81_FR_32405 81 FR 32306 - Applications for New Awards; Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program

81 FR 32306 - Applications for New Awards; Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 99 (May 23, 2016)

Page Range32306-32319
FR Document2016-12101

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 99 (Monday, May 23, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 99 (Monday, May 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32306-32319]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12101]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Teacher Quality Partnership Grant 
Program

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

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:
    Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2016.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.336S.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: May 23, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 22, 2016.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2016.
    Date of Pre-Application Webinars: The Office of Innovation and 
Improvement intends to hold Webinars designed to provide technical 
assistance to interested applicants for grants under the Teacher 
Quality Partnership (TQP) Grant Program. Details regarding the dates 
and times of these Webinars will be provided on the TQP Web site at 
http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-quality-partnership/applicant-info-and-eligibility/.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 20, 2016.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The TQP Grant Program aims to increase student 
achievement by improving the quality of new teachers and prospective 
teachers

[[Page 32307]]

through enhanced preparation of prospective teachers and professional 
development activities for new teachers; holding teacher preparation 
programs at institutions of higher education (IHEs) accountable for 
preparing teachers who meet applicable State certification and 
licensure requirements; and recruiting individuals with strong content 
knowledge or a record of professional accomplishment, including 
minorities and individuals from occupations other than education, into 
the teaching force.
    Background: The TQP Grant Program supports partnerships among (i) 
IHEs, (ii) high-need local educational agencies (LEAs), and (iii) high-
need schools served by such LEAs or high-need early childhood education 
(ECE) programs. Under section 202(d) and (e) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), these partnerships must implement either 
(a) teacher preparation programs at the pre-baccalaureate or ``fifth-
year'' level that include specific reforms in IHEs' existing teacher 
preparation programs and follow-up support for program completers who 
become teachers in partner LEAs, or (b) teacher residency programs in 
which individuals with strong academic or professional backgrounds but 
without teaching experience are teaching in high-need schools with 
support from mentor teachers, and concurrently enrolled in a Master's 
degree program. These two options are further explained in this notice 
under the Absolute Priorities section of this notice.
    In the FY 2016 TQP competition, we are especially interested in 
supporting TQP projects that serve or are designed to serve tribal 
communities and rural areas, given the need for effective educators 
serving these communities. On November 5, 2009, pursuant to Executive 
Order 13175, President Obama issued a memorandum requiring each Federal 
agency to prepare a detailed plan of action the agency would take to 
consult with tribal officials when developing policies that have 
implications for tribal communities. Consistent with its 
responsibilities under the President's memorandum, the U.S. Department 
of Education (Department) conducted two consultation sessions by 
teleconference with tribal officials about the TQP program, on January 
19 and 21, 2016. During these consultations, we provided participants 
with an overview of the TQP program and the current TQP grantees, and 
facilitated a discussion around potential opportunities and challenges 
that this grant program may provide for tribal communities. In 
addition, the Department solicited feedback and questions from tribal 
communities over a two-week period following the calls.
    During this outreach, the Department received numerous comments and 
questions from participants. Some of these concerns were of a general 
nature and could affect all applicants, regardless of whether or not 
they serve Tribal communities. For example, participants were concerned 
about forming the necessary eligible partnership needed to apply, what 
entity should lead that effort, and what entity should serve as the 
lead applicant for the eligible partnership. Participants also 
expressed concern about whether their local LEAs or BIE-funded schools 
would meet the definition of a high-need LEA, as that term is defined 
in section 200 of HEA.
    Some concerns raised by participants reflected the unique 
challenges facing tribal communities. For example, participants raised 
issues related to the status of Bureau of Indian Education-funded 
schools (e.g., whether they are LEAs) in many tribal communities, and 
the role of two-year colleges in preparing and producing teachers to 
serve those communities. In addition, TQP staff learned that members of 
the Tribal community are widely familiar with the Indian Education 
Professional Development Grant program in the Department's Office of 
Elementary and Secondary Education, and sought additional information 
about the differences between that program and the TQP program.
    Answers to these and other questions will be addressed in the 
upcoming TQP pre-application Webinars. Additionally, responses to 
questions and concerns addressed during the consultations also can be 
found in this notice inviting applications, and in the TQP Frequently 
Asked Questions (FAQ) document found at http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-quality-partnership/. The Department has 
also prepared a document that outlines the difference between the TQP 
and PDP programs. This document can be found as part of the TQP FAQ 
document.
    We appreciate the dialogue with tribal leaders and the opportunity 
to gain insight into tribal communities. Due to the detailed statutory 
requirements for the TQP program in sections 200-204 of the HEA, the 
Department has limited flexibility to address all of the concerns 
raised during our consultation process. The consultations nevertheless 
confirmed that rural communities and tribal communities could greatly 
benefit from the TQP program, and therefore we have decided to 
encourage applications from rural and tribal communities through 
adoption of a competitive preference priority and an invitational 
priority that focus on the specific teaching needs of these 
communities.
    Priorities: This notice contains two absolute priorities, one 
competitive preference priority, and one invitational priority. In 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priority 1 is from 
section 202(d) of the HEA, and Absolute Priority 2 is from section 
202(e) of the HEA. The competitive preference priority is from the 
Department's notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions 
for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on 
December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425) (Supplemental Priorities).
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2016 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. All applications 
must address either Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 2 in order 
to be considered for funding, but not both. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) 
we consider only applications that meet Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute 
Priority 2. Applications that address both absolute priorities will not 
be reviewed.
    Each of the two absolute priorities constitutes its own funding 
category. Assuming that applications in each funding category are of 
sufficient quality, the Secretary intends to award grants under each 
absolute priority.
    Applications will be peer reviewed and scored based on the TQP 
program's selection criteria. Applications will be scored and placed in 
rank order by absolute priority; thus, applications that address each 
priority will be scored and ranked separately to create two funding 
slates. Applications that do not clearly identify the priority being 
addressed will not be reviewed.
    These priorities are from section 202(d) and (e) of the HEA, and 
are:
    Absolute Priority 1: Partnership Grants for the Preparation of 
Teachers.
    Under this priority, an eligible partnership must carry out an 
effective pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation program or a fifth-year 
initial licensing program that includes all of the following:
    (a) Program Accountability. Implementing reforms, described in 
paragraph (b) of this priority, within each teacher preparation program 
and, as applicable, each preparation program for early childhood 
education (ECE) programs, of the eligible partnership that is assisted 
under this priority, to hold each program accountable for--
    (1) Preparing--

[[Page 32308]]

    (i) New or prospective teachers to meet the applicable State 
certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements 
for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, 
or, with regard to special education teachers, the qualifications 
described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (IDEA), (including teachers in rural school districts, 
special educators, and teachers of students who are limited English 
proficient);
    (ii) Such teachers and, as applicable, early childhood educators, 
to understand empirically-based practice and scientifically valid 
research related to teaching and learning and the applicability of such 
practice and research, including through the effective use of 
technology, instructional techniques, and strategies consistent with 
the principles of universal design for learning, and through positive 
behavioral interventions and support strategies to improve student 
achievement; and
    (iii) As applicable, early childhood educators to be highly 
competent; and
    (2) Promoting strong teaching skills and, as applicable, techniques 
for early childhood educators to improve children's cognitive, social, 
emotional, and physical development.

    Note: In addressing paragraph (a) of this priority, applicants 
may either discuss their implementation of reforms within all 
teacher preparation programs that the partner institution of higher 
education administers and that would be assisted under this TQP 
grant, or selected teacher preparation programs that need particular 
assistance and that would receive the TQP grant funding.

    (b) Required reforms. The reforms described in paragraph (a) shall 
include--
    (1) Implementing teacher preparation program curriculum changes 
that improve, evaluate, and assess how well all prospective and new 
teachers develop teaching skills;
    (2) Using empirically-based practice and scientifically valid 
research, where applicable, about teaching and learning so that all 
prospective teachers and, as applicable, early childhood educators--
    (i) Understand and can implement research-based teaching practices 
in classroom instruction;
    (ii) Have knowledge of student learning methods;
    (iii) Possess skills to analyze student academic achievement data 
and other measures of student learning and use such data and measures 
to improve classroom instruction;
    (iv) Possess teaching skills and an understanding of effective 
instructional strategies across all applicable content areas that 
enable general education and special education teachers and early 
childhood educators to--
    (A) Meet the specific learning needs of all students, including 
students with disabilities, students who are limited English 
proficient, students who are gifted and talented, students with low 
literacy levels, and, as applicable, children in ECE programs; and
    (B) Differentiate instruction for such students;
    (v) Can effectively participate as a member of the individualized 
education program team, as defined in section 614(d)(1)(B) of the IDEA; 
and
    (vi) Can successfully employ effective strategies for reading 
instruction using the essential components of reading instruction;
    (3) Ensuring collaboration with departments, programs, or units of 
a partner institution outside of the teacher preparation program in all 
academic content areas to ensure that prospective teachers receive 
training in both teaching and relevant content areas in order to meet 
the applicable State certification and licensure requirements, 
including any requirements for certification obtained through 
alternative routes to certification, or, with regard to special 
education teachers, the qualifications described in section 
612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA, which may include training in multiple 
subjects to teach multiple grade levels as may be needed for 
individuals preparing to teach in rural communities and for individuals 
preparing to teach students with disabilities;
    (4) Developing and implementing an induction program;
    (5) Developing admissions goals and priorities aligned with the 
hiring objectives of the high-need LEA in the eligible partnership; and
    (6) Implementing program and curriculum changes, as applicable, to 
ensure that prospective teachers have the requisite content knowledge, 
preparation, and degree to teach Advanced Placement or International 
Baccalaureate courses successfully.
    (c) Clinical experience and interaction. Developing and improving a 
sustained and high-quality preservice clinical education program to 
further develop the teaching skills of all prospective teachers and, as 
applicable, early childhood educators involved in the program. Such 
programs shall do the following--
    (1) Incorporate year-long opportunities for enrichment, including--
    (i) Clinical learning in classrooms in high-need schools served by 
the high-need LEA in the eligible partnership, and identified by the 
eligible partnership; and
    (ii) Closely supervised interaction between prospective teachers 
and faculty, experienced teachers, principals, other administrators, 
and school leaders at ECE programs (as applicable), elementary schools, 
or secondary schools, and providing support for such interaction;
    (2) Integrate pedagogy and classroom practice and promote effective 
teaching skills in academic content areas;
    (3) Provide high-quality teacher mentoring;
    (4) Be offered over the course of a program of teacher preparation;
    (5) Be tightly aligned with course work (and may be developed as a 
fifth-year of a teacher preparation program);
    (6) Where feasible, allow prospective teachers to learn to teach in 
the same LEA in which the teachers will work, learning the 
instructional initiatives and curriculum of that LEA;
    (7) As applicable, provide training and experience to enhance the 
teaching skills of prospective teachers to better prepare such teachers 
to meet the unique needs of teaching in rural or urban communities; and
    (8) Provide support and training for individuals participating in 
an activity for prospective or new teachers described in this 
paragraph, or paragraphs (a) and (b), or (d), and for individuals who 
serve as mentors for such teachers, based on each individual's 
experience. Such support may include--
    (i) With respect to a prospective teacher or a mentor, release time 
for such individual's participation;
    (ii) With respect to a faculty member, receiving course workload 
credit and compensation for time teaching in the eligible partnership's 
activities; and
    (iii) With respect to a mentor, a stipend, which may include bonus, 
differential, incentive, or performance pay, based on the mentor's 
extra skills and responsibilities.
    (d) Induction programs for new teachers. Creating an induction 
program for new teachers or, in the case of an ECE program, providing 
mentoring or coaching for new early childhood educators.
    (e) Support and training for participants in ECE programs. In the 
case of an eligible partnership focusing on early childhood educator 
preparation, implementing initiatives that increase compensation for 
early childhood educators who attain associate or baccalaureate degrees 
in ECE.
    (f) Teacher recruitment. Developing and implementing effective 
mechanisms

[[Page 32309]]

(which may include alternative routes to State certification of 
teachers) to ensure that the eligible partnership is able to recruit 
qualified individuals to become teachers who meet the applicable State 
certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements 
for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, 
or, with regard to special education teachers, the qualifications 
described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA through the activities 
of the eligible partnership, which may include an emphasis on 
recruiting into the teaching profession--
    (1) Individuals from underrepresented populations;
    (2) Individuals to teach in rural communities and teacher shortage 
areas, including mathematics, science, special education, and the 
instruction of limited English proficient students; and
    (3) Mid-career professionals from other occupations, former 
military personnel, and recent college graduates with a record of 
academic distinction.
    (g) Literacy training. Strengthening the literacy teaching skills 
of prospective and, as applicable, new elementary school and secondary 
school teachers--
    (1) To implement literacy programs that incorporate the essential 
components of reading instruction;
    (2) To use screening, diagnostic, formative, and summative 
assessments to determine students' literacy levels, difficulties, and 
growth in order to improve classroom instruction and improve student 
reading and writing skills;
    (3) To provide individualized, intensive, and targeted literacy 
instruction for students with deficiencies in literacy skills; and
    (4) To integrate literacy skills in the classroom across subject 
areas.
    Absolute Priority 2: Partnership Grants for the Establishment of 
Effective Teaching Residency Programs.
    Under this priority, an eligible partnership must carry out an 
effective teaching residency program that includes all of the following 
activities:
    (a) Supporting a teaching residency program described in paragraph 
II (a) for high-need subjects and areas, as determined by the needs of 
the high-need LEA in the partnership;
    (b) Placing graduates of the teaching residency program in cohorts 
that facilitate professional collaboration, both among graduates of the 
teaching residency program and between such graduates and mentor 
teachers in the receiving school;
    (c) Ensuring that teaching residents who participate in the 
teaching residency program receive--
    (1) Effective pre-service preparation as described in paragraph II;
    (2) Teacher mentoring;
    (3) Support required through the induction program as the teaching 
residents enter the classroom as new teachers; and
    (4) The preparation described in paragraphs (c)(1), (2), and (3) of 
Absolute Priority 2.
    II. Teaching Residency Programs.
    (a) Establishment and design. A teaching residency program under 
this priority is a program based upon models of successful teaching 
residencies that serves as a mechanism to prepare teachers for success 
in the high-need schools in the eligible partnership, and must be 
designed to include the following characteristics of successful 
programs:
    (1) The integration of pedagogy, classroom practice, and teacher 
mentoring;
    (2) Engagement of teaching residents in rigorous graduate-level 
course work leading to a master's degree while undertaking a guided 
teaching apprenticeship;
    (3) Experience and learning opportunities alongside a trained and 
experienced mentor teacher--
    (i) Whose teaching shall complement the residency program so that 
classroom clinical practice is tightly aligned with coursework;
    (ii) Who shall have extra responsibilities as a teacher leader of 
the teaching residency program, as a mentor for residents, and as a 
teacher coach during the induction program for new teachers; and for 
establishing, within the program, a learning community in which all 
individuals are expected to continually improve their capacity to 
advance student learning; and
    (iii) Who may be relieved from teaching duties as a result of such 
additional responsibilities;
    (4) The establishment of clear criteria for the selection of mentor 
teachers based on measures of teacher effectiveness and the appropriate 
subject area knowledge. Evaluation of teacher effectiveness must be 
based on, but not limited to, observations of the following--
    (i) Planning and preparation, including demonstrated knowledge of 
content, pedagogy, and assessment, including the use of formative and 
diagnostic assessments to improve student learning;
    (ii) Appropriate instruction that engages students with different 
learning styles;
    (iii) Collaboration with colleagues to improve instruction;
    (iv) Analysis of gains in student learning, based on multiple 
measures that are valid and reliable and that, when feasible, may 
include valid, reliable, and objective measures of the influence of 
teachers on the rate of student academic progress; and
    (v) In the case of mentor candidates who will be mentoring new or 
prospective literacy and mathematics coaches or instructors, 
appropriate skills in the essential components of reading instruction, 
teacher training in literacy instructional strategies across core 
subject areas, and teacher training in mathematics instructional 
strategies, as appropriate;
    (5) Grouping of teaching residents in cohorts to facilitate 
professional collaboration among such residents;
    (6) The development of admissions goals and priorities--
    (i) That are aligned with the hiring objectives of the LEA 
partnering with the program, as well as the instructional initiatives 
and curriculum of such agency, in exchange for a commitment by such 
agency to hire qualified graduates from the teaching residency program; 
and
    (ii) Which may include consideration of applicants that reflect the 
communities in which they will teach as well as consideration of 
individuals from underrepresented populations in the teaching 
profession; and
    (7) Support for residents, once the teaching residents are hired as 
teachers of record, through an induction program, professional 
development, and networking opportunities to support the residents 
through not less than the residents' first two years of teaching.
    (b) Selection of individuals as teacher residents.
    (1) Eligible Individual. In order to be eligible to be a teacher 
resident in a teaching residency program under this priority, an 
individual shall--
    (i) Be a recent graduate of a four-year IHE or a mid-career 
professional from outside the field of education possessing strong 
content knowledge or a record of professional accomplishment; and
    (ii) Submit an application to the teaching residency program.
    (2) Selection Criteria. An eligible partnership carrying out a 
teaching residency program under this priority shall establish criteria 
for the selection of eligible individuals to participate in the 
teaching residency program based on the following characteristics--
    (i) Strong content knowledge or record of accomplishment in the 
field or subject area to be taught;

[[Page 32310]]

    (ii) Strong verbal and written communication skills, which may be 
demonstrated by performance on appropriate tests; and
    (iii) Other attributes linked to effective teaching, which may be 
determined by interviews or performance assessments, as specified by 
the eligible partnership.
    (c) Stipends or salaries; applications; agreements; repayments.
    (1) Stipends or salaries. A teaching residency program under this 
priority shall provide a one-year living stipend or salary to teaching 
residents during the teaching residency program;
    (2) Applications for stipends or salaries. Each teacher residency 
candidate desiring a stipend or salary during the period of residency 
shall submit an application to the eligible partnership at such time, 
and containing such information and assurances, as the eligible 
partnership may require;
    (3) Agreements to serve. Each application submitted under paragraph 
(c)(2) of this priority shall contain or be accompanied by an agreement 
that the applicant will--
    (i) Serve as a full-time teacher for a total of not less than three 
academic years immediately after successfully completing the teaching 
residency program;
    (ii) Fulfill the requirement under paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this 
priority by teaching in a high-need school served by the high-need LEA 
in the eligible partnership and teach a subject or area that is 
designated as high-need by the partnership;
    (iii) Provide to the eligible partnership a certificate, from the 
chief administrative officer of the LEA in which the resident is 
employed, of the employment required under paragraph (c)(3)(i) and (ii) 
of this priority at the beginning of, and upon completion of, each year 
or partial year of service;
    (iv) Meet the applicable State certification and licensure 
requirements, including any requirements for certification obtained 
through alternative routes to certification, or, with regard to special 
education teachers, the qualifications described in section 
612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA, when the applicant begins to fulfill the 
service obligation under this clause; and
    (v) Comply with the requirements set by the eligible partnership 
under paragraph (e) of this priority if the applicant is unable or 
unwilling to complete the service obligation required by the paragraph.
    (d) Repayments.
    (1) In general. A grantee carrying out a teaching residency program 
under this priority shall require a recipient of a stipend or salary 
under paragraph (c)(1) of this priority who does not complete, or who 
notifies the partnership that the recipient intends not to complete, 
the service obligation required by paragraph (c)(3) of this priority to 
repay such stipend or salary to the eligible partnership, together with 
interest, at a rate specified by the partnership in the agreement, and 
in accordance with such other terms and conditions specified by the 
eligible partnership, as necessary;
    (2) Other terms and conditions. Any other terms and conditions 
specified by the eligible partnership may include reasonable provisions 
for pro rata repayment of the stipend or salary described in paragraph 
(c)(1) of this priority or for deferral of a teaching resident's 
service obligation required by paragraph (c)(3) of this priority, on 
grounds of health, incapacitation, inability to secure employment in a 
school served by the eligible partnership, being called to active duty 
in the Armed Forces of the United States, or other extraordinary 
circumstances;
    (3) Use of repayments. An eligible partnership shall use any 
repayment received under paragraph (d) to carry out additional 
activities that are consistent with the purposes of this priority.
    Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2016 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from 
this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority. 
The priority comes from the Secretary's Supplemental Priorities and 
Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs (Secretary's Supplemental 
Priorities) published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2014 at 
79 FR 73426, 73451.
    If an applicant chooses to address the competitive preference 
priority, the project narrative section of its application must 
identify its response to this competitive preference priority. The 
Department will not review or award points under this competitive 
preference priority if the applicant fails to clearly identify its 
response in its application. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up 
to an additional fifteen points to an application, depending on how 
well the application addresses the competitive preference priority. An 
applicant is not required to address both paragraphs (a) and (b) of the 
competitive preference priority in order to receive the full 15 points.
    Only applicants that are highly rated on the selection criteria for 
Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 2 will be eligible to receive 
competitive preference points.
    The priority is:
    Competitive Preference Priority: Supporting High-Need Students (up 
to 15 points).
    Projects that are designed to improve academic outcomes for one or 
both of the following groups of students:
    (a) Students who are members of federally-recognized Indian Tribes.
    (b) Students served by rural LEAs (as defined in this notice).
    Within this competitive preference priority, we are particularly 
interested in applications that address the following invitational 
priority.
    Invitational Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an 
application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications.
    This priority is:
    Enhancing Cultural Competencies to Support High-Need Students.
    (a) Under this priority, the Department invites applicants to 
propose a TQP project that will provide project participants with 
specific coursework, experiences, and professional development to 
enable them to gain cultural competencies and content knowledge, and 
related pedagogical skills, to support the learning needs of American 
Indian and Alaska Native students, rural students, or both.
    (b) In responding to this invitational priority, applicants are 
encouraged to include the following elements in their proposed 
projects:
    (1) An identification of the proposed population(s) to be served in 
the partner high-need LEA(s), including data that document a high 
number or high concentration of American Indian and Alaska Native and/
or rural students to be served, as well as data regarding how the 
project will address the unique challenges of serving the identified 
population(s).
    (2) A description of how the project will promote collaboration 
across partner institutions of higher education to ensure that TQP 
project participants who intend to teach American Indian and Alaska 
Native and/or rural students have access to coursework, experiences, 
and professional development that will build both cultural competency 
and content knowledge to teach students in the identified population(s) 
effectively.
    (3) A description of how the grantee will align its proposed TQP 
project activities with the appropriate State licensure standards and, 
how it will implement strategies that translate those standards into 
classroom practice with regard to the identified population(s).

[[Page 32311]]

    Definitions: The definitions for ``Early childhood educator,'' 
``High-need early childhood education (ECE) program,'' ``High-need 
local educational agency (LEA)'', ``High-need school,'' and ``Partner 
institution'' are from section 200 of the HEA. The definitions for 
``Logic model,'' ``Relevant outcome,'' and ``Strong theory'' are from 
34 CFR 77.1. The definitions for ``high minority school,'' ``high-need 
students,'' ``regular high school diploma,'' and ``rural local 
education agency'' are from the Secretary's Supplemental Priorities.
    Early childhood educator means an individual with primary 
responsibility for the education of children in an early childhood 
education program.
    High-minority school means a school as that term is defined by a 
local educational agency (LEA), which must define the term in a manner 
consistent with its State's Teacher Equity Plan, as required by section 
1111(b)(8)(C) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (ESEA). The applicant must provide the definition(s) of High-
minority Schools used in its application.
    High-need early childhood education (ECE) program means an ECE 
program serving children from low-income families that is located 
within the geographic area served by a high-need LEA.
    High-need local educational agency (LEA) means an LEA--
    (i)(A) For which not less than 20 percent of the children served by 
the agency are children from low-income families;
    (B) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from low-income 
families;
    (C) That meets the eligibility requirements for funding under the 
Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Program under section 5211(b) of 
the ESEA; or
    (D) That meets eligibility requirements for funding under the Rural 
and Low-Income School (RLIS) Program under section 6211(b) of the ESEA; 
and--
    (ii)(A) 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
    (B) For which there is a high teacher turnover rate or a high 
percentage of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary 
certification or licensure.

    Note:  Information on how an applicant may demonstrate that a 
partner LEA meets this definition is included in the application 
package.

    High-need school means a school that, based on the most recent data 
available, meets one or both of the following:
    (i) The school is in the highest quartile of schools in a ranking 
of all schools served by an LEA, ranked in descending order by 
percentage of students from low-income families enrolled in such 
schools, as determined by the LEA based on one of the following 
measures of poverty:
    (A) The percentage of students aged 5 through 17 in poverty counted 
in the most recent census data approved by the Secretary.
    (B) The percentage of students eligible for a free or reduced price 
school lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
    (C) The percentage of students in families receiving assistance 
under the State program funded under Part A of Title IV of the Social 
Security Act.
    (D) The percentage of students eligible to receive medical 
assistance under the Medicaid program.
    (E) A composite of two or more of the measures described in 
paragraphs (A) through (D).
    (ii) In the case of--
    (A) 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
    (B) 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.
    (iii) The Secretary may, upon approval of an application submitted 
by an eligible partnership seeking a grant under this title, designate 
a school that does not qualify as a high-need school under this 
definition, as a high-need school for the purpose of this title. The 
Secretary shall base the approval of an application for designation of 
a school under this clause on a consideration of the information 
required under section 200 (II)(B)(ii) of the HEA, and may also take 
into account other information submitted by the eligible partnership.

    Note:  Information on how an applicant may demonstrate that a 
partner LEA meets this definition is included in the application 
package.

    High-need students means students who are at risk of educational 
failure or otherwise in need of special assistance and support, such as 
students who are living in poverty, who attend high-minority schools, 
who are far below grade level, who have left school before receiving a 
regular high school diploma, who are at risk of not graduating with a 
diploma on time, who are homeless, who are in foster care, who have 
been incarcerated, who have disabilities, or who are English learners.
    Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a well-
specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the 
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active 
``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the 
relevant outcomes) and describes the relationships among the key 
components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally.
    Partner institution means an IHE, which may include a two-year IHE 
offering a dual program with a partner four-year IHE, participating in 
an eligible partnership that has a teacher preparation program--
    (i) Whose graduates exhibit strong performance on State determined 
qualifying assessments for new teachers through--
    (A) Demonstrating that 80 percent or more of the graduates of the 
program who intend to enter the field of teaching have passed all of 
the applicable State qualification assessments for new teachers, which 
shall include an assessment of each prospective teacher's subject 
matter knowledge in the content area in which the teacher intends to 
teach; or
    (B) Being ranked among the highest-performing teacher preparation 
programs in the State as determined by the State--
    (1) Using criteria consistent with the requirements for the State 
Report Card under section 205(b) of the HEA before the first 
publication of the report card; and
    (2) Using the State report card on teacher preparation required 
under section 205(b), after the first publication of such report card 
and for every year thereafter; and
    (ii) That requires--
    (A) Each student in the program to meet high academic standards or 
demonstrate a record of success, as determined by the institution 
(including prior to entering and being accepted into a program), and 
participate in intensive clinical experience;
    (B) Each student in the program preparing to become a teacher who 
meets the applicable State certification and licensure requirements, 
including any requirements for certification obtained through 
alternative routes to certification, or, with regard to special 
education teachers, the qualifications described in section 
612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA; and
    (C) Each student in the program preparing to become an early 
childhood educator to meet degree requirements,

[[Page 32312]]

as established by the State, and become highly competent.

    Note:  For purposes of paragraph (ii)(C) of this definition, the 
term ``highly competent,'' under section 200(12) of the HEA, when 
used with respect to an early childhood educator, means an 
educator--

    (a) With specialized education and training in development and 
education of young children from birth until entry into kindergarten;
    (b) With--
    (i) A baccalaureate degree in an academic major in the arts and 
sciences; or
    (ii) An associate's degree in a related educational area; and
    (c) Who has demonstrated a high level of knowledge and use of 
content and pedagogy in the relevant areas associated with quality ECE.
    Regular high school diploma means the standard high school diploma 
that is awarded to students in the State and that is fully aligned with 
the State's academic content standards or a higher diploma and does not 
include a General Education Development (GED) credential, certificate 
of attendance, or any alternative award.
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome (or the ultimate outcome 
if not related to students) the proposed process, product, strategy, or 
practice is designed to improve, as consistent with the specific goals 
of a program.
    Rural local education agency means a local educational agency (LEA) 
that is eligible under the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) 
program or the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program authorized 
under Title VI, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965, as amended (ESEA). Eligible applicants may determine whether a 
particular LEA is eligible for these programs by referring to 
information on the Department's Web site at www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/reap.html.
    Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice that includes a logic model.

    Note: Definitions for the following terms that also apply to 
this program are in section 200 of the HEA: ``arts and sciences,'' 
``induction program,'' ``limited English proficient,'' 
``professional development,'' ``scientifically valid research,'' and 
``teacher mentoring.''

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1021-1022c.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 
86, 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 as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 
part 3474. (d) The Supplemental Priorities (79 FR 73425).

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally-recognized Indian tribes.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $5,000,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2017 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$1,500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000 for the first year of 
the project. Funding for the second, third, fourth, and fifth years is 
subject to the availability of funds and the approval of continuation 
awards (see 34 CFR 75.253).
    Maximum Award: We will not award more than $1,500,000 to any 
applicant for a budget period of 12 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 3-5.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: An eligible applicant must be an ``eligible 
partnership'' as defined in section 200(6) of the HEA. The term 
``eligible partnership'' means an entity that--
    (1) Must include:
    (i) A high-need LEA;
    (ii)(A) A high-need school or consortium of high-need schools 
served by the high-need LEA, or
    (B) As applicable, a high-need ECE program;
    (iii) A partner institution;
    (iv) A school, department, or program of education within such 
partner institution, which may include an existing teacher professional 
development program with proven outcomes within a four-year IHE that 
provides intensive and sustained collaboration between faculty and LEAs 
consistent with the requirements of title II of the HEA;
    (v) A school or department of arts and sciences within such partner 
institution; and
    (2) May include any of the following--
    (i) The Governor of the State.
    (ii) The State educational agency.
    (iii) The State board of education.
    (iv) The State agency for higher education.
    (v) A business.
    (vi) A public or private nonprofit educational organization.
    (vii) An educational service agency.
    (viii) A teacher organization.
    (ix) A high-performing LEA, or a consortium of such LEAs, that can 
serve as a resource to the partnership.
    (x) A charter school (as defined in section 5210 of the ESEA).
    (xi) A school or department within the partner institution that 
focuses on psychology and human development.
    (xii) A school or department within the partner institution with 
comparable expertise in the disciplines of teaching, learning, and 
child and adolescent development.
    (xiii) An entity operating a program that provides alternative 
routes to State certification of teachers. Any of the mandatory or 
optional entities in the partnership may be the fiscal agent of the 
grant.

    Note: So that the Department can confirm the eligibility of the 
LEA(s) that an applicant proposes to serve, applicants must include 
information in their applications that demonstrates that each LEA to 
be served by the project is a ``high-need LEA'' (as defined in this 
notice and in section 200(10) of the HEA).

    Applicants should review the application package for additional 
information on determining whether an LEA meets the definition of 
``high-need LEA.''
    Additionally, applicants must also partner with a school or 
department of arts and sciences within the partner institution. More 
information on eligible partnerships can be found in the TQP FAQ 
document found on the program Web site at http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-quality-partnership/.
    2.a. Cost Sharing or Matching:
    Under section 203(c) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1022b), each grant 
recipient must provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 
100 percent of the amount of the grant, which may be provided in cash 
or in-kind, to carry out the activities supported by the grant. 
Grantees must budget their matching contributions on an annual basis 
relative to each annual award of TQP Grant Program funds.
    The HEA also authorizes the Secretary to waive this matching 
requirement for

[[Page 32313]]

any fiscal year for an eligible partnership if the Secretary determines 
that applying the matching requirement to the eligible partnership 
would result in serious hardship or an inability to carry out the 
authorized activities described in section 202 of the HEA. Applicants 
that wish to apply for a waiver for year one or for future years of the 
project may include a request in their application that describes why 
the 100 percent matching requirement would cause serious hardship or an 
inability to carry out project activities. Further information about 
applying for waivers can be found in the application package. However, 
given the importance of matching funds to the long-term success of the 
project, the Secretary expects eligible entities to identify 
appropriate matching funds.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. In accordance with section 202(k) of the 
HEA, funds made available under this program must be used to 
supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and local funds 
that would otherwise be expended to carry out activities under this 
program. For any high-need LEA that is funded by the Department of 
Interior's Bureau of Indian Education, the Secretary considers funds 
the LEA received from the Department of Interior's annual appropriation 
to be non-Federal funds.
    3. Other:
    General Application Requirements:
    All applicants must meet the following general application 
requirements in order to be considered for funding. Except as 
specifically noted in this section, the general application 
requirements are from section 202 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1022a).
    Each eligible partnership desiring a grant under this program must 
submit an application that contains--
    (a) A needs assessment of the partners in the eligible partnership 
with respect to the preparation, ongoing training, professional 
development, and retention of general education and special education 
teachers, principals, and, as applicable, early childhood educators;
    (b) A description of the extent to which the program to be carried 
out with grant funds, as described in Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute 
Priority 2, in this notice, and, if the applicant chooses to do so, a 
Partnership Grant for the Development of Leadership Program, as 
described in section 202(f) of the HEA, will prepare prospective and 
new teachers with strong teaching skills;
    (c) A description of how such a program will prepare prospective 
and new teachers to understand and use research and data to modify and 
improve classroom instruction;
    (d) A description of--
    (1) How the eligible partnership will coordinate strategies and 
activities assisted under the grant with other teacher preparation or 
professional development programs, and
    (2) How the activities of the partnership will be consistent with 
State, local, and other education reform activities that promote 
teacher quality and student academic achievement;
    (e) An assessment that describes the resources available to the 
eligible partnership, including--
    (1) The integration of funds from other related sources;
    (2) The intended use of the grant funds; and
    (3) The commitment of the resources of the partnership to the 
activities assisted under this program, including financial support, 
faculty participation, and time commitments, and to the continuation of 
the activities when the grant ends.
    (f) A description of--
    (1) How the eligible partnership will meet the purposes of the TQP 
Grant Program as specified in section 201 of the HEA;
    (2) How the partnership will carry out the activities required 
under Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 2, as described in this 
notice, based on the needs identified in paragraph (a), with the goal 
of improving student academic achievement;
    (4) The partnership's evaluation plan under section 204(a) of the 
HEA;
    (5) How the partnership will align the teacher preparation program 
with the--
    (i) State early learning standards for ECE programs, as 
appropriate, and with the relevant domains of early childhood 
development; and
    (ii) Student academic achievement standards and academic content 
standards under section 1111(b)(1) of the ESEA as amended by ESSA, 
established by the State in which the partnership is located;
    (6) How the partnership will prepare general education teachers to 
teach students with disabilities, including training related to 
participation as a member of individualized education program teams, as 
defined in section 614(d)(1)(B) of the IDEA;
    (7) How the partnership will prepare general education and special 
education teachers to teach students who are limited English 
proficient;
    (8) How faculty at the partner institution will work during the 
term of the grant, with teachers who meet the applicable State 
certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements 
for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, 
or, with regard to special education teachers, the qualifications 
described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act, in the classrooms of high-need schools served by the 
high-need LEA in the partnership to--
    (i) Provide high-quality professional development activities to 
strengthen the content knowledge and teaching skills of elementary 
school and secondary school teachers; and
    (ii) Train other classroom teachers to implement literacy programs 
that incorporate the essential components of reading instruction;
    (9) How the partnership will design, implement, or enhance a year-
long and rigorous teaching preservice clinical program component;
    (10) How the partnership will support in-service professional 
development strategies and activities; and
    (11) How the partnership will collect, analyze, and use data on the 
retention of all teachers and early childhood educators in schools and 
ECE programs located in the geographic area served by the partnership 
to evaluate the effectiveness of the partnership's teacher and educator 
support system.
    (g) With respect to the induction program required as part of the 
activities carried out under Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 
2--
    (1) A demonstration that the schools and departments within the IHE 
that are part of the induction program will effectively prepare 
teachers, including providing content expertise and expertise in 
teaching, as appropriate;
    (2) A demonstration of the eligible partnership's capability and 
commitment to, and the accessibility to and involvement of faculty in, 
the use of empirically-based practice and scientifically valid research 
on teaching and learning;
    (3) A description of how the teacher preparation program will 
design and implement an induction program to support, through not less 
than the first two years of teaching, all new teachers who are prepared 
by the teacher preparation program in the partnership and who teach in 
the high-need LEA in the partnership, and, to the extent practicable, 
all new teachers who teach in such high-need LEA, in the further 
development of the new teachers' teaching skills, including the use of 
mentors who are trained and compensated by such program for the 
mentors' work with new teachers; and
    (4) A description of how faculty involved in the induction program 
will

[[Page 32314]]

be able to substantially participate in an ECE program or elementary 
school or secondary school classroom setting, as applicable, including 
release time and receiving workload credit for such participation.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Mia Howerton, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4w205, 
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 205-0147 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. 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 program.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: June 22, 2016.
    The Department will be able to develop a more efficient process for 
reviewing grant applications if it has a better understanding of the 
number of entities that intend to apply for funding under this 
competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each 
potential applicant to notify the Department of its intent to submit an 
application for funding by completing the FY 16 Intent to Apply survey 
at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tqpfy16.
    Applicants that fail to complete the FY 16 Intent to Apply survey 
may still apply for funding.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend that you limit 
the application narrative (Part III) to no more than 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, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you may 
single space all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The 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 (Part III).
    b. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the TQP Grant 
Program, 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 post the project narrative section of funded TQP 
Grant Program applications on our Web site, 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. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: May 23, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 22, 2016.
    Date of Pre-Application Webinars: The TQP program intends to hold 
Webinars designed to provide technical assistance to interested 
applicants. Details regarding the dates and times of these Webinars 
will be provided on the TQP Web site at http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-quality-partnership/applicant-info-and-eligibility/.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2016.
    Applications for grants under this program 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 Other Submission Requirements in section 
IV 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: September 20, 2016.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in 2 CFR 200, 
subpart E. 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), 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 at the 
following Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
    A DUNS number can be created within one to two business days.

[[Page 32315]]

    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data you enter into the SAM database. 
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, it may be 24 to 48 
hours before you can access the information in, and 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 program 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 TQP Grant Program, CFDA number 84.336S, must be submitted 
electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at 
www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy 
of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and 
submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a 
grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the TQP Grant 
Program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include 
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.336, 
not 84.336S).
    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 program 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. In addition, for specific guidance and procedures 
for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please refer to the 
Grants.gov Web site at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
     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 read-only, non-modifiable 
Portable Document Format (PDF). Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word, Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a 
password-protected file, we will not review that material. Please note 
that this could result in your application not being considered for 
funding because the material in question--for example, the project 
narrative--is critical to a meaningful review of your proposal. For 
that reason it is important to allow yourself adequate time to upload 
all material as PDF files. The Department will not convert material 
from other formats to PDF. Additional, detailed information on how to 
attach files is in the application instructions.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department. Grants.gov 
will also notify you automatically by email if your application met all 
the Grants.gov validation requirements or if there were any errors 
(such as submission of your application by someone other than a 
registered

[[Page 32316]]

Authorized Organization Representative, or inclusion of an attachment 
with a file name that contains special characters). You will be given 
an opportunity to correct any errors and resubmit, but you must still 
meet the deadline for submission of applications.
    Once your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov, the 
Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you 
an email with a unique PR/Award number for your application.
    These emails do not mean that your application is without any 
disqualifying errors. While your application may have been successfully 
validated by Grants.gov, it must also meet the Department's application 
requirements as specified in this notice and in the application 
instructions. Disqualifying errors could include, for instance, failure 
to upload attachments in a read-only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to 
submit a required part of the application; or failure to meet applicant 
eligibility requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that your 
submitted application has met all of the Department's requirements.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this 
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that the 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will 
contact you after we determine whether your application will be 
accepted.

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

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Mia Howerton, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4w205, 
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.
    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 84.336S) 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.

    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.

    We will not consider applications postmarked after the application 
deadline date.
    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 84.336S), 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.

[[Page 32317]]

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210. An applicant may earn up to a total of 100 points 
based on the selection criteria. The maximum score for each criterion 
is indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the sub-
factors that the reviewers will consider in determining how well an 
application meets the criterion. The criteria are as follows:
    (a) Significance (up to 10 points).
    In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors--
    (i) 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.
    (ii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in 
teaching and student achievement.
    (b) Quality of the Project Design (up to 35 points).
    In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, 
the Secretary considers the extent to which the proposed project 
consists of a comprehensive plan that includes a description of--
    (i) The extent to which the proposed project is supported by strong 
theory (as defined in this notice).
    (ii) 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.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for this 
competition.
    Note: Applicants are encouraged to develop logic models. These 
logic models should include the applicant's plan to implement and 
evaluate the proposed project. Applicants should connect available 
evidence of past history of successful outcomes to their logic models. 
Applicants may use resources such as the Pacific Education Laboratory's 
Education Logic Model Application (http://relpacific.mcrel.org/resources/elm-app) to help design their logic models.
    (c) Quality of the Management Plan (up to 30 points).
    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 extent to which performance feedback and continuous 
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project.
    (d) Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 25 points).
    In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers--
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
valid and reliable performance data on relevant outcomes.
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    (iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.
    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 of Education 
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Risk Assessment and Special 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 special 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.

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.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    4. Performance Measures: The goal of the TQP Grant Program is to 
increase student achievement in K-12 schools by developing teachers who 
meet applicable State certification and licensure requirements. Under 
GPRA, the following measures will be used by the Department in 
assessing the performance of this program:
    (a) Performance Measure 1: Certification/Licensure. The percentage

[[Page 32318]]

of program graduates who have attained initial State certification/
licensure by passing all necessary licensure/certification assessments 
within one year of program completion.
    (b) Performance Measure 2: 1-Year Persistence. The percentage of 
program participants who were enrolled in the postsecondary program in 
the previous grant reporting period, did not graduate, and persisted in 
the postsecondary program in the current grant reporting period.
    (c) Performance Measure 3: 1-Year Employment Retention. The 
percentage of program completers who were employed for the first time 
as teachers of record in the preceding year by the partner high-need 
LEA or ECE program and were retained for the current school year.
    (d) Performance Measure 4: 3-Year Employment Retention. The 
percentage of program completers who were employed by the partner high-
need LEA or ECE program for three consecutive years after initial 
employment.
    (e) Performance Measure 5: Student Learning. The percentage of 
grantees that report improved aggregate learning outcomes of students 
taught by new teachers. These data can be calculated using student 
growth, a teacher evaluation measure, or both.
    Applicants must also address the evaluation requirements in section 
204(a) of the HEA. This section asks applicants to develop objectives 
and measures for increasing:
    (1) Achievement for all prospective and new teachers, as measured 
by the eligible partnership;
    (2) Teacher retention in the first three years of a teacher's 
career;
    (3) Improvement in the pass rates and scaled scores for initial 
State certification or licensure of teachers; and
    (4) The percentage of teachers who meet the applicable State 
certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements 
for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, 
or, with regard to special education teachers, the qualifications 
described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA (20 U.S.C. 
1412(a)(14)(C)), hired by the high-need LEA participating in the 
eligible partnership;
    (5) The percentage of teachers who meet the applicable State 
certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements 
for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, 
or, with regard to special education teachers, the qualifications 
described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA (20 U.S.C. 
1412(a)(14)(C)), hired by the high-need LEA who are members of 
underrepresented groups;
    (6) The percentage of teachers who meet the applicable State 
certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements 
for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, 
or, with regard to special education teachers, the qualifications 
described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA (20 U.S.C. 
1412(a)(14)(C)), hired by the high-need LEA who teach high-need 
academic subject areas (such as reading, mathematics, science, and 
foreign language, including less commonly taught languages and critical 
foreign languages);
    (7) The percentage of teachers who meet the applicable State 
certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements 
for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, 
or, with regard to special education teachers, the qualifications 
described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA (20 U.S.C. 
1412(a)(14)(C)), hired by the high-need LEA who teach in high-need 
areas (including special education, language instruction educational 
programs for limited English proficient students, and early childhood 
education);
    (8) The percentage of teachers who meet the applicable State 
certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements 
for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, 
or, with regard to special education teachers, the qualifications 
described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA (20 U.S.C. 
1412(a)(14)(C)), hired by the high-need LEA who teach in high-need 
schools, disaggregated by the elementary school and secondary school 
levels;
    (9) As applicable, the percentage of early childhood education 
program classes in the geographic area served by the eligible 
partnership taught by early childhood educators who are highly 
competent; and
    (10) As applicable, the percentage of teachers trained--
    (i) To integrate technology effectively into curricula and 
instruction, including technology consistent with the principles of 
universal design for learning; and
    (ii) To use technology effectively to collect, manage, and analyze 
data to improve teaching and learning for the purpose of improving 
student academic achievement.

    Note: If funded, grantees will be asked to collect and report 
data on these measures in their project's annual performance reports 
(34 CFR 75.590). Applicants are also advised to consider these 
measures in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and 
evaluation of their proposed projects because of their importance in 
the application review process. Collection of data on these measures 
should be a part of the evaluation plan, along with measures of 
progress on goals and objectives that are specific to your project.

    All grantees will be expected to submit an annual performance 
report documenting their success in addressing these performance 
measures.
    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. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mia Howerton, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W205, Washington, DC 20202-
5960. Telephone: (202) 205-0147 or by email: [email protected] or 
[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 PDF. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat 
Reader, which is available free at the site.

[[Page 32319]]

    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: May 18, 2016.
Nadya Chinoy Dabby,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2016-12101 Filed 5-20-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P



                                                32306                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices

                                                Educational and Developmental                             Dated: May 18, 2016.                                conduct violations within the Brigade.
                                                Intervention Services (EDIS) clinics. The               Aaron Siegel,                                         The discussion of such information
                                                system’s remote function allows EDIS                    Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison                cannot be adequately segregated from
                                                staff members to enter a young                          Officer, Department of Defense.                       other topics, which precludes opening
                                                beneficiary’s data while conducting                     [FR Doc. 2016–12035 Filed 5–20–16; 8:45 am]           the executive session of this meeting to
                                                activities from that child’s school or                  BILLING CODE 5001–06–P                                the public. Accordingly, the Department
                                                home.                                                                                                         of the Navy/Assistant for
                                                                                                                                                              Administration has determined in
                                                   Affected Public: Individuals and                     DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE                                 writing that the meeting shall be
                                                Households.                                                                                                   partially closed to the public because
                                                   Annual Burden Hours: 13,913.                         Department of the Navy                                the discussions during the executive
                                                   Number of Respondents: 4,174.                                                                              session from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
                                                                                                        Meeting of the U.S. Naval Academy
                                                                                                                                                              will be concerned with matters
                                                   Responses per Respondent: 2.                         Board of Visitors
                                                                                                                                                              protected under sections 552b(c)(5), (6),
                                                   Annual Responses: 8,348.                             AGENCY:  Department of the Navy, DoD.                 and (7) of title 5, United States Code.
                                                   Average Burden per Response: 100                     ACTION:Notice of partially closed                       Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552b.
                                                minutes.                                                meeting.
                                                                                                                                                                Dated: May 17, 2016.
                                                   Frequency: On occasion.                              SUMMARY:   The U.S. Naval Academy                     N.A. Hagerty-Ford,
                                                   Information is collected from the                    Board of Visitors will meet to make such              Commander, Judge Advocate General’s Corps,
                                                individual to whom the record pertains,                 inquiry, as the Board shall deem                      U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer.
                                                reports from physicians and other                       necessary, into the state of morale and               [FR Doc. 2016–12071 Filed 5–20–16; 8:45 am]
                                                medical department personnel, reports                   discipline, the curriculum, instruction,              BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P
                                                and information from other sources                      physical equipment, fiscal affairs, and
                                                including educational institutions,                     academic methods of the Naval
                                                medical institutions, public and private                Academy. The executive session of this                DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
                                                                                                        meeting from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
                                                health, and welfare agencies.
                                                                                                        on September 12, 2016, will include                   Applications for New Awards; Teacher
                                                Information from the family may be                      discussions of new and pending                        Quality Partnership Grant Program
                                                collected during an intake meeting, a                   administrative/minor disciplinary
                                                meeting to develop a service plan, as a                 infractions and non-judicial punishment               AGENCY: Office of Innovation and
                                                result of provision of services,                        proceedings involving midshipmen                      Improvement, Department of Education.
                                                performance of an evaluation, or other                  attending the Naval Academy to include                ACTION: Notice.
                                                coordination activities. The EDIS clinic                but not limited to individual honor/
                                                or Department of Defense Dependents                     conduct violations within the Brigade;                   Overview Information:
                                                School (DoDDS) school must obtain                                                                                Teacher Quality Partnership Grant
                                                                                                        the disclosure of which would
                                                permission from the family before                       constitute a clearly unwarranted                      Program.
                                                                                                                                                                 Notice inviting applications for new
                                                information is collected from or                        invasion of personal privacy. For this
                                                                                                                                                              awards for fiscal year (FY) 2016.
                                                provided to an external agency, and                     reason, the executive session of this
                                                                                                                                                                 Catalog of Federal Domestic
                                                prior to conducting evaluations or                      meeting will be closed to the public.
                                                                                                                                                              Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.336S.
                                                providing services. Before information                  DATES: The open session of the meeting
                                                                                                                                                              DATES:
                                                is released to an external agency the                   will be held on September 12, 2016,
                                                                                                                                                                 Applications Available: May 23, 2016.
                                                parents must sign a Health Insurance                    from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The                         Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply:
                                                Portability and Accountability Act                      executive session held from 11:00 a.m.                June 22, 2016.
                                                (HIPAA) release.                                        to 12:00 p.m. will be the closed portion                 Deadline for Transmittal of
                                                                                                        of the meeting.                                       Applications: July 7, 2016.
                                                   Personally identifiable information
                                                                                                        ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at                   Date of Pre-Application Webinars:
                                                (PII) and protected health information
                                                                                                        the Library of Congress, Washington,                  The Office of Innovation and
                                                (PHI) that is collected by the system
                                                                                                        DC. The meeting will be handicap                      Improvement intends to hold Webinars
                                                includes: Name, Social Security Number
                                                                                                        accessible.                                           designed to provide technical assistance
                                                (SSN), Family member prefix (FMP),
                                                Birth Date, Race/Ethnicity, Gender,                     FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                      to interested applicants for grants under
                                                Marital Status, Spouse Information,                     Lieutenant Commander Eric Madonia,                    the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP)
                                                                                                        USN, Executive Secretary to the Board                 Grant Program. Details regarding the
                                                Child Information, Disability
                                                                                                        of Visitors, Office of the Superintendent,            dates and times of these Webinars will
                                                Information, Home, Personal Cell, and
                                                                                                        U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD                     be provided on the TQP Web site at
                                                Work Phone Numbers—Child and                                                                                  http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/
                                                                                                        21402–5000, 410–293–1503.
                                                Parents, Emergency Contact, Education                                                                         teacher-quality/teacher-quality-
                                                                                                        SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
                                                Information: Child’s School Address;                                                                          partnership/applicant-info-and-
                                                                                                        notice of meeting is provided per the
                                                Individual educational program plans,                                                                         eligibility/.
                                                                                                        Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
                                                Sponsor Name, Sponsor SSN Sponsor                                                                                Deadline for Intergovernmental
                                                                                                        amended (5 U.S.C. App.). The executive
                                                and Spouse rank or title, Sponsor’s unit,                                                                     Review: September 20, 2016.
                                                                                                        session of the meeting from 11:00 a.m.
sradovich on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                Other child care locations, Provider’s                  to 12:00 p.m. on September 12, 2016,
                                                name and title that evaluate and provide                                                                      Full Text of Announcement
                                                                                                        will consist of discussions of new and
                                                intervention, Medical Information:                      pending administrative/minor                          I. Funding Opportunity Description
                                                Clinics and medical summaries, EDIS                     disciplinary infractions and non-judicial               Purpose of Program: The TQP Grant
                                                process and activities data including                   punishments involving midshipmen                      Program aims to increase student
                                                referral, evaluation, eligibility, and                  attending the Naval Academy to include                achievement by improving the quality of
                                                service plans.                                          but not limited to, individual honor/                 new teachers and prospective teachers


                                           VerDate Sep<11>2014   18:25 May 20, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00033   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\23MYN1.SGM   23MYN1


                                                                                Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices                                             32307

                                                through enhanced preparation of                         feedback and questions from tribal                    through adoption of a competitive
                                                prospective teachers and professional                   communities over a two-week period                    preference priority and an invitational
                                                development activities for new teachers;                following the calls.                                  priority that focus on the specific
                                                holding teacher preparation programs at                    During this outreach, the Department               teaching needs of these communities.
                                                institutions of higher education (IHEs)                 received numerous comments and                           Priorities: This notice contains two
                                                accountable for preparing teachers who                  questions from participants. Some of                  absolute priorities, one competitive
                                                meet applicable State certification and                 these concerns were of a general nature               preference priority, and one invitational
                                                licensure requirements; and recruiting                  and could affect all applicants,                      priority. In accordance with 34 CFR
                                                individuals with strong content                         regardless of whether or not they serve               75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priority 1 is
                                                knowledge or a record of professional                   Tribal communities. For example,                      from section 202(d) of the HEA, and
                                                accomplishment, including minorities                    participants were concerned about                     Absolute Priority 2 is from section
                                                and individuals from occupations other                  forming the necessary eligible                        202(e) of the HEA. The competitive
                                                than education, into the teaching force.                partnership needed to apply, what                     preference priority is from the
                                                   Background: The TQP Grant Program                    entity should lead that effort, and what              Department’s notice of final
                                                supports partnerships among (i) IHEs,                   entity should serve as the lead applicant             supplemental priorities and definitions
                                                (ii) high-need local educational agencies               for the eligible partnership. Participants            for discretionary grant programs,
                                                (LEAs), and (iii) high-need schools                     also expressed concern about whether                  published in the Federal Register on
                                                served by such LEAs or high-need early                  their local LEAs or BIE-funded schools                December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425)
                                                childhood education (ECE) programs.                     would meet the definition of a high-                  (Supplemental Priorities).
                                                Under section 202(d) and (e) of the                     need LEA, as that term is defined in                     Absolute Priorities: For FY 2016 and
                                                Higher Education Act of 1965, as                        section 200 of HEA.                                   any subsequent year in which we make
                                                amended (HEA), these partnerships                          Some concerns raised by participants               awards from the list of unfunded
                                                must implement either (a) teacher                       reflected the unique challenges facing                applications from this competition,
                                                preparation programs at the pre-                        tribal communities. For example,                      these priorities are absolute priorities.
                                                baccalaureate or ‘‘fifth-year’’ level that              participants raised issues related to the             All applications must address either
                                                include specific reforms in IHEs’                       status of Bureau of Indian Education-                 Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority
                                                existing teacher preparation programs                   funded schools (e.g., whether they are
                                                                                                                                                              2 in order to be considered for funding,
                                                and follow-up support for program                       LEAs) in many tribal communities, and
                                                                                                                                                              but not both. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)
                                                completers who become teachers in                       the role of two-year colleges in
                                                                                                                                                              we consider only applications that meet
                                                partner LEAs, or (b) teacher residency                  preparing and producing teachers to
                                                                                                                                                              Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority
                                                programs in which individuals with                      serve those communities. In addition,
                                                                                                                                                              2. Applications that address both
                                                strong academic or professional                         TQP staff learned that members of the
                                                                                                                                                              absolute priorities will not be reviewed.
                                                backgrounds but without teaching                        Tribal community are widely familiar
                                                                                                                                                                 Each of the two absolute priorities
                                                experience are teaching in high-need                    with the Indian Education Professional
                                                                                                        Development Grant program in the                      constitutes its own funding category.
                                                schools with support from mentor
                                                                                                        Department’s Office of Elementary and                 Assuming that applications in each
                                                teachers, and concurrently enrolled in a
                                                                                                        Secondary Education, and sought                       funding category are of sufficient
                                                Master’s degree program. These two
                                                                                                        additional information about the                      quality, the Secretary intends to award
                                                options are further explained in this
                                                                                                        differences between that program and                  grants under each absolute priority.
                                                notice under the Absolute Priorities
                                                section of this notice.                                 the TQP program.                                         Applications will be peer reviewed
                                                   In the FY 2016 TQP competition, we                      Answers to these and other questions               and scored based on the TQP program’s
                                                are especially interested in supporting                 will be addressed in the upcoming TQP                 selection criteria. Applications will be
                                                TQP projects that serve or are designed                 pre-application Webinars. Additionally,               scored and placed in rank order by
                                                to serve tribal communities and rural                   responses to questions and concerns                   absolute priority; thus, applications that
                                                areas, given the need for effective                     addressed during the consultations also               address each priority will be scored and
                                                educators serving these communities.                    can be found in this notice inviting                  ranked separately to create two funding
                                                On November 5, 2009, pursuant to                        applications, and in the TQP Frequently               slates. Applications that do not clearly
                                                Executive Order 13175, President                        Asked Questions (FAQ) document                        identify the priority being addressed
                                                Obama issued a memorandum requiring                     found at http://innovation.ed.gov/what-               will not be reviewed.
                                                each Federal agency to prepare a                        we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-quality-                   These priorities are from section
                                                detailed plan of action the agency                      partnership/. The Department has also                 202(d) and (e) of the HEA, and are:
                                                would take to consult with tribal                       prepared a document that outlines the                    Absolute Priority 1: Partnership
                                                officials when developing policies that                 difference between the TQP and PDP                    Grants for the Preparation of Teachers.
                                                have implications for tribal                            programs. This document can be found                     Under this priority, an eligible
                                                communities. Consistent with its                        as part of the TQP FAQ document.                      partnership must carry out an effective
                                                responsibilities under the President’s                     We appreciate the dialogue with tribal             pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation
                                                memorandum, the U.S. Department of                      leaders and the opportunity to gain                   program or a fifth-year initial licensing
                                                Education (Department) conducted two                    insight into tribal communities. Due to               program that includes all of the
                                                consultation sessions by teleconference                 the detailed statutory requirements for               following:
                                                with tribal officials about the TQP                     the TQP program in sections 200–204 of                   (a) Program Accountability.
                                                program, on January 19 and 21, 2016.                    the HEA, the Department has limited                   Implementing reforms, described in
                                                During these consultations, we provided                 flexibility to address all of the concerns            paragraph (b) of this priority, within
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                                                participants with an overview of the                    raised during our consultation process.               each teacher preparation program and,
                                                TQP program and the current TQP                         The consultations nevertheless                        as applicable, each preparation program
                                                grantees, and facilitated a discussion                  confirmed that rural communities and                  for early childhood education (ECE)
                                                around potential opportunities and                      tribal communities could greatly benefit              programs, of the eligible partnership
                                                challenges that this grant program may                  from the TQP program, and therefore we                that is assisted under this priority, to
                                                provide for tribal communities. In                      have decided to encourage applications                hold each program accountable for—
                                                addition, the Department solicited                      from rural and tribal communities                        (1) Preparing—


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                                                32308                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices

                                                   (i) New or prospective teachers to                   areas that enable general education and               and identified by the eligible
                                                meet the applicable State certification                 special education teachers and early                  partnership; and
                                                and licensure requirements, including                   childhood educators to—                                  (ii) Closely supervised interaction
                                                any requirements for certification                         (A) Meet the specific learning needs               between prospective teachers and
                                                obtained through alternative routes to                  of all students, including students with              faculty, experienced teachers,
                                                certification, or, with regard to special               disabilities, students who are limited                principals, other administrators, and
                                                education teachers, the qualifications                  English proficient, students who are                  school leaders at ECE programs (as
                                                described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the               gifted and talented, students with low                applicable), elementary schools, or
                                                Individuals with Disabilities Education                 literacy levels, and, as applicable,                  secondary schools, and providing
                                                Act (IDEA), (including teachers in rural                children in ECE programs; and                         support for such interaction;
                                                school districts, special educators, and                   (B) Differentiate instruction for such                (2) Integrate pedagogy and classroom
                                                teachers of students who are limited                    students;                                             practice and promote effective teaching
                                                English proficient);                                       (v) Can effectively participate as a               skills in academic content areas;
                                                   (ii) Such teachers and, as applicable,               member of the individualized education                   (3) Provide high-quality teacher
                                                early childhood educators, to                           program team, as defined in section                   mentoring;
                                                understand empirically-based practice                   614(d)(1)(B) of the IDEA; and                            (4) Be offered over the course of a
                                                and scientifically valid research related                  (vi) Can successfully employ effective             program of teacher preparation;
                                                to teaching and learning and the                        strategies for reading instruction using                 (5) Be tightly aligned with course
                                                applicability of such practice and                      the essential components of reading                   work (and may be developed as a fifth-
                                                research, including through the effective               instruction;                                          year of a teacher preparation program);
                                                use of technology, instructional                           (3) Ensuring collaboration with                       (6) Where feasible, allow prospective
                                                techniques, and strategies consistent                   departments, programs, or units of a                  teachers to learn to teach in the same
                                                with the principles of universal design                 partner institution outside of the teacher            LEA in which the teachers will work,
                                                for learning, and through positive                      preparation program in all academic                   learning the instructional initiatives and
                                                behavioral interventions and support                    content areas to ensure that prospective              curriculum of that LEA;
                                                strategies to improve student                           teachers receive training in both                        (7) As applicable, provide training
                                                achievement; and                                        teaching and relevant content areas in                and experience to enhance the teaching
                                                   (iii) As applicable, early childhood                 order to meet the applicable State                    skills of prospective teachers to better
                                                educators to be highly competent; and                   certification and licensure requirements,             prepare such teachers to meet the
                                                   (2) Promoting strong teaching skills                 including any requirements for                        unique needs of teaching in rural or
                                                and, as applicable, techniques for early                certification obtained through                        urban communities; and
                                                childhood educators to improve                          alternative routes to certification, or,                 (8) Provide support and training for
                                                children’s cognitive, social, emotional,                with regard to special education                      individuals participating in an activity
                                                and physical development.                               teachers, the qualifications described in             for prospective or new teachers
                                                                                                        section 612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA, which              described in this paragraph, or
                                                  Note: In addressing paragraph (a) of this
                                                                                                        may include training in multiple                      paragraphs (a) and (b), or (d), and for
                                                priority, applicants may either discuss their
                                                implementation of reforms within all teacher            subjects to teach multiple grade levels               individuals who serve as mentors for
                                                preparation programs that the partner                   as may be needed for individuals                      such teachers, based on each
                                                institution of higher education administers             preparing to teach in rural communities               individual’s experience. Such support
                                                and that would be assisted under this TQP               and for individuals preparing to teach                may include—
                                                grant, or selected teacher preparation                  students with disabilities;                              (i) With respect to a prospective
                                                programs that need particular assistance and               (4) Developing and implementing an                 teacher or a mentor, release time for
                                                that would receive the TQP grant funding.               induction program;                                    such individual’s participation;
                                                   (b) Required reforms. The reforms                       (5) Developing admissions goals and                   (ii) With respect to a faculty member,
                                                described in paragraph (a) shall                        priorities aligned with the hiring                    receiving course workload credit and
                                                include—                                                objectives of the high-need LEA in the                compensation for time teaching in the
                                                   (1) Implementing teacher preparation                 eligible partnership; and                             eligible partnership’s activities; and
                                                program curriculum changes that                            (6) Implementing program and                          (iii) With respect to a mentor, a
                                                improve, evaluate, and assess how well                  curriculum changes, as applicable, to                 stipend, which may include bonus,
                                                all prospective and new teachers                        ensure that prospective teachers have                 differential, incentive, or performance
                                                develop teaching skills;                                the requisite content knowledge,                      pay, based on the mentor’s extra skills
                                                   (2) Using empirically-based practice                 preparation, and degree to teach                      and responsibilities.
                                                and scientifically valid research, where                Advanced Placement or International                      (d) Induction programs for new
                                                applicable, about teaching and learning                 Baccalaureate courses successfully.                   teachers. Creating an induction program
                                                so that all prospective teachers and, as                   (c) Clinical experience and                        for new teachers or, in the case of an
                                                applicable, early childhood educators—                  interaction. Developing and improving a               ECE program, providing mentoring or
                                                   (i) Understand and can implement                     sustained and high-quality preservice                 coaching for new early childhood
                                                research-based teaching practices in                    clinical education program to further                 educators.
                                                classroom instruction;                                  develop the teaching skills of all                       (e) Support and training for
                                                   (ii) Have knowledge of student                       prospective teachers and, as applicable,              participants in ECE programs. In the
                                                learning methods;                                       early childhood educators involved in                 case of an eligible partnership focusing
                                                   (iii) Possess skills to analyze student              the program. Such programs shall do the               on early childhood educator
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                                                academic achievement data and other                     following—                                            preparation, implementing initiatives
                                                measures of student learning and use                       (1) Incorporate year-long                          that increase compensation for early
                                                such data and measures to improve                       opportunities for enrichment,                         childhood educators who attain
                                                classroom instruction;                                  including—                                            associate or baccalaureate degrees in
                                                   (iv) Possess teaching skills and an                     (i) Clinical learning in classrooms in             ECE.
                                                understanding of effective instructional                high-need schools served by the high-                    (f) Teacher recruitment. Developing
                                                strategies across all applicable content                need LEA in the eligible partnership,                 and implementing effective mechanisms


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                                                                                Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices                                             32309

                                                (which may include alternative routes to                   (c) Ensuring that teaching residents                  (iii) Collaboration with colleagues to
                                                State certification of teachers) to ensure              who participate in the teaching                       improve instruction;
                                                that the eligible partnership is able to                residency program receive—                               (iv) Analysis of gains in student
                                                recruit qualified individuals to become                    (1) Effective pre-service preparation as           learning, based on multiple measures
                                                teachers who meet the applicable State                  described in paragraph II;                            that are valid and reliable and that,
                                                certification and licensure requirements,                  (2) Teacher mentoring;                             when feasible, may include valid,
                                                including any requirements for                             (3) Support required through the                   reliable, and objective measures of the
                                                certification obtained through                          induction program as the teaching                     influence of teachers on the rate of
                                                alternative routes to certification, or,                residents enter the classroom as new                  student academic progress; and
                                                with regard to special education                        teachers; and                                            (v) In the case of mentor candidates
                                                teachers, the qualifications described in                  (4) The preparation described in                   who will be mentoring new or
                                                section 612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA                       paragraphs (c)(1), (2), and (3) of                    prospective literacy and mathematics
                                                through the activities of the eligible                  Absolute Priority 2.                                  coaches or instructors, appropriate skills
                                                partnership, which may include an                          II. Teaching Residency Programs.                   in the essential components of reading
                                                emphasis on recruiting into the teaching                   (a) Establishment and design. A                    instruction, teacher training in literacy
                                                profession—                                             teaching residency program under this                 instructional strategies across core
                                                                                                        priority is a program based upon models               subject areas, and teacher training in
                                                   (1) Individuals from underrepresented
                                                                                                        of successful teaching residencies that               mathematics instructional strategies, as
                                                populations;
                                                                                                        serves as a mechanism to prepare                      appropriate;
                                                   (2) Individuals to teach in rural                    teachers for success in the high-need
                                                communities and teacher shortage areas,                                                                          (5) Grouping of teaching residents in
                                                                                                        schools in the eligible partnership, and              cohorts to facilitate professional
                                                including mathematics, science, special                 must be designed to include the
                                                education, and the instruction of limited                                                                     collaboration among such residents;
                                                                                                        following characteristics of successful                  (6) The development of admissions
                                                English proficient students; and                        programs:
                                                   (3) Mid-career professionals from                                                                          goals and priorities—
                                                                                                           (1) The integration of pedagogy,
                                                other occupations, former military                                                                               (i) That are aligned with the hiring
                                                                                                        classroom practice, and teacher
                                                personnel, and recent college graduates                                                                       objectives of the LEA partnering with
                                                                                                        mentoring;
                                                with a record of academic distinction.                                                                        the program, as well as the instructional
                                                                                                           (2) Engagement of teaching residents
                                                   (g) Literacy training. Strengthening                                                                       initiatives and curriculum of such
                                                                                                        in rigorous graduate-level course work
                                                the literacy teaching skills of                                                                               agency, in exchange for a commitment
                                                                                                        leading to a master’s degree while
                                                prospective and, as applicable, new                                                                           by such agency to hire qualified
                                                                                                        undertaking a guided teaching
                                                elementary school and secondary school                                                                        graduates from the teaching residency
                                                                                                        apprenticeship;
                                                teachers—                                                  (3) Experience and learning                        program; and
                                                   (1) To implement literacy programs                   opportunities alongside a trained and                    (ii) Which may include consideration
                                                that incorporate the essential                          experienced mentor teacher—                           of applicants that reflect the
                                                components of reading instruction;                         (i) Whose teaching shall complement                communities in which they will teach
                                                                                                        the residency program so that classroom               as well as consideration of individuals
                                                   (2) To use screening, diagnostic,
                                                                                                        clinical practice is tightly aligned with             from underrepresented populations in
                                                formative, and summative assessments
                                                                                                        coursework;                                           the teaching profession; and
                                                to determine students’ literacy levels,
                                                                                                           (ii) Who shall have extra                             (7) Support for residents, once the
                                                difficulties, and growth in order to
                                                                                                        responsibilities as a teacher leader of the           teaching residents are hired as teachers
                                                improve classroom instruction and
                                                                                                        teaching residency program, as a mentor               of record, through an induction
                                                improve student reading and writing
                                                                                                        for residents, and as a teacher coach                 program, professional development, and
                                                skills;
                                                                                                        during the induction program for new                  networking opportunities to support the
                                                   (3) To provide individualized,                                                                             residents through not less than the
                                                intensive, and targeted literacy                        teachers; and for establishing, within
                                                                                                        the program, a learning community in                  residents’ first two years of teaching.
                                                instruction for students with                                                                                    (b) Selection of individuals as teacher
                                                deficiencies in literacy skills; and                    which all individuals are expected to
                                                                                                        continually improve their capacity to                 residents.
                                                   (4) To integrate literacy skills in the                                                                       (1) Eligible Individual. In order to be
                                                classroom across subject areas.                         advance student learning; and
                                                                                                           (iii) Who may be relieved from                     eligible to be a teacher resident in a
                                                   Absolute Priority 2: Partnership                     teaching duties as a result of such                   teaching residency program under this
                                                Grants for the Establishment of Effective               additional responsibilities;                          priority, an individual shall—
                                                Teaching Residency Programs.                               (4) The establishment of clear criteria               (i) Be a recent graduate of a four-year
                                                   Under this priority, an eligible                     for the selection of mentor teachers                  IHE or a mid-career professional from
                                                partnership must carry out an effective                 based on measures of teacher                          outside the field of education possessing
                                                teaching residency program that                         effectiveness and the appropriate                     strong content knowledge or a record of
                                                includes all of the following activities:               subject area knowledge. Evaluation of                 professional accomplishment; and
                                                   (a) Supporting a teaching residency                  teacher effectiveness must be based on,                  (ii) Submit an application to the
                                                program described in paragraph II (a) for               but not limited to, observations of the               teaching residency program.
                                                high-need subjects and areas, as                        following—                                               (2) Selection Criteria. An eligible
                                                determined by the needs of the high-                       (i) Planning and preparation,                      partnership carrying out a teaching
                                                need LEA in the partnership;                            including demonstrated knowledge of                   residency program under this priority
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                                                   (b) Placing graduates of the teaching                content, pedagogy, and assessment,                    shall establish criteria for the selection
                                                residency program in cohorts that                       including the use of formative and                    of eligible individuals to participate in
                                                facilitate professional collaboration,                  diagnostic assessments to improve                     the teaching residency program based
                                                both among graduates of the teaching                    student learning;                                     on the following characteristics—
                                                residency program and between such                         (ii) Appropriate instruction that                     (i) Strong content knowledge or
                                                graduates and mentor teachers in the                    engages students with different learning              record of accomplishment in the field or
                                                receiving school;                                       styles;                                               subject area to be taught;


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                                                32310                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices

                                                   (ii) Strong verbal and written                       stipend or salary under paragraph (c)(1)              eligible to receive competitive
                                                communication skills, which may be                      of this priority who does not complete,               preference points.
                                                demonstrated by performance on                          or who notifies the partnership that the                 The priority is:
                                                appropriate tests; and                                  recipient intends not to complete, the                   Competitive Preference Priority:
                                                   (iii) Other attributes linked to                     service obligation required by paragraph              Supporting High-Need Students (up to
                                                effective teaching, which may be                        (c)(3) of this priority to repay such                 15 points).
                                                determined by interviews or                             stipend or salary to the eligible                        Projects that are designed to improve
                                                performance assessments, as specified                   partnership, together with interest, at a             academic outcomes for one or both of
                                                by the eligible partnership.                            rate specified by the partnership in the              the following groups of students:
                                                   (c) Stipends or salaries; applications;              agreement, and in accordance with such                   (a) Students who are members of
                                                agreements; repayments.                                 other terms and conditions specified by               federally-recognized Indian Tribes.
                                                   (1) Stipends or salaries. A teaching                 the eligible partnership, as necessary;                  (b) Students served by rural LEAs (as
                                                residency program under this priority                      (2) Other terms and conditions. Any                defined in this notice).
                                                shall provide a one-year living stipend                 other terms and conditions specified by                  Within this competitive preference
                                                or salary to teaching residents during                  the eligible partnership may include                  priority, we are particularly interested
                                                the teaching residency program;                         reasonable provisions for pro rata                    in applications that address the
                                                   (2) Applications for stipends or                     repayment of the stipend or salary                    following invitational priority.
                                                salaries. Each teacher residency                        described in paragraph (c)(1) of this                    Invitational Priority: Under 34 CFR
                                                candidate desiring a stipend or salary                  priority or for deferral of a teaching                75.105(c)(1) we do not give an
                                                during the period of residency shall                    resident’s service obligation required by             application that meets this invitational
                                                submit an application to the eligible                   paragraph (c)(3) of this priority, on                 priority a competitive or absolute
                                                partnership at such time, and containing                grounds of health, incapacitation,                    preference over other applications.
                                                such information and assurances, as the                 inability to secure employment in a                      This priority is:
                                                eligible partnership may require;                       school served by the eligible                            Enhancing Cultural Competencies to
                                                   (3) Agreements to serve. Each                        partnership, being called to active duty              Support High-Need Students.
                                                application submitted under paragraph                   in the Armed Forces of the United                        (a) Under this priority, the
                                                (c)(2) of this priority shall contain or be             States, or other extraordinary                        Department invites applicants to
                                                accompanied by an agreement that the                    circumstances;                                        propose a TQP project that will provide
                                                applicant will—                                            (3) Use of repayments. An eligible                 project participants with specific
                                                   (i) Serve as a full-time teacher for a               partnership shall use any repayment                   coursework, experiences, and
                                                total of not less than three academic                   received under paragraph (d) to carry                 professional development to enable
                                                years immediately after successfully                    out additional activities that are                    them to gain cultural competencies and
                                                completing the teaching residency                       consistent with the purposes of this                  content knowledge, and related
                                                program;                                                priority.                                             pedagogical skills, to support the
                                                   (ii) Fulfill the requirement under                      Competitive Preference Priority: For               learning needs of American Indian and
                                                paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this priority by                 FY 2016 and any subsequent year in                    Alaska Native students, rural students,
                                                teaching in a high-need school served                   which we make awards from the list of                 or both.
                                                by the high-need LEA in the eligible                    unfunded applicants from this                            (b) In responding to this invitational
                                                partnership and teach a subject or area                 competition, this priority is a                       priority, applicants are encouraged to
                                                that is designated as high-need by the                  competitive preference priority. The                  include the following elements in their
                                                partnership;                                            priority comes from the Secretary’s                   proposed projects:
                                                   (iii) Provide to the eligible partnership            Supplemental Priorities and Definitions                  (1) An identification of the proposed
                                                a certificate, from the chief                           for Discretionary Grant Programs                      population(s) to be served in the partner
                                                administrative officer of the LEA in                    (Secretary’s Supplemental Priorities)                 high-need LEA(s), including data that
                                                which the resident is employed, of the                  published in the Federal Register on                  document a high number or high
                                                employment required under paragraph                     December 10, 2014 at 79 FR 73426,                     concentration of American Indian and
                                                (c)(3)(i) and (ii) of this priority at the              73451.                                                Alaska Native and/or rural students to
                                                beginning of, and upon completion of,                      If an applicant chooses to address the             be served, as well as data regarding how
                                                each year or partial year of service;                   competitive preference priority, the                  the project will address the unique
                                                   (iv) Meet the applicable State                       project narrative section of its                      challenges of serving the identified
                                                certification and licensure requirements,               application must identify its response to             population(s).
                                                including any requirements for                          this competitive preference priority. The                (2) A description of how the project
                                                certification obtained through                          Department will not review or award                   will promote collaboration across
                                                alternative routes to certification, or,                points under this competitive                         partner institutions of higher education
                                                with regard to special education                        preference priority if the applicant fails            to ensure that TQP project participants
                                                teachers, the qualifications described in               to clearly identify its response in its               who intend to teach American Indian
                                                section 612(a)(14)(C) of the IDEA, when                 application. Under 34 CFR                             and Alaska Native and/or rural students
                                                the applicant begins to fulfill the service             75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an                     have access to coursework, experiences,
                                                obligation under this clause; and                       additional fifteen points to an                       and professional development that will
                                                   (v) Comply with the requirements set                 application, depending on how well the                build both cultural competency and
                                                by the eligible partnership under                       application addresses the competitive                 content knowledge to teach students in
                                                paragraph (e) of this priority if the                   preference priority. An applicant is not              the identified population(s) effectively.
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                                                applicant is unable or unwilling to                     required to address both paragraphs (a)                  (3) A description of how the grantee
                                                complete the service obligation required                and (b) of the competitive preference                 will align its proposed TQP project
                                                by the paragraph.                                       priority in order to receive the full 15              activities with the appropriate State
                                                   (d) Repayments.                                      points.                                               licensure standards and, how it will
                                                   (1) In general. A grantee carrying out                  Only applicants that are highly rated              implement strategies that translate those
                                                a teaching residency program under this                 on the selection criteria for Absolute                standards into classroom practice with
                                                priority shall require a recipient of a                 Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 2 will be             regard to the identified population(s).


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                                                                                Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices                                              32311

                                                   Definitions: The definitions for ‘‘Early               (i) The school is in the highest                    who are in foster care, who have been
                                                childhood educator,’’ ‘‘High-need early                 quartile of schools in a ranking of all               incarcerated, who have disabilities, or
                                                childhood education (ECE) program,’’                    schools served by an LEA, ranked in                   who are English learners.
                                                ‘‘High-need local educational agency                    descending order by percentage of                        Logic model (also referred to as a
                                                (LEA)’’, ‘‘High-need school,’’ and                      students from low-income families                     theory of action) means a well-specified
                                                ‘‘Partner institution’’ are from section                enrolled in such schools, as determined               conceptual framework that identifies
                                                200 of the HEA. The definitions for                     by the LEA based on one of the                        key components of the proposed
                                                ‘‘Logic model,’’ ‘‘Relevant outcome,’’                  following measures of poverty:                        process, product, strategy, or practice
                                                and ‘‘Strong theory’’ are from 34 CFR                     (A) The percentage of students aged 5               (i.e., the active ‘‘ingredients’’ that are
                                                77.1. The definitions for ‘‘high minority               through 17 in poverty counted in the                  hypothesized to be critical to achieving
                                                school,’’ ‘‘high-need students,’’ ‘‘regular             most recent census data approved by the               the relevant outcomes) and describes
                                                high school diploma,’’ and ‘‘rural local                Secretary.                                            the relationships among the key
                                                education agency’’ are from the                           (B) The percentage of students eligible             components and outcomes, theoretically
                                                Secretary’s Supplemental Priorities.                    for a free or reduced price school lunch              and operationally.
                                                   Early childhood educator means an                    under the Richard B. Russell National                    Partner institution means an IHE,
                                                individual with primary responsibility                  School Lunch Act.                                     which may include a two-year IHE
                                                for the education of children in an early                 (C) The percentage of students in                   offering a dual program with a partner
                                                childhood education program.                            families receiving assistance under the               four-year IHE, participating in an
                                                   High-minority school means a school                  State program funded under Part A of                  eligible partnership that has a teacher
                                                as that term is defined by a local                      Title IV of the Social Security Act.                  preparation program—
                                                educational agency (LEA), which must                      (D) The percentage of students eligible                (i) Whose graduates exhibit strong
                                                define the term in a manner consistent                  to receive medical assistance under the               performance on State determined
                                                with its State’s Teacher Equity Plan, as                Medicaid program.                                     qualifying assessments for new teachers
                                                required by section 1111(b)(8)(C) of the                  (E) A composite of two or more of the               through—
                                                Elementary and Secondary Education                      measures described in paragraphs (A)                     (A) Demonstrating that 80 percent or
                                                Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). The                     through (D).                                          more of the graduates of the program
                                                applicant must provide the definition(s)                  (ii) In the case of—                                who intend to enter the field of teaching
                                                of High-minority Schools used in its                      (A) An elementary school, the school                have passed all of the applicable State
                                                application.                                            serves students not less than 60 percent              qualification assessments for new
                                                   High-need early childhood education                  of whom are eligible for a free or                    teachers, which shall include an
                                                (ECE) program means an ECE program                      reduced price school lunch under the                  assessment of each prospective teacher’s
                                                serving children from low-income                        Richard B. Russell National School                    subject matter knowledge in the content
                                                families that is located within the                     Lunch Act; or                                         area in which the teacher intends to
                                                geographic area served by a high-need                     (B) Any other school that is not an                 teach; or
                                                LEA.                                                    elementary school, the other school                      (B) Being ranked among the highest-
                                                   High-need local educational agency                   serves students not less than 45 percent              performing teacher preparation
                                                (LEA) means an LEA—                                     of whom are eligible for a free or                    programs in the State as determined by
                                                   (i)(A) For which not less than 20                                                                          the State—
                                                                                                        reduced price school lunch under the
                                                percent of the children served by the                                                                            (1) Using criteria consistent with the
                                                                                                        Richard B. Russell National School
                                                agency are children from low-income                                                                           requirements for the State Report Card
                                                                                                        Lunch Act.
                                                families;                                                                                                     under section 205(b) of the HEA before
                                                                                                          (iii) The Secretary may, upon
                                                   (B) That serves not fewer than 10,000                                                                      the first publication of the report card;
                                                                                                        approval of an application submitted by
                                                children from low-income families;                                                                            and
                                                   (C) That meets the eligibility                       an eligible partnership seeking a grant
                                                                                                        under this title, designate a school that                (2) Using the State report card on
                                                requirements for funding under the                                                                            teacher preparation required under
                                                Small, Rural School Achievement                         does not qualify as a high-need school
                                                                                                        under this definition, as a high-need                 section 205(b), after the first publication
                                                (SRSA) Program under section 5211(b)                                                                          of such report card and for every year
                                                of the ESEA; or                                         school for the purpose of this title. The
                                                                                                        Secretary shall base the approval of an               thereafter; and
                                                   (D) That meets eligibility                                                                                    (ii) That requires—
                                                requirements for funding under the                      application for designation of a school
                                                                                                                                                                 (A) Each student in the program to
                                                Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS)                      under this clause on a consideration of
                                                                                                                                                              meet high academic standards or
                                                Program under section 6211(b) of the                    the information required under section
                                                                                                                                                              demonstrate a record of success, as
                                                ESEA; and—                                              200 (II)(B)(ii) of the HEA, and may also
                                                                                                                                                              determined by the institution (including
                                                   (ii)(A) For which there is a high                    take into account other information
                                                                                                                                                              prior to entering and being accepted
                                                percentage of teachers not teaching in                  submitted by the eligible partnership.
                                                                                                                                                              into a program), and participate in
                                                the academic subject areas or grade                       Note: Information on how an applicant               intensive clinical experience;
                                                levels in which the teachers were                       may demonstrate that a partner LEA meets                 (B) Each student in the program
                                                trained to teach; or                                    this definition is included in the application        preparing to become a teacher who
                                                   (B) For which there is a high teacher                package.
                                                                                                                                                              meets the applicable State certification
                                                turnover rate or a high percentage of                      High-need students means students                  and licensure requirements, including
                                                teachers with emergency, provisional, or                who are at risk of educational failure or             any requirements for certification
                                                temporary certification or licensure.                   otherwise in need of special assistance               obtained through alternative routes to
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                                                  Note: Information on how an applicant                 and support, such as students who are                 certification, or, with regard to special
                                                may demonstrate that a partner LEA meets                living in poverty, who attend high-                   education teachers, the qualifications
                                                this definition is included in the application          minority schools, who are far below                   described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the
                                                package.                                                grade level, who have left school before              IDEA; and
                                                  High-need school means a school that,                 receiving a regular high school diploma,                 (C) Each student in the program
                                                based on the most recent data available,                who are at risk of not graduating with                preparing to become an early childhood
                                                meets one or both of the following:                     a diploma on time, who are homeless,                  educator to meet degree requirements,


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                                                32312                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices

                                                as established by the State, and become                 Debarment and Suspension                                (v) A school or department of arts and
                                                highly competent.                                       (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as                sciences within such partner institution;
                                                  Note: For purposes of paragraph (ii)(C) of            adopted and amended as regulations of                 and
                                                this definition, the term ‘‘highly competent,’’         the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c)                  (2) May include any of the
                                                under section 200(12) of the HEA, when used             The Uniform Administrative                            following—
                                                with respect to an early childhood educator,            Requirements, Cost Principles, and                      (i) The Governor of the State.
                                                means an educator—                                      Audit Requirements for Federal Awards                   (ii) The State educational agency.
                                                                                                        in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and                       (iii) The State board of education.
                                                   (a) With specialized education and                                                                           (iv) The State agency for higher
                                                training in development and education                   amended as regulations of the
                                                                                                        Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The                education.
                                                of young children from birth until entry                                                                        (v) A business.
                                                into kindergarten;                                      Supplemental Priorities (79 FR 73425).                  (vi) A public or private nonprofit
                                                   (b) With—                                              Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79             educational organization.
                                                   (i) A baccalaureate degree in an                     apply to all applicants except federally-               (vii) An educational service agency.
                                                academic major in the arts and sciences;                recognized Indian tribes.                               (viii) A teacher organization.
                                                or                                                                                                              (ix) A high-performing LEA, or a
                                                                                                          Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86             consortium of such LEAs, that can serve
                                                   (ii) An associate’s degree in a related
                                                                                                        apply to IHEs only.
                                                educational area; and                                                                                         as a resource to the partnership.
                                                   (c) Who has demonstrated a high level                                                                        (x) A charter school (as defined in
                                                                                                        II. Award Information                                 section 5210 of the ESEA).
                                                of knowledge and use of content and
                                                pedagogy in the relevant areas                            Type of Award: Discretionary grants.                  (xi) A school or department within
                                                associated with quality ECE.                              Estimated Available Funds:                          the partner institution that focuses on
                                                   Regular high school diploma means                    $5,000,000.                                           psychology and human development.
                                                the standard high school diploma that is                  Contingent upon the availability of                   (xii) A school or department within
                                                awarded to students in the State and                    funds and the quality of applications,                the partner institution with comparable
                                                that is fully aligned with the State’s                  we may make additional awards in FY                   expertise in the disciplines of teaching,
                                                academic content standards or a higher                  2017 from the list of unfunded                        learning, and child and adolescent
                                                diploma and does not include a General                  applications from this competition.                   development.
                                                Education Development (GED)                               Estimated Range of Awards:                            (xiii) An entity operating a program
                                                credential, certificate of attendance, or               $500,000–$1,500,000.                                  that provides alternative routes to State
                                                any alternative award.                                    Estimated Average Size of Awards:                   certification of teachers. Any of the
                                                   Relevant outcome means the student                   $1,000,000 for the first year of the                  mandatory or optional entities in the
                                                outcome (or the ultimate outcome if not                 project. Funding for the second, third,               partnership may be the fiscal agent of
                                                related to students) the proposed                       fourth, and fifth years is subject to the             the grant.
                                                process, product, strategy, or practice is              availability of funds and the approval of               Note: So that the Department can confirm
                                                designed to improve, as consistent with                 continuation awards (see 34 CFR                       the eligibility of the LEA(s) that an applicant
                                                the specific goals of a program.                        75.253).                                              proposes to serve, applicants must include
                                                                                                          Maximum Award: We will not award                    information in their applications that
                                                   Rural local education agency means a                                                                       demonstrates that each LEA to be served by
                                                local educational agency (LEA) that is                  more than $1,500,000 to any applicant
                                                                                                                                                              the project is a ‘‘high-need LEA’’ (as defined
                                                eligible under the Small Rural School                   for a budget period of 12 months.                     in this notice and in section 200(10) of the
                                                Achievement (SRSA) program or the                         Estimated Number of Awards: 3–5.                    HEA).
                                                Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS)                        Note: The Department is not bound by any              Applicants should review the
                                                program authorized under Title VI, Part                 estimates in this notice.
                                                                                                                                                              application package for additional
                                                B of the Elementary and Secondary                         Project Period: Up to 60 months.                    information on determining whether an
                                                Education Act of 1965, as amended                                                                             LEA meets the definition of ‘‘high-need
                                                (ESEA). Eligible applicants may                         III. Eligibility Information
                                                                                                                                                              LEA.’’
                                                determine whether a particular LEA is                      1. Eligible Applicants: An eligible                  Additionally, applicants must also
                                                eligible for these programs by referring                applicant must be an ‘‘eligible                       partner with a school or department of
                                                to information on the Department’s Web                  partnership’’ as defined in section                   arts and sciences within the partner
                                                site at www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/                 200(6) of the HEA. The term ‘‘eligible                institution. More information on eligible
                                                reap.html.                                              partnership’’ means an entity that—                   partnerships can be found in the TQP
                                                   Strong theory means a rationale for                     (1) Must include:                                  FAQ document found on the program
                                                the proposed process, product, strategy,                   (i) A high-need LEA;                               Web site at http://innovation.ed.gov/
                                                or practice that includes a logic model.                   (ii)(A) A high-need school or                      what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-
                                                   Note: Definitions for the following terms            consortium of high-need schools served                quality-partnership/.
                                                that also apply to this program are in section          by the high-need LEA, or                                2.a. Cost Sharing or Matching:
                                                200 of the HEA: ‘‘arts and sciences,’’                     (B) As applicable, a high-need ECE                   Under section 203(c) of the HEA (20
                                                ‘‘induction program,’’ ‘‘limited English                program;                                              U.S.C. 1022b), each grant recipient must
                                                proficient,’’ ‘‘professional development,’’                (iii) A partner institution;                       provide, from non-Federal sources, an
                                                ‘‘scientifically valid research,’’ and ‘‘teacher           (iv) A school, department, or program              amount equal to 100 percent of the
                                                mentoring.’’                                            of education within such partner                      amount of the grant, which may be
                                                  Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1021–                    institution, which may include an                     provided in cash or in-kind, to carry out
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                                                1022c.                                                  existing teacher professional                         the activities supported by the grant.
                                                  Applicable Regulations: (a) The                       development program with proven                       Grantees must budget their matching
                                                Education Department General                            outcomes within a four-year IHE that                  contributions on an annual basis
                                                Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in                   provides intensive and sustained                      relative to each annual award of TQP
                                                34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97,                collaboration between faculty and LEAs                Grant Program funds.
                                                98, and 99. (b) The OMB Guidelines to                   consistent with the requirements of title               The HEA also authorizes the Secretary
                                                Agencies on Governmentwide                              II of the HEA;                                        to waive this matching requirement for


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                                                                                Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices                                             32313

                                                any fiscal year for an eligible                         new teachers to understand and use                    licensure requirements, including any
                                                partnership if the Secretary determines                 research and data to modify and                       requirements for certification obtained
                                                that applying the matching requirement                  improve classroom instruction;                        through alternative routes to
                                                to the eligible partnership would result                   (d) A description of—                              certification, or, with regard to special
                                                in serious hardship or an inability to                     (1) How the eligible partnership will              education teachers, the qualifications
                                                carry out the authorized activities                     coordinate strategies and activities                  described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the
                                                described in section 202 of the HEA.                    assisted under the grant with other                   Individuals with Disabilities Education
                                                Applicants that wish to apply for a                     teacher preparation or professional                   Act, in the classrooms of high-need
                                                waiver for year one or for future years                 development programs, and                             schools served by the high-need LEA in
                                                of the project may include a request in                    (2) How the activities of the                      the partnership to—
                                                their application that describes why the                partnership will be consistent with                      (i) Provide high-quality professional
                                                100 percent matching requirement                        State, local, and other education reform              development activities to strengthen the
                                                would cause serious hardship or an                      activities that promote teacher quality               content knowledge and teaching skills
                                                inability to carry out project activities.              and student academic achievement;                     of elementary school and secondary
                                                Further information about applying for                     (e) An assessment that describes the               school teachers; and
                                                waivers can be found in the application                 resources available to the eligible                      (ii) Train other classroom teachers to
                                                package. However, given the importance                  partnership, including—                               implement literacy programs that
                                                of matching funds to the long-term                         (1) The integration of funds from                  incorporate the essential components of
                                                success of the project, the Secretary                   other related sources;                                reading instruction;
                                                expects eligible entities to identify                      (2) The intended use of the grant                     (9) How the partnership will design,
                                                appropriate matching funds.                             funds; and                                            implement, or enhance a year-long and
                                                   b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This                        (3) The commitment of the resources                rigorous teaching preservice clinical
                                                program involves supplement-not-                        of the partnership to the activities                  program component;
                                                supplant funding requirements. In                       assisted under this program, including                   (10) How the partnership will support
                                                accordance with section 202(k) of the                   financial support, faculty participation,             in-service professional development
                                                HEA, funds made available under this                    and time commitments, and to the                      strategies and activities; and
                                                program must be used to supplement,                     continuation of the activities when the                  (11) How the partnership will collect,
                                                and not supplant, other Federal, State,                 grant ends.                                           analyze, and use data on the retention
                                                and local funds that would otherwise be                    (f) A description of—                              of all teachers and early childhood
                                                expended to carry out activities under                     (1) How the eligible partnership will              educators in schools and ECE programs
                                                this program. For any high-need LEA                     meet the purposes of the TQP Grant                    located in the geographic area served by
                                                that is funded by the Department of                     Program as specified in section 201 of                the partnership to evaluate the
                                                Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education,                  the HEA;                                              effectiveness of the partnership’s
                                                the Secretary considers funds the LEA                      (2) How the partnership will carry out             teacher and educator support system.
                                                received from the Department of                         the activities required under Absolute                   (g) With respect to the induction
                                                Interior’s annual appropriation to be                   Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 2, as                 program required as part of the activities
                                                non-Federal funds.                                      described in this notice, based on the                carried out under Absolute Priority 1 or
                                                   3. Other:                                            needs identified in paragraph (a), with               Absolute Priority 2—
                                                   General Application Requirements:                    the goal of improving student academic                   (1) A demonstration that the schools
                                                   All applicants must meet the                         achievement;                                          and departments within the IHE that are
                                                following general application                              (4) The partnership’s evaluation plan              part of the induction program will
                                                requirements in order to be considered                  under section 204(a) of the HEA;                      effectively prepare teachers, including
                                                for funding. Except as specifically noted                  (5) How the partnership will align the             providing content expertise and
                                                in this section, the general application                teacher preparation program with the—                 expertise in teaching, as appropriate;
                                                requirements are from section 202 of the                   (i) State early learning standards for                (2) A demonstration of the eligible
                                                HEA (20 U.S.C. 1022a).                                  ECE programs, as appropriate, and with                partnership’s capability and
                                                   Each eligible partnership desiring a                 the relevant domains of early childhood               commitment to, and the accessibility to
                                                grant under this program must submit                    development; and                                      and involvement of faculty in, the use
                                                an application that contains—                              (ii) Student academic achievement                  of empirically-based practice and
                                                   (a) A needs assessment of the partners               standards and academic content                        scientifically valid research on teaching
                                                in the eligible partnership with respect                standards under section 1111(b)(1) of                 and learning;
                                                to the preparation, ongoing training,                   the ESEA as amended by ESSA,                             (3) A description of how the teacher
                                                professional development, and retention                 established by the State in which the                 preparation program will design and
                                                of general education and special                        partnership is located;                               implement an induction program to
                                                education teachers, principals, and, as                    (6) How the partnership will prepare               support, through not less than the first
                                                applicable, early childhood educators;                  general education teachers to teach                   two years of teaching, all new teachers
                                                   (b) A description of the extent to                   students with disabilities, including                 who are prepared by the teacher
                                                which the program to be carried out                     training related to participation as a                preparation program in the partnership
                                                with grant funds, as described in                       member of individualized education                    and who teach in the high-need LEA in
                                                Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority                program teams, as defined in section                  the partnership, and, to the extent
                                                2, in this notice, and, if the applicant                614(d)(1)(B) of the IDEA;                             practicable, all new teachers who teach
                                                chooses to do so, a Partnership Grant for                  (7) How the partnership will prepare               in such high-need LEA, in the further
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                                                the Development of Leadership                           general education and special education               development of the new teachers’
                                                Program, as described in section 202(f)                 teachers to teach students who are                    teaching skills, including the use of
                                                of the HEA, will prepare prospective                    limited English proficient;                           mentors who are trained and
                                                and new teachers with strong teaching                      (8) How faculty at the partner                     compensated by such program for the
                                                skills;                                                 institution will work during the term of              mentors’ work with new teachers; and
                                                   (c) A description of how such a                      the grant, with teachers who meet the                    (4) A description of how faculty
                                                program will prepare prospective and                    applicable State certification and                    involved in the induction program will


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                                                32314                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices

                                                be able to substantially participate in an                 • Use a font that is either 12 point or            (including dates and times) about how
                                                ECE program or elementary school or                     larger or no smaller than 10 pitch                    to submit your application
                                                secondary school classroom setting, as                  (characters per inch).                                electronically, or in paper format by
                                                applicable, including release time and                     • Use one of the following fonts:                  mail or hand delivery, if you qualify for
                                                receiving workload credit for such                      Times New Roman, Courier, Courier                     an exception to the electronic
                                                participation.                                          New, or Arial. An application submitted               submission requirement, please refer to
                                                                                                        in any other font (including Times                    Other Submission Requirements in
                                                IV. Application and Submission                          Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be                    section IV of this notice.
                                                Information                                             accepted.                                                We do not consider an application
                                                   1. Address to Request Application                       The recommended page limit does not                that does not comply with the deadline
                                                Package: Mia Howerton, U.S.                             apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,            requirements.
                                                Department of Education, 400 Maryland                   the budget section, including the                        Individuals with disabilities who
                                                Avenue SW., Room 4w205, Washington,                     narrative budget justification; Part IV,              need an accommodation or auxiliary aid
                                                DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 205–0147                     the assurances and certifications; or the             in connection with the application
                                                or by email: tqpartnership@ed.gov.                      one-page abstract, the resumes, the                   process should contact the person listed
                                                   If you use a telecommunications                      bibliography, or the letters of support.              under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
                                                device for the deaf (TDD) or a text                     However, the recommended page limit                   CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If
                                                telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay                 does apply to all of the application                  the Department provides an
                                                Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–                 narrative (Part III).                                 accommodation or auxiliary aid to an
                                                8339.                                                      b. Submission of Proprietary                       individual with a disability in
                                                   Individuals with disabilities can                    Information: Given the types of projects              connection with the application
                                                obtain a copy of the application package                that may be proposed in applications for              process, the individual’s application
                                                in an accessible format (e.g., braille,                 the TQP Grant Program, your                           remains subject to all other
                                                large print, audiotape, or compact disc)                application may include business                      requirements and limitations in this
                                                by contacting the program contact                       information that you consider                         notice.
                                                person listed in this section.                          proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define                    Deadline for Intergovernmental
                                                   2. Content and Form of Application                   ‘‘business information’’ and describe the             Review: September 20, 2016.
                                                Submission: Requirements concerning                     process we use in determining whether                    4. Intergovernmental Review: This
                                                the content of an application, together                 any of that information is proprietary                program is subject to Executive Order
                                                with the forms you must submit, are in                  and, thus, protected from disclosure                  12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
                                                the application package for this                        under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of                   part 79. Information about
                                                program.                                                Information Act (5 U.S.C 552, as                      Intergovernmental Review of Federal
                                                   Notice of Intent to Apply: June 22,                  amended).                                             Programs under Executive Order 12372
                                                2016.                                                      Because we plan to post the project                is in the application package for this
                                                   The Department will be able to                       narrative section of funded TQP Grant                 program.
                                                develop a more efficient process for                    Program applications on our Web site,                    5. Funding Restrictions: We specify
                                                reviewing grant applications if it has a                you may wish to request confidentiality               unallowable costs in 2 CFR 200, subpart
                                                better understanding of the number of                   of business information.                              E. We reference regulations outlining
                                                                                                           Consistent with Executive Order
                                                entities that intend to apply for funding                                                                     funding restrictions in the Applicable
                                                                                                        12600, please designate in your
                                                under this competition. Therefore, the                                                                        Regulations section of this notice.
                                                                                                        application any information that you
                                                Secretary strongly encourages each                                                                               6. Data Universal Numbering System
                                                                                                        believe is exempt from disclosure under
                                                potential applicant to notify the                                                                             Number, Taxpayer Identification
                                                                                                        Exemption 4. In the appropriate
                                                Department of its intent to submit an                                                                         Number, and System for Award
                                                                                                        Appendix section of your application,
                                                application for funding by completing                                                                         Management: To do business with the
                                                                                                        under ‘‘Other Attachments Form,’’
                                                the FY 16 Intent to Apply survey at                                                                           Department of Education, you must—
                                                                                                        please list the page number or numbers
                                                https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/                                                                                  a. Have a Data Universal Numbering
                                                                                                        on which we can find this information.
                                                tqpfy16.                                                                                                      System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer
                                                                                                        For additional information please see 34
                                                   Applicants that fail to complete the                                                                       Identification Number (TIN);
                                                                                                        CFR 5.11(c).
                                                FY 16 Intent to Apply survey may still                     3. Submission Dates and Times:                        b. Register both your DUNS number
                                                apply for funding.                                         Applications Available: May 23, 2016.              and TIN with the System for Award
                                                   Page Limit: The application narrative                   Deadline for Notice of Intent to                   Management (SAM) (formerly the
                                                (Part III of the application) is where you,             Apply: June 22, 2016.                                 Central Contractor Registry), the
                                                the applicant, address the selection                       Date of Pre-Application Webinars:                  Government’s primary registrant
                                                criteria that reviewers use to evaluate                 The TQP program intends to hold                       database;
                                                your application. We recommend that                     Webinars designed to provide technical                   c. Provide your DUNS number and
                                                you limit the application narrative (Part               assistance to interested applicants.                  TIN on your application; and
                                                III) to no more than 50 pages, using the                Details regarding the dates and times of                 d. Maintain an active SAM
                                                following standards:                                    these Webinars will be provided on the                registration with current information
                                                   • A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side              TQP Web site at http://                               while your application is under review
                                                only, with 1’’ margins at the top,                      innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-                 by the Department and, if you are
                                                bottom, and both sides.                                 quality/teacher-quality-partnership/                  awarded a grant, during the project
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                                                   • Double space (no more than three                   applicant-info-and-eligibility/.                      period.
                                                lines per vertical inch) all text in the                   Deadline for Transmittal of                           You can obtain a DUNS number from
                                                application narrative, including titles,                Applications: July 7, 2016.                           Dun and Bradstreet at the following
                                                headings, footnotes, quotations,                           Applications for grants under this                 Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/
                                                references, and captions. However, you                  program must be submitted                             webform.
                                                may single space all text in charts,                    electronically using the Grants.gov                      A DUNS number can be created
                                                tables, figures, and graphs.                            Apply site (Grants.gov). For information              within one to two business days.


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                                                                                Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices                                            32315

                                                   If you are a corporate entity, agency,               offline, and then upload and submit                   application package for this program to
                                                institution, or organization, you can                   your application. You may not email an                ensure that you submit your application
                                                obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue                  electronic copy of a grant application to             in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
                                                Service. If you are an individual, you                  us.                                                   system. You can also find the Education
                                                can obtain a TIN from the Internal                         We will reject your application if you             Submission Procedures pertaining to
                                                Revenue Service or the Social Security                  submit it in paper format unless, as                  Grants.gov under News and Events on
                                                Administration. If you need a new TIN,                  described elsewhere in this section, you              the Department’s G5 system home page
                                                please allow two to five weeks for your                 qualify for one of the exceptions to the              at www.G5.gov. In addition, for specific
                                                TIN to become active.                                   electronic submission requirement and                 guidance and procedures for submitting
                                                   The SAM registration process can take                submit, no later than two weeks before                an application through Grants.gov,
                                                approximately seven business days, but                  the application deadline date, a written              please refer to the Grants.gov Web site
                                                may take upwards of several weeks,                      statement to the Department that you                  at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/
                                                depending on the completeness and                       qualify for one of these exceptions.                  applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
                                                accuracy of the data you enter into the                 Further information regarding                            • You will not receive additional
                                                SAM database. Thus, if you think you                    calculation of the date that is two weeks             point value because you submit your
                                                might want to apply for Federal                         before the application deadline date is               application in electronic format, nor
                                                financial assistance under a program                    provided later in this section under                  will we penalize you if you qualify for
                                                administered by the Department, please                  Exception to Electronic Submission                    an exception to the electronic
                                                allow sufficient time to obtain and                     Requirement.                                          submission requirement, as described
                                                register your DUNS number and TIN.                         You may access the electronic grant                elsewhere in this section, and submit
                                                We strongly recommend that you                          application for the TQP Grant Program                 your application in paper format.
                                                register early.                                         at www.Grants.gov. You must search for                   • You must submit all documents
                                                                                                        the downloadable application package                  electronically, including all information
                                                   Note: Once your SAM registration is active,          for this program by the CFDA number.                  you typically provide on the following
                                                it may be 24 to 48 hours before you can
                                                                                                        Do not include the CFDA number’s                      forms: The Application for Federal
                                                access the information in, and submit an
                                                application through, Grants.gov.                        alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search             Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
                                                                                                        for 84.336, not 84.336S).                             Education Supplemental Information for
                                                   If you are currently registered with                    Please note the following:                         SF 424, Budget Information—Non-
                                                SAM, you may not need to make any                          • When you enter the Grants.gov site,              Construction Programs (ED 524), and all
                                                changes. However, please make certain                   you will find information about                       necessary assurances and certifications.
                                                that the TIN associated with your DUNS                  submitting an application electronically                 • You must upload any narrative
                                                number is correct. Also note that you                   through the site, as well as the hours of             sections and all other attachments to
                                                will need to update your registration                   operation.                                            your application as files in a read-only,
                                                annually. This may take three or more                      • Applications received by                         non-modifiable Portable Document
                                                business days.                                          Grants.gov are date and time stamped.                 Format (PDF). Do not upload an
                                                   Information about SAM is available at                Your application must be fully                        interactive or fillable PDF file. If you
                                                www.SAM.gov. To further assist you                      uploaded and submitted and must be                    upload a file type other than a read-
                                                with obtaining and registering your                     date and time stamped by the                          only, non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word,
                                                DUNS number and TIN in SAM or                           Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00               Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a
                                                updating your existing SAM account,                     p.m., Washington, DC time, on the                     password-protected file, we will not
                                                we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet,                   application deadline date. Except as                  review that material. Please note that
                                                which you can find at: http://                          otherwise noted in this section, we will              this could result in your application not
                                                www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-                       not accept your application if it is                  being considered for funding because
                                                faqs.html.                                              received—that is, date and time                       the material in question—for example,
                                                   In addition, if you are submitting your              stamped by the Grants.gov system—after                the project narrative—is critical to a
                                                application via Grants.gov, you must (1)                4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on                 meaningful review of your proposal. For
                                                be designated by your organization as an                the application deadline date. We do                  that reason it is important to allow
                                                Authorized Organization Representative                  not consider an application that does                 yourself adequate time to upload all
                                                (AOR); and (2) register yourself with                   not comply with the deadline                          material as PDF files. The Department
                                                Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these                  requirements. When we retrieve your                   will not convert material from other
                                                steps are outlined at the following                     application from Grants.gov, we will                  formats to PDF. Additional, detailed
                                                Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/                    notify you if we are rejecting your                   information on how to attach files is in
                                                web/grants/register.html.                               application because it was date and time              the application instructions.
                                                   7. Other Submission Requirements:                    stamped by the Grants.gov system after                   • Your electronic application must
                                                   Applications for grants under this                   4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on                 comply with any page-limit
                                                program must be submitted                               the application deadline date.                        requirements described in this notice.
                                                electronically unless you qualify for an                   • The amount of time it can take to                   • After you electronically submit
                                                exception to this requirement in                        upload an application will vary                       your application, you will receive from
                                                accordance with the instructions in this                depending on a variety of factors,                    Grants.gov an automatic notification of
                                                section.                                                including the size of the application and             receipt that contains a Grants.gov
                                                   a. Electronic Submission of                          the speed of your Internet connection.                tracking number. This notification
                                                Applications. Applications for grants                   Therefore, we strongly recommend that                 indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not
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                                                under the TQP Grant Program, CFDA                       you do not wait until the application                 receipt by the Department. Grants.gov
                                                number 84.336S, must be submitted                       deadline date to begin the submission                 will also notify you automatically by
                                                electronically using the                                process through Grants.gov.                           email if your application met all the
                                                Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site                       • You should review and follow the                 Grants.gov validation requirements or if
                                                at www.Grants.gov. Through this site,                   Education Submission Procedures for                   there were any errors (such as
                                                you will be able to download a copy of                  submitting an application through                     submission of your application by
                                                the application package, complete it                    Grants.gov that are included in the                   someone other than a registered


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                                                32316                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices

                                                Authorized Organization                                 affected your ability to submit your           Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
                                                Representative, or inclusion of an                      application by 4:30:00 p.m.,                   Washington, DC 20202–4260.
                                                attachment with a file name that                        Washington, DC time, on the                       You must show proof of mailing
                                                contains special characters). You will be               application deadline date. We will             consisting of one of the following:
                                                given an opportunity to correct any                     contact you after we determine whether            (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service
                                                errors and resubmit, but you must still                 your application will be accepted.             postmark.
                                                meet the deadline for submission of                        Note: The extensions to which we refer in      (2) A legible mail receipt with the
                                                applications.                                           this section apply only to the unavailability  date of mailing stamped by the U.S.
                                                   Once your application is successfully                of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov Postal Service.
                                                validated by Grants.gov, the Department                 system. We will not grant you an extension        (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or
                                                will retrieve your application from                     if you failed to fully register to submit your receipt from a commercial carrier.
                                                Grants.gov and send you an email with                   application to Grants.gov before the
                                                                                                        application deadline date and time or if the
                                                                                                                                                          (4) Any other proof of mailing
                                                a unique PR/Award number for your
                                                                                                        technical problem you experienced is           acceptable   to the Secretary of the U.S.
                                                application.
                                                   These emails do not mean that your                   unrelated to the Grants.gov system.            Department of Education.
                                                application is without any disqualifying                                                                  If you mail your application through
                                                                                                           Exception to Electronic Submission
                                                errors. While your application may have                                                                the U.S. Postal Service, we do not
                                                                                                        Requirement: You qualify for an
                                                been successfully validated by                                                                         accept either of the following as proof
                                                                                                        exception to the electronic submission
                                                Grants.gov, it must also meet the                                                                      of mailing:
                                                                                                        requirement, and may submit your
                                                Department’s application requirements                   application in paper format, if you are           (1) A private metered postmark.
                                                as specified in this notice and in the                  unable to submit an application through           (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by
                                                application instructions. Disqualifying                 the Grants.gov system because––                the U.S. Postal Service.
                                                errors could include, for instance,                        • You do not have access to the               Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not
                                                failure to upload attachments in a read-                Internet; or                                   uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before
                                                only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to                       • You do not have the capacity to           relying on this method, you should check
                                                submit a required part of the                           upload large documents to the                  with your local post office.
                                                application; or failure to meet applicant               Grants.gov system; and                            We will not consider applications
                                                eligibility requirements. It is your                       • No later than two weeks before the        postmarked after the application
                                                responsibility to ensure that your                      application deadline date (14 calendar         deadline date.
                                                submitted application has met all of the                days or, if the fourteenth calendar day           c. Submission of Paper Applications
                                                Department’s requirements.                              before the application deadline date           by Hand Delivery.
                                                   • We may request that you provide us                 falls on a Federal holiday, the next              If you qualify for an exception to the
                                                original signatures on forms at a later                 business day following the Federal             electronic submission requirement, you
                                                date.                                                   holiday), you mail or fax a written
                                                   Application Deadline Date Extension                                                                 (or a courier service) may deliver your
                                                                                                        statement to the Department, explaining paper application to the Department by
                                                in Case of Technical Issues with the                    which of the two grounds for an
                                                Grants.gov System: If you are                                                                          hand. You must deliver the original and
                                                                                                        exception prevents you from using the          two copies of your application by hand,
                                                experiencing problems submitting your                   Internet to submit your application.
                                                application through Grants.gov, please                                                                 on or before the application deadline
                                                                                                           If you mail your written statement to
                                                contact the Grants.gov Support Desk,                                                                   date, to the Department at the following
                                                                                                        the Department, it must be postmarked
                                                toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must                                                                 address: U.S. Department of Education,
                                                                                                        no later than two weeks before the
                                                obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case                                                                  Application Control Center, Attention:
                                                                                                        application deadline date. If you fax
                                                Number and must keep a record of it.                                                                   (CFDA Number 84.336S), 550 12th
                                                                                                        your written statement to the
                                                   If you are prevented from                                                                           Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center
                                                                                                        Department, we must receive the faxed
                                                electronically submitting your                                                                         Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260.
                                                                                                        statement no later than two weeks
                                                application on the application deadline                 before the application deadline date.             The Application Control Center
                                                date because of technical problems with                    Address and mail or fax your                accepts  hand deliveries daily between
                                                the Grants.gov system, we will grant you                statement to: Mia Howerton, U.S.               8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,
                                                an extension until 4:30:00 p.m.,                        Department of Education, 400 Maryland DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays,
                                                Washington, DC time, the following                      Avenue SW., Room 4w205, Washington, and Federal holidays.
                                                business day to enable you to transmit                  DC 20202–5960. FAX: (202) 205–5630.               Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of
                                                your application electronically or by                      Your paper application must be              Paper Applications: If you mail or hand
                                                hand delivery. You also may mail your                   submitted in accordance with the mail          deliver your application to the
                                                application by following the mailing                    or hand delivery instructions described        Department—
                                                instructions described elsewhere in this                in this notice.                                   (1) You must indicate on the envelope
                                                notice.                                                    b. Submission of Paper Applications         and—if not provided by the
                                                   If you submit an application after                   by Mail.                                       Department—in Item 11 of the SF 424
                                                4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on                      If you qualify for an exception to the      the CFDA number, including suffix
                                                the application deadline date, please                   electronic submission requirement, you letter, if any, of the competition under
                                                contact the person listed under FOR                     may mail (through the U.S. Postal              which you are submitting your
                                                FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in                          Service or a commercial carrier) your          application; and
                                                section VII of this notice and provide an               application to the Department. You                (2) The Application Control Center
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                                                explanation of the technical problem                    must mail the original and two copies          will mail to you a notification of receipt
                                                you experienced with Grants.gov, along                  of your application, on or before the          of your grant application. If you do not
                                                with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case                   application deadline date, to the              receive this notification within 15
                                                Number. We will accept your                             Department at the following address:           business days from the application
                                                application if we can confirm that a                    U.S. Department of Education,                  deadline date, you should call the U.S.
                                                technical problem occurred with the                     Application Control Center, Attention:         Department of Education Application
                                                Grants.gov system and that the problem                  (CFDA Number 84.336S) LBJ Basement             Control Center at (202) 245–6288.


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                                                                                Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices                                             32317

                                                V. Application Review Information                       budget, including clearly defined                     VI. Award Administration Information
                                                  1. Selection Criteria: The selection                  responsibilities, timelines, and                         1. Award Notices: If your application
                                                criteria for this program are from 34 CFR               milestones for accomplishing project                  is successful, we notify your U.S.
                                                75.210. An applicant may earn up to a                   tasks.                                                Representative and U.S. Senators and
                                                total of 100 points based on the                           (ii) The extent to which performance               send you a Grant Award Notification
                                                selection criteria. The maximum score                   feedback and continuous improvement                   (GAN); or we may send you an email
                                                for each criterion is indicated in                      are integral to the design of the                     containing a link to access an electronic
                                                parentheses. Each criterion also                        proposed project.                                     version of your GAN. We may notify
                                                includes the sub-factors that the                          (d) Quality of the Project Evaluation              you informally, also.
                                                reviewers will consider in determining                  (up to 25 points).                                       If your application is not evaluated or
                                                how well an application meets the                          In determining the quality of the                  not selected for funding, we notify you.
                                                criterion. The criteria are as follows:                 evaluation, the Secretary considers—                     2. Administrative and National Policy
                                                  (a) Significance (up to 10 points).                                                                         Requirements: We identify
                                                   In determining the significance of the                  (i) The extent to which the methods                administrative and national policy
                                                proposed project, the Secretary                         of evaluation will provide valid and                  requirements in the application package
                                                considers the following factors—                        reliable performance data on relevant                 and reference these and other
                                                   (i) The extent to which the proposed                 outcomes.                                             requirements in the Applicable
                                                project is likely to build local capacity                  (ii) The extent to which the methods               Regulations section of this notice.
                                                to provide, improve, or expand services                 of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and                We reference the regulations outlining
                                                that address the needs of the target                    appropriate to the goals, objectives, and             the terms and conditions of an award in
                                                population.                                             outcomes of the proposed project.                     the Applicable Regulations section of
                                                   (ii) The importance or magnitude of                     (iii) The extent to which the methods              this notice and include these and other
                                                the results or outcomes likely to be                    of evaluation will provide performance                specific conditions in the GAN. The
                                                attained by the proposed project,                       feedback and permit periodic                          GAN also incorporates your approved
                                                especially improvements in teaching                     assessment of progress toward achieving               application as part of your binding
                                                and student achievement.                                intended outcomes.                                    commitments under the grant.
                                                   (b) Quality of the Project Design (up                   2. Review and Selection Process: We                   3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a
                                                to 35 points).                                          remind potential applicants that in                   grant under this competition, you must
                                                   In determining the quality of the                    reviewing applications in any                         ensure that you have in place the
                                                design of the proposed project, the                     discretionary grant competition, the                  necessary processes and systems to
                                                Secretary considers the extent to which                 Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR                  comply with the reporting requirements
                                                the proposed project consists of a                      75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the             in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
                                                comprehensive plan that includes a                      applicant in carrying out a previous                  funding under the competition. This
                                                description of—                                         award, such as the applicant’s use of                 does not apply if you have an exception
                                                   (i) The extent to which the proposed                                                                       under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
                                                                                                        funds, achievement of project
                                                project is supported by strong theory (as                                                                        (b) At the end of your project period,
                                                                                                        objectives, and compliance with grant
                                                defined in this notice).                                                                                      you must submit a final performance
                                                                                                        conditions. The Secretary may also
                                                   (ii) The extent to which the services                                                                      report, including financial information,
                                                                                                        consider whether the applicant failed to
                                                to be provided by the proposed project                                                                        as directed by the Secretary. If you
                                                                                                        submit a timely performance report or
                                                involve the collaboration of appropriate                                                                      receive a multiyear award, you must
                                                                                                        submitted a report of unacceptable
                                                partners for maximizing the                                                                                   submit an annual performance report
                                                                                                        quality.
                                                effectiveness of project services.                                                                            that provides the most current
                                                   (iii) The extent to which the proposed                  In addition, in making a competitive               performance and financial expenditure
                                                project represents an exceptional                       grant award, the Secretary requires                   information as directed by the Secretary
                                                approach to the priority or priorities                  various assurances including those                    under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary
                                                established for this competition.                       applicable to Federal civil rights laws               may also require more frequent
                                                   Note: Applicants are encouraged to                   that prohibit discrimination in programs              performance reports under 34 CFR
                                                develop logic models. These logic                       or activities receiving Federal financial             75.720(c). For specific requirements on
                                                models should include the applicant’s                   assistance from the Department of                     reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/
                                                plan to implement and evaluate the                      Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4,                fund/grant/apply/appforms/
                                                proposed project. Applicants should                     108.8, and 110.23).                                   appforms.html.
                                                connect available evidence of past                         3. Risk Assessment and Special                        (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the
                                                history of successful outcomes to their                 Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR                     Secretary may provide a grantee with
                                                logic models. Applicants may use                        200.205, before awarding grants under                 additional funding for data collection
                                                resources such as the Pacific Education                 this competition the Department                       analysis and reporting. In this case the
                                                Laboratory’s Education Logic Model                      conducts a review of the risks posed by               Secretary establishes a data collection
                                                Application (http://relpacific.mcrel.org/               applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the                  period.
                                                resources/elm-app) to help design their                 Secretary may impose special                             4. Performance Measures: The goal of
                                                logic models.                                           conditions and, in appropriate                        the TQP Grant Program is to increase
                                                   (c) Quality of the Management Plan                   circumstances, high risk conditions on a              student achievement in K–12 schools by
                                                (up to 30 points).                                      grant if the applicant or grantee is not              developing teachers who meet
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                                                   In determining the quality of the                    financially stable; has a history of                  applicable State certification and
                                                management plan for the proposed                        unsatisfactory performance; has a                     licensure requirements. Under GPRA,
                                                project, the Secretary considers the                    financial or other management system                  the following measures will be used by
                                                following factors—                                      that does not meet the standards in 2                 the Department in assessing the
                                                   (i) The adequacy of the management                   CFR part 200, subpart D; has not                      performance of this program:
                                                plan to achieve the objectives of the                   fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant;               (a) Performance Measure 1:
                                                proposed project on time and within                     or is otherwise not responsible.                      Certification/Licensure. The percentage


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                                                32318                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices

                                                of program graduates who have attained                  by the high-need LEA who are members                  and evaluation of their proposed projects
                                                initial State certification/licensure by                of underrepresented groups;                           because of their importance in the
                                                passing all necessary licensure/                          (6) The percentage of teachers who                  application review process. Collection of data
                                                                                                        meet the applicable State certification               on these measures should be a part of the
                                                certification assessments within one
                                                                                                                                                              evaluation plan, along with measures of
                                                year of program completion.                             and licensure requirements, including
                                                                                                                                                              progress on goals and objectives that are
                                                   (b) Performance Measure 2: 1-Year                    any requirements for certification                    specific to your project.
                                                Persistence. The percentage of program                  obtained through alternative routes to
                                                participants who were enrolled in the                   certification, or, with regard to special                All grantees will be expected to
                                                postsecondary program in the previous                   education teachers, the qualifications                submit an annual performance report
                                                grant reporting period, did not graduate,               described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the             documenting their success in addressing
                                                and persisted in the postsecondary                      IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(14)(C)), hired                these performance measures.
                                                                                                        by the high-need LEA who teach high-                     5. Continuation Awards: In making a
                                                program in the current grant reporting
                                                                                                        need academic subject areas (such as                  continuation award under 34 CFR
                                                period.
                                                                                                        reading, mathematics, science, and                    75.253, the Secretary considers, among
                                                   (c) Performance Measure 3: 1-Year
                                                                                                        foreign language, including less                      other things: Whether a grantee has
                                                Employment Retention. The percentage
                                                                                                        commonly taught languages and critical                made substantial progress in achieving
                                                of program completers who were
                                                                                                        foreign languages);                                   the goals and objectives of the project;
                                                employed for the first time as teachers
                                                                                                          (7) The percentage of teachers who                  whether the grantee has expended funds
                                                of record in the preceding year by the
                                                                                                        meet the applicable State certification               in a manner that is consistent with its
                                                partner high-need LEA or ECE program
                                                                                                        and licensure requirements, including                 approved application and budget; and,
                                                and were retained for the current school
                                                                                                        any requirements for certification                    if the Secretary has established
                                                year.
                                                                                                        obtained through alternative routes to                performance measurement
                                                   (d) Performance Measure 4: 3-Year
                                                                                                        certification, or, with regard to special             requirements, the performance targets in
                                                Employment Retention. The percentage
                                                                                                        education teachers, the qualifications                the grantee’s approved application.
                                                of program completers who were                                                                                   In making a continuation award, the
                                                employed by the partner high-need LEA                   described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the
                                                                                                        IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(14)(C)), hired                Secretary also considers whether the
                                                or ECE program for three consecutive                                                                          grantee is operating in compliance with
                                                years after initial employment.                         by the high-need LEA who teach in
                                                                                                        high-need areas (including special                    the assurances in its approved
                                                   (e) Performance Measure 5: Student                                                                         application, including those applicable
                                                Learning. The percentage of grantees                    education, language instruction
                                                                                                        educational programs for limited                      to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit
                                                that report improved aggregate learning                                                                       discrimination in programs or activities
                                                outcomes of students taught by new                      English proficient students, and early
                                                                                                        childhood education);                                 receiving Federal financial assistance
                                                teachers. These data can be calculated                                                                        from the Department (34 CFR 100.4,
                                                using student growth, a teacher                           (8) The percentage of teachers who
                                                                                                        meet the applicable State certification               104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
                                                evaluation measure, or both.
                                                   Applicants must also address the                     and licensure requirements, including                 VII. Agency Contact
                                                evaluation requirements in section                      any requirements for certification
                                                                                                        obtained through alternative routes to                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:    Mia
                                                204(a) of the HEA. This section asks                                                                          Howerton, U.S. Department of
                                                applicants to develop objectives and                    certification, or, with regard to special
                                                                                                        education teachers, the qualifications                Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
                                                measures for increasing:                                                                                      Room 4W205, Washington, DC 20202–
                                                   (1) Achievement for all prospective                  described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the
                                                                                                        IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(14)(C)), hired                5960. Telephone: (202) 205–0147 or by
                                                and new teachers, as measured by the                                                                          email: Mia.Howerton@ed.gov or
                                                eligible partnership;                                   by the high-need LEA who teach in
                                                                                                        high-need schools, disaggregated by the               tqpartnership@ed.gov.
                                                   (2) Teacher retention in the first three                                                                     If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the
                                                years of a teacher’s career;                            elementary school and secondary school
                                                                                                        levels;                                               FRS, toll-free, at 1–800–877–8339.
                                                   (3) Improvement in the pass rates and
                                                                                                          (9) As applicable, the percentage of                VIII. Other Information
                                                scaled scores for initial State
                                                                                                        early childhood education program
                                                certification or licensure of teachers;                                                                          Accessible Format: Individuals with
                                                                                                        classes in the geographic area served by
                                                and                                                                                                           disabilities can obtain this document
                                                                                                        the eligible partnership taught by early
                                                   (4) The percentage of teachers who                                                                         and a copy of the application package in
                                                                                                        childhood educators who are highly
                                                meet the applicable State certification                                                                       an accessible format (e.g., braille, large
                                                                                                        competent; and
                                                and licensure requirements, including                     (10) As applicable, the percentage of               print, audiotape, or compact disc) on
                                                any requirements for certification                      teachers trained—                                     request to the program contact person
                                                obtained through alternative routes to                    (i) To integrate technology effectively             listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
                                                certification, or, with regard to special               into curricula and instruction, including             CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
                                                education teachers, the qualifications                  technology consistent with the                           Electronic Access to This Document:
                                                described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the               principles of universal design for                    The official version of this document is
                                                IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(14)(C)), hired                  learning; and                                         the document published in the Federal
                                                by the high-need LEA participating in                     (ii) To use technology effectively to               Register. Free Internet access to the
                                                the eligible partnership;                               collect, manage, and analyze data to                  official edition of the Federal Register
                                                   (5) The percentage of teachers who                   improve teaching and learning for the                 and the Code of Federal Regulations is
                                                meet the applicable State certification                                                                       available via the Federal Digital System
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                                                                                                        purpose of improving student academic
                                                and licensure requirements, including                   achievement.                                          at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you
                                                any requirements for certification                                                                            can view this document, as well as all
                                                                                                          Note: If funded, grantees will be asked to
                                                obtained through alternative routes to                  collect and report data on these measures in
                                                                                                                                                              other documents of this Department
                                                certification, or, with regard to special               their project’s annual performance reports            published in the Federal Register, in
                                                education teachers, the qualifications                  (34 CFR 75.590). Applicants are also advised          text or PDF. To use PDF you must have
                                                described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the               to consider these measures in                         Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
                                                IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(14)(C)), hired                  conceptualizing the design, implementation,           available free at the site.


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                                                                                Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 99 / Monday, May 23, 2016 / Notices                                                   32319

                                                  You may also access documents of the        Council of Advisors on Science and                              accommodate oral public comments
                                                Department published in the Federal           Technology (PCAST), and describes the                           whenever possible. The PCAST expects
                                                Register by using the article search          functions of the Council. The Federal                           that public statements presented at its
                                                feature at: www.federalregister.gov.          Advisory Committee Act requires that                            meetings will not be repetitive of
                                                Specifically, through the advanced            public notice of these meetings be                              previously submitted oral or written
                                                search feature at this site, you can limit    announced in the Federal Register.                              statements.
                                                your search to documents published by         DATES: June 6, 2016, 4:00 p.m. to 4:30                             The public comment period for this
                                                the Department.                               p.m.                                                            meeting will take place on June 6, 2016
                                                   Dated: May 18, 2016.                       ADDRESSES: To receive the call-in                               at a time specified in the meeting
                                                Nadya Chinoy Dabby,                           information, attendees should register                          agenda posted on the PCAST Web site
                                                Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and for the conference call on the PCAST                            at http://whitehouse.gov/ostp/pcast.
                                                Improvement.                                  Web site, http://www.whitehouse.gov/                            This public comment period is designed
                                                [FR Doc. 2016–12101 Filed 5–20–16; 8:45 am]   ostp/pcast no later than 12:00 p.m. ET                          only for substantive commentary on
                                                BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
                                                                                              on Thursday, June 2, 2016.                                      PCAST’s work, not for business
                                                                                              FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                                marketing purposes.
                                                                                              Information regarding the meeting                                  Oral Comments: To be considered for
                                                                                              agenda, time, location, and how to                              the public speaker list at the meeting,
                                                Election Assistance Commission
                                                                                              register for the meeting is available on                        interested parties should register to
                                                Notice of Sunshine Act Meeting                the PCAST Web site at: http://                                  speak at http://whitehouse.gov/ostp/
                                                                                              whitehouse.gov/ostp/pcast. Questions                            pcast, no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern
                                                AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance              about the meeting should be directed to                         Time on June 2, 2016. Phone or email
                                                Commission.                                   Ms. Jennifer Michael at Jennifer_L_                             reservations will not be accepted. To
                                                ACTION: Notice of public meeting              Michael@ostp.eop.gov, (202) 456–4444.                           accommodate as many speakers as
                                                agenda.                                       SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The                                  possible, the time for public comments
                                                                                              President’s Council of Advisors on                              will be limited to two (2) minutes per
                                                DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, May 25,             Science and Technology (PCAST) is an                            person, with a total public comment
                                                2016, (9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.—EDT)               advisory group of the nation’s leading                          period of up to 10 minutes. If more
                                                PLACE: 1335 East West Highway (First          scientists and engineers, appointed by                          speakers register than there is space
                                                Floor Conference Room), Silver Spring,        the President to augment the science                            available on the agenda, PCAST will
                                                MD 20910.                                     and technology advice available to him                          randomly select speakers from among
                                                AGENDA: Commissioners will meet to            from inside the White House, cabinet                            those who applied. Those not selected
                                                release a 2016 Election Worker                departments, and other Federal                                  to present oral comments may always
                                                Guidebook, State Compendium of                agencies. See the Executive Order at                            file written comments with the
                                                Election Worker Requirements, and             http://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/pcast.                           committee.
                                                Election Worker Webisode.                     PCAST is consulted about and provides
                                                                                                                                                                 Written Comments: Although written
                                                Commissioners will hear from state and analyses and recommendations                                           comments are accepted continuously,
                                                local election officials, and research        concerning a wide range of issues where
                                                                                                                                                              written comments should be submitted
                                                experts to: (1) Discuss ways to recruit       understandings from the domains of
                                                                                                                                                              to PCAST no later than 12:00 p.m.
                                                and train election workers; and (2)           science, technology, and innovation
                                                                                                                                                              Eastern Time on June 2, 2016 so that the
                                                discuss the allocation of resources at the may bear on the policy choices before                              comments may be made available to the
                                                polls on Election Day.                        the President. PCAST is co-chaired by
                                                                                                                                                              PCAST members prior to this meeting
                                                                                              Dr. John P. Holdren, Assistant to the
                                                STATUS: This meeting will be open to the                                                                      for their consideration. Information
                                                                                              President for Science and Technology,
                                                public.                                                                                                       regarding how to submit comments and
                                                                                              and Director, Office of Science and
                                                PERSON TO CONTACT FOR INFORMATION:                                                                            documents to PCAST is available at
                                                                                              Technology Policy, Executive Office of
                                                Bryan Whitener, Telephone: (301) 563–                                                                         http://whitehouse.gov/ostp/pcast in the
                                                                                              the President, The White House; and Dr.
                                                3961.                                                                                                         section entitled ‘‘Connect with PCAST.’’
                                                                                              Eric S. Lander, President, Broad
                                                   Signed:                                    Institute of the Massachusetts Institute                           Please note that because PCAST
                                                Bryan Whitener,                               of Technology and Harvard.                                      operates under the provisions of FACA,
                                                Director of Communications and                  Type of Meeting: Open.                                        all public comments and/or
                                                Clearinghouse, U.S. Election Assistance         Proposed Schedule and Agenda: The                             presentations will be treated as public
                                                Commission.                                   President’s Council of Advisors on                              documents and will be made available
                                                [FR Doc. 2016–12177 Filed 5–19–16; 4:15 pm]   Science and Technology (PCAST) is                               for public inspection, including being
                                                BILLING CODE 6820–KF–P
                                                                                              scheduled to hold a public conference                           posted on the PCAST Web site.
                                                                                              call on June 6, 2016 from 4:00 p.m. to                             Meeting Accommodations:
                                                                                              4:30 p.m.                                                       Individuals requiring special
                                                                                                Open Portion of Meeting: During this                          accommodation to access this public
                                                DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY                          open meeting, PCAST is scheduled to                             meeting should contact Ms. Jennifer
                                                President’s Council of Advisors on            discuss its study on Forensic Science in                        Michael at least ten business days prior
                                                Science and Technology                        Federal Criminal Courts: Ensuring                               to the meeting so that appropriate
                                                                                              Reliable Principles and Methods.
sradovich on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                                                              arrangements can be made.
                                                AGENCY: Office of Science, Department         Additional information and the agenda,
                                                of Energy.                                    including any changes that arise, will be                         Issued in Washington, DC, on May 16,
                                                                                                                                                              2016.
                                                ACTION: Notice of open teleconference.        posted at the PCAST Web site at: http://
                                                                                              whitehouse.gov/ostp/pcast.                                      LaTanya R. Butler,
                                                SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the             Public Comments: It is the policy of                          Deputy Committee Management Officer.
                                                schedule and summary agenda for a             the PCAST to accept written public                              [FR Doc. 2016–11959 Filed 5–20–16; 8:45 am]
                                                conference call of the President’s            comments of any length, and to                                  BILLING CODE 6450–01–P




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Document Created: 2018-02-07 15:07:41
Document Modified: 2018-02-07 15:07:41
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice.
DatesApplications Available: May 23, 2016.
ContactMia Howerton, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W205, Washington, DC 20202- 5960. Telephone: (202) 205-0147 or by email: [email protected] or [email protected]
FR Citation81 FR 32306 

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