Applications for New Awards; Assistance for Arts Education Program-Arts in Education National Program, 20056-20061 [2018-09669]

Download as PDF 20056 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2018 / Notices to Thomas Luebke, Secretary, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, at the above address; by emailing staff@cfa.gov; or by calling 202–504–2200. Individuals requiring sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired should contact the Secretary at least 10 days before the meeting date. Dated: April 25, 2018 in Washington, DC. Thomas Luebke, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–09334 Filed 5–4–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6330–01–M DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Notice of Public Hearing and Business Meeting daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES May 16 and June 13, 2018. Notice is hereby given that the Delaware River Basin Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. A business meeting will be held the following month on Wednesday, June 13, 2018. The hearing and meeting are open to the public and will be held at the West Trenton Volunteer Fire Company Ballroom, 40 West Upper Ferry Road, West Trenton, New Jersey. Public Hearing. The public hearing on May 16, 2018 will begin at 1:30 p.m. Hearing items subject to the Commission’s review will include draft dockets for withdrawals, discharges, and other water-related projects, as well as resolutions to: (a) Adopt the Commission’s annual Current Expense and Capital Budgets for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019 (July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019); (b) apportion among the signatory parties the amounts required for the support of the Current Expense and Capital Budgets for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019 (July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019); (c) clarify and restate the Commission’s policy for the replacement of water consumptively used by electric generating or cogenerating facilities during critical hydrologic conditions; and (d) authorize the Executive Director to enter into a contract for professional engineering services for technical evaluations and cost estimations for upgrades of wastewater treatment plants discharging to the Delaware River Estuary. The list of projects scheduled for hearing, including project descriptions, and the text of the proposed resolutions will be posted on the Commission’s website, www.drbc.net, in a long form of this notice at least ten days before the hearing date. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:38 May 04, 2018 Jkt 244001 Written comments on matters scheduled for hearing on May 16 will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. on May 21. The public is advised to check the Commission’s website periodically prior to the hearing date, as items scheduled for hearing may be postponed if additional time is deemed necessary to complete the Commission’s review, and items may be added up to ten days prior to the hearing date. In reviewing docket descriptions, the public is also asked to be aware that project details commonly change in the course of the Commission’s review, which is ongoing. Public Meeting. The public business meeting on June 13, 2018 will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will include: adoption of the Minutes of the Commission’s March 14, 2018 Business Meeting, announcements of upcoming meetings and events, a report on hydrologic conditions, reports by the Executive Director and the Commission’s General Counsel, and consideration of any items for which a hearing has been completed or is not required. The latter are expected to include resolutions: (a) Authorizing the Executive Director to revise the Administrative Manual—ByLaws, Management and Personnel; and (b) providing for election of the Commission Chair, Vice Chair and Second Vice Chair for the year commencing July 1, 2018 and ending June 30, 2019. After all scheduled business has been completed and as time allows, the Business Meeting will be followed by up to one hour of Open Public Comment, an opportunity to address the Commission on any topic concerning management of the basin’s water resources, outside the context of a duly noticed, on-the-record public hearing. There will be no opportunity for additional public comment for the record at the June 13 Business Meeting on items for which a hearing was completed on May 16 or a previous date. Commission consideration on June 13 of items for which the public hearing is closed may result in approval of the item (by docket or resolution) as proposed, approval with changes, denial, or deferral. When the Commissioners defer an action, they may announce an additional period for written comment on the item, with or without an additional hearing date, or they may take additional time to consider the input they have already received without requesting further public input. Any deferred items will be considered for action at a public meeting of the Commission on a future date. Advance Sign-Up for Oral Comment. Individuals who wish to comment on PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 the record during the public hearing on May 16 or to address the Commissioners informally during the Open Public Comment portion of the meeting on June 13 as time allows, are asked to sign-up in advance through EventBrite. Links to EventBrite for the Public Hearing and the Business Meeting are available at drbc.net. For assistance, please contact Ms. Paula Schmitt of the Commission staff, at paula.schmitt@ drbc.nj.gov. Submitting Written Comment. Written comment on items scheduled for hearing may be made through SmartComment, the web-based comment system introduced by the Commission, a link to which is provided at drbc.net. Use of SmartComment ensures that all submissions are captured in a single location and their receipt is acknowledged. Exceptions to the use of SmartComment are available based on need, by writing to the attention of the Commission Secretary, DRBC, P.O. Box 7360, 25 Cosey Road, West Trenton, NJ 08628. For assistance, please contact Paula Schmitt at paula.schmitt@ drbc.nj.gov. Accommodations for Special Needs. Individuals in need of an accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act who wish to attend the meeting or hearing should contact the Commission Secretary directly at 609–883–9500 ext. 203 or through the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) at 711, to discuss how we can accommodate your needs. Additional Information, Contacts. Additional public records relating to hearing items may be examined at the Commission’s offices by appointment by contacting Denise McHugh, 609–883– 9500, ext. 240. For other questions concerning hearing items, please contact Judith Scharite, Project Review Section assistant at 609–883–9500, ext. 216. Dated: April 30, 2018. Pamela M. Bush, Commission Secretary and Assistant General Counsel. [FR Doc. 2018–09563 Filed 5–4–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6360–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Applications for New Awards; Assistance for Arts Education Program—Arts in Education National Program Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: E:\FR\FM\07MYN1.SGM 07MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2018 / Notices The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2018 for the Assistance for Arts Education Program (AAE)—Arts in Education National Program (AENP) Grants, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.351F. DATES: Applications Available: May 7, 2018. Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 6, 2018. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 6, 2018. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 4, 2018. ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and available at www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/ pdf/2018-02558.pdf. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Asheley McBride, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4W240, Washington, DC 20202– 5950. Telephone: (202) 453–6398. Email: Asheley.McBride@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. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The AENP—part of the Assistance for Arts Education (AAE) program—is authorized under Title IV, part F, subpart 4 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).1 In general, the purpose of the AAE program is to promote arts (as defined in this notice) education for students, including disadvantaged students and students who are children with disabilities (as defined in this notice). Specifically, the AENP supports national-level (as defined in this notice), high-quality arts education projects and services for children and youth, with special emphasis on serving children from low-income families (as defined in this notice) and children with disabilities through community and national outreach activities that strengthen and expand partnerships among schools, local educational 1 Unless otherwise indicated, all references to the ESEA are to the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:38 May 04, 2018 Jkt 244001 agencies, communities, or centers for the arts, including national centers for the arts. Background: Since 2001, the Department has invested over $300 million in arts education and arts integration (as defined in this notice). The AENP, under its new authorization, will continue to build on the Department’s contributions to the arts. The new authorization of the AENP emphasizes projects that support community and national outreach activities that strengthen and expand partnerships among schools, local educational agencies (LEAs), communities, or centers for the arts, including national centers for the arts. In addition, under the new authorization, the AENP will continue to support activities and services that were previously funded through this program including: developing and updating standards-aligned, arts-based and arts-integrated curriculum and programming; professional development for educators, including special educators and arts educators; dissemination of instructional materials and online resources; and other highquality projects for children and youth, with special emphasis on serving children from low-income families and children with disabilities. Priorities: This notice includes one absolute priority. We are establishing this priority for the FY 2018 grant competition and any subsequent years in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Absolute Priority: For FY 2018 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: One or more high-quality arts education projects that (1) support community and national outreach activities that strengthen and expand partnerships among schools, local educational agencies (LEAs), communities, or centers for the arts, including national centers for the arts; (2) are designed to implement, or expand, initiatives in arts education and arts integration; and (3) have a special emphasis on serving children from lowincome families and children with disabilities. To meet part 3 of this priority, applicants must submit supporting data identifying the population of students that meet the PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 20057 definition of ‘‘child from a low-income family’’ and the population of students that meet the definition of ‘‘child with a disability.’’ The supporting data for a child from a low-income family will reflect the data used by the LEA referred to in the definition of ‘‘child from a lowincome family’’ in this notice. Definitions: We are establishing the definitions of ‘‘arts,’’ ‘‘arts educator,’’ ‘‘arts integration,’’ and ‘‘child from a low-income family’’ for the FY 2018 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. The definition of ‘‘child with a disability’’ is from section 8101 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7801). The definitions of ‘‘demonstrates a rationale,’’ ‘‘experimental study,’’ ‘‘logic model,’’ ‘‘project component,’’ ‘‘national level,’’ ‘‘promising evidence,’’ ‘‘quasiexperimental design study,’’ ‘‘relevant outcome’’ and ‘‘What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (WWC Handbook)’’ are from 34 CFR 77.1(c). Arts means music, dance, theater, media arts, and visual arts, including folk arts. Arts educator means a teacher or other instructional staffer who works in music, dance, theater, media arts, or visual arts, including folk arts. Arts integration means (1) strengthening the use of high-quality arts instruction in other academic/ content areas, and (2) strengthening the place of the arts as a part of a wellrounded education. Child from a low-income family means a child who is determined by a state or local educational agency to be a child, in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (a) who is in poverty counted in the most recent census data, (b) who is eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, (c) whose family is receiving assistance under the State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act, (d) who is eligible to receive medical assistance under the Medicaid program, or (e) a composite of such indicators. Child with a disability means— (a) A child (i) with intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments (including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including blindness), serious emotional disturbance (referred to as ‘‘emotional disturbance’’), orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities; and (ii) who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services. E:\FR\FM\07MYN1.SGM 07MYN1 daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES 20058 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2018 / Notices (b) For a child aged 3 through 9 (or any subset of that age range, including ages 3 through 5), may, at the discretion of the State and the local educational agency, include a child (i) experiencing developmental delays, as defined by the State and as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following areas: physical development; cognitive development; communication development; social or emotional development; or adaptive development; and (ii) who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services. Demonstrates a rationale means a key project component (as defined in this notice) included in the project’s logic model (as defined in this notice) is informed by research or evaluation findings that suggest the project component is likely to improve relevant outcomes (as defined in this notice). Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as students) that are otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment group receiving a project component or a control group that does not. Randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity design studies, and single-case design studies are the specific types of experimental studies that, depending on their design and implementation (e.g., sample attrition in randomized controlled trials and regression discontinuity design studies), can meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards without reservations as described in the WWC Handbook (as defined in this notice): (i) A randomized controlled trial employs random assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to receive the project component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to receive the project component (the control group). (ii) A regression discontinuity design study assigns the project component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of outcomes. (iii) A single-case design study uses observations of a single case (e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the treatment. Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a framework that identifies key project components VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:38 May 04, 2018 Jkt 244001 of the proposed project (i.e., the active ‘‘ingredients’’ that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the theoretical and operational relationships among the key project components and relevant outcomes. 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). Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers). Promising evidence means that there is evidence of the effectiveness of a key project component in improving a relevant outcome, based on a relevant finding from one of the following: (i) A practice guide prepared by WWC reporting a ‘‘strong evidence base’’ or ‘‘moderate evidence base’’ for the corresponding practice guide recommendation; (ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC reporting a ‘‘positive effect’’ or ‘‘potentially positive effect’’ on a relevant outcome with no reporting of a ‘‘negative effect’’ or ‘‘potentially negative effect’’ on a relevant outcome; or (iii) A single study assessed by the Department, as appropriate, that— (A) Is an experimental study, a quasiexperimental design study, or a welldesigned and well-implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias (e.g., a study using regression methods to account for differences between a treatment group and a comparison group); and (B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive (i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome. Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that attempts to approximate an experimental study by identifying a comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation (e.g., establishment of baseline equivalence of the groups being compared), can meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet WWC standards without PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 reservations, as described in the WWC Handbook. Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the specific goals of the program. What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (WWC Handbook) means the standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version 2.1 (incorporated by reference, see 34 CFR 77.2). Study findings eligible for review under WWC standards can meet WWC standards without reservations, meet WWC standards with reservations, or not meet WWC standards. WWC practice guides and intervention reports include findings from systematic reviews of evidence as described in the Handbook documentation. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, definitions and selection criteria. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements, regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or substantially revised program authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under section 4642 of the ESSA (20 U.S.C. 7292) and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the priority, definitions, and one of the selection criteria, under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. This priority, these definitions and this selection criterion will apply to the FY 2018 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7291– 7292. Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only. E:\FR\FM\07MYN1.SGM 07MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2018 / Notices II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: $8,000,000. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this competition. Estimated Number of Awards: 1. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 36 months (subject to availability of funds). daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible national nonprofit organizations. ‘‘Eligible national nonprofit organization’’ means an organization of national scope that— (A) Is supported by staff, which may include volunteers, or affiliates at the State and local levels; and (B) Demonstrates effectiveness or high-quality plans for addressing arts education activities for disadvantaged students or students who are children with disabilities. 2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching. b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-notsupplant funding requirements. In accordance with section 4642(b)(2)of the ESEA, funds made available under this subpart shall be used only to supplement, and not to supplant, any other assistance or funds made available from non-Federal sources for the activities assisted under this subpart. 3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities described in its application. 4. Coordination Requirement: In accordance with section 4642(b)(1) of the ESEA, grantees are required to coordinate, to the extent practicable, each project or program carried out with such assistance with appropriate activities of public or private cultural agencies, institutions, and organizations, including museums, arts education associations, libraries, and theaters. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Application Submission Instructions: For information on how to submit an application please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2018 VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:38 May 04, 2018 Jkt 244001 (83 FR 6003) and available at www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/ pdf/2018-02558.pdf. 2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of projects that may be proposed in applications for the AENP, your application may include business information that you consider proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define ‘‘business information’’ and describe the process we use in determining whether any of that information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended). We plan on posting the project narrative section of funded AENP applications on the Department’s website. Accordingly, you may wish to request confidentiality of business information. Identifying proprietary information in the submitted application will help facilitate this public disclosure process. Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your application any information that you believe is exempt from disclosure under Exemption 4. 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. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition. 4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice. 5. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the absolute priority and the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the application narrative to no more than 50 pages and (2) use 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. PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 20059 • Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). • Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative. 6. Notice of Intent to Apply: We will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we know the approximate number of applicants that intend to apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each potential applicant to notify us of the applicant’s intent to submit an application for funding by sending a short email message. This email should only indicate the applicant organization’s name and address. Please send this email notification to Asheley.McBride@ed.gov with ‘‘Intent to Apply’’ in the email subject line. Applicants that do not provide this email notification may still apply for funding. 7. Informational Webinar: The AENP staff intends to hold a webinar designed to provide technical assistance to all interested grant applicants. Detailed information regarding this webinar will be provided on the AENP web page at: https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/ arts/arts-in-education-nationalprogram/. V. Application Review Information 1. Selection Criteria: We are establishing selection criterion (b) under the Quality of the project design for the FY 2018 grant competition and any subsequent years in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Selection criterion (a) under the Quality of the project design is from section 4642(a)(1)(C) of the ESEA. The rest of the selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210. The points assigned to each criterion are indicated in the parentheses next to the criterion. An applicant may earn up to a total of 100 points based on the selection criteria for the application. The selection criteria are as follows: (1) Significance (20 points). E:\FR\FM\07MYN1.SGM 07MYN1 20060 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2018 / Notices daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES The Secretary reviews each application to determine— (a) The national significance of the proposed project. (b) 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. (c) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in teaching and student achievement. (2) Quality of the project design (35 points). The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which— (a) The proposed project will provide community and national outreach activities that strengthen and expand partnerships among schools, local educational agencies, communities, or centers for the arts, including national centers for the arts. (b) The proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the arts education needs of prekindergarten-through-grade-12 children and youth, with special emphasis on serving children from low-income families and children with disabilities; (c) The proposed project will integrate with or build on similar or related efforts to improve relevant outcomes (as defined in this notice), using existing funding streams from other programs or policies supported by community, State, and Federal resources. (d) The proposed project demonstrates a rationale (as defined in this notice). Note: The Secretary encourages applicants 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 measures and targets, applicants are encouraged to review information provided by the Department’s Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs). The 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 resources on logic models: https:// relpacific.mcrel.org/resources/elm-app/; https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/ pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf; https:// ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/ REL_2014007.pdf; and https://ies.ed.gov/ ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_ 2015057.pdf. (3) Quality of project services (25 points). VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:38 May 04, 2018 Jkt 244001 In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors: (a) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the proposed project on the intended recipients of those services. (b) The extent to which the training or professional development services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice among the recipients of those services. (c) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing the effectiveness of project services. (4) Quality of the project evaluation (20 points). The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the project evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors: (a) 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. (b) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes. (c) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well implemented, produce promising evidence (as defined in this notice) about the project’s effectiveness. 2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant’s use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality. In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 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 (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk 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 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible. 4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this competition to receive an award that over the course of the project period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $150,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards—that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant—before we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS. Please note that, if the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000. 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 E:\FR\FM\07MYN1.SGM 07MYN1 daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2018 / Notices 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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 3474.20. 4. 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) If you receive a multiyear 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. (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period. 5. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), we have established four performance measures to assess the effectiveness of this program. Projects funded under this competition will be expected to collect and report to the VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:38 May 04, 2018 Jkt 244001 Department data related to these measures. Applicants should, but are not required to, discuss in the application narrative how they propose to collect these data. The four GPRA performance measures are: (1) The total number of students who participate in arts education sponsored by the grantee; (2) the number of teachers participating in the grantee’s program who receive professional development; (3) the total number of low-income students who participate in arts education sponsored by the grantee; and (4) the total number of children with disabilities who participate in arts education sponsored by the grantee. 6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the performance targets in the grantee’s approved application. 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. 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. Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations 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 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. PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 20061 Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department. Dated: May 2, 2018. Margo Anderson, Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement. [FR Doc. 2018–09669 Filed 5–4–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Update on Reimbursement for Costs of Remedial Action at Uranium and Thorium Processing Sites Department of Energy. Notice of the Title X claims during fiscal year (FY) 2018. AGENCY: ACTION: This Notice announces the Department of Energy’s (DOE) acceptance of claims in FY 2018 from eligible uranium and thorium processing site licensees for reimbursement under Title X of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The FY 2019 Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s Congressional Budget Request included $30 million for the Title X Program. DATES: The closing date for the submission of FY 2018 Title X claims is September 14, 2018. The claims will be processed for payment together with any eligible unpaid approved claim balances from prior years, based on the availability of funds from congressional appropriations. If the total approved claim amounts exceed the available funding, the approved claim amounts will be reimbursed on a prorated basis. All reimbursements are subject to the availability of funds from congressional appropriations. ADDRESSES: Claims should be forwarded by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management, Attn: Mark Kautsky, Lead for Review of Title X Reimbursement of Claims, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management, 2597 Legacy Way, Grand Junction, Colorado 81503. Two copies of the claim should be included with each submission. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jaffet Ferrer-Torres, Title X Program Lead and Coordinator, at (202) 586– 0730, of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Office of Waste Disposal. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE published a final rule under 10 CFR part 765 in the Federal Register on May 23, 1994, (59 FR 26714) to carry out the SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\07MYN1.SGM 07MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 88 (Monday, May 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20056-20061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09669]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Assistance for Arts Education 
Program--Arts in Education National Program

AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 20057]]

SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2018 for the Assistance for 
Arts Education Program (AAE)--Arts in Education National Program (AENP) 
Grants, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.351F.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: May 7, 2018.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 6, 2018.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 6, 2018.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 4, 2018.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to 
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the 
Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and available at 
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Asheley McBride, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4W240, Washington, DC 20202-
5950. Telephone: (202) 453-6398. Email: [email protected].
    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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The AENP--part of the Assistance for Arts 
Education (AAE) program--is authorized under Title IV, part F, subpart 
4 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by 
the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).\1\ In general, the purpose of 
the AAE program is to promote arts (as defined in this notice) 
education for students, including disadvantaged students and students 
who are children with disabilities (as defined in this notice). 
Specifically, the AENP supports national-level (as defined in this 
notice), high-quality arts education projects and services for children 
and youth, with special emphasis on serving children from low-income 
families (as defined in this notice) and children with disabilities 
through community and national outreach activities that strengthen and 
expand partnerships among schools, local educational agencies, 
communities, or centers for the arts, including national centers for 
the arts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Unless otherwise indicated, all references to the ESEA are 
to the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Background: Since 2001, the Department has invested over $300 
million in arts education and arts integration (as defined in this 
notice). The AENP, under its new authorization, will continue to build 
on the Department's contributions to the arts. The new authorization of 
the AENP emphasizes projects that support community and national 
outreach activities that strengthen and expand partnerships among 
schools, local educational agencies (LEAs), communities, or centers for 
the arts, including national centers for the arts.
    In addition, under the new authorization, the AENP will continue to 
support activities and services that were previously funded through 
this program including: developing and updating standards-aligned, 
arts-based and arts-integrated curriculum and programming; professional 
development for educators, including special educators and arts 
educators; dissemination of instructional materials and online 
resources; and other high-quality projects for children and youth, with 
special emphasis on serving children from low-income families and 
children with disabilities.
    Priorities: This notice includes one absolute priority. We are 
establishing this priority for the FY 2018 grant competition and any 
subsequent years in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applications from this competition, in accordance with section 
437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 
1232(d)(1).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2018 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    One or more high-quality arts education projects that (1) support 
community and national outreach activities that strengthen and expand 
partnerships among schools, local educational agencies (LEAs), 
communities, or centers for the arts, including national centers for 
the arts; (2) are designed to implement, or expand, initiatives in arts 
education and arts integration; and (3) have a special emphasis on 
serving children from low-income families and children with 
disabilities. To meet part 3 of this priority, applicants must submit 
supporting data identifying the population of students that meet the 
definition of ``child from a low-income family'' and the population of 
students that meet the definition of ``child with a disability.'' The 
supporting data for a child from a low-income family will reflect the 
data used by the LEA referred to in the definition of ``child from a 
low-income family'' in this notice.
    Definitions: We are establishing the definitions of ``arts,'' 
``arts educator,'' ``arts integration,'' and ``child from a low-income 
family'' for the FY 2018 grant competition and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. The 
definition of ``child with a disability'' is from section 8101 of the 
ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7801). The definitions of ``demonstrates a rationale,'' 
``experimental study,'' ``logic model,'' ``project component,'' 
``national level,'' ``promising evidence,'' ``quasi-experimental design 
study,'' ``relevant outcome'' and ``What Works Clearinghouse Handbook 
(WWC Handbook)'' are from 34 CFR 77.1(c).
    Arts means music, dance, theater, media arts, and visual arts, 
including folk arts.
    Arts educator means a teacher or other instructional staffer who 
works in music, dance, theater, media arts, or visual arts, including 
folk arts.
    Arts integration means (1) strengthening the use of high-quality 
arts instruction in other academic/content areas, and (2) strengthening 
the place of the arts as a part of a well-rounded education.
    Child from a low-income family means a child who is determined by a 
state or local educational agency to be a child, in pre-kindergarten 
through grade 12 (a) who is in poverty counted in the most recent 
census data, (b) who is eligible for free or reduced-price lunches 
under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, (c) whose 
family is receiving assistance under the State program funded under 
part A of title IV of the Social Security Act, (d) who is eligible to 
receive medical assistance under the Medicaid program, or (e) a 
composite of such indicators.
    Child with a disability means--
    (a) A child (i) with intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments 
(including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual 
impairments (including blindness), serious emotional disturbance 
(referred to as ``emotional disturbance''), orthopedic impairments, 
autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific 
learning disabilities; and (ii) who, by reason thereof, needs special 
education and related services.

[[Page 20058]]

    (b) For a child aged 3 through 9 (or any subset of that age range, 
including ages 3 through 5), may, at the discretion of the State and 
the local educational agency, include a child (i) experiencing 
developmental delays, as defined by the State and as measured by 
appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of 
the following areas: physical development; cognitive development; 
communication development; social or emotional development; or adaptive 
development; and (ii) who, by reason thereof, needs special education 
and related services.
    Demonstrates a rationale means a key project component (as defined 
in this notice) included in the project's logic model (as defined in 
this notice) is informed by research or evaluation findings that 
suggest the project component is likely to improve relevant outcomes 
(as defined in this notice).
    Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare 
outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as students) that are 
otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment 
group receiving a project component or a control group that does not. 
Randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity design studies, 
and single-case design studies are the specific types of experimental 
studies that, depending on their design and implementation (e.g., 
sample attrition in randomized controlled trials and regression 
discontinuity design studies), can meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) 
standards without reservations as described in the WWC Handbook (as 
defined in this notice):
    (i) A randomized controlled trial employs random assignment of, for 
example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to receive the 
project component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to 
receive the project component (the control group).
    (ii) A regression discontinuity design study assigns the project 
component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning 
students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental 
education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of 
outcomes.
    (iii) A single-case design study uses observations of a single case 
(e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in 
the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to 
determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the 
treatment.
    Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a 
framework that identifies key project components of the proposed 
project (i.e., the active ``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be 
critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the 
theoretical and operational relationships among the key project 
components and relevant outcomes.
    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).
    Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, 
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence 
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of 
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices 
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
    Promising evidence means that there is evidence of the 
effectiveness of a key project component in improving a relevant 
outcome, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
    (i) A practice guide prepared by WWC reporting a ``strong evidence 
base'' or ``moderate evidence base'' for the corresponding practice 
guide recommendation;
    (ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC reporting a 
``positive effect'' or ``potentially positive effect'' on a relevant 
outcome with no reporting of a ``negative effect'' or ``potentially 
negative effect'' on a relevant outcome; or
    (iii) A single study assessed by the Department, as appropriate, 
that--
    (A) Is an experimental study, a quasi-experimental design study, or 
a well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with 
statistical controls for selection bias (e.g., a study using regression 
methods to account for differences between a treatment group and a 
comparison group); and
    (B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive 
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome.
    Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that 
attempts to approximate an experimental study by identifying a 
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important 
respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation 
(e.g., establishment of baseline equivalence of the groups being 
compared), can meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet 
WWC standards without reservations, as described in the WWC Handbook.
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) 
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the 
specific goals of the program.
    What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (WWC Handbook) means the 
standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Procedures and Standards 
Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version 2.1 (incorporated by reference, see 34 
CFR 77.2). Study findings eligible for review under WWC standards can 
meet WWC standards without reservations, meet WWC standards with 
reservations, or not meet WWC standards. WWC practice guides and 
intervention reports include findings from systematic reviews of 
evidence as described in the Handbook documentation.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, definitions and 
selection criteria. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the 
Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements, regulations governing 
the first grant competition under a new or substantially revised 
program authority. This is the first grant competition for this program 
under section 4642 of the ESSA (20 U.S.C. 7292) and therefore qualifies 
for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the 
Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the priority, 
definitions, and one of the selection criteria, under section 437(d)(1) 
of GEPA. This priority, these definitions and this selection criterion 
will apply to the FY 2018 grant competition and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7291-7292.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 
part 3474.

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


[[Page 20059]]



II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $8,000,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from 
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months (subject to availability of funds).

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible national nonprofit organizations. 
``Eligible national nonprofit organization'' means an organization of 
national scope that--
    (A) Is supported by staff, which may include volunteers, or 
affiliates at the State and local levels; and
    (B) Demonstrates effectiveness or high-quality plans for addressing 
arts education activities for disadvantaged students or students who 
are children with disabilities.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. In accordance with section 4642(b)(2)of 
the ESEA, funds made available under this subpart shall be used only to 
supplement, and not to supplant, any other assistance or funds made 
available from non-Federal sources for the activities assisted under 
this subpart.
    3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award 
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities 
described in its application.
    4. Coordination Requirement: In accordance with section 4642(b)(1) 
of the ESEA, grantees are required to coordinate, to the extent 
practicable, each project or program carried out with such assistance 
with appropriate activities of public or private cultural agencies, 
institutions, and organizations, including museums, arts education 
associations, libraries, and theaters.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: For information on how to 
submit an application please refer to our Common Instructions for 
Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, 
published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and 
available at www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.
    2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the AENP, your 
application may include business information that you consider 
proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define ``business information'' and 
describe the process we use in determining whether any of that 
information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under 
Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as 
amended).
    We plan on posting the project narrative section of funded AENP 
applications on the Department's website. Accordingly, you may wish to 
request confidentiality of business information. Identifying 
proprietary information in the submitted application will help 
facilitate this public disclosure process.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your 
application any information that you believe is exempt from disclosure 
under Exemption 4. 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. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    5. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of 
the application) is where you, the applicant, address the absolute 
priority and the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. We recommend that you (1) limit the application narrative 
to no more than 50 pages and (2) use the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover 
sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of 
support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the 
application narrative.
    6. Notice of Intent to Apply: We will be able to develop a more 
efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we know the 
approximate number of applicants that intend to apply for funding under 
this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each 
potential applicant to notify us of the applicant's intent to submit an 
application for funding by sending a short email message. This email 
should only indicate the applicant organization's name and address. 
Please send this email notification to [email protected] with 
``Intent to Apply'' in the email subject line. Applicants that do not 
provide this email notification may still apply for funding.
    7. Informational Webinar: The AENP staff intends to hold a webinar 
designed to provide technical assistance to all interested grant 
applicants. Detailed information regarding this webinar will be 
provided on the AENP web page at: https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/arts/arts-in-education-national-program/.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: We are establishing selection criterion (b) 
under the Quality of the project design for the FY 2018 grant 
competition and any subsequent years in which we make awards from the 
list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with 
section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 
U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Selection criterion (a) under the Quality of the 
project design is from section 4642(a)(1)(C) of the ESEA. The rest of 
the selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210.
    The points assigned to each criterion are indicated in the 
parentheses next to the criterion. An applicant may earn up to a total 
of 100 points based on the selection criteria for the application.
    The selection criteria are as follows:
    (1) Significance (20 points).

[[Page 20060]]

    The Secretary reviews each application to determine--
    (a) The national significance of the proposed project.
    (b) 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.
    (c) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in 
teaching and student achievement.
    (2) Quality of the project design (35 points). The Secretary 
reviews each application to determine the extent to which--
    (a) The proposed project will provide community and national 
outreach activities that strengthen and expand partnerships among 
schools, local educational agencies, communities, or centers for the 
arts, including national centers for the arts.
    (b) The proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully 
address, the arts education needs of pre-kindergarten-through-grade-12 
children and youth, with special emphasis on serving children from low-
income families and children with disabilities;
    (c) The proposed project will integrate with or build on similar or 
related efforts to improve relevant outcomes (as defined in this 
notice), using existing funding streams from other programs or policies 
supported by community, State, and Federal resources.
    (d) The proposed project demonstrates a rationale (as defined in 
this notice).

    Note:  The Secretary encourages applicants 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 measures and targets, 
applicants are encouraged to review information provided by the 
Department's Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs). The 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 
resources on logic models: https://relpacific.mcrel.org/resources/elm-app/; https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf; https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.pdf; and https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf.

    (3) Quality of project services (25 points).
    In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (a) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services.
    (b) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services.
    (c) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for 
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.
    (4) Quality of the project evaluation (20 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the 
project evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (a) 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.
    (b) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.
    (c) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well 
implemented, produce promising evidence (as defined in this notice) 
about the project's effectiveness.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
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 
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in 
appropriate circumstances, high-risk 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 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$150,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your 
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal 
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make 
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that 
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as 
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may 
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal 
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

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

[[Page 20061]]

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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant 
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. 
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20.
    4. 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) If you receive a multiyear 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.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    5. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), we have established four performance measures to 
assess the effectiveness of this program. Projects funded under this 
competition will be expected to collect and report to the Department 
data related to these measures. Applicants should, but are not required 
to, discuss in the application narrative how they propose to collect 
these data. The four GPRA performance measures are: (1) The total 
number of students who participate in arts education sponsored by the 
grantee; (2) the number of teachers participating in the grantee's 
program who receive professional development; (3) the total number of 
low-income students who participate in arts education sponsored by the 
grantee; and (4) the total number of children with disabilities who 
participate in arts education sponsored by the grantee.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
    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. 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.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations 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 Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe 
Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: May 2, 2018.
Margo Anderson,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2018-09669 Filed 5-4-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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