[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 131 (Friday, July 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44742-44758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-16130]



[[Page 44741]]

Vol. 81

Friday,

No. 131

July 8, 2016

Part IV





Department of Education





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 Applications for New Awards; Promise Neighborhoods Program--
Implementation Grant Competition; Notices

  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 131 / Friday, July 8, 2016 / 
Notices  

[[Page 44742]]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Promise Neighborhoods Program--
Implementation Grant Competition

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

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:
    Promise Neighborhoods Program--Implementation Grant Competition.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2016.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215N 
(Implementation).

DATES: Applications Available: July 8, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: July 25, 2016.
    Date of Pre-Application Webinars: The Promise Neighborhoods team 
intends to hold Pre-Application Webinars to provide technical 
assistance to interested applicants. Detailed information regarding 
these Webinar times will be provided on the Promise Neighborhoods' Web 
site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/promiseneighborhoods/index.htm.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 6, 2016.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: November 7, 2016.
    Note: Due to a scheduled systems shutdown, applicants will not be 
able to submit applications for the Promise Neighborhoods competition 
between 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 until 6:00 a.m. on 
Monday, July 25, 2016 and from 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 
until 6:00 a.m. on Monday, August 1, 2016.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Promise Neighborhoods program is carried 
out under the legislative authority of the Fund for the Improvement of 
Education (FIE), title V, part D, subpart 1, sections 5411 through 5413 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as 
amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. 7243-7243b). 
FIE supports nationally significant programs to improve the quality of 
elementary and secondary education at the State and local levels and to 
help all children meet challenging State academic content and student 
academic achievement standards.
    On December 10, 2015, the President signed into law the Every 
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Public Law 114-95, which reauthorized the 
ESEA. Beginning in FY 2017, the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, will 
serve as the statutory authority for future Promise Neighborhoods 
competitions.
    The purpose of the Promise Neighborhoods program is to 
significantly improve the educational and developmental outcomes of 
children and youth in our most distressed communities and to transform 
those communities by--
    (1) Identifying and increasing the capacity of eligible 
organizations (as defined in this notice) that are focused on achieving 
results for children and youth throughout an entire neighborhood;
    (2) Building a complete continuum of cradle-through-college-to-
career solutions (continuum of solutions) (as defined in this notice) 
of both education programs and family and community supports (both as 
defined in this notice), with great schools at the center. All 
strategies in the continuum of solutions must be accessible to children 
with disabilities (CWD) (as defined in this notice) and English 
learners (ELs) (as defined in this notice);
    (3) Integrating programs and breaking down agency ``silos'' so that 
solutions are implemented effectively and efficiently across agencies;
    (4) Developing the local infrastructure of systems and resources 
needed to develop, implement, and sustain effective interventions to 
improve education outcomes and enhance family and community well-being 
across the broader region beyond the initial neighborhood; and
    (5) Learning about the overall impact of the Promise Neighborhoods 
program and about the relationship between particular strategies in 
Promise Neighborhoods and student outcomes, including through an 
evaluation of the program, particular elements within the continuum of 
solutions, or both.

Background

    The vision of the Promise Neighborhoods program is that all 
children and youth living in our most distressed communities have 
access to great schools and strong systems of family and community 
support that will prepare them to attain an excellent education and 
successfully transition to college and a career.
    A Promise Neighborhood is both a place and a strategy. A place 
eligible to become a Promise Neighborhood is a geographic area \1\ that 
is distressed, often facing inadequate access to high-quality early 
learning programs and services, with struggling schools, low high 
school and college graduation rates, high rates of unemployment, high 
rates of crime, and indicators of poor health. These conditions 
contribute to and intensify the negative outcomes associated with 
children and youth living in poverty.
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    \1\ For the purpose of this notice, the Department uses the 
terms ``geographic area'' and ``neighborhood'' interchangeably.
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    Children and youth who are from low-income families and grow up in 
neighborhoods of concentrated poverty face educational and life 
challenges above and beyond the challenges faced by children who are 
from low-income families who grow up in neighborhoods without a high 
concentration of poverty. A Federal evaluation of the reading and 
mathematics outcomes of elementary students in 71 schools in 18 
districts and 7 States found that even when controlling for individual 
student poverty, there is a significant negative association between 
school-level poverty and student achievement.\2\ The evaluation found 
that students have lower academic outcomes when a higher percentage of 
their same-school peers qualify for free and reduced-priced lunch 
(FRPL) compared to when a lower percentage of their same-school peers 
qualify for FRPL. The compounding effects of neighborhood poverty 
continue later in life. Another study found that for children with 
similar levels of family income, growing up in a neighborhood where the 
number of families in poverty was between 20 and 30 percent increased 
the chance of downward economic mobility--moving down the income ladder 
relative to their parents--by more than 50 percent compared with 
children who grew up in neighborhoods with under 10 percent of families 
in poverty.\3\ Furthermore, the effects of poverty and distressed 
neighborhoods are closely connected to children's long-term economic 
and social mobility. One recent study found that there is a wide 
variety across cities in the likelihood of children moving from the 
bottom quintile of earners to the top quintile over the course of their 
lifetimes.\4\ This implies that the

[[Page 44743]]

magnitude of the impact of growing up in a distressed neighborhood 
varies by region, thereby suggesting that it is particularly important 
to focus attention and resources on addressing a unique set of needs 
within specific distressed communities. Researchers also identify 
school quality as one of the key factors in upward mobility, which 
suggests that we can improve children's likelihood of success by 
improving the schools in their communities.\5\ Although education can 
improve mobility, there are often complex institutional and contextual 
barriers that prevent communities from making comprehensive 
improvements.
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    \2\ M Lacour, LD Tissington (July 2011). The effects of poverty 
on academic achievement. Educational Research and Reviews. Available 
online at www.academicjournals.org/article/article1379765941_Lacour%20and%20Tissington.pdf.
    \3\ Sharkey, Patrick. ``Neighborhoods and the Black-White 
Mobility Gap.'' Economic Mobility Project: An Initiative of The Pew 
Charitable Trusts, 2009.
    \4\ ``Socioeconomic Mobility in the United States: New Evidence 
and Policy Lessons,'' Raj Chetty in Shared Prosperity in America's 
Communities, Edited by Susan M. Wachter and Lei Ding, pg 13, 2016. 
Available online at: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=84uTCwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA7&dq=chetty&ots=kHLEtwQhgH&sig=sRfcE3Kj-cMvOSmpYrhtWIfEXe4#v=onepage&q=raj%20chettychetty&f=false.
    \5\ Ibid.
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    A Promise Neighborhood strategy addresses the complex, 
interconnected issues in the distressed community it serves. Promise 
Neighborhoods are led by organizations that work to ensure that all 
children and youth in the target geographic area have access to 
services that lead to improved educational and developmental outcomes 
from cradle-to-career; are based on the best available evidence and 
designed to learn about the impact of approaches, for which there is 
less evidence; are linked and integrated seamlessly; and include 
education programs as well as programs that provide family and 
community supports. Promise Neighborhoods enable children and youth 
within targeted distressed communities to participate in the full range 
of cradle-to-career supports that are necessary for them to realize 
their potential. Our expectation is that over time, a greater 
proportion of the neighborhood residents receive these supports, and 
that ultimately neighborhood indicators show significant progress. For 
this reason, each Promise Neighborhood must demonstrate several core 
features: (1) Significant need in the neighborhood; (2) a strategy to 
build a continuum of solutions with strong schools at the center; and 
(3) the organizational and relational capacity to achieve results.
    In developing strategies to build a continuum of solutions, 
communities face the challenge of implementing a comprehensive suite of 
interconnected services that ensure continuous engagement with 
community members. Since its inception in 2010, the Promise 
Neighborhoods program has supported planning and implementation efforts 
in 47 communities across the country. In particular, the experiences of 
the 12 Promise Neighborhoods implementation grantees provide valuable 
information about the conditions that are most critical for successful 
implementation of a Promise Neighborhoods strategy. To date, Promise 
Neighborhoods grantees have provided meaningful service coordination 
across a range of public and private entities; in so doing, they are 
building out the ongoing community-based infrastructure necessary to 
coordinate supports and transform outcomes over time. These successes 
have helped validate the core value of a comprehensive neighborhood 
approach.
    While they have had success in many areas, Promise Neighborhoods 
grantees have struggled to collect the full range of data necessary to 
effectively employ comprehensive case and longitudinal data management 
systems and conduct meaningful evaluation activities. Such data systems 
are critical to effectively coordinating a range of services for high-
need students and their families within a Promise Neighborhood. In 
order to address this challenge, we encourage applicants to carefully 
consider the data-related expectations for Promise Neighborhood 
grantees outlined in this notice, and in particular, to commit to 
establishing the conditions for effective data management at the onset 
of the grant period.
    In order to help all applicants understand how to effectively set 
up and utilize appropriate data systems that are critical to grantee 
success, the Department's applicant outreach materials and Webinars 
associated with this year's competition--all of which will be made 
publicly available on our Web site--will discuss effective practices 
for data collection and management. In addition, recognizing the prior 
difficulties associated with collecting and managing data related to 
Promise Neighborhoods, the Department has developed recommended data 
collection and management strategies for Promise Neighborhoods 
grantees. These recommendations are intended to guide Promise 
Neighborhoods grantees in meeting the program's data expectations. This 
document is available on the Department's Web site at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/promiseneighborhoods/resources.html.
    There are four competitive preference priorities for this 
competition. Given the Promise Neighborhoods program's focus on 
coordinating education and community services, this competition 
prioritizes applicants that are focused on driving greater 
collaboration within their communities through the competitive 
preference priorities. Building on prior Promise Neighborhoods 
grantees' work to enhance high-quality early learning opportunities, 
this year's competition includes a competitive preference priority 
intended to improve coordination among early learning providers and 
ensure alignment between early learning systems and elementary 
education systems. We continue to recognize and highlight solutions for 
catalyzing change in distressed communities through the Neighborhood 
Revitalization Initiative (NRI). Thus, we prioritize applicants or an 
applicant's partner who received a Choice or HOPE VI grant from the 
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) via a 
competitive preference priority focused on Quality Affordable Housing. 
The NRI is a place-based approach to help neighborhoods in distress 
transform themselves into neighborhoods of opportunity. Additional 
information pertaining to the NRI may be found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oua/initiatives/neighborhood-revitalization.
    In addition, we also include a competitive preference priority that 
gives preference to applicants working in designated Promise Zones.\6\ 
This competitive preference priority recognizes that Promise Zones 
represent a network of commitment and collaboration between local 
public and private sector partners to address community members' 
interrelated needs within high-poverty regions, and such coordination 
may better enable the successful implementation of a Promise 
Neighborhoods grant. The 22 Promise Zones that have been designated as 
of June 6, 2016 are located in Atlanta, Georgia; Camden City, New 
Jersey; the Chocktaw Nation of Oklahoma; East Indianapolis, Indiana; 
Evansville, Indiana; Nashville, Tennessee; Los Angeles, California; the 
Lowlands of South Carolina; Minneapolis, Minnesota; North Hartford, 
Connecticut; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Pine Ridge, South Dakota; 
Sacramento, California; San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; 
South Los Angeles, California; Southeast Florida Regional Planning 
Commission; Southeastern Kentucky; St. Louis, Missouri; Spokane Tribe 
of Indians, Washington; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians,

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Rolette County, North Dakota; and Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.
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    \6\ Promise Zones are high-poverty urban, rural, and tribal 
communities that the Federal government will partner with and invest 
in to accomplish the following goals: Create jobs, leverage private 
investment, increase economic activity, expand educational 
opportunities, and reduce violent crime. Each designated Promise 
Zone will be asked to identify a set of outcomes they will pursue to 
revitalize their communities, develop a strategy supporting those 
outcomes, and realign resources accordingly.
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    As Promise Neighborhoods grantees implement comprehensive 
transformation plans in their communities, we expect them to build out 
the full continuum of cradle through college to career solutions. We 
emphasize the importance of robust strategies for the college and 
career portion of the Promise Neighborhoods pipeline and for this 
reason, we include a fourth competitive preference priority for 
applicants that choose to prioritize postsecondary or technical 
education and career development. In proposing strategies, we encourage 
applicants to be mindful of the importance of ensuring that all 
students and their families have an opportunity to benefit from the 
services and supports provided.
    Priorities: This competition includes three absolute priorities and 
four competitive preference priorities. Absolute Priority 1, Absolute 
Priority 2, Absolute Priority 3, and Competitive Preference Priority 2 
are from the Promise Neighborhoods notice of final priorities, 
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria published in the 
Federal Register on July 6, 2011 (76 FR 39590) (2011 Promise 
Neighborhoods NFP). Competitive Preference Priority 1 and Competitive 
Preference Priority 4 are from the notice of final supplemental 
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published 
in the Federal Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425) 
(Supplemental Priorities). Competitive Preference Priority 3 is from 
the Promise Zones notice of final priority published in the Federal 
Register on March 27, 2014 (79 FR 17035) (2014 Promise Zones NFP) 
(Promise Zones NFP).
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2016 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities.
    Note: Applicants must indicate in their application whether they 
are applying under Absolute Priority 1 Absolute Priority 2, or Absolute 
Priority 3. If an applicant applies under Absolute Priority 2 or 
Absolute Priority 3 and is deemed ineligible, it still may be 
considered for funding under Absolute Priority 1. For applications 
addressing Absolute Priority 1, Absolute Priority 2, and Absolute 
Priority 3, the Secretary prepares a rank order of applications for 
each absolute priority based solely on the evaluation of their quality 
according to the selection criteria.
    Each of the three absolute priorities constitutes its own funding 
category. Assuming that applications in each funding category are of 
sufficient quality, the Secretary intends to award grants under each 
absolute priority. These priorities are:
    Absolute Priority 1--Submission of Promise Neighborhood Plan.
    To meet this priority, an applicant must submit a plan to create a 
Promise Neighborhood. The plan must describe the need in the 
neighborhood, a strategy to build a continuum of solutions, and the 
applicant's capacity to achieve results. Specifically, an applicant 
must--
    (1) Describe the geographically defined area (neighborhood) to be 
served and the level of distress in that area based on indicators of 
need (as defined in this notice) and other relevant indicators. The 
statement of need in the neighborhood must be based, in part, on 
results of a comprehensive needs assessment and segmentation analysis 
(as defined in this notice). Applicants may propose to serve multiple, 
non-contiguous geographically defined areas. In cases where target 
areas are not contiguous, the applicant must explain its rationale for 
including non-contiguous areas;
    (2) Describe the applicant's strategy for building a continuum of 
solutions over time that addresses neighborhood challenges as 
identified in the needs assessment and segmentation analysis. The 
applicant must also describe how it has built community support for and 
involvement in the development of the plan. The continuum of solutions 
must be based on best available evidence including, where available 
strong or moderate evidence (as defined in this notice), and be 
designed to significantly improve educational outcomes and to support 
the healthy development and well-being of children and youth in the 
neighborhood. The strategy must be designed to ensure that over time, a 
greater proportion of children and youth in the neighborhood who attend 
the target school or schools have access to a complete continuum of 
solutions, and must ensure that over time, a greater proportion of 
children and youth in the neighborhood who do not attend the target 
school or schools have access to solutions within the continuum of 
solutions. The strategy must also ensure that, over time, students not 
living in the neighborhood who attend the target school or schools have 
access to solutions within the continuum of solutions.
    The success of the applicant's strategy to build a continuum of 
solutions will be based on the results of the project, as measured 
against the project indicators as defined in this notice and described 
in Table 1 and Table 2. In its strategy, the applicant must propose 
clear and measurable annual goals during the grant period against which 
improvements will be measured using the indicators. The strategy must--
    (a) Identify each solution that the project will implement within 
the proposed continuum of solutions, and must include--
    (i) High-quality early learning programs and services designed to 
improve outcomes across multiple domains of early learning (as defined 
in this notice) for children from birth through third grade;
    (ii) Ambitious, rigorous, and comprehensive education reforms that 
are linked to improved educational outcomes for children and youth in 
preschool through the 12th grade. Public schools served through the 
grant may include persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in 
this notice) or low-performing schools (as defined in this notice) that 
are not also persistently lowest-achieving schools. An applicant (or 
one or more of its partners) may serve an effective school or schools 
(as defined in this notice) but only if the applicant (or one or more 
of its partners) also serves at least one low-performing school (as 
defined in this notice) or persistently lowest-achieving school (as 
defined in this notice). An applicant must identify in its application 
the public school or schools it would serve and describe the current 
status of reforms in the school or schools, including, if applicable, 
the type of intervention model being implemented. In cases where an 
applicant operates a school or partners with a school that does not 
serve all students in the neighborhood, the applicant must partner with 
at least one additional school that also serves students in the 
neighborhood. An applicant proposing to work with a persistently 
lowest-achieving school must include in its strategy one of the four 
school intervention models (turnaround model, restart model, school 
closure, or transformation model) described in Appendix C of the Race 
to the Top (RTT) notice inviting applications for new awards for FY 
2010 that was published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2009 
(74 FR 59836, 59866).
    An applicant proposing to work with a or low-performing school must 
include in its strategy ambitious, rigorous, and comprehensive 
interventions to assist, augment, or replace schools, which may include 
implementing one of the four school intervention models, or may include 
another model of sufficient ambition, rigor, and comprehensiveness to

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significantly improve academic and other outcomes for students. An 
applicant proposing to work with a low-performing school must include 
in its strategy an intervention that addresses the effectiveness of 
teachers and leaders and the school's use of time and resources, which 
may include increased learning time (as defined in this notice);
    Note regarding school reform strategies: So as not to penalize an 
applicant for proposing to work with an LEA that has implemented 
rigorous reform strategies prior to the publication of this notice, an 
applicant is not required to propose a new reform strategy in place of 
an existing reform strategy in order to be eligible for a Promise 
Neighborhoods implementation grant. For example, an LEA might have 
begun to implement improvement activities that meet many, but not all, 
of the elements of a transformation model of school intervention. In 
this case, the applicant could propose, as part of its Promise 
Neighborhood strategy, to work with the LEA as the LEA continues with 
its reforms.
    (iii) Programs that prepare students to be college- and career-
ready; and
    (iv) Family and community supports (as defined in this notice).
    To the extent feasible and appropriate, the applicant must 
describe, in its plan, how the applicant and its partners will leverage 
and integrate high-quality programs, related public and private 
investments, and existing neighborhood assets into the continuum of 
solutions. An applicant must also include in its application an 
appendix that summarizes the evidence supporting each proposed solution 
and describes how the solution is based on the best available evidence, 
including, where available, strong or moderate evidence (as defined in 
this notice). An applicant must also describe in the appendix how and 
when--during the implementation process--the solution will be 
implemented; the partners that will participate in the implementation 
of each solution (in any case in which the applicant does not implement 
the solution directly); the estimated per-child cost, including 
administrative costs, to implement each solution; the estimated number 
of children, by age, in the neighborhood who will be served by each 
solution and how a segmentation analysis was used to target the 
children and youth to be served; and the source of funds that will be 
used to pay for each solution. In the description of the estimated 
number of children to be served, the applicant must include the 
percentage of all children of the same age group within the 
neighborhood proposed to be served with each solution, and the annual 
goals required to increase the proportion of children served to reach 
scale over time.
    An applicant must also describe in its plan how it will identify 
Federal, State, or local policies, regulations, or other requirements 
that would impede its ability to achieve its goals and how it will 
report on those impediments to the Department and other relevant 
agencies.
    As appropriate, considering the time and urgency required to 
dramatically improve outcomes of children and youth in our most 
distressed neighborhoods and to transform those neighborhoods, 
applicants must establish both short-term and long-term goals to 
measure progress.
    As part of the description of its strategy to build a continuum of 
solutions, the applicant must also describe how it will participate in, 
organize, or facilitate, as appropriate, communities of practice for 
Promise Neighborhoods;
    (b) Establish clear, annual goals for evaluating progress in 
improving systems, such as changes in policies, environments, or 
organizations that affect children and youth in the neighborhood. 
Examples of systems change could include a new school district policy 
to measure the results of family and community support programs, a new 
funding resource to support the Promise Neighborhoods strategy, or a 
cross-sector collaboration at the city level to break down municipal 
agency ``silos'' and partner with local philanthropic organizations to 
drive achievement of a set of results; and
    (c) Establish clear, annual goals for evaluating progress in 
leveraging resources, such as the amount of monetary or in-kind 
investments from public or private organizations to support the Promise 
Neighborhoods strategy. Examples of leveraging resources are securing 
new or existing dollars to sustain and scale up what works in the 
Promise Neighborhood or integrating high-quality programs in the 
continuum of solutions. Applicants may consider, as part of their plans 
to scale up their Promise Neighborhood strategy, serving a larger 
geographic area by partnering with other applicants to the Promise 
Neighborhoods program from the same city or region;
    (3) Explain how it used its needs assessment and segmentation 
analysis to determine the children with the highest needs and explain 
how it will ensure that children in the neighborhood receive the 
appropriate services from the continuum of solutions. In this 
explanation of how it used the needs assessment and segmentation 
analysis, the applicant must identify and describe in its application 
the educational indicators and family and community support indicators 
that the applicant used to conduct the needs assessment. Whether or not 
the implementation grant applicant received a Promise Neighborhoods 
planning grant, the applicant must describe how it--
    (a) Collected data for the educational indicators listed in Table 1 
and used them as both program and project indicators;
    (b) Collected data for the family and community support indicators 
in Table 2 and used them as program indicators; and
    (c) Collected data for unique family and community support 
indicators, developed by the applicant, that align with the goals and 
objectives of the project and used them as project indicators or used 
the indicators in Table 2 as project indicators.
    An applicant must also describe how it will collect at least annual 
data on the indicators in Tables 1 and 2; establish clear, annual goals 
for growth on indicators; and report those data to the Department.

 Table 1--Education Indicators and Results They Are Intended To Measure
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               Indicator                              Result
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--Number and percentage of children      Children enter kindergarten
 from birth to kindergarten entry who     ready to succeed in school.
 have a place where they usually go,
 other than an emergency room, when
 they are sick or in need of advice
 about their health.

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--Number and percentage of three-year-
 olds and children in kindergarten who
 demonstrate at the beginning of the
 program or school year age-appropriate
 functioning across multiple domains of
 early learning (as defined in this
 notice) as determined using
 developmentally appropriate early
 learning measures (as defined in this
 notice).
--Number and percentage of children,
 from birth to kindergarten entry,
 participating in center-based or
 formal home-based early learning
 settings or programs, which may
 include Early Head Start, Head Start,
 child care, or preschool.
--Number and percentage of students at   Students are proficient in core
 or above grade level according to        academic subjects.
 State mathematics and reading or
 language arts assessments in at least
 the grades required by the ESEA (3rd
 through 8th and once in high school).
--Attendance rate of students in 6th,    Students successfully
 7th, 8th, and 9th grade.                 transition from middle school
                                          grades to high school.
--Graduation rate (as defined in this    Youth graduate from high
 notice).                                 school.
--Number and percentage of Promise       High school graduates obtain a
 Neighborhood students who graduate       postsecondary degree,
 with a regular high school diploma, as   certification, or credential.
 defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1)(iv),
 and obtain postsecondary degrees,
 vocational certificates, or other
 industry-recognized certifications or
 credentials without the need for
 remediation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


  Table 2--Family and Community Support Indicators and Results They Are
                           Intended To Measure
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Indicator                             Result
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Number and percentage of children who     Students are healthy.
 participate in at least 60 minutes of
 moderate to vigorous physical activity
 daily; and
--Number and percentage of children who
 consume five or more servings of fruits
 and vegetables daily; or
--possible third indicator, to be
 determined (TBD) by applicant.
--Number and percentage of students who     Students feel safe at school
 feel safe at school and traveling to and    and in their community.
 from school, as measured by a school
 climate needs assessment (as defined in
 this notice); or
--possible second indicator, TBD by
 applicant.
--Student mobility rate (as defined in      Students live in stable
 this notice); or                            communities.
--possible second indicator, TBD by
 applicant.
--For children from birth to kindergarten   Families and community
 entry, the number and percentage of         members support learning in
 parents or family members who report that   Promise Neighborhood
 they read to their child three or more      schools.
 times a week;
--For children in the kindergarten through
 eighth grades, the number and percentage
 of parents or family members who report
 encouraging their child to read books
 outside of school; and
--For children in the ninth through
 twelfth grades, the number and percentage
 of parents or family members who report
 talking with their child about the
 importance of college and career; or
--possible fourth indicator TBD by
 applicant.
--Number and percentage of students who     Students have access to 21st
 have school and home access (and            century learning tools.
 percentage of the day they have access)
 to broadband internet (as defined in this
 notice) and a connected computing device;
 or
--possible second indicator TBD by
 applicant.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Note: The indicators in Tables 1 and 2 are not intended to limit an 
applicant from collecting and using data for additional indicators. 
Examples of additional indicators are--
    (i) The number and percentage of children who participate in high-
quality learning activities during out-of-school hours or in the hours 
after the traditional school day ends;
    (ii) The number and percentage of students who are suspended or 
receive discipline referrals during the year;
    (iii) The share of housing stock in the geographically defined area 
that is rent-protected, publicly assisted, or targeted for 
redevelopment with local, State, or Federal funds; and
    (iv) The number and percentage of children who are homeless or in 
foster care and who have an assigned adult advocate.
    Note: While the Department believes there are many programmatic 
benefits of collecting data on every child in the proposed 
neighborhood, the Department will consider requests to collect data on 
only a sample of the children in the neighborhood for some indicators 
so long as the applicant describes in its application how it would 
ensure the sample would be representative of the children in the 
neighborhood.
    (4) Describe the experience and lessons learned, and describe how 
the applicant will build the capacity of its management team and 
project director in all of the following areas:

[[Page 44747]]

    (a) Working with the neighborhood and its residents, including 
parents and families that have children or other members with 
disabilities or ELs, as well as with the schools described in paragraph 
(2) of this priority; the LEA in which the school or schools are 
located; Federal, State, and local government leaders; and other 
service providers.
    (b) Collecting, analyzing, and using data for decision-making, 
learning, continuous improvement, and accountability. The applicant 
must describe--
    (i) Progress towards developing, launching, and implementing a 
longitudinal data system that integrates student-level data from 
multiple sources in order to measure progress on educational and family 
and community support indicators for all children in the neighborhood, 
disaggregated by the subgroups listed in section 1111(b)(3)(C)(xiii) of 
the ESEA;
    (ii) How the applicant has linked or made progress to link the 
longitudinal data system to school-based, LEA, and State data systems; 
made the data accessible to parents, families, community residents, 
program partners, researchers, and evaluators while abiding by Federal, 
State, and other privacy laws and requirements; and managed and 
maintained the system;
    (iii) How the applicant has used rapid-time (as defined in this 
notice) data in prior years and, how it will continue to use those data 
once the Promise Neighborhood strategy is implemented, for continuous 
program improvement; and
    (iv) How the applicant will document the implementation process, 
including by describing lessons learned and best practices.
    (c) Creating and strengthening formal and informal partnerships, 
for such purposes as providing solutions along the continuum of 
solutions and committing resources to sustaining and scaling up what 
works. Each applicant must submit, as part of its application, a 
memorandum of understanding, signed by each organization or agency with 
which it would partner in implementing the proposed Promise 
Neighborhood. The memorandum of understanding must describe--
    (i) Each partner's financial and programmatic commitment; and
    (ii) How each partner's existing vision, theory of change (as 
defined in this notice), theory of action (as defined in this notice), 
and current activities align with those of the proposed Promise 
Neighborhood; and
    (d) The governance structure proposed for the Promise Neighborhood, 
including a system for holding partners accountable, how the eligible 
entity's governing board or advisory board is representative of the 
geographic area proposed to be served (as defined in this notice), and 
how residents of the geographic area would have an active role in the 
organization's decision-making.
    (e) Integrating funding streams from multiple public and private 
sources from the Federal, State, and local level. Examples of public 
funds include Federal resources from the U.S. Department of Education, 
such as the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program and title I 
of the ESEA, and from other Federal agencies, such as the U.S. 
Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban 
Development, Justice, Labor, and Treasury.
    (5) Describe the applicant's commitment to work with the 
Department, and with a national evaluator for Promise Neighborhoods or 
another entity designated by the Department, to ensure that data 
collection and program design are consistent with plans to conduct a 
rigorous national evaluation of the Promise Neighborhoods program and 
of specific solutions and strategies pursued by individual grantees. 
This commitment must include, but need not be limited to--
    (a) Ensuring that, through memoranda of understanding with 
appropriate entities, the national evaluator and the Department have 
access to relevant program and project data sources (e.g., 
administrative data and program and project indicator data), including 
data on a quarterly basis if requested by the Department;
    (b) Developing, in consultation with the national evaluator, an 
evaluation strategy, including identifying a credible comparison group 
(as defined in this notice); and
    (c) Developing, in consultation with the national evaluator, a plan 
for identifying and collecting reliable and valid baseline data for 
both program participants and a designated comparison group of non-
participants.
    Absolute Priority 2--Promise Neighborhoods in Rural Communities.
    To meet this priority, an applicant must propose to implement a 
Promise Neighborhood strategy that (1) meets all of the requirements in 
Absolute Priority 1; and (2) serves one or more rural communities only.
    Absolute Priority 3--Promise Neighborhoods in Tribal Communities.
    To meet this priority, an applicant must propose to implement a 
Promise Neighborhood strategy that (1) meets all of the requirements in 
Absolute Priority 1; and (2) serves one or more Indian tribes (as 
defined in this notice).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2016 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications 
from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award two additional points 
to applications that meet Competitive Preference Priority 1, two 
additional points for applications that meet Competitive Preference 
Priority 2, two additional points for applications that meet 
Competitive Preference Priority 3, and two additional points for 
applications that meet Competitive Preference Priority 4. Applicants 
may address more than one of the competitive preference priorities. 
Therefore, an applicant must identify in the project narrative section 
of its application the priority or priorities it wishes the Department 
to consider for purposes of earning the competitive preference priority 
points.
    Note: The Department will not review or award points under any 
competitive preference priority for an application that fails to 
clearly identify the competitive preference priority or priorities it 
wishes the Department to consider for purposes of earning the 
competitive preference priority points.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Improving Early Learning 
Development and Outcomes (0 or 2 points).
    Projects that are designed to improve early learning and 
development outcomes across one or more of the essential domains of 
school readiness (as defined in this notice) for children from birth 
through third grade (or for any age group within this range) through a 
focus on improving the coordination and alignment among early learning 
and development systems and between such systems and elementary 
education systems, including coordination and alignment in engaging and 
supporting families and improving transitions for children along the 
birth-through-third grade continuum, in accordance with applicable 
privacy laws.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2--Quality Affordable Housing (0 or 
2 points).
    To meet this priority, an applicant must propose to serve 
geographic areas that were the subject of an affordable housing 
transformation pursuant to a Choice Neighborhoods or HOPE VI grant 
awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during 
FY 2009 or later years. To be eligible under this priority, the 
applicant must either: (1) Be able to demonstrate that it

[[Page 44748]]

has received a Choice Neighborhoods or HOPE VI grant; or (2) provide, 
in its application, a memorandum of understanding between it and a 
partner that is a recipient of a Choice Neighborhoods or HOPE VI grant. 
The memorandum must indicate a commitment on the part of the applicant 
and partner to coordinate implementation and align resources to the 
greatest extent practicable.
    Competitive Preference Priority 3--Promise Zones (0 or 2 points).
    This priority is for projects that are designed to serve and 
coordinate with a federally designated Promise Zone.
    Note: As a participant in the Administration's Promise Zone 
Initiative, the Department is cooperating with the Departments of 
Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Agriculture (USDA), 
and nine other Federal agencies to support comprehensive revitalization 
efforts in 20 high-poverty urban, rural, and tribal communities across 
the country. Each application for Promise Neighborhoods funds that is 
accompanied by a Certification of Consistency with Promise Zone Goals 
and Implementation (HUD Form 50153) signed by an authorized 
representative of the lead organization of a Promise Zone designated by 
HUD or USDA supporting the application will receive two point. An 
application for Promise Neighborhoods grant funds that is not 
accompanied by a signed certification (HUD Form 50153) will receive 
zero points. To view the list of designated Promise Zones and lead 
organizations please go to www.hud.gov/promisezones. The certification 
form is available at//portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=HUD_Form_50153.pdf.
    Competitive Preference Priority 4--High School and Transition to 
College (0 or 2 points).
    Increasing the number and proportion of high-need students (as 
defined in this notice) who are academically prepared for, enroll in, 
or complete on time college, other postsecondary education, or other 
career and technical education.

Definitions

    The definitions of ``large sample,'' ``logic model,'' ``multi-site 
sample,'' ``moderate evidence of effectiveness,'' ``relevant 
outcomes,'' ``strong theory,'' and ``What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) 
Evidence Standards'' are from 34 CFR 77.1. The definitions of 
``essential domains of school readiness,'' ``high-minority school,'' 
``high-need students,'' and ``regular high school diploma'' are from 
the Supplemental Priorities. All other definitions are from the 2011 
Promise Neighborhoods NFP. We may apply these definitions in any year 
in which this program is in effect.
    The following definitions apply to this program:
    Children with disabilities or CWD means individuals who meet the 
definition of child with a disability in 34 CFR 300.8, infant or 
toddler with a disability in 34 CFR 300.25, handicapped person in 34 
CFR 104.3(j), or disability as it pertains to an individual in 42 
U.S.C. 12102.
    Community of practice means a group of grantees that agrees to 
interact regularly to solve a persistent problem or improve practice in 
an area that is important to them and the success of their projects. 
Establishment of communities of practice under Promise Neighborhoods 
will enable grantees to meet, discuss, and collaborate with each other 
regarding grantee projects.
    Continuum of cradle-through-college-to-career solutions or 
continuum of solutions means solutions that--
    (1) Include programs, policies, practices, services, systems, and 
supports that result in improving educational and developmental 
outcomes for children from cradle through college to career;
    (2) Are based on the best available evidence, including, where 
available, strong or moderate evidence (as defined in this notice);
    (3) Are linked and integrated seamlessly (as defined in this 
notice); and
    (4) Include both education programs and family and community 
supports.
    Credible comparison group includes a comparison group formed by 
matching project participants with non-participants based on key 
characteristics that are thought to be related to outcomes. These 
characteristics include, but are not limited to: (1) Prior test scores 
and other measures of academic achievement (preferably the same 
measures that will be used to assess the outcomes of the project); (2) 
demographic characteristics, such as age, disability, gender, English 
proficiency, ethnicity, poverty level, parents' educational attainment, 
and single- or two-parent family background; (3) the time period in 
which the two groups are studied (e.g., the two groups are children 
entering kindergarten in the same year as opposed to sequential years); 
and (4) methods used to collect outcome data (e.g., the same test of 
reading skills administered in the same way to both groups).
    Developmentally appropriate early learning measures means a range 
of assessment instruments that are used in ways consistent with the 
purposes for which they were designed and validated; appropriate for 
the ages and other characteristics of the children being assessed; 
designed and validated for use with children whose ages, cultures, 
languages spoken at home, socioeconomic status, abilities and 
disabilities, and other characteristics are similar to those of the 
children with whom the assessments will be used; used in conformance 
with the recommendations of the National Research Council reports on 
early childhood; \7\ and used in compliance with the measurement 
standards set forth by the American Educational Research Association 
(AERA), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the National 
Council for Measurement in Education (NCME) in the 1999 Standards for 
Educational and Psychological Testing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ One example of these reports is referenced here. National 
Research Council (2008). Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and 
How. Committee on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young 
Children, C.E. Snow and S.B. Van Hemel, Editors. Board on Children, 
Youth, and Families, Board on Testing and Assessment, Division of 
Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The 
National Academies Press. Available at: www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Education programs means programs that include, but are not limited 
to--
    (1) High-quality early learning programs or services designed to 
improve outcomes across multiple domains of early learning for young 
children. Such programs must be specifically intended to align with 
appropriate State early learning and development standards, practices, 
strategies, or activities across as broad an age range as birth through 
third grade so as to ensure that young children enter kindergarten and 
progress through the early elementary school grades demonstrating age-
appropriate functioning across the multiple domains;
    (2) For children in preschool through the 12th grade, programs, 
inclusive of related policies and personnel, that are linked to 
improved educational outcomes. The programs--
    (a) Must include effective teachers and effective principals;
    (b) Must include strategies, practices, or programs that encourage 
and facilitate the evaluation, analysis, and use of student 
achievement, student growth (as defined in this notice), and other data 
by educators, families, and other stakeholders to inform decision-
making;
    (c) Must include college- and career-ready standards, assessments, 
and practices, including a well-rounded

[[Page 44749]]

curriculum, instructional practices, strategies, or programs in, at a 
minimum, core academic subjects as defined in section 9101(11) of the 
ESEA, that are aligned with high academic content and achievement 
standards and with high-quality assessments based on those standards; 
and
    (d) May include creating multiple pathways for students to earn 
regular high school diplomas (e.g., using schools that serve the needs 
of over-aged, under-credited, or other students with an exceptional 
need for flexibility regarding when they attend school or the 
additional supports they require; awarding credit based on demonstrated 
evidence of student competency; or offering dual-enrollment options); 
and
    (3) Programs that prepare students for college and career success, 
which may include programs that--
    (a) Create and support partnerships with community colleges, four-
year colleges, or universities and that help instill a college-going 
culture in the neighborhood;
    (b) Provide dual-enrollment opportunities for secondary students to 
gain college credit while in high school;
    (c) Provide, through relationships with businesses and other 
organizations, apprenticeship opportunities to students;
    (d) Align curricula in the core academic subjects with requirements 
for industry-recognized certifications or credentials, particularly in 
high-growth sectors;
    (e) Provide access to career and technical education programs so 
that individuals can attain the skills and industry-recognized 
certifications or credentials for success in their careers;
    (f) Help college students, including CWD and ELs from the 
neighborhood to transition to college, persist in their academic 
studies in college, graduate from college, and transition into the 
workforce; and
    (g) Provide opportunities for all youth (both in and out of school) 
to achieve academic and employment success by improving educational and 
skill competencies and providing connections to employers. Such 
activities may include opportunities for on-going mentoring, supportive 
services, incentives for recognition and achievement, and opportunities 
related to leadership, development, decision-making, citizenship, and 
community service.
    Effective school means a school that has--
    (1) Significantly closed the achievement gaps between subgroups of 
students (as identified in section 1111(b)(3)(C)(xiii) of the ESEA) 
within the school or district; or
    (2)(a) Demonstrated success in significantly increasing student 
academic achievement in the school for all subgroups of students (as 
identified in section 1111(b)(3)(C)(xiii) of the ESEA) in the school; 
and (b) made significant improvements in other areas, such as 
graduation rates (as defined in this notice) or recruitment and 
placement of effective teachers and effective principals.
    Eligible organization means an organization that:
    (1) Is representative of the geographic area proposed to be served;
    (2) Is one of the following:
    (a) A nonprofit organization that meets the definition of a 
nonprofit under 34 CFR 77.1(c), which may include a faith-based 
nonprofit organization.
    (b) An institution of higher education as defined by section 101(a) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.
    (c) An Indian tribe (as defined in this notice);
    (3) Currently provides at least one of the solutions from the 
applicant's proposed continuum of solutions in the geographic area 
proposed to be served; and
    (4) Operates or proposes to work with and involve in carrying out 
its proposed project, in coordination with the school's LEA, at least 
one public elementary or secondary school that is located within the 
identified geographic area that the grant will serve.
    English learners or ELs means individuals who meet the definition 
of limited English proficient, as defined in section 9101(25) of the 
ESEA.
    Essential domains of school readiness means the domains of language 
and literacy development, cognition and general knowledge (including 
early mathematics and early scientific development), approaches toward 
learning (including the utilization of the arts), physical well-being 
and motor development (including adaptive skills), and social and 
emotional development.
    Family and community supports means:
    (1) Child and youth health programs, such as physical, mental, 
behavioral, and emotional health programs (e.g., home visiting 
programs; Early Head Start; programs to improve nutrition and fitness, 
reduce childhood obesity, and create healthier communities);
    (2) Safety programs, such as programs in school and out of school 
to prevent, control, and reduce crime, violence, drug and alcohol use, 
and gang activity; programs that address classroom and school-wide 
behavior and conduct; programs to prevent child abuse and neglect; 
programs to prevent truancy and reduce and prevent bullying and 
harassment; and programs to improve the physical and emotional security 
of the school setting as perceived, experienced, and created by 
students, staff, and families;
    (3) Community stability programs, such as programs that--
    (a) Increase the stability of families in communities by expanding 
access to quality, affordable housing, providing legal support to help 
families secure clear legal title to their homes, and providing housing 
counseling or housing placement services;
    (b) Provide adult education and employment opportunities and 
training to improve educational levels, job skills and readiness in 
order to decrease unemployment, with a goal of increasing family 
stability;
    (c) Improve families' awareness of, access to, and use of a range 
of social services, if possible at a single location;
    (d) Provide unbiased, outcome-focused, and comprehensive financial 
education, inside and outside the classroom and at every life stage;
    (e) Increase access to traditional financial institutions (e.g., 
banks and credit unions) rather than alternative financial institutions 
(e.g., check cashers and payday lenders);
    (f) Help families increase their financial literacy, financial 
assets, and savings; and
    (g) Help families access transportation to education and employment 
opportunities;
    (4) Family and community engagement programs that are systemic, 
integrated, sustainable, and continue through a student's transition 
from K-12 school to college and career. These programs may include 
family literacy programs and programs that provide adult education and 
training and opportunities for family members and other members of the 
community to support student learning and establish high expectations 
for student educational achievement; mentorship programs that create 
positive relationships between children and adults; programs that 
provide for the use of such community resources as libraries, museums, 
television and radio stations, and local businesses to support improved 
student educational outcomes; programs that support the engagement of 
families in early learning programs and services; programs that provide 
guidance on how to navigate through a complex school system and how to 
advocate for more and improved learning opportunities; and programs

[[Page 44750]]

that promote collaboration with educators and community organizations 
to improve opportunities for healthy development and learning; and
    (5) 21st century learning tools, such as technology (e.g., 
computers and mobile phones) used by students in the classroom and in 
the community to support their education. This includes programs that 
help students use the tools to develop knowledge and skills in such 
areas as reading and writing, mathematics, research, critical thinking, 
communication, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
    Graduation rate means the four-year or extended-year adjusted 
cohort graduation rate as defined by 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1).
    Note: This definition is not meant to prevent a grantee from also 
collecting information about the reasons why students do not graduate 
from the target high school, e.g., dropping out or moving outside of 
the school district for non-academic or academic reasons.
    High-minority school means a school as that term is defined by a 
local educational agency, which is consistent with its State Teacher 
Equity Plan, as required by section 1111(b)(8)(c) of the ESEA. The 
applicant must provide the definition(s) of high-minority schools used 
in its application.
    High-need students means students who are at risk of educational 
failure or otherwise in need of special assistance and support, such as 
students who are living in poverty, who attend high-minority schools 
(as defined in this notice), who are far below grade level, who have 
left school before receiving a regular high school diploma (as defined 
in this notice), who are at risk of not graduating with a diploma on 
time, who are homeless, who are in foster care, who have been 
incarcerated, who have disabilities, or who are English learners.
    Increased learning time means using a longer school day, week, or 
year to significantly increase the total number of school hours. This 
strategy is used to redesign the school's program in a manner that 
includes additional time for (a) instruction in core academic subjects 
as defined in section 9101(11) of the ESEA; (b) instruction in other 
subjects and enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded 
education, including, for example, physical education, service 
learning, and experiential and work-based learning opportunities that 
are provided by partnering, as appropriate, with other organizations; 
and (c) teachers to collaborate, plan, and engage in professional 
development within and across grades and subjects.
    Indian tribe means any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, 
pueblo, village or community that the Secretary of the Interior 
acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe, 25 U.S.C. 479a and 479a-1 or 
any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined 
in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, 
43 U.S.C. 1601, et seq., that is recognized as eligible for the special 
programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because 
of their status as Indians. The term ``Indian'' means a member of an 
Indian tribe.
    Indicators of need means currently available data that describe--
    (1) Education need, which means--
    (a) All or a portion of the neighborhood includes or is within the 
attendance zone of a low-performing school that is a high school, 
especially one in which the graduation rate (as defined in this notice) 
is less than 60 percent or a school that can be characterized as low-
performing based on another proxy indicator, such as students' on-time 
progression from grade to grade; and
    (b) Other indicators, such as significant achievement gaps between 
subgroups of students (as identified in section 1111(b)(3)(C)(xiii) of 
the ESEA) within a school or LEA, high teacher and principal turnover, 
or high student absenteeism; and
    (2) Family and community support need, which means--
    (a) Percentages of children with preventable chronic health 
conditions (e.g., asthma, poor nutrition, dental problems, obesity) or 
avoidable developmental delays;
    (b) Immunization rates;
    (c) Rates of crime, including violent crime;
    (d) Student mobility rates;
    (e) Teenage birth rates;
    (f) Percentage of children in single-parent or no-parent families;
    (g) Rates of vacant or substandard homes, including distressed 
public and assisted housing; or
    (h) Percentage of the residents living at or below the Federal 
poverty threshold.
    Large sample means an analytic sample of 350 or more students (or 
other single analysis units), or 50 or more groups (such as classrooms 
or schools) that contain 10 or more students (or other single analysis 
units).
    Linked and integrated seamlessly, with respect to the continuum of 
solutions, means solutions that have common outcomes, focus on similar 
milestones, support transitional time periods (e.g., the beginning of 
kindergarten, the middle grades, or graduation from high school) along 
the cradle-through-college-to-career continuum, and address time and 
resource gaps that create obstacles for students in making academic 
progress.
    Logic model (also referred to as theory of action) means a well-
specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the 
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active 
``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the 
relevant outcomes) and describes the relationships among the key 
components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally.
    Low-performing schools means schools receiving assistance through 
title I of the ESEA, that are in corrective action or restructuring in 
the State, as determined under section 1116 of the ESEA, and the 
secondary schools (both middle and high schools) in the State that are 
equally as low-achieving as these Title I schools and are eligible for, 
but do not receive Title I funds.
    Note: A State that received ESEA flexibility was not required to 
identify schools in corrective action or restructuring under Section 
1116 of the ESEA; rather, the State identified priority and focus 
schools. Moreover, with the enactment of the ESSA, and State, beginning 
in the 2017-2018 school year, will no longer identify schools in 
corrective action or restructuring under section 1116 of the ESEA or 
identify schools as priority and focus schools under ESEA flexibility. 
Therefore, consistent with Section 5(c)(2) of the ESSA, ED will allow 
applicants to consider the following schools as low-performing schools: 
(1) Elementary and secondary schools identified, at the time of 
submission of an application under this competition, as in need as in 
need of corrective action or restructuring under the ESEA, as 
authorized amended by the NCLB; (2), elementary and secondary schools 
identified, at the time of submission of an application under this 
competition, as a priority or focus school by a State under ESEA 
flexibility; and, (3) secondary (both middle and high schools) in a 
State that are, at the time of submission of an application under this 
competition, equally as low-achieving as these Title I schools above 
and are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds.
    Moderate evidence means evidence from previous studies with designs 
that can support causal conclusions (i.e., studies with high internal 
validity) but have limited generalizability (i.e., moderate external 
validity) or from studies with high external validity but moderate 
internal validity.

[[Page 44751]]

    Neighborhood assets means--
    (1) Developmental assets that allow residents to attain the skills 
needed to be successful in all aspects of daily life (e.g., educational 
institutions, early learning centers, and health resources);
    (2) Commercial assets that are associated with production, 
employment, transactions, and sales (e.g., labor force and retail 
establishments);
    (3) Recreational assets that create value in a neighborhood beyond 
work and education (e.g., parks, open space, community gardens, and 
arts organizations);
    (4) Physical assets that are associated with the built environment 
and physical infrastructure (e.g., housing, commercial buildings, and 
roads); and
    (5) Social assets that establish well-functioning social 
interactions (e.g., public safety, community engagement, and 
partnerships with youth, parents, and families).
    Persistently lowest-achieving school means, as determined by the 
State--
    (1) Any school receiving assistance through Title I that is in 
improvement, corrective action, or restructuring and that--
    (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools 
or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in in the State, whichever 
number of schools is greater; or
    (b) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate, that is less 
than 60 percent over a number of years.
    Note: The Department will also consider any school a persistently 
lowest-achieving school that, at the time of submission of an 
application under this competition, meets the definition of ``lowest-
performing schools'' set out in the Secretary's Final Supplemental 
Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs 
(Supplemental Priorities), 79 FR 73425 (Dec. 10, 2014). The definition 
of ``lowest-performing schools'' in the Supplemental Priorities is as 
follows:
    Lowest-performing schools means--
    For a State with an approved request for flexibility under the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), 
Priority Schools or Tier I and Tier II Schools that have been 
identified under the School Improvement Grants program. For any other 
State, Tier I and Tier II Schools that have been identified under the 
School Improvement Grants program. 79 FR 73425, 73454 (Dec. 10, 2014).
    We are providing this flexibility because a State that received 
ESEA flexibility was not required to identify schools in corrective 
action or restructuring under the ESEA; but rather, the State 
identified priority and focus schools. Moreover, consistent with final 
regulations issued under the School Improvement Grants program (80 FR 
7223), the definition of Tier I and Tier II Schools includes 
persistently lowest-achieving schools.
    Program indicators are indicators that the Department will use only 
for research and evaluation purposes and for which an applicant is not 
required to propose solutions.
    Project indicators are indicators for which an applicant proposes 
solutions intended to result in progress on the indicators.
    Public officials means elected officials (e.g., council members, 
aldermen and women, commissioners, State legislators, Congressional 
representatives, members of the school board), appointed officials 
(e.g., members of a planning or zoning commission, or of any other 
regulatory or advisory board or commission), or individuals who are not 
necessarily public officials, but who have been appointed by a public 
official to serve on the Promise Neighborhoods governing board or 
advisory board.
    Rapid-time, in reference to reporting and availability of locally-
collected data, means that data are available quickly enough to inform 
current lessons, instruction, and related education programs and family 
and community supports.
    Regular high school diploma means the standard high school diploma 
that is awarded to students in the State and that is fully aligned with 
the State's academic content standards or a higher diploma and does not 
include a General Education Development credential, certificate of 
attendance, or any alternative award.
    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.
    Representative of the geographic area proposed to be served means 
that residents of the geographic area proposed to be served have an 
active role in decision-making and that at least one-third of the 
eligible entity's governing board or advisory board is made up of--
    (1) Residents who live in the geographic area proposed to be 
served, which may include residents who are representative of the 
ethnic and racial composition of the neighborhood's residents and the 
languages they speak;
    (2) Residents of the city or county in which the neighborhood is 
located but who live outside the geographic area proposed to be served, 
and who are low-income (which means earning less than 80 percent of the 
area's median income as published by the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development);
    (3) Public officials (as defined in this notice) who serve the 
geographic area proposed to be served (although not more than one-half 
of the governing board or advisory board may be made up of public 
officials); or
    (4) Some combination of individuals from the three groups listed in 
paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of this definition.
    Rural community means a neighborhood that--
    (1) Is served by an LEA that is currently eligible under the Small 
Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program or the Rural and Low-Income 
School (RLIS) program authorized under Title VI, Part B of the ESEA. 
Applicants may determine whether a particular LEA is eligible for these 
programs by referring to information on the following Department Web 
sites. For the SRSA program: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligible10/index.html. For the RLIS program: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reaprlisp/eligible10/index.html; or
    (2) Includes only schools designated with a school locale code of 
42 or 43. Applicants may determine school locale codes by referring to 
the following Department Web site: http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/
.
    School climate needs assessment means an evaluation tool that 
measures the extent to which the school setting promotes or inhibits 
academic performance by collecting perception data from individuals, 
which could include students, staff, or families.
    Segmentation analysis means the process of grouping and analyzing 
data from children and families in the geographic area proposed to be 
served according to indicators of need (as defined in this notice) or 
other relevant indicators.
    Note: The analysis is intended to allow grantees to differentiate 
and more effectively target interventions based on what they learn 
about the needs of different populations in the geographic area.
    Strong evidence means evidence from studies with designs that can 
support causal conclusions (i.e., studies with high internal validity), 
and studies that in total, include enough of the range of participants 
and settings to support scaling up to the State, regional, or national 
level (i.e., studies with high external validity).

[[Page 44752]]

    Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice that includes a logic model.
    Student achievement means--
    (1) For tested grades and subjects:
    (a) A student's score on the State's assessments under the ESEA; 
and, as appropriate,
    (b) Other measures of student learning, such as those described in 
paragraph (2) of this definition, provided they are rigorous and 
comparable across classrooms and programs.
    (2) For non-tested grades and subjects: alternative measures of 
student learning and performance, such as student scores on pre-tests 
and end-of-course tests; student performance on English language 
proficiency assessments; and other measures of student achievement that 
are rigorous and comparable across classrooms.
    Student growth means the change in achievement data for an 
individual student between two or more points in time. Growth may also 
include other measures that are rigorous and comparable across 
classrooms.
    Student mobility rate is calculated by dividing the total number of 
new student entries and withdrawals at a school, from the day after the 
first official enrollment number is collected through the end of the 
academic year, by the first official enrollment number of the academic 
year.
    Note: This definition is not meant to limit a grantee from also 
collecting information about why students enter or withdraw from the 
school, e.g., transferring to charter schools, moving outside of the 
school district for non-academic or academic reasons.
    Theory of action means an organization's strategy regarding how, 
considering its capacity and resources, it will take the necessary 
steps and measures to accomplish its desired results.
    Theory of change means an organization's beliefs about how its 
inputs, and early and intermediate outcomes, relate to accomplishing 
its long-term desired results.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7243-7243b.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79 81, 82, 
84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The OMB 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 as 
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The 2011 Promise 
Neighborhoods NFP. (e) The 2014 Promise Zones NFP. (f) The Supplemental 
Priorities.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $29,800,000.
    These estimated available funds are only for Implementation grants 
under the Promise Neighborhoods program. Contingent upon the 
availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make 
additional awards in FY2017 from the list of unfunded applications from 
this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $4,000,000 to $6,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $5,000,000.
    Maximum Award: $6,000,000.
    The maximum award amount is $6,000,000 per 12-month budget period. 
We will not fund an annual budget exceeding $6,000,000 per 12-month 
budget period.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 3-5.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: An applicant must be an eligible 
organization (as defined in this notice). For purposes of Absolute 
Priority 3--Promise Neighborhoods in Tribal Communities, an eligible 
applicant is an eligible organization that partners with an Indian 
tribe or is an Indian tribe that meets the definition of an eligible 
organization.
    2. Cost-Sharing or Matching: To be eligible for a grant under this 
competition, an applicant must demonstrate that it has established a 
commitment from one or more entities in the public or private sector, 
which may include Federal, State, and local public agencies, 
philanthropic organizations, private businesses, or individuals, to 
provide matching funds for the implementation process. An applicant for 
an implementation grant must obtain matching funds or in-kind donations 
equal to at least 100 percent of its grant award, except that an 
applicant proposing a project that meets Absolute Priority 2--Promise 
Neighborhoods in Rural Communities or Absolute Priority 3--Promise 
Neighborhoods in Tribal Communities must obtain matching funds or in-
kind donations equal to at least 50 percent of the grant award.
    Eligible sources of matching include sources of funds used to pay 
for solutions within the continuum of solutions, such as Head Start 
programs, initiatives supported by the LEA, or public health services 
for children in the neighborhood. At least 10 percent of an 
implementation applicant's total match must be cash or in-kind 
contributions from the private sector, which may include philanthropic 
organizations, private businesses, or individuals.
    Implementation applicants must demonstrate a commitment of matching 
funds in the applications. The applicants must specify the source of 
the funds or contributions and in the case of a third-party in-kind 
contribution, a description of how the value was determined for the 
donated or contributed goods or service. Applicants must demonstrate 
the match commitment by including letters in their applications 
explaining the type and quantity of the match commitment with original 
signatures from the executives of organizations or agencies providing 
the match. The Secretary may consider decreasing the matching 
requirement in the most exceptional circumstances, on a case-by-case 
basis.
    An applicant that is unable to meet the matching requirement must 
include in its application a request to the Secretary to reduce the 
matching requirement, including the amount of the requested reduction, 
the total remaining match contribution, and a statement of the basis 
for the request. An applicant should review the Department's cost-
sharing and cost-matching regulations, which include specific 
limitations, in 2 CFR 200.306 and the cost principles regarding 
donations, capital assets, depreciations and allowable costs, set out 
in subpart E of 2 CFR part 200.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet, from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), or from the program office.
    To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: 
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/.
    To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: 
Education Publications Center, P.O. Box 22207,

[[Page 44753]]

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 from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this program as follows: CFDA number 84.215N. To obtain a copy from the 
program office, contact: Adrienne Hawkins, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W256, Washington, DC 20202-
5970. Telephone: (202) 453-5638 or by email: 
[email protected]. If you use a TDD or TTY, call the Federal 
Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in 
this section.
    2.a. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: July 25, 2016.
    The Department will be able to develop a more efficient process for 
reviewing grant applications if it has a better understanding of the 
number of entities that intend to apply for funding under this 
competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each 
potential applicant to notify the Department of the applicant's intent 
to submit an application for funding by completing a Web-based form. 
When completing this form, applicants will provide (1) the applicant 
organization's name and address, and (2) information on the competitive 
preference priority or priorities under which the applicant intends to 
apply. Applicants may access this form online at https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/parental-options/promise-neighborhoods-pn/
. Applicants that do not complete this form may still apply for 
funding. 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. You are 
strongly encouraged to limit the application narrative to no more than 
75 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. Text in charts, tables, figures, 
and graphs may be single-spaced.
     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 is strongly encouraged: 
Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.
     Include page numbers at the bottom of each page in your 
application narrative.
    The suggested page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; 
Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of 
support. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application 
narrative section.
    2.b. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the Promise 
Neighborhoods 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).
    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: July 8, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: July 25, 2016.
    Date of Pre-Application Webinar: Promise Neighborhoods intends to 
hold Pre-Application Webinars to provide technical assistance to 
interested applicants. Detailed information regarding Pre-Application 
Webinar times will be provided on the Web site at https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/parental-options/promise-neighborhoods-pn/
.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 6, 2016. 
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to Other Submission Requirements in section 
IV of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements. Please note, due to a scheduled systems 
shutdown, applicants will not be able to submit applications for the 
Promise Neighborhoods competition between 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 
20, 2016 until 6:00 a.m. on Monday, July 25, 2016 and from 9:00 p.m. on 
Wednesday, July 27, 2016 until 6:00 a.m. on Monday, August 1, 2016.
    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: October 26, 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 specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR 
280.41. We reference additional regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award 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 Contract Registry), the 
Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and

[[Page 44754]]

    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 in to 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: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
Promise Neighborhoods 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 Promise Neighborhoods, CFDA number 
84.215N, 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 Promise 
Neighborhoods program 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 84.215, not 84.215N).
    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 Promise Neighborhoods 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 (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.

[[Page 44755]]

     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: Adrienne Hawkins, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W256, 
Washington, DC 20202-5970. FAX: (202) 453-5638.
    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 84.215N), 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 84.215N), 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--

[[Page 44756]]

    (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 are from 34 CFR 
75.210 and the 2011 Promise Neighborhood NFP (76 FR 39590). All of the 
selection criteria are listed in this section and in the application 
package. The maximum score for all of the selection criteria is 100 
points. The maximum score for each criterion is included in parentheses 
following the title of the specific selection criterion. Each criterion 
also includes the factors that reviewers will consider in determining 
the extent to which an applicant meets the criterion.
    Points awarded under these selection criteria are in addition to 
any points an applicant earns under the competitive preference 
priorities in this notice. The maximum score that an application may 
receive under the competitive preference priorities and the selection 
criteria is 108 points.
    (a) Need for the Project (15 points).
    The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In 
determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:
    (1) The magnitude or severity of the problems to be addressed by 
the proposed project as described by indicators of need (as defined in 
this notice) and other relevant indicators identified in part by the 
needs assessment and segmentation analysis. (2011 Promise Neighborhoods 
NFP)
    (2) The extent to which the geographically defined area has been 
described. (2011 Promise Neighborhoods NFP)
    (3) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses. (34 CFR 75.210); and
    (b) Quality of Project Design (30 points).
    The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of 
the project design. In determining the quality of the design of the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the applicant describes an implementation 
plan to create a complete continuum of solutions, including early 
learning through grade 12, college- and career-readiness, and family 
and community supports, without time and resource gaps, that will 
prepare all children in the neighborhood to attain an excellent 
education and successfully transition to college and a career, and that 
will significantly increase the proportion of students in the 
neighborhood that are served by the complete continuum to reach scale 
over time (2011 Promise Neighborhoods NFP);
    (2) The extent to which the applicant documents that proposed 
solutions are based on the best available evidence including, where 
available, strong or moderate evidence (2011 Promise Neighborhoods 
NFP);
    (3) The extent to which the applicant identifies existing 
neighborhood assets and programs supported by Federal, State, local, 
and private funds that will be used to implement a continuum of 
solutions (2011 Promise Neighborhoods NFP);
    (4) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible (34 CFR 75.210); and
    (5) The extent to which the proposed project is supported by strong 
theory (as defined in this notice). (34 CFR 75.210)
    (c) Quality of Project Services (20 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided 
by the proposed project. In determining the quality of the project 
services, the Secretary considers:
    (1) The likelihood that the services to be provided by the proposed 
project will lead to improvement in the achievement of students as 
measured against rigorous academic standards. (34 CFR 75.210)
    (2) Creating formal and informal partnerships, including the 
alignment of the visions, theories of action, and theories of change 
described in its memorandum of understanding, and creating a system for 
holding partners accountable for performance in accordance with the 
memorandum of understanding. (2011 Promise Neighborhoods NFP);
    (d) Quality of the Management Plan (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 the following factors:
    (1) Working with the neighborhood and its residents; the schools 
described in paragraph (2)(b) of Absolute Priority 1; the LEA in which 
those schools are located; Federal, State, and local government 
leaders; and other service providers (2011 Promise Neighborhoods NFP).
    (2) Collecting, analyzing, and using data for decision-making, 
learning, continuous improvement, and accountability, including whether 
the applicant has a plan to build, adapt, or expand a longitudinal data 
system that integrates student-level data from multiple sources in 
order to measure progress while abiding by privacy laws and 
requirements (2011 Promise Neighborhoods NFP); and
    (e) Adequacy of Resources (15 points).
    The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers:
    (1) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and 
benefits (34 CFR 75.210).
    (2) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates that it has the 
resources to operate the project beyond the length of the grant, 
including a multi-year financial and operating model and accompanying 
plan; the demonstrated commitment of any partners; evidence of broad 
support from stakeholders (e.g., LEAs, city government, other 
nonprofits) critical to the project's long-term success; or more than 
one of these types of evidence (34 CFR 75.210).
    2. Review and Selection Process: The Department will screen 
applications submitted in accordance with the requirements in this 
notice, and will determine which applications have met eligibility and 
other statutory requirements.
    The Department will use independent reviewers from various 
backgrounds and professions including: Pre-kindergarten-12 teachers and 
principals, college and university educators, researchers and 
evaluators, social entrepreneurs, strategy consultants, grant makers 
and managers, and others with community development and education 
expertise. The Department will thoroughly screen all reviewers for 
conflicts of interest to ensure a fair and competitive review process.
    Reviewers will read, prepare a written evaluation, and score the 
applications assigned to their panel, using the

[[Page 44757]]

selection criteria provided in this notice.
    For applications addressing Absolute Priority 1, Absolute Priority 
2, and Absolute Priority 3, the Secretary prepares a rank order of 
applications for each absolute priority based solely on the evaluation 
of their quality according to the selection criteria. The Department 
may use more than one tier of reviews in determining grantees, 
including possible site visits for Implementation grant applicants. 
Additional information about the review process will be posted on the 
Department's Web site.
    We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in 
any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 
34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying 
out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement 
of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The 
Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a 
timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable 
quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in 
any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 
34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying 
out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement 
of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The 
Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a 
timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable 
quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Risk Assessment and Special Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition 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.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the 
following performance indicator for Promise Neighborhoods: the 
percentage of implementation grantees that attain or exceed the annual 
goals that they establish and that are approved by the Secretary for--
    (a) Project indicators;
    (b) Improving systems; and
    (c) Leveraging resources.
    All grantees will be required to submit annual performance reports 
documenting their contribution in assisting the Department in measuring 
the performance of the program against this indicator as well as other 
information requested by the Department.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, 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:  Adrienne Hawkins, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W256, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 453-5638 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD or 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

[[Page 44758]]

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: July 1, 2016.
Nadya Chinoy Dabby,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2016-16130 Filed 7-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P