Overview Information; Race to the Top Fund; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, 59836-59872 [E9-27427]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59836-59872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-27427]



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Part IV





Department of Education





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Overview Information; Race to the Top Fund; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 74 , No. 221 / Wednesday, November 18, 2009 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Overview Information; Race to the Top Fund; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.395A.

DATES: Applications Available: November 18, 2009.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply for Phase 1: December 8, 
2009.
    Date of Meeting for Potential Applicants: The Department intends to 
hold two technical assistance planning workshops. The first will be in 
Denver, Colorado, on December 3, 2009. The second will be in the 
Washington, DC area on December 10, 2009. We recommend that applicants 
attend one of these two workshops.
    Deadlines for Transmittal of Applications:
    Phase 1. Applications: January 19, 2010.
    Phase 2 Applications: June 1, 2010. Phase 2 applicants addressing 
selection criterion (B)(1)(ii)(b) may amend their June 1, 2010 
application submission through August 2, 2010 by submitting evidence of 
having adopted common standards after June 1, 2010. No other 
information may be submitted after June 1, 2010 in an amended 
application.
    Deadlines for Intergovernmental Review:
    Phase 1 Applications: March 18, 2010.
    Phase 2 Applications: August 2, 2010.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Race to the Top Fund, a 
competitive grant program authorized under the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is to encourage and reward States that 
are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform; 
achieving significant improvement in student outcomes, including making 
substantial gains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps, 
improving high school graduation rates, and ensuring student 
preparation for success in college and careers; and implementing 
ambitious plans in four core education reform areas:
    (a) Adopting internationally-benchmarked standards and assessments 
that prepare students for success in college and the workplace;
    (b) Building data systems that measure student success and inform 
teachers and principals in how they can improve their practices;
    (c) Increasing teacher effectiveness and achieving equity in 
teacher distribution; and
    (d) Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.
    Priorities: These priorities are from the notice of final 
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this 
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2010, this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that 
meet this priority. Applicants should address this priority throughout 
their applications.
    Priority 1: Absolute Priority--Comprehensive Approach to Education 
Reform.
    To meet this priority, the State's application must comprehensively 
and coherently address all of the four education reform areas specified 
in the ARRA as well as the State Success Factors Criteria in order to 
demonstrate that the State and its participating LEAs are taking a 
systemic approach to education reform. The State must demonstrate in 
its application sufficient LEA participation and commitment to 
successfully implement and achieve the goals in its plans; and it must 
describe how the State, in collaboration with its participating LEAs, 
will use Race to the Top and other funds to increase student 
achievement, decrease the achievement gaps across student subgroups, 
and increase the rates at which students graduate from high school 
prepared for college and careers.
    Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2010, this priority is a 
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award 
15 additional points to applications that meet this priority. 
Applicants should address this priority throughout their applications.
    Priority 2: Competitive Preference Priority--Emphasis on Science, 
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
    To meet this priority, the State's application must have a high-
quality plan to address the need to (i) offer a rigorous course of 
study in mathematics, the sciences, technology, and engineering; (ii) 
cooperate with industry experts, museums, universities, research 
centers, or other STEM-capable community partners to prepare and assist 
teachers in integrating STEM content across grades and disciplines, in 
promoting effective and relevant instruction, and in offering applied 
learning opportunities for students; and (iii) prepare more students 
for advanced study and careers in the sciences, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics, including by addressing the needs of 
underrepresented groups and of women and girls in the areas of science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2010, these priorities are 
invitational priorities. With an invitational priority, we signal our 
interest in receiving applications that meet the priority; however, 
consistent with 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that 
meets an invitational priority preference over other applications.
    Priority 3: Invitational Priority--Innovations for Improving Early 
Learning Outcomes.
    The Secretary is particularly interested in applications that 
include practices, strategies, or programs to improve educational 
outcomes for high-need students who are young children (pre-
kindergarten through third grade) by enhancing the quality of preschool 
programs. Of particular interest are proposals that support practices 
that (i) improve school readiness (including social, emotional, and 
cognitive); and (ii) improve the transition between preschool and 
kindergarten.
    Priority 4: Invitational Priority--Expansion and Adaptation of 
Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems.
    The Secretary is particularly interested in applications in which 
the State plans to expand statewide longitudinal data systems to 
include or integrate data from special education programs, English 
language learner programs,\1\ early childhood programs, at-risk and 
dropout prevention programs, and school climate and culture programs, 
as well as information on student mobility, human resources (i.e., 
information on teachers, principals, and other staff), school finance, 
student health, postsecondary education, and other relevant areas, with 
the purpose of connecting and coordinating all parts of the system to 
allow important questions related to policy, practice, or overall 
effectiveness to be asked, answered, and incorporated into effective 
continuous improvement practices.
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    \1\ The term English language learner, as used in this notice, 
is synonymous with the term limited English proficient, as defined 
in section 9101 of the ESEA.
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    The Secretary is also particularly interested in applications in 
which States propose working together to adapt one State's statewide 
longitudinal data system so that it may be used, in whole or in part, 
by one or more other States, rather than having each State build or 
continue building such systems independently.
    Priority 5: Invitational Priority--P-20 Coordination, Vertical and 
Horizontal Alignment.

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    The Secretary is particularly interested in applications in which 
the State plans to address how early childhood programs, K-12 schools, 
postsecondary institutions, workforce development organizations, and 
other State agencies and community partners (e.g., child welfare, 
juvenile justice, and criminal justice agencies) will coordinate to 
improve all parts of the education system and create a more seamless 
preschool-through-graduate school (P-20) route for students. Vertical 
alignment across P-20 is particularly critical at each point where a 
transition occurs (e.g., between early childhood and K-12, or between 
K-12 and postsecondary/careers) to ensure that students exiting one 
level are prepared for success, without remediation, in the next. 
Horizontal alignment, that is, coordination of services across schools, 
State agencies, and community partners, is also important in ensuring 
that high-need students (as defined in this notice) have access to the 
broad array of opportunities and services they need and that are beyond 
the capacity of a school itself to provide.
    Priority 6: Invitational Priority--School-Level Conditions for 
Reform, Innovation, and Learning.
    The Secretary is particularly interested in applications in which 
the State's participating LEAs (as defined in this notice) seek to 
create the conditions for reform and innovation as well as the 
conditions for learning by providing schools with flexibility and 
autonomy in such areas as--
    (i) Selecting staff;
    (ii) Implementing new structures and formats for the school day or 
year that result in increased learning time (as defined in this 
notice);
    (iii) Controlling the school's budget;
    (iv) Awarding credit to students based on student performance 
instead of instructional time;
    (v) Providing comprehensive services to high-need students (as 
defined in this notice) (e.g., by mentors and other caring adults; 
through local partnerships with community-based organizations, 
nonprofit organizations, and other providers);
    (vi) Creating school climates and cultures that remove obstacles 
to, and actively support, student engagement and achievement; and
    (vii) Implementing strategies to effectively engage families and 
communities in supporting the academic success of their students.
    Final Requirements: The following requirements are from the notice 
of final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria, 
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
    Application Requirements:
    (a) The State's application must be signed by the Governor, the 
State's chief school officer, and the president of the State board of 
education (if applicable). States will respond to this requirement in 
the application, Section III, Race to the Top Application Assurances. 
In addition, the assurances in Section IV must be signed by the 
Governor.
    (b) The State must describe the progress it has made over the past 
several years in each of the four education reform areas (as described 
in criterion (A)(3)(i)).
    (c) The State must include a budget that details how it will use 
grant funds and other resources to meet targets and perform related 
functions (as described in criterion (A)(2)(i)(d)), including how it 
will use funds awarded under this program to--
    (1) Achieve its targets for improving student achievement and 
graduation rates and for closing achievement gaps (as described in 
criterion (A)(1)(iii)); the State must also describe its track record 
of improving student progress overall and by student subgroup (as 
described in criterion (A)(3)(ii)); and
    (2) Give priority to high-need LEAs (as defined in this notice), in 
addition to providing 50 percent of the grant to participating LEAs (as 
defined in this notice) based on their relative shares of funding under 
Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(ESEA) for the most recent year as required under section 14006(c) of 
the ARRA. (Note: Because all Race to the Top grants will be made in 
2010, relative shares will be based on total funding received in FY 
2009, including both the regular Title I, Part A appropriation and the 
amount made available by the ARRA).
    (d) The State must provide, for each State Reform Conditions 
Criterion (listed in this notice) that it chooses to address, a 
description of the State's current status in meeting that criterion 
and, at a minimum, the information requested as supporting evidence for 
the criterion and the performance measures, if any (see Appendix A).
    (e) The State must provide, for each Reform Plan Criterion (listed 
in this notice) that it chooses to address, a detailed plan for use of 
grant funds that includes, but need not be limited to--
    (1) The key goals;
    (2) The key activities to be undertaken and rationale for the 
activities, which should include why the specific activities are 
thought to bring about the change envisioned and how these activities 
are linked to the key goals;
    (3) The timeline for implementing the activities;
    (4) The party or parties responsible for implementing the 
activities;
    (5) The information requested in the performance measures, where 
applicable (see Appendix A), and where the State proposes plans for 
reform efforts not covered by a specified performance measure, the 
State is encouraged to propose performance measures and annual targets 
for those efforts; and
    (6) The information requested as supporting evidence, if any, for 
the criterion, together with any additional information the State 
believes will be helpful to peer reviewers in judging the credibility 
of the State's plan.
    (f) The State must submit a certification from the State Attorney 
General that--
    (1) The State's description of, and statements and conclusions 
concerning State law, statute, and regulation in its application are 
complete, accurate, and constitute a reasonable interpretation of State 
law, statute, and regulation; and
    (2) At the time the State submits its application, the State does 
not have any legal, statutory, or regulatory barriers at the State 
level to linking data on student achievement or student growth to 
teachers and principals for the purpose of teacher and principal 
evaluation.
    (g) When addressing issues relating to assessments required under 
the ESEA or subgroups in the selection criteria, the State must meet 
the following requirements:
    (1) For student subgroups with respect to the National Assessment 
of Educational Progress (NAEP), the State must provide data for the 
NAEP subgroups described in section 303(b)(2)(G) of the National 
Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (20 U.S.C. 9622) 
(i.e., race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, disability, and 
limited English proficiency). The State must also include the NAEP 
exclusion rate for students with disabilities and the exclusion rate 
for English language learners, along with clear documentation of the 
State's policies and practices for determining whether a student with a 
disability or an English language learner should participate in the 
NAEP and whether the student needs accommodations;
    (2) For student subgroups with respect to high school graduation 
rates, college enrollment and credit accumulation rates, and the 
assessments required under the ESEA, the State must provide data for 
the subgroups described in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the ESEA 
(i.e., economically

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disadvantaged students, students from major racial and ethnic groups, 
students with disabilities, and students with limited English 
proficiency); and
    (3) When asked to provide information regarding the assessments 
required under the ESEA, States should refer to section 1111(b)(3) of 
the ESEA; in addition, when describing this assessment data in the 
State's application, the State should note any factors (e.g., changes 
in cut scores) that would impact the comparability of data from one 
year to the next.
    Program Requirements:
    Evaluation: The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) will conduct 
a series of national evaluations of Race to the Top's State grantees as 
part of its evaluation of programs funded under the ARRA. The 
Department's goal for these evaluations is to ensure that its studies 
not only assess program impacts, but also provide valuable information 
to State and local educators to help inform and improve their 
practices.
    The Department anticipates that the national evaluations will 
involve such components as--
     Surveys of States, LEAs, and/or schools, which will help 
identify how program funding is spent and the specific efforts and 
activities that are underway within each of the four education reform 
areas and across selected ARRA-funded programs;
     Case studies of promising practices in States, LEAs, and/
or schools through surveys and other mechanisms; and
     Evaluations of outcomes, focusing on student achievement 
and other performance measures, to determine the impact of the reforms 
implemented under Race to the Top.
    Race to the Top grantee States are not required to conduct 
independent evaluations, but may propose, within their applications, to 
use funds from Race to the Top to support such evaluations. Grantees 
must make available, through formal (e.g., peer-reviewed journals) or 
informal (e.g., newsletters, Web sites) mechanisms, the results of any 
evaluations they conduct of their funded activities. In addition, as 
described elsewhere in this notice and regardless of the final 
components of the national evaluation, Race to the Top States, LEAs, 
and schools are expected to identify and share promising practices, 
make work available within and across States, and make data available 
in appropriate ways to stakeholders and researchers so as to help all 
States focus on continuous improvement in service of student outcomes.
    Participating LEAs Scope of Work: The agreements signed by 
participating LEAs (as defined in this notice) must include a scope-of-
work section. The scope of work submitted by LEAs and States as part of 
their Race to the Top applications will be preliminary. Preliminary 
scopes of work should include the portions of the State's proposed 
reform plans that the LEA is agreeing to implement. If a State is 
awarded a Race to the Top grant, its participating LEAs (as defined in 
this notice) will have up to 90 days to complete final scopes of work, 
which must contain detailed work plans that are consistent with their 
preliminary scopes of work and with the State's grant application, and 
should include the participating LEAs' specific goals, activities, 
timelines, budgets, key personnel, and annual targets for key 
performance measures.
    Making Work Available: Unless otherwise protected by law or 
agreement as proprietary information, the State and its subgrantees 
must make any work (e.g., materials, tools, processes, systems) 
developed under its grant freely available to others, including but not 
limited to by posting the work on a Web site identified or sponsored by 
the Department.
    Technical Assistance: The State must participate in applicable 
technical assistance activities that may be conducted by the Department 
or its designees.
    State Summative Assessments: No funds awarded under this 
competition may be used to pay for costs related to statewide summative 
assessments.
    Program Definitions: These definitions are from the notice of final 
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this 
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
    Alternative routes to certification means pathways to certification 
that are authorized under the State's laws or regulations, that allow 
the establishment and operation of teacher and administrator 
preparation programs in the State, and that have the following 
characteristics (in addition to standard features such as demonstration 
of subject-matter mastery, and high-quality instruction in pedagogy and 
in addressing the needs of all students in the classroom including 
English language learners and student with disabilities): (a) Can be 
provided by various types of qualified providers, including both 
institutions of higher education and other providers operating 
independently from institutions of higher education; (b) are selective 
in accepting candidates; (c) provide supervised, school-based 
experiences and ongoing support such as effective mentoring and 
coaching; (d) significantly limit the amount of coursework required or 
have options to test out of courses; and (e) upon completion, award the 
same level of certification that traditional preparation programs award 
upon completion.
    College enrollment refers to the enrollment of students who 
graduate from high school consistent with 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1) and who 
enroll in an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 
of the Higher Education Act, Public Law 105-244, 20 U.S.C. 1001) within 
16 months of graduation.
    Common set of K-12 standards means a set of content standards that 
define what students must know and be able to do and that are 
substantially identical across all States in a consortium. A State may 
supplement the common standards with additional standards, provided 
that the additional standards do not exceed 15 percent of the State's 
total standards for that content area.
    Effective principal means a principal whose students, overall and 
for each subgroup, achieve acceptable rates (e.g., at least one grade 
level in an academic year) of student growth (as defined in this 
notice). States, LEAs, or schools must include multiple measures, 
provided that principal effectiveness is evaluated, in significant 
part, by student growth (as defined in this notice). Supplemental 
measures may include, for example, high school graduation rates and 
college enrollment rates, as well as evidence of providing supportive 
teaching and learning conditions, strong instructional leadership, and 
positive family and community engagement.
    Effective teacher means a teacher whose students achieve acceptable 
rates (e.g., at least one grade level in an academic year) of student 
growth (as defined in this notice). States, LEAs, or schools must 
include multiple measures, provided that teacher effectiveness is 
evaluated, in significant part, by student growth (as defined in this 
notice). Supplemental measures may include, for example, multiple 
observation-based assessments of teacher performance.
    Formative assessment means assessment questions, tools, and 
processes that are embedded in instruction and are used by teachers and 
students to provide timely feedback for purposes of adjusting 
instruction to improve learning.
    Graduation rate means the four-year or extended-year adjusted 
cohort graduation rate as defined by 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1).

[[Page 59839]]

    Highly effective principal means a principal whose students, 
overall and for each subgroup, achieve high rates (e.g., one and one-
half grade levels in an academic year) of student growth (as defined in 
this notice). States, LEAs, or schools must include multiple measures, 
provided that principal effectiveness is evaluated, in significant 
part, by student growth (as defined in this notice). Supplemental 
measures may include, for example, high school graduation rates; 
college enrollment rates; evidence of providing supportive teaching and 
learning conditions, strong instructional leadership, and positive 
family and community engagement; or evidence of attracting, developing, 
and retaining high numbers of effective teachers.
    Highly effective teacher means a teacher whose students achieve 
high rates (e.g., one and one-half grade levels in an academic year) of 
student growth (as defined in this notice). States, LEAs, or schools 
must include multiple measures, provided that teacher effectiveness is 
evaluated, in significant part, by student growth (as defined in this 
notice). Supplemental measures may include, for example, multiple 
observation-based assessments of teacher performance or evidence of 
leadership roles (which may include mentoring or leading professional 
learning communities) that increase the effectiveness of other teachers 
in the school or LEA.
    High-minority school is defined by the State in a manner consistent 
with its Teacher Equity Plan. The State should provide, in its Race to 
the Top application, the definition used.
    High-need LEA means an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 
children from families with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for 
which not less than 20 percent of the children served by the LEA are 
from families with incomes below the poverty line.
    High-need students means students at risk of educational failure or 
otherwise in need of special assistance and support, such as students 
who are living in poverty, who attend high-minority schools (as defined 
in this notice), who are far below grade level, who have left school 
before receiving a regular high school diploma, who are at risk of not 
graduating with a diploma on time, who are homeless, who are in foster 
care, who have been incarcerated, who have disabilities, or who are 
English language learners.
    High-performing charter school means a charter school that has been 
in operation for at least three consecutive years and has demonstrated 
overall success, including (a) substantial progress in improving 
student achievement (as defined in this notice); and (b) the management 
and leadership necessary to overcome initial start-up problems and 
establish a thriving, financially viable charter school.
    High-poverty school means, consistent with section 
1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the ESEA, a school in the highest quartile of 
schools in the State with respect to poverty level, using a measure of 
poverty determined by the State.
    High-quality assessment means an assessment designed to measure a 
student's knowledge, understanding of, and ability to apply, critical 
concepts through the use of a variety of item types and formats (e.g., 
open-ended responses, performance-based tasks). Such assessments should 
enable measurement of student achievement (as defined in this notice) 
and student growth (as defined in this notice); be of high technical 
quality (e.g., be valid, reliable, fair, and aligned to standards); 
incorporate technology where appropriate; include the assessment of 
students with disabilities and English language learners; and to the 
extent feasible, use universal design principles (as defined in section 
3 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended, 29 U.S.C. 3002) 
in development and administration.
    Increased learning time means using a longer school day, week, or 
year schedule to significantly increase the total number of school 
hours to include additional time for (a) instruction in core academic 
subjects, including English; reading or language arts; mathematics; 
science; foreign languages; civics and government; economics; arts; 
history; and geography; (b) instruction in other subjects and 
enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded education, 
including, for example, physical education, service learning, and 
experiential and work-based learning opportunities that are provided by 
partnering, as appropriate, with other organizations; and (c) teachers 
to collaborate, plan, and engage in professional development within and 
across grades and subjects.\2\
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    \2\ Research supports the effectiveness of well-designed 
programs that expand learning time by a minimum of 300 hours per 
school year. (See Frazier, Julie A.; Morrison, Frederick J. ``The 
Influence of Extended-year Schooling on Growth of Achievement and 
Perceived Competence in Early Elementary School.'' Child 
Development. Vol. 69 (2), April 1998, pp.495-497 and research done 
by Mass2020.) Extending learning into before- and after-school hours 
can be difficult to implement effectively, but is permissible under 
this definition with encouragement to closely integrate and 
coordinate academic work between in-school and out-of school. (See 
James-Burdumy, Susanne; Dynarski, Mark; Deke, John. ``When 
Elementary Schools Stay Open Late: Results from The National 
Evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program.'' 
https://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/redirect_PubsDB.asp?strSite=https://epa.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/29/4/296 Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Vol. 29 (4), 
December 2007, Document No. PP07-121.)
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    Innovative, autonomous public schools means open enrollment public 
schools that, in return for increased accountability for student 
achievement (as defined in this notice), have the flexibility and 
authority to define their instructional models and associated 
curriculum; select and replace staff; implement new structures and 
formats for the school day or year; and control their budgets.
    Instructional improvement systems means technology-based tools and 
other strategies that provide teachers, principals, and administrators 
with meaningful support and actionable data to systemically manage 
continuous instructional improvement, including such activities as: 
instructional planning; gathering information (e.g., through formative 
assessments (as defined in this notice), interim assessments (as 
defined in this notice), summative assessments, and looking at student 
work and other student data); analyzing information with the support of 
rapid-time (as defined in this notice) reporting; using this 
information to inform decisions on appropriate next instructional 
steps; and evaluating the effectiveness of the actions taken. Such 
systems promote collaborative problem-solving and action planning; they 
may also integrate instructional data with student-level data such as 
attendance, discipline, grades, credit accumulation, and student survey 
results to provide early warning indicators of a student's risk of 
educational failure.
    Interim assessment means an assessment that is given at regular and 
specified intervals throughout the school year, is designed to evaluate 
students' knowledge and skills relative to a specific set of academic 
standards, and produces results that can be aggregated (e.g., by 
course, grade level, school, or LEA) in order to inform teachers and 
administrators at the student, classroom, school, and LEA levels.
    Involved LEAs means LEAs that choose to work with the State to 
implement those specific portions of the State's plan that necessitate 
full or nearly-full statewide implementation, such as transitioning to 
a common set of K-12 standards (as defined in this notice). Involved 
LEAs do not receive a share of the 50 percent of a State's grant award 
that it must subgrant to LEAs in accordance with section 14006(c) of 
the

[[Page 59840]]

ARRA, but States may provide other funding to involved LEAs under the 
State's Race to the Top grant in a manner that is consistent with the 
State's application.
    Low-minority school is defined by the State in a manner consistent 
with its Teacher Equity Plan. The State should provide, in its Race to 
the Top application, the definition used.
    Low-poverty school means, consistent with section 
1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the ESEA, a school in the lowest quartile of 
schools in the State with respect to poverty level, using a measure of 
poverty determined by the State.
    Participating LEAs means LEAs that choose to work with the State to 
implement all or significant portions of the State's Race to the Top 
plan, as specified in each LEA's agreement with the State. Each 
participating LEA that receives funding under Title I, Part A will 
receive a share of the 50 percent of a State's grant award that the 
State must subgrant to LEAs, based on the LEA's relative share of Title 
I, Part A allocations in the most recent year, in accordance with 
section 14006(c) of the ARRA. Any participating LEA that does not 
receive funding under Title I, Part A (as well as one that does) may 
receive funding from the State's other 50 percent of the grant award, 
in accordance with the State's plan.
    Persistently lowest-achieving schools means, as determined by the 
State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of 
Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or 
the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective 
action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is 
greater; or (b) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as 
defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number 
of years; and (ii) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does 
not receive, Title I funds that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five 
percent of secondary schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary 
schools in the State that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I 
funds, whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school 
that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is 
less than 60 percent over a number of years.
    To identify the lowest-achieving schools, a State must take into 
account both (i) The academic achievement of the ``all students'' group 
in a school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under 
section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics 
combined; and (ii) The school's lack of progress on those assessments 
over a number of years in the ``all students'' group.
    Rapid-time, in reference to reporting and availability of locally-
collected school- and LEA-level data, means that data are available 
quickly enough to inform current lessons, instruction, and related 
supports.
    Student achievement means--
    (a) For tested grades and subjects: (1) A student's score on the 
State's assessments under the ESEA; and, as appropriate, (2) other 
measures of student learning, such as those described in paragraph (b) 
of this definition, provided they are rigorous and comparable across 
classrooms.
    (b) For non-tested grades and subjects: Alternative measures of 
student learning and performance such as student scores on pre-tests 
and end-of-course tests; student performance on English language 
proficiency assessments; and other measures of student achievement that 
are rigorous and comparable across classrooms.
    Student growth means the change in student achievement (as defined 
in this notice) for an individual student between two or more points in 
time. A State may also include other measures that are rigorous and 
comparable across classrooms.
    Total revenues available to the State means either (a) projected or 
actual total State revenues for education and other purposes for the 
relevant year; or (b) projected or actual total State appropriations 
for education and other purposes for the relevant year.
    America COMPETES Act elements means (as specified in section 
6401(e)(2)(D) of that Act): (1) A unique statewide student identifier 
that does not permit a student to be individually identified by users 
of the system; (2) student-level enrollment, demographic, and program 
participation information; (3) student-level information about the 
points at which students exit, transfer in, transfer out, drop out, or 
complete P-16 education programs; (4) the capacity to communicate with 
higher education data systems; (5) a State data audit system assessing 
data quality, validity, and reliability; (6) yearly test records of 
individual students with respect to assessments under section 1111(b) 
of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)); (7) information on students not tested 
by grade and subject; (8) a teacher identifier system with the ability 
to match teachers to students; (9) student-level transcript 
information, including information on courses completed and grades 
earned; (10) student-level college readiness test scores; (11) 
information regarding the extent to which students transition 
successfully from secondary school to postsecondary education, 
including whether students enroll in remedial coursework; and (12) 
other information determined necessary to address alignment and 
adequate preparation for success in postsecondary education.
    Program Authority: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, 
Division A, Section 14006, Public Law 111-5.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final priorities, 
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria, published elsewhere 
in this issue of the Federal Register.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4 billion to be awarded in two Phases.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $20 million--$700 million.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice. The Department will decide on the size of each State's award 
based on a detailed review of the budget the State requests, 
considering such factors as the size of the State, level of LEA 
participation, and the proposed activities.

    Project Period: Up to 48 months.
    Budget Guidance: States are encouraged to develop budgets that 
match the needs they have outlined in their applications.
    To support States in planning their budgets, the Department has 
developed nonbinding budget ranges for each State; these are listed 
below. These ranges may be used as rough blueprints to guide States as 
they think through their budgets, but States may prepare budgets that 
are above or below the ranges specified. The categories were developed 
by ranking every State according to its share of the national 
population of children ages 5 through 17, and identifying the natural 
breaks. Then, based on population, overlapping budget ranges were 
developed for each category.
    Category 1--$350-700 million: California, Texas, New York, Florida.
    Category 2--$200-400 million: Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, 
Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey.
    Category 3--$150-250 million: Virginia, Arizona, Indiana, 
Washington, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Missouri, Maryland, Wisconsin.
    Category 4--$60-175 million: Minnesota, Colorado, Alabama, 
Louisiana, South Carolina, Puerto Rico,

[[Page 59841]]

Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, Connecticut, Utah, Mississippi, Iowa, 
Arkansas, Kansas, Nevada.
    Category 5--$20-75 million: New Mexico, Nebraska, Idaho, West 
Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Montana, 
Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, 
District of Columbia.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants are the 50 States, the 
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (referred to in this notice as 
State).
    A State must meet the following requirements in order to be 
eligible to receive funds under this program.
    (a) The State's applications for funding under Phase 1 and Phase 2 
of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund program must be approved by the 
Department prior to the State being awarded a Race to the Top grant.
    (b) At the time the State submits its application, there must not 
be any legal, statutory, or regulatory barriers at the State level to 
linking data on student achievement (as defined in this notice) or 
student growth (as defined in this notice) to teachers and principals 
for the purpose of teacher and principal evaluation.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package:
    You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the 
Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the 
Internet, use the following address: https://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or 
call the following: Education Publications Center, P.O. Box 1398, 
Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 
470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), 
call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: https://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this program or competition as follows: CFDA 84.395A.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of the application, together with the forms 
States must submit, are in the application package for this 
competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Section VI) is where the 
applicant addresses the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate applications. The Department recommends that applicants limit 
their narrative responses in Section VI of the application to no more 
than 100 pages of State-authored text, and limit their appendices to no 
more than 250 pages. The following standards are recommended:
     A ``page'' is 8.5 x 11, on one side 
only, with 1 margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Each page is numbered.
     Line spacing is set to 1.5 spacing, and the font used is 
12 point Times New Roman.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: November 18, 2009.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able 
to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if 
we have a better understanding of the number of applications we will 
receive. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to 
send an e-mail notice of its intent to apply for funding for Phase 1 to 
the e-mail address RacetotheTop@ed.gov by December 8, 2009. The 
Secretary may issue a deadline for notice of intent to apply for Phase 
2 funding at a later time. The notice of intent to apply is optional; 
States may still submit applications if they have not notified the 
Department of their intention to apply.
    Date of Meeting for Potential Applicants:
    To assist States in preparing the application and to respond to 
questions, the Department intends to host two Technical Assistance 
Planning Workshops for potential applicants prior to the Phase 1 
application submission deadline. The first will be in Denver, Colorado 
on December 3, 2009. The second will be in the Washington, DC area on 
December 10, 2009. We recommend that applicants attend one of these two 
workshops.
    The purpose of the workshops would be for Department staff to 
review the selection criteria, requirements, and priorities with teams 
of participants responsible for drafting State applications, as well as 
for Department staff to answer technical questions about the Race to 
the Top program. The Department plans to release more details regarding 
the workshops in late November. Updates will be available at the Race 
to the Top Web site https://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop. Attendance 
at the workshops is strongly encouraged. For those who cannot attend, 
transcripts of the meetings will be available on our Web site. 
Announcements of any other conference calls or webinars and Frequently 
Asked Questions will also be available on the Race to the Top Web site.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:
    Phase 1 Applications: January 19, 2010.
    Phase 2 Applications: June 1, 2010. Phase 2 applicants addressing 
selection criterion (B)(1)(ii)(b) may amend their June 1, 2010 
application submissions through August 2, 2010 by submitting evidence 
of having adopted common standards after June 1, 2010. No other 
information may be submitted in an amended application after June 1, 
2010.
    Deadlines for Intergovernmental Review:
    Phase 1 Applications: March 18, 2010.
    Phase 2 Applications: August 2, 2010.
    Applications for grants under this competition, as well as any 
amendments regarding adoption of common standards that Phase 2 
applicants may file after June 1 and through August 2, 2010, must be 
submitted in electronic format on a CD or DVD, with CD-ROM or DVD-ROM 
preferred. In addition, States must submit an original and one hard 
copy of Sections III and IV of the application, which include the Race 
to the Top Application Assurances and the Accountability, Transparency, 
Reporting and Other Assurances. E-mailed submissions will not be read. 
For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
electronic application, please refer to section IV.6, Other Submission 
Requirements in this notice. Evidence, if any, of adoption of common 
standards submitted after June 1, 2010, but by August 2, 2010, must be 
submitted using the same submission process described in section IV, 
Application and Submission Information of this notice.
    The Department will not consider an application that does not 
comply with the deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application

[[Page 59842]]

process, the individual's application remains subject to all other 
requirements and limitations in this notice.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted by mail or hand delivery. The 
Department strongly recommends the use of overnight mail. Applications 
postmarked on the deadline date but arriving late will not be read.
    a. Application Submission Format and Deadline. Applications for 
grants under this competition, as well as any amendments regarding 
adoption of common standards that Phase 2 applicants may file after 
June 1 and through August 2, 2010, must be submitted in electronic 
format on a CD or DVD, with CD-ROM or DVD-ROM preferred. In addition, 
they must submit a signed original of Sections III and IV of the 
application and one copy of that signed original. Sections III and IV 
of the application include the Race to the Top Application Assurances 
and the Accountability, Transparency, Reporting and Other Assurances.
    All electronic application files must be in a .DOC (document), 
.DOCX (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. 
Each file name should clearly identify the part of the application to 
which the content is responding. If a State submits a file type other 
than the four file types specified in this paragraph, the Department 
will not review that material. States should not password-protect these 
files.
    The CD or DVD should be clearly labeled with the State's name and 
any other relevant information.
    The Department must receive all grant applications by 4:30:00 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will not 
accept an application for this competition after 4:30:00 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that applicants arrange for mailing or hand delivery 
of their applications in advance of the application deadline date.
    b. Submission of Applications by Mail. States may submit their 
application (i.e., the CD or DVD, the signed original of Sections III 
and IV of the application, and the copy of that original) by mail 
(either through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier). We 
must receive the applications on or before the application deadline 
date. Therefore, to avoid delays, we strongly recommend sending 
applications via overnight mail. Mail applications to the Department at 
the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application 
Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.395A) LBJ Basement Level 1, 
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    If we receive an application after the application deadline, we 
will not consider that application.
    c. Submission of Applications by Hand Delivery. States may submit 
their application (i.e., the CD or DVD, the signed original of Sections 
III and IV of the application, and the copy of that original) by hand 
delivery (including via a courier service). We must receive the 
applications on or before the application deadline date, at the 
following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control 
Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.395A) 550 12th Street, SW., Room 
7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. If we receive an application 
after the application deadline, we will not consider that application.
    d. Envelope requirements and receipt: When an applicant submits its 
application, whether by mail or hand delivery--
    (1) It must indicate on the envelope that the CFDA number of the 
competition under which it is submitting its application is 84.395A; 
and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to the applicant a 
notification of receipt of the grant application. If the applicant does 
not receive this notification, it should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
    In accordance with EDGAR Sec.  75.216(b) and (c), an application 
will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with 
all of the procedural rules that govern the submission of the 
application or the application does not contain the information 
required under the program.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria and scoring rubric for 
this competition are from the notice of final priorities, requirements, 
definitions, and selection criteria, published elsewhere in this issue 
of the Federal Register. The reviewers will utilize the scoring rubric 
(which can also be found in Appendix B of this notice) in applying the 
following selection criteria:

A. State Success Factors

    (A)(1) Articulating State's education reform agenda and LEAs' 
participation in it: The extent to which--
    (i) The State has set forth a comprehensive and coherent reform 
agenda that clearly articulates its goals for implementing reforms in 
the four education areas described in the ARRA and improving student 
outcomes statewide, establishes a clear and credible path to achieving 
these goals, and is consistent with the specific reform plans that the 
State has proposed throughout its application;
    (ii) The participating LEAs (as defined in this notice) are 
strongly committed to the State's plans and to effective implementation 
of reform in the four education areas, as evidenced by Memoranda of 
Understanding (MOUs) (as set forth in Appendix D) \3\ or other binding 
agreements between the State and its participating LEAs (as defined in 
this notice) that include--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ See Appendix D for more on participating LEA MOUs and for a 
model MOU.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (a) Terms and conditions that reflect strong commitment by the 
participating LEAs (as defined in this notice) to the State's plans;
    (b) Scope-of-work descriptions that require participating LEAs (as 
defined in this notice) to implement all or significant portions of the 
State's Race to the Top plans; and
    (c) Signatures from as many as possible of the LEA superintendent 
(or equivalent), the president of the local school board (or 
equivalent, if applicable), and the local teachers' union leader (if 
applicable) (one signature of which must be from an authorized LEA 
representative) demonstrating the extent of leadership support within 
participating LEAs (as defined in this notice); and
    (iii) The LEAs that are participating in the State's Race to the 
Top plans (including considerations of the numbers and percentages of 
participating LEAs, schools, K-12 students, and students in poverty) 
will translate into broad statewide impact, allowing the State to reach 
its ambitious

[[Page 59843]]

yet achievable goals, overall and by student subgroup, for--
    (a) Increasing student achievement in (at a minimum) reading/
language arts and mathematics, as reported by the NAEP and the 
assessments required under the ESEA;
    (b) Decreasing achievement gaps between subgroups in reading/
language arts and mathematics, as reported by the NAEP and the 
assessments required under the ESEA;
    (c) Increasing high school graduation rates (as defined in this 
notice); and
    (d) Increasing college enrollment (as defined in this notice) and 
increasing the number of students who complete at least a year's worth 
of college credit that is applicable to a degree within two years of 
enrollment in an institution of higher education.
    (A)(2) Building strong statewide capacity to implement, scale up, 
and sustain proposed plans: The extent to which the State has a high-
quality overall plan to--
    (i) Ensure that it has the capacity required to implement its 
proposed plans by--
    (a) Providing strong leadership and dedicated teams to implement 
the statewide education reform plans the State has proposed;
    (b) Supporting participating LEAs (as defined in this notice) in 
successfully implementing the education reform plans the State has 
proposed, through such activities as identifying promising practices, 
evaluating these practices' effectiveness, ceasing ineffective 
practices, widely disseminating and replicating the effective practices 
statewide, holding participating LEAs (as defined in this notice) 
accountable for progress and performance, and intervening where 
necessary;
    (c) Providing effective and efficient operations and processes for 
implementing its Race to the Top grant in such areas as grant 
administration and oversight, budget reporting and monitoring, 
performance measure tracking and reporting, and fund disbursement;
    (d) Using the funds for this grant, as described in the State's 
budget and accompanying budget narrative, to accomplish the State's 
plans and meet its targets, including, where feasible, by coordinating, 
reallocating, or repurposing education funds from other Federal, State, 
and local sources so that they align with the State's Race to the Top 
goals; and
    (e) Using the fiscal, political, and human capital resources of the 
State to continue, after the period of funding has ended, those reforms 
funded under the grant for which there is evidence of success; and
    (ii) Use support from a broad group of stakeholders to better 
implement its plans, as evidenced by the strength of statements or 
actions of support from--
    (a) The State's teachers and principals, which include the State's 
teachers' unions or statewide teacher associations; and
    (b) Other critical stakeholders, such as the State's legislative 
leadership; charter school authorizers and State charter school 
membership associations (if applicable); other State and local leaders 
(e.g., business, community, civil rights, and education association 
leaders); Tribal schools; parent, student, and community organizations 
(e.g., parent-teacher associations, nonprofit organizations, local 
education foundations, and community-based organizations); and 
institutions of higher education.
    (A)(3) Demonstrating significant progress in raising achievement 
and closing gaps: The extent to which the State has demonstrated its 
ability to--
    (i) Make progress over the past several years in each of the four 
education reform areas, and used its ARRA and other Federal and State 
funding to pursue such reforms;
    (ii) Improve student outcomes overall and by student subgroup since 
at least 2003, and explain the connections between the data and the 
actions that have contributed to--
    (a) Increasing student achievement in reading/language arts and 
mathematics, both on the NAEP and on the assessments required under the 
ESEA;
    (b) Decreasing achievement gaps between subgroups in reading/
language arts and mathematics, both on the NAEP and on the assessments 
required under the ESEA; and
    (c) Increasing high school graduation rates.

B. Standards and Assessments

State Reform Conditions Criteria
    (B)(1) Developing and adopting common standards: The extent to 
which the State has demonstrated its commitment to adopting a common 
set of high-quality standards, evidenced by (as set forth in Appendix 
B)--
    (i) The State's participation in a consortium of States that--
    (a) Is working toward jointly developing and adopting a common set 
of K-12 standards (as defined in this notice) that are supported by 
evidence that they are internationally benchmarked and build toward 
college and career readiness by the time of high school graduation; and
    (b) Includes a significant number of States; and
    (ii)(a) For Phase 1 applications, the State's high-quality plan 
demonstrating its commitment to and progress toward adopting a common 
set of K-12 standards (as defined in this notice) by August 2, 2010, 
or, at a minimum, by a later date in 2010 specified by the State, and 
to implementing the standards thereafter in a well-planned way; or
    (b) For Phase 2 applications, the State's adoption of a common set 
of K-12 standards (as defined in this notice) by August 2, 2010, or, at 
a minimum, by a later date in 2010 specified by the State in a high-
quality plan toward which the State has made significant progress, and 
its commitment to implementing the standards thereafter in a well-
planned way.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ Phase 2 applicants addressing selection criterion (B)(1)(ii) 
may amend their June 1, 2010 application submission through August 
2, 2010 by submitting evidence of adopting common standards after 
June 1, 2010.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (B)(2) Developing and implementing common, high-quality 
assessments: The extent to which the State has demonstrated its 
commitment to improving the quality of its assessments, evidenced by 
(as set forth in Appendix B) the State's participation in a consortium 
of States that--
    (i) Is working toward jointly developing and implementing common, 
high-quality assessments (as defined in this notice) aligned with the 
consortium's common set of K-12 standards (as defined in this notice); 
and
    (ii) Includes a significant number of States.
Reform Plan Criteria
    (B)(3) Supporting the transition to enhanced standards and high-
quality assessments: The extent to which the State, in collaboration 
with its participating LEAs (as defined in this notice), has a high-
quality plan for supporting a statewide transition to and 
implementation of internationally benchmarked K-12 standards that build 
toward college and career readiness by the time of high school 
graduation, and high-quality assessments (as defined in this notice) 
tied to these standards. State or LEA activities might, for example, 
include: Developing a rollout plan for the standards together with all 
of their supporting components; in cooperation with the State's 
institutions of higher education, aligning high school exit criteria 
and college entrance requirements with the new standards and 
assessments; developing or acquiring, disseminating, and implementing 
high-quality instructional

[[Page 59844]]

materials and assessments (including, for example, formative and 
interim assessments (both as defined in this notice)); developing or 
acquiring and delivering high-quality professional development to 
support the transition to new standards and assessments; and engaging 
in other strategies that translate the standards and information from 
assessments into classroom practice for all students, including high-
need students (as defined in this notice).

C. Data Systems To Support Instruction

State Reform Conditions Criteria
    (C)(1) Fully implementing a statewide longitudinal data system: The 
extent to which the State has a statewide longitudinal data system that 
includes all of the America COMPETES Act elements (as defined in this 
notice).
Reform Plan Criteria
    (C)(2) Accessing and using State data: The extent to which the 
State has a high-quality plan to ensure that data from the State's 
statewide longitudinal data system are accessible to, and used to 
inform and engage, as appropriate, key stakeholders (e.g., parents, 
students, teachers, principals, LEA leaders, community members, unions, 
researchers, and policymakers); and that the data support decision-
makers in the continuous improvement of efforts in such areas as 
policy, instruction, operations, management, resource allocation, and 
overall effectiveness.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ Successful applicants that receive Race to the Top grant 
awards will need to comply with the Family Educational Rights and 
Privacy Act (FERPA), including 34 CFR Part 99, as well as State and 
local requirements regarding privacy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (C)(3) Using data to improve instruction: The extent to which the 
State, in collaboration with its participating LEAs (as defined in this 
notice), has a high-quality plan to--
    (i) Increase the acquisition, adoption, and use of local 
instructional improvement systems (as defined in this notice) that 
provide teachers, principals, and administrators with the information 
and resources they need to inform and improve their instructional 
practices, decision-making, and overall effectiveness;
    (ii) Support participating LEAs (as defined in this notice) and 
schools that are using instructional improvement systems (as defined in 
this notice) in providing effective professional development to 
teachers, principals, and administrators on how to use these systems 
and the resulting data to support continuous instructional improvement; 
and
    (iii) Make the data from instructional improvement systems (as 
defined in this notice), together with statewide longitudinal data 
system data, available and accessible to researchers so that they have 
detailed information with which to evaluate the effectiveness of 
instructional materials, strategies, and approaches for educating 
different types of students (e.g., students with disabilities, English 
language learners, students whose achievement is well below or above 
grade level).

D. Great Teachers and Leaders

State Reform Conditions Criteria
    (D)(1) Providing high-quality pathways for aspiring teachers and 
principals: The extent to which the State has--
    (i) Legal, statutory, or regulatory provisions that allow 
alternative routes to certification (as defined in this notice) for 
teachers and principals, particularly routes that allow for providers 
in addition to institutions of higher education;
    (ii) Alternative routes to certification (as defined in this 
notice) that are in use; and
    (iii) A process for monitoring, evaluating, and identifying areas 
of teacher and principal shortage and for preparing teachers and 
principals to fill these areas of shortage.
Reform Plan Criteria
    (D)(2) Improving teacher and principal effectiveness based on 
pe