Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: Overview Information; Teacher Incentive Fund: Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, 28740-28749 [2010-12216]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 98 (Friday, May 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28740-28749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-12216]



Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 98 / Friday, May 21, 2010 / Notices

[[Page 28740]]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: Overview 
Information; Teacher Incentive Fund: Notice Inviting Applications for 
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.385 and 
84.374.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: May 21, 2010.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 1, 2010.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 6, 2010.
    Dates of Pre-Application Workshops: Visit the Teacher Incentive 
Fund's Web site at: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/teacherincentive/applicant.html for more information.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 3, 2010.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) 
program is to support projects that develop and implement performance-
based compensation systems (PBCSs) for teachers, principals, and other 
personnel in order to increase educator effectiveness and student 
achievement (as defined in this notice), measured in significant part 
by student growth (as defined in this notice), in high-need schools (as 
defined in this notice).
    Priorities: These priorities are from the notice of final 
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria (NFP) for 
this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register. This notice contains six priorities for the Main TIF 
Competition and the TIF Evaluation Competition. Priorities 1 through 3 
are absolute priorities. Priorities 4 through 6 are competitive 
preference priorities and are aligned with other key education reform 
goals of the Department.
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that address these 
priorities.
    Applicants for each type of grant must address all three absolute 
priorities in their applications. These priorities are:
    Priority 1 (Absolute)--Differentiated Levels of Compensation for 
Effective Teachers and Principals:
    To meet this absolute priority, an applicant must demonstrate, in 
its application, that it will develop and implement a PBCS that 
rewards, at differentiated levels, teachers and principals who 
demonstrate their effectiveness by improving student achievement (as 
defined in this notice), as part of the coherent and integrated 
approach of the local educational agency (LEA) to strengthening the 
educator workforce.
    In determining teacher and principal effectiveness as part of the 
PBCS, the LEA--
    (a) Must give significant weight to student growth (as defined in 
this notice), based on objective data on student performance;
    (b) Must include observation-based assessments of teacher and 
principal performance at multiple points in the year, carried out by 
evaluators trained in using objective evidence-based rubrics for 
observation, aligned with professional teaching standards; and, if 
applicable, as part of the LEA's coherent and integrated approach to 
strengthening the educator workforce; and
    (c) May include other measures, such as evidence of leadership 
roles (as defined in this notice), that increase the effectiveness of 
other teachers in the school or LEA.
    In determining principal effectiveness as part of a PBCS, the LEA 
must give significant weight to student growth (as defined in this 
notice) and may include supplemental measures such as high school 
graduation and college enrollment rates.
    In addition, the applicant must demonstrate that the differentiated 
effectiveness incentive payments will provide incentive amounts that 
are substantial and provide justification for the level of incentive 
amounts chosen. While the Department does not propose a minimum 
incentive amount, the Department encourages applicants to be thorough 
in their explanation of why the selected incentive amounts are likely 
high enough to create change in the behavior of current and prospective 
teachers and principals in order to ultimately improve student 
outcomes.
    Priority 2 (Absolute)--Fiscal Sustainability of the Performance-
Based Compensation System (PBCS):
    To meet this absolute priority, the applicant must provide, in its 
application, evidence that:
    (a) The applicant has projected costs associated with the 
development and implementation of the PBCS, during the project period 
and beyond, and has accepted the responsibility to provide such 
performance-based compensation to teachers, principals, and other 
personnel (in those sites in which the grantee wishes to expand the 
PBCS to additional staff in its schools) who earn it under the system; 
and
    (b) The applicant will provide from non-TIF funds over the course 
of the five-year project period an increasing share of performance-
based compensation paid to teachers, principals, and other personnel 
(in those sites in which the grantee wishes to expand the PBCS to 
additional staff in its schools) in those project years in which the 
LEA provides such payments as part of its PBCS.
    Priority 3 (Absolute)--Comprehensive Approaches to the Performance-
Based Compensation System (PBCS):
    To meet this absolute priority, the applicant must provide, in its 
application, evidence that the proposed PBCS is aligned with a coherent 
and integrated strategy for strengthening the educator workforce, 
including in the use of data and evaluations for professional 
development and retention and tenure decisions, in the LEA or LEAs 
participating in the project, during and after the end of the TIF 
project period.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2010 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from 
this competition, these priorities are competitive preference 
priorities. Applicants may choose to address one or more of the three 
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) 
applicants will be awarded points for competitive preference priorities 
4 and 5 depending on how well the application addresses the priority. 
The number of points to be awarded are indicated in parenthesis 
following the criterion.
    These priorities are:
    Priority 4 (Competitive Preference)--Use of Value-Added Measures of 
Student Achievement. (Up to 5 points)
    To meet this competitive preference priority, the applicant must 
demonstrate, in its application, that the proposed PBCS for teachers, 
principals, and other personnel (in those sites in which the grantee 
wishes to expand the PBCS to additional staff in its schools) will use 
a value-added measure of the impact on student growth (as defined in 
this notice) as a significant factor in calculating differentiated 
levels of compensation provided to teachers, principals, and other 
personnel (in those sites in which the grantee wishes to expand the 
PBCS to additional staff in its schools).
    Under this priority, the applicant must also demonstrate that it 
has a plan to ensure that, as part of the PBCS, it has the capacity to 
(1) implement the proposed value-added model (e.g., through robust data 
systems that collect

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the necessary data and ensure data quality), and (2) clearly explain 
the chosen value-added model to teachers to enable them to use the data 
generated through the model to improve classroom practices.
    Priority 5 (Competitive Preference)--Increased Recruitment and 
Retention of Effective Teachers to Serve High-Need Students and in 
Hard-to-Staff Subjects and Specialty Areas in High-Need Schools. (Up to 
5 points)
    To meet this competitive preference priority, the applicant must 
demonstrate in its application that its proposed PBCS is designed to 
assist high-need schools (as defined in this notice) to (1) serve high-
need students (as defined in this notice), (2) retain effective 
teachers in teaching positions in hard-to-staff subjects and specialty 
areas, such as mathematics, science, special education, and English 
language acquisition, and (3) fill vacancies with teachers of those 
subjects or specialty areas who are effective or likely to be 
effective. The applicant must provide an explanation for how it will 
determine that a teacher filling a vacancy is effective or likely to be 
effective. In addition, applicants must demonstrate, in their 
applications, the extent to which the subjects or specialty areas they 
propose to target are hard-to-staff. Lastly, applicants must 
demonstrate, in their applications, that they will implement a process 
for effectively communicating to teachers which of the LEA's schools 
are high-need and which subjects and specialty areas are considered 
hard-to-staff.
    Priority 6 (Competitive Preference)-- New Applicants to the Teacher 
Incentive Fund. (2 points)
    To meet this competitive preference priority, an applicant must be 
a new applicant to the TIF program. For the purposes of this priority, 
a new applicant is (1) an eligible entity that has not previously been 
awarded a grant under the TIF program, or (2) a nonprofit organization 
that previously received funding through TIF, as part of a partnership 
with one or more LEAs or SEAs, but that is applying to work with a 
different group of eligible LEAs or SEAs than it worked with under any 
previous TIF grant. Under this competitive preference priority, a 
current nonprofit grantee may not propose to use new TIF funds to 
compensate for any activities related to the development and 
implementation of its PBCS in LEAs and high-need schools (as defined in 
this notice) already served under the current grant. Rather, a 
nonprofit organization that is a current TIF grantee may only use new 
TIF funds for the costs of implementing the PBCS in high-need schools 
(as defined in this notice) in the new LEAs or SEAs (including charter 
schools) that have not previously received TIF funds.
    Requirements: The following sections provide requirements for both 
the Main TIF and TIF Evaluation competitions.
    Requirements for Main TIF competition:
    The following requirements are from the notice of final priorities, 
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria (NFP) for this 
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, and 
apply to the Main TIF competition.
    Selection of Competition. An applicant may submit an application 
for either the Main TIF competition or the TIF Evaluation competition. 
Each applicant must identify in its application the competition for 
which it is applying. Decisions regarding awards for the TIF Evaluation 
program will be made prior to doing so for the Main TIF competition, so 
that applicants not funded in the TIF Evaluation competition will still 
be eligible for funding under the Main TIF competition.
    Application Requirement. Each applicant must describe in its 
application how its proposed PBCS will provide educators with 
incentives to take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles 
(as defined in this notice).
    Core Elements of a PBCS and a Potential Planning Period. Each 
applicant must either--
    (a) Demonstrate in its application that it has in place the five 
core elements that follow; or
    (b) If the applicant cannot demonstrate in its application that it 
has in place each of the five core elements--
    (1) Agree, as part of its application, to implement a planning 
period of up to one year, during which it will use its TIF funds to 
develop the core element or elements it lacks; and
    (2) Include, in its application, a plan for how it will implement 
the core element or elements it lacks during the planning period.
    Core Elements.
    (a) A plan for effectively communicating to teachers, 
administrators, other school personnel, and the community-at-large the 
components of its PBCS;
    (b) The involvement and support of teachers, principals, and other 
personnel (including input from teachers, principals, and other 
personnel in the schools and LEAs to be served by the grant) and the 
involvement and support of unions in participating LEAs (where they are 
the designated exclusive representatives for the purpose of collective 
bargaining) that is needed to carry out the grant;
    (c) Rigorous, transparent, and fair evaluation systems for teachers 
and principals that differentiate effectiveness using multiple rating 
categories that take into account student growth (as defined in this 
notice) as a significant factor, as well as classroom observations 
conducted at least twice during the school year. The evaluation process 
must: (1) Use an objective, evidence-based rubric aligned with 
professional teaching or leadership standards and the LEA's coherent 
and integrated approach to strengthening the educator workforce; (2) 
provide for observations of each teacher or principal at least twice 
during the school year by individuals (who may include peer reviewers) 
who are provided specialized training; (3) incorporate the collection 
and evaluation of additional forms of evidence; and (4) ensure a high 
degree of inter-rater reliability (i.e., agreement among two or more 
raters who score approximately the same);
    (d) A data-management system \1\ that can link student achievement 
(as defined in this notice) data to teacher and principal payroll and 
human resources systems; and
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    \1\ Successful applicants that receive Teacher Incentive Fund 
grant awards must ensure that the program's PBCS, including the 
necessary data systems, complies with the Family Educational Rights 
and Privacy Act (FERPA), including the regulations in 34 CFR Part 
99, as well as any applicable State and local requirements regarding 
privacy.
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    (e) A plan for ensuring that teachers and principals understand the 
specific measures of teacher and principal effectiveness included in 
the PBCS, and receive professional development that enables them to use 
data generated by these measures to improve their practice.
    Planning Period Requirements. Each grantee that implements a 
planning period to develop the core element or elements it lacks, is--
    (a) Required to demonstrate in its annual performance report or 
other interim performance report that it has implemented any of the 
five core elements it had lacked at the start of the project; and
    (b) Prohibited from using TIF program funds to provide incentive 
payments to teachers, principals, and other personnel (in those sites 
in which the grantee wishes to expand the PBCS to additional staff in 
its schools) until it has implemented a PBCS that, to the Secretary's 
satisfaction, has all five core elements.
    Professional Development. Each applicant must demonstrate, in its

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application, that its proposed PBCS will include a high-quality 
professional development component for teachers and principals 
consistent with the definition of the term professional development in 
section 9101(34) of the ESEA.
    The applicant must demonstrate that its PBCS has a professional 
development component in place, or a specific plan for developing one, 
that is directly linked to the specific measures of teacher and 
principal effectiveness included in the PBCS. The professional 
development component of the PBCS must--
    (1) Be based on needs assessed either at the high-need schools (as 
defined in this notice) participating in the applicant's proposed PBCS 
or LEA-wide;
    (2) Be targeted to individual teachers' and principals' needs as 
identified in the evaluation process;
    (3) Provide--
    (a) Those teachers and principals in participating TIF schools who 
do not receive differentiated compensation based on effectiveness under 
the PBCS with the tools and skills they need to improve their 
effectiveness in the classroom or school and be able to raise student 
achievement (as defined in this notice); and
    (b) Those teachers and principals who are deemed to be effective 
and who, therefore, receive differentiated compensation under the PBCS, 
with the tools and skills they need to (1) continue effective practices 
in the classroom or school and raise student achievement (as defined in 
this notice), and (2) successfully assume additional responsibilities 
and leadership roles (as defined in this notice);
    (4) Support teachers and principals to better understand and use 
the measures of effectiveness in the PBCS to improve practice and 
student achievement (as defined in this notice); and
    (5) Include a process for regularly assessing the effectiveness of 
this professional development in improving teacher and leadership 
practice to increase student achievement (as defined in this notice) 
and making modifications necessary to improve its effectiveness.
    High-Need Schools Documentation. Each applicant must demonstrate, 
in its application, that the schools to be served by the proposed PBCS 
are high-need schools (as defined in this notice). Each applicant must 
provide, in its application, a list of schools in which the proposed 
PBCS will be implemented as well as the most current data on the 
percentage of each identified school's students who are eligible for 
free or reduced-price lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell 
National School Lunch Act, or other poverty measures that the LEA uses 
(see section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5))). Data 
provided to demonstrate eligibility as a high-need school (as defined 
in this notice) must be school-level data; the Department will not 
accept LEA-or State-level data for purposes of documenting whether a 
school is a high-need school (as defined in this notice).
    Additional Eligibility Requirement. Each applicant that currently 
participates in a TIF project must confirm in its application either 
that--
    (a) Its proposed PBCS would be available to educators in high-need 
schools (as defined in this notice) in which the LEA does not currently 
make a TIF-supported PBCS available; or
    (b) If the applicant's current TIF project serves only principals 
or only teachers, its proposed project would add teachers or 
principals, respectively, who work in high-need schools (as defined in 
this notice) and who are not eligible for performance-based 
compensation under the applicant's current TIF project's PBCS.
    If awarded a grant, the grantee must maintain its PBCS for teachers 
and principals in high-need schools (as defined in this notice) for the 
duration of the new TIF project period. An applicant may also propose 
to have other personnel (in those sites in which the grantee wishes to 
expand the PBCS to additional staff in its schools) who work in high-
need schools (as defined in this notice) benefit from the PBCS.
    Requirements for the TIF Evaluation Competition:
    In addition to the requirements and priorities for the Main TIF 
competition, which applicants for the TIF Evaluation competition are 
also required to meet, the Secretary includes the following 
requirements for the TIF Evaluation competition only:
    Budget Information. In exchange for its agreement to participate in 
the national TIF Evaluation, a successful applicant for the TIF 
Evaluation competition will receive a minimum of $1 million of 
additional funding over the 5-year grant period (above the amount of 
funding awarded to it to implement the PBCS proposed in its 
application) for the four pairs of schools selected to participate in 
the evaluation. For each additional pair of schools participating in 
the evaluation, a successful applicant will receive an additional 
$250,000, up to a maximum total additional award of $2 million.
    An applicant for the TIF Evaluation competition must provide, in 
its application, a proposed budget that indicates how it plans to use 
the additional funds the Department would award. While these additional 
funds must be used for TIF-related activities, examples of acceptable 
expenses include the costs of:
    (1) Academic coaches such as mathematics and reading coaches, and 
Master, Mentor, or Lead Teacher salaries beyond those the Department 
will otherwise fund under the Main TIF competition. Under the Main TIF 
competition, the Department approves expenses related to one salary, 
per position, per high-need school (as defined in this notice) within 
the project scope);
    (2) Activities such as expenses related to release time for 
teachers to attend professional development beyond those the Department 
will otherwise fund under the Main competition (the Department does not 
allow for an unreasonable amount of substitute teacher salaries to 
compensate for this release time);
    (3) Support for the PBCS that would otherwise need to be paid with 
non-TIF funds in order to implement the applicant's plan for fiscal 
sustainability under absolute priority 2; and
    (4) Costs associated with participating in the national evaluation, 
such as preparing administrative student records for use by the 
national evaluator.
    Incentive Amounts. Consistent with absolute priority 1, an 
applicant for the TIF Evaluation competition must demonstrate, in its 
application, that it will implement a PBCS that uses--
    (1) Incentive payments to principals based on differentiated levels 
of effectiveness in which--
    (a) The average principal payout (defined as the total amount of 
principal payments divided by the total number of principals in the 
schools participating in the differentiated effectiveness incentive 
payment component of the PBCS) is substantial (e.g., 5 percent of the 
average principal salary);
    (b) The criteria for determining whether a principal is eligible 
for payment are challenging (e.g., payments are made to only those who 
perform significantly better than the current average performance among 
study schools within the LEA),\2\ and;
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    \2\ For the purposes of the TIF Evaluation Competition, an 
``LEA'' includes consortia and intermediary units, so long as they 
are considered an LEA under State law.
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    (c) There is an expectation of meaningful differences in resulting 
principal pay (e.g., at least some principals could reasonably expect 
to receive an incentive payment of three

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times the average principal payout and the applicant's documentation of 
cost projections is consistent with this expectation); and
    (2) Incentive payments to teachers based on differentiated levels 
of effectiveness in which--
    (a) The average teacher payout (defined as the total amount of 
teacher payments divided by the total number of teachers in the schools 
participating in the differentiated effectiveness incentive payment 
component of the PBCS) is substantial (e.g., 5 percent of the average 
teacher salary);
    (b) The criteria for determining whether a teacher is eligible for 
payment are challenging (e.g., payments are made only to those who 
perform significantly better than the current average performance among 
study schools within the LEA); and
    (c) There is an expectation of meaningful differences in resulting 
teacher pay (e.g., at least some teachers could reasonably expect to 
receive an incentive payment of three times the average teacher payout 
and the applicant's documentation of cost projections is consistent 
with this expectation).
    Implementation of Evaluation. Each applicant under the TIF 
Evaluation competition must agree, in its application, to implement its 
differentiated effectiveness incentive component of the PBCS and a 1 
percent across-the-board annual bonus in at least one LEA in accordance 
with the implementation plan developed by the Institute of Education 
Sciences (IES) evaluator, Mathematica Policy Research (https://www.mathematica-mpr.com/education/tifgrantee.asp). Specifically, the 
IES evaluator will select by lottery one-half of the evaluation schools 
within the LEA (i.e., ``Group 1'') to implement the applicant's 
proposed differentiated effectiveness incentive payment component of 
the PBCS. The other half of the schools within the LEA (i.e., ``Group 
2'') participating in the evaluation will implement a 1 percent across-
the-board annual bonus for teachers, principals, and other personnel 
(in those sites in which the grantee wishes to expand the PBCS to 
additional staff in its schools). The applicant must identify, in its 
application, the schools that are proposed for participation in the 
evaluation.
    In participating LEAs that have the five core elements in place at 
the time of the initial grant award, the first group of schools in that 
LEA (Group 1 schools) must begin implementation of all components of 
the PBCS at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. In a 
participating LEA that does not yet have in place the five core 
elements necessary to implement a successful PBCS at the time of award, 
the first group of schools in that LEA (Group 1 schools) must begin 
implementation of all components of the PBCS no later than the 2011-
2012 school year.
    The following table illustrates the TIF Evaluation random 
assignment plan, depending on the amount of planning time an applicant 
needs:

 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Random assignment  Pay component of PBCS
                                        a                    b
------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEAs Ready for 2010-11          Group 1..........  Differentiated pay
 Implementation.                                    implemented starting
                                                    in 2010-11.
                                Group 2..........  Across-the-board
                                                    annual 1 percent
                                                    bonus implemented
                                                    starting in 2010-11
                                                    through 2014-15.
LEAs Ready for 2011-12          Group 1..........  Differentiated pay
 Implementation.                                    implemented starting
                                                    in 2011-12.
                                Group 2..........  Across-the-board
                                                    annual 1 percent
                                                    bonus implemented
                                                    starting in 2011-12
                                                    through 2014-15.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a\ For each LEA, the IES evaluator will randomly assign the schools
  participating in the Evaluation into 2 groups (Groups 1 and 2).
\b\ The school year listed is the first year in which the differentiated
  effectiveness incentive component of the PBCS will be implemented in
  the LEA's schools participating in the designated group.

    Commitment to Evaluation. An applicant for the TIF Evaluation 
competition must demonstrate, in its application, that each 
participating LEA and school is willing to participate in the TIF 
Evaluation. Documentation demonstrating this commitment must include, 
for each participating LEA--
    (1) A letter from the LEA superintendent and the principals of the 
participating schools stating that those officials agree to meet the 
TIF Evaluation competition requirements, including adhering to the 
implementation plan of the IES evaluator, which involves selection 
through a lottery of those schools to implement the differentiated 
effectiveness component among the schools participating in the 
evaluation.
    (2) A letter from the research office or research board of the 
participating LEA that expresses an agreement to comply with the TIF 
Evaluation requirements (if the LEA requires such research office 
approval).
    Advance Notice. Each applicant must agree, in its application, to 
work with the IES evaluator to notify all eligible schools 
participating in the TIF Evaluation at least two months prior to the 
assigned Group 1 implementation schedule. The Department will waive 
this advance notice for any applicants that are eligible to implement 
their PBCS in 2010-11 (i.e., meet the five core requirements) so long 
as the program is implemented according to the evaluator's assigned 
group status (Note: The evaluator will be ready to assign group status 
immediately upon grant award, or if the applicant prefers, the 
applicant can discuss with Mathematica prior to grant award how to 
comply with the evaluation requirements by contacting Mathematica at 
https://www.mathematica-mpr.com/education/tifgrantee.asp).
    Implementation of All Non-differentiated Effectiveness Incentive 
Components. Each applicant must agree, in its application, to implement 
the non-differentiated effectiveness incentive components of its PBCS 
(e.g., bonuses for leadership or additional responsibilities and 
professional development activities) in all of the LEA's participating 
schools (those in Groups 1 and 2) starting at the same time as the 
differentiated effectiveness incentive component of its PBCS is 
implemented in the Group 1 schools. The schools in Group 2 must not 
implement the differentiated effectiveness incentive component of its 
PBCS for the duration of the TIF grant.
    Scope of Schools. An applicant for the TIF Evaluation competition 
must demonstrate, in its application, that it will implement a PBCS in 
eight or more high-need schools (as defined in this notice) in an LEA 
that has students in

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tested subjects or grades (i.e., students in grades three through 
eight). At least two of the schools proposed to participate in the TIF 
Evaluation must be from within the same grade configuration (i.e., if 
elementary schools are proposed there are at least two elementary 
schools among the minimum of eight schools all within the same LEA; if 
middle schools are proposed there are at least two middle schools among 
the minimum of eight schools all within the same LEA). Applicants that 
include multiple LEAs must meet the scope-of-schools requirement in at 
least one LEA. In addition, no LEA will have more than 16 high-need 
schools (as defined in this notice) selected for the TIF Evaluation.
    An applicant that is a consortium of small LEAs or an intermediary 
unit that is considered an LEA under State law does not have to have 
eight eligible schools in a participating LEA provided that the 
consortium or intermediary unit serves a coordinating function (i.e., 
data are available from a centralized or coordinating entity). In this 
case, the minimum number of schools required for the consortium or 
intermediary unit is still eight, and within the eight, each school is 
at least paired with another school at the same grade level and within 
the same State. The Department will use the number of eligible schools, 
up to 16 per LEA, that a successful applicant makes available for the 
TIF Evaluation.
    Local Evaluation. In order to be eligible to receive points under 
the selection criteria, TIF Evaluation competition applicants must 
include a description of its local evaluation, demonstrated in its 
response to the selection criterion Quality of Local Evaluation. For 
the purposes of the TIF Evaluation competition, the score for this part 
of the application will not be used to rank the application. For the 
purposes of the Main TIF competition, if applicable, the score for this 
part of the application will be used to rank the application. If an 
applicant is selected under the TIF Evaluation competition, the local 
evaluation plan will not be reviewed and will not be applicable for 
program implementation.
    Definitions:
    The following definitions are from the NFP for this program, 
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, and apply to 
the competitions announced in this notice.
    High-need school means a school with 50 percent or more of its 
enrollment from low-income families, based on eligibility for free or 
reduced-price lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act, or other poverty measures that LEAs use (see section 
1113(a)(5) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)). For middle and high 
schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of comparable data 
from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-need school under this 
definition is determined on the basis of the most currently available 
data.
    Student achievement means--
    (a) For tested grades and subjects--
    (1) A student's score on the State's assessments under the ESEA; 
and
    (2) As appropriate, other measures of student learning, such as 
those described in paragraph (b) of this definition, provided that they 
are rigorous and comparable across schools; and
    (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 schools.
    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 or LEA may also include other measures that are rigorous 
and comparable across schools.
    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, 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 learners.
    Additional responsibilities and leadership roles means additional 
duties teachers may voluntarily accept, such as: (1) Serving as master 
or mentor teachers who are chosen through a performance-based selection 
process (including through assessment of their teaching effectiveness 
and the ability to work effectively with other adults and students) and 
who have responsibilities to share effective instructional practices 
and/or to assess and improve the teaching effectiveness of other 
teachers in the school; (2) roles in induction and mentoring of novice 
teachers or high-need students (as defined in this notice); (3) 
tutoring students; or (4) roles in establishing and developing learning 
communities designed to continually improve the capacity of all 
teachers in a school to advance student learning, using a shared set of 
practices, instructional principles, or teaching strategies.
    Program Authority: The Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008, 
Division G, Title III, Public Law 110-161; Departments of Labor, Health 
and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act, 2010, Division D, Title III, Public Law 111-117; and the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Division A, Title VIII, 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 (NFP) for this program, published elsewhere in this 
issue of the Federal Register.

    Note:  The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


    Note:  The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions 
of higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Types of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $437,000,000 in total. $300,000,000 
million from the FY 2010 appropriations and $137,000,000 from FY 2009 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $5,000,000-$10,000,000.*
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $7,500,000.*
    Estimated Number of Awards: 40-80.
    * Successful applicants for the TIF Evaluation competition can 
anticipate award amounts at least $1,000,000 more than for the Main TIF 
competition.

    Note:  The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months, including the planning period, if 
applicable.

III. Eligibility Information and Program Requirements

    1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible entities for these funds are:
    (a) State educational agencies (SEAs),
    (b) Local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools 
that are LEAs, or
    (c) Partnerships of--
    (1) An SEA, LEA, or both; and
    (2) At least one nonprofit organization.

[[Page 28745]]

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: ED Pubs, U.S. Department 
of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll 
free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1-877-
576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.ed.gov or 
at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.385.
    Also, you can download the application package at the Teacher 
Incentive Fund Web site: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/teacherincentive/.
    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 calling the program contact number or by 
writing to the e-mail address listed under Accessible Format in section 
VIII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: June 1, 2010.
    We will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing 
grant applications if we understand the number of applicants that 
intend to apply for funding under these competitions. Therefore, the 
Secretary strongly encourages each potential applicant to notify us of 
the applicant's intent to submit an application for funding by sending 
a short e-mail message. This short e-mail should provide (1) the 
applicant organization's name and address, (2) the type of grant for 
which the applicant intends to apply, (3) the one absolute priority the 
applicant intends to address, and (4) all competitive preference 
priorities the applicant intends to address. The Secretary requests 
that this e-mail be sent to tif@ed.gov with ``Intent to Apply'' in the 
e-mail subject line. Applicants that do not provide this e-mail 
notification may still apply for funding.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to limit the application narrative (Part III) to not more 
than 60 pages using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The suggested page limit does not apply to Part 1, the cover sheet; 
Part 2, the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; Part 7, the assurances and certifications; the one-page 
abstract; or appendices, such as the resumes, the bibliography, or the 
letters of support. However, the suggested page limit does apply to all 
of the application narrative section [Parts 3, 4, and 5].
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: May 21, 2010.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 1, 2010.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 6, 2010.
    Bidders' Conferences: In-person bidders' conferences or pre-
application workshops will be held in three locations across the 
country in late May and early June. Bidders' conferences are intended 
to provide technical assistance to all interested grant applicants. 
Detailed information regarding the pre-application workshop locations 
and times, along with the on-line registration form, can be found on 
the Teacher Incentive Fund's Web site at https://www2.ed.gov/programs/teacherincentive/applicant.html.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site. For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV.7. Other Submission 
Requirements of this notice.
    We do 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 process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 3, 2010.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, (1) you must have a Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); (2) 
you must register both of those numbers with the Central Contractor 
Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database; and (3) 
you must provide those same numbers on your application.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the 
Grants.gov

[[Page 28746]]

 3-Step Registration Guide (see www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an 
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in 
this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Teacher Incentive Fund--CFDA 
number 84.385 must be submitted electronically using e-Application, 
accessible through the Department's e-Grants Web site at: https://e-grants.ed.gov.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. E-Application 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 you do not wait 
until the application deadline date to begin the application process.
     The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00 
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until 
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of 
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and 
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m. 
on Thursdays, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are 
posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications. You must attach any narrative sections of your 
application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF 
(Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the 
three file types specified in this paragraph or submit a password 
protected file, we will not review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number 
(an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
    (4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at 
(202) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application 
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by 
hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
    (2) (a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between 
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date; or
    (b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between 
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For 
Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due 
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application 
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users 
who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this 
section apply only to the unavailability of e-Application.
    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through e-Application because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
e-Application; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you 
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax 
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed 
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: April Lee, Office of 
Elementary and Secondary Education (Attention: Teacher Incentive Fund), 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E120, 
Washington, DC 20202. FAX: 202-260-8969.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.

[[Page 28747]]

    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Numbers 84.385), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

    Note:  The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a 
dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with 
your local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application, by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.385), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 
8:00:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this grant notification within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from the notice of final priorities, requirements, definitions, and 
selection criteria, for this program, published elsewhere in this issue 
of the Federal Register.
    The selection criteria are as follows. The maximum points assigned 
to each criterion are indicated in parentheses next to the criterion. 
Applicants may earn up to a total of 100 points.
    (a) Need for the project (10 points). In determining the need for 
the proposed project, the Secretary will consider the extent to which 
the applicant establishes that--
    (1) The high-need schools (as defined in this notice) whose 
educators would be part of the PBCS have difficulty--
    (i) Recruiting highly qualified or effective teachers, particularly 
in hard-to-staff subjects or specialty areas, such as mathematics, 
science, English language acquisition, and special education; and
    (ii) Retaining highly qualified or effective teachers and 
principals.
    (2) Student achievement (as defined in this notice) in each of the 
schools whose educators would be part of the PBCS is lower than in what 
the applicant determines are comparable schools in the LEA, or another 
LEA in its State, in terms of key factors such as size, grade levels, 
and poverty levels; and
    (3) A definition of what it considers a ``comparable'' school for 
the purposes of paragraph (2) of this selection criterion is 
established.
    (b) Project design (60 points). The Secretary will consider the 
quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the 
quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary will 
consider the extent to which the proposed PBCS--
    (1) Is part of a proposed LEA or statewide strategy, as 
appropriate, for improving the process by which each participating LEA 
rewards teachers, principals, and other personnel (in those sites in 
which the grantee wishes to expand the PBCS to additional staff in its 
schools) in high-need schools (as defined in this notice) based upon 
their effectiveness as determined in significant part by student growth 
(as defined in this notice). With regard to the effectiveness of 
teachers, principals, and other personnel, the Secretary will consider 
whether--
    (i) The methodology the LEA or SEA proposes to use in its PBCS to 
determine the effectiveness of a school's teachers, principals, and 
other personnel (in those sites in which the grantee wishes to expand 
the PBCS to additional staff in its schools) includes valid and 
reliable measures of student growth (as defined in this notice);
    (ii) The participating LEA would use the proposed PBCS to provide 
performance awards to teachers, principals, and other personnel (in 
those sites in which the grantee wishes to expand the PBCS to 
additional staff in its schools) that are of sufficient size to affect 
the behaviors of teacher, principal, and other personnel and their 
decisions as to whether to go to, or remain working in, the high-need 
school; and
    (iii) The applicant provides a clear explanation of how teachers, 
principals, and other personnel (in those sites in which the grantee 
wishes to expand the PBCS to additional staff in its schools) are 
determined to be ``effective'' for the purposes of the proposed PBCS.
    (2) Has the involvement and support of teachers, principals, and 
other personnel (in those sites in which the grantee wishes to expand 
the PBCS to additional staff in its schools), including input from 
teachers, and principals, and other personnel in the schools and LEAs 
to be served by the grant, and the involvement and support of unions in 
participating LEAs where they are the designated exclusive 
representatives for the purpose of collective bargaining that is needed 
to carry out the grant;
    (3) Includes rigorous, transparent, and fair evaluation systems for 
teachers and principals that differentiate levels of effectiveness 
using multiple rating categories that take into account data on student 
growth (as defined in this notice) as a significant factor, as well as 
classroom observations conducted at least twice during the school year;
    (4) Includes a data-management system, consistent with the LEA's 
proposed PBCS, that can link student achievement (as defined in this 
notice) data to teacher and principal payroll and human resources 
systems; and
    (5) Incorporates high-quality professional development activities 
that increase the capacity of teachers and principals to raise student 
achievement (as defined in this notice) and are directly linked to the 
specific measures of teacher and principal effectiveness included in 
the PBCS.
    (c) Adequacy of Support for the Proposed Project (25 points). In

[[Page 28748]]

determining the adequacy of the support for the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the extent to which--
    (1) The management plan is likely to achieve the objectives of the 
proposed project on time and within budget, and includes clearly 
defined responsibilities and detailed timelines and milestones for 
accomplishing project tasks;
    (2) The project director and other key personnel are qualified to 
carry out their responsibilities, and their time commitments are 
appropriate and adequate to implement the project effectively;
    (3) The applicant will support the proposed project with funds 
provided under other Federal or State programs and local financial or 
in-kind resources; and
    (4) The requested grant amount and project costs are sufficient to 
attain project goals and reasonable in relation to the objectives and 
design of the project.
    (d) Quality of Local Evaluation (5 points). In determining the 
quality of the local project evaluation, the Secretary considers the 
extent to which the applicant's evaluation plan--
    (1) Includes the use of strong and measurable performance 
objectives (that are clearly related to the goals of the project) for 
raising student achievement (as defined in this notice), increasing the 
effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other personnel (in those 
sites in which the grantee wishes to expand the PBCS to additional 
staff in its schools), and retaining and recruiting effective teachers, 
principals, and other personnel;
    (2) Will produce evaluation data that are quantitative and 
qualitative; and
    (3) Includes adequate evaluation procedures for ensuring feedback 
and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
    2. Review and Selection Process: The Department will screen 
applications submitted in accordance with the requirements in this 
notice, and will determine which applications are eligible to be read 
based on whether they have met eligibility and other statutory 
requirements.
    The Department will use independent reviewers from various 
backgrounds and professions, including those with expertise in: 
Evaluation, teacher quality, data management and analysis, 
differentiated pay, educational policy, teaching and/or school 
leadership. The Department will thoroughly screen all reviewers for 
conflicts of interest to ensure a fair and competitive review process.
    Reviewers will read, prepare a written evaluation, and score the 
applications assigned to their panel, using the selection criteria 
provided in this notice.
    Reviewers will review and score all applications on the following 
four criteria:
    (a) Need for the project;
    (b) Project design;
    (c) Adequacy of support for the proposed project; and
    (d) Quality of local evaluation.
    If eligible applicants have chosen to address the competitive 
preference priorities, reviewers will review and score those 
competitive preference priorities as well. If points are awarded, those 
points will be added to the eligible applicant's score.
    The Secretary will prepare a rank order of applications based 
solely on the evaluation of their quality according to the selection 
criteria. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.217(c)(3), the Secretary will 
make final awards after considering the rank ordering and other 
information, including an applicant's performance and use of funds and 
compliance history under a previous award under any Department program. 
In making awards under any future competitions, the Secretary will 
consider an applicant's past performance.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of the project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as di