This packet introduces early childhood programs to the a myraid of services available in their funding efforts.

1. Early Childhood Applied Research Solutions™
For Your Review and Consideration
April 27, 2009
Hello,
Susan Gunnewig, M.Ed. And Dale McManis, Ph.D. have joined to offer a
strong research solution for your review and consideration. The purpose of
this joint effort is to assist our early childhood friends with new demands that
they may be facing with the ARRA funding opportunities and requirements.
Dale and Susan worked closely as colleagues at the Children’s Learning
Institute and the Texas State Center for Early Childhood Development at the
University of Texas Health Science Center. Since our departure, we have
collaborated on various projects and most recently have carefully studied
each piece of the early childhood stimulus package from the U.S.
Department of Education and U.S. Health and Human Services.
In the attachment provided you will see our solution is tri-fold. Area 1
supports efforts for Grant Writing. Area 2’s purpose is to support Program
Improvement and lastly, Area 3 is designed to aid in Professional
Development support. You will find suggested services under each area.
However, we are very open to other services in which groups may have an
interest.
We are sending our first notification to you to make you aware of our
services during this exciting and challenging time. You and your contacts
and colleagues might appreciate knowing there are services available that
are knowledge and research-based, reliable, and come with a commitment
to bringing high quality assistance.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely yours.

2. Early Childhood
Applied Research
Solutions™
Bringing You Expert Support
In:

3. Welcome to Early Childhood
Applied Research Solutions™!
Our Services Include:
•Grant Writing Support (Area I)
In-Depth Analyses of RFAs and Summaries of Key
Components
Grant Application Proposals Review
Grant-Ready Documents
Program Improvement Support (Area II)
•Needs Assessment Tools and Support
•Individualized Improvement Plans
•On-going Monitoring and Evaluation Tools and Support
Professional Development Support (Area III)
•Key Topics for the Early Childhood Community (e.g.,
Research on
Best Practice, Early Learning Content Standards, Quality
Rating
Systems, Mentoring)
•On-line Professional Development Learning Communities
(Book
Clubs, Webinars)
•Information for Newsletters with Current and Best Research
•Parent Volunteer Training and On-Line Support
We are also available to work with you on customized
services.
Contact Information:
Susan Gunnewig can be reached by phone at 713-876-5492 and
by email at susangunnewig.ecars@yahoo.com
Dale McManis can be reached by phone at 713-647-1247 and by
email at dalemcmanis.ecars@yahoo.com

4. Details on Area I: Grant Writing Support
An independent proposal review by an experienced team can make
the difference between a project that gets funded and an
application that a granting agency will not consider. We specialize
in early childhood grants. This means that you work with a team
that truly understands the world of early childhood programs and
early childhood grants. We know that many times you are under
multiple demands that make it difficult to prepare the best grant
proposal possible. That is where we come in. We offer quick turn-
around, professional feedback, and on-going communication. In
order to increase your chances of being considered and funded,
we offer a series of support services.
In-Depth Analyses of RFA and Summaries of Key Components
Once you have identified a grant (or multiple grants) that you are
interested in, we systematically and comprehensively review the
RFA and prepare a summary of the key components, including:
•Deadlines and details of submission (e.g., LOIs, pre-application,
full application deadlines);
•Method of submission (e.g., on-line, hard copies mailed, number
of copies);
•An outline of the parts of the application and their related scoring
criteria and points (e.g., abstract, narrative, budget, letters of
support, personnel, human subjects, assurances);
•Level of outside support needed (e.g., training, evaluation); and
•The “Degree of Complexity”. Based on the above information, we
calculate for you if the amount of time and expertise needed to
prepare the grant is a 1 (fairly simple grant with relatively small
amount of time and outside expertise needed); a 2 (moderately
complex grant with relatively medium amount of time and outside
expertise needed); or a 3 (complex grant with substantial time and
outside expertise needed). Usually as well, the larger the amount
of funds being provided by the grant, the more complex the grant
application will be. Each rating comes with a specific rationale for
why a 1, 2, or 3 has been assigned to the grant opportunity.

5. Grant Proposal Review
Once you have prepared a LOI, a pre-application proposal, and/or a
full application proposal, we review your documents to strengthen
them. Whether you are completely new or experienced in grant
writing, it is common to not view your proposal as objectively as a
grant reviewer will. We have experience both in writing grants and in
reviewing grants, which gives us valuable insight into both sides.
Your feedback comes to you in track changes with detailed
comments so that you can see exactly where and what needs
additional attention. Our service also comes with telephone and
email support so that we can work most effectively with you through
the process.
We provide the following key feedback:
•The degree to which the required information from the RFA is
present in the proposal; and in relation to the points awarded in the
scoring criteria.
•The level of overall organization, clarity of ideas, and flow of ideas
in a logical manner through the proposal.
•Weaknesses in research. You may choose to find the research on
the identified gaps yourself; or have us conduct a specific and/or
customized literature search for you.
•Weaknesses in the design or implementation of the proposed
project. These are noted for you with specific suggestions in areas
common in educational grants, such as training and professional
development, curriculum implementation, progress monitoring
and/or standardized assessment, evaluation, parent involvement,
agency/community support, and any others specific to a particular
grant.
•Comments and suggestions on areas such as grammar,
punctuation, sentence structure, and correct method of citing
research.
•Suggestions on getting the proposal within the space restrictions.
•Overall analyses and recommendations.

6. Grant-Ready Documents
We offer a wide range of documents with summaries, examples,
and references that come ready to place within your proposal. You
may elect to choose and use the pieces as presented or we can
customize them for your grant, and even suggest exactly where to
place them in your proposal.
Examples of Grant Ready Documents include:
•Effective Early Childhood Education Program Models
•Scientifically-based Reading Research
•Scientifically-based Mathematics Research
•Scientifically-based Social-Emotional Research
•Scientifically-based ELL Research
•Scientifically-based Special Needs Learners Research
•Research on Professional Development Approaches
•Curricula Evaluation
•Individualized Searches
Details on Area II: Program Improvement Support
In all you do, but especially in the context of grants, we know the
main goal is to improve your program. To be able to show this
growth and its effectiveness requires a well thought out plan and
the tools to capture how the plan is being implemented and its
results. Knowing your starting point, how and the extent to which
the objectives are being met along the way, and the final outcomes
are all essential elements of solid program improvement. Further,
without the right tools that fit your program and situation, you may
spend the life of the initiative you are implementing worrying about
the final outcomes. To support you in this area, we have a series of
services and tools from which you may choose.

7. Needs Assessment Tools and Development
Whether you need an informal or a highly prescribed needs
assessment, or feel your usual needs assessment information is a
bit stale, we look at this task with fresh eyes. We can provide you
with standard needs assessment tools to guide you in gathering the
information you desire, or we can customize a tool that fits your
particular project and situation. If your needs assessment involves
gathering information and data from sources outside your
organization or time availability, we provide this service as well.
Individualized Improvement Plans
Setting targeted and realistic goals with measurable outcomes
based on your needs assessment findings is at the heart of program
improvement. We are able to review and offer feedback on plans
that you have written, or we take the information and develop a plan
for you and work with you in a collaborative manner until you are
satisfied with the Program Improvement Plan. Our expertise is in
linking research on best practices with program goals to have a
solid blueprint for you to follow as you implement initiatives.
On-going Monitoring and Evaluation Tools
Often misunderstood and given cursory attention, monitoring and
evaluation can mean the difference between success and appearing
to have failed. Done well monitoring will help you self-correct along
the way and with a strong evaluation component be much better
assured of having the data to show your successes at the end of
your project. We can help you with monitoring and evaluation plans,
help carry out the plans, and help you interpret and report the
findings. If you need high-stakes evaluation (e.g., large federal
grants), we have a broad and deep network of university contacts
and can put you in touch with people and groups who are well
situated for this work.

8. Details on Area III: Professional Development Support
Now more than ever, recognition of the power of effective
professional development is at the forefront in the early childhood
education field. However, the resources and support available have
not kept up with the call for attention in this area. Having developed
professional development programs for all types of early childhood
settings (i.e., Head Start, State Pre-K, and Child Care), trained
thousands of teachers, and participated in rigorous research on
professional development, we are well positioned to offer services
in this area.
Professional Development for the Early Childhood Community
We are able to assist you in developing a professional
development plan that includes helping you in determining and/or
developing any or all of the following:
The topics,
The goals and objectives,
The method of delivery,
The materials and presentations,
The trainers
Scientifically-Based Research on Best Practices
The following represents a sampling of the key topics that we offer
that have been identified as critical in early childhood:
•Classroom management
•Language
•Literacy
•Mathematics
•Science and Social Studies
•Social-emotional
•Customized

9. Early Learning Content Standards
Many programs have found they need to better understand and
implement early learning content standards. We are able to
provide outstanding professional development tools, materials,
and support for the following:
•Specific state standards
•Head Start Outcomes
•NAEYC standards
•National standards
•Linking standards to K-3
Additional Topic Areas Offered for Professional Development
•Quality Rating Systems
•Child Progress Monitoring and Assessment
•Differentiated Learning
•ELL
•Special Needs
•Mentoring
•Working with Parents
Using Technology in Professional Development
We are excited to offer some creative and unique opportunities
for your program using technology to bring professional
development experiences to you and your staff. Below is a list of
the areas we offer. We are also very open to working with you to
provide other opportunities that you would like.
•On-line Professional Development Learning Communities (Book
Clubs, Webinars)
•On-line Newsletters with current and best research
•Parent Volunteer Training and On-Line Support

10. Fees
We offer a variety of fee structures to give you maximum flexibility.
Our Pricing Options include:
•By-the-Page. When you choose this option, our fee is based on the
number of pages you indicate you would like reviewed. You may
choose for us to review the entire document(s) or selected sections.
This option lets you know exactly what the fee will be before we
begin. Our By-the-Page Fee is $20.
•By-the-Hour. When you choose this option, we provide a free one-
hour analysis of your request in order to give you a solid and accurate
quote of the estimated number of hours your project will take. As with
the By-the-Page option, you may choose for us to review the entire
document(s) or selected sections. Our By-the-Hour Fee is $40.
•By-the-Project. When you choose this option, we review all relevant
documents related to the application and proposal and we charge a
flat fee based on the “Degree of Complexity” (1-low, 2-moderate, or 3-
high: please see above for a full explanation). Here you also have the
option of a full or selected review. This option gives you the comfort of
knowing that we will work with you based on this fee until the proposal
is successfully submitted. Our By-the-Project Fees are negotiated
with you but are based on our By-the-Hour fee of $40.
Note: When you choose only the RFA review we do analyze the
entire RFA because this is necessary for us to give you the correct
feedback. For LOIs, we also review the entire document as these are
usually one to two pages. These two services are charged at your
choice, either By-the-Page or By-the-Hour.
•All of our options come with up to three hours of phone support and
up to 10 email exchanges that are complementary. If more time is
needed, we charge a small fee per phone call (based on minutes) and
per email exchanged (based on number).
•Our turn-around time is based on the size of the request. We know
that with grant application deadlines, there is usually very little room
for “waiting” for feedback and therefore our turn-around time is
offered in terms of days not weeks. When you work with us, you will
receive feedback every 1-2 days until the project is complete.

11. Our Team
Putting your proposal in the hands of a grant reviewing service is
not always easy. You need to know that the people you are
working with have the expertise and integrity to give you and your
project unparalleled attention.
Who We Are
Susan B. Gunnewig, M.Ed.: Susan is a renowned expert in the
field of early childhood and the Director of Product Development at
Hatch. She served for many years on the faculty of the University
of Texas-Houston in the Children’s Learning Institute, is a coauthor
of the CIRCLE and Head Start STEP 2002 training, as well as co-
creator of the Texas Early Education Model (TEEM), which has
been demonstrated to prepare at-risk preschool children for
kindergarten. Susan also has over 20 years experience in one of
the largest school districts in the country-Houston ISD, where
many of the children are ELL. She has presented at approximately
100 conferences and conventions across the United States and
has coauthored many early childhood research articles. Over the
past 35 years, Susan has been involved in writing and reviewing
hundreds of grant applications in her career as an educator and
researcher.
Lilla D. McManis, M.Ed., Ph.D.: Dale has been an educator,
evaluator, and researcher for the 25 years. She has worked in
numerous school settings, held senior level positions at state level
departments of education and public health, and served on the
faculty at the University of Texas-Houston in the Children’s
Learning Institute. Dale holds degrees in child development,
special education, and educational psychology. She has taught
special education in a variety of settings, taught prospective
teachers at the university level, conducted large evaluations, and
overseen the fielding of many large research studies. She consults
on numerous projects, most recently on infusing research into the
development of products for early childhood education programs.
She has written many RFAs and served as a frequent grant

12. Contacting Us
We welcome your calls or emails to hear about the grant opportunities
that you are considering or have already begun working on. We can
take your call or respond to your email any day and any time that is
convenient for you.
Susan Gunnewig can be reached by phone at 713-876-5492 and by
email at susangunnewig.ecars@yahoo.com
Dale McManis can be reached by phone at 713-647-1247 and by email
at dalemcmanis.ecars@yahoo.com
Our physical address is: 4606 FM 1960W, Suite 433, Houston, Texas
77069

13. We are ready to support you with the following current opportunities and
any others with which you have needs!
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Early Childhood Fund Allocations
The Act will help low-income parents obtain the child care they need to get
and keep jobs and help children get the early learning they need to succeed
by providing:
•$2 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, with the entire
amount available upon enactment. Of this total, $255.2 million is reserved
for quality improvement activities, of which $93.587 million is targeted to
improve infant and toddler care.
Allocation Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Allocation Update: http://www.os.dhhs.gov/recovery/
•$1 billion for Head Start, allocated according to the current statutory
formula, and $1.1 billion for Early Head Start, to be awarded on a
competitive basis.
Allocation Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Allocation Update: http://www.os.dhhs.gov/recovery/
•$2.33 billion for Department of Defense facilities, including quality of life
and family-friendly military improvement projects such as family housing,
hospitals, and child care centers.
Allocation Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Allocation Update: http://www.os.dhhs.gov/recovery/
•$13 billion for Title I grants for education programs for disadvantaged
children, including early childhood programs and activities.
Allocation Agency: Local Education Agency (LEA) (School Districts)
•$11.7 billion to local education agencies for Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) programs for children ages 3 to 21, including $400
million for preschool grants (section 619) programs.
Allocation Agency: Local Education Agency (LEA) (School Districts)
•$500 million for formula grants under IDEA Part C to help states serve
children with disabilities and special needs age 2 and younger.
Allocation Agency: Local Education Agency (LEA) (School Districts)