[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 47 (Friday, March 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16750-16757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04972]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Competitive Grants for State 
Assessments 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) 2024 for the Competitive 
Grants for State Assessments (CGSA) program, Assistance Listing Number 
(ALN) 84.368A. This notice relates to the approved information 
collection under OMB control number 1894-0006.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: March 8, 2024.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: April 8, 2024.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 22, 2024.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 22, 2024.

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: Donald Peasley, Office of Elementary 
and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue SW, room 4B113, Washington, DC 20202-6132. Telephone: (202) 453-
7982. 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 purpose of the CGSA program is to enhance 
the quality of assessment instruments and assessment systems used by 
States for measuring the academic achievement and growth of elementary 
and secondary school students.
    Background: High-quality assessment systems are a key component of 
a rich, rigorous instructional program for every student. At this 
pivotal moment of closing opportunity and achievement gaps and 
supporting student success, high-quality assessments can provide 
critical insights to educators, parents or caregivers, and students 
that can help inform teaching and learning in ways that meet all 
students' needs. When well-designed for their intended purposes, 
information from high-quality assessments support educators to Raise 
the Bar by meeting students where they are and helping them accelerate 
their learning and development. Information from these assessments can 
also help to identify the students with the greatest need for 
additional support who would benefit from additional evidence-based 
interventions and measuring the impact of those interventions. High-
quality assessment systems include valid and reliable diagnostic, 
formative, interim, and summative assessments that are used 
appropriately and in a way that effectively inform teacher and promotes 
student learning.
    Statewide summative assessments are among multiple tools that when 
well-designed can provide valuable information to students, parents or 
caregivers, educators, and the public about student outcomes and 
opportunity gaps. In a November 20, 2023, letter, Secretary Cardona 
noted

[[Page 16751]]

that, ``Assessment data give insight into student learning, help guide 
instruction and meet students' needs, and can also drive resources and 
strategies to address general underperformance and disparities in 
opportunities and outcomes for students.'' \1\ The Department 
encourages States to consider new and better ways to understand, 
evaluate, and respond to students' knowledge and abilities, including 
through the use of multiple measures of student academic achievement 
and growth, focusing on higher-order thinking skills and understanding, 
and by including as part of the assessment system, portfolios, 
projects, or extended performance tasks which can provide students with 
additional ways to demonstrated their learning, including providing 
students with culturally and linguistically responsive ways of 
demonstrating progress.
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    \1\ See https://oese.ed.gov/files/2023/11/23-0431-DCL-IADA-os-approved-11.17.2023.pdf.
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    In the November 2023 letter, the Secretary also announced changes 
to the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA) application 
process. IADA provides States an opportunity to pilot and scale over 
time new approaches to assessment systems that can drive authentic 
teaching and learning and which, when well-designed, can provide useful 
and timely information to educators, parents or caregivers, and schools 
to inform instruction and supports. Therefore, this CGSA competition is 
also an opportunity for interested States to receive support in 
planning to apply for IADA. Through a previous request for information 
on IADA,\2\ the Department heard from a number of respondents the 
importance of time and funding to prepare to apply for IADA, and this 
is a key opportunity to provide those resources.
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    \2\ The request for information is available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/31/2023-06697/request-for-information-regarding-the-innovative-assessment-demonstration-authority.
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    The Department also encourages States to consider how to build on 
technology advancement to allow for assessments to be conducted with 
more frequency and with fewer interruptions in instruction. In 
particular, technology advancement can support high-quality, 
instructionally embedded formative and diagnostic assessments that 
provide educators and parents or caregivers with valuable information 
as to where students are performing relative to their grade level 
throughout the year. As part of a comprehensive, aligned assessment 
system, formative and diagnostic assessments can complement information 
from statewide assessments and be an important tool to help educators 
adjust their instructional approaches to meet student needs. In 
recognition of the crucial role that formative and diagnostic 
assessments play in closing academic achievement gaps, this notice 
includes an invitational priority supporting the development of such 
assessments. This invitational priority can be used in conjunction with 
any of the absolute or competitive priorities.
    States are also encouraged to considered opportunities to 
administer statewide summative assessments through multiple statewide 
interim assessments during the course of the academic year (and that 
result in a single summative score that provides valid, reliable, and 
transparent information on student achievement or growth) as permitted 
under the ESEA.
    This notice is aligned with the strategies outlined in the 
Secretary's Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary 
Grant Programs published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2021 
(86 FR 70612) \3\ (Supplemental Priorities), which include developing 
and implementing high-quality assessments of student learning (e.g., 
curriculum-aligned and performance-based tools aligned with State 
grade-level content standards and, for career and technical education, 
relevant industry standards) and strategies that allow educators to use 
data from assessments to inform instructional design and classroom 
practices that meet the needs of all students and provide high-quality 
professional development to support educators in implementing these 
strategies. Building curriculum-aligned and performance-based tools and 
providing high-quality professional development that helps educators 
both use the assessments and appropriately use the resulting data can 
accelerate learning recovery and support students, educators, and 
families.
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    \3\ Available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/12/10/2021-26615/final-priorities-and-definitions-secretarys-supplemental-priorities-and-definitions-for.
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    Section 1203(b)(1)(A) of the ESEA identifies six allowable uses of 
funds under CGSA. In brief, these uses include (1) developing or 
improving assessments for English learners; (2) developing or improving 
models to measure and assess student progress or student growth on 
assessments; (3) developing or improving assessments for children with 
disabilities; (4) collaborating with institutions of higher education 
or other organizations to improve the quality, validity, and 
reliability of State academic assessments; (5) measuring student 
academic achievement using multiple measures of student academic 
achievement from multiple sources; and (6) evaluating student academic 
achievement using comprehensive academic assessment instruments (such 
as performance and technology-based academic assessments, computer 
adaptive assessments, projects, or extended performance task 
assessments) that emphasize the mastery of standards and aligned 
competencies in a competency-based education model. The last two 
statutory uses of funds are combined into an absolute priority in this 
competition.
    These allowable uses of funds are not mutually exclusive. A State 
educational agency (SEA), or consortium of SEAs, applying for funds 
must identify how the proposed project addresses at least one of the 
absolute priorities in this CGSA competition. An applicant may propose 
to address any of the six allowed uses of funds, as long as it also 
addresses either of the absolute priorities in the Priorities section.
    Grants awarded under Absolute Priority 1 promote deeper 
understanding of academic achievement of all student subgroups by 
supporting States in designing a statewide assessment system that meets 
Federal requirements and could do so by, for example, integrating 
information obtained from curriculum-embedded performance tasks or 
interim through-year assessments with information obtained from an end-
of-year assessment to produce a valid, reliable, and fair measure of 
student achievement of State academic standards and are available for 
up to 48 months with a maximum budget request of $4,000,000 for the 
total project period. Grants awarded under Absolute Priority 2 focus on 
planning to apply for the innovative assessment demonstration authority 
and are available for up to 24 months with a maximum budget request of 
the greater of either $1,000,000 or the minimum permitted award size 
under CGSA, per statutory requirements, for the total project period 
(see the table in the application for the State-specific minimum award 
size).\4\ Applicants are required to clearly identify which of the 
absolute priorities they are addressing in their application. If an 
applicant erroneously selects both Absolute Priority 1 and Absolute 
Priority 2, or if

[[Page 16752]]

an applicant fails to select either Absolute Priority 1 or 2, it will 
be subject to the maximum budget and timeframe noted above for Absolute 
Priority 2.
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    \4\ The Department will not make an award for less than the 
amount specified in section 1203(b)(1)(C) of the ESEA.
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    Competitive Preference Priority 1 is focused on supporting 
effective instruction and building educator capacity through the 
development of high-quality assessments of student learning and 
strategies that allow educators to use data from assessments to inform 
instruction.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2 is focused on improving the 
utility of information about student performance included in reports of 
assessment results and providing better and more timely information to 
educators and parents.
    The invitational priority is focused on developing high-quality 
formative, diagnostic, and/or interim assessments and tools that are 
part of a statewide, aligned assessment system to provide timely and 
actionable information to educators and parents or caregivers 
throughout the school year.
    Priorities: This competition includes two absolute priorities, two 
competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority. In 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), paragraph (a) of Absolute 
Priority 1 is from ESEA section 1201(a)(2)(K); and paragraph (b) of 
Absolute Priority 1 is from ESEA section 1201(a)(2)(L). Applicants may 
address either or both parts of this priority in order to be considered 
under Absolute Priority 1.
    In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), Absolute Priority 2 is 
from the notice of final priorities (NFP) for the CGSA program, 
published in the Federal Register on May 1, 2020 (85 FR 25418) (2020 
NFP).
    In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), Competitive Preference 
Priority 1 is from the Supplemental Priorities. Competitive Preference 
Priority 2 is from the notice of final priorities for the Enhanced 
Assessment Instruments Grant program, published in the Federal Register 
on August 8, 2016 (81 FR 52341) (2016 NFP).
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2024 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 one or both of 
these priorities.
    Each of the absolute priorities constitutes its own funding 
category, and the Department may award grants under each of these 
absolute priorities, provided that applications of sufficient quality 
are submitted. As a result, the Department may fund applications out of 
the overall rank order, but the Department is not bound to do so. 
Applicants must clearly identify the specific absolute priority that 
the proposed project addresses. If an SEA (or consortium of SEAs) is 
interested in proposing separate projects (e.g., one that addresses 
Absolute Priority 1 and another that addresses Absolute Priority 2), 
the SEA (or consortium of SEAs) must submit separate applications. If 
an SEA (or consortium of SEAs) erroneously submits an application that 
identifies both absolute priorities, or that fails to identify either 
absolute priority, that application will only be considered under 
Absolute Priority 2.
    These priorities are:
    Absolute Priority 1: Under this priority, an SEA must describe an 
approach to address either or both of the following--
    (a) Measuring student academic achievement using multiple measures 
of student academic achievement from multiple sources; and/or
    (b) Evaluating student academic achievement through the development 
of comprehensive academic assessment instruments (such as performance 
and technology-based academic assessments, computer adaptive 
assessments, projects, or extended performance task assessments) that 
emphasize the mastery of standards and aligned competencies in a 
competency-based education model.
    Absolute Priority 2: Planning to Apply for the Innovative 
Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA).
    Under this priority, SEAs must--
    (a) Provide an assurance by an authorized representative that the 
SEA intends to apply for flexibility under the IADA,\5\ when made 
available by the Department. If applying for CGSA as part of a 
consortium (or in partnership with other SEAs), each SEA must provide 
an assurance that it intends to apply for flexibility under the IADA;
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    \5\ See ``Applying for the IADA'' available at: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-formula-grants/school-support-and-accountability/iada/. The next IADA application deadlines are May 3, 
2024, or December 6, 2024. Following that, the Department expects to 
have application deadlines each May and December in future years.
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    (b) If applying as a consortium of SEAs during the initial 
demonstration authority for IADA, not include more than four SEAs; and
    (c) Describe their approach to innovative assessments in terms of 
the subjects and grades the SEA anticipates addressing, the proposed 
assessment design, proposed item types (e.g., item prototypes), and 
other relevant features.
    Note: Because the initial demonstration period for the IADA has 
ended,\6\ item (b) listed above does not apply in this competition.
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    \6\ See https://oese.ed.gov/files/2023/11/23-0431-DCL-IADA-os-approved-11.17.2023.pdf.
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    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2024 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), the Department awards up to 
an additional 3 points to an application, depending on how well the 
application meets Competitive Preference Priority 1, and we award up to 
an additional 2 points to an application depending on how well the 
application meets Competitive Preference Priority 2. Applicants should 
identify which of the competitive priorities they are addressing in 
their application.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1: Supporting a Diverse Educator 
Workforce and Professional Growth to Strengthen Student Learning. (Up 
to 3 points)
    Projects that are designed to increase the proportion of well-
prepared, diverse, and effective educators serving students, with a 
focus on underserved students, through supporting effective instruction 
and building educator capacity by developing and implementing high-
quality assessments (as defined in this notice) of student learning 
(for example, curriculum-aligned and performance-based tools aligned 
with State grade-level content standards or, for career and technical 
education, relevant industry standards) and strategies that allow 
educators to use the data from assessments to inform instructional 
design and classroom practices that meet the needs of all students, and 
providing high-quality professional development to support educators in 
implementing these strategies.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2: Improving Assessment Scoring and 
Score Reporting. (Up to 2 points)
    Under this priority, SEAs must:
    (a) Develop innovative tools that leverage technology to score 
assessments;
    (1) To respond to paragraph (a), applicants must propose projects 
to reduce the time it takes to provide test results to educators, 
parents, and students and to make it more cost-effective to include 
non-multiple choice items on assessments. These innovative tools must 
improve automated scoring of student assessments, in particular

[[Page 16753]]

non-multiple choice items in reading/language arts, mathematics, or 
science; or
    (b) Propose projects, in consultation with organizations 
representing parents (including parents of English learners and parents 
of students with disabilities), students, teachers, counselors, and 
school administrators to address needs related to score reporting, and 
improve the utility of information about student performance included 
in reports of assessment results, and provide better and more timely 
information to educators and parents;
    (1) To respond to paragraph (b), applicants must include one or 
more of the following in their projects:
    (i) Developing enhanced score reporting templates or digital 
mechanisms for communicating assessment results and their meaning (such 
as by providing clear and actionable next steps for parents);
    (ii) Improving the assessment literacy of educators and parents to 
help them interpret test results and to support teaching and learning 
in the classroom (such as by providing training on test development and 
interpretation of test scores); and
    (iii) Developing mechanisms for secure transmission and individual 
use of assessment results by teachers, students, and parents.\7\
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    \7\ Note that the applicant will need to ensure it transmits 
information consistent with the Family Educational Rights and 
Privacy Act (FERPA). For more information, see: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.
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    (c) Applicants proposing projects under either paragraph (a) or (b) 
must provide a dissemination plan for sharing lessons learned and best 
practices such that their projects can serve as models and resources 
that can be shared with other States.
    Invitational Priority: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets an invitational 
priority any preference over other applications.
    This priority is: Projects that propose to develop, improve, or 
scale high-quality formative, diagnostic, and/or interim assessments 
and tools that, to the greatest extent feasible, are part of a 
statewide, aligned assessment system to provide timely and actionable 
information to educators and parents or caregivers throughout the 
school year.
    Application Requirement: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, applicants must meet the following uses of funds 
application requirements from section 1203(b)(1)(B) of the ESEA, which 
refers to section 1201(a)(2)(C) and (H)-(L) of the ESEA.
    Uses of Funds: As required by statute and stated earlier in this 
notice, applicants must demonstrate that their proposed uses of funds 
for CGSA would be to carry out one or more of the following activities:
    (a) Developing or improving assessments for English learners, 
including assessments of English language proficiency as required under 
section 1111(b)(2)(G) of the ESEA and academic assessments in languages 
other than English to meet the State's obligations under section 
1111(b)(2)(F) of the ESEA.
    (b) Developing or improving models to measure and assess student 
progress or student growth on State assessments under section 
1111(b)(2) of the ESEA and other assessments not required under section 
1111(b)(2) of the ESEA.
    (c) Developing or improving assessments for children with 
disabilities, including alternate assessments aligned to alternate 
academic achievement standards for students with the most significant 
cognitive disabilities described in section 1111(b)(2)(D) of the ESEA, 
and using the principles of universal design for learning.
    (d) Allowing for collaboration with institutions of higher 
education, other research institutions, or other organizations to 
improve the quality, validity, and reliability of State academic 
assessments beyond the requirements for such assessments described in 
section 1111(b)(2) of the ESEA.
    (e) Measuring student academic achievement using multiple measures 
of student academic achievement from multiple sources.
    (f) Evaluating student academic achievement through the development 
of comprehensive academic assessment instruments (such as performance 
and technology-based academic assessments, computer adaptive 
assessments, projects, or extended performance task assessments) that 
emphasize the mastery of standards and aligned competencies in a 
competency-based education model.
    Definitions: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which we make 
awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, 
the following definitions apply. The definition of ``Universal design 
for learning'' and, except as specified below, the definitions of 
``Child with a disability'' and ``English learner'' are from section 
8101 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7801). The definitions of ``Demonstrates a 
rationale,'' ``Logic model,'' ``Project component,'' and ``Relevant 
outcome'' are from 34 CFR 77.1. The definitions of ``Disconnected 
youth,'' ``High-quality assessment,'' and ``Underserved student'' are 
from the Supplemental Priorities.
    Child with a disability, as defined in section 602 of the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, means--
    (A) A child--
    (i) With intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments (including 
deafness), speech or language impairments, visual impairments 
(including blindness), serious emotional disturbance (referred to in 
the IDEA as ``emotional disturbance''), orthopedic impairments, autism, 
traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning 
disabilities; and
    (ii) Who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related 
services.
    (B) The term ``child with a disability'' for a child aged 3 through 
9 (or any subset of that age range, including ages three through five), 
may, at the discretion of the State and the local educational agency, 
include a child--
    (i) Experiencing developmental delays, as defined by the State and 
as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in 1 
or more of the following areas: physical development; cognitive 
development; communication development; social or emotional 
development; or adaptive development; and
    (ii) Who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related 
services.
    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.
    English learner, when used with respect to an individual, means an 
individual--
    (A) Who is aged 3 through 21;
    (B) Who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school 
or secondary school;
    (C)(i) Who was not born in the United States or whose native 
language is a language other than English;
    (ii)(I) Who is a Native American or Alaska Native, or a native 
resident of the outlying areas; and

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    (II) Who comes from an environment where a language other than 
English has had a significant impact on the individual's level of 
English language proficiency; or
    (iii) Who is migratory, whose native language is a language other 
than English, and who comes from an environment where a language other 
than English is dominant; and
    (D) Whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or 
understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the 
individual--
    (i) The ability to meet the challenging State academic standards;
    (ii) The ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the 
language of instruction is English; or
    (iii) The opportunity to participate fully in society.
    High-quality assessments mean diagnostic, formative, interim, or 
summative assessments that are valid and reliable for the purposes for 
which they are used and that provide relevant and timely information to 
help educators, parents or caregivers, and policymakers support 
students at the student, classroom, school, and system levels.
    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.
    Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, 
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence 
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of 
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices 
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) 
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the 
specific goals of the program.
    Underserved student means a student (which may include children in 
early learning environments, students in K-12 programs, students in 
postsecondary education or career and technical education, and adult 
learners, as appropriate) in one or more of the following subgroups:
    (a) A student who is living in poverty or is served by schools with 
high concentrations of students living in poverty.
    (b) A student of color.
    (c) A student who is a member of a federally recognized Indian 
Tribe.
    (d) An English learner.
    (e) A child or student with a disability.
    (f) A disconnected youth.
    (g) A technologically unconnected youth.
    (h) A migrant student.
    (i) A student experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
    (j) A lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or 
intersex (LGBTQI+) student.
    (k) A student who is in foster care.
    (l) A student without documentation of immigration status.
    (m) A pregnant, parenting, or caregiving student.
    (n) A student impacted by the justice system, including a formerly 
incarcerated student.
    (o) A student performing significantly below grade level.
    (p) A military- or veteran-connected student.
    For the purpose of this definition--
    Children or students with disabilities means children with 
disabilities as defined in section 602(3) of the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1401(3)) and 34 CFR 300.8, 
or students with disabilities, as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973 (29 U.S.C. 705(37), 705(202)(B)); and
    English learner means an individual who is an English learner as 
defined in section 8101(20) of the ESEA.
    Universal design for learning, as defined under section 103 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, means a scientifically valid 
framework for guiding educational practice that--
    (a) Provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in 
the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in 
the ways students are engaged; and
    (b) Reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate 
accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high 
achievement expectations for all students, including students with 
disabilities and students who are limited English proficient.\8\
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    \8\ For purposes of this notice, ``English learner'' and 
``limited English proficient'' have the same meaning.
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    Program Authority: Section 1203(b)(1) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 
6363(b)(1)).
    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) The 2016 NFP. (e) The 2020 NFP. (f) The Supplemental 
Priorities.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: At least $18,993,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2024 (or later) from 
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards for the Project Period:
    $1,000,000 to $4,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards for the Project Period: 
$2,500,000.
    Maximum Size of Awards for the Project Period: We will not make an 
award exceeding $4,000,000 for an application submitted under Absolute 
Priority 1.
    We will not make an award exceeding the greater of either 
$1,000,000 or the minimum permitted award size under CGSA, per 
statutory requirements, for an application submitted under Absolute 
Priority 2 for the total project period (see the table in the 
application for the State-specific minimum award size).
    If an SEA (or consortium of SEAs) erroneously submits an 
application that identifies both absolute priorities, or that fails to 
identify either absolute priority, that application will only be 
considered under Absolute Priority 2.
    Note: The Department will not make an award under either of the 
absolute priorities for less than the amount specified in section 
1203(b)(1)(C) of the ESEA.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 3 to 6.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period:
    For projects Under Absolute Priority 1: Up to 48 months.
    For projects Under Absolute Priority 2: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs, as defined in section 8101(49) of the 
ESEA, of the 50 States, the District of

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Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and consortia of such 
SEAs.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require 
cost sharing or matching.
    b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an 
unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding 
indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please 
see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
    c. 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.
    4. Other: An application from a consortium of SEAs must designate 
one SEA as the fiscal agent.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to 
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of 
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to 
submit an application. Please note that these Common Instructions 
supersede the version published on December 27, 2021.
    2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the CGSA, 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 all application materials 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 competition 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 project 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 the equivalent of no more than 65 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 applies to the project narrative, 
including the table of contents, which must include a discussion of how 
the application meets one of the absolute priorities, and how well the 
application addresses each of the selection criteria. The recommended 
page limit also applies to any attachments to the project narrative 
other than the items mentioned in Part 6 of the application package, 
including the references/bibliography. In other words, we recommend 
that the entirety of the project narrative, including the 
aforementioned discussion and any attachments to the project narrative, 
be limited to the equivalent of no more than 65 pages. The only 
allowable attachments other than those included in the project 
narrative are outlined in Part 6, ``Other Attachments Forms,'' in the 
application package.
    The recommended 65-page limit, or its equivalent, does not apply to 
the following sections of an application: Part 1 (including the 
response regarding research activities involving human subjects); Part 
2 (budget information); Part 3 (two-page project abstract); Part 5 (the 
budget narrative); Part 6 (memoranda of understanding or other binding 
agreement, if applicable; copy of applicant's indirect cost rate 
agreement; letters of commitment and support from collaborating SEAs 
and organizations; other attachments forms, including, if applicable, 
references/bibliography for the project narrative and individual 
r[eacute]sum[eacute]s for project director(s) and key personnel); and 
Part 7 (standard assurances and certifications). Applicants are 
encouraged to limit each r[eacute]sum[eacute] to no more than five 
pages.
    Please note, hyperlinks should not be used in an application. 
Reviewers will be instructed not to follow hyperlinks if included. 
Applicants are encouraged to submit applications that meet the page 
limit following the standards outlined in this section rather than 
submitting applications that are the equivalent of the page limit 
applying other standards.
    6. Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to review 
grant applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number 
of applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage 
each potential applicant to notify us of the applicant's intent to 
submit an application for funding and which absolute priority the 
applicant intends to address. This notification should be brief and 
identify the SEA applicant and, in the case of consortia applicants, 
the SEA that it will designate as the fiscal agent for an award. Submit 
this notification by email to [email protected] with ``Intent to 
Apply'' in the email subject line. Applicants that do not provide this 
notification may still apply for funding.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210. We will award up to 100 points to an 
application under the selection criteria; the total possible points for 
each selection criterion are noted in parentheses.
    (a) Significance (up to 10 points).
    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build 
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the 
needs of the target population. (Up to 5 points)
    (2) The likely utility of the products (such as information, 
materials,

[[Page 16756]]

processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed project, 
including the potential for their being used effectively in a variety 
of other settings. (Up to 5 points)
    (b) 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:
    (1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. 
(Up to 10 points)
    (2) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support 
rigorous academic standards for students. (Up to 10 points)
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a 
rationale (as defined in this notice). (Up to 5 points)
    (c) Quality of project services (Up to 35 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided 
by the proposed project. In determining the quality of the services to 
be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers:
    (1) The quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal 
access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members 
of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, 
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (Up to 10 points)
    (2) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services. (Up to 10 points)
    (3) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services. (Up to 15 points)
    (d) 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 extent to which the costs are 
reasonable in relation to the number of persons to be served and to the 
anticipated results and benefits.
    (e) Quality of the management plan (Up to 15 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers:
    (1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks. (Up to 5 points)
    (2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project. (Up to 10 points)
    (f) Quality of the project evaluation (Up to 5 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 extent to which the methods of 
evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, 
objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project.
    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 SAM. You may review and comment on any 
information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and 
that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
    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

[[Page 16757]]

containing a link to access an electronic version of your GAN. We may 
notify you informally, also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. 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 preexisting 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 preexisting works. Additionally, 
a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must 
have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. This 
dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20.
    4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    5. Performance Measures: For purposes of Department reporting under 
34 CFR 75.110, the Department has developed three measures to evaluate 
the overall effectiveness of the CGSA program:
    (1) The percentage of grantees, for each grant cycle, that 
demonstrate significant progress towards improving, developing, or 
implementing a new model for measuring the achievement or growth of 
students.
    (2) The percentage of grantees, for each grant cycle, that 
demonstrate collaboration with institutions of higher education, other 
research institutions, or other organizations to develop or improve 
State assessments.
    (3) The percentage of grantees that, at least three times during 
the period of their grants, make available to SEA staff in non-
participating States and to assessment researchers information on 
findings resulting from the CGSA program through presentations at 
national conferences, publications in refereed journals, or other 
products disseminated to the assessment community.
    Grantees will be expected to include in their interim and final 
performance reports information about the accomplishments of their 
projects.

VII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an 
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an 
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text 
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this 
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published 
in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To 
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

Adam Schott,
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. 2024-04972 Filed 3-7-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P