[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 162 (Friday, August 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50833-50842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20723]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grants 
to Non-State Educational Agency (Non-SEA) Eligible Applicants for 
Planning, Program Design, and Initial Implementation and for 
Dissemination

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

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:
    CSP Grants to Non-SEA Eligible Applicants for Planning, Program 
Design, and Initial Implementation and for Dissemination.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2016.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.282B and 
84.282C.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: August 21, 2015.
    Dates of Pre-Application Webinars (all times are Washington, DC 
time):
    1. August 26, 2015, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and
    2. September 9, 2015, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 6, 2015.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: December 21, 2015.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the CSP is to increase national 
understanding of the charter school model by expanding the number of 
high-quality charter schools available to students across the Nation; 
providing financial assistance for the planning, program design, and 
initial implementation of charter schools; and evaluating the effects 
of charter schools, including their effects on students, student 
academic achievement, staff, and parents.
    This notice invites applications from non-SEA eligible applicants 
for two types of grants: (1) Planning, Program Design, and Initial 
Implementation (CFDA 84.282B); and (2) Dissemination (CFDA 84.282C). 
Each type of grant has its own eligibility requirements and selection 
criteria. Information pertaining to each type of grant is provided in 
subsequent sections of this notice.
    Non-SEA eligible applicants are those that are qualified to 
participate based on requirements set forth in this notice. Non-SEA 
eligible applicants must be from States in which the SEA does not have 
an approved application under the CSP. For more information on this 
eligibility restriction, please see the notes in Section III.1.b. of 
this notice.
    Priorities: This notice includes one absolute priority, three 
competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. The 
absolute priority and competitive preference priorities are from the 
notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for 
discretionary grant programs published in the Federal Register on 
December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425) (Supplemental Priorities).
    Background: The absolute and competitive preference priorities 
focus this competition on assisting educationally disadvantaged 
students and other students--specifically students who are living in 
poverty, students with disabilities, English learners, students who are 
members of federally recognized Indian tribes, and students in rural 
areas--in meeting State academic content standards and State student 
academic achievement standards. Additionally, we include a competitive 
preference priority for improving early learning and development 
outcomes.
    The competitive preference priorities for projects serving students 
with disabilities and English learners are included for the following 
reasons. First, a 2012 report indicated that charter schools may be 
serving students with disabilities at a lower rate than traditional 
public schools.\1\ Second, across the Nation, the number of public 
school students identified as English learners increased significantly 
from 2002 to 2012, with the 2014 National Assessment of Educational 
Progress reports showing significant achievement gaps between English 
learners and their peers.\2\ Additionally, recent research indicates 
that charter schools show gains for students with disabilities in 
mathematics and for English learners in mathematics and reading that 
are higher than those for their counterparts in other public 
schools.\3\ The competitive preference priorities are included to 
supplement the absolute priority and to further emphasize the focus on 
serving educationally disadvantaged students, particularly students 
with disabilities and English learners.
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    \1\ Government Accountability Office. GAO-12-543, June 2012. 
``Additional Federal Attention Needed to Help Protect Access for 
Students with Disabilities,'' available online at www.gao.gov/assets/600/591435.pdf.
    \2\ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education 
Statistics. 2014. ``The Condition of Education 2014 (NCES 2014-
037),'' available online at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014083.pdf.
    \3\ Center for Research on Education Outcomes. 2013. ``National 
Charter School Study 2013,'' available online at http://credo.stanford.edu/documents/NCSS%202013%20Final%20Draft.pdf.
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    The Department understands that students who are members of 
federally recognized Indian tribes and their communities face unique 
challenges. The competitive preference priority for federally 
recognized Indian tribes is designed to encourage applicants to 
collaborate with Native American communities to design and implement 
high-quality charter schools as part of their efforts to strengthen 
public education.
    Furthermore, the Department recognizes that rural schools confront 
a particular set of challenges and seeks to encourage rural education 
leaders to use charter schools, as appropriate, as part of their 
overall efforts to improve educational outcomes.
    Lastly, the Department also believes that high-quality preschool 
should be provided to all children in the Nation so that they enter 
kindergarten ready to succeed in school. To promote charter schools' 
offering preschool as a part of their elementary education programs, we 
include in this competition a competitive preference priority for 
improving early learning and development outcomes.
    The absolute priority and competitive preference priorities are 
intended to encourage applicants to develop innovative projects 
designed to eliminate achievement gaps between the subgroups described 
in this notice and

[[Page 50834]]

the highest-achieving subgroups in their States. The priorities are 
also intended to encourage applicants to develop innovative projects 
for students facing unique educational challenges.
    The invitational priority builds on these goals by focusing on 
applicants that are designing charter schools that will attract and 
serve students from diverse backgrounds. The Department encourages the 
meaningful inclusion of diversity in charter school models, and looks 
to learn more about successful practices through this invitational 
priority.
    Additionally, by way of background, under section 5210(1)(G) of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) (20 
U.S.C. 7221i(1)(G)), all charter schools receiving CSP funds must 
comply with various non-discrimination laws, including the Age 
Discrimination Act of 1975, title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 
title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, section 504 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, part B of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (IDEA) (i.e., rights afforded to students with 
disabilities and their parents). In addition, all charter schools 
receiving CSP funds must comply with applicable State laws.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2016 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, 
this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we 
consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Supporting High-Need Students [Students Living in Poverty].
    Projects that are designed to improve academic outcomes and 
learning environments for students who are living in poverty and are 
served by schools with high concentrations of students living in 
poverty.

    Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to describe, 
through the use of supporting data, the basis by which the applicant 
has determined that they meet this priority.

    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2016 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from 
this competition, these priorities are competitive preference 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we will award up to an 
additional three points to an application depending on how well the 
application addresses Competitive Preference Priority 1, up to an 
additional three points to an application depending on how well the 
application addresses Competitive Preference Priority 2, and up to an 
additional two points to an application depending on how well the 
application addresses Competitive Preference Priority 3. The maximum 
number of points an application can receive under these priorities is 
eight..
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Supporting High-Need Students 
[Rural Students, Students with Disabilities, English Learners] (up to 3 
points).
    Projects that are designed to improve academic outcomes and 
learning environments for one or more of the following groups of 
students:
    (a) Students served by Rural Local Educational Agencies.
    (b) Students with disabilities.
    (c) English learners.

    Note:  Applicants may choose to respond to one or more of the 
priority areas and are not required to respond to each priority area 
in order to receive the maximum available points under this 
competitive preference priority.

    Competitive Preference Priority 2--Supporting High-Need Students 
[Federally Recognized Indian Tribes] (up to 3 points).
    Projects that are designed to improve academic outcomes and 
learning environments for students who are members of federally 
recognized Indian tribes.
    Competitive Preference Priority 3--Improving Early Learning and 
Development Outcomes (up to 2 points).
    Projects that are designed to improve early learning and 
development outcomes across one or more of the essential domains of 
school readiness for children from birth through third grade (or for 
any age group within this range) through a focus on including 
preschool, whether offered in school or community-based settings, as 
part of elementary education programs and systems in order to expand 
opportunities for preschool students and teachers.
    Invitational Priority: For FY 2016 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards based on the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets this 
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications.
    This priority is:
    Invitational Priority--Promoting Diversity.
    The Secretary is particularly interested in applications from 
charter school developers planning schools, or from charter schools, 
that are designed to attract and serve students from diverse 
backgrounds, including students from different racial and ethnic groups 
and educationally disadvantaged students (e.g., economically 
disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, migrant students, 
English learners, neglected or delinquent students, and homeless 
students), as reflected in the (a) charter school's mission statement, 
(b) vision of the charter school, or (c) charter or performance 
agreement between the charter school and its authorizer.

    Note: For information on permissible ways to address this 
priority, please refer to the joint guidance issued by the 
Department of Education and the Department of Justice entitled, 
``Guidance on the Voluntary Use of Race to Achieve Diversity and 
Avoid Racial Isolation in Elementary and Secondary Schools'' at 
www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/guidance-ese-201111.pdf and 
to Section E of the CSP Nonregulatory Guidance at www2.ed.gov/programs/charter/nonregulatory-guidance.html.

    Application Requirements: An applicant applying for CSP grant 
funds, under either CFDA number 84.282B or 84.282C, must address the 
following application requirements, which are based on section 5203(b) 
of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221b(b)). Applicants must also address the 
applicable selection criteria in this notice, and may choose to respond 
to the application requirements in the context of its responses to 
those selection criteria.
    (a) Describe the educational program to be implemented by the 
proposed charter school, including how the program will enable all 
students to meet challenging State student academic achievement 
standards, the grade levels or ages of children to be served, and the 
curriculum and instructional practices to be used;

    Note: An applicant proposing to operate a single-sex charter 
school should include in its application, or as an addendum to the 
application, a detailed description of how it is complying with 
applicable nondiscrimination laws, including the Equal Protection 
Clause of the U.S. Constitution (as interpreted in United States v. 
Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996) and other cases) and Title IX of the 
Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681, et seq.) and its 
regulations, including 34 CFR 106.34(c) with respect to the single-
sex school. Specifically, the applicant should provide a written 
justification for a proposed single-sex charter school that explains 
(1) how the single-sex charter school is based on an important 
governmental objective(s); and (2) how the single-sex nature of the 
charter school is substantially related to the stated objective(s). 
The applicant should also provide (1) information about whether 
there is a substantially equal single-sex school(s) for students of 
the excluded sex, and, if so, a

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detailed description of both the proposed single-sex charter school 
and the substantially equal single-sex school(s) based on the 
factors in 34 CFR 106.34(c)(3); and (2) information about whether 
there is a substantially equal coeducational school(s) for students 
of the excluded sex, and, if so, a detailed description of both the 
proposed single-sex charter school and the substantially equal 
coeducational school(s), based on the factors in 34 CFR 
106.34(c)(3).

    An applicant proposing to operate single-sex classes or 
extracurricular activities offerings at a coeducational charter school 
should include in its application, or as an addendum to its 
application, a detailed description of how it is complying with 
applicable nondiscrimination laws, including the Equal Protection 
Clause of the U.S. Constitution (as interpreted in United States v. 
Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996) and other cases) and Title IX of the 
Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681, et seq.) and its 
regulations, including 34 CFR 106.34(b), with respect to those single-
sex offerings. The Title IX requirements are discussed in more detail 
in the Department's ``Questions and Answers on Title IX and Single-Sex 
Elementary and Secondary Classes and Extracurricular Activities,'' 
available at www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/faqs-title-ix-single-sex-201412.pdf.
    (b) Describe how the charter school will be managed;
    (c) Describe the objectives of the charter school and the methods 
by which the charter school will determine its progress toward 
achieving those objectives;

    Note: The applicant may choose to include a discussion of the 
project-specific performance measures and targets it develops in 
response to the Performance Measures requirement as part of its 
response to this application requirement. The applicant should 
review Section VI.4. Performance Measures of this notice for 
information on the requirements for developing project-specific 
performance measures and targets consistent with the objectives of 
the proposed project.

    (d) Describe the administrative relationship between the charter 
school and the authorized public chartering agency;
    (e) Describe how parents and other members of the community will be 
involved in the planning, program design, and implementation of the 
charter school;
    (f) Describe how the authorized public chartering agency will 
provide for continued operation of the charter school once the Federal 
grant has expired, if that agency determines that the charter school 
has met its objectives as described in paragraph (c) of this section;
    (g) If the charter school desires the Secretary to consider waivers 
under the authority of the CSP, include a request and justification for 
waivers of any Federal statutory or regulatory provisions that the 
applicant believes are necessary for the successful operation of the 
charter school, and a description of any State or local rules, 
generally applicable to public schools, that will be waived for, or 
otherwise not apply to, the school.

    Note: Each applicant for a Planning, Program Design, and Initial 
Implementation Grant under CFDA number 84.282B that is requesting a 
waiver of the requirement under section 5203(d)(3) of the ESEA (20 
U.S.C. 7221b(d)(3)) to provide its authorized public chartering 
agency with notice, and a copy, of its CSP application, should 
indicate whether it has applied for a charter previously and, if so, 
the name of the authorized public chartering authority and the 
disposition of the charter application;

    (h) Describe how the grant funds will be used, including a 
description of how these funds will be used in conjunction with other 
Federal programs administered by the Secretary;
    (i) Describe how students in the community will be informed about 
the charter school and be given an equal opportunity to attend the 
charter school;

    Note: The applicant should provide a detailed description of its 
recruitment and admissions policies and practices, including a 
description of the lottery it plans to employ if more students apply 
for admission than can be accommodated. The applicant should also 
describe any current or planned use of a weighted lottery or 
exemptions of certain categories of students from the lottery and 
how the use of such weights or exemptions is consistent with State 
law and the CSP authorizing statute. For information on the CSP 
lottery requirement, including permissible exemptions from the 
lottery and the circumstances under which charter schools receiving 
CSP funds may use weighted lotteries, see Section E of the CSP 
Nonregulatory Guidance at www2.ed.gov/programs/charter/nonregulatory-guidance.html.

    (j) Describe how a charter school that is considered an LEA under 
State law, or an LEA in which a charter school is located, will comply 
with sections 613(a)(5) and 613(e)(1)(B) of the IDEA (for additional 
information on the IDEA, please see http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cstatute%2CI%2CB%2C613%2C); and
    (k) If the eligible applicant desires to use grant funds for 
dissemination activities under section 5202(c)(2)(c) of the ESEA (20 
U.S.C. 7221a(c)(2)(C)), describe those activities and how those 
activities will involve charter schools and other public schools, LEAs, 
charter school developers, and potential charter school developers.

Definitions

    The following definitions applicable to this competition are from 
the Supplemental Priorities and from 34 CFR 77.1(c).
    Ambitious means promoting continued, meaningful improvement for 
program participants or for other individuals or entities affected by 
the grant, or representing a significant advancement in the field of 
education research, practices, or methodologies. When used to describe 
a performance target, whether a performance target is ambitious depends 
upon the context of the relevant performance measure and the baseline 
for that measure.
    Baseline means the starting point from which performance is 
measured and targets are set.
    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.
    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.
    Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or 
metric used to gauge program or project performance.
    Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant 
would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a 
project.
    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 the 
specific goals of a program.
    Rural local educational agency means a local educational agency 
(LEA) that is eligible under the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) 
program or the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program authorized 
under Title VI, Part B of the ESEA. Eligible applicants may determine 
whether a particular LEA is eligible for these programs by referring to 
information on the Department's Web

[[Page 50836]]

site at www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/reap.html.
    Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice that includes a logic model.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7221-7221i.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The Supplemental 
Priorities.

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


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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4,000,000.
    The Administration has requested $375,000,000 for the CSP for FY 
2016, of which an estimated $4,000,000 would be available for awards 
under this competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on 
final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications now 
to allow sufficient time to complete the grant review process early in 
FY 2016, if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards later in FY 2016 or in 
subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition.

    Note:  All pre-award costs are incurred at the applicant's risk, 
and the Secretary is under no obligation to reimburse those costs if 
for any reason the applicant does not receive an award, or if the 
award is less than anticipated and inadequate to cover the costs (2 
CFR 200.209).


    Note:  The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, and the 
Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, 
authorized the use of CSP funds for ``grants that support preschool 
education in charter schools.'' If Congress includes such language 
in FY 2016 appropriations, a grantee under this competition may use 
CSP funds to support preschool education in a charter school. For 
additional information and guidance regarding the use of CSP funds 
to support preschool education in charter schools, see ``Guidance on 
the use of Funds to support Preschool Education,'' released in 
November 2014, available at www2.ed.gov/programs/charter/csppreschoolfaqs.doc.

    Estimated Range of Awards (84.282B): $150,000 to $250,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards (84.282B): $200,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards (84.282B): 17-20.
    Estimated Range of Awards (84.282C): $100,000 to $300,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards (84.282C): $200,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards (84.282C): 1-3.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months for planning, program design, and 
initial implementation grants under CFDA number 84.282B. Up to 24 
months for dissemination grants under CFDA number 84.282C.

    Note:  For planning, program design, and initial implementation 
grants awarded by the Secretary to non-SEA eligible applicants under 
CFDA number 84.282B, no more than 18 months may be used for planning 
and program design and no more than 24 months may be used for the 
initial implementation of a charter school.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants:
    a. Planning, Program Design, and Initial Implementation grants 
(CFDA number 84.282B): A developer that has (1) applied to an 
authorized public chartering authority to operate a charter school, as 
defined in section 5210(1) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221i(1)); and (2) 
provided adequate and timely notice to that authority under section 
5203(d)(3) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221b(d)(3)). In accordance with 
section 5203(d)(3) of the ESEA, if the authorized public chartering 
authority to which a charter school proposal will be submitted has not 
been determined, an applicant for a pre-charter planning grant may 
include in its application a request for a waiver from the Secretary of 
the requirement that the eligible applicant provide its authorized 
public chartering authority timely notice, and a copy, of its 
application for CSP funds (20 U.S.C. 7221b(d)(3)).

    Note:  Section 5210(2) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221i(2)) defines 
``developer'' as an individual or group of individuals (including a 
public or private nonprofit organization), which may include 
teachers, administrators and other school staff, parents, or other 
members of the local community in which a charter school project 
will be carried out. Additionally, the charter school must be 
located in a State with a State statute specifically authorizing the 
establishment of charter schools (section 5210(1)(a) of the ESEA (20 
U.S.C. 7221i(1)(a)) and in which the SEA does not have an 
application approved under the CSP (see section 5202(b) of the ESEA 
(20 U.S.C. 7221a(b)).

    b. Dissemination grants (CFDA number 84.282C): A charter school, as 
defined in section 5210(1) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221i(1)), that has 
been in operation for at least three consecutive years and has 
demonstrated overall success, including--
    (1) Substantial progress in improving student academic achievement;
    (2) High levels of parent satisfaction; and
    (3) The management and leadership necessary to overcome initial 
start-up problems and establish a thriving, financially viable charter 
school.

    Note:  Consistent with section 5204(f)(6) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 
7221c(f)(6)), a charter school may apply for funds to carry out 
dissemination activities, whether or not the charter school 
previously applied for or received funds under the CSP for planning, 
program design, or implementation.


    Note:  In accordance with section 5202(b) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 
7221a(b)), these competitions (CFDA numbers 84.282B and 84.282C) are 
limited to eligible applicants in States in which the SEA does not 
have an approved application under the CSP (or will not have an 
approved application as of October 1, 2015). States in which the SEA 
currently has an approved CSP application are California, Colorado, 
District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New 
Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. We will not 
consider applications of non-SEA eligible applicants from these 
States. In addition, after the deadline for transmittal of 
applications in this notice, the Department expects to approve 
additional SEAs under the FY 2015 CSP SEA competition (84.282A), 
which will be added to the list for which we will not accept 
applications of non-SEA eligible applicants. Thus, applications of 
non-SEA eligible applicants from these States will be withdrawn from 
consideration. While we realize that this approach presents 
challenges, it is intended to ensure that charter school developers 
in all eligible States have the opportunity to apply for grants for 
planning, program design, and initial implementation, either through 
an SEA subgrant or the CSP Non-SEA competition, in advance of the 
2016-2017 year. FY 2015 SEA awards will be posted at www2.ed.gov/programs/charter/awards.html when available.

    Non-SEA eligible applicants that propose to use grant funds for 
planning, program design, and initial implementation, of charter 
schools must apply under CFDA number 84.282B. Non-SEA eligible 
applicants that request

[[Page 50837]]

funds for dissemination activities must apply under CFDA 84.282C.
    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: Lourdes Rivery, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W255, 
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 453-7060 or by email: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in 
this section.
    2. a. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. The Secretary strongly 
encourages applicants to limit Part III to the equivalent of no more 
than 50 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, you must 
include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    b. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the CSP Non-SEA 
Grants for Planning, Program Design, and Initial Implementation and for 
Dissemination, an application may include business information that the 
applicant considers proprietary. The Department's regulations define 
``business information'' in 34 CFR 5.11.
    Because we plan to make successful applications available to the 
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business 
information.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your 
application any information that you feel is exempt from disclosure 
under Exemption 4 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: August 21, 2015.
    Dates of Pre-Application Webinars: The Department will hold a pre-
application Webinar for prospective applicants on the following dates 
(all times are Washington, DC time):
    1. August 26, 2015, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and
    2. September 9, 2015, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Individuals interested in attending one of the Webinars are 
encouraged to pre-register by emailing their name, organization, 
contact information, and preferred Webinar date and time with the 
subject heading NON-SEA PRE-APPLICATION MEETING to 
[email protected]. There is no registration fee for attending this 
Webinar.
    For further information about the pre-application Webinar, contact 
Lourdes Rivery, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Room 4W255, Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 453-7060 or by 
email: [email protected].
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 6, 2015.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to Section IV.
    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: December 21, 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 program.
    5. Funding Restrictions:
    Use of Funds for Post-Award Planning and Design of the Educational 
Program and Initial Implementation of the Charter School. A non-SEA 
eligible applicant receiving a grant under CFDA number 84.282B may use 
the grant funds only for--
    (a) Post-award planning and design of the educational program, 
which may include (1) refinement of the desired educational results and 
of the methods for measuring progress toward achieving those results; 
and (2) professional development of teachers and other staff who will 
work in the charter school; and
    (b) Initial implementation of the charter school, which may include 
(1) informing the community about the school; (2) acquiring necessary 
equipment and educational materials and supplies; (3) acquiring or 
developing curriculum materials; and (4) other initial operational 
costs that cannot be met from State or local sources. (20 U.S.C. 
7221c(f)(3)).

    Note:  CSP funds awarded under CFDA number 84.282B may be used 
only for the planning and initial implementation of a charter 
school. As a general matter, the Secretary considers charter schools 
that have been in operation for more than three years to be past the 
initial implementation phase and, therefore, ineligible to receive 
CSP funds to support the initial implementation of a charter school.

    Use of Funds for Dissemination Activities. A charter school 
receiving a grant under CFDA number 84.282C may use the grant funds to 
assist other schools in adapting the charter school's program (or 
certain aspects of the charter school's program), or to disseminate 
information about the charter school, through such activities as--

[[Page 50838]]

    (a) Assisting other individuals with the planning and start-up of 
one or more new public schools, including charter schools, that are 
independent of the assisting charter school and the assisting charter 
school's developers, and that agree to be held to at least as high a 
level of accountability as the assisting charter school;
    (b) Developing partnerships with other public schools, including 
charter schools, designed to improve student academic achievement in 
each of the schools participating in the partnership;
    (c) Developing curriculum materials, assessments, and other 
materials that promote increased student achievement and are based on 
successful practices within the assisting charter school; and
    (d) Conducting evaluations and developing materials that document 
the successful practices of the assisting charter school and that are 
designed to improve student performance in other schools. (20 U.S.C. 
7221c(f)(6))
    We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions 
in the Applicable Regulations section in 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 under 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the CSP, CFDA numbers 84.282B and 
84.282C, 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 CSP at 
www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA 
number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.282, not 
84.282B or 282C).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you 
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. 
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to 
Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home 
page at 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

[[Page 50839]]

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: Lourdes Rivery, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W255, 
Washington, DC 20202-5970.
    FAX: (202) 205-5630.
    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 84.282B or 84.282C), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 
Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

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

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
    U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, 
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.282B or 84.282C), 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

[[Page 50840]]

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 sections 5203, 
5204, and 5210 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221b, 7221c, and 7221i) and 34 
CFR 75.210.
    The selection criteria for applicants submitting applications under 
CFDA number 84.282B are listed in paragraph (a) of this section, and 
the selection criteria for applicants submitting applications under 
CFDA number 84.282C are listed in paragraph (b) of this section.
    (a) Selection Criteria for Planning, Program Design, and Initial 
Implementation Grants (CFDA number 84.282B).
    The following selection criteria are based on sections 5203, 5204, 
and 5210 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221b, 7221c, and 7221i) and 34 CFR 
75.210. The maximum possible score for addressing all of the criteria 
in this section is 100 points. The maximum possible score for 
addressing each criterion is indicated in parentheses following the 
criterion. In evaluating an application for a Planning, Program Design, 
and Implementation Grant, the Secretary considers the following 
criteria:
    (1) Quality of the proposed curriculum and instructional practices 
(20 U.S.C. 7221c(b)(1)) (up to 15 points).

    Note:  The Secretary encourages the applicant to describe the 
quality of the educational program to be implemented by the proposed 
charter school, including: How the program will enable all students 
to meet challenging State student academic achievement and content 
standards; the grade levels or ages of students to be served; and 
the curriculum and instructional practices to be used.

    (2) The extent to which the proposed project will assist 
educationally disadvantaged students and other students in meeting 
State academic content standards and State student academic achievement 
standards (20 U.S.C. 7221c(a)(1)) (up to 5 points).
    (3) The quality of the strategy for assessing achievement of the 
charter school's objectives (20 U.S.C. 7221c(a)(4)) (up to 15 points).

    Note:  The Secretary encourages the applicant to propose a 
comprehensive plan for assessing the achievement of the charter 
school's objectives, inclusive of developing performance measures 
and performance targets for its proposed grant project that are 
consistent with those objectives. The applicant should clearly 
identify the project-specific performance measures and performance 
targets in its plan and should review Section VI.4. Performance 
Measures of this notice for information on the requirements for 
developing those performance measures and performance targets 
consistent with the objectives of the proposed project. The 
applicant may choose to include a discussion of the project-specific 
performance measures and targets it develops in response to the 
Performance Measures requirements when addressing this criterion.

    (4) The extent of community support and parental and community 
involvement (20 U.S.C. 7221c(b)(3); 20 U.S.C. 7221b(b)(3)(E)) (up to 10 
points).
    The Secretary considers the extent of community support for, and 
parental and community involvement in, the charter school. In 
determining the extent of community support for, and parental and 
community involvement in, the charter school, the Secretary considers--
    (i) The extent of community support for the application (up to 5 
points); and
    (ii) How parents and other members of the community will be 
involved in the planning, program design, and implementation of the 
charter school (up to 5 points).

    Note:  In describing the extent to which the proposed project 
encourages parental and community involvement in the planning, 
program design, and implementation of the charter school, the 
Secretary encourages the applicant to describe how parents and other 
members of the community will be informed about the charter school 
and how students will be given an equal opportunity to attend the 
charter school.

    (5) Quality of project personnel (34 CFR 75.210(e)(1), (e)(2), and 
(e)(3)(ii)) (up to 22 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry 
out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project 
personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant 
encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of 
groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, 
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability (up to 2 points).
    In addition, the Secretary considers the qualifications, including 
relevant training and experience, of key project personnel (up to 20 
points).

    Note:  The Secretary encourages the applicant to provide 
evidence of the key project personnel's training and experience in 
activities related to the planning, program design, and initial 
implementation of a charter school.

    (6) Quality of the management plan (34 CFR 75.210(g)(1) and 
(g)(2)(i)) (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 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.
    (7) Existence and quality of a charter or performance contract 
between the charter school and its authorized public chartering agency 
(20 U.S.C. 7221i(1)(L)) (up to 15 points).
    The Secretary considers--
    (i) Whether a written charter or performance contract between the 
charter school and its authorized public chartering agency exists; and
    (ii) The extent to which the charter or performance contract 
describes how student performance will be measured in the charter 
school pursuant to State assessments that are required of other schools 
and pursuant to any other assessments mutually agreeable to the 
authorized public chartering agency and the charter school (up to 5 
points).

    Note:  In considering whether there is a written charter or 
performance contract between the charter school and its authorized 
public chartering agency, the Secretary will consider, on a case-by-
case basis, whether the school has received preliminary, 
conditional, or other intermediate approval to operate from the 
authorized public chartering authority, if applicable. An applicant 
should submit documentation regarding the status of any such 
approval and clearly describe the authorizer's approval process 
under applicable State law.

    (8) The degree of flexibility afforded by the SEA and, if 
applicable, the LEA to the charter school (20 U.S.C. 7221c(b)(2)) (up 
to 3 points).

    Note:  The Secretary encourages the applicant to describe the 
flexibility afforded under its State's charter school law in terms 
of establishing an administrative relationship between the charter 
school and the authorized public chartering agency, and whether 
charter schools are exempt from significant State or local rules 
that inhibit the flexible operation and management of public 
schools.

    (b) Selection Criteria for Dissemination Grants (CFDA number 
84.282C).
    The following selection criteria are based on sections 5204 and 
5210(1)(L)

[[Page 50841]]

of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221c and 7221i(1)(L)) and from 34 CFR 75.210. 
The maximum possible score for addressing all the criteria in this 
section is 100 points. The maximum possible score for addressing each 
criterion is indicated in parentheses following the criterion. In 
evaluating an application for a dissemination grant, the Secretary 
considers the following criteria:
    (1) Quality of the project design (34 CFR 75.210(c)(1) and 
(c)(2)(xxix) (up to 10 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 extent to which the proposed 
project is supported by strong theory (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)) 
(up to 10 points).
    (2) Quality of the proposed dissemination activities and the 
likelihood that those activities will improve student achievement (20 
U.S.C. 7221c(b)(7)) (up to 10 points).

    Note:  The applicant should review the Performance Measures 
section of this notice for information on the requirements for 
developing project-specific performance measures and targets 
consistent with those objectives. The applicant may choose to 
include a discussion of the project-specific performance measures 
and targets it develops in response to the Performance Measures 
requirements when addressing this criterion.

    (3) Existence and quality of a charter or performance contract 
between the charter school and its authorized public chartering agency 
(20 U.S.C. 7221i(1)(L)) (up to 5 points). The Secretary considers--
    (i) Whether a written charter or performance contract between the 
charter school and its authorized public chartering agency exists (up 
to 1 point); and
    (ii) The extent to which the charter or performance contract 
describes how student performance will be measured in the charter 
school pursuant to State assessments that are required of other schools 
and pursuant to any other assessments mutually agreeable to the 
authorized public chartering agency and the charter school (up to 4 
points).
    (4) Demonstration of success (20 U.S.C. 7221c(f)(6)(A)) (up to 30 
points).
    The extent to which the school has demonstrated overall success, 
including--
    (i) Substantial progress in improving student academic achievement 
(up to 20 points);
    (ii) High levels of parent satisfaction (up to 5 points); and
    (iii) The management and leadership necessary to overcome initial 
start-up problems and establish a thriving, financially viable charter 
school (up to 5 points).

    Note:  The Secretary encourages the applicant to provide 
performance data for the past three years to demonstrate student 
academic achievement (while maintaining the appropriate standards 
that protect personally identifiable information).

    (5) Significance (34 CFR 75.210(b)(2)(xii)) (up to 15 points).
    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the results of the proposed project are 
to be disseminated in ways that will enable others to use the 
information or strategies.
    (6) Quality of project personnel (34 CFR 75.210(e)(1), (e)(2), and 
(e)(3)(i)) (up to 15 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry 
out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project 
personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant 
encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of 
groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, 
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability (up to 3 points).
    In addition, the Secretary considers the qualifications, including 
relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal 
investigator (up to 12 points).
    (7) Quality of the management plan (34 CFR 75.210(g)(1) and 
(g)(2)(i)) (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 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.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Special Conditions: Under 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

[[Page 50842]]

75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to 
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures:
    (a) Program Performance Measures. The goal of the CSP is to support 
the creation and development of a large number of high-quality charter 
schools that are free from State or local rules that inhibit flexible 
operation, are held accountable for enabling students to reach 
challenging State performance standards, and are open to all students. 
The Secretary has two performance indicators to measure progress toward 
this goal: (1) The number of charter schools in operation around the 
Nation, and (2) the percentage of fourth- and eighth-grade charter 
school students who are achieving at or above the proficient level on 
State assessments in mathematics and reading/language arts. 
Additionally, the Secretary has established the following measure to 
examine the efficiency of the CSP: Federal cost per student in 
implementing a successful school (defined as a school in operation for 
three or more consecutive years).
    All grantees must submit an annual performance report with 
information that is responsive to these performance measures.
    (b) Project-Specific Performance Measures. Applicants must propose 
project-specific performance measures and performance targets 
consistent with the objectives of the proposed project. Applications 
must provide the following information as required under 34 CFR 
75.110(b) and (c):
    (1) Performance measures. How each proposed performance measure 
would accurately measure the performance of the project and how the 
proposed performance measure would be consistent with the performance 
measures established for the program funding the competition.
    (2) Baseline data. (i) Why each proposed baseline is valid; or (ii) 
If the applicant has determined that there are no established baseline 
data for a particular performance measure, an explanation of why there 
is no established baseline and of how and when, during the project 
period, the applicant would establish a valid baseline for the 
performance measure.
    (3) Performance targets. Why each proposed performance target is 
ambitious yet achievable compared to the baseline for the performance 
measure and when, during the project period, the applicant would meet 
the performance target(s).

    Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to consider 
developing project-specific performance measures and targets tied to 
its grant activities (for instance, if grant funds will support 
professional development for teachers and other staff, the applicant 
should include measures related to the outcomes for the professional 
development), as well as to student academic achievement during the 
grant period. The project-specific performance measures should be 
sufficient to gauge the progress throughout the grant period, show 
results by the end of the grant period, and, for applicants for 
Dissemination Grants (CFDA number 84.282C), be included in the logic 
model supporting a strong theory under Selection Criterion 1, 
Quality of project design.

    For technical assistance in developing effective performance 
measures, applicants are encouraged to review information provided by 
the Department's Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs). The RELs 
seek to build the capacity of States and school districts to 
incorporate data and research into education decision-making. Each REL 
provides research support and technical assistance to its region but 
makes learning opportunities available to educators everywhere. For 
example, the REL Northeast and Islands has created the following 
resource on logic models: http://relpacific.mcrel.org/resources/elm-app.
    (4) Data Collection and Reporting. The applicant must also describe 
in the application: (i) The data collection and reporting methods the 
applicant would use and why those methods are likely to yield reliable, 
valid, and meaningful performance data, and (ii) the applicant's 
capacity to collect and report reliable, valid, and meaningful 
performance data, as evidenced by high-quality data collection, 
analysis, and reporting in other projects or research.

    Note: If the applicant does not have experience with the 
collection and reporting of performance data through other projects 
or research, the applicant should provide other evidence of its 
capacity to successfully carry out data collection and reporting for 
the proposed project.

    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).
    6. Project Director's Meeting: Applicants approved for funding 
under this competition must attend a two-day meeting for project 
directors during each year of the project. An applicant may include the 
cost of attending this meeting in its proposed budget.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lourdes Rivery, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W255, Washington, DC 20202-
5970. Emails and telephone numbers: [email protected] or (202) 205-
3525; [email protected] or (202) 453-7060.
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

VIII. Other Information

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

    Dated: August 18, 2015.
Nadya Chinoy Dabby,
Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2015-20723 Filed 8-20-15; 8:45 am]
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