[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
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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
[[Page 16755]]
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]
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