83_FR_17472 83 FR 17396 - Applications for New Awards; Education Innovation and Research Program-Mid-Phase Grants

83 FR 17396 - Applications for New Awards; Education Innovation and Research Program-Mid-Phase Grants

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 76 (April 19, 2018)

Page Range17396-17404
FR Document2018-08238

The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2018 for the Education Innovation and Research Program--Mid-phase Grants, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.411B (Mid-phase Grants).

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 76 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 76 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17396-17404]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08238]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Education Innovation and Research 
Program--Mid-Phase Grants

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

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 17397]]

SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2018 for the Education 
Innovation and Research Program--Mid-phase Grants, Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.411B (Mid-phase Grants).

DATES: 
    Applications Available: April 23, 2018.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: May 9, 2018.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 5, 2018.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 6, 2018.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to 
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the 
Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and available at 
www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Terpak, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4W312, Washington, DC 20202-
5900. Telephone: (202) 453-7122. 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Education Innovation and Research (EIR) 
program, established under section 4611 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act, as amended (ESEA), provides funding to create, develop, 
implement, replicate, or take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based, 
field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and 
attainment for high-need students; and rigorously evaluate such 
innovations. The EIR program is designed to generate and validate 
solutions to persistent educational challenges and to support the 
expansion of those solutions to serve substantially larger numbers of 
students.
    The central design element of the EIR program is its multi-tier 
structure that links the amount of funding that an applicant may 
receive to the quality of the evidence supporting the efficacy of the 
proposed project, with the expectation that projects that build this 
evidence will advance through EIR's grant tiers: ``Early-phase,'' 
``Mid-phase,'' and ``Expansion.'' Applicants proposing innovative 
practices that are supported by limited evidence can receive relatively 
small grants to support the development, implementation, and initial 
evaluation of the practices; applicants proposing practices supported 
by evidence from rigorous evaluations, such as an experimental study 
(as defined in this notice), can receive larger grant awards to support 
expansion across the country. This structure provides incentives for 
applicants to: (1) Explore new ways of addressing persistent challenges 
that other educators can build on and learn from; (2) build evidence of 
effectiveness of their practices; and (3) replicate and scale 
successful practices in new schools, districts, and States while 
addressing the barriers to scale, such as cost structures and 
implementation fidelity.
    All EIR projects are expected to generate information regarding 
their effectiveness in order to inform EIR grantees' efforts to learn 
about and improve upon their efforts, and to help similar, non-EIR 
efforts across the country benefit from EIR grantees' knowledge. By 
requiring that all grantees conduct independent evaluations of their 
EIR projects, EIR ensures that its funded projects make a significant 
contribution to improving the quality and quantity of information 
available to practitioners and policymakers about which practices 
improve student achievement, for which types of students, and in what 
contexts.
    The Department awards three types of grants under this program: 
``Early-phase'' grants, ``Mid-phase'' grants, and ``Expansion'' grants. 
These grants differ in terms of the level of prior evidence of 
effectiveness required for consideration for funding, the expectations 
regarding the kind of evidence and information funded projects should 
produce, the level of scale funded projects should reach, and, 
consequently, the amount of funding available to support each type of 
project.
    The Department expects that Mid-phase grants will be used to fund 
implementation and a rigorous evaluation of a program that has been 
successfully implemented under an Early-phase grant or other effort 
meeting similar criteria, for the purpose of measuring the program's 
impact and cost- effectiveness, if possible using existing 
administrative data. Mid-phase grants are supported by moderate 
evidence (as defined in this notice) for at least one population or 
setting, and grantees are encouraged to implement at the regional level 
(as defined in this notice) or at the national level (as defined in 
this notice). This notice invites applications for Mid-phase grants 
only. The notices inviting applications for Early-phase and Expansion 
grants are published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
    Background: Mid-phase projects are expected to refine and expand 
the use of practices with prior evidence of effectiveness in order to 
improve outcomes for high-need students. They are also expected to 
generate important information about an intervention's effectiveness, 
including for whom and in which contexts a practice is most effective, 
as well as cost-effective.
    With the funded Mid-phase projects, we aim to accelerate the 
building of a knowledge base of effective practices for addressing 
challenges and increase the likelihood that grantees can learn from one 
another while still exploring different approaches. We believe that 
improving outcomes across the education sector depends, in part, upon 
policymakers, practitioners, and researchers continually building upon 
one another's efforts to have the greatest impact.
    Mid-phase applicants are encouraged to design an evaluation that 
has the potential to meet the strong evidence (as defined in this 
notice) threshold. Mid-phase grantees should measure the cost-
effectiveness of their practices using administrative or other readily 
available data. These types of efforts are critical to sustaining and 
scaling EIR-funded effective practices after the EIR grant period ends, 
assuming that the practice has positive effects on important student 
outcomes. In order to support adoption or replication by other 
entities, the evaluation of a Mid-phase project should identify and 
codify the core elements of the EIR-supported practice that the project 
implements, and examine the effectiveness of the project for any new 
populations or settings that are included in the project. The 
Department intends to provide grantees and their independent evaluators 
with evaluation technical assistance. This evaluation technical 
assistance could include grantees and their independent evaluators 
providing to the Department or its contractor updated comprehensive 
evaluation plans in a format as requested by the technical assistance 
provider and using such tools as the Department may request. Grantees 
will be encouraged to update this evaluation plan at least annually to 
reflect any changes to the evaluation, with updates consistent with the 
scope and objectives of the approved application.
    The FY 2018 Mid-phase competition includes three absolute 
priorities and

[[Page 17398]]

two invitational priorities. All Mid-phase applicants must address 
Absolute Priority 1. Mid-phase applicants are also required to address 
one of the other two absolute priorities. Applicants have the option of 
addressing one or more of the invitational priorities.
    The absolute priorities and invitational priorities align with the 
purpose of the program and the Administration's priorities. Absolute 
Priority 1 establishes the evidence requirement for this tier of 
grants. Absolute Priority 2 aligns with the EIR program as it is 
intended to take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-
initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment. In 
addition to incorporating the focus on field-initiated innovations in 
Absolute Priority 2, Absolute Priority 3 aligns with the 
Administration's efforts to invest in science, technology, engineering, 
and math (STEM) education in order to ensure our Nation's economic 
competitiveness by improving and expanding STEM learning and 
engagement. Invitational Priority 1 is intended to encourage applicants 
to focus on the needs of each child, with customized learning 
opportunities tailored to the needs of individual students. 
Invitational Priority 2 is intended to encourage applicants to improve 
early learning and cognitive development outcomes. Through these 
priorities, the Department intends to advance innovation and the use 
and building of evidence and address the learning and achievement of 
high-need students.
    Priorities: This competition includes three absolute priorities and 
two invitational priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priority 1 is from 34 CFR 75.226(d)(2). 
Absolute Priority 2 is from section 4611(a)(1)(A) of the ESEA. Absolute 
Priority 3 is from section 4611(a)(1)(A) of the ESEA and the 
Secretary's Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for 
Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on 
March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096) (Supplemental Priorities).
    Under the Mid-phase grant competition, absolute priorities 2 and 3 
constitute their own funding categories. The Secretary intends to award 
grants under each of these absolute priorities for which applications 
of sufficient quality are submitted. Because applications will be rank 
ordered separately for absolute priorities 2 and 3, applicants must 
clearly identify the specific absolute priority that the proposed 
project addresses.
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2018 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet Absolute Priority 
1, Moderate Evidence, and one additional absolute priority.
    These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1--Moderate Evidence

    Under this priority, we provide funding to projects supported by 
moderate evidence.

    Note: An applicant must identify up to two study citations to be 
reviewed against the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Handbook (as 
defined in this notice) for the purposes of meeting moderate 
evidence. The studies may have been conducted by the applicant or by 
a third party. An applicant should clearly identify these citations 
in the Evidence form. The Department may not review a study citation 
that an applicant fails to clearly identify for review. In addition 
to including up to two study citations, applicants must include in 
the form a description of: (1) The positive student outcomes they 
intend to replicate under their Mid-phase grant and how the 
characteristics of students and the positive student outcomes in the 
study citations correspond with the characteristics of the high-need 
students to be served under the Mid-phase grant; (2) the 
correspondence of practice(s) the applicant plans to implement with 
the practice(s) cited in the studies; and (3) the intended student 
outcomes that the proposed practice(s) attempts to impact.

    An applicant must ensure that all evidence is available to the 
Department from publicly available sources and provide links or other 
guidance indicating where it is available. If the Department determines 
that an applicant has provided insufficient information, the applicant 
will not have an opportunity to provide additional information at a 
later time. However, if the WWC determines that a study does not 
provide enough information on key aspects of the study design, such as 
sample attrition or equivalence of intervention and comparison groups, 
the WWC will submit a query to the study author(s) to gather 
information for use in determining a study rating. Authors are asked to 
respond to queries within 10 business days. Should the author query 
remain incomplete within 14 days of the initial contact to the study 
author(s), the study will be deemed ineligible under the grant 
competition. After the grant competition closes, the WWC will continue 
to include responses to author queries and will make updates to study 
reviews as necessary, but no additional information will be taken into 
account after the competition closes and the initial timeline 
established for response to an author query passes.

Absolute Priority 2--Field-Initiated Innovations--General

    Under the priority, we provide funding to projects that are 
designed to create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale 
entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve 
student achievement and attainment for high-need students.

Absolute Priority 3-- Field-Initiated Innovations--Promoting Science, 
Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) Education, With a Particular 
Focus on Computer Science

    Under the priority, we provide funding to projects that are 
designed to:
    (1) Create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale 
entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve 
student achievement and attainment for high-need students, and;
    (2) Improve student achievement or other educational outcomes in 
one or more of the following areas: Science, technology, engineering, 
math, or computer science (as defined in this notice). These projects 
must address the following priority area:
    Increasing access to STEM coursework, including computer science 
(as defined in this notice), and hands-on learning opportunities, such 
as through expanded course offerings, dual-enrollment, high-quality 
online coursework, or other innovative delivery mechanisms.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2018 and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 
CFR.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets these 
invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications.
    These priorities are:

Invitational Priority One--Personalized Learning

    Projects that support educators in personalizing learning for all 
students so that learning opportunities may be tailored to fit the 
needs of individual students. In personalized learning environments, 
the pace, location, and delivery method of education may vary based on 
individual student interests and needs. Personalized learning 
approaches recognize that there are multiple pathways through which 
students can develop and demonstrate academic competencies and social-
emotional skills aligned to college- and career-ready standards and 
that students may attain these competencies and

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skills at different times. Examples of personalized learning 
instructional approaches include dynamic student groupings, student-
driven projects, and the use of adaptive technologies such as digital 
curricula to both accelerate, and targeting gaps in, student learning. 
Personalized learning approaches use data to provide ongoing feedback 
about student progress to educators, students, and their families and 
to adjust learning strategies in real time.

Invitational Priority Two--Early Learning and Cognitive Development

    The Department is especially interested in projects that improve 
early learning and cognitive development outcomes through neuroscience-
based and scientifically validated interventions.
    Definitions: The definitions of ``baseline,'' ``experimental 
study,'' ``moderate evidence,'' ``national level,'' ``nonprofit,'' 
``performance measure,'' ``performance target,'' ``project component,'' 
``quasi-experimental design study,'' ``regional level,'' ``relevant 
outcome,'' ``strong evidence,'' and ``What Works Clearinghouse Handbook 
(WWC Handbook)'' are from 34 CFR 77.1. The definition for ``computer 
science'' is from the Supplemental Priorities. The definitions of 
``local educational agency'' and ``State educational agency'' are from 
section 8101 of the ESEA.
    Baseline means the starting point from which performance is 
measured and targets are set.
    Computer science means the study of computers and algorithmic 
processes and includes the study of computing principles and theories, 
computational thinking, computer hardware, software design, coding, 
analytics, and computer applications.
    Computer science often includes computer programming or coding as a 
tool to create software, including applications, games, websites, and 
tools to manage or manipulate data; or development and management of 
computer hardware and the other electronics related to sharing, 
securing, and using digital information.
    In addition to coding, the expanding field of computer science 
emphasizes computational thinking and interdisciplinary problem-solving 
to equip students with the skills and abilities necessary to apply 
computation in our digital world.
    Computer science does not include using a computer for everyday 
activities, such as browsing the internet; use of tools like word 
processing, spreadsheets, or presentation software; or using computers 
in the study and exploration of unrelated subjects.
    Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare 
outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as students) that are 
otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment 
group receiving a project component (as defined in this notice) or a 
control group that does not. Randomized controlled trials, regression 
discontinuity design studies, and single-case design studies are the 
specific types of experimental studies that, depending on their design 
and implementation (e.g., sample attrition in randomized controlled 
trials and regression discontinuity design studies), can meet What 
Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards without reservations as described 
in the WWC Handbook:
    (i) A randomized controlled trial employs random assignment of, for 
example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to receive the 
project component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to 
receive the project component (the control group).
    (ii) A regression discontinuity design study assigns the project 
component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning 
students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental 
education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of 
outcomes.
    (iii) A single-case design study uses observations of a single case 
(e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in 
the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to 
determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the 
treatment.
    Local educational agency (LEA) means:
    (a) In General. A public board of education or other public 
authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative 
control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public 
elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, 
school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or of or 
for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in 
a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools 
or secondary schools.
    (b) Administrative Control and Direction. The term includes any 
other public institution or agency having administrative control and 
direction of a public elementary school or secondary school.
    (c) Bureau of Indian Education Schools. The term includes an 
elementary school or secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian 
Education but only to the extent that including the school makes the 
school eligible for programs for which specific eligibility is not 
provided to the school in another provision of law and the school does 
not have a student population that is smaller than the student 
population of the local educational agency receiving assistance under 
the ESEA with the smallest student population, except that the school 
shall not be subject to the jurisdiction of any State educational 
agency (as defined in this notice) other than the Bureau of Indian 
Education.
    (d) Educational Service Agencies. The term includes educational 
service agencies and consortia of those agencies.
    (e) State Educational Agency. The term includes the State 
educational agency in a State in which the State educational agency is 
the sole educational agency for all public schools.
    Moderate evidence means that there is evidence of effectiveness of 
a key project component in improving a relevant outcome (as defined in 
this notice) for a sample that overlaps with the populations or 
settings proposed to receive that component, based on a relevant 
finding from one of the following:
    (i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 
of the WWC Handbook reporting a ``strong evidence base'' or ``moderate 
evidence base'' for the corresponding practice guide recommendation;
    (ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1 
or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook reporting a ``positive effect'' or 
``potentially positive effect'' on a relevant outcome based on a 
``medium to large'' extent of evidence, with no reporting of a 
``negative effect'' or ``potentially negative effect'' on a relevant 
outcome; or
    (iii) A single experimental study or quasi-experimental design 
study (as defined in this notice) reviewed and reported by the WWC 
using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, or otherwise assessed by 
the Department using version 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, as appropriate, 
and that--
    (A) Meets WWC standards with or without reservations;
    (B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive 
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome;
    (C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative 
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a 
corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under

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version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook; and
    (D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (e.g., State, 
county, city, school district, or postsecondary campus) and includes at 
least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies 
of the same project component that each meet requirements in paragraphs 
(iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may together satisfy this 
requirement.
    National level describes the level of scope or effectiveness of a 
process, product, strategy, or practice that is able to be effective in 
a wide variety of communities, including rural and urban areas, as well 
as with different groups (e.g., economically disadvantaged, racial and 
ethnic groups, migrant populations, individuals with disabilities, 
English learners, and individuals of each gender).
    Nonprofit, as applied to an agency, organization, or institution, 
means that it is owned and operated by one or more corporations or 
associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully 
benefit, any private shareholder or entity.
    Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or 
metric used to gauge program or project performance.
    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.
    Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, 
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence 
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of 
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices 
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
    Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that 
attempts to approximate an experimental study by identifying a 
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important 
respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation 
(e.g., establishment of baseline equivalence of the groups being 
compared), can meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet 
WWC standards without reservations, as described in the WWC Handbook.
    Regional level describes the level of scope or effectiveness of a 
process, product, strategy, or practice that is able to serve a variety 
of communities within a State or multiple States, including rural and 
urban areas, as well as with different groups (e.g., economically 
disadvantaged, racial and ethnic groups, migrant populations, 
individuals with disabilities, English learners, and individuals of 
each gender). For an LEA-based project, to be considered a regional-
level project, a process, product, strategy, or practice must serve 
students in more than one LEA, unless the process, product, strategy, 
or practice is implemented in a State in which the State educational 
agency is the sole educational agency for all schools.
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) 
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the 
specific goals of the program.
    State educational agency (SEA) means the agency primarily 
responsible for the State supervision of public elementary schools and 
secondary schools.
    Strong evidence means that there is evidence of the effectiveness 
of a key project component in improving a relevant outcome for a sample 
that overlaps with the populations and settings proposed to receive 
that component, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
    (i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 
of the WWC Handbook reporting a ``strong evidence base'' for the 
corresponding practice guide recommendation;
    (ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1 
or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook reporting a ``positive effect'' on a 
relevant outcome based on a ``medium to large'' extent of evidence, 
with no reporting of a ``negative effect'' or ``potentially negative 
effect'' on a relevant outcome; or
    (iii) A single experimental study reviewed and reported by the WWC 
using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, or otherwise assessed by 
the Department using version 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, as appropriate, 
and that--
    (A) Meets WWC standards without reservations;
    (B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive 
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome;
    (C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative 
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a 
corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under version 2.1 or 3.0 
of the WWC Handbook; and
    (D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (e.g., State, 
county, city, school district, or postsecondary campus) and includes at 
least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies 
of the same project component that each meet requirements in paragraphs 
(iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may together satisfy this 
requirement.
    What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (WWC Handbook) means the 
standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Procedures and Standards 
Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version 2.1 (incorporated by reference, see 34 
CFR 77.2). Study findings eligible for review under WWC standards can 
meet WWC standards without reservations, meet WWC standards with 
reservations, or not meet WWC standards. WWC practice guides and 
intervention reports include findings from systematic reviews of 
evidence as described in the Handbook documentation.

    Program Authority:  Section 4611 of the ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7261.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 
part 3474. (d) The Supplemental Priorities.

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

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $115,000,000.
    These estimated available funds are the total available for all 
three types of grants under the EIR program (Early-phase, Mid-phase, 
and Expansion grants). Contingent upon the availability of funds and 
the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in 
subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: Up to $8,000,000.
    Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $8,000,000 for a 
single project period of 60 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4-10.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.


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    Note:  Under section 4611(c) of the ESEA, the Department must 
use at least 25 percent of EIR funds for a fiscal year to make 
awards to applicants serving rural areas, contingent on receipt of a 
sufficient number of applications of sufficient quality. For 
purposes of this competition, we will consider an applicant as rural 
if the applicant meets the qualifications for rural applicants as 
described in the eligible applicants section and the applicant 
certifies that it meets those qualifications through the 
application.

    In implementing this statutory provision, the Department may fund 
high-quality applications from rural applicants out of rank order in 
the Mid-phase competition.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants:
    (a) An LEA;
    (b) An SEA;
    (c) The Bureau of Indian Education;
    (d) A consortium of SEAs or LEAs;
    (e) A nonprofit organization; and
    (f) An SEA, an LEA, a consortium described in (d), or the Bureau of 
Indian Education, in partnership with--
    (1) A nonprofit organization;
    (2) A business;
    (3) An educational service agency; or
    (4) An institution of higher education.
    To qualify as a rural applicant under the EIR program, an applicant 
must meet both of the following requirements:
    (a) The applicant is--
    (1) An LEA with an urban-centric district locale code of 32, 33, 
41, 42, or 43, as determined by the Secretary;
    (2) A consortium of such LEAs;
    (3) An educational service agency or a nonprofit organization in 
partnership with such an LEA; or
    (4) A grantee described in clause (1) or (2) in partnership with an 
SEA; and
    (b) A majority of the schools to be served by the program are 
designated with a locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43, or a 
combination of such codes, as determined by the Secretary.
    Applicants are encouraged to retrieve locale codes from the 
National Center for Education Statistics School District search tool 
(https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/), where districts can be 
looked up individually to retrieve locale codes, and Public School 
search tool (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/), where individual 
schools can be looked up to retrieve locale codes. More information on 
rural applicant eligibility is in the application package.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Under section 4611(d) of the ESEA, 
each grant recipient must provide, from Federal, State, local, or 
private sources, an amount equal to 10 percent of funds provided under 
the grant, which may be provided in cash or through in-kind 
contributions, to carry out activities supported by the grant. Grantees 
must include a budget showing their matching contributions to the 
budget amount of EIR grant funds and must provide evidence of their 
matching contributions for the first year of the grant in their grant 
applications. Section 4611(d) of the ESEA also authorizes the Secretary 
to waive this matching requirement on a case-by-case basis, upon a 
showing of exceptional circumstances, such as:
    (a) The difficulty of raising matching funds for a program to serve 
a rural area;
    (b) The difficulty of raising matching funds in areas with a 
concentration of LEAs or schools with a high percentage of students 
aged 5 through 17--
    (1) Who are in poverty, as counted in the most recent census data 
approved by the Secretary;
    (2) Who are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch under the 
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);
    (3) Whose families receive assistance under the State program 
funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
601 et seq.); or
    (4) Who are eligible to receive medical assistance under the 
Medicaid program; and
    (c) The difficulty of raising funds on Tribal land.
    Applicants that wish to apply for a waiver must include a request 
in their application that describes why the matching requirement would 
cause serious hardship or an inability to carry out project activities. 
Further information about applying for waivers can be found in the 
application package. However, given the importance of matching funds to 
the long-term success of the project, the Secretary expects eligible 
entities to identify appropriate matching funds.
    3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award 
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities 
described in its application.
    4. Other: a. Funding Categories: An applicant will be considered 
for an award only for the type of EIR grant (i.e., Early-phase, Mid-
phase, and Expansion grant) for which it applies. An applicant may not 
submit an application for the same proposed project under more than one 
type of grant.

    Note:  Each application will be reviewed under the competition 
it was submitted under in the Grants.gov system, and only 
applications that are successfully submitted by the established 
deadline will be peer reviewed. Applicants should be careful that 
they download the intended EIR application package and that they 
submit their applications under the intended EIR competition.

    b. Evaluation: The grantee must conduct an independent evaluation 
of the effectiveness of its project.
    c. High-need students: The grantee must serve high-need students.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: For information on how to 
submit an application please refer to our Common Instructions for 
Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, 
published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and 
available at www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.
    2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the Mid-phase 
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 believe is exempt from disclosure 
under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of your 
application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the page 
number or numbers on which we can find this information. For additional 
information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
    3. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    5. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of 
the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection 
criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend 
that you (1) limit the application narrative for a Mid-phase grant 
application to no more than 30 pages and (2) use the following 
standards:

[[Page 17402]]

     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover 
sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of 
support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the 
application narrative.
    6. Notice of Intent to Apply: We will be able to develop a more 
efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we know the 
approximate number of applicants that intend to apply for funding under 
this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each 
potential applicant to notify us of the applicant's intent to submit an 
application by completing a web-based form. When completing this form, 
applicants will provide (1) the applicant organization's name and 
address and (2) the absolute priority the applicant intends to address. 
Applicants may access this form online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/PBVB8PJ. Applicants that do not complete this form may still submit an 
application.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for the Mid-phase 
competition are from 34 CFR 75.210. The points assigned to each 
criterion are indicated in the parentheses next to the criterion. An 
applicant may earn up to a total of 100 points based on the selection 
criteria for the application.

A. Significance (up to 15 Points)

    In determining the significance of the project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    (2) The national significance of the proposed project.
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the 
competition.

B. Strategy to Scale (up to 30 Points)

    In determining the applicant's capacity to scale the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates there is unmet 
demand for the process, product, strategy, or practice that will enable 
the applicant to reach the level of scale that is proposed in the 
application.
    (2) The extent to which the applicant identifies a specific 
strategy or strategies that address a particular barrier or barriers 
that prevented the applicant, in the past, from reaching the level of 
scale that is proposed in the application.
    (3) The feasibility of successful replication of the proposed 
project, if favorable results are obtained, in a variety of settings 
and with a variety of populations.

C. Quality of the Project Design and Management Plan (up to 35 Points)

    In determining the quality of the proposed project design, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (2) 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.
    (3) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
    (4) The potential and planning for the incorporation of project 
purposes, activities, or benefits into the ongoing work of the 
applicant beyond the end of the grant.

D. Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 20 Points)

    In determining the quality of the project evaluation to be 
conducted, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well 
implemented, produce evidence about the project's effectiveness that 
would meet the What Works Clearinghouse standards without reservations 
as described in the What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (as defined in 
this notice).
    (2) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about 
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other 
settings.
    (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
valid and reliable performance data on relevant outcomes.
    (4) The extent to which the evaluation plan clearly articulates the 
key project components, mediators, and outcomes, as well as a 
measurable threshold for acceptable implementation.

    Note:  Applicants may wish to review the following technical 
assistance resources on evaluation: (1) WWC Procedures and Standards 
Handbooks: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks; (2) ``Technical 
Assistance Materials for Conducting Rigorous Impact Evaluations'': 
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/projects/evaluationTA.asp; and (3) IES/NCEE 
Technical Methods papers: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/tech_methods/. In 
addition, applicants may view an optional webinar recording that was 
hosted by the Institute of Education Sciences. The webinar focused 
on more rigorous evaluation designs, discussing strategies for 
designing and executing experimental studies that meet WWC evidence 
standards without reservations. This webinar is available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Multimedia.aspx?sid=18.

    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    Before making awards, we will screen applications submitted in 
accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine whether 
applications have met eligibility and other requirements. This 
screening process may occur at various stages of the process; 
applicants that are determined to be ineligible will not receive a 
grant, regardless of peer reviewer scores or comments.
    Peer reviewers will read, prepare a written evaluation of, and 
score the assigned applications, using the selection criteria provided 
in this notice. For Mid-phase grant applications we intend to conduct a 
single-tier review.
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department

[[Page 17403]]

conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in 
appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the 
applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of 
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system 
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$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 the System for Award Management. You may 
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal 
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR 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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant 
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. 
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20(c).

    Note:  A specific deliverable under a Mid-phase grant that 
grantees must openly license to the public is the evaluation report. 
Additionally, EIR grantees are encouraged to submit final studies 
resulting from research supported in whole or in part by EIR to the 
Educational Resources Information Center (http://eric.ed.gov).

    4. 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.
    5. Performance Measures: The overall purpose of the EIR program is 
to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative 
practices that are demonstrated to have an impact on improving student 
achievement and attainment for high-need students. We have established 
several performance measures (as defined in this notice) for the Mid-
phase grants.
    Annual performance measures: (1) The percentage of grantees that 
reach their annual target number of high-need students as specified in 
the application; (2) the percentage of grantees that reach their annual 
target number of high-need students as specified in the application; 
(3) the percentage of grantees with ongoing well-designed and 
independent evaluations that will provide evidence of their 
effectiveness at improving student outcomes in multiple contexts; (4) 
the percentage of grantees that implement an evaluation that provides 
information about the key practices and the approach of the project so 
as to facilitate replication; (5) the percentage of grantees that 
implement an evaluation that provides information on the cost-
effectiveness of the key practices to identify potential obstacles and 
success factors to scaling; and (6) the cost per student served by the 
grant.
    Cumulative performance measures: (1) The percentage of grantees 
that reach the targeted number of students specified in the 
application; (2) the percentage of grantees that reach the targeted 
number of high-need students specified in the application; (3) the 
percentage of grantees that implement a completed well-designed, well-
implemented and independent evaluation that provides evidence of their 
effectiveness at improving student outcomes at scale; (4) the 
percentage of grantees with a completed well-designed, well-
implemented, and independent evaluation that provides information about 
the key elements and the approach of the project so as to facilitate 
replication or testing in other settings; (5) the percentage of 
grantees with a completed evaluation that provided information on the 
cost-effectiveness of the key practices to identify potential obstacles 
and success factors to scaling; and (6) the cost per student served by 
the grant.
    Project-Specific Performance Measures: Applicants must propose 
project-specific performance measures and performance targets (as 
defined in this notice) consistent with the objectives of the proposed 
project. Applications must provide the

[[Page 17404]]

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 (as defined in this notice) 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.

VII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to 
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations 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 Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe 
Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: April 16, 2018.
Margo Anderson,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2018-08238 Filed 4-18-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P



                                               17396                         Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2018 / Notices

                                               requirements please refer to 2 CFR                      performance feedback to inform project                period, the applicant would meet the
                                               3474.20(c).                                             design; (4) the percentage of grantees                performance target(s).
                                                  Note: A specific deliverable under an                with ongoing well-designed and                          (4) Data collection and reporting. (i)
                                               Early-phase grant that grantees must openly             independent evaluations that will                     The data collection and reporting
                                               license to the public is the evaluation report.         provide evidence of their effectiveness               methods the applicant would use and
                                               Additionally, EIR grantees are encouraged to            at improving student outcomes; (5) the                why those methods are likely to yield
                                               submit final studies resulting from research            percentage of grantees that implement                 reliable, valid, and meaningful
                                               supported in whole or in part by EIR to the             an evaluation that provides information               performance data; and (ii) the
                                               Educational Resources Information Center
                                               (http://eric.ed.gov).
                                                                                                       about the key elements and the                        applicant’s capacity to collect and
                                                                                                       approach of the project so as to facilitate           report reliable, valid, and meaningful
                                                  4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a                 testing, development, or replication in               performance data, as evidenced by high-
                                               grant under this competition, you must                  other settings; and (6) the cost per                  quality data collection, analysis, and
                                               ensure that you have in place the                       student served by the grant.                          reporting in other projects or research.
                                               necessary processes and systems to                         Cumulative performance measures:                     All grantees must submit an annual
                                               comply with the reporting requirements                  (1) The percentage of grantees that reach             performance report with information
                                               in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive                    the targeted number of students                       that is responsive to these performance
                                               funding under the competition. This                     specified in the application; (2) the                 measures.
                                               does not apply if you have an exception                 percentage of grantees that reached the
                                               under 2 CFR 170.110(b).                                 target number of high-need students                   VII. Other Information
                                                  (b) At the end of your project period,               specified in the application; (3) the
                                               you must submit a final performance                                                                              Accessible Format: Individuals with
                                                                                                       percentage of grantees that use                       disabilities can obtain this document
                                               report, including financial information,
                                                                                                       evaluation data to make changes to their              and a copy of the application package in
                                               as directed by the Secretary. If you
                                                                                                       practice(s); (4) the percentage of                    an accessible format (e.g., braille, large
                                               receive a multiyear award, you must
                                                                                                       grantees that implement a completed                   print, audiotape, or compact disc) on
                                               submit an annual performance report
                                                                                                       well-designed, well-implemented, and                  request to the program contact person
                                               that provides the most current
                                                                                                       independent evaluation that provides                  listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
                                               performance and financial expenditure
                                                                                                       evidence of their effectiveness at                    CONTACT.
                                               information as directed by the Secretary
                                                                                                       improving student outcomes; (5) the                      Electronic Access to This Document:
                                               under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary
                                                                                                       percentage of grantees with a completed               The official version of this document is
                                               may also require more frequent
                                               performance reports under 34 CFR                        evaluation that provides information                  the document published in the Federal
                                               75.720(c). For specific requirements on                 about the key elements and the                        Register. You may access the official
                                               reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/                     approach of the project so as to facilitate           edition of the Federal Register and the
                                               fund/grant/apply/appforms/                              testing, development, or replication in               Code of Federal Regulations via the
                                               appforms.html.                                          other settings; and (6) the cost per                  Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/
                                                  (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the                      student served by the grant.                          fdsys. At this site you can view this
                                               Secretary may provide a grantee with                       Project-Specific Performance                       document, as well as all other
                                               additional funding for data collection                  Measures: Applicants must propose                     documents of this Department
                                               analysis and reporting. In this case the                project-specific performance measures                 published in the Federal Register, in
                                               Secretary establishes a data collection                 and performance targets (as defined in                text or Portable Document Format
                                               period.                                                 this notice) consistent with the                      (PDF). To use PDF you must have
                                                  5. Performance Measures: The overall                 objectives of the proposed project.                   Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
                                               purpose of the EIR program is to expand                 Applications must provide the                         available free at the site.
                                               the implementation of, and investment                   following information as directed under                  You may also access documents of the
                                               in, innovative practices that are                       34 CFR 75.110(b) and (c):                             Department published in the Federal
                                               demonstrated to have an impact on                          (1) Performance measures. How each                 Register by using the article search
                                               improving student achievement and                       proposed performance measure would                    feature at: www.federalregister.gov.
                                               attainment for high–need students. We                   accurately measure the performance of                 Specifically, through the advanced
                                               have established several performance                    the project and how the proposed                      search feature at this site, you can limit
                                               measures (as defined in this notice) for                performance measure would be                          your search to documents published by
                                               the Early-phase grants. By reporting on                 consistent with the performance                       the Department.
                                               these performance measures in Annual                    measures established for the program
                                                                                                       funding the competition.                                Dated: April 16, 2018.
                                               and Final Performance reports, grantees
                                                                                                          (2) Baseline (as defined in this notice)           Margo Anderson,
                                               will satisfy the requirement in section
                                               8101(21)(A)(ii)(II) of the ESEA for                     data. (i) Why each proposed baseline is               Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for
                                                                                                       valid; or (ii) if the applicant has                   Innovation and Improvement.
                                               projects relying on the ‘‘demonstrates a
                                               rationale’’ evidence level to have                      determined that there are no established              [FR Doc. 2018–08239 Filed 4–18–18; 8:45 am]
                                               ‘‘ongoing efforts to examine the effects’’              baseline data for a particular                        BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

                                               of the funded activity, strategy, or                    performance measure, an explanation of
                                               intervention.                                           why there is no established baseline and
                                                  Annual performance measures: (1)                     of how and when, during the project                   DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
                                               The percentage of grantees that reach                   period, the applicant would establish a
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                                                             Applications for New Awards;
                                               their annual target number of students                  valid baseline for the performance
                                                                                                                                                             Education Innovation and Research
                                               as specified in the application; (2) the                measure.
                                                                                                                                                             Program—Mid-Phase Grants
                                               percentage of grantees that reach their                    (3) Performance targets. Why each
                                               annual target number of high-need                       proposed performance target is                        AGENCY: Office of Innovation and
                                               students as specified in the application;               ambitious yet achievable compared to                  Improvement, Department of Education.
                                               (3) the percentage of grantees with                     the baseline for the performance
                                                                                                                                                             ACTION: Notice.
                                               evaluations designed to provide                         measure and when, during the project


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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2018 / Notices                                           17397

                                               SUMMARY:   The Department of Education                  and ‘‘Expansion.’’ Applicants proposing               defined in this notice). This notice
                                               (Department) is issuing a notice inviting               innovative practices that are supported               invites applications for Mid-phase
                                               applications for fiscal year (FY) 2018 for              by limited evidence can receive                       grants only. The notices inviting
                                               the Education Innovation and Research                   relatively small grants to support the                applications for Early-phase and
                                               Program—Mid-phase Grants, Catalog of                    development, implementation, and                      Expansion grants are published
                                               Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)                      initial evaluation of the practices;                  elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
                                               number 84.411B (Mid-phase Grants).                      applicants proposing practices                        Register.
                                               DATES:                                                  supported by evidence from rigorous                      Background: Mid-phase projects are
                                                  Applications Available: April 23,                    evaluations, such as an experimental                  expected to refine and expand the use
                                               2018.                                                   study (as defined in this notice), can                of practices with prior evidence of
                                                  Deadline for Notice of Intent To                     receive larger grant awards to support                effectiveness in order to improve
                                               Apply: May 9, 2018.                                     expansion across the country. This                    outcomes for high-need students. They
                                                  Deadline for Transmittal of                          structure provides incentives for                     are also expected to generate important
                                               Applications: June 5, 2018.                             applicants to: (1) Explore new ways of                information about an intervention’s
                                                  Deadline for Intergovernmental                       addressing persistent challenges that                 effectiveness, including for whom and
                                               Review: August 6, 2018.                                 other educators can build on and learn                in which contexts a practice is most
                                                                                                       from; (2) build evidence of effectiveness             effective, as well as cost-effective.
                                               ADDRESSES: For the addresses for                                                                                 With the funded Mid-phase projects,
                                                                                                       of their practices; and (3) replicate and
                                               obtaining and submitting an                                                                                   we aim to accelerate the building of a
                                                                                                       scale successful practices in new
                                               application, please refer to our Common                                                                       knowledge base of effective practices for
                                                                                                       schools, districts, and States while
                                               Instructions for Applicants to                                                                                addressing challenges and increase the
                                                                                                       addressing the barriers to scale, such as
                                               Department of Education Discretionary                   cost structures and implementation                    likelihood that grantees can learn from
                                               Grant Programs, published in the                        fidelity.                                             one another while still exploring
                                               Federal Register on February 12, 2018                      All EIR projects are expected to                   different approaches. We believe that
                                               (83 FR 6003) and available at                           generate information regarding their                  improving outcomes across the
                                               www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/                    effectiveness in order to inform EIR                  education sector depends, in part, upon
                                               pdf/2018-02558.pdf.                                     grantees’ efforts to learn about and                  policymakers, practitioners, and
                                               FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                        improve upon their efforts, and to help               researchers continually building upon
                                               Kelly Terpak, U.S. Department of                        similar, non-EIR efforts across the                   one another’s efforts to have the greatest
                                               Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,                      country benefit from EIR grantees’                    impact.
                                               Room 4W312, Washington, DC 20202–                       knowledge. By requiring that all                         Mid-phase applicants are encouraged
                                               5900. Telephone: (202) 453–7122.                        grantees conduct independent                          to design an evaluation that has the
                                               Email: eir@ed.gov.                                      evaluations of their EIR projects, EIR                potential to meet the strong evidence (as
                                                  If you use a telecommunications                      ensures that its funded projects make a               defined in this notice) threshold. Mid-
                                               device for the deaf (TDD) or a text                     significant contribution to improving                 phase grantees should measure the cost-
                                               telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay                 the quality and quantity of information               effectiveness of their practices using
                                               Service (FRS), toll-free, at 1–800–877–                 available to practitioners and                        administrative or other readily available
                                               8339.                                                   policymakers about which practices                    data. These types of efforts are critical
                                                                                                       improve student achievement, for which                to sustaining and scaling EIR-funded
                                               SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                                                                                                       types of students, and in what contexts.              effective practices after the EIR grant
                                               Full Text of Announcement                                  The Department awards three types of               period ends, assuming that the practice
                                               I. Funding Opportunity Description                      grants under this program: ‘‘Early-                   has positive effects on important
                                                                                                       phase’’ grants, ‘‘Mid-phase’’ grants, and             student outcomes. In order to support
                                                  Purpose of Program: The Education                    ‘‘Expansion’’ grants. These grants differ             adoption or replication by other entities,
                                               Innovation and Research (EIR) program,                  in terms of the level of prior evidence               the evaluation of a Mid-phase project
                                               established under section 4611 of the                   of effectiveness required for                         should identify and codify the core
                                               Elementary and Secondary Education                      consideration for funding, the                        elements of the EIR-supported practice
                                               Act, as amended (ESEA), provides                        expectations regarding the kind of                    that the project implements, and
                                               funding to create, develop, implement,                  evidence and information funded                       examine the effectiveness of the project
                                               replicate, or take to scale                             projects should produce, the level of                 for any new populations or settings that
                                               entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-                 scale funded projects should reach, and,              are included in the project. The
                                               initiated innovations to improve student                consequently, the amount of funding                   Department intends to provide grantees
                                               achievement and attainment for high-                    available to support each type of project.            and their independent evaluators with
                                               need students; and rigorously evaluate                     The Department expects that Mid-                   evaluation technical assistance. This
                                               such innovations. The EIR program is                    phase grants will be used to fund                     evaluation technical assistance could
                                               designed to generate and validate                       implementation and a rigorous                         include grantees and their independent
                                               solutions to persistent educational                     evaluation of a program that has been                 evaluators providing to the Department
                                               challenges and to support the expansion                 successfully implemented under an                     or its contractor updated comprehensive
                                               of those solutions to serve substantially               Early-phase grant or other effort meeting             evaluation plans in a format as
                                               larger numbers of students.                             similar criteria, for the purpose of                  requested by the technical assistance
                                                  The central design element of the EIR                measuring the program’s impact and                    provider and using such tools as the
                                               program is its multi-tier structure that                cost- effectiveness, if possible using                Department may request. Grantees will
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                                               links the amount of funding that an                     existing administrative data. Mid-phase               be encouraged to update this evaluation
                                               applicant may receive to the quality of                 grants are supported by moderate                      plan at least annually to reflect any
                                               the evidence supporting the efficacy of                 evidence (as defined in this notice) for              changes to the evaluation, with updates
                                               the proposed project, with the                          at least one population or setting, and               consistent with the scope and objectives
                                               expectation that projects that build this               grantees are encouraged to implement at               of the approved application.
                                               evidence will advance through EIR’s                     the regional level (as defined in this                   The FY 2018 Mid-phase competition
                                               grant tiers: ‘‘Early-phase,’’ ‘‘Mid-phase,’’            notice) or at the national level (as                  includes three absolute priorities and


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                                               17398                         Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2018 / Notices

                                               two invitational priorities. All Mid-                   awards from the list of unfunded                      Absolute Priority 2—Field-Initiated
                                               phase applicants must address Absolute                  applications from this competition,                   Innovations—General
                                               Priority 1. Mid-phase applicants are also               these priorities are absolute priorities.                Under the priority, we provide
                                               required to address one of the other two                Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider                funding to projects that are designed to
                                               absolute priorities. Applicants have the                only applications that meet Absolute                  create, develop, implement, replicate, or
                                               option of addressing one or more of the                 Priority 1, Moderate Evidence, and one
                                                                                                                                                             take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-
                                               invitational priorities.                                additional absolute priority.
                                                                                                                                                             based, field-initiated innovations to
                                                  The absolute priorities and                            These priorities are:
                                                                                                                                                             improve student achievement and
                                               invitational priorities align with the
                                                                                                       Absolute Priority 1—Moderate Evidence                 attainment for high-need students.
                                               purpose of the program and the
                                               Administration’s priorities. Absolute                     Under this priority, we provide                     Absolute Priority 3— Field-Initiated
                                               Priority 1 establishes the evidence                     funding to projects supported by                      Innovations—Promoting Science,
                                               requirement for this tier of grants.                    moderate evidence.                                    Technology, Engineering, or Math
                                               Absolute Priority 2 aligns with the EIR                   Note: An applicant must identify up to two          (STEM) Education, With a Particular
                                               program as it is intended to take to scale              study citations to be reviewed against the            Focus on Computer Science
                                               entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-                 What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)
                                                                                                       Handbook (as defined in this notice) for the            Under the priority, we provide
                                               initiated innovations to improve student
                                                                                                       purposes of meeting moderate evidence. The            funding to projects that are designed to:
                                               achievement and attainment. In
                                                                                                       studies may have been conducted by the                  (1) Create, develop, implement,
                                               addition to incorporating the focus on
                                                                                                       applicant or by a third party. An applicant           replicate, or take to scale
                                               field-initiated innovations in Absolute                 should clearly identify these citations in the
                                               Priority 2, Absolute Priority 3 aligns                                                                        entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-
                                                                                                       Evidence form. The Department may not                 initiated innovations to improve student
                                               with the Administration’s efforts to                    review a study citation that an applicant fails
                                               invest in science, technology,                          to clearly identify for review. In addition to
                                                                                                                                                             achievement and attainment for high-
                                               engineering, and math (STEM)                            including up to two study citations,                  need students, and;
                                               education in order to ensure our                        applicants must include in the form a                   (2) Improve student achievement or
                                               Nation’s economic competitiveness by                    description of: (1) The positive student              other educational outcomes in one or
                                               improving and expanding STEM                            outcomes they intend to replicate under their         more of the following areas: Science,
                                                                                                       Mid-phase grant and how the characteristics           technology, engineering, math, or
                                               learning and engagement. Invitational                   of students and the positive student
                                               Priority 1 is intended to encourage                                                                           computer science (as defined in this
                                                                                                       outcomes in the study citations correspond
                                               applicants to focus on the needs of each                                                                      notice). These projects must address the
                                                                                                       with the characteristics of the high-need
                                               child, with customized learning                         students to be served under the Mid-phase             following priority area:
                                               opportunities tailored to the needs of                  grant; (2) the correspondence of practice(s)            Increasing access to STEM
                                               individual students. Invitational Priority              the applicant plans to implement with the             coursework, including computer science
                                               2 is intended to encourage applicants to                practice(s) cited in the studies; and (3) the         (as defined in this notice), and hands-
                                                                                                       intended student outcomes that the proposed           on learning opportunities, such as
                                               improve early learning and cognitive
                                                                                                       practice(s) attempts to impact.                       through expanded course offerings,
                                               development outcomes. Through these
                                               priorities, the Department intends to                      An applicant must ensure that all                  dual-enrollment, high-quality online
                                               advance innovation and the use and                      evidence is available to the Department               coursework, or other innovative
                                               building of evidence and address the                    from publicly available sources and                   delivery mechanisms.
                                               learning and achievement of high-need                   provide links or other guidance                         Invitational Priorities: For FY 2018
                                               students.                                               indicating where it is available. If the              and any subsequent year in which we
                                                  Priorities: This competition includes                Department determines that an                         make awards from the list of unfunded
                                               three absolute priorities and two                       applicant has provided insufficient                   applications from this competition,
                                               invitational priorities. In accordance                  information, the applicant will not have              these priorities are invitational
                                               with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute                  an opportunity to provide additional                  priorities. Under 34 CFR.105(c)(1) we do
                                               Priority 1 is from 34 CFR 75.226(d)(2).                 information at a later time. However, if              not give an application that meets these
                                               Absolute Priority 2 is from section                     the WWC determines that a study does                  invitational priorities a competitive or
                                               4611(a)(1)(A) of the ESEA. Absolute                     not provide enough information on key                 absolute preference over other
                                               Priority 3 is from section 4611(a)(1)(A)                aspects of the study design, such as                  applications.
                                               of the ESEA and the Secretary’s Final                   sample attrition or equivalence of                      These priorities are:
                                               Supplemental Priorities and Definitions                 intervention and comparison groups,
                                                                                                       the WWC will submit a query to the                    Invitational Priority One—Personalized
                                               for Discretionary Grant Programs,                                                                             Learning
                                               published in the Federal Register on                    study author(s) to gather information for
                                               March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096)                              use in determining a study rating.                       Projects that support educators in
                                               (Supplemental Priorities).                              Authors are asked to respond to queries               personalizing learning for all students
                                                  Under the Mid-phase grant                            within 10 business days. Should the                   so that learning opportunities may be
                                               competition, absolute priorities 2 and 3                author query remain incomplete within                 tailored to fit the needs of individual
                                               constitute their own funding categories.                14 days of the initial contact to the                 students. In personalized learning
                                               The Secretary intends to award grants                   study author(s), the study will be                    environments, the pace, location, and
                                               under each of these absolute priorities                 deemed ineligible under the grant                     delivery method of education may vary
                                               for which applications of sufficient                    competition. After the grant competition              based on individual student interests
                                               quality are submitted. Because                          closes, the WWC will continue to                      and needs. Personalized learning
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                                               applications will be rank ordered                       include responses to author queries and               approaches recognize that there are
                                               separately for absolute priorities 2 and                will make updates to study reviews as                 multiple pathways through which
                                               3, applicants must clearly identify the                 necessary, but no additional information              students can develop and demonstrate
                                               specific absolute priority that the                     will be taken into account after the                  academic competencies and social-
                                               proposed project addresses.                             competition closes and the initial                    emotional skills aligned to college- and
                                                  Absolute Priorities: For FY 2018 and                 timeline established for response to an               career-ready standards and that students
                                               any subsequent year in which we make                    author query passes.                                  may attain these competencies and


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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2018 / Notices                                             17399

                                               skills at different times. Examples of                  or using computers in the study and                   funded by the Bureau of Indian
                                               personalized learning instructional                     exploration of unrelated subjects.                    Education but only to the extent that
                                               approaches include dynamic student                         Experimental study means a study                   including the school makes the school
                                               groupings, student-driven projects, and                 that is designed to compare outcomes                  eligible for programs for which specific
                                               the use of adaptive technologies such as                between two groups of individuals                     eligibility is not provided to the school
                                               digital curricula to both accelerate, and               (such as students) that are otherwise                 in another provision of law and the
                                               targeting gaps in, student learning.                    equivalent except for their assignment                school does not have a student
                                               Personalized learning approaches use                    to either a treatment group receiving a               population that is smaller than the
                                               data to provide ongoing feedback about                  project component (as defined in this                 student population of the local
                                               student progress to educators, students,                notice) or a control group that does not.             educational agency receiving assistance
                                               and their families and to adjust learning               Randomized controlled trials, regression              under the ESEA with the smallest
                                               strategies in real time.                                discontinuity design studies, and single-             student population, except that the
                                                                                                       case design studies are the specific                  school shall not be subject to the
                                               Invitational Priority Two—Early                         types of experimental studies that,                   jurisdiction of any State educational
                                               Learning and Cognitive Development                      depending on their design and                         agency (as defined in this notice) other
                                                  The Department is especially                         implementation (e.g., sample attrition in             than the Bureau of Indian Education.
                                               interested in projects that improve early               randomized controlled trials and                         (d) Educational Service Agencies. The
                                               learning and cognitive development                      regression discontinuity design studies),             term includes educational service
                                               outcomes through neuroscience-based                     can meet What Works Clearinghouse                     agencies and consortia of those
                                               and scientifically validated                            (WWC) standards without reservations                  agencies.
                                               interventions.                                          as described in the WWC Handbook:                        (e) State Educational Agency. The
                                                  Definitions: The definitions of                         (i) A randomized controlled trial                  term includes the State educational
                                               ‘‘baseline,’’ ‘‘experimental study,’’                   employs random assignment of, for                     agency in a State in which the State
                                               ‘‘moderate evidence,’’ ‘‘national level,’’              example, students, teachers, classrooms,              educational agency is the sole
                                               ‘‘nonprofit,’’ ‘‘performance measure,’’                 or schools to receive the project                     educational agency for all public
                                               ‘‘performance target,’’ ‘‘project                       component being evaluated (the                        schools.
                                               component,’’ ‘‘quasi-experimental                       treatment group) or not to receive the                   Moderate evidence means that there is
                                               design study,’’ ‘‘regional level,’’                     project component (the control group).                evidence of effectiveness of a key
                                               ‘‘relevant outcome,’’ ‘‘strong evidence,’’                 (ii) A regression discontinuity design
                                                                                                                                                             project component in improving a
                                               and ‘‘What Works Clearinghouse                          study assigns the project component
                                                                                                                                                             relevant outcome (as defined in this
                                               Handbook (WWC Handbook)’’ are from                      being evaluated using a measured
                                                                                                                                                             notice) for a sample that overlaps with
                                               34 CFR 77.1. The definition for                         variable (e.g., assigning students reading
                                                                                                                                                             the populations or settings proposed to
                                               ‘‘computer science’’ is from the                        below a cutoff score to tutoring or
                                                                                                                                                             receive that component, based on a
                                               Supplemental Priorities. The definitions                developmental education classes) and
                                                                                                                                                             relevant finding from one of the
                                               of ‘‘local educational agency’’ and                     controls for that variable in the analysis
                                                                                                                                                             following:
                                               ‘‘State educational agency’’ are from                   of outcomes.
                                                                                                          (iii) A single-case design study uses                 (i) A practice guide prepared by the
                                               section 8101 of the ESEA.                                                                                     WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the
                                                                                                       observations of a single case (e.g., a
                                                  Baseline means the starting point                                                                          WWC Handbook reporting a ‘‘strong
                                                                                                       student eligible for a behavioral
                                               from which performance is measured                                                                            evidence base’’ or ‘‘moderate evidence
                                                                                                       intervention) over time in the absence
                                               and targets are set.                                                                                          base’’ for the corresponding practice
                                                                                                       and presence of a controlled treatment
                                                  Computer science means the study of                  manipulation to determine whether the                 guide recommendation;
                                               computers and algorithmic processes                     outcome is systematically related to the                 (ii) An intervention report prepared
                                               and includes the study of computing                     treatment.                                            by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of
                                               principles and theories, computational                     Local educational agency (LEA)                     the WWC Handbook reporting a
                                               thinking, computer hardware, software                   means:                                                ‘‘positive effect’’ or ‘‘potentially positive
                                               design, coding, analytics, and computer                    (a) In General. A public board of                  effect’’ on a relevant outcome based on
                                               applications.                                           education or other public authority                   a ‘‘medium to large’’ extent of evidence,
                                                  Computer science often includes                      legally constituted within a State for                with no reporting of a ‘‘negative effect’’
                                               computer programming or coding as a                     either administrative control or                      or ‘‘potentially negative effect’’ on a
                                               tool to create software, including                      direction of, or to perform a service                 relevant outcome; or
                                               applications, games, websites, and tools                function for, public elementary schools                  (iii) A single experimental study or
                                               to manage or manipulate data; or                        or secondary schools in a city, county,               quasi-experimental design study (as
                                               development and management of                           township, school district, or other                   defined in this notice) reviewed and
                                               computer hardware and the other                         political subdivision of a State, or of or            reported by the WWC using version 2.1
                                               electronics related to sharing, securing,               for a combination of school districts or              or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, or
                                               and using digital information.                          counties that is recognized in a State as             otherwise assessed by the Department
                                                  In addition to coding, the expanding                 an administrative agency for its public               using version 3.0 of the WWC
                                               field of computer science emphasizes                    elementary schools or secondary                       Handbook, as appropriate, and that—
                                               computational thinking and                              schools.                                                 (A) Meets WWC standards with or
                                               interdisciplinary problem-solving to                       (b) Administrative Control and                     without reservations;
                                               equip students with the skills and                      Direction. The term includes any other                   (B) Includes at least one statistically
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                                               abilities necessary to apply computation                public institution or agency having                   significant and positive (i.e., favorable)
                                               in our digital world.                                   administrative control and direction of               effect on a relevant outcome;
                                                  Computer science does not include                    a public elementary school or secondary                  (C) Includes no overriding statistically
                                               using a computer for everyday activities,               school.                                               significant and negative effects on
                                               such as browsing the internet; use of                      (c) Bureau of Indian Education                     relevant outcomes reported in the study
                                               tools like word processing,                             Schools. The term includes an                         or in a corresponding WWC
                                               spreadsheets, or presentation software;                 elementary school or secondary school                 intervention report prepared under


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                                               17400                         Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2018 / Notices

                                               version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC                           migrant populations, individuals with                 project component that each meet
                                               Handbook; and                                           disabilities, English learners, and                   requirements in paragraphs (iii)(A), (B),
                                                  (D) Is based on a sample from more                   individuals of each gender). For an LEA-              and (C) of this definition may together
                                               than one site (e.g., State, county, city,               based project, to be considered a                     satisfy this requirement.
                                               school district, or postsecondary                       regional-level project, a process,                       What Works Clearinghouse Handbook
                                               campus) and includes at least 350                       product, strategy, or practice must serve             (WWC Handbook) means the standards
                                               students or other individuals across                    students in more than one LEA, unless                 and procedures set forth in the WWC
                                               sites. Multiple studies of the same                     the process, product, strategy, or                    Procedures and Standards Handbook,
                                               project component that each meet                        practice is implemented in a State in                 Version 3.0 or Version 2.1 (incorporated
                                               requirements in paragraphs (iii)(A), (B),               which the State educational agency is                 by reference, see 34 CFR 77.2). Study
                                               and (C) of this definition may together                 the sole educational agency for all                   findings eligible for review under WWC
                                               satisfy this requirement.                               schools.                                              standards can meet WWC standards
                                                  National level describes the level of                   Relevant outcome means the student                 without reservations, meet WWC
                                               scope or effectiveness of a process,                    outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key                standards with reservations, or not meet
                                               product, strategy, or practice that is able             project component is designed to                      WWC standards. WWC practice guides
                                               to be effective in a wide variety of                    improve, consistent with the specific                 and intervention reports include
                                               communities, including rural and urban                  goals of the program.                                 findings from systematic reviews of
                                               areas, as well as with different groups                    State educational agency (SEA)                     evidence as described in the Handbook
                                               (e.g., economically disadvantaged, racial               means the agency primarily responsible                documentation.
                                               and ethnic groups, migrant populations,                 for the State supervision of public                     Program Authority: Section 4611 of the
                                               individuals with disabilities, English                  elementary schools and secondary                      ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7261.
                                               learners, and individuals of each                       schools.
                                               gender).                                                                                                        Applicable Regulations: (a) The
                                                                                                          Strong evidence means that there is
                                                  Nonprofit, as applied to an agency,                                                                        Education Department General
                                                                                                       evidence of the effectiveness of a key
                                               organization, or institution, means that                                                                      Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR
                                                                                                       project component in improving a                      parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98,
                                               it is owned and operated by one or more                 relevant outcome for a sample that
                                               corporations or associations whose net                                                                        and 99. (b) The Office of Management
                                                                                                       overlaps with the populations and                     and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on
                                               earnings do not benefit, and cannot                     settings proposed to receive that
                                               lawfully benefit, any private                                                                                 Governmentwide Debarment and
                                                                                                       component, based on a relevant finding                Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR
                                               shareholder or entity.                                  from one of the following:
                                                  Performance measure means any                                                                              part 180, as adopted and amended as
                                                                                                          (i) A practice guide prepared by the
                                               quantitative indicator, statistic, or                                                                         regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
                                                                                                       WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the
                                               metric used to gauge program or project                                                                       part 3485. (c) The Uniform
                                                                                                       WWC Handbook reporting a ‘‘strong                     Administrative Requirements, Cost
                                               performance.                                            evidence base’’ for the corresponding
                                                  Performance target means a level of                                                                        Principles, and Audit Requirements for
                                                                                                       practice guide recommendation;                        Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as
                                               performance that an applicant would                        (ii) An intervention report prepared
                                               seek to meet during the course of a                                                                           adopted and amended as regulations of
                                                                                                       by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of
                                               project or as a result of a project.                                                                          the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d)
                                                                                                       the WWC Handbook reporting a
                                                  Project component means an activity,                                                                       The Supplemental Priorities.
                                                                                                       ‘‘positive effect’’ on a relevant outcome
                                               strategy, intervention, process, product,               based on a ‘‘medium to large’’ extent of                Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79
                                               practice, or policy included in a project.              evidence, with no reporting of a                      apply to all applicants except federally
                                               Evidence may pertain to an individual                                                                         recognized Indian Tribes.
                                                                                                       ‘‘negative effect’’ or ‘‘potentially
                                               project component or to a combination                   negative effect’’ on a relevant outcome;                Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
                                               of project components (e.g., training                                                                         apply to institutions of higher education
                                                                                                       or                                                    only.
                                               teachers on instructional practices for                    (iii) A single experimental study
                                               English learners and follow-on coaching                 reviewed and reported by the WWC                      II. Award Information
                                               for these teachers).                                    using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC
                                                  Quasi-experimental design study                      Handbook, or otherwise assessed by the                   Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
                                               means a study using a design that                       Department using version 3.0 of the                      Estimated Available Funds:
                                               attempts to approximate an                              WWC Handbook, as appropriate, and                     $115,000,000.
                                               experimental study by identifying a                                                                              These estimated available funds are
                                                                                                       that—
                                               comparison group that is similar to the                                                                       the total available for all three types of
                                                                                                          (A) Meets WWC standards without
                                               treatment group in important respects.                                                                        grants under the EIR program (Early-
                                                                                                       reservations;
                                               This type of study, depending on design                    (B) Includes at least one statistically            phase, Mid-phase, and Expansion
                                               and implementation (e.g., establishment                 significant and positive (i.e., favorable)            grants). Contingent upon the availability
                                               of baseline equivalence of the groups                   effect on a relevant outcome;                         of funds and the quality of applications,
                                               being compared), can meet WWC                              (C) Includes no overriding statistically           we may make additional awards in
                                               standards with reservations, but cannot                 significant and negative effects on                   subsequent years from the list of
                                               meet WWC standards without                              relevant outcomes reported in the study               unfunded applications from this
                                               reservations, as described in the WWC                   or in a corresponding WWC                             competition.
                                               Handbook.                                               intervention report prepared under                       Estimated Average Size of Awards:
                                                  Regional level describes the level of                version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC                         Up to $8,000,000.
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                                               scope or effectiveness of a process,                                                                             Maximum Award: We will not make
                                                                                                       Handbook; and
                                               product, strategy, or practice that is able                (D) Is based on a sample from more                 an award exceeding $8,000,000 for a
                                               to serve a variety of communities within                than one site (e.g., State, county, city,             single project period of 60 months.
                                                                                                                                                                Estimated Number of Awards: 4–10.
                                               a State or multiple States, including                   school district, or postsecondary
                                               rural and urban areas, as well as with                  campus) and includes at least 350                       Note: The Department is not bound by any
                                               different groups (e.g., economically                    students or other individuals across                  estimates in this notice.
                                               disadvantaged, racial and ethnic groups,                sites. Multiple studies of the same                      Project Period: Up to 60 months.


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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2018 / Notices                                           17401

                                                 Note: Under section 4611(c) of the ESEA,              contributions, to carry out activities                  b. Evaluation: The grantee must
                                               the Department must use at least 25 percent             supported by the grant. Grantees must                 conduct an independent evaluation of
                                               of EIR funds for a fiscal year to make awards           include a budget showing their                        the effectiveness of its project.
                                               to applicants serving rural areas, contingent           matching contributions to the budget                    c. High-need students: The grantee
                                               on receipt of a sufficient number of                                                                          must serve high-need students.
                                               applications of sufficient quality. For
                                                                                                       amount of EIR grant funds and must
                                               purposes of this competition, we will                   provide evidence of their matching                    IV. Application and Submission
                                               consider an applicant as rural if the applicant         contributions for the first year of the               Information
                                               meets the qualifications for rural applicants           grant in their grant applications. Section
                                               as described in the eligible applicants section         4611(d) of the ESEA also authorizes the                  1. Application Submission
                                               and the applicant certifies that it meets those         Secretary to waive this matching                      Instructions: For information on how to
                                               qualifications through the application.                 requirement on a case-by-case basis,                  submit an application please refer to our
                                                                                                       upon a showing of exceptional                         Common Instructions for Applicants to
                                                 In implementing this statutory
                                                                                                       circumstances, such as:                               Department of Education Discretionary
                                               provision, the Department may fund
                                                                                                          (a) The difficulty of raising matching             Grant Programs, published in the
                                               high-quality applications from rural
                                                                                                       funds for a program to serve a rural area;            Federal Register on February 12, 2018
                                               applicants out of rank order in the Mid-
                                                                                                          (b) The difficulty of raising matching             (83 FR 6003) and available at
                                               phase competition.
                                                                                                       funds in areas with a concentration of                www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/
                                               III. Eligibility Information                            LEAs or schools with a high percentage                pdf/2018-02558.pdf.
                                                  1. Eligible Applicants:                              of students aged 5 through 17—                           2. Submission of Proprietary
                                                  (a) An LEA;                                             (1) Who are in poverty, as counted in              Information: Given the types of projects
                                                  (b) An SEA;                                          the most recent census data approved by               that may be proposed in applications for
                                                  (c) The Bureau of Indian Education;                  the Secretary;                                        the Mid-phase competition, your
                                                  (d) A consortium of SEAs or LEAs;                       (2) Who are eligible for a free or                 application may include business
                                                  (e) A nonprofit organization; and                    reduced-price lunch under the Richard                 information that you consider
                                                  (f) An SEA, an LEA, a consortium                     B. Russell National School Lunch Act                  proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define
                                               described in (d), or the Bureau of Indian               (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);                             ‘‘business information’’ and describe the
                                               Education, in partnership with—                            (3) Whose families receive assistance              process we use in determining whether
                                                  (1) A nonprofit organization;                        under the State program funded under                  any of that information is proprietary
                                                  (2) A business;                                      part A of title IV of the Social Security             and, thus, protected from disclosure
                                                  (3) An educational service agency; or                Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); or                       under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of
                                                  (4) An institution of higher education.                 (4) Who are eligible to receive medical            Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as
                                                  To qualify as a rural applicant under                assistance under the Medicaid program;                amended).
                                               the EIR program, an applicant must                      and                                                      Because we plan to make successful
                                               meet both of the following                                 (c) The difficulty of raising funds on             applications available to the public, you
                                               requirements:                                           Tribal land.                                          may wish to request confidentiality of
                                                  (a) The applicant is—                                   Applicants that wish to apply for a                business information.
                                                  (1) An LEA with an urban-centric                     waiver must include a request in their                   Consistent with Executive Order
                                               district locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or              application that describes why the                    12600, please designate in your
                                               43, as determined by the Secretary;                     matching requirement would cause                      application any information that you
                                                  (2) A consortium of such LEAs;                       serious hardship or an inability to carry             believe is exempt from disclosure under
                                                  (3) An educational service agency or                 out project activities. Further                       Exemption 4. In the appropriate
                                               a nonprofit organization in partnership                 information about applying for waivers                Appendix section of your application,
                                               with such an LEA; or                                    can be found in the application package.              under ‘‘Other Attachments Form,’’
                                                  (4) A grantee described in clause (1)                However, given the importance of                      please list the page number or numbers
                                               or (2) in partnership with an SEA; and                  matching funds to the long-term success               on which we can find this information.
                                                  (b) A majority of the schools to be                  of the project, the Secretary expects                 For additional information please see 34
                                               served by the program are designated                    eligible entities to identify appropriate             CFR 5.11(c).
                                               with a locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or                matching funds.                                          3. Intergovernmental Review: This
                                               43, or a combination of such codes, as                     3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this               competition is subject to Executive
                                               determined by the Secretary.                            competition may not award subgrants to                Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
                                                  Applicants are encouraged to retrieve                entities to directly carry out project                CFR part 79. Information about
                                               locale codes from the National Center                   activities described in its application.              Intergovernmental Review of Federal
                                               for Education Statistics School District                   4. Other: a. Funding Categories: An                Programs under Executive Order 12372
                                               search tool (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/                   applicant will be considered for an                   is in the application package for this
                                               districtsearch/), where districts can be                award only for the type of EIR grant (i.e.,           competition.
                                               looked up individually to retrieve locale               Early-phase, Mid-phase, and Expansion                    4. Funding Restrictions: We reference
                                               codes, and Public School search tool                    grant) for which it applies. An applicant             regulations outlining funding
                                               (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/),                may not submit an application for the                 restrictions in the Applicable
                                               where individual schools can be looked                  same proposed project under more than                 Regulations section of this notice.
                                               up to retrieve locale codes. More                       one type of grant.                                       5. Recommended Page Limit: The
                                               information on rural applicant                            Note: Each application will be reviewed             application narrative (Part III of the
                                               eligibility is in the application package.              under the competition it was submitted                application) is where you, the applicant,
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                                                  2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Under                   under in the Grants.gov system, and only              address the selection criteria that
                                               section 4611(d) of the ESEA, each grant                 applications that are successfully submitted          reviewers use to evaluate your
                                                                                                       by the established deadline will be peer              application. We recommend that you (1)
                                               recipient must provide, from Federal,
                                                                                                       reviewed. Applicants should be careful that
                                               State, local, or private sources, an                    they download the intended EIR application            limit the application narrative for a Mid-
                                               amount equal to 10 percent of funds                     package and that they submit their                    phase grant application to no more than
                                               provided under the grant, which may be                  applications under the intended EIR                   30 pages and (2) use the following
                                               provided in cash or through in-kind                     competition.                                          standards:


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                                               17402                         Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2018 / Notices

                                                  • A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side              B. Strategy to Scale (up to 30 Points)                reliable performance data on relevant
                                               only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,                 In determining the applicant’s                      outcomes.
                                               and both sides.                                         capacity to scale the proposed project,                 (4) The extent to which the evaluation
                                                  • Double-space (no more than three                   the Secretary considers the following                 plan clearly articulates the key project
                                               lines per vertical inch) all text in the                factors:                                              components, mediators, and outcomes,
                                               application narrative, including titles,                  (1) The extent to which the applicant               as well as a measurable threshold for
                                               headings, footnotes, quotations,                        demonstrates there is unmet demand for                acceptable implementation.
                                               references, and captions.                               the process, product, strategy, or                       Note: Applicants may wish to review the
                                                  • Use a font that is either 12 point or              practice that will enable the applicant to            following technical assistance resources on
                                               larger or no smaller than 10 pitch                      reach the level of scale that is proposed             evaluation: (1) WWC Procedures and
                                                                                                       in the application.                                   Standards Handbooks: https://ies.ed.gov/
                                               (characters per inch).
                                                                                                                                                             ncee/wwc/Handbooks; (2) ‘‘Technical
                                                  • Use one of the following fonts:                      (2) The extent to which the applicant
                                                                                                                                                             Assistance Materials for Conducting Rigorous
                                               Times New Roman, Courier, Courier                       identifies a specific strategy or strategies          Impact Evaluations’’: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/
                                               New, or Arial.                                          that address a particular barrier or                  projects/evaluationTA.asp; and (3) IES/NCEE
                                                  The recommended page limit does not                  barriers that prevented the applicant, in             Technical Methods papers: http://ies.ed.gov/
                                               apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,              the past, from reaching the level of scale            ncee/tech_methods/. In addition, applicants
                                                                                                       that is proposed in the application.                  may view an optional webinar recording that
                                               the budget section, including the                                                                             was hosted by the Institute of Education
                                                                                                         (3) The feasibility of successful
                                               narrative budget justification; Part IV,                                                                      Sciences. The webinar focused on more
                                                                                                       replication of the proposed project, if
                                               the assurances and certifications; or the                                                                     rigorous evaluation designs, discussing
                                                                                                       favorable results are obtained, in a
                                               one-page abstract, the resumes, the                                                                           strategies for designing and executing
                                                                                                       variety of settings and with a variety of
                                               bibliography, or the letters of support.                                                                      experimental studies that meet WWC
                                                                                                       populations.                                          evidence standards without reservations.
                                               However, the recommended page limit
                                               does apply to all of the application                    C. Quality of the Project Design and                  This webinar is available at: http://ies.ed.gov/
                                               narrative.                                              Management Plan (up to 35 Points)                     ncee/wwc/Multimedia.aspx?sid=18.
                                                  6. Notice of Intent to Apply: We will                  In determining the quality of the                     2. Review and Selection Process: We
                                               be able to develop a more efficient                     proposed project design, the Secretary                remind potential applicants that in
                                               process for reviewing grant applications                considers the following factors:                      reviewing applications in any
                                               if we know the approximate number of                      (1) The extent to which the goals,                  discretionary grant competition, the
                                               applicants that intend to apply for                     objectives, and outcomes to be achieved               Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR
                                               funding under this competition.                         by the proposed project are clearly                   75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
                                               Therefore, the Secretary strongly                       specified and measurable.                             applicant in carrying out a previous
                                               encourages each potential applicant to                    (2) The adequacy of the management                  award, such as the applicant’s use of
                                               notify us of the applicant’s intent to                  plan to achieve the objectives of the                 funds, achievement of project
                                               submit an application by completing a                   proposed project on time and within                   objectives, and compliance with grant
                                               web-based form. When completing this                    budget, including clearly defined                     conditions. The Secretary may also
                                               form, applicants will provide (1) the                   responsibilities, timelines, and                      consider whether the applicant failed to
                                               applicant organization’s name and                       milestones for accomplishing project                  submit a timely performance report or
                                               address and (2) the absolute priority the               tasks.                                                submitted a report of unacceptable
                                               applicant intends to address. Applicants                  (3) The adequacy of procedures for                  quality.
                                               may access this form online at                          ensuring feedback and continuous                        In addition, in making a competitive
                                               www.surveymonkey.com/r/PBVB8PJ.                         improvement in the operation of the                   grant award, the Secretary requires
                                               Applicants that do not complete this                    proposed project.                                     various assurances, including those
                                               form may still submit an application.                     (4) The potential and planning for the              applicable to Federal civil rights laws
                                                                                                       incorporation of project purposes,                    that prohibit discrimination in programs
                                               V. Application Review Information                       activities, or benefits into the ongoing              or activities receiving Federal financial
                                                 1. Selection Criteria: The selection                  work of the applicant beyond the end of               assistance from the Department (34 CFR
                                               criteria for the Mid-phase competition                  the grant.                                            100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
                                               are from 34 CFR 75.210. The points                                                                              Before making awards, we will screen
                                                                                                       D. Quality of the Project Evaluation (up              applications submitted in accordance
                                               assigned to each criterion are indicated                to 20 Points)
                                               in the parentheses next to the criterion.                                                                     with the requirements in this notice to
                                               An applicant may earn up to a total of                     In determining the quality of the                  determine whether applications have
                                               100 points based on the selection                       project evaluation to be conducted, the               met eligibility and other requirements.
                                               criteria for the application.                           Secretary considers the following                     This screening process may occur at
                                                                                                       factors:                                              various stages of the process; applicants
                                               A. Significance (up to 15 Points)                          (1) The extent to which the methods                that are determined to be ineligible will
                                                 In determining the significance of the                of evaluation will, if well implemented,              not receive a grant, regardless of peer
                                               project, the Secretary considers the                    produce evidence about the project’s                  reviewer scores or comments.
                                                                                                       effectiveness that would meet the What                  Peer reviewers will read, prepare a
                                               following factors:
                                                                                                       Works Clearinghouse standards without                 written evaluation of, and score the
                                                 (1) The magnitude or severity of the                  reservations as described in the What                 assigned applications, using the
                                               problem to be addressed by the                          Works Clearinghouse Handbook (as                      selection criteria provided in this
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                                               proposed project.                                       defined in this notice).                              notice. For Mid-phase grant applications
                                                 (2) The national significance of the                     (2) The extent to which the evaluation             we intend to conduct a single-tier
                                               proposed project.                                       will provide guidance about effective                 review.
                                                 (3) The extent to which the proposed                  strategies suitable for replication or                  3. Risk Assessment and Specific
                                               project represents an exceptional                       testing in other settings.                            Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
                                               approach to the priority or priorities                     (3) The extent to which the methods                200.205, before awarding grants under
                                               established for the competition.                        of evaluation will provide valid and                  this competition the Department


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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2018 / Notices                                           17403

                                               conducts a review of the risks posed by                 the Applicable Regulations section of                 Secretary establishes a data collection
                                               applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the                    this notice and include these and other               period.
                                               Secretary may impose specific                           specific conditions in the GAN. The                      5. Performance Measures: The overall
                                               conditions and, in appropriate                          GAN also incorporates your approved                   purpose of the EIR program is to expand
                                               circumstances, high-risk conditions on a                application as part of your binding                   the implementation of, and investment
                                               grant if the applicant or grantee is not                commitments under the grant.                          in, innovative practices that are
                                               financially stable; has a history of                      3. Open Licensing Requirements:                     demonstrated to have an impact on
                                               unsatisfactory performance; has a                       Unless an exception applies, if you are               improving student achievement and
                                               financial or other management system                    awarded a grant under this competition,               attainment for high-need students. We
                                               that does not meet the standards in 2                   you will be required to openly license                have established several performance
                                               CFR part 200, subpart D; has not                        to the public grant deliverables created              measures (as defined in this notice) for
                                               fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant;              in whole, or in part, with Department                 the Mid-phase grants.
                                               or is otherwise not responsible.                        grant funds. When the deliverable                        Annual performance measures: (1)
                                                  4. Integrity and Performance System:                 consists of modifications to pre-existing             The percentage of grantees that reach
                                               If you are selected under this                          works, the license extends only to those              their annual target number of high-need
                                               competition to receive an award that                    modifications that can be separately                  students as specified in the application;
                                               over the course of the project period                   identified and only to the extent that                (2) the percentage of grantees that reach
                                               may exceed the simplified acquisition                   open licensing is permitted under the                 their annual target number of high-need
                                               threshold (currently $150,000), under 2                 terms of any licenses or other legal                  students as specified in the application;
                                               CFR 200.205(a)(2), we must make a                       restrictions on the use of pre-existing               (3) the percentage of grantees with
                                               judgment about your integrity, business                 works. Additionally, a grantee or                     ongoing well-designed and independent
                                               ethics, and record of performance under                 subgrantee that is awarded competitive                evaluations that will provide evidence
                                               Federal awards—that is, the risk posed                  grant funds must have a plan to                       of their effectiveness at improving
                                               by you as an applicant—before we make                   disseminate these public grant                        student outcomes in multiple contexts;
                                               an award. In doing so, we must consider                 deliverables. This dissemination plan                 (4) the percentage of grantees that
                                               any information about you that is in the                can be developed and submitted after                  implement an evaluation that provides
                                               integrity and performance system                        your application has been reviewed and                information about the key practices and
                                               (currently referred to as the Federal                   selected for funding. For additional                  the approach of the project so as to
                                               Awardee Performance and Integrity                       information on the open licensing                     facilitate replication; (5) the percentage
                                               Information System (FAPIIS)),                           requirements please refer to 2 CFR                    of grantees that implement an
                                               accessible through the System for                       3474.20(c).                                           evaluation that provides information on
                                               Award Management. You may review                                                                              the cost-effectiveness of the key
                                               and comment on any information about                      Note: A specific deliverable under a Mid-
                                                                                                       phase grant that grantees must openly license         practices to identify potential obstacles
                                               yourself that a Federal agency                          to the public is the evaluation report.               and success factors to scaling; and (6)
                                               previously entered and that is currently                Additionally, EIR grantees are encouraged to          the cost per student served by the grant.
                                               in FAPIIS.                                              submit final studies resulting from research             Cumulative performance measures:
                                                  Please note that, if the total value of              supported in whole or in part by EIR to the           (1) The percentage of grantees that reach
                                               your currently active grants, cooperative               Educational Resources Information Center              the targeted number of students
                                               agreements, and procurement contracts                   (http://eric.ed.gov).
                                                                                                                                                             specified in the application; (2) the
                                               from the Federal Government exceeds
                                                                                                         4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a                percentage of grantees that reach the
                                               $10,000,000, the reporting requirements
                                                                                                       grant under this competition, you must                targeted number of high-need students
                                               in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII,
                                                                                                       ensure that you have in place the                     specified in the application; (3) the
                                               require you to report certain integrity
                                                                                                       necessary processes and systems to                    percentage of grantees that implement a
                                               information to FAPIIS semiannually.
                                                                                                       comply with the reporting requirements                completed well-designed, well-
                                               Please review the requirements in 2 CFR
                                                                                                       in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive                  implemented and independent
                                               part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant
                                                                                                       funding under the competition. This                   evaluation that provides evidence of
                                               plus all the other Federal funds you
                                                                                                       does not apply if you have an exception               their effectiveness at improving student
                                               receive exceed $10,000,000.
                                                                                                       under 2 CFR 170.110(b).                               outcomes at scale; (4) the percentage of
                                               VI. Award Administration Information                      (b) At the end of your project period,              grantees with a completed well-
                                                  1. Award Notices: If your application                you must submit a final performance                   designed, well-implemented, and
                                               is successful, we notify your U.S.                      report, including financial information,              independent evaluation that provides
                                               Representative and U.S. Senators and                    as directed by the Secretary. If you                  information about the key elements and
                                               send you a Grant Award Notification                     receive a multiyear award, you must                   the approach of the project so as to
                                               (GAN); or we may send you an email                      submit an annual performance report                   facilitate replication or testing in other
                                               containing a link to access an electronic               that provides the most current                        settings; (5) the percentage of grantees
                                               version of your GAN. We may notify                      performance and financial expenditure                 with a completed evaluation that
                                               you informally, also.                                   information as directed by the Secretary              provided information on the cost-
                                                  If your application is not evaluated or              under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary                    effectiveness of the key practices to
                                               not selected for funding, we notify you.                may also require more frequent                        identify potential obstacles and success
                                                  2. Administrative and National Policy                performance reports under 34 CFR                      factors to scaling; and (6) the cost per
                                               Requirements: We identify                               75.720(c). For specific requirements on               student served by the grant.
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                                               administrative and national policy                      reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/                      Project-Specific Performance
                                               requirements in the application package                 fund/grant/apply/appforms/                            Measures: Applicants must propose
                                               and reference these and other                           appforms.html.                                        project-specific performance measures
                                               requirements in the Applicable                            (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the                     and performance targets (as defined in
                                               Regulations section of this notice.                     Secretary may provide a grantee with                  this notice) consistent with the
                                                  We reference the regulations outlining               additional funding for data collection                objectives of the proposed project.
                                               the terms and conditions of an award in                 analysis and reporting. In this case the              Applications must provide the


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                                               17404                         Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 76 / Thursday, April 19, 2018 / Notices

                                               following information as directed under                   You may also access documents of the                accordance with the Paperwork
                                               34 CFR 75.110(b) and (c):                               Department published in the Federal                   Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C.
                                                 (1) Performance measures. How each                    Register by using the article search                  3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general
                                               proposed performance measure would                      feature at: www.federalregister.gov.                  public and Federal agencies with an
                                               accurately measure the performance of                   Specifically, through the advanced                    opportunity to comment on proposed,
                                               the project and how the proposed                        search feature at this site, you can limit            revised, and continuing collections of
                                               performance measure would be                            your search to documents published by                 information. This helps the Department
                                               consistent with the performance                         the Department.                                       assess the impact of its information
                                               measures established for the program                      Dated: April 16, 2018.                              collection requirements and minimize
                                               funding the competition.                                Margo Anderson,                                       the public’s reporting burden. It also
                                                 (2) Baseline (as defined in this notice)                                                                    helps the public understand the
                                                                                                       Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for
                                               data. (i) Why each proposed baseline is                 Innovation and Improvement.                           Department’s information collection
                                               valid; or (ii) if the applicant has                                                                           requirements and provide the requested
                                                                                                       [FR Doc. 2018–08238 Filed 4–18–18; 8:45 am]
                                               determined that there are no established                                                                      data in the desired format. ED is
                                                                                                       BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
                                               baseline data for a particular                                                                                soliciting comments on the proposed
                                               performance measure, an explanation of                                                                        information collection request (ICR) that
                                               why there is no established baseline and                DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION                               is described below. The Department of
                                               of how and when, during the project                                                                           Education is especially interested in
                                                                                                       [Docket No.: ED–2018–ICCD–0012]                       public comment addressing the
                                               period, the applicant would establish a
                                               valid baseline for the performance                                                                            following issues: (1) Is this collection
                                                                                                       Agency Information Collection                         necessary to the proper functions of the
                                               measure.                                                Activities; Submission to the Office of
                                                 (3) Performance targets. Why each                                                                           Department; (2) will this information be
                                                                                                       Management and Budget for Review                      processed and used in a timely manner;
                                               proposed performance target is                          and Approval; Comment Request;
                                               ambitious yet achievable compared to                                                                          (3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
                                                                                                       Fiscal Operations Report for 2017–                    (4) how might the Department enhance
                                               the baseline for the performance                        2018 and Application To Participate
                                               measure and when, during the project                                                                          the quality, utility, and clarity of the
                                                                                                       2019–2020 (FISAP) and Reallocation                    information to be collected; and (5) how
                                               period, the applicant would meet the                    Form
                                               performance target(s).                                                                                        might the Department minimize the
                                                 (4) Data collection and reporting. (i)                AGENCY: Federal Student Aid (FSA),                    burden of this collection on the
                                               The data collection and reporting                       Department of Education (ED).                         respondents, including through the use
                                               methods the applicant would use and                     ACTION: Notice.                                       of information technology. Please note
                                               why those methods are likely to yield                                                                         that written comments received in
                                                                                                       SUMMARY:    In accordance with the                    response to this notice will be
                                               reliable, valid, and meaningful
                                                                                                       Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is                considered public records.
                                               performance data; and (ii) the
                                                                                                       proposing a revision of an existing                      Title of Collection: Fiscal Operations
                                               applicant’s capacity to collect and
                                                                                                       information collection.                               Report for 2017–2018 and Application
                                               report reliable, valid, and meaningful
                                               performance data, as evidenced by high-                 DATES: Interested persons are invited to              to Participate 2019–2020 (FISAP) and
                                               quality data collection, analysis, and                  submit comments on or before May 21,                  Reallocation Form.
                                                                                                       2018.                                                    OMB Control Number: 1845–0030.
                                               reporting in other projects or research.                                                                         Type of Review: A revision of an
                                                 All grantees must submit an annual                    ADDRESSES: To access and review all the
                                                                                                       documents related to the information                  existing information collection.
                                               performance report with information                                                                              Respondents/Affected Public: Private
                                               that is responsive to these performance                 collection listed in this notice, please
                                                                                                       use http://www.regulations.gov by                     Sector; State, Local, and Tribal
                                               measures.                                                                                                     Governments.
                                                                                                       searching the Docket ID number ED–
                                               VII. Other Information                                                                                           Total Estimated Number of Annual
                                                                                                       2018–ICCD–0012. Comments submitted
                                                                                                                                                             Responses: 4,162.
                                                  Accessible Format: Individuals with                  in response to this notice should be                     Total Estimated Number of Annual
                                               disabilities can obtain this document                   submitted electronically through the                  Burden Hours: 94,916.
                                               and a copy of the application package in                Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://                    Abstract: The Higher Education
                                               an accessible format (e.g., Braille, large              www.regulations.gov by selecting the                  Opportunity Act (HEOA) (Pub. L. 110–
                                               print, audiotape, or compact disc) on                   Docket ID number or via postal mail,                  315) was enacted on August 14, 2008
                                               request to the program contact person                   commercial delivery, or hand delivery.                and reauthorized the Higher Education
                                               listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION                    Please note that comments submitted by                Act of 1965, as amended, (HEA). It
                                               CONTACT.                                                fax or email and those submitted after                requires participating Title IV
                                                  Electronic Access to This Document:                  the comment period will not be                        institutions to apply for funds and
                                               The official version of this document is                accepted. Written requests for                        report expenditures for the Federal
                                               the document published in the Federal                   information or comments submitted by                  Perkins Loan (Perkins), the Federal
                                               Register. You may access the official                   postal mail or delivery should be                     Supplemental Educational Opportunity
                                               edition of the Federal Register and the                 addressed to the Director of the                      Grant (FSEOG) and the Federal Work-
                                               Code of Federal Regulations via the                     Information Collection Clearance                      Study (FWS) Programs on an annual
                                               Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/                 Division, U.S. Department of Education,               basis.
                                               fdsys. At this site you can view this                   400 Maryland Avenue SW, LBJ, Room                        The data submitted electronically in
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                                               document, as well as all other                          216–34, Washington, DC 20202–4537.                    the Fiscal Operations Report and
                                               documents of this Department                            FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For                  Application to Participate (FISAP) is
                                               published in the Federal Register, in                   specific questions related to collection              used by the Department of Education to
                                               text or Portable Document Format                        activities, please contact Beth                       determine the institution’s funding need
                                               (PDF). To use PDF you must have                         Grebeldinger, 202–377–4018.                           for the award year and monitor program
                                               Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is                          SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The                        effectiveness and accountability of fund
                                               available free at the site.                             Department of Education (ED), in                      expenditures. The data is used in


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Document Created: 2018-04-19 00:41:34
Document Modified: 2018-04-19 00:41:34
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: April 23, 2018.
ContactKelly Terpak, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4W312, Washington, DC 20202- 5900. Telephone: (202) 453-7122. Email: [email protected]
FR Citation83 FR 17396 

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