81_FR_34421 81 FR 34317 - Applications for New Awards; Teacher Incentive Fund

81 FR 34317 - Applications for New Awards; Teacher Incentive Fund

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 104 (May 31, 2016)

Page Range34317-34325
FR Document2016-12733

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 104 (Tuesday, May 31, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 104 (Tuesday, May 31, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34317-34325]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12733]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Teacher Incentive Fund

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

ACTION: Notice.

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Overview Information

Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF).
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2016.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.374A.


DATES: Applications Available: May 31, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: June 30, 2016.
    Dates of Pre-Application Workshops: For information about pre-
application workshops, visit the TIF Web site at: http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-incentive-fund/.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 15, 2016.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 28, 2016.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the TIF program is to support, 
develop, and implement sustainable Performance-based Compensation 
Systems for teachers, principals, and other personnel in High-Need 
Schools,\1\ within the context of a local educational agency's (LEA's) 
overall Human Capital Management System, in order to increase Educator 
effectiveness and student achievement in those schools.
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    \1\ Throughout this notice, all defined terms are denoted with 
initial capitals.
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    Background: The TIF program is based on the premise, supported by 
20 years of research, that effective teachers are the most critical in-
school factor in improving student outcomes. Recent research suggests 
that principals and principal quality are also key, but often

[[Page 34318]]

overlooked, in-school factors for improving student outcomes. Given the 
importance of ensuring that Educators are as effective as possible--
especially for high-need students--the TIF program uses performance-
based compensation and related supports for Educators to catalyze 
improvements in a district's human capital management and in student 
outcomes.
    The Department designed each of the previous three TIF competitions 
in FYs 2006, 2010, and 2012 to build on earlier efforts as the 
Department, States, districts, and schools learned more about how to 
support Educators in their efforts to help students learn. Through the 
most recent TIF competition (in FY 2012), the Department funded 
projects that encompassed broader human capital management systems that 
supported sustainable performance-based compensation. This is in 
contrast to earlier TIF competitions, which focused almost exclusively 
on the provision of annual one-time bonuses. The FY 2012 competition 
also focused on projects under which grantees deployed a variety of 
human capital management strategies throughout an Educator's career 
trajectory (e.g., from pre-service through retention) to help support 
and sustain the grantees' performance-based compensation systems.
    For example, several grantees in the FY 2012 cohort changed their 
district-wide compensation systems to: (1) Allow Educators who 
demonstrate effectiveness to earn significantly higher pay or to 
significantly accelerate the timeline for increased compensation, 
particularly for those Educators in High-Need Schools and subjects; (2) 
provide incentives and supports to increase the number of effective 
Educators who are recruited and retained in High-Need Schools; (3) 
develop and implement career ladders to give Educators opportunities 
for leadership and advancement inside and outside the classroom; and 
(4) implement a salary system where increases are based in part on 
effectiveness. This expanded strategy of incentivizing effective 
Educators through performance-based compensation aligns with the 
purpose and goals of the TIF program.
    There is no single set of best practices that districts should use 
to demonstrate their readiness to implement innovative human capital 
management strategies, including performance-based compensation. We 
know, however, that when TIF grantees have a set of human capital 
policies and practices in place at the outset of the grant period that 
support and align with their performance-based compensation strategies, 
these grantees face fewer challenges in implementing transformation 
efforts than those without such a foundation in place. The experience 
of these grantees demonstrates that building the systems and tools 
designed to evaluate, support, and manage Educators in ways that 
support and sustain their performance-based compensation requires 
districts to make significant infrastructure and capacity commitments, 
including: a district-wide, Educator evaluation and support system that 
includes multiple measures, including gains in student achievement, and 
meaningfully differentiates performance levels of Educators; data 
systems that collect and report on the elements of an Educator 
evaluation and support system in clear and coherent ways; a range of 
mechanisms to identify specific areas for Educator development and 
support, and for providing that support; and practices that enable 
administrators, school leaders, and Educators to communicate and 
influence the implementation of these systems. Efforts to create these 
kinds of systems and tools are more likely to drive enduring, 
sustainable improvements in Educator practice and student learning if 
they are aligned with the current district work to improve student 
outcomes and produce valid, reliable, and trusted information. A robust 
Educator evaluation system--one that uses, among other things, gains in 
student academic achievement and multiple annual observations--is not 
only statutorily required for TIF grantees, but is also critical to the 
readiness of a district to take on this work.
    Additionally, TIF grantees are more successful when they 
collaborate with key stakeholders in designing, implementing, and 
continuously improving their projects. A district's Performance-based 
Compensation System, developed with the input of teachers and school 
leaders in the schools to be served by the grant, prepares districts to 
immediately take on this work by regularly seeking the feedback of 
Educators on initiatives and programs that impact schools. Districts 
that have systems in place for seeking this feedback demonstrate an 
understanding of the critical role Educator voice plays in successful 
human capital transformation. Common effective practices include 
initial design teams that bring together teachers and principals; task 
forces to tackle specific issues, such as selecting a rubric for use in 
evaluations; and focus groups that provide feedback on proposed career 
ladder systems or new compensation models. This ongoing engagement is 
critical to obtaining Educator buy-in to, and the success of, high-
quality evaluation and support systems that are critical to a viable, 
meaningful Performance-based Compensation System.
    District-level human capital strategies have shifted significantly 
since the FY 2012 competition. In recent years, many State educational 
agencies (SEAs) and LEAs have developed high-quality educator 
evaluation and support systems as part of comprehensive reform 
strategies implemented consistent with competitive federal awards and 
flexibility offered by the Department under the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). States and 
Districts have used these systems as part of their efforts to improve 
districts' hiring practices, provide Educators with meaningful feedback 
and targeted professional development, and use Educator performance 
information to inform key school- and district-level decisions, such as 
teacher placement or leadership opportunities. Consequently, an 
increasing number of districts are prepared to make more informed human 
capital decisions that both support Educators and improve student 
outcomes. While section 4(c) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 
(Pub. L. 114-95, December 10, 2015) ends waivers under ESEA flexibility 
as of August 1, 2016, section 2101(c)(4)(B)(ii) of the ESEA, as amended 
by ESSA, provides States and districts with explicit authority to 
``support the design and implementation of teacher, principal, or other 
school leader evaluation and support systems.'' This will allow States 
and districts to continue to improve the systems they have established.
    While SEAs and LEAs have made substantial progress, additional work 
is needed to ensure that these Educator evaluation and support systems 
are robust, relevant, reliably producing trusted information, and 
seamlessly integrated into school- and district-level human capital 
processes. In some cases, this may mean expanding or improving existing 
approaches within a current educator evaluation and support system, by, 
for example, providing more mentoring and coaching opportunities for 
Educators. In other cases, districts may be well-positioned to take on 
new challenges or opportunities that affect Educator effectiveness, 
such as partnering with institutions of higher education to strengthen 
pre-service programming.
    Finally, SEAs are now engaged in renewed efforts to ensure that 
high-need

[[Page 34319]]

students have equitable access to the most effective Educators. 
Research indicates that students' race and family income often predict 
their access to excellent educators. Low-income students and high-need 
schools tend to have teachers who are less experienced, have fewer 
credentials and do not demonstrate a track record of success.\2\ For 
example, while we know there are many excellent first-year teachers, 
based on 2011-12 data from the Department's Civil Rights Data 
Collection, African American and American Indian students are four 
times as likely as white students to be enrolled in a school with more 
than twenty percent of first-year teachers, and Latino students are 
three times as likely.\3\ The Department helped spur States' efforts to 
increase equitable access to excellent Educators through its Excellent 
Educators for All Initiative, launched in July 2014, under which the 
Department required each SEA to submit a plan describing the steps it 
will take to ensure that ``poor and minority children are not taught at 
higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-
of-field teachers,'' as required by section 1111(b)(8)(C) of the ESEA, 
as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. To date, all fifty 
states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have approved plans to 
advance educator equity consistent with the requirements in the law. 
SEAs must continue to engage in educator equity efforts under section 
1111(g)(1)(B) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.
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    \2\ See, e.g., Isenberg, Eric, et al. ``Access to Effective 
Teaching for Disadvantaged Students. NCEE 2014-4001.'' Institute of 
Education Sciences (2013): http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20144001/pdf/20144001.pdf.
    Sass, Tim, Jane Hannaway, Zeyu Xu, David Figlio, and Li Feng. 
``Value Added of Teachers in High-Poverty Schools and Lower-Poverty 
Schools.'' Journal of Urban Economics, vol. 72, 2012, pp.104-122: 
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094119012000216.
    Tennessee Department of Education. ``Tennessee's Most Effective 
Teachers: Are They Assigned to the Schools That Need Them Most?'' 
Nashville, TN: Tennessee Department of Education, 2007: http://www.gtlcenter.org/webcasts/addressingInequities/Tennessee_McCargar.pdf.
    \3\ U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Civil 
Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (Teacher Equity) (March 21, 
2014 (revised July 3, 2014)): http://ocrdata.ed.gov/Downloads/CRDC-Teacher-Equity-Snapshot.pdf.
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    Most SEAs started to implement approved plans in the 2015-16 school 
year; these plans can be found at www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/resources.html. Based on Department review of these plans, and 
consistent with requirements that will take effect when ESSA is 
implemented, the Department believes TIF can support SEAs and LEAs in 
implementing strategies aimed at improving equitable access to 
effective Educators.
    Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority, two 
competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. The 
absolute priority aligns with the language of the 2016 Appropriations 
Act that authorizes funding for this competition, the notice of final 
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this 
program (TIF NFP), published in the Federal Register on June 14, 2012 
(77 FR 35757), and basic provisions of ESSA's Teacher and School Leader 
Incentive Fund Grants Program (ESSA sections 2211 and 2212), which we 
adopt under the authority for an orderly transition to this Act 
contained in section 4(b) of the ESSA. The competitive preference 
priorities are from the Secretary's final supplemental priorities and 
definitions for discretionary grant programs (Supplemental Priorities) 
published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425) 
and basic provisions of ESSA's Teacher and Leader Incentive Fund Grants 
Program (ESSA sections 2211 and 2212), which we adopt under the 
authority for an orderly transition to this Act contained in section 
4(b) of the ESSA.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2016, this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    The priority is:

An LEA-Wide Human Capital Management System (HCMS) With Educator 
Evaluation and Support Systems at the Center

    To meet this priority, the applicant must include, in its 
application, a description of its LEA-wide HCMS, as it exists currently 
and with any modifications proposed for implementation during the 
project period of the grant. The application must describe--
    (1) How the HCMS is or will be aligned with the LEA's vision of 
instructional improvement;
    (2) How the LEA uses or will use the information generated by the 
Evaluation and Support System it describes in its application to inform 
key human capital decisions, such as decisions on recruitment, hiring, 
placement, retention, dismissal, compensation, professional 
development, tenure, and promotion;
    (3) The human capital strategies the LEA uses or will use to ensure 
that High-Need Schools are able to attract and retain effective 
Educators; and
    (4) Whether or not modifications are needed to an existing HCMS to 
ensure that it includes the features described in response to 
paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of this priority, and a timeline for 
implementing the described features, provided that the use of 
evaluation information to inform the design and delivery of 
professional development and the award of performance-based 
compensation under the applicant's proposed Performance-based 
Compensation Systems in High-Need Schools begins no later than the 
third year of the grant's project period in the High-Need Schools 
listed in response to paragraph (a) of Requirement 2--Documentation of 
High-Need Schools.

    Note: TIF funds can be used to support the costs of the systems 
and strategies described under this priority.

    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2016, these priorities 
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2) we 
award an additional two points to an application that meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 1, and we award up to an additional five points to 
an application, depending on how well the application meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 2.
    The priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Supporting High-Need Students (0 
or 2 points). Projects that are designed to improve academic outcomes 
for students served by Rural Local Educational Agencies.
    Competitive Priority 2--Improving Teacher Effectiveness and 
Promoting Equitable Access to Effective Educators (up to 5 points). 
Projects that are designed to promote equitable access to effective 
teachers for students from low-income families and minority students 
across and within schools and districts.
    For the purposes of this priority, teacher effectiveness must be 
measured using an Evaluation and Support System.
    Within this competitive preference priority, we are particularly 
interested in applications that address the following invitational 
priority. Whether an LEA's TIF application addresses the competitive 
preference priority based on strategies they are already implementing 
or strategies they propose to implement, this invitational priority 
encourages LEAs to align their own strategies with the State Equity 
Plan.
    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:
    Invitational Priority--Promoting Equitable Access Through State 
Plans To Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent

[[Page 34320]]

Educators: Applications that include a description of how the 
applicant's project promotes equitable access to effective Educators 
for students from low-income families and for minority students across 
and within districts, consistent with approved State Plans to Ensure 
Equitable Access to Excellent Educators.
    Requirements: The following requirements are from the TIF 2012 NFP 
and the 2016 Appropriations Act.
    Requirement 1--Implementation of Performance-based Compensation 
Systems: Each applicant must describe a plan to develop and implement 
Performance-based Compensation Systems for teachers, principals, and 
other personnel in High-Need Schools in LEAs, including charter schools 
that are LEAs.
    Applications must: address how applicants will implement 
Performance-based Compensation Systems as defined in this notice. 
Applicants also must demonstrate that such Performance-based 
Compensation Systems are developed with the input of teachers and 
school leaders in the schools and LEAs to be served by the grant.
    Requirement 2--Documentation of High-Need Schools: Each applicant 
must demonstrate, in its application, that the schools participating in 
the implementation of the TIF-funded Performance-based Compensation 
Systems are High-Need Schools (as defined in this notice), including 
High-Poverty Schools, Priority Schools, or Persistently Lowest-
Achieving Schools. Each applicant must provide, in its application--
    (a) A list of High-Need Schools in which the proposed TIF-supported 
Performance-based Compensation Systems would be implemented; and
    (b) For each High-Poverty School listed, the most current data on 
the percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price 
lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
or are considered students from low-income families based on another 
poverty measure that the LEA uses (see section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA 
(20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5))). Data provided to demonstrate eligibility as a 
High-Poverty School must be school-level data; the Department will not 
accept LEA- or State-level data for purposes of documenting whether a 
school is a High-Poverty School; and
    (c) For any Priority Schools listed, documentation verifying that 
the State has received approval of a request for ESEA flexibility, and 
that the schools have been identified by the State as priority schools.
    Definitions: The following definitions are from the TIF NFP, the 
Supplemental Priorities, the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, and 34 CFR 
77.1. The source of each definition is noted in parentheses following 
the text of the definition.
    Educators means teachers and principals. (TIF NFP)
    Evaluation and Support System means a system that is fair, 
rigorous, valid, reliable, and objective and reflects clear and fair 
measures of teacher, principal, or other school leader performance, 
based in part on demonstrated improvement in student academic 
achievement; and provides teachers, principals, or other school leaders 
with ongoing, differentiated, targeted, and personalized support and 
feedback for improvement, including professional development 
opportunities designed to increase effectiveness. (ESSA Sec.  
2212(c)(4) and (e)(2))
    High-need school means:
    (a) A high-poverty school, or
    (b) A persistently lowest-achieving school, or
    (c) In the case of States that have received the Department's 
approval of a request for ESEA flexibility, a priority school. (TIF 
NFP)
    High-poverty school means a school with 50 percent or more of its 
enrollment from low-income families, based on eligibility for free or 
reduced-price lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act, or other poverty measures that LEAs use (see section 
1113(a)(5) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)). For middle and high 
schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of comparable data 
from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty school under this 
definition is determined on the basis of the most currently available 
data. (TIF NFP)
    Human capital management system (HCMS) means a system by which an 
LEA makes and implements human capital decisions, such as decisions on 
recruitment, hiring, placement, retention, dismissal, compensation, 
professional development, tenure, and promotion. (TIF NFP)
    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. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Performance-based Compensation System means a system of 
compensation for teachers, principals, and other school leaders--
    (A) That differentiates levels of compensation based in part on 
measurable increases in student academic achievement; and
    (B) Which may include--
    (i) Differentiated levels of compensation, which may include bonus 
pay, on the basis of the employment responsibilities and success of 
effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders in hard-to-
staff schools or high-need subject areas; and
    (ii) Recognition of the skills and knowledge of teachers, 
principals, and other school leaders as demonstrated through--
    (I) Successful fulfillment of additional responsibilities or job 
functions, such as teacher leadership roles; and
    (II) Evidence of professional achievement and mastery of content 
knowledge and superior teaching and leadership skills. (ESSA Sec.  
2211(b)(4))
    Persistently lowest-achieving school means, as determined by the 
State:
    (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring that--
    (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools 
in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or the lowest-
achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is greater; or
    (b) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 
34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years; 
and
    (ii) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not 
receive, Title I funds that--
    (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools 
or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are 
eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of 
schools is greater; or
    (b) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 
34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.
    To identify the persistently lowest achieving schools, a State must 
take into account both:
    (i) The academic achievement of the ``all students'' group in a 
school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under section 
1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics 
combined; and
    (ii) The school's lack of progress on those assessments over a 
number of years in the ``all students'' group. (TIF NFP)
    NOTE: For purposes of this definition, the Department considers 
schools that are identified as Tier I or Tier II schools under the 
School Improvement Grants

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program (see 75 FR 61363) as lowest performing schools.
    Priority school means a school that has been identified by the 
State as a priority school pursuant to the State's approved request for 
ESEA flexibility. (TIF NFP)
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) (or the ultimate 
outcome if not related to students) the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice is designed to improve; consistent with the 
specific goals of a program. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Rural local educational agency means an LEA that is eligible under 
the Small Rural School Achievement program or the Rural and Low-Income 
School program authorized under Title VI, Part B of the 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. (Supplemental Priorities)
    Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice that includes a logic model. (34 CFR 77.1)

    Program Authority:  Public Law 114-113, 2016 Appropriations Act; 
the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 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 TIF NFP. (e) The Supplemental Priorities.

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $50,000,000-$70,000,000.
    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-$12,000,000 for the first year 
of the project period.

    Note: The Department estimates a wide range of awards given the 
potentially large differences in the scope of funded projects, 
including the size and number of participating LEAs.

    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $10,000,000 for the first year of 
the project period. Funding for the second through fifth years of the 
project period is subject to the availability of funds and the approval 
of continuation awards (see 34 CFR 75.253).
    Estimated Number of Awards: 5-10.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants:
    (a) LEAs, including charter schools that are LEAs.
    (b) States that apply with one or more LEAs.
    (c) Nonprofit organizations that apply in partnership with one or 
more LEAs or an LEA and State.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

    Vicki Robinson, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue 
SW., Room 4W103, Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 205-5471 
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: We will be able to develop a more 
efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we can anticipate 
the number of applicants that intend to apply for funding under this 
competition. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant 
to notify us of the applicant's intent to submit an application for 
funding by sending a short email message. This short email should 
provide (1) the applicant organization's name and address; and (2) all 
priorities the applicant intends to address. Please send this email 
notification to [email protected] with ``Intent to Apply'' in the email 
subject line. Applicants that do not provide this email notification 
may still apply for funding and are not required to, or prohibited 
from, addressing priorities they do not mention in their notice of 
intent to apply.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. Please limit the application narrative to no more than 40 
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, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The suggested page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, 
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the suggested 
page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.
    b. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the TIF program, an 
application may include business information that the applicant 
considers proprietary. The Department's regulations define ``business 
information'' in 34 CFR 5.11.
    Because we plan to make successful applications available to the 
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business 
information.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your 
application any information that you 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 31, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 30, 2016.

[[Page 34322]]

    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 15, 2016.
    Pre-application workshops will be held for this competition in the 
spring of 2016. The workshops are intended to provide technical 
assistance to all interested grant applicants. Detailed information 
regarding the pre-application workshops times, and online registration 
form, can be found on the Teacher Incentive Fund's Web site at http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-incentive-fund/.
    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 28, 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 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.
    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: 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 Teacher Incentive Fund, CFDA 
number 84.374A, 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 Teacher 
Incentive Fund competition 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 84.374, not 84.374A).
    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

[[Page 34323]]

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 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.
     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 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 your statement to: Vicki Robinson, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,

[[Page 34324]]

Room 4W103, Washington, DC 20202-6200.
    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 84.374A), 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 84.374A), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

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

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210, the TIF NFP, and the 2016 Appropriations Act.
    The maximum score for all the selection criteria is 100 points. The 
maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. The 
selection criteria for this competition are as follows:

(a) Significance (20 points) (34 CFR 75.210)

    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the proposed project is likely to build 
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the 
needs of the target population.

 (b) Quality of the Project Design (45 Points) (34 CFR 75.210)

    The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support 
rigorous academic standards for students.
    (2) 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.
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project is supported by a 
strong theory.
    (4) The extent to which the proposed project will integrate with or 
build on similar or related efforts to improve relevant outcomes (as 
defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)), using existing funding streams from other 
programs or policies supported by community, State, and Federal 
resources.

(c) Professional Development Systems to Support the Needs of Teachers 
and Principals Identified Through the Evaluation Process (15 Points) 
(TIF NFP)

    The Secretary considers the extent to which each participating LEA 
has a high-quality plan for professional development to help all 
Educators located in High-Need Schools, listed in response to 
Requirement 2(a), to improve their effectiveness. In determining the 
quality of each plan for professional development, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the plan describes how the participating 
LEA will use the disaggregated information generated by the proposed 
educator Evaluation and Support System to identify the professional 
development needs of individual Educators and schools.

(d) Quality of the Management Plan (15 Points) (34 CFR 75.210)

    The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the 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.

(e) Adequacy of Resources (5 Points) (2016 Appropriations Act; 34 CFR 
75.210)

    The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates that 
Performance-based Compensation Systems are developed with the input of 
teachers and school leaders in the schools and local educational 
agencies to be served by the grant.
    (2) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a plan to 
sustain financially the activities conducted and systems developed 
under the grant once the grant period has expired.
    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

[[Page 34325]]

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 program 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: Pursuant to the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993, the Department has established the following 
performance measures that it will use to evaluate the overall 
effectiveness of the grantee's project, as well as the TIF program as a 
whole:
    (a) The percentage of educators in all schools who earned 
performance-based compensation.
    (b) The percentage of educators in all High-Need Schools who earned 
performance-based compensation.
    (c) The gap between the retention rate of educators receiving 
performance-based compensation and the average retention rate in each 
high-need school.
    (d) The number of school districts participating in a TIF grant 
that use educator evaluation systems to inform the following human 
capital decisions: Recruitment; hiring; placement; retention; 
dismissal; professional development; tenure; promotion; or all of the 
above.
    (e) The percentage of performance-based compensation paid to 
educators with State, local, or other non-TIF Federal resources.
    (f) The percentage of teachers and principals who receive the 
highest effectiveness rating.
    (g) The percentage of teachers and principals in high-needs schools 
who receive the highest effectiveness rating.
    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: Vicki Robinson, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W103, Washington, DC 20202-
6200. Telephone: (202) 205-5471 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

VIII. Other Information

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

    Dated: May 25, 2016.
Nadya Chinoy Dabby,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Office of Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2016-12733 Filed 5-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P



                                                                               Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 31, 2016 / Notices                                                     34317

                                                DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE                                   of Federal Regulations (CFR) 102–3.140                may not be reviewed prior to the Panel’s
                                                                                                        through 102–3.165, and the availability               deliberation.
                                                Office of the Secretary                                 of space, this meeting is open to the                   To ensure timeliness of comments for
                                                                                                        public. Seating is limited and will be                the official record, the Panel encourages
                                                Uniform Formulary Beneficiary                           provided only to the first 220 people                 that individuals and interested groups
                                                Advisory Panel; Notice of Federal                       signing-in. All persons must sign-in                  consider submitting written statements
                                                Advisory Committee Meeting                              legibly.                                              instead of addressing the Panel.
                                                AGENCY: Assistant Secretary of Defense                     Administrative Work Meeting: Prior to                Dated: May 25, 2016.
                                                (Health Affairs), DoD.                                  the public meeting, the Panel will                    Aaron Siegel,
                                                ACTION: Notice of meeting.
                                                                                                        conduct an Administrative Work                        Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
                                                                                                        Meeting from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. to                Officer, Department of Defense.
                                                SUMMARY:   The Department of Defense is                 discuss administrative matters of the                 [FR Doc. 2016–12713 Filed 5–27–16; 8:45 am]
                                                publishing this notice to announce a                    Panel. The Administrative Work
                                                                                                                                                              BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
                                                Federal Advisory Committee meeting of                   Meeting will be held at the Naval
                                                the Uniform Formulary Beneficiary                       Heritage Center, 701 Pennsylvania
                                                Advisory Panel (hereafter referred to as                Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20004.
                                                                                                        Pursuant to 41 CFR 102–3.160, the                     DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
                                                the Panel).
                                                DATES: Wednesday, June 22, 2016, from                   Administrative Work Meeting will be                   Applications for New Awards; Teacher
                                                9 a.m. to 12 p.m.                                       closed to the public.                                 Incentive Fund
                                                                                                           Written Statements: Pursuant to 41
                                                ADDRESSES: Naval Heritage Center
                                                                                                        CFR 102–3.140, the public or interested               AGENCY: Office of Innovation and
                                                Theater, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.,
                                                                                                        organizations may submit written                      Improvement, Department of Education.
                                                Washington, DC 20004.
                                                                                                        statements to the membership of the                   ACTION: Notice.
                                                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                        Panel at any time or in response to the
                                                CAPT Edward Norton, Designated                          stated agenda of a planned meeting.                   Overview Information
                                                Federal Officer (DFO), Uniform                          Written statements should be submitted
                                                Formulary Beneficiary Advisory Panel,                                                                         Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF).
                                                                                                        to the Panel’s DFO. The DFO’s contact
                                                7700 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 5101,                                                                           Notice inviting applications for new
                                                                                                        information can be obtained from the
                                                Falls Church, VA 22042–5101.                                                                                  awards for fiscal year (FY) 2016.
                                                                                                        General Services Administration’s
                                                Telephone: (703) 681–2890. Fax: (703)                   Federal Advisory Committee Act                        Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
                                                681–1940. Email Address:                                Database at http://facadatabase.gov/.                   (CFDA) Number: 84.374A.
                                                dha.ncr.health-it.mbx.baprequests@                         Written statements that do not pertain             DATES:  Applications Available: May 31,
                                                mail.mil.                                               to the scheduled meeting of the Panel                 2016.
                                                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   This                       may be submitted at any time. However,                  Deadline for Notice of Intent To
                                                meeting is being held under the                         if individual comments pertain to a                   Apply: June 30, 2016.
                                                provisions of the Federal Advisory                      specific topic being discussed at a                     Dates of Pre-Application Workshops:
                                                Committee Act of 1972 (Title 5, United                  planned meeting, then these statements                For information about pre-application
                                                States Code (U.S.C.), Appendix, as                      must be submitted no later than 5                     workshops, visit the TIF Web site at:
                                                amended) and the Government in the                      business days prior to the meeting in                 http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/
                                                Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as                 question. The DFO will review all                     teacher-quality/teacher-incentive-fund/.
                                                amended).                                               submitted written statements and                        Deadline for Transmittal of
                                                  Purpose of Meeting: The Panel will                    provide copies to all the committee                   Applications: July 15, 2016.
                                                review and comment on                                   members.                                                Deadline for Intergovernmental
                                                recommendations made to the Director                       Public Comments: In addition to                    Review: September 28, 2016.
                                                of Defense Health Agency, by the                        written statements, the Panel will set
                                                                                                                                                              Full Text of Announcement
                                                Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee,                    aside 1 hour for individuals or
                                                regarding the Uniform Formulary.                        interested groups to address the Panel.               I. Funding Opportunity Description
                                                                                                        To ensure consideration of their                        Purpose of Program: The purpose of
                                                Meeting Agenda
                                                                                                        comments, individuals and interested                  the TIF program is to support, develop,
                                                1. Sign-In                                              groups should submit written                          and implement sustainable
                                                2. Welcome and Opening Remarks                          statements as outlined in this notice; but            Performance-based Compensation
                                                3. Public Citizen Comments                              if they still want to address the Panel,              Systems for teachers, principals, and
                                                4. Scheduled Therapeutic Class Reviews                  then they will be afforded the                        other personnel in High-Need Schools,1
                                                     (Comments will follow each agenda                  opportunity to register to address the                within the context of a local educational
                                                     item)                                              Panel. The Panel’s DFO will have a                    agency’s (LEA’s) overall Human Capital
                                                a. Oral Contraceptives—Emergency                        ‘‘Sign-Up Roster’’ available at the Panel             Management System, in order to
                                                     Contraceptives                                     meeting for registration on a first-come,             increase Educator effectiveness and
                                                b. Anticonvulsants Agents                               first-serve basis. Those wishing to                   student achievement in those schools.
                                                c. Antipsychotic Agents—Atypical                        address the Panel will be given no more                 Background: The TIF program is
                                                5. Designated Newly Approved Drugs in                   than 5 minutes to present their                       based on the premise, supported by 20
                                                     Already-Reviewed Classes                           comments, and at the end of the 1-hour
sradovich on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                                                              years of research, that effective teachers
                                                6. Designated Newly FDA Approved                        time period, no further public                        are the most critical in-school factor in
                                                     Drugs                                              comments will be accepted. Anyone                     improving student outcomes. Recent
                                                7. Pertinent Utilization Management                     who signs-up to address the Panel, but                research suggests that principals and
                                                     Issues                                             is unable to do so due to the time                    principal quality are also key, but often
                                                8. Panel Discussions and Vote                           limitation, may submit their comments
                                                   Meeting Accessibility: Pursuant to 5                 in writing; however, they must                          1 Throughout this notice, all defined terms are

                                                U.S.C. 552b, as amended, and 41 Code                    understand that their written comments                denoted with initial capitals.



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                                                34318                          Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 31, 2016 / Notices

                                                overlooked, in-school factors for                       strategies, these grantees face fewer                 models. This ongoing engagement is
                                                improving student outcomes. Given the                   challenges in implementing                            critical to obtaining Educator buy-in to,
                                                importance of ensuring that Educators                   transformation efforts than those                     and the success of, high-quality
                                                are as effective as possible—especially                 without such a foundation in place. The               evaluation and support systems that are
                                                for high-need students—the TIF                          experience of these grantees                          critical to a viable, meaningful
                                                program uses performance-based                          demonstrates that building the systems                Performance-based Compensation
                                                compensation and related supports for                   and tools designed to evaluate, support,              System.
                                                Educators to catalyze improvements in                   and manage Educators in ways that                        District-level human capital strategies
                                                a district’s human capital management                   support and sustain their performance-                have shifted significantly since the FY
                                                and in student outcomes.                                based compensation requires districts to              2012 competition. In recent years, many
                                                   The Department designed each of the                  make significant infrastructure and                   State educational agencies (SEAs) and
                                                previous three TIF competitions in FYs                  capacity commitments, including: a                    LEAs have developed high-quality
                                                2006, 2010, and 2012 to build on earlier                district-wide, Educator evaluation and                educator evaluation and support
                                                efforts as the Department, States,                      support system that includes multiple                 systems as part of comprehensive
                                                districts, and schools learned more                     measures, including gains in student                  reform strategies implemented
                                                about how to support Educators in their                 achievement, and meaningfully                         consistent with competitive federal
                                                efforts to help students learn. Through                 differentiates performance levels of                  awards and flexibility offered by the
                                                the most recent TIF competition (in FY                  Educators; data systems that collect and              Department under the Elementary and
                                                2012), the Department funded projects                   report on the elements of an Educator                 Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
                                                that encompassed broader human                          evaluation and support system in clear                amended (ESEA). States and Districts
                                                capital management systems that                         and coherent ways; a range of                         have used these systems as part of their
                                                supported sustainable performance-                      mechanisms to identify specific areas                 efforts to improve districts’ hiring
                                                based compensation. This is in contrast                 for Educator development and support,                 practices, provide Educators with
                                                to earlier TIF competitions, which                      and for providing that support; and                   meaningful feedback and targeted
                                                focused almost exclusively on the                       practices that enable administrators,                 professional development, and use
                                                provision of annual one-time bonuses.                   school leaders, and Educators to                      Educator performance information to
                                                The FY 2012 competition also focused                    communicate and influence the                         inform key school- and district-level
                                                on projects under which grantees                        implementation of these systems. Efforts              decisions, such as teacher placement or
                                                deployed a variety of human capital                     to create these kinds of systems and                  leadership opportunities. Consequently,
                                                management strategies throughout an                     tools are more likely to drive enduring,              an increasing number of districts are
                                                Educator’s career trajectory (e.g., from                sustainable improvements in Educator                  prepared to make more informed human
                                                pre-service through retention) to help                  practice and student learning if they are             capital decisions that both support
                                                support and sustain the grantees’                       aligned with the current district work to             Educators and improve student
                                                performance-based compensation                          improve student outcomes and produce                  outcomes. While section 4(c) of the
                                                systems.                                                valid, reliable, and trusted information.             Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
                                                   For example, several grantees in the                                                                       (Pub. L. 114–95, December 10, 2015)
                                                                                                        A robust Educator evaluation system—
                                                FY 2012 cohort changed their district-                                                                        ends waivers under ESEA flexibility as
                                                                                                        one that uses, among other things, gains
                                                wide compensation systems to: (1)                                                                             of August 1, 2016, section
                                                                                                        in student academic achievement and
                                                Allow Educators who demonstrate                                                                               2101(c)(4)(B)(ii) of the ESEA, as
                                                                                                        multiple annual observations—is not
                                                effectiveness to earn significantly higher                                                                    amended by ESSA, provides States and
                                                                                                        only statutorily required for TIF
                                                pay or to significantly accelerate the                                                                        districts with explicit authority to
                                                                                                        grantees, but is also critical to the
                                                timeline for increased compensation,                                                                          ‘‘support the design and
                                                particularly for those Educators in High-               readiness of a district to take on this
                                                                                                                                                              implementation of teacher, principal, or
                                                Need Schools and subjects; (2) provide                  work.
                                                                                                                                                              other school leader evaluation and
                                                incentives and supports to increase the                    Additionally, TIF grantees are more                support systems.’’ This will allow States
                                                number of effective Educators who are                   successful when they collaborate with                 and districts to continue to improve the
                                                recruited and retained in High-Need                     key stakeholders in designing,                        systems they have established.
                                                Schools; (3) develop and implement                      implementing, and continuously                           While SEAs and LEAs have made
                                                career ladders to give Educators                        improving their projects. A district’s                substantial progress, additional work is
                                                opportunities for leadership and                        Performance-based Compensation                        needed to ensure that these Educator
                                                advancement inside and outside the                      System, developed with the input of                   evaluation and support systems are
                                                classroom; and (4) implement a salary                   teachers and school leaders in the                    robust, relevant, reliably producing
                                                system where increases are based in part                schools to be served by the grant,                    trusted information, and seamlessly
                                                on effectiveness. This expanded strategy                prepares districts to immediately take                integrated into school- and district-level
                                                of incentivizing effective Educators                    on this work by regularly seeking the                 human capital processes. In some cases,
                                                through performance-based                               feedback of Educators on initiatives and              this may mean expanding or improving
                                                compensation aligns with the purpose                    programs that impact schools. Districts               existing approaches within a current
                                                and goals of the TIF program.                           that have systems in place for seeking                educator evaluation and support system,
                                                   There is no single set of best practices             this feedback demonstrate an                          by, for example, providing more
                                                that districts should use to demonstrate                understanding of the critical role                    mentoring and coaching opportunities
                                                their readiness to implement innovative                 Educator voice plays in successful                    for Educators. In other cases, districts
                                                human capital management strategies,                    human capital transformation. Common                  may be well-positioned to take on new
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                                                including performance-based                             effective practices include initial design            challenges or opportunities that affect
                                                compensation. We know, however, that                    teams that bring together teachers and                Educator effectiveness, such as
                                                when TIF grantees have a set of human                   principals; task forces to tackle specific            partnering with institutions of higher
                                                capital policies and practices in place at              issues, such as selecting a rubric for use            education to strengthen pre-service
                                                the outset of the grant period that                     in evaluations; and focus groups that                 programming.
                                                support and align with their                            provide feedback on proposed career                      Finally, SEAs are now engaged in
                                                performance-based compensation                          ladder systems or new compensation                    renewed efforts to ensure that high-need


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                                                                               Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 31, 2016 / Notices                                               34319

                                                students have equitable access to the                   strategies aimed at improving equitable               that it includes the features described in
                                                most effective Educators. Research                      access to effective Educators.                        response to paragraphs (1), (2), and (3)
                                                indicates that students’ race and family                   Priorities: This notice contains one               of this priority, and a timeline for
                                                income often predict their access to                    absolute priority, two competitive                    implementing the described features,
                                                excellent educators. Low-income                         preference priorities, and one                        provided that the use of evaluation
                                                students and high-need schools tend to                  invitational priority. The absolute                   information to inform the design and
                                                have teachers who are less experienced,                 priority aligns with the language of the              delivery of professional development
                                                have fewer credentials and do not                       2016 Appropriations Act that authorizes               and the award of performance-based
                                                demonstrate a track record of success.2                 funding for this competition, the notice              compensation under the applicant’s
                                                For example, while we know there are                    of final priorities, requirements,                    proposed Performance-based
                                                many excellent first-year teachers, based               definitions, and selection criteria for               Compensation Systems in High-Need
                                                on 2011–12 data from the Department’s                   this program (TIF NFP), published in                  Schools begins no later than the third
                                                Civil Rights Data Collection, African                   the Federal Register on June 14, 2012                 year of the grant’s project period in the
                                                American and American Indian                            (77 FR 35757), and basic provisions of                High-Need Schools listed in response to
                                                students are four times as likely as                    ESSA’s Teacher and School Leader                      paragraph (a) of Requirement 2—
                                                white students to be enrolled in a school               Incentive Fund Grants Program (ESSA                   Documentation of High-Need Schools.
                                                with more than twenty percent of first-                 sections 2211 and 2212), which we                       Note: TIF funds can be used to support the
                                                year teachers, and Latino students are                  adopt under the authority for an orderly              costs of the systems and strategies described
                                                three times as likely.3 The Department                  transition to this Act contained in                   under this priority.
                                                helped spur States’ efforts to increase                 section 4(b) of the ESSA. The
                                                equitable access to excellent Educators                 competitive preference priorities are                    Competitive Preference Priorities: For
                                                through its Excellent Educators for All                 from the Secretary’s final supplemental               FY 2016, these priorities are competitive
                                                Initiative, launched in July 2014, under                priorities and definitions for                        preference priorities. Under 34 CFR
                                                which the Department required each                      discretionary grant programs                          75.105(c)(2) we award an additional two
                                                SEA to submit a plan describing the                     (Supplemental Priorities) published in                points to an application that meets
                                                steps it will take to ensure that ‘‘poor                the Federal Register on December 10,                  Competitive Preference Priority 1, and
                                                and minority children are not taught at                 2014 (79 FR 73425) and basic provisions               we award up to an additional five points
                                                higher rates than other children by                     of ESSA’s Teacher and Leader Incentive                to an application, depending on how
                                                inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-                  Fund Grants Program (ESSA sections                    well the application meets Competitive
                                                field teachers,’’ as required by section                2211 and 2212), which we adopt under                  Preference Priority 2.
                                                1111(b)(8)(C) of the ESEA, as amended                                                                            The priorities are:
                                                                                                        the authority for an orderly transition to
                                                by the No Child Left Behind Act of                                                                               Competitive Preference Priority 1—
                                                                                                        this Act contained in section 4(b) of the
                                                2001. To date, all fifty states, the District                                                                 Supporting High-Need Students (0 or 2
                                                                                                        ESSA.
                                                of Columbia and Puerto Rico have                           Absolute Priority: For FY 2016, this               points). Projects that are designed to
                                                approved plans to advance educator                      priority is an absolute priority. Under 34            improve academic outcomes for
                                                equity consistent with the requirements                 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only                     students served by Rural Local
                                                in the law. SEAs must continue to                       applications that meet this priority.                 Educational Agencies.
                                                engage in educator equity efforts under                    The priority is:                                      Competitive Priority 2—Improving
                                                section 1111(g)(1)(B) of the ESEA, as                                                                         Teacher Effectiveness and Promoting
                                                amended by the ESSA.                                    An LEA-Wide Human Capital                             Equitable Access to Effective Educators
                                                   Most SEAs started to implement                       Management System (HCMS) With                         (up to 5 points). Projects that are
                                                approved plans in the 2015–16 school                    Educator Evaluation and Support                       designed to promote equitable access to
                                                year; these plans can be found at                       Systems at the Center                                 effective teachers for students from low-
                                                www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/                          To meet this priority, the applicant               income families and minority students
                                                resources.html. Based on Department                     must include, in its application, a                   across and within schools and districts.
                                                review of these plans, and consistent                   description of its LEA-wide HCMS, as it                  For the purposes of this priority,
                                                with requirements that will take effect                 exists currently and with any                         teacher effectiveness must be measured
                                                when ESSA is implemented, the                           modifications proposed for                            using an Evaluation and Support
                                                Department believes TIF can support                     implementation during the project                     System.
                                                SEAs and LEAs in implementing                           period of the grant. The application                     Within this competitive preference
                                                                                                        must describe—                                        priority, we are particularly interested
                                                   2 See, e.g., Isenberg, Eric, et al. ‘‘Access to
                                                                                                           (1) How the HCMS is or will be                     in applications that address the
                                                Effective Teaching for Disadvantaged Students.          aligned with the LEA’s vision of                      following invitational priority. Whether
                                                NCEE 2014–4001.’’ Institute of Education Sciences                                                             an LEA’s TIF application addresses the
                                                (2013): http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20144001/pdf/       instructional improvement;
                                                20144001.pdf.                                              (2) How the LEA uses or will use the               competitive preference priority based on
                                                   Sass, Tim, Jane Hannaway, Zeyu Xu, David             information generated by the Evaluation               strategies they are already implementing
                                                Figlio, and Li Feng. ‘‘Value Added of Teachers in       and Support System it describes in its                or strategies they propose to implement,
                                                High-Poverty Schools and Lower-Poverty Schools.’’                                                             this invitational priority encourages
                                                Journal of Urban Economics, vol. 72, 2012, pp.104–
                                                                                                        application to inform key human capital
                                                122: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/      decisions, such as decisions on                       LEAs to align their own strategies with
                                                pii/S0094119012000216.                                  recruitment, hiring, placement,                       the State Equity Plan.
                                                   Tennessee Department of Education.                   retention, dismissal, compensation,                      Invitational Priority: Under 34 CFR
                                                ‘‘Tennessee’s Most Effective Teachers: Are They                                                               75.105(c)(1) we do not give an
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                                                Assigned to the Schools That Need Them Most?’’
                                                                                                        professional development, tenure, and
                                                Nashville, TN: Tennessee Department of Education,       promotion;                                            application that meets this invitational
                                                2007: http://www.gtlcenter.org/webcasts/                   (3) The human capital strategies the               priority a competitive or absolute
                                                addressingInequities/Tennessee_McCargar.pdf.            LEA uses or will use to ensure that                   preference over other applications.
                                                   3 U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil
                                                                                                        High-Need Schools are able to attract                    This priority is:
                                                Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot
                                                (Teacher Equity) (March 21, 2014 (revised July 3,       and retain effective Educators; and                      Invitational Priority—Promoting
                                                2014)): http://ocrdata.ed.gov/Downloads/CRDC-              (4) Whether or not modifications are               Equitable Access Through State Plans
                                                Teacher-Equity-Snapshot.pdf.                            needed to an existing HCMS to ensure                  To Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent


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                                                34320                          Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 31, 2016 / Notices

                                                Educators: Applications that include a                     Definitions: The following definitions                (A) That differentiates levels of
                                                description of how the applicant’s                      are from the TIF NFP, the Supplemental                compensation based in part on
                                                project promotes equitable access to                    Priorities, the ESEA, as amended by the               measurable increases in student
                                                effective Educators for students from                   ESSA, and 34 CFR 77.1. The source of                  academic achievement; and
                                                low-income families and for minority                    each definition is noted in parentheses                  (B) Which may include—
                                                students across and within districts,                   following the text of the definition.                    (i) Differentiated levels of
                                                consistent with approved State Plans to                    Educators means teachers and                       compensation, which may include
                                                Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent                    principals. (TIF NFP)                                 bonus pay, on the basis of the
                                                Educators.                                                 Evaluation and Support System                      employment responsibilities and
                                                   Requirements: The following                          means a system that is fair, rigorous,                success of effective teachers, principals,
                                                requirements are from the TIF 2012 NFP                  valid, reliable, and objective and reflects           and other school leaders in hard-to-staff
                                                and the 2016 Appropriations Act.                        clear and fair measures of teacher,                   schools or high-need subject areas; and
                                                   Requirement 1—Implementation of                      principal, or other school leader                        (ii) Recognition of the skills and
                                                Performance-based Compensation                          performance, based in part on                         knowledge of teachers, principals, and
                                                Systems: Each applicant must describe a                 demonstrated improvement in student                   other school leaders as demonstrated
                                                plan to develop and implement                           academic achievement; and provides                    through—
                                                Performance-based Compensation                          teachers, principals, or other school                    (I) Successful fulfillment of additional
                                                Systems for teachers, principals, and                   leaders with ongoing, differentiated,                 responsibilities or job functions, such as
                                                other personnel in High-Need Schools                    targeted, and personalized support and                teacher leadership roles; and
                                                in LEAs, including charter schools that                 feedback for improvement, including                      (II) Evidence of professional
                                                are LEAs.                                               professional development opportunities                achievement and mastery of content
                                                   Applications must: address how                       designed to increase effectiveness.                   knowledge and superior teaching and
                                                applicants will implement Performance-                  (ESSA § 2212(c)(4) and (e)(2))                        leadership skills. (ESSA § 2211(b)(4))
                                                based Compensation Systems as defined                      High-need school means:                               Persistently lowest-achieving school
                                                in this notice. Applicants also must                       (a) A high-poverty school, or                      means, as determined by the State:
                                                                                                           (b) A persistently lowest-achieving                   (i) Any Title I school in improvement,
                                                demonstrate that such Performance-
                                                                                                        school, or                                            corrective action, or restructuring that—
                                                based Compensation Systems are                             (c) In the case of States that have                   (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five
                                                developed with the input of teachers                    received the Department’s approval of a               percent of Title I schools in
                                                and school leaders in the schools and                   request for ESEA flexibility, a priority              improvement, corrective action, or
                                                LEAs to be served by the grant.                         school. (TIF NFP)                                     restructuring or the lowest-achieving
                                                   Requirement 2—Documentation of                          High-poverty school means a school                 five Title I schools in improvement,
                                                High-Need Schools: Each applicant                       with 50 percent or more of its                        corrective action, or restructuring in the
                                                must demonstrate, in its application,                   enrollment from low-income families,                  State, whichever number of schools is
                                                that the schools participating in the                   based on eligibility for free or reduced-             greater; or
                                                implementation of the TIF-funded                        price lunch subsidies under the Richard                  (b) Is a high school that has had a
                                                Performance-based Compensation                          B. Russell National School Lunch Act,                 graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR
                                                Systems are High-Need Schools (as                       or other poverty measures that LEAs use               200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent
                                                defined in this notice), including High-                (see section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA (20               over a number of years; and
                                                Poverty Schools, Priority Schools, or                   U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)). For middle and high                  (ii) Any secondary school that is
                                                Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools.                  schools, eligibility may be calculated on             eligible for, but does not receive, Title
                                                Each applicant must provide, in its                     the basis of comparable data from feeder              I funds that—
                                                application—                                            schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty                   (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five
                                                   (a) A list of High-Need Schools in                   school under this definition is                       percent of secondary schools or the
                                                which the proposed TIF-supported                        determined on the basis of the most                   lowest-achieving five secondary schools
                                                Performance-based Compensation                          currently available data. (TIF NFP)                   in the State that are eligible for, but do
                                                Systems would be implemented; and                          Human capital management system                    not receive, Title I funds, whichever
                                                   (b) For each High-Poverty School                     (HCMS) means a system by which an                     number of schools is greater; or
                                                listed, the most current data on the                    LEA makes and implements human                           (b) Is a high school that has had a
                                                percentage of students who are eligible                 capital decisions, such as decisions on               graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR
                                                for free or reduced-price lunch subsidies               recruitment, hiring, placement,                       200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent
                                                under the Richard B. Russell National                   retention, dismissal, compensation,                   over a number of years.
                                                School Lunch Act or are considered                      professional development, tenure, and                    To identify the persistently lowest
                                                students from low-income families                       promotion. (TIF NFP)                                  achieving schools, a State must take into
                                                based on another poverty measure that                      Logic model (also referred to as a                 account both:
                                                the LEA uses (see section 1113(a)(5) of                 theory of action) means a well-specified                 (i) The academic achievement of the
                                                the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5))). Data                  conceptual framework that identifies                  ‘‘all students’’ group in a school in
                                                provided to demonstrate eligibility as a                key components of the proposed                        terms of proficiency on the State’s
                                                High-Poverty School must be school-                     process, product, strategy, or practice               assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of
                                                level data; the Department will not                     (i.e., the active ‘‘ingredients’’ that are            the ESEA in reading/language arts and
                                                accept LEA- or State-level data for                     hypothesized to be critical to achieving              mathematics combined; and
                                                purposes of documenting whether a                       the relevant outcomes) and describes                     (ii) The school’s lack of progress on
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                                                school is a High-Poverty School; and                    the relationships among the key                       those assessments over a number of
                                                   (c) For any Priority Schools listed,                 components and outcomes, theoretically                years in the ‘‘all students’’ group. (TIF
                                                documentation verifying that the State                  and operationally. (34 CFR 77.1)                      NFP)
                                                has received approval of a request for                     Performance-based Compensation                        NOTE: For purposes of this definition,
                                                ESEA flexibility, and that the schools                  System means a system of compensation                 the Department considers schools that
                                                have been identified by the State as                    for teachers, principals, and other                   are identified as Tier I or Tier II schools
                                                priority schools.                                       school leaders—                                       under the School Improvement Grants


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                                                                               Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 31, 2016 / Notices                                            34321

                                                program (see 75 FR 61363) as lowest                     including the size and number of                      send this email notification to TIF5@
                                                performing schools.                                     participating LEAs.                                   ed.gov with ‘‘Intent to Apply’’ in the
                                                   Priority school means a school that                     Estimated Average Size of Awards:                  email subject line. Applicants that do
                                                has been identified by the State as a                   $10,000,000 for the first year of the                 not provide this email notification may
                                                priority school pursuant to the State’s                 project period. Funding for the second                still apply for funding and are not
                                                approved request for ESEA flexibility.                  through fifth years of the project period             required to, or prohibited from,
                                                (TIF NFP)                                               is subject to the availability of funds and           addressing priorities they do not
                                                   Relevant outcome means the student                   the approval of continuation awards                   mention in their notice of intent to
                                                outcome(s) (or the ultimate outcome if                  (see 34 CFR 75.253).                                  apply.
                                                not related to students) the proposed                      Estimated Number of Awards: 5–10.                     Page Limit: The application narrative
                                                process, product, strategy, or practice is                Note: The Department is not bound by any
                                                                                                                                                              is where you, the applicant, address the
                                                designed to improve; consistent with                    estimates in this notice.                             selection criteria that reviewers use to
                                                the specific goals of a program. (34 CFR                                                                      evaluate your application. Please limit
                                                                                                          Project Period: Up to 60 months.                    the application narrative to no more
                                                77.1)
                                                   Rural local educational agency means                 III. Eligibility Information                          than 40 pages, using the following
                                                an LEA that is eligible under the Small                                                                       standards:
                                                                                                           1. Eligible Applicants:                               • A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side
                                                Rural School Achievement program or                        (a) LEAs, including charter schools
                                                the Rural and Low-Income School                                                                               only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
                                                                                                        that are LEAs.
                                                program authorized under Title VI, Part                                                                       and both sides.
                                                                                                           (b) States that apply with one or more
                                                B of the ESEA. Eligible applicants may                                                                           • Double space (no more than three
                                                                                                        LEAs.
                                                determine whether a particular LEA is                                                                         lines per vertical inch) all text in the
                                                                                                           (c) Nonprofit organizations that apply
                                                eligible for these programs by referring                                                                      application narrative, including titles,
                                                                                                        in partnership with one or more LEAs
                                                to information on the Department’s Web                                                                        headings, footnotes, quotations,
                                                                                                        or an LEA and State.
                                                site at www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/                    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This                  references, and captions, as well as all
                                                reap.html. (Supplemental Priorities)                    program does not require cost sharing or              text in charts, tables, figures, and
                                                   Strong theory means a rationale for                  matching.                                             graphs.
                                                the proposed process, product, strategy,                                                                         • Use a font that is either 12 point or
                                                or practice that includes a logic model.                IV. Application and Submission                        larger or no smaller than 10 pitch
                                                (34 CFR 77.1)                                           Information                                           (characters per inch).
                                                                                                                                                                 • Use one of the following fonts:
                                                  Program Authority: Public Law 114–113,                1. Address to Request Application
                                                                                                                                                              Times New Roman, Courier, Courier
                                                2016 Appropriations Act; the ESEA, as                   Package
                                                                                                                                                              New, or Arial.
                                                amended by the ESSA.                                       Vicki Robinson, U.S. Department of                    The suggested page limit does not
                                                  Applicable Regulations: (a) The                       Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,                   apply to the cover sheet; the budget
                                                Education Department General                            Room 4W103, Washington, DC 20202–                     section, including the narrative budget
                                                Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR                    6200. Telephone: (202) 205–5471 or by                 justification; the assurances and
                                                parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98,               email: TIF5@ed.gov.                                   certifications; or the one-page abstract,
                                                and 99. (b) The Office of Management                       If you use a telecommunications                    the resumes, the bibliography, or the
                                                and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on                    device for the deaf (TDD) or a text                   letters of support. However, the
                                                Governmentwide Debarment and                            telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay               suggested page limit does apply to all of
                                                Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR                    Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–               the application narrative.
                                                part 3485. (c) The Uniform                              8339.                                                    b. Submission of Proprietary
                                                Administrative Requirements, Cost                          Individuals with disabilities can                  Information: Given the types of projects
                                                Principles, and Audit Requirements for                  obtain a copy of the application package              that may be proposed in applications for
                                                Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as                    in an accessible format (e.g., braille,               the TIF program, an application may
                                                adopted and amended as regulations of                   large print, audiotape, or compact disc)              include business information that the
                                                the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d)                  by contacting the program contact                     applicant considers proprietary. The
                                                The TIF NFP. (e) The Supplemental                       person listed in this section.                        Department’s regulations define
                                                Priorities.                                             2. Content and Form of Application                    ‘‘business information’’ in 34 CFR 5.11.
                                                                                                        Submission                                               Because we plan to make successful
                                                  Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
                                                apply to institutions of higher education                                                                     applications available to the public, you
                                                                                                           Requirements concerning the content                may wish to request confidentiality of
                                                only.
                                                                                                        of an application, together with the                  business information.
                                                II. Award Information                                   forms you must submit, are in the                        Consistent with Executive Order
                                                                                                        application package for this program.                 12600, please designate in your
                                                  Type of Award: Discretionary grants.                     Notice of Intent to Apply: We will be              application any information that you
                                                  Estimated Available Funds:                            able to develop a more efficient process              believe is exempt from disclosure under
                                                $50,000,000–$70,000,000.                                for reviewing grant applications if we                Exemption 4. In the appropriate
                                                  Contingent upon the availability of                   can anticipate the number of applicants               Appendix section of your application,
                                                funds and the quality of applications,                  that intend to apply for funding under                under ‘‘Other Attachments Form,’’
                                                we may make additional awards in FY                     this competition. Therefore, we strongly              please list the page number or numbers
                                                2017 from the list of unfunded                          encourage each potential applicant to
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                                                                                                                                                              on which we can find this information.
                                                applications from this competition.                     notify us of the applicant’s intent to                For additional information please see 34
                                                  Estimated Range of Awards:                            submit an application for funding by                  CFR 5.11(c).
                                                $500,000–$12,000,000 for the first year                 sending a short email message. This
                                                of the project period.                                  short email should provide (1) the                    3. Submission Dates and Times
                                                  Note: The Department estimates a wide                 applicant organization’s name and                        Applications Available: May 31, 2016.
                                                range of awards given the potentially large             address; and (2) all priorities the                      Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply:
                                                differences in the scope of funded projects,            applicant intends to address. Please                  June 30, 2016.


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                                                34322                          Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 31, 2016 / Notices

                                                   Deadline for Transmittal of                          Government’s primary registrant                       7. Other Submission Requirements
                                                Applications: July 15, 2016.                            database;                                               Applications for grants under this
                                                   Pre-application workshops will be                       c. Provide your DUNS number and                    program must be submitted
                                                held for this competition in the spring                 TIN on your application; and                          electronically unless you qualify for an
                                                of 2016. The workshops are intended to
                                                                                                           d. Maintain an active SAM                          exception to this requirement in
                                                provide technical assistance to all
                                                                                                        registration with current information                 accordance with the instructions in this
                                                interested grant applicants. Detailed
                                                                                                        while your application is under review                section.
                                                information regarding the pre-
                                                                                                        by the Department and, if you are                     a. Electronic Submission of
                                                application workshops times, and
                                                                                                        awarded a grant, during the project                   Applications
                                                online registration form, can be found
                                                                                                        period.
                                                on the Teacher Incentive Fund’s Web                                                                              Applications for grants under the
                                                site at http://innovation.ed.gov/what-                     You can obtain a DUNS number from
                                                                                                        Dun and Bradstreet at the following                   Teacher Incentive Fund, CFDA number
                                                we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-                                                                                84.374A, must be submitted
                                                incentive-fund/.                                        Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/
                                                                                                        webform. A DUNS number can be                         electronically using the
                                                   Applications for grants under this                                                                         Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site
                                                program must be submitted                               created within one to two business days.
                                                                                                                                                              at www.Grants.gov. Through this site,
                                                electronically using the Grants.gov                        If you are a corporate entity, agency,             you will be able to download a copy of
                                                Apply site (Grants.gov). For information                institution, or organization, you can                 the application package, complete it
                                                (including dates and times) about how                   obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue                offline, and then upload and submit
                                                to submit your application                              Service. If you are an individual, you                your application. You may not email an
                                                electronically, or in paper format by                   can obtain a TIN from the Internal                    electronic copy of a grant application to
                                                mail or hand delivery if you qualify for                Revenue Service or the Social Security                us.
                                                an exception to the electronic                          Administration. If you need a new TIN,                   We will reject your application if you
                                                submission requirement, please refer to                 please allow two to five weeks for your               submit it in paper format unless, as
                                                Other Submission Requirements in                        TIN to become active.                                 described elsewhere in this section, you
                                                section IV of this notice.                                 The SAM registration process can take              qualify for one of the exceptions to the
                                                   We do not consider an application                    approximately seven business days, but                electronic submission requirement and
                                                that does not comply with the deadline                  may take upwards of several weeks,                    submit, no later than two weeks before
                                                requirements.                                           depending on the completeness and
                                                   Individuals with disabilities who                                                                          the application deadline date, a written
                                                                                                        accuracy of the data you enter into the               statement to the Department that you
                                                need an accommodation or auxiliary aid
                                                                                                        SAM database. Thus, if you think you                  qualify for one of these exceptions.
                                                in connection with the application
                                                                                                        might want to apply for Federal                       Further information regarding
                                                process should contact the person listed
                                                                                                        financial assistance under a program                  calculation of the date that is two weeks
                                                under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
                                                                                                        administered by the Department, please                before the application deadline date is
                                                CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If
                                                                                                        allow sufficient time to obtain and                   provided later in this section under
                                                the Department provides an
                                                                                                        register your DUNS number and TIN.                    Exception to Electronic Submission
                                                accommodation or auxiliary aid to an
                                                                                                        We strongly recommend that you                        Requirement.
                                                individual with a disability in
                                                                                                        register early.                                          You may access the electronic grant
                                                connection with the application
                                                                                                           Note: Once your SAM registration is active,        application for the Teacher Incentive
                                                process, the individual’s application
                                                                                                        it may be 24 to 48 hours before you can               Fund competition at www.Grants.gov.
                                                remains subject to all other
                                                                                                        access the information in, and submit an              You must search for the downloadable
                                                requirements and limitations in this
                                                                                                        application through, Grants.gov.                      application package for this program by
                                                notice.
                                                   Deadline for Intergovernmental                                                                             the CFDA number. Do not include the
                                                                                                          If you are currently registered with
                                                Review: September 28, 2016.                                                                                   CFDA number’s alpha suffix in your
                                                                                                        SAM, you may not need to make any
                                                   4. Intergovernmental Review: This                                                                          search (e.g., search for 84.374, not
                                                                                                        changes. However, please make certain
                                                program is subject to Executive Order                                                                         84.374A).
                                                                                                        that the TIN associated with your DUNS
                                                12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR                                                                              Please note the following:
                                                                                                        number is correct. Also note that you                    • When you enter the Grants.gov site,
                                                part 79. Information about                              will need to update your registration
                                                Intergovernmental Review of Federal                                                                           you will find information about
                                                                                                        annually. This may take three or more                 submitting an application electronically
                                                Programs under Executive Order 12372                    business days.
                                                is in the application package for this                                                                        through the site, as well as the hours of
                                                                                                          Information about SAM is available at               operation.
                                                program.
                                                   5. Funding Restrictions: We reference
                                                                                                        www.SAM.gov. To further assist you                       • Applications received by
                                                                                                        with obtaining and registering your                   Grants.gov are date and time stamped.
                                                regulations outlining funding
                                                                                                        DUNS number and TIN in SAM or                         Your application must be fully
                                                restrictions in the Applicable
                                                                                                        updating your existing SAM account,                   uploaded and submitted and must be
                                                Regulations section of this notice.
                                                   6. Data Universal Numbering System                   we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet,                 date and time stamped by the
                                                Number, Taxpayer Identification                         which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/                   Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
                                                Number, and System for Award                            fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.                       p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
                                                Management: To do business with the                       In addition, if you are submitting your             application deadline date. Except as
                                                                                                        application via Grants.gov, you must (1)              otherwise noted in this section, we will
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                                                Department of Education, you must—
                                                   a. Have a Data Universal Numbering                   be designated by your organization as an              not accept your application if it is
                                                System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer                     Authorized Organization Representative                received—that is, date and time
                                                Identification Number (TIN);                            (AOR); and (2) register yourself with                 stamped by the Grants.gov system—after
                                                   b. Register both your DUNS number                    Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these                4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
                                                and TIN with the System for Award                       steps are outlined at the following                   the application deadline date. We do
                                                Management (SAM) (formerly the                          Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/                  not consider an application that does
                                                Central Contractor Registry), the                       web/grants/register.html.                             not comply with the deadline


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                                                                               Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 31, 2016 / Notices                                               34323

                                                requirements. When we retrieve your                     will not convert material from other                  your application electronically or by
                                                application from Grants.gov, we will                    formats to PDF.                                       hand delivery. You also may mail your
                                                notify you if we are rejecting your                        • Your electronic application must                 application by following the mailing
                                                application because it was date and time                comply with any page-limit                            instructions described elsewhere in this
                                                stamped by the Grants.gov system after                  requirements described in this notice.                notice.
                                                4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on                      • After you electronically submit                     If you submit an application after
                                                the application deadline date.                          your application, you will receive from               4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
                                                   • The amount of time it can take to                  Grants.gov an automatic notification of               the application deadline date, please
                                                upload an application will vary                         receipt that contains a Grants.gov                    contact the person listed under FOR
                                                depending on a variety of factors,                      tracking number. This notification                    FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in
                                                including the size of the application and               indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not             section VII of this notice and provide an
                                                the speed of your Internet connection.                  receipt by the Department. Grants.gov                 explanation of the technical problem
                                                Therefore, we strongly recommend that                   will also notify you automatically by                 you experienced with Grants.gov, along
                                                you do not wait until the application                   email if your application met all the                 with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case
                                                deadline date to begin the submission                   Grants.gov validation requirements or if              Number. We will accept your
                                                process through Grants.gov.                             there were any errors (such as                        application if we can confirm that a
                                                   • You should review and follow the                   submission of your application by                     technical problem occurred with the
                                                Education Submission Procedures for                     someone other than a registered                       Grants.gov system and that the problem
                                                submitting an application through                       Authorized Organization                               affected your ability to submit your
                                                Grants.gov that are included in the                     Representative, or inclusion of an                    application by 4:30:00 p.m.,
                                                application package for this program to                 attachment with a file name that                      Washington, DC time, on the
                                                ensure that you submit your application                 contains special characters). You will be             application deadline date. We will
                                                in a timely manner to the Grants.gov                    given an opportunity to correct any                   contact you after we determine whether
                                                                                                        errors and resubmit, but you must still               your application will be accepted.
                                                system. You can also find the Education
                                                                                                        meet the deadline for submission of
                                                Submission Procedures pertaining to                                                                              Note: The extensions to which we refer in
                                                                                                        applications.
                                                Grants.gov under News and Events on                        Once your application is successfully              this section apply only to the unavailability
                                                the Department’s G5 system home page                    validated by Grants.gov, the Department               of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov
                                                at www.G5.gov. In addition, for specific                                                                      system. We will not grant you an extension
                                                                                                        will retrieve your application from                   if you failed to fully register to submit your
                                                guidance and procedures for submitting                  Grants.gov and send you an email with
                                                an application through Grants.gov,                                                                            application to Grants.gov before the
                                                                                                        a unique PR/Award number for your                     application deadline date and time or if the
                                                please refer to the Grants.gov Web site                 application.                                          technical problem you experienced is
                                                at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/                             These emails do not mean that your                 unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
                                                applicants/apply-for-grants.html.                       application is without any disqualifying
                                                   • You will not receive additional                                                                            Exception to Electronic Submission
                                                                                                        errors. While your application may have               Requirement: You qualify for an
                                                point value because you submit your                     been successfully validated by
                                                application in electronic format, nor                                                                         exception to the electronic submission
                                                                                                        Grants.gov, it must also meet the                     requirement, and may submit your
                                                will we penalize you if you qualify for                 Department’s application requirements
                                                an exception to the electronic                                                                                application in paper format, if you are
                                                                                                        as specified in this notice and in the                unable to submit an application through
                                                submission requirement, as described                    application instructions. Disqualifying
                                                elsewhere in this section, and submit                                                                         the Grants.gov system because—
                                                                                                        errors could include, for instance,                      • You do not have access to the
                                                your application in paper format.                       failure to upload attachments in a read-
                                                   • You must submit all documents                                                                            Internet; or
                                                                                                        only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to                     • You do not have the capacity to
                                                electronically, including all information               submit a required part of the
                                                you typically provide on the following                                                                        upload large documents to the
                                                                                                        application; or failure to meet applicant             Grants.gov system;
                                                forms: the Application for Federal                      eligibility requirements. It is your
                                                Assistance (SF 424), the Department of                  responsibility to ensure that your                    and
                                                Education Supplemental Information for                  submitted application has met all of the                 • No later than two weeks before the
                                                SF 424, Budget Information—Non-                         Department’s requirements.                            application deadline date (14 calendar
                                                Construction Programs (ED 524), and all                    • We may request that you provide us               days or, if the fourteenth calendar day
                                                necessary assurances and certifications.                original signatures on forms at a later               before the application deadline date
                                                   • You must upload any narrative                      date.                                                 falls on a Federal holiday, the next
                                                sections and all other attachments to                      Application Deadline Date Extension                business day following the Federal
                                                your application as files in a read-only,               in Case of Technical Issues with the                  holiday), you mail or fax a written
                                                non-modifiable Portable Document                        Grants.gov System: If you are                         statement to the Department, explaining
                                                format (PDF). Do not upload an                          experiencing problems submitting your                 which of the two grounds for an
                                                interactive or fillable PDF file. If you                application through Grants.gov, please                exception prevents you from using the
                                                upload a file type other than a read-                   contact the Grants.gov Support Desk,                  Internet to submit your application.
                                                only, non-modifiable PDF or submit a                    toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must                   If you mail your written statement to
                                                password-protected file, we will not                    obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case                 the Department, it must be postmarked
                                                review that material. Please note that                  Number and must keep a record of it.                  no later than two weeks before the
                                                this could result in your application not                  If you are prevented from                          application deadline date. If you fax
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                                                being considered for funding because                    electronically submitting your                        your written statement to the
                                                the material in question—for example,                   application on the application deadline               Department, we must receive the faxed
                                                the project narrative—is critical to a                  date because of technical problems with               statement no later than two weeks
                                                meaningful review of your proposal. For                 the Grants.gov system, we will grant you              before the application deadline date.
                                                that reason it is important to allow                    an extension until 4:30:00 p.m.,                         Address and mail your statement to:
                                                yourself adequate time to upload all                    Washington, DC time, the following                    Vicki Robinson, U.S. Department of
                                                material as PDF files. The Department                   business day to enable you to transmit                Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,


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                                                34324                          Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 31, 2016 / Notices

                                                Room 4W103, Washington, DC 20202–                       DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays,                   supported by community, State, and
                                                6200.                                                   and Federal holidays.                                 Federal resources.
                                                  Your paper application must be                           Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper            (c) Professional Development Systems to
                                                submitted in accordance with the mail                   Applications: If you mail or hand deliver             Support the Needs of Teachers and
                                                or hand delivery instructions described                 your application to the Department—                   Principals Identified Through the
                                                in this notice.                                            (1) You must indicate on the envelope
                                                                                                        and—if not provided by the Department—in
                                                                                                                                                              Evaluation Process (15 Points) (TIF
                                                b. Submission of Paper Applications by                  Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number,                NFP)
                                                Mail                                                    including suffix letter, if any, of the                  The Secretary considers the extent to
                                                  If you qualify for an exception to the                competition under which you are submitting            which each participating LEA has a
                                                                                                        your application; and                                 high-quality plan for professional
                                                electronic submission requirement, you
                                                                                                           (2) The Application Control Center will
                                                may mail (through the U.S. Postal                                                                             development to help all Educators
                                                                                                        mail to you a notification of receipt of your
                                                Service or a commercial carrier) your                   grant application. If you do not receive this         located in High-Need Schools, listed in
                                                application to the Department. You                      notification within 15 business days from the         response to Requirement 2(a), to
                                                must mail the original and two copies                   application deadline date, you should call            improve their effectiveness. In
                                                of your application, on or before the                   the U.S. Department of Education                      determining the quality of each plan for
                                                application deadline date, to the                       Application Control Center at (202) 245–              professional development, the Secretary
                                                Department at the following address:                    6288.                                                 considers the extent to which the plan
                                                U.S. Department of Education,                                                                                 describes how the participating LEA
                                                Application Control Center, Attention:                  V. Application Review Information                     will use the disaggregated information
                                                (CFDA Number 84.374A), LBJ Basement                       1. Selection Criteria: The selection                generated by the proposed educator
                                                Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,                       criteria for this program are from 34 CFR             Evaluation and Support System to
                                                Washington, DC 20202–4260.                              75.210, the TIF NFP, and the 2016                     identify the professional development
                                                  You must show proof of mailing                        Appropriations Act.                                   needs of individual Educators and
                                                consisting of one of the following:                       The maximum score for all the                       schools.
                                                  (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service               selection criteria is 100 points. The                 (d) Quality of the Management Plan (15
                                                postmark.                                               maximum score for each criterion is                   Points) (34 CFR 75.210)
                                                  (2) A legible mail receipt with the                   indicated in parentheses. The selection
                                                date of mailing stamped by the U.S.                                                                             The Secretary considers the quality of
                                                                                                        criteria for this competition are as
                                                Postal Service.                                                                                               the management plan for the proposed
                                                                                                        follows:
                                                  (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or                                                                     project. In determining the quality of the
                                                receipt from a commercial carrier.                      (a) Significance (20 points) (34 CFR                  management plan for the proposed
                                                  (4) Any other proof of mailing                        75.210)                                               project, the Secretary considers the
                                                acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S.                   The Secretary considers the                         adequacy of the management plan to
                                                Department of Education.                                significance of the proposed project. In              achieve the objectives of the proposed
                                                  If you mail your application through                  determining the significance of the                   project on time and within budget,
                                                the U.S. Postal Service, we do not                      proposed project, the Secretary                       including clearly defined
                                                accept either of the following as proof                 considers the extent to which the                     responsibilities, timelines, and
                                                of mailing:                                             proposed project is likely to build local             milestones for accomplishing project
                                                  (1) A private metered postmark.                       capacity to provide, improve, or expand               tasks.
                                                  (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by               services that address the needs of the                (e) Adequacy of Resources (5 Points)
                                                the U.S. Postal Service.                                target population.                                    (2016 Appropriations Act; 34 CFR
                                                  Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not                (b) Quality of the Project Design (45                 75.210)
                                                uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before                                                                       The Secretary considers the adequacy
                                                                                                        Points) (34 CFR 75.210)
                                                relying on this method, you should check
                                                                                                                                                              of resources for the proposed project. In
                                                with your local post office.                               The Secretary considers the quality of             determining the adequacy of resources
                                                  We will not consider applications                     the design of the proposed project. In                for the proposed project, the Secretary
                                                postmarked after the application                        determining the quality of the design of              considers the following factors:
                                                deadline date.                                          the proposed project, the Secretary                      (1) The extent to which the applicant
                                                                                                        considers the following factors:                      demonstrates that Performance-based
                                                c. Submission of Paper Applications by                     (1) The extent to which the proposed
                                                Hand Delivery                                                                                                 Compensation Systems are developed
                                                                                                        project is part of a comprehensive effort             with the input of teachers and school
                                                  If you qualify for an exception to the                to improve teaching and learning and                  leaders in the schools and local
                                                electronic submission requirement, you                  support rigorous academic standards for               educational agencies to be served by the
                                                (or a courier service) may deliver your                 students.                                             grant.
                                                paper application to the Department by                     (2) The extent to which the services                  (2) The extent to which the applicant
                                                hand. You must deliver the original and                 to be provided by the proposed project                demonstrates a plan to sustain
                                                two copies of your application by hand,                 involve the collaboration of appropriate              financially the activities conducted and
                                                on or before the application deadline                   partners for maximizing the                           systems developed under the grant once
                                                date, to the Department at the following                effectiveness of project services.                    the grant period has expired.
                                                address: U.S. Department of Education,                     (3) The extent to which the proposed                  2. Review and Selection Process: We
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                                                Application Control Center, Attention:                  project is supported by a strong theory.              remind potential applicants that in
                                                (CFDA Number 84.374A), 550 12th                            (4) The extent to which the proposed               reviewing applications in any
                                                Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center                   project will integrate with or build on               discretionary grant competition, the
                                                Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260.                       similar or related efforts to improve                 Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR
                                                  The Application Control Center                        relevant outcomes (as defined in 34 CFR               75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
                                                accepts hand deliveries daily between                   77.1(c)), using existing funding streams              applicant in carrying out a previous
                                                8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,                 from other programs or policies                       award, such as the applicant’s use of


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                                                                               Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 104 / Tuesday, May 31, 2016 / Notices                                                  34325

                                                funds, achievement of project                              (b) At the end of your project period,             requirements, the performance targets in
                                                objectives, and compliance with grant                   you must submit a final performance                   the grantee’s approved application.
                                                conditions. The Secretary may also                      report, including financial information,                 In making a continuation award, the
                                                consider whether the applicant failed to                as directed by the Secretary. If you                  Secretary also considers whether the
                                                submit a timely performance report or                   receive a multiyear award, you must                   grantee is operating in compliance with
                                                submitted a report of unacceptable                      submit an annual performance report
                                                                                                                                                              the assurances in its approved
                                                quality.                                                that provides the most current
                                                                                                                                                              application, including those applicable
                                                  In addition, in making a competitive                  performance and financial expenditure
                                                                                                        information as directed by the Secretary              to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit
                                                grant award, the Secretary requires
                                                                                                        under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary                    discrimination in programs or activities
                                                various assurances including those
                                                applicable to Federal civil rights laws                 may also require more frequent                        receiving Federal financial assistance
                                                that prohibit discrimination in programs                performance reports under 34 CFR                      from the Department (34 CFR 100.4,
                                                or activities receiving Federal financial               75.720(c). For specific requirements on               104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
                                                assistance from the Department of                       reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/                   VII. Agency Contact
                                                Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4,                  fund/grant/apply/appforms/
                                                108.8, and 110.23).                                     appforms.html.                                        FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                  3. Risk Assessment and Special                           (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the                    Vicki Robinson, U.S. Department of
                                                Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR                       Secretary may provide a grantee with                  Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
                                                200.205, before awarding grants under                   additional funding for data collection                Room 4W103, Washington, DC 20202–
                                                this program the Department conducts a                  analysis and reporting. In this case the
                                                                                                                                                              6200. Telephone: (202) 205–5471 or by
                                                review of the risks posed by applicants.                Secretary establishes a data collection
                                                                                                                                                              email: TIF5@ed.gov.
                                                Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may                  period.
                                                impose special conditions and, in                          4. Performance Measures: Pursuant to                 If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the
                                                appropriate circumstances, high-risk                    the Government Performance and                        FRS, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339.
                                                conditions on a grant if the applicant or               Results Act of 1993, the Department has
                                                                                                                                                              VIII. Other Information
                                                grantee is not financially stable; has a                established the following performance
                                                history of unsatisfactory performance;                  measures that it will use to evaluate the                Accessible Format: Individuals with
                                                has a financial or other management                     overall effectiveness of the grantee’s                disabilities can obtain this document
                                                system that does not meet the standards                 project, as well as the TIF program as a              and a copy of the application package in
                                                in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not                   whole:                                                an accessible format (e.g., braille, large
                                                fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant;                 (a) The percentage of educators in all
                                                                                                                                                              print, audiotape, or compact disc) on
                                                or is otherwise not responsible.                        schools who earned performance-based
                                                                                                                                                              request to the program contact person
                                                                                                        compensation.
                                                VI. Award Administration Information                       (b) The percentage of educators in all             listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
                                                                                                        High-Need Schools who earned                          CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
                                                   1. Award Notices: If your application
                                                is successful, we notify your U.S.                      performance-based compensation.                          Electronic Access to This Document:
                                                Representative and U.S. Senators and                       (c) The gap between the retention rate             The official version of this document is
                                                send you a Grant Award Notification                     of educators receiving performance-                   the document published in the Federal
                                                (GAN); or we may send you an email                      based compensation and the average                    Register. Free Internet access to the
                                                containing a link to access an electronic               retention rate in each high-need school.              official edition of the Federal Register
                                                                                                           (d) The number of school districts                 and the Code of Federal Regulations is
                                                version of your GAN. We may notify
                                                                                                        participating in a TIF grant that use                 available via the Federal Digital System
                                                you informally, also.
                                                                                                        educator evaluation systems to inform
                                                   If your application is not evaluated or                                                                    at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you
                                                                                                        the following human capital decisions:
                                                not selected for funding, we notify you.                                                                      can view this document, as well as all
                                                                                                        Recruitment; hiring; placement;
                                                   2. Administrative and National Policy                                                                      other documents of this Department
                                                                                                        retention; dismissal; professional
                                                Requirements: We identify                               development; tenure; promotion; or all                published in the Federal Register, in
                                                administrative and national policy                      of the above.                                         text or PDF. To use PDF you must have
                                                requirements in the application package                    (e) The percentage of performance-                 Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
                                                and reference these and other                           based compensation paid to educators                  available free at the site.
                                                requirements in the Applicable                          with State, local, or other non-TIF                      You may also access documents of the
                                                Regulations section of this notice.                     Federal resources.                                    Department published in the Federal
                                                   We reference the regulations outlining                  (f) The percentage of teachers and                 Register by using the article search
                                                the terms and conditions of an award in                 principals who receive the highest                    feature at: www.federalregister.gov.
                                                the Applicable Regulations section of                   effectiveness rating.                                 Specifically, through the advanced
                                                this notice and include these and other                    (g) The percentage of teachers and
                                                specific conditions in the GAN. The                                                                           search feature at this site, you can limit
                                                                                                        principals in high-needs schools who
                                                GAN also incorporates your approved                                                                           your search to documents published by
                                                                                                        receive the highest effectiveness rating.
                                                application as part of your binding                        5. Continuation Awards: In making a                the Department.
                                                commitments under the grant.                            continuation award under 34 CFR                         Dated: May 25, 2016.
                                                   3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a                 75.253, the Secretary considers, among                Nadya Chinoy Dabby,
                                                grant under this competition, you must                  other things: Whether a grantee has
sradovich on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                                                              Assistant Deputy Secretary for Office of
                                                ensure that you have in place the                       made substantial progress in achieving                Innovation and Improvement.
                                                necessary processes and systems to                      the goals and objectives of the project;              [FR Doc. 2016–12733 Filed 5–27–16; 8:45 am]
                                                comply with the reporting requirements                  whether the grantee has expended funds
                                                                                                                                                              BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
                                                in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive                    in a manner that is consistent with its
                                                funding under the competition. This                     approved application and budget; and,
                                                does not apply if you have an exception                 if the Secretary has established
                                                under 2 CFR 170.110(b).                                 performance measurement


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Document Created: 2016-05-28 03:57:31
Document Modified: 2016-05-28 03:57:31
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 31, 2016.
ContactVicki Robinson, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W103, Washington, DC 20202- 6200. Telephone: (202) 205-5471 or by email: [email protected]
FR Citation81 FR 34317 

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