Frequently Asked Questions

If you are a self-contained classroom teacher responsible for teaching mathematics, science and/or STEM, you can qualify for one Quality Science and Mathematics (QSM) award in either the mathematics or science category during a fiscal year.

To qualify for a Quality Science and Mathematics (QSM) award, your proposal must align with the Louisiana Science and Mathematics Standards. Make sure that the materials or equipment you request align directly with either the Louisiana Student Standards for Science (LSSS) or the Louisiana Student Standards for Mathematics (LSSM).

Align your class goals and objectives with one of the following:

• Follow mathematical practices.
• Incorporate science and engineering practices.
• Adhere to district or state course guidelines for engineering, computer science, or STEM courses.

For an ideal QSM grant proposal, you should:

• Clearly describe how students will utilize the materials during their classroom instruction.
• Illustrate how students will incorporate the materials in their activities, focusing on their benefits rather than your own as the teacher.
• Establish a connection between the supplies and activities and the relevant state standards.
• Explain how the proposed supplies and activities address students‘ needs for skill improvement, process understanding, and knowledge expansion, aligning with your specified goals and objectives.

Ideally, your proposal should accurately describe your students. If you don't have specific defining information, you can begin by using your school population data to demonstrate how students will benefit from the materials you are requesting.

Group submissions are not allowed and will be disqualified.

No. Although multiple teachers within a school may request the same materials, each applicant must write a separate and unique proposal. Each teacher can submit one proposal for each grant round during a fiscal year if they have not received a grant in the same fiscal year.

Disqualification of a submission will occur if any of the following actions are taken:

• Omitting or providing incomplete proposal component(s).
• Mentioning names, schools, parishes, districts, or towns in the responses to proposal questions or budget file.
• Failing to identify the funding source for QSM Ineligible Items required for the successful completion of the project (only if necessary).
• Including eligible items that exceed 10% essential consumables, consumables unrelated to the project, or typical classroom supplies.
• Not specifying a funding source for the QSM Eligible Items budget if the total exceeds award limitations (only if necessary).
• Violating the state's policy on confidential student data use or implying knowledge of assessment content beyond what has been provided by the governing agency.
  • For example, including student names on reports violates student confidentiality laws, and including information that could only be obtained from reviewing individual items on a state assessment violates state policy.
• Presenting evidence of plagiarism, such as substituting synonyms for another individual's words while preserving sentence structure, mixing the individual's words or phrases with the applicant's paraphrasing, or using exact text from a company's product descriptions.

The maximum award amounts are $1,000 for PK–2nd grade proposals, $1,500 for 3rd–5th grade proposals, and $2,000 for 6th–12th grade proposals.

If your budget exceeds this amount, the reviewer may disqualify your application if they determine that instructional goals and objectives cannot be achieved without the full list of materials. Please clearly indicate if your administrator has agreed to cover the remaining costs.

If the materials you requested are available at a lower price after receiving the grant, you must contact the QSM Grant Administrator to discuss alternative options. You need approval before purchasing a larger quantity or different items than those originally listed in your proposal.

The school owns the materials purchased using QSM funds. The principal has the authority to reassign the materials to another faculty member or allow the teacher to take the materials to their new teaching assignment if it is a public school.

You can use QSM funds to purchase non-consumable materials and equipment. However, learning kits or bundles that include a few consumable items are also allowed.

Your proposal should clearly explain why you need the equipment and how it will benefit your students. For instance, a calculator can be used in various mathematics lessons.

Start by describing how the equipment will align with multiple standards and enhance your students' problem-solving skills. Focus on activities within a specific domain or module, and also mention any potential alternative uses that further support your instructional needs and contribute to the students' learning outcomes.

No, we consider software licenses and news subscriptions as consumables because they are subscription-based. However, there is an exception for perpetual-licensed software, which can be used indefinitely after purchase, as long as it directly aligns with standards-based student instruction and activities stated in your proposal.

QSM funds can only be used for materials and equipment intended for classroom instruction. Environmental science project proposals are acceptable if they are implemented within a specific course and align with the Louisiana Student Standards for Science (LSSS).

We typically announce award decisions within 30 days after the application cycle deadline. Once you officially accept the award, we will send a check to your school within 30 days.