a) Applications for funding shall be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:

1. 1) Need (50 points)

   1. A) the applicant serves a significant number of students who are subject to risk factors, such as financial need, absence or unemployment of a parent, chronic illness, or homelessness, that may jeopardize their social and emotional well-being; and
   2. B) gaps in current programs and systems have resulted in inadequate or uneven attention to the social and emotional learning needs of the students housed in the participating schools; and
   3. C) the applicant needs additional resources to prepare for the integration of the SEL standards into the participating schools' curricula and programs.

   The proposal demonstrates that:

2) Readiness (40 points)

1. A) The proposal presents a defensible rationale for the selection and number of schools to be served and demonstrates that the applicant's choice of members for the Implementation Teams will make efficient use of any prior involvement in SEL-related activities.
2. B) The proposed sequence of activities reflects the applicant's policy adopted under Section 15 of the Children's Mental Health Act of 2003 [405 ILCS 49/15], as well as an appropriate relationship between the professional development to be provided to participants and the planning activities that will occur.
3. C) The proposal demonstrates an allocation of district resources and administrative effort that will be sufficient for the management of the grant activities, commensurate with the district's ability to contribute, and indicative of engagement in the project on the part of the district's leadership.

4. 3) Cost-Effectiveness (10 points)

   The proposed budget is cost-effective, as evidenced by the cost of proposed activities in relation to the numbers of individuals participating in the planning effort and the quantity of schools involved.

5. b) The provisions of Section 555.50(b) of this Part shall apply to the distribution and ranking of proposals under this Subpart B.