A representative from each grant project should plan to attend the virtual Maryland Preservice Computing Education Intensive session and prepare a 15–20-minute summary update of the funded grant to share with Intensive participants.

Thurs. December 31, 2026

Grant project end date

Friday, January 15, 2027

Final report, expenditure report, and unexpended funds due

PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION

Securing the Future: Computer Science Education for All Act of 2018 established the Maryland Center for Computing Education (MCCE) at the University System of Maryland (USM). The legislation directed MCCE to "identify ways to expand access to high-quality computer science education, strengthen the skills of educators, and increase the number of computer science teachers" and "work with certain institutions of higher education."[2] To fulfill such a mandate and within this purview, the MCCE is issuing a request for proposals through the Maryland Preservice Computing Education Teacher Preparation Program.

The purpose of this competitive grant program is to expand teacher candidates' access to high-quality computing education, with a particular emphasis on preparing educators to serve students in: (a) areas with high poverty; (b) rural areas; and/or (c) areas with large minority or diverse student populations, including female students, students with disabilities, and students of ethnic, racial, or other demographic groups that are underrepresented in the field of computer science as identified by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Access strengthens the computing education content, skills, and pedagogy of educators and increases the number of teachers prepared to teach computing education concepts through the development of preservice programs and professional development of education faculty at the institution.

The grant program supports the development within preservice courses and pathways to implement and support the Maryland K-12 Computer Science (CS) standards. The essential topics constituting the core elements of computing education for preservice teachers in Maryland include:

1. Computing content knowledge – Teach computing content knowledge, focused on Maryland's K-12 Computer Science Standards including hands-on computing, integrated activities, Computing pathways, and emerging technologies.

2. Computing pedagogy and methods – Introduce computing pedagogy and methods, with a focus on equity, inclusion, and diversity.

PROPOSALS SELECTED FOR FUNDING MUST ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING:

1. Provide multiple units of study incorporated into courses to provide preservice students with meaningful experiences in understanding computing content and pedagogical best practices;

2. Develop lasting programs that expose future teachers to computing education and computational thinking content and teaching methods;

3. Share resources and results with Maryland educator preparation community;

4. Provide the necessary knowledge and experience to integrate computing education and computational thinking for all education faculty at the institution with the end goal of reaching every student in the preservice program with foundational Computational Literacy skills.

Successful grant proposals should address the following questions within the proposal narrative and/or timeline:

· How will the institution collaborate with local education agencies (LEAs)?

· Which departments, colleges, or institutions will collaborate on this project?

· How does the proposed project address an awareness of equity of access to computing education and the need for diversity?

· Are there in-kind contributions (e.g., personnel time, etc.) from the institution(s)?

· How does this project include opportunities for all preservice students and faculty to gain greater computing education content, skills, and pedagogy?

· What are the institution's plans for sustaining the program beyond the grant-funded period?

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible awardees funded under this grant must include a Maryland public or independent two or four-year institution of higher education (IHE) and its division that prepares teachers and/or K-12 school administrators. The proposal must have a lead IHE that is the named applicant and fiscal agent. In addition, the lead IHE may also include other organizations as appropriate. Community Colleges may serve in partnerships and may be lead partners if they have a division that prepares teachers. Project directors must be faculty or staff members at the applicant institution and have expertise in the content areas or methodologies for the activities addressed.

If an applicant's project director, project manager, or project evaluator is overdue in submitting reports to MCCE for other grant projects, or has a history thereof, their proposal for the program may be considered ineligible.

GRANT PERIOD

Proposals are due by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026, to the MCCE at the USM (submission via email at mcce@usmd.edu). The grant project end date is Thursday, December 31, 2026, and the final report is due Friday, January 15, 2027. (Extensions may be requested and granted where justified.)

MCCE may discontinue or terminate funded projects before the end of the stated grant period if the project fails to meet its approved timeline for implementation. (See "Grant Management" Post-Award section.)

FUNDING

Grant Amounts

Grants ranging from $5,000 to $35,000 will be awarded.

MCCE reserves the right to adjust the award amount, either increasing or reducing it, based on the proposed breadth or depth of activities designed to serve teachers in high-need schools and improve the academic achievement of students in those schools.

Date for Notification of Awards: No Later Than Monday, April 6, 2026

MCCE reserves the right to request changes to the original plan to move the proposal forward. MCCE also reserves the right to terminate projects that fail to demonstrate adequate progress toward goals (see "Program Closeout, Suspension and Termination").

Awards will be disbursed after winning grants have been selected, and all forms have been completed with any adjustments made as requested by MCCE. A fund transfer form with signatures is required to process grant awards by check or by electronic transfer.

Grantees who wish to request changes to their original plan and/or line-item budget allocations may do so at any time. (See "Grant Management," section "Post-Award Changes" for the guidelines.)

COLLABORATIVE PLANNING

At least one member from each award team must be an active participant in the Maryland Preservice Computing Education Intensive community of practice. The community will meet monthly from May 2026 through December 2026. Each project will also present a 15–20-minute summary update of the funded grant to share during an extended summer community meeting.

Successful projects demonstrate collaborative planning between education faculty within and between institutions, information technology, or computing faculty, and representatives from public school systems. These entities work together to assess teacher and student needs and learn from the experiences of practicing teachers in computing education classrooms. Applicants might wish to describe previous collaborations, including any lessons learned.

ELIGIBLE GRANT PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND PRIORITIES

Funds may be used for the development of computing education methods courses as well as activities integrated into other courses. Priority will be given to projects that explicitly prepare preservice teachers to serve K–12 students in high-poverty schools, rural schools, and/or schools or districts with large populations of students who are underrepresented in computer science (including girls and women, students with disabilities, and students from ethnic, racial, or other demographic groups identified as underrepresented in CS by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). Activities should be content-rich, clearly demonstrate the integration of computing content, and be evidence-based using current teaching and learning research regarding effective teacher professional development strategies.

Project activities must include sustained, high-quality instructional contact hours with the participants. For this program, activities should improve and increase students' knowledge of academic subjects and teaching methodologies, particularly to computing education. These activities should be sustained (e.g., not one-day or one-time workshops) and classroom-focused; advance teacher understanding of effective, evidence-based instructional strategies; and be developed with the participation of in-service teachers. Proposed projects should also take into consideration teacher certification requirements and other related assessments.

No more than 20% of total funds should be requested for instructional materials and consumables.

COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES

To advance equity in access to high-quality computer science education, MCCE will prioritize funding for proposals that meet one or more of the following conditions:

High-Poverty Areas

The proposed project primarily serves preservice teachers who will complete clinical experiences, internships, or student teaching in K–12 schools or districts with high rates of poverty, as defined by federal or state indicators (e.g., eligibility for Title I, high percentages of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals).

Rural Areas

The proposed project establishes or strengthens partnerships with K–12 schools or districts serving rural communities, with clear plans for preservice candidates to engage in computing education experiences in those settings.

Underrepresented and Diverse Student Populations

The proposed project includes specific, measurable strategies to prepare preservice teachers to support girls and women, students with disabilities, and students from ethnic, racial, or other demographic groups that are underrepresented in computer science as identified by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The project uses disaggregated data, where available, to identify and address gaps in access, participation, and success in computing education for these student groups.

Proposals that address more than one of these areas will receive additional consideration during the review process.

PROPOSAL PACKET

Format:

· Proposals must be typed in a reasonable, 12-point font, single-spaced.

· Proposals must include a cover sheet with the name and signature of the approving authority, contact information for the financial offices, account information for transfer of funds, and the receipt of checks as well as a signed page of assurances. The proposal narrative must not exceed ten (10) pages. The page limit includes only elements of the proposal narrative, not the cover sheet, abstract, budget, assurances, planning agreements, or appendices if included. The proposal narrative pages must be numbered; page numbering is not required for appendices, assurances, etc. but is encouraged.

The proposal file should contain the following items in the order indicated: (See Appendix for required forms.)

1. COVER SHEET (proposal title, fund transfer information, signed page of assurances)

2. ABSTRACT: Summarize the project goals and plan in 1 or 2 short paragraphs.

3. PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

4. BUDGET

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE OUTLINE

Use the following outline to write the proposal narrative. Reviewers will evaluate your proposal for each section and item listed. Label the parts of the proposal with the headers below.

1A) Project Goals and Objectives (20 points)

Project goals should be clearly stated. These are the broad, general principles guiding the project over the long term. For each goal, list specific objectives.

Objectives should be:

· Specific (focused, detailed, and name the target population to be served);

· Measurable (provides a measure of how to quantify success);

· Achievable (possible and plausible within the grant period) with stated deadlines;

· Result-focused (outcomes-based);

· Time-bound (must fit within the grant period);

· Inclusive. (Many people are left out of computing education; how will you support participants with unique needs and abilities to participate in your activities?)

· Equitable: (Includes fairness or justice that seeks to address systemic injustice, inequity, or oppression.)

It should be clear what will be achieved and by whom (this information can be detailed in the project timeline). Baseline data should be included to convey that your goal is both reasonable and ambitious. Objectives should reference institution baseline data describing currently available programs and efforts, number of education students served, and number to be reached by the proposed grant project.

If this project only addresses a subset of preservice education courses and students, explain how the materials developed and lessons learned will be scaled and shared across the entire program.

In addition to the above requirements, proposals must:

· Identify the primary K–12 partner schools or school systems to be served and describe whether and how they qualify as high-poverty, rural, and/or serving large populations of underrepresented students in computer science, including female students, students with disabilities, and students from underrepresented ethnic, racial, or other demographic groups.

· Include at least one objective that focuses on improving preservice teachers' capacity to deliver culturally responsive, inclusive, and accessible computing instruction for these student populations.

1B) Long-Term Institutional Goals and Objectives (10 points)

The long-term goal of this grant program is to improve Computational Literacy for all education faculty and students. Computational Literacy is defined as reaching at least a 3rd grade level of mastery of the Maryland K-12 CS standards including experience with computing vocabulary, unplugged and hands-on experiences, as well as exposure to best practices in pedagogy for teaching Computing.

· Describe how you plan to achieve this long-term goal.

· Describe how your proposed project fits into those goals.

1C) Sustainability and Management Plan (25 points)

Project's roles and responsibilities may be presented in narrative and/or table formats.

· How will faculty be recruited to participate in learning computing content and pedagogy as it applies to their area of specialization? How will you reach ALL faculty including adjunct over time? How will you onboard new faculty as they are added to your department?

· Recruiting and retaining participants in a new program can be a challenge; a good management plan will address this problem. The management plan should articulate participants' incentives and any strategies being used to retain participants (e.g., awarding credits or paying stipends after milestones are met, or follow-up is complete, scheduling). The plan must also state how participation will be sustained beyond the grant period.

The sustainability and management plan will be evaluated on:

· Its adequacy to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget;

· The extent to which the services to be provided involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing the effectiveness of project services; and

· Plans for a sustained effort that will continue for years beyond the original project.

The sustainability and management plan should also address:

· How partnerships with high-poverty, rural, and/or high-minority/diverse schools or districts will be initiated, strengthened, and sustained beyond the grant period.

· How the institution will continue to recruit, prepare, and place preservice teachers to serve these priority communities after grant funding ends.

1D) Timeline (20 points)

This section describes the development and instructional activities that will achieve the project goals and objectives. Present information in both narrative and tabular formats.

The plan of operation will:

· Be a detailed plan that includes strategies and activities, timeframes, and key personnel responsible for each project objective and major activity supporting each objective.

· Include specific information on who the project participants are and how each will participate.

· Describe how, when, and where follow-up with participants will take place to evaluate the efficacy of the project.

The timeline should indicate both when major activities will take place and when professional development delivery and follow-up activities will take place. While exact dates are unlikely to be available for all activities, the project should be planned in enough detail that reasonable amounts of time are allotted for activities. The timeline should also be a way of showing that the project can start on time, reach its goals, and conclude on time.

Sample Activities Timeline Table (For Illustration Purposes Only)

Date Range

Key Personnel Involved

Activity Description

Estimated # Participants

Estimated Contact Hrs.

4/2026

Project Director, Lead Instructor

Planning meetings with State Collaborative Framework team; Determine baseline data for pre-survey of participants

n/a

4/2026

Project Director, CS Specialist, Education Specialist

Participant recruiting; Design assessment for learning

n/a

5/2026

Project Director, Instructional Staff

Participant orientation; Gather input from local schools on needs and course offerings

6/2026-7/2026

Instructional Staff

CS/CT course offerings

7/2026

Project Director, CS Specialist, Education Specialist

Refine or develop additional materials

8/2026

Grant staff, Department Faculty

Collaborate to share lessons learned and materials developed

8/2026

Curriculum & Instruction, Instructor

CS/CT course offerings; Post survey; Assessment of learning

Ongoing

Evaluator

Data collection, material refinement, feedback from participants

n/a

12/2026

Evaluator, Project Director

Analysis and evaluation report

n/a

1E) Project Evaluation and Outcomes (10 points)

The program evaluation is an integral part of the project's design and implementation, not something done after the project is completed. The evaluation plan should reflect the project's goals and objectives. Its specific methodology will depend on the project and the type of data collected, but all evaluation plans must include clear descriptions of the project's benefits and outcomes to stakeholders (e.g., teachers, students, parents, school administrators, grantors, policy makers).

The evaluation plan should include:

· A review of the obstacles and progress made in providing essential Computational Thinking and Computational Literacy to all education faculty.

· A review of the obstacles and progress made in providing essential Computational Thinking and Computational Literacy to all preservice educator students.

· A reflection of what is being contributed to others doing this work and how this has advanced the long-term goal of providing Computational Literacy to all Education faculty and students.

The evaluation plan must:

· Be a systematic means for monitoring and evaluating the program based on the partnership goals and objectives;

· Describe a plan for collecting data throughout the project to be used for both project improvement and to report project outcomes;

· Describe how, when, and by whom the data will be collected;

· Identify how any baseline for comparison was established;

· Include an appropriate mechanism to disseminate evaluation results to stakeholders; and

· Provide an account of project evaluation data results in the final report.

(See the Reporting Requirements in "Grant Management" for specific information to be kept by all projects.)

1F) Service to Priority Populations and Communities (15 points)

Reviewers will evaluate:

· The extent to which the proposal clearly identifies and documents partnerships with high-poverty and/or rural schools or districts, and/or schools or districts with large populations of students underrepresented in computer science.

· The clarity and feasibility of strategies to prepare preservice teachers to provide inclusive, accessible, and culturally responsive computing instruction for female students, students with disabilities, and students from underrepresented ethnic, racial, or other demographic groups.

· The degree to which project goals, activities, timeline, and budget are aligned to and likely to improve computing education opportunities for these priority student populations.

2) BUDGET (15 points)

The budget and budget narrative should clearly link all costs to the project activities detailed in the Plan of Operation; by the same token, it should be clear how all activities are accounted for in the budget and budget narrative. Use a detailed budget narrative to explain how all figures in the budget summary were calculated (e.g., unit cost, number of units).

Provide evidence of institutional commitment to the project, including the amount of staff time dedicated to the project and any in-kind contributions.

The proposal's budget and cost-effectiveness will be evaluated on the extent to which:

· Budget summary is correctly computed (this is a common error);

· Budget narrative explains how the budget summary figures were calculated, matches the amounts in the budget summary, and fully explains what purposes these costs serve;

· Budget is adequate to support the project, and it is clear how activities are funded;

· In-kind contribution(s) from the institution or other sources are provided;

· Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives and design;

· Costs are reasonable in relation to the number of participants to be served (per participant cost);

· There is adequacy of support—including facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources—from the lead institution and the other partners;

· Administrative costs are kept to a minimum; and

· There is potential for continued support of the project after the funding ends.

2A) The Budget Summary Form

The Budget Summary Form should show all planned expenditures for the project.

· Column 1: "Funds Requested" is the request amount of grant funding.

· Column 2: "Matching Funds" will include both cash and in-kind contributions (if applicable) from the Applicant who will serve as the fiscal agent if the grant is awarded.

· Column 3: "Other Funds" shows funds or in-kind contributions committed by cooperating organizations, agencies, institutions, local education agencies (school districts), or others to this project. If more than one agency is committing funds to this project, indicate the specific breakdown of such funds on a separate page.

2B) Budget Narrative

The budget narrative should explain the rationale for each line item in the budget summary for grant expenditures and matching funds. This narrative, which will be organized by the corresponding line item on the budget summary, must show how the amounts indicated were determined (e.g., hourly rate × # hours, unit cost × # units, % of salary for each project staff member, fringe rate applied to salary).

Applicants should fully and clearly articulate how the project activities are being funded, how costs were computed, and what the various project expenses mean in terms of service to participants. The budget narrative should not exceed 3 pages.

2C) Ineligible Costs

Applicants may not expend funds for the following purposes:

· Travel to professional conferences, unless a presentation is being made about the grant of work completed for the MCCE. Prior approval is required to use funds for a non-MCCE sponsored event.

· Purchase of non-instructional equipment (these are not equipment grants);

· Purchase of supplies not explicitly connected with the project's activities being provided; and

· Entertainment/entertaining.

Funds may only be expended on targeted participants to include higher education faculty & staff, teachers, school administrators, highly qualified paraprofessionals, educator preparation program students, and other primary participants.

2D) Budget Guidelines

Directions for Completing the 2026 Maryland Center for Computing Education Preservice Grant Request Budget Calculation Sheet

Please complete all sections of this budget calculation sheet accurately and thoroughly. All amounts should be entered in US dollars. Here is the LINK to the budget calculation sheet.

1. Project Information:

· Project Title: Enter the official title of your proposed project.

· Name of Higher Education Institution: Enter the full name of your institution.

· Point of Contact (POC): Enter the name of the individual who will be the primary contact for this grant.

· POC Email Address: Enter the email address of the designated point of contact.

· Submitted by: Enter the name and title of the person submitting the grant request.

· Submission Date: Enter the date the grant request is being submitted.

2. Budget Items:

A. Salaries & Wages:

· Professional Personnel: List each professional staff member who will be paid from grant funds, including their name and title. Enter the corresponding salary/wage amount for each individual.

· Other Personnel: For other staff (non-professional), list the job type (e.g., Research Assistant, Administrative Support) and the number of individuals in each job type. Enter the total salary/wage amount for each job type.

· Total Salaries & Wages: Calculate the sum of all professional and other personnel salaries/wages and enter the total.

B. Fringe Benefits:

· Enter the total amount requested for fringe benefits associated with salaries and wages. This should be a percentage-based calculation applied to the total salaries and wages (Section A). Clearly state the percentage used in your calculation.

C. Travel:

· Important: Use the separate "Travel Budget Worksheet" to calculate all travel costs. Transfer the total travel costs calculated on the worksheet to this section.

D. Participant Support Costs:

· Stipends: Enter the total amount requested for stipends to be paid to participants in your project. Specify the number of participants and the stipend amount per participant.

· Other: If you have other participant support costs (e.g., childcare, transportation), specify each cost and enter the corresponding amount.

· Total Participant Costs: Calculate the sum of stipends and other participant support costs and enter the total.

E. Other Costs:

· Materials and Supplies: Enter the total cost of materials and supplies needed for the project. Be specific about the types of materials and supplies.

· Consultant Services: If you plan to use consultants, enter the total cost of their services. Provide a brief description of the services to be provided.

· Computing Services: Enter the total cost of any computer services required for the project (e.g., software, cloud storage).

· Marketing and Outreach: Enter the total cost of any marketing and outreach activities related to the project.

· Other: Specify any other costs not included in the above categories and enter the corresponding amount. Be specific about what these other costs are.

· Total Other Costs: Calculate the sum of all other costs and enter the total.

TOTAL GRANT AMOUNT REQUEST:

· Calculate the sum of all budget categories (A through E) and enter the total grant amount requested. This is the final amount you are requesting from MCCE.

Important Notes:

· Ensure all calculations are accurate.

· Provide clear and concise descriptions for each budget item.

· Justify all requested amounts in the narrative section of your grant proposal.

· Keep supporting documentation for all budget items.

3. REQUIRED ASSURANCES (Required; no points)

Each grant proposal must be accompanied by a Statement of Assurances signed by the appropriate organizational representative (Appendix A). The purpose of this document is to ensure that the grant recipient is fully aware of its obligations to adhere to all state and federal requirements in the event the grant proposal is approved. Recipients of funds will assure the MCCE that:

· Professional development programs will ensure equitable access for all eligible program participants, considering barriers that may exist based on gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, or age.

· Applicants must agree to participate in any statewide assessment program as required by MCCE during the grant project.

4. ADDITIONAL APPENDICES (Optional; no points)

Additional appendices may be included. Appendices should not include material that is required by the proposal narrative.

PROPOSAL CHECKLIST

An electronic copy of the entire proposal, the Abstract, and the Budget Summary worksheet should be emailed to mcce@usmd.edu by 4:00 pm on Friday, March 13, 2026.

Electronic Proposal Checklist (email to: mcce@usmd.edu)

Every electronic submission should contain the following in the order and format indicated:

· _____ Cover Sheet (Word document or PDF)

· _____ Abstract (Word document or PDF)

· _____ The budget request (spreadsheet file)

· _____ The budget narrative (Word document or PDF)

· _____ Signed Statement of Assurances (Word document or PDF)

· _____ Proposal Narrative (Word document or PDF)

NOTE: All documents, except the budget, can be combined into a single document or submitted as separate documents.

PROPOSAL REVIEW PROCESS

· Proposals must be received by the deadline. No late submissions will be accepted.

· Proposals must include all requisite forms.

· Applicants will receive electronic notification that their proposal has been received.

· A panel of qualified reviewers will read each proposal and score each proposal according to the criteria summarized below and explained above in "Proposal Format." Each proposal is read and scored by a team of qualified reviewers. Every effort is made to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest.

· Reviewers may include Maryland principals, former Maryland teachers, faculty and academic administrators from higher education institutions, professional staff from Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and MCCE, and other qualified professionals.

· Reviewers frequently offer written comments on their review forms. Comments will be compiled and returned to applicants when the review process is complete.

· The full review panel is convened after each reviewer has read the proposals individually. Panel members discuss recommendations as to funding and adjustments that the project staff might make to improve either the project identified for funding or the proposal, should it be rejected for this round of funding. Modifications may be requested to the proposal in order to meet funding limits or project goals, and, if accepted, the modified proposal will be re-evaluated for funding.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA

The full Review Panel will be convened to discuss each proposal and their respective scores. The rating given for each criterion (see below) will serve as a significant, but not the only, aspect of the judgment made by the Review Panel. Grants may be awarded with consideration to geographic distribution, State needs, and the extent to which the proposed project serves high-poverty areas, rural areas, and/or schools or districts with large populations of students underrepresented in computer science (including female students, students with disabilities, and students from underrepresented ethnic, racial, or other demographic groups).[8]

Each proposal will be evaluated by the Review Panel and scored based on these categories:

Category

Maximum Points

1A) Project Goals and Objectives

1B) Long-term Goals and Objectives

1C) Sustainability and Management

1D) Timeline

1E) Project Evaluation and Outcomes

1F) Service to Priority Populations and Communities

2) Budget and Budget Narrative

Total

115

MCCE reserves the right to negotiate budgets and proposal activities before awarding a grant.

NOTIFICATION OF AWARDS

Preliminary notification of awards will be made on or about Monday, April 6, 2026, via e-mail, prior to midnight. No funds will be disbursed for conditional awards until all conditions of the award are met.

GRANT MANAGEMENT

1. FISCAL PROCEDURES

All funds under this program must be assigned to a specific account.

For this grant cycle, institutions will receive one payment. Expenditures in excess of approved budget amounts will be the responsibility of the recipient institution.

2. POST-AWARD CHANGES

The grant recipient shall obtain prior written approval for any change to the scope or objectives of the approved project. This includes any changes resulting in additions or deletions of staff and consultants related to or resulting in a need for budget reallocation.

The grant recipient must obtain written approval from MCCE:

· To continue the project during any continuous period of more than three (3) months without the active direction of an approved project director;

· To replace the project director or any other persons named and expressly identified as a key project person in the proposal, or to permit any such person to devote substantially less effort to the project than was anticipated when the grant was awarded; and

· To make budget changes exceeding 10% in any line item or $1,000, whichever is greater.

3. PROGRAM CLOSEOUT, SUSPENSION, AND TERMINATION

Closeout: Closeout should be completed no more than 90 days after the expiration or termination of the grant unless otherwise approved by MCCE. A project director's history of failure to close out grants in a timely fashion may have a negative impact on future proposal consideration. In closing out the grant, the following shall be observed:

· The grant recipient shall immediately refund or otherwise expend, in accordance with instructions from MCCE, any unobligated balance of cash advanced to the grant recipient.

· The grant recipient shall submit all financial, performance, evaluation, and other reports required by the terms of the grant within 90 days of the date of expiration or termination.

The closeout of a grant does not affect the retention period for rights of access to grant records.

Suspension: When a grant recipient has materially failed to comply with the terms of a grant, MCCE may, upon reasonable notice to the grant recipient, suspend the grant in whole or in part. The notice of suspension will state the reasons for the suspension, any corrective action required of the grant recipient, and the effective date. Suspension shall remain in effect until the grant recipient has taken action or given evidence satisfactory to MCCE that such corrective action will be taken, or until MCCE terminates the grant.

Termination: MCCE may terminate any grant in whole or in part at any time before the date of expiration, whenever MCCE determines that the grant recipient has materially failed to comply with the terms of the grant. MCCE shall promptly notify the grant recipient in writing of the termination and the reasons for the termination, together with the effective date. The grant recipient may terminate the grant in whole or in part upon written notification to MCCE setting forth the reasons for such termination, the effective date, and in the case of partial terminations, the portion to be terminated. However, if in the case of a partial termination MCCE determines that the remaining portion of the grant will not accomplish the purposes for which the grant was made, MCCE may also terminate the grant.

Closeout of a grant does not affect the right of MCCE to disallow costs and recover funds based on a later audit or review, nor does closeout affect the grantee's obligation to return any funds due as a result of later refunds, corrections, or other transactions.

4. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

· MCCE staff may conduct site visits, undertake telephone interviews, or request written materials in order to monitor grant activities.

· Formal final reports are required from all grantees, including a financial and a narrative report to MCCE. Final reports should address the items described below under "Final Financial Reports" and "Final Narrative Reports." (Refer to the Summary Timetable for report due dates.)

4A) Preparing for Reporting

Project directors should maintain records indicating when and where activities took place, the length of time participants spent on activities, who participated in each activity by name, and how funds were expended, as well as total project cost. In addition, project directors should maintain evidence that demonstrates whether activity and project goals are met. (See Appendix B for the Final Report Form.)

4B) Final Report

· A final report must be submitted; failure to submit a final report will make the project director ineligible to apply for future grants.

· The final report has a final financial report section and a narrative report section.

· The final report includes evaluation of the grant; this evaluation will include the accepted evaluation plan components from the proposal. The Final Report should include any evaluation report completed for the project. Data tables, sample surveys, and other related evaluation tools should be placed in an appendix.

· Final reports should include Participant Contact Hours.

· The final report includes a Budget Summary report and a Budget Narrative. (See Appendix B)

1) Final Financial Reports

The financial report should be structured like the approved budget, with both a budget summary and a budget narrative (see forms in appendix for an example of the format to use). It must be signed by a financial officer at the institution serving as the fiscal agent. Grantees should keep records indicating how funds are expended, the total cost of project activities, the share of the cost provided from other sources (in-kind or otherwise), and any other related records to facilitate an effective audit. Any unspent grant funds should be returned to MCCE with the financial report.

2) Final Narrative Reports

Narrative reports must include the results of the evaluation plan outlined in the project proposal and document the project outcomes. These reports will:

· Address the goals of the project, explaining how project activities addressed those goals, and to what extent the project was successful in meeting those goals;

· Note where or how the project activities might be improved; and

· Indicate the number of participants that were served and estimate how many students were impacted.

The narrative report should also detail participant data, reflecting the total number of participants. In addition to the information contained in the roster/table, the report should include, if applicable, the number of participants successfully completing assessments and the number who passed Praxis II exams.

Relevant student achievement indicators might include test scores, expansion of curricula, or documented changes in student behavior and performance. The specifics will have to be relevant to your project and your evaluation. Try to demonstrate as clearly as possible the impact your project had on the participants served.

6. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SUPPORT AND DISCLAIMER

An acknowledgment of the Maryland Center for Computing Education within the University System of Maryland must appear in any publication of materials based on or developed under this project in the following manner:

"The activity that is the subject of this [type of publication (e.g., book, report, film)] was produced with the assistance of a grant from the Maryland Center for Computing Education within the University System of Maryland under the auspices of the Maryland Preservice Computer Science Teacher Education Grant Program."

MCCE may request that materials, except those published in academic journals, contain the following disclaimer:

"Opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Maryland Center for Computing Education or the University System of Maryland, and no official endorsement should be inferred."

All media announcements and public information pertaining to activities funded by this grant program should acknowledge support of the Maryland Center for Computing Education within the University System of Maryland Preservice Computer Science Teacher Education Grant Program.

At such time as any article resulting from work under this grant is published in a professional journal or publication, two reprints of the publication should be sent to the Maryland Center for Computing Education, clearly labeled with appropriate identifying information.

7. COPYRIGHTS

Unless otherwise provided by the terms of the grant, materials developed using grant funds should be labeled as Creative Commons Share Alike with Attribution.

If any copyrightable materials are developed during, or under this grant program, they shall have a royalty-free, non-exclusive, and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or to otherwise use and authorize others to use the work for others engaged in this work in our state.

8. FEDERAL REGULATIONS

Non-Discrimination Statutes and Regulations

This grant and any program assisted thereby are subject to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352) and the regulations issued pursuant thereto by the U.S. Department of Education (45 CFR Part 80). No person on grounds of race, color, national origin, or handicap shall be excluded from participation or be denied benefits of or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under this grant. In addition, no person on the basis of sex, gender, or sexuality shall be excluded from participation in the project in compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 USC 1681-1686). Further, by acceptance of this award, the grant recipient assures the Commission and the U.S. Department of Education that it will comply with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 CFR Part 84) and the implementing regulations (45 CFR Part 84). No person on the grounds of age shall be excluded from participation in the project as defined by the Age Discrimination Act (412 USC 6101 et seq.) and the implementing regulations (45 CFR Part 90).

Forms are included in the Appendix for sub-awardees and must be completed in order to have PSCST grant award funds released by MCCE to the grant sub-awardees.

APPENDIX A: PROPOSAL FORMS

Cover Sheet

Maryland Preservice Computing Education Teacher Preparation Program

Email entire proposal to mcce@usmd.edu by 4:00 pm by Friday, March 20, 2026.

Email the budget as a separate spreadsheet.

Lead Applicant Institution: _______________________________________________________________________

Lead Applicant Institution DUNS #: ________________________________________________________________

Title of Project: ________________________________________________________________________

Partnership Members: IHE (division preparing educators): ________________________________________________

IHE (computing division): __________________________________________________________________

Any partner LEA(S): ________________________________________________________________________

Other partnership members: ____________________________________________________________________

Content Area(s) of Project: __________________________________________________________________

Funds Requested: $________________________

Value of Match Provided (Funds, In-Kind, etc.): $______________________

Project Director(s): _________________________________________________________________________

Campus Telephone: _________________ FAX Number: ____________________

E-mail:__________________________________________________

Campus Mailing Address: __________________________________________________________________

Grants Office Contact, Name & Title (post award): ___________________________________________________

E-mail address: ______________________ Phone number: _____________________

Campus Mailing Address: ____________________________________________________________________

Finance or Business Office Contact, Name & Title (post award): ___________________________________________

E-mail address: _____________________ Phone number: _____________________

Campus Mailing Address: ____________________________________________________________________

Certification by Authorizing Official (V.P. level or above):

Name: _________________________ Title: _________________________________

Signature: ______________________________________________________________

Abstract

Maryland Preservice Computing Education Teacher Preparation Program

Email document to mcce@usmd.edu by 4:00 pm on Friday, March 13, 2026.

Lead Institution: ________________________________________________________________________

Project Title: ________________________________________________________________________

In 250 words or less, describe (for an "educated general audience") your project activities: (This may be reproduced as is or edited by the Maryland Center for Computing Education staff for inclusion in reporting, press releases and other publications describing the grant program).

BUDGET CALCULATION SHEET

Directions for Completing the 2026 Maryland Center for Computing Education Preservice Grant Request Budget Calculation Sheet

Please complete all sections of this budget calculation sheet accurately and thoroughly. All amounts should be entered in US dollars. Here is the LINK to the budget calculation sheet.

1. Project Information:

· Project Title: Enter the official title of your proposed project.

· Name of Higher Education Institution: Enter the full name of your institution.

· Point of Contact (POC): Enter the name of the individual who will be the primary contact for this grant.

· POC Email Address: Enter the email address of the designated point of contact.

· Submitted by: Enter the name and title of the person submitting the grant request.

· Submission Date: Enter the date the grant request is being submitted.

2. Budget Items:

A. Salaries & Wages:

· Professional Personnel: List each professional staff member who will be paid from grant funds, including their name and title. Enter the corresponding salary/wage amount for each individual.

· Total Salaries & Wages: Calculate the sum of all professional and other personnel salaries/wages and enter the total.

B. Fringe Benefits:

C. Travel:

· Important: Use the separate "Travel Budget Worksheet" to calculate all travel costs. Transfer the total travel costs calculated on the worksheet to this section.

D. Participant Support Costs:

· Stipends: Enter the total amount requested for stipends to be paid to participants in your project. Specify the number of participants and the stipend amount per participant.

· Other: If you have other participant support costs (e.g., childcare, transportation), specify each cost and enter the corresponding amount.

· Total Participant Costs: Calculate the sum of stipends and other participant support costs and enter the total.

E. Other Costs:

· Materials and Supplies: Enter the total cost of materials and supplies needed for the project. Be specific about the types of materials and supplies.

· Consultant Services: If you plan to use consultants, enter the total cost of their services. Provide a brief description of the services to be provided.

· Computer Services: Enter the total cost of any computer services required for the project (e.g., software, cloud storage).

· Marketing and Outreach: Enter the total cost of any marketing and outreach activities related to the project.

· Other: Specify any other costs not included in the above categories and enter the corresponding amount. Be specific about what these other costs are.

· Total Other Costs: Calculate the sum of all other costs and enter the total.

TOTAL GRANT AMOUNT REQUEST:

· Calculate the sum of all budget categories (A through E) and enter the total grant amount requested. This is the final amount you are requesting from MCCE.

Important Notes:

· Ensure all calculations are accurate.

· Provide clear and concise descriptions for each budget item.

· Justify all requested amounts in the narrative section of your grant proposal.

· Keep supporting documentation for all budget items.

Sample Budget Narrative and Justification

Maryland Preservice Computing Education Teacher Preparation Program

Lead Institution: _____________________________________________________

Project Title: ________________________________________________________

(These partial examples are provided only to demonstrate the format for the budget narrative. Provide as many sheets of paper as needed to provide justification for each line item of the budget summary.)

A. Salaries & Wages

Professional Personnel:

a. Column 1: Dr. Jill Smith, the project director, will spend 12.5% of her time in project activities during the 2023-24 academic year. Maryland State University requests for this time only the amount it will cost the university to pay an adjunct to replace Dr. Smith in one course. Request = $5,000

b. Column 2: The University will contribute the difference between the $5,000 requested and 12.5% of Dr. Smith's 10-month annual salary as an in-kind cost share valued at $7,500.

Match = $2,500

Other Personnel:

a. Administrative Assistant (1): Request = $1.00/hour × 5 hours/week × 78 weeks = $4,680

(Assistant's time not included as an indirect cost; time is scheduled for grant work)

Column 2: Assistant's fringe benefits contributed as match:

5 hrs./wk. × 78 weeks × 33% benefits rate × $12/hr. = $1,544.40

b. Database programmer (1); no request;

Column 2: Maryland State Univ., the lead institution, will provide release time for a database programmer to help develop and maintain a database for the project:

Match = $29/hr. × 2 hrs./wk. × 26 wks. = $1,404

B. Fringe Benefits

Fringe benefits for the project manager's spring semester release time are calculated at 33% of prorated salary. Request = $12,250 × .335 = $4,103.75

C. Travel

Travel for project director to three cooperating LEAs for outreach and recruitment. Request = 56.5 cents per mile × 10 trips × 60 miles/trip = $339

D. Participant Support Costs

1. Stipends:

20 faculty participants @ $300/day for 2 Saturday working sessions in fall and spring

Request = $300 × 2 days × 20 participants = $12,000

Institution Match = $300 × 2 days × 20 participants = $12,000

2. Tuition:

The grant will pay tuition reimbursement costs for each participant

Column 3, Other funds = $193/credit × 3 credits × 10 participants = $5,790

E. Other Costs

Other: Materials and Supplies for 6 Saturday faculty workshops

Request = $10 per participant × 6 days × 40 participants = $2,400

Statement of Assurances

The Applicant hereby assures and certifies that it will comply with the regulations, policies, guidelines, and requirements as they relate to the proposal, acceptance, and use of state funds for this project. Also, the Applicant assures and certifies:

1. It possesses legal authority to apply for the grant; an official act of the applicant's governing body has been duly adopted or passed, authorizing filing of the proposal, including all understandings and assurances contained therein and directing and authorizing the person identified as the official representative of the proposal and to provide such additional information as may be required.

2. It will provide equal access to its programs of pre-service, in-service, and other professional development for all eligible program participants, considering barriers that may exist based on gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, or age.

3. It will comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d) prohibiting employment discrimination where discriminatory employment practices will result in unequal treatment of persons who are or should be benefiting from the grant-aided activity.

4. It will enter into formalized agreement(s) with any local education agency or agencies (LEAs) named in the proposal in the area(s) of proposed service, as well as with other partners.

5. It will give the Maryland Center for Computing Education (MCCE) or an auditor, through any authorized representative, access to and the right to examine all records, books, papers, or documents related to the grant.

6. It will comply with all requirements imposed by MCCE and any State or Federal sponsoring agency concerning specific requirements of law and other administrative requirements.

7. It will expend funds to supplement and not supplant state funds.

8. It will participate in any statewide needs assessment or evaluation as required.

Institution: __________________________________________________________

Signature of Authorized Institutional Authority:

_____________________________________________________________________

Name and Title, Printed Date: ___________________________________________

APPENDIX B. FINAL REPORT FORMS & TABLES

Final Report

Maryland Preservice Computing Education Teacher Preparation Program

Grant # and Project Title:

PI:

Submitted By:

Reporting Period:

Please attach additional sheets for your responses. Address all questions and add any other information you think pertinent. The budget should be provided in spreadsheet format.

1. Narrative

a. Refer to your accepted proposal. List the project goals and objectives and any other related milestones indicated in your initial proposal. For each one, indicate how the project progressed in meeting those objectives. Indicate how this assessment was made (evaluator's report, data sources, etc.) Use the Final Project Evaluation Rubric if applicable.

b. Please include answers to the following questions:

i. Did the project start on time? If not, please discuss why.

ii. Has the project recruited the projected number of participants? If not, please discuss the difference.

iii. What are the greatest challenges and/or key issues faced by the project? How will the project address these?

iv. What went well and could be shared with other state programs?

v. How will you build on this work going forward?

2. Participant Information

a. Complete the Final Participant Contact Hours table (below). Put the number and the type of participant together in the appropriate column(s). A contact hour means time higher education faculty spent with the professional development recipients in an activity; it does not include teacher preparation time. Contact hours refer to participant hours, not project staff hours, and should be calculated per participant—do not multiply by the number of participants.

Note: Contact hours are calculated based on participant time, not project staff time; contact hours are per participant (do not multiply by the total number of participants).

3. Budget

a. Include your original and final budgets and include a narrative on any anomalies or changes made during the project.

Final Participant Contact Hours (Required)

Grant Number and Project Title: ________________________________________________________________

Lead Institution: ________________________________________________________________

Reporting Period: ________________________________________________________________

Event description / Dates / Type of Participants

No. of Participants

Contact Hrs. Per Participant

Credits Earned (by # & Type)

Those who did not participate and why?

Other:

Total Participants by program

Final Budget Summary Report

Directions for Completing the 2026 Maryland Center for Computing Education Preservice Grant Request Budget Summary Report

This report provides a summary of your project's budget, actual expenditures, and any unexpended balances. Please complete all sections accurately and thoroughly.

1. Project Information:

· Project Title: Enter the official title of your funded project.

· Name of Higher Education Institution: Enter the full name of your institution.

· Point of Contact (POC): Enter the name of the individual who is the primary contact for this grant.

· POC Email Address: Enter the email address of the designated point of contact.

· Submitted by: Enter the name and title of the person submitting this report.

· Submission Date: Enter the date the report is being submitted.

2. Budget Summary Items:

For each budget category (A–E), complete the following columns:

· Grant Funds Budgeted Expenditures: Enter the original budgeted amount approved for each category.

· Grant Funds Actual Expenditures: Enter the actual amount spent to date for each category.

· Grant Funds Unexpended Balance: Calculate the difference between the "Budgeted Expenditures" and "Actual Expenditures" (Budgeted – Actual). Enter the result. A positive number indicates an unexpended balance; a negative number indicates an over expenditure.

A. Salaries & Wages:

· Professional Personnel: List each professional staff member paid from grant funds, including their name and title. Enter the corresponding budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts.

· Other Personnel: For other staff (non-professional), list the job type and the number of individuals in each job type. Enter the corresponding budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts.

· Total Salaries & Wages: Calculate and enter the totals for the budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts for salaries and wages.

B. Fringe Benefits:

· Enter the total budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts for fringe benefits.

C. Travel:

· Important: Ensure travel expenses are calculated using the "Travel Budget Worksheet." Enter the total travel costs for the budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts.

D. Participant Support Costs:

· Stipends: Enter the budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts for stipends.

· Other (Specify): If there were other participant support costs, specify them and enter the corresponding budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts.

· Total Participant Costs: Calculate and enter the totals for the budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts for participant support.

E. Other Costs:

· Materials and Supplies: Enter the budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts for materials and supplies.

· Consultant Services: Enter the budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts for consultant services.

· Computer Services: Enter the budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts for computer services.

· Marketing and Outreach: Enter the budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts for marketing and outreach.

· Other (Specify): Specify any other costs and enter the corresponding budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts.

· Total Other Costs: Calculate and enter the totals for the budgeted, actual, and unexpended amounts for other costs.

3. Totals:

· Budgeted Expenditures Total Amount: Calculate and enter the sum of all "Grant Funds Budgeted Expenditures" columns.

· Actual Expenditures Total Amount: Calculate and enter the sum of all "Grant Funds Actual Expenditures" columns.

· Unexpended Balance Total Amount: Calculate and enter the sum of all "Grant Funds Unexpended Balance" columns. This number should equal the difference between the "Budgeted Expenditures Total Amount" and the "Actual Expenditures Total Amount."

Important Notes:

· Ensure all calculations are accurate.

· Provide detailed explanations for any significant variances between budgeted and actual expenditures in a separate narrative report.

· Retain all supporting documentation for all expenditures.

· If any categories have over expenditures, please explain how those over expenditures were covered.

· If any unexpended balances are remaining, please explain the plan for those funds, or if those funds will be returned to the granting organization.

Final Project Evaluation

In addition to feedback on what went well and what obstacles were met, the evaluation should include a reflection on how well this project has moved your institution forward to meeting the Long-Term Goals and Objectives, how collaboration was achieved, and what future collaboration would be useful.

Get Started