[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 159 (Monday, August 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48874-48892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19427]



[[Page 48873]]

Vol. 79

Monday,

No. 159

August 18, 2014

Part IV





 Department of Education





-----------------------------------------------------------------------





Department of Health and Human Services





-----------------------------------------------------------------------





 Applications for New Awards; Preschool Development Grants--Expansion 
Grants; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 79 , No. 159 / Monday, August 18, 2014 / 
Notices  

[[Page 48874]]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Applications for New Awards; Preschool Development Grants--
Expansion Grants

AGENCY: Department of Education and Department of Health and Human 
Services.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Overview Information: Preschool Development Grants--Expansion 
Grants Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2014.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.419B.

DATES: Applications Available: August 18, 2014.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: September 11, 2014.

    Note: Submission of a notice of intent to apply is optional.

    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 14, 2014.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Preschool Development Grants 
program, which is jointly administered by the Departments of Education 
and Health and Human Services (Departments), is to support State and 
local efforts to build, develop, and expand High-Quality Preschool 
Programs \1\ so that more children from low- and moderate-income 
families enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and in life. All 
States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are eligible to apply 
for either a Preschool Development Grants--Development Grant or a 
Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Defined terms are used throughout the notice and are 
indicated by capitalization.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants will support States 
that have robust State Preschool Programs or that have been awarded a 
Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge grant. These grants will be 
awarded to States to implement and sustain High-Quality Preschool 
Programs that reach and serve additional Eligible Children in two or 
more High-Need Communities. States will also be able to use a portion 
of their funds to make preschool program infrastructure and quality 
improvements needed to deliver High-Quality Preschool Programs. The 
States eligible to apply for a Preschool Development Grants--Expansion 
Grant are Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, 
District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, 
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, 
Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, 
Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, 
Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and 
Wisconsin.
    Preschool Development Grants--Development Grants will support 
States with either small or no State Preschool Programs. These grants 
will be awarded to States to develop or enhance preschool program 
infrastructure and capacity to deliver High-Quality Preschool Programs. 
These States will be expected to implement and sustain High-Quality 
Preschool Programs to reach and serve additional Eligible Children in 
one or more High-Need Communities. The States eligible to apply for a 
Preschool Development Grants--Development Grant are Alabama, Alaska, 
Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, 
Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Utah, 
and Wyoming.
    Background and Program Overview:

Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants

    Strong and consistent evidence demonstrates that participation in 
high-quality early learning programs can lead to both short- and long-
term positive outcomes for all children, but especially children from 
low-income families.\2\ Research has shown the multiple benefits of 
attending preschool programs that are of high-quality, including 
increased school readiness, lower rates of grade retention and special 
education placements, improved high school graduation rates, reduced 
interaction with law enforcement, and higher rates of college 
attendance and completion.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Yoshikawa, H., Weiland, C., Brooks-Gunn, J., Burchinal, M., 
Espinosa, L., Gormley, W., Ludwig, J.O., Magnuson, K.A., Phillips, 
D.A., & Zaslow, M.J. (2013). Investing in Our Future: The Evidence 
Base on Preschool Education. New York: Foundation for Child 
Development and Ann Arbor, MI: Society for Research in Child 
Development. Available at: http://fcd-us.org/sites/default/files/Evidence%20Base%20on%20Preschool%20Education%20FINAL.pdf.
    \3\ Barnett, W.S. (2008). Preschool Education and Its Lasting 
Effects: Research and Policy Implications. Boulder and Tempe: 
Education and the Public Interest Center & Education Policy Research 
Unit. Available at: http://nieer.org/resources/research/PreschoolLastingEffects.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We also know that children from low-income families, on average, 
start kindergarten 12 to 14 months behind their peers in pre-reading 
and language skills.\4\ Results from the ``Early Childhood Longitudinal 
Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11,'' indicate that children's 
performance in reading and math were lowest for kindergartners in 
households with incomes below the Federal Poverty Line and highest for 
those in households with incomes at or above 200 percent of the Federal 
Poverty Line.\5\ Increasing access to High-Quality Preschool Programs, 
particularly for at-risk children from low-income families, can help 
close, or even prevent, these achievement gaps prior to kindergarten 
entry.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood 
Development (2000). From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of 
Early Childhood Development. Jack P. Shonkoff and Deborah A. 
Phillips, eds. Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Commission on 
Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: 
National Academy Press.
    \5\ Mulligan, G.M., Hastedt, S., and McCarroll, J.C. (July, 
2012). First-Time Kindergartners in 2010-11: First Findings From the 
Kindergarten Rounds of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, 
Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011) (NCES 2012-049). U.S. 
Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for 
Education Statistics. Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Pub. L. 113-76) provided 
$250 million for competitive grants to States for improving early 
childhood care and education, and help States develop, enhance, and 
expand preschool programs that are of high-quality. Of this amount, the 
Departments expect to dedicate approximately $160 million to Preschool 
Development Grants--Expansion Grants and $80 million to Preschool 
Development Grants--Development Grants. As explained more fully 
elsewhere in the notice, we are waiving notice-and-comment rulemaking 
for these competitions to ensure timely awards. However, the 
Departments welcomed comments from the public on the priorities, 
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this funding 
opportunity through a dedicated Web site and a public hearing. In all, 
the Departments received over 600 individual comments to consider as we 
drafted this notice to be consistent with the language in the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, and accompanying report.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ http://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/resources.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In this notice, we announce the priorities, requirements, 
definitions, and selection criteria that the Departments will use in 
the FY 2014 Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants competition. 
We announce the priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection 
criteria that we will use in the

[[Page 48875]]

FY 2014 Preschool Development Grants--Development Grants competition in 
a separate notice inviting applications published elsewhere in this 
issue of the Federal Register.
    The Departments will make Preschool Development Grants--Expansion 
Grants on a competitive basis to States to (1) implement and sustain 
High-Quality Preschool Programs that reach and serve additional 
Eligible Children in two or more High-Need Communities; and (2) enhance 
preschool program infrastructure and capacity to deliver High-Quality 
Preschool Programs. For Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants, 
States may allocate up to five percent of the total Federal funds over 
the grant period for State-level infrastructure. The remainder of the 
Federal funds must be subgranted to Early Learning Providers in two or 
more High-Need Communities.
    We intend High-Quality Preschool Programs to be delivered through a 
mixed-delivery system of providers that includes schools, licensed 
child care centers, Head Start programs, and community-based 
organizations. Preschool programs funded by the Preschool Development 
Grants program must meet program quality standards, including, at a 
minimum, the elements outlined in the definition of a ``High-Quality 
Preschool Program,'' such as high staff qualifications, low child-staff 
ratios and small class sizes, a Full-Day program, and Comprehensive 
Services for children. Though encouraged, other preschool programs 
within the State will not be required to meet these same criteria.
    A State's application must include an ambitious and achievable plan 
covering a project period of up to four years. Depending on the 
availability of funds, the Departments will make continuation awards 
for years two, three, and four of the project period. The State's 
ambitious and achievable plan must describe, among other things, how 
the State will expand access to High-Quality Preschool Programs to 
children at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line; the 
applicant's strategy for ensuring the creation of, as appropriate, new 
State Preschool Program slots and the improvement of existing State 
Preschool Program slots as described in Selection Criterion (D)(4)(b); 
the reasons for selecting each High-Need Community; a system for 
monitoring programs for continuous improvement; how Local Educational 
Agencies and other Early Learning Providers will establish and maintain 
strong partnerships; how High-Quality Preschool Programs supported 
under this grant will be aligned with programs and systems that serve 
children from birth through third grade; and how the State will 
maintain High-Quality Preschool Programs for children after the grant 
period.
    Priorities: We are establishing these priorities for the FY 2014 
grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from 
the list of unfunded applicants from this competition. These priorities 
are established in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General 
Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Absolute Priorities: These priorities are absolute priorities. 
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet 
Absolute Priority 1 and either Absolute Priority 2 or Absolute Priority 
3.
    These priorities are:
    Absolute Priority 1: Increasing Access to High-Quality Preschool 
Programs in High-Need Communities. To meet this priority, the State 
must demonstrate in its application how it will increase access to 
High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children by having an 
ambitious and achievable plan to--
    (1) Begin serving Eligible Children no later than in year one of 
the grant period;
    (2) Subgrant at least 95 percent of its Federal grant funds 
received over the grant period to one or more Subgrantees to implement 
and sustain voluntary, High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible 
Children in two or more High-Need Communities in the State; and
    (3) Use no more than five percent of its Federal grant funds 
received during the grant period for State-level infrastructure and 
quality improvements, such as those described in selection criterion 
(C)(1).
    Absolute Priority 2: Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge 
States.
    To meet this priority, an applicant must have received an award 
under a Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge competition.

    Note: These States are California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, 
Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, 
New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode 
Island, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

    Absolute Priority 3: Non-Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge 
States with More Robust State Preschool Programs.
    To meet this priority, the applicant must not have received an 
award under a Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge competition and 
serve 10 percent or more of four-year-old children in a State Preschool 
Program.

    Note: These States are Arkansas, Connecticut, District of 
Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, New 
York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West 
Virginia.\7\


    Competitive Preference Priorities: These priorities are competitive 
preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an 
additional 10 points to an application that meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 1 and up to an additional 10 points for an 
application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2, depending on 
how well the application meets these competitive preference priorities. 
We also award an additional 10 points for an application that meets 
Competitive Preference Priority 3. An application can receive a maximum 
of 30 competitive preference priority points.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ Based on current data from: Barnett, W.S., Carolan, M.E, 
Squires, J.H., and Clarke-Brown, K. (May 2014). State of Preschool 
2013: First Look (NCES 2014-078). U.S. Department of Education. 
Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Available 
at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1: Contributing Matching Funds (up 
to 10 points).
    Background: An applicant is not required to contribute non-Federal 
matching funds to support its ambitious and achievable plan. However, 
we will give competitive preference to applicants who address this 
priority and will award more points to applicants that commit to a 
larger matching contribution. Successful applicants that do not obtain 
or expend the matching funds they committed to in their applications 
may be subject to enforcement proceedings, including withholding of 
funds or denial of a continuation award.
    Priority: To receive a competitive preference under this priority, 
the State must describe and submit appropriate evidence of a credible 
plan for obtaining and using non-Federal matching funds to support the 
implementation of its ambitious and achievable plan during the grant 
period. Matching funds may be comprised of State, local, and 
philanthropic funds and may also include increased State funding 
appropriated beginning in the State fiscal year prior to the first year 
of the grant period. Points will be awarded based on the following 
scale if the plan is determined to be credible:

[[Page 48876]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Competitive
  Percentage non-Federal match of the State's four-year     preference
                       total award                            points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
50% or more.............................................              10
40-49%..................................................               8
30-39%..................................................               6
20-29%..................................................               4
10-19%..................................................               2
0-9%....................................................               0
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Competitive Preference Priority 2: Supporting a Continuum of Early 
Learning and Development (up to 10 points).
    Background: The integration of High-Quality Preschool Programs 
within a broader continuum of comprehensive high-quality supports and 
services helps to create smooth transitions for children and families 
to ensure continuous and consistent high-quality early learning 
opportunities critical to children's success. Transition services play 
a vital role, particularly in the transitions from infant and toddler 
services to preschool services, and services under part C of the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400 et 
seq.) to services under section 619 of part B of IDEA. States can 
support children and families through cross-sector partnerships and by 
leveraging resources from existing State and local agencies that 
provide early childhood services, including part C and section 619 of 
part B of IDEA, Early Head Start and Head Start, home visiting, child 
care, preschool programs, family supports (e.g., those that strengthen 
and stabilize families) and engagement resources, adult education, and 
housing, health, and mental health services.
    Priority: To receive a competitive preference under this priority, 
the State must describe an ambitious and achievable plan that addresses 
the creation of a more seamless progression of supports and 
interventions from birth through third grade, such as high-quality 
infant and toddler care, home visitation, Full-Day kindergarten, and 
before- and after-care services for, at a minimum, a defined cohort of 
Eligible Children and their families within each High-Need Community 
served by each Subgrantee.
    Competitive Preference Priority 3: Creating New High-Quality State 
Preschool Program Slots (0 or 10 points).
    Background: Many States have taken note of the short- and long-term 
benefits of early education and have launched efforts to expand the 
availability of State Preschool Programs. As of 2013, 40 States and the 
District of Columbia have at least one State Preschool Program in 
place.\8\ Nevertheless, only about 28 percent of America's four-year-
olds were enrolled in a State Preschool Program in the 2012-2013 school 
year.\9\ The high costs of private preschool programs and the lack of 
State Preschool Programs narrow options for families, and especially so 
for low-income families. In 2011, four-year-olds under 200 percent of 
poverty were 16 percentage-points less likely than their higher-income 
peers (above 200 percent) to attend any preschool program, whether 
public or private.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ Based on current data from: Barnett, W.S., Carolan, M.E, 
Squires, J.H., and Clarke-Brown, K. (May 2014). State of Preschool 
2013: First Look (NCES 2014-078). U.S. Department of Education. 
Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Available 
at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.
    \9\ Ibid.
    \10\ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ASPE 
tabulations from the Current Population Survey, available at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/14/EarlyCareEducation/rb_ece.cfm#_Toc373832432.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Priority: To receive a competitive preference under this priority, 
the State must demonstrate how it will use at least 50 percent of its 
Federal grant award to create new State Preschool Program slots that 
will increase the overall number of new slots in State Preschool 
Programs that meet the definition of High-Quality Preschool Programs.
    Application Requirements: The following requirements apply to all 
applications submitted under this competition:
    (a) The State's application must be signed by the Governor or an 
authorized representative and an authorized representative from the 
Lead Agency.
    (b) The application must include a letter of support from an 
operational State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and 
Care that meets the requirements described in section 642B(b) of the 
Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837(b)) and in paragraph (l) of the Program 
Requirements. If the State does not have an operational State Advisory 
Council, the application must include a letter of support from a 
similar State council on early childhood education and care established 
by the State's legislature or assigned the duties of the State Advisory 
Council on Early Childhood Education and Care by the State's Governor 
that meets the requirements described in section 642B(b) of the Head 
Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837(b)) and in paragraph (l) of the Program 
Requirements. The letter must describe the council's level of support 
and, if applicable, participation in the grant.
    (c) The State must include a budget narrative that details how it 
will use Federal grant funds awarded under this competition, and, if 
applicable, funds from other Federal, State, private, and local 
sources, to achieve--
    (1) The goals outlined in its ambitious and achievable plan; and
    (2) Its ambitious and achievable targets for increasing the number 
and percentage of Eligible Children who are enrolled in High-Quality 
Preschool Programs through, as applicable, newly created and improved 
State Preschool Program slots as described in selection criterion 
(D)(4)(b).
    (d) The State must complete the Excel spreadsheets that are 
provided on the Preschool Development Grants Web site at www.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants and upload to the Other Attachments 
Form in Grants.gov as explained in Part 5 of the application.
    (e) The State must provide, for each selection criterion or 
priority in this notice that solicits an ambitious and achievable plan, 
a description of the following elements, at a minimum--
    (1) The key goals of the plan;
    (2) The key activities to be undertaken; the rationale for the 
activities; and, if applicable, where in the State the activities will 
be initially implemented, and where and how they will be scaled up over 
time;
    (3) A realistic timeline, including key milestones, for 
implementing each key activity;
    (4) The party or parties responsible for implementing each activity 
and other key personnel assigned to each activity;
    (5) Appropriate financial resources to support successful 
implementation and sustainment of the plan;
    (6) The information requested as supporting evidence, if any, 
together with any additional information the State believes will be 
helpful to peer reviewers in judging the credibility of the plan;
    (7) The information requested in the performance measures, where 
applicable; and
    (8) How the State will address the needs of Eligible Children, 
including those who may be in need of additional supports, such as 
children who have disabilities or developmental delays; who are English 
learners; who reside on ``Indian lands'' as that term is defined by 
section 8013(7) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
as amended (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) (ESEA); who are migrant; who are 
``homeless,'' as defined in subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento 
Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec.  11434a(2)) (McKinney-Vento 
Act); whose families are involved in the child welfare system; who 
reside in rural areas; who

[[Page 48877]]

are from military families; and other children as identified by the 
State, if applicable.
    (f) The State must provide a letter of support or preliminary 
binding agreement, such as a preliminary memorandum of understanding 
(MOU), from each Subgrantee attesting to the Subgrantee's participation 
(a model MOU is provided in the Appendix B of this notice).
    Program Requirements: States and each Subgrantee that receive funds 
under this grant program must meet the following requirements for, at a 
minimum, the duration of the grant period:
    (a) The State must continue to participate in--
    (1) The programs authorized by part C and section 619 of part B of 
IDEA;
    (2) The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program (pursuant to 
the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9858 et 
seq.));
    (3) The program authorized under section 418 of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 618);
    (4) The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program 
(section 511 of title V of the Social Security Act, as amended by 
section 2951 of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-148)); and
    (5) Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act.
    (b) Funds made available under this grant must be used to 
supplement, not supplant, any Federal, State, or local funds (e.g., 
IDEA, title I, Head Start, CCDF, and any matching funds included as 
part of Competitive Preference Priority 2) that, in the absence of the 
funds awarded under this grant, would be available for improving the 
quality of State Preschool Programs and increasing access to High-
Quality Preschool Programs.
    (c) The State must participate in grantee technical assistance 
activities facilitated by ED or HHS, individually or in collaboration 
with other State grantees, to share effective program practices and 
solutions and collaboratively solve problems, and must set aside a 
minimum of $25,000 annually from its grant funds for this purpose.
    (d) The State and each Subgrantee must participate in any 
evaluation of the State's High-Quality Preschool Program, including any 
cross-State evaluation, if funded by ED or HHS.
    (e) The State and each Subgrantee must comply with the requirements 
of all applicable Federal, State, and local privacy laws, including the 
requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 
U.S.C. 1232g), the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act 
(Pub. L. 104-191), and IDEA.
    (f) The State and each Subgrantee must ensure that the grant 
project is implemented in accordance with all applicable Federal, 
State, and local laws and regulations, including the provisions of 
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II and Title 
III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 that prohibit 
discrimination on the basis of disability and require that individuals 
with disabilities be served in the most integrated setting appropriate 
to their needs.
    (g) The State and each Subgrantee must provide researchers with 
access, consistent with the requirements of all applicable Federal, 
State, and local privacy laws, to available data regarding the 
enrollment and school readiness of Eligible Children in State Preschool 
Programs.
    (h) Unless otherwise protected as proprietary information by 
Federal or State laws or a specific written agreement, the State and 
each Subgrantee must make any work (e.g., materials, tools, processes, 
systems) developed under its grant freely available to the public. Any 
Web sites developed under this grant must meet government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility.
    (i) The State must have a Statewide Longitudinal Data System that 
links early childhood data with the State's kindergarten through grade 
12 (K-12) data system by the end of the grant period.
    (j) The State must ensure that the State Advisory Council on Early 
Childhood Education and Care must includes, in addition to the members 
of the State Advisory Council described in section 642B(b) of the Head 
Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837(b)), the State's CCDF administrator, State 
agency coordinators from both part C and section 619 of part B of IDEA, 
the State Title I Director, the State Coordinator of Education for 
Homeless Children and Youth, State agency representatives responsible 
for health and mental health, and parent representatives.
    (k) The State must establish policies and procedures that ensure--
    (1) Collaboration between each Subgrantee and programs authorized 
by section 619 of part B of IDEA so that Eligible Children with 
disabilities in the High-Need Community are being appropriately 
identified and served in the least restrictive environment; and
    (2) Ensure that the percentage of Eligible Children with 
disabilities served by the High-Quality Preschool Programs is not less 
than either the percentage of four-year-old children served statewide 
through part B, section 619 of IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), or the 
current national average,\11\ whichever is greater.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ Note: The current national percentage of four year-old-
children receiving services through part B, section 619 of IDEA is 
6.4%. Source: 2012 IDEA Part B Child Count (www.ideadata.org).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (l) The State and each Subgrantee are prohibited from spending 
grant funds, including any matching funds, if applicable, on 
construction, renovation, modernization, or related activities.
    (m) For activities involved in improving existing State Preschool 
Program slots to meet the definition of High-Quality Preschool 
Programs, the State and each Subgrantee may only spend grant funds, 
including any matching funds, if applicable, on activities listed in 
selection criterion (D)(4)(b).
    (n) Within 90 days of receipt of an award, the State must submit to 
the Departments a signed MOU (a model MOU is provided in Appendix B of 
this notice) or other binding agreement between the State's Lead Agency 
and each Subgrantee that, at a minimum--
    (1) Includes a scope of work describing the portions of the State's 
plan that the Subgrantee will implement;
    (2) Incorporates the State's ambitious and achievable plan, in 
particular the sections that the Subgrantee is responsible for 
implementing;
    (3) Is signed by an authorized representative of the State's Lead 
Agency and the Subgrantee;
    (4) Describes the roles and responsibilities of the State's Lead 
Agency and Subgrantee in implementing the project plan;
    (5) Describes the method and process for making different types of 
decisions (e.g., policy, operational);
    (6) Describes how the State and Subgrantee will exchange data; and
    (7) Describes how the MOU can be amended.
    (o) The State must submit scopes of work for the State and each 
Subgrantee within 90 days of the grant award notification date. These 
scopes of work must contain detailed work plans and budgets that are 
consistent with the State's grant application, and must include the 
State's and each Subgrantee's specific goals, activities, timelines, 
budgets, key personnel, and annual targets for key performance measures 
for the portions of the State's proposed plans that the Subgrantee is 
agreeing to implement.
    Definitions: We are establishing the following definitions in this 
notice for

[[Page 48878]]

the FY 2014 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make 
awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in 
accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1231(d)(1).
    These definitions are:
    Comprehensive Early Learning Assessment System means a coordinated 
and comprehensive system of multiple assessments, each of which is 
valid and reliable for its specified purpose and for the population 
with which it will be used, that organizes information about the 
process and context of young children's learning and development in 
order to help teachers make informed instructional and programmatic 
decisions and that conforms with the recommendations of the National 
Research Council report on early childhood assessments \12\ by 
including, at a minimum:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ One example of these reports is referenced here. National 
Research Council (2008). Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and 
How. Committee on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young 
Children, C.E. Snow and S.B. Van Hemel, Editors. Board on Children, 
Youth, and Families, Board on Testing and Assessment, Division of 
Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The 
National Academies Press. Available at: www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (a) Screening Measures;
    (b) Formative Assessments;
    (c) Measures of Environmental Quality;
    (d) Measures of the Quality of Adult-Child Interactions; and
    (e) A Kindergarten Entry Assessment.
    Comprehensive Services means services that include:
    (a) Screenings for hearing, vision, dental, health (including 
mental health), and development, as well as referrals and assistance 
obtaining services, when appropriate;
    (b) Culturally and linguistically responsive family engagement 
opportunities (taking into account home language), such as parent 
conferences (including parent input about their child's development) 
and support services, such as parent education, and leadership 
opportunities, such as a Parent Advisory Committee;
    (c) Nutrition services, including nutritious meals and snack 
options aligned with requirements set by the most recent Child and 
Adult Care Food Program guidelines promulgated by the Department of 
Agriculture, as well as regular, age-appropriate, nutrition education 
for children and their families;
    (d) Services coordinated with LEAs and early intervention service 
providers and other entities providing services under part C and 
section 619 of part B of IDEA;
    (e) Physical activity services aligned with evidence-based 
guidelines, such as those recommended by the Institute of Medicine,\13\ 
and which take into account and accommodate children with disabilities;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Early-Childhood-Obesity-Prevention-Policies/Recommendations.aspx.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (f) Partnerships with and linkages to community services to enhance 
family well-being, such as income supports, food pantries, housing, 
social services, and other services relating to health/mental health, 
domestic violence, substance abuse, adult literacy, education and 
training, and financial asset building;
    (g) On-site coordination of services, to the maximum extent 
feasible; and
    (h) Additional support services, determined by the State, as 
appropriate.
    Early Learning and Development Standards means a set of 
expectations, guidelines, or developmental milestones that--
    (a) Describes what all children from birth to kindergarten entry 
should know and be able to do and their disposition toward learning;
    (b) Is appropriate for each age group (e.g., infants, toddlers, and 
preschoolers); for English learners; and for children with disabilities 
or developmental delays;
    (c) Covers all Essential Domains of School Readiness; and
    (d) Is universally designed and developmentally, culturally, and 
linguistically appropriate.
    Early Learning Intermediary Organization means a national, 
statewide, regional, or community-based organization that represents 
one or more networks of early learning and development programs in the 
State and that has influence or authority over them. Such Early 
Learning Intermediary Organizations include, but are not limited to, 
child care resource and referral agencies; State Head Start 
associations; family child care associations; State affiliates of the 
National Association for the Education of Young Children; State 
affiliates of the Council for Exceptional Children's Division of Early 
Childhood; statewide or regional union affiliates that represent early 
childhood educators; affiliates of the National Migrant and Seasonal 
Head Start Association; the National Tribal, American Indian, and 
Alaskan Native Head Start Association; the National Indian Child Care 
Association; and the National Indian Education Association.
    Early Learning Provider means an entity that carries out an early 
childhood education program, including an LEA, charter school, 
educational service agency, Head Start program, licensed child care 
provider, municipality or other local government agency, tribe or 
Indian organization, institution of higher education, library, museum, 
or other eligible licensed provider as defined by the State, or a 
consortium thereof.
    Eligible Children means four-year-old children from families whose 
income is at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.
    Eligible Children with Disabilities means Eligible Children who 
have been determined by the local educational agency to be eligible for 
special education and related services under section 619 of the IDEA 
(20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.)
    Essential Data Elements means the critical child, program, and 
workforce data elements of a coordinated early learning data system, 
including--
    (a) A unique statewide child identifier or another highly accurate, 
proven method to link data on that child, including Kindergarten Entry 
Assessment data, to and from the Statewide Longitudinal Data System and 
the coordinated early learning data system (if applicable);
    (b) A unique statewide early childhood educator identifier;
    (c) A unique program site identifier;
    (d) Child and family demographic information;
    (e) Early childhood educator demographic information, including 
data on educational attainment and State credentials or licenses held, 
as well as professional development information;
    (f) Program-level data on the program's structure, quality, child 
suspension and expulsion rates, staff retention, staff compensation, 
work environment, and all applicable data reported as part of the 
State's Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System; and
    (g) Child-level program participation and attendance data.
    Essential Domains of School Readiness means the domains of language 
and literacy development, cognition and general knowledge (including 
early mathematics and early scientific development), approaches toward 
learning (including the utilization of the arts), physical well-being 
and motor development (including adaptive skills), and social and 
emotional development.
    Federal Poverty Line means a measure of income level issued 
annually by the

[[Page 48879]]

Department of Health and Human Services and used to determine 
eligibility for certain programs and benefits.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ The 2014 Federal Poverty Line, also known as poverty 
guidelines or ``Federal poverty level'' (FPL), can be found at 
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/14poverty.cfm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Formative Assessment (also known as a classroom-based or ongoing 
assessment) means assessment questions, tools, and processes--
    (a) That are--
    (1) Specifically designed to monitor children's progress in meeting 
the Early Learning and Development Standards;
    (2) Valid and reliable for their intended purposes and their target 
populations; and
    (3) Linked directly to the curriculum; and
    (b) The results of which are used to guide and improve 
instructional practices.
    Full-Day means a day that is--
    (a) Equivalent to a full school day at the public elementary 
schools in the State; and
    (b) Not fewer than five hours a day.
    High-Need Community means a geographically defined area, such as a 
city, town, county, neighborhood, district, rural or tribal area, or 
consortium thereof, with a high level of need as determined by the 
State.
    High-Quality Preschool Program means an early learning program that 
includes structural elements that are evidence-based and nationally 
recognized as important for ensuring program quality, including at a 
minimum--
    (a) High staff qualifications, including a teacher with a 
bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a bachelor's degree 
in any field with a State-approved alternate pathway, which may include 
coursework, clinical practice, and evidence of knowledge of content and 
pedagogy relating to early childhood, and teaching assistants with 
appropriate credentials;
    (b) High-quality professional development for all staff;
    (c) A child-to-instructional staff ratio of no more than 10 to 1;
    (d) A class size of no more than 20 with, at a minimum, one teacher 
with high staff qualifications as outlined in paragraph (a) of this 
definition;
    (e) A Full-Day program;
    (f) Inclusion of children with disabilities to ensure access to and 
full participation in all opportunities;
    (g) Developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically 
responsive instruction and evidence-based curricula, and learning 
environments that are aligned with the State Early Learning and 
Development Standards, for at least the year prior to kindergarten 
entry;
    (h) Individualized accommodations and supports so that all children 
can access and participate fully in learning activities;
    (i) Instructional staff salaries that are comparable to the 
salaries of local K-12 instructional staff;
    (j) Program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement;
    (k) On-site or accessible Comprehensive Services for children and 
community partnerships that promote families' access to services that 
support their children's learning and development; and
    (l) Evidence-based health and safety standards.
    Kindergarten Entry Assessment means an assessment that--
    (a) Is administered to children during the first few months of 
their admission into kindergarten;
    (b) Covers all Essential Domains of School Readiness;
    (c) Is used in conformance with the recommendations of the National 
Research Council reports on early childhood; \15\ and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ One example of these reports is referenced here. National 
Research Council (2008). Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and 
How. Committee on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young 
Children, C.E. Snow and S.B. Van Hemel, Editors. Board on Children, 
Youth, and Families, Board on Testing and Assessment, Division of 
Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The 
National Academies Press. Available at: www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (d) Is valid and reliable for its intended purposes and for the 
target populations and aligned to the Early Learning and Development 
Standards.
    Results of the assessment should be used to inform efforts to close 
the school-readiness gap at kindergarten entry, to inform instruction 
in the early elementary school grades, and to inform parents about 
their children's status and involve them in decisions about their 
children's education. This assessment must not be used to prevent 
children's entry into kindergarten or as a single measure for high-
stakes decisions.
    Lead Agency means a State-level agency that administers public 
funds related to early learning and development and is participating in 
the State's ambitious and achievable plan; this agency is designated by 
the Governor for the administration of the Preschool Development Grants 
funds and is the fiscal agent for the grant.
    Local Educational Agency (LEA) has the meaning given the term in 
section 9101 of the ESEA.
    Measures of Environmental Quality means valid and reliable 
indicators of the overall quality of the early learning environment.
    Measures of the Quality of Adult-Child Interactions means the 
measures obtained through valid and reliable processes for observing 
how teachers and caregivers interact with children, where such 
processes are designed to promote child learning and to identify 
strengths of and areas for improvement for early learning 
professionals.
    Program Standards means the standards that serve as the basis for a 
TQRIS and define differentiated levels of quality for Early Learning 
and Development Programs. Program Standards must measure, at a minimum, 
the extent to which--
    (a) Early Learning and Development Standards are implemented 
through evidence-based activities, interventions, or curricula that are 
appropriate for each age group of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers;
    (b) Comprehensive Early Learning Assessment Systems are used 
routinely and appropriately to improve instruction and enhance program 
quality by providing robust and coherent evidence of--
    (1) Children's learning and development outcomes; and
    (2) Program performance;
    (c) A qualified workforce improves young children's health, social, 
emotional, and educational outcomes;
    (d) Culturally and linguistically responsive strategies are 
successfully used to engage families, help them build protective 
factors, and strengthen their capacity to support their children's 
development and learning. These strategies may include, but are not 
limited to, parent access to the program, ongoing two-way communication 
with families, parent education in child development, outreach to 
fathers and other family members, training and support for families as 
children move to preschool and kindergarten, social networks of 
support, intergenerational activities, linkages with community 
supports, adult and family literacy programs, parent involvement in 
decision making, and parent leadership development;
    (e) Health promotion practices include health and safety 
requirements; developmental, behavioral, and sensory screening, 
referral, and follow up; the promotion of physical activity, healthy 
eating habits, oral health, and behavioral health; and health literacy 
of parents; and
    (f) Data practices are effective and include gathering Essential 
Data Elements and entering them into the

[[Page 48880]]

State's Statewide Longitudinal Data System or other early learning data 
system, using these data to guide instruction and program improvement, 
and making this information readily available to families.
    Screening Measures means age and developmentally appropriate, 
valid, and reliable instruments that are used to identify children who 
may need follow-up services to address developmental, learning, or 
health needs in, at a minimum, the areas of physical health, behavioral 
health, oral health, child development, vision, and hearing.
    State means any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 
Puerto Rico.
    State Preschool Program means a preschool program predominately 
supported with State funds that provides services to four-year-old 
children, including a State Head Start program.
    Statewide Longitudinal Data System means the State's longitudinal 
education data system that collects and maintains detailed, high-
quality, student- and staff-level data that are linked across entities 
and that over time provide a complete academic and performance history 
for each student. The Statewide Longitudinal Data System is typically 
housed within the State educational agency but includes or can be 
connected to early childhood, postsecondary, and labor data.
    Subgrantee means an Early Learning Provider serving at least one 
High-Need Community that is receiving a subgrant from the State, and is 
participating in the State's ambitious and achievable plan.
    Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS) means the 
system through which the State uses a set of progressively higher 
Program Standards to evaluate the quality of an early learning and 
development program and to support program improvement. A Tiered 
Quality Rating and Improvement System consists of four components:
    (a) Tiered Program Standards with multiple rating categories that 
clearly and meaningfully differentiate program quality levels.
    (b) Monitoring to evaluate program quality based on the Program 
Standards.
    (c) Supports to help programs meet progressively higher standards 
(e.g., through training, technical assistance, financial support).
    (d) Program quality ratings that are publicly available and include 
a process for validating the system.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:
    Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) we generally 
offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed 
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria. Section 
437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary of Education to exempt 
from rulemaking requirements governing the first grant competition 
under a new or substantially revised program authority. This is the 
first grant competition for this program under the revised program 
authority in sections 14005 and 14006 of the ARRA, as amended by the 
Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2014 (title III of division 
H of Pub. L. 113-76, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014), and 
therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant 
awards, the Secretaries have decided to forgo public comment under the 
waiver authority in section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. These priorities, 
selection criteria, requirements, and definitions will apply to the FY 
2014 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards 
from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Program Authority: Sections 14005 and 14006 of the ARRA, as amended 
by section 1832(b) of division B of the Department of Defense and Full-
Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (Pub. L. 112-10), the 
Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2012 (title III of division 
F of Pub. L. 112-74, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012), and 
the Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2014 (title III of 
division H of Pub. L. 113-76, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2014).
    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 debarment 
and suspension regulations in 2 CFR part 3485.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $160 million.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2015 or subsequent 
fiscal years from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition.
    The Departments may use any unused FY 2014 funds from the Preschool 
Development Grants--Expansion Grants competition in the FY 2014 
Preschool Development Grants--Development Grants competition. 
Conversely, the Departments may use any unused FY 2014 funds from the 
Preschool Development Grants--Development Grants competition in the FY 
2014 Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $10 million to $35 million.
    Budget Requirements: To support States in planning their budgets, 
the Departments have developed the following annual budget caps for 
each State eligible for a Preschool Development Grants--Expansion 
Grant. We will not consider for funding an application from a State 
that proposes a budget in any year that exceeds the applicable cap set 
for that State. The Departments developed the following categories by 
ranking every State eligible for a Preschool Development Grants--
Expansion Grant according to its relative share of Eligible Children 
who could be served by Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants 
and then identifying the natural breaks in the rank order. Then, based 
on population of Eligible Children,\16\ budget caps were developed for 
each category.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \16\ http://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/4-year-old-poverty-status-2012.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Category 1--up to $35M--California;
    Category 2--up to $30M--Texas;
    Category 3--up to $25M--Florida, New York;
    Category 4--up to $20M--Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North 
Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania;
    Category 5--up to $17.5M--New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, 
Virginia, and Washington;
    Category 6--up to $15M--Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, 
Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, and 
Wisconsin;
    Category 7--up to $12.5M--Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Nebraska, New 
Mexico, and West Virginia;
    Category 8--up to $10M--Delaware, District of Columbia, Rhode 
Island, and Vermont.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 7 to 12 awards.

    Note:  The Departments are not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 48 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: To be eligible to compete for funding under 
this program a State must--
    (a) Serve 10 percent or more of four-year-old children in a State 
Preschool Program; \17\ or
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \17\ Based on current data from: Barnett, W.S., Carolan, M.E, 
Squires, J.H., and Clarke-Brown, K. (May 2014). State of Preschool 
2013: First Look (NCES 2014-078). U.S. Department of Education. 
Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Available 
at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 48881]]

    (b) Have received an award under a Race to the Top--Early Learning 
Challenge competition.
    Therefore, only the States of Arkansas, California, Colorado, 
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, 
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, 
New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode 
Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, 
Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin are eligible to apply for 
Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching. However, applicants that describe and submit 
appropriate evidence of a credible plan for obtaining and using non-
Federal matching funds to support the implementation of its ambitious 
and achievable plan during the grant period may be awarded additional 
points on a sliding scale as described in Competitive Preference 
Priority 1.
    3. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements, as described in Program Requirement (b).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the Departments. To obtain 
a copy via the Internet, use the following address: www.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants. To obtain a copy from the 
Departments, write, fax, call, or email: Rebecca Marek, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E344, Washington, DC 
20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 260-0968. FAX: (202) 260-8969. 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 under 
Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
    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 competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where the applicant 
addresses the selection criteria that reviewers will use to evaluate 
applications. We recommend that the applicant limit its narrative 
responses to no more than 75 pages and limit its appendices to no more 
than 125 pages. We strongly request that applicants follow the 
recommended page limits. The following standards are recommended:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Each page is numbered.
     Line spacing is set to 1.5 spacing, and the font used is 
12-point Times New Roman.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: August 18, 2014.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: September 11, 2014.
    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 
Departments strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us of 
the applicant's intent to submit an application for funding by emailing 
Rebecca Marek at [email protected] by 
September 11, 2014. This short email message should provide (1) the 
name of the State applying and (2) the contact person (name, phone 
number, and email). Applicants that do not submit an ``Intent to 
Apply'' email may still apply for funding.
    To assist States in preparing the application and to respond to 
questions, ED and HHS intend to broadcast a Technical Assistance 
Planning Webinar live at http://edstream.ed.gov to review the 
priorities, requirements, and selection criteria for this competition. 
The purpose of the Webinar will be to allow individuals responsible for 
developing applications to review with Federal program staff the 
priorities, requirements, and selection criteria for this competition 
and to ask questions about the Preschool Development Grants--
Development Grants competition. We strongly encourage all interested 
State applicants to participate in the Webinar. For those who cannot 
attend the live Webinar, a link to the Webinar will be available on the 
Preschool Development Grants Web site at www.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants. The Departments may host additional 
conference calls, workshops, or Webinars to answer applicant questions 
and will be posting Frequently Asked Questions and responses on the 
Preschool Development Grant Web site. The Departments will make 
available all registration information and additional details for the 
Technical Assistance Planning Webinar and any other technical 
assistance events on the Preschool Development Grants Web site at 
www.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 14, 2014.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application by mail or hand delivery, 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.
    We will provide Congress with the names of the States that have 
submitted applications, and we will post the names of these States on 
ED's Web site. We will also post all applications submitted. Therefore, 
please ensure that your application does not include personally 
identifiable information, proprietary information, or other non-public 
information.
    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 Departments provide 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.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However, under 34 
CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to make awards 
by December 31, 2014.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in paragraphs 
(l) and (m) of the Program Requirements in this notice.
    We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions 
in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award

[[Page 48882]]

Management: To do business with the Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award 
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the 
Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Departments 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 to two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by 
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal 
financial assistance under this program administered by the 
Departments, please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your 
DUNS number and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note:  Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to 
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in 
Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through 
Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make 
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with 
your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update 
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html. In addition, if you are submitting your application via 
Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an 
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself 
with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this program [competition] must be submitted electronically unless you 
qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Preschool Development Grants--
Expansion Grants, CFDA number 84.419B, must be submitted electronically 
using the Government wide 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 Preschool Development 
Grants--Expansion Grants at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this program [competition] by the 
CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your 
search (e.g., search for 84.419, not 84.419B).
    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 [competition] to 
ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the 
Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission 
Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the 
Department's G5 system home page at 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. Additional, detailed information on how to attach 
files is in the application instructions.]
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of

[[Page 48883]]

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--
     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 or fax your statement to: Rebecca Marek, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E344, 
Washington, DC 20202-6200.
    FAX: (202) 260-8969.
    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 84.419A, LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    If we receive an application after the application deadline, we 
will not consider that application.
    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 84.419A, 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
    In accordance with EDGAR Sec.  75.216(b) and (c), an application 
will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with 
all of the procedural rules that govern the submission of the 
application or the application does not contain the information 
required under the program.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Applications:  When you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Departments--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope 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 
set forth in sections (A)-(G). We also identify for each selection 
criterion any evidence that applicants must submit that is not already 
identified in the selection

[[Page 48884]]

criterion. We will use the following selection criteria to evaluate 
applications submitted under the Preschool Development Grants--
Development Grant competition. The maximum score for all the selection 
criteria and competitive preference priorities is 232 points. The 
maximum score for each selection criterion is indicated in parentheses. 
The reviewers will utilize the scoring rubric located in Appendix A of 
this notice when evaluating applications under the selection criteria:

A. Executive Summary (10 points).

    The extent to which the State includes an ambitious and achievable 
plan for expanding access to High-Quality Preschool Programs that 
clearly articulates how the plans proposed under each criterion in this 
section, when taken together, will--
    (1) Build on the State's progress to date as demonstrated in 
selection criterion (B);
    (2) Provide voluntary, High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible 
Children through subgrants to each Subgrantee in two or more High-Need 
Communities;
    (3) Increase the number and percentage of Eligible Children served 
in High-Quality Preschool Programs during each year of the grant period 
through the creation of new, and the improvement of existing State 
Preschool Program slots, as applicable;
    (4) Have all the characteristics specified in the definition of 
High-Quality Preschool Programs;
    (5) Set expectations for the school readiness of children upon 
kindergarten entry;
    (6) Be supported by a broad group of stakeholders, including Early 
Learning Intermediary Organizations and, if applicable, State and local 
early learning councils; and
    (7) Allocate funds between--
    (a) Activities to build or enhance State Preschool Program 
infrastructure using no more than five percent of its Federal grant 
funds received over the grant period on State-level infrastructure 
including, but not limited to, monitoring and evaluation and other 
quality-enhancing activities that improve the delivery of High-Quality 
Preschool Programs to Eligible Children; and
    (b) Subgrants to Early Learning Providers to implement voluntary, 
High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children in one or more 
High-Need Communities, including how it will--
    (i) Provide High-Quality Preschool Programs to Eligible Children no 
later than the end of year one of the grant period;
    (ii) Subgrant at least 95 percent of its Federal grant funds to its 
Subgrantee or Subgrantees over the grant period; and
    (iii) Support each Subgrantee in culturally and linguistically 
appropriate outreach and communication efforts in order to ensure that 
all families, including those who are isolated or otherwise hard to 
reach, are informed of the opportunity and encouraged to enroll their 
children in available programs.
    Evidence for selection criterion (A):
     (A)(3) and (A)(7) Information contained in Table A for the 
number of Eligible Children to be served each year of the grant and the 
number and percentage of State Preschool Program slots (See Table A in 
the Excel spreadsheets).
     (A)(4) Documentation of the structural elements in the 
definition of High-Quality Preschool Program.
     (A)(5) Set of expectations for school readiness.
     (A)(6) Letters of support from stakeholders, including 
Early Learning Intermediary Organizations and, if applicable, State and 
local early learning councils.
     Any other supporting evidence the State believes will be 
helpful to peer reviewers.

B. Commitment to State Preschool Programs (20 points)

    The extent to which the State has demonstrated its commitment to 
develop or enhance the State Preschool Program infrastructure and its 
capacity to both deliver and increase access to High-Quality Preschool 
Programs for Eligible Children, as evidenced by--
    (1) State Early Learning and Development Standards (2 points);
    (2) The State's financial investment, if any, and the estimated 
number and percentage of children, including if known, the estimated 
number and percentage of Eligible Children, served in State Preschool 
Programs over the last four years (6 points);
    (3) Enacted and pending legislation, policies, or practices that 
demonstrate the State's current and future commitment to increasing 
access to High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children (4 
points);
    (4) The quality of existing State Preschool Programs, as evidenced 
by policies and program data that demonstrate the State's commitment to 
the components of a High-Quality Preschool Program; compliance with 
Program Standards; and support for program monitoring and improvement, 
which may be accomplished through the use of a TQRIS (4 points);
    (5) The State's coordination of preschool programs and services, in 
partnership with its Early Learning Advisory Council, with other State 
and Federal resources that may be used to serve preschool-aged 
children, including, if applicable, programs and services supported by 
title I of the ESEA, part C and section 619 of part B of IDEA, subtitle 
VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act, the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et 
seq.), and the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 
U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) (2 points); and
    (6) The State's role in promoting coordination of preschool 
programs and services at the State and local levels with other sectors 
that support the early learning and development of children, including 
child health, mental health, family support, nutrition, child welfare, 
and adult education and training sectors (2 points).
    Evidence for selection criterion (B):
     (B)(1) Executive summary or brief description of the 
State's Early Learning and Development Standards, including how the 
definition is met.
     (B)(2) Completed Table B that describes the State's 
financial investment and number of children served in State Preschool 
Programs (See Table B in the Excel Spreadsheets).
     (B)(3) Evidence of enacted and pending legislation, 
policies, or practices.
     Any other supporting evidence the State believes will be 
helpful to peer reviewers.

C. Ensuring Quality in Preschool Programs (30 points).

    The extent to which the State has an ambitious and achievable plan 
to ensure program quality, including a description of how the State 
will (8 points)--
    (1) Use no more than five percent of the funds received over the 
grant period for State Preschool Program infrastructure and quality 
improvements at the State level through activities such as--
    (a) Enhancing or expanding Early Learning and Development 
Standards;
    (b) Implementing Program Standards consistent with a High-Quality 
Preschool Program;
    (c) Supporting programs in meeting the needs of children with 
disabilities and English learners, including in workforce development;
    (d) Conducting a needs assessment to determine the current 
availability of High-Quality Preschool Programs, including private and 
faith-based providers and Head Start programs;

[[Page 48885]]

    (e) Establishing or upgrading preschool teacher education and 
licensure requirements;
    (f) Improving teacher and administrator early education training 
programs and professional development;
    (g) Implementing a Statewide Longitudinal Data System to link 
preschool and elementary and secondary school data;
    (h) Implementing a Comprehensive Early Learning Assessment System;
    (i) Building preschool programs' capacity to engage parents in 
decisions about their children's education and development, help 
families build protective factors, and help parents support their 
children's learning at home;
    (j) Building State- and community-level support for High-Quality 
Preschool Programs through systemic linkages to other early learning 
programs and resources to support families, such as child health, 
mental health, family support, nutrition, child welfare, and adult 
education and training sectors; and
    (k) Other activities that would support the delivery of High-
Quality Preschool Programs to Eligible Children.
    (2) Implement a system for monitoring and supporting continuous 
improvement for each Subgrantee to ensure that each Subgrantee is 
providing High-Quality Preschool Programs (which may be accomplished 
through the use of leveraging a TQRIS and other existing monitoring 
systems), including the extent to which the State (10 points)--
    (a) Has the capacity to measure preschool quality, including parent 
satisfaction measures, and provide performance feedback to inform and 
drive State and local continuous program improvement efforts;
    (b) Is using a Statewide Longitudinal Data System that is able to 
track student progress from preschool through third grade; and
    (c) Clearly specifies the measureable outcomes, including school 
readiness, to be achieved by the program.
    (3) Measure the outcomes of participating children across the five 
Essential Domains of School Readiness during the first few months of 
their admission into kindergarten using an assessment or assessments, 
such as a Kindergarten Entry Assessment, to achieve the purposes for 
which the assessment was developed and that conform with the 
recommendations of the National Research Council report on early 
childhood assessments (12 points).\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ One example of these reports is referenced here. National 
Research Council (2008). Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and 
How. Committee on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young 
Children, C.E. Snow and S.B. Van Hemel, Editors. Board on Children, 
Youth, and Families, Board on Testing and Assessment, Division of 
Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The 
National Academies Press. Available at: www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Evidence for selection criterion (C):
     (C)(2)(a) Evidence of a monitoring protocol used to drive 
continuous program improvement.
     (C)(2)(c) Evidence of State targets with measurable 
outcomes, including school readiness achieved by the program.
     Any other supporting evidence the State believes will be 
helpful to peer reviewers.

D. Expanding High-Quality Preschool Programs in Each High-Need 
Community (60 points)

    The extent to which the State articulates an ambitious and 
achievable plan for expanding High-Quality Preschool Programs in two or 
more High-Need Communities, including a description of how--
    (1) The State has selected each Subgrantee and each High-Need 
Community that will be served, including a description of each High-
Need Community and its geographic diversity, such as whether the 
community is located in a rural or tribal area, and whether it is 
located in a federally designated Promise Zone \19\ (8 or 6 points).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \19\ The first five Promise Zones are located in San Antonio, 
Texas (Eastside Neighborhood); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (West 
Philadelphia); Los Angeles, California (Neighborhoods of Pico Union, 
Westlake, Koreatown, Hollywood, and East Hollywood); Southeastern 
Kentucky (Kentucky Highlands); and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. 
For additional information on Promise Zones, see www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/01/08/fact-sheet-president-obama-s-promise-zones-initiative.

    Note: Applicants that have federally designated Promise Zones in 
their States as of July 31, 2014 must propose to serve and 
coordinate with a High-Need Community located in that Promise Zone 
in order to be eligible for up to the full 8 points under sub-
criterion (D)(1). If they do not propose to serve and coordinate 
with a High-Need Community in that Promise Zone, they are eligible 
for up to 6 points under this sub-criterion. Applicants that do not 
have federally designated Promise Zones in their State are eligible 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
for up to the full 8 points under this sub-criterion.

    (2) Each High-Need Community is currently underserved, including 
the number and percentage of four-year-olds in State Preschool Programs 
and other publically funded preschool programs (8 points).
    (3) The State conducted outreach, including consultation with 
tribes, if applicable, to potential Subgrantees and the process used in 
selecting each Subgrantee (4 points).
    (4) The State will subgrant at least 95 percent of its Federal 
grant award over the grant period to its Subgrantee or Subgrantees to 
implement and sustain voluntary, High-Quality Preschool Programs in two 
or more High-Need Communities, and--
    (a) Set ambitious and achievable annual targets for the number and 
percentage of additional Eligible Children to be served during each 
year of the grant period through, as applicable, the (16 points); and
    (b) Incorporate in their plan (12 points):
    (i) Ambitious expansion of the number of new slots in State 
Preschool Programs that meet the definition of High-Quality Preschool 
Program; and
    (ii) Ambitious improvement of existing State Preschool Program 
slots to bring them to the level of a High-Quality Preschool Program by 
extending programs from half-day to Full-Day; limiting class size and 
decreasing child to staff ratios; employing and compensating a teacher 
with a bachelor's degree; providing in-service, evidence-based 
professional development such as coaching; or providing Comprehensive 
Services.

    Note: Applicants may receive up to the full 12 points if they 
address only (D)(4)(b)(i) or (D)(4)(ii) or if they address both 
(D)(4)(i) and (ii);

    (5) The State, in coordination with each Subgrantee, intends to 
sustain High-Quality Preschool Programs after the grant period, 
including any non-Federal support that the State or each Subgrantee 
commits to contribute (12 points).
    Evidence for selection criterion (D):
     A letter of support or preliminary binding agreement, such 
as a preliminary MOU, from each Subgrantee attesting to the 
Subgrantee's participation.
     Table (D)(4) and Table A (See Tables (D)(4) and A in the 
Excel spreadsheets).
     Any other supporting evidence the State believes will be 
helpful to peer reviewers.

E. Collaborating With Each Subgrantee and Ensuring Strong Partnerships 
(50 points)

    The extent to which the State has an ambitious and achievable plan 
to ensure that each Subgrantee is effectively

[[Page 48886]]

implementing High-Quality Preschool Programs, including a description 
of--
    (1) The roles and responsibilities of the State and Subgrantee in 
implementing the project plan (2 points).
    (2) How the State plans to implement High-Quality Preschool 
Programs, including the organizational capacity and existing 
infrastructure of the Subgrantee to provide High-Quality Preschool 
Programs, either directly or indirectly through an Early Learning 
Provider or Providers, and coordinate the delivery of High-Quality 
Preschool Programs (6 points).
    (3) How the State will ensure that each Subgrantee minimizes local 
administrative costs (2 points).
    (4) How the State and Subgrantee will monitor the Early Learning 
Providers to ensure they are delivering High-Quality Preschool Programs 
(4 points).
    (5) How the State and the Subgrantee will coordinate plans related 
to assessments, data sharing, instructional tools, family engagement, 
cross-sector and comprehensive services efforts, professional 
development, and workforce and leadership development (4 points).
    (6) How the State and Subgrantee will coordinate, but not supplant, 
the delivery of High-Quality Preschool Programs funded under this grant 
with existing services for preschool-aged children including, if 
applicable, State Preschool Programs and programs and services 
supported through title I of the ESEA, part C and section 619 of part B 
of IDEA, subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act, the Head Start Act, 
and the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (6 points).
    (7) How the Subgrantee will integrate, to the extent practicable, 
High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children within 
economically diverse, inclusive settings, including those that serve 
children from families with incomes above 200 percent of the Federal 
Poverty Line (6 points).
    (8) How the Subgrantee will deliver High-Quality Preschool Programs 
to Eligible Children, including Eligible Children who may be in need of 
additional supports, such as those who have disabilities or 
developmental delays; who are English learners; who reside on ``Indian 
lands'' as that term is defined by section 8013(7) of the ESEA; who are 
migrant; who are ``homeless,'' as defined in subtitle VII-B of the 
McKinney-Vento Act; who are in the child welfare system; who reside in 
rural or tribal areas; who are from military families; and other 
children as identified by the State (6 points).
    (9) How the State will ensure the Subgrantee implements culturally 
and linguistically responsive outreach and communication efforts to 
enroll children from families with Eligible Children, including 
isolated or hard-to-reach families; helps families build protective 
factors; and engages parents and families (e.g., builds capacity to 
support children's learning and development) as decision-makers in 
their children's education (4 points).
    (10) How the State will ensure strong partnerships between each 
Subgrantee and LEAs or other Early Learning Providers, as appropriate, 
including a description of how the State will ensure that each 
Subgrantee (10 points)--
    (a) Partners with LEAs or other Early Learning Providers, as 
appropriate, to carry out activities that provide children and their 
families with successful transitions from preschool into kindergarten; 
and
    (b) Coordinates and collaborates with LEAs or other Early Learning 
Providers, as appropriate, in--
    (i) Providing opportunities for early educators to participate in 
professional development on early learning and kindergarten standards, 
assessments, curricula, and culturally and linguistically responsive 
strategies to help families build protective factors, build parents' 
capacity to support their children's learning and development, and 
engage parents as decision-makers in their children's education;
    (ii) Providing family engagement, support, nutrition, and other 
Comprehensive Services and coordinating with other community partners 
to ensure families' access to needed supports;
    (iii) Supporting full inclusion of Eligible Children with 
disabilities and developmental delays to ensure access to and full 
participation in the High-Quality Preschool Program;
    (iv) Supporting the inclusion of children who may be in need of 
additional supports, such as children who are English learners; who 
reside on ``Indian lands'' as that term is defined by section 8013(7) 
of the ESEA; who are migrant; who are ``homeless,'' as defined in 
subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act; who are in the child welfare 
system; who reside in rural areas; who are from military families; and 
other children as identified by the State;
    (v) Ensuring that High-Quality Preschool Programs have age-
appropriate facilities to meet the needs of Eligible Children;
    (vi) Developing and implementing a systematic procedure for sharing 
data and other records consistent with Federal and State law; and
    (vii) Utilizing community-based learning resources, such as 
libraries, arts and arts education programs, and family literacy 
programs.
    Evidence for selection criterion (E):
     Any supporting evidence the State believes will be helpful 
to peer reviewers.

F. Alignment Within a Birth Through Third Grade Continuum (20 points)

    The extent to which the State has an ambitious and achievable plan 
to align High-Quality Preschool Programs supported by this grant with 
programs and systems that serve children from birth through third grade 
to, among other things, improve transitions for children across this 
continuum.
    (1) For birth through age-five programs, these activities include--
    (a) Coordinating with other early education and care programs and 
child care family service providers supported through Federal, State, 
and local resources to build a strong continuum of learning for 
children from birth through age five and their families that expands 
families' choices, facilitates or improves their access to programs and 
supports in their own communities, and engages all families with 
Eligible Children, including isolated or hard-to-reach families that 
might not otherwise participate; and
    (b) Ensuring that the provision of High-Quality Preschool Programs 
will not lead to a diminution of other services or increased cost to 
families for programs serving children from birth through age five; and
    (2) For kindergarten through third grade, these activities may 
include--
    (a) Ensuring that Eligible Children are well-prepared for 
kindergarten;
    (b) Sustaining the educational and developmental gains of Eligible 
Children by--
    (i) Promoting collaboration between preschool and kindergarten 
teachers;
    (ii) Expanding access to Full-Day kindergarten; and
    (iii) Increasing the percentage of children who are able to read 
and do math at grade level by the end of third grade; and
    (c) Sustaining a high level of parent and family engagement as 
children move from High-Quality Preschool Programs into the early 
elementary school years;
    (d) Taking steps, or building upon the steps it has taken, to 
align, at a minimum--
    (i) Child learning standards and expectations;
    (ii) Teacher preparation, credentials, and workforce competencies;

[[Page 48887]]

    (iii) Comprehensive Early Learning Assessment Systems;
    (iv) Data systems; and
    (v) Family engagement strategies.
    Evidence for selection criterion (F):
     Any supporting evidence the State believes will be helpful 
to peer reviewers.

G. Budget and Sustainability (10 points)

    The extent to which the budget narrative and budget tables 
demonstrate that the State will--
    (1) Use the funds from this grant and any matching contributions to 
serve the number of children described in its ambitious and achievable 
plan for each year, including using the funds for the projected per 
child costs for new and improved State Preschool Program slots that are 
reasonable and sufficient, and that the projected per child costs for 
new and improved State Preschool Program slots are reasonable and 
sufficient to ensure High-Quality Preschool Programs;
    (2) Coordinate the use of existing funds from Federal sources that 
support early learning and development, such as title I of the ESEA, 
part C and section 619 of part B of IDEA, subtitle VII-B of the 
McKinney-Vento Act, the Head Start Act, and the Child Care and 
Development Block Grant Act of 1990, and State, private, local, 
foundation, or other private funding sources for activities and 
services that help expand High-Quality Preschool Programs; and
    (3) Sustain the High-Quality Preschool Programs supported by this 
grant after the grant period ends to ensure that the number and 
percentage of Eligible Children with access to High-Quality Preschool 
Programs in the State will be maintained or expanded, including to 
additional High-Need Communities.
    Evidence for selection criterion (G):
     Budget narrative and budget tables.
     Any other supporting evidence the State believes will be 
helpful to peer reviewers.
    2. Review and Selection Process: The Departments will screen 
applications that are received by the deadline for transmittal of 
applications and will determine which States are eligible based on 
whether they have met the eligibility requirements in section III 
(Eligibility Information) of this notice; the Departments will not 
consider further those applicants deemed ineligible.
    The Departments intend to use a peer review process with panels of 
three reviewers per application. Review panels will be created based on 
the number of applications received. All applicants will receive their 
reviewers' comments and scores.
    In selecting grantees, the Secretaries may consider high-ranking 
applications meeting Absolute Priority 2 and Absolute Priority 3 
separately to ensure that a variety of States benefit from the 
Preschool Development Grants program and that States that have received 
Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge awards are not unfairly 
advantaged in this competition.
    We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in 
any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary of Education may 
consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the 
applicant in carrying out a previous reward, such as the applicant's 
use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and compliance with 
grant conditions. The Secretary of Education 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 of 
Education 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).
    We intend to post all submitted applications (both successful and 
unsuccessful) on ED's Web site, together with the final scores each 
application received. We will post each reviewer's final scores and 
comments on reviewed applications, with the names of reviewers 
redacted.
    3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
of Education 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); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Departments. 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 of 
Education under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary of Education 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: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Departments have developed the 
following performance measures for measuring the overall effectiveness 
of this program:
    (1) The number and percentage of Eligible Children served in High-
Quality Preschool Programs funded by the grant;
    (2) The number and percentage of children served overall in the 
State Preschool Program; and
    (3) The number and percentage of children in the High-Need 
Communities served by the grant that are ready for kindergarten as 
determined by the State's Kindergarten Entry Assessment or, if the 
State does not yet have a Kindergarten Entry Assessment, other valid 
and reliable means of determining school readiness.
    5. Continuation Awards: Grants awarded under this competition may 
be for a project period of up to four years. Depending on the 
availability of funds, the Departments will make continuation awards 
for years two, three, and four of the project period in accordance with 
section 75.253 of EDGAR (34 CFR

[[Page 48888]]

75.253). Consistent with this provision, the Departments will determine 
the extent to which a grantee has made ``substantial progress toward 
meeting the objectives in its approved application,'' which will 
include a 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. To ensure that continuation funds will be used 
only for high-quality and effective projects, in determining whether or 
not to award continuation grants, the Departments will also consider 
the extent to which the grantee is achieving the intended outcomes of 
the grant and progress in areas demonstrates the following:
    (a) The development, enhancement, or expansion of High-Quality 
Preschool Programs in each designated High-Need Community to be served 
by each Subgrantee, including in the improvement of the State Preschool 
Program's infrastructure, and in the development of community 
partnerships, needed to ensure the delivery of High-Quality Preschool 
Programs to participating Eligible Children and their families and the 
culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach activities and 
procedures needed to encourage and maintain enrollment of children in 
isolated or otherwise hard-to-reach families in the designated 
communities;
    (b) Holding each Subgrantee accountable for fully adhering to all 
the program quality components that are part of the definition of a 
High-Quality Preschool Program;
    (c) Coordination of Federal and State funds and programs to support 
a coherent approach to effective High-Quality Preschool Programs and 
supporting and engaging parents;
    (d) Providing high-quality technical assistance to each Subgrantee 
and implementing a rigorous monitoring process to ensure the delivery 
of High-Quality Preschool Programs;
    (e) Collecting, analyzing, and using high-quality and timely data, 
especially on Subgrantee program quality, including data regarding 
program outcomes, family engagement, school readiness of Eligible 
Children in High-Quality Preschool Programs, and student progress 
through third grade;
    (f) Improvement on the program performance measures, to the extent 
such data are available;
    (g) Holding each Subgrantee accountable for engaging and supporting 
parents, helping them build protective factors, facilitating families' 
links to services in their community, enhancing their capacity to 
support their children's education and development, and involving 
parents in decisions about their children's education; and
    (h) If applicable, obtaining and expending matching contributions 
as described in its application.
    In making a continuation grant, the Secretary of Education 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 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Marek, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW., Room 3E344, Washington, DC 20202-
6200. Telephone: 202-260-0968 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 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. 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 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: August 12, 2014.
Deborah S. Delisle,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. 
Department of Education.
Mark Greenberg,
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services.

Appendix A--Scoring Rubric

I. Introduction

    To help ensure inter-reviewer reliability and transparency for 
the Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant applicants, the 
Departments have created and are publishing a rubric for scoring 
State applications. The pages that follow detail the rubric and 
allocation of point values that reviewers will be using. The rubric 
will be used by reviewers to ensure consistency across and within 
review panels.
    The rubric allocates points to each selection criterion. In all, 
the Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant scoring rubric 
includes seven selection criteria and three competitive preference 
priorities. These collectively add up to 230 points.
    Reviewers will be required to make thoughtful judgments about 
the quality of a State's application and will be assessing, based on 
the selection criteria, the comprehensiveness, feasibility, and 
likely impact of the State's application. Reviewers will also be 
asked to evaluate, for example, the extent to which the State has 
set ambitious and achievable annual targets in its application. 
Reviewers will also need to make informed judgments about the 
State's goals, the activities the State has chosen to undertake, and 
the timelines and credibility of the State's plan.
    This appendix includes information about the point values for 
each selection criterion and priority, guidance on scoring, and the 
rubric that we will provide to reviewers.

II. Points Overview

    The chart below shows the maximum number of points and the 
percent of total points available that are assigned to each 
selection criterion.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Preschool development grants--expansion      Points
         grants: points overview             available        Percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Executive Summary
    (A)(1) The State's progress to date.
    (A)(2) Provide High-Quality
     Preschool Programs in two or more
     High-Need Communities.
    (A)(3) Increase the number and
     percentage of Eligible Children
     served in High-Quality Preschool
     Programs.

[[Page 48889]]

 
    (A)(4) Characteristics of High-
     Quality Preschool Programs.
    (A)(5) Set expectations for school
     readiness.
    (A)(6) Supported by a broad group of
     stakeholders.
    (A)(7) Allocate funds between--
        (a) Activities to build or
         enhance infrastructure using no
         more than 5% of funds; and
        (b) Subgrants using at least 95%
         of funds.
                                         -------------------------------
            Subtotal....................              10               5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Commitment to State Preschool
 Programs
    (B)(1) Early Learning and                          2               1
     Development Standards..............
    (B)(2) State's financial investment.               6               3
    (B)(3) Enacted and pending                         4               2
     legislation, policies, and/or
     practices..........................
    (B)(4) Quality of existing State                   4               2
     Preschool Programs.................
    (B)(5) Coordination of preschool                   2               1
     programs and services..............
    (B)(6) Role in promoting                           2               1
     coordination of preschool programs
     with other sectors.................
                                         -------------------------------
        Subtotal........................              20              10
------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Ensuring Quality in Preschool
 Programs
    (C)(1) Use no more than 5% of funds                8               4
     for infrastructure and quality
     improvements.......................
    (C)(2) Implement a system for                     10               5
     monitoring.........................
    (C)(3) Measure the outcomes of                    12               6
     participating children.............
                                         -------------------------------
        Subtotal........................              30              15
------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. Expanding High-Quality Preschool
 Programs in Each High-Need Community
    (D)(1) How the State has selected                  8               4
     each Subgrantee and each High-Need
     Community..........................
    Note: Applicants with federally
     designated Promise Zones must
     propose to serve and coordinate
     with a High-Need Community in that
     Promise Zone in order to be
     eligible for up to the full 8
     points. If they do not, they are
     eligible for up to 6 points.
     Applicants that do not have
     federally designated Promise Zones
     in their State are eligible for up
     to the full 8 points...............
    (D)(2) How each High-Need Community                8               4
     is currently underserved...........
    (D)(3) How the State will conduct                  4               2
     outreach to potential Subgrantees..
    (D)(4) How the State will subgrant
     at least 95% of its Federal grant
     award to its Subgrantee or
     Subgrantees to implement and
     sustain voluntary, High-Quality
     Preschool Programs in two or more
     High-Need Communities, and--
        (a) Set ambitious and achievable              16               8
         targets; and
        (b) Incorporate in their plan--
            (i) Expansion of the number
             of new high-quality State
             Preschool Program slots;
             and
            (ii) Improvement of existing
             State Preschool Program
             slots......................
    Note: Applicants may receive up to                12               6
     the full 12 points if they address
     only (D)(4)(b)(i) or (b)(ii) or if
     they address both (D)(4)(b)(i) and
     (b)(ii);...........................
    (5) How the State, in coordination                12               6
     with the Subgrantees, plans to
     sustain High-Quality Preschool
     Programs after the grant period....
                                         -------------------------------
            D. Subtotal.................              60              30
------------------------------------------------------------------------
E. Collaborating with Each Subgrantee
 and Ensuring Strong Partnerships
    (E)(1) Roles and responsibilities of               2               1
     the State and Subgrantee in
     implementing the project plan......
    (E)(2) How High-Quality Preschool                  6               3
     Programs will be implemented.......
    (E)(3) How the Subgrantee will                     2               1
     minimize local administrative costs
    (E)(4) How the State and Subgrantee                4               2
     will monitor Early Learning
     Providers..........................
    (E)(5) How the State and the                       4               2
     Subgrantee will coordinate plans...
    (E)(6) How the State and the                       6               3
     Subgrantee will coordinate, but not
     supplant, the delivery of High-
     Quality Preschool Programs funded
     under this grant with existing
     services for preschool-aged
     children...........................
    (E)(7) How the Subgrantees will                    6               2
     integrate High-Quality Preschool
     Programs for Eligible Children
     within economically diverse,
     inclusive settings.................
    (E)(8) How the Subgrantees will                    6               3
     deliver High-Quality Preschool
     Programs to Eligible Children who
     may be in need of additional
     supports...........................
    (E)(9) How the State will ensure                   4               2
     outreach to enroll isolated or hard-
     to-reach families; help families
     build protective factors; and
     engage parents and families........
    (E)(10) How the State will ensure                 10               5
     strong partnerships between each
     Subgrantee and LEAs or other Early
     Learning Providers.................
                                         -------------------------------
        Subtotal........................              50              25
------------------------------------------------------------------------
F. Alignment within a Birth Through
 Third Grade Continuum
    (F)(1) Birth through age-five
     programs...........................
    (F)(2) Kindergarten through third
     grade..............................
                                         -------------------------------
        Subtotal........................              20              10
------------------------------------------------------------------------
G. Budget and Sustainability

[[Page 48890]]

 
    (G)(1) Use the funds from this grant
     and any matching contributions to
     serve the number of Eligible
     Children described in its ambitious
     and achievable plan each year......
    (G)(2) Coordinate the uses of
     existing funds from Federal sources
     that support early learning and
     development........................
    (G)(3) Sustain the High-Quality
     Preschool Programs provided by this
     grant after the grant period ends..
                                         -------------------------------
        Subtotal........................              10               5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Total Points Available for               200             100
             Selection Criteria.........
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Competitive Priority 1: Contributing                  10
 Matching Funds.........................
Competitive Priority 2: Supporting a                  10
 Continuum of Early Learning and
 Development............................
Competitive Priority 3: Creating New             0 or 10
 High-Quality State Preschool Program
 Slots..................................
                                         -------------------------------
    Total for All Priorities............              30
------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Grand Total.....................             230
------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. About Scoring

General Notes About Scoring

    Ambitious and Achievable. In determining whether a State has 
ambitious and achievable goals or targets for a given selection 
criterion, reviewers will examine the State's goals or targets in 
the context of the State's plan and the evidence submitted (if any) 
in support of the plan. Reviewers will not be looking for any 
specific targets nor will they necessarily reward higher targets 
above lower ones with higher scores. Rather, reviewers will reward 
States for developing goals and targets that, in light of each 
State's plan and the current context and status of the work in that 
State, are shown to be ambitious and achievable.
    Additionally, there is a term that we use repeatedly in the 
notice: Ambitious and achievable plan. This is an anchor term for 
applicants to understand and reviewers to use in guiding their 
scoring. In determining the quality of a State's plan for a given 
selection criterion or competitive preference priority, reviewers 
will assess the extent to which the plan is ambitious and 
achievable, including whether it is feasible and has a high 
probability of successful implementation and contains the following 
components--
    (1) The key goals of the plan;
    (2) The key activities to be undertaken; the rationale for the 
activities; and, if applicable, where in the State the activities 
will be initially implemented, and where and how they will be scaled 
up over time;
    (3) A realistic timeline, including key milestones, for 
implementing each key activity;
    (4) The party or parties responsible for implementing each 
activity and other key personnel assigned to each activity;
    (5) Appropriate financial resources to support successful 
implementation and sustainment of the plan;
    (6) The information requested as supporting evidence, if any, 
together with any additional information the State believes will be 
helpful to peer reviewers in judging the credibility of the plan;
    (7) The information requested in the performance measures, where 
applicable; and
    (8) How the State will address the needs of Eligible Children, 
including those who may be in need of additional supports, such as 
children who have disabilities or developmental delays; who are 
English learners; who reside on ``Indian lands'' as that term is 
defined by section 8013(7) of the ESEA; who are migrant; who are 
``homeless,'' as defined in subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento 
Act; who are involved in the child welfare system; who reside in 
rural areas; who are from military families; and any other children 
identified by the State.

Rubric

    The following scoring rubric will be used to guide the reviewers 
in scoring selection criteria and priorities. (See ``General Notes 
about Scoring'' for more information about how reviewers will assess 
ambitious and achievable plans.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Percentage of
                                                             available
                                                              points
                                                              awarded
------------------------------------------------------------------------
High-quality response...................................          80-100
Medium/high-quality response............................           50-80
Medium/low-quality response.............................           20-50
Low-quality response....................................            0-20
------------------------------------------------------------------------

About Priorities

    There are two types of priorities in the Preschool Development 
Grants--Expansion Grant competition: absolute and competitive.
     Applicants must address Absolute Priority 1 the 
absolute priorities throughout their applications; they do not write 
separately to this priority. It will be assessed, after the proposal 
has been fully reviewed and evaluated, to ensure that the 
application has met the priority. Absolute Priority 1 must be met in 
order for an applicant to receive funding. If an application has not 
met the priority, it will be eliminated from the competition. A 
State meets the absolute priority if a majority of reviewers 
determines that the State has met the absolute priority. Absolute 
Priorities 2 and 3 are not judged by peer reviewers.
     Applicants may choose whether to address the 
competitive preference priorities. Additional points will be awarded 
to an application to the extent that reviewers determine it has met 
a competitive preference priority. Applicants earn points under the 
competitive preference priorities in a manner similar to how they 
earn points under the selection criteria.
    [cir] Competitive Preference Priority 1 (Contributing Matching 
Funds) is worth up to 10 points.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Possible
  State match of projected four-year total award amount       points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
50% or more.............................................              10
40% to 49%..............................................               8
30% to 39%..............................................               6
20% to 29%..............................................               4
10% to 19%..............................................               2
Less than 10%...........................................               0
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    [cir] Competitive Preference Priority 2 (Supporting a Continuum 
of Early Learning and Development) is worth up to 10 points.
    [cir] Competitive Preference Priority 3 (Creating New High-
Quality State Preschool Program Slots) is worth 0 or 10 points. If 
the applicant proposes to use at least 50 percent of its Federal 
grant award to create new State Preschool Program slots, 10 points 
will be awarded.

In the Event of a Tie

    If two or more applications have the same score and there is not 
sufficient funding to support all of the tied applicants, the 
applicants' overall scores on Selection Criterion (D) will be used 
to break the tie.

Appendix B--Subgrantee

Model Memorandum of Understanding

    States do not need to submit Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) 
from each Subgrantee at the time of application, but, if awarded 
funds, States that receive Preschool Development Grants--Expansion 
Grants will have 90 days to submit signed MOUs or other binding 
agreements from each Subgrantee (see Program Requirement (i)). 
However, as stated in Application Requirement (e), States applying 
for Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants must submit a 
letter of support or preliminary MOU or other preliminary binding 
agreement from each

[[Page 48891]]

Subgrantee identified in its application. The following is an 
example of a final agreement.

Background for Memorandum of Understanding

    Within 90 days of receipt of a Preschool Development Grants--
Expansion Grant award, the State must submit to the Departments a 
final signed MOU or other binding agreement with each Subgrantee. 
The purpose of the MOU or other binding agreement is to define a 
relationship between the State's Lead Agency and the Subgrantee that 
is specific to the Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant 
Competition; the MOU or other binding agreement is not meant to 
detail all typical aspects of grant coordination or administration.
    To support States in working efficiently with their Subgrantees 
to affirm each Subgrantee's participation in the State Plan, the 
Departments have produced a model MOU, which is attached. This model 
MOU may serve as a template for States; however, States are not 
required to use it. States may use a document other than the model 
MOU, as long as it includes the key features noted below and in the 
model MOU. States should consult with their State attorneys on what 
is most appropriate. States may allow multiple Subgrantees to sign a 
single MOU or other binding agreement, with customized exhibits for 
each Subgrantee, if the State so chooses.
    At a minimum, a Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant 
MOU or other binding agreement should include the following key 
features, each of which is described in detail below and exemplified 
in the attached model MOU: (i) Terms and conditions; (ii) a scope of 
work; and (iii) authorized signatures.
    (i) Terms and conditions: Each Subgrantee must sign a standard 
set of terms and conditions that includes, at a minimum: Key roles 
and responsibilities of the Lead Agency and the Subgrantee; method 
and process for making different types of decisions; mechanism for 
exchanging of data; the Subgrantee's role in implementing the 
State's ambitious and achievable plan; State recourse for non-
performance by the Subgrantee; and assurances that make clear what 
the Subgrantee is agreeing to do.
    (ii) Scope of work: Preschool Development Grants--Expansion 
Grants MOUs or other binding agreements must include a scope of work 
(included in the model MOU as Exhibit I) that is completed by each 
Subgrantee. The scope of work must be signed and dated by an 
authorized Subgrantee official and an authorized Lead Agency 
official. The scope of work for the State and the Subgrantee, which 
must contain detailed work plans and budgets consistent with the 
State's grant application, must include the State's and each 
Subgrantee's specific goals, activities, timelines, budgets, key 
personnel, and annual targets for key performance measures for the 
portions of the State's proposed plans that the Subgrantee is 
agreeing to implement.
    (iii) Authorized Signatures: The signatures on the MOU or other 
binding agreement demonstrate an acknowledgement of the relationship 
between the Subgrantee and the Lead Agency. With respect to the 
relationship between the Subgrantee and the Lead Agency, the Lead 
Agency's counter-signature on the MOU or other binding agreement 
indicates that the Subgrantee's commitment is consistent with the 
requirement that a Subgrantee implement all applicable portions of 
the State Plan.

Model Subgrantee Memorandum of Understanding

    (To be submitted 90 days after State receives award)
    This Memorandum of Understanding (``MOU'') is entered into by 
and between ---------- (``Lead Agency'') and ---------- 
(``Subgrantee''). The purpose of this agreement is to establish a 
framework of collaboration, as well as articulate specific roles and 
responsibilities in support of the State in its implementation of an 
approved Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant.

I. Assurances

    The Subgrantee hereby certifies and represents that it:
    (1) Agrees to implement those portions of the State Plan 
indicated in Exhibit I.
    (2) Has all requisite power and authority to execute and fulfill 
the terms of this MOU;
    (3) Is familiar with the State's Preschool Development Grants--
Expansion Grant Application and is supportive of and committed to 
working on all applicable portions of the State Plan;
    (4) Will implement the Scope of Work in Exhibit I consistent 
with the Budget included in section VIII of the State Plan 
(including existing funds, if any, that the Subgrantee is using for 
activities and services that help achieve the outcomes of the State 
Plan); and
    (5) Will comply with all of the terms of the Preschool Expansion 
Grants--Expansion Grant, this agreement, and all applicable Federal 
and State laws and regulations, including laws and regulations 
applicable to the Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant, and 
the applicable provisions of EDGAR (34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 82, 
84, 86, 97, 98 and 99), and the debarment and suspension regulations 
in 2 CFR part 3485.

II. Project Administration

A. Subgrantee Responsibilities

    In assisting the Lead Agency in implementing the tasks and 
activities described in the State's Preschool Development Grants--
Expansion Grant application, the Subgrantee will:
    (1) Implement the Subgrantee Scope of Work as identified in 
Exhibit I of this agreement;
    (2) Make arrangements for High-Quality Preschool programs to be 
provided by Early Learning Providers and will appropriately monitor 
such entities;
    (3) Abide by the State's Budget included in section VIII of the 
State Plan (including the existing funds from Federal, State, 
private, and local sources, if any, that the Subgrantee is using to 
achieve the outcomes in the Preschool Development Grants--Expansion 
Grant Plan) and with the Subgrantee's Budget included in Exhibit II 
of this agreement;
    (4) Actively participate in all relevant meetings or other 
events that are organized or sponsored by the State, by the U.S. 
Department of Education (``ED''), or by the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services (``HHS'');
    (5) Post to any Web site specified by the State, ED, or HHS, in 
a timely manner, all non-proprietary products and lessons learned 
developed using Federal funds awarded under the Preschool 
Development Grants--Expansion Grant;
    (6) Participate, as requested, in any evaluations of this grant 
conducted by the State, ED, or HHS;
    (7) Be responsive to State, ED, or HHS requests for project 
information including on the status of the project, project 
implementation, outcomes, and any problems anticipated or 
encountered, consistent with applicable local, State, and Federal 
privacy laws;
    (8) Provide researchers with access, consistent with 
requirements of all applicable Federal, State, and local privacy 
laws, to available data regarding the enrollment and school 
readiness of Eligible Children in State Preschool Programs;
    (9) Implement culturally and linguistically responsive outreach 
and communication efforts to enroll isolated or hard-to-reach 
families; help families build protective factors; and engage parents 
and families as decision-makers in their children's education;
    (10) Minimize local administrative costs; and
    (11) Partner with LEAs or other Early Learning Providers, as 
appropriate, to carry out activities that will provide children and 
their families with successful transitions from preschool into 
kindergarten.

B. Lead Agency Responsibilities

    In assisting the Subgrantee in implementing its tasks and 
activities described in the Preschool Development Grants--Expansion 
Grant application, the Lead Agency will:
    (1) Work collaboratively with the Subgrantee and support the 
Subgrantee in carrying out the Subgrantee's Scope of Work, as 
identified in Exhibit I of this agreement;
    (2) Award in a timely manner the portion of Preschool 
Development Grants--Expansion Grant funds designated for the 
Subgrantee in the Plan during the course of the project period and 
in accordance with the Subgrantee Scope of Work, as identified in 
Exhibit I, and in accordance with the Subgrantee's Budget, as 
identified in Exhibit II;
    (3) Provide feedback on the Subgrantee's status updates, any 
interim reports, and project plans and products;
    (4) Keep the Subgrantee informed of the status of the State's 
Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant project and seek input 
from the Subgrantee, where relevant to the portion of the State plan 
that the Subgrantee is implementing;
    (5) Facilitate coordination across Subgrantees necessary to 
implement the State Plan;
    (6) Identify sources of technical assistance for the project; 
and
    (7) Monitor Subgrantee's Implementation of High-Quality 
Preschool Programs.

[[Page 48892]]

C. Joint Responsibilities

    (1) The Lead Agency and the Subgrantee will implement the State 
Plan consistent with the description of the roles and 
responsibilities outlined in the State's application and in the 
Scope of Work in Exhibit I;
    (2) The Lead Agency and the Subgrantee will each appoint a key 
contact person for the Preschool Development Grants--Expansion 
Grant;
    (3) These key contacts from the Lead Agency and the Subgrantee 
will maintain frequent communication to facilitate cooperation under 
this MOU, consistent with the State Plan and governance structure.
    (4) Lead Agency and Subgrantee personnel will work together to 
determine appropriate timelines for project updates and status 
reports throughout the grant period;
    (5) Lead Agency and Subgrantee personnel will negotiate in good 
faith toward achieving the overall goals of the State's Preschool 
Development Grants--Expansion Grant, including when the State Plan 
requires modifications that affect the Subgrantee, or when the 
Subgrantee's Scope of Work requires modifications;
    (6) The Lead Agency and the Subgrantee will devise plans to 
sustain High-Quality Preschool Programs after the grant period, 
including any non-Federal support that the State or Subgrantees plan 
to contribute;
    (7) The Lead Agency and the Subgrantee will coordinate plans 
related to assessments, data sharing, instructional tools, family 
engagement, cross-sector and comprehensive services efforts, 
professional development, and workforce and leadership development; 
and
    (8) The Lead Agency and the Subgrantee will coordinate, but not 
supplant, the delivery of High-Quality Preschool Programs funded 
under this grant with existing services for preschool-aged children 
including, if applicable, programs and services supported through 
title I of the ESEA, part C and section 619 of part B of IDEA, 
subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act, the Head Start Act, and 
the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act.

D. State Recourse in the Event of Subgrantee's Failure To Perform

    If the Lead Agency determines that the Subgrantee is not meeting 
its goals, timelines, budget, or annual targets, or is in some other 
way not fulfilling applicable requirements, the Lead Agency will 
take appropriate enforcement action, which could include initiating 
a collaborative process by which they attempt to resolve the 
disagreements between the Lead Agency and the Subgrantee, or 
initiating such enforcement measures as are available to the Lead 
Agency, under applicable State or Federal law.

III. Modifications

    This Memorandum of Understanding may be amended only by written 
agreement signed by each of the parties involved, in consultation 
with ED and HHS.

IV. Duration

    This Memorandum of Understanding shall be effective, beginning 
with the date of the last signature hereon and ending upon the 
expiration of the Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant 
project period.

V. Signatures

    Authorized Representative of Lead Agency:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Signature Date
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Print Name Title
    Authorized Representative of Subgrantee:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Signature Date
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Print Name Title

Exhibit I--State Lead Agency and Subgrantee Scope of Work

    The State Lead Agency and Subgrantee hereby agrees to 
participate in the State Plan, as described in the State's 
application, and more specifically commits to undertake the tasks 
and activities described in detail below. In addition, the Lead 
Agency and Subgrantee will collaborate to establish Performance 
Measures for any aspects of the State's plan that the Subgrantee is 
implementing.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  Performance
          Selection criterion               Participating party       Type of participation       measure  (if
                                                                                                  applicable)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Example Row--shows an example of          Subgrantees.....  Providing family
 criterion (E)(10)(b)(ii) for the                                    engagement, support,
 Subgrantees.                                                        nutrition, and other
                                                                     Comprehensive Services
                                                                     and coordinating with
                                                                     other community partners
                                                                     to ensure families'
                                                                     access to needed
                                                                     supports.
Example Row--shows an example of          State Lead        Taking steps, or building
 criterion (F)(2)(d)(i) for the State     Agency.                    upon the steps it has
 Lead Agency.                                                        taken, to align, at a
                                                                     minimum--
                                                                    (i) Child learning
                                                                     standards and
                                                                     expectations.
(D)(4).................................
(D)(5).................................
(E)(1).................................
(E)(2).................................
(E)(3).................................
(E)(4).................................
(E)(5).................................
(E)(6).................................
(E)(7).................................
(E)(8).................................
(E)(9).................................
(E)(10)................................
(F)(1).................................
(F)(2).................................
(G)(1).................................
(G)(2).................................
(G)(3).................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exhibit II--Subgrantee Budget

    The MOU must contain a Subgrantee budget clearly explaining how 
each Subgrantee will expend funds, including any matching funds, if 
applicable. The State and each Subgrantee must update the budgets 
submitted in Part VII of the application and submit them as part of 
the MOU.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Signature Date
(Authorized Representative of Lead Agency)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Signature Date
(Authorized Representative of Subgrantee, if applicable)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Signature Date
(Authorized Representative of Subgrantee, if applicable)

[FR Doc. 2014-19427 Filed 8-15-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P