[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 152 (Monday, August 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52424-52432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18532]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Enhanced Assessment Instruments 
Grant Program--Enhanced Assessment Instruments

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:
    Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grant Program--Enhanced Assessment 
Instruments.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2016.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.368A.

Dates: 
    Applications Available: August 8, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: August 29, 2016.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 22, 2016.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: November 21, 2016.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Enhanced Assessment 
Instruments Grant program, also called the Enhanced Assessment Grants 
(EAG) program, is to enhance the quality of assessment instruments and 
assessment systems used by States for measuring the academic 
achievement of elementary and secondary school students.
    Priorities: This competition includes four absolute priorities and 
three competitive preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(iv), the absolute priorities are from section 6112 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), as 
amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), 20 U.S.C. 
7301a. The competitive preference priorities are from the Department's 
notice of final priorities published elsewhere in this issue of the 
Federal Register.
    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. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet one or more of the 
absolute priorities.
    These priorities are:
    Absolute Priority 1--Collaboration.
    Collaborate with institutions of higher education, other research 
institutions, or other organizations to improve the quality, validity, 
and reliability of State academic assessments beyond the requirements 
for these assessments described in section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA, as 
amended by NCLB.
    Absolute Priority 2--Use of Multiple Measures of Student Academic 
Achievement.
    Measure student academic achievement using multiple measures of 
student academic achievement from multiple sources.
    Absolute Priority 3--Charting Student Progress Over Time.
    Chart student progress over time.
    Absolute Priority 4--Comprehensive Academic Assessment Instruments.
    Evaluate student academic achievement through the development of 
comprehensive academic assessment instruments, such as performance- and

[[Page 52425]]

technology-based academic assessments.
    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. For Competitive Preference Priority 1, under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(i), the Department awards up to an additional 15 points to 
an application, depending on how well the application meets the 
priority. Specifically, the Department awards up to an additional 10 
points to an application depending on how well the application meets 
parts (a) and (c), and up to an additional five points to an 
application depending on how well the application meets parts (b) and 
(c). For Competitive Preference Priority 2, under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(i), the Department awards up to an additional 10 points, 
depending on how well the application meets the priority. Specifically, 
the Department awards up to an additional five points to an application 
depending on how well the application meets parts (a) and (c), and up 
to an additional five points to an application depending on how well 
the application meets parts (b) and (c). An applicant may choose to 
respond to either or both parts (a) and (b) of either of these 
priorities. For Competitive Preference Priority 3, under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(i), the Department awards up to an additional five points 
to an application, depending on how well the application meets this 
priority. An applicant may choose to respond to and earn points for how 
well the application meets multiple competitive preference priorities.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Developing Innovative Assessment 
Item Types and Design Approaches. (Up to 15 points.)
    Under this priority, SEAs must:
    (a) Develop, evaluate, and implement new, innovative item types for 
use in summative assessments in reading/language arts, mathematics, or 
science;
    (1) Development of innovative item types under paragraph (a) may 
include, for example, performance tasks; simulations; or interactive, 
multi-step, technology-rich items that can support competency-based 
assessments or portfolio projects;
    (2) Projects under this priority must be designed to develop new 
methods for collecting evidence about a student's knowledge and 
abilities and ensure the quality, validity, reliability, and fairness 
(such as by incorporating principles of universal design for learning) 
of the assessment and comparability of student data; or
    (b) Develop new approaches to transform traditional, end-of-year 
summative assessment forms with many items into a series of modular 
assessment forms, each with fewer items than the end-of-year summative 
assessment.
    (1) To respond to paragraph (b), applicants must develop modular 
assessment approaches which can be used to provide timely feedback to 
educators and parents as well as be combined to provide a valid, 
reliable, and fair summative assessment of individual students.
    (c) Applicants proposing projects under either paragraph (a) or (b) 
must provide a dissemination plan to share lessons learned and best 
practices such that their projects can serve as models and resources 
that can be shared with other States.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2--Improving Assessment Scoring and 
Score Reporting. (Up to 10 points.)
    Under this priority, SEAs must:
    (a) Develop innovative tools that leverage technology to score 
assessments;
    (1) To respond to paragraph (a), applicants must propose projects 
to reduce the time it takes to provide test results to educators, 
parents, and students and to make it more cost-effective to include 
non-multiple choice items on assessments. These innovative tools must 
improve automated scoring of student assessments, in particular non-
multiple choice items in reading/language arts, mathematics, or 
science; or
    (b) Propose projects, in consultation with organizations 
representing parents (including parents of English learners and parents 
of students with disabilities), students, teachers, counselors, and 
school administrators to address needs related to score reporting and 
improve the utility of information about student performance included 
in reports of assessment results and provide better and more timely 
information to educators and parents;
    (1) To respond to paragraph (b), applicants must include one or 
more of the following in their projects:
    (i) Developing enhanced score reporting templates or digital 
mechanisms for communicating assessment results and their meaning (such 
as by providing clear and actionable next steps for parents);
    (ii) Improving the assessment literacy of educators and parents to 
help them interpret test results and to support teaching and learning 
in the classroom (such as by providing training on test development and 
interpretation of test scores); and
    (iii) Developing mechanisms for secure transmission and individual 
use of assessment results by students and parents.
    (c) Applicants proposing projects under either paragraph (a) or (b) 
must provide a dissemination plan to share lessons learned and best 
practices such that their projects can serve as models and resources 
that can be shared with other States.
    Competitive Preference Priority 3--Inventory of State and Local 
Assessment Systems. (Up to 5 points.)
    (a) Under this priority, SEAs must--
    (1) Review statewide and local assessments to ensure that each test 
is of high quality, maximizes instructional goals, has a clear purpose 
and utility, and is designed to help students demonstrate mastery of 
State standards;
    (2) Determine whether assessments are serving their intended 
purpose to measure student achievement and identify gaps in students' 
knowledge and skills and to eliminate redundant and unnecessary 
testing; and
    (3) Review State and LEA strategies and activities related to test 
preparation to make sure those strategies and activities are focused on 
academic content and not on test-taking skills.
    (b) To meet the requirements in paragraph (a), SEAs must ensure 
that tests, including statewide and local assessments are--
    (1) Worth taking, meaning that assessments are a component of good 
instruction and require students to perform the same kind of complex 
work they do in an effective classroom and the real world;
    (2) High quality, resulting in actionable, objective information 
about students' knowledge and skills, including by assessing the full 
range of relevant State standards, eliciting complex student 
demonstrations or applications of knowledge, providing an accurate 
measure of student achievement, and producing information that can be 
used to measure student growth accurately over time;
    (3) Time-limited, in order to balance instructional time and the 
need for assessments, for example, by eliminating duplicative 
assessments and assessments that incentivize low-quality test 
preparation strategies that consume valuable classroom time;
    (4) Fair for all students and used to support equity in educational 
opportunity by ensuring that accessibility features and accommodations 
level the playing field so tests accurately reflect what all students, 
including students with disabilities and English learners, know and can 
do;

[[Page 52426]]

    (5) Fully transparent to students and parents, so that States and 
districts can clearly explain to parents the purpose, the source of the 
requirement (if appropriate), and the use by teachers and schools, and 
provide feedback to parents and students on student performance; and
    (6) Tied to improving student learning as tools in the broader work 
of teaching and learning.
    (c) Approaches to assessment inventories under paragraph (a) must 
include:
    (1) Review of the schedule for administration of all assessments 
required at the Federal, State, and local levels;
    (2) Review of the purpose of, and legal authority for, 
administration of all assessments required at the Federal, State, and 
local levels; and
    (3) Feedback on the assessment system from stakeholders, which 
could include information on how teachers, principals, other school 
leaders, and administrators use assessment data to inform and 
differentiate instruction, how much time teachers spend on assessment 
preparation and administration, and the assessments that 
administrators, teachers, principals, other school leaders, parents, 
and students do and do not find useful.
    (d) Projects under this priority--
    (1) Must be no longer than 12 months;
    (2) Must include a longer-term project plan, understanding that, 
beginning with FY 2017, there may be dedicated Federal funds for 
assessment audit work as authorized under section 1202 of the ESEA, as 
amended by the ESSA, and understanding that States and LEAs may use 
other Federal funds, such as the State assessment grant funds, 
authorized under section 1201 of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, 
consistent with the purposes for those funds, to implement such plans; 
and
    (3) Must have a budget of $200,000 or less.
    Requirements: The following requirements are from the notice of 
final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for 
this program published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2011 (76 FR 
21985) (2011 NFP). With respect to requirement (b), the Department 
notes that the Race to the Top Assessment program ended in 2015. As a 
result, while the grantees will be expected to meet this requirement 
broadly, they will not need to coordinate with the Race to the Top 
Assessment program.
    An eligible applicant awarded a grant under this program must:
    (a) Evaluate the validity, reliability, and fairness of any 
assessments or other assessment-related instruments developed under a 
grant from this competition, and make available documentation of 
evaluations of technical quality through formal mechanisms (e.g., peer-
reviewed journals) and informal mechanisms (e.g., newsletters), both in 
print and electronically;
    (b) Actively participate in any applicable technical assistance 
activities conducted or facilitated by the Department or its designees, 
coordinate with the Race To The Top Assessment program in the 
development of assessments under this program, and participate in other 
activities as determined by the Department;
    (c) Develop a strategy to make student-level data that result from 
any assessments or other assessment-related instruments developed under 
a grant from this competition available on an ongoing basis for 
research, including for prospective linking, validity, and program 
improvement studies; \1\
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    \1\ Eligible applicants awarded a grant under this program must 
comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) 
and 34 CFR part 99, as well as State and local requirements 
regarding privacy.
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    (d) Ensure that any assessments or other assessment-related 
instruments developed under a grant from this competition will be 
operational (ready for large-scale administration) at the end of the 
project period;
    (e) Ensure that funds awarded under the EAG program are not used to 
support the development of standards, such as under the English 
language proficiency assessment system priority or any other priority;
    (f) Maximize the interoperability of any assessments and other 
assessment-related instruments developed with funds from this 
competition across technology platforms and the ability for States to 
move their assessments from one technology platform to another by doing 
the following, as applicable, for any assessments developed with funds 
from this competition by--
    (1) Developing all assessment items in accordance with an industry-
recognized, open-licensed, interoperability standard that is approved 
by the Department during the grant period, without non-standard 
extensions or additions; and
    (2) Producing all student-level data in a manner consistent with an 
industry-recognized open-licensed interoperability standard that is 
approved by the Department during the grant period;
    (g) Unless otherwise protected by law or agreement as proprietary 
information, make any assessment content (i.e., assessments and 
assessment items) and other assessment-related instruments developed 
with funds from this competition freely available to States, technology 
platform providers, and others that request it for purposes of 
administering assessments, provided that those parties receiving 
assessment content comply with consortium or State requirements for 
test or item security; and
    (h) For any assessments and other assessment-related instruments 
developed with funds from this competition, use technology to the 
maximum extent appropriate to develop, administer, and score the 
assessments and report results.
    Definitions: The following definitions are from the 2011 NFP and 
the notice of final priorities, requirement, definitions, and selection 
criteria for this program published in the Federal Register on May 23, 
2013 (78 FR 31343) (2013 NFP).
    English learner means a child, including a child aged three and 
younger, who is an English learner consistent with the definition of a 
child who is ``limited English proficient,'' as applicable, in section 
9101(25) of the ESEA, as amended by NCLB. (2013 NFP)
    Student with a disability means a student who has been identified 
as a child with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act, as amended. (2011 NFP)
    Program Authority: Section 6112 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by NCLB, and section 
1203(b)(1) of the ESEA, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act 
(Pub. L. 114-95) (ESSA).
    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 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 notice of 
final priorities published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register. (e) The 2011 NFP and the 2013 NFP.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

[[Page 52427]]

    Estimated Available Funds: $8,860,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2016 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $4,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,500,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 3-6.

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

    Project Period: Up to 48 months.

    Note:  For Competitive Preference Priority 1 and Competitive 
Preference Priority 2, applicants should submit a single budget and 
propose a project period of up to 48 months. Applicants should 
propose a project period that is up to 48 months, based on a 
timeline that takes into account the urgency of the need of the 
final project findings and products to be accessible to the field. 
Subject to the availability of future years' funds, the Department 
may make supplemental grant awards to grants awarded in this 
competition. Applicants that address Competitive Preference Priority 
3 may not propose a project period of greater than 12 months or a 
budget of greater than $200,000. If an applicant addresses 
Competitive Preference Priority 3, as well as one of the other 
competitive preference priorities, then that portion of the proposed 
project period attributable to the project activities under 
Competitive Preference Priority 3 may not exceed 12 months; and that 
portion of the proposed budget attributable to the project 
activities under Competitive Preference Priority 3 may not exceed 
$200,000.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs) as 
defined in section 9101(41) of the ESEA, as amended by NCLB, and 
consortia of such SEAs.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: An application from a consortium of SEAs must designate 
one SEA as the fiscal agent.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Donald Peasley, Office 
of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 
400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E124, Washington, DC 20202-6132. 
Telephone: (202) 453-7982 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in 
this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content and form of an application, together with the 
forms you must submit, are in the application package for this 
competition. Page Limit: The project narrative is where you, the 
applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate your application. You must limit the application narrative to 
the equivalent of no more than 65 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The page limit applies to the project narrative, including the 
table of contents, which must include a discussion of how the 
application meets one or more of the absolute priorities; if 
applicable, how the application meets one or more of the competitive 
preference priorities; and how well the application addresses each of 
the selection criteria. The page limit also applies to any attachments 
to the project narrative other than the items mentioned in Part 6 of 
the application package, including the references/bibliography. In 
other words, the entirety of the project narrative, including the 
aforementioned discussion and any attachments to the project narrative, 
must be limited to the equivalent of no more than 65 pages. The only 
allowable attachments other than those included in the project 
narrative are outlined in Part 6, ``Other Attachments Forms,'' in the 
application package. Any attachments other than those included within 
the page limit of the project narrative and those outlined in Part 6 
will not be reviewed.
    The 65-page limit, or its equivalent, does not apply to the 
following sections of an application: Part 1 (including the response 
regarding research activities involving human subjects); Part 2 (budget 
information); Part 3 (two-page project abstract); Part 5 (the budget 
narrative); Part 6 (memoranda of understanding or other binding 
agreement, if applicable; copy of applicant's indirect cost rate 
agreement; letters of commitment and support from collaborating SEAs 
and organizations; other attachments forms, including, if applicable, 
references/bibliography for the project narrative and individual 
r[eacute]sum[eacute]s for project director(s) and key personnel); and 
Part 7 (standard assurances and certifications). Applicants are 
encouraged to limit each r[eacute]sum[eacute] to no more than five 
pages.
    In addition, do not use hyperlinks in an application. Reviewers 
will be instructed not to follow hyperlinks if included. Our reviewers 
will not read any pages of your project narrative that exceed the page 
limit, or the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other 
standards. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications that meet 
the page limit following the standards outlined in this section rather 
than submitting applications that are the equivalent of the page limit 
applying other standards.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: August 8, 2016.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: August 29, 2016.
    We will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing 
grant applications if we have a better understanding of the number of 
applicants that intend to apply for funding under this competition. 
Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us 
of the applicant's intent to submit an application for funding. This 
notification should be brief, and identify the SEA applicant and, if 
applicable, the SEA that it will designate as the fiscal agent for an 
award (e.g., in the case of consortia applicants). Submit this 
notification by email to [email protected] with ``Intent to Apply'' 
in the email subject line or mail to Donald Peasley, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E124, Washington, DC 20202-
6132. Applicants that do not provide this email notification may still 
apply for funding.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 22, 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

[[Page 52428]]

Other Submission Requirements in section IV of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: November 21, 2016.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award 
Management (SAM), the Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet at the 
following Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A DUNS number can be 
created within one to two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data you enter into the SAM database. 
Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial 
assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow 
sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We 
strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note:  Once your SAM registration is active, it may be 24 to 48 
hours before you can access the information in, and submit an 
application through, Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make 
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with 
your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update 
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the EAG competition, CFDA number 
84.368A, 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 EAG 
competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not 
include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 
84.326, not 84.326A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
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:

[[Page 52429]]

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 application 
narrative--is critical to a meaningful review of your proposal. For 
that reason it is important to allow yourself adequate time to upload 
all material as PDF files. The Department will not convert material 
from other formats to PDF.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department. Grants.gov 
will also notify you automatically by email if your application met all 
the Grants.gov validation requirements or if there were any errors 
(such as submission of your application by someone other than a 
registered Authorized Organization Representative, or inclusion of an 
attachment with a file name that contains special characters). You will 
be given an opportunity to correct any errors and resubmit, but you 
must still meet the deadline for submission of applications.
    Once your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov, the 
Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you 
an email with a unique PR/Award number for your application.
    These emails do not mean that your application is without any 
disqualifying errors. While your application may have been successfully 
validated by Grants.gov, it must also meet the Department's application 
requirements as specified in this notice and in the application 
instructions. Disqualifying errors could include, for instance, failure 
to upload attachments in a read-only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to 
submit a required part of the application; or failure to meet applicant 
eligibility requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that your 
submitted application has met all of the Department's requirements.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this 
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that the 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will 
contact you after we determine whether your application will be 
accepted.

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

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Donald Peasley, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E124, 
Washington, DC 20202-6132. FAX: (202) 401-1557.
    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 84.368A), 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.

[[Page 52430]]

    (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.
    We will not consider applications postmarked after the application 
deadline date.

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

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.368A), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

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

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210. We will award up to 120 points to an 
application under the selection criteria; the total possible points for 
each selection criterion are noted in parentheses.
    (a) Need for project. (5 points)
    The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In 
determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    1. The magnitude of severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    2. The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the 
activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
    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.
    (b) Significance. (25 points)
    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    1. The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    2. The potential contribution of the proposed project to the 
development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the 
field of study.
    3. The potential for generalizing from the findings or results of 
the proposed project.
    4. The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
    5. The likely utility of the products (such as information, 
materials, processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed 
project, including the potential for their being used effectively in a 
variety of other settings.
    (c) Quality of the project design. (35 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    2. The extent to which there is a conceptual framework underlying 
the proposed research or demonstration activities and the quality of 
that framework.
    3. The extent to which the proposed activities constitute a 
coherent, sustained, program of research and development in the field, 
including, as appropriate, a substantial addition to an ongoing line of 
inquiry.
    4. The extent to which the proposed project is based upon a 
specific research design, and the quality and appropriateness of that 
design, including the scientific rigor of the studies involved.
    5. The extent to which the proposed development efforts include 
adequate quality controls and, as appropriate, repeated testing of 
products.
    6. The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
    7. The quality of the methodology to be employed in the proposed 
project.
    8. The potential and planning for the incorporation of project 
purposes, activities, or benefits into the ongoing work of the 
applicant beyond the end of the grant.
    (d) Quality of project services. (5 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided 
by the proposed project. In determining the quality of the services to 
be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the 
quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and 
treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups 
that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, 
national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    1. The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services.
    2. The likelihood that the services to be provided by the proposed 
project will lead to improvements in the achievement of students as 
measured against rigorous academic standards.
    (e) Quality of project personnel. (8 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry 
out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project 
personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant 
encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of 
groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, 
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator.
    2. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel.
    3. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of project consultants or subcontractors.
    (f) Adequacy of resources. (12 points)

[[Page 52431]]

    The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the application organization or the 
lead applicant organization.
    2. The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the 
proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
    3. The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project.
    4. The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
    (g) Quality of the management plan. (12 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of 
the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    2. The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
    3. The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products 
and services from the proposed project.
    4. The extent to which the time commitments of the project director 
and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project.
    (h) Quality of the project evaluation. (10 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the 
evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    2. The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    3. 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.
    4. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.
    5. The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about 
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other 
settings.
    (i) Strategy to scale. (8 points)
    The Secretary considers the applicant's strategy to scale the 
proposed project. In determining the applicant's capacity to scale the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The applicant's capacity (e.g., in terms of qualified personnel, 
financial resources, or management capacity) to further develop and 
bring to scale the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice, or 
to work with others to ensure that the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice can be further developed and brought to scale, 
based on the findings of the proposed project.
    2. The mechanisms the applicant will use to broadly disseminate 
information on its project so as to support further development or 
replication.
    3. The extent to which the applicant demonstrates there is unmet 
demand for the process, product, strategy, or practice that will enable 
the applicant to reach the level of scale that is proposed in the 
application.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
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.
    4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$150,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2), we must make a judgment about 
your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under 
Federal awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before 
we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about 
you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred 
to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through SAM. You may review and comment on any 
information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and 
that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

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

[[Page 52432]]

GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993, the Department has developed four measures to 
evaluate the overall effectiveness of the EAG program: (1) The number 
of States that participate in EAG projects funded by this competition; 
(2) the percentage of grantees that, at least twice during the period 
of their grants, make available to SEA staff in non-participating 
States and to assessment researchers information on findings resulting 
from the EAG through presentations at national conferences, 
publications in refereed journals, or other products disseminated to 
the assessment community; (3) for each grant cycle and as determined by 
an expert panel, the percentage of EAG that yield significant research, 
methodologies, products, or tools regarding assessment systems or 
assessments; and (4) for each grant cycle and as determined by an 
expert panel, the percentage of EAG that yield significant research, 
methodologies, products, or tools specifically regarding accommodations 
and alternate assessments for students with disabilities and limited 
English proficient students. Grantees will be expected to include in 
their interim and final performance reports information about the 
accomplishments of their projects because the Department will need data 
on these measures.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Donald Peasley, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3e124, Washington, DC 20202-
6132. Telephone: (202) 453-7982 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), 
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

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

    Dated: August 1, 2016.
Ann Whalen,
Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Delegated the Duties of Assistant 
Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2016-18532 Filed 8-5-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P