[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26780-26787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-10345]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Application for New Awards; Data Disaggregation Initiative 
Program

AGENCY: Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information: Title III National Activities--Asian American 
and Pacific Islander Data Disaggregation Initiative. Notice inviting 
applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY 2016).

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.365D.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: May 4, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 24, 2016.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 5, 2016.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 1, 2016.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: In FY 2016, the Department will, from the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title III National Activities 
funds, award grants on a competitive basis for the Asian American and 
Pacific Islander (AAPI) Data Disaggregation (D2) program. The grants 
will be awarded to State educational agencies (SEAs) in consortia with 
local educational agencies (LEAs) to obtain and evaluate disaggregated 
data on English Learner (EL) AAPI subpopulations beyond the existing 
seven racial and ethnic categories \1\ within the school community.
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    \1\ In 1997, the Office of Management and Budget created five 
categories for data on race: American Indian or Alaska Native; 
Asian; Black or African American; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific 
Islander; and White; and two categories for data on ethnicity: 
``Hispanic or Latino'' and ``Not Hispanic or Latino.'' These data 
standards stemmed in large measure from new responsibilities to 
enforce civil rights laws. Data are needed to monitor equal access 
in housing, education, employment, and other areas, for populations 
that historically had experienced discrimination and differential 
treatment because of their race or ethnicity.
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    Background: There has been ongoing and increasing interest among 
States in using data to identify effective practices that can be used 
by educators to improve student outcomes in our education system and in 
disseminating those practices. Comprehensive data collection systems 
are integral to enabling States to identify and disseminate such 
practices.
    In addition, a number of States have found that disaggregated data 
on student performance is critical for identifying and developing 
strategies for closing

[[Page 26781]]

educational opportunity gaps among different student groups. These 
efforts have included collecting additional data about K-12 students, 
disaggregating these data, and making this information available to 
educators and the public. Based on the educational gaps highlighted by 
disaggregated data, States, universities, and colleges have created 
programs to improve the college and career readiness of K-12 students 
who previously were underrepresented among those enrolled in higher 
education institutions.
    The AAPI population is one of the fastest \2\ growing groups of 
students and includes a significant number of ELs. Some public 
universities have identified AAPI subgroups by socioeconomic 
characteristics and educational attainment. Using these disaggregated 
AAPI data has helped SEAs and LEAs identify barriers certain groups of 
underserved students face in K-12 and postsecondary education. 
Additional granular data on the AAPI subgroup, as shown by existing 
State and postsecondary efforts, enable SEAs and LEAs to make strategic 
and informed decisions on interventions for underserved populations 
that include ELs. Data that show disparities within subpopulations of 
the AAPI population can help demonstrate the need for differentiated 
instructional approaches and other effective intervention approaches 
for different components of the AAPI population--all with the result of 
improving outcomes for high-need EL students.
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    \2\ Cox, W. (January 12, 2015). Asians: America's Fastest 
Growing Minority. www.newgeography.com/content/004825-asians-americas-fastest-growing-minority.
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    To better serve all ELs, this competition encourages SEAs to 
partner with LEAs to further disaggregate the data beyond the seven 
racial and ethnic categories and analyze and evaluate that data, or 
analyze and evaluate already-disaggregated data as a first step to 
inform targeted services and instructional support for underserved 
students, and to increase transparency in order to spotlight hidden 
achievement and opportunity gaps for AAPI ELs.
    The Department is establishing two absolute priorities for this 
competition. Applicants must address one of the two absolute 
priorities: One for applications proposing to further disaggregate and 
evaluate data regarding AAPI EL students, and the other for 
applications proposing to identify improvements to instructional 
programs, initiatives, or other services for AAPI EL students based on 
an analysis of already disaggregated data.
    The Department also has included one invitational priority for 
projects that will establish sustained partnerships with non-profit 
organizations and other private entities. An applicant may address the 
invitational priority regardless of which absolute priority it 
addresses.
    To improve the quality of data available to inform the future 
activities of SEAs and LEAs to improve student learning outcomes, D2-
funded projects must use a portion of their budgets to conduct a 
project evaluation. The detailed requirements for this evaluation can 
be found in the Program Requirements section of this notice.
    Priorities: We are establishing these priorities for the FY 2016 
grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from 
the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance 
with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 
20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Absolute Priorities: These priorities are absolute priorities. 
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet one 
of these priorities. Under this competition, each absolute priority 
constitutes its own funding category. The Secretary intends to award 
grants under each absolute priority for which applications of 
sufficient quality are submitted. Applicants must choose one of the two 
absolute priorities, and must clearly identify the specific absolute 
priority that the proposed project addresses.
    These priorities are:
    Absolute Priority 1:
    The purpose of this priority is to fund projects proposed by SEAs 
that do not currently disaggregate AAPI data on EL AAPI subpopulations 
beyond the existing seven racial and ethnic categories. Applicants must 
propose projects that will, consistent with applicable privacy 
requirements, improve the SEA's system of data collection by further 
disaggregating the AAPI subgroup and other subgroups as determined by 
the applicant, beyond the existing seven racial and ethnic categories 
and report, analyze, and evaluate the results of this effort for 
underserved populations including EL AAPI students.
    Absolute Priority 2:
    The purpose of this priority is to fund projects proposed by SEAs 
whose data systems, consistent with applicable privacy requirements, 
currently disaggregate AAPI data on EL AAPI subpopulations beyond the 
existing seven racial and ethnic categories inclusive of other 
subgroups, if applicable. Applicants must propose projects that will 
analyze and evaluate the data to identify opportunity gaps, 
interventions, improvements to instructional programs, and other 
initiatives that will improve outcomes for underserved populations 
including EL AAPI students.
    Invitational Priority: For FY 2016 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications 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:
    Projects that will establish sustained partnerships with non-
profits or other private entities, including philanthropic 
organizations, to sustain the project beyond the life of the grant.
    Program Requirements:
    Applicants must provide a high-quality plan for disseminating the 
evaluative findings from their projects to inform educators, parents, 
families, and other stakeholders and to highlight lessons learned that 
may be used by other SEAs that undertake similar disaggregation 
efforts. SEA applicants must apply as part of a consortium with one or 
more LEAs, and also must identify the LEAs they intend to partner with 
for the purposes of this program.
    In addition, grantees funded under Absolute Priority 1 must, by the 
end of the five-year award period, conduct, complete, and report the 
findings of an evaluation of the project that includes the elements 
described in paragraphs 1 through 7, below. Grantees funded under 
Absolute Priority 2 must address the elements described in paragraphs 1 
through 9, below, even though some of the described activities may have 
been conducted prior to the D2 award or may have otherwise been 
conducted with other funds not connected to the D2 project.
    This evaluation must be submitted within 90 days of the end of the 
project period.
    Required elements for both Absolute Priority 1 and 2:
    1. A description of the activities the project has undertaken.
    2. A description, including documentation, of the steps the SEA or 
partner LEA(s) took to identify the additional disaggregations for 
students in the AAPI subgroup as well as any other disaggregations that 
were undertaken.

[[Page 26782]]

    3. A description of how the SEA or partner LEA(s) identified the 
achievement and opportunity gaps between students in the AAPI subgroups 
and students in other racial/ethnic groups, including the source(s) of 
the data used for the comparison.
    4. A description of how achievement and opportunity gaps between 
ELs and non-ELs were identified, including the source of the data. (The 
SEA or partner LEA(s) must use the most recent available data for all 
public schools in the jurisdiction.)
    5. A discussion of the likely cause(s) of the identified 
achievement and opportunity gaps.
    6. A description of how the SEA or partner LEA(s) will publicly 
report on the identified achievement and opportunity gaps and causes, 
including timelines for this reporting.
    7. A plan for how the SEA or partner LEA(s) will use the 
information to eliminate the identified achievement and opportunity 
gaps, including how the SEA determined that these strategies will be 
effective. The plan must justify these proposed activities by tying 
them back to State/local needs and explain how ELs will be supported, 
in particular, through these activities.

Additionally, grantees funded under Absolute Priority 2 must include 
the following elements:

    8. A description of the measures that the SEA or partner LEA(s) 
will use to evaluate the progress toward eliminating the identified 
achievement and opportunity gaps including the method and timeline for 
the evaluation and how the continued evaluation of this progress will 
be built into existing strategic plans (or other guidance documents).
    9. A description of how the SEA or partner LEA(s) will publicly 
report on its progress in eliminating the identified gaps, including 
timelines for this reporting.

    Definitions: The following definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1, 
section 8101 of the ESEA, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act 
(ESSA) (20 U.S.C. 7801), or 2 CFR 200.90, except that the definition 
for Asian American and Pacific Islander is being established under the 
waiver of rulemaking for this program.\3\ These definitions 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.
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    \3\ The definition for ``Asian American and Pacific Islander'' 
included in this notice also was set forth in Executive Order 13515, 
October 14, 2009 and can also be found on the White House Initiative 
for Asian American and Pacific Islanders Web site at: 
www.whitehouse.gov/aapi.
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    Asian American and Pacific Islander means persons within the 
jurisdiction of the United States having ancestry of any of the 
original peoples of East Asia, Southeast Asia, or South Asia, or any of 
the aboriginal, indigenous, or native peoples of Hawaii and other 
Pacific Islands.
    Baseline means the starting point from which performance is 
measured and targets are set. (34 CFR 77.1)
    English learner, when used with respect to an individual, means an 
individual--
    (a) Who is aged 3 through 21;
    (b) Who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school 
or secondary school;
    (c)(i) Who was not born in the United States or whose native 
language is a language other than English;
    (ii)(I) Who is a Native American or Alaska Native, or a Native 
resident of the outlying areas; and
    (II) Who comes from an environment where a language other than 
English has had a significant impact on the individual's level of 
English language proficiency; or
    (iii) Who is migratory, whose native language is a language other 
than English, and who comes from an environment where a language other 
than English is dominant; and
    (d) Whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or 
understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the 
individual--
    (i) The ability to meet the State's challenging State academic 
standards;
    (ii) The ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the 
language of instruction is English; or
    (iii) The opportunity to participate fully in society. (Section 
8101 of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA)
    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) Bureau of Indian Education Schools. The term includes an 
elementary school or secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian 
Education but only to the extent that including the school makes the 
school eligible for programs for which specific eligibility is not 
provided to the school in another provision of law and the school does 
not have a student population that is smaller than the student 
population of the local educational agency receiving assistance under 
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 Education. (Section 8101 of the 
ESEA, as amended by the ESSA)
    Outlying area means:
    (a) American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands;
    (b) The Republic of Palau, to the extent permitted under section 
105(f)(1)(B)(ix) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 
2003 (Pub. L. 108-188; 117 Stat. 2751) and until an agreement for the 
extension of United States education assistance under the Compact of 
Free Association becomes effective for the Republic of Palau; and
    (c) The Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States 
of Micronesia, to the extent permitted under section 105(f)(1)(B)(viii) 
of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-
188; 117 Stat. 2751). (Section 8101 of the ESEA, as amended by the 
ESSA)
    State means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each of the outlying areas. (Section 
8101 of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA)
    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, requirements, and 
definitions. 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 
section 3111(c)(1)(C) of the ESEA, as reauthorized by the No Child Left 
Behind Act, 20 U.S.C. 6821(c)(1)(C), and therefore qualifies for this 
exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has 
decided to forego public comment on the priorities, requirements, and 
definition under section 437(d)(1) of

[[Page 26783]]

GEPA. These priorities, and definition will apply to the FY 2016 grant 
competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the 
list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6821.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 
84, 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.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,000,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2017 or later years 
from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: Absolute Priority 1: $200,000-$400,000; 
Absolute Priority 2: $100,000-$250,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: Absolute Priority 1: $300,000; 
Absolute Priority 2: $175,000
    Estimated Number of Awards: Up to 4 total.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs in consortia with one or more LEAs. 
(20 U.S.C. 6821)
    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: www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. To obtain a 
copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call: 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 84.365D.
    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.
    Notice of Intent To Apply: May 24, 2016.
    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 emailing 
[email protected] with the subject line ``Intent to Apply'' and 
include in the content of the email the following information: (1) The 
applicant organization's name and address, (2) the absolute priority 
the applicant is planning to address in the application, and (3) 
whether the applicant plans to address the invitational priority. In 
addition, applicants should identify the LEA(s) they intend to partner 
with. Applicants that do not provide notice of their intent to apply 
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. We 
strongly recommend that you limit the application narrative to no more 
than 35 pages. Applicants are also strongly encouraged not to include 
lengthy appendices that contain information that they were unable to 
include within the page limits for the narrative.
    Applicants must 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 bibliography, or the letters of support of 
the application. However, the page limit does apply to all of the 
application narrative section of the application.
    b. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the D2 program, your 
application may include business information that you consider 
proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define ``business information'' and 
describe the process we use in determining whether any of that 
information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under 
Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as 
amended).
    Consistent with the process followed in the prior OELA 
competitions, we may post the project narrative section of funded D2 
applications on the Department's Web site. Therefore, you may wish to 
request confidentiality of business information. Identifying 
proprietary information in the submitted application will help 
facilitate this public disclosure process.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your 
application any information that you believe is exempt from disclosure 
under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of your 
application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the page 
number or numbers on which we can find this information. For additional 
information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: May 4, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 24, 2016.
    Informational Meetings: The D2 program intends to hold Webinars 
designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. 
Detailed information regarding these meetings will be provided on the 
D2 Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/d2/index.html.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 5, 2016.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov application site. For information

[[Page 26784]]

(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 Other Submission Requirements in section IV 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 1, 2016.
    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), 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 at the 
following Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. 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 you enter into the SAM database. 
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, it may be 24 to 48 
hours before you can access the information in, and 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 program must be submitted 
electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement 
in accordance with the instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the D2 program, CFDA number 84.365D, 
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 D2 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 84.365, not 
84.365D).
    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 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

[[Page 26785]]

pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at www.G5.gov. In addition, for specific guidance and 
procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please 
refer to the Grants.gov Web site at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
     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 read-only, non-modifiable 
Portable Document Format (PDF). Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word, Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a 
password-protected file, we will not review that material. Please note 
that this could result in your application not being considered for 
funding because the material in question--for example, the project 
narrative--is critical to a meaningful review of your proposal. For 
that reason it is important to allow yourself adequate time to upload 
all material as PDF files. The Department will not convert material 
from other formats to PDF.
     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. Grants.gov 
will also notify you automatically by email if your application met all 
the Grants.gov validation requirements or if there were any errors 
(such as submission of your application by someone other than a 
registered Authorized Organization Representative, or inclusion of an 
attachment with a file name that contains special characters). You will 
be given an opportunity to correct any errors and resubmit, but you 
must still meet the deadline for submission of applications.
    Once your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov, the 
Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you 
an email with a unique PR/Award number for your application.
    These emails do not mean that your application is without any 
disqualifying errors. While your application may have been successfully 
validated by Grants.gov, it must also meet the Department's application 
requirements as specified in this notice and in the application 
instructions. Disqualifying errors could include, for instance, failure 
to upload attachments in a read-only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to 
submit a required part of the application; or failure to meet applicant 
eligibility requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that your 
submitted application has met all of the Department's requirements.
     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 the 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will 
contact you after we determine 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: Melissa Escalante, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5C153, 
Washington, DC 20202-6510. FAX: (202) 205-1229.
    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 84.365D), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

[[Page 26786]]

    (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.
    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.
    We will not consider applications postmarked after the application 
deadline date.
    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 84.365D), 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. The maximum score for all of these criteria is 
100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in 
parentheses.
    (a) 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:
    (1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (2) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating 
the proposed project will result in information to guide possible 
replication of project activities or strategies including information 
about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the 
project.
    (b) Quality of project personnel. (Up to 10 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:
    (1) 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.
    (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel.
    (c) Quality of the management plan. (Up to 20 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:
    (1) 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) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project.
    (d) Quality of the project evaluation. (Up to 25 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:
    (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.
    2. Review and Selection Process: The Department will screen 
applications that are submitted for D2 grants in accordance with the 
requirements in this notice and determine which applications meet the 
eligibility and other requirements. Reviewers will review all eligible 
applications for D2 grants that are submitted by the established 
deadline.
    Applicants should note, however, that the Department may screen for 
eligibility at multiple points during the competition process, 
including before and after peer review; applicants that are determined 
to be ineligible will not receive a grant award regardless of peer 
reviewer scores or comments. If we determine that a D2 grant 
application does not meet a D2 requirement, the application will not be 
considered for funding.
    For D2 grant applications, the Department intends to conduct a 
process to review and score all eligible applications. Reviewers will 
review and score all eligible applications on the following four 
selection criteria: (a) Quality of the project design; (b) Quality of 
project personnel; (c) Quality of the management plan; and (d) Quality 
of evaluation.
    We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in 
any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 
34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying 
out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement 
of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The 
Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a 
timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable 
quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department of Education 
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Risk Assessment and Special Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this program the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
3474.10, the Secretary may impose special conditions and, in

[[Page 26787]]

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) Within 90 days of the end of your project period, you must 
submit a final performance report, including financial information, as 
directed by the Secretary. The elements of the report are detailed in 
the Program Requirements section of this notice above.
    If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms.html.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    4. Performance Reporting: All grantees must submit an annual 
performance report that should contain the following elements on the 
project's progress: Preface, introduction, background, and data 
information/explanation; and a final performance report (see the 
section on Program Requirements) that includes performance measures 
established by the grantee. The Department will consider this data in 
making annual continuation awards. 34 CFR 75.110(b).
    Consistent with 34 CFR 75.591, grantees funded under this program 
shall comply with the requirements of any evaluation of the program 
conducted by the Department or an evaluator selected by the Department.
    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 award, 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: Melissa Escalante, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5C153, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 401-4300. FAX: (202) 205-1229 or by email at 
[email protected].
    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 PDF. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat 
Reader, which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: April 28, 2016.
Libia S. Gil,
Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director for the Office of English 
Language Acquisition.
[FR Doc. 2016-10345 Filed 5-3-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P