Charter Schools Program (CSP); Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Charter Schools Program (CSP): State Educational Agencies Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, 4322-4330 [2011-1518]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 16 / Tuesday, January 25, 2011 / Notices
Hood Canal, enabling the
implementation of shut-downs to avoid
injury, serious injury, or mortality. As a
result, no take by injury or death is
anticipated, and the potential for
temporary or permanent hearing
impairment is very low and will be
avoided through the incorporation of
the proposed mitigation measures.
While the number of marine
mammals potentially incidentally
harassed will depend on the
distribution and abundance of marine
mammals in the vicinity of the survey
activity, the number of potential
harassment takings is estimated to be
small relative to regional stock or
population number, and has been
mitigated to the lowest level practicable
through incorporation of the proposed
mitigation and monitoring measures
mentioned previously in this document.
Based on the analysis contained
herein of the likely effects of the
specified activity on marine mammals
and their habitat, and taking into
consideration the implementation of the
mitigation and monitoring measures,
NMFS preliminarily finds that the
proposed test pile program will result in
the incidental take of small numbers of
marine mammal, by Level B harassment
only, and that the total taking from the
activity will have a negligible impact on
the affected species or stocks.
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Impact on Availability of Affected
Species or Stock for Taking for
Subsistence Uses
No tribal subsistence hunts are held
in the vicinity of the project area; thus,
temporary behavioral impacts to
individual animals would not affect any
subsistence activity. Further, no
population or stock level impacts to
marine mammals are anticipated or
authorized. As a result, no impacts to
the availability of the species or stock to
the Pacific Northwest treaty tribes are
expected as a result of the proposed
activities. Therefore, no relevant
subsistence uses of marine mammals are
implicated by this action.
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
There is one marine mammal species
that is listed as endangered under the
ESA with confirmed or possible
occurrence in the study area: the Eastern
DPS of the Steller sea lion. However, as
described previously, the project will
occur from July 16–October 31 only, a
time at which Steller sea lions are not
present in the project area. The Navy
conducted an informal consultation
with the NWRO under Section 7 of the
ESA; the NWRO concurred that there
would be no presence of ESA-listed
marine mammals during the project and
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that formal consultation was not
required.
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)
In November 2010, the Navy prepared
a draft EA, which has been posted on
the NMFS Web site (see ADDRESSES)
concurrently with the publication of
this proposed IHA and public comments
have been solicited. NMFS will review
the draft EA and the public comments
received and subsequently either adopt
it or prepare its own NEPA document
before making a determination on the
issuance of an IHA.
Proposed Authorization
As a result of these preliminary
determinations, NMFS proposes to
authorize the take of marine mammals
incidental to the Navy’s test pile
program, provided the previously
mentioned mitigation, monitoring, and
reporting requirements are incorporated.
Dated: January 18, 2011.
Helen M. Golde,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–1528 Filed 1–24–11; 8:45 am]
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Wednesday, January 26,
2011; 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
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Contracts Inventory Pursuant to
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amended by the National Defense
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Dated: January 19, 2011.
Morgan F. Park,
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[FR Doc. 2011–1520 Filed 1–24–11; 8:45 am]
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Dated: January 21, 2011.
Todd A Stevenson,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–1648 Filed 1–21–11; 4:15 pm]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Charter Schools Program (CSP); Office
of Innovation and Improvement;
Overview Information; Charter Schools
Program (CSP): State Educational
Agencies Notice Inviting Applications
for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY)
2011
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.282A.
DATES:
Applications Available: January 25,
2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 18, 2011.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: May 17, 2011.
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Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the CSP is to increase national
understanding of the charter school
model (1) by expanding the number of
high-quality charter schools available to
students across the Nation by providing
financial assistance for the planning,
program design, and initial
implementation of charter schools, and
(2) by evaluating the effects of charter
schools, including their effects on
students, student academic
achievement, staff, and parents. The
Secretary awards grants to State
educational agencies (SEAs) on a
competitive basis to enable them to
conduct charter school programs in
their States. SEAs in turn use their CSP
funds to make subgrants to eligible
applicants in their State. These
subgrants are used for planning,
program design, and initial
implementation of a charter school, and
to support the dissemination of
information about charter schools,
including successful practices
demonstrated by charter schools.
Priorities and Definitions: This
competition includes seven competitive
preference priorities, one invitational
priority, and definitions. In accordance
with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(1) and 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv), competitive preference
priorities 1 through 4 are from section
5202(e) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended (ESEA), 20 U.S.C. 7221a(e).
Competitive preference priorities 5
through 7 and the definitions for
graduation rate, high-poverty school,
open educational resources, and rural
local educational agency are from the
notice of final supplemental priorities
and definitions for discretionary grant
programs, published in the Federal
Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR
78486). The definitions for developer
and eligible applicant are from 20 U.S.C.
7221i.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For
FY 2011 and any subsequent year in
which we make awards based on the list
of unfunded applicants from this
competition, these priorities are
competitive preference priorities. Under
34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to
an additional 50 points to an
application, depending on how well the
application meets one or more of these
priorities.
Note: In order to receive preference under
priorities 1 through 7, an applicant must (a)
Identify the priority or priorities that it
believes it meets; (b) describe, in detail, how
it meets the priority or priorities; and (c)
provide documentation in support of its
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claims, including citations and examples
from its State’s charter school law,
regulations, or policies. In order to receive
points for priority 1 or to receive points for
priorities 2 through 4, an application must
meet priority 1 and must meet one or more
of priorities 2 through 4.
An SEA that meets priority 1 but does
not meet one or more of priorities 2
through 4 will not receive any points for
priorities 1 through 4.
An SEA that does not meet priority 1
but meets one or more of priorities 2
through 4 will not receive any points for
priorities 2 through 4.
The Notes following the competitive
preference priorities are guidance to
assist applicants in responding to the
priorities and are not required by statute
or regulation. However, we encourage
applicants to consider those Notes in
responding to the priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1—
Periodic Review and Evaluation (up to
10 points). The State provides for
periodic review and evaluation by the
authorized public chartering agency of
each charter school at least once every
five years, unless required more
frequently by State law, to determine
whether the charter school is meeting
the terms of the school’s charter and is
meeting or exceeding the student
academic achievement requirements
and goals for charter schools as set forth
under State law or the school’s charter.
Note: The Secretary invites the applicant to
provide information regarding whether the
periodic review that takes place at least once
every five years includes a public vote on
whether to terminate, extend, or renew a
school’s charter and on whether a failure to
affirmatively renew or extend a school’s
charter during the periodic review that takes
place at least once every five years would
result in the charter school being closed.
Competitive Preference Priority 2—
Number of High-Quality Charter
Schools (up to 8 points). The State has
demonstrated progress in increasing the
number of high-quality charter schools
that are held accountable in the terms of
the schools’ charters for meeting clear
and measurable objectives for the
educational progress of the students
attending the schools, in the period
prior to the period for which an SEA
applies for a grant under this
competition.
Note: The Secretary invites the applicant to
provide the following information: (1) Its
definition of ‘‘high-quality charter school’’; (2)
the number of ‘‘high-quality charter schools’’
in the State and a description of how the rate
has changed over the past five years; and (3)
the percentage of ‘‘high-quality charter
schools’’ in the State and a description of
how the percentage has changed over the
past five years.
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Competitive Preference Priority 3—
One Authorized Public Chartering
Agency Other than a Local Educational
Agency (LEA), or an Appeals Process (5
points). The State—
(a) Provides for one authorized public
chartering agency that is not an LEA,
such as a State chartering board, for
each individual or entity seeking to
operate a charter school pursuant to
State law; or
(b) In the case of a State in which
LEAs are the only authorized public
chartering agencies, allows for an
appeals process for the denial of an
application for a charter school.
Competitive Preference Priority 4—
High Degree of Autonomy (up to 5
points). The State ensures that each
charter school has a high degree of
autonomy over the charter school’s
budget and expenditures.
Competitive Preference Priority 5—
Improving Achievement and High
School Graduation Rates (up to 12
points). Projects that are designed to
address one or more of the following
priority areas:
(a) Accelerating learning and helping
to improve high school graduation rates
(as defined in this notice) and college
enrollment rates for students in rural
local educational agencies (as defined in
this notice) (up to 3 points).
(b) Accelerating learning and helping
to improve high school graduation rates
(as defined in this notice) and college
enrollment rates for students with
disabilities (up to 3 points).
(c) Accelerating learning and helping
to improve high school graduation rates
(as defined in this notice) and college
enrollment rates for English learners (up
to 3 points).
(d) Accelerating learning and helping
to improve high school graduation rates
and college enrollment rates in highpoverty schools (as defined in this
notice) (up to 3 points).
Note: For each population of students for
which the applicant is seeking competitive
priority points, the Secretary invites the
applicant to discuss the steps it would take
to meet the priority. For example, the
applicant could describe any guidance or
support it would provide to charter school
developers to assist such developers in
recruiting and providing high-quality
services to students who are members of the
particular student populations(s); how it
would monitor charter schools in the State to
ensure that they are taking effective and
active steps to recruit and enroll students
who are members of the particular student
population(s); how it would monitor charter
schools in the State to ensure that students
who are members of the particular student
population(s) are being served by such
schools; or how it would design its subgrant
competition, which may include the use of
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preferences, to ensure that students who are
members of the particular student
population(s) are being served at rates equal
to or greater than such students are being
served in other schools in the area.
Competitive Preference Priority 6—
Promoting Diversity (up to 5 points).
Projects that are designed to promote
student diversity, including racial and
ethnic diversity, or avoid racial
isolation.
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Note: The Secretary invites the applicant to
discuss how it would design its subgrant
competition to meet this priority.
Competitive Preference Priority 7—
Improving Productivity (up to 5 points).
Projects that are designed to
significantly increase efficiency in the
use of time, staff, money, or other
resources while improving student
learning or other educational outcomes
(i.e., outcome per unit of resource).
Such projects may include innovative
and sustainable uses of technology,
modification of school schedules and
teacher compensation systems, use of
open educational resources (as defined
in this notice), or other strategies.
Invitational Priority: Under this
competition we are particularly
interested in applications that address
the following priority. For FY 2011 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards based on the list of unfunded
applicants from this competition, this
priority is an invitational priority.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not
give an application that meets this
invitational priority a competitive or
absolute preference over other
applications. This priority is:
Support for Turnaround Schools.
The Secretary is particularly
interested in projects that are designed
to turn around persistently lowperforming schools by providing
support for one or both of the following
types of activities: (1) the creation of a
charter school in coordination with an
LEA in the vicinity of one or more
public schools closed as a consequence
of the LEA implementing a restructuring
plan under section 1116(b)(8) of the
ESEA; or (2) the creation of a new
charter school under the restart model
of intervention as described in the Final
Requirements for School Improvement
Grants as Amended in January 2010 at
(https://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/
faq.html). Under the restart model of
intervention, an LEA converts a school
into a charter school or closes and
reopens a school under a charter school
operator, a charter management
organization, or an education
management organization that has been
selected through a rigorous review
process.
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Note: For purposes of this invitational
priority—
Charter management organization is a nonprofit organization that operates, manages, or
oversees multiple charter schools by
centralizing or sharing certain functions and
resources among schools.
Educational management organization is
an organization that provides whole-school
operation services.
Definitions
The following definitions are taken
from the notice of final supplemental
priorities and definitions for
discretionary grant programs, published
in the Federal Register on December 15,
2010 (75 FR 78486) and the CSP
authorizing statute (20 U.S.C. 7221).
Developer means an individual or
group of individuals (including a public
or private non-profit organization),
which may include teachers,
administrators and other school staff,
parents, or other members of the local
community in which a charter school
project will be carried out. (20 U.S.C.
7221i(2)).
Eligible applicant means a developer
that has (a) applied to an authorized
public chartering authority to operate a
charter school; and (b) provided
adequate and timely notice to that
authority under section 5203(d)(3) of the
ESEA. (20 U.S.C. 7221i(3)).
Graduation rate means a four-year
adjusted cohort graduation rate
consistent with 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1) and
may also include an extended-year
adjusted cohort graduation rate
consistent with 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1)(v) if
the State in which the proposed project
is implemented has been approved by
the Secretary to use such a rate under
Title I of the ESEA. (75 FR 78509).
High-poverty school means a school
in which at least 50 percent of students
are eligible for free or reduced-price
lunches under the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act or in which
at least 50 percent of students are from
low-income families as determined
using one of the criteria specified under
section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA. For
middle and high schools, eligibility may
be calculated on the basis of comparable
data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a
high-poverty school under this
definition is determined on the basis of
the most currently available data. (75 FR
78509).
Open educational resources (OER)
means teaching, learning, and research
resources that reside in the public
domain or have been released under an
intellectual property license that
permits their free use or repurposing by
others. (75 FR 78509).
Rural local educational agency means
an LEA that is eligible under the Small
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Rural School Achievement (SRSA)
program or the Rural and Low-Income
School (RLIS) program authorized under
Title VI, Part B of the ESEA. Eligible
applicants may determine whether a
particular LEA is eligible for these
programs by referring to information on
the Department’s Web site at https://
www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/
reap.html. (75 FR 78510).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7221–
7221i; Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2010, Division D, Title III, Public Law
111–117.
Note: The Department anticipates that an
authority similar to that in the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2010, Division D, Title
III, Public Law 111–117 will be included in
the fiscal year 2011 appropriations act.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99; (b) The notice
of final supplemental priorities and
definitions for discretionary grant
programs published in the Federal
Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR
78486).
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79
apply to all applicants except federally
recognized Indian tribes.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: We
estimate that between $45,000,000 and
$62,000,000 will be available for new
awards for this program for FY 2011.
The actual level of funding, if any,
depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to
allow enough time to complete the grant
process, if Congress appropriates funds
for this program.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications we
may make additional awards later in FY
2011 and in FY 2012 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this
competition.
Estimated Range of Awards:
$1,000,000–$15,000,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$5,000,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 7–12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice. The estimated range,
size, and number of awards are based on a
single 12-month budget period. However, the
Department may choose to fund more than 12
months of a project using the FY 2011 funds.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Note: Planning and implementation
subgrants awarded by an SEA to non-SEA
eligible applicants will be awarded for a
period of up to three years, no more than 18
months of which may be used for planning
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and program design and no more than two
years of which may be used for the initial
implementation of a charter school.
Dissemination subgrants are awarded for a
period of up to two years.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs in States
with a State statute specifically
authorizing the establishment of charter
schools.
Note: Non-SEA eligible applicants in States
in which the SEA elects not to participate in
or does not have an application approved
under the CSP may apply for funding directly
from the Department. The Department plans
to hold a separate competition for non-SEA
eligible applicants under CFDA numbers
84.282B and 84.282C.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
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IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: Leslie Hankerson, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., room 4W249,
Washington, DC 20202–5970.
Telephone: (202) 205–8524 or by e-mail:
Leslie.Hankerson@ed.gov. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD), call the Federal Relay Service
(FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–8339.
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 program
contact person listed in this section.
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.
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. The Secretary strongly
encourages applicants to limit Part III to
the equivalent of no 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).
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• Use one of the following fonts:
Times New Roman, Courier, Courier
New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not
apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the
narrative budget justification; Part IV,
the assurances and certifications; or the
one-page abstract, the resumes, the
bibliography, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the
application narrative in Part III.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: January 25,
2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 18, 2011.
Applications for grants under this
competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site (Grants.gov). 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 in 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: May 17, 2011.
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: The following
funding restrictions apply to this
competition:
Use of Funds for Post-Award Planning
and Design of the Educational Program
and Initial Implementation of the
Charter School. A non-SEA eligible
applicant receiving a subgrant under
this program may use the subgrant
funds only for—
(a) Post-award planning and design of
the educational program, which may
include (i) refinement of the desired
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educational results and of the methods
for measuring progress toward achieving
those results; and (ii) professional
development of teachers and other staff
who will work in the charter school;
and
(b) Initial implementation of the
charter school, which may include (i)
informing the community about the
school; (ii) acquiring necessary
equipment and educational materials
and supplies; (iii) acquiring or
developing curriculum materials; and
(iv) other initial operational costs that
cannot be met from State or local
sources. (20 U.S.C. 7221c(f)(3))
Use of Funds for Dissemination
Activities. An SEA may reserve not
more than 10 percent of its grant funds
to support dissemination activities (20
U.S.C. 7221c(f)(1)). A charter school
may use those funds to assist other
schools in adapting the charter school’s
program (or certain aspects of the
charter school’s program) or to
disseminate information about the
charter school through such activities
as—
(a) Assisting other individuals with
the planning and start-up of one or more
new public schools, including charter
schools, that are independent of the
assisting charter school and the assisting
charter school’s developers and that
agree to be held to at least as high a level
of accountability as the assisting charter
school;
(b) Developing partnerships with
other public schools, including charter
schools, designed to improve student
academic achievement in each of the
schools participating in the partnership;
(c) Developing curriculum materials,
assessments, and other materials that
promote increased student achievement
and are based on successful practices
within the assisting charter school; and
(d) Conducting evaluations and
developing materials that document the
successful practices of the assisting
charter school and that are designed to
improve student achievement (20 U.S.C.
7221c(f)(6)(B)(i) through (iv)).
Award Basis. In determining whether
to approve a grant award and the
amount of such award, the Department
will consider, among other things, the
amount of any unobligated carryover
funds the applicant has under an
existing CSP grant and the applicant’s
performance and use of funds under a
previous or existing award under any
Department program (34 CFR 75.233(b)
and 75.217(d)(3)(ii)). In assessing
applicant’s performance and use of
funds under a previous or existing
award the Secretary will consider,
among other things, the outcomes the
applicant has achieved and the results
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of any Departmental grant monitoring,
as well as an applicant’s progress in
remedying any deficiencies identified in
such monitoring.
We reference additional 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, you must—
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer
Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number
and TIN with the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR), the Government’s
primary registrant database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and
TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration
with current information while your
application is under review by the
Department and, if you are awarded a
grant, during the project period.
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 3Step Registration Guide (see https://
www.grants.gov/section910/
Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
7. Other Submission Requirements:
Applications for grants under this
competition 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.
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Applications for grants under the
CSP, CFDA number 84.282A, must be
submitted electronically using the
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site
at www.Grants.gov. Through this site,
you will be able to download a copy of
the application package, complete it
offline, and then upload and submit
your application. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to
us.
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.
You may access the electronic grant
application for the CSP at https://
www.Grants.gov. You must search for
the downloadable application package
for this competition by the CFDA
number. Do not include the CFDA
number’s alpha suffix in your search
(e.g., search for 84.326, not 84.326A).
Please note the following:
• When you enter the Grants.gov site,
you will find information about
submitting an application electronically
through the site, as well as the hours of
operation.
• Applications received by Grants.gov
are date and time stamped. Your
application must be fully uploaded and
submitted and must be date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system no
later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date.
Except as otherwise noted in this
section, we will not accept your
application if it is received—that is, date
and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,
DC time, on the application deadline
date. We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements. When we retrieve your
application from Grants.gov, we will
notify you if we are rejecting your
application because it was date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date.
• The amount of time it can take to
upload an application will vary
depending on a variety of factors,
including the size of the application and
the speed of your Internet connection.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that
you do not wait until the application
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deadline date to begin the submission
process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow the
Education Submission Procedures for
submitting an application through
Grants.gov that are included in the
application package for this competition
to ensure that you submit your
application in a timely manner to the
Grants.gov system. You can also find the
Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov under News
and Events on the Department’s G5
system home page at https://www.G5.gov.
• 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—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all
necessary assurances and certifications.
• You must attach any narrative
sections of your application as files in
a .PDF (Portable Document) format only.
If you upload a file type other than a
.PDF 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.
• After you electronically submit
your application, you will receive from
Grants.gov an automatic notification of
receipt that contains a Grants.gov
tracking number. (This notification
indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not
receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send a
second notification to you by e-mail.
This second notification indicates that
the Department has received your
application and has assigned your
application a PR/Award number (an EDspecified identifying number unique to
your application).
• We may request that you provide us
original signatures on forms at a later
date.
Application Deadline Date Extension
in Case of Technical Issues with the
Grants.gov System: If you are
experiencing problems submitting your
application through Grants.gov, please
contact the Grants.gov Support Desk,
toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must
obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case
Number and must keep a record of it.
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If you are prevented from
electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline
date because of technical problems with
the Grants.gov system, we will grant you
an extension until 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, the following
business day to enable you to transmit
your application electronically or by
hand delivery. You also may mail your
application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this
notice.
If you submit an application after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date, please
contact the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in
section VII of this notice and provide an
explanation of the technical problem
you experienced with Grants.gov, along
with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case
Number. We will accept your
application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the
Grants.gov system and that that problem
affected your ability to submit your
application by 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a
determination is made on whether your
application will be accepted.
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Note: The extensions to which we refer in
this section apply only to the unavailability
of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov
system. We will not grant you an extension
if you failed to fully register to submit your
application to Grants.gov before the
application deadline date and time or if the
technical problem you experienced is
unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
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
the Grants.gov system because—
• You do not have access to the
Internet; or
• You do not have the capacity to
upload large documents to the
Grants.gov system; 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 prevent 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
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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: Leslie Hankerson, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., room 4W249,
Washington, DC 20202–5970.
FAX: (202) 205–8524.
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.
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:
84.282A, 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,
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Attention: 84.282A, 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.
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
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. Application Requirements:
Applicants applying for CSP grant funds
must address the following application
requirements, which are based on 20
U.S.C. 7221b(b) and 7221c(f), and the
selection criteria described in this
notice. An applicant may choose to
respond to the application requirements
in the context of its responses to the
selection criteria.
(i) Describe the objectives of the SEA’s
charter school grant program and how
these objectives will be fulfilled,
including steps taken by the SEA to
inform teachers, parents, and
communities of the SEA’s charter school
grant program;
(ii) Describe how the SEA will inform
each charter school in the State about
Federal funds the charter school is
eligible to receive and Federal programs
in which the charter school may
participate;
(iii) Describe how the SEA will ensure
that each charter school in the State
receives the school’s commensurate
share of Federal education funds that
are allocated by formula each year,
including during the first year of
operation of the school and a year in
which the school’s enrollment expands
significantly;
(iv) Describe how the SEA will
disseminate best or promising practices
of charter schools to each LEA in the
State;
(v) If an SEA elects to reserve part of
its grant funds (no more than 10
percent) for the establishment of a
revolving loan fund, describe how the
revolving loan fund would operate;
(vi) If an SEA desires the Secretary to
consider waivers under the authority of
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the CSP, include a request and
justification for any waiver of statutory
or regulatory provisions that the SEA
believes is necessary for the successful
operation of charter schools in the State;
and
(vii) Describe how charter schools that
are considered to be LEAs under State
law and LEAs in which charter schools
are located will comply with sections
613(a)(5) and 613(e)(1)(B) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act.
2. Selection Criteria: The selection
criteria for this competition are from 20
U.S.C. 7221c and 34 CFR 75.210 of
EDGAR and the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2010, Division D,
Title III, Public Law 111–117. The
Department anticipates that selection
criteria similar to that in the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010,
Division D, Title III, Public Law 111–
117 will be included in the fiscal year
2011 appropriations act. The selection
criteria are as follows:
SEAs that propose to use a portion of
their grant funds for dissemination
activities must address each selection
criterion (i) through (vii) individually
and title each accordingly. SEAs that do
not propose to use a portion of their
grant funds for dissemination activities
must address selection criteria (i)
through (v) and (vii) only. SEAs that do
not address criterion (vi) because they
are not proposing to use a portion of
their grant funds for dissemination
activities will not be penalized. The
maximum possible score (based on the
selection criteria and not including the
competitive preference priorities) is 100
points for SEAs that do not propose to
use grant funds to support
dissemination activities and 110 points
for SEAs that propose to use grant funds
to support dissemination activities. The
maximum possible score for each
criterion is indicated in parentheses
following the criterion. The Notes
following the selection criteria are
guidance to help applicants in preparing
their applications and are not required
by statute or regulation. However, we
encourage applicants to consider those
Notes in responding to the selection
criteria.
(i) The contribution the charter
schools grant program will make in
assisting educationally disadvantaged
and other students in meeting State
academic content standards and State
student academic achievement
standards (20 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the
applicant to provide a description of the
objectives for the SEA’s charter school grant
program and to explain how these objectives
will be met, including steps that will be
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taken by the SEA to inform teachers, parents,
and communities of the SEA’s charter school
grant program and how the SEA will
disseminate best or promising practices of
charter schools to each LEA in the State.
(ii) The degree of flexibility afforded
by the SEA to charter schools under the
State’s charter school law (20 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the
applicant to describe how the State’s charter
school law establishes an administrative
relationship between charter schools and the
authorized public chartering agency and
exempts charter schools from significant
State or local rules that inhibit the flexible
operation and management of public schools.
The Secretary also encourages the
applicant to describe the degree of
autonomy charter schools in the State
exercise over such matters as the charter
school’s budgets, expenditures, daily
operation, schedules, curricula, and
personnel in accordance with the State’s
charter school law.
(iii) The number of high-quality
charter schools to be created in the State
(20 points).
Note: The Secretary considers the SEA’s
reasonable estimate of the number of new
high-quality charter schools that will be
authorized and opened in the State during
the project period.
The Secretary encourages the
applicant to describe, in detail, its
charter school subgrant application and
peer review processes, how the peer
review process will assess quality, and
how the SEA will ensure that only highquality charter school applicants (as
defined by the applicant) are selected
for funding. States that have received
grants under this program previously
are invited to provide data on the
percentages of eligible applicants that
were awarded subgrants and how this
percentage related to the overall quality
of applicants funded.
(iv) Quality of the management plan.
In determining the quality of the
management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers (a) the
adequacy of the management plan to
achieve the objectives of the proposed
project on time and within budget,
including clearly defined
responsibilities, timelines, and
milestones for accomplishing project
tasks; and (b) how the SEA will inform
each charter school in the State about
Federal funds the charter school is
eligible to receive and ensure that each
charter school in the State receives the
school’s commensurate share of Federal
education funds that are allocated by
formula each year, including during the
first year of operation of the school and
during a year in which the school’s
enrollment expands significantly (20
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U.S.C. 7221b(b)(2)(A) and (B) and
7221e(a)) (10 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the
applicant to describe any compliance issues
or findings related to the CSP that have been
identified in an audit or other monitoring
review, as well as the steps taken to address
such compliance issues or findings.
(v) The SEA’s plan to monitor and
hold accountable authorized public
chartering agencies through such
activities as providing technical
assistance or establishing a professional
development program, which may
include providing authorized public
chartering agency staff with training and
assistance on planning and systems
development, so as to improve the
capacity of those agencies to authorize,
monitor, and hold accountable charter
schools (20 points). Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2010, Division D,
Title III, Public Law 111–117.
(vi) In the case of SEAs that propose
to use grant funds to support
dissemination activities under section
5204(f)(6)(B) of the ESEA, the quality of
the dissemination activities (5 points)
and the likelihood that those activities
will improve student academic
achievement (5 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the
applicant to describe the steps to be taken by
the SEA to award these funds to eligible
applicants, including a description of the
peer review process the SEA will use to
review applications for dissemination, the
timelines for awarding such funds, and how
the SEA will assess the quality of the
applications.
Applicants that have previously
awarded dissemination subgrants under
this program are encouraged to describe
the outcomes of such subgrants and to
identify any improvements to the
applicant’s processes for awarding and
administering dissemination subgrants.
(vii) Quality of the project evaluation.
In determining the quality of the
evaluation, the Secretary considers the
extent to which the methods of
evaluation include the use of objective
performance measures that are clearly
related to the intended outcomes of the
project and will produce quantitative
and qualitative data (10 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the
applicant to include a strong evaluation plan
in the application narrative and to use that
plan, as appropriate, to shape the
development of the project from the
beginning of the grant period. The Secretary
encourages the applicant to design the plan
so that it includes (a) benchmarks to monitor
progress toward specific project objectives
and (b) outcome measures to assess the
impact on teaching and learning or other
important outcomes for project participants.
In its plan, we encourage the applicant to
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identify the individual and/or organization
that will serve as the evaluator and to
describe the qualifications of the evaluator.
We also encourage the applicant to describe,
in its application, the evaluation design,
indicating: (1) The types of data that will be
collected; (2) when various types of data will
be collected; (3) the methods that will be
used; (4) the instruments that will be
developed and when; (5) how the data will
be analyzed; (6) when reports of results and
outcomes will be available; and (7) how the
applicant will use the information collected
through the evaluation to monitor progress of
the funded project and to provide
accountability information both about
success at the initial site and about effective
strategies for replication in other settings.
Applicants are encouraged to devote an
appropriate level of resources to project
evaluation.
3. Review and Selection Process: We
remind potential applicants that in
reviewing applications in any
discretionary grant competition, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR
75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
applicant in carrying out a previous
award, such as the applicant’s use of
funds, and compliance with grant
conditions. The Secretary may also
consider whether the applicant failed to
submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable
quality.
In addition, in making a competitive
grant award, the Secretary also requires
various assurances including those
applicable to Federal civil rights laws
that prohibit discrimination in programs
or activities receiving Federal financial
assistance from the Department of
Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4,
108.8, and 110.23).
4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR
74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may
impose special conditions on a grant if
the applicant or grantee is not
financially stable; has a history of
unsatisfactory performance; has a
financial or other management system
that does not meet the standards in 34
CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has
not fulfilled the conditions of a prior
grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
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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
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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: (a) If you apply for a
grant under this competition, you must
ensure that you have in place the
necessary processes and systems to
comply with the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
funding under the competition. This
does not apply if you have an exception
under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period,
you must submit a final performance
report, including financial information,
as directed by the Secretary. If you
receive a multi-year award, you must
submit an annual performance report
that provides the most current
performance and financial expenditure
information as directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary
may also require more frequent
performance reports under 34 CFR
75.720(c). For specific requirements on
reporting, please go to https://
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/
appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The goal of
the CSP is to support the creation and
development of a large number of highquality charter schools that are free from
State or local rules that inhibit flexible
operation, are held accountable for
enabling students to reach challenging
State performance standards, and are
open to all students. The Secretary has
set two performance indicators to
measure progress toward this goal: (1)
The number of charter schools in
operation around the Nation, and (2) the
percentage of fourth- and eighth-grade
charter school students who are
achieving at or above the proficient
level on State examinations in
mathematics and reading/language arts.
Additionally, the Secretary has
established the following measure to
examine the efficiency of the CSP:
Federal cost per student in
implementing a successful school
(defined as a school in operation for
three or more years).
All grantees will be expected to
submit an annual performance report
documenting their contribution in
assisting the Department in meeting
these performance measures.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award, the Secretary may
consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the
extent to which a grantee has made
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‘‘substantial progress toward meeting the
objectives in its approved application.’’
This consideration includes the review
of a grantee’s progress in meeting the
targets and projected outcomes in its
approved application, and whether the
grantee has expended funds in a manner
that is consistent with its approved
application and budget. In making a
continuation grant, the Secretary also
considers whether the grantee is
operating in compliance with the
assurances in its approved application,
including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit
discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance
from the Department (34 CFR 100.4,
104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
6. Project Director’s Meeting:
Applicants approved for funding under
this competition must attend a two-day
meeting for project directors at a
location to be determined in the
continental United States during each
year of the project. Applicants may
include the cost of attending this
meeting in their proposed budgets.
VII. Agency Contacts
For Further Information Contact:
Leslie Hankerson, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 4W249, Washington, DC 20202–
5970. Telephone: (202) 205–8524 or by
e-mail: Leslie.Hankerson@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll
free, at 1–800–877–8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with
disabilities can obtain this document
and a copy of the application package in
an accessible format (e.g., braille, large
print, audiotape, or computer diskette)
on request to the program contact
person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT of section VII in
this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document:
You can view this document, as well as
all other documents of this Department
published in the Federal Register, in
text or Adobe Portable Document
Format (PDF) on the Internet at the
following site: https://www.ed.gov/news/
fedregister. To use PDF you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at this site.
Note: The official version of this document
is the document published in the Federal
Register. Free Internet access to the official
edition of the Federal Register and the Code
of Federal Regulations is available on GPO
Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 16 / Tuesday, January 25, 2011 / Notices
Dated: January 19, 2011.
James H. Shelton, III,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and
Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2011–1518 Filed 1–24–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
American Overseas Research Centers
(AORC) Program; Office of
Postsecondary Education; Overview
Information; American Overseas
Research Centers (AORC) Program;
Notice Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.274A.
Dates:
Applications Available: January 25,
2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: April 5, 2011.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: June 6, 2011.
Full Text of Announcement
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The American
Overseas Research Centers (AORC)
Program makes awards to any American
overseas research center that is a
consortium of institutions of higher
education to enable the center to
promote postgraduate research,
exchanges, and area studies.
AORC grants may be used to pay all
or a portion of the cost of establishing
or operating a center or program,
including the cost of operation and
maintenance of overseas facilities; the
cost of organizing and managing
conferences; the cost of teaching and
research materials; the cost of
acquisition, maintenance, and
preservation of library collections; the
cost of bringing visiting scholars and
faculty to the center to teach or to
conduct research; the cost of faculty and
staff stipends and salaries; the cost of
faculty, staff, and student travel; and the
cost of publication and dissemination of
materials for the scholarly and general
public.
Priorities: Under this competition we
are particularly interested in
applications that address the following
priority.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2011, this
priority is an invitational priority.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not
give an application that meets this
invitational priority a competitive or
absolute preference over other
applications.
This priority is:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:40 Jan 24, 2011
Jkt 223001
Applications that propose teaching or
research activities conducted by visiting
scholars and faculty in one of the
seventy-eight (78) languages selected
from the U.S. Department of Education’s
list of Less Commonly Taught
Languages (LCTLs): Akan (Twi-Fante),
Albanian, Amharic, Arabic (all dialects),
Armenian, Azeri (Azerbaijani), Balochi,
Bamanakan (Bamana, Bambara,
Mandikan, Mandingo, Maninka, Dyula),
Belarusian, Bengali (Bangla), Berber (all
languages), Bosnian, Bulgarian,
Burmese, Cebuano (Visayan), Chechen,
Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Gan),
Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Min),
Chinese (Wu), Croatian, Dari, Dinka,
Georgian, Gujarati, Hausa, Hebrew
(Modern), Hindi, Igbo, Indonesian,
Japanese, Javanese, Kannada, Kashmiri,
Kazakh, Khmer (Cambodian), Kirghiz,
Korean, Kurdish (Kurmanji), Kurdish
(Sorani), Lao, Malay (Bahasa Melayu or
Malaysian), Malayalam, Marathi,
Mongolian, Nepali, Oromo, Panjabi,
Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Polish,
Portuguese (all varieties), Quechua,
Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala
(Sinhalese), Somali, Swahili, Tagalog,
Tajik, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan,
Tigrigna, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian,
Urdu, Uyghur/Uigur, Uzbek,
Vietnamese, Wolof, Xhosa, Yoruba, and
Zulu.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1128a.
Applicable Regulations: The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,
85, 86, 97, 98 and 99.
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
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The
Administration has requested
$108,360,000 for the International
Education and Foreign Language
Studies: Domestic Programs, of which
we intend to allocate $1,400,000 for new
awards for this competition in FY 2011.
The actual level of funding, if any,
depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to
allow enough time to complete the grant
process, if Congress appropriates funds
for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards: $80,000–
$130,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$116,667.
Maximum Award: We will reject any
application that proposes a budget
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Frm 00053
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
exceeding $130,000 for a single budget
period of 12 months. The Assistant
Secretary for Postsecondary Education
may change the maximum amount
through a notice published in the
Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Any American
overseas research center that is a
consortium of institutions of higher
education that receives more than 50
percent of its funding from public or
private United States sources; has a
permanent presence in the country in
which the center is located; and is an
organization described in section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1993, which is exempt from taxation
under section 501(a) of the Code.
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: Carla White, U.S. Department
of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room
6084, Washington, DC 20006–8521.
Telephone: (202) 502–7631 or by e-mail:
carla.white@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at
1–800–877–8339.
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 program
contact person listed in this section.
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
program. Page Limit: The application
narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your
application. You must limit the
application narrative to the equivalent
of no more than 25 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. If you use
charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4322-4330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1518]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Charter Schools Program (CSP); Office of Innovation and
Improvement; Overview Information; Charter Schools Program (CSP): State
Educational Agencies Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for
Fiscal Year (FY) 2011
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.282A.
DATES:
Applications Available: January 25, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 18, 2011.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 17, 2011.
[[Page 4323]]
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the CSP is to increase national
understanding of the charter school model (1) by expanding the number
of high-quality charter schools available to students across the Nation
by providing financial assistance for the planning, program design, and
initial implementation of charter schools, and (2) by evaluating the
effects of charter schools, including their effects on students,
student academic achievement, staff, and parents. The Secretary awards
grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) on a competitive basis to
enable them to conduct charter school programs in their States. SEAs in
turn use their CSP funds to make subgrants to eligible applicants in
their State. These subgrants are used for planning, program design, and
initial implementation of a charter school, and to support the
dissemination of information about charter schools, including
successful practices demonstrated by charter schools.
Priorities and Definitions: This competition includes seven
competitive preference priorities, one invitational priority, and
definitions. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(1) and 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv), competitive preference priorities 1 through 4 are
from section 5202(e) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965, as amended (ESEA), 20 U.S.C. 7221a(e). Competitive preference
priorities 5 through 7 and the definitions for graduation rate, high-
poverty school, open educational resources, and rural local educational
agency are from the notice of final supplemental priorities and
definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal
Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486). The definitions for
developer and eligible applicant are from 20 U.S.C. 7221i.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2011 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards based on the list of unfunded applicants
from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an additional
50 points to an application, depending on how well the application
meets one or more of these priorities.
Note: In order to receive preference under priorities 1 through
7, an applicant must (a) Identify the priority or priorities that it
believes it meets; (b) describe, in detail, how it meets the
priority or priorities; and (c) provide documentation in support of
its claims, including citations and examples from its State's
charter school law, regulations, or policies. In order to receive
points for priority 1 or to receive points for priorities 2 through
4, an application must meet priority 1 and must meet one or more of
priorities 2 through 4.
An SEA that meets priority 1 but does not meet one or more of
priorities 2 through 4 will not receive any points for priorities 1
through 4.
An SEA that does not meet priority 1 but meets one or more of
priorities 2 through 4 will not receive any points for priorities 2
through 4.
The Notes following the competitive preference priorities are
guidance to assist applicants in responding to the priorities and are
not required by statute or regulation. However, we encourage applicants
to consider those Notes in responding to the priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Periodic Review and Evaluation
(up to 10 points). The State provides for periodic review and
evaluation by the authorized public chartering agency of each charter
school at least once every five years, unless required more frequently
by State law, to determine whether the charter school is meeting the
terms of the school's charter and is meeting or exceeding the student
academic achievement requirements and goals for charter schools as set
forth under State law or the school's charter.
Note: The Secretary invites the applicant to provide information
regarding whether the periodic review that takes place at least once
every five years includes a public vote on whether to terminate,
extend, or renew a school's charter and on whether a failure to
affirmatively renew or extend a school's charter during the periodic
review that takes place at least once every five years would result
in the charter school being closed.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Number of High-Quality Charter
Schools (up to 8 points). The State has demonstrated progress in
increasing the number of high-quality charter schools that are held
accountable in the terms of the schools' charters for meeting clear and
measurable objectives for the educational progress of the students
attending the schools, in the period prior to the period for which an
SEA applies for a grant under this competition.
Note: The Secretary invites the applicant to provide the
following information: (1) Its definition of ``high-quality charter
school''; (2) the number of ``high-quality charter schools'' in the
State and a description of how the rate has changed over the past
five years; and (3) the percentage of ``high-quality charter
schools'' in the State and a description of how the percentage has
changed over the past five years.
Competitive Preference Priority 3--One Authorized Public Chartering
Agency Other than a Local Educational Agency (LEA), or an Appeals
Process (5 points). The State--
(a) Provides for one authorized public chartering agency that is
not an LEA, such as a State chartering board, for each individual or
entity seeking to operate a charter school pursuant to State law; or
(b) In the case of a State in which LEAs are the only authorized
public chartering agencies, allows for an appeals process for the
denial of an application for a charter school.
Competitive Preference Priority 4--High Degree of Autonomy (up to 5
points). The State ensures that each charter school has a high degree
of autonomy over the charter school's budget and expenditures.
Competitive Preference Priority 5--Improving Achievement and High
School Graduation Rates (up to 12 points). Projects that are designed
to address one or more of the following priority areas:
(a) Accelerating learning and helping to improve high school
graduation rates (as defined in this notice) and college enrollment
rates for students in rural local educational agencies (as defined in
this notice) (up to 3 points).
(b) Accelerating learning and helping to improve high school
graduation rates (as defined in this notice) and college enrollment
rates for students with disabilities (up to 3 points).
(c) Accelerating learning and helping to improve high school
graduation rates (as defined in this notice) and college enrollment
rates for English learners (up to 3 points).
(d) Accelerating learning and helping to improve high school
graduation rates and college enrollment rates in high-poverty schools
(as defined in this notice) (up to 3 points).
Note: For each population of students for which the applicant is
seeking competitive priority points, the Secretary invites the
applicant to discuss the steps it would take to meet the priority.
For example, the applicant could describe any guidance or support it
would provide to charter school developers to assist such developers
in recruiting and providing high-quality services to students who
are members of the particular student populations(s); how it would
monitor charter schools in the State to ensure that they are taking
effective and active steps to recruit and enroll students who are
members of the particular student population(s); how it would
monitor charter schools in the State to ensure that students who are
members of the particular student population(s) are being served by
such schools; or how it would design its subgrant competition, which
may include the use of
[[Page 4324]]
preferences, to ensure that students who are members of the
particular student population(s) are being served at rates equal to
or greater than such students are being served in other schools in
the area.
Competitive Preference Priority 6--Promoting Diversity (up to 5
points). Projects that are designed to promote student diversity,
including racial and ethnic diversity, or avoid racial isolation.
Note: The Secretary invites the applicant to discuss how it
would design its subgrant competition to meet this priority.
Competitive Preference Priority 7-- Improving Productivity (up to 5
points). Projects that are designed to significantly increase
efficiency in the use of time, staff, money, or other resources while
improving student learning or other educational outcomes (i.e., outcome
per unit of resource). Such projects may include innovative and
sustainable uses of technology, modification of school schedules and
teacher compensation systems, use of open educational resources (as
defined in this notice), or other strategies.
Invitational Priority: Under this competition we are particularly
interested in applications that address the following priority. For FY
2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards based on the list
of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an
invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an
application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or
absolute preference over other applications. This priority is:
Support for Turnaround Schools.
The Secretary is particularly interested in projects that are
designed to turn around persistently low-performing schools by
providing support for one or both of the following types of activities:
(1) the creation of a charter school in coordination with an LEA in the
vicinity of one or more public schools closed as a consequence of the
LEA implementing a restructuring plan under section 1116(b)(8) of the
ESEA; or (2) the creation of a new charter school under the restart
model of intervention as described in the Final Requirements for School
Improvement Grants as Amended in January 2010 at (https://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/faq.html). Under the restart model of intervention, an LEA
converts a school into a charter school or closes and reopens a school
under a charter school operator, a charter management organization, or
an education management organization that has been selected through a
rigorous review process.
Note: For purposes of this invitational priority--
Charter management organization is a non-profit organization
that operates, manages, or oversees multiple charter schools by
centralizing or sharing certain functions and resources among
schools.
Educational management organization is an organization that
provides whole-school operation services.
Definitions
The following definitions are taken from the notice of final
supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant
programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR
78486) and the CSP authorizing statute (20 U.S.C. 7221).
Developer means an individual or group of individuals (including a
public or private non-profit organization), which may include teachers,
administrators and other school staff, parents, or other members of the
local community in which a charter school project will be carried out.
(20 U.S.C. 7221i(2)).
Eligible applicant means a developer that has (a) applied to an
authorized public chartering authority to operate a charter school; and
(b) provided adequate and timely notice to that authority under section
5203(d)(3) of the ESEA. (20 U.S.C. 7221i(3)).
Graduation rate means a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate
consistent with 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1) and may also include an extended-
year adjusted cohort graduation rate consistent with 34 CFR
200.19(b)(1)(v) if the State in which the proposed project is
implemented has been approved by the Secretary to use such a rate under
Title I of the ESEA. (75 FR 78509).
High-poverty school means a school in which at least 50 percent of
students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or in which at least 50
percent of students are from low-income families as determined using
one of the criteria specified under section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA. For
middle and high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of
comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty
school under this definition is determined on the basis of the most
currently available data. (75 FR 78509).
Open educational resources (OER) means teaching, learning, and
research resources that reside in the public domain or have been
released under an intellectual property license that permits their free
use or repurposing by others. (75 FR 78509).
Rural local educational agency means an LEA that is eligible under
the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program or the Rural and Low-
Income School (RLIS) program authorized under Title VI, Part B of the
ESEA. Eligible applicants may determine whether a particular LEA is
eligible for these programs by referring to information on the
Department's Web site at https://www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/reap.html. (75 FR 78510).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7221-7221i; Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2010, Division D, Title III, Public Law 111-117.
Note: The Department anticipates that an authority similar to
that in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, Division D, Title
III, Public Law 111-117 will be included in the fiscal year 2011
appropriations act.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 79,
80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99; (b) The notice of final
supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant
programs published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR
78486).
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: We estimate that between $45,000,000 and
$62,000,000 will be available for new awards for this program for FY
2011. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final
congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow
enough time to complete the grant process, if Congress appropriates
funds for this program.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications we may make additional awards later in FY 2011 and in FY
2012 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000-$15,000,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $5,000,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 7-12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice. The estimated range, size, and number of awards are based on
a single 12-month budget period. However, the Department may choose
to fund more than 12 months of a project using the FY 2011 funds.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Note: Planning and implementation subgrants awarded by an SEA to
non-SEA eligible applicants will be awarded for a period of up to
three years, no more than 18 months of which may be used for
planning
[[Page 4325]]
and program design and no more than two years of which may be used
for the initial implementation of a charter school. Dissemination
subgrants are awarded for a period of up to two years.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs in States with a State statute
specifically authorizing the establishment of charter schools.
Note: Non-SEA eligible applicants in States in which the SEA
elects not to participate in or does not have an application
approved under the CSP may apply for funding directly from the
Department. The Department plans to hold a separate competition for
non-SEA eligible applicants under CFDA numbers 84.282B and 84.282C.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Leslie Hankerson, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W249,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 205-8524 or by e-mail:
Leslie.Hankerson@ed.gov. If you use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-
877-8339.
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 program contact person listed
in this section.
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.
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. The Secretary strongly
encourages applicants to limit Part III to the equivalent of no 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.
The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover
sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of
support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in
Part III.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: January 25, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 18, 2011.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). 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
in 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: May 17, 2011.
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: The following funding restrictions apply
to this competition:
Use of Funds for Post-Award Planning and Design of the Educational
Program and Initial Implementation of the Charter School. A non-SEA
eligible applicant receiving a subgrant under this program may use the
subgrant funds only for--
(a) Post-award planning and design of the educational program,
which may include (i) refinement of the desired educational results and
of the methods for measuring progress toward achieving those results;
and (ii) professional development of teachers and other staff who will
work in the charter school; and
(b) Initial implementation of the charter school, which may include
(i) informing the community about the school; (ii) acquiring necessary
equipment and educational materials and supplies; (iii) acquiring or
developing curriculum materials; and (iv) other initial operational
costs that cannot be met from State or local sources. (20 U.S.C.
7221c(f)(3))
Use of Funds for Dissemination Activities. An SEA may reserve not
more than 10 percent of its grant funds to support dissemination
activities (20 U.S.C. 7221c(f)(1)). A charter school may use those
funds to assist other schools in adapting the charter school's program
(or certain aspects of the charter school's program) or to disseminate
information about the charter school through such activities as--
(a) Assisting other individuals with the planning and start-up of
one or more new public schools, including charter schools, that are
independent of the assisting charter school and the assisting charter
school's developers and that agree to be held to at least as high a
level of accountability as the assisting charter school;
(b) Developing partnerships with other public schools, including
charter schools, designed to improve student academic achievement in
each of the schools participating in the partnership;
(c) Developing curriculum materials, assessments, and other
materials that promote increased student achievement and are based on
successful practices within the assisting charter school; and
(d) Conducting evaluations and developing materials that document
the successful practices of the assisting charter school and that are
designed to improve student achievement (20 U.S.C. 7221c(f)(6)(B)(i)
through (iv)).
Award Basis. In determining whether to approve a grant award and
the amount of such award, the Department will consider, among other
things, the amount of any unobligated carryover funds the applicant has
under an existing CSP grant and the applicant's performance and use of
funds under a previous or existing award under any Department program
(34 CFR 75.233(b) and 75.217(d)(3)(ii)). In assessing applicant's
performance and use of funds under a previous or existing award the
Secretary will consider, among other things, the outcomes the applicant
has achieved and the results
[[Page 4326]]
of any Departmental grant monitoring, as well as an applicant's
progress in remedying any deficiencies identified in such monitoring.
We reference additional 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, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
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 3-Step Registration Guide (see https://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition 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 CSP, CFDA number 84.282A, must be
submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site
at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a
copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload
and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a
grant application to us.
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.
You may access the electronic grant application for the CSP at
https://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application
package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the
CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.326, not
84.326A).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5
system home page at https://www.G5.gov.
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 .PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a
file type other than a .PDF 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.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
[[Page 4327]]
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether
your application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
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 the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; 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
prevent 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: Leslie Hankerson, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W249,
Washington, DC 20202-5970.
FAX: (202) 205-8524.
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.
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:
84.282A, 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:
84.282A, 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.
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 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. Application Requirements: Applicants applying for CSP grant
funds must address the following application requirements, which are
based on 20 U.S.C. 7221b(b) and 7221c(f), and the selection criteria
described in this notice. An applicant may choose to respond to the
application requirements in the context of its responses to the
selection criteria.
(i) Describe the objectives of the SEA's charter school grant
program and how these objectives will be fulfilled, including steps
taken by the SEA to inform teachers, parents, and communities of the
SEA's charter school grant program;
(ii) Describe how the SEA will inform each charter school in the
State about Federal funds the charter school is eligible to receive and
Federal programs in which the charter school may participate;
(iii) Describe how the SEA will ensure that each charter school in
the State receives the school's commensurate share of Federal education
funds that are allocated by formula each year, including during the
first year of operation of the school and a year in which the school's
enrollment expands significantly;
(iv) Describe how the SEA will disseminate best or promising
practices of charter schools to each LEA in the State;
(v) If an SEA elects to reserve part of its grant funds (no more
than 10 percent) for the establishment of a revolving loan fund,
describe how the revolving loan fund would operate;
(vi) If an SEA desires the Secretary to consider waivers under the
authority of
[[Page 4328]]
the CSP, include a request and justification for any waiver of
statutory or regulatory provisions that the SEA believes is necessary
for the successful operation of charter schools in the State; and
(vii) Describe how charter schools that are considered to be LEAs
under State law and LEAs in which charter schools are located will
comply with sections 613(a)(5) and 613(e)(1)(B) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act.
2. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 20 U.S.C. 7221c and 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, Division D, Title III, Public
Law 111-117. The Department anticipates that selection criteria similar
to that in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, Division D, Title
III, Public Law 111-117 will be included in the fiscal year 2011
appropriations act. The selection criteria are as follows:
SEAs that propose to use a portion of their grant funds for
dissemination activities must address each selection criterion (i)
through (vii) individually and title each accordingly. SEAs that do not
propose to use a portion of their grant funds for dissemination
activities must address selection criteria (i) through (v) and (vii)
only. SEAs that do not address criterion (vi) because they are not
proposing to use a portion of their grant funds for dissemination
activities will not be penalized. The maximum possible score (based on
the selection criteria and not including the competitive preference
priorities) is 100 points for SEAs that do not propose to use grant
funds to support dissemination activities and 110 points for SEAs that
propose to use grant funds to support dissemination activities. The
maximum possible score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses
following the criterion. The Notes following the selection criteria are
guidance to help applicants in preparing their applications and are not
required by statute or regulation. However, we encourage applicants to
consider those Notes in responding to the selection criteria.
(i) The contribution the charter schools grant program will make in
assisting educationally disadvantaged and other students in meeting
State academic content standards and State student academic achievement
standards (20 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to provide a
description of the objectives for the SEA's charter school grant
program and to explain how these objectives will be met, including
steps that will be taken by the SEA to inform teachers, parents, and
communities of the SEA's charter school grant program and how the
SEA will disseminate best or promising practices of charter schools
to each LEA in the State.
(ii) The degree of flexibility afforded by the SEA to charter
schools under the State's charter school law (20 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to describe how
the State's charter school law establishes an administrative
relationship between charter schools and the authorized public
chartering agency and exempts charter schools from significant State
or local rules that inhibit the flexible operation and management of
public schools.
The Secretary also encourages the applicant to describe the degree
of autonomy charter schools in the State exercise over such matters as
the charter school's budgets, expenditures, daily operation, schedules,
curricula, and personnel in accordance with the State's charter school
law.
(iii) The number of high-quality charter schools to be created in
the State (20 points).
Note: The Secretary considers the SEA's reasonable estimate of
the number of new high-quality charter schools that will be
authorized and opened in the State during the project period.
The Secretary encourages the applicant to describe, in detail, its
charter school subgrant application and peer review processes, how the
peer review process will assess quality, and how the SEA will ensure
that only high-quality charter school applicants (as defined by the
applicant) are selected for funding. States that have received grants
under this program previously are invited to provide data on the
percentages of eligible applicants that were awarded subgrants and how
this percentage related to the overall quality of applicants funded.
(iv) Quality of the management plan. In determining the quality of
the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers
(a) the adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of
the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks; and (b) how the SEA will inform each charter school in
the State about Federal funds the charter school is eligible to receive
and ensure that each charter school in the State receives the school's
commensurate share of Federal education funds that are allocated by
formula each year, including during the first year of operation of the
school and during a year in which the school's enrollment expands
significantly (20 U.S.C. 7221b(b)(2)(A) and (B) and 7221e(a)) (10
points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to describe any
compliance issues or findings related to the CSP that have been
identified in an audit or other monitoring review, as well as the
steps taken to address such compliance issues or findings.
(v) The SEA's plan to monitor and hold accountable authorized
public chartering agencies through such activities as providing
technical assistance or establishing a professional development
program, which may include providing authorized public chartering
agency staff with training and assistance on planning and systems
development, so as to improve the capacity of those agencies to
authorize, monitor, and hold accountable charter schools (20 points).
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, Division D, Title III, Public
Law 111-117.
(vi) In the case of SEAs that propose to use grant funds to support
dissemination activities under section 5204(f)(6)(B) of the ESEA, the
quality of the dissemination activities (5 points) and the likelihood
that those activities will improve student academic achievement (5
points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to describe the
steps to be taken by the SEA to award these funds to eligible
applicants, including a description of the peer review process the
SEA will use to review applications for dissemination, the timelines
for awarding such funds, and how the SEA will assess the quality of
the applications.
Applicants that have previously awarded dissemination subgrants
under this program are encouraged to describe the outcomes of such
subgrants and to identify any improvements to the applicant's processes
for awarding and administering dissemination subgrants.
(vii) Quality of the project evaluation. In determining the quality
of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the extent to which the
methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance measures
that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and
will produce quantitative and qualitative data (10 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to include a
strong evaluation plan in the application narrative and to use that
plan, as appropriate, to shape the development of the project from
the beginning of the grant period. The Secretary encourages the
applicant to design the plan so that it includes (a) benchmarks to
monitor progress toward specific project objectives and (b) outcome
measures to assess the impact on teaching and learning or other
important outcomes for project participants. In its plan, we
encourage the applicant to
[[Page 4329]]
identify the individual and/or organization that will serve as the
evaluator and to describe the qualifications of the evaluator. We
also encourage the applicant to describe, in its application, the
evaluation design, indicating: (1) The types of data that will be
collected; (2) when various types of data will be collected; (3) the
methods that will be used; (4) the instruments that will be
developed and when; (5) how the data will be analyzed; (6) when
reports of results and outcomes will be available; and (7) how the
applicant will use the information collected through the evaluation
to monitor progress of the funded project and to provide
accountability information both about success at the initial site
and about effective strategies for replication in other settings.
Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level of
resources to project evaluation.
3. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, and compliance with grant conditions. The
Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a
timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable
quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
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: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The goal of the CSP is to support the
creation and development of a large number of high-quality charter
schools that are free from State or local rules that inhibit flexible
operation, are held accountable for enabling students to reach
challenging State performance standards, and are open to all students.
The Secretary has set two performance indicators to measure progress
toward this goal: (1) The number of charter schools in operation around
the Nation, and (2) the percentage of fourth- and eighth-grade charter
school students who are achieving at or above the proficient level on
State examinations in mathematics and reading/language arts.
Additionally, the Secretary has established the following measure to
examine the efficiency of the CSP: Federal cost per student in
implementing a successful school (defined as a school in operation for
three or more years).
All grantees will be expected to submit an annual performance
report documenting their contribution in assisting the Department in
meeting these performance measures.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
6. Project Director's Meeting: Applicants approved for funding
under this competition must attend a two-day meeting for project
directors at a location to be determined in the continental United
States during each year of the project. Applicants may include the cost
of attending this meeting in their proposed budgets.
VII. Agency Contacts
For Further Information Contact: Leslie Hankerson, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W249, Washington, DC
20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 205-8524 or by e-mail:
Leslie.Hankerson@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT of section VII in this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: https://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister. To
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at
this site.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/.
[[Page 4330]]
Dated: January 19, 2011.
James H. Shelton, III,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2011-1518 Filed 1-24-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P