[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 88 (Monday, May 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37196-37207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09796]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Education Innovation and Research
(EIR) Program Mid-Phase Grants
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 EIR program
Mid-phase Grants, Assistance Listing Number 84.411B (Mid-phase Grants).
This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB
control number 1894-0006.
DATES:
Applications Available: May 6, 2024.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 06, 2024.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 05, 2024.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 03, 2024.
Pre-Application Information: The Department will post additional
competition information for prospective applicants on the EIR program
website: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/innovation-early-learning/education-innovation-and-research-eir/fy-2024-competition/.
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jamila Smith, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-5900.
Telephone: 202-987-1753. 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 EIR program, established under section 4611
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended (ESEA),
provides funding to create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to
scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based (as defined in this notice),
field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and
attainment for high-need students; and to rigorously evaluate such
innovations. The EIR program is designed to generate and validate
solutions to persistent education challenges and to support the
expansion of those solutions to serve substantially more students.
The central design element of the EIR program is its multi-tier
structure that links the amount of funding an applicant may receive to
the quality of the evidence supporting the efficacy of the proposed
project. One of the program's goals is for projects to build evidence
that will allow them to advance through EIR's grant tiers: ``Early-
phase,'' ``Mid-phase,'' and ``Expansion.''
``Early-phase,'' ``Mid-phase,'' and ``Expansion'' grants differ in
terms of the evidence of effectiveness required to be considered for
funding, the expectations regarding the kind of evidence and
information funded projects should produce, the scale of funded
projects, and, consequently, the amount of funding available to support
each type of project.
Mid-phase grants are supported by moderate evidence (as defined in
this notice). Mid-phase grants provide funding for the implementation
and rigorous evaluation of a program that has been successfully
implemented under an Early-phase grant or other similar effort, such as
developing and testing an innovative education practice at a local
level, for the purpose of measuring the program's impact and cost-
effectiveness.
This notice invites applications for Mid-phase grants only. The
notices inviting applications for Early-phase grants and Expansion
grants are published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Background:
While this notice is for the Mid-phase grants tier only, the
premise of the EIR program is that new, effective, and innovative
educational programs and practices can help to overcome the persistent
and significant challenges to student educational opportunity and
success, particularly for underserved and high-need students. Raise the
Bar: Lead the World is the Department's call to action to transform
pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) through grade 12 education and unite around
what truly works by promoting academic excellence, boldly improving
learning conditions, and preparing our Nation's students for global
competitiveness.\1\ Consistent with that call to action, the priorities
used in this competition advance Raise the Bar's goals to promote
academic excellence and boldly improve learning conditions.
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\1\ U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona laid out his
vision for the direction the Department will follow in 2024 to
promote academic excellence, improve learning conditions, and
prepare students for a world where global engagement is critical to
our Nation's standing. In his address, Secretary Cardona remarked
that ``Raise the Bar: Lead the World'' is not a list of new
priorities, but a call to strengthen our will to transform education
for the better, building on approaches that we know work in
education. More information is available at https://www.ed.gov/raisethebar.
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In FY 2024, the Department is particularly interested in projects
that propose services and activities that help students recover from
the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerate learning and academic achievement,
reimagine schools, and transform our education system. Specifically,
the Department is focused on improving student achievement and
attainment, as highlighted across Administration and Department efforts
for the past several years. Building on the Administration's previous
efforts, in January 2024, the Administration announced its Improving
Student Achievement Agenda,\2\ which aims to drive proven strategies
that will support academic success for every child in school. The
strategies and evidence discussed in the Improving Student Achievement
Agenda focus on (1) increasing student attendance; (2) providing high-
dosage tutoring; and (3) increasing summer learning and extended or
afterschool learning time. These strategies and the
[[Page 37197]]
broader Improving Student Achievement Agenda, including a focus on core
academic instruction, are well aligned with the EIR program purpose,
and the new funding to be released through the FY 2024 EIR competition
will help accelerate and scale up sustainable adoption of evidence-
based strategies that we expect will improve student achievement and
attainment in the school years ahead. The priorities in this
competition are designed to create conditions under which students have
equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities and
experiences. For example, projects may include new approaches to
instructional design such as through project-based or experiential
learning opportunities for students, schoolwide frameworks, such as
small schools or learning communities, that support student connection
and engagement and increased interagency coordination to improve
academic supports for highly mobile students such as students in foster
care and students experiencing homelessness.
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\2\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/01/17/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-improving-student-achievement-agenda-in-2024/.
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Note: The EIR program statute refers to ``high-need students'' but
does not define the term, which allows applicants to define it for
purposes of their proposed project, population, and setting. Addressing
the needs of underserved students (as defined in this notice) is one
way to address EIR's statutory requirement to serve ``high-need
students.'' In particular, the Department welcomes innovative and
effective projects that serve disconnected youth, students who are in
foster care, and students performing significantly below grade level.
The EIR program is rooted in innovation; the program is not
intended to provide support for practices that are already commonly
implemented by educators, unless significant adaptations and evaluation
of such practices might determine if they can accelerate achievement or
increase the likelihood that the practices can be widely, efficiently,
and effectively implemented in new populations and settings. If the
evaluation demonstrates that innovations are supported by moderate or
strong evidence (as defined in this notice), then EIR seeks applicants
who can replicate and test these innovations in new populations and
settings.
As an EIR project is implemented, grantees are encouraged to learn
more about how the practices improve student achievement and attainment
as well as to develop increasingly rigorous evidence of effectiveness
and new strategies to efficiently and cost-effectively scale to new
school districts, regions, and States. We encourage applicants to
develop a logic model (as defined in this notice), theory of action, or
another conceptual framework that includes the goals, objectives,
outcomes, and key project components (as defined in this notice) of the
project that can support systems of continuous improvement.
All EIR applicants and grantees should also consider how they will
develop their organizational capacity, project financing, and business
plans to sustain their projects and continue implementation and
adaptation after Federal funding ends. The Department intends to
provide grantees with technical assistance to support dissemination,
scaling, and sustainability efforts.
Mid-phase grant projects are expected to refine and expand the use
of practices with prior evidence of effectiveness to improve outcomes
for underserved and high-need students. They are also expected to
generate information about an intervention's effectiveness, such as for
whom and in which contexts a practice is most effective, including cost
considerations such as economies of scale. Mid-phase grant projects are
uniquely positioned to help answer questions about the process of
scaling a practice to the regional or national levels (both as defined
in this notice) across geographies as well as locale types. Mid-phase
grant projects are encouraged to consider how the cost structure of a
practice can change as the intervention scales. Additionally, grantees
may want to consider how their project will balance implementation
fidelity and flexibility for scaling.
As Mid-phase grant applicants are developing their required program
evaluation, they are encouraged to design it with the potential to meet
strong evidence. Mid-phase grants should measure the cost-effectiveness
of their practices using administrative or other readily available
data. These types of efforts are critical to sustaining and scaling
EIR-funded effective practices after the EIR grant period ends,
assuming that the practice has positive effects on important student
outcomes. To support adoption or replication by other entities, the
evaluation of a Mid-phase grant project should identify and codify the
core elements of the EIR-supported practice that the project implements
and examine the effectiveness of the project for any new populations or
settings included in the project. The Department intends to provide
grantees (including the independent evaluators they contract with as
part of their project) with evaluation technical assistance. This could
include grantees and their independent evaluators providing to the
Department or its contractor updated comprehensive evaluation plans in
a format as requested by the technical assistance provider and using
such tools as the Department may request. Grantees will be encouraged
to update this evaluation plan at least annually to reflect any changes
to the evaluation, with updates consistent with the scope and
objectives of the approved application.
The FY 2024 Mid-phase grant competition includes five absolute
priorities and two competitive preference priorities. All Mid-phase
grant applicants must address Absolute Priority 1. Mid-phase grant
applicants are also required to address one of the other four absolute
priorities (applicants may not submit under more than one of the other
four absolute priorities). All applicants have the option of addressing
the competitive preference priorities and may opt to do so regardless
of the absolute priority they select.
Absolute Priority 1--Moderate Evidence establishes the evidence
requirement for this tier of grants. All Mid-phase grants applicants
must submit prior evidence of effectiveness that meets the moderate
evidence standard.
Absolute Priority 2--Field-Initiated Innovations--General gives
applicants the option to propose projects that are field-initiated
innovations to improve student achievement and attainment.
Absolute Priority 3--Field-Initiated Innovations--Promoting Equity
in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities: Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is intended to support
innovations to improve student achievement and attainment in the STEM
education field, consistent with efforts to ensure our Nation's
economic competitiveness by improving and expanding STEM learning and
engagement.
In Absolute Priority 3, the Department recognizes the importance of
funding pre-K through grade 12 STEM education and anticipates that
projects will expand opportunities for high-need students. Within this
absolute priority, applicants may focus on expanding opportunities in
STEM education, including computer science, for underrepresented
students in STEM education, including students of color, girls, English
learners, students with disabilities, youth from rural communities, and
youth from families living at or below the poverty line, to help reduce
the enrollment and achievement gaps in a manner consistent with
nondiscrimination
[[Page 37198]]
requirements contained in Federal civil rights laws.
Absolute Priority 4--Field-Initiated Innovations--Meeting Student
Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs is intended to promote high-
quality projects that support student well-being. The disruption caused
by the pandemic, along with the growth in youth mental health distress,
continue to impact student well-being. It is critical to address
students' social and emotional needs, not only to benefit student well-
being, but also to support their academic success, as student social,
emotional, and academic development are interconnected.
Absolute Priority 5--Field-Initiated Innovations--Promoting Equity
in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities: Educator
Recruitment and Retention is intended to identify and scale up models
to elevate and strengthen the educator workforce in ways that
prioritize innovation in recruiting and retaining educators to better
support high-need students. Applicants are encouraged to address
fundamental challenges schools face in recruiting and retaining
qualified educators by addressing the responsibilities and challenges
educators continue to face after the pandemic. For example, projects
may be designed to improve supports for educators that enhance the
ability of schools to recruit and retain staff (e.g., strategies to
support educator wellbeing; or structuring staffing and schedules to
ensure educators and students are appropriately supported, and have
sufficient time for planning, collaboration, and observing instruction
of other educators) and increase access to leadership opportunities
that can lead to increased pay and improved retention for fully
certified, experienced, and effective educators, while expanding the
impact of great teachers within and beyond their classrooms. Projects
may support the recruitment and retention of all school staff or
specific staff with acute recruitment and retention challenges (e.g.,
personnel serving children or students with disabilities).
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Promoting Equity in Student
Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities: Implementers and
Partners is intended to encourage applicants to propose projects that
involve (as applicants or partners) entities underrepresented in the
program's portfolio of grants. The Department is eager to increase the
volume of projects and partners from entities such as community
colleges (as defined in this notice), Historically Black colleges and
universities (as defined in this notice), Tribal Colleges and
Universities (as defined in this notice), and minority-serving
institutions (as defined in this notice). The Department expects
applicants addressing this priority will raise the bar to reimagine
schools through partnerships with underrepresented groups in ways that
benefit underserved and high-need students.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Addressing the Impact of COVID-
19 on Students, Educators, and Faculty: Community Asset-Mapping and
Needs Assessment and Evidence-Based Instructional Approaches and
Support reflects the Administration's ongoing commitment to addressing
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Pre-K through grade 12
education. The pandemic caused unprecedented disruption in schools
across the country and drew renewed attention to the ongoing challenges
for underserved students. In response to the pandemic, educators
mobilized to address the needs of all students. Researchers, educators,
parents, and policymakers are working to understand and address the
impact of inconsistent access to instruction, enrichment, peers, and
services and supports, and the impact of other related challenges. We
also know that for students in underserved communities, inequities in
educational opportunity and outcomes existed previously, yet they were
exacerbated by the pandemic.\3\ The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
changed the education landscape, especially as students continue to
make up for lost classroom instruction. However, it also provides an
opportunity to redesign how schools approach teaching and learning in
ways that both address long-standing gaps in educational opportunity
and better prepare students for college and careers. Over 14 million
public school students (31 percent) missed at least 10 percent of
school in school year 2021-2022.\4\ According to analysis by the
Council of Economic Advisors, absenteeism accounted for up to 27
percent of the test score declines in math and 45 percent of the test
score declines in reading on the National Assessment of Educational
Progress.\5\ To that end, the Department seeks projects that develop
and evaluate evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to addresses
these challenges and inequities. The proposed innovations should be
designed to better enable students to access the educational
opportunities they need to succeed in school and reach their full
potential.
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\3\ Dorn, E., Hancock, B., Sarakatsannis, J., & Viruleg, E.
(2021, July 27). COVID-19 and education: The lingering effects of
unfinished learning. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/covid-19-and-education-the-lingering-effects-of-unfinished-learning.
\4\ U.S. Department of Education. (2023, September 15). Raising
the Bar for Consistent School Attendance. ED.gov Blog. https://blog.ed.gov/2023/09/raising-the-bar-for-consistent-school-attendance/.
\5\ The White House. (2023, September 13). Chronic Absenteeism
and Disrupted Learning Require an All-Hands-on-Deck Approach
[verbar] CEA. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2023/09/13/chronic-absenteeism-and-disrupted-learning-require-an-all-hands-on-deck-approach/.
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Through these priorities, the Department intends to advance
innovation, build evidence, and address the learning and achievement of
underserved and high-need students in Pre-K through grade 12.
Priorities: This notice includes five absolute priorities and two
competitive preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(ii), Absolute Priority 1 is from regulations (34 CFR
75.226(d)(2)). In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute
Priority 2 is from section 4611(a)(1)(A) of the ESEA. In accordance
with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priorities 3, 4, and 5 are from
section 4611(a)(1)(A) of the ESEA and the Supplemental Priorities and
Definitions for Discretionary Grants Programs, published in the Federal
Register on December 10, 2021 (86 FR 70612) (Supplemental Priorities).
The competitive preference priorities are from the Supplemental
Priorities.
In the Mid-phase grants competition, Absolute Priorities 2, 3, 4,
and 5 each constitutes a separate funding category. The Secretary
intends to award grants under each of these absolute priorities
provided that applications submitted are of sufficient quality. To
ensure that applicants are reviewed under the absolute priority most
relevant to their proposed project, applicants must clearly identify
the specific absolute priority that the proposed project addresses. If
an applicant is interested in proposing separate projects (e.g., one
that addresses Absolute Priority 2 and another that addresses Absolute
Priority 3), it must submit separate applications.
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 Absolute Priority
1--Moderate Evidence, and one additional absolute priority (Absolute
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Priority 2, Absolute Priority 3, Absolute Priority 4, or Absolute
Priority 5).
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1--Moderate Evidence.
Projects supported by evidence that meets the conditions in the
definition of ``moderate evidence.''
Note: An applicant must identify up to two studies to be reviewed
against the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Handbooks (as defined in
this notice) for the purposes of meeting the definition of ``moderate
evidence.'' The studies may have been conducted by the applicant or by
a third party. An applicant must clearly identify the citations for
each study in the Evidence form. An applicant must ensure that all
cited studies are available to the Department from publicly available
sources and provide links or other guidance indicating where each is
available. The Department may not review a study that an applicant
fails to clearly identify for review.
In addition to including up to two study citations, an applicant
must provide in the Evidence form the following information: (1) the
positive student outcomes the applicant intends to replicate under its
Mid-phase grant and how these outcomes correspond to the positive
student outcomes in the cited studies; (2) the characteristics of the
population or setting to be served under its Mid-phase grant and how
these characteristics correspond to the characteristics of the
population or setting in the cited studies; and (3) the practice(s) the
applicant plans to implement under its Mid-phase grant and how the
practice(s) correspond with the practice(s) in the cited studies.
If the Department determines that an applicant has provided
insufficient information, the applicant will not have an opportunity to
provide additional information. However, if the WWC team reviewing
evidence determines that a study does not provide enough information on
key aspects of the study design, such as sample attrition or
equivalence of intervention and comparison groups, the WWC may submit a
query to the study author(s) to gather information for use in
determining a study rating. Authors would be asked to respond to
queries within 10 business days. If the author query remains incomplete
within 14 days of the initial contact to the study author(s), the study
may be deemed ineligible under the grant competition. After the grant
competition closes, the WWC will, for purposes of its own curation of
studies, continue to include responses to author queries and make
updates to study reviews as necessary. However, no additional
information will be considered after the competition closes and the
initial timeline established for response to an author query passes.
Absolute Priority 2--Field-Initiated Innovations--General.
Projects that are designed to create, develop, implement,
replicate, or take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-
initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for
high-need students.
Absolute Priority 3--Field-Initiated Innovations--Promoting Equity
in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities: STEM.
Projects that are designed to--
(a) Create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale
entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve
student achievement and attainment for high-need students; and
(b) Promote educational equity and adequacy in resources and
opportunity for underserved students--
(1) In one or more of the following educational settings:
(i) Early learning programs.
(ii) Elementary school.
(iii) Middle school.
(iv) High school.
(v) Career and technical education programs.
(vi) Out-of-school-time settings.
(vii) Alternative schools and programs.
(viii) Juvenile justice system or correctional facilities; and
(2) That examine the sources of inequity and inadequacy and
implement responses, including rigorous, engaging, and well-rounded
(e.g., that include music and the arts) approaches to learning that are
inclusive with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and
disability status and prepare students for college, career, and civic
life, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM), including computer science coursework.
Absolute Priority 4--Field-Initiated Innovations--Meeting Student
Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs.
Projects that are designed to--
(a) Create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale
entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve
student achievement and attainment for high-need students; and
(b) Improve students' social, emotional, academic, and career
development, with a focus on underserved students, through one or more
of the following priority areas:
(1) Developing and supporting educator and school capacity to
support social and emotional learning and development that--
(i) Fosters skills and behaviors that enable academic progress;
(ii) Identifies and addresses conditions in the learning
environment, that may negatively impact social and emotional well-being
for underserved students, including conditions that affect physical
safety; and
(iii) Is trauma-informed, such as addressing exposure to community-
based violence and trauma specific to military- or veteran-connected
students (as defined in this notice).
(2) Creating education or work-based settings that are supportive,
positive, identity-safe and inclusive with regard to race, ethnicity,
culture, language, and disability status, through one or more of the
following activities:
(i) Developing trusting relationships between students (including
underserved students), educators, families, and community partners.
(ii) Providing high-quality professional development opportunities
designed to increase engagement and belonging and build asset-based
mindsets for educators working in and throughout schools.
(iii) Engaging students (including underserved students),
educators, families, and community partners from diverse backgrounds
and representative of the community as partners in school climate
review and improvement efforts.
(iv) Developing and implementing inclusive and culturally informed
discipline policies and addressing disparities in school discipline
policy by identifying and addressing the root causes of those
disparities, including by involving educators, students, and families
in decision-making about discipline procedures and providing training
and resources to educators.
(3) Providing multi-tiered systems of supports that address
learning barriers both in and out of the classroom, that enable healthy
development and respond to students' needs and which may include
evidence-based trauma-informed practices and professional development
for educators on avoiding deficit-based approaches.
(4) Developing or implementing policies and practices, consistent
with applicable Federal law, that prevent or reduce significant
disproportionality on the basis of race or ethnicity with respect to
the identification, placement, and disciplining of children or students
with disabilities (as defined in this notice).
(5) Providing students equitable access that is inclusive with
regard to race, LGBTQI+, ethnicity, culture, language, and disability
status, to social
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workers, psychologists, counselors, nurses, or mental health
professionals and other integrated services and supports, which may
include in early learning environments.
(6) Preparing educators to implement project-based or experiential
learning opportunities for students to strengthen their metacognitive
skills, self-direction, self-efficacy, competency, or motivation,
including through instruction that connects to students' prior
knowledge and experience; provides rich, engaging, complex, and
motivating tasks; and offers opportunities for collaborative learning.
(7) Creating and implementing comprehensive schoolwide frameworks
(such as small schools or learning communities, advisory systems, or
looping educators) that support strong and consistent student and
educator relationships.
(8) Fostering partnerships, including across government agencies
(e.g., housing, human services, employment agencies), local educational
agencies, community-based organizations, adult learning providers, and
postsecondary education institutions, to provide comprehensive services
to students and families that support students' social, emotional,
mental health, and academic needs, and that are inclusive with regard
to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and disability status.
Absolute Priority 5--Field-Initiated Innovations--Promoting Equity
in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities: Educator
Recruitment and Retention.
Projects that are designed to--
(a) Create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale
entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve
student achievement and attainment for high-need students; and
(b) Promote educational equity and adequacy in resources and
opportunity for underserved students--
(1) In one or more of the following educational settings:
(i) Early learning programs.
(ii) Elementary school.
(iii) Middle school.
(iv) High school.
(v) Career and technical education programs.
(vi) Out-of-school-time settings.
(vii) Alternative schools and programs.
(viii) Juvenile justice system or correctional facilities; and
(2) That examine the sources of inequity and inadequacy and
implement responses, and that may include one or more of the following:
(i) Increasing the number and proportion of experienced, fully
certified, in-field, and effective educators, and educators from
traditionally underrepresented backgrounds or the communities they
serve, to ensure that underserved students have educators from those
backgrounds and communities and are not taught at disproportionately
higher rates by uncertified, out-of-field, and novice teachers compared
to their peers.
Note: All strategies to increase the diversity of educators must
comply with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal
civil rights laws.
(ii) Improving the preparation, recruitment, and early career
support and development of educators in shortage areas or hard to staff
schools.
(iii) Improving the retention of fully certified, experienced, and
effective educators in high-need schools or shortage areas.
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), we award up to an additional
3 points to an application, depending on how well the application
addresses Competitive Preference Priority 1, and up to an additional 3
points to an application, depending on how well the application
addresses Competitive Preference Priority 2.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Promoting Equity in Student
Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities: Implementers and
Partners (up to 3 points).
Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate how the project
will be implemented by or in partnership with one or more of the
following entities:
(a) Community colleges (as defined in this notice).
(b) Historically Black colleges and universities (as defined in
this notice).
(c) Tribal Colleges and Universities (as defined in this notice).
(d) Minority-serving institutions (as defined in this notice).
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Addressing the Impact of COVID-
19 on Students, Educators, and Faculty: Community Asset-Mapping and
Needs Assessment and Evidence-Based Instructional Approaches and
Supports (up to 3 points).
Projects that are designed to address the impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic, including impacts that extend beyond the duration of the
pandemic itself, on the students most impacted by the pandemic, with a
focus on underserved students and the educators who serve them, through
the following priority areas:
(a) Conducting community asset-mapping and needs assessments that
may include an assessment of the extent to which students, including
subgroups of students, have become disengaged from learning, including
students not participating in in-person or remote instruction, and
specific strategies for reengaging and supporting students and their
families; and
(b) Using evidence-based instructional approaches and supports,
such as professional development, coaching, ongoing support for
educators, high-quality tutoring, expanded access to rigorous
coursework and content across K-12, and expanded learning time to
accelerate learning for students in ways that ensure all students have
the opportunity to successfully meet challenging academic content
standards without contributing to tracking or remedial courses.
Definitions: The following definitions apply to this program. The
definitions of ``baseline,'' ``experimental study,'' ``logic model,''
``moderate evidence,'' ``national level,'' ``nonprofit,'' ``performance
measure,'' ``performance target,'' ``project component,'' ``quasi-
experimental design study,'' ``regional level,'' ``relevant outcome,''
``strong evidence,'' and ``What Works Clearinghouse Handbooks (WWC
Handbooks)'' are from 34 CFR 77.1. The definitions of ``community
college,'' ``children or students with disabilities,'' ``disconnected
youth,'' ``early learning,'' ``educator,'' ``English learner,''
``Historically Black colleges and universities,'' ``military- or
veteran-connected student,'' ``minority-serving institutions,''
``Tribal College or University,'' and ``underserved students'' are from
the Supplemental Priorities. The definitions of ``evidence-based,''
``local educational agency,'' and ``State educational agency'' are from
section 8101 of the ESEA.
Baseline means the starting point from which performance is
measured and targets are set.
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)).
Community college means ``junior or community college'' as defined
in section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended
(HEA).
Disconnected youth means an individual, between the ages 14 and 24,
who may be from a low-income
[[Page 37201]]
background, experiences homelessness, is in foster care, is involved in
the justice system, or is not working or not enrolled in (or at risk of
dropping out of) an educational institution.
Early learning means any (a) State-licensed or State-regulated
program or provider, regardless of setting or funding source, that
provides early care and education for children from birth to
kindergarten entry, including, but not limited to, any program operated
by a child care center or in a family child care home; (b) program
funded by the Federal Government or State or local educational agencies
(including any IDEA-funded program); (c) Early Head Start and Head
Start program; (d) nonrelative child care provider who is not otherwise
regulated by the State and who regularly cares for two or more
unrelated children for a fee in a provider setting; and (e) other
program that may deliver early learning and development services in a
child's home, such as the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home
Visiting Program; Early Head Start; and Part C of IDEA.
Educator means an individual who is an early learning educator,
teacher, principal or other school leader, specialized instructional
support personnel (e.g., school psychologist, counselor, school social
worker, early intervention service personnel), paraprofessional, or
faculty.
English learner means an individual who is an English learner as
defined in section 8101(20) of the ESEA, or an individual who is an
English language learner as defined in section 203(7) of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Evidence-based means an activity, strategy, or intervention that--
(i) Demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving
student outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on--
(I) Strong evidence from at least 1 well-designed and well-
implemented experimental study;
(II) Moderate evidence from at least 1 well-designed and well-
implemented quasi-experimental study; or
(III) Promising evidence from at least 1 well-designed and well-
implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection
bias; or
(ii)(I) Demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research
findings or positive evaluation that such activity, strategy, or
intervention is likely to improve student outcomes or other relevant
outcomes; and
(II) Includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of such
activity, strategy, or intervention.
Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare
outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as students) that are
otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment
group receiving a project component or a control group that does not.
Randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity design studies,
and single-case design studies are the specific types of experimental
studies that, depending on their design and implementation (e.g.,
sample attrition in randomized controlled trials and regression
discontinuity design studies), can meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)
standards without reservations as described in the WWC Handbooks (as
defined in this notice):
(i) A randomized controlled trial employs random assignment of, for
example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to receive the
project component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to
receive the project component (the control group).
(ii) A regression discontinuity design study assigns the project
component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning
students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental
education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of
outcomes.
(iii) A single-case design study uses observations of a single case
(e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in
the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to
determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the
treatment.
Historically Black colleges and universities means colleges and
universities that meet the criteria set out in 34 CFR 608.2.
Local educational agency (LEA) means:
(a) In General. A public board of education or other public
authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative
control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public
elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township,
school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or of or
for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in
a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools
or secondary schools.
(b) Administrative Control and Direction. The term includes any
other public institution or agency having administrative control and
direction of a public elementary school or secondary school.
(c) Bureau of Indian Education Schools. The term includes an
elementary school or secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian
Education but only to the extent that including the school makes the
school eligible for programs for which specific eligibility is not
provided to the school in another provision of law and the school does
not have a student population that is smaller than the student
population of the LEA receiving assistance under the ESEA with the
smallest student population, except that the school shall not be
subject to the jurisdiction of any State educational agency (SEA) (as
defined in this notice) other than the Bureau of Indian Education.
(d) Educational Service Agencies. The term includes educational
service agencies and consortia of those agencies.
(e) State Educational Agency. The term includes the SEA in a State
in which the SEA is the sole educational agency for all public schools.
Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a
framework that identifies key project components of the proposed
project (i.e., the active ``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be
critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the
theoretical and operational relationships among the key project
components and relevant outcomes.
Military- or veteran-connected student means one or more of the
following:
(a) A child participating in an early learning program, a student
enrolled in preschool through grade 12, or a student enrolled in career
and technical education or postsecondary education who has a parent or
guardian who is a member of the uniformed services (as defined by 37
U.S.C. 101), in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard,
Space Force, National Guard, Reserves, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, or Public Health Service or is a veteran of the
uniformed services with an honorable discharge (as defined by 38 U.S.C.
3311).
(b) A student who is a member of the uniformed services, a veteran
of the uniformed services, or the spouse of a service member or
veteran.
(c) A child participating in an early learning program, a student
enrolled in preschool through grade 12, or a student enrolled in career
and technical education or postsecondary education who has a parent or
guardian who is a veteran of the uniformed services (as defined by 37
U.S.C. 101).
Minority-serving institution means an institution that is eligible
to receive
[[Page 37202]]
assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A of title III, under
part B of title III, or under title V of the HEA.
Moderate evidence means that there is evidence of effectiveness of
a key project component in improving a relevant outcome for a sample
that overlaps with the populations or settings proposed to receive that
component, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1, 3.0,
4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks reporting a ``strong evidence base''
or ``moderate evidence base'' for the corresponding practice guide
recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1,
3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks reporting a ``positive effect''
or ``potentially positive effect'' on a relevant outcome based on a
``medium to large'' extent of evidence, with no reporting of a
``negative effect'' or ``potentially negative effect'' on a relevant
outcome; or
(iii) A single experimental study (as defined in this notice) or
quasi-experimental design study (as defined in this notice) reviewed
and reported by the WWC using version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC
Handbooks, or otherwise assessed by the Department using version 4.1 of
the WWC Handbook, as appropriate, and that--
(A) Meets WWC standards with or without reservations;
(B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome;
(C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a
corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under version 2.1, 3.0,
4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks; and
(D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (e.g., State,
county, city, school district, or postsecondary campus) and includes at
least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies
of the same project component that each meet requirements in paragraphs
(iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may together satisfy this
requirement.
National level describes the level of scope or effectiveness of a
process, product, strategy, or practice that is able to be effective in
a wide variety of communities, including rural and urban areas, as well
as with different groups (e.g., economically disadvantaged, racial and
ethnic groups, migrant populations, individuals with disabilities,
English learners, and individuals of each gender).
Nonprofit, as applied to an agency, organization, or institution,
means that it is owned and operated by one or more corporations or
associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully
benefit, any private shareholder or entity.
Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or
metric used to gauge program or project performance.
Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant
would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a
project.
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).
Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that
attempts to approximate an experimental study by identifying a
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important
respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation
(e.g., establishment of baseline equivalence of the groups being
compared), can meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet
WWC standards without reservations, as described in the WWC Handbooks.
Regional level describes the level of scope or effectiveness of a
process, product, strategy, or practice that is able to serve a variety
of communities within a State or multiple States, including rural and
urban areas, as well as with different groups (e.g., economically
disadvantaged, racial and ethnic groups, migrant populations,
individuals with disabilities, English learners, and individuals of
each gender). For an LEA-based project, to be considered a regional-
level project, a process, product, strategy, or practice must serve
students in more than one LEA, unless the process, product, strategy,
or practice is implemented in a State in which the SEA is the sole
educational agency for all schools.
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.
State educational agency (SEA) means the agency primarily
responsible for the State supervision of public elementary schools and
secondary schools.
Strong evidence means that there is evidence of the effectiveness
of a key project component in improving a relevant outcome for a sample
that overlaps with the populations and settings proposed to receive
that component, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1, 3.0,
4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks reporting a ``strong evidence base''
for the corresponding practice guide recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1,
3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks reporting a ``positive effect''
on a relevant outcome based on a ``medium to large'' extent of
evidence, with no reporting of a ``negative effect'' or ``potentially
negative effect'' on a relevant outcome; or
(iii) A single experimental study reviewed and reported by the WWC
using version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks, or otherwise
assessed by the Department using version 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks, as
appropriate, and that--
(A) Meets WWC standards without reservations;
(B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome;
(C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a
corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under version 2.1, 3.0,
4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks; and
(D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (e.g., State,
county, city, school district, or postsecondary campus) and includes at
least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies
of the same project component that each meet requirements in paragraphs
(iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may together satisfy the
requirement in this paragraph (iii)(D).
Tribal College or University has the meaning ascribed it in section
316(b)(3) of the HEA.
Underserved student means a student (which may include children in
early learning environments, students in K-12 programs, and students in
postsecondary education or career and technical education, 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.
[[Page 37203]]
(e) A child or student with a disability.
(f) A disconnected youth.
(g) A migrant student.
(h) A student experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
(i) A lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or
intersex (LGBTQI+) student.
(j) A student who is in foster care.
(k) A student without documentation of immigration status.
(l) A pregnant, parenting, or caregiving student.
(m) A student impacted by the justice system, including a formerly
incarcerated student.
(n) A student who is the first in their family to attend
postsecondary education.
(o) A student performing significantly below grade level.
(p) A military- or veteran-connected student.
What Works Clearinghouse Handbooks (WWC Handbooks) means the
standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Standards Handbook,
Versions 4.0 or 4.1, and WWC Procedures Handbook, Versions 4.0 or 4.1,
or in the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version
2.1 (all incorporated by reference, see Sec. 77.2). Study findings
eligible for review under WWC standards can meet WWC standards without
reservations, meet WWC standards with reservations, or not meet WWC
standards. WWC practice guides and intervention reports include
findings from systematic reviews of evidence as described in the WWC
Handbooks documentation.
Note: The What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards
Handbook (Version 4.1), as well as the more recent What Works
Clearinghouse Handbooks released in August 2022 (Version 5.0), are
available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7261.
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 Supplemental Priorities.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education (IHEs) only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $251,000,000.
These estimated available funds are the total available for new
awards for all three types of grants under the EIR program (Early-
phase, Mid-phase, and Expansion grants).
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from
the list of unfunded applications.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: Up to $10,000,000.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $10,000,000 for
a project period of 60 months. Under 34 CFR 75.104(b) the Secretary may
reject, without consideration or evaluation, any application that
proposes a project funding level that exceeds the stated maximum award
amount. The Department intends to fund one or more projects under each
of the EIR competitions, including Expansion grants (84.411A), Mid-
phase grants (84.411B), and Early-phase grants (84.411C). Entities may
submit applications for different projects for more than one
competition (Early-phase grants, Mid-phase grants, and Expansion
grants). The combined maximum new award amount a grantee may receive
under these three competitions, is $16,000,000. If an entity is within
funding range for multiple applications, the Department will award the
highest scoring applications up to $16,000,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8-15.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Note: Under section 4611(c) of the ESEA, the Department must use at
least 25 percent of EIR funds for a fiscal year to make awards to
applicants serving rural areas, contingent on receipt of a sufficient
number of applications of sufficient quality. For purposes of this
competition, we will consider an applicant as rural if the applicant
meets the qualifications for rural applicants as described in the
Eligible Applicants section and the applicant certifies that it meets
those qualifications through the application.
In implementing this statutory provision and program requirement,
the Department may fund high-quality applications from rural applicants
out of rank order in the Mid-phase grants competition.
In addition, from the estimated available funds for this
competition, the Department intends to award an estimated $87 million
in funds for STEM projects and $87 million in funds for social and
emotional learning projects, contingent on receipt of a sufficient
number of applications of sufficient quality.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants:
(a) An LEA;
(b) An SEA;
(c) The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE);
(d) A consortium of SEAs or LEAs;
(e) A nonprofit organization; and
(f) An LEA, an SEA, the BIE, or a consortium described in clause
(d), in partnership with--
(1) A nonprofit (as defined in this notice) organization;
(2) A business;
(3) An educational service agency; or
(4) An IHE.
To qualify as a rural applicant under the EIR program, an applicant
must meet both of the following requirements:
(a) The applicant is--
(1) An LEA with an urban-centric district locale code of 32, 33,
41, 42, or 43, as determined by the Secretary;
(2) A consortium of such LEAs;
(3) An educational service agency or a nonprofit organization in
partnership with such an LEA; or
(4) A grantee described in clause (1) or (2) in partnership with an
SEA; and
(b) A majority of the schools to be served by the program are
designated with a locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43, or a
combination of such codes, as determined by the Secretary.
Applicants are encouraged to retrieve locale codes from the
National Center for Education Statistics School District search tool
(https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/), where districts can be
looked up individually to retrieve locale codes, and the Public School
search tool (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/), where individual
schools can be looked up to retrieve locale codes. More information on
rural applicant eligibility will be in the application package for this
competition.
Note: An applicant that is a nonprofit organization may, under 34
CFR 75.51, demonstrate its nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof
that the Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as
an organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section
501(c)(3) of the Internal
[[Page 37204]]
Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a State taxing body or the State
attorney general certifying that the organization is a nonprofit
organization operating within the State and that no part of its net
earnings may lawfully benefit any private shareholder or individual;
(3) a certified copy of the applicant's certificate of incorporation or
similar document if it clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the
applicant; or (4) any item described above if that item applies to a
State or national parent organization, together with a statement by the
State or parent organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit
affiliate.
In addition, with respect to IHEs and their affiliates, the
following entities may apply for a grant under this competition: (1) As
noted above, any IHE that is a partner in an application submitted by
an LEA, SEA, BIE, consortium of SEAs or LEAs, or a nonprofit
organization; (2) A private IHE that is a nonprofit organization; (3) A
nonprofit organization, such as a development foundation, that is
affiliated with a public IHE; and (4) A public IHE with 501(c)(3)
status. A public IHE without 501(c)(3) status (even if that entity is
tax exempt under Section 115 of the Internal Revenue Code or any other
State or Federal provision), or that could not provide any other
documentation of nonprofit status described above, however, would not
qualify as a nonprofit organization, and therefore would not be
eligible to apply for and receive an EIR grant.
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: Under section 4611(d) of the ESEA,
each grant recipient must provide, from Federal, State, local, or
private sources, an amount equal to 10 percent of funds provided under
the grant, which may be provided in cash or through in-kind
contributions, to carry out activities supported by the grant.
Applicants must include a budget showing their matching contributions
to the budget amount of EIR grant funds and must provide evidence of
their matching contributions for the first year of the grant in their
grant applications.
Section 4611(d) of the ESEA authorizes the Secretary to waive the
matching requirement on a case-by-case basis, upon a showing of
exceptional circumstances, such as:
(i) The difficulty of raising matching funds for a program to serve
a rural area;
(ii) The difficulty of raising matching funds in areas with a
concentration of LEAs or schools with a high percentage of students
aged 5 through 17--
(A) Who are in poverty, as counted in the most recent census data
approved by the Secretary;
(B) Who are eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch under the
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);
(C) Whose families receive assistance under the State program
funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
601 et seq.); or
(D) Who are eligible to receive medical assistance under the
Medicaid program; and
(iii) The difficulty of raising funds on Tribal land.
An applicant that wishes to apply for a waiver must include a
request in its application, describing the exceptional circumstances
that make it difficult for the applicant to meet the matching
requirement. Further information about applying for waivers can be
found in the application package for this competition.
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: a. Funding Categories: An applicant will be considered
for an award only for the type of EIR grant for which it applies (i.e.,
Mid-phase: Absolute Priority 2, Mid-phase: Absolute Priority 3, or Mid-
phase: Absolute Priority 4). An applicant may not submit an application
for the same proposed project under more than one type of grant (e.g.,
both an Early-phase grant and Mid-phase grant).
Note: Each application will be reviewed under the competition in
which it was submitted in the Grants.gov system, and only applications
that are successfully submitted by the established deadline will be
peer reviewed. Applicants should be careful that they download the
intended EIR application package and that they submit their
applications under the intended EIR competition.
b. Evaluation: The grantee must conduct an independent evaluation
of the effectiveness of its project.
c. High-need students: The grantee must serve high-need students.
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.
2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of
projects that may be proposed in applications for Mid-phase grants,
your application may include business information that you consider
proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define ``business information'' and
describe the process we use in determining whether any of that
information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under
Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as
amended).
Because we plan to make successful applications available to the
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business
information.
Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your
application any information that you believe is exempt from disclosure
under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of your
application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the page
number or numbers on which we can find this information. For additional
information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
3. Intergovernmental Review: This 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 application narrative is where you,
the applicant, will address the selection criteria that reviewers use
to evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the
application narrative for a Mid-phase grant to no more than 30 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.
[[Page 37205]]
Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the
assurances and certifications; one-page abstract; evidence form; or
appendices (e.g., nonprofit documentation, resumes, letters of support,
demonstration of match, matching waiver request, list of proprietary
information, eligibility checklist, logic model, indirect cost rate
agreement). However, the recommended page limit does apply to the
entire application narrative.
6. Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to review
grant applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number
of applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage
each potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an
application. Applicants may access this form using the link available
on the Notice of Intent to Apply section of the competition website:
https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/innovation-early-learning/education-innovation-and-research-eir/fy-2024-competition/. Applicants that do not submit a notice of
intent to apply may still apply for funding; applicants that do submit
a notice of intent to apply are not bound to apply or bound by the
information provided.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for the Mid-phase
grants competition are from 34 CFR 75.210. The points assigned to each
criterion are indicated in the parentheses next to the criterion.
Together with the competitive preference priorities, an applicant may
earn up to a total of 106 points based on the selection criteria for
the application.
A. Significance (up to 15 points).
The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project.
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on,
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
B. Strategy to Scale (up to 40 points).
The Secretary considers the applicant's strategy to scale the
proposed project. In determining the applicant's capacity to scale the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the applicant identifies a specific
strategy or strategies that address a particular barrier or barriers
that prevented the applicant, in the past, from reaching the level of
scale that is proposed in the application. (10 points)
(2) 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. (5 points)
(3) The applicant's capacity (e.g., in terms of qualified
personnel, financial resources, or management capacity) to bring the
proposed project to scale on a national or regional level (as defined
in this notice) working directly, or through partners, during the grant
period. (10 points)
(4) The mechanisms the applicant will use to broadly disseminate
information on its project so as to support further development or
replication. (10 points)
(5) The likely utility of the products (such as information,
materials, processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed
project, including the potential for their being used effectively in a
variety of other settings. (5 points)
C. Quality of the Project Design (up to 20 points).
The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which there is a conceptual framework underlying
the proposed research or demonstration activities and the quality of
that framework. (5 points)
(2) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(5 points)
(3) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target
population or other identified needs. (10 points)
D. Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 25 points).
The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the
evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well
implemented, produce evidence about the project's effectiveness that
would meet the What Works Clearinghouse standards without reservations
as described in the What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (as defined in
this notice). (15 points)
(2) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings. (5 points)
(3) The extent to which the evaluation plan clearly articulates the
key project components, mediators, and outcomes, as well as a
measurable threshold for acceptable implementation. (5 points)
Note: Applicants may wish to review the following technical
assistance resources on evaluation: (1) WWC Procedures and Standards
Handbooks: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks; (2) ``Technical
Assistance Materials for Conducting Rigorous Impact Evaluations'':
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/projects/evaluationTA.asp; and (3) IES/NCEE
Technical Methods papers: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/tech_methods/. In
addition, applicants may view an optional webinar recording that was
hosted by the Institute of Education Sciences. The webinar focused on
more rigorous evaluation designs, discussing strategies for designing
and executing experimental studies that meet WWC evidence standards
without reservations. This webinar is available at: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Multimedia/18.
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).
Before making awards, we will screen applications submitted in
accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine whether
applications have met eligibility and other requirements. This
screening process may occur at various stages of the process;
applicants
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that are determined to be ineligible will not receive a grant,
regardless of peer reviewer scores or comments.
Peer reviewers will read, prepare a written evaluation of, and
score the assigned applications, using the selection criteria provided
in this notice.
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR
3474.10, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant
if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not
responsible.
4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2), we must make a judgment about
your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under
Federal awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before
we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about
you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred
to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of your currently active
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
5. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and
Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal
laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and
consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting
applications in accordance with:
(a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering
results based on the program objectives through an objective process of
evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video
surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the
National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) (2 CFR
200.216);
(c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to
maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United
States (2 CFR 200.322); and
(d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest
extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program
goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your GAN. We 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 pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables.
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
Note: The evaluation report is a specific deliverable under a Mid-
phase grant that grantees must make available to the public.
Additionally, EIR grantees are encouraged to submit final studies
resulting from research supported in whole or in part by EIR to the
Educational Resources Information Center (http://eric.ed.gov).
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 the purpose of Department reporting
under 34 CFR 75.110, the Department has established a set of
performance measures (as defined in this notice) for the Mid-phase
grants.
Annual performance measures: (1) The percentage of grantees that
reach their annual target number of students as specified in the
application; (2) the percentage of grantees that reach their annual
target number of high-need students as specified in the application;
(3) the percentage of grantees with ongoing well-designed and
independent evaluations that will provide evidence of their
effectiveness at improving student outcomes in multiple contexts; (4)
the percentage of grantees that implement an evaluation that provides
information about the key practices and the approach of the project so
as to facilitate replication; (5) the percentage of grantees that
implement an evaluation that provides information on
[[Page 37207]]
the cost-effectiveness of the key practices to identify potential
obstacles and success factors to scaling; and (6) the cost per student
served by the grant.
Cumulative performance measures: (1) The percentage of grantees
that reach the targeted number of students specified in the
application; (2) the percentage of grantees that reach the targeted
number of high-need students specified in the application; (3) the
percentage of grantees that complete a well-designed, well-implemented,
and independent evaluation that provides evidence of their
effectiveness at improving student outcomes at scale; (4) the
percentage of grantees that complete a well-designed, well-implemented,
and independent evaluation that provides information about the key
elements and the approach of the project so as to facilitate
replication or testing in other settings; (5) the percentage of
grantees with a completed evaluation that provides information on the
cost-effectiveness of the key practices to identify potential obstacles
and success factors to scaling; and (6) the cost per student served by
the grant.
Project-Specific Performance Measures: Applicants must propose
project-specific performance measures and performance targets (both as
defined in this notice) consistent with the objectives of the proposed
project. Applications must provide the following information as
directed under 34 CFR 75.110(b) and (c):
(1) Performance measures. How each proposed performance measure
would accurately measure the performance of the project and how the
proposed performance measure would be consistent with the performance
measures established for the program funding the competition.
(2) Baseline (as defined in this notice) data. (i) Why each
proposed baseline is valid; or (ii) if the applicant has determined
that there are no established baseline data for a particular
performance measure, an explanation of why there is no established
baseline and of how and when, during the project period, the applicant
would establish a valid baseline for the performance measure.
(3) Performance targets. Why each proposed performance target is
ambitious yet achievable compared to the baseline for the performance
measure and when, during the project period, the applicant would meet
the performance target(s).
(4) Data collection and reporting. (i) The data collection and
reporting methods the applicant would use and why those methods are
likely to yield reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data; and
(ii) the applicant's capacity to collect and report reliable, valid,
and meaningful performance data, as evidenced by high-quality data
collection, analysis, and reporting in other projects or research.
All grantees must submit an annual performance report with
information that is responsive to these performance measures.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things, whether a grantee
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance
targets in the grantee's approved application.
In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Other Information
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print,
audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published
in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at
the site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
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. 2024-09796 Filed 5-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P