[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