[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15683-15689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05119]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Innovative Approaches to Literacy
Program
AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2023 for the
Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program, Assistance Listing
Number 84.215G. This notice relates to the approved information
collection under OMB control number 1894-0006.
DATES:
Applications Available: March 14, 2023.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: March 29, 2023.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 15, 2023.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 12, 2023.
Pre-Application Webinar Information: The Department will hold a
pre-application meeting via webinar for prospective applicants. For
information about the pre-application webinar, visit the IAL website
at: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/well-rounded-education-programs/innovative-approaches-to-literacy/.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede
the version published on December 27, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Simon Earle, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 3E254, Washington, DC 20202-
6450. Telephone: (202) 453-7923. Email: [email protected].
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The IAL program supports high-quality programs
designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and
students from birth through 12th grade in high-need local educational
agencies (LEAs) and schools. IAL promotes innovative literacy programs
that support the development of literacy skills in low-income
communities, including programs that (1) develop and enhance effective
school library programs, which may include providing professional
development for school librarians, books, and up-to-date materials to
high-need schools; (2) provide early literacy services, including
pediatric literacy programs through which, during well-child visits,
medical providers trained in research-based methods of early language
and literacy promotion provide developmentally appropriate books and
recommendations to parents to encourage them to read aloud to their
children starting in infancy; and (3) provide high-quality books on a
regular basis to children and adolescents from low-income communities
to increase reading motivation, performance, and frequency.
Background: The IAL program focuses on improving literacy skills
for school age children from birth to 12th grade. Following the
Secretary's call to ``Raise the Bar'' in education, the priorities used
in this competition are designed to create conditions under which
students have equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities
and experiences.\1\ In FY 2023, the Department is particularly
interested in projects that propose services and activities in settings
that traditionally have limited access to high-quality literacy
instruction and resources or settings in which funding disparities may
limit access, including, for
[[Page 15684]]
example, programs that serve incarcerated youth and early learning
programs. Similarly, many adult learning programs serve students
between the ages of 16 and 19 who are working toward a General
Educational Development certificate or State high school diploma. While
these students may no longer be in the traditional K-12 setting, they
are school-aged students who may have limited access to high-quality
literacy instruction and resources. Resources should be provided and
allocated in ways that are racially, ethnically, and culturally
affirming; considerate of disability status; linguistically responsive;
and inclusive of all students in various settings. Of particular
interest to the Department are programs designed to meet the needs of
students in juvenile correctional facilities. It is imperative that
students receiving educational support in juvenile correctional
facilities have access to multilevel, age-appropriate literacy
materials. Additionally, educators supporting these students should
have access to appropriate literacy materials to increase students'
positive interactions with books and literature.
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\1\ U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona laid out his
vision for the direction the agency will follow in 2023 to promote
academic excellence, improve learning conditions, and prepare our
students for a world where global engagement is critical to our
nation's standing. In his address Secretary Cardona remarked that
``Raise the Bar: Lead the World'' is not a list of new priorities,
but a call to strengthen our will to transform education for the
better, building on approaches that we know work in education.
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The Department also expects to continue awarding grants that will
allow us to support school library programs.
Priorities: This notice contains two absolute priorities and four
competitive preference priorities. Absolute Priorities 1 and 2, subpart
(a) of Competitive Preference Priority 1, and Competitive Preference
Priority 3 are from the notice of final priorities and requirement for
IAL (IAL NFP), published in the Federal Register on July 12, 2021 (86
FR 36510). Subpart (b) of Competitive Preference Priority 1 and
Competitive Preference Priority 2 are from the Administrative
Priorities for Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on March 9, 2020 (85 FR 13640) (Administrative Priorities).
Competitive Preference Priority 4 is from the Secretary's
Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant
Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2021 (86 FR
70612) (Supplemental Priorities).
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2023, and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet at least one of
these absolute priorities.
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1--Projects, Carried Out in Coordination With
School Libraries, for Book Distribution, Childhood Literacy Activities,
or Both.
Projects that propose to coordinate with school libraries to carry
out grant activities, such as book distributions, childhood literacy
activities, or both, for the proposed project.
Absolute Priority 2--Projects, Carried Out in Coordination With
School Libraries, That Provide a Learning Environment That Is Racially,
Ethnically, Culturally, Disability Status and Linguistically Responsive
and Inclusive, Supportive, and Identity-Safe.
Projects coordinated with school libraries and designed to be
responsive to racial, ethnic, cultural, disability, and linguistic
differences in a manner that creates inclusive, supportive, and
identity-safe learning environments.
In its application, the applicant must--
(a) Describe the types of racially, ethnically, culturally,
disability status, and linguistically responsive program design
elements that the applicant proposes to include in its project;
(b) Explain how its program design will create inclusive,
supportive, and identity-safe environments; and
(c) Describe how its project will be carried out in coordination
with school libraries.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2023, and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications
from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional
10 points to an application, depending on how well the application
meets one or more of these priorities. For Competitive Preference
Priority 1, we award an additional 2 points to an application that
meets the priority. For Competitive Preference Priority 2, we award an
additional 2 points to an application that meets the priority. For
Competitive Preference Priority 3, we award up to an additional 3
points, depending on which priority subpart (a, b, or c) the applicant
meets. For Competitive Preference Priority 4, we award up to an
additional 3 points to an application that meets the priority.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Rural Applicants; Supporting
Students in Urban Areas. (0 or 2 points)
Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate that it meets
either paragraph (a) or (b).
(a) Rural applicants. The applicant proposes to serve a community
that is served by one or more LEAs with a locale code of 32, 33, 41,
42, 43.
(b) Projects that are designed to serve one or more urban LEAs.
(1) The applicant is an eligible LEA or consortium of eligible LEAs
with a locale code of 11, 12, or 13.
(2) The applicant is a national nonprofit that proposes to serve
schools within eligible LEAs, all of which have a locale code of 11,
12, or 13.
Note: Applicants are encouraged to retrieve locale codes from the
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) School District search
tool (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/), where LEAs can be
looked up individually to retrieve locale codes and Public School
search tool (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/), where individual
schools can be looked up to retrieve locale codes.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Applications from New Potential
Grantees. (0 or 2 points)
Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate the applicant
has never received a grant, including through membership in a group
application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, under
the program from which it seeks funds.
Competitive Preference Priority 3--Supporting Students From Low-
Income Families. (0 to 3 points)
Projects that serve LEAs serving students from low-income families.
In its application, an applicant must demonstrate, based on Small Area
Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) data from the U.S. Census Bureau
or, for an LEA for which SAIPE data are not available, the same State-
derived equivalent of SAIPE data that the State uses to make
allocations under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), one of the following:
(a) At least 30 percent of the students enrolled in each of the
LEAs to be served by the proposed project are from families with an
income below the poverty line. (1 point)
(b) At least 40 percent of the students enrolled in each of the
LEAs to be served by the proposed project are from families with an
income below the poverty line. (2 points)
(c) At least 50 percent of the students enrolled in each of the
LEAs to be served by the proposed project are from families with an
income below the poverty line. (3 points)
Competitive Preference Priority 4--Promoting Equity in Student
Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities. (0 to 3 points)
In its application, the applicant must propose a project designed
to promote education equity and adequacy in resources and opportunity
for underserved students--
[[Page 15685]]
(a) In one or more of the following educational settings:
(1) Early learning programs.
(2) Career and technical education programs.
(3) Out-of-school-time settings.
(4) Alternative schools and programs.
(5) Juvenile justice system or correctional facilities.
(6) Adult learning.\2\
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\2\ The IAL program provides high-quality books on a regular
basis to children and adolescents from low-income communities to
increase reading motivation, performance, and frequency. For the
purpose of this program, the intended beneficiaries are children
from infancy through adolescence, acknowledging adolescents may also
be served in adult learning programs.
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(b) That examines the sources of inequity and inadequacy and
implement responses, and that may include one or more of the following:
(1) Expanding access to high-quality early learning, including in
school-based and community-based settings, by removing barriers through
implementation of programs that are inclusive with regard to race,
ethnicity, culture, language, and disability status.
(2) Establishing, expanding, or improving learning environments,
for multilingual learners, and increasing public awareness about the
benefits of fluency in more than one language and how the coordination
of language development in the school and the home improves student
outcomes for multilingual learners.
(3) Improving the quality of educational programs in juvenile
justice facilities (such as detention facilities and secure and non-
secure placements) or adult correctional facilities.
Definitions: The definitions of ``demonstrates a rationale,''
``logic model,'' ``project component,'' and ``relevant outcome'' are
from 34 CFR 77.1. The definition of ``eligible national nonprofit
organization'' is from section 2226(b)(2) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C.
6646(b)(2)). The definition of ``local educational agency'' is from
section 8101(30) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7801(30)). The definitions of
``children or students with disabilities,'' ``early learning,''
``English learner,'' ``disconnected youth,'' ``military- or veteran-
connected student,'' and ``underserved student'' are from the
Supplemental Priorities.
Children or students with disabilities means children with
disabilities as defined in section 602(3) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1401(3)) and 34 CFR 300.8,
or students with disabilities, as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 (29 U.S.C. 705(37), 705(202)(B)).
Demonstrates a rationale means a key project component included in
the project's logic model is informed by research or evaluation
findings that suggest the project component is likely to improve
relevant outcomes.
Disconnected youth means an individual, between the ages 14 and 24,
who may be from a low-income background, experiences homelessness, is
in foster care, is involved in the justice system, or is not working or
not enrolled in (or at risk of dropping out of) an educational
institution.
Early learning means any (a) State-licensed or State-regulated
program or provider, regardless of setting or funding source, that
provides early care and education for children from birth to
kindergarten entry, including, but not limited to, any program operated
by a childcare center or in a family childcare home; (b) program funded
by the Federal Government or State or LEAs (including any IDEA-funded
program); (c) Early Head Start and Head Start program; (d) nonrelative
childcare provider who is not otherwise regulated by the State and who
regularly cares for two or more unrelated children for a fee in a
provider setting; and (e) other program that may deliver early learning
and development services in a child's home, such as the Maternal,
Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program; Early Head Start;
and Part C of IDEA.
Eligible national nonprofit organization (NNP) means an
organization of national scope that--
(a) Is supported by staff, which may include volunteers, or
affiliates at the State and local levels; and
(b) Demonstrates effectiveness or high-quality plans for addressing
childhood literacy activities for the population targeted by the grant.
Note: A local affiliate of an NNP organization does not meet the
definition of NNP organization. Only a national agency, organization,
or institution is eligible to apply as an NNP organization.
English learner means an individual who is an English learner as
defined in section 8101(20) of the ESEA or an individual who is an
English language learner as defined in section 203(7) of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Local educational agency:
(a) In general--The term 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.
(b) Administrative Control and Direction--The term includes any
other public institution or agency having administrative control and
direction of a public elementary school or secondary school.
(c) Bureau of Indian Education Schools--The term includes 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 this Act with the
smallest student population, except that the school shall not be
subject to the jurisdiction of any State educational agency (SEA) other
than the Bureau of Indian Education.
(d) Educational Service Agencies--The term includes educational
service agencies and consortia of those agencies.
(e) State Educational Agency--The term includes the SEA in a State
in which the SEA is the sole educational agency for all public schools.
Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a
framework that identifies key project components of the proposed
project (i.e., the active ``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be
critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the
theoretical and operational relationships among the key project
components and relevant outcomes.
Military- or veteran-connected student means one or more of the
following:
(a) A child participating in an early learning program, a student
enrolled in preschool through grade 12, or a student enrolled in career
and technical education or postsecondary education who has a parent or
guardian who is a member of the uniformed services (as defined by 37
U.S.C. 101), in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard,
Space Force, National Guard, Reserves, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, or Public Health Service or is a veteran of the
uniformed services with an honorable discharge (as defined by 38 U.S.C.
3311).
(b) A student who is a member of the uniformed services, a veteran
of the uniformed services, or the spouse of a service member or
veteran.
[[Page 15686]]
(c) A child participating in an early learning program, a student
enrolled in preschool through grade 12, or a student enrolled in career
and technical education or postsecondary education who has a parent or
guardian who is a veteran of the uniformed services (as defined by 37
U.S.C. 101).
Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention,
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s)
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the
specific goals of the program.
Underserved student means a student (which may include children in
early learning environments, students in K-12 programs, students in
postsecondary education or career and technical education, and adult
learners, as appropriate) in one or more of the following subgroups:
(a) A student who is living in poverty or is served by schools with
high concentrations of students living in poverty.
(b) A student of color.
(c) A student who is a member of a federally recognized Indian
Tribe.
(d) An English learner.
(e) A child or student with a disability.
(f) A disconnected youth.
(g) A technologically unconnected youth.
(h) A migrant student.
(i) A student experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
(j) A lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or
intersex (LGBTQI+) student.
(k) A student who is in foster care.
(l) A student without documentation of immigration status.
(m) A pregnant, parenting, or caregiving student.
(n) A student impacted by the justice system, including a formerly
incarcerated student.
(o) A student performing significantly below grade level.
(p) A military- or veteran-connected student.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6646.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in the
Federal civil rights laws.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86,
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3474. (d) The NFP. (e) The Administrative Priorities. (f) The
Supplemental Priorities.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian Tribes.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $9,000,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2023 from the list of
unfunded applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $175,000 to $750,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 15-20.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: To be considered for an award under this
competition, an applicant must be one or more of the following:
(1) An LEA in which 20 percent or more of the students served by
the LEA are from families with an income below the poverty line (as
defined in section 8101(41) of the ESEA).
(2) A consortium of such LEAs described in paragraph (1) above.
(3) The Bureau of Indian Education.
(4) An eligible national nonprofit organization (as defined in this
notice) that serves children and students within the attendance
boundaries of one or more eligible LEAs.
Note: Under the definition of ``poverty line'' in section 8101(41)
of the ESEA, the determination of the percentage of students served by
an LEA from families with an income below the poverty line is based on
the U.S. Census Bureau's SAIPE data.
An entity that meets the definition of an LEA in section 8101(30)
of the ESEA and that serves multiple LEAs, such as a county office of
education, an education service agency, or regional service education
agency, must provide the most recent SAIPE data for each of the
individual LEAs it serves. To determine whether the entity meets the
poverty threshold, the Department will derive the entity's poverty rate
by aggregating the number of students from families below the poverty
line (as provided in SAIPE data) in each of the LEAs the entity serves
and dividing it by the total number of students (as provided in SAIPE
data) in all of the LEAs the entity serves.
An LEA for which SAIPE data are not available, such as a non-
geographic charter school, must provide a determination by the SEA that
20 percent or more of the students aged 5-17 in the LEA are from
families with incomes below the poverty line based on the same State-
derived poverty data the SEA used to determine the LEA's allocation
under part A of title I of the ESEA.
Note: If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you
may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing (1) proof that the
Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an
organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a State
taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the
organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and
that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private
shareholder or individual; or (3) a certified copy of the applicant's
certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly
establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant.
2.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require
cost sharing or matching.
b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This competition involves supplement-
not-supplant funding requirements. Section 2301 of the ESEA provides
that funds made available under this program must be used to
supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be
used for IAL program activities by grantees.
c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses a restricted
indirect cost rate. For more information regarding indirect costs, or
to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
d. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR
[[Page 15687]]
part 200 subpart E of the Uniform Guidance.
3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities
described in its application.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045). and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to
submit an application. Please note that these Common Instructions
supersede the version published on December 27, 2021.
2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of
projects that may be proposed in applications for the IAL 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. 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 competition.
4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
5. Recommended 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 (1) limit the
application narrative to no more than 25 pages and (2) use the
following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the
assurances and certifications; the one-page abstract, resumes,
bibliography, logic model, or letters of support. However, the
recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.
6. Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to review
grant applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number
of applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage
each potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an
application. To do so, please email the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT with the subject line ``Intent to
Apply,'' and include the applicant's name and a contact person's name
and email address. Applicants that do not submit a notice of intent to
apply may still apply for funding; applicants that do submit a notice
of intent to apply are not bound to apply or bound by the information
provided.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
(a) Significance (up to 10 points).
The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project.
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(1) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the
proposed project.
(2) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the
needs of the target population.
(3) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in
teaching and student achievement.
(b) Quality of the project design (up to 20 points).
The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(2) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target
population or other identified needs.
(3) The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements.
(4) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a
rationale (as defined in this notice).
(c) Quality of project services (up to 30 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:
(1) 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.
(2) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or
beneficiaries of those services.
(3) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services.
(4) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project are focused on those with greatest needs.
(d) Quality of the management plan (up to 30 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:
(1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within
[[Page 15688]]
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 project evaluation (up to 10 points).
The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the
evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are appropriate
to the context within which the project operates.
(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for
examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies.
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
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.206, before awarding grants under this program the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR
3474.10, 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
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(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 the System for Award Management. 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.
5. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and
Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal
laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and
consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting
applications in accordance with--
(a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering
results based on the program objectives through an objective process of
evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video
surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the
National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) (2 CFR
200.216);
(c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to
maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United
States (2 CFR 200.322); and
(d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest
extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program
goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).
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 also may notify you
informally.
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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables.
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. 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
[[Page 15689]]
75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
5. Performance Measures: For purposes of Department reporting under
34 CFR 75.110, the Department has established the following performance
measures for the IAL program: (1) the percentage of fourth graders
participating in the project who demonstrated individual student growth
(i.e., an improvement in their achievement) over the past year on State
reading or language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(2) of the
ESEA; (2) the percentage of eighth graders participating in the project
who demonstrated individual student growth (i.e., an improvement in
their achievement) over the past year on State reading or language arts
assessments under section 1111(b)(2) of the ESEA; (3) the percentage of
schools participating in the project whose book-to-student ratios
increase from the previous year; and (4) the percentage of
participating children who receive at least one free, grade- and
language-appropriate book of their own.
All grantees will be expected to submit an annual performance
report that includes data addressing these performance measures to the
extent that they apply to the grantee's project.
6. 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, whether
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving 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. Other Information
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print,
audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 Portable Document Format (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.
James Lane,
Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Delegated the Duties of the Assistant
Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2023-05119 Filed 3-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P