Application for New Awards; CSP Grants for National Leadership Activities, 40733-40741 [2014-16456]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 134 / Monday, July 14, 2014 / Notices
34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only
applications that meet one of these two
absolute priorities.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Application for New Awards; CSP
Grants for National Leadership
Activities
Office of Innovation and
Improvement, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Overview Information: CSP Grants for
National Leadership Activities Notice
inviting applications for new awards for
fiscal year (FY) 2015.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.282N.
DATES:
Applications Available: July 14, 2014.
Date of Pre-Application Webinar: July
22, 2014, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: September 12, 2014.
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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 by—
(1) Providing financial assistance for
the planning, program design, and
initial implementation of charter
schools;
(2) Evaluating the effects of charter
schools, including the effects on
students, student academic
achievement, staff, and parents;
(3) Expanding the number of highquality charter schools available to
students across the Nation; and
(4) Encouraging the States to provide
support to charter schools for facilities
financing in an amount that is more
commensurate with the amount the
States have typically provided for nonchartered public schools.
The purpose of the CSP Grants for
National Leadership Activities
competition is to support efforts by
eligible entities to improve the quality
of charter schools by providing
technical assistance and other types of
support on issues of national
significance and scope.
Priorities: This notice includes two
absolute priorities, two competitive
preference priorities, and one
invitational priority. The absolute,
competitive preference, and invitational
priorities are from the notice of final
priorities, requirements, and definitions
for this program published elsewhere in
this issue of the Federal Register.
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2015 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards based on the list of unfunded
applicants from this competition, these
priorities are absolute priorities. Under
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Note: Under the CSP Grants for National
Leadership Activities competition, each of
the two absolute priorities constitutes its own
funding category. The Secretary intends to
award grants under each absolute priority for
which applications of sufficient quality are
submitted.
An applicant for a CSP Grants for National
Leadership Activities grant must choose one
of the absolute priorities and cannot submit
an application under multiple absolute
priorities; an applicant must clearly indicate
in its application the priority under which it
is applying.
The absolute priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1—Improving
Efficiency through Economies of Scale.
This priority is for projects of national
significance and scope that promote
shared systems for acquiring goods or
services to achieve efficiencies in the
use of time, staff, money, services for
special populations, or other resources
for the purpose of creating, supporting,
and sustaining high-quality charter
schools (as defined in this notice).
An applicant addressing this priority
must apply as part of an existing or
proposed partnership or consortium that
includes two or more high-quality
charter schools, as defined in this
notice, and must include detailed
descriptions (including supporting
documentation) of the following:
(1) The proposed project activities of
the partnership or consortium and how
and to what extent the activities will
achieve efficiencies in the use of time,
staff, money, services for special
populations, or other resources related
to operating charter schools;
(2) The members or proposed
members of the partnership or
consortium, how the composition of this
partnership or consortium contributes to
achieving efficiencies, and the specific
activities each member or proposed
member will implement. Applicants
must demonstrate that members of the
existing or proposed partnership or
consortium are not affiliated exclusively
with a common network (e.g., a charter
management organization);
(3) How the proposed project
activities will help create charter
schools that demonstrate the capacity to
become high-quality charter schools,
support new charter schools to become
high-quality charter schools, and sustain
charter schools that are high-quality;
(4) How information about the
proposed project activities will be
disseminated primarily to charter
schools as the chief stakeholder group,
and secondarily to other stakeholders,
such as charter school support
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organizations, LEAs, and authorized
public chartering agencies, as
appropriate, at the charter school
national level (as defined in this notice);
(5) How the dissemination strategy
will include assembling a community of
practice (as defined in this notice) for
the stakeholder group(s) served; and
(6) The national significance of the
proposed project.
Absolute Priority 2—Improving
Accountability.
This priority is for projects of national
significance and scope that are designed
to improve authorized public chartering
agencies’ capacity to conduct rigorous
application reviews; monitor and
oversee charter schools using multiple
sources of data, including disaggregated
student data, and measurable
performance goals; close
underperforming schools; replicate and
expand high-performing schools;
maintain a portfolio of high-quality
charter schools; and evaluate and
disseminate information on the
performance of charter schools.
Applicants addressing this priority
must provide detailed descriptions
(including supporting documentation)
of the following:
(1) How the proposed project will
improve at the regional level (as defined
in this notice) or the national level (as
defined in this notice), authorized
public chartering agencies’ capacity to:
i. Approve only applications that
demonstrate capacity to create and
sustain high-quality charter schools (as
defined in this notice) and meet the
standards of a rigorous application
process and review;
ii. Monitor and oversee charter
schools through measurable
performance goals and multiple sources
of regularly collected academic and
operational performance data (using
financial data, disaggregated student
discipline data, and disaggregated
student performance data, including
metrics to assess educational equity for
students with disabilities, English
learners, and other students in need of
specialized services);
iii. Identify schools eligible for
renewal and those that should be
closed, through clear renewal and
revocation criteria; and
iv. Evaluate authorizer and portfolio
performance and disseminate
information on that performance;
(2) The applicant’s prior success in
improving, at the regional level (as
defined in this notice) or the national
level (as defined in this notice),
authorized public chartering agencies’
capacity to:
i. Approve only applications that
demonstrate the capacity to create and
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sustain high-quality charter schools (as
defined in this notice) and meet the
standards of a rigorous application
process and review;
ii. Monitor and oversee charter
schools through measurable
performance goals and multiple sources
of regularly collected academic and
operational performance data (using
financial data, disaggregated student
discipline data, and disaggregated
student performance data, including
metrics to assess educational equity for
students with disabilities, English
learners, and other students in need of
specialized services);
iii. Identify schools eligible for
renewal and those that should be
closed, through clear renewal and
revocation criteria; and
iv. Evaluate authorizer and portfolio
performance and disseminate
information on that performance;
(3) How dissemination activities focus
on authorized public chartering
agencies as the primary stakeholder
group, and secondarily on other
stakeholders, such as charter school
support organizations or charter
schools, as appropriate, at the charter
school national level (as defined in this
notice);
(4) How the dissemination strategy
will include assembling a community of
practice (as defined in this notice) for
the stakeholder group(s) served; and
(5) The national significance of the
proposed project.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For
FY 2015 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 will award up
to an additional five points to an
application that addresses Competitive
Preference Priority 1 and up to an
additional five points to an application
that addresses Competitive Preference
Priority 2, depending on how well the
application addresses each of the
priorities. The maximum total
competitive preference points an
application can receive for this
competition is 10.
Note: In order to receive preference under
these competitive preference priorities, the
applicant must identify the priority or
priorities that it is addressing and provide
documentation supporting that the identified
competitive preference priority or priorities
are met.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1—
Students with Disabilities. (Up to 5
points)
This priority is for projects of national
significance and scope that are designed
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to increase equitable access to charter
schools for students with disabilities
and increase charter schools’ enrollment
of students with disabilities, as well as
improve achievement (including
student achievement and student
growth) and attainment (including high
school graduation rates and college
enrollment rates) for students with
disabilities in charter schools, through
one or more of the following activities:
(1) Developing strategies and tools to
increase equitable access to charter
schools for students with disabilities
and increase charter schools’ capacity to
recruit, enroll, and serve students with
disabilities, and improve student
achievement, including student growth,
and attainment (e.g., high school
graduation rates, college enrollment
rates) for students with disabilities.
(2) Disseminating promising practices
for increasing equitable access to charter
schools for students with disabilities;
increasing charter schools’ capacity to
recruit, enroll, and serve students with
disabilities; and improving student
achievement, including student growth,
and attainment (e.g., high school
graduation rates, college enrollment
rates) for students with disabilities.
(3) Promoting collaborative activities
between charter schools, non-chartered
public schools, and key special
education stakeholders designed to
improve student achievement, including
student growth, and attainment (e.g.,
high school graduation rates, college
enrollment rates) for students with
disabilities.
Competitive Preference Priority 2—
English Learners. (Up to 5 points)
This priority is for projects of national
significance and scope that are designed
to increase equitable access to charter
schools for English learners and
increase charter schools’ enrollment of
English learners, as well as improve
academic achievement (including
student achievement and student
growth) and attainment (including
English proficiency, high school
graduation rates, and college enrollment
rates) for English learners, through one
or more of the following activities:
(1) Developing strategies and tools to
increase equitable access to charter
schools for English learners; increase
charter schools’ capacity to recruit,
enroll, and serve English learners; and
improve student achievement, including
student growth and English proficiency,
and attainment (e.g., high school
graduation rates, college enrollment
rates) for English learners.
(2) Disseminating promising practices
for increasing equitable access to charter
schools for English learners; increasing
charter schools’ capacity to recruit,
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enroll, and serve English learners; and
improving student achievement,
including student growth and English
proficiency, and attainment (e.g., high
school graduation rates, college
enrollment rates) for English learners.
(3) Promoting collaborative activities
between charter schools, non-chartered
public schools, and key English learner
stakeholders designed to improve
student achievement, including student
growth and English proficiency, and
attainment (e.g., high school graduation
rates, college enrollment rates) for
English learners.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2015 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards from 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 any preference over
other applications.
Invitational Priority—Personalized
Technology-Enabled Learning.
This priority is for projects of national
significance and scope that are designed
to improve achievement and attainment
outcomes for high-need students (as
defined in this notice) through the
development and implementation in
charter schools of technology-enabled
instructional models, tools, and
supports that personalize learning.
Application Requirements:
The following requirement, which is
from the notice of final priorities,
requirements, and definitions, for this
program, published elsewhere in this
issue of the Federal Register, applies to
the competition announced in this
notice.
Requirement: An applicant for a CSP
Grants for National Leadership
Activities grant must provide a logic
model (as defined in this notice)
supporting its project.
Definitions: The following definitions
are from the notice of final priorities,
requirements, definitions, and selection
criteria for this program published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register, 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), and 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
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ambitious depends upon the context of
the relevant performance measure and
the baseline (as defined in this notice)
for that measure (as defined in 34 CFR
77.1(c)).
Baseline means the starting point
from which performance is measured
and targets are set (as defined in 34 CFR
77.1(c)).
Charter school national level means,
with respect to an applicant’s
dissemination strategy, that the strategy
covers a wide variety of charter schools,
authorized public chartering agencies,
charter support organizations, and other
stakeholder groups within multiple
States across the country, including
rural and urban areas.
Community of practice means a group
of stakeholders that interacts regularly
to solve a persistent problem or to
improve practice in an area that is
important to them and the success of the
grant project.
Evidence of promise means there is
empirical evidence to support the
theoretical linkage(s) between at least
one critical component and at least one
relevant outcome presented in the logic
model for the proposed process,
product, strategy, or practice.
Specifically, evidence of promise
means the conditions in paragraphs (i)
and (ii) of this section are met:
(i) There is at least one study that is
a—
(A) Correlational study with statistical
controls for selection bias;
(B) Quasi-experimental study that
meets the What Works Clearinghouse
Evidence Standards with reservations;1
or
(C) Randomized controlled trial that
meets the What Work Clearinghouse
Evidence Standards with or without
reservations.2
(ii) The study referenced in paragraph
(i) found a statistically significant or
substantively important (defined as a
difference of 0.25 standard deviations or
larger), favorable association between at
least one critical component and one
relevant outcome presented in the logic
model for the proposed process,
product, strategy, or practice (as defined
in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Graduation rate means a four-year
adjusted cohort graduation rate
consistent with 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1) and
1 What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and
Standards Handbook (Version 2.1, September 2011),
which can be currently found at the following link:
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?
sid=19.
2 What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and
Standards Handbook (Version 2.1, September 2011),
which can be currently found at the following link:
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?
sid=19.
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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 Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended
(ESEA).
High-need students means children
and students at risk of educational
failure, such as children and students
who are living in poverty, who are
English Learners, who are far below
grade level or who are not on track to
becoming college- or career-ready by
graduation, who have left school or
college before receiving, respectively, a
regular high school diploma or a college
degree or certificate, who are at risk of
not graduating with a diploma on time,
who are homeless, who are in foster
care, who are pregnant or parenting
teenagers, who have been incarcerated,
who are new immigrants, who are
migrant, or who have disabilities.
High-quality charter school means—
(a) A school that shows evidence of
strong academic results for the past
three years (or over the life of the
school, if the school has been open for
fewer than three years), based on the
following factors:
(1) Increased student academic
achievement and attainment (including,
if applicable, high school graduation
rates and college and other
postsecondary enrollment rates) for all
students, including, as applicable,
educationally disadvantaged students
served by the charter school;
(2) Either:
(i) Demonstrated success in closing
historic achievement gaps for the
subgroups of students described in
section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II)of the ESEA
(20 U.S.C. 6311) at the charter school; or
(ii) No significant achievement gaps
between any of the subgroups of
students described in section 1111
(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C.
6311) at the charter school and
significant gains in student academic
achievement for all populations of
students served by the charter school;
(3) Results (including, if applicable
and available, performance on statewide
tests, annual student attendance and
retention rates, high school graduation
rates, college and other postsecondary
attendance rates, and college and other
postsecondary persistence rates) for
low-income and other educationally
disadvantaged students served by the
charter school that are above the average
academic achievement results for such
students in the State;
(4) Positive results on a performance
framework established by the State or
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authorized public chartering agency for
purposes of evaluating charter school
quality; and
(5) No significant compliance issues
(as defined in this notice), particularly
in the areas of student safety, financial
management, and equitable and
nondiscriminatory treatment for
students; or
(b) A high-quality charter school as
defined by the State, provided that the
State’s definition is at least as rigorous
as paragraph (a).
Logic model (also referred to as theory
of action) means a well-specified
conceptual framework that identifies
key components of the proposed
process, product, strategy, or practice
(i.e., the active ‘‘ingredients’’ that are
hypothesized to be critical to achieving
the relevant outcomes) and describes
the relationships among the key
components and outcomes, theoretically
and operationally (as defined in 34 CFR
77.1(c)).
National level describes the level of
scope or effectiveness of a process,
product, strategy, or practice that is able
to be effective in a wide variety of
communities, including rural and urban
areas, as well as with different groups
(e.g., economically disadvantaged, racial
and ethnic groups, migrant populations,
individuals with disabilities, English
learners, and individuals of each
gender) (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Performance measure means any
quantitative indicator, statistic, or
metric used to gauge program or project
performance (as defined in 34 CFR
77.1(c)).
Performance target means a level of
performance that an applicant would
seek to meet during the course of a
project or as a result of a project (as
defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Quasi-experimental design study
means a study using a design that
attempts to approximate an
experimental design by identifying a
comparison group that is similar to the
treatment group in important respects.
These studies, depending on design and
implementation, can meet What Works
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with
reservations 3 (they cannot meet What
Works Clearinghouse Evidence
Standards without reservations) (as
defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Randomized controlled trial means a
study that employs random assignment
of, for example, students, teachers,
classrooms, schools, or districts to
receive the intervention being evaluated
3 What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and
Standards Handbook (Version 2.1, September 2011),
which can be currently found at the following link:
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?
sid=19.
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(the treatment group) or not to receive
the intervention (the control group). The
estimated effectiveness of the
intervention is the difference between
the average outcome for the treatment
group and for the control group. These
studies, depending on design and
implementation, can meet What Works
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards
without reservations (as defined in 34
CFR 77.1(c)).4
Relevant outcome means the student
outcome(s) (or the ultimate outcome if
not related to students) the proposed
process, product, strategy, or practice is
designed to improve; consistent with
the specific goals of a program (as
defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Regional level describes the level of
scope or effectiveness of a process,
product, strategy, or practice that is able
to serve a variety of communities within
a State or multiple States, including
rural and urban areas, as well as with
different groups (e.g., economically
disadvantaged, racial and ethnic groups,
migrant populations, individuals with
disabilities, English learners, and
individuals of each gender). For an LEAbased project, to be considered a
regional-level project, a process,
product, strategy, or practice must serve
students in more than one LEA, unless
the process, product, strategy, or
practice is implemented in a State in
which the State educational agency is
the sole educational agency for all
schools (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Significant compliance issue means a
violation that did, will, or could (if not
addressed or if it represents a pattern of
repeated misconduct or material noncompliance) lead to the revocation of a
school’s charter.
Strong theory means a rationale for
the proposed process, product, strategy,
or practice that includes a logic model
(as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Student achievement means—
(a) For tested grades and subjects—
(1) A student’s score on the State’s
assessments under the ESEA; and, as
appropriate,
(2) Other measures of student
learning, such as those described in
paragraph (b) of this definition,
provided they are rigorous and
comparable across schools.
(b) For non-tested grades and subjects:
Alternative measures of student learning
and performance, such as student scores
on pre-tests and end-of-course tests;
student performance on English
language proficiency assessments; and
4 What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and
Standards Handbook (Version 2.1, September 2011),
which can be currently found at the following link:
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?
sid=19.
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other measures of student achievement
that are rigorous and comparable across
schools.
Student growth means the change in
achievement data for an individual
student between two or more points in
time. Growth may also include other
measures that are rigorous and
comparable across classrooms.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7221–7221j.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The
Education Department debarment and
suspension regulations in 2 CFR part
3485. (c) The notice of final priorities,
requirements, definitions, and selection
criteria for this program published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register. (d) 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).
Note 1: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79
apply to all applicants except federally
recognized Indian tribes.
Note 2: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
apply only to institutions of higher
education.
Note 3: The regulations in 34 CFR part 99
apply only to an educational agency or
institution.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds:
$4,000,000.
The actual level of funding, if any,
depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications
now to allow enough time to complete
the grant process early in FY 2015, if
Congress appropriates funds for this
program. Contingent on the availability
of funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in
subsequent years from the list of
unfunded applicants from this
competition.
Estimated Range of Awards:
$500,000–800,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$650,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 5–8.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice. The estimated range,
average 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
FY 2015 funds.
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III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible
applicants include (1) State educational
agencies (SEAs) in States with a State
statute specifically authorizing the
establishment of charter schools; (2)
authorized public chartering agencies;
(3) public and private nonprofit
organizations with a mission that
explicitly includes operating,
supporting, or managing charter
schools; and (4) public and private
nonprofit organizations in partnership
with an SEA, authorized public
chartering agency, or a public or private
nonprofit organization with a mission
that explicitly includes supporting
charter schools. Eligible applicants may
apply as a partnership or consortium
and, if so applying, must comply with
the requirements for group applications
set forth in 34 CFR 75.127–75.129.
Eligible applicants that are charter
schools may not have any significant
compliance issues (as defined in this
notice), including in the areas of student
safety, financial management, civil
rights, and statutory or regulatory
compliance. In addition, to the extent
that eligible applicants that are
partnerships or consortia include
charter schools, the lead applicant, each
charter school operated or managed by
the lead applicant and all partnership or
consortium members, including, in the
case of a charter management
organization applicant (CMO), all
charter schools managed by the CMO,
must meet the definition of high-quality
charter school (as defined in this
notice).
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: Brian Martin, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue
SW., Room 4W224, Washington, DC
20202–5970. Telephone: (202) 205–9085
or by email: brian.martin@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), 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 compact disc)
by contacting the program contact
person listed in this section.
2.a. Content and Form of Application
Submission: Requirements concerning
the content of an application, together
with the forms you must submit, are in
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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. We recommend that you
limit the application narrative [Part III]
to 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. An application submitted
in any other font (including Times
Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be
accepted.
The 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, the page
limit does apply to all of the application
narrative section [Part III].
b. Submission of Proprietary
Information:
Given the types of projects that may
be proposed in applications for the CSP
Grants for National Leadership
Activities competition, an application
may include business information that
the applicant considers proprietary. The
Department’s regulations define
‘‘business information’’ in 34 CFR 5.11.
Because we plan to make successful
applications available to the public, you
may wish to request confidentiality of
business information.
Consistent with Executive Order
12600, please designate in your
application any information that you
feel is exempt from disclosure under
Exemption 4 of the Freedom of
Information Act. In the appropriate
Appendix section of your application,
under ‘‘Other Attachments Form,’’
please list the page number or numbers
on which we can find this information.
For additional information please see 34
CFR 5.11(c).
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: July 14, 2014.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: The
Department will hold a pre-application
meeting via Webinar for prospective
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applicants on July 22, 2014, from 1:00
p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Washington, DC, time.
Individuals interested in attending this
meeting are encouraged to pre-register
by emailing their name, organization,
and contact information with the subject
heading ‘‘PRE-APPLICATION
MEETING’’ to CharterSchools@ed.gov.
There is no registration fee for attending
this meeting.
For further information about the preapplication meeting, contact Brian
Martin, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room
4W224, Washington, DC 20202–5970.
Telephone: (202) 205–9085 or by email:
brian.martin@ed.gov.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: September 12, 2014.
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 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: October 27, 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
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: 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—
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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 two to five 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/samfaqs.html.
In addition, if you are submitting your
application via Grants.gov, you must (1)
be designated by your organization as an
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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: 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 CSP
Grants for National Leadership
Activities competition, CFDA number
84.282N 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 CSP Grants for
National Leadership Activities
competition at 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 84.282, not
84.282N).
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
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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. In addition, for
specific guidance and procedures for
submitting an application through
Grants.gov, please refer to the
Grants.gov Web site at: www.grants.gov/
web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.
• 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 upload any narrative
sections and all other attachments to
your application as files in a .PDF
(Portable Document) read-only, nonmodifiable format. Do not upload an
interactive or fillable PDF file. If you
upload a file type other than a readonly, non-modifiable .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.
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• 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. Grants.gov
will also notify you automatically by
email if your application met all the
Grants.gov validation requirements or if
there were any errors. You will be given
an opportunity to correct any errors and
resubmit, but you must still meet the
deadline for submission of applications.
Once your application is successfully
validated by Grants.gov, the Department
will retrieve your application from
Grants.gov and send you an email with
a unique PR/Award number for your
application.
These emails do not mean that your
application is without any disqualifying
errors. It is your responsibility to ensure
that your submitted application has met
all of the Department’s requirements,
including submitting only PDF
documents, as prescribed in this notice
and in the application instructions.
• 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 the problem
affected your ability to submit your
application by 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the
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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 prevents you from using the
Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to
the Department, it must be postmarked
no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date. If you fax
your written statement to the
Department, we must receive the faxed
statement no later than two weeks
before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your
statement to: Brian Martin, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW., Room 4W224,
Washington, DC 20202–5970. FAX:
(202) 205–9085.
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,
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Attention: CFDA Number 84.282N,
LBJ Basement Level 1,
400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20202–4260.
You must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service
postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the
date of mailing stamped by the U.S.
Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or
receipt from a commercial carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing
acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Education.
If you mail your application through
the U.S. Postal Service, we do not
accept either of the following as proof
of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by
the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after
the application deadline date, we will
not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not
uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before
relying on this method, you should check
with your local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications
by Hand Delivery.
If you qualify for an exception to the
electronic submission requirement, you
(or a courier service) may deliver your
paper application to the Department by
hand. You must deliver the original and
two copies of your application by hand,
on or before the application deadline
date, to the Department at the following
address:
U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center,
Attention: CFDA Number 84.282N,
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.
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V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria. The selection
criteria for this program are from 34 CFR
75.210. The maximum possible score for
addressing all of the criteria in this
section is 100 points. The maximum
possible score for addressing each
criterion is indicated in parentheses
following the criterion.
In evaluating an application, the
Secretary considers the following
criteria:
(a) Significance. (34 CFR 75.210 (b))
(35 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
significance of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the significance of
the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors—
(i) The national significance of the
proposed project.
(ii) The extent to which the results of
the proposed project are to be
disseminated in ways that will enable
others to use the information or
strategies.
(iii) The potential contribution of the
proposed project to increased
knowledge or understanding of
educational problems, issues, or
effective strategies.
(b) Quality of the project design. (34
CFR 75.210 (c)) (30 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the design of the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
design of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following
factors—
(i) The extent to which the goals,
objectives, and outcomes to be achieved
by the proposed project are clearly
specified and measurable.
(ii) The extent to which the proposed
project is supported by strong theory (as
defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
(iii) The extent to which the proposed
project represents an exceptional
approach to the priority or priorities
established for the competition.
Note: The Secretary encourages the
applicant to discuss how its proposed project
addresses the absolute priority to which the
applicant has responded.
(iv) The likelihood that the services to
be provided by the proposed project
will lead to improvements in the
achievement of students as measured
against rigorous academic standards.
(c) Quality of project personnel. (34
CFR 75.210 (e)) (10 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the personnel who will carry
out the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of
project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the
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applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are
members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented
based on race, color, national origin,
gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary
considers—
(i) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of the
project director or principal
investigator.
(ii) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of key
project personnel.
(d) Quality of the management plan.
(34 CFR 75.210 (g)) (15 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the management plan for the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the
following factors—
(i) 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.
(ii) The adequacy of procedures for
ensuring feedback and continuous
improvement in the operation of the
proposed project.
(e) Quality of the project evaluation.
(34 CFR 75.210 (h)) (10 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
evaluation, the Secretary considers the
following factors—
(i) 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 to the
extent possible.
(ii) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation will, if well-implemented,
produce evidence of promise (as defined
in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
(iii) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation will provide valid and
reliable performance data on relevant
outcomes.
Note: The Secretary encourages the
applicant to describe how evaluation
activities will contribute to research and the
knowledge base in the field regarding the
project’s focus area.
2. Review and Selection Process:
Note: The Secretary may separately
consider for funding applications meeting
Absolute Priority 1 and those meeting
Absolute Priority 2.
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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
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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 goal of the
CSP is to increase national
understanding of the charter school
model by providing financial assistance
for the planning, program design, and
initial implementation of charter
schools; evaluating the effects of charter
schools, including the effects on
students, student academic
achievement, staff, and parents;
expanding the number of high-quality
charter schools available to students
across the Nation; and encouraging the
States to provide support to charter
schools for facilities financing in an
amount that is more commensurate with
the amount the States have typically
provided for non-chartered public
schools.
The Secretary has two performance
indicators to measure progress towards
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 assessments 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 consecutive years).
All grantees will be expected, as
applicable, to submit an annual
performance report documenting their
contribution in assisting the Department
in meeting these performance measures.
(b) Project-Specific Performance
Measures. Applicants must propose
project-specific performance measures
and performance targets consistent with
the objectives of the project.
Applications must provide the
following information as required under
34 CFR 75.110(b)-(c):
(1) Performance measures. How each
proposed performance measure would
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accurately measure the performance of
the project and how the proposed
performance measure would be
consistent with the performance
measures established for the program
funding the competition.
(2) Baseline data. (i) Why each
proposed baseline is valid; or (ii) if the
applicant has determined that there are
no established baseline data for a
particular performance measure, an
explanation of why there is no
established baseline and of how and
when, during the project period, the
applicant would establish a valid
baseline for the performance measure.
(3) Performance targets. Why each
proposed performance target is
ambitious yet achievable compared to
the baseline for the performance
measure and when, during the project
period, the applicant would meet the
performance target(s).
Note: The Secretary expects the applicant
to consider measures and targets tied to their
grant activities. The measures and targets
should be sufficient to gauge the progress
throughout the grant period, and show
results by the end of the grant period. For
technical assistance in developing effective
performance measures, applicants are
encouraged to review information provided
by the Department’s Regional Educational
Laboratories (RELs). The Department’s
Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs)
seek to build the capacity of States and
school districts to incorporate data and
research into education decision making.
Each REL provides research support and
technical assistance to its region but makes
learning opportunities available to educators
everywhere. For example, the REL Northeast
and Islands has created the following
resource on logic models: https://
relpacific.mcrel.org/ELM.html.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
(c) Data Collection and Reporting. The
applicant must also describe in the
application: (1) 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 (2) the
applicant’s capacity to collect and
report reliable, valid, and meaningful
performance data, as evidenced by highquality 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, it should provide other evidence of
its capacity to successfully carry out data
collection and reporting for its proposed
project.
All grantees must submit an annual
performance report with information
that is responsive to these performance
measures.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award, the Secretary may
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:25 Jul 11, 2014
Jkt 232001
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).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brian Martin, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Room 4W224, Washington, DC 20202–
5970. Telephone: (202) 205–9085 or by
email: brian.martin@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, 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 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
40741
Dated: July 9, 2014.
Nadya Chinoy Dabby,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and
Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2014–16456 Filed 7–11–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Quadrennial Energy Review: Notice of
Public Meeting
Office of Energy Policy and
Systems Analysis, Secretariat,
Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force,
Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
At the direction of the
President, the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE or Department), as the
Secretariat for the Quadrennial Energy
Review Task Force (QER Task Force)
will convene a public meeting to
discuss and receive comments on issues
related to the Quadrennial Energy
Review.
DATES: The seventh public meeting will
be held on August 8, 2014, beginning at
8:30 a.m. Central Time. Written
comments are welcome, especially
following the public meeting, and
should be submitted within 60 days of
the meeting.
ADDRESSES: The seventh meeting will be
held at the University of IllinoisChicago, Student Center East, Illinois B
Room, 750 South Halstead Street,
Chicago, Illinois 60607.
You may submit written comments to:
QERComments@hq.doe.gov or by U.S.
mail to the Office of Energy Policy and
Systems Analysis, EPSA–60, QER
Meeting Comments, U.S. Department of
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue
SW., Washington, DC 20585–0121.
For the seventh public meeting,
please title your comment ‘‘Quadrennial
Energy Review: Comment on the Public
Meeting Rail, Barge, and Truck
Transportation.’’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Adonica Renee Pickett, EPSA–90, U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Energy
Policy and Systems Analysis, 1000
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0121.
Telephone: (202) 586–9168 Email:
Adonica.Pickett@hq.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On
January 9, 2014, President Obama
issued a Presidential Memorandum–
Establishing a Quadrennial Energy
Review. To accomplish this review, the
Presidential Memorandum establishes a
Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force
to be co-chaired by the Director of the
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\14JYN1.SGM
14JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 134 (Monday, July 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40733-40741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16456]
[[Page 40733]]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Application for New Awards; CSP Grants for National Leadership
Activities
AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview Information: CSP Grants for National Leadership Activities
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.282N.
DATES:
Applications Available: July 14, 2014.
Date of Pre-Application Webinar: July 22, 2014, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00
p.m., Washington, DC time.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 12, 2014.
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 by--
(1) Providing financial assistance for the planning, program
design, and initial implementation of charter schools;
(2) Evaluating the effects of charter schools, including the
effects on students, student academic achievement, staff, and parents;
(3) Expanding the number of high-quality charter schools available
to students across the Nation; and
(4) Encouraging the States to provide support to charter schools
for facilities financing in an amount that is more commensurate with
the amount the States have typically provided for non-chartered public
schools.
The purpose of the CSP Grants for National Leadership Activities
competition is to support efforts by eligible entities to improve the
quality of charter schools by providing technical assistance and other
types of support on issues of national significance and scope.
Priorities: This notice includes two absolute priorities, two
competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. The
absolute, competitive preference, and invitational priorities are from
the notice of final priorities, requirements, and definitions for this
program published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards based on the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet one of these two
absolute priorities.
Note: Under the CSP Grants for National Leadership Activities
competition, each of the two absolute priorities constitutes its own
funding category. The Secretary intends to award grants under each
absolute priority for which applications of sufficient quality are
submitted.
An applicant for a CSP Grants for National Leadership Activities
grant must choose one of the absolute priorities and cannot submit
an application under multiple absolute priorities; an applicant must
clearly indicate in its application the priority under which it is
applying.
The absolute priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1--Improving Efficiency through Economies of
Scale.
This priority is for projects of national significance and scope
that promote shared systems for acquiring goods or services to achieve
efficiencies in the use of time, staff, money, services for special
populations, or other resources for the purpose of creating,
supporting, and sustaining high-quality charter schools (as defined in
this notice).
An applicant addressing this priority must apply as part of an
existing or proposed partnership or consortium that includes two or
more high-quality charter schools, as defined in this notice, and must
include detailed descriptions (including supporting documentation) of
the following:
(1) The proposed project activities of the partnership or
consortium and how and to what extent the activities will achieve
efficiencies in the use of time, staff, money, services for special
populations, or other resources related to operating charter schools;
(2) The members or proposed members of the partnership or
consortium, how the composition of this partnership or consortium
contributes to achieving efficiencies, and the specific activities each
member or proposed member will implement. Applicants must demonstrate
that members of the existing or proposed partnership or consortium are
not affiliated exclusively with a common network (e.g., a charter
management organization);
(3) How the proposed project activities will help create charter
schools that demonstrate the capacity to become high-quality charter
schools, support new charter schools to become high-quality charter
schools, and sustain charter schools that are high-quality;
(4) How information about the proposed project activities will be
disseminated primarily to charter schools as the chief stakeholder
group, and secondarily to other stakeholders, such as charter school
support organizations, LEAs, and authorized public chartering agencies,
as appropriate, at the charter school national level (as defined in
this notice);
(5) How the dissemination strategy will include assembling a
community of practice (as defined in this notice) for the stakeholder
group(s) served; and
(6) The national significance of the proposed project.
Absolute Priority 2--Improving Accountability.
This priority is for projects of national significance and scope
that are designed to improve authorized public chartering agencies'
capacity to conduct rigorous application reviews; monitor and oversee
charter schools using multiple sources of data, including disaggregated
student data, and measurable performance goals; close underperforming
schools; replicate and expand high-performing schools; maintain a
portfolio of high-quality charter schools; and evaluate and disseminate
information on the performance of charter schools.
Applicants addressing this priority must provide detailed
descriptions (including supporting documentation) of the following:
(1) How the proposed project will improve at the regional level (as
defined in this notice) or the national level (as defined in this
notice), authorized public chartering agencies' capacity to:
i. Approve only applications that demonstrate capacity to create
and sustain high-quality charter schools (as defined in this notice)
and meet the standards of a rigorous application process and review;
ii. Monitor and oversee charter schools through measurable
performance goals and multiple sources of regularly collected academic
and operational performance data (using financial data, disaggregated
student discipline data, and disaggregated student performance data,
including metrics to assess educational equity for students with
disabilities, English learners, and other students in need of
specialized services);
iii. Identify schools eligible for renewal and those that should be
closed, through clear renewal and revocation criteria; and
iv. Evaluate authorizer and portfolio performance and disseminate
information on that performance;
(2) The applicant's prior success in improving, at the regional
level (as defined in this notice) or the national level (as defined in
this notice), authorized public chartering agencies' capacity to:
i. Approve only applications that demonstrate the capacity to
create and
[[Page 40734]]
sustain high-quality charter schools (as defined in this notice) and
meet the standards of a rigorous application process and review;
ii. Monitor and oversee charter schools through measurable
performance goals and multiple sources of regularly collected academic
and operational performance data (using financial data, disaggregated
student discipline data, and disaggregated student performance data,
including metrics to assess educational equity for students with
disabilities, English learners, and other students in need of
specialized services);
iii. Identify schools eligible for renewal and those that should be
closed, through clear renewal and revocation criteria; and
iv. Evaluate authorizer and portfolio performance and disseminate
information on that performance;
(3) How dissemination activities focus on authorized public
chartering agencies as the primary stakeholder group, and secondarily
on other stakeholders, such as charter school support organizations or
charter schools, as appropriate, at the charter school national level
(as defined in this notice);
(4) How the dissemination strategy will include assembling a
community of practice (as defined in this notice) for the stakeholder
group(s) served; and
(5) The national significance of the proposed project.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2015 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 will award up to an
additional five points to an application that addresses Competitive
Preference Priority 1 and up to an additional five points to an
application that addresses Competitive Preference Priority 2, depending
on how well the application addresses each of the priorities. The
maximum total competitive preference points an application can receive
for this competition is 10.
Note: In order to receive preference under these competitive
preference priorities, the applicant must identify the priority or
priorities that it is addressing and provide documentation
supporting that the identified competitive preference priority or
priorities are met.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Students with Disabilities. (Up
to 5 points)
This priority is for projects of national significance and scope
that are designed to increase equitable access to charter schools for
students with disabilities and increase charter schools' enrollment of
students with disabilities, as well as improve achievement (including
student achievement and student growth) and attainment (including high
school graduation rates and college enrollment rates) for students with
disabilities in charter schools, through one or more of the following
activities:
(1) Developing strategies and tools to increase equitable access to
charter schools for students with disabilities and increase charter
schools' capacity to recruit, enroll, and serve students with
disabilities, and improve student achievement, including student
growth, and attainment (e.g., high school graduation rates, college
enrollment rates) for students with disabilities.
(2) Disseminating promising practices for increasing equitable
access to charter schools for students with disabilities; increasing
charter schools' capacity to recruit, enroll, and serve students with
disabilities; and improving student achievement, including student
growth, and attainment (e.g., high school graduation rates, college
enrollment rates) for students with disabilities.
(3) Promoting collaborative activities between charter schools,
non-chartered public schools, and key special education stakeholders
designed to improve student achievement, including student growth, and
attainment (e.g., high school graduation rates, college enrollment
rates) for students with disabilities.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--English Learners. (Up to 5
points)
This priority is for projects of national significance and scope
that are designed to increase equitable access to charter schools for
English learners and increase charter schools' enrollment of English
learners, as well as improve academic achievement (including student
achievement and student growth) and attainment (including English
proficiency, high school graduation rates, and college enrollment
rates) for English learners, through one or more of the following
activities:
(1) Developing strategies and tools to increase equitable access to
charter schools for English learners; increase charter schools'
capacity to recruit, enroll, and serve English learners; and improve
student achievement, including student growth and English proficiency,
and attainment (e.g., high school graduation rates, college enrollment
rates) for English learners.
(2) Disseminating promising practices for increasing equitable
access to charter schools for English learners; increasing charter
schools' capacity to recruit, enroll, and serve English learners; and
improving student achievement, including student growth and English
proficiency, and attainment (e.g., high school graduation rates,
college enrollment rates) for English learners.
(3) Promoting collaborative activities between charter schools,
non-chartered public schools, and key English learner stakeholders
designed to improve student achievement, including student growth and
English proficiency, and attainment (e.g., high school graduation
rates, college enrollment rates) for English learners.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from 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 any preference over other applications.
Invitational Priority--Personalized Technology-Enabled Learning.
This priority is for projects of national significance and scope
that are designed to improve achievement and attainment outcomes for
high-need students (as defined in this notice) through the development
and implementation in charter schools of technology-enabled
instructional models, tools, and supports that personalize learning.
Application Requirements:
The following requirement, which is from the notice of final
priorities, requirements, and definitions, for this program, published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, applies to the
competition announced in this notice.
Requirement: An applicant for a CSP Grants for National Leadership
Activities grant must provide a logic model (as defined in this notice)
supporting its project.
Definitions: The following definitions are from the notice of final
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this
program published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, 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), and 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
[[Page 40735]]
ambitious depends upon the context of the relevant performance measure
and the baseline (as defined in this notice) for that measure (as
defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Baseline means the starting point from which performance is
measured and targets are set (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Charter school national level means, with respect to an applicant's
dissemination strategy, that the strategy covers a wide variety of
charter schools, authorized public chartering agencies, charter support
organizations, and other stakeholder groups within multiple States
across the country, including rural and urban areas.
Community of practice means a group of stakeholders that interacts
regularly to solve a persistent problem or to improve practice in an
area that is important to them and the success of the grant project.
Evidence of promise means there is empirical evidence to support
the theoretical linkage(s) between at least one critical component and
at least one relevant outcome presented in the logic model for the
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice.
Specifically, evidence of promise means the conditions in
paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this section are met:
(i) There is at least one study that is a--
(A) Correlational study with statistical controls for selection
bias;
(B) Quasi-experimental study that meets the What Works
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations;\1\ or
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook
(Version 2.1, September 2011), which can be currently found at the
following link: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(C) Randomized controlled trial that meets the What Work
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook
(Version 2.1, September 2011), which can be currently found at the
following link: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(ii) The study referenced in paragraph (i) found a statistically
significant or substantively important (defined as a difference of 0.25
standard deviations or larger), favorable association between at least
one critical component and one relevant outcome presented in the logic
model for the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (as
defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
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 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended (ESEA).
High-need students means children and students at risk of
educational failure, such as children and students who are living in
poverty, who are English Learners, who are far below grade level or who
are not on track to becoming college- or career-ready by graduation,
who have left school or college before receiving, respectively, a
regular high school diploma or a college degree or certificate, who are
at risk of not graduating with a diploma on time, who are homeless, who
are in foster care, who are pregnant or parenting teenagers, who have
been incarcerated, who are new immigrants, who are migrant, or who have
disabilities.
High-quality charter school means--
(a) A school that shows evidence of strong academic results for the
past three years (or over the life of the school, if the school has
been open for fewer than three years), based on the following factors:
(1) Increased student academic achievement and attainment
(including, if applicable, high school graduation rates and college and
other postsecondary enrollment rates) for all students, including, as
applicable, educationally disadvantaged students served by the charter
school;
(2) Either:
(i) Demonstrated success in closing historic achievement gaps for
the subgroups of students described in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II)of
the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6311) at the charter school; or
(ii) No significant achievement gaps between any of the subgroups
of students described in section 1111 (b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the ESEA (20
U.S.C. 6311) at the charter school and significant gains in student
academic achievement for all populations of students served by the
charter school;
(3) Results (including, if applicable and available, performance on
statewide tests, annual student attendance and retention rates, high
school graduation rates, college and other postsecondary attendance
rates, and college and other postsecondary persistence rates) for low-
income and other educationally disadvantaged students served by the
charter school that are above the average academic achievement results
for such students in the State;
(4) Positive results on a performance framework established by the
State or authorized public chartering agency for purposes of evaluating
charter school quality; and
(5) No significant compliance issues (as defined in this notice),
particularly in the areas of student safety, financial management, and
equitable and nondiscriminatory treatment for students; or
(b) A high-quality charter school as defined by the State, provided
that the State's definition is at least as rigorous as paragraph (a).
Logic model (also referred to as theory of action) means a well-
specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active
``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the
relevant outcomes) and describes the relationships among the key
components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally (as defined in
34 CFR 77.1(c)).
National level describes the level of scope or effectiveness of a
process, product, strategy, or practice that is able to be effective in
a wide variety of communities, including rural and urban areas, as well
as with different groups (e.g., economically disadvantaged, racial and
ethnic groups, migrant populations, individuals with disabilities,
English learners, and individuals of each gender) (as defined in 34 CFR
77.1(c)).
Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or
metric used to gauge program or project performance (as defined in 34
CFR 77.1(c)).
Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant
would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a
project (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that
attempts to approximate an experimental design by identifying a
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important
respects. These studies, depending on design and implementation, can
meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations \3\
(they cannot meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without
reservations) (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook
(Version 2.1, September 2011), which can be currently found at the
following link: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Randomized controlled trial means a study that employs random
assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, schools, or
districts to receive the intervention being evaluated
[[Page 40736]]
(the treatment group) or not to receive the intervention (the control
group). The estimated effectiveness of the intervention is the
difference between the average outcome for the treatment group and for
the control group. These studies, depending on design and
implementation, can meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards
without reservations (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook
(Version 2.1, September 2011), which can be currently found at the
following link: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) (or the ultimate
outcome if not related to students) the proposed process, product,
strategy, or practice is designed to improve; consistent with the
specific goals of a program (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
Regional level describes the level of scope or effectiveness of a
process, product, strategy, or practice that is able to serve a variety
of communities within a State or multiple States, including rural and
urban areas, as well as with different groups (e.g., economically
disadvantaged, racial and ethnic groups, migrant populations,
individuals with disabilities, English learners, and individuals of
each gender). For an LEA-based project, to be considered a regional-
level project, a process, product, strategy, or practice must serve
students in more than one LEA, unless the process, product, strategy,
or practice is implemented in a State in which the State educational
agency is the sole educational agency for all schools (as defined in 34
CFR 77.1(c)).
Significant compliance issue means a violation that did, will, or
could (if not addressed or if it represents a pattern of repeated
misconduct or material non-compliance) lead to the revocation of a
school's charter.
Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product,
strategy, or practice that includes a logic model (as defined in 34 CFR
77.1(c)).
Student achievement means--
(a) For tested grades and subjects--
(1) A student's score on the State's assessments under the ESEA;
and, as appropriate,
(2) Other measures of student learning, such as those described in
paragraph (b) of this definition, provided they are rigorous and
comparable across schools.
(b) For non-tested grades and subjects: Alternative measures of
student learning and performance, such as student scores on pre-tests
and end-of-course tests; student performance on English language
proficiency assessments; and other measures of student achievement that
are rigorous and comparable across schools.
Student growth means the change in achievement data for an
individual student between two or more points in time. Growth may also
include other measures that are rigorous and comparable across
classrooms.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7221-7221j.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 79,
80, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department
debarment and suspension regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The notice
of final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria
for this program published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register. (d) 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).
Note 1: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all
applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note 2: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply only to
institutions of higher education.
Note 3: The regulations in 34 CFR part 99 apply only to an
educational agency or institution.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $4,000,000.
The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional
action. However, we are inviting applications now to allow enough time
to complete the grant process early in FY 2015, if Congress
appropriates funds for this program. Contingent on the availability of
funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in
subsequent years from the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-800,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $650,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 5-8.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice. The estimated range, average 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 FY 2015
funds.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants include (1) State
educational agencies (SEAs) in States with a State statute specifically
authorizing the establishment of charter schools; (2) authorized public
chartering agencies; (3) public and private nonprofit organizations
with a mission that explicitly includes operating, supporting, or
managing charter schools; and (4) public and private nonprofit
organizations in partnership with an SEA, authorized public chartering
agency, or a public or private nonprofit organization with a mission
that explicitly includes supporting charter schools. Eligible
applicants may apply as a partnership or consortium and, if so
applying, must comply with the requirements for group applications set
forth in 34 CFR 75.127-75.129.
Eligible applicants that are charter schools may not have any
significant compliance issues (as defined in this notice), including in
the areas of student safety, financial management, civil rights, and
statutory or regulatory compliance. In addition, to the extent that
eligible applicants that are partnerships or consortia include charter
schools, the lead applicant, each charter school operated or managed by
the lead applicant and all partnership or consortium members,
including, in the case of a charter management organization applicant
(CMO), all charter schools managed by the CMO, must meet the definition
of high-quality charter school (as defined in this notice).
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: Brian Martin, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W224,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 205-9085 or by email:
brian.martin@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), 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 compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in
this section.
2.a. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in
[[Page 40737]]
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. We recommend that you limit the application
narrative [Part III] to 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. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
The 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, the page
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section [Part
III].
b. Submission of Proprietary Information:
Given the types of projects that may be proposed in applications
for the CSP Grants for National Leadership Activities competition, an
application may include business information that the applicant
considers proprietary. The Department's regulations define ``business
information'' in 34 CFR 5.11.
Because we plan to make successful applications available to the
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business
information.
Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your
application any information that you feel is exempt from disclosure
under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act. In the appropriate
Appendix section of your application, under ``Other Attachments Form,''
please list the page number or numbers on which we can find this
information. For additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: July 14, 2014.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: The Department will hold a pre-
application meeting via Webinar for prospective applicants on July 22,
2014, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Washington, DC, time. Individuals
interested in attending this meeting are encouraged to pre-register by
emailing their name, organization, and contact information with the
subject heading ``PRE-APPLICATION MEETING'' to CharterSchools@ed.gov.
There is no registration fee for attending this meeting.
For further information about the pre-application meeting, contact
Brian Martin, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Room 4W224, Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 205-9085 or by
email: brian.martin@ed.gov.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 12, 2014.
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
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: October 27, 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 competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: 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 two to five 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
[[Page 40738]]
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: 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 CSP Grants for National
Leadership Activities competition, CFDA number 84.282N 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 CSP Grants
for National Leadership Activities competition at 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 84.282, not 84.282N).
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. In addition, for specific guidance and procedures for
submitting an application through Grants.gov, please refer to the
Grants.gov Web site at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.
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.
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. Grants.gov
will also notify you automatically by email if your application met all
the Grants.gov validation requirements or if there were any errors. You
will be given an opportunity to correct any errors and resubmit, but
you must still meet the deadline for submission of applications.
Once your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov, the
Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you
an email with a unique PR/Award number for your application.
These emails do not mean that your application is without any
disqualifying errors. It is your responsibility to ensure that your
submitted application has met all of the Department's requirements,
including submitting only PDF documents, as prescribed in this notice
and in the application instructions.
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 the
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
[[Page 40739]]
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
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Brian Martin, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W224,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. FAX: (202) 205-9085.
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 84.282N,
LBJ Basement Level 1,
400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center,
Attention: CFDA Number 84.282N,
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. The maximum possible score for addressing all of
the criteria in this section is 100 points. The maximum possible score
for addressing each criterion is indicated in parentheses following the
criterion.
In evaluating an application, the Secretary considers the following
criteria:
(a) Significance. (34 CFR 75.210 (b)) (35 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors--
(i) The national significance of the proposed project.
(ii) The extent to which the results of the proposed project are to
be disseminated in ways that will enable others to use the information
or strategies.
(iii) The potential contribution of the proposed project to
increased knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues,
or effective strategies.
(b) Quality of the project design. (34 CFR 75.210 (c)) (30 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors--
(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project is supported by
strong theory (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the
competition.
Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to discuss how its
proposed project addresses the absolute priority to which the
applicant has responded.
(iv) The likelihood that the services to be provided by the
proposed project will lead to improvements in the achievement of
students as measured against rigorous academic standards.
(c) Quality of project personnel. (34 CFR 75.210 (e)) (10 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will
carry out the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the
[[Page 40740]]
applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are
members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based
on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers--
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator.
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of key project personnel.
(d) Quality of the management plan. (34 CFR 75.210 (g)) (15 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors--
(i) 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.
(ii) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and
continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
(e) Quality of the project evaluation. (34 CFR 75.210 (h)) (10
points)
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the following factors--
(i) 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 to the extent possible.
(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well-
implemented, produce evidence of promise (as defined in 34 CFR
77.1(c)).
(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
valid and reliable performance data on relevant outcomes.
Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to describe how
evaluation activities will contribute to research and the knowledge
base in the field regarding the project's focus area.
2. Review and Selection Process:
Note: The Secretary may separately consider for funding
applications meeting Absolute Priority 1 and those meeting Absolute
Priority 2.
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 goal
of the CSP is to increase national understanding of the charter school
model by providing financial assistance for the planning, program
design, and initial implementation of charter schools; evaluating the
effects of charter schools, including the effects on students, student
academic achievement, staff, and parents; expanding the number of high-
quality charter schools available to students across the Nation; and
encouraging the States to provide support to charter schools for
facilities financing in an amount that is more commensurate with the
amount the States have typically provided for non-chartered public
schools.
The Secretary has two performance indicators to measure progress
towards 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 assessments 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 consecutive years).
All grantees will be expected, as applicable, to submit an annual
performance report documenting their contribution in assisting the
Department in meeting these performance measures.
(b) Project-Specific Performance Measures. Applicants must propose
project-specific performance measures and performance targets
consistent with the objectives of the project. Applications must
provide the following information as required under 34 CFR 75.110(b)-
(c):
(1) Performance measures. How each proposed performance measure
would
[[Page 40741]]
accurately measure the performance of the project and how the proposed
performance measure would be consistent with the performance measures
established for the program funding the competition.
(2) Baseline data. (i) Why each proposed baseline is valid; or (ii)
if the applicant has determined that there are no established baseline
data for a particular performance measure, an explanation of why there
is no established baseline and of how and when, during the project
period, the applicant would establish a valid baseline for the
performance measure.
(3) Performance targets. Why each proposed performance target is
ambitious yet achievable compared to the baseline for the performance
measure and when, during the project period, the applicant would meet
the performance target(s).
Note: The Secretary expects the applicant to consider measures
and targets tied to their grant activities. The measures and targets
should be sufficient to gauge the progress throughout the grant
period, and show results by the end of the grant period. For
technical assistance in developing effective performance measures,
applicants are encouraged to review information provided by the
Department's Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs). The
Department's Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) seek to build
the capacity of States and school districts to incorporate data and
research into education decision making. Each REL provides research
support and technical assistance to its region but makes learning
opportunities available to educators everywhere. For example, the
REL Northeast and Islands has created the following resource on
logic models: https://relpacific.mcrel.org/ELM.html.
(c) Data Collection and Reporting. The applicant must also describe
in the application: (1) 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 (2) 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, it should provide other evidence of its capacity to
successfully carry out data collection and reporting for its
proposed project.
All grantees must submit an annual performance report with
information that is responsive to 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).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Martin, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W224, Washington, DC 20202-
5970. Telephone: (202) 205-9085 or by email: brian.martin@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, 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 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: July 9, 2014.
Nadya Chinoy Dabby,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2014-16456 Filed 7-11-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P