[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 115 (Thursday, June 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35796-35806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14269]



[[Page 35795]]

Vol. 77

Thursday,

No. 115

June 14, 2012

Part III





Department of Education





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Applications for New Awards; Teacher Incentive Fund; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 115 / Thursday, June 14, 2012 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Teacher Incentive Fund

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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Overview Information

    Teacher Incentive Fund; General TIF Competition and TIF Competition 
with a Focus on STEM. Notice inviting applications for new awards for 
fiscal year (FY) 2012.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.374A and 
84.374B.

DATES: Applications Available: June 14, 2012.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 26, 2012.
    Dates of Pre-Application Workshops: Visit the Teacher Incentive 
Fund's Web site at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/teacherincentive/applicant.html for more information about TIF Pre-Application 
Workshops.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 27, 2012.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 25, 2012.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the TIF program is to support 
the development and implementation of sustainable performance-based 
compensation systems (PBCSs) for teachers, principals, and other 
personnel in high-need schools in order to increase educator 
effectiveness and student achievement in those schools.
    Priorities: This notice contains five priorities, three of which 
are absolute priorities and two of which are competitive preference 
priorities. These priorities are from the notice of final priorities, 
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this program, 
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2012 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from the General 
TIF Competition and the TIF Competition with a Focus on STEM (CFDA 
84.374A and 84.374B), the first two priorities, Priority 1--A Local 
educational agency (LEA)-wide Human Capital Management System (HCMS) 
with Educator Evaluation Systems at the Center and Priority 2--LEA-wide 
Educator Evaluation Systems Based, in Significant Part, on Student 
Growth, are absolute priorities. For FY 2012 and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from the TIF 
Competition with a Focus on STEM (CFDA 84.374B), the third priority, 
Priority 3--Improving Student Achievement in Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), is an absolute priority. Under 34 
CFR 75.105(c)(3) we will only approve applications that meet either the 
first two or all three of these applicable absolute priorities. The 
following chart illustrates which absolute priorities apply to each 
competition:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Competition                      Absolute priorities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TIF General Competition (CFDA   Priority 1--An LEA-wide Human
 84.374A).                      Capital Management System (HCMS) with
                                Educator Evaluation Systems at the
                                Center.
                                Priority 2--LEA-wide Educator
                                Evaluation Systems Based, in Significant
                                Part, on Student Growth.
TIF Competition with a Focus    Priority 1--An LEA-wide Human
 on STEM (CFDA 84.374B).        Capital Management System (HCMS) with
                                Educator Evaluation Systems at the
                                Center.
                                Priority 2--LEA-wide Educator
                                Evaluation Systems Based, in Significant
                                Part, on Student Growth.
                                Priority 3--Improving Student
                                Achievement in Science, Technology,
                                Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    These priorities are:

Priority 1 (Absolute): An LEA-Wide Human Capital Management System 
(HCMS) With Educator Evaluation Systems at the Center

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

    Note: TIF funds can be used to support the costs of the systems 
and strategies described under this priority, Priority 3--Improving 
Student Achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Mathematics (STEM), and Priority 5--An Educator Salary Structure 
Based on Effectiveness only to the extent allowed under Requirement 
6--Use of TIF Funds to Support the PBCS.

Priority 2 (Absolute): LEA-Wide Educator Evaluation Systems Based, in 
Significant Part, on Student Growth

    To meet this priority, an applicant must include, as part of its 
application, a plan describing how it will develop and implement its 
proposed LEA-wide educator evaluation systems. The plan must describe--
    (1) The frequency of evaluations, which must be at least annually;
    (2) The evaluation rubric for educators that includes at least 
three performance levels and the following--
    (i) Two or more observations during each evaluation period;
    (ii) Student growth, which for the evaluation of teachers with 
regular instructional responsibilities must be growth at the classroom 
level; and
    (iii) Additional factors determined by the LEA;

[[Page 35797]]

    (3) How the evaluation systems will generate an overall evaluation 
rating that is based, in significant part, on student growth; and
    (4) The applicant's timeline for implementing its proposed LEA-wide 
educator evaluation systems. Under the timeline, the applicant must 
implement these systems as the LEA's official evaluation systems for 
assigning overall evaluation ratings for at least a subset of educators 
or schools no later than the beginning of the second year of the 
grant's project period. The applicant may phase in the evaluation 
systems by applying them, over time, to additional schools or educators 
so long as the new evaluation systems are the official evaluation 
systems the LEA uses to assign overall evaluation ratings for all 
educators within the LEA no later than the beginning of the third year 
of the grant's project period.

Priority 3 (Absolute): Improving Student Achievement in Science, 
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

    To meet this priority, an applicant must include a plan in its 
application that describes the applicant's strategies for improving 
instruction in STEM subjects through various components of each 
participating LEA's HCMS, including its professional development, 
evaluation systems, and PBCS. At a minimum, the plan must describe--
    (1) How each LEA will develop a corps of STEM master teachers who 
are skilled at modeling for peer teachers pedagogical methods for 
teaching STEM skills and content at the appropriate grade level by 
providing additional compensation to teachers who--
    (i) Receive an overall evaluation rating of effective or higher 
under the evaluation system described in the application;
    (ii) Are selected based on criteria that are predictive of the 
ability to lead other teachers;
    (iii) Demonstrate effectiveness in one or more STEM subjects; and
    (iv) Accept STEM-focused career ladder positions;
    (2) How each LEA will identify and develop the unique competencies 
that, based on evaluation information or other evidence, characterize 
effective STEM teachers;
    (3) How each LEA will identify hard-to-staff STEM subjects, and use 
the HCMS to attract effective teachers to positions providing 
instruction in those subjects;
    (4) How each LEA will leverage community support, resources, and 
expertise to inform the implementation of its plan;
    (5) How each LEA will ensure that financial and non-financial 
incentives, including performance-based compensation, offered to reward 
or promote effective STEM teachers are adequate to attract and retain 
persons with strong STEM skills in high-need schools; and
    (6) How each LEA will ensure that students have access to and 
participate in rigorous and engaging STEM coursework.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2012 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from 
the competitions announced in this notice, the following two priorities 
are competitive preference priorities: Priority 4 (Competitive 
Preference)--New or Rural Applicants to the Teacher Incentive Fund and 
Priority 5 (Competitive Preference)--An Educator Salary Structure Based 
on Effectiveness. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an 
additional 30 points to an application, depending on how well the 
application meets one or more of these priorities.

Priority 4 (Competitive Preference): New or Rural Applicants to the 
Teacher Incentive Fund (Up to 10 Total Points)

    To meet this priority, an applicant must provide at least one of 
the two following assurances, which the Department accepts:
    (a) An assurance that each LEA to be served by the project has not 
previously participated in a TIF-supported project.
    (b) An assurance that each LEA to be served by the project is a 
rural local educational agency (as defined in this notice).

    Note: An applicant that proposes to serve only LEAs that have 
not previously participated in a TIF-supported project may earn 6 
points. An applicant that proposes to serve only rural LEAs may earn 
10 points. An applicant may not receive more than 10 points under 
this priority. In other words, an applicant that meets both 
paragraph (a) and (b) of this priority may receive no more than 10 
total points.

Priority 5 (Competitive Preference): An Educator Salary Structure Based 
on Effectiveness (Up to 20 Additional Points)

    To meet this priority, an applicant must propose, as part of its 
PBCS, a timeline for implementing no later than in the fifth year of 
the grant's project period a salary structure based on effectiveness 
for both teachers and principals. As part of this proposal, an 
applicant must describe--
    (a) The extent to which and how each LEA will use overall 
evaluation ratings to determine educator salaries;
    (b) How each LEA will use TIF funds to support the salary structure 
based on effectiveness in the high-need schools listed in response to 
Requirement 3(a); and
    (c) The extent to which the proposed implementation is feasible, 
given that implementation will depend upon stakeholder support and 
applicable LEA-level policies.

    Note:  To meet Priority 2 (Absolute)--LEA-wide Educator 
Evaluation Systems Based, in Significant Part, on Student Growth, an 
applicant must implement its proposed PBCS in the high-need schools 
listed in response to paragraph (a) of Requirement 3--Documentation 
of High-Need Schools by the beginning of the third year of the 
grant's project period. If the timeline for implementing the salary 
structure proposed under this Priority 5 does not meet that 
deadline, the applicant must describe, under Requirement 1--
Performance-Based Compensation for Teachers, Principals, and Other 
Personnel, a proposed PBCS that the LEA will implement until the 
proposed salary structure is implemented.

    Requirements:
    The following requirements, which are from the notice of final 
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection for this program, 
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, apply to the 
competitions announced in this notice.
Requirement 1--Performance-Based Compensation for Teachers, Principals, 
and Other Personnel
    In its application, an applicant must describe, for each 
participating LEA, how its proposed PBCS will meet the definition of a 
PBCS set forth in this notice.

    Note: The following charts illustrate how an applicant can 
design its PBCS to meet the definition of a PBCS. Chart 1 describes 
the two types of design models that meet the statutory requirements. 
Chart 2 identifies additional optional features that could be 
implemented as part of a PBCS. To ensure that funded applications 
reflect a diversity of PBCSs, the Secretary reserves the right to 
fund a sufficient number of high-quality Design Model 1 and Design 
Model 2 projects, as shown in Chart 1.


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       Chart 1--PBCS Design Options To Meet Statutory Requirements
------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Design model                      Mandatory elements
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1 *..........................  Proposed PBCS provides both of the
                                following:
    *Corresponds to paragraph     (1) Additional compensation for
     (a)(1) of the PBCS            teachers and principals who receive
     definition.                   an overall rating of effective or
                                   higher under the evaluation systems
                                   described in the application.
                                  (2) Of those teachers and principals
                                   eligible for compensation under
                                   paragraph (1), additional
                                   compensation for teachers and, at the
                                   applicant's discretion, for
                                   principals, who take on additional
                                   responsibilities and leadership roles
                                   (as defined in this notice).
2 *..........................  Proposed PBCS provides both of the
                                following:
    *Corresponds to paragraph     (1) Additional compensation for
     (a)(2) of the PBCS            teachers who receive an overall
     definition.                   rating of effective or higher under
                                   the evaluation system described in
                                   the application and who take on
                                   career ladder positions (as defined
                                   in this notice).
                                  (2) Additional compensation for one or
                                   both of the following:
                                   (A) Principals who receive an overall
                                   rating of effective or higher under
                                   the evaluation system described in
                                   the application, or
                                   (B) Principals who receive an overall
                                   rating of effective or higher under
                                   the evaluation system described in
                                   the application and who take on
                                   additional responsibilities and
                                   leadership roles (as defined in this
                                   notice).
------------------------------------------------------------------------


                     Chart 2--PBCS Optional Features
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Optional elements
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compensation for Transfers to  Proposed PBCS provides additional
 High-Need Schools.             compensation for educators (which at the
                                applicant's option may be for teachers
                                or principals or both) who receive an
                                overall rating of effective or higher
                                under the evaluation systems described
                                in the application or under comparable
                                evaluation systems in another LEA, and
                                who either:
                                  (1) Transfer to a high-need school
                                   from a school of the LEA that is not
                                   high-need, or
                                  (2) For educators who previously
                                   worked in another LEA, are hired to
                                   work in a high-need school.
Compensation for Other         Proposed PBCS provides additional
 Personnel.                     compensation for other personnel, who
                                are not teachers or principals, based on
                                performance standards established by the
                                LEA so long as those standards, in
                                significant part, include student
                                growth, which may be school-level
                                student growth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Requirement 2--Involvement and Support of Teachers and Principals
    In its application, the applicant must include--
    (a) Evidence that educators in each participating LEA have been 
involved, and will continue to be involved, in the development and 
implementation of the PBCS and evaluation systems described in the 
application;
    (b) A description of the extent to which the applicant has educator 
support for the proposed PBCS and educator evaluation systems; and
    (c) A statement indicating whether a union is the exclusive 
representative of either teachers or principals in each participating 
LEA.

    Note: It is the responsibility of the grantee to ensure that, in 
observing the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded school or 
school district employees under Federal, State, or local laws 
(including applicable regulations or court orders) or under terms of 
collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or 
other agreements between these employees and their employers, the 
grantee also remains in compliance with the priorities, 
requirements, and definitions included in this notice. In the event 
that a grantee is unable to comply with these priorities, 
requirements, and definitions, the Department may take appropriate 
enforcement action (e.g., discontinue support for the project).

Requirement 3--Documentation of High-Need Schools
    Each applicant must demonstrate, in its application, that the 
schools participating in the implementation of the TIF-funded PBCS are 
high-need schools (as defined in this notice), including high-poverty 
schools (as defined in this notice), priority schools (as defined in 
this notice), or persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in 
this notice). Each applicant must provide, in its application--
    (a) A list of high-need schools in which the proposed TIF-supported 
PBCS would be implemented;
    (b) For each high-poverty school listed, the most current data on 
the percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price 
lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
or are considered students from low-income families based on another 
poverty measure that the LEA uses (see section 1113(a)(5) of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) (20 
U.S.C. 6313(a)(5))). Data provided to demonstrate eligibility as a 
high-poverty school must be school-level data; the Department will not 
accept LEA- or State-level data for purposes of documenting whether a 
school is a high-poverty school; and
    (c) For any priority schools listed, documentation verifying that 
the State has received approval of a request for ESEA flexibility, and 
that the schools have been identified by the State as priority schools.
Requirement 4--SEA and Other Group Applications
    (a) Applications from the following are group applications:
    (1) Any application from two or more LEAs.
    (2) Any application that includes one or more SEAs.
    (3) Any application that includes a nonprofit organization.
    (b) An applicant that is a nonprofit organization must apply in a 
partnership that includes one or more LEAs, and must identify in the 
application the LEA(s) and any SEA(s) with which the proposed project 
would be implemented.
    (c) An applicant that is an SEA must apply for a grant under this 
program as part of a group application that includes

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one or more LEAs in the same State as the SEA, and must identify in the 
application the LEA(s) in which the project would be implemented.
    (d) All group applications must include a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) or other binding agreement signed by all of the 
members of the group. At a minimum, the MOU or other agreement must 
include--
    (1) A commitment by each participating LEA to implement the HCMS, 
including the educator evaluation systems and the PBCS, described in 
the application;
    (2) An identification of the lead applicant;
    (3) A description of the responsibilities of the lead applicant in 
managing any grant funds and ensuring overall implementation of the 
proposed project as described in the application if approved by the 
Department;
    (4) A description of the activities that each member of the group 
will perform; and
    (5) A statement binding each member of the group to every statement 
and assurance made in the application.
    (e) In any group application identified in paragraph (a) of this 
requirement, each entity in the group is considered a grantee.
Requirement 5--Limitations on Multiple Applications
    (a) An LEA applicant may participate in no more than one 
application in any fiscal year.
    (b) An SEA applicant may participate in no more than one group 
application for the General TIF Competition, and no more than one group 
application for the TIF Competition with a Focus on STEM in any fiscal 
year.
    (c) A nonprofit organization applicant may participate in one or 
more group applications for the General TIF Competition, and in one or 
more applications for the TIF Competition with a Focus on STEM, in any 
fiscal year.
Requirement 6--Use of TIF Funds To Support the PBCS
    (a) LEA-wide Improvements to Systems and Tools. TIF funds may be 
used to develop and improve systems and tools that support the PBCS and 
benefit the entire LEA.
    (b) Performance-based Compensation and Professional Development.
    (1) High-Need Schools. TIF funds may be used to provide 
performance-based compensation and related professional development in 
the high-need schools listed in response to paragraph (a) of 
Requirement 3--Documentation of High-Need Schools. TIF funds may not be 
used to provide performance-based compensation or related professional 
development in schools other than those high-need schools listed in 
response to paragraph (a) of Requirement 3--Documentation of High-Need 
Schools.
    (2) PBCSs. TIF funds may be used to compensate educators only when 
the compensation is provided as part of the LEA's PBCS, as described in 
the application.
    (3) For Additional Responsibilities and Leadership Roles. When a 
proposed PBCS provides additional compensation to effective educators 
who take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles, TIF funds 
may be used for either the entire amount of salary for career ladder 
positions, or for salary augmentations (i.e., an additional amount of 
compensation over and above what the LEA would otherwise pay the 
effective teacher), or both. TIF-funds may be used to fund additional 
compensation for additional responsibilities and leadership roles up to 
the cost of 1 full-time equivalent position for every 12 teachers, who 
are not in a career ladder position, located in the high-need schools 
listed in response to Requirement 3(a).
    (c) Other Permissible Types of Compensation. Nothing in this 
requirement precludes the use of TIF funds to compensate educators who 
are hired by a grantee to administer or implement the TIF-supported 
PBCS, or to compensate educators who attend TIF-supported professional 
development outside their official duty hours, or to develop or improve 
systems and tools needed to support the PBCS.
Requirement 7--Limitation on Using TIF Funds in High-Need Schools 
Served by Existing TIF Grants
    Each applicant must provide an assurance, in its application, that, 
if successful under this competition, it will use the grant award to 
implement the proposed PBCS and professional development only in high-
need schools that are not served, as of the beginning of the grant's 
project period or as planned in the future, by an existing TIF grant.
    Definitions:
    The following definitions, which are from the notice of final 
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this 
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, 
apply to the competitions announced in this notice.
    Additional responsibilities and leadership roles means:
    (a) In the case of teachers, meaningful school-based 
responsibilities that teachers may voluntarily accept to strengthen 
instruction or instructional leadership in a systemic way, such as 
additional responsibilities related to lesson study, professional 
development, and peer evaluation, and may also include career ladder 
positions.
    (b) In the case of principals, additional responsibilities and 
leadership roles that principals may voluntarily accept, such as a 
position in which an effective principal coaches a novice principal.
    Career ladder positions means school-based instructional leadership 
positions designed to improve instructional practice, which teachers 
may voluntarily accept, such as positions described as master teacher, 
mentor teacher, demonstration or model teacher, or instructional coach, 
and for which teachers are selected based on criteria that are 
predictive of the ability to lead other teachers.
    Educators means teachers and principals.
    High-need school means:
    (a) A high-poverty school, or
    (b) A persistently lowest-achieving school, or
    (c) In the case of States that have received the Department's 
approval of a request for ESEA flexibility, a priority school.
    High-poverty school means a school with 50 percent or more of its 
enrollment from low-income families, based on eligibility for free or 
reduced-price lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act, or other poverty measures that LEAs use (see section 
1113(a)(5) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)). For middle and high 
schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of comparable data 
from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty school under this 
definition is determined on the basis of the most currently available 
data.
    Human capital management system (HCMS) means a system by which an 
LEA makes and implements human capital decisions, such as decisions on 
recruitment, hiring, placement, retention, dismissal, compensation, 
professional development, tenure, and promotion.
    Other personnel means school-based personnel who are not serving in 
a teacher or principal position. Other personnel may include, for 
example, school counselors, media specialists, or para-educators.
    Performance-based compensation system (PBCS) means a system that:
    (a) Provides additional compensation for teachers and principals in 
one of the following circumstances--
    (1)(i) Design Model 1. Additional compensation for teachers and

[[Page 35800]]

principals who receive an overall evaluation rating of effective or 
higher under the evaluation systems described in the application; and
    (ii) Of those teachers and principals eligible for compensation 
under paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this definition, additional compensation 
for teachers and, at the applicant's discretion, for principals, who 
take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles; or
    (2)(i) Design Model 2. Additional compensation for teachers who 
receive an overall evaluation rating of effective or higher under the 
evaluation system described in the application and who take on career 
ladder positions; and
    (ii) Additional compensation for (A) principals who receive an 
overall evaluation rating of effective or higher under the evaluation 
system described in the application, or (B) principals who receive an 
overall evaluation rating of effective or higher under the evaluation 
system described in the application and who take on additional 
responsibilities and leadership roles.
    (b) May provide the following compensation:
    (1) Additional compensation for educators (which at the applicant's 
option may be for teachers or principals or both) who receive an 
overall evaluation rating of effective or higher under the evaluation 
systems described in the application or under comparable evaluation 
systems in another LEA, and who either: (i) transfer to a high-need 
school from a school of the LEA that is not high-need, or, (ii) for 
educators who previously worked in another LEA, are hired to work in a 
high-need school.
    (2) Additional compensation for other personnel, who are not 
teachers or principals, based on performance standards established by 
the LEA so long as those standards, in significant part, include 
student growth, which may be school-level student growth.
    Persistently lowest-achieving school means, as determined by the 
State:
    (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring that--
    (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools 
in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or the lowest-
achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is greater; or
    (b) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 
34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years; 
and
    (ii) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not 
receive, Title I funds that--
    (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools 
or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are 
eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of 
schools is greater; or
    (b) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 
34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.
    To identify the persistently lowest achieving schools, a State must 
take into account both:
    (i) The academic achievement of the ``all students'' group in a 
school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under section 
1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics 
combined; and
    (ii) The school's lack of progress on those assessments over a 
number of years in the ``all students'' group.
    Principal means any person who meets the definition of that term 
under State or local law. At an LEA's discretion, it may also include 
an assistant or vice principal or a person in a position that 
contributes to the organizational management or instructional 
leadership of a school.
    Priority school means a school that has been identified by the 
State as a priority school pursuant to the State's approved request for 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility.
    Rural local educational agency means an LEA that is eligible under 
the Small Rural School Achievement program or the Rural and Low-Income 
School program authorized under Title VI, Part B of the ESEA. 
Applicants may determine whether a particular LEA is eligible for these 
programs by referring to information on the Department's Web site at 
http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/reap.html.
    Student growth means the change in student achievement for an 
individual student between two or more points in time. For the purpose 
of this definition, student achievement means--
    (a) For grades and subjects in which assessments are required under 
section 1111(b)(3) of ESEA: (1) A student's score on such assessments 
and may include (2) other measures of student learning, such as those 
described in paragraph (b) of this definition, provided those measures 
are rigorous and comparable across schools within an LEA.
    (b) For grades and subjects in which assessments are not required 
under section 1111(b)(3) of ESEA: alternative measures of student 
learning and performance such as student results on pre-tests, end-of-
course tests, and objective performance-based assessments; student 
learning objectives; student performance on English language 
proficiency assessments; and other measures of student achievement that 
are rigorous and comparable across schools within an LEA.
    Teacher means any person who meets the definition of that term 
under State or local law.
    Vision of instructional improvement means a summary of the key 
competencies and behaviors of effective teaching that an LEA views as 
necessary to produce high levels of student achievement, as well as how 
educators acquire or improve these competencies and behaviors.

    Program Authority: The Department of Education Appropriations 
Act, 2012 (Division F, Title III of Pub. L. 112-74).

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department suspension 
and debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The notice of final 
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this 
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

    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: $284,461,350.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2013 from the list of 
unfunded applicants from the competitions announced in this notice.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$12,000,000 for the first year 
of the project period. Funding for the second through fifth years of 
the project period is subject to the availability of funds and the 
approval of continuation awards (see 34 CFR 75.253).
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $10,000,000 for the first year of 
the project period. Funding for the second through fifth years of the 
project period is subject to the availability of funds and the approval 
of continuation awards (see 34 CFR 75.253).
    Estimated Number of Awards: 30.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

[[Page 35801]]

III. Eligibility Information

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

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package:
    Miriam Lund, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Room 3E245, LBJ Building, Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 
205-5224 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in 
this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: We will be able to develop a more 
efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we understand the 
number of applicants that intend to apply for funding under these 
competitions. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each 
potential applicant to notify us of the applicant's intent to submit an 
application for funding by sending a short email message. This short 
email should provide (1) the applicant organization's name and address, 
(2) the competition for which the applicant intends to apply (i.e., the 
TIF General Competition or the TIF Competition with a Focus on STEM), 
and (3) all competitive preference priorities the applicant intends to 
address. The Secretary requests that this email notification be sent to 
[email protected] with ``Intent to Apply'' in the email subject line. 
Applicants that do not provide this email notification may still apply 
for funding.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. Please limit the application narrative to no more than 60 
pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The suggested page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, 
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the suggested 
page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: June 14, 2012.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 26, 2012.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 27, 2012.
    Pre-application workshops will be held for this competition in 
June. The workshops are intended to provide technical assistance to all 
interested grant applicants. Detailed information regarding the pre-
application workshops times, and on-line registration form, can be 
found on the Teacher Incentive Fund's Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/0teacherincentive/applicant.html.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission 
Requirements of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 25, 2012.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following

[[Page 35802]]

Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
    7. Other Submission Requirements:
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement 
in accordance with the instructions in this section.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications

    Applications for grants under the Teacher Incentive Fund, CFDA 
number 84.374A, the General TIF Competition and 84.374B, the TIF 
Competition with a Focus on STEM, must be submitted electronically 
using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. 
Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the 
application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit 
your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant 
application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Teacher 
Incentive Fund competitions at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. 
Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., 
search for 84.374, not 84.374A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you 
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. 
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to 
Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home 
page at http://www.G5.gov.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     You must upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) 
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not 
review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by email. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this 
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The 
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether 
your application will be accepted.

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

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--

[[Page 35803]]

     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail your statement to: Miriam Lund, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room, 3E245, Washington, DC, 20202-
6200.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.

b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail

    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.374A for the General TIF Competition or CFDA Number 
84.374B for the TIF Competition with a Focus on STEM), LBJ Basement 
Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

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

 c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery

    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.374A for the General TIF Competition or CFDA Number 
84.374B for the TIF Competition with a Focus on STEM), 550 12th Street 
SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

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

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from the notice of final priorities, requirements, definitions, and 
selection criteria for this program, published elsewhere in this 
edition of the Federal Register. The points or weights assigned to each 
criterion are indicated in parentheses. Non-Federal peer reviewers will 
review each application. They will be asked to evaluate and score each 
program narrative against the following selection criteria.
    Selection Criteria (a) through (f) apply to both the General TIF 
Competition and the TIF Competition with a Focus on STEM. Selection 
Criteria (g) applies only to applicants applying to the TIF Competition 
with a Focus on STEM.
    The maximum score for all of the General TIF Competition selection 
criteria is 200 points. The maximum score for the TIF Competition with 
a Focus on STEM is 225 points. The maximum score for each criterion and 
subcriterion is indicated in parentheses. The selection criteria for 
these competitions are as follows:
    (a) A Coherent and Comprehensive Human Capital Management System 
(HCMS). (45 points) We will consider the quality and comprehensiveness 
of each participating LEA's HCMS as described in the application. In 
determining the quality of the HCMS, as it currently exists and as the 
applicant proposes to modify it during the grant period, we will 
consider the extent to which the HCMS described in the application is--
    (1) Aligned with each participating LEA's clearly described vision 
of instructional improvement (10 points); and
    (2) Likely to increase the number of effective educators in the 
LEA's schools, especially in high-need schools, as demonstrated by (35 
points)--
    (i) The range of human capital decisions for which the applicant 
proposes to consider educator effectiveness--based on the educator 
evaluation systems described in the application.
    (ii) The weight given to educator effectiveness--based on the 
educator evaluation systems described in the application--when human 
capital decisions are made;
    (iii) The feasibility of the HCMS described in the application, 
including the extent to which the LEA has prior experience using 
information from the educator evaluation systems described in the 
application to inform human capital decisions, and applicable LEA-level 
policies that might inhibit or facilitate modifications needed to use 
educator effectiveness as a factor in human capital decisions;
    (iv) The commitment of the LEA's leadership to implementing the 
described HCMS, including all of its component parts; and
    (v) The adequacy of the financial and nonfinancial strategies and 
incentives, including the proposed PBCS, for attracting effective 
educators to work in high-need schools and retaining them in those 
schools.
    (b) Rigorous, Valid, and Reliable Educator Evaluation Systems. (35 
points) We will consider, for each participating LEA, the quality of 
the educator evaluation systems described

[[Page 35804]]

in the application. In determining the quality of each evaluation 
system, we will consider the extent to which--
    (1) Each participating LEA has finalized a high-quality evaluation 
rubric, with at least three performance levels (e.g., highly effective, 
effective, developing, unsatisfactory), under which educators will be 
evaluated (2 points);
    (2) Each participating LEA has presented (4 points)--
    (i) A clear rationale to support its consideration of the level of 
student growth achieved in differentiating performance levels; and
    (ii) Evidence, such as current research and best practices, 
supporting the LEA's choice of student growth models and demonstrating 
the rigor and comparability of assessments;
    (3) Each participating LEA has made substantial progress in 
developing a high-quality plan for multiple teacher and principal 
observations, including identification of the persons, by position and 
qualifications, who will be conducting the observations, the 
observation tool, the events to be observed, the accuracy of raters in 
using observation tools and the procedures for ensuring a high degree 
of inter-rater reliability (13 points);
    (4) The participating LEA has experience measuring student growth 
at the classroom level, and has already implemented components of the 
proposed educator evaluation systems (4 points);
    (5) In the case of teacher evaluations, the proposed evaluation 
system (6 points)--
    (i) Bases the overall evaluation rating for teachers, in 
significant part, on student growth;
    (ii) Evaluates the practice of teachers, including general 
education teachers and teachers of special student populations, in 
meeting the needs of special student populations, including students 
with disabilities and English learners;
    (6) In the case of principal evaluations, the proposed evaluation 
system (6 points)--
    (i) Bases the overall evaluation rating on, in significant part, 
student growth; and
    (ii) Evaluates, among other factors, a principal's practice in--
    (A) Focusing every teacher, and the school community generally, on 
student growth;
    (B) Establishing a collaborative school culture focused on 
continuous improvement; and
    (C) Supporting the academic needs of special student populations, 
including students with disabilities and English learners, for example, 
by creating systems to support successful co-teaching practices, 
providing resources for research-based intervention services, or 
similar activities.
    (c) Professional Development Systems to Support the Needs of 
Teachers and Principals Identified Through the Evaluation Process. (35 
points) We will consider the extent to which each participating LEA has 
a high-quality plan for professional development to help all educators 
located in high-need schools, listed in response to Requirement 3(a), 
to improve their effectiveness. In determining the quality of each plan 
for professional development, we will consider the extent to which the 
plan describes how the participating LEA will--
    (1) Use the disaggregated information generated by the proposed 
educator evaluation systems to identify the professional development 
needs of individual educators and schools (8 points);
    (2) Provide professional development in a timely way (2 points);
    (3) Provide school-based, job-embedded opportunities for educators 
to transfer new knowledge into instructional and leadership practices 
(5 points); and
    (4) Provide professional development that is likely to improve 
instructional and leadership practices, and is guided by the 
professional development needs of individual educators as identified in 
paragraph (c)(1) of this criterion (20 points).
    (d) Involvement of Educators. (35 points) We will consider the 
quality of educator involvement in the development and implementation 
of the proposed PBCS and educator evaluation systems described in the 
application. In determining the quality of such involvement, we will 
consider the extent to which--
    (1) The application contains evidence that educator involvement in 
the design of the PBCS and the educator evaluation systems has been 
extensive and will continue to be extensive during the grant period (10 
points); and
    (2) The application contains evidence that educators support the 
elements of the proposed PBCS and the educator evaluation systems 
described in the application (25 points).
    (e) Project Management. (30 points) We will consider the quality of 
the management plan of the proposed project. In determining the quality 
of the management plan, we will consider the extent to which the 
management plan--
    (1) Clearly identifies and defines the roles and responsibilities 
of key personnel (3 points);
    (2) Allocates sufficient human resources to complete project tasks 
(5 points);
    (3) Includes measurable project objectives and performance measures 
(5 points); and
    (4) Includes an effective project evaluation plan (5 points);
    (5) Specifies realistic and achievable timelines for:
    (i) Implementing the components of the HCMS, PBCS, and educator 
evaluation systems, including any proposal to phase in schools or 
educators (8 points).
    (ii) Successfully completing project tasks and achieving objectives 
(4 points).
    (f) Sustainability. (20 points) We will consider the quality of the 
plan to sustain the proposed project. In determining the quality of the 
sustainability plan, we will consider the extent to which the 
sustainability plan--
    (1) Identifies and commits sufficient non-TIF resources, financial 
and nonfinancial, to support the PBCS and educator evaluation systems 
during and after the grant period (10 points); and
    (2) Is likely to be implemented and, if implemented, will result in 
a sustained PBCS and educator evaluation systems after the grant period 
ends (10 points).
    (g) Comprehensive Approach to Improving STEM Instruction. (25 
points) To meet Priority 3, we will consider the quality of an 
applicant's plan for improving educator effectiveness in STEM 
instruction. In determining the quality of the plan, we will consider 
the extent to which--
    (1) The financial and nonfinancial strategies and incentives, 
including the proposed PBCS, are adequate for attracting effective STEM 
educators to work in high-need schools and retaining them in these 
schools (4 points);
    (2) The proposed professional development opportunities--
    (a) Will provide college-level STEM skills and content knowledge to 
STEM teachers while modeling for teachers pedagogical methods for 
teaching those skills and that content at the appropriate grade level 
(4 points); and
    (b) Will enable STEM teachers to provide students in high-need 
schools with increased access to rigorous and engaging STEM coursework 
appropriate for their grade level, including college-level material in 
high schools (7 points);
    (3) The applicant will significantly leverage STEM-related funds 
across other Federal, State, and local programs to implement a high-
quality and comprehensive STEM plan (7 points); and

[[Page 35805]]

    (4) The applicant provides evidence (e.g., letters of support) that 
the LEA has or will develop extensive relationships with STEM experts 
and resources in industry, academic institutions, or associations to 
effectively implement its STEM plan and ensure that instruction 
prepares students to be college-and-career ready (3 points).
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special 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 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled 
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under one the 
competitions announced in this notice, 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 one of 
the competitions. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 
CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: Pursuant to the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993, the Department has established the following 
performance measures that it will use to evaluate the overall 
effectiveness of the grantee's project, as well as the TIF program as a 
whole:
    Measure 1. The number of teachers and principals, who are rated at 
the highest level, at least effective, and not effective, as measured 
by the district's evaluation system and the number who are not rated.
    Measure 2. The number of teachers teaching in a high-need field or 
subject, such as teaching English learners, students with disabilities, 
or STEM, who are rated at the highest level, at least effective, and 
not effective, as measured by the district's evaluation system and the 
number who are not rated.
    Measure 3. The number of teachers and principals who were rated at 
the highest level, at least effective, and not effective, as measured 
by the district's evaluation system, and the number who were not rated, 
in the previous year and who returned to serve in the same high-need 
school in the LEA.
    Measure 4. The number of school districts participating in a TIF 
grant that use educator evaluation systems to inform the following 
human capital decisions: recruitment; hiring; placement; retention; 
dismissal; professional development; tenure; promotion; or all of the 
above.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a 
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives 
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review 
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes 
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds 
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and 
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miriam Lund, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E245, LBJ Building, 
Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 205-5224 or by email: 
[email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to 
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
in section VII of this notice. Electronic Access to This Document: The 
official version of this document is the document published in the 
Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the 
Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available via 
the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can 
view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department 
published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document 
Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 
available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.
    Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated 
authority to Michael Yudin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy for 
Elementary and Secondary Education to perform the functions and duties 
of the Assistant

[[Page 35806]]

Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.

    Dated: June 7, 2012.
Michael Yudin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, and Strategic Initiatives, 
Delegated, the Authority to Perform the Functions, and Duties of the 
Assistant, Secretary for Elementary and Secondary, Education.
[FR Doc. 2012-14269 Filed 6-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P