entire budget outline, please click here.

To see NIEA’s FY 18 Budget Priorities, please click here.

TAKE ACTION and GET INVOLVED

Native education advocates are encouraged to contact their representatives or senator to express support for full funding of Native education programs.

To take action now, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak with your Representative. They will ask you for your zip code and then connect you. When they do, you may use the following talking points as a guide:

I live in _____ and support Native students and Native education. Please tell the Representative that I strongly support full funding for the [Indian Education Formula Funding, or the Alaska Native Educational Equity Support and Assistance Act, or the Native Hawaiian Education Act]. In my school this critical funding helps serve Native students and it’s important that the program gets the funding we need.

I also oppose the President’s proposal to fund private schools through the federal budget. Native students need good public schools, not vouchers which will enable taxpayer money to support private schools. Please tell the Representative to oppose funding for private school choice, also known as vouchers.

Filed Under: American Indian, Education, Government, Minority Issues, News, Press Release Tagged With: budget, funding, Impact Aid Program, Native American, NIEA, students, White House

January 23, 2017 By Bowman

Senior Corps RSVP – Notice of Funding Opportunity

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is pleased to release the 2017 RSVP Expansion Notice of Funding Opportunity.

With this Notice, CNCS intends to fund successful applicants that increase the impact of volunteers age 55 and older serving in a diverse range of activities in response to local community needs and that meet National Performance Measures.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity and specific geographic service areas can be found atwww.nationalservice.gov/rsvpcompetition. Please see Appendix A for a list of the available geographic service areas.

Eligible Applicants
This competition is open to interested organizations that meet the eligibility requirements including current CNCS grantees. The following entities are eligible to apply: public or private nonprofit organizations (including faith-based and other community organizations); institutions of higher education; government entities within states or territories (e.g. cities, counties); government-recognized veteran service organizations; labor organizations; partnerships and consortia; and Indian Tribes.

Notice of Intent to Apply: Applicants are strongly encouraged to send a Notice of Intent to Apply by Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Application Deadline: The application deadline is Tuesday, April 4, 2017 by 5:00 p.m. ET. Successful applicants will be notified in July 2017.

Funding Priorities
This RSVP Competition Notice prioritizes grant-making in the six focus areas identified by the Serve America Act (SAA) of 2009 and in alignment with the CNCS Strategic Plan: Disaster Services; Economic Opportunity; Education; Environmental Stewardship; Healthy Futures; and Veterans and Military Families.

Within the six focus areas, Senior Corps’ funding priorities include, Evidence-Based Program Implementation, Elder Justice, Intergenerational Programming in Education, Access to Care specifically with Opioid Abuse, Transportation to support Aging in Place, and Housing under Economic Opportunity.

Technical Assistance
CNCS will host a series of technical assistance calls to answer questions about this funding opportunity, Performance Measures and eGrants. CNCS strongly encourages all interested applicants to participate in these sessions.

Call dates and times can be found at: https://www.nationalservice.gov/rsvp-expansion-competition-training-opportunities.

Filed Under: Community Service, Funding, Government, News, Resources Tagged With: 2017, CNCS, Community Service, Corporation for National and Community Service, funding, Funding Opportunity, Senior Corps, seniors

January 13, 2017 By Bowman

ED Call for Peer Reviewers

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is seeking highly qualified individuals to serve in a critical role as peer reviewers of State plans, as required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Under ESSA, States will build on their experience making progress toward high quality education for all students while reclaiming the promise of well-rounded education in individual State contexts. Under sections 1111(a)(4) and 8451(d) of the ESEA, the Department must conduct a peer review process to facilitate the approval of State plans, with multi-disciplinary peer review teams that include:

· Educators (e.g., teachers, principals, or other school leaders, or specialized instructional support personnel), ideally within the past two years;

· State and local educational agency personnel, ideally within the past two years;

· Researchers who are familiar with the implementation of standards, assessments, and accountability systems; and

· Researchers who are familiar with how to meet the needs of disadvantaged students, children with disabilities, and English learners, the needs of low-performing schools, and other educational needs of students.

Peer reviewers will evaluate whether each State plan meets statutory and regulatory requirements and the degree to which each State plan will support a comprehensive and coherent set of improvements within the areas of: consultation and performance management; academic assessments; accountability, support, and improvement for schools; supporting excellent educators; and supporting all students. Peer reviewers will work together on panels to offer vital feedback to the Department for State plans. For more information, including a link to the application, visit https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplan17/index.html.

Please share this notice with colleagues who may be interested in helping the Department with this important activity, noting applications are due by January 27, 2017.

Questions about this request may be sent to ESSA.PeerReview@ed.gov.

Filed Under: Article, Call for Speakers / Papers / Case Studies, Education, Government, Higher Education, Minority Issues, News, Peer Review, Resources Tagged With: call for, education, Peer Review, United States Department of Education, US Dept of Ed

December 29, 2016 By Bowman

AmeriCorps Affiliate Opportunity

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is accepting applications for designation of national service positions to be AmeriCorps Affiliate. AmeriCorps Affiliate began in 2016 as a pilot initiative to engage more youth in service and to increase the number of national service positions available through local support. CNCS is now expanding the Affiliate pilot and will consider additional requests to designate positions as National Service Positions. Applicants may only request designation of positions as National Service Positions; CNCS will not award financial resources to applicants. Applications will be reviewed three times in Fiscal Year 2017.

Applications for the first round of selection are due on Tuesday, February 14, 2017. Selected applicants will be notified in April 2017.

Access technical assistance including upcoming calls and contact information for questions specific to this opportunity.

Visit: https://www.nationalservice.gov/affiliate

Filed Under: Article, Funding, Government, News, Technical Assistance Tagged With: affiliate, AmeriCorps, opportunity

November 12, 2016 By Bowman

Find Funding for your Business!

Dr. Nicole Bowman of Bowman Performance Consulting discusses grant writing, services BPC offers, and how to get grants. She suggests diversifying your services, and communicating them well. Visit her website for a list of grants available for for-profit businesses.

Grants and Loans for Businesses through Non-Profits http://bpcwi.com/grants-and-loans-for-businesses-through-non-profits/

Federal Funding Sources for Entrepreneurs http://bpcwi.com/federal-funding-sources-for-entrepreneurs/

Wisconsin State Sources of Funding for Entrepreneurs http://bpcwi.com/wisconsin-state-sources-of-funding-for-entrepreneurs/

American Indian Business Resources http://bpcwi.com/american-indian-business-resources/

Filed Under: American Indian, Funding, Government, Grant Review, Grant Writing, Minority Issues, News, Services, Small Business, Technical Assistance, Tribal, Video Tagged With: entrepreneurial grants, entrepreneurs, Federal Funding, for profit, funding, grant sources, grant writing, Grants, non-profit, state funding, tribal, video

October 28, 2016 By Bowman

Dr. Bowman goes Deep into the Social Justice Iceberg!

AEA 2016 TIG Panel Session, Deep into the Social Justice Iceburg: How Evaluation Helps Design and Drive Whole-Systems Change (a live K-12 example)

Chair/Discussant/Presenters:

- Thomaz Kauark Chianca (Managing Partner – COMEA Relevant Evaluations)
- Nicole R. Bowman (Mohican/Munsee, Research/Evaluation – Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, President – Bowman Performance Consulting, LLC)
- Joanne McEachen (President & Chief Destiny Changer – The Learner First)
- E Jane Davidson (President / Vice President – Real Evaluation / The Learner First)
- Rodney K Hopson (George Mason University)
- Ernest Robert House (Professor Emeritus – University of Colorado)
- Sonya Horsford
- Jacqueline Sakho

Friday, October 28, 2016 | 1:45 pm – 3:15 pm EST | Room: Atrium Ballroom A

Session Information

From the session abstract: “Deep, lasting change for social justice can only happen when it goes right into the depths of the systems culture iceberg. That means changing not just policies, programs, and structures, but also ‘the way we really do things around here’. At the deepest level of all, it requires shattering dysfunctional beliefs and assumptions and embedding new ones. In this session, you will see a compelling live example of deep systemic change that is powered by social justice-driven evaluative thinking, design, methodologies and tools.”

Conference website

Conference agenda

Conference registration