Applications for New Awards; School Climate Transformation Grant Program-Local Educational Agency Grants, 26226-26233 [2014-10497]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 88 (Wednesday, May 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26226-26233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10497]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; School Climate Transformation Grant 
Program--Local Educational Agency Grants

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:
    School Climate Transformation Grant Program--Local Educational 
Agency Grants.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2014.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.184G.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: May 7, 2014.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 23, 2014.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 20, 2014.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The School Climate Transformation Grant 
Program--Local Educational Agency Grants provides competitive grants to 
local educational agencies (LEAs) to develop, enhance, or expand 
systems of support for, and technical assistance to, schools 
implementing an evidence-based multi-tiered behavioral framework for 
improving behavioral outcomes and learning conditions for all students.
    Background:
    Although schools have long attempted to address issues of 
discipline, disruptive and problem behavior, violence, and bullying, 
the vast majority of our Nation's schools have not implemented 
comprehensive, effective supports that address the full range of 
students' social, emotional, and behavioral needs.\1\
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    \1\ Horner, R., Sugai, G., and Vincent, C. (2005). School-wide 
Positive Behavior Support: Investing in student success. Impact: 
Feature Issue on Fostering Success in School and Beyond for Students 
with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders. Retrieved from: https://ici.umn.edu.
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    A report issued by the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of 
Education following the Columbine shooting found that one of the most 
effective ways schools can reduce violence and bullying is to improve a 
school's climate and thereby increase trust and communication between 
students and staff.\2\ Research demonstrates that the implementation of 
an evidence-based, multi-tiered behavioral framework, such as positive 
behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), can help improve overall 
school climate and safety.\3\ A key aspect of this multi-tiered 
approach is providing differing levels of support and interventions to 
students based on their needs. Certain supports involve the whole 
school (e.g., consistent rules, consequences, and reinforcement of 
appropriate behavior), with more intensive supports for groups of 
students exhibiting at-risk behavior and individualized services for 
students who continue to exhibit troubling behavior.
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    \2\ Borum, R., Fein, R., Modzeleski, W., Pollack, W., Reddy, M., 
Vossekuil, B., Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing 
Threatening Situations and Creating Safe School Climates, 2002.
    \3\ Bradshaw, C., Koth, C.W., Thornton, L.A., & Leaf, P.J. 
(2009). Altering school climate through school-wide Positive 
Behavioral Interventions and Supports: Findings from a group-
randomized effectiveness trial. Prevention Science.
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    When a multi-tiered behavioral framework has been implemented with 
fidelity, studies have found the following statistically significant 
results: An increase in perceived school safety, reductions in overall 
problem behaviors, reductions in bullying behaviors,\4\ and reductions 
in office discipline referrals and suspensions.\5\ Studies have also 
found a correlation between the use of multi-tiered behavioral 
frameworks and improved social skills.\6\ Emerging evidence also links 
implementing a multi-tiered behavioral framework with improved academic 
achievement.\7\ In

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addition to being effective, school-wide multi-tiered behavioral 
frameworks are attractive because they are designed to enhance the 
learning environment for all students while having additional supports 
in place for students who have greater social, emotional, and 
behavioral needs.
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    \4\ Bradshaw, C., Goldweber, A., Leaf, P., Pasa, E., Rosenberg, 
M. (2012). Integrating school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions 
and Supports with tier 2 coaching to student support teams: The 
PBISplus model. Advances in School Mental Health Promotion.
    \5\ Bradshaw, C., Leaf, P., Mitchell, M. (2009). Examining the 
effects of schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports 
on student outcomes: Results from a randomized controlled 
effectiveness trial in elementary schools. Journal of Positive 
Behavior Interventions.
    \6\ Barrett, S.B., Bradshaw, C.P. & Lewis-Palmer, T. (2008). 
Maryland statewide PBIS initiative: Systems, evaluation, and next 
steps. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.
    \7\ McIntosh, K., Bennett, J.L., & Price, K. (2011). Evaluation 
of social and academic effects of school-wide positive behaviour 
support in a Canadian school district. Exceptionality Education 
International.
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    Under this program, grant funds will help LEAs develop and adopt, 
or expand to more schools, a multi-tiered behavioral framework that 
guides the selection, integration, and implementation of the best 
evidence-based behavioral practices for improving school climate and 
behavioral outcomes for all students.
    In 2013, the President proposed a comprehensive plan, ``Now is the 
Time,'' to protect our children and communities by reducing gun 
violence, making schools safer, and increasing access to mental health 
services.\8\ The School Climate Transformation Grant Program is one of 
several Federal programs designed to work together to help make schools 
safer and improve mental health services for students and young adults. 
The Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice 
are implementing coordinated programs consistent with the initiative 
and the FY 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration (SAMHSA) is implementing the Administration's 
``Now is the Time'' Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in 
Education), which provides grants to LEAs and SEAs to increase 
awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth. Project 
AWARE grants provide funding to support training in detection and 
response to mental illness in youth for adults who interact with youth 
in school and community settings. The Department of Justice, under the 
School Justice Collaboration Program: Keeping Kids in School and Out of 
Court, will also be awarding competitive grants to juvenile and family 
courts in communities that receive School Climate Transformation Grants 
to facilitate collaboration around the use of evidence-based positive 
behavior strategies to increase school safety and reduce suspensions, 
expulsions and referrals to court. The Department of Education is 
implementing SEA and LEA School Climate Transformation Grants to allow 
States and LEAs to develop, enhance, or expand systems of support for, 
and technical assistance to, schools implementing evidence-based multi-
tiered behavior frameworks for improving behavioral outcomes and 
learning conditions for all students.
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    \8\ See the President's ``Now is the Time'' Plan at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/wh_now_is_the_time_full.pdf.
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    LEAs that implement this suite of programs as part of a coordinated 
strategy will enhance their ability to achieve the goals and objectives 
of the various programs. The combination and coordination of these 
programs will facilitate interagency partnerships and strategies to 
address the issues of school climate, school safety, and mental health 
needs in a comprehensive manner.
    This notice invites LEAs to apply for grants under the School 
Climate Transformation Grant Program. A notice inviting applications 
from SEAs is published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
    Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority and two 
competitive preference priorities. We are establishing the absolute 
priority and competitive preference priority 1 for the FY 2014 grant 
competition, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the 
list of unfunded applicants from this competition, in accordance with 
section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 
U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Competitive preference priority 2 is from the notice 
of final priority for Promise Zones that was published in the Federal 
Register on March 27, 2014 (79 FR 17035).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2014 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, 
this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we 
consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Grants to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to Implement Multi-
Tiered Behavioral Frameworks to Improve School Climate.
    Under this priority, we provide grants to LEAs to develop, enhance, 
or expand systems of support for, and provide technical assistance to, 
schools within the LEA implementing a multi-tiered behavioral framework 
to improve school climate and behavioral outcomes for all students.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2014 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from 
this competition, these priorities are competitive preference 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(1) we award up to an additional 5 
points to an application, depending on how well the applicant meets 
competitive preference priority 1, and an additional 5 points to an 
application that meets competitive preference priority 2. Therefore, 
the maximum number of competitive preference points that an application 
can receive under this competition is 10 points.

    Note:  Applicants may address either of the competitive 
preference priorities or both. An applicant must clearly identify in 
the abstract section of its application the competitive preference 
priority or priorities it wishes the Department to consider. The 
Department will not review or award points under any competitive 
preference priority for any application that fails to do so.

    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Coordination with Other Related 
Activities (0-5 points).
    Under this priority, we provide additional points to an applicant 
based on the application's description of a credible, high-quality plan 
to coordinate activities that would be funded under this competition 
with related activities that are funded through other available 
resources in such a manner as to enhance the overall impact of the 
multi-tiered behavioral frameworks implemented through a School Climate 
Transformation grant. The coordination may be with related activities 
that are currently in progress, such as the SAMHSA's Safe and Healthy 
Students program (CFDA 93.243) and HHS's Health Resources Services 
Administration's Center for School Mental Health (Project U45 MC 
00174); as well as with related activities that would be conducted 
under other programs for which the applicant is currently seeking 
funding, such as the Mental Health First Aid program being funded by 
SAMHSA under the Project AWARE Local Educational Agency Grants and the 
School Justice Collaboration Program: Keeping Kids in School and Out of 
Court being funded by the Department of Justice.
    The plan must also describe how, in the event and to the extent an 
applicant does not receive the funding that it seeks from other sources 
to support such related activities, the applicant will adjust its 
proposed coordination strategies. Applicants that receive additional 
competitive preference points under this priority and who are 
ultimately awarded a School Climate Transformation grant must finalize 
the high-quality plan described in response to this priority post-
award.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2--Promise Zones (5 points).

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    Projects that are designed to serve and coordinate with a federally 
designated Promise Zone.

    Note:  Applicants should submit a letter from the lead entity of 
a designated Promise Zone attesting to the contribution that the 
proposed activities would make, and supporting the application. A 
list of designated Promise Zones and lead organizations can be found 
at www.hud.gov/promisezones.

Program Requirements

    Each grantee must implement a plan that:
    (a) Builds capacity for implementing a sustained, school-wide 
multi-tiered behavioral framework by:
    (1) Improving the skills of school personnel to organize the 
components of a multi-tiered behavioral framework, such as discipline 
policies, funding, professional development, coaching, and interagency 
coordination for providing services;
    (2) Developing a cadre of trained and experienced staff to provide 
training and ongoing coaching to school leadership teams on the multi-
tiered behavioral framework; and
    (3) Improving the quality, accessibility, and usefulness of 
individual school and LEA data collection and analysis.
    (b) Enhances capacity by providing training and technical 
assistance to schools on:
    (1) Developing or improving the quality, accessibility, and 
usefulness of data collection, using applications such as the School 
Wide Information System (SWIS) or similar information systems and data-
based decision making;
    (2) Improving the skills and expertise of school personnel to 
develop, implement, and sustain a multi-tiered behavioral framework;
    (3) Using evidence-based practices and reliable and valid tools and 
processes for evaluating the fidelity of implementation of the multi-
tiered behavioral framework, as well as for measuring its outcomes, 
including reductions in discipline referrals, suspensions, expulsions, 
and the use of restraints and seclusion; improvements in school 
climate; increases in instructional time; and improvement in overall 
academic achievement;
    (4) Developing and implementing a process to review and update 
student codes of conduct, based in part on both internal and community 
input, to support the implementation of a multi-tiered behavioral 
framework; and
    (5) Coordinating school efforts with appropriate Federal, State and 
local resources.
    (c) Includes an assurance that the applicant will work with a 
technical assistance provider, such as the PBIS Technical Assistance 
Center funded by the Department, to ensure that technical assistance 
related to implementing program activities is provided.
    (d) Includes an LEA-wide assessment to determine whether there has 
been any disproportionate discipline of minority students or students 
with disabilities.
    (e) Provides for the development (during the grant period) of a 
detailed plan that will promote fair and effective disciplinary 
practices, based on data from the LEA-wide assessment.

Application Requirements

    Applicants must meet the following requirements. Applications that 
fail to meet any of these requirements will not be read or scored.
    The applicant must:
    (a) Describe the current LEA efforts to implement, as well as 
existing need to implement, scale-up, and sustain a multi-tiered 
behavioral framework. The applicant must also present data 
demonstrating this need, including, but not limited to, the number of 
schools in the LEA that are currently implementing a multi-tiered 
behavioral framework and want to scale-up or sustain it and the number 
of schools in the LEA that are interested in implementing a multi-
tiered behavioral framework;
    (b) Describe its plan to develop, improve, or enhance the capacity 
of the LEA and individual schools to provide effective training, 
technical assistance, and support to schools and staff on implementing 
a multi-tiered behavioral framework, including how the applicant will 
assess an individual school's readiness to implement or enhance a 
multi-tiered behavioral framework.
    (c) Describe how the proposed project will address the needs of 
high-need schools. High-need schools may include high-poverty schools 
(as defined in this notice), low-performing schools (as defined in this 
notice), persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in this 
notice), and priority schools (as defined in this notice).
    (d) Explain how its efforts to implement, expand, and sustain a 
multi-tiered behavioral framework will be linked to other school 
safety, school improvement, and school reform efforts.
    Definitions. We are establishing the definitions of ``low-
performing school,'' ``multi-tiered behavioral framework,'' and 
``priority school'' in this notice for the FY 2014 grant competition 
and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 
437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). The definitions of ``high-
poverty school'' and ``persistently lowest-achieving schools'' 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) and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 
27637). The definitions of ``ambitious'' and ``baseline data'' are from 
34 CFR 77.1.
    Ambitious means promoting continued, meaningful improvement for 
program participants or for other individuals or entities affected by 
the grant, or representing a significant advancement in the field of 
education research, practices, or methodologies. When used to describe 
a performance target, whether a performance target is ambitious depends 
upon the context of the relevant performance measure and the baseline 
for that measure.
    Baseline data means the starting point from which performance is 
measured and targets are set.
    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.
    Low-performing school means a school that is in the bottom 10 
percent of performance in the State, or that has significant 
achievement gaps, based on student academic performance in reading/
language arts and mathematics on the assessments required under the 
ESEA, or graduation rate gaps.
    Multi-tiered behavioral framework means a school-wide structure 
used to improve the integration and implementation of behavioral 
practices, data-driven decision-making systems, professional 
development opportunities, school leadership, supportive SEA and LEA 
policies, and evidence-based instructional strategies.
    Persistently lowest-achieving schools means, as determined by the 
State--
    (a)(1) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring that--
    (i) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools 
in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or the lowest-
achieving

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five Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is greater; or
    (ii) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 
34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years; 
and
    (2) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not 
receive, Title I funds that--
    (i) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools 
or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are 
eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of 
schools is greater; or
    (ii) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 
34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.
    (b) To identify the lowest-achieving schools, a State must take 
into account both--
    (i) The academic achievement of the ``all students'' group in a 
school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under section 
1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics 
combined; and
    (ii) The school's lack of progress on those assessments over a 
number of years in the ``all students'' group.

    Note:  The Department considers schools that are identified as 
Tier I or Tier II schools under the School Improvement Grants 
Program (see 75 FR 66363) as part of a State's approved FY 2009, FY 
2010, FY 2011, FY 2012, or FY 2013 application to be persistently 
lowest-achieving schools. A list of these Tier I and Tier II schools 
can be found on the Department's Web site at www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/.

    Priority school means a school that has been identified by the 
State as a priority school pursuant to the State's approved request for 
ESEA flexibility.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, definitions, and 
requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary 
to exempt from rulemaking requirements, regulations governing the first 
grant competition under a new or substantially revised program 
authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under 
the appropriation for Safe Schools and Citizenship Education in the 
Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2014, Title III of Division 
H of Public Law 113-76, and section 4121 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7131) 
and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely 
grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the 
absolute priority, competitive preference priority 1, the requirements 
and definitions under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. These priorities, 
definitions, and requirements will apply to the FY 2014 grant 
competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the 
list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131; the Department of Education 
Appropriations Act, 2014, Title III of Division H of Public Law 113-76.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 97, 98, and 99; the regulations in 34 CFR part 299. (b) The 
Education Department suspension and debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 
3485. (c) The notice of final priority for Promise Zones that was 
published in the Federal Register on March 27, 2014 (79 FR 17035).

    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: $23,625,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2015 and subsequent 
years from the list of unfunded applicants from the competition 
announced in this notice.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $750,000 per year for up to 
5 years.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $750,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change 
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 118.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs, or consortia of LEAs, as defined by 
section 9101(26) of the ESEA.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Participation by Private School Children and Teachers. Section 
9501 of the ESEA requires that SEAs, LEAs, or other entities receiving 
funds under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act provide 
for the equitable participation of private school children, their 
teachers, and other educational personnel in private schools located in 
geographic areas served by the grant recipient.
    In order to ensure that grant program activities address the needs 
of private school children, the applicant must engage in timely and 
meaningful consultation with appropriate private school officials 
during the design and development of the proposed program. This 
consultation must take place before the applicant makes any decision 
that affects the opportunities of eligible private school children, 
teachers, and other educational personnel to participate in grant 
program activities. Administrative direction and control over grant 
funds must remain with the grantee.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: ED Pubs, U.S. Department 
of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll 
free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), 
call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at 
its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.184G.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under 
Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
provide the project narrative to address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. The required budget and 
budget narrative will be provided in a separate section. 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,

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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 page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances 
and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, the 
bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the page limit does 
apply to all of the application narrative section.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that 
exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: May 7, 2014.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 23, 2014.
    Applications for grants under this program 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 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 20, 2014
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: Program funds may be used for costs 
related to training, technical assistance, and capacity building, in 
addition to other allowable costs. 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 System for Award Management: 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 System for Award 
Management (SAM) (formerly 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 SAM 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-to-two business days.
    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 SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by 
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal 
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, 
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number 
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note:  Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to 
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in 
Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through 
Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, 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 registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    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 at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

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 School Climate Transformation 
Grant Program--Local Educational Agency Grants, CFDA number 84.184G, 
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 email 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 School 
Climate Transformation Grant Program_Local Educational Agency Grants 
at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this competition by the CFDA numbers. Do not include the 
CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.184, not 
84.184G).
    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.

[[Page 26231]]

     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 upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) 
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not 
review that material. (Additional, detailed information on how to 
attach files is in the application instructions.)
     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 email. 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.
    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: Eve Birge, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E248, 
Washington, DC 20202. FAX: (202) 453-6742.
    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: 
CFDA Number 84.184G, 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.

[[Page 26232]]

    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

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

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
CFDA Number 84.184G, 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, 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. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and are listed in the application package.
    2. 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, achievement of project objectives, 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).
    3. 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); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your 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 www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures:
    (a) Program Performance Measures. The Department has established 
the following performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of 
the School Climate Transformation Grant Program--Local Educational 
Agency Grants:
    1. Number and percentage of schools that report an annual decrease 
in office disciplinary referrals.
    2. Number and percentage of schools that report an annual 
improvement in the attendance rate.
    3. Number and percentage of schools that report an annual decrease 
in suspensions and expulsions, including those related to possession or 
use of drugs or alcohol.
    4. Number and percentage of schools annually that are implementing 
the multi-tiered behavioral framework with fidelity.
    These measures constitute the Department's indicators of success 
for this program.
    (b) Project Performance Measures. The project performance measures 
are:
    1. Number and percentage of schools that report an annual decrease 
in office disciplinary referrals.
    2. Number and percentage of schools that report an annual 
improvement in the attendance rate.
    3. Number and percentage of schools that report an annual decrease 
in suspensions and expulsions, including those related to possession or 
use of drugs or alcohol.
    4. Number and percentage of schools annually that are implementing 
the multi-tiered behavioral framework with fidelity.
    (c) Baseline data. Applicants must provide baseline data (as 
defined in this notice) for each of the project performance measures 
listed in (b) and explain why each proposed baseline is valid; or, if 
the applicant has determined that there are no established baseline 
data for a particular performance measure, explain why there is no 
established baseline and explain how and when, during the project 
period, the applicant will establish a valid baseline for the 
performance measure.

[[Page 26233]]

    (d) Performance measure targets. In addition, the applicant must 
propose annual targets for the measures listed in paragraph (b) in 
their application. Applications must also provide the following 
information as directed CFR 75.110(b) and (c):
    (1) Why each proposed performance target is ambitious (as defined 
in this notice) yet achievable compared to the baseline for the 
performance measure.
    (2)(a) The data collection and reporting methods the applicant 
would use and why those methods are likely to yield reliable, valid, 
and meaningful performance data; and (b) the applicant's capacity to 
collect and report reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data, as 
evidenced by high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in 
other projects or research.

    Note: If the applicant does not have experience with collection 
and reporting of performance data through other projects or 
research, the applicant should provide other evidence of capacity to 
successfully carry out data collection and reporting for its 
proposed project.

    The reviewers of each application will score related selection 
criteria on the basis of how well an applicant has considered these 
measures in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) in conceptualizing the 
approach and evaluation of the project.
    All grantees must submit an annual performance report and final 
performance report with information that is responsive to these 
performance measures. The Department will consider this data in making 
annual continuation awards.
    Consistent with 34 CFR 75.591, grantees funded under this program 
shall comply with the requirements of any evaluation of the program 
conducted by the Department or an evaluator selected by the Department.
    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'' and the performance measurement and 
target requirements in the application notice. 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).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eve Birge, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E248, Washington, DC 20202-
6450. Telephone: (202) 453-6717 or by email: eve.birge@ed.gov.

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 compact disc) on request to 
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
in section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site 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). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: May 2, 2014.
Deborah S. Delisle,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2014-10497 Filed 5-6-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P