[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 110 (Tuesday, June 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32545-32551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14081]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Skills for Success Program

AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information: Skills for Success Program.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2015.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215H.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: June 11, 2015.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: June 29, 2015.
    Date of Informational Meeting: June 24, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 29, 2015.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 28, 2015.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Skills for Success Program supports Local 
Educational Agencies \1\ (LEAs) and their partners in implementing, 
evaluating, and refining tools and approaches for developing the non-
cognitive skills of middle-grades students in order to increase student 
success. Grants provide funding for the implementation, evaluation, and 
refinement of existing tools and approaches (e.g., digital games, 
growth mindset classroom activities, experiential learning 
opportunities) that integrate the development of students' non-
cognitive skills into classroom-level activities and existing 
strategies designed to improve schools. As grantees implement their 
projects, we expect them to collect, analyze, and use data to improve 
their tools and strategies throughout the project period. Ultimately, 
we expect grantees to identify and validate scalable tools and 
approaches that can be used by educators of high-need middle-grades 
students across the country. In addition, we expect that these grants 
will help build the capacity of LEAs and their partners to conduct 
research and apply that research to school- and district-level 
practices. This program also encourages sustainable partnerships that 
can continue the use of effective tools and approaches beyond the grant 
period.
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    \1\ Defined terms are noted throughout this document with 
initial capitals.
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    Background: An emerging body of research indicates that 
interventions that focus on enhancing student attributes, such as 
growth mindsets, resilience, self-control, and other social and 
behavioral skills, such as self-efficacy, can have a significant and 
lasting impact on student achievement and behavior. This research 
suggests that non-cognitive factors may play an important role in 
students' academic, career, and life outcomes.\2\ For example, teaching 
students that their minds can grow and develop through routine and 
focused practice, as compared to referring to intelligence as a fixed 
trait like eye color, can increase students' academic success.\3\ This 
competition is designed to build on that research by expanding our 
knowledge and understanding about the tools and approaches for 
promoting non-cognitive skills or how educators can improve their 
students' non-cognitive skills as part of their broader efforts to 
enhance student educational outcomes, including efforts to improve 
academic achievement and attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism and 
exclusionary discipline.
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    \2\ The University of Chicago Consortium of Chicago School 
Research (June 2012). Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: The 
Role of Non-cognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance. 
Available at: https://ccsr.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Noncognitive%20Report.pdf.
    \3\ Blackwell, L.A., Trzesniewski, K.H., & Dweck, C.S. (2007). 
Implicit Theories of intelligence and achievement across the junior 
high school transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. 
Child Development, 78, 246-263. Available at: mtoliveboe.org/cmsAdmin/uploads/blackwell-theories-of-intelligence-child-dev-2007.pdf.
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    For the FY 2015 competition, this program focuses on projects that 
implement, evaluate, and refine existing tools and approaches that are 
designed to improve students' non-cognitive skills during the middle 
grades. We consider the middle grades (grades 5-8) to be a particularly 
critical time in students' academic trajectories, especially in the 
context of increased expectations for what students should know and be 
able to do in order to be adequately prepared for college and career 
opportunities. Moreover, recent research demonstrates that educators of 
students in middle grades may be able to encourage non-cognitive skills 
development to improve student academic and behavioral outcomes.\4\
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    \4\ Yeager, David S., and Gregory M. Walton (April 2011). 
Social-Psychological Interventions in Education: They're Not Magic. 
Available at: https://web.stanford.edu/~gwalton/home/Research_files/
YeagerWalton2011.pdf.
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    This competition supports projects that improve upon existing tools 
and approaches for enhancing students' non-cognitive skills by 
implementing these tools and approaches and collecting and using data, 
as well as leveraging other analytical methods, throughout the project. 
Through these grants, and LEAs' partnerships with nonprofit 
organizations, Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), other LEAs, or 
some combination thereof, we expect to build LEAs' long-term capacity 
to implement, evaluate, and improve strategies that enhance students' 
non-cognitive skills. These partnerships could support capacity 
building by bringing additional resources and expertise to the 
implementation and evaluation of these tools and approaches. Strong 
partnerships could also help LEAs continue their work to develop 
students' non-cognitive skills beyond the grant period. By identifying 
and strengthening tools and approaches that enhance students' non-
cognitive skills, LEAs are also expected to expand the impact of their 
projects by sharing their emerging practices with other LEAs or 
schools. Partnerships with nonprofit organizations and IHEs may also 
aid these dissemination efforts.
    We include two absolute priorities in the FY 2015 competition. 
Applicants must address both absolute priorities.
    The first absolute priority requires applicants to design projects 
that build upon existing tools and approaches that encourage middle-
grades students to develop their non-cognitive skills. These projects 
are expected to improve student outcomes and behaviors; enhance the 
tools and approaches being utilized to enrich students' non-cognitive 
skills and behaviors through iterative analyses and improvements; and 
build knowledge from which other LEAs and schools can benefit. As 
efforts and investments in the non-cognitive area grow, we think it is 
important to identify potentially scalable strategies and models for 
students in the middle grades, and to build the evidence base 
supporting these approaches in order to determine how educators can 
effectively help students develop such skills and behaviors. These 
approaches might include, for example, implementing educator-led 
interventions for both individual students and groups of students (that 
are carried out directly with students), fostering changes in 
educators' instructional practices, or redesigning learning 
environments. Additionally, we ask applicants to

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ensure that their proposed approach fits into existing school- or 
district-level strategies to improve students' learning outcomes.
    We also include a priority that requires applicants to design 
projects that improve academic outcomes or learning environments for 
High-need Students. Persistent and significant gaps exist between High-
need Students and their more advantaged peers, and this competition 
seeks to expand approaches that help ensure that all students succeed 
academically and learn essential life skills that support their success 
in college and their career.
    Priorities: This competition includes two absolute priorities. We 
are establishing Absolute Priority 1 for the FY 2015 Skills for Success 
competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the 
list of unfunded applicants from this competition, in accordance with 
section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 
U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Absolute Priority 2 is from the Department's notice 
of final supplemental priorities and definitions (Supplemental 
Priorities), published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2014 (79 
FR 73425).
    Absolute Priorities: These priorities are absolute priorities. 
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet these 
priorities.
    These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1--Developing Non-Cognitive Skills in Middle-Grades 
Students

    Under this priority we provide funding to projects that implement, 
refine, and evaluate existing tools and approaches that encourage the 
development of non-cognitive skills for students in grades 5-8. Such 
tools and approaches may be designed to encourage the development of 
growth mindsets, resilience, and self-control, among other attributes. 
Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed approach would develop 
students' non-cognitive skills and fit into existing school- or 
district-level improvement strategies. Projects will share their 
learnings with other LEAs.

Absolute Priority 2--Supporting High-Need Students

    Under this priority we provide funding to projects that are 
designed to improve academic outcomes, learning environments, or both, 
for High-need Students.
    Definitions: The following definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1, the 
Supplemental Priorities, and section 9101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7801), 
and apply to the priorities and selection criteria in this notice. The 
source of each definition is noted in parentheses following the text of 
the definition.
    High-minority school means a school as that term is defined by an 
LEA, which must define the term in a manner consistent with its State's 
Teacher Equity Plan, as required by section 1111(b)(8)(C) of the ESEA. 
The applicant must provide the definition(s) of High-minority Schools 
used in its application. (Supplemental Priorities)
    High-need students means students who are at risk of educational 
failure or otherwise in need of special assistance and support, such as 
students who are living in poverty, who attend High-minority Schools, 
who are far below grade level, who have left school before receiving a 
Regular High School Diploma, who are at risk of not graduating with a 
diploma on time, who are homeless, who are in foster care, who have 
been incarcerated, who have disabilities, or who are English learners. 
(Supplemental Priorities)
    Local educational agency means (a) In general--a public board of 
education or other public authority legally constituted within a State 
for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a 
service function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in 
a city, county, township, school district, or other political 
subdivision of a State, or of or for a combination of school districts 
or counties that is recognized in a State as an administrative agency 
for its public elementary schools or secondary schools.
    (b) Administrative control and direction--The term includes any 
other public institution or agency having administrative control and 
direction of a public elementary school or secondary school.
    (c) BIA schools--The term includes an elementary school or 
secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs but only to the 
extent that including the school makes the school eligible for programs 
for which specific eligibility is not provided to the school in another 
provision of law and the school does not have a student population that 
is smaller than the student population of the local educational agency 
receiving assistance under this Act with the smallest student 
population, except that the school shall not be subject to the 
jurisdiction of any State educational agency other than the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs.
    (d) Educational service agencies--The term includes educational 
service agencies and consortia of those agencies.
    (e) State educational agency--The term includes the State 
educational agency in a State in which the State educational agency is 
the sole educational agency for all public schools. (ESEA)
    Logic model (also referred to as theory of action) means a well-
specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the 
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active 
``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the 
relevant outcomes) and describes the relationships among the key 
components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Nonprofit, as applied to an agency, organization, or institution, 
means that it is owned and operated by one or more corporations or 
associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully 
benefit, any private shareholder or entity. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that 
attempts to approximate an experimental design by identifying a 
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important 
respects. These studies, depending on design and implementation, can 
meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations (but 
not What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations). 
(34 CFR 77.1)
    Randomized controlled trial means a study that employs random 
assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, schools, or 
districts to receive the intervention being evaluated (the treatment 
group) or not to receive the intervention (the control group). The 
estimated effectiveness of the intervention is the difference between 
the average outcomes for the treatment group and for the control group. 
These studies, depending on design and implementation, can meet What 
Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations. (34 CFR 
77.1)
    Regular high school diploma means the standard high school diploma 
that is awarded to students in the State and that is fully aligned with 
the State's academic content standards or a higher diploma and does not 
include a General Education Development credential, certificate of 
attendance, or any alternative award. (Supplemental Priorities)
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) (or the ultimate 
outcome if not related to students) the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice is designed to improve; consistent with

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the specific goals of a program. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice that includes a Logic Model. (34 CFR 77.1)
    What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards means the standards set 
forth in the What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook 
(Version 3.0, March 2014), which can be found at the following link: 
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and requirements. 
Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from 
rulemaking requirements, regulations governing the first grant 
competition under a new or substantially revised program authority. 
This is the first grant competition for this program under 20 U.S.C. 
7243-7243c and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to 
ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forego public 
comment on Absolute Priority 1 and the Eligible Applicants requirement 
under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. This priority and this requirement 
will apply to the FY 2015 grant competition and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications for this 
competition.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7243-7243c.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 
82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget 
Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension 
(Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as 
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform 
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements 
for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR 
part 3474. (d) The Supplemental Priorities (79 FR 73425).

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $2,000,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2016 or later years 
from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $400,000-600,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000 per year.
    Funding for the second and third years is subject to the 
availability of funds and the approval of continuation awards (see 34 
CFR 75.253).
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4-5.

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

    Project Period: 12-36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: The following entities are eligible to 
apply for Skills for Success grants:
    (a) An LEA.
    (b) An LEA in partnership with--
    (1) A nonprofit;
    (2) An IHE; or
    (3) Other LEAs.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following 
address: www2.ed.gov/programs/skillssuccess/index.html. To obtain a 
copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. 
Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. 
Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at 
its email address: [email protected].
    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.215H.
    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 person listed under Accessible 
Format in section VIII of this notice.
    2. a. 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.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 29, 2015.
    We will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing 
grant applications if we know the approximate number of applicants that 
intend to apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, the 
Secretary strongly encourages each potential applicant to notify us of 
the applicant's intent to submit an application by completing a Web-
based form. Applicants may access this form online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VB5L3BR. Applicants that do not complete this 
form may still submit an application. Page Limit: The application 
narrative (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. Applicants submitting an application should limit the 
application narrative to no more than 25 pages. Applicants also are 
strongly encouraged not to include lengthy appendices for the 
application that contain information that they were unable to include 
in the narrative. Applicants should use the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The page limit for the application does not apply to Part I, the 
cover sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative 
budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or 
the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of 
support for the application.
    b. Submission of Proprietary Information:
    Given the types of projects that may be proposed in applications 
for the Skills for Success Program, some applications may include 
business information that applicants consider proprietary. The 
Department's regulations define ``business information'' in 34 CFR 
5.11.
    We plan on posting the application narrative section of funded 
Skills for Success applications on the Department's Web site, so you 
may wish to request confidentiality of business information. 
Identifying proprietary information in the submitted

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application will help facilitate this public disclosure process.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your 
application any information that you feel is exempt from disclosure 
under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act. In the appropriate 
Appendix section of your application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' 
please list the page number or numbers on which we can find this 
information. For additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: June 11, 2015.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 29, 2015.
    Date of Informational Meeting: We intend to hold a Webinar to 
provide technical assistance to interested applicants on June 24, 2015. 
You may obtain detailed information regarding this meeting on the 
Skills for Success Web site at www2.ed.gov/programs/skillssuccess/index.html.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 29, 2015.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission 
Requirements of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 28, 2015.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award 
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (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 Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one to two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by 
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal 
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, 
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number 
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note: Once your SAM registration is active, 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: www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants for the 
Skills for Success Program must be submitted electronically unless you 
qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for Skills for Success grants, CFDA number 84.215H, 
must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov 
Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to 
download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and 
then upload and submit your application. You may not email an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Skills for 
Success Program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not 
include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 
84.215, not 84.215H).
    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.

[[Page 32549]]

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 competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at www.G5.gov.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: The 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     You must upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) 
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not 
review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by email. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this 
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The 
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether 
your application will be accepted.

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

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Kelly Terpak, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4C107, 
Washington, DC 20202-5930. FAX: (202) 205-5631.
    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 84.215H), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260

    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not

[[Page 32550]]

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 84.215H), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, 
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260

    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

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

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210, and are listed below. The points assigned to 
each criterion are indicated in the parentheses next to the criterion. 
An applicant may earn up to a total of 100 points based on the 
selection criteria for the application.
    A. Significance. (up to 20 points)
    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    1. The likely utility of the products (such as information, 
materials, processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed 
project, including the potential for their being used effectively in a 
variety of other settings.
    2. The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
    3. The potential contribution of the proposed project to the 
development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the 
field of study.
    B. Quality of the project design. (up to 45 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The extent to which the proposed project is supported by Strong 
Theory.
    2. The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the 
competition.
    3. The extent to which the proposed activities constitute a 
coherent, sustained program of research and development in the field, 
including, as appropriate, a substantial addition to an ongoing line of 
inquiry.
    4. The extent to which performance feedback and continuous 
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project.
    C. Quality of the management plan. (up to 15 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
    2. The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of 
the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    3. The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the 
proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
    D. Quality of the project evaluation. (up to 20 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the 
evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for 
examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies.
    2. The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about 
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other 
settings.
    3. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.
    4. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well-
implemented, produce evidence about the project's effectiveness that 
would meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with 
reservations.

    Note: Applicants may wish to review the following technical 
assistance resources on evaluation:


    (1) WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/references/idocviewer/doc.aspx?docid=19&tocid=1; and (2) IES/NCEE 
Technical Methods papers: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/tech_methods. In 
addition, we invite applicants to view two Webinar recordings that were 
hosted by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The first Webinar 
addresses strategies for designing and executing well-designed Quasi-
experimental Design Studies. This Webinar is available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/news.aspx?sid=23. The second Webinar focuses on 
more rigorous evaluation designs, including strategies for designing 
and executing Randomized Controlled Trials. This Webinar is available 
at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/news.aspx?sid=18.
    2. Review and Selection Process: Peer reviewers will review all 
applications eligible for Skills for Success grants that are submitted 
by the established deadline.
    We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in 
any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 
34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying 
out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement 
of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The 
Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a 
timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable 
quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

[[Page 32551]]

    3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may 
impose special conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk 
conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially 
stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or 
other management system that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 
200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or 
is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: We have established two performance 
measures for the Skills for Success grants.
    (1) The percentage of grantees that demonstrate improvement in 
participating students' academic and behavioral outcomes.
    (2) The percentage of grantees that demonstrate that at least one 
tool or approach for enhancing participating students' non-cognitive 
skills is effective; refined, if necessary; and validated.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; Whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application. In making a 
continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is 
operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved 
application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws 
that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving 
Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 
106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Terpak, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4C107, Washington, DC 20202-
5930. Telephone: (202) 205-5231. FAX: (202) 205-5631.
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service, toll 
free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

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

    Dated: June 4, 2015.
Nadya Chinoy Dabby,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2015-14081 Filed 6-8-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P