80 FR 9448 - Applications for New Awards; District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 35 (February 23, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 35 (Monday, February 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9448-9453]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03620]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; District of Columbia Opportunity 
Scholarship Program

AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Overview Information:
District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP)
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.370A.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: February 23, 2015.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: March 25, 2015.
    Date of Informational Meeting: The OSP intends to hold a webinar 
designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. 
Detailed information regarding this webinar will be provided on the OSP 
Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/dcchoice/index.html.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 24, 2015.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 23, 2015.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The OSP provides low-income students residing 
in the District of Columbia (DC) an opportunity to receive a 
scholarship to attend a DC private school of their parents' choice.
    Background: The OSP was established in 2004 under the DC School 
Choice Incentive Act of 2003 (School Choice Incentive Act) (Title III 
of Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004; Pub. L. 
108-199 Stat. 3 (2004)). In 2011, Congress reauthorized the OSP under 
the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (SOAR Act, Division C 
of the Pub. L. 112-10).
    For FY 2015, the Department will award one grant to an eligible 
applicant to administer the OSP. The grant will be awarded in the form 
of a cooperative agreement between the Department and the grantee. This 
grantee is expected to explain in its application, among other things, 
how it would recruit and select eligible scholarship applicants in 
years that scholarships are awarded, serve scholarship students and 
families in a timely manner, identify and work with participating 
schools, monitor compliance of participating schools with program and 
reporting requirements, maintain reliable data regarding the operation 
of the program, and ensure appropriate coordination with the other 
entities that conduct activities related to this program.
    Application Requirements: The following requirements are from 
section 3005(b) of the SOAR Act and apply to all applications submitted 
by eligible entities under this competition. Each entity's application 
must include a detailed description of--
    (A) How the entity will address the priorities described in section 
3006 of the SOAR Act;
    (B) How the entity will ensure that if more eligible students seek 
admission in the program of the entity than the program can 
accommodate, eligible students are selected for admission through a 
random selection process which gives weight to the priorities described 
in section 3006 of the SOAR Act;
    (C) How the entity will ensure that if more participating eligible 
students seek admission to a participating school than the school can 
accommodate, participating eligible students are selected for admission 
through a random selection process;
    (D) How the entity will notify parents of eligible students of the 
expanded choice opportunities in order to allow the parents to make 
informed decisions;
    (E) The activities that the entity will carry out to provide 
parents of eligible students with expanded choice opportunities through 
the awarding of

[[Page 9449]]

scholarships under section 3007(a) of the SOAR Act;
    (F) How the entity will determine the amount that will be provided 
to parents under section 3007(a)(2) of the SOAR Act for the payment of 
tuition, fees, and transportation expenses, if any;
    (G) How the entity will seek out private elementary schools and 
secondary schools in District of Columbia to participate in the 
program;
    (H) How the entity will ensure that each participating school will 
meet the reporting and other program requirements under the SOAR Act;
    (I) How the entity will ensure that participating schools submit to 
site visits by the entity as determined to be necessary by the entity, 
except that a participating school may not be required to submit to 
more than 1 site visit per school year;
    (J) How the entity will ensure that participating schools are 
financially responsible and will use the funds received under section 
3007 of the SOAR Act effectively;
    (K) How the entity will address the renewal of scholarships to 
participating eligible students, including continued eligibility; and
    (L) How the entity will ensure that a majority of its voting board 
members or governing organization are residents of District of 
Columbia.
    The entity must also provide in its application an assurance that 
the entity will comply with all requests regarding any evaluation 
carried out under section 3009(a) of the SOAR Act.

Definitions

    The definitions for the terms ``Elementary school'', ``Parent'', 
``Poverty line'', and ``Secondary school'' are from section 3013 of the 
SOAR Act. The definition for the term ``nonprofit'' is from 34 CFR 
77.1(c).
    Elementary school means an institutional day or residential school, 
including a public elementary charter school, that provides elementary 
education, as determined under District of Columbia law.
    Nonprofit, as applied to an agency, organization, or institution, 
means that it is owned and operated by one or more corporations or 
associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully 
benefit, any private shareholder or entity.
    Parent includes a legal guardian or other person standing in loco 
parentis (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child 
lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child's welfare).
    Poverty line means the poverty line (as defined by the Office of 
Management and Budget and revised annually in accordance with section 
673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act) applicable to a 
family of the size involved.
    Secondary school means an institutional day or residential school, 
including a public secondary charter school, that provides secondary 
education, as determined under District of Columbia law, except that 
the term does not include any education beyond grade 12.

    Program Authority:  SOAR Act (Division C of the P.L. 112-10, the 
Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 
2011, April 15, 2011; 125 Stat. 38, 199-212), as amended by Pub. L. 
112-92.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 
82, 84, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The OMB 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 in 2 CFR part 3474.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $13,200,000.

    Note:  A total award of $13,200,000 will include $12,000,000 to 
be spent on scholarships and up to $600,000 to be spent on 
administrative expenses, up to $400,000 to be spent on parental 
assistance, and up to $200,000 to be spent on student academic 
assistance.

    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: To be eligible for an OSP grant, an entity 
must be either a nonprofit organization or a consortium of nonprofit 
organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Coordination: An eligible entity must be willing and able to 
work with other entities affiliated with the Federal and DC 
governments, as well as with other organizations that might conduct 
activities integral to the success of the program, including, as 
appropriate, determining the household income of scholarship recipients 
and ensuring the ongoing eligibility of schools participating in the 
program. Additionally, an eligible entity must demonstrate how it will 
communicate and coordinate with the current grantee, as needed, to 
ensure a seamless and smooth transition between the 2015-2016 and 2016-
2017 school years for families and schools participating in the OSP.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Jeanne Gilroy, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W227, 
Washington, DC 20202-5960 or by 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.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in 
this section.
    2. a. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: March 25, 2015. The Department will be 
able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant 
applications if it has a better estimate of the number of entities that 
intend to apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, the 
Department strongly encourages 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 need not include 
information regarding the content of the proposed application, only the 
applicant's intent to submit it. The Department requests that this 
email notification be sent to [email protected].
    Eligible entities that fail to provide this email notification may 
still apply for funding. Page Limit: The application narrative (Part 
III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the 
application requirements and selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate your application. We suggest you limit the application 
narrative to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages, using the 
following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, except for titles,

[[Page 9450]]

headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions, charts, tables, 
figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The page limit does not apply to 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, or letters of support. However, the page limit does apply to 
all of the application narrative section.
    b. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the OSP, an 
application may include business information that the applicant 
considers proprietary. The Department's regulations define ``business 
information'' in 34 CFR 5.11.
    Because we plan to make successful applications available to the 
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business 
information.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your 
application any information that you feel is exempt from disclosure 
under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act. In the appropriate 
Appendix section of your application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' 
please list the page number or numbers on which we can find this 
information. For additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: February 23, 2015.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: March 25, 2015.
    Date of Informational Meeting: The OSP intends to hold a webinar 
designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. 
Detailed information regarding this webinar will be provided on the OSP 
Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/dcchoice/index.html.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 24, 2015.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission 
Requirements of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 23, 2015.
    4. 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.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award 
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the 
Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one to two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by 
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal 
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, 
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number 
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

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

    If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make 
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with 
your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update 
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the OSP, CFDA number 84.370A, must be 
submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site 
at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a 
copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload 
and submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a 
grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written

[[Page 9451]]

statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the OSP at 
www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the 
CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.370, not 
84.370A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at www.G5.gov.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: The 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     You must upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) 
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not 
review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by email. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
With the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this 
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The 
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether 
your application will be accepted.

    Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply 
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the 
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed 
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before 
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem 
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system;
    and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Jeanne Gilroy, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W227, 
Washington, DC 20202-5960.
    FAX: (202) 205-5630.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.

[[Page 9452]]

    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.370A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

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

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.370A), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--

    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix 
letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification 
of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this 
notification within 15 business days from the application deadline 
date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application 
Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
    The maximum score for all the selection criteria is 100 points. The 
maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. Each 
criterion also includes the factors that reviewers will consider in 
determining the extent to which an applicant meets the criterion.
    In addressing each criterion, applicants are encouraged to make 
explicit connections to relevant aspects of responses to other 
selection criteria.
    A. Quality of project services (20 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 
services to be provided by the proposed project are appropriate to the 
needs of the intended recipients or beneficiaries of those services.
    B. Quality of project personnel (25 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will 
carry out the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator.
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel.
    C. Adequacy of resources (20 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers:
    (i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the 
lead applicant organization.
    (ii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project.
    D. Quality of the management plan (35 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers:
    (i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    (ii) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and 
continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
    (iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products 
and services from the proposed project.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may 
impose special conditions and, in appropriate

[[Page 9453]]

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.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The long-term performance indicator for 
this program is whether, at the end of the program, the student 
achievement gains of participants are greater than those of students in 
control or comparison groups. Data for the performance measure will be 
collected through the program evaluation.
    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 grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is 
operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved 
application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws 
that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving 
Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 
106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Jeanne Gilroy, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W227, Washington, DC 20202-
5960. Telephone: (202) 453-6474, or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to 
the program contact person listed under For Further Information Contact 
in section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: February 18, 2015.
Nadya Chinoy Dabby,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2015-03620 Filed 2-20-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P