[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 104 (Tuesday, May 31, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34317-34325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12733]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Teacher Incentive Fund

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

ACTION: Notice.

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Overview Information

Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF).
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2016.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.374A.


DATES: Applications Available: May 31, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: June 30, 2016.
    Dates of Pre-Application Workshops: For information about pre-
application workshops, visit the TIF Web site at: http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-incentive-fund/.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 15, 2016.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 28, 2016.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the TIF program is to support, 
develop, and implement sustainable Performance-based Compensation 
Systems for teachers, principals, and other personnel in High-Need 
Schools,\1\ within the context of a local educational agency's (LEA's) 
overall Human Capital Management System, in order to increase Educator 
effectiveness and student achievement in those schools.
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    \1\ Throughout this notice, all defined terms are denoted with 
initial capitals.
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    Background: The TIF program is based on the premise, supported by 
20 years of research, that effective teachers are the most critical in-
school factor in improving student outcomes. Recent research suggests 
that principals and principal quality are also key, but often

[[Page 34318]]

overlooked, in-school factors for improving student outcomes. Given the 
importance of ensuring that Educators are as effective as possible--
especially for high-need students--the TIF program uses performance-
based compensation and related supports for Educators to catalyze 
improvements in a district's human capital management and in student 
outcomes.
    The Department designed each of the previous three TIF competitions 
in FYs 2006, 2010, and 2012 to build on earlier efforts as the 
Department, States, districts, and schools learned more about how to 
support Educators in their efforts to help students learn. Through the 
most recent TIF competition (in FY 2012), the Department funded 
projects that encompassed broader human capital management systems that 
supported sustainable performance-based compensation. This is in 
contrast to earlier TIF competitions, which focused almost exclusively 
on the provision of annual one-time bonuses. The FY 2012 competition 
also focused on projects under which grantees deployed a variety of 
human capital management strategies throughout an Educator's career 
trajectory (e.g., from pre-service through retention) to help support 
and sustain the grantees' performance-based compensation systems.
    For example, several grantees in the FY 2012 cohort changed their 
district-wide compensation systems to: (1) Allow Educators who 
demonstrate effectiveness to earn significantly higher pay or to 
significantly accelerate the timeline for increased compensation, 
particularly for those Educators in High-Need Schools and subjects; (2) 
provide incentives and supports to increase the number of effective 
Educators who are recruited and retained in High-Need Schools; (3) 
develop and implement career ladders to give Educators opportunities 
for leadership and advancement inside and outside the classroom; and 
(4) implement a salary system where increases are based in part on 
effectiveness. This expanded strategy of incentivizing effective 
Educators through performance-based compensation aligns with the 
purpose and goals of the TIF program.
    There is no single set of best practices that districts should use 
to demonstrate their readiness to implement innovative human capital 
management strategies, including performance-based compensation. We 
know, however, that when TIF grantees have a set of human capital 
policies and practices in place at the outset of the grant period that 
support and align with their performance-based compensation strategies, 
these grantees face fewer challenges in implementing transformation 
efforts than those without such a foundation in place. The experience 
of these grantees demonstrates that building the systems and tools 
designed to evaluate, support, and manage Educators in ways that 
support and sustain their performance-based compensation requires 
districts to make significant infrastructure and capacity commitments, 
including: a district-wide, Educator evaluation and support system that 
includes multiple measures, including gains in student achievement, and 
meaningfully differentiates performance levels of Educators; data 
systems that collect and report on the elements of an Educator 
evaluation and support system in clear and coherent ways; a range of 
mechanisms to identify specific areas for Educator development and 
support, and for providing that support; and practices that enable 
administrators, school leaders, and Educators to communicate and 
influence the implementation of these systems. Efforts to create these 
kinds of systems and tools are more likely to drive enduring, 
sustainable improvements in Educator practice and student learning if 
they are aligned with the current district work to improve student 
outcomes and produce valid, reliable, and trusted information. A robust 
Educator evaluation system--one that uses, among other things, gains in 
student academic achievement and multiple annual observations--is not 
only statutorily required for TIF grantees, but is also critical to the 
readiness of a district to take on this work.
    Additionally, TIF grantees are more successful when they 
collaborate with key stakeholders in designing, implementing, and 
continuously improving their projects. A district's Performance-based 
Compensation System, developed with the input of teachers and school 
leaders in the schools to be served by the grant, prepares districts to 
immediately take on this work by regularly seeking the feedback of 
Educators on initiatives and programs that impact schools. Districts 
that have systems in place for seeking this feedback demonstrate an 
understanding of the critical role Educator voice plays in successful 
human capital transformation. Common effective practices include 
initial design teams that bring together teachers and principals; task 
forces to tackle specific issues, such as selecting a rubric for use in 
evaluations; and focus groups that provide feedback on proposed career 
ladder systems or new compensation models. This ongoing engagement is 
critical to obtaining Educator buy-in to, and the success of, high-
quality evaluation and support systems that are critical to a viable, 
meaningful Performance-based Compensation System.
    District-level human capital strategies have shifted significantly 
since the FY 2012 competition. In recent years, many State educational 
agencies (SEAs) and LEAs have developed high-quality educator 
evaluation and support systems as part of comprehensive reform 
strategies implemented consistent with competitive federal awards and 
flexibility offered by the Department under the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). States and 
Districts have used these systems as part of their efforts to improve 
districts' hiring practices, provide Educators with meaningful feedback 
and targeted professional development, and use Educator performance 
information to inform key school- and district-level decisions, such as 
teacher placement or leadership opportunities. Consequently, an 
increasing number of districts are prepared to make more informed human 
capital decisions that both support Educators and improve student 
outcomes. While section 4(c) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 
(Pub. L. 114-95, December 10, 2015) ends waivers under ESEA flexibility 
as of August 1, 2016, section 2101(c)(4)(B)(ii) of the ESEA, as amended 
by ESSA, provides States and districts with explicit authority to 
``support the design and implementation of teacher, principal, or other 
school leader evaluation and support systems.'' This will allow States 
and districts to continue to improve the systems they have established.
    While SEAs and LEAs have made substantial progress, additional work 
is needed to ensure that these Educator evaluation and support systems 
are robust, relevant, reliably producing trusted information, and 
seamlessly integrated into school- and district-level human capital 
processes. In some cases, this may mean expanding or improving existing 
approaches within a current educator evaluation and support system, by, 
for example, providing more mentoring and coaching opportunities for 
Educators. In other cases, districts may be well-positioned to take on 
new challenges or opportunities that affect Educator effectiveness, 
such as partnering with institutions of higher education to strengthen 
pre-service programming.
    Finally, SEAs are now engaged in renewed efforts to ensure that 
high-need

[[Page 34319]]

students have equitable access to the most effective Educators. 
Research indicates that students' race and family income often predict 
their access to excellent educators. Low-income students and high-need 
schools tend to have teachers who are less experienced, have fewer 
credentials and do not demonstrate a track record of success.\2\ For 
example, while we know there are many excellent first-year teachers, 
based on 2011-12 data from the Department's Civil Rights Data 
Collection, African American and American Indian students are four 
times as likely as white students to be enrolled in a school with more 
than twenty percent of first-year teachers, and Latino students are 
three times as likely.\3\ The Department helped spur States' efforts to 
increase equitable access to excellent Educators through its Excellent 
Educators for All Initiative, launched in July 2014, under which the 
Department required each SEA to submit a plan describing the steps it 
will take to ensure that ``poor and minority children are not taught at 
higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-
of-field teachers,'' as required by section 1111(b)(8)(C) of the ESEA, 
as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. To date, all fifty 
states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have approved plans to 
advance educator equity consistent with the requirements in the law. 
SEAs must continue to engage in educator equity efforts under section 
1111(g)(1)(B) of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.
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    \2\ See, e.g., Isenberg, Eric, et al. ``Access to Effective 
Teaching for Disadvantaged Students. NCEE 2014-4001.'' Institute of 
Education Sciences (2013): http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20144001/pdf/20144001.pdf.
    Sass, Tim, Jane Hannaway, Zeyu Xu, David Figlio, and Li Feng. 
``Value Added of Teachers in High-Poverty Schools and Lower-Poverty 
Schools.'' Journal of Urban Economics, vol. 72, 2012, pp.104-122: 
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094119012000216.
    Tennessee Department of Education. ``Tennessee's Most Effective 
Teachers: Are They Assigned to the Schools That Need Them Most?'' 
Nashville, TN: Tennessee Department of Education, 2007: http://www.gtlcenter.org/webcasts/addressingInequities/Tennessee_McCargar.pdf.
    \3\ U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Civil 
Rights Data Collection: Data Snapshot (Teacher Equity) (March 21, 
2014 (revised July 3, 2014)): http://ocrdata.ed.gov/Downloads/CRDC-Teacher-Equity-Snapshot.pdf.
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    Most SEAs started to implement approved plans in the 2015-16 school 
year; these plans can be found at www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/resources.html. Based on Department review of these plans, and 
consistent with requirements that will take effect when ESSA is 
implemented, the Department believes TIF can support SEAs and LEAs in 
implementing strategies aimed at improving equitable access to 
effective Educators.
    Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority, two 
competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. The 
absolute priority aligns with the language of the 2016 Appropriations 
Act that authorizes funding for this competition, the notice of final 
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this 
program (TIF NFP), published in the Federal Register on June 14, 2012 
(77 FR 35757), and basic provisions of ESSA's Teacher and School Leader 
Incentive Fund Grants Program (ESSA sections 2211 and 2212), which we 
adopt under the authority for an orderly transition to this Act 
contained in section 4(b) of the ESSA. The competitive preference 
priorities are from the Secretary's final supplemental priorities and 
definitions for discretionary grant programs (Supplemental Priorities) 
published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425) 
and basic provisions of ESSA's Teacher and Leader Incentive Fund Grants 
Program (ESSA sections 2211 and 2212), which we adopt under the 
authority for an orderly transition to this Act contained in section 
4(b) of the ESSA.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2016, this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    The priority is:

An LEA-Wide Human Capital Management System (HCMS) With Educator 
Evaluation and Support Systems at the Center

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

    Note: TIF funds can be used to support the costs of the systems 
and strategies described under this priority.

    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2016, these priorities 
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2) we 
award an additional two points to an application that meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 1, and we award up to an additional five points to 
an application, depending on how well the application meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 2.
    The priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Supporting High-Need Students (0 
or 2 points). Projects that are designed to improve academic outcomes 
for students served by Rural Local Educational Agencies.
    Competitive Priority 2--Improving Teacher Effectiveness and 
Promoting Equitable Access to Effective Educators (up to 5 points). 
Projects that are designed to promote equitable access to effective 
teachers for students from low-income families and minority students 
across and within schools and districts.
    For the purposes of this priority, teacher effectiveness must be 
measured using an Evaluation and Support System.
    Within this competitive preference priority, we are particularly 
interested in applications that address the following invitational 
priority. Whether an LEA's TIF application addresses the competitive 
preference priority based on strategies they are already implementing 
or strategies they propose to implement, this invitational priority 
encourages LEAs to align their own strategies with the State Equity 
Plan.
    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 Equitable Access Through State 
Plans To Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent

[[Page 34320]]

Educators: Applications that include a description of how the 
applicant's project promotes equitable access to effective Educators 
for students from low-income families and for minority students across 
and within districts, consistent with approved State Plans to Ensure 
Equitable Access to Excellent Educators.
    Requirements: The following requirements are from the TIF 2012 NFP 
and the 2016 Appropriations Act.
    Requirement 1--Implementation of Performance-based Compensation 
Systems: Each applicant must describe a plan to develop and implement 
Performance-based Compensation Systems for teachers, principals, and 
other personnel in High-Need Schools in LEAs, including charter schools 
that are LEAs.
    Applications must: address how applicants will implement 
Performance-based Compensation Systems as defined in this notice. 
Applicants also must demonstrate that such Performance-based 
Compensation Systems are developed with the input of teachers and 
school leaders in the schools and LEAs to be served by the grant.
    Requirement 2--Documentation of High-Need Schools: Each applicant 
must demonstrate, in its application, that the schools participating in 
the implementation of the TIF-funded Performance-based Compensation 
Systems are High-Need Schools (as defined in this notice), including 
High-Poverty Schools, Priority Schools, or Persistently Lowest-
Achieving Schools. Each applicant must provide, in its application--
    (a) A list of High-Need Schools in which the proposed TIF-supported 
Performance-based Compensation Systems would be implemented; and
    (b) For each High-Poverty School listed, the most current data on 
the percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price 
lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
or are considered students from low-income families based on another 
poverty measure that the LEA uses (see section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA 
(20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5))). Data provided to demonstrate eligibility as a 
High-Poverty School must be school-level data; the Department will not 
accept LEA- or State-level data for purposes of documenting whether a 
school is a High-Poverty School; and
    (c) For any Priority Schools listed, documentation verifying that 
the State has received approval of a request for ESEA flexibility, and 
that the schools have been identified by the State as priority schools.
    Definitions: The following definitions are from the TIF NFP, the 
Supplemental Priorities, the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, and 34 CFR 
77.1. The source of each definition is noted in parentheses following 
the text of the definition.
    Educators means teachers and principals. (TIF NFP)
    Evaluation and Support System means a system that is fair, 
rigorous, valid, reliable, and objective and reflects clear and fair 
measures of teacher, principal, or other school leader performance, 
based in part on demonstrated improvement in student academic 
achievement; and provides teachers, principals, or other school leaders 
with ongoing, differentiated, targeted, and personalized support and 
feedback for improvement, including professional development 
opportunities designed to increase effectiveness. (ESSA Sec.  
2212(c)(4) and (e)(2))
    High-need school means:
    (a) A high-poverty school, or
    (b) A persistently lowest-achieving school, or
    (c) In the case of States that have received the Department's 
approval of a request for ESEA flexibility, a priority school. (TIF 
NFP)
    High-poverty school means a school with 50 percent or more of its 
enrollment from low-income families, based on eligibility for free or 
reduced-price lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act, or other poverty measures that LEAs use (see section 
1113(a)(5) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)). For middle and high 
schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of comparable data 
from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty school under this 
definition is determined on the basis of the most currently available 
data. (TIF NFP)
    Human capital management system (HCMS) means a system by which an 
LEA makes and implements human capital decisions, such as decisions on 
recruitment, hiring, placement, retention, dismissal, compensation, 
professional development, tenure, and promotion. (TIF NFP)
    Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a well-
specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the 
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active 
``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the 
relevant outcomes) and describes the relationships among the key 
components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Performance-based Compensation System means a system of 
compensation for teachers, principals, and other school leaders--
    (A) That differentiates levels of compensation based in part on 
measurable increases in student academic achievement; and
    (B) Which may include--
    (i) Differentiated levels of compensation, which may include bonus 
pay, on the basis of the employment responsibilities and success of 
effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders in hard-to-
staff schools or high-need subject areas; and
    (ii) Recognition of the skills and knowledge of teachers, 
principals, and other school leaders as demonstrated through--
    (I) Successful fulfillment of additional responsibilities or job 
functions, such as teacher leadership roles; and
    (II) Evidence of professional achievement and mastery of content 
knowledge and superior teaching and leadership skills. (ESSA Sec.  
2211(b)(4))
    Persistently lowest-achieving school means, as determined by the 
State:
    (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring that--
    (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools 
in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or the lowest-
achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is greater; or
    (b) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 
34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years; 
and
    (ii) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not 
receive, Title I funds that--
    (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools 
or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are 
eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of 
schools is greater; or
    (b) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 
34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.
    To identify the persistently lowest achieving schools, a State must 
take into account both:
    (i) The academic achievement of the ``all students'' group in a 
school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under section 
1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics 
combined; and
    (ii) The school's lack of progress on those assessments over a 
number of years in the ``all students'' group. (TIF NFP)
    NOTE: For purposes of this definition, the Department considers 
schools that are identified as Tier I or Tier II schools under the 
School Improvement Grants

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program (see 75 FR 61363) as lowest performing schools.
    Priority school means a school that has been identified by the 
State as a priority school pursuant to the State's approved request for 
ESEA flexibility. (TIF NFP)
    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. (34 CFR 77.1)
    Rural local educational agency means an LEA that is eligible under 
the Small Rural School Achievement program or the Rural and Low-Income 
School program authorized under Title VI, Part B of the ESEA. Eligible 
applicants may determine whether a particular LEA is eligible for these 
programs by referring to information on the Department's Web site at 
www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/reap.html. (Supplemental Priorities)
    Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice that includes a logic model. (34 CFR 77.1)

    Program Authority:  Public Law 114-113, 2016 Appropriations Act; 
the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.

    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 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 
part 3474. (d) The TIF NFP. (e) The Supplemental Priorities.

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $50,000,000-$70,000,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2017 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$12,000,000 for the first year 
of the project period.

    Note: The Department estimates a wide range of awards given the 
potentially large differences in the scope of funded projects, 
including the size and number of participating LEAs.

    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $10,000,000 for the first year of 
the project period. Funding for the second through fifth years of the 
project period is subject to the availability of funds and the approval 
of continuation awards (see 34 CFR 75.253).
    Estimated Number of Awards: 5-10.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

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

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

    Vicki Robinson, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue 
SW., Room 4W103, Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 205-5471 
or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in 
this section.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Requirements concerning the content of an application, together 
with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this 
program.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: We will be able to develop a more 
efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we can anticipate 
the number of applicants that intend to apply for funding under this 
competition. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant 
to notify us of the applicant's intent to submit an application for 
funding by sending a short email message. This short email should 
provide (1) the applicant organization's name and address; and (2) all 
priorities the applicant intends to address. Please send this email 
notification to [email protected] with ``Intent to Apply'' in the email 
subject line. Applicants that do not provide this email notification 
may still apply for funding and are not required to, or prohibited 
from, addressing priorities they do not mention in their notice of 
intent to apply.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. Please limit the application narrative to no more than 40 
pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The suggested page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, 
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the suggested 
page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.
    b. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the TIF program, 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 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 31, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 30, 2016.

[[Page 34322]]

    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 15, 2016.
    Pre-application workshops will be held for this competition in the 
spring of 2016. The workshops are intended to provide technical 
assistance to all interested grant applicants. Detailed information 
regarding the pre-application workshops times, and online registration 
form, can be found on the Teacher Incentive Fund's Web site at http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-incentive-fund/.
    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 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 28, 2016.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and 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 Teacher Incentive Fund, CFDA 
number 84.374A, must be submitted electronically using the 
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this 
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, 
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You 
may not email an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Teacher 
Incentive Fund competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. 
Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., 
search for 84.374, not 84.374A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline

[[Page 34323]]

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. 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 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 your statement to: Vicki Robinson, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,

[[Page 34324]]

Room 4W103, Washington, DC 20202-6200.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.374A), 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.

    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 84.374A), 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 program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210, the TIF NFP, and the 2016 Appropriations Act.
    The maximum score for all the selection criteria is 100 points. The 
maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. The 
selection criteria for this competition are as follows:

(a) Significance (20 points) (34 CFR 75.210)

    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 proposed project is likely to build 
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the 
needs of the target population.

 (b) Quality of the Project Design (45 Points) (34 CFR 75.210)

    The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support 
rigorous academic standards for students.
    (2) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for 
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project is supported by a 
strong theory.
    (4) The extent to which the proposed project will integrate with or 
build on similar or related efforts to improve relevant outcomes (as 
defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)), using existing funding streams from other 
programs or policies supported by community, State, and Federal 
resources.

(c) Professional Development Systems to Support the Needs of Teachers 
and Principals Identified Through the Evaluation Process (15 Points) 
(TIF NFP)

    The Secretary considers the extent to which each participating LEA 
has a high-quality plan for professional development to help all 
Educators located in High-Need Schools, listed in response to 
Requirement 2(a), to improve their effectiveness. In determining the 
quality of each plan for professional development, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the plan describes how the participating 
LEA will use the disaggregated information generated by the proposed 
educator Evaluation and Support System to identify the professional 
development needs of individual Educators and schools.

(d) Quality of the Management Plan (15 Points) (34 CFR 75.210)

    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.

(e) Adequacy of Resources (5 Points) (2016 Appropriations Act; 34 CFR 
75.210)

    The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates that 
Performance-based Compensation Systems are developed with the input of 
teachers and school leaders in the schools and local educational 
agencies to be served by the grant.
    (2) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a plan to 
sustain financially the activities conducted and systems developed 
under the grant once the grant period has expired.
    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

[[Page 34325]]

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 
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 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/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 Measures: Pursuant to the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993, the Department has established the following 
performance measures that it will use to evaluate the overall 
effectiveness of the grantee's project, as well as the TIF program as a 
whole:
    (a) The percentage of educators in all schools who earned 
performance-based compensation.
    (b) The percentage of educators in all High-Need Schools who earned 
performance-based compensation.
    (c) The gap between the retention rate of educators receiving 
performance-based compensation and the average retention rate in each 
high-need school.
    (d) The number of school districts participating in a TIF grant 
that use educator evaluation systems to inform the following human 
capital decisions: Recruitment; hiring; placement; retention; 
dismissal; professional development; tenure; promotion; or all of the 
above.
    (e) The percentage of performance-based compensation paid to 
educators with State, local, or other non-TIF Federal resources.
    (f) The percentage of teachers and principals who receive the 
highest effectiveness rating.
    (g) The percentage of teachers and principals in high-needs schools 
who receive the highest effectiveness rating.
    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: Vicki Robinson, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W103, Washington, DC 20202-
6200. Telephone: (202) 205-5471 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to 
the program contact person listed under For Further Information Contact 
in section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or 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: May 25, 2016.
Nadya Chinoy Dabby,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Office of Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2016-12733 Filed 5-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P