[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37222-37237]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12145]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Full-Service Community Schools
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 fiscal year (FY) 2023 for the Full-Service
Community Schools (FSCS) program, Assistance Listing Number 84.215J.
This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB
control number 1894-0006.
DATES:
Applications Available: June 7, 2023.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: July 7, 2023.
Date of Pre-Application Meetings: The Department will hold pre-
application meetings via webinars for prospective applicants. Detailed
information regarding these webinars will be provided on the FSCS
website at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/school-choice-improvement-programs/full-service-community-schools-program-fscs/fy-2023-fscs-grant-competition/.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 8, 2023.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: October 8, 2023.
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: Jane Hodgdon, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4E246, Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: 202-245-6057. 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 FSCS program is authorized by sections
4621-4623 and 4625 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965, as amended (ESEA). This program provides support for the
planning, implementation, and operation of full-service community
schools that improve the coordination, integration, accessibility, and
effectiveness of services for children and families, particularly for
children attending high-poverty schools, including high-poverty rural
schools.
Background: Meeting the needs of the whole child is essential to
helping America's students grow academically and improve their well-
being. The Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to increasing and
supporting the adoption of community school models across the country
has resulted in an increase in funding from $25 million in 2020 to $150
million in FY 2023, from 42 grantees in 2020 to 129 grantees in 2023,
which includes 42 grants made to local educational agencies (LEAs) (as
defined in this notice), nonprofit (as defined in this notice)
organizations, institutions of higher education, and government
organizations in FY 2022. To further demonstrate its commitment to
community schools, the White House worked with nine Federal agencies to
identify how funding across the Federal government can be used to
support community schools. These efforts resulted in the publication of
a Fact Sheet \1\ and Toolkit \2\ designed to assist community school
leaders, coordinators, advocates, and other stakeholders to understand
the current scope of Federal funding that can be used to support
community schools.
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\1\ Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Efforts to
Support Community Schools. Available at: www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/18/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-efforts-to-support-community-schools/.
\2\ White House Toolkit: Federal Resources to Support Community
Schools. Available at: www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-01-13-WHITE-HOUSE-TOOLKIT_Federal-Resources-to-Support-Community-Schools.pdf.
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Full-service community schools (as defined in this notice) meet the
unique needs of the neighborhoods they serve by leveraging local
nonprofit, private sector, and public partnerships to bring wraparound
services into school buildings, such as mental health supports, dental
services, and assistance with shelter and nutrition. They operate with
the assistance of school staff who coordinate with school
administrators, stakeholders, and local organizations to deliver these
services and more to students, their families, and members of the
community. Research \3\ has shown that comprehensive community school
interventions have increased student attendance, on-time grade
progression, and high school graduation rates.
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\3\ Maier, A., Daniel, J., Oakes, J., & Lam, L. (December 2017).
Community Schools as an Effective School Improvement Strategy: A
Review of the Evidence. Learning Policy Institute.
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The growing interest at the State and local levels in community
schools,\4\ known as full-service community schools, coincides with a
moment in which schools are urgently focused on supporting students'
holistic needs as they help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and
the Nation is grappling with violence in and around schools. In his
January 2023 speech, Secretary Miguel Cardona encouraged all
stakeholders to raise the bar in education. ``Raise the Bar: Lead the
World'' \5\ is the Department's call to action to transform preschool
through grade 12 education and unite around evidence-based (as defined
in this notice) strategies that advance educational equity and
excellence for all students. Raising the bar in education focuses on
building the skills that all students need to thrive inside and
[[Page 37223]]
outside of school, and supporting students to excel in the classroom,
in their careers, and in their enriched lives and communities, making a
positive difference in the world, for generations to come.
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\4\ Maier, A., Daniel, J., Oakes, J., & Lam, L. (December 2017).
Community Schools as an Effective School Improvement Strategy: A
Review of the Evidence. Learning Policy Institute.
\5\ Raise the Bar, U.S. Department of Education Call to Action.
Available at: www.ed.gov/raisethebar/.
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In addition to the funding made available under FSCS, the ESEA
offers flexibilities at the State and local levels to implement
strategies supported by community schools, such as coordination of
school and community resources (ESEA sections 1114(b)(5) and
1115(b)(2)) and after-school programming and support for a community
school coordinator (ESEA section 4108(5)(H)). If a State educational
agency (SEA) (as defined in this notice) or LEA lacks the resources to
implement community schools at scale, it can productively begin in
neighborhoods where community schools are most needed and, therefore,
students are most likely to benefit.\6\ In addition to a community
school approach being an allowable use of funding under title I of ESEA
as an evidence-based approach to school improvement, full-service
community schools have been well-positioned to respond to the COVID-19
pandemic and its impact on student's academic needs and well-being,
including by working closely with partner organizations to address
community needs such as summer programming, food and nutrition
programs, tutoring, mentoring, mental and physical health services,
COVID-19 vaccine access, family engagement strategies, and
opportunities to accelerate learning both inside and outside the
classroom. Accordingly, community schools are an allowable use of
American Rescue Plan Act funds. In addition, through the FSCS program,
the Department provides catalytic support for the planning and capacity
building, development, implementation, operation, and coordination of
effective services for children and families, particularly in urban and
rural areas with high rates of poverty.
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\6\ Horn, M.B., Freeland, J., Butler, S.M., & Brookings
Institution. (2015). Schools as Community Hubs: Integrating Support
Services to Drive Educational Outcomes. A Series of Discussion
Papers on Building Healthy Neighborhoods. No. 3. In Brookings
Institution. Brookings Institution.
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Research \7\ shows that community schools that include certain
design features show improvements in teaching, learning, and student
outcomes. The evidence-based features, or pillars, include providing
(1) integrated supports (e.g., social and emotional learning, access to
health and nutrition services); (2) expanded and enriched learning time
(e.g., after-school enrichment and summer school); (3) active family
and community engagement; and (4) collaborative leadership and
practices to support high-quality teaching. Full-service community
schools should create and implement these evidence-based strategies as
part of a comprehensive set of services that are designed to reflect
and be tailored to local contexts. These four pillars are supported by
the Science of Learning and Development Alliance \8\ and can be used to
address the needs of the whole child, including those children and
youth whom schools and community partners determine to be most
underserved. Continued inclusion of the four pillars in this year's
FSCS competition allows applicants to develop projects with greater
fidelity to evidence-based practices \9\ that have been shown to be
associated with improvements in teaching, learning, and student
outcomes, and prepares the FSCS program and its grantees for future
national evaluation efforts. For example, in a January 2020 study of
New York City community schools, assuming strong social capital, stable
leadership, and a strong instructional program, community schools have
been associated with improved attendance, on-time grade progression,
student achievement in math, and fewer disciplinary incidents.\10\
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\7\ Maier, A., Daniel, J., Oakes, J., & Lam, I. (2017).
Community Schools as an Effective School Improvement Strategy: A
Review of the Evidence. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.
\8\ Science of Learning and Development Alliance. (2020).
Science of Learning and Development: Initial Findings. https://soldalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SoLD-Science-Translation_May-2020_FNL.pdf.
\9\ Learning Policy Institute & Turnaround for Children. (2021).
Design principles for schools: Putting the science of learning and
development into action.
\10\ Johnston, W., Engberg, J., Opper, I., Sontag-Padilla, L.,
and Xenakis, L. (2020). Illustrating the Promise of Community
Schools: An Assessment of the Impact of the New York City Community
Schools Initiative. City of New York, www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3245.html.
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Building upon the work and progress of the field, as well as the
lessons learned from reviews and evaluations of community school
strategies and implementation, the Department published a notice of
final priority and requirements for the FSCS program elsewhere in this
issue of the Federal Register (2023 FSCS NFP). The final requirements
are included in this notice and require that grantees under this
competition commit to and participate in a national evaluation
assessing the implementation of the FSCS program.
In this FSCS competition, through two competitive preference
priorities, the Department seeks applications that consider how
classroom practices and school designs that are focused on the whole
learner can be incorporated into community school supports and
strategies. Recognizing the impact of school and community safety on
learning, the Department is also interested in projects that propose to
coordinate across multiple agencies and organizations to address
community violence prevention and intervention. Through an invitational
priority, the Department encourages projects that support effective
transition practices, continuity of services and supports, and aligned
instruction for students as they transition from preschool and other
early childhood settings into kindergarten and from kindergarten into
the early grades. Under the ESEA, FSCS grantees must provide pipeline
services (as defined in this notice), which includes access to high-
quality early childhood education programs. While FSCS grantees are
also required to support a child's transition between elementary,
middle, and high schools, they are not required to support effective
transitions between early childhood education and elementary school
settings, which research suggests is a critical point for addressing
the achievement gap before it is further entrenched.\11\ Furthermore,
instructional alignment from prekindergarten to first grade is
associated with a sustained benefit for a student's language, literacy,
and math skills through first grade.\12\ To facilitate a smooth
transition to kindergarten and support educational continuity across
the preschool to third grade continuum, we include the invitational
priority.
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\11\ McCormick, M., MacDowell, C., Weiland, C., Hsueh, J.,
Maier, M., Pralica, M., Maves, S., Snow, C. & Sachs, J. (2023).
Instructional Alignment is Associated with Sustained Benefits of
PreK. (EdWorkingPaper: 23-776). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute
at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/8s3g-tz1.
\12\ Ibid.
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Priorities: This notice contains five absolute priorities, two
competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. In
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priority 1 is from
section 4625(b)(1)(A) of the ESEA, and Absolute Priority 2 is from
section 4625(b)(1)(A) and (B) of the ESEA. Absolute Priorities 3, 4,
and 5 are from the notice of final priorities, requirements,
definitions, and selection criteria for this program published in the
Federal Register on July 13, 2022 (87 FR 41675) (2022 FSCS NFP).
Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2 are from the Secretary's
Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for
[[Page 37224]]
Discretionary Grants 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 Absolute Priority
1 or Absolute Priority 2 and one additional absolute priority (Absolute
Priority 3, Absolute Priority 4, or Absolute Priority 5).
Absolute Priorities 3, 4, and 5 constitute their own funding
categories under Absolute Priority 1 and under Absolute Priority 2.
Consequently, there will be separate funding slates for each of the
following categories of applications:
Absolute Priorities 1 and 3;
Absolute Priorities 1 and 4;
Absolute Priorities 1 and 5;
Absolute Priorities 2 and 3;
Absolute Priorities 2 and 4; and
Absolute Priorities 2 and 5.
The Secretary intends to award grants under each of these funding
categories, provided that applications of sufficient quality are
submitted. To ensure that applicants are considered for the correct
type of grant, applicants must clearly identify the specific absolute
priorities that the proposed project addresses in the one-page
abstract. If an entity is interested in proposing separate projects
(e.g., one that addresses Absolute Priorities 1 and 3 and another that
addresses Absolute Priorities 1 and 4), separate applications must be
submitted.
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1--Title IA Schoolwide Program Eligibility.
To meet this priority, applicants must propose to serve a minimum
of two or more full-service community schools eligible for a schoolwide
program (as defined in this notice) under section 1114(b) of the ESEA,
as part of a community- or district-wide strategy.
Absolute Priority 2--Title IA Schoolwide Program Eligibility and
Rural Districts--Small and Rural or Rural and Low-Income.
To meet this priority, applicants must propose to: (1) serve a
minimum of two or more full-service community schools eligible for a
schoolwide program under section 1114(b) of the ESEA, as part of a
community- or district-wide strategy; and (2) include an LEA that
satisfies the requirements of the Small Rural School Achievement
program (ESEA section 5211(b)(1)(A), (B), or (C)) or the Rural and Low-
Income School program (ESEA section 5221(b)(1)(A), (B), or (C)).
Note: Applicants may determine whether a particular LEA is eligible
for these programs by referring to information on the following
Department website: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-formula-grants/rural-insular-native-achievement-programs/rural-education-achievement-program/.
Note: An LEA includes a public charter school that operates as an
LEA.
Absolute Priority 3--Capacity Building and Development Grants.
To meet this priority, applicants must propose projects to (a)
conduct initial development and coordination activities, including
extensive community engagement, that leverage the findings of their
needs assessment--which may be completed during or before the grant
period--to develop the infrastructure, activities, and partnerships to
implement full-service community schools in two or more schools, and
(b) gather data on performance indicators.
Absolute Priority 4--Multi-Local Educational Agency Grants.
To meet this priority, applicants must propose projects to
implement and sustain full-service community schools in two or more
LEAs. As outlined in section 4622(1)(B) of the ESEA, an eligible entity
for any FSCS grant is a consortium of one or more LEAs or the Bureau of
Indian Education (BIE) and one or more community-based organizations,
nonprofit organizations, or other public or private entities. The
project must, with the exception of LEAs that oversee a single school,
coordinate and provide services at two or more full-service community
schools in each LEA.
Absolute Priority 5--FSCS State Scaling Grants.\13\
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\13\ Unitary systems, such as the District of Columbia, Hawaii,
and Puerto Rico, may apply under Absolute Priority 5 FSCS State
Scaling Grants.
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Applications submitted under Priority 5 must include a written
commitment of the SEA to participate in the partnership and to sustain
the program beyond 2 years after the term of the grant, which can be
submitted in the required preliminary memorandum of understanding (MOU)
that includes the roles and responsibilities of the SEA and other
partners identified at the time of the application. The applicant, in
partnership with the SEA, determines the number and percentage of State
LEAs, and the number and percentage of schools across those LEAs, that
will develop, support, and expand full-service community schools over
the 5-year grant performance period.
Applications under Priority 5 must also identify or establish a
State steering committee (which may be a previously existing body) that
represents relevant community schools' stakeholders, including
educators and other school staff, community school initiative leaders,
education union or association designees, family leaders participating
in community school programs, community partners such as service
providers, early childhood education providers such as Head Start, and
community school coordinators from schools already implementing full-
service community schools in the State. In addition to serving as an
advisory committee, the steering committee also has the authority to
make decisions about the design, implementation, and evaluation for the
grant, which may include identification or selection of LEAs that will
partner in the development and implementation of two or more community
schools in each LEA, with the exception of LEAs that oversee a single
school. The roles and responsibilities of the steering committee must
be included in the required preliminary MOU.
As outlined in section 4622(1)(B) of the ESEA, an eligible entity
for any FSCS grant is a consortium of one or more LEAs or the BIE and
one or more community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, or
other public or private entities.
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 both of these priorities; the total possible points for
each competitive preference priority are noted in parentheses.
Applicants may apply under one, both, or none of the competitive
preference priorities. If an applicant chooses to address one or both
of the competitive preference priorities, the applicant must identify
in the one-page abstract the competitive preference priorities they are
addressing in order to receive those points. The applicant must respond
to the competitive preference priorities it chooses to address in the
application narrative section of its application.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Meeting Student Social,
Emotional, and Academic Needs. (up to 5 points)
Projects that are designed to improve students' social, emotional,
academic, and career development, with a focus on
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underserved students, through one or more of the following priority
areas:
(1) Creating education or work-based settings that are supportive,
positive, identity-safe, and inclusive with regard to race, ethnicity,
culture, language, and disability status, through developing trusting
relationships between students (including underserved students),
educators, families, and community partners.
(2) Providing multi-tiered systems of supports that address
learning barriers both in and out of the classroom, that enable healthy
development and respond to students' needs and which may include
evidence-based trauma-informed practices and professional development
for educators on avoiding deficit-based approaches.
(3) Creating and implementing comprehensive schoolwide frameworks
(such as small schools or learning communities, advisory systems, or
looping educators) that support strong and consistent student and
educator relationships.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Strengthening Cross-Agency
Coordination and Community Engagement to Advance Systemic Change. (up
to 5 points)
The Secretary gives priority to projects that are designed to take
a systemic evidence-based approach to improving outcomes for
underserved students in coordinating efforts with Federal, State, or
local agencies, or community-based organizations, that support
students, to address community violence prevention and intervention.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2023 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, this is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets this invitational
priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
If an applicant chooses to address the invitational priority, the
applicant must identify so in the one-page abstract. The applicant must
respond to the invitational priority in the application narrative
section of its application.
This priority is:
Supporting Effective Transition Practices, Continuity of Services
and Supports, and Aligned Instruction for Students from Preschool and
Other Early Childhood Settings into Kindergarten and from Kindergarten
into the Early Grades (K-3).
The Secretary is particularly interested in projects that include
policies and procedures informed by developmentally appropriate
practices that support cross-sector collaboration and family engagement
across early learning and early elementary grades to support continuity
of relationships and services from preschool through grade three,
designed to lead to increased and improved educational opportunities
for students, and include implementation of one or more of the
following: (1) early learning through early elementary grades
instructional alignment and educator and school leader support to
promote academic recovery; (2) promotion of effective and informed
attendance strategies in early learning and the early elementary
grades; and (3) capacity building to promote effective family
engagement for students in early learning and the early elementary
grades.
Application Requirements: For FY 2023 and any subsequent year in
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, the following requirements apply. Applications for FSCS
grant funds must address the following application requirements.
Applicants must respond to the requirements that correspond to the
absolute priority that they are addressing. The application
requirements are from section 4625(a) of the ESEA, the 2022 FSCS NFP,
and the 2023 FSCS NFP. The source of each requirement is provided in
the parentheses following each requirement. An applicant may choose to
respond to each requirement separately or in the context of the
applicant's response to the selection criteria in Section V.1. of this
notice.
Absolute Priority 3--Capacity Building and Development Grants.
In order to receive funding, applicants for grants under Absolute
Priority 3 Capacity Building and Development Grants must address the
following application requirements.
(1) A description of the eligible entity. (4625(a)(1))
(2) A preliminary MOU among all partner entities of the eligible
entity, identified at the time of application, that will assist the
eligible entity to plan, develop, coordinate, provide, and evaluate
pipeline services and that describes the roles and responsibilities
that the partners, including the broadly representative consortium (as
defined in this notice), will assume. (4625(a)(2) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
(3) A description of the capacity of the eligible entity to
coordinate and provide pipeline services at two or more full-service
community schools. (4625(a)(3))
(4) A comprehensive plan that includes descriptions of the
following:
(A) The student, family, and school community to be served,
including demographic information; (4625(a)(4)(A))
(B) A plan for conducting the needs assessment that identifies the
academic, physical, nonacademic, health, mental health, and other needs
of students, families, and community residents; (4625(a)(4)(B)) and
2022 FSCS NFP)
(C) A plan for developing annual measurable performance objectives
and outcomes, including an increase in the number and percentage of
families and students targeted for services each year of the program,
in order to ensure that children are--
(i) Prepared for kindergarten;
(ii) Achieving academically; and
(iii) Safe, healthy, and supported by engaged parents.
(4625(a)(4)(C) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
(D) A plan for identifying and developing pipeline services,
including existing and additional pipeline services, to be coordinated
and provided by the eligible entity and its partner entities, including
an explanation of:
(i) Why such services have been selected;
(ii) How such services will improve student academic achievement;
and
(iii) How such services will address the annual measurable
performance objectives and outcomes established under paragraph (4)(C)
of this requirement. (4625(a)(4)(D) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
(E) A description of the pillars of full-service community schools
(as defined in this notice) that they have in place or how they will
establish these pillars, or how they will implement these pillars with
partners, including community-based organizations and collaborating
with school leadership and staff. (2022 FSCS NFP)
(F) Plans to ensure that each full-service community school site
has a full-time coordinator of pipeline services at such school,
including a description of the applicable funding sources, plans for
professional development for the personnel managing, coordinating, or
delivering pipeline services, and plans for joint utilization and
management of school facilities. (4625(a)(4)(E))
(G) Plans for an annual evaluation based upon attainment of the
performance objectives and outcomes described in paragraph (4)(C) of
this requirement.
An applicant must, in addition to providing the information and
assurances required by section 4625(a)(4)(F) of the ESEA, commit to an
independent evaluation that includes a design and implementation
evaluation that will, at a minimum, (1) include annual evaluations of
progress achieved
[[Page 37226]]
with the grant; (2) be used to refine and improve activities carried
out through the grant; (3) collect and report data that includes, but
is not limited to, the following indicators: student chronic
absenteeism rates; student discipline rates, including suspensions and
expulsions; school climate information, which may come from student,
parent, or teacher surveys; provision of integrated student supports
and stakeholder services; expanded and enriched learning time and
opportunities; family and community engagement efforts and impact;
information on the number, qualifications, and retention of school
staff, including the number and percentage of fully certified teachers,
disaggregated by race and ethnicity, rates of teacher turnover, and
teacher experience; graduation rates; changes in school spending
information; collaborative leadership and practice strategies, which
may include building the capacity of educators, principals, other
school leaders, and other staff to lead collaborative school
improvement structures, such as professional learning communities;
regularly convening or engaging all initiative-level partners, such as
LEA representatives, city or county officials, children's and youth's
cabinets, nonprofit service providers, public housing agencies, and
advocates; regularly assessing program quality and progress through
individual student data, participant feedback, and aggregate outcomes
to develop strategies for improvement; and organizing school personnel
and community partners into working teams focused on specific issues
identified in the needs and assets assessment; and (4) make results of
the evaluation publicly available. (2022 FSCS NFP)
(H) Plans for sustaining the programs and services described in
section 4625(a) of the ESEA after the grant period. (4625(a)(4)(G))
(5) An assurance that the eligible entity and its partner entities
will participate in a national evaluation assessing the implementation
of the FSCS program, which may include, but is not limited to, the
following:
(A) Completing surveys of grantee organizations (which may include
service provider partners), grantee schools (which may include multiple
individuals within each school such as the principal and the service
coordinator), and potentially a sample of teachers within grantee
schools;
(B) Participating in interviews of grantee organizations, grantee
schools, and/or a sample of teachers within grantee schools;
(C) Providing administrative data, such as student absenteeism
rates and high school graduation rates;
(D) Cooperating with data collection at several points during the
grant period, such as shortly after grant award (baseline round of data
collection), during the middle of the grant period (interim round of
data collection), and toward the end of the grant period (final round
of data collection); and
(E) Assisting in facilitating connections between each grantee's
local evaluator and the national evaluation of implementation to ensure
efficiency and coordination between the evaluation efforts. (2023 FSCS
NFP)
(6) An assurance that the eligible entity and its partner entities
will focus services on schools eligible for a schoolwide program under
section 1114(b) of the ESEA. (4625(a)(5))
Absolute Priority 4--Multi-Local Educational Agency Grants.
In order to receive funding, applicants for grants under Absolute
Priority 4 Multi-Local Educational Agency Grants must address the
following application requirements.
(1) A description of the eligible entity. (4625(a)(1))
(2) A preliminary MOU among all partner entities of the eligible
entity, identified at the time of the application, that will assist the
eligible entity to plan, develop, coordinate, provide, and evaluate
pipeline services and that describes the roles and responsibilities
that the partners, including the broadly representative consortium,
will assume. (4625(a)(2) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
(3) A description of the capacity of the eligible entity to
coordinate and provide pipeline services at two or more full-service
community schools in each LEA. (4625(a)(3) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
(4) A comprehensive plan that includes descriptions of the
following:
(A) The student, family, and school community to be served,
including demographic information. (4625(a)(4)(A))
(B) A needs assessment that identifies the academic, physical,
nonacademic, health, mental health, and other needs of students,
families, and community residents. (4625(a)(4)(B))
(C) Annual measurable performance objectives and outcomes,
including an increase in the number and percentage of families and
students targeted for services each year of the program, in order to
ensure that children are--
(i) Prepared for kindergarten; (4625(a)(4)(C)(i))
(ii) Achieving academically; (4625(a)(4)(C)(ii)) and
(iii) Safe, healthy, and supported by engaged parents.
(4625(a)(4)(C)(iii))
(D) Pipeline services, including existing and additional pipeline
services, to be coordinated and provided by the eligible entity and its
partner entities, including an explanation of:
(i) Why such services have been selected;
(ii) How such services will improve student academic achievement;
and
(iii) How such services will address the annual measurable
performance objectives and outcomes established under paragraph (4)(C)
of this requirement. (4625(a)(4)(D))
(E) A description of the pillars of full-service community schools
that they have in place or how they will establish these pillars, or
how they will implement these pillars with partners, including
community-based organizations and collaborating with school leadership
and staff. (2022 FSCS NFP)
(F) Plans to ensure that each full-service community school site
has a full-time coordinator of pipeline services at such school,
including a description of the applicable funding sources, plans for
professional development for the personnel managing, coordinating, or
delivering pipeline services, and plans for joint utilization and
management of facilities. (4625(a)(4)(E))
(G) Plans for an annual evaluation based upon attainment of the
performance objectives and outcomes described in paragraph (4)(C) of
this requirement.
An applicant must, in addition to providing the information and
assurances required by section 4625(a)(4)(F) of the ESEA, commit to an
independent evaluation that includes a design and implementation
evaluation that will, at a minimum, (1) include annual evaluations of
progress achieved with the grant; (2) be used to refine and improve
activities carried out through the grant; (3) collect and report data
that includes, but is not limited to, the following indicators: student
chronic absenteeism rates; student discipline rates, including
suspensions and expulsions; school climate information, which may come
from student, parent, or teacher surveys; provision of integrated
student supports and stakeholder services; expanded and enriched
learning time and opportunities; family and community engagement
efforts and impact; information on the number, qualifications, and
retention of school staff, including the number and percentage of fully
certified teachers, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, rates of
teacher turnover, and teacher experience; graduation rates; changes in
[[Page 37227]]
school spending information; collaborative leadership and practice
strategies, which may include building the capacity of educators,
principals, other school leaders, and other staff to lead collaborative
school improvement structures, such as professional learning
communities; regularly convening or engaging all initiative-level
partners, such as LEA representatives, city or county officials,
children's and youth's cabinets, nonprofit service providers, public
housing agencies, and advocates; regularly assessing program quality
and progress through individual student data, participant feedback, and
aggregate outcomes to develop strategies for improvement; and
organizing school personnel and community partners into working teams
focused on specific issues identified in the needs and assets
assessment; and (4) make results of the evaluation publicly available.
(2022 FSCS NFP)
(H) Plans for sustaining the programs and services described in
section 4624(a) of the ESEA after the grant period. (4625(a)(4)(G))
(5) An assurance that the eligible entity and its partner entities
will participate in a national evaluation assessing the implementation
of the FSCS program, which may include, but is not limited to, the
following:
(A) Completing surveys of grantee organizations (which may include
service provider partners), grantee schools (which may include multiple
individuals within each school such as the principal and the service
coordinator), and potentially a sample of teachers within grantee
schools;
(B) Participating in interviews of grantee organizations, grantee
schools, and/or a sample of teachers within grantee schools;
(C) Providing administrative data, such as student absenteeism
rates and high school graduation rates;
(D) Cooperating with data collection at several points during the
grant period, such as shortly after grant award (baseline round of data
collection), during the middle of the grant period (interim round of
data collection), and toward the end of the grant period (final round
of data collection); and
(E) Assisting in facilitating connections between each grantee's
local evaluator and the national evaluation to ensure efficiency and
coordination between the evaluation efforts. (2023 FSCS NFP)
(6) An assurance that the eligible entity and its partner entities
will focus services on schools eligible for a schoolwide program under
section 1114(b). (4625(a)(5))
Absolute Priority 5--State Scaling Grants.
In order to receive funding, applicants for grants under Absolute
Priority 5 State Scaling Grants must address the following application
requirements.
(1) A description of the eligible entity. (4625(a)(1))
(2) A preliminary MOU among all partner entities of the eligible
entity, identified at the time of the application, that will assist the
eligible entity to plan, develop, coordinate, provide, and evaluate
pipeline services and that describes the roles and responsibilities
that the partners, including the broadly representative consortium,
will assume. (4625(a)(2) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
Applications submitted under Priority 5 FSCS State Scaling Grants
must also include in the preliminary MOU a description of the State
steering committee and the SEA's commitment to and partnership in the
consortium, including the roles, responsibilities, and commitment of
the SEA to the partnership and the scaling of full-service community
schools to a percentage of State LEAs implementing schoolwide Title IA
programs and where there is a commitment to sustain the program beyond
2 years after the term of the grant. (4625(a)(2) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
(3) A description of the capacity of the eligible entity to
coordinate and provide pipeline services at two or more full-service
community schools in each of the LEAs included in the application.
(4625(a)(3) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
(4) A comprehensive plan that includes descriptions of the
following:
(A) The student, family, and school community to be served,
including demographic information. (4625(a)(4)(A))
(B) A needs assessment that identifies the academic, physical,
nonacademic, health, mental health, and other needs of students,
families, and community residents. (4625(a)(4)(B))
(C) Annual measurable performance objectives and outcomes,
including an increase in the number and percentage of families and
students targeted for services each year of the program, in order to
ensure that children are--
(i) Prepared for kindergarten; (4625(a)(4)(C)(i))
(ii) Achieving academically; (4625(a)(4)(C)(ii)) and
(iii) Safe, healthy, and supported by engaged parents.
(4625(a)(4)(C)(iii))
(D) Pipeline services, including existing and additional pipeline
services to be coordinated and provided by the eligible entity and its
partner entities, including an explanation of:
(i) Why such services have been selected; (4625(a)(4)(D)(ii))
(ii) How such services will improve student academic achievement;
(4625(a)(4)(D)(ii)) and
(iii) How such services will address the annual measurable
performance objectives and outcomes established under paragraph (4)(C)
of this requirement. (4625(a)(4)(C)(iii))
(E) A description of the pillars of full-service community schools
that they have in place or how they will establish these pillars, or
how they will implement these pillars with partners, including
community-based organizations and collaborating with school leadership
and staff. (2022 FSCS NFP)
(F) Plans to ensure that each full-service community school site
has a full-time coordinator of pipeline services at such school,
including a description of the applicable funding sources, plans for
professional development for the personnel managing, coordinating, or
delivering pipeline services, and plans for joint utilization and
management of facilities. (4625(a)(4)(E))
(G) Plans for an annual evaluation based upon attainment of the
performance objectives and outcomes described in paragraph (4)(C) of
this requirement.
An applicant must, in addition to providing the information and
assurances required by section 4625(a)(4)(F) of the ESEA, commit to an
independent evaluation that includes a design and implementation
evaluation that will, at a minimum, (1) include annual evaluations of
progress achieved with the grant; (2) be used to refine and improve
activities carried out through the grant; (3) collect and report data
that includes, but is not limited to, the following indicators: student
chronic absenteeism rates; student discipline rates, including
suspensions and expulsions; school climate information, which may come
from student, parent, or teacher surveys; provision of integrated
student supports and stakeholder services; expanded and enriched
learning time and opportunities; family and community engagement
efforts and impact; information on the number, qualifications, and
retention of school staff, including the number and percentage of fully
certified teachers, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, rates of
teacher turnover, and teacher experience; graduation rates; changes in
school spending information; collaborative leadership and practice
strategies, which may include building the capacity of educators,
principals,
[[Page 37228]]
other school leaders, and other staff to lead collaborative school
improvement structures, such as professional learning communities;
regularly convening or engaging all initiative-level partners, such as
LEA representatives, city or county officials, children's and youth's
cabinets, nonprofit service providers, public housing agencies, and
advocates; regularly assessing program quality and progress through
individual student data, participant feedback, and aggregate outcomes
to develop strategies for improvement; and organizing school personnel
and community partners into working teams focused on specific issues
identified in the needs and assets assessment; and (4) make results of
the evaluation publicly available. (2022 FSCS NFP)
(H) Plans for sustaining the programs and services described in
this subsection after the grant period. (4625(a)(4)(G))
(5) An assurance that the eligible entity and its partner entities
will participate in a national evaluation assessing the implementation
of the FSCS program, which may include, but is not limited to, the
following:
(A) Completing surveys of grantee organizations (which may include
service provider partners), grantee schools (which may include multiple
individuals within each school such as the principal and the service
coordinator), and potentially a sample of teachers within grantee
schools;
(B) Participating in interviews of grantee organizations, grantee
schools, and/or a sample of teachers within grantee schools;
(C) Providing administrative data, such as student absenteeism
rates and high school graduation rates;
(D) Cooperating with data collection at several points during the
grant period, such as shortly after grant award (baseline round of data
collection), during the middle of the grant period (interim round of
data collection), and toward the end of the grant period (final round
of data collection); and
(E) Assisting in facilitating connections between each grantee's
local evaluator and the national evaluation to ensure efficiency and
coordination between the evaluation efforts. (2023 FSCS NFP)
(6) An assurance that the eligible entity and its partner entities
will focus services on schools eligible for a schoolwide program under
section 1114(b). (4625(a)(5))
Program Requirements: FSCS grantees must meet the following program
requirements. These requirements are from sections 4623 and 4625 of the
ESEA, the 2022 FSCS NFP, and the 2023 FSCS NFP. The source of each
requirement is provided in the parentheses following each requirement.
For FY 2023 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the
list of unfunded applications from this competition, the following
requirements apply.
(1) Matching Funds. Each grantee shall provide matching funds from
non-Federal sources, which may be provided in part with in-kind
contributions. The BIE may meet the matching requirement using funds
from other Federal sources. (ESEA section 4623(d)(2))
(2) Use of Funds. Each grantee shall use the grant funds for the
following grant activities:
(A) Each grantee may use not more than 10 percent of the total
amount of grant funds for planning purposes during the first year of
the grant. (ESEA section 4625(c))
(B) Each grantee shall use the grant funds for the following grant
activities:
(i) Coordinate not less than three existing pipeline services, as
of the date of the grant award, and provide not less than two
additional pipeline services at two or more public elementary schools
or secondary schools; (ESEA section 4625(e)(1))
(ii) To the extent practicable, integrate multiple pipeline
services, at two or more public elementary schools or secondary
schools. Under Absolute Priorities 4 and 5, to the extent practicable,
integrate multiple pipeline services at two or more public elementary
schools or secondary schools in each LEA; (ESEA section 4625(e)(2) and
2022 FSCS NFP) and
(iii) If applicable, coordinate and integrate services provided by
community-based organizations and government agencies with services
provided by specialized instructional support personnel. (ESEA section
4625(e)(3))
(3) Evaluation. Each grantee shall include an independent
evaluation to do the following:
(A) Conduct an annual evaluation of the progress achieved with the
grant toward the purpose described in section 4621(2) of the ESEA;
(ESEA section 4625(g)(1) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
(B) Use the evaluation to refine and improve activities carried out
through the grant and annual measurable performance objectives and
outcomes under section 4625(a)(4)(C); (4625(g)(2) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
and
(C) Make the results of the evaluation publicly available,
including by providing public notice of such availability. (ESEA
section 4625(g)(3) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
(4) Participate in a National Evaluation Assessing the
Implementation of the FSCS Program.
Each grantee must participate in a national evaluation assessing
the implementation of the FSCS program, which may include, but is not
limited to, the following:
(A) Completing surveys of grantee organizations (which may include
service provider partners), grantee schools (which may include multiple
individuals within each school such as the principal and the service
coordinator), and potentially a sample of teachers within grantee
schools;
(B) Participating in interviews of grantee organizations, grantee
schools, and/or a sample of teachers within grantee schools;
(C) Providing administrative data, such as student absenteeism
rates and high school graduation rates;
(D) Cooperating with data collection at several points during the
grant period, such as shortly after grant award (baseline round of data
collection), during the middle of the grant period (interim round of
data collection), and toward the end of the grant period (final round
of data collection); and
(E) Assisting in facilitating connections between each grantee's
local evaluator and the national evaluation of implementation to ensure
efficiency and coordination between the evaluation efforts. (2023 FSCS
NFP)
(5) Final MOU. At the end of the first year of the grant, each
grantee must submit a final MOU among all partner entities in the
eligible entity that will assist the eligible entity to plan, develop,
coordinate, provide, and evaluate pipeline services and that describes
the roles and responsibilities that the partners, including the broadly
representative consortium, will assume. (4625(a)(2) and 2022 FSCS NFP)
Definitions: The definitions of ``Community-based organization,''
``Eligible entity,'' ``Evidence-based,'' ``Full-service community
school,'' ``Local educational agency,'' ``Pipeline services,'' and
``State educational agency'' are from sections 4622 and 8101 of the
ESEA. The definitions of ``Baseline,'' ``Demonstrates a rationale,''
``Experimental study,'' ``Logic model,'' ``Moderate evidence,''
``Nonprofit,'' ``Performance measure,'' ``Performance target,''
``Project,'' ``Project component,'' ``Promising evidence,'' ``Quasi-
experimental design study,'' ``Relevant outcome,'' ``Strong evidence,''
and ``What Works Clearinghouse Handbook'' are from 34 CFR 77.1. The
definition of ``School eligible for a schoolwide program'' is from 34
CFR 200.25(b). The definitions of ``Broadly representative
[[Page 37229]]
consortium,'' Full-service community school coordinator,'' ``History of
effectiveness,'' and ``Pillars of full-service community schools'' are
from the 2022 FSCS NFP. The definitions of ``Children or students with
disabilities,'' ``Disconnected youth,'' ``Early learning,''
``Educator,'' ``English learner,'' ``Military- or veteran-connected
student,'' and ``Underserved student'' are from the Supplemental
Priorities.
Baseline means the starting point from which performance is
measured and targets are set.
Broadly representative consortium means stakeholders representing
broad groups of people working together for the best interest of
children; such stakeholders may include, but are not limited to,
families and family leadership, schools, nonprofits, government,
philanthropy, and the business community.
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(20)(B)).
Community-based organization means a public or private nonprofit
organization of demonstrated effectiveness that--
(a) Is representative of a community or significant segments of a
community; and
(b) Provides educational or related services to individuals in the
community.
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 child care center or in a family child care home; (b) program
funded by the Federal Government or State or local educational agencies
(including any IDEA-funded program); (c) Early Head Start and Head
Start program; (d) non-relative child care 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.
Educator means an individual who is an early learning educator,
teacher, principal, or other school leader, specialized instructional
support personnel (e.g., school psychologist, counselor, school social
worker, early intervention service personnel), paraprofessional, or
faculty.
Eligible entity means a consortium of one or more LEAs, or the
Bureau of Indian Education, and one or more community-based
organizations, nonprofit organizations, or other public or private
entities.
English learner means an individual who is an English learner as
defined in section 8101(20) of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965, as amended, or an individual who is an English language
learner as defined in section 203(7) of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act.
Evidence-based, when used with respect to a State, local
educational agency, or school activity, means an activity, strategy, or
intervention that--
(i) Demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving
student outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on--
(I) Strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-
implemented experimental study;
(II) Moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-
implemented quasi-experimental study; or
(III) Promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-
implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection
bias; or
(ii)(I) Demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research
findings or positive evaluation that such activity, strategy, or
intervention is likely to improve student outcomes or other relevant
outcomes; and
(II) Includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of such
activity, strategy, or intervention.
Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare
outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as students) that are
otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment
group receiving a project component or a control group that does not.
Randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity design studies,
and single-case design studies are the specific types of experimental
studies that, depending on their design and implementation (e.g.,
sample attrition in randomized controlled trials and regression
discontinuity design studies), can meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)
standards without reservations as described in the WWC Handbooks (as
defined in this notice):
(i) A randomized controlled trial employs random assignment of, for
example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to receive the
project component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to
receive the project component (the control group).
(ii) A regression discontinuity design study assigns the project
component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning
students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental
education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of
outcomes.
(iii) A single-case design study uses observations of a single case
(e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in
the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to
determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the
treatment.
Full-service community school means a public elementary school or
secondary school that--
(a) Participates in a community-based effort to coordinate and
integrate educational, developmental, family, health, and other
comprehensive services through community-based organizations and public
and private partnerships; and
(b) Provides access to such services in school to students,
families, and the community, such as access during the school year
(including before- and after-school hours and weekends), as well as
during the summer.
Full-service community school coordinator means an individual in a
full-time position at each community school who serves to plan,
integrate, coordinate, and facilitate the delivery of pipeline services
at each school. The coordinator may also lead the school and community
assessment of needs and assets and identify ways to sustain the
services and partnerships beyond the duration of the grant.
History of effectiveness means an eligible entity demonstrating the
ability to successfully implement programs and policies. Such programs
and policies must include, but shall not be limited to, successfully
implementing with other organizations grants, policies, and programs
for students from high-need
[[Page 37230]]
schools (as defined in section 2221 of the ESEA).
Local educational agency (LEA):
(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 the ESEA with the
smallest student population, except that the school shall not be
subject to the jurisdiction of any State educational agency 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.
(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).
Moderate evidence means that there is evidence of effectiveness of
a key project component in improving a relevant outcome for a sample
that overlaps with the populations or settings proposed to receive that
component, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1, 3.0,
4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks reporting a ``strong evidence base''
or ``moderate evidence base'' for the corresponding practice guide
recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1,
3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks reporting a ``positive effect''
or ``potentially positive effect'' on a relevant outcome based on a
``medium to large'' extent of evidence, with no reporting of a
``negative effect'' or ``potentially negative effect'' on a relevant
outcome; or
(iii) A single experimental study or quasi-experimental design
study reviewed and reported by the WWC using version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or
4.1 of the WWC Handbooks, or otherwise assessed by the Department using
version 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks, as appropriate, and that--
(A) Meets WWC standards with or without reservations;
(B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome;
(C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a
corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under version 2.1, 3.0,
4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks; and
(D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (e.g., State,
county, city, school district, or postsecondary campus) and includes at
least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies
of the same project component that each meet requirements in paragraphs
(iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may together satisfy the
requirement in this paragraph (iii)(D).
Nonprofit, as applied to an agency, organization, or institution,
means that it is owned and operated by one or more corporations or
associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully
benefit, any private shareholder or entity.
Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or
metric used to gauge program or project performance.
Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant
would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a
project.
Pillars of Full-Service Community Schools means all of the
following:
(A) Integrated student supports at a community school that provide
in- and out-of-school support for students, address well-being, and
address out-of-school barriers to learning through partnerships with
social and health service agencies, including mental and behavioral
health agencies and providers, and coordinated by a community school
coordinator, which may include--
(i) Medical, dental, vision care, and mental and behavioral health
services, including mental health literacy for students and staff, and
trauma-informed services to prevent, intervene, and mitigate adverse
childhood experiences (ACEs); and
(ii) Individuals to assist with housing, transportation, nutrition,
citizenship preparation, or criminal justice issues and other services.
(B) Expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities, through
evidence-based strategies, including before-school, after-school,
during-school, weekend, and summer programs that provide additional
academic instruction, individualized academic support, enrichment
activities, or learning opportunities, for students at a community
school that--
(i) May emphasize real-world project-based learning where students
can apply their learning to contexts that are relevant and engaging;
and
(ii) May include art, music, drama, creative writing, hands-on
experience with engineering or science (including computer science),
career and technical education, tutoring that is aligned with classroom
success and homework help, and recreational programs that enhance and
are consistent with the school's curriculum.
[[Page 37231]]
(C) Active family and community engagement that--
(i) Brings parents and families of students at the community school
and community members and leaders into the school as partners in
students' education, including meaningfully involving parents and
families in the community school's decision-making processes;
(ii) Makes the community school a hub for services, activities, and
programs, for students, families, and members of the neighborhood that
the community school serves;
(iii) Provides adults with desired educational and employment
opportunities and other supportive services; and
(iv) Provides centralized supports for families and communities in
community schools, which may include English as a second language
classes, citizenship preparation, computer skills, art, housing
assistance, child abuse and neglect prevention supports, health and
mental health, literacy programs, digital literacy training, or other
programs that bring community members into a school building for
meetings, events, or programming.
(D) Collaborative leadership and practices that build a culture of
professional learning, collective trust, and shared responsibility for
each community school using strategies that--
(i) At a minimum, include a school-based leadership team with
representation of student, parent and family leaders and a community
voice; a community school coordinator; and a community-wide leadership
team; and
(ii) May include other leadership or governance teams, community
school steering committees, or other community coalitions, educator
learning communities, and other staff to manage the multiple, complex
joint work of school and community organizations.
Pipeline services means a continuum of coordinated supports,
services, and opportunities for children from birth through entry into
and success in postsecondary education, and career attainment. Such
services shall include, at a minimum, strategies to address through
services or programs (including integrated student supports) the
following:
(a) High-quality early childhood education programs.
(b) High-quality school and out-of-school-time programs and
strategies.
(c) Support for a child's transition to elementary school, from
elementary school to middle school, from middle school to high school,
and from high school into and through postsecondary education and into
the workforce, including any comprehensive readiness assessment
determined necessary.
(d) Family and community engagement and supports, which may include
engaging or supporting families at school or at home.
(e) Activities that support postsecondary and workforce readiness,
which may include job training, internship opportunities, and career
counseling.
(f) Community-based support for students who have attended the
schools in the area served by the pipeline, or students who are members
of the community, facilitating their continued connection to the
community and success in postsecondary education and the workforce.
(g) Social, health, nutrition, and mental health services and
supports.
(h) Juvenile crime prevention and rehabilitation programs.
Project means the activity described in an application.
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).
Promising evidence means that there is evidence of the
effectiveness of a key project component in improving a relevant
outcome, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by WWC reporting a ``strong evidence
base'' or ``moderate evidence base'' for the corresponding practice
guide recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC reporting a
``positive effect'' or ``potentially positive effect'' on a relevant
outcome with no reporting of a ``negative effect'' or ``potentially
negative effect'' on a relevant outcome; or
(iii) A single study assessed by the Department, as appropriate,
that--
(A) Is an experimental study, a quasi-experimental design study, or
a well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with
statistical controls for selection bias (e.g., a study using regression
methods to account for differences between a treatment group and a
comparison group); and
(B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome.
Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that
attempts to approximate an experimental study by identifying a
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important
respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation
(e.g., establishment of baseline equivalence of the groups being
compared), can meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet
WWC standards without reservations, as described in the WWC Handbooks.
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.
School eligible for a schoolwide program means any school eligible
under 34 CFR 200.25(b) to operate a schoolwide program. Specifically,
(1) A school may operate a schoolwide program if--
(i) The school's LEA determines that the school serves an eligible
attendance area or is a participating school under section 1113 of the
ESEA; and
(ii) Except as provided under paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this
section, for the initial year of the schoolwide program--
(A) The school serves a school attendance area in which not less
than 40 percent of the children are from low-income families; or
(B) Not less than 40 percent of the children enrolled in the school
are from low-income families.
(iii) A school that does not meet the poverty percentage in
paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section may operate a schoolwide program
if the school receives a waiver from the State to do so, after taking
into account how a schoolwide program will best serve the needs of the
students in the school in improving academic achievement and other
factors.
(2) In determining the percentage of children from low-income
families under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the LEA may use a
measure of poverty that is different from the measure or measures of
poverty used by the LEA to identify and rank school attendance areas
for eligibility and participation under this subpart.
State educational agency (SEA) means the agency primarily
responsible for the State supervision of public elementary schools and
secondary schools.
Strong evidence means that there is evidence of the effectiveness
of a key project component in improving a relevant outcome for a sample
that overlaps with the populations and settings proposed to receive
that component, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1, 3.0,
4.0, or 4.1
[[Page 37232]]
of the WWC Handbooks reporting a ``strong evidence base'' for the
corresponding practice guide recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1,
3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks reporting a ``positive effect''
on a relevant outcome based on a ``medium to large'' extent of
evidence, with no reporting of a ``negative effect'' or ``potentially
negative effect'' on a relevant outcome; or
(iii) A single experimental study reviewed and reported by the WWC
using version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks, or otherwise
assessed by the Department using version 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks, as
appropriate, and that--
(A) Meets WWC standards without reservations;
(B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome;
(C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a
corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under version 2.1, 3.0,
4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks; and
(D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (e.g., State,
county, city, school district, or postsecondary campus) and includes at
least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies
of the same project component that each meet requirements in paragraphs
(iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may together satisfy the
requirement in this paragraph (iii)(D).
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 who is the first in their family to attend
postsecondary education.
(r) A student who is enrolled in or is seeking to enroll in
postsecondary education who is eligible for a Pell Grant.
(s) A student performing significantly below grade level.
(t) A military- or veteran-connected student.
What Works Clearinghouse Handbooks (WWC Handbooks) means the
standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Standards Handbook,
Versions 4.0 or 4.1, and WWC Procedures Handbook, Versions 4.0 or 4.1,
or in the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version
2.1 (all incorporated by reference, see Sec. 77.2). Study findings
eligible for review under WWC standards can meet WWC standards without
reservations, meet WWC standards with reservations, or not meet WWC
standards. WWC practice guides and intervention reports include
findings from systematic reviews of evidence as described in the WWC
Handbooks documentation.
Note: The What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards
Handbook (Version 4.1), as well as the more recent What Works
Clearinghouse Handbooks released in August 2022 (Version 5.0), are
available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks.
Program Authority: Sections 4621-4625 of the ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7271-
7273, 7275.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in 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) 34 CFR 200.25. (e) The 2022 FSCS NFP. (f) The 2023 FSCS
NFP. (g) The Supplemental Priorities.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian Tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $74,000,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards later in FY 2023 or in
subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: Under Absolute Priority 3, $275,000 to
$500,000 for each 12-month budget period; $1,375,000 to $2,500,000 for
the entire project period. Under Absolute Priority 4, $1,000,000 to
$3,000,000 for each 12-month budget period; $5,000,000 to $15,000,000
for the entire project period. Under Absolute Priority 5, $5,000,000 to
$10,000,000 for each 12-month budget period; $25,000,000 to $50,000,000
for the entire project period.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: Under Absolute Priority 3,
$450,000 for each 12-month period. Under Absolute Priority 4, $2
million for each 12-month period. Under Absolute Priority 5, $7.5
million for each 12-month period.
Maximum Award: Under Absolute Priority 3, we will not make an award
exceeding $2.5 million for the entire project period. Under Absolute
Priority 4, we will not make an award exceeding $15 million for the
entire project period. Under Absolute Priority 5, we will not make an
award exceeding $50 million for the entire project period.
Minimum Award: The Secretary is prohibited by section 4625(d) of
the ESEA from making a grant under the FSCS program in an amount that
is less than $75,000 for each year of the grant. Therefore, we will
reject any application that proposes an amount that is less than
$75,000 for any budget period.
Estimated Number of Awards: 45.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: A consortium of--
(a)(i) One or more LEAs; or
(ii) The BIE; and
(b) One or more community-based organizations, nonprofit
organizations, or other public or private entities.
[[Page 37233]]
A consortium must comply with the provisions governing group
applications in 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129.
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; (3) a certified copy of the applicant's
certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly
establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any item
described above if that item applies to a State or national parent
organization, together with a statement by the State or parent
organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: To be eligible for an award, an
applicant shall provide matching funds through non-Federal
contributions, either in cash or in-kind donations. The applicant must
propose the amount of cash or in-kind resources to be contributed for
each year of the grant.
The BIE may meet the matching requirement using funds from other
Federal sources.
b. Supplement not Supplant: This competition involves supplement-
not-supplant funding requirements. Grantees must use FSCS grant funds
to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal, State, and local
funds that would otherwise have been available to carry out activities
authorized under section 4625 of the ESEA.
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 http://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 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.
Note: Nothing in section 4625 of the ESEA shall be construed to
alter or otherwise affect the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded
school or LEA employees under Federal, State, or local laws (including
applicable regulations or court orders) under the terms of collective
bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other agreements
between such employees and their employers.
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 (84 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 FSCS 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 100 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
required preliminary MOU; the assurances and certifications; or the
one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the 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 applications that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage
each potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an
application. Applicants may access this form using the link available
on the Notice of Intent to Apply section of the competition website:
https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/school-choice-improvement-programs/full-service-community-schools-program-fscs/fy-2023-fscs-grant-competition/. 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 applicants
submitting applications under Absolute Priority 3--Capacity Building
and Development Grants are listed in paragraph (a) of this section. The
selection criteria for applicants submitting applications
[[Page 37234]]
under Absolute Priority 4--Multi-Local Educational Agency Grants are
listed in paragraph (b) of this section. The selection criteria for
applicants submitting applications under Absolute Priority 5--State
Scaling Grants are listed under paragraph (c) of this section. The
selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210 and the
2022 FSCS NFP. The points assigned to each criterion are indicated in
the parentheses next to the criterion. An applicant may earn up to a
total of 100 points based on the selection criteria for the
application.
Points awarded under these selection criteria are in addition to
any points an applicant earns under the competitive preference
priorities in this notice. The maximum score that an application may
receive under the competitive preference priorities and the selection
criteria is 110 points.
In evaluating a FSCS application, the Secretary considers the
following criteria:
(a) Selection Criteria for Absolute Priority 3--Capacity Building
and Development Grants.
(1) 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 extent to which the proposed project will provide support,
resources, and services; close gaps in educational opportunity; or
otherwise address the needs of the targeted population, including
addressing the needs of underserved populations most impacted by the
issue, challenge, or opportunity to be addressed by the proposed
project. (2022 FSCS NFP) (10 points)
(2) Quality of the Project Design (up to 25 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:
(A) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
relevant and evidence-based findings from existing literature and
includes a high-quality plan for project implementation integrating the
four pillars of full-service community schools and the use of
appropriate evaluation methods to ensure successful achievement of
project objectives. (2022 FSCS NFP) (15 points)
(B) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a
rationale (as defined in this notice). (34 CFR 75.210) (10 points)
(3) Quality of the Project Services (up to 15 points).
The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided
by the proposed project. In determining the quality of project
services, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The extent to which the applicant will ensure that a diversity
of perspectives are brought to bear in the design and operation of the
proposed project, including those of students, youth, families,
educators and staff, beneficiaries of services, school leadership, and
community leadership. (2022 FSCS NFP) (10 points)
(B) The extent to which the services provided reflect up-to-date
knowledge from research and effective practice. (34 CFR 75.210) (5
points)
(4) Adequacy of Resources (up to 10 points).
The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The extent to which the grantee has plans for a full-time
coordinator at each school, including a plan to sustain the position
beyond the grant period and a description of how this position will
serve to plan, integrate, coordinate, and facilitate programs and
services at each school. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(B) Potential for continued support for the project after Federal
funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated commitment of
appropriate entities to such support. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points)
(5) Quality of the Management Plan (up to 25 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:
(A) The extent to which the grantee has, or demonstrates a strong
plan to have, a broadly representative consortium that reflects the
needs of the community and its stakeholders, and a description of the
roles and responsibilities of the broadly representative consortium
outlined in the required preliminary MOU. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(B) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a history of
effectiveness in working with a diverse range of stakeholders,
including students and families. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(C) 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. (34 CFR 75.210) (15 points)
(6) Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 15 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--
(A) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points)
(B) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points)
(C) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
valid and reliable performance data on relevant outcomes. (34 CFR
75.210) (5 points)
(b) Selection Criteria for Absolute Priority 4--Multi-Local
Educational Agency Grants.
(1) 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 extent to which the proposed project will provide support,
resources, and services; close gaps in educational opportunity; or
otherwise address the needs of the targeted population, including
addressing the needs of underserved populations most impacted by the
issue, challenge, or opportunity to be addressed by the proposed
project. (2022 FSCS NFP) (10 points)
(2) Quality of the Project Design (up to 25 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--
(A) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
relevant and evidence-based findings from existing literature and
includes a high-quality plan for project implementation integrating the
four pillars of full-service community schools and the use of
appropriate evaluation methods to ensure successful achievement of
project objectives. (2022 FSCS NFP) (15 points)
(B) The extent to which proposed project demonstrates a rationale
(as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)). (34 CFR 75.210) (10 points)
(3) Quality of the Project Services (up to 15 points).
The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided
by the proposed project. In determining the quality of project
services, the Secretary considers the following factors:
[[Page 37235]]
(A) The extent to which the applicant will ensure that a diversity
of perspectives is brought to bear in the design and operation of the
proposed project, including those of students, youth, families,
educators and staff, beneficiaries of services, school leadership, and
community leadership. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(B) The extent to which the services provided reflect up-to-date
knowledge from research and effective practice. (34 CFR 75.210) (5
points)
(C) The extent to which the services to be provided are focused on
those with greatest need. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points).
(4) Adequacy of Resources (up to 10 points).
The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The extent to which the grantee has plans for a full-time
coordinator at each school, including a plan to sustain the position
beyond the grant period and a description of how this position will
serve to plan, integrate, coordinate, and facilitate programs and
services at each school. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(B) Potential for continued support for project after Federal
funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated commitment of
appropriate entities to such support. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points)
(5) Quality of the Management Plan (up to 25 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:
(A) The extent to which the grantee has, or demonstrates a strong
plan to have, a broadly representative consortium that reflects the
needs of the community and its stakeholders, and a description of the
roles and responsibilities of the broadly representative consortium
outlined in the required preliminary MOU. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(B) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a history of
effectiveness in working with a diverse range of stakeholders,
including students and families. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(C) 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. (34 CFR 75.210) (15 points)
(6) Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 15 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--
(A) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points)
(B) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points)
(C) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
valid and reliable performance data on relevant outcomes. (34 CFR
75.210) (5 points)
(c) Selection Criteria for Absolute Priority 5--State Scaling
Grants.
(1) Need for Project (up to 5 points).
The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In
determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers
the extent to which the proposed project will provide support,
resources, and services; close gaps in educational opportunity; or
otherwise address the needs of the targeted population, including
addressing the needs of underserved populations most impacted by the
issue, challenge, or opportunity to be addressed by the proposed
project. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(2) Quality of the Project Design (up to 25 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:
(A) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
relevant and evidence-based findings from existing literature and
includes a high-quality plan for project implementation integrating the
four pillars of full-service community schools and the use of
appropriate evaluation methods to ensure successful achievement of
project objectives. (2022 FSCS NFP) (15 points)
(B) The extent to which proposed project demonstrates a rationale
(as defined in this notice). (34 CFR 75.210) (10 points)
(3) Quality of the Project Services (up to 15 points).
The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided
by the proposed project. In determining the quality of project
services, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The extent to which the applicant will ensure that a diversity
of perspectives is brought to bear in the design and operation of the
proposed project, including those of students, youth, families,
educators and staff, beneficiaries of services, school leadership, and
community leadership. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(B) The extent to which the services provided reflect up-to-date
knowledge from research and effective practice. (34 CFR 75.210) (5
points)
(C) The extent to which the services to be provided are focused on
those with greatest need. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points)
(4) Adequacy of Resources (up to 10 points).
The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The extent to which the grantee has plans for a full-time
coordinator at each school, including a plan to sustain the position
beyond the grant period and a description of how this position will
serve to plan, integrate, coordinate, and facilitate programs and
services at each school. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(B) Potential for continued support for project after Federal
funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated commitment of
appropriate entities to such support. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points)
(5) 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--
(A) The extent to which the grantee has, or demonstrates a strong
plan to have, a broadly representative consortium that reflects the
needs of the community and its stakeholders, and a description of the
roles and responsibilities of the broadly representative consortium
outlined in the required preliminary MOU. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(B) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a history of
effectiveness in working with a diverse range of stakeholders,
including students and families. (2022 FSCS NFP) (5 points)
(C) 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. (34 CFR 75.210) (10 points)
[[Page 37236]]
(6) Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 15 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--
(A) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points)
(B) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes. (34 CFR 75.210) (5 points)
(C) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
valid and reliable performance data on relevant outcomes. (34 CFR
75.210) (5 points)
(7) Strategy to Scale (up to 10 points).
The Secretary considers the applicant's strategy to scale the
proposed project. In determining the applicant's capacity to scale the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the
applicant demonstrates its commitment and strategy to scale full-
service community schools at the statewide level. In determining the
applicant's capacity to scale the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the number and percentage of LEAs, and the number and
percentage of schools within each LEA, the applicant, the SEA, and
other partners propose to serve, the applicant's capacity (e.g., in
terms of qualified personnel, financial resources, or management
capacity) to further develop, implement, bring to scale, and sustain
additional full-service community schools in multiple LEAs, and the
applicant's capacity to work with others, including the broadly
representative consortium and the State steering committee, to ensure
that the proposed process, products, strategies, or practices can be
further developed and brought to scale, based on the regular findings
of the proposed project and its independent evaluation. (2022 FSCS NFP)
(10 points)
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 competition 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
[[Page 37237]]
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 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
5. Performance Measures: Section 4625(a)(4)(C) of the ESEA provides
the basis for one performance measure for the FSCS program: the
percentage and number of individuals targeted for services and who
receive services during each year of the project period. The 2022 FSCS
NFP established an additional set of indicators: student chronic
absenteeism rates; student discipline rates, including suspensions and
expulsions; school climate information, which may come from student,
parent, or teacher surveys; provision of integrated student supports
and stakeholder services; expanded and enriched learning time and
opportunities; family and community engagement efforts and impact;
information on the number, qualifications, and retention of school
staff, including the number and percentage of fully certified teachers,
disaggregated by race and ethnicity, and rates of teacher turnover;
graduation rates; changes in school spending information; collaborative
leadership and practice strategies, which may include building the
capacity of educators, principals, other school leaders, and other
staff to lead collaborative school improvement structures, such as
professional learning communities; regularly convening or engaging all
initiative-level partners, such as LEA representatives, city or county
officials, children's cabinets, nonprofit service providers, public
housing agencies, and advocates; regularly assessing program quality
and progress through individual student data, participant feedback, and
aggregate outcomes to develop strategies for improvement; and
organizing school personnel and community partners into working teams
focused on specific issues identified in the needs and assets
assessment.
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, 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 Department documents 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 Department documents 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 F. Lane,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Delegated the Authority to
Perform the Functions and Duties of the Assistant Secretary, Office of
Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2023-12145 Filed 6-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P