21st Century Community Learning centers Peer Reviewers

Background

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is seeking to acquire services for peer reviewers for the Fiscal Year 2027 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Grant Program. This initiative is part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which aims to provide expanded academic enrichment opportunities for children in low-performing schools in high poverty areas. The CCLC program focuses on offering academic enrichment activities that assist students in meeting state standards, alongside youth development and parent education components.

Work Details

Consultants will serve as peer reviewers responsible for reviewing and scoring grant proposals submitted for the 21st CCLC grant competition. Each selected reviewer will read, score, and collaborate with other reviewers to determine a consensus score for each proposal. The estimated time commitment is approximately 4 hours per proposal. Responsibilities include: - Participating in a two-hour virtual training session - Reading and scoring assigned grant proposals using a provided rubric - Participating in a virtual consensus session with other reviewers - Providing feedback during a one-hour reflective session - Submitting completed rubrics with comments to MSDE.

Period of Performance

The contract will commence on or around June 22, 2026, and conclude on August 30, 2026. Training sessions are scheduled for July 6, 2026 (two-hour session) and July 31, 2026 (one-hour reflective session).

Place of Performance

Work will be performed remotely at the business site of the consultant.

Bidder Requirements

Bidders must demonstrate prior experience reviewing federal or state grant applications and possess at least three years of experience working with out-of-school time (OST) programs or school day programs. Essential qualifications include excellent organizational skills, strong oral and written communication abilities, capacity for collaboration, proficient computer skills, and access to up-to-date computer equipment and internet connectivity. A minimum of a bachelor's degree in relevant fields such as Education, Social Work, or related areas is required.