Applications for New Awards; Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program, 29180-29186 [2019-13289]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 120 (Friday, June 21, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29180-29186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13289]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Mental Health Service Professional 
Demonstration Grant Program

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for the Mental Health 
Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program, Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.184X. This notice relates to the 
approved information collection under OMB control number 1894-0006.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: June 21, 2019.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 5, 2019.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 4, 2019.

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 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at 
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Earl Myers, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 3E244, Washington, DC 20202-
6450. 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 Mental Health Service Professional 
Demonstration Grant Program provides competitive grants to support and 
demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health 
services providers for employment in schools and local educational 
agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of 
high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental 
health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. The 
partnerships must include (1) one or more high-need LEAs or a State 
educational agency (SEA) on behalf of one or more high-need LEAs; and 
(2) one or more eligible institutions of higher education (IHE). 
Partnerships must provide opportunities to place graduate students of 
IHEs in school-based mental health fields into schools served by the 
participating high-need LEAs to complete required field work, credit 
hours, internships, or related training as applicable for the degree, 
license, or credential program of each student.
    Background: Our Nation's schools should be safe and secure settings 
where children can learn and grow to their full potential. However, 
over the last few years violent acts inside and outside our schools, as 
well as a growing rate of student suicides, have created stress and 
trauma for individual students and disrupted the learning environment.
    School-based mental health services providers offer supports that 
encompass social-emotional learning, mental wellness, resilience, and 
positive connections between students and adults. These supports are 
essential to creating a school culture in which students feel safe and 
empowered to report safety concerns, which is proven to be among the 
most effective school safety strategies. Additionally, in the aftermath 
of a crisis, school-based mental health professionals provide supports 
that facilitate a return to normalcy, are sustainable, and can help to 
identify and work with students with more intense or ongoing needs.\1\
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    \1\ ``School Based Mental Health Services: Improving Student 
Learning and Well-Being.'' (2016). National Association of School 
Psychologists. Bethesda, MD. www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/mental-health/school-psychology-and-mental-health/school-based-mental-health-services. Accessed June 12, 2019.
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    However, in school year 2015-16, the Department of Education's 
Civil Rights Data collected by the National Center for Education 
Statistics provided evidence

[[Page 29181]]

that there were not enough counselors, social workers, or nurses 
employed by our public schools. Partnerships between schools and 
community mental health providers (including colleges and 
universities), will expand the pipeline of mental health providers 
exposed to working in schools and should play a major role in 
addressing these shortages.
    According to the data, 36 million students were enrolled in 55,000 
schools but substantially exceeded the recommended ratios for student-
to-counselor, student-to-social worker, or student-to-nurse. The actual 
student-to-psychologist ratio was below the recommended ratio.\2\ 
Nationally, the ratios were as follows:
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    \2\ Civil Rights Data Collection. U.S. Department of Education. 
https://ocrdata.ed.gov/. Accessed June 12, 2019.
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     The student-to-counselor ratio was 444:1 as compared to a 
recommended ratio of 250:1 by the American School Counselor 
Association; \3\
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    \3\ American School Counselor Association Home Page. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/. Accessed June 12, 2019.
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     The student-to-social worker ratio was 2,160:1 as compared 
to a recommended 250:1 by the National Association of Social Workers; 
\4\
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    \4\ ``NASW Highlights the Growing Need for School Social Workers 
to Prevent School Violence.'' National Association of Social 
Workers. March 27, 2018. https://www.socialworkers.org/News/News-Releases/ArticleType/ArticleView/ArticleID/1633. Accessed June 12, 
2019.
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     The student-to-psychologist ratio was 444-to-1 as compared 
to 1,000:1 generally and no more than 500 to 700:1 for broader 
services; by the National Association of School Psychologists; \5\ and
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    \5\ ``Shortages in School Psychology.'' National Association of 
School Psychologists. https://www.nasponline.org/Documents/Resources%20and%20publications/Resources/School_Psychology_Shortage_2017.pdf. Accessed June 12, 2019.
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     The student-to-nurse ratio was 936-to-1 as compared to a 
recommended 750-to-1 by the National Association of School Nurses.\6\
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    \6\ ``School Nurse Workload: Staffing for Safe Care.'' National 
Association of School Nurses. https://www.nasn.org/advocacy/professional-practice-documents/position-statements/ps-workload. 
Accessed June 12, 2019.
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    In March 2018, President Trump established a Federal Commission on 
School Safety (Commission) to review school climate and safety issues 
and make meaningful and actionable recommendations regarding best 
practices to keep students safe. To inform its work, the Commission 
held four formal meetings, four site visits, and four listening 
sessions. A consistent theme emphasized throughout these activities was 
longstanding concern over limited access to counselors and other health 
care-related professionals in high-poverty districts and schools where 
needs are the greatest.
    In December 2018, the Commission released its final report,\7\ 
which offers several recommendations for leaders at the local, State, 
and Federal levels on strategies and actions for improving school 
safety, including expanded access to mental health services. In 
addition, the Statement of the Managers accompanying the Department's 
fiscal year 2019 appropriations act encouraged the Department to use a 
portion of School Safety National Activities funds to support a Mental 
Health Demonstration Grant program.\8\
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    \7\ DeVos, B., et al. Final Report of the Federal Commission on 
School Safety. (2018). https://www2.ed.gov/documents/school-safety/school-safety-report.pdf.
    \8\ Conference Report for the Department of Defense for the 
Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2019, and for Other Purposes. 
https://www.congress.gov/115/crpt/hrpt952/CRPT-115hrpt952.pdf (Page 
543).
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    The Department is implementing the Mental Health Service 
Professional Demonstration Grant Program in response to these 
recommendations.
    These grants will enable high-need LEAs or SEAs on behalf of high-
need LEAs, in partnerships with one or more participating eligible 
IHEs, to expand the pipeline of school-based mental health services 
providers, as defined in this notice, for high-need public elementary 
schools and secondary schools with shortages of school-based mental 
health service providers. The provision of medical services by such 
professionals is not an allowable use of funds under this grant. To the 
extent that grant funds directly benefits an individual graduate 
student, the Department encourages an applicant to consider how it 
might implement a service obligation for such graduate student as a 
school-based mental health services provider in a high-need school 
commensurate with the level of support the graduate student receives.
    Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority and two 
competitive preference priorities. We are establishing the absolute 
priority for the FY 2019 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 the General 
Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). In accordance 
with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the competitive preference priorities are 
from the Department's notice of Final Supplemental Priorities and 
Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs (Supplemental Priorities), 
published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2019 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:
    Expand the capacity of high-need LEAs in partnership with IHEs to 
train school-based mental health services providers, as defined in this 
notice, with the goal of expanding the pipeline of these professionals 
into high-need public elementary schools and secondary schools in order 
to address the shortages of school-based mental health service 
providers in such schools.
    To meet this priority, the applicant must propose a School-Based 
Mental Health partnership (as defined in this notice) established for 
the purpose of placing graduate students of university academic 
programs in school-based mental health fields into schools served by 
the participating high-need LEAs to complete required field work, 
credit hours, internships, or related training as applicable for the 
degree, license, or credential program of each student.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2019 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications 
from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an additional 
five points to an application, depending on how well the application 
meets Competitive Preference Priority 1; and up to an additional five 
points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2. 
Applicants may address one or both of the competitive preference 
priorities. The total maximum points we may award an application that 
chooses to address each of the competitive preference priorities is 10. 
An applicant must clearly indicate in the abstract section of its 
application each competitive preference priority under which it is 
applying. The Department may choose not to award points under these 
competitive preference priorities for any application that fails to do 
so.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Fostering Knowledge and 
Promoting the Development of Skills That Prepare Students To Be 
Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens. (0 to 5 
points)
    Supporting projects likely to improve student academic performance 
and better prepare students for employment, responsible citizenship, 
and fulfilling

[[Page 29182]]

lives, including by preparing children or students to do one or more of 
the following:
    (i) Develop positive personal relationships with others.
    (ii) Develop determination, perseverance, and the ability to 
overcome obstacles.
    (iii) Develop self-esteem through perseverance and earned success.
    (iv) Develop problem solving skills.
    (v) Develop self-regulation in order to work toward long-term 
goals.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2--Protecting Freedom of Speech and 
Encouraging Respectful Interactions in a Safe Educational Environment. 
(0 to 5 points)
    Developing positive learning environments that promote strong 
relationships among students and school personnel to help prevent 
bullying, violence, and disruptive actions that diminish the 
opportunity for each student to receive a high-quality education.
    Requirements: We are establishing these application requirements 
for the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 
1232(d)(1).
    Application Requirements: An applicant must include the following 
in its application:
    (a) Description of the severity and magnitude of the problem and 
identification of schools to be served by the proposed project.
    Applicants must describe how the lack of school-based mental health 
services providers is specifically affecting students in schools to be 
served by project activities. Applicants must describe the nature of 
the problem for the LEA, based on information such as, but not limited 
to, the most recent available ratios of school-based mental health 
service providers to students enrolled in schools in each high-need LEA 
that is part of the School-Based Mental Health partnership (in the 
aggregate and disaggregated by profession (e.g., social workers, school 
psychologists)). The description may also include LEA and school-level 
demographic data, school climate surveys, school violence/crime data 
and data related to suicide rates. In order to help the Department 
assess the magnitude of the problem and ensure the applications 
selected will serve high-need LEAs, data cited must be compared to 
similar data at the State or local level, and on a per capita basis 
when available.
    (b) Collaboration and coordination with related Federal, State, and 
local initiatives.
    Applicants must describe how they intend to collaborate with State, 
regional, and local chapters of social workers, psychologists, and 
nurses associations, and describe their relationship and coordination 
with regional and local mental health, public health, child welfare, 
and other community agencies, to achieve project goals and objectives 
of establishing a pipeline program to train and expand the capacity of 
school-based mental health service providers in high-need LEAs. 
Applicants must also describe proposed coordination with existing 
federally funded efforts related to elementary and secondary school 
counseling and mental health promotion. Evidence of collaboration and 
coordination must be provided through letters of support or Memoranda 
of Agreement/Memoranda of Understanding (MOAs/MOUs) from State, 
regional, or local chapters or agencies, if applicable. Applicants must 
describe how they will use the Mental Health Service Professional 
Demonstration Grant Program funds to complement, rather than duplicate, 
existing, ongoing, or new efforts to expand the pipeline of school-
based mental health services providers to be employed by schools and 
local educational agencies (LEAs) qualified to provide school-based 
mental health services. Finally, applicants must include estimates of 
the number of mental health service providers they expect to train and 
have placed into employment by high-need schools and high-need LEAs 
each year.
    (c) Enhancing LEA capacity to provide mental health services to 
students.
    Applicants must describe the specific activities they will conduct 
to expand and improve LEA capacity to serve students in high-need LEAs 
and ensure that students receive appropriate mental health services. To 
meet this requirement, the applicant must propose a School-Based Mental 
Health partnership (as defined in this notice) established for the 
purpose of placing graduate students of university academic programs in 
school-based mental health fields into schools served by the 
participating high-need LEAs to complete required field work, credit 
hours, internships, or related training as applicable for the degree, 
license, or credential program of each student. If the applicant 
intends to establish a program that directly benefits an individual 
graduate student, such as through a stipend or tuition credit, the 
Department encourages the applicant to describe its approach, if any, 
to implementing a service obligation for such graduate student as a 
school-based mental health services provider in a high-need school 
commensurate with the level of support the graduate student receives.
    (d) Enhancing LEAs ability to assess and address the needs of 
students in high-need LEAs.
    Applicants must describe the specific process and activities they 
will use to ensure students in high-need who may be in need of school-
based mental health services, are properly targeted, assessed, and 
provided the appropriate school-based mental health service.
    Definitions: We are establishing the definitions of ``eligible 
institution of higher education,'' ``high-need school,'' ``School-Based 
Mental Health partnership,'' and ``student from a low-income family,'' 
in this notice for the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications 
from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 
U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). The definition of ``high-need LEA'' is from section 
200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 
1021(10)). The definition of ``local educational agency'' is from 20 
U.S.C. 7801(30) and is included for the convenience of the reader. The 
definition of ``institution of higher education'' is from 20 U.S.C. 
1002. The definition of ``State educational agency'' is from 20 U.S.C. 
7801. The definitions of ``ambitious'' and ``baseline'' are from 34 CFR 
77.1. The definition of ``school-based mental health services 
provider'' is from 20 U.S.C. 7112(6).
    These definitions are:
    Ambitious means promoting continued, meaningful improvement for 
program participants or for other individuals or entities affected by 
the grant, or representing a significant advancement in the field of 
education research, practices, or methodologies. When used to describe 
a performance target, whether a performance target is ambitious depends 
upon the context of the relevant performance measure and the baseline 
for that measure.
    Baseline means the starting point from which performance is 
measured and targets are set.
    Eligible institution of higher education means an institution of 
higher education that offers a program of study that leads to a masters 
or other graduate degree--
    (a) In school psychology that prepares students in such program for 
the State licensing or certification examination in school-based 
psychology;

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    (b) In school counseling that prepares students in such program for 
the State licensing or certification examination in school counseling;
    (c) In school social work that prepares students in such program 
for the State licensing or certification examination in school social 
work;
    (d) In another school-based mental health field that prepares 
students in such program for the State licensing or certification 
examination in such fields as behavioral health aides, school nurses, 
and clinical psychologists employed by the schools or under contract 
with LEAs to provide evaluations, if applicable; or
    (e) In any combination of study described in subparagraphs (a) 
through (d).
    High-need local educational agency (LEA) means an LEA--
    (a)(1) For which not less than 20 percent of the children served by 
the agency are children from low-income families;
    (2) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from low-income 
families;
    (3) That meets the eligibility requirements for funding under the 
Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program under section 5211(b) of 
the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7345(b)); or
    (4) That meets eligibility requirements for funding under the Rural 
and Low-Income School (RLIS) program under section 5221(b) of the ESEA 
(20 U.S.C. 7351(b)); and--
    (b)(1) For which there is a high percentage of teachers not 
teaching in the academic subject areas or grade levels in which the 
teachers were trained to teach; or
    (2) For which there is a high teacher turnover rate or a high 
percentage of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary 
certification or licensure.
    High-need school means a school that, based on the most recent data 
available, meets one or both of the following:
    (a) The school is in the highest quartile of schools in a ranking 
of all schools served by a local educational agency, ranked in 
descending order by percentage of students from low-income families 
enrolled in such schools, as determined by the local educational agency 
based on one of the following measures of poverty:
    (1) The percentage of students aged 5 through 17 in poverty counted 
in the most recent census data approved by the Secretary.
    (2) The percentage of students eligible for a free or reduced price 
school lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
    (3) The percentage of students in families receiving assistance 
under the State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social 
Security Act.
    (4) The percentage of students eligible to receive medical 
assistance under the Medicaid program.
    (5) A composite of two or more of the measures described in 
subclauses (I) through (IV).
    (b) In the case of--
    (1) an elementary school, the school serves students not less than 
60 percent of whom are eligible for a free or reduced price school 
lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; or
    (2) any other school that is not an elementary school, the other 
school serves students not less than 45 percent of whom are eligible 
for a free or reduced price school lunch under the Richard B. Russell 
National School Lunch Act.
    Institution of higher education has the meaning given to such term 
in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002), 
but excludes any institution of higher education described in section 
102(a)(1)(C) of such Act.
    Local educational agency means:
    (a) A public board of education or other public authority legally 
constituted within a State for either administrative control or 
direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary 
schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school 
district, or other political subdivision of a State, or of or for a 
combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in a 
State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or 
secondary schools.
    (b) The term includes any other public institution or agency having 
administrative control and direction of a public elementary school or 
secondary school.
    (c) The term includes an elementary school or secondary school 
funded by the Bureau of Indian Education but only to the extent that 
including the school makes the school eligible for programs for which 
specific eligibility is not provided to the school in another provision 
of law and the school does not have a student population that is 
smaller than the student population of the local educational agency 
receiving assistance under this chapter with the smallest student 
population, except that the school shall not be subject to the 
jurisdiction of any State educational agency other than the Bureau of 
Indian Education.
    (d) The term includes educational service agencies and consortia of 
those agencies.
    (e) The term includes the State educational agency in a State in 
which the State educational agency is the sole educational agency for 
all public schools.
    School-Based Mental Health partnership means:
    (a) One or more high-need LEAs or a State educational agency (SEA) 
on behalf of one or more high-need LEAs; and
    (b) one or more eligible IHEs.
    School-based mental health services provider means a State-licensed 
or State-certified school counselor, school psychologist, school social 
worker, or other State licensed or certified mental health professional 
qualified under State law to provide mental health services to children 
and adolescents.
    State educational agency has the meaning given the term in section 
8101 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7801).
    Student from a low-income family means any student whose family 
meets any of the poverty thresholds established in ESEA section 1113 
for the relevant grade level.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, definitions, and 
requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary 
to exempt from rulemaking requirements regulations governing the first 
grant competition under a new or substantially revised program 
authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under 
title IV, part F, subpart 3 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7281) and therefore 
qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, 
the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the priorities, 
definitions, and requirements under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. These 
priorities, definitions, and requirements will apply to the FY 2019 
grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from 
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Program Authority: Section 4631(a)(1)(B) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 
7281).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 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

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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. (d) The Supplemental Priorities.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $15,000,000.
    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 the competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000 to $500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $300,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 50.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: High-need LEAs; SEAs on behalf of one or 
more high-need LEA(s). Applicants must propose to work in partnership 
with an eligible IHE.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award 
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities 
described in its application.
    4. Limitation on Awards: The Department will make only one award 
that serves any individual LEA.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to 
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of 
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at 
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which 
contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.
    2. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program. Please note that, 
under 34 CFR 79.8(a), we have shortened the standard 60-day 
intergovernmental review period in order to make awards by the end of 
FY 2019.
    3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice. In 
addition, we remind applicants that section 4001(b) of the ESEA (20 
U.S.C. 7101) prohibits the use of funds for medical services or drug 
treatment or rehabilitation, except for integrated student supports, 
specialized instructional support services, or referral to treatment 
for impacted students, which may include students who are victims of, 
or witnesses to, crime or who illegally use drugs. This prohibition 
does not preclude the use of funds to support mental health counseling 
and support services, including those provided by a mental health 
services provider outside of school, so long as such services are not 
medical.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum score for all selection criteria is 100 
points. The points assigned to each criterion are indicated in 
parentheses. Non-Federal peer reviewers will evaluate and score each 
application program narrative against the following selection criteria:
    (a) Need for the Project (15 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the proposed need for the project.
    (2) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses.
    (b) Significance (15 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the extent to which the proposed project is likely 
to build local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that 
address the needs of the target population.
    (c) Quality of the Project Design (20 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 design of the proposed project includes 
a thorough, high-quality review of the relevant literature, a high-
quality plan for project implementation, and the use of appropriate 
methodological tools to ensure successful achievement of project 
objectives. (15 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the 
competition. (5 points)
    (d) Quality of the Project Services (30 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be 
provided by the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and 
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for 
eligible project participants 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 the extent to which the 
training or professional development services to be provided by the 
proposed project are likely to alleviate the personnel shortages that 
have been identified or are the focus of the proposed project.
    (e) Quality of the Project Evaluation (20 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 are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project. (10 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes. (10 points)
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs

[[Page 29185]]

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 program 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 
$250,000), 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 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) 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 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.
    5. Performance Measures: The Department has established the 
following Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 performance 
measures for the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant 
Program:
    (a) The unduplicated number of school-based mental health services 
providers employed by schools and LEAs as of the date for each annual 
reporting period of the grant who have been trained and placed by the 
grant to provide school-based mental health services.
    (b) Number of school-based mental health services providers 
employed by schools and LEAs retained on an annual basis by a high-need 
local educational agency to provide school-based mental health 
services.
    These measures constitute the Department's indicators of success 
for this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for a grant 
under this program to give careful consideration to these measures in 
conceptualizing the approach and evaluation for its proposed project. 
Each grantee will be required to provide, in its annual performance and 
final reports, data about its progress in meeting these measures. This 
data will be considered by the Department in making potential 
continuation awards.
    Consistent with 34 CFR 75.591, grantees funded under this program 
shall requirements of any evaluation of the program conducted by the 
Department or an evaluator selected by the Department.
    Performance measure targets: The applicant must propose annual 
targets for the measures listed above in their application. 
Applications must also provide the following information as directed 
under 34 CFR 75.110(b) and (c):
    (1) Why each proposed performance target is ambitious (as defined 
in this notice) yet achievable compared to the baseline for the 
performance measure.
    (2)(a) The data collection and reporting methods the applicant 
would use and why those methods are likely to yield reliable, valid, 
and meaningful performance data; and (b) the applicant's capacity to 
collect and report reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data, as 
evidenced by high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in 
other projects or research.
    Note: If the applicant does not have experience with collection and 
reporting of performance data through other projects or research, the 
applicant should provide other evidence of capacity to successfully 
carry out data collection and reporting for its proposed project.
    The reviewers of each application will score related selection 
criteria on the basis of how well an applicant has considered these 
measures in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation of the project.

[[Page 29186]]

    All grantees must submit an annual performance report and final 
performance report with information that is responsive to these 
performance measures.
    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 award, 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 at www.govinfo.gov. 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: June 18, 2019.
Frank T. Brogan,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2019-13289 Filed 6-20-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P