82_FR_4331 82 FR 4322 - Application for New Awards; Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP)-Grants to Charter Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools

82 FR 4322 - Application for New Awards; Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP)-Grants to Charter Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 9 (January 13, 2017)

Page Range4322-4332
FR Document2017-00748

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 9 (Friday, January 13, 2017)
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4322-4332]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00748]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Application for New Awards; Expanding Opportunity Through Quality 
Charter Schools Program (CSP)--Grants to Charter Management 
Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter 
Schools

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

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:

CSP--Grants to Charter Management Organizations for the Replication and 
Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools

    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2017.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.282M.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: January 13, 2017.
    Date of Pre-Application Webinar: Tuesday, January 24, 2017, 1:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 27, 2017.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 28, 2017.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The major purposes of the CSP are to expand 
opportunities for all students, particularly traditionally underserved 
students, to attend charter schools and meet challenging State academic 
standards; provide financial assistance for the planning, program 
design, and initial implementation of public charter schools; increase 
the number of high-quality charter schools available to students across 
the United States; evaluate the impact of charter schools on student 
achievement, families, and communities; share best practices between 
charter schools and other public schools; encourage States to provide 
facilities support to charter schools; and support efforts to 
strengthen the charter school authorizing process. Through CSP Grants 
to Charter Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion 
of High-Quality Charter Schools (CFDA number 84.282M) (also referred to 
as Charter Management Organization, or CMO, grants), the Department 
provides funds to charter management organizations (CMOs) \1\ on a 
competitive basis to enable them to replicate or expand one or more 
high-quality charter schools. Grant funds may be used to expand the 
enrollment of one or more existing high-quality charter schools, or to 
replicate one or more new charter schools that are based on an 
existing, high-quality charter school model.
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    \1\ Italicized terms are defined in the Definitions section of 
this notice.
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Background

     The CMO grant program is intended to support high-quality charter 
schools that are operated by high-performing CMOs seeking to broaden 
and increase their impact on student achievement. Since FY 2010, the 
Department has awarded new CMO grants each year (except in FY 2013),\2\ 
which has resulted in a portfolio of high-quality CMOs using Federal 
funds to replicate and expand their successful charter school models to 
serve greater numbers of students, particularly educationally 
disadvantaged students.
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    \2\ From FY 2010 through FY 2016, the Department's authority to 
use CSP funds to award grants to CMOs and other eligible entities 
for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools 
was provided through annual appropriations acts.
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    In December 2015, the CMO grant program was reauthorized under the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by 
the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) (20 U.S.C. 7221-7221j). 
This notice contains newly authorized priorities, definitions, 
application requirements, and selection criteria from the ESEA (as 
amended by the ESSA), as well as other priorities, definitions, 
application requirements, and selection criteria, to ensure that the 
Department's CMO grant portfolio continues to consist of high-quality 
charter schools operated by high-performing CMOs that are improving 
academic outcomes for all students, particularly educationally 
disadvantaged students. In particular, we continue to use the same 
absolute priority from previous competitions for serving a large 
percentage of low-income students. In addition, we include selection 
criteria that emphasize the applicant's success in operating more than 
one high-quality charter school and serving educationally disadvantaged 
students, and we continue to include a competitive preference priority 
for applicants that have not previously received funding under this 
program.
    For FY 2017, we are establishing three competitive preference 
priorities. The first competitive preference priority is from the newly 
amended program statute, with a few minor changes to clarify the 
Department's goals.
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Promoting Diversity gives 
priority to applicants that plan to use CSP funds to operate or manage 
charter schools intentionally designed to be racially and 
socioeconomically diverse. An applicant addressing this priority is 
invited to discuss how the proposed design of its project will 
encourage approaches by charter schools that help bring together 
students of different backgrounds, including students from different 
racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, to attain the benefits that

[[Page 4323]]

flow from a diverse student body. The applicant should ensure that 
those approaches are permissible under current law, including 
applicable civil rights laws.\3\
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    \3\ For information about how applicants can lawfully promote 
student body diversity, see the Department's December 2, 2011 
``Guidance on the Voluntary Use of Race to Achieve Diversity and 
Avoid Racial Isolation in Elementary and Secondary Schools,'' 
available at http://www2.ed.gov/ocr/docs/guidance-ese-201111.pdf.
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    The second competitive preference priority, School Improvement, 
focuses on applicants that have shown past success in turning around 
academically poor-performing schools and plan to use CMO grant funds to 
turn around academically poor-performing schools during the grant 
project period. Accordingly, this priority is intended both to reward 
and provide new incentives to high-performing CMOs for engaging in the 
difficult task of turning around our Nation's struggling public 
schools.
    The third competitive preference priority is for novice applicants. 
In order to ensure that the CMO grant program is supporting a wide 
range of organizations, this priority provides additional points to 
applicants that have neither received a CSP Replication and Expansion 
of High-Quality Charter Schools \4\ grant--either individually or as 
part of a group--at any point in the past nor received a discretionary 
grant from the Federal government in the previous five years.
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    \4\ The name of the competition in this notice has changed from 
previous years; from FY 2010 through FY 2016, the Department had the 
authority to make CMO grants under the Grants for Replication and 
Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools competition.
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    This competition also includes an invitational priority that 
encourages applicants to conduct rigorous evaluations of practices 
within their charter schools that will, if well implemented, produce 
evidence that meets What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Evidence Standards. 
The Department is committed both to increasing the number of schools 
that implement practices that are based on evidence and to building 
evidence of the effectiveness of a range of educational practices in 
order to identify educational practices that other schools or school 
systems can adopt to improve outcomes for their students (e.g., 
educator induction practices or positive behavioral interventions and 
supports). In addition, building and utilizing evidence of the 
effectiveness of various educational approaches is a key feature of the 
reauthorized program under the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.
    All charter schools receiving CSP funds, as outlined in section 
4310(2)(G) of the ESEA (as amended by the ESSA), must comply with 
various non-discrimination laws, including the Age Discrimination Act 
of 1975, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the 
Education Amendments of 1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, section 444 of the 
General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), and part B of the Individuals 
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
    Priorities: This notice includes one absolute priority, three 
competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. We 
are establishing these priorities for the FY 2017 grant competition and 
any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applications from this competition, in accordance with section 
437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this 
priority.
    This priority is: Absolute Priority--Low-Income Demographic.
    To meet this priority, an applicant must demonstrate that at least 
60 percent of the students across all of the charter schools the 
applicant currently operates or manages are individuals from low-income 
families.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: These priorities are competitive 
preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we will award an 
additional three points to an application that meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 1, an additional five points to an application that 
meets Competitive Preference Priority 2, and an additional two points 
to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 3. The 
maximum total competitive preference priority points an application can 
receive for this competition is 10.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Promoting Diversity. (0 or 3 
points).
    This priority is for projects that will provide for the replication 
or expansion of high-quality charter schools that have an intentional 
focus on recruiting and retaining racially and socioeconomically 
diverse student bodies (see Section 4305(b)(5)(A) of the ESEA, as 
amended by the ESSA).

    Note:  For information on permissible ways to meet this 
priority, please refer to the joint guidance issued by the 
Department's Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of 
Justice entitled, ``Guidance on the Voluntary Use of Race to Achieve 
Diversity and Avoid Racial Isolation in Elementary and Secondary 
Schools'' (www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/guidance-ese-201111.pdf).

    Competitive Preference Priority 2--School Improvement through 
Turnaround Efforts. (0 or 5 points).
    This priority is for applicants that both:
    (a) Demonstrate past success in improving the academic performance 
of one or more academically poor-performing public schools by taking 
over the operation of the school or restarting the school as a charter 
school; and
    (b) Propose to use CMO funds to restart as a charter school one or 
more academically poor-performing public schools during the project 
period, to do so by replicating a successful charter school model for 
which the applicant has provided evidence of success, and to do so by 
targeting a similar student population in the replicated charter school 
as was served by the academically poor-performing public school. In 
accordance with section 4310(2)(B) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, 
students who are enrolled in the academically poor-performing public 
school at the time of restart are exempt from the charter school's 
lottery.
    For purposes of this priority, academically poor-performing public 
schools may include, but are not limited to, persistently lowest-
achieving schools, as defined in this notice and the final requirements 
for the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program under Title I of the 
ESEA (https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/02/09/2015-02570/final-requirements-school-improvement-grants-title-i-of-the-elementary-and-secondary-education-act); and priority schools in States that 
exercised flexibility \5\ under the ESEA, as amended by the No Child 
Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) (see the Department's June 7, 2012 
guidance entitled, ``ESEA Flexibility,'' at www.ed.gov/esea/flexibility, and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education's 
December 18, 2015 Dear Colleague Letter at https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/transition-dcl.pdf).
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    \5\ As of August 1, 2016, States may no longer exercise 
flexibility, except in the limited circumstances where they 
implemented interventions previously in priority schools under the 
SIG program. For additional information related to ESEA flexibility 
and interventions in priority schools, see section B of the 
Department's June 29, 2016 guidance entitled, ``Transitioning to the 
Every Student Succeeds Act--Frequently Asked Questions,'' at http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/essafaqstransition62916.pdf.

    Note: For applicants proposing to use CMO grant funds to 
replicate a high-quality charter school by restarting as a charter 
school one or more academically poor-performing public schools, the 
CMO's proposed charter school must be newly created and operating 
under

[[Page 4324]]

a separate charter and governance than the academically poor-
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performing public school.

    Competitive Preference Priority 3--Novice Applicant. (0 or 2 
points).
    This priority is for applications submitted by novice applicants.
    Invitational Priority: This priority is an invitational priority. 
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets 
this invitational priority any preference over other applications.
    This priority is: Invitational Priority--Rigorous Evaluation of 
School Practices.
    The Secretary is particularly interested in funding applications 
that demonstrate that the applicant is currently conducting, or will 
conduct, a rigorous independent evaluation of specific practices within 
the applicant's charter schools (e.g., positive behavioral 
interventions and supports or professional development practices, such 
as teacher coaching) through a quasi-experimental design study or 
randomized controlled trial that will, if well implemented, meet WWC 
Evidence Standards, and that other schools or school systems can adopt 
to improve outcomes for their students.
Definitions
    The following definitions, where cited, are from 34 CFR 75.225 and 
77.1 and the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA. We are establishing the 
remaining definitions for the FY 2017 grant competition and any 
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applications from this competition.
    Ambitious means promoting continued, meaningful improvement for 
program participants or for other individuals or entities affected by 
the grant, or representing a significant advancement in the field of 
education research, practices, or methodologies. When used to describe 
a performance target, whether a performance target is ambitious depends 
upon the context of the relevant performance measure and the baseline 
for that measure. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Baseline means the starting point from which performance is 
measured and targets are set. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Charter management organization means a nonprofit organization that 
operates or manages a network of charter schools linked by centralized 
support, operations, and oversight. (Section 4310(3) of the ESEA, as 
amended by the ESSA)
    Educationally disadvantaged students means students in the 
categories described in section 1115(c)(2) of the ESEA, as amended by 
the ESSA, which include children who are economically disadvantaged, 
students with disabilities, migrant students, English learners, 
neglected or delinquent students, and homeless students.
    Expand, when used with respect to a high-quality charter school, 
means to significantly increase enrollment or add one or more grades to 
the high-quality charter school. (Section 4310(7) of the ESEA, as 
amended by the ESSA)
    High-quality charter school means a charter school that--
    (a) Shows evidence of strong academic results, which may include 
strong student academic growth, as determined by a State;
    (b) Has no significant issues in the areas of student safety, 
financial and operational management, or statutory or regulatory 
compliance;
    (c) Has demonstrated success in significantly increasing student 
academic achievement, including graduation rates where applicable, for 
all students served by the charter school; and
    (d) Has demonstrated success in increasing student academic 
achievement, including graduation rates where applicable, for each of 
the subgroups of students, as defined in section 1111(c)(2), except 
that such demonstration is not required in a case in which the number 
of students in a group is insufficient to yield statistically reliable 
information or the results would reveal personally identifiable 
information about an individual student. (Section 4310(8) of the ESEA, 
as amended by the ESSA)
    Individual from a low-income family means an individual who is 
determined by a State educational agency (SEA) or local educational 
agency (LEA) to be a child from a low-income family on the basis of (a) 
data used by the Secretary to determine allocations under section 1124 
of the ESEA, (b) data on children eligible for free or reduced-price 
lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, (c) 
data on children in families receiving assistance under part A of title 
IV of the Social Security Act, (d) data on children eligible to receive 
medical assistance under the Medicaid program under Title XIX of the 
Social Security Act, or (e) an alternate method that combines or 
extrapolates from the data in items (a) through (d) of this definition.
    Logic model (also referred to as 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)
    Novice applicant means--
    (a) Any applicant for a grant from the Department that--
    (1) Has never received a grant or subgrant under the program from 
which it seeks funding;
    (2) Has never been a member of a group application, submitted in 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, that received a grant under the 
program from which it seeks funding; and
    (3) Has not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal 
government in the five years before the deadline date for applications 
for new awards under the program.
    (b) For purposes of paragraph (a)(3), a grant is active until the 
end of the grant's project or funding period, including any extensions 
of those periods that extend the grantee's authority to obligate funds. 
(34 CFR 75.225)
    Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or 
metric used to gauge program or project performance. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant 
would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a 
project. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Persistently lowest-achieving school means, as determined by the 
State--
    (a)(1) 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
    (2) 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.
    (b) To identify the lowest-achieving schools, a State must take 
into account both--
    (1) The academic achievement of the ``all students'' group in a 
school in

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terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under section 
1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics 
combined; and
    (2) The school's lack of progress on those assessments over a 
number of years for the ``all students'' group. (80 FR 7223)
    Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that 
attempts to approximate an experimental design by identifying a 
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important 
respects. These studies, depending on design and implementation, can 
meet WWC Evidence Standards with reservations (but not WWC Evidence 
Standards without reservations). (34 CFR 77.1)
    Randomized controlled trial means a study that employs random 
assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, schools, or 
districts to receive the intervention being evaluated (the treatment 
group) or not to receive the intervention (the control group). The 
estimated effectiveness of the intervention is the difference between 
the average outcome for the treatment group and for the control group. 
These studies, depending on design and implementation, can meet WWC 
Evidence Standards without reservations. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Replicate, when used with respect to a high-quality charter school, 
means to open a new charter school, or a new campus of a high-quality 
charter school, based on the educational model of an existing high-
quality charter school, under an existing charter or an additional 
charter, if permitted or required by State law. (Section 4310(9) of the 
ESEA, as amended by the ESSA)
    What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Evidence Standards means the 
standards set forth in the What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and 
Standards Handbook (Version 3.0, March 2014), which can be found at the 
following link://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19. (34 CFR 
77.1)
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, selection criteria, 
definitions, and requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, 
allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements regulations 
governing the first grant competition under a new or substantially 
revised program authority. This is the first grant competition for this 
program under section 4305(b) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, and, 
therefore, this competition qualifies for this exemption. In order to 
ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public 
comment on the priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection 
criteria in this notice in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. 
These priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria 
will apply to grants awarded under this competition in FY 2017 and any 
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applications from this competition.
    Program Authority: Section 4305(b) of the ESEA, as amended by the 
ESSA.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 76, 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 180, as adopted and amended as 
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform 
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements 
for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR 
part 3474.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: For FY 2017, the Administration has 
requested $350,000,000 under the CSP and authority to use up to 
$100,000,000 of CSP funds for CMO awards. We intend to use an estimated 
$57,000,000 for new awards under this competition and may use FY 2017 
funds to support multiple years of a grant project for one or more 
grantees. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final 
congressional action. However, we are inviting applications now to 
allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress 
appropriates funds for this program.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2018 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $600,000-$3,500,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,000,000 per year.
    Maximum Award: See Reasonable and Necessary Costs in section 
III.4.(a) for information regarding the maximum amount of funds that 
may be awarded per new school seat and per new school.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 10-20 awards.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice. The estimated range and average size of awards are based on 
a single 12-month budget period.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Charter management organizations. Eligible 
applicants may apply individually or as part of a group or consortium.
    2. Audits: (a) All grantees must provide to the Department their 
most recent independent audits of the CMO's financial statements 
prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, 
and all grantees must continue to provide independent, annual audits of 
their financial statements prepared in accordance with generally 
accepted accounting principles each year of the grant.
    (b) All grantees must ensure that charter schools operated or 
managed by the applicant conduct independent, annual audits of their 
financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted 
accounting principles, and ensure that any such audits are publicly 
reported.
    3. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    4. Other: (a) Reasonable and Necessary Costs: The Secretary may 
elect to impose maximum limits on the amount of grant funds that may be 
awarded per charter school replicated, per charter school expanded, or 
per new school seat created.
    For this competition, the maximum limit of grant funds that may be 
awarded per new school seat in a new charter school is $3,400, 
including a maximum limit per replicated charter school of $900,000. 
The maximum limit per new school seat in a charter school that is 
expanding its enrollment is $1,700, including a maximum limit per 
expanded school of $900,000.

    Note: Applicants must ensure that all costs included in the 
proposed budget are reasonable and necessary in light of the goals 
and objectives of the proposed project. Any costs determined by the 
Secretary to be unreasonable or unnecessary will be removed from the 
final approved budget.

    (b) Other CSP Grants: A charter school that previously has received 
CSP funds for replication or expansion, or for planning or initial 
implementation of a charter school under CFDA number 84.282A or 84.282B 
(as administered under the ESEA, as amended by the NCLB), may not use 
funds under this grant for the same purpose. However, such charter 
school may be eligible to receive funds under this competition to 
expand the charter school beyond the existing grade levels or student 
count.

[[Page 4326]]

    Likewise, a charter school that receives funds under this 
competition is ineligible to receive funds for the same purpose under 
section 4303(b)(1) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, including 
opening and preparing for the operation of a new charter school, 
opening and preparing for the operation of a replicated high-quality 
charter school, or expanding a high-quality charter school (i.e., CFDA 
number 84.282A or 84.282B).
    (c) Costs for Evaluation: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.590, CMO 
grant funds may be used to cover post-award costs associated with an 
evaluation described in response to the invitational priority or 
Selection Criterion (c) of this notice, provided that such costs are 
reasonable and necessary to meet the objectives of the approved 
project.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package:
    Eddie Moat, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Room 4W259, Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 401-2266 or by 
email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in 
this section.
    2.a. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content and form of an application, together with the 
forms you must submit, are in the application package for this 
competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the priorities, selection 
criteria, and application requirements that reviewers use to evaluate 
your application. We recommend that you limit the application narrative 
to no more than 60 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. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the 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 CMO grant 
competition, your application may include business information that you 
consider proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define ``business information'' 
and describe the process we use in determining whether any of that 
information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under 
Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as 
amended).
    Because we plan to make successful applications available to the 
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business 
information.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your 
application any information that you feel 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: [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL 
REGISTER].
    Date of Pre-Application Webinar: The Department will hold a pre-
application meeting via Webinar for prospective applicants on January 
24, 1:00 p.m., Washington, DC, time. Individuals interested in 
attending this meeting are encouraged to pre-register by emailing their 
name, organization, and contact information with the subject heading 
``PRE-APPLICATION MEETING'' to [email protected] There is no 
registration fee for attending this meeting.
    For further information about the pre-application meeting, contact 
Eddie Moat, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 
4W259, Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 401-2266 or by 
email: [email protected].
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 27, 2017.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to 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: [INSERT DATE 105 DAYS AFTER 
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
    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 competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: Grantees under this program must use the 
grant funds to replicate or expand the charter school model or models 
for which the applicant has presented evidence of success. Grant funds 
must be used to carry out allowable activities, as described in section 
4303(h) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, which include--
    (a) Preparing teachers, school leaders, and specialized 
instructional support personnel, including through paying costs 
associated with--
    (i) Providing professional development; and
    (ii) Hiring and compensating, during the applicant's planning 
period specified in the application for funds, one or more of the 
following:
    (A) Teachers,
    (B) School leaders, and
    (C) Specialized instructional support personnel.

[[Page 4327]]

    (b) Acquiring supplies, training, equipment (including technology), 
and educational materials (including developing and acquiring 
instructional materials).
    (c) Carrying out necessary renovations to ensure that a new school 
building complies with applicable statutes and regulations, and minor 
facilities repairs (excluding construction).
    (d) Providing one-time, startup costs associated with providing 
transportation to students to and from the charter school.
    (e) Carrying out community engagement activities, which may include 
paying the cost of student and staff recruitment.
    (f) Providing for other appropriate, non-sustained costs related to 
the replication or expansion of high-quality charter schools when such 
costs cannot be met from other sources.
    A grantee may use up to 20 percent of grant funds for initial 
operational costs associated with the expansion or improvement of the 
grantee's oversight or management of its charter schools, provided that 
(i) the specific charter schools being replicated or expanded under the 
grant are the intended beneficiaries of such expansion or improvement; 
(ii) such expansion or improvement is intended to improve the grantee's 
ability to manage or oversee the charter schools replicated or expanded 
under the grant; and (iii) the costs cannot be met from other sources.
    We reference additional 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), 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 competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the CSP Grants to Charter Management 
Organizations for Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter 
Schools, CFDA number 84.282M, 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 CSP Grants to 
Charter Management Organizations for Replication and Expansion of High-
Quality Charter Schools at www.Grants.gov You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA 
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search 
(e.g., search for 84.282, not 84.282M).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.

[[Page 4328]]

     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at www.G5.gov. In addition, for specific guidance and 
procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please 
refer to the Grants.gov Web site at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: The 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     You must upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a read-only, non-modifiable 
Portable Document Format (PDF). Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word, Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a 
password-protected file, we will not review that material. Please note 
that this could result in your application not being considered for 
funding because the material in question--for example, the application 
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 or fax your statement to: Eddie Moat, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W259, 
Washington, DC 20202-5970. FAX: (202) 401-2266.
    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

[[Page 4329]]

Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA Number 84.282M, 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.
    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 84.282M, 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. Application Requirements: Applications for CSP CMO grant funds 
must address the following application requirements. An applicant must 
respond to requirement (a) in a stand-alone section of the application 
or in an appendix. For all other application requirements, an applicant 
may choose to respond in the context of its responses to the selection 
criteria in section V.2 of this notice.
    (a) Demonstrate that the applicant currently operates or manages 
more than one charter school. For purposes of this competition, 
multiple charter schools are considered to be separate schools if each 
school--
    (i) meets the definition of ``charter school'' under section 
4310(2) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, and
    (ii) is treated as a separate school by its authorized public 
chartering agency and the State, including for purposes of 
accountability and reporting under title I of the ESEA, as amended.
    (b) For each charter school currently operated or managed by the 
applicant, provide--
    1. Student assessment results for all students and for each 
subgroup of students described in section 1111(c)(2) of the ESEA, as 
amended by the NCLB; \6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ Section 5(e)(1)(B) of the ESSA states that ``subsections (c) 
and (d) of section 1111 of the [ESEA] (20 U.S.C. 6311), as amended 
by [the ESSA], shall take effect beginning with school year 2017-
2018.'' For purposes of this competition, ``section 1111(c)(2)'' 
refers to section 1111(c)(2) of the ESEA, as amended by the NCLB.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Attendance and student retention rates for the most recently 
completed school year and, if applicable, the most recent available 
four-year adjusted cohort graduation rates and extended year adjusted 
cohort graduation rates;
    3. Suspension and expulsion rates for the past three years for each 
subgroup of students described in section 1111(c)(2) of the ESEA, as 
amended by the NCLB; and
    4. Information on any significant compliance and management issues 
encountered within the last three school years by any school operated 
or managed by the eligible entity, including in the areas of student 
safety and finance.
    (c) Provide information, including information regarding how any 
compliance issues were resolved, on any charter schools operated or 
managed by the applicant that have been closed; have had their 
charter(s) revoked due to problems with statutory or regulatory 
compliance, including compliance with sections 4310(2)(G) and (J) of 
the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA; have had their affiliation with the 
applicant revoked or terminated, including through voluntary 
disaffiliation; or have experienced significant problems with statutory 
or regulatory compliance, including compliance with sections 4310(2)(G) 
and (J) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, that could lead to 
revocation of the school's charter(s).
    (d) Provide a complete logic model for the grant project. The logic 
model must include the applicant's objectives for implementing a high-
quality charter school program with funding under this competition, 
including the number of high-quality charter schools the applicant 
proposes to replicate or expand.
    (e) Describe the educational program that the applicant will 
implement in each replicated or expanded charter school, including--
    (1) Information on how the program will enable all students to meet 
the State's challenging academic and performance standards;
    (2) The grade levels or ages of students who will be served; and
    (3) The instructional practices that will be used, including 
whether the applicant currently operates or is proposing to replicate 
or expand a single-sex charter school or coeducational charter school 
that provides a single-sex class or extracurricular activity 
(collectively referred to as a ``single-sex educational program'').

    Note: Prior to receiving an award, an applicant currently 
operating or proposing to replicate or expand a charter school that 
provides a single-sex educational program must demonstrate that the 
existing and proposed single-sex educational programs are in 
compliance with applicable nondiscrimination laws, including the 
Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution (as interpreted in 
United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996), and other cases) and 
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681, et 
seq.) and implementing regulations, including 34 CFR 106.34. Such an 
applicant likely will be required to provide fact-specific 
information about the single-sex educational program(s) within 
specified timeframes. In addition, special conditions related to 
compliance with applicable nondiscrimination laws are likely to be 
placed on any grant awarded to an applicant that operates or 
proposes to replicate or expand a charter school that provides a 
single-sex educational program. Please see the application package 
for additional information related to the requirements for single-
sex educational programs.

    (f) Describe how the applicant currently operates or manages the 
charter schools for which it has presented evidence of success, and how 
the proposed replicated or expanded

[[Page 4330]]

charter schools will be operated or managed. Include a description of 
central office functions, relationship with charter holder(s) if other 
than the applicant, governance, daily operations, financial management, 
human resources management, and instructional management. If applying 
as a group or consortium, describe the roles and responsibilities of 
each member of the group or consortium and how each member will 
contribute to this project.
    (g) Describe how the operation of each replicated or expanded 
charter school will be sustained after the grant has ended, which shall 
include a multi-year financial and operating model for the applicant.
    (h) Describe how the applicant will solicit, consider, and include 
in governance input from parents and other members of the community on 
the implementation and operation of each replicated or expanded charter 
school.
    (i) Describe how the applicant will ensure that each replicated or 
expanded charter school will recruit and enroll students, including 
students with disabilities, English learners, and other educationally 
disadvantaged students, and describe the lottery and enrollment 
procedures that will be used for each replicated or expanded charter 
school if more students apply for admission than can be accommodated. 
For applicants that propose to use a weighted lottery, describe how the 
weighted lottery complies with section 4303(c)(3)(A) of the ESEA, as 
amended by the ESSA.
    (j) Describe how the applicant will ensure that all eligible 
students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education 
in accordance with Part B of the IDEA.
    (k) Describe how the proposed project will assist educationally 
disadvantaged students in mastering State academic content standards 
and State student academic achievement standards.
    (l) Describe the applicant's planned activities and expenditures of 
Federal grant funds.
    (m) Include a request and justification for any waivers of Federal 
statutory or regulatory requirements that the applicant believes are 
necessary for the successful operation of its replicated or expanded 
charter schools.
    2. Selection Criteria. The maximum possible score for addressing 
all of the criteria in this section is 100 points. The maximum possible 
score for addressing each criterion is indicated in parentheses 
following the criterion.
    In evaluating an application, the Secretary considers the following 
criteria:
    (a) Quality of the eligible applicant. (45 points)
    1. The degree to which the applicant has demonstrated success in 
increasing academic achievement, including graduation rates where 
applicable, for all students and for each of the subgroups of students 
described in section 1111(c)(2) of the ESEA, as amended by the NCLB, 
attending the charter schools the applicant operates or manages (15 
points).
    2. The extent to which the academic achievement results (including 
annual student performance on statewide assessments and annual student 
attendance and retention rates, and where applicable and available, 
student academic growth, high school graduation rates, college 
attendance rates, and college persistence rates) for educationally 
disadvantaged students served by the charter schools operated or 
managed by the applicant have exceeded the average academic achievement 
results for such students in the State (15 points).
    3. The extent to which charter schools operated or managed by the 
applicant have not been closed; have not had a charter revoked due to 
noncompliance with statutory or regulatory requirements; have not had 
their affiliation with the applicant revoked or terminated, including 
through voluntary disaffiliation; have not had any significant issues 
in the area of financial or operational management; have not 
experienced significant problems with statutory or regulatory 
compliance that could lead to revocation of the school's charter; and 
have not had any significant issues with respect to student safety (15 
points).
    (b) Contribution in assisting educationally disadvantaged students. 
(25 points)
    The significance of the contribution the proposed project will make 
in expanding educational opportunities for educationally disadvantaged 
students and enabling those students to meet challenging State academic 
standards. In determining the significance of the contribution the 
proposed project will make, the Secretary considers:
    1. The extent to which charter schools currently operated or 
managed by the applicant serve educationally disadvantaged students, 
including students with disabilities and English learners, at rates 
comparable to surrounding public schools (10 points); and
    2. The quality of the plan to ensure that the charter schools the 
applicant proposes to replicate or expand will recruit and enroll 
educationally disadvantaged students (15 points).
    (c) Quality of the evaluation plan for the proposed project. (10 
points)
    In determining the quality of the evaluation plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the alignment of the evaluation plan 
to the logic model for the proposed grant project and the extent to 
which the methods of evaluation include the use of objective 
performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes 
of the proposed grant project articulated in the applicant's response 
to application requirement (c) and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data by the end of the performance period.
    (d) Quality of the management plan and personnel. (20 points)
    In determining the quality of the management plan and personnel to 
replicate or expand high-quality charter schools under the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers--
    (1) 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 (5 points);
    (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director, chief executive officer or organization 
leader, and key project personnel, especially in managing projects of 
the size and scope of the proposed project (10 points); and
    (3) The ability of the applicant to sustain the operation of the 
replicated or expanded charter schools after the grant has ended, as 
demonstrated by the multi-year financial and operating model included 
in the applicant's response to application requirement (g) (5 points).
    3. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

[[Page 4331]]

    4. Risk Assessment and Special Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in 
appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the 
applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of 
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system 
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    5. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that, over the course of the project 
period, may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$150,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your 
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal 
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make 
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that 
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as 
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through SAM. You may review and comment on any 
information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and 
that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. 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: (a) The primary goal of the CSP is to 
support the creation and development of a large number of high-quality 
charter schools that are free from State or local rules that inhibit 
flexible operation, are held accountable for enabling students to reach 
challenging State performance standards, and are open to all students. 
The Secretary has two performance indicators to measure progress 
towards this goal: (1) The number of charter schools in operation 
around the Nation, and (2) the percentage of fourth- and eighth-grade 
charter school students who are achieving at or above the proficient 
level on State assessments in mathematics and reading/language arts. 
Additionally, the Secretary has established the following measure to 
examine the efficiency of the CSP: Federal cost per student in 
implementing a successful school (defined as a school in operation for 
three or more consecutive years).
    (b) Project-Specific Performance Measures. Applicants must propose 
project-specific performance measures and performance targets 
consistent with the objectives of the proposed project. Applications 
must provide the following information as directed under 34 CFR 
75.110(b) and (c):
    (1) Performance measures. How each proposed performance measure 
would accurately measure the performance of the project and how the 
proposed performance measure would be consistent with the performance 
measures established for the program funding the competition.
    (2) Baseline data. (i) Why each proposed baseline is valid; or (ii) 
if the applicant has determined that there are no established baseline 
data for a particular performance measure, an explanation of why there 
is no established baseline and of how and when, during the project 
period, the applicant would establish a valid baseline for the 
performance measure.
    (3) Performance targets. Why each proposed performance target is 
ambitious yet achievable compared to the baseline for the performance 
measure and when, during the project period, the applicant would meet 
the performance target(s).
    (4) Data collection and reporting. (i) The data collection and 
reporting methods the applicant would use and why those methods are 
likely to yield reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data; and 
(ii) the applicant's capacity to collect and report reliable, valid, 
and meaningful performance data, as evidenced by high-quality data 
collection, analysis, and reporting in other projects or research.
    All grantees must submit an annual performance report with 
information that is responsive to these performance measures.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things, whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

[[Page 4332]]

    6. Project Director's Meeting: Applicants approved for funding 
under this competition must attend a two-day meeting for project 
directors at a location to be determined in the continental United 
States during each year of the project. Applicants may include the cost 
of attending this meeting in their proposed budgets.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eddie Moat, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W259, Washington, DC 20202-
5970. Telephone: (202) 401-2266 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: January 10, 2017.
Margo Anderson,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2017-00748 Filed 1-12-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P



                                                    4322                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices

                                                    VII. Agency Contact                                     CSP—Grants to Charter Management                       their impact on student achievement.
                                                                                                              Organizations for the Replication and                Since FY 2010, the Department has
                                                    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                                                                              Expansion of High-Quality Charter                    awarded new CMO grants each year
                                                    Mariam Ouhamou, International and                         Schools                                              (except in FY 2013),2 which has
                                                    Foreign Language Education, U.S.                                                                               resulted in a portfolio of high-quality
                                                    Department of Education, 400 Maryland                     Notice inviting applications for new
                                                                                                            awards for fiscal year (FY) 2017.                      CMOs using Federal funds to replicate
                                                    Ave. SW., Room 3E207, Washington, DC                                                                           and expand their successful charter
                                                    20202–4260. Telephone: (202) 453–6764                   Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
                                                                                                              (CFDA) Number: 84.282M.                              school models to serve greater numbers
                                                    or by email: ddra@ed.gov.                                                                                      of students, particularly educationally
                                                      If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the                   DATES:
                                                                                                                                                                   disadvantaged students.
                                                    FRS, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339.                        Applications Available: January 13,                     In December 2015, the CMO grant
                                                      If you request an application from ED                 2017.                                                  program was reauthorized under the
                                                    Pubs, be sure to identify this program as                 Date of Pre-Application Webinar:                     Elementary and Secondary Education
                                                    follows: CFDA number 84.022A.                           Tuesday, January 24, 2017, 1:00 p.m.,                  Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the
                                                                                                            Washington, DC time.                                   Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015
                                                    VIII. Other Information                                   Deadline for Transmittal of                          (ESSA) (20 U.S.C. 7221–7221j). This
                                                       Accessible Format: Individuals with                  Applications: February 27, 2017.                       notice contains newly authorized
                                                    disabilities can obtain this document                     Deadline for Intergovernmental                       priorities, definitions, application
                                                    and a copy of the application package in                Review: April 28, 2017.                                requirements, and selection criteria
                                                    an accessible format (e.g., braille, large              Full Text of Announcement                              from the ESEA (as amended by the
                                                    print, audiotape, or compact disc) on                                                                          ESSA), as well as other priorities,
                                                    request to the program contact person                   I. Funding Opportunity Description
                                                                                                                                                                   definitions, application requirements,
                                                    listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION                       Purpose of Program: The major                       and selection criteria, to ensure that the
                                                    CONTACT in section VII of this notice.                  purposes of the CSP are to expand                      Department’s CMO grant portfolio
                                                       Electronic Access to This Document:                  opportunities for all students,                        continues to consist of high-quality
                                                    The official version of this document is                particularly traditionally underserved                 charter schools operated by high-
                                                    the document published in the Federal                   students, to attend charter schools and                performing CMOs that are improving
                                                    Register. Free Internet access to the                   meet challenging State academic                        academic outcomes for all students,
                                                    official edition of the Federal Register                standards; provide financial assistance                particularly educationally
                                                    and the Code of Federal Regulations is                  for the planning, program design, and                  disadvantaged students. In particular,
                                                    available via the Federal Digital System                initial implementation of public charter               we continue to use the same absolute
                                                    at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you                 schools; increase the number of high-                  priority from previous competitions for
                                                    can view this document, as well as all                  quality charter schools available to                   serving a large percentage of low-
                                                    other documents of this Department                      students across the United States;                     income students. In addition, we
                                                    published in the Federal Register, in                   evaluate the impact of charter schools                 include selection criteria that emphasize
                                                    text or PDF. To use PDF you must have                   on student achievement, families, and                  the applicant’s success in operating
                                                    Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is                          communities; share best practices                      more than one high-quality charter
                                                    available free at the site.                             between charter schools and other                      school and serving educationally
                                                       You may also access documents of the                 public schools; encourage States to                    disadvantaged students, and we
                                                    Department published in the Federal                     provide facilities support to charter                  continue to include a competitive
                                                    Register by using the article search                    schools; and support efforts to                        preference priority for applicants that
                                                    feature at: www.federalregister.gov.                    strengthen the charter school                          have not previously received funding
                                                    Specifically, through the advanced                      authorizing process. Through CSP                       under this program.
                                                    search feature at this site, you can limit              Grants to Charter Management                              For FY 2017, we are establishing three
                                                    your search to documents published by                   Organizations for the Replication and                  competitive preference priorities. The
                                                    the Department.                                         Expansion of High-Quality Charter                      first competitive preference priority is
                                                      Dated: January 10, 2017.                              Schools (CFDA number 84.282M) (also                    from the newly amended program
                                                                                                            referred to as Charter Management                      statute, with a few minor changes to
                                                    Mohamed Abdel-Kader,
                                                                                                            Organization, or CMO, grants), the                     clarify the Department’s goals.
                                                    Deputy Assistant Secretary for International                                                                      Competitive Preference Priority 1—
                                                    and Foreign Languages.                                  Department provides funds to charter
                                                                                                            management organizations (CMOs) 1 on                   Promoting Diversity gives priority to
                                                    [FR Doc. 2017–00747 Filed 1–12–17; 8:45 am]                                                                    applicants that plan to use CSP funds to
                                                                                                            a competitive basis to enable them to
                                                    BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
                                                                                                            replicate or expand one or more high-                  operate or manage charter schools
                                                                                                            quality charter schools. Grant funds may               intentionally designed to be racially and
                                                                                                            be used to expand the enrollment of one                socioeconomically diverse. An
                                                    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION                                                                                        applicant addressing this priority is
                                                                                                            or more existing high-quality charter
                                                    Application for New Awards;                             schools, or to replicate one or more new               invited to discuss how the proposed
                                                    Expanding Opportunity Through                           charter schools that are based on an                   design of its project will encourage
                                                    Quality Charter Schools Program                         existing, high-quality charter school                  approaches by charter schools that help
                                                    (CSP)—Grants to Charter Management                      model.                                                 bring together students of different
                                                                                                                                                                   backgrounds, including students from
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                                                    Organizations for the Replication and                   Background
                                                    Expansion of High-Quality Charter                                                                              different racial and socioeconomic
                                                    Schools                                                   The CMO grant program is intended                    backgrounds, to attain the benefits that
                                                                                                            to support high-quality charter schools
                                                    AGENCY: Office of Innovation and                        that are operated by high-performing                     2 From FY 2010 through FY 2016, the

                                                    Improvement, Department of Education.                                                                          Department’s authority to use CSP funds to award
                                                                                                            CMOs seeking to broaden and increase                   grants to CMOs and other eligible entities for the
                                                    ACTION: Notice.                                                                                                replication and expansion of high-quality charter
                                                                                                              1 Italicized terms are defined in the Definitions    schools was provided through annual
                                                       Overview Information:                                section of this notice.                                appropriations acts.



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                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices                                                     4323

                                                    flow from a diverse student body. The                      All charter schools receiving CSP                     Competitive Preference Priority 2—
                                                    applicant should ensure that those                      funds, as outlined in section 4310(2)(G)               School Improvement through
                                                    approaches are permissible under                        of the ESEA (as amended by the ESSA),                  Turnaround Efforts. (0 or 5 points).
                                                    current law, including applicable civil                 must comply with various non-                            This priority is for applicants that
                                                    rights laws.3                                           discrimination laws, including the Age                 both:
                                                       The second competitive preference                    Discrimination Act of 1975, Title VI of                  (a) Demonstrate past success in
                                                    priority, School Improvement, focuses                   the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of              improving the academic performance of
                                                    on applicants that have shown past                      the Education Amendments of 1972,                      one or more academically poor-
                                                    success in turning around academically                  section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of               performing public schools by taking
                                                    poor-performing schools and plan to use                 1973, the Americans with Disabilities                  over the operation of the school or
                                                    CMO grant funds to turn around                          Act of 1990, section 444 of the General                restarting the school as a charter school;
                                                    academically poor-performing schools                    Education Provisions Act (GEPA), and                   and
                                                    during the grant project period.                        part B of the Individuals with                           (b) Propose to use CMO funds to
                                                    Accordingly, this priority is intended                  Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).                     restart as a charter school one or more
                                                    both to reward and provide new                             Priorities: This notice includes one                academically poor-performing public
                                                    incentives to high-performing CMOs for                  absolute priority, three competitive                   schools during the project period, to do
                                                    engaging in the difficult task of turning               preference priorities, and one                         so by replicating a successful charter
                                                    around our Nation’s struggling public                   invitational priority. We are establishing             school model for which the applicant
                                                    schools.                                                these priorities for the FY 2017 grant                 has provided evidence of success, and
                                                       The third competitive preference                     competition and any subsequent year in                 to do so by targeting a similar student
                                                    priority is for novice applicants. In                   which we make awards from the list of                  population in the replicated charter
                                                    order to ensure that the CMO grant                      unfunded applications from this                        school as was served by the
                                                    program is supporting a wide range of                   competition, in accordance with section                academically poor-performing public
                                                    organizations, this priority provides                   437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).               school. In accordance with section
                                                    additional points to applicants that have                  Absolute Priority: This priority is an              4310(2)(B) of the ESEA, as amended by
                                                    neither received a CSP Replication and                  absolute priority. Under 34 CFR                        the ESSA, students who are enrolled in
                                                    Expansion of High-Quality Charter                       75.105(c)(3), we consider only                         the academically poor-performing
                                                    Schools 4 grant—either individually or                  applications that meet this priority.                  public school at the time of restart are
                                                    as part of a group—at any point in the                     This priority is: Absolute Priority—                exempt from the charter school’s lottery.
                                                    past nor received a discretionary grant                 Low-Income Demographic.                                  For purposes of this priority,
                                                    from the Federal government in the                         To meet this priority, an applicant                 academically poor-performing public
                                                    previous five years.                                    must demonstrate that at least 60                      schools may include, but are not limited
                                                       This competition also includes an                    percent of the students across all of the              to, persistently lowest-achieving
                                                    invitational priority that encourages                   charter schools the applicant currently                schools, as defined in this notice and
                                                    applicants to conduct rigorous                          operates or manages are individuals                    the final requirements for the School
                                                    evaluations of practices within their                   from low-income families.                              Improvement Grants (SIG) program
                                                    charter schools that will, if well                         Competitive Preference Priorities:                  under Title I of the ESEA (https://www.
                                                    implemented, produce evidence that                      These priorities are competitive                       federalregister.gov/articles/2015/02/09/
                                                    meets What Works Clearinghouse                          preference priorities. Under 34 CFR                    2015-02570/final-requirements-school-
                                                    (WWC) Evidence Standards. The                           75.105(c)(2)(i), we will award an                      improvement-grants-title-i-of-the-
                                                    Department is committed both to                         additional three points to an application              elementary-and-secondary-education-
                                                    increasing the number of schools that                   that meets Competitive Preference                      act); and priority schools in States that
                                                    implement practices that are based on                   Priority 1, an additional five points to               exercised flexibility 5 under the ESEA,
                                                    evidence and to building evidence of                    an application that meets Competitive                  as amended by the No Child Left Behind
                                                    the effectiveness of a range of                         Preference Priority 2, and an additional               Act of 2001 (NCLB) (see the
                                                    educational practices in order to                       two points to an application that meets                Department’s June 7, 2012 guidance
                                                    identify educational practices that other               Competitive Preference Priority 3. The                 entitled, ‘‘ESEA Flexibility,’’ at
                                                    schools or school systems can adopt to                  maximum total competitive preference                   www.ed.gov/esea/flexibility, and the
                                                    improve outcomes for their students                     priority points an application can                     Office of Elementary and Secondary
                                                    (e.g., educator induction practices or                  receive for this competition is 10.                    Education’s December 18, 2015 Dear
                                                                                                               These priorities are:
                                                    positive behavioral interventions and                      Competitive Preference Priority 1—                  Colleague Letter at https://www2.ed.
                                                    supports). In addition, building and                    Promoting Diversity. (0 or 3 points).                  gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/transition-
                                                    utilizing evidence of the effectiveness of                 This priority is for projects that will             dcl.pdf).
                                                    various educational approaches is a key                 provide for the replication or expansion                 Note: For applicants proposing to use CMO
                                                    feature of the reauthorized program                     of high-quality charter schools that have              grant funds to replicate a high-quality charter
                                                    under the ESEA, as amended by the                       an intentional focus on recruiting and                 school by restarting as a charter school one
                                                    ESSA.                                                   retaining racially and socioeconomically               or more academically poor-performing public
                                                                                                                                                                   schools, the CMO’s proposed charter school
                                                      3 For information about how applicants can
                                                                                                            diverse student bodies (see Section                    must be newly created and operating under
                                                    lawfully promote student body diversity, see the
                                                                                                            4305(b)(5)(A) of the ESEA, as amended
                                                    Department’s December 2, 2011 ‘‘Guidance on the         by the ESSA).
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                                                                                                                                                                     5 As of August 1, 2016, States may no longer
                                                    Voluntary Use of Race to Achieve Diversity and            Note: For information on permissible ways            exercise flexibility, except in the limited
                                                    Avoid Racial Isolation in Elementary and                to meet this priority, please refer to the joint       circumstances where they implemented
                                                    Secondary Schools,’’ available at http://www2.ed.                                                              interventions previously in priority schools under
                                                    gov/ocr/docs/guidance-ese-201111.pdf.
                                                                                                            guidance issued by the Department’s Office
                                                                                                                                                                   the SIG program. For additional information related
                                                      4 The name of the competition in this notice has      for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of            to ESEA flexibility and interventions in priority
                                                    changed from previous years; from FY 2010 through       Justice entitled, ‘‘Guidance on the Voluntary          schools, see section B of the Department’s June 29,
                                                    FY 2016, the Department had the authority to make       Use of Race to Achieve Diversity and Avoid             2016 guidance entitled, ‘‘Transitioning to the Every
                                                    CMO grants under the Grants for Replication and         Racial Isolation in Elementary and Secondary           Student Succeeds Act—Frequently Asked
                                                    Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools               Schools’’ (www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/             Questions,’’ at http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/
                                                    competition.                                            ocr/docs/guidance-ese-201111.pdf).                     essa/essafaqstransition62916.pdf.



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                                                    4324                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices

                                                    a separate charter and governance than the              disadvantaged, students with                           components and outcomes, theoretically
                                                    academically poor-performing public school.             disabilities, migrant students, English                and operationally. (34 CFR 77.1)
                                                       Competitive Preference Priority 3—                   learners, neglected or delinquent                         Novice applicant means—
                                                    Novice Applicant. (0 or 2 points).                      students, and homeless students.                          (a) Any applicant for a grant from the
                                                       This priority is for applications                       Expand, when used with respect to a                 Department that—
                                                    submitted by novice applicants.                         high-quality charter school, means to                     (1) Has never received a grant or
                                                       Invitational Priority: This priority is              significantly increase enrollment or add               subgrant under the program from which
                                                    an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR                  one or more grades to the high-quality                 it seeks funding;
                                                    75.105(c)(1), we do not give an                         charter school. (Section 4310(7) of the                   (2) Has never been a member of a
                                                    application that meets this invitational                ESEA, as amended by the ESSA)                          group application, submitted in
                                                    priority any preference over other                         High-quality charter school means a                 accordance with 34 CFR 75.127–75.129,
                                                    applications.                                           charter school that—                                   that received a grant under the program
                                                       This priority is: Invitational Priority—                (a) Shows evidence of strong                        from which it seeks funding; and
                                                    Rigorous Evaluation of School Practices.                academic results, which may include                       (3) Has not had an active
                                                       The Secretary is particularly                        strong student academic growth, as                     discretionary grant from the Federal
                                                    interested in funding applications that                 determined by a State;                                 government in the five years before the
                                                    demonstrate that the applicant is                          (b) Has no significant issues in the                deadline date for applications for new
                                                    currently conducting, or will conduct, a                areas of student safety, financial and                 awards under the program.
                                                    rigorous independent evaluation of                      operational management, or statutory or                   (b) For purposes of paragraph (a)(3), a
                                                    specific practices within the applicant’s               regulatory compliance;                                 grant is active until the end of the
                                                    charter schools (e.g., positive behavioral                 (c) Has demonstrated success in                     grant’s project or funding period,
                                                    interventions and supports or                           significantly increasing student                       including any extensions of those
                                                    professional development practices,                     academic achievement, including                        periods that extend the grantee’s
                                                    such as teacher coaching) through a                     graduation rates where applicable, for                 authority to obligate funds. (34 CFR
                                                    quasi-experimental design study or                      all students served by the charter                     75.225)
                                                    randomized controlled trial that will, if               school; and                                               Performance measure means any
                                                    well implemented, meet WWC Evidence                        (d) Has demonstrated success in                     quantitative indicator, statistic, or
                                                    Standards, and that other schools or                    increasing student academic                            metric used to gauge program or project
                                                    school systems can adopt to improve                     achievement, including graduation rates                performance. (34 CFR 77.1)
                                                    outcomes for their students.                            where applicable, for each of the                         Performance target means a level of
                                                                                                            subgroups of students, as defined in                   performance that an applicant would
                                                    Definitions                                             section 1111(c)(2), except that such                   seek to meet during the course of a
                                                       The following definitions, where                     demonstration is not required in a case                project or as a result of a project. (34
                                                    cited, are from 34 CFR 75.225 and 77.1                  in which the number of students in a                   CFR 77.1)
                                                    and the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.                   group is insufficient to yield statistically              Persistently lowest-achieving school
                                                    We are establishing the remaining                       reliable information or the results would              means, as determined by the State—
                                                    definitions for the FY 2017 grant                       reveal personally identifiable                            (a)(1) Any title I school in
                                                    competition and any subsequent year in                  information about an individual                        improvement, corrective action, or
                                                    which we make awards from the list of                   student. (Section 4310(8) of the ESEA,                 restructuring that—
                                                    unfunded applications from this                         as amended by the ESSA)                                   (A) Is among the lowest-achieving five
                                                    competition.                                               Individual from a low-income family                 percent of title I schools in
                                                       Ambitious means promoting                            means an individual who is determined                  improvement, corrective action, or
                                                    continued, meaningful improvement for                   by a State educational agency (SEA) or                 restructuring or the lowest-achieving
                                                    program participants or for other                       local educational agency (LEA) to be a                 five title I schools in improvement,
                                                    individuals or entities affected by the                 child from a low-income family on the                  corrective action, or restructuring in the
                                                    grant, or representing a significant                    basis of (a) data used by the Secretary                State, whichever number of schools is
                                                    advancement in the field of education                   to determine allocations under section                 greater; or
                                                    research, practices, or methodologies.                  1124 of the ESEA, (b) data on children                    (B) Is a high school that has had a
                                                    When used to describe a performance                     eligible for free or reduced-price                     graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR
                                                    target, whether a performance target is                 lunches under the Richard B. Russell                   200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent
                                                    ambitious depends upon the context of                   National School Lunch Act, (c) data on                 over a number of years; and
                                                    the relevant performance measure and                    children in families receiving assistance                 (2) Any secondary school that is
                                                    the baseline for that measure. (34 CFR                  under part A of title IV of the Social                 eligible for, but does not receive, title I
                                                    77.1)                                                   Security Act, (d) data on children                     funds that—
                                                       Baseline means the starting point                    eligible to receive medical assistance                    (A) Is among the lowest-achieving five
                                                    from which performance is measured                      under the Medicaid program under Title                 percent of secondary schools or the
                                                    and targets are set. (34 CFR 77.1)                      XIX of the Social Security Act, or (e) an              lowest-achieving five secondary schools
                                                       Charter management organization                      alternate method that combines or                      in the State that are eligible for, but do
                                                    means a nonprofit organization that                     extrapolates from the data in items (a)                not receive, title I funds, whichever
                                                    operates or manages a network of                        through (d) of this definition.                        number of schools is greater; or
                                                    charter schools linked by centralized                      Logic model (also referred to as theory                (B) Is a high school that has had a
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                                                    support, operations, and oversight.                     of action) means a well-specified                      graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR
                                                    (Section 4310(3) of the ESEA, as                        conceptual framework that identifies                   200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent
                                                    amended by the ESSA)                                    key components of the proposed                         over a number of years.
                                                       Educationally disadvantaged students                 process, product, strategy, or practice                   (b) To identify the lowest-achieving
                                                    means students in the categories                        (i.e., the active ‘‘ingredients’’ that are             schools, a State must take into account
                                                    described in section 1115(c)(2) of the                  hypothesized to be critical to achieving               both—
                                                    ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, which                     the relevant outcomes) and describes                      (1) The academic achievement of the
                                                    include children who are economically                   the relationships among the key                        ‘‘all students’’ group in a school in


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                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices                                                4325

                                                    terms of proficiency on the State’s                     qualifies for this exemption. In order to              and average size of awards are based on a
                                                    assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of                 ensure timely grant awards, the                        single 12-month budget period.
                                                    the ESEA in reading/language arts and                   Secretary has decided to forgo public                    Project Period: Up to 60 months.
                                                    mathematics combined; and                               comment on the priorities,
                                                       (2) The school’s lack of progress on                 requirements, definitions, and selection               III. Eligibility Information
                                                    those assessments over a number of                      criteria in this notice in accordance with                1. Eligible Applicants: Charter
                                                    years for the ‘‘all students’’ group. (80               section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. These                       management organizations. Eligible
                                                    FR 7223)                                                priorities, requirements, definitions, and             applicants may apply individually or as
                                                       Quasi-experimental design study                      selection criteria will apply to grants                part of a group or consortium.
                                                    means a study using a design that                       awarded under this competition in FY                      2. Audits: (a) All grantees must
                                                    attempts to approximate an                              2017 and any subsequent year in which                  provide to the Department their most
                                                    experimental design by identifying a                    we make awards from the list of                        recent independent audits of the CMO’s
                                                    comparison group that is similar to the                 unfunded applications from this                        financial statements prepared in
                                                    treatment group in important respects.                  competition.                                           accordance with generally accepted
                                                    These studies, depending on design and                    Program Authority: Section 4305(b) of                accounting principles, and all grantees
                                                    implementation, can meet WWC                            the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.                      must continue to provide independent,
                                                    Evidence Standards with reservations                      Applicable Regulations: (a) The                      annual audits of their financial
                                                    (but not WWC Evidence Standards                         Education Department General                           statements prepared in accordance with
                                                    without reservations). (34 CFR 77.1)                    Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in                  generally accepted accounting
                                                       Randomized controlled trial means a                  34 CFR parts 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84,               principles each year of the grant.
                                                    study that employs random assignment                    86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of                     (b) All grantees must ensure that
                                                    of, for example, students, teachers,                    Management and Budget Guidelines to                    charter schools operated or managed by
                                                    classrooms, schools, or districts to                    Agencies on Governmentwide                             the applicant conduct independent,
                                                    receive the intervention being evaluated                Debarment and Suspension                               annual audits of their financial
                                                    (the treatment group) or not to receive                 (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as
                                                    the intervention (the control group). The                                                                      statements prepared in accordance with
                                                                                                            adopted and amended as regulations of                  generally accepted accounting
                                                    estimated effectiveness of the                          the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c)
                                                    intervention is the difference between                                                                         principles, and ensure that any such
                                                                                                            The Uniform Administrative                             audits are publicly reported.
                                                    the average outcome for the treatment                   Requirements, Cost Principles, and
                                                    group and for the control group. These                                                                            3. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
                                                                                                            Audit Requirements for Federal Awards                  competition does not require cost
                                                    studies, depending on design and                        in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and
                                                    implementation, can meet WWC                                                                                   sharing or matching.
                                                                                                            amended in 2 CFR part 3474.                               4. Other: (a) Reasonable and
                                                    Evidence Standards without
                                                    reservations. (34 CFR 77.1)                             II. Award Information                                  Necessary Costs: The Secretary may
                                                       Replicate, when used with respect to                    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.                elect to impose maximum limits on the
                                                    a high-quality charter school, means to                    Estimated Available Funds: For FY                   amount of grant funds that may be
                                                    open a new charter school, or a new                     2017, the Administration has requested                 awarded per charter school replicated,
                                                    campus of a high-quality charter school,                $350,000,000 under the CSP and                         per charter school expanded, or per new
                                                    based on the educational model of an                    authority to use up to $100,000,000 of                 school seat created.
                                                    existing high-quality charter school,                   CSP funds for CMO awards. We intend                       For this competition, the maximum
                                                    under an existing charter or an                         to use an estimated $57,000,000 for new                limit of grant funds that may be
                                                    additional charter, if permitted or                     awards under this competition and may                  awarded per new school seat in a new
                                                    required by State law. (Section 4310(9)                 use FY 2017 funds to support multiple                  charter school is $3,400, including a
                                                    of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA)                    years of a grant project for one or more               maximum limit per replicated charter
                                                       What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)                       grantees. The actual level of funding, if              school of $900,000. The maximum limit
                                                    Evidence Standards means the                            any, depends on final congressional                    per new school seat in a charter school
                                                    standards set forth in the What Works                   action. However, we are inviting                       that is expanding its enrollment is
                                                    Clearinghouse Procedures and                            applications now to allow enough time                  $1,700, including a maximum limit per
                                                    Standards Handbook (Version 3.0,                        to complete the grant process if                       expanded school of $900,000.
                                                    March 2014), which can be found at the                  Congress appropriates funds for this                      Note: Applicants must ensure that all costs
                                                    following link://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/                   program.                                               included in the proposed budget are
                                                    DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19. (34 CFR                           Contingent upon the availability of                 reasonable and necessary in light of the goals
                                                    77.1)                                                   funds and the quality of applications,                 and objectives of the proposed project. Any
                                                       Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:                       we may make additional awards in FY                    costs determined by the Secretary to be
                                                    Under the Administrative Procedure Act                                                                         unreasonable or unnecessary will be removed
                                                                                                            2018 from the list of unfunded                         from the final approved budget.
                                                    (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally                applications from this competition.
                                                    offers interested parties the opportunity                  Estimated Range of Awards:                            (b) Other CSP Grants: A charter
                                                    to comment on proposed priorities,                      $600,000–$3,500,000 per year.                          school that previously has received CSP
                                                    selection criteria, definitions, and                       Estimated Average Size of Awards:                   funds for replication or expansion, or
                                                    requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of                      $2,000,000 per year.                                   for planning or initial implementation
                                                    GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to                     Maximum Award: See Reasonable                       of a charter school under CFDA number
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                                                    exempt from rulemaking requirements                     and Necessary Costs in section III.4.(a)               84.282A or 84.282B (as administered
                                                    regulations governing the first grant                   for information regarding the maximum                  under the ESEA, as amended by the
                                                    competition under a new or                              amount of funds that may be awarded                    NCLB), may not use funds under this
                                                    substantially revised program authority.                per new school seat and per new school.                grant for the same purpose. However,
                                                    This is the first grant competition for                    Estimated Number of Awards: 10–20                   such charter school may be eligible to
                                                    this program under section 4305(b) of                   awards.                                                receive funds under this competition to
                                                    the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA,                         Note: The Department is not bound by any             expand the charter school beyond the
                                                    and, therefore, this competition                        estimates in this notice. The estimated range          existing grade levels or student count.


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                                                    4326                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices

                                                      Likewise, a charter school that                          • Use a font that is either 12 point or             Telephone: (202) 401–2266 or by email:
                                                    receives funds under this competition is                larger or no smaller than 10 pitch                     charterschools@ed.gov.
                                                    ineligible to receive funds for the same                (characters per inch).                                    Deadline for Transmittal of
                                                    purpose under section 4303(b)(1) of the                    • Use one of the following fonts:                   Applications: February 27, 2017.
                                                    ESEA, as amended by the ESSA,                           Times New Roman, Courier, Courier                         Applications for grants under this
                                                    including opening and preparing for the                 New, or Arial. An application submitted                competition must be submitted
                                                    operation of a new charter school,                      in any other font (including Times                     electronically using the Grants.gov
                                                    opening and preparing for the operation                 Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be                     Apply site (Grants.gov). For information
                                                    of a replicated high-quality charter                    accepted.                                              (including dates and times) about how
                                                    school, or expanding a high-quality                        The page limit does not apply to Part               to submit your application
                                                    charter school (i.e., CFDA number                       I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget                electronically, or in paper format by
                                                    84.282A or 84.282B).                                    section, including the narrative budget                mail or hand delivery if you qualify for
                                                      (c) Costs for Evaluation: In accordance               justification; Part IV, the assurances and             an exception to the electronic
                                                    with 34 CFR 75.590, CMO grant funds                     certifications; or the one-page abstract,              submission requirement, please refer to
                                                    may be used to cover post-award costs                   the resumes, the bibliography, or the                  Other Submission Requirements in
                                                    associated with an evaluation described                 letters of support. However, the page                  section IV of this notice.
                                                    in response to the invitational priority                limit does apply to all of the application                We do not consider an application
                                                    or Selection Criterion (c) of this notice,              narrative.                                             that does not comply with the deadline
                                                                                                               b. Submission of Proprietary                        requirements.
                                                    provided that such costs are reasonable
                                                                                                            Information: Given the types of projects                  Individuals with disabilities who
                                                    and necessary to meet the objectives of
                                                                                                            that may be proposed in applications for               need an accommodation or auxiliary aid
                                                    the approved project.
                                                                                                            the CMO grant competition, your                        in connection with the application
                                                    IV. Application and Submission                          application may include business                       process should contact the person listed
                                                    Information                                             information that you consider                          under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
                                                                                                            proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define                  CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If
                                                       1. Address to Request Application
                                                                                                            ‘‘business information’’ and describe the              the Department provides an
                                                    Package:
                                                                                                            process we use in determining whether                  accommodation or auxiliary aid to an
                                                       Eddie Moat, U.S. Department of                       any of that information is proprietary                 individual with a disability in
                                                    Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,                     and, thus, protected from disclosure                   connection with the application
                                                    Room 4W259, Washington, DC 20202–                       under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of                    process, the individual’s application
                                                    5970. Telephone: (202) 401–2266 or by                   Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as                      remains subject to all other
                                                    email: charterschools@ed.gov.                           amended).                                              requirements and limitations in this
                                                       If you use a telecommunications                         Because we plan to make successful                  notice.
                                                    device for the deaf (TDD) or a text                     applications available to the public, you                 Deadline for Intergovernmental
                                                    telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay                 may wish to request confidentiality of                 Review: [INSERT DATE 105 DAYS
                                                    Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–                 business information.                                  AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN
                                                    8339.                                                      Consistent with Executive Order                     THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
                                                       Individuals with disabilities can                    12600, please designate in your                           4. Intergovernmental Review: This
                                                    obtain a copy of the application package                application any information that you                   program is subject to Executive Order
                                                    in an accessible format (e.g., braille,                 feel is exempt from disclosure under                   12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
                                                    large print, audiotape, or compact disc)                Exemption 4. In the appropriate                        part 79. Information about
                                                    by contacting the program contact                       Appendix section of your application,                  Intergovernmental Review of Federal
                                                    person listed in this section.                          under ‘‘Other Attachments Form,’’                      Programs under Executive Order 12372
                                                       2.a. Content and Form of Application                 please list the page number or numbers                 is in the application package for this
                                                    Submission: Requirements concerning                     on which we can find this information.                 competition.
                                                    the content and form of an application,                 For additional information please see 34                  5. Funding Restrictions: Grantees
                                                    together with the forms you must                        CFR 5.11(c).                                           under this program must use the grant
                                                    submit, are in the application package                     3. Submission Dates and Times:                      funds to replicate or expand the charter
                                                    for this competition.                                      Applications Available: [INSERT                     school model or models for which the
                                                                                                            DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE                             applicant has presented evidence of
                                                       Page Limit: The application narrative                FEDERAL REGISTER].
                                                    (Part III of the application) is where you,                                                                    success. Grant funds must be used to
                                                                                                               Date of Pre-Application Webinar: The                carry out allowable activities, as
                                                    the applicant, address the priorities,                  Department will hold a pre-application
                                                    selection criteria, and application                                                                            described in section 4303(h) of the
                                                                                                            meeting via Webinar for prospective                    ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, which
                                                    requirements that reviewers use to                      applicants on January 24, 1:00 p.m.,
                                                    evaluate your application. We                                                                                  include—
                                                                                                            Washington, DC, time. Individuals                         (a) Preparing teachers, school leaders,
                                                    recommend that you limit the                            interested in attending this meeting are
                                                    application narrative to no more than 60                                                                       and specialized instructional support
                                                                                                            encouraged to pre-register by emailing                 personnel, including through paying
                                                    pages, using the following standards:                   their name, organization, and contact                  costs associated with—
                                                       • A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side              information with the subject heading                      (i) Providing professional
                                                    only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,               ‘‘PRE-APPLICATION MEETING’’ to
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                                                                                                                                                                   development; and
                                                    and both sides.                                         CharterSchools@ed.gov. There is no                        (ii) Hiring and compensating, during
                                                       • Double space (no more than three                   registration fee for attending this                    the applicant’s planning period
                                                    lines per vertical inch) all text in the                meeting.                                               specified in the application for funds,
                                                    application narrative, including titles,                   For further information about the pre-              one or more of the following:
                                                    headings, footnotes, quotations,                        application meeting, contact Eddie                        (A) Teachers,
                                                    references, and captions, as well as all                Moat, U.S. Department of Education,                       (B) School leaders, and
                                                    text in charts, tables, figures, and                    400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room                             (C) Specialized instructional support
                                                    graphs.                                                 4W259, Washington, DC 20202–5970.                      personnel.


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                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices                                            4327

                                                      (b) Acquiring supplies, training,                     obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue                 offline, and then upload and submit
                                                    equipment (including technology), and                   Service. If you are an individual, you                 your application. You may not email an
                                                    educational materials (including                        can obtain a TIN from the Internal                     electronic copy of a grant application to
                                                    developing and acquiring instructional                  Revenue Service or the Social Security                 us.
                                                    materials).                                             Administration. If you need a new TIN,                   We will reject your application if you
                                                      (c) Carrying out necessary renovations                please allow two to five weeks for your                submit it in paper format unless, as
                                                    to ensure that a new school building                    TIN to become active.                                  described elsewhere in this section, you
                                                    complies with applicable statutes and                      The SAM registration process can take               qualify for one of the exceptions to the
                                                    regulations, and minor facilities repairs               approximately seven business days, but                 electronic submission requirement and
                                                    (excluding construction).                               may take upwards of several weeks,                     submit, no later than two weeks before
                                                      (d) Providing one-time, startup costs                 depending on the completeness and                      the application deadline date, a written
                                                    associated with providing transportation                accuracy of the data you enter into the                statement to the Department that you
                                                    to students to and from the charter                     SAM database. Thus, if you think you                   qualify for one of these exceptions.
                                                    school.                                                 might want to apply for Federal                        Further information regarding
                                                      (e) Carrying out community                            financial assistance under a program                   calculation of the date that is two weeks
                                                    engagement activities, which may                        administered by the Department, please                 before the application deadline date is
                                                    include paying the cost of student and                  allow sufficient time to obtain and                    provided later in this section under
                                                    staff recruitment.                                      register your DUNS number and TIN.                     Exception to Electronic Submission
                                                      (f) Providing for other appropriate,                  We strongly recommend that you                         Requirement.
                                                    non-sustained costs related to the                      register early.                                          You may access the electronic grant
                                                    replication or expansion of high-quality                                                                       application for CSP Grants to Charter
                                                                                                               Note: Once your SAM registration is active,
                                                    charter schools when such costs cannot                  it may be 24 to 48 hours before you can                Management Organizations for
                                                    be met from other sources.                              access the information in, and submit an               Replication and Expansion of High-
                                                      A grantee may use up to 20 percent                    application through, Grants.gov.                       Quality Charter Schools at
                                                    of grant funds for initial operational                                                                         www.Grants.gov You must search for the
                                                    costs associated with the expansion or                     If you are currently registered with
                                                                                                            SAM, you may not need to make any                      downloadable application package for
                                                    improvement of the grantee’s oversight                                                                         this competition by the CFDA number.
                                                    or management of its charter schools,                   changes. However, please make certain
                                                                                                            that the TIN associated with your DUNS                 Do not include the CFDA number’s
                                                    provided that (i) the specific charter                                                                         alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search
                                                    schools being replicated or expanded                    number is correct. Also note that you
                                                                                                            will need to update your registration                  for 84.282, not 84.282M).
                                                    under the grant are the intended                                                                                 Please note the following:
                                                    beneficiaries of such expansion or                      annually. This may take three or more
                                                                                                            business days.                                           • When you enter the Grants.gov site,
                                                    improvement; (ii) such expansion or
                                                                                                               Information about SAM is available at               you will find information about
                                                    improvement is intended to improve the
                                                                                                            www.SAM.gov. To further assist you                     submitting an application electronically
                                                    grantee’s ability to manage or oversee
                                                                                                            with obtaining and registering your                    through the site, as well as the hours of
                                                    the charter schools replicated or
                                                                                                            DUNS number and TIN in SAM or                          operation.
                                                    expanded under the grant; and (iii) the
                                                                                                            updating your existing SAM account,                      • Applications received by
                                                    costs cannot be met from other sources.
                                                                                                            we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet,                  Grants.gov are date and time stamped.
                                                      We reference additional regulations
                                                                                                            which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/                    Your application must be fully
                                                    outlining funding restrictions in the
                                                                                                            fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.                        uploaded and submitted and must be
                                                    Applicable Regulations section of this
                                                                                                               In addition, if you are submitting your             date and time stamped by the
                                                    notice.
                                                      6. Data Universal Numbering System                    application via Grants.gov, you must (1)               Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
                                                    Number, Taxpayer Identification                         be designated by your organization as an               p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
                                                    Number, and System for Award                            Authorized Organization Representative                 application deadline date. Except as
                                                    Management: To do business with the                     (AOR); and (2) register yourself with                  otherwise noted in this section, we will
                                                    Department of Education, you must—                      Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these                 not accept your application if it is
                                                      a. Have a Data Universal Numbering                    steps are outlined at the following                    received—that is, date and time
                                                    System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer                     Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/                   stamped by the Grants.gov system—after
                                                    Identification Number (TIN);                            web/grants/register.html.                              4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
                                                      b. Register both your DUNS number                        7. Other Submission Requirements.                   the application deadline date. We do
                                                    and TIN with the System for Award                       Applications for grants under this                     not consider an application that does
                                                    Management (SAM), the Government’s                      competition must be submitted                          not comply with the deadline
                                                    primary registrant database;                            electronically unless you qualify for an               requirements. When we retrieve your
                                                      c. Provide your DUNS number and                       exception to this requirement in                       application from Grants.gov, we will
                                                    TIN on your application; and                            accordance with the instructions in this               notify you if we are rejecting your
                                                      d. Maintain an active SAM                             section.                                               application because it was date and time
                                                    registration with current information                      a. Electronic Submission of                         stamped by the Grants.gov system after
                                                    while your application is under review                  Applications.                                          4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
                                                    by the Department and, if you are                          Applications for grants under the CSP               the application deadline date.
                                                                                                            Grants to Charter Management                             • The amount of time it can take to
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                                                    awarded a grant, during the project
                                                    period.                                                 Organizations for Replication and                      upload an application will vary
                                                      You can obtain a DUNS number from                     Expansion of High-Quality Charter                      depending on a variety of factors,
                                                    Dun and Bradstreet at the following                     Schools, CFDA number 84.282M, must                     including the size of the application and
                                                    Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/                        be submitted electronically using the                  the speed of your Internet connection.
                                                    webform. A DUNS number can be                           Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site                   Therefore, we strongly recommend that
                                                    created within one to two business days.                at www.Grants.gov. Through this site,                  you do not wait until the application
                                                      If you are a corporate entity, agency,                you will be able to download a copy of                 deadline date to begin the submission
                                                    institution, or organization, you can                   the application package, complete it                   process through Grants.gov.


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                                                    4328                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices

                                                       • You should review and follow the                   there were any errors (such as                         application if we can confirm that a
                                                    Education Submission Procedures for                     submission of your application by                      technical problem occurred with the
                                                    submitting an application through                       someone other than a registered                        Grants.gov system and that the problem
                                                    Grants.gov that are included in the                     Authorized Organization                                affected your ability to submit your
                                                    application package for this competition                Representative, or inclusion of an                     application by 4:30:00 p.m.,
                                                    to ensure that you submit your                          attachment with a file name that                       Washington, DC time, on the
                                                    application in a timely manner to the                   contains special characters). You will be              application deadline date. We will
                                                    Grants.gov system. You can also find the                given an opportunity to correct any                    contact you after we determine whether
                                                    Education Submission Procedures                         errors and resubmit, but you must still                your application will be accepted.
                                                    pertaining to Grants.gov under News                     meet the deadline for submission of                       Note: The extensions to which we refer in
                                                    and Events on the Department’s G5                       applications.                                          this section apply only to the unavailability
                                                    system home page at www.G5.gov. In                         Once your application is successfully               of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov
                                                    addition, for specific guidance and                     validated by Grants.gov, the Department                system. We will not grant you an extension
                                                    procedures for submitting an                            will retrieve your application from                    if you failed to fully register to submit your
                                                    application through Grants.gov, please                  Grants.gov and send you an email with                  application to Grants.gov before the
                                                    refer to the Grants.gov Web site at:                    a unique PR/Award number for your                      application deadline date and time or if the
                                                    www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/                   application.                                           technical problem you experienced is
                                                    apply-for-grants.html.                                     These emails do not mean that your                  unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
                                                       • You will not receive additional                    application is without any disqualifying                 Exception to Electronic Submission
                                                    point value because you submit your                     errors. While your application may have                Requirement: You qualify for an
                                                    application in electronic format, nor                   been successfully validated by                         exception to the electronic submission
                                                    will we penalize you if you qualify for                 Grants.gov, it must also meet the                      requirement, and may submit your
                                                    an exception to the electronic                          Department’s application requirements                  application in paper format, if you are
                                                    submission requirement, as described                    as specified in this notice and in the                 unable to submit an application through
                                                    elsewhere in this section, and submit                   application instructions. Disqualifying                the Grants.gov system because—
                                                    your application in paper format.                       errors could include, for instance,                      • You do not have access to the
                                                       • You must submit all documents                      failure to upload attachments in a read-               Internet; or
                                                    electronically, including all information               only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to                     • You do not have the capacity to
                                                    you typically provide on the following                  submit a required part of the                          upload large documents to the
                                                    forms: The Application for Federal                      application; or failure to meet applicant              Grants.gov system; and
                                                    Assistance (SF 424), the Department of                  eligibility requirements. It is your                      • No later than two weeks before the
                                                    Education Supplemental Information for                  responsibility to ensure that your                     application deadline date (14 calendar
                                                    SF 424, Budget Information—Non-                         submitted application has met all of the               days or, if the fourteenth calendar day
                                                    Construction Programs (ED 524), and all                 Department’s requirements.                             before the application deadline date
                                                    necessary assurances and certifications.                   • We may request that you provide us                falls on a Federal holiday, the next
                                                       • You must upload any narrative                      original signatures on forms at a later                business day following the Federal
                                                    sections and all other attachments to                   date.                                                  holiday), you mail or fax a written
                                                    your application as files in a read-only,                  Application Deadline Date Extension                 statement to the Department, explaining
                                                    non-modifiable Portable Document                        in Case of Technical Issues with the                   which of the two grounds for an
                                                    Format (PDF). Do not upload an                          Grants.gov System: If you are                          exception prevents you from using the
                                                    interactive or fillable PDF file. If you                experiencing problems submitting your                  Internet to submit your application.
                                                    upload a file type other than a read-                   application through Grants.gov, please                    If you mail your written statement to
                                                    only, non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word,                   contact the Grants.gov Support Desk,                   the Department, it must be postmarked
                                                    Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a                   toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must                 no later than two weeks before the
                                                    password-protected file, we will not                    obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case                  application deadline date. If you fax
                                                    review that material. Please note that                  Number and must keep a record of it.                   your written statement to the
                                                    this could result in your application not                  If you are prevented from                           Department, we must receive the faxed
                                                    being considered for funding because                    electronically submitting your                         statement no later than two weeks
                                                    the material in question—for example,                   application on the application deadline                before the application deadline date.
                                                    the application narrative—is critical to a              date because of technical problems with                   Address and mail or fax your
                                                    meaningful review of your proposal. For                 the Grants.gov system, we will grant you               statement to: Eddie Moat, U.S.
                                                    that reason it is important to allow                    an extension until 4:30:00 p.m.,                       Department of Education, 400 Maryland
                                                    yourself adequate time to upload all                    Washington, DC time, the following                     Avenue SW., Room 4W259,
                                                    material as PDF files. The Department                   business day to enable you to transmit                 Washington, DC 20202–5970. FAX:
                                                    will not convert material from other                    your application electronically or by                  (202) 401–2266.
                                                    formats to PDF.                                         hand delivery. You also may mail your                     Your paper application must be
                                                       • Your electronic application must                   application by following the mailing                   submitted in accordance with the mail
                                                    comply with any page-limit                              instructions described elsewhere in this               or hand delivery instructions described
                                                    requirements described in this notice.                  notice.                                                in this notice.
                                                       • After you electronically submit                       If you submit an application after                     b. Submission of Paper Applications
                                                    your application, you will receive from                 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on                  by Mail.
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                                                    Grants.gov an automatic notification of                 the application deadline date, please                     If you qualify for an exception to the
                                                    receipt that contains a Grants.gov                      contact the person listed under FOR                    electronic submission requirement, you
                                                    tracking number. This notification                      FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in                         may mail (through the U.S. Postal
                                                    indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not               section VII of this notice and provide an              Service or a commercial carrier) your
                                                    receipt by the Department. Grants.gov                   explanation of the technical problem                   application to the Department. You
                                                    will also notify you automatically by                   you experienced with Grants.gov, along                 must mail the original and two copies
                                                    email if your application met all the                   with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case                  of your application, on or before the
                                                    Grants.gov validation requirements or if                Number. We will accept your                            application deadline date, to the


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                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices                                                  4329

                                                    Department at the following address:                    V. Application Review Information                        applicant revoked or terminated,
                                                    U.S. Department of Education,                              1. Application Requirements:                          including through voluntary
                                                    Application Control Center, Attention:                  Applications for CSP CMO grant funds                     disaffiliation; or have experienced
                                                    CFDA Number 84.282M, LBJ Basement                       must address the following application                   significant problems with statutory or
                                                    Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,                       requirements. An applicant must                          regulatory compliance, including
                                                    Washington, DC 20202–4260.                              respond to requirement (a) in a stand-                   compliance with sections 4310(2)(G)
                                                      You must show proof of mailing                        alone section of the application or in an                and (J) of the ESEA, as amended by the
                                                    consisting of one of the following:                     appendix. For all other application                      ESSA, that could lead to revocation of
                                                      (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service               requirements, an applicant may choose                    the school’s charter(s).
                                                    postmark.                                               to respond in the context of its                           (d) Provide a complete logic model for
                                                      (2) A legible mail receipt with the                   responses to the selection criteria in                   the grant project. The logic model must
                                                    date of mailing stamped by the U.S.                     section V.2 of this notice.                              include the applicant’s objectives for
                                                    Postal Service.                                            (a) Demonstrate that the applicant                    implementing a high-quality charter
                                                      (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or               currently operates or manages more                       school program with funding under this
                                                    receipt from a commercial carrier.                      than one charter school. For purposes of                 competition, including the number of
                                                      (4) Any other proof of mailing                        this competition, multiple charter                       high-quality charter schools the
                                                    acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S.                 schools are considered to be separate                    applicant proposes to replicate or
                                                    Department of Education.                                schools if each school—                                  expand.
                                                      If you mail your application through                     (i) meets the definition of ‘‘charter                   (e) Describe the educational program
                                                    the U.S. Postal Service, we do not                      school’’ under section 4310(2) of the                    that the applicant will implement in
                                                    accept either of the following as proof                 ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, and                        each replicated or expanded charter
                                                    of mailing:                                                (ii) is treated as a separate school by               school, including—
                                                      (1) A private metered postmark.                       its authorized public chartering agency                    (1) Information on how the program
                                                      (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by               and the State, including for purposes of                 will enable all students to meet the
                                                    the U.S. Postal Service.                                accountability and reporting under title                 State’s challenging academic and
                                                                                                            I of the ESEA, as amended.                               performance standards;
                                                      Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not                                                                           (2) The grade levels or ages of
                                                    uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before
                                                                                                               (b) For each charter school currently
                                                                                                            operated or managed by the applicant,                    students who will be served; and
                                                    relying on this method, you should check
                                                                                                            provide—                                                   (3) The instructional practices that
                                                    with your local post office.
                                                                                                               1. Student assessment results for all                 will be used, including whether the
                                                      We will not consider applications                     students and for each subgroup of                        applicant currently operates or is
                                                    postmarked after the application                        students described in section 1111(c)(2)                 proposing to replicate or expand a
                                                    deadline.                                               of the ESEA, as amended by the NCLB; 6                   single-sex charter school or
                                                      c. Submission of Paper Applications                      2. Attendance and student retention                   coeducational charter school that
                                                    by Hand Delivery.                                       rates for the most recently completed                    provides a single-sex class or
                                                      If you qualify for an exception to the                school year and, if applicable, the most                 extracurricular activity (collectively
                                                    electronic submission requirement, you                  recent available four-year adjusted                      referred to as a ‘‘single-sex educational
                                                    (or a courier service) may deliver your                 cohort graduation rates and extended                     program’’).
                                                    paper application to the Department by                  year adjusted cohort graduation rates;                     Note: Prior to receiving an award, an
                                                    hand. You must deliver the original and                    3. Suspension and expulsion rates for                 applicant currently operating or proposing to
                                                    two copies of your application by hand,                 the past three years for each subgroup                   replicate or expand a charter school that
                                                    on or before the application deadline                   of students described in section                         provides a single-sex educational program
                                                    date, to the Department at the following                1111(c)(2) of the ESEA, as amended by                    must demonstrate that the existing and
                                                    address: U.S. Department of Education,                  the NCLB; and                                            proposed single-sex educational programs are
                                                    Application Control Center, Attention:                     4. Information on any significant                     in compliance with applicable
                                                                                                                                                                     nondiscrimination laws, including the Equal
                                                    CFDA Number 84.282M, 550 12th Street                    compliance and management issues                         Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution (as
                                                    SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza,                   encountered within the last three school                 interpreted in United States v. Virginia, 518
                                                    Washington, DC 20202–4260.                              years by any school operated or                          U.S. 515 (1996), and other cases) and Title IX
                                                      The Application Control Center                        managed by the eligible entity,                          of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20
                                                    accepts hand deliveries daily between                   including in the areas of student safety                 U.S.C. 1681, et seq.) and implementing
                                                    8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,                 and finance.                                             regulations, including 34 CFR 106.34. Such
                                                    DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays,                        (c) Provide information, including                    an applicant likely will be required to
                                                    and Federal holidays.                                   information regarding how any                            provide fact-specific information about the
                                                                                                            compliance issues were resolved, on                      single-sex educational program(s) within
                                                       Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper                                                                       specified timeframes. In addition, special
                                                    Applications: If you mail or hand deliver               any charter schools operated or                          conditions related to compliance with
                                                    your application to the Department—                     managed by the applicant that have                       applicable nondiscrimination laws are likely
                                                       (1) You must indicate on the envelope                been closed; have had their charter(s)                   to be placed on any grant awarded to an
                                                    and—if not provided by the Department—in                revoked due to problems with statutory                   applicant that operates or proposes to
                                                    Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number,                  or regulatory compliance, including                      replicate or expand a charter school that
                                                    including suffix letter, if any, of the                 compliance with sections 4310(2)(G)                      provides a single-sex educational program.
                                                    competition under which you are submitting                                                                       Please see the application package for
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                                                                                                            and (J) of the ESEA, as amended by the
                                                    your application; and                                                                                            additional information related to the
                                                                                                            ESSA; have had their affiliation with the
                                                       (2) The Application Control Center will                                                                       requirements for single-sex educational
                                                    mail to you a notification of receipt of your                                                                    programs.
                                                                                                               6 Section 5(e)(1)(B) of the ESSA states that
                                                    grant application. If you do not receive this
                                                    notification within 15 business days from the
                                                                                                            ‘‘subsections (c) and (d) of section 1111 of the           (f) Describe how the applicant
                                                                                                            [ESEA] (20 U.S.C. 6311), as amended by [the ESSA],       currently operates or manages the
                                                    application deadline date, you should call              shall take effect beginning with school year 2017–
                                                    the U.S. Department of Education                        2018.’’ For purposes of this competition, ‘‘section
                                                                                                                                                                     charter schools for which it has
                                                    Application Control Center at (202) 245–                1111(c)(2)’’ refers to section 1111(c)(2) of the ESEA,   presented evidence of success, and how
                                                    6288.                                                   as amended by the NCLB.                                  the proposed replicated or expanded


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                                                    4330                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices

                                                    charter schools will be operated or                        1. The degree to which the applicant                   In determining the quality of the
                                                    managed. Include a description of                       has demonstrated success in increasing                 evaluation plan for the proposed
                                                    central office functions, relationship                  academic achievement, including                        project, the Secretary considers the
                                                    with charter holder(s) if other than the                graduation rates where applicable, for                 alignment of the evaluation plan to the
                                                    applicant, governance, daily operations,                all students and for each of the                       logic model for the proposed grant
                                                    financial management, human resources                   subgroups of students described in                     project and the extent to which the
                                                    management, and instructional                           section 1111(c)(2) of the ESEA, as                     methods of evaluation include the use
                                                    management. If applying as a group or                   amended by the NCLB, attending the                     of objective performance measures that
                                                    consortium, describe the roles and                      charter schools the applicant operates or              are clearly related to the intended
                                                    responsibilities of each member of the                  manages (15 points).                                   outcomes of the proposed grant project
                                                    group or consortium and how each                           2. The extent to which the academic                 articulated in the applicant’s response
                                                    member will contribute to this project.                 achievement results (including annual                  to application requirement (c) and will
                                                       (g) Describe how the operation of each               student performance on statewide                       produce quantitative and qualitative
                                                    replicated or expanded charter school                   assessments and annual student                         data by the end of the performance
                                                    will be sustained after the grant has                   attendance and retention rates, and                    period.
                                                    ended, which shall include a multi-year                 where applicable and available, student                   (d) Quality of the management plan
                                                    financial and operating model for the                   academic growth, high school                           and personnel. (20 points)
                                                    applicant.                                              graduation rates, college attendance                      In determining the quality of the
                                                       (h) Describe how the applicant will                  rates, and college persistence rates) for              management plan and personnel to
                                                    solicit, consider, and include in                       educationally disadvantaged students                   replicate or expand high-quality charter
                                                    governance input from parents and                       served by the charter schools operated                 schools under the proposed project, the
                                                    other members of the community on the                   or managed by the applicant have                       Secretary considers—
                                                    implementation and operation of each                    exceeded the average academic                             (1) The adequacy of the management
                                                    replicated or expanded charter school.                  achievement results for such students in               plan to achieve the objectives of the
                                                       (i) Describe how the applicant will                  the State (15 points).                                 proposed project on time and within
                                                    ensure that each replicated or expanded                    3. The extent to which charter schools
                                                                                                                                                                   budget, including clearly defined
                                                    charter school will recruit and enroll                  operated or managed by the applicant
                                                                                                                                                                   responsibilities, timelines, and
                                                    students, including students with                       have not been closed; have not had a
                                                                                                                                                                   milestones for accomplishing project
                                                    disabilities, English learners, and other               charter revoked due to noncompliance
                                                                                                                                                                   tasks (5 points);
                                                    educationally disadvantaged students,                   with statutory or regulatory
                                                                                                                                                                      (2) The qualifications, including
                                                    and describe the lottery and enrollment                 requirements; have not had their
                                                                                                                                                                   relevant training and experience, of the
                                                    procedures that will be used for each                   affiliation with the applicant revoked or
                                                                                                                                                                   project director, chief executive officer
                                                    replicated or expanded charter school if                terminated, including through voluntary
                                                                                                                                                                   or organization leader, and key project
                                                    more students apply for admission than                  disaffiliation; have not had any
                                                                                                                                                                   personnel, especially in managing
                                                    can be accommodated. For applicants                     significant issues in the area of financial
                                                                                                                                                                   projects of the size and scope of the
                                                    that propose to use a weighted lottery,                 or operational management; have not
                                                                                                                                                                   proposed project (10 points); and
                                                    describe how the weighted lottery                       experienced significant problems with
                                                                                                                                                                      (3) The ability of the applicant to
                                                    complies with section 4303(c)(3)(A) of                  statutory or regulatory compliance that
                                                                                                                                                                   sustain the operation of the replicated or
                                                    the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.                       could lead to revocation of the school’s
                                                                                                                                                                   expanded charter schools after the grant
                                                       (j) Describe how the applicant will                  charter; and have not had any
                                                                                                                                                                   has ended, as demonstrated by the
                                                    ensure that all eligible students with                  significant issues with respect to
                                                                                                                                                                   multi-year financial and operating
                                                    disabilities receive a free appropriate                 student safety (15 points).
                                                                                                               (b) Contribution in assisting                       model included in the applicant’s
                                                    public education in accordance with
                                                                                                            educationally disadvantaged students.                  response to application requirement (g)
                                                    Part B of the IDEA.
                                                                                                            (25 points)                                            (5 points).
                                                       (k) Describe how the proposed project
                                                    will assist educationally disadvantaged                    The significance of the contribution                   3. Review and Selection Process: We
                                                    students in mastering State academic                    the proposed project will make in                      remind potential applicants that in
                                                    content standards and State student                     expanding educational opportunities for                reviewing applications in any
                                                    academic achievement standards.                         educationally disadvantaged students                   discretionary grant competition, the
                                                       (l) Describe the applicant’s planned                 and enabling those students to meet                    Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR
                                                    activities and expenditures of Federal                  challenging State academic standards.                  75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
                                                    grant funds.                                            In determining the significance of the                 applicant in carrying out a previous
                                                       (m) Include a request and justification              contribution the proposed project will                 award, such as the applicant’s use of
                                                    for any waivers of Federal statutory or                 make, the Secretary considers:                         funds, achievement of project
                                                    regulatory requirements that the                           1. The extent to which charter schools              objectives, and compliance with grant
                                                    applicant believes are necessary for the                currently operated or managed by the                   conditions. The Secretary may also
                                                    successful operation of its replicated or               applicant serve educationally                          consider whether the applicant failed to
                                                    expanded charter schools.                               disadvantaged students, including                      submit a timely performance report or
                                                       2. Selection Criteria. The maximum                   students with disabilities and English                 submitted a report of unacceptable
                                                    possible score for addressing all of the                learners, at rates comparable to                       quality.
                                                                                                                                                                      In addition, in making a competitive
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                                                    criteria in this section is 100 points. The             surrounding public schools (10 points);
                                                    maximum possible score for addressing                   and                                                    grant award, the Secretary requires
                                                    each criterion is indicated in                             2. The quality of the plan to ensure                various assurances, including those
                                                    parentheses following the criterion.                    that the charter schools the applicant                 applicable to Federal civil rights laws
                                                       In evaluating an application, the                    proposes to replicate or expand will                   that prohibit discrimination in programs
                                                    Secretary considers the following                       recruit and enroll educationally                       or activities receiving Federal financial
                                                    criteria:                                               disadvantaged students (15 points).                    assistance from the Department of
                                                       (a) Quality of the eligible applicant.                  (c) Quality of the evaluation plan for              Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4,
                                                    (45 points)                                             the proposed project. (10 points)                      108.8, and 110.23).


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                                                                                    Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices                                             4331

                                                       4. Risk Assessment and Special                       requirements in the Applicable                         and performance targets consistent with
                                                    Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR                       Regulations section of this notice.                    the objectives of the proposed project.
                                                    200.205, before awarding grants under                     We reference the regulations outlining               Applications must provide the
                                                    this competition the Department                         the terms and conditions of an award in                following information as directed under
                                                    conducts a review of the risks posed by                 the Applicable Regulations section of                  34 CFR 75.110(b) and (c):
                                                    applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the                    this notice and include these and other                   (1) Performance measures. How each
                                                    Secretary may impose specific                           specific conditions in the GAN. The                    proposed performance measure would
                                                    conditions and, in appropriate                          GAN also incorporates your approved                    accurately measure the performance of
                                                    circumstances, high-risk conditions on a                application as part of your binding                    the project and how the proposed
                                                    grant if the applicant or grantee is not                commitments under the grant.                           performance measure would be
                                                    financially stable; has a history of                      3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a                 consistent with the performance
                                                    unsatisfactory performance; has a                       grant under this competition, you must                 measures established for the program
                                                    financial or other management system                    ensure that you have in place the                      funding the competition.
                                                    that does not meet the standards in 2                   necessary processes and systems to                        (2) Baseline data. (i) Why each
                                                    CFR part 200, subpart D; has not                        comply with the reporting requirements                 proposed baseline is valid; or (ii) if the
                                                    fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant;              in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive                   applicant has determined that there are
                                                    or is otherwise not responsible.                        funding under the competition. This                    no established baseline data for a
                                                       5. Integrity and Performance System:                 does not apply if you have an exception                particular performance measure, an
                                                    If you are selected under this                          under 2 CFR 170.110(b).                                explanation of why there is no
                                                                                                              (b) At the end of your project period,
                                                    competition to receive an award that,                                                                          established baseline and of how and
                                                                                                            you must submit a final performance
                                                    over the course of the project period,                                                                         when, during the project period, the
                                                                                                            report, including financial information,
                                                    may exceed the simplified acquisition                                                                          applicant would establish a valid
                                                                                                            as directed by the Secretary. If you
                                                    threshold (currently $150,000), under 2                                                                        baseline for the performance measure.
                                                                                                            receive a multiyear award, you must
                                                    CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a                                                                                  (3) Performance targets. Why each
                                                                                                            submit an annual performance report
                                                    judgment about your integrity, business                                                                        proposed performance target is
                                                                                                            that provides the most current
                                                    ethics, and record of performance under                                                                        ambitious yet achievable compared to
                                                                                                            performance and financial expenditure
                                                    Federal awards—that is, the risk posed                                                                         the baseline for the performance
                                                                                                            information as directed by the Secretary
                                                    by you as an applicant—before we make                   under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary                     measure and when, during the project
                                                    an award. In doing so, we must consider                 may also require more frequent                         period, the applicant would meet the
                                                    any information about you that is in the                performance reports under 34 CFR                       performance target(s).
                                                    integrity and performance system                        75.720(c). For specific requirements on                   (4) Data collection and reporting. (i)
                                                    (currently referred to as the Federal                   reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/                    The data collection and reporting
                                                    Awardee Performance and Integrity                       fund/grant/apply/appforms/                             methods the applicant would use and
                                                    Information System (FAPIIS)),                           appforms.html.                                         why those methods are likely to yield
                                                    accessible through SAM. You may                           (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the                      reliable, valid, and meaningful
                                                    review and comment on any                               Secretary may provide a grantee with                   performance data; and (ii) the
                                                    information about yourself that a                       additional funding for data collection                 applicant’s capacity to collect and
                                                    Federal agency previously entered and                   analysis and reporting. In this case the               report reliable, valid, and meaningful
                                                    that is currently in FAPIIS.                            Secretary establishes a data collection                performance data, as evidenced by high-
                                                       Please note that, if the total value of              period.                                                quality data collection, analysis, and
                                                    your currently active grants, cooperative                 4. Performance Measures: (a) The                     reporting in other projects or research.
                                                    agreements, and procurement contracts                   primary goal of the CSP is to support the                 All grantees must submit an annual
                                                    from the Federal Government exceeds                     creation and development of a large                    performance report with information
                                                    $10,000,000, the reporting requirements                 number of high-quality charter schools                 that is responsive to these performance
                                                    in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII,                        that are free from State or local rules                measures.
                                                    require you to report certain integrity                 that inhibit flexible operation, are held                 5. Continuation Awards: In making a
                                                    information to FAPIIS semiannually.                     accountable for enabling students to                   continuation award under 34 CFR
                                                    Please review the requirements in 2 CFR                 reach challenging State performance                    75.253, the Secretary considers, among
                                                    part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant                   standards, and are open to all students.               other things, whether a grantee has
                                                    plus all the other Federal funds you                    The Secretary has two performance                      made substantial progress in achieving
                                                    receive exceed $10,000,000.                             indicators to measure progress towards                 the goals and objectives of the project;
                                                                                                            this goal: (1) The number of charter                   whether the grantee has expended funds
                                                    VI. Award Administration Information
                                                                                                            schools in operation around the Nation,                in a manner that is consistent with its
                                                       1. Award Notices: If your application                and (2) the percentage of fourth- and                  approved application and budget; and,
                                                    is successful, we notify your U.S.                      eighth-grade charter school students                   if the Secretary has established
                                                    Representative and U.S. Senators and                    who are achieving at or above the                      performance measurement
                                                    send you a Grant Award Notification                     proficient level on State assessments in               requirements, the performance targets
                                                    (GAN); or we may send you an email                      mathematics and reading/language arts.                 in the grantee’s approved application.
                                                    containing a link to access an electronic               Additionally, the Secretary has                           In making a continuation award, the
                                                    version of your GAN. We may notify                      established the following measure to                   Secretary also considers whether the
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                                                    you informally, also.                                   examine the efficiency of the CSP:                     grantee is operating in compliance with
                                                       If your application is not evaluated or              Federal cost per student in                            the assurances in its approved
                                                    not selected for funding, we notify you.                implementing a successful school                       application, including those applicable
                                                       2. Administrative and National Policy                (defined as a school in operation for                  to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit
                                                    Requirements: We identify                               three or more consecutive years).                      discrimination in programs or activities
                                                    administrative and national policy                        (b) Project-Specific Performance                     receiving Federal financial assistance
                                                    requirements in the application package                 Measures. Applicants must propose                      from the Department (34 CFR 100.4,
                                                    and reference these and other                           project-specific performance measures                  104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).


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                                                    4332                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 9 / Friday, January 13, 2017 / Notices

                                                      6. Project Director’s Meeting:                        DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION                                is described below. The Department of
                                                    Applicants approved for funding under                                                                          Education is especially interested in
                                                                                                            [Docket No.: ED–2016–ICCD–0092]
                                                    this competition must attend a two-day                                                                         public comment addressing the
                                                    meeting for project directors at a                      Agency Information Collection                          following issues: (1) Is this collection
                                                    location to be determined in the                        Activities; Submission to the Office of                necessary to the proper functions of the
                                                    continental United States during each                   Management and Budget for Review                       Department; (2) will this information be
                                                    year of the project. Applicants may                     and Approval; Comment Request;                         processed and used in a timely manner;
                                                    include the cost of attending this                      EDFacts Data Collection School Years                   (3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
                                                    meeting in their proposed budgets.                      2016–17, 2017–18, and 2018–19                          (4) how might the Department enhance
                                                                                                                                                                   the quality, utility, and clarity of the
                                                    VII. Agency Contact                                     AGENCY:   National Center for Education                information to be collected; and (5) how
                                                                                                            Statistics (NCES), Department of                       might the Department minimize the
                                                    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                        Education (ED).                                        burden of this collection on the
                                                    Eddie Moat, U.S. Department of                          ACTION: Notice.                                        respondents, including through the use
                                                    Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,                                                                            of information technology. Please note
                                                    Room 4W259, Washington, DC 20202–                       SUMMARY:    In accordance with the                     that written comments received in
                                                    5970. Telephone: (202) 401–2266 or by                   Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is                 response to this notice will be
                                                    email: charterschools@ed.gov.                           proposing a revision of an existing                    considered public records.
                                                                                                            information collection.                                   Title of Collection: EDFacts Data
                                                      If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the                   DATES: Interested persons are invited to               Collection School Years 2016–17, 2017–
                                                    FRS, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339.                      submit comments on or before February                  18, and 2018–19.
                                                    VIII. Other Information                                 13, 2017.                                                 OMB Control Number: 1850–0925.
                                                                                                            ADDRESSES: To access and review all the                   Type of Review: A revision of an
                                                       Accessible Format: Individuals with                  documents related to the information                   existing information collection.
                                                    disabilities can obtain this document                   collection listed in this notice, please                  Respondents/Affected Public: State,
                                                    and a copy of the application package in                                                                       Local, and Tribal Governments.
                                                                                                            use http://www.regulations.gov by
                                                    an accessible format (e.g., braille, large                                                                        Total Estimated Number of Annual
                                                                                                            searching the Docket ID number ED–
                                                                                                                                                                   Responses: 61.
                                                    print, audiotape, or compact disc) on                   2016–ICCD–0092. Comments submitted                        Total Estimated Number of Annual
                                                    request to the program contact person                   in response to this notice should be                   Burden Hours: 126,800.
                                                    listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION                    submitted electronically through the                      Abstract: EDFacts is a U.S.
                                                    CONTACT in section VII of this notice.                  Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://                  Department of Education (ED) initiative
                                                       Electronic Access to This Document:                  www.regulations.gov by selecting the                   to collect, analyze, report on and
                                                    The official version of this document is                Docket ID number or via postal mail,                   promote the use of high-quality, pre-
                                                    the document published in the Federal                   commercial delivery, or hand delivery.                 kindergarten through grade 12 (pre-K–
                                                                                                            Please note that comments submitted by                 12) performance data for use in
                                                    Register. Free Internet access to the
                                                                                                            fax or email and those submitted after                 education planning, policymaking, and
                                                    official edition of the Federal Register
                                                                                                            the comment period will not be                         management and budget decision
                                                    and the Code of Federal Regulations is                  accepted. Written requests for
                                                    available via the Federal Digital System                                                                       making to improve outcomes for
                                                                                                            information or comments submitted by                   students. EDFacts enables the National
                                                    at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you                 postal mail or delivery should be
                                                    can view this document, as well as all                                                                         Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
                                                                                                            addressed to the Director of the                       to report on students, schools, staff,
                                                    other documents of this Department                      Information Collection Clearance                       services, and education outcomes at the
                                                    published in the Federal Register, in                   Division, U.S. Department of Education,                state, district, and school levels, by
                                                    text or PDF. To use PDF you must have                   400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Room                     centralizing data provided by state
                                                    Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is                          224–84, Washington, DC 20202–4537.                     education agencies, local education
                                                    available free at the site.                             FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For                   agencies, and schools. This centralized
                                                       You may also access documents of the                 specific questions related to collection               approach provides ED users with the
                                                    Department published in the Federal                     activities, please contact NCES                        ability to efficiently analyze and report
                                                    Register by using the article search                    Information Collections at                             on submitted data and has reduced the
                                                    feature at: www.federalregister.gov.                    NCES.Information.Collections@ed.gov.                   reporting burden for state and local data
                                                    Specifically, through the advanced                      SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The                         producers through the use of
                                                    search feature at this site, you can limit              Department of Education (ED), in                       streamlined data collection, analysis,
                                                    your search to documents published by                   accordance with the Paperwork                          and reporting tools. EDFacts collects
                                                    the Department.                                         Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C.                 information on behalf of ED grant and
                                                                                                            3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general                   program offices for approximately 180
                                                      Dated: January 10, 2017.
                                                                                                            public and Federal agencies with an                    data groups for all 50 states, Washington
                                                    Margo Anderson,                                         opportunity to comment on proposed,                    DC, Puerto Rico, and seven outlying
                                                    Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for                   revised, and continuing collections of                 areas and freely associated states
                                                    Innovation and Improvement.                             information. This helps the Department                 (American Samoa, Federated States of
                                                                                                            assess the impact of its information                   Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands,
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                    [FR Doc. 2017–00748 Filed 1–12–17; 8:45 am]
                                                    BILLING CODE 4000–01–P                                  collection requirements and minimize                   Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
                                                                                                            the public’s reporting burden. It also                 Islands, Republic of Palau, and the U.S.
                                                                                                            helps the public understand the                        Virgin Islands), the Department of
                                                                                                            Department’s information collection                    Defense Education Activity (DoDEA),
                                                                                                            requirements and provide the requested                 and the Bureau of Indian Education
                                                                                                            data in the desired format. ED is                      (BIE). NCES seeks authorization from
                                                                                                            soliciting comments on the proposed                    OMB to revise its EDFacts data
                                                                                                            information collection request (ICR) that              collection and is requesting a new


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Document Created: 2017-01-13 02:45:13
Document Modified: 2017-01-13 02:45:13
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: January 13, 2017.
ContactEddie Moat, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W259, Washington, DC 20202- 5970. Telephone: (202) 401-2266 or by email: [email protected]
FR Citation82 FR 4322 

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