[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 58 (Tuesday, March 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15336-15343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-06123]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Assistance for Arts Education 
Programs--Professional Development for Arts Educators Grants

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

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:
    Assistance for Arts Education Programs--Professional Development 
for Arts Educators (PDAE) Grants Notice inviting applications for new 
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2017.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.351C.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: March 28, 2017.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 27, 2017.
    Date of Pre-Application Webinar: For information about the pre-
application Webinar, visit the Arts in Education (AIE) Web site at: 
https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/arts/.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 30, 2017.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 26, 2017.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Assistance for Arts Education program is 
authorized under Title IV, Part F, Subpart 4 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student 
Succeeds Act (ESSA).\1\ It is intended to enrich the academic 
experiences by promoting arts education for students, including 
disadvantaged students and students who are children with disabilities. 
The Professional Development for Arts Educators grant (PDAE) 
specifically supports the implementation of high-quality model 
professional development programs for arts educators and other 
instructional staff in the areas of music, dance, drama, media arts, 
and visual arts, including folk arts, for students in kindergarten 
through grade 12 (K-12) in which 50 percent or more of the students are 
from low-income families.
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    \1\ Unless otherwise indicated, all references to the ESEA are 
to the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA.
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    Background: The arts are included in the list of subjects 
comprising a well-rounded education as set out under section 8101 of 
the ESEA. Teachers of the arts, like teachers in other subject areas, 
need opportunities to gain knowledge and skills through high-quality 
professional development. Since 2002, the PDAE program has helped to 
provide these opportunities for thousands of teachers, with an emphasis 
on both providing sustained and intensive professional development and 
building capacity for continuation and expansion of professional 
development efforts beyond the Federal grant period. However, the need 
for these opportunities remains great.
    A survey of schools by the U.S. Department of Education 
(Department) in 2009-2010 \2\ indicated the need for increased 
professional development opportunities for teachers of the arts. 
Approximately one-third of high schools reported having no professional 
development opportunities available for music and visual arts teachers. 
For elementary schools, approximately 40 percent of music and visual 
arts teachers did not have professional development opportunities. For 
the disciplines of dance and drama, fewer than 20 percent of districts 
offered professional development opportunities for elementary school 
teachers.
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    \2\ Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, 
1999-2000 and 2009-10, National Center for Education Statistics, 
2012, https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012014rev.
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    Professional development in the arts is important for both arts 
classrooms and integration of the arts with other subjects in a well-
rounded education. Arts educators need to continually gain new 
knowledge and skills in the arts disciplines in order to effectively 
plan, deliver, and assess learning in the arts. In addition, high-
quality professional development is required to ensure that arts 
educators, general classroom teachers, and non-arts subject teachers 
effectively plan, collaborate, implement, and assess arts-integration 
learning based on relevant content, performance standards, and research 
on effective professional development and arts-integration curriculum 
and pedagogy. High achievement standards in the arts need to be 
maintained in both arts-specific and arts-integrated classrooms. 
Further, arts educators and other instructional staff need 
opportunities to benefit from technology-enhanced professional 
development strategies and to learn how to integrate digital

[[Page 15337]]

instructional and assessment tools into arts and arts-integrated 
classrooms.
    As States continue to revise their arts standards, teachers of the 
arts, including arts specialists, non-arts classroom teachers, teaching 
artists, and other instructional staff, need opportunities to gain new 
knowledge and skills based on State standards and to implement that 
knowledge and skills in K-12 classrooms. Since 2004, arts education has 
been guided by national voluntary standards; 49 States and the District 
of Columbia currently have State arts standards. In 2014, the National 
Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCAS) released new voluntary pre-K 
to grade 12 arts standards. Fourteen States have adopted new, or 
revised existing, arts standards that reflect the primary concepts of 
the NCAS standards.\3\
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    \3\ Arts Education Partnership ArtScan, www.ecs.org/ec-content/uploads/2016-State-of-the-States-of-Art.pdf.
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    The 2009-2010 Department survey referenced above also indicated an 
``arts-opportunity gap'' for thousands of American students who receive 
minimal or no access to arts education.\4\ That gap is greatest for 
disadvantaged students in mid-high and high-poverty schools.\5\ 
Accordingly, continuation of the requirement that schools participating 
in PDAE projects have a minimum 50 percent of students from low-income 
families supports the program's statutory purpose to promote arts 
education for disadvantaged students.
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    \4\ Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, 
1999-2000 and 2009-10, National Center for Education Statistics, 
2012, https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012014rev.
    \5\ https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_clb.asp.
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    Priority: This notice contains one competitive preference priority. 
We are establishing this priority for the FY 2017 grant competition and 
any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applications from this competition, in accordance with section 
437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 
1232(d)(1).
    Competitive Preference Priority: This priority is a competitive 
preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2) we award up to an 
additional five points to an application, depending on how well the 
application meets this priority.
    This priority is:
    Leveraging Technology to Support Instructional Practice and 
Professional Development Projects (up to 5 points).
    Projects that are designed to leverage technology through one or 
more of the following:
    (a) Using high-speed Internet access and devices to increase 
students' and educators' access to high-quality accessible digital 
tools, assessments, and materials, particularly open educational 
resources.
    (b) Implementing high-quality, accessible online courses, online 
learning communities, or online simulations, such as those for which 
educators could earn professional development credit or continuing 
education units through digital credentials based on demonstrated 
mastery of competencies and performance-based outcomes, instead of 
traditional time-based metrics.
    Application Requirement: To be eligible for PDAE program funds, 
applicants must propose to implement professional development programs 
for arts educators and other instructional staff serving schools that 
meet the following requirement: 50 percent or more of the students 
served by the K-12 school are from low-income families (based on the 
poverty criteria in Title I, Section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA).

    Note:  Applicants will be required to provide in the application 
school enrollment data from the most recent school year available to 
show evidence of LEA and school eligibility under this requirement.

    Definitions: The definitions of ``arts,'' ``arts educator,'' and 
``integrate'' are from the notice of final priority, requirements, and 
definitions for this program (2005 NFP), published in the Federal 
Register on March 30, 2005 (70 FR 16242). The definitions of ``evidence 
of promise,'' ``logic model,'' ``randomized controlled trial,'' 
``relevant outcome,'' ``quasi-experimental design study,'' ``What Works 
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards,'' and ``strong theory'' are from 34 
CFR 77.1(c). The definitions for the terms ``digital credentials,'' and 
``open educational resources'' are from the Secretary's supplemental 
priorities. The definition for the term local educational agency is 
from section 8101 of the ESEA. The definition of ``sustained and 
intensive'' is specific to the program's Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA) measure only.
    Arts includes music, dance, theater, media arts, and visual arts, 
including folk arts.
    Arts educator means a teacher who works in music, dance, theater, 
media arts, or visual arts, including folk arts.
    Digital credentials means evidence of mastery of specific 
competencies or performance-based abilities, provided in digital rather 
than physical medium (such as through digital badges). These digital 
credentials may then be used to supplement or satisfy continuing 
education or professional development requirements.
    Evidence of promise means there is empirical evidence to support 
the theoretical linkage(s) between at least one critical component and 
at least one relevant outcome presented in the logic model for the 
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice. Specifically, 
evidence of promise means the conditions in paragraphs (i) and (ii) of 
this definition are met:
    (i) There is at least one study that is a--
    (A) Correlational study with statistical controls for selection 
bias;
    (B) Quasi-experimental study that meets the What Works 
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations; or
    (C) Randomized controlled trial that meets the What Works 
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations.
    (ii) The study referenced in paragraph (i) of this definition found 
a statistically significant or substantively important (defined as a 
difference of 0.25 standard deviations or larger), favorable 
association between at least one critical component and one relevant 
outcome presented in the logic model for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice.
    Integrate means to strengthen (i) the use of high-quality arts 
instruction within other academic content areas, and (ii) the place of 
the arts as a core academic subject in the school curriculum.
    Local educational agency means a public board of education or other 
public authority legally constituted within a State for either 
administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service 
function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, 
county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a 
State, or of or for a combination of school districts or counties that 
is recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public 
elementary schools or secondary schools. The term includes--
    (i) Any other public institution or agency having administrative 
control and direction of a public elementary school or secondary 
school;
    (ii) An elementary school or secondary school funded by the Bureau 
of Indian Education but only to the extent that including the school 
makes the school eligible for programs for which specific eligibility 
is not provided to the school in another provision of law and the 
school does not have a student population that is smaller than the 
student population of the LEA receiving assistance under the ESEA with 
the smallest student population, except that the school shall

[[Page 15338]]

not be subject to the jurisdiction of any State educational agency 
(SEA) other than the Bureau of Indian Education;
    (iii) Educational service agencies and consortia of those agencies; 
and
    (iv) The SEA in a State in which the SEA is the sole educational 
agency for all public schools.
    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.
    Open educational resources means teaching, learning, and research 
resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under 
an intellectual property license that permits their free use and 
repurposing by others.
    Randomized controlled trial means a study that employs random 
assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, schools, or 
districts to receive the intervention being evaluated (the treatment 
group) or not to receive the intervention (the control group). The 
estimated effectiveness of the intervention is the difference between 
the average outcome for the treatment group and for the control group. 
These studies, depending on design and implementation, can meet What 
Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations.
     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.
    Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice that includes a logic model.
    Sustained and intensive means to complete 40 hours of professional 
development and 75 percent of the total number of professional 
development hours offered over a period of six or more months.
    What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards means the standards set 
forth in the What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook 
(Version 3.0, March 2014), which can be found at the following link: 
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, definitions, 
requirements, and selection criteria. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 
however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements, 
regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or 
substantially revised program authority. This is the first grant 
competition under section 4642(a)(1)(A) of the ESEA, and therefore 
qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, 
the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the priority and 
requirements under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. The priority and 
requirements will apply to the FY 2017 grant competition and any 
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applications from this competition.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7291-7292.
    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 (OMB) 
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) Secretary's 
Supplemental Priorities. (e) The 2005 NFP.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Further Continuing and Security 
Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017, would provide, on an annualized 
basis, $26,948,673 for the Arts in Education program, of which we would 
use an estimated $7,100,000 for this competition. The actual level of 
funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are 
inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in future years from the 
list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$375,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $300,000 for the first year of 
the project. Funding for the second, third, and fourth years is subject 
to the availability of funds and the approval of continuation awards 
(see 34 CFR 75.253).
    Estimated Number of Awards: 20-25.

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

    Project Period: Up to 48 months (subject to availability of funds).

    Note:  Based on past experience of PDAE grantees, applicants are 
encouraged to use the first 12 months of the project period to 
refine the evaluation design and instruments, specifically those 
related to the program's GPRA measures, build capacity to execute 
the evaluation, and ensure that program design and implementation 
are aligned with the evaluation requirements.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: An LEA in which 20 percent or more of the 
students served by the LEA are from families with an income below the 
Federal poverty line, and which may be a charter school that is 
considered an LEA under State law and regulations, and that works in 
partnership with one or more of the following:
    (a) A Regional Service Agency;
    (b) An SEA
    (c) An institution of higher education; or
    (d) A museum or cultural institution, or another private agency, 
institution, or organization.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. In accordance with section 4110 of the 
ESEA, funds made available under this subpart shall be used to 
supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be 
used for activities authorized under this subpart.
    3. Coordination Requirement: In accordance with section 4642(b)(1) 
of the ESEA, grantees are required to coordinate, to the extent 
practicable, each project or program carried out with such assistance 
with appropriate activities of public or private cultural agencies, 
institutions, and organizations, including museums, arts education 
associations, libraries, and theaters.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following 
address: https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/arts/arts-

[[Page 15339]]

in-education-professional-development-for-arts-educators/. To obtain a 
copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of 
Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 
1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If you use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 
1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at 
its email address: [email protected].
    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.351C.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under 
Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
    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 program.
    Notice of Intent To Apply: We will be able to develop a more 
efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we can anticipate 
the number of applicants that intend to apply for funding under this 
competition. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant 
to notify us of the applicant's intent to submit an application for 
funding by sending a short email message. This short email should 
provide (1) the applicant organization's name and address; and (2) 
whether the applicant intends to address the competitive preference 
priority. Please send this email notification to 
[email protected] with ``Intent to Apply'' in the email 
subject line. Applicants that do not provide this email notification 
may still apply for funding and are not required to, or prohibited 
from, addressing the competitive preference priority.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. We recommend that you limit the application narrative to 
no more than 50 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Calibri, or Arial.
    The suggested page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, 
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the suggested 
page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.
    b. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the PDAE 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: March 28, 2017.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: April 27, 2017.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 30, 2017.
    A pre-application Webinar will be held for this competition shortly 
after this notice's publication in the Federal Register. The Webinar is 
intended to provide technical assistance to all interested grant 
applicants. For information about the pre-application Webinar, visit 
the AIE Web site at: https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/arts/.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to Other Submission Requirements in section 
IV of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 26, 2017.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award 
Management (SAM), 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,

[[Page 15340]]

please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data you enter into the SAM database. 
Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial 
assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow 
sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We 
strongly recommend that you register early.

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

    If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make 
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with 
your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update 
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    7. Other Submission Requirements:
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement 
in accordance with the instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under Assistance for Arts Education--PDAE, 
CFDA number 84.351C, 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 PDAE 
competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include 
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.351, 
not 84.351C).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you 
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. 
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to 
Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home 
page at www.G5.gov. 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 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.

[[Page 15341]]

    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: Bonnie Carter, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W223, 
Washington, DC 20202-6200. FAX: (202) 205-5630.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.351C), 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 84.351C), 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:  Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:
     If you mail or hand deliver your application to the 
Department--

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

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210.
    The maximum score for all of the selection criteria is 100 points. 
The

[[Page 15342]]

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 priority 
in this notice. The maximum score that an application may receive under 
the competitive preference priority and the selection criteria is 105 
points.
    A. Need for Project (up to 10 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 extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving 
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals.
    (2) 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. Quality of Project Services (up to 25 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 services to be provided by the proposed 
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective 
practice.
    (2) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services.
    (3) 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.
    C. Quality of Project Personnel (up to 15 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry 
out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project 
personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant 
encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of 
groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, 
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel.
    (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of project consultants or subcontractors.
    D. Quality of the Management Plan (up to 20 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers 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 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.
    E. Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 30 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 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.
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project is supported by strong 
theory (as defined in this notice).
    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 program the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
3474.10, the Secretary may impose special conditions and, in 
appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the 
applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of 
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system 
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    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.

[[Page 15343]]

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    4. Performance Measures: We have established two GPRA performance 
measures for the PDAE program. The first GPRA measure is: The 
percentage of teachers participating in the PDAE program who receive 
professional development that is sustained and intensive (as defined in 
this notice). In implementing this measure, the Department will collect 
from grantees data on the extent to which they provide professional 
development that is sustained and intensive. The second GPRA measure 
is: The percentage of PDAE projects whose teachers show a statistically 
significant increase in content knowledge in the arts. In implementing 
this measure, grantees will be expected to administer a pre-test and a 
post-test of teacher content knowledge in the arts. The pre-test and 
post-test should be the same test or equivalent versions of the test. 
Successful applicants will be expected to include professional 
development data in their annual performance reports to the Department.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Bonnie Carter, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 4W223, Washington, DC 20202-
6200. Telephone: (202) 401-3576 or by email: 
[email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

VIII. Other Information

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

    Dated: March 23, 2017.
Margo Anderson,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Office of Innovation and 
Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2017-06123 Filed 3-27-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P