Applications for New Awards; Ready to Learn Programming, 14929-14935 [2020-05357]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 51 (Monday, March 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14929-14935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05357]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Ready to Learn Programming

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) 2020 for Ready to Learn 
Programming, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 
84.295A. This notice relates to the approved information collection 
under OMB control number 1894-0006.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: March 16, 2020.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 6, 2020.
    Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than March 23, 2020, 
the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) will post an 
informational webinar on the Ready to Learn Programming website at 
oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/innovation-early-learning/ready-to-learn-television-rtl/.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 15, 2020.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 14, 2020.

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: Brian Lekander, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 3E334, Washington, DC 20202-
5930. Telephone: (202) 205-5633. 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.

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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of Ready to Learn Programming is to 
promote school readiness through the development and dissemination of 
accessible instructional programming for preschool and elementary 
school children and their families.
    Background: Ready to Learn Programming (Ready to Learn) aims to 
take advantage of television and other common mass media consumer 
technologies in order to reach children in low-income homes who may be 
lacking in educationally rich learning opportunities and make it easier 
for parents, caregivers, and early learning providers to find 
trustworthy materials that they can use with the children in their 
care.
    Ready to Learn accomplishes this by using Federal dollars to 
stimulate the creation of educational media content that meets the 
highest standards of educational quality, while aiming to be just as 
entertaining as the best commercially produced media programs. Ready to 
Learn brings educators and media producers together in cooperative 
working relationships that would not otherwise be possible, while also 
using the Federal investment to leverage additional contributions in 
funding, talent, and resources.
    To succeed, media producers generally must depart from their normal 
ways of working and embrace the contributions of educators and other 
education experts. Experts in subject matter and pedagogy, 
instructional designers, formative researchers, and other educators 
will work alongside and on equal footing with creative and media 
production experts in areas such as storytelling and interactive 
gameplay in order to merge their contributions into a unified and 
integrated effort.
    Typically, Ready to Learn television and digital media products 
work best when they are based on developmentally appropriate curriculum 
frameworks that align with widely accepted learning standards. In prior 
competitions, Ready to Learn has focused on learning in subjects such 
as math, science, and literacy. This year we invite applicants to 
introduce young learners to future career and workforce options through 
a curriculum based on the education or skills they will need for those 
careers. We also invite applicants to explore areas of literacy 
education that would be new to Ready to Learn and that would go beyond 
the program's traditional focus on vocabulary and pre-reading skills.
    Building upon the two previous Ready to Learn grant competitions in 
2010 and 2015, in which Ready to Learn supported the development of 
educational ``transmedia,'' we are again looking to create new, 
interrelated combinations of television and interactive media in which 
characters, narrative story lines, and problem-solving are used to 
connect the various media products. In order to make this work, 
producers may need to plan how their different products will work 
together cohesively, and then build a production model accordingly. 
Furthermore, producers may need to think carefully about how the 
eventual distribution of the products will be sequenced and organized 
to ensure that users will experience them in a manner that best 
promotes learning.
    Striking the right balance between innovation and access is key. 
Technologies are constantly changing, and with them come new 
opportunities for improving young children's learning. Ready to Learn 
seeks to take advantage of these opportunities to reach young children 
and their parents or caregivers in new ways. However, low-income 
children or families may not always have the latest technologies 
available to them in their homes or communities. As a result, producers 
need to make careful and thoughtful choices to ensure that their 
innovations can be widely adopted.
    Additionally, it is important to think about users with 
disabilities. Although the television programming created under Ready 
to Learn has generally been made accessible to users who have hearing 
or vision loss through captioning and video description, it can be 
challenging to include appropriate accessibility features in digital 
media because of the rapid changes in technology. In such cases, Ready 
to Learn grantees should aim to lead in the development of new 
approaches to promote accessibility. This is necessary both for 
purposes of complying with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973 and to ensure that the needs of all users, including those with 
disabilities, are addressed.
    Another critical issue is the national distribution of Ready to 
Learn television and digital media products. In the past, the 
Department has generally assumed that if Ready to Learn grantees 
created high-quality products, national distribution deals would 
follow--usually through the existing infrastructure of the public 
television system. But the range of media available to producers has 
expanded beyond broadcast or cable television and websites to include 
national video streaming, applications for tablets and smartphones, 
game platforms, social media, and other technologies. Contemporary 
users also desire the ability to move freely between devices.
    Therefore, in this competition we are encouraging applicants to 
consider and plan for distribution much earlier in the life of their 
proposed projects, and to directly partner with those broadcasters, 
streamers, game companies, publishers, or others that will be integral 
to ensure that the media is widely available to all users nationwide 
and will reflect both the creative and educational vision that went 
into its design.
    Historically, Ready to Learn has also required grantees to develop 
and implement outreach programs in culturally diverse local 
communities. This year, we continue this focus by encouraging 
applicants to partner with both local and national organizations that 
promote wider use of the educational media materials in homes, daycare 
facilities, museums, and libraries, and a variety of other informal 
learning and school-based settings. We therefore encourage the creation 
of supplemental materials for teachers, parents, and caregivers or 
guardians to use in these settings. We also encourage the development 
of both local and virtual user communities to share information, model 
effective practices, and promote dissemination.
    Throughout this process, conducting research is essential in 
several ways. First, when formative research is conducted during the 
production process, it can help to ensure that users are responding 
appropriately to design elements and are learning in the ways that are 
anticipated and intended. Second, research can be used to determine the 
effectiveness of the media products in helping young children learn or 
improve their school readiness. Finally, the use of data analytics can 
help researchers learn more about the pathways users are taking through 
digital media, and as a result, they can learn more about which 
elements and design decisions are contributing to learning 
effectiveness and why.
    Because of the importance of research to the success of projects, 
Ready to Learn encourages applicants to enlist independent researchers 
to conduct at least one rigorous study of the effectiveness of Ready to 
Learn produced media when used in either the home or informal learning 
settings that will meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards 
found in the What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (as defined in this 
notice);

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and to use analytics to conduct studies that will increase our 
understanding of how to design effective educational media. Careful 
thought should be given to the appropriate audiences for the results of 
these studies--whether it be other researchers, the general public, or 
other media producers--and efforts should be made to disseminate the 
results accordingly.
    Application Requirements: Under section 4643 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), to be eligible to 
receive a cooperative agreement under Ready to Learn, an eligible 
entity must include in its application--
    (1) A description of the activities to be carried out under this 
section;
    (2) A list of the types of entities with which such entity will 
enter into contracts under section 4643(a)(1)(B)(iv) of the ESEA;
    (3) A description of the activities the entity will undertake 
widely to disseminate the content developed under this section; and
    (4) A description of how the entity will comply with section 
4643(a)(2) of the ESEA.
    Program Requirements: Under section 4643 of the ESEA, awards made 
under Ready to Learn must be used to--
    (1) Develop, produce, and distribute educational and instructional 
video programming for preschool and elementary school children and 
their parents in order to facilitate student academic achievement;
    (2) Facilitate the development, directly or through contracts with 
producers of children and family educational television programming, of 
educational programming for preschool and elementary school children, 
and the accompanying support materials and services that promote the 
effective use of such programming;
    (3) Facilitate the development of programming and digital content 
containing Ready to Learn-based children's programming and resources 
for parents and caregivers that is specially designed for nationwide 
distribution over public television stations' digital broadcasting 
channels and the internet;
    (4) Contract with entities (such as public telecommunications 
entities) so that programming developed under this program is 
disseminated and distributed to the widest possible audience 
appropriate to be served by the programming, and through the use of the 
most appropriate distribution technologies; and
    (5) Develop and disseminate education and training materials, 
including interactive programs and programs adaptable to distance 
learning technologies, that are designed--
    (i) To promote school readiness; and
    (ii) To promote the effective use of materials developed under 
paragraphs (2) and (3) among parents, teachers, Head Start providers, 
providers of family literacy services, child care providers, early 
childhood educators, elementary school teachers, public libraries, and 
after-school program personnel caring for preschool and elementary 
school children.

    Note: Under section 4643 of the ESEA, not less than 60 percent 
of the amount appropriated under the above statutory requirements 
for each fiscal year may be used to carry out activities under 
paragraphs (2) through (4) above.

    Administrative Costs: Under section 4643 of the ESEA, an entity 
that receives a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this 
section may use up to 5 percent of the amount received under the grant, 
contract, or agreement for the normal and customary expenses of 
administering the grant, contract, or agreement. This limit applies to 
the total of indirect costs and direct administrative costs claimed by 
the grantee.
    Priorities: Under this competition we are particularly interested 
in applications that address the following priorities.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2020 and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets these 
invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications.
    These priorities are:
    Invitational Priority 1.
    The Secretary invites applicants from eligible public 
telecommunications entities to create curriculum-based educational 
television and digital media targeted at children ages 2-8, especially 
low-income and/or educationally disadvantaged children and including 
children with disabilities, or subsets thereof, for use in the home, on 
the go, or in informal or non-traditional learning spaces, that--
    (a) Focuses on literacy content in ways that go beyond vocabulary 
and basic reading skills to include functional literacy, use of 
language in contexts, and other areas reflective of current literacy 
frameworks and research; and
    (b) Promotes parent engagement and intergenerational learning, and 
creates bridges between children's digital play and real-world 
activities.
    Applicants are encouraged to conduct and disseminate research on 
the learning effectiveness of television and media, and to use 
analytics to study which media elements or design decisions most 
influence learning.
    Invitational Priority 2.
    The Secretary invites applications from eligible public 
telecommunications entities to create curriculum-based educational 
television and digital media targeted at children ages 2-8, especially 
low-income and/or educationally disadvantaged children and including 
children with disabilities, or subsets thereof, for use in the home, on 
the go, or in informal or non-traditional learning spaces, that--
    (a) Focuses on content that meets young children's developmental 
needs and exposes them to future career and workforce options, 
including the education, skills, and age-appropriate tools needed for 
those career or workforce options that are now or will likely be in 
demand when these children enter the workforce; and
    (b) Promotes parent engagement and intergenerational learning, and 
creates bridges between children's digital play and real-world 
activities.
    Applicants are encouraged to conduct and disseminate research on 
the learning effectiveness of television and media, and to use 
analytics to study which media elements or design decisions most 
influence learning.
    Note: The media produced using Ready to Learn funds must comply 
with 16 CFR part 312, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, 
which protects children under the age of 13 from unfair or deceptive 
use of personal information. This rule can be found at: www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=4939e77c77a1a1a08c1cbf905fc4b409&node=16%3A1.0.1.3.36&rgn=div5.
    Definitions: The following definitions apply to this competition. 
The definitions of Experimental study, Quasi-experimental design study, 
and What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (WWC Handbook) are from 34 CFR 
77.1. We are establishing the definition of ``public telecommunications 
entity'' for the FY 2020 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).
    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

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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: (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; 
and (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.
    Public telecommunications entity means any enterprise which (a) is 
a public broadcast station or a noncommercial telecommunications 
entity; and (b) disseminates public telecommunications services to the 
public.
    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.
    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.
    Note: The What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards 
Handbook (Version 3.0), as well as the more recent What Works 
Clearinghouse Handbooks released in October 2017 (Version 4.0) and 
January 2020 (Version 4.1), are all available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7293.
    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 OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide 
Debarment and Suspension (Non-procurement) 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 open licensing requirement in 2 CFR 3474.20 does not 
apply to this program.
    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 definitions. 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 4643 of Title IV of the 
ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7293 and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In 
order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo 
public comment on the definition under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. This 
definition will apply to the FY 2020 grant competition and any 
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applications from this competition.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreements.
    Estimated Available Funds: $28,750,000 for FY 2020.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2021 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $6,000,000-$12,000,000 for the first 
year of the project. Funding for the second, third, fourth, and fifth 
years is subject to availability of funds and the approval of 
continuation awards (see 34 CFR 75.253).
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $9,000,000 for the first year of 
the project; $45,000,000 over five years.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 2 to 3.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: To receive a cooperative agreement under 
this competition, an entity must be a public telecommunications entity 
that is able to demonstrate--
    (a) A capacity for the development and national distribution of 
educational and instructional television programming of high quality 
that is accessible by a large majority of disadvantaged preschool and 
elementary school children;
    (b) A capacity to contract with the producers of children's 
television programming for the purpose of developing educational 
television programming of high quality;
    (c) A capacity, consistent with the entity's mission and nonprofit 
nature, to negotiate such contracts in a manner that returns to the 
entity an appropriate share of any ancillary income from sales of any 
program-related products; and
    (d) A capacity to localize programming and materials to meet 
specific State and local needs and to provide educational outreach at 
the local level.
    Note: If two or more public telecommunications entities wish to 
form a consortium and jointly submit a single application, they must 
follow the procedures for group applications described in 34 CFR 75.127 
through 75.129.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition 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.

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 
contains requirements and information on how to submit an application.
    2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects

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that may be proposed in applications for Ready to Learn, 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).
    Because we plan to make successful applications available to the 
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business 
information.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your 
application any information that you 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 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.
    4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Program Requirements section of this notice.
    5. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, 
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluation your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the 
application narrative (Part III) 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.
     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 have a better 
understanding of the number of public telecommunications entities that 
intend to apply for funding under this program. Therefore, we strongly 
encourage each potential applicant to notify the Department by sending 
a short email message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an 
application for funding. The email should indicate the invitational 
priority to be addressed, if any, and the subject matter focus of the 
application. The email should be addressed to [email protected]. 
Applicants may also fill out a brief letter of intent to apply form on 
the Ready to Learn website. Applicants that do not provide this email 
notification or fill out the form may still apply for funding.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for Ready to Learn 
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 its responses to the selection criteria.
    Note: An applicant must provide in the project narrative section of 
its application information about how its proposed project addresses 
the selection criteria. In responding to the selection criteria, 
applicants should keep in mind that peer reviewers may consider only 
the information provided in the written application when scoring and 
commenting on the application.
    A. Significance (10 points)
    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the proposed project will provide services 
or otherwise address the needs of students at risk of educational 
failure.
    (ii) The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
    (iii) 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.
    B. Quality of the Project Design (25 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements.
    (ii) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed development efforts include 
adequate quality controls and, as appropriate, repeated testing of 
products.
    Note: In responding to the Quality of the Project Design selection 
criterion, an applicant should include a detailed description of its 
proposal to develop and disseminate media and conduct outreach, as 
described in section 4643(a)(1)(B)(i) through (v) of the ESEA.
    C. Strategy to Scale (25 points)
    The Secretary considers the applicant's strategy to scale the 
proposed project. In determining the applicant's capacity to scale the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The applicant's capacity (e.g., in terms of qualified 
personnel, financial resources, or management capacity) to further 
develop and bring to scale the proposed process, product, strategy, or 
practice, or to work with others to ensure that the proposed process, 
product, strategy, or practice can be further developed and brought to 
scale, based on the findings of the proposed project.
    (ii) The likely utility of the products (such as information, 
materials, processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed 
project, including the potential for their being used effectively in a 
variety of other settings.
    D. Quality of the Management Plan (20 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel.
    (iii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
    E. Quality of the Project Evaluation (20 points)

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    The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the 
evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible.
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
timely guidance for quality assurance.
    (iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well 
implemented, produce evidence about the project's effectiveness that 
would meet the What Works Clearinghouse standards with or without 
reservations as described in the What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (as 
defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
    Note: We encourage applicants to review the WWC Procedures and 
Standards Handbook for technical assistance on evaluation: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks.
    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).
    Before making awards, we will screen applications submitted in 
accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine whether 
applications have met eligibility and other requirements. This 
screening process may occur at various stages of the process; 
applicants that are determined to be ineligible will not receive a 
grant, regardless of peer reviewer scores or comments.
    We will use independent peer reviewers with varied backgrounds and 
professions, such as experts in science or literacy education, early 
learning, media production and distribution, educational game 
development, educational technology, community-based outreach, or 
educational research and evaluation. All reviewers will be thoroughly 
screened for conflicts of interest to ensure a fair and competitive 
review process. Peer reviewers will read, prepare a written evaluation, 
and score the assigned applications, using the selection criteria 
provided in this notice.
    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 
$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 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR 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. 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.
    4. Performance Measures: The Department has established four 
performance measures for Ready to Learn. These measures constitute the 
Department's indicators of success for the 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 reports and in its final report, 
data about its progress in meeting these measures.
    There are four Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 
(GPRA) performance measures for Ready to Learn:
     The percentage of summative experimental or quasi-
experimental research studies that demonstrate positive and 
statistically significant learning gains when Ready to Learn transmedia 
properties are compared to

[[Page 14935]]

similar non-Ready to Learn-funded digital properties or to other more 
traditional educational materials.
    Note: Although this GPRA measure tracks the results of all of the 
experimental or quasi-experimental design studies produced under Ready 
to Learn, applicants should take note that, under the selection 
criteria, applications are evaluated on the extent to which they 
propose methods of evaluation that will, if well implemented, produce 
evidence about the project's effectiveness that meets What Works 
Clearinghouse standards with or without reservations as defined in the 
What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (as defined in this notice).
     The number of children who annually use Ready to Learn 
produced educational media products, disaggregated by individual 
product, as determined by appropriate industry standard metrics or, 
when available, by tracking tools.
     The percentage of educational ``transmedia products,'' 
along with necessary supporting materials, that are deemed to be of 
high quality in promoting learning by an independent panel of expert 
reviewers.
    Note: The Department will convene expert panels in years three and 
five to review grantee-produced products. Applicants should include in 
their budget funds for two individuals in these years to spend two days 
in Washington, DC to attend these panel meetings and to demonstrate the 
identified products to reviewers.
     Dollars leveraged from non-Federal sources per Federal 
dollar dedicated to core non-outreach and non-research program 
activities.
    5. 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.

Frank T. Brogan,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2020-05357 Filed 3-13-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P