[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
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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