Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 1

2014 PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

EXPANSION GRANTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

U.S. Department of Education

U.S Department of Health and Human Services

Washington, D.C.

August 2014
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PURPOSE OF PROGRAM............................................................................................................ 3

BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................ 3

KEY TIMING................................................................................................................................. 5

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM AND POINTS................................................................................ 6

SELECTED APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS ........................................................................... 7

PRIORITIES................................................................................................................................... 8

SELECTION CRITERIA ............................................................................................................. 11

PROGRAM DEFINITIONS......................................................................................................... 18

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS .............................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS................................................................................................... 25
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 3

"I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every child in 

America. ... Let's do what works, and make sure none of our children start the race of life 

already behind. Let's give our kids that chance."

-- President Barack Obama

0BPURPOSE OF PROGRAM 

The purpose of the Preschool Development Grants program, which is jointly administered by the 

Departments of Education and Health and Human Services (Departments), is to support State 

and local efforts to build, develop, and expand High-Quality Preschool Programs1so that more 

children from low- and moderate-income families enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school 

and in life. All States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are eligible to apply for either a 

Preschool Development Grants--Development Grant or a Preschool Development Grants--

Expansion Grant. 

Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants will support states that have robust state 

preschool programs or that have been awarded a race to the top–-early learning challenge grant. 

These grants will be awarded to states to implement and sustain high-quality preschool programs 

that reach and serve additional eligible children in two or more high-need communities. States 

will also be able to use a portion of their funds to make preschool program infrastructure and 

quality improvements needed to deliver high-quality preschool programs. The states eligible to 

apply for a Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant are Arkansas, California, Colorado, 

Connecticut, Delaware, District Of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, 

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New 

Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, 

Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, 

and Wisconsin.

1

BACKGROUND

Strong and consistent evidence demonstrates that participation in high-quality early learning 

programs can lead to both short- and long-term positive outcomes for all children, but especially 

children from low-income families.2 Research has shown the multiple benefits of attending 

preschool programs that are of high-quality, including increased school readiness, lower rates of 

grade retention and special education placements, improved high school graduation rates, 

reduced interaction with law enforcement, and higher rates of college attendance and 

completion.3 

 

1 Defined terms are used throughout the notice and are indicated by capitalization.

2 Yoshikawa, H., Weiland, C., Brooks-Gunn, J., Burchinal, M., Espinosa, L., Gormley, W., Ludwig, J.O., 

Magnuson, K.A., Phillips, D.A., & Zaslow, M.J. (2013). Investing in Our Future: The Evidence Base on Preschool 

Education. New York: Foundation for Child Development and Ann Arbor, MI: Society for Research in Child 

Development. Available at: http://fcdus.org/sites/default/files/Evidence%20Base%20on%20Preschool%20Education%20FINAL.pdf.

3 Barnett, W. S. (2008). Preschool Education and Its Lasting Effects: Research and Policy Implications. Boulder 

and Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center & Education Policy Research Unit. Available at: 

http://nieer.org/resources/research/PreschoolLastingEffects.pdf.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 4

We also know that children from low-income families, on average, start kindergarten 12 to 14 

months behind their peers in pre-reading and language skills.4 Results from the “Early 

Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11,” indicate that children’s 

performance in reading and math were lowest for kindergartners in households with incomes 

below the Federal Poverty Line and highest for those in households with incomes at or above 

200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.5 Increasing access to High-Quality Preschool 

Programs, particularly for at-risk children from low-income families, can help close, or even 

prevent, these achievement gaps prior to kindergarten entry.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Pub. L. 113-76) provided $250 million for 

competitive grants to States for improving early childhood care and education, and help States 

develop, enhance, and expand preschool programs that are of high-quality. Of this amount, the 

Departments expect to dedicate approximately $80 million to Preschool Development Grants--

Development Grants and $160 million to Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants. As 

explained more fully elsewhere in the notice, we are waiving notice-and-comment rulemaking 

for these competitions to ensure timely awards. However, the Departments welcomed comments 

from the public on the priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this funding 

opportunity through a dedicated Web site and a public hearing. In all, the Departments received 

over 600 individual comments to consider as we drafted this notice to be consistent with the 

language in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, and accompanying report.6 

The Departments will make Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants on a competitive 

basis to States to (1) implement and sustain High-Quality Preschool Programs that reach and 

serve additional Eligible Children in two or more High-Need Communities; and (2) enhance 

preschool program infrastructure and capacity to deliver High-Quality Preschool Programs. For 

Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants, States may allocate up to five percent of the 

total Federal funds over the grant period for State-level infrastructure. The remainder of the 

Federal funds must be subgranted to Early Learning Providers in two or more High-Need 

Communities.

We intend High-Quality Preschool Programs to be delivered through a mixed-delivery system of 

providers that includes schools, licensed child care centers, Head Start programs, and 

community-based organizations. Preschool programs funded by the Preschool Development 

Grants program must meet program quality standards, including, at a minimum, the elements 

outlined in the definition of a “High-Quality Preschool Program,” such as high staff 

qualifications, low child-staff ratios and small class sizes, a Full-Day program, and 

 

4 Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development (2000). From Neurons to Neighborhoods: 

The Science of Early Childhood Development. Jack P. Shonkoff and Deborah A. Phillips, eds. Board on Children, 

Youth, and Families, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National 

Academy Press.

5 Mulligan, G.M., Hastedt, S., and McCarroll, J.C. (July, 2012). First-Time Kindergartners in 2010-11: First 

Findings From the Kindergarten Rounds of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 

(ECLS-K:2011) (NCES 2012-049). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for 

Education Statistics. Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/.

6

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/resources.html.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 5

Comprehensive Services for children. Though encouraged, other preschool programs within the 

State will not be required to meet these same criteria.

A State’s application must include an ambitious and achievable plan covering a project period of 

up to four years. Depending on the availability of funds, the Departments will make 

continuation awards for years two, three, and four of the project period. The State’s ambitious 

and achievable plan must describe, among other things, how the State will expand access to 

High-Quality Preschool Programs to children at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty 

Line; the applicant’s strategy for ensuring the creation of new State Preschool Program slots and, 

as appropriate, the improvement of existing State Preschool Program slots as described in 

Selection Criterion (D)(4)(b); the reasons for selecting each High-Need Community; a system for 

monitoring programs for continuous improvement; how Local Educational Agencies and other 

Early Learning Providers will establish and maintain strong partnerships; how High-Quality 

Preschool Programs supported under this grant will be aligned with programs and systems that 

serve children from birth through third grade; and how the State will maintain High-Quality 

Preschool Programs for children after the grant period. 

KEY TIMING

Notice Publication: August 13, 2014

Technical Assistance:

Introduction to the Application: August 20, 2014

Development Grants Technical Assistance: August 25, 2014

Expansion Grants Technical Assistance: August 26, 2014

Applications Due: October 14, 2014

Awards Announced: December 2014
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 6

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM AND POINTS

Priorities

Absolute Priority 1: Increasing Access to High-Quality Preschool Programs in High-Need 

Communities.

Absolute Priority 2: Race to the Top–-Early Learning Challenge States.

Absolute Priority 3: Non-Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge States with More Robust 

State Preschool Programs.

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Contributing Matching Funds (up to 10 points).

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Supporting a Continuum of Early Learning and 

Development (up to 10 points).

Competitive Preference Priority 3: Creating New High-Quality State Preschool Program Slots 

(0 or 10 points).

Selection Criteria 

The selection criteria for this program are set forth in sections (A)-(G). The maximum score for 

all the selection criteria and competitive preference priorities is 230 points. 

A. Executive Summary (10 points). 

B. Commitment to State Preschool Programs (20 points).

C. Ensuring Quality in Preschool Programs (30 points).

D. Expanding High-Quality Preschool Programs in Each High-Need Community (60 

points).

E. Collaborating with Each Subgrantee and Ensuring Strong Partnerships (50 points).

F. Alignment within a Birth through Third Grade Continuum (20 points).

G. Budget and Sustainability (10 points).

Estimated Available Funds: $160 million.

Project Period: Up to 48 months.

Budget Requirements: To support States in planning their budgets, the Departments have 

developed the following annual budget caps for each State eligible for a Preschool Development 

Grants--Expansion Grant:

Category 1--up to $35M–-California;

Category 2--up to $30M–-Texas;

Category 3--up to $25M–-Florida, New York;

Category 4--up to $20M–-Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania; 

Category 5--up to $17.5M–-New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington;

Category 6--up to $15M–-Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Wisconsin; 

Category 7--up to $12.5M–-Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, and West 

Virginia; 

Category 8--up to $10M–-Delaware, District of Columbia, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 7

SELECTED APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Selected Background Information

Before you begin work on your Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant application, it 

may be helpful to understand the parts of the application. Each of these is described below.

 Priorities:

o An absolute priority is a priority that all applicants must address fully in order to win; 

these will be assessed by peer reviewers as either “yes” or “no.” If an applicant does 

not meet the competition’s absolute priority, it will not be awarded a grant.

o A competitive preference priority is one that earns the applicant extra, or 

“competitive preference,” points.

 Selection criteria are the focal point of the application and the peer review. Applicants 

write narrative responses to these criteria, and reviewers judge their responses. Selection 

criteria in this competition may be supplemented by—

o Evidence, including data tables and additional information the State believes will 

be helpful to peer reviewers.

 Definitions set forth the meaning of critical terms in the notice; defined terms are 

indicated by initial capitalization.

 Requirements:

o Eligibility requirements specify what applicants must have in place in order to 

compete for a grant. Staff from the Education Department (“ED”) and the Department 

of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) will make the eligibility determination.

o Application requirements list the elements that must be included in a complete 

application.

o Program requirements specify what applicants must do if they win a grant (e.g., 

reporting, participating in technical assistance activities, publishing findings).
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 8

5PRIORITIES 

There are two types of priorities in the Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant 

competition: absolute and competitive. 

Absolute Priority

We consider only applications that meet Absolute Priority 1 and either Absolute Priority 2 or 

Absolute Priority 3.

Absolute Priority 1: Increasing Access to High-Quality Preschool Programs in High-Need 

Communities.

To meet this priority, the State must demonstrate in its application how it will increase access to 

High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children by having an ambitious and achievable 

plan to--

(1) Begin serving Eligible Children no later than in year one of the grant period;

(2) Subgrant at least 95 percent of its Federal grant funds received over the grant period 

to one or more Subgrantees to implement and sustain voluntary, High-Quality 

Preschool Programs for Eligible Children in two or more High-Need Communities in 

the State; and

(3) Use no more than five percent of its Federal grant funds received during the grant 

period for State-level infrastructure and quality improvements, such as those 

described in selection criterion (C)(1).

Absolute Priority 2: Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge States.

To meet this priority, an applicant must have received an award under a Race to the Top--Early 

Learning Challenge competition.

Note: These States are California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, 

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. 

 

Absolute Priority 3: Non-Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge States with More 

Robust State Preschool Programs.

To meet this priority, the applicant must not have received an award under a Race to the Top--

Early Learning Challenge competition and serve 10 percent or more of four-year-old children in 

a State Preschool Program. 

Note: These States are Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, 

Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, 

and West Virginia. 

Competitive Preference Priorities 

Applicants may choose whether to address the competitive preference priorities. Additional 

points will be awarded to an application to the extent that reviewers determine it has met a 
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 9

competitive preference priority. Applicants earn points under the competitive preference 

priorities in a manner similar to how they earn points under the selection criteria. 

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Contributing Matching Funds (up to 10 points).

Background: An applicant is not required to contribute non-Federal matching funds to support 

its ambitious and achievable plan. However, we will give competitive preference to applicants 

who address this priority and will award more points to applicants that commit to a larger 

matching contribution. Successful applicants that do not obtain or expend the matching funds 

they committed to in their applications may be subject to enforcement proceedings, including 

withholding of funds or denial of a continuation award.

Priority: To receive a competitive preference under this priority, the State must describe and 

submit appropriate evidence of a credible plan for obtaining and using non-Federal matching 

funds to support the implementation of its ambitious and achievable plan during the grant period. 

Matching funds may be comprised of State, local, and philanthropic funds and may also include 

increased State funding appropriated beginning in the State fiscal year prior to the first year of 

the grant period. Points will be awarded based on the following scale if the plan is determined to 

be credible:

Percentage non-Federal match of 

the State’s four-year total award

Competitive preference points

50% or more 10

40-49% 8

30-39% 6

20-29% 4

10-19% 2

0-9% 0

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Supporting a Continuum of Early Learning and 

Development (up to 10 points). 

Background: The integration of High-Quality Preschool Programs within a broader continuum 

of comprehensive high-quality supports and services helps to create smooth transitions for 

children and families to ensure continuous and consistent high-quality early learning 

opportunities critical to children’s success. Transition services play a vital role, particularly in 

the transitions from infant and toddler services to preschool services, and services under part C 

of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) to services 

under section 619 of part B of IDEA. States can support children and families through crosssector partnerships and by leveraging resources from existing State and local agencies that 

provide early childhood services, including part C and section 619 of part B of IDEA, Early 

Head Start and Head Start, home visiting, child care, preschool programs, family supports (e.g., 

those that strengthen and stabilize families) and engagement resources, adult education, and 

housing, health, and mental health services. 

Priority: To receive a competitive preference under this priority, the State must describe an 

ambitious and achievable plan that addresses the creation of a more seamless progression of 

supports and interventions from birth through third grade, such as high-quality infant and toddler 
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 10

care, home visitation, Full-Day kindergarten, and before- and after-care services for, at a 

minimum, a defined cohort of Eligible Children and their families within each High-Need 

Community served by each Subgrantee.

Competitive Preference Priority 3: Creating New High-Quality State Preschool Program 

Slots (0 or 10 points).

Background: Many States have taken note of the short- and long-term benefits of early 

education and have launched efforts to expand the availability of State Preschool Programs. As 

of 2013, 40 States and the District of Columbia have at least one State Preschool Program in 

place.7 Nevertheless, only about 28 percent of America’s four-year-olds were enrolled in a State 

Preschool Program in the 2012-2013 school year.8 The high costs of private preschool programs 

and the lack of State Preschool Programs narrow options for families, and especially so for lowincome families. In 2011, four-year-olds under 200 percent of poverty were 16 percentagepoints less likely than their higher-income peers (above 200 percent) to attend any preschool 

program, whether public or private.9

Priority: To receive a competitive preference under this priority, the State must demonstrate how 

it will use at least 50 percent of its Federal grant award to create new State Preschool Program 

slots that will increase the overall number of new slots in State Preschool Programs that meet the 

definition of High-Quality Preschool Programs.

 

7

 Based on current data from: Barnett, W.S., Carolan, M.E, Squires, J.H., and Clarke-Brown, K. (May 2014). 

State of Preschool 2013: First Look (NCES 2014-078). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National 

Center for Education Statistics. Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.

8

Ibid.

9 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ASPE tabulations from the Current Population Survey, available 

at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/14/EarlyCareEducation/rb_ece.cfm#_Toc373832432
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 11

BSELECTION CRITERIA

A. Executive Summary (10 points).

 The extent to which the State includes an ambitious and achievable plan for expanding 

access to High-Quality Preschool Programs that clearly articulates how the plans proposed under 

each criterion in this section, when taken together, will--

(1) Build on the State’s progress to date as demonstrated in selection criterion (B);

(2) Provide voluntary, High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children through 

subgrants to each Subgrantee in two or more High-Need Communities;

(3) Increase the number and percentage of Eligible Children served in High-Quality 

Preschool Programs during each year of the grant period through the creation of new, and 

the improvement of existing State Preschool Program slots, as applicable;

(4) Have all the characteristics specified in the definition of High-Quality Preschool 

Programs; 

(5) Set expectations for the school readiness of children upon kindergarten entry; 

(6) Be supported by a broad group of stakeholders, including Early Learning Intermediary 

Organizations and, if applicable, State and local early learning councils; and

(7) Allocate funds between--

 (a) Activities to build or enhance State Preschool Program infrastructure using no 

more than five percent of its Federal grant funds received over the grant period on 

State-level infrastructure including, but not limited to, monitoring and evaluation 

and other quality-enhancing activities that improve the delivery of High-Quality 

Preschool Programs to Eligible Children; and 

 (b) Subgrants to Early Learning Providers to implement voluntary, High-Quality 

Preschool Programs for Eligible Children in two or more High-Need 

Communities, including how it will--

(i) Provide High-Quality Preschool Programs to Eligible Children no later 

than the end of year one of the grant period; 

(ii) Subgrant at least 95 percent of its Federal grant funds to its Subgrantee or 

Subgrantees over the grant period; and

(iii)Support each Subgrantee in culturally and linguistically appropriate 

outreach and communication efforts in order to ensure that all families, 

including those who are isolated or otherwise hard to reach, are informed 

of the opportunity and encouraged to enroll their children in available 

programs.

 

B. Commitment to State Preschool Programs (20 points).

 The extent to which the State has demonstrated its commitment to develop or enhance the 

State Preschool Program infrastructure and its capacity to both deliver and increase access to 

High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children, as evidenced by--

(1) State Early Learning and Development Standards (2 points);

(2) The State’s financial investment, if any, and the estimated number and percentage of 

children, including, if known, the estimated number and percentage of Eligible Children, 

served in State Preschool Programs over the last four years (6 points); 
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 12

(3) Enacted and pending legislation, policies, or practices that demonstrate the State’s current 

and future commitment to increasing access to High-Quality Preschool Programs for 

Eligible Children (4 points); 

(4) The quality of existing State Preschool Programs, as evidenced by policies and program 

data that demonstrate the State’s commitment to the components of a High-Quality 

Preschool Program; compliance with Program Standards; and support for program 

monitoring and improvement, which may be accomplished through the use of a TQRIS (4 

points); 

(5) The State’s coordination of preschool programs and services, in partnership with its Early 

Learning Advisory Council, with other State and Federal resources that may be used to 

serve preschool-aged children, including, if applicable, programs and services supported 

by title I of the ESEA, part C and section 619 of part B of IDEA, subtitle VII-B of the 

McKinney-Vento Act, the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), and the Child Care 

and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) (2 points); and 

(6) The State's role in promoting coordination of preschool programs and services at the State 

and local levels with other sectors that support the early learning and development of 

children, including child health, mental health, family support, nutrition, child welfare, 

and adult education and training sectors (2 points). 

C. Ensuring Quality in Preschool Programs (30 points).

 The extent to which the State has an ambitious and achievable plan to ensure program 

quality, including a description of how the State will (8 points)--

(1) Use no more than five percent of the funds received over the grant period for State 

Preschool Program infrastructure and quality improvements at the State level through 

activities such as--

(a) Enhancing or expanding Early Learning and Development Standards;

(b) Implementing Program Standards consistent with a High-Quality Preschool 

Program; 

(c) Supporting programs in meeting the needs of children with disabilities and 

English learners, including in workforce development;

(d) Conducting a needs assessment to determine the current availability of HighQuality Preschool Programs, including private and faith-based providers and 

Head Start programs;

(e) Establishing or upgrading preschool teacher education and licensure 

requirements;

(f) Improving teacher and administrator early education training programs and 

professional development;

(g) Implementing a Statewide Longitudinal Data System to link preschool and 

elementary and secondary school data;

(h) Implementing a Comprehensive Early Learning Assessment System;

(i) Building preschool programs’ capacity to engage parents in decisions about their 

children’s education and development, help families build protective factors, and 

help parents support their children’s learning at home;

(j) Building State- and community-level support for High-Quality Preschool 

Programs through systemic linkages to other early learning programs and 
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 13

resources to support families, such as child health, mental health, family support, 

nutrition, child welfare, and adult education and training sectors; and

(k) Other activities that would support the delivery of High-Quality Preschool 

Programs to Eligible Children. 

(2) Implement a system for monitoring and supporting continuous improvement for each 

Subgrantee to ensure that each Subgrantee is providing High-Quality Preschool Programs 

(which may be accomplished through the use of leveraging a TQRIS and other existing 

monitoring systems), including the extent to which the State (10 points)--

(a) Has the capacity to measure preschool quality, including parent satisfaction 

measures, and provide performance feedback to inform and drive State and local 

continuous program improvement efforts;

(b) Is using a Statewide Longitudinal Data System that is able to track student 

progress from preschool through third grade; and

(c) Clearly specifies the measureable outcomes, including school readiness, to be 

achieved by the program.

(3) Measure the outcomes of participating children across the five Essential Domains of 

School Readiness during the first few months of their admission into kindergarten using 

an assessment or assessments, such as a Kindergarten Entry Assessment, to achieve the 

purposes for which the assessment was developed and that conform with the 

recommendations of the National Research Council report on early childhood 

assessments (12 points).10

D. Expanding High-Quality Preschool Programs in Each High-Need Community (60 points).

 The extent to which the State articulates an ambitious and achievable plan for expanding 

High-Quality Preschool Programs in two or more High-Need Communities, including a 

description of how--

(1) The State has selected each Subgrantee and each High-Need Community that will be 

served, including a description of each High-Need Community and its geographic 

diversity, such as whether the community is located in a rural or tribal area, and whether 

it is located in a federally designated Promise Zone11 (8 points).

Note: Applicants that have federally designated Promise Zones in their States as of July 

31, 2014 must propose to serve and coordinate with a High-Need Community located in 

that Promise Zone in order to be eligible for up to the full 8 points under sub-criterion 

(D)(1). If they do not propose to serve and coordinate with a High-Need Community in 

that Promise Zone, they are eligible for up to 6 points under this sub-criterion. 

 

10 One example of these reports is referenced here. National Research Council (2008). Early Childhood 

Assessment: Why, What, and How. Committee on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young Children, 

C.E. Snow and S.B. Van Hemel, Editors. Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Board on Testing and 

Assessment, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies 

Press. Available at: www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446.

11 The first five Promise Zones are located in San Antonio, Texas (Eastside Neighborhood); Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania (West Philadelphia); Los Angeles, California (Neighborhoods of Pico Union, Westlake, Koreatown, 

Hollywood, and East Hollywood); Southeastern Kentucky (Kentucky Highlands); and the Choctaw Nation of 

Oklahoma. For additional information on Promise Zones, see www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2014/01/08/fact-sheet-president-obama-s-promise-zones-initiative.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 14

Applicants that do not have federally designated Promise Zones in their State are eligible 

for up to the full 8 points under this sub-criterion.

(2) Each High-Need Community is currently underserved, including the number and 

percentage of four-year-olds in State Preschool Programs and other publically funded 

preschool programs (8 points). 

(3) The State conducted outreach, including consultation with tribes, if applicable, to 

potential Subgrantees and the process used in selecting each Subgrantee (4 points). 

(4) The State will subgrant at least 95 percent of its Federal grant award over the grant period 

to its Subgrantee or Subgrantees to implement and sustain voluntary, High-Quality 

Preschool Programs in two or more High-Need Communities, and--

(a) Set ambitious and achievable annual targets for the number and percentage of 

additional Eligible Children to be served during each year of the grant period (16 

points); and

(b) Incorporate in its plan (12 points): 

(i) Ambitious expansion of the number of new slots in State Preschool 

Programs that meet the definition of High-Quality Preschool Program; and 

(ii) Ambitious improvement of existing State Preschool Program slots to bring 

them to the level of a High-Quality Preschool Program by extending 

programs from half-day to Full-Day; limiting class size and decreasing 

child to staff ratios; employing and compensating a teacher with a 

bachelor’s degree; providing in-service, evidence-based professional 

development such as coaching; or providing Comprehensive Services. 

Note: Applicants may receive up to the full 12 points if they address only 

(D)(4)(b)(i) or (b)(ii) or if they address both (D)(4)(b)(i) and (b)(ii).

(5) The State, in coordination with each Subgrantee, intends to sustain High-Quality 

Preschool Programs after the grant period, including any non-Federal support that the 

State or each Subgrantee commits to contribute (12 points).

E. Collaborating with Each Subgrantee and Ensuring Strong Partnerships (50 points).

 The extent to which the State has an ambitious and achievable plan to ensure that each 

Subgrantee is effectively implementing High-Quality Preschool Programs, including a 

description of--

(1) The roles and responsibilities of the State and Subgrantee in implementing the project 

plan (2 points).

(2) How the State plans to implement High-Quality Preschool Programs, including the 

organizational capacity and existing infrastructure of the Subgrantee to provide HighQuality Preschool Programs, either directly or indirectly through an Early Learning 

Provider or Providers, and coordinate the delivery of High-Quality Preschool 

Programs (6 points). 

(3) How the State will ensure that each Subgrantee minimizes local administrative costs 

(2 points).

(4) How the State and Subgrantee will monitor the Early Learning Providers to ensure 

they are delivering High-Quality Preschool Programs (4 points). 

(5) How the State and the Subgrantee will coordinate plans related to assessments, data 

sharing, instructional tools, family engagement, cross-sector and comprehensive 
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 15

services efforts, professional development, and workforce and leadership

development (4 points). 

(6) How the State and Subgrantee will coordinate, but not supplant, the delivery of HighQuality Preschool Programs funded under this grant with existing services for 

preschool-aged children including, if applicable, State Preschool Programs and 

programs and services supported through title I of the ESEA, part C and section 619 

of part B of IDEA, subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act, the Head Start Act, 

and the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (6 points). 

(7) How the Subgrantee will integrate, to the extent practicable, High-Quality Preschool 

Programs for Eligible Children within economically diverse, inclusive settings, 

including those that serve children from families with incomes above 200 percent of 

the Federal Poverty Line (6 points). 

(8) How the Subgrantee will deliver High-Quality Preschool Programs to Eligible 

Children, including Eligible Children who may be in need of additional supports, 

such as those who have disabilities or developmental delays; who are English 

learners; who reside on "Indian lands" as that term is defined by section 8013(7) of 

the ESEA; who are migrant; who are “homeless,” as defined in subtitle VII-B of the 

McKinney-Vento Act; who are in the child welfare system; who reside in rural or 

tribal areas; who are from military families; and other children as identified by the 

State (6 points).

(9) How the State will ensure the Subgrantee implements culturally and linguistically 

responsive outreach and communication efforts to enroll children from families with 

Eligible Children, including isolated or hard-to-reach families; helps families build 

protective factors; and engages parents and families (e.g., builds capacity to support 

children's learning and development) as decision-makers in their children's education 

(4 points). 

(10) How the State will ensure strong partnerships between each Subgrantee and LEAs or 

other Early Learning Providers, as appropriate, including a description of how the 

State will ensure that each Subgrantee (10 points) --

(a) Partners with LEAs or other Early Learning Providers, as appropriate, to carry 

out activities that provide children and their families with successful 

transitions from preschool into kindergarten; and 

(b) Coordinates and collaborates with LEAs or other Early Learning Providers, as 

appropriate, in--

(i) Providing opportunities for early educators to participate in 

professional development on early learning and kindergarten 

standards, assessments, curricula, and culturally and linguistically 

responsive strategies to help families build protective factors, build 

parents’ capacity to support their children’s learning and development, 

and engage parents as decision-makers in their children’s education; 

(ii) Providing family engagement, support, nutrition, and other 

Comprehensive Services and coordinating with other community 

partners to ensure families’ access to needed supports; 

(iii)Supporting full inclusion of Eligible Children with disabilities and 

developmental delays to ensure access to and full participation in the 

High-Quality Preschool Program; 
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 16

(iv)Supporting the inclusion of children who may be in need of additional 

supports, such as children who are English learners; who reside on 

"Indian lands" as that term is defined by section 8013(7) of the ESEA; 

who are migrant; who are "homeless," as defined in subtitle VII-B of 

the McKinney-Vento Act; who are in the child welfare system; who 

reside in rural areas; who are from military families; and other children 

as identified by the State; 

(v) Ensuring that High-Quality Preschool Programs have age-appropriate 

facilities to meet the needs of Eligible Children; 

(vi)Developing and implementing a systematic procedure for sharing data 

and other records consistent with Federal and State law; and

(vii) Utilizing community-based learning resources, such as libraries, arts 

and arts education programs, and family literacy programs.

F. Alignment within a Birth through Third Grade Continuum (20 points).

 The extent to which the State has an ambitious and achievable plan to align High-Quality 

Preschool Programs supported by this grant with programs and systems that serve children from 

birth through third grade to, among other things, improve transitions for children across this 

continuum.

 (1) For birth through age-five programs, these activities include--

 (a) Coordinating with other early education and care programs and child care 

family service providers supported through Federal, State, and local resources 

to build a strong continuum of learning for children from birth through age 

five and their families that expands families’ choices, facilitates or improves 

their access to programs and supports in their own communities, and engages 

all families with Eligible Children, including isolated or hard-to-reach families 

that might not otherwise participate; and

 (b) Ensuring that the provision of High-Quality Preschool Programs will not lead 

to a diminution of other services or increased cost to families for programs 

serving children from birth through age five; and 

 (2) For kindergarten through third grade, these activities may include—

 (a) Ensuring that Eligible Children are well-prepared for kindergarten; 

 (b) Sustaining the educational and developmental gains of Eligible Children by—

 (i) Promoting collaboration between preschool and kindergarten teachers; 

(ii) Expanding access to Full-Day kindergarten; and

(iii) Increasing the percentage of children who are able to read and do math 

at grade level by the end of third grade; and

(c) Sustaining a high level of parent and family engagement as children move 

from High-Quality Preschool Programs into the early elementary school 

years; 

 (d) Taking steps, or building upon the steps it has taken, to align, at a minimum--

 (i) Child learning standards and expectations;

 (ii) Teacher preparation, credentials, and workforce competencies;

 (iii) Comprehensive Early Learning Assessment Systems; 

 (iv) Data systems; and

 (v) Family engagement strategies.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 17

G. Budget and Sustainability (10 points).

The extent to which the budget narrative and budget tables demonstrate that the State 

will--

(1) Use the funds from this grant and any matching contributions to serve the number of 

children described in its ambitious and achievable plan for each year, including using the 

funds for the projected per child costs for new and improved State Preschool Program 

slots that are reasonable and sufficient, and that the projected per child costs for new and 

improved State Preschool Program slots are reasonable and sufficient to ensure HighQuality Preschool Programs;

(2) Coordinate the use of existing funds from Federal sources that support early learning and 

development, such as title I of the ESEA, part C and section 619 of part B of IDEA, 

subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act, the Head Start Act, and the Child Care and 

Development Block Grant Act of 1990, and State, private, local, foundation, or other 

private funding sources for activities and services that help expand High-Quality 

Preschool Programs; and 

(3) Sustain the High-Quality Preschool Programs supported by this grant after the grant 

period ends to ensure that the number and percentage of Eligible Children with access to 

High-Quality Preschool Programs in the State will be maintained or expanded, including 

to additional High-Need Communities.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 18

7BPROGRAM DEFINITIONS

 Comprehensive Early Learning Assessment System means a coordinated and 

comprehensive system of multiple assessments, each of which is valid and reliable for its 

specified purpose and for the population with which it will be used, that organizes information 

about the process and context of young children's learning and development in order to help 

teachers make informed instructional and programmatic decisions and that conforms with the 

recommendations of the National Research Council report on early childhood assessments12 by 

including, at a minimum: 

(a) Screening Measures; 

(b) Formative Assessments; 

(c) Measures of Environmental Quality; 

(d) Measures of the Quality of Adult-Child Interactions; and 

(e) A Kindergarten Entry Assessment.

 

 Comprehensive Services means services that include:

(a) Screenings for hearing, vision, dental, health (including mental health), and 

development, as well as referrals and assistance obtaining services, when appropriate;

(b) Culturally and linguistically responsive family engagement opportunities (taking into 

account home language), such as parent conferences (including parent input about 

their child’s development) and support services, such as parent education, and 

leadership opportunities, such as a Parent Advisory Committee;

(c) Nutrition services, including nutritious meals and snack options aligned with 

requirements set by the most recent Child and Adult Care Food Program guidelines 

promulgated by the Department of Agriculture, as well as regular, age-appropriate, 

nutrition education for children and their families;

(d) Services coordinated with LEAs and early intervention service providers and other 

entities providing services under part C and section 619 of part B of IDEA;

(e) Physical activity services aligned with evidence-based guidelines, such as those 

recommended by the Institute of Medicine,13 and which take into account and 

accommodate children with disabilities; 

(f) Partnerships with and linkages to community services to enhance family well-being, 

such as income supports, food pantries, housing, social services, and other services 

relating to health/mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse, adult literacy, 

education and training, and financial asset building; 

(g) On-site coordination of services, to the maximum extent feasible; and

(h) Additional support services, determined by the State, as appropriate.

 

Early Learning and Development Standards means a set of expectations, guidelines, or 

developmental milestones that--

 

12 One example of these reports is referenced here.National Research Council (2008). Early Childhood Assessment: 

Why, What, and How. Committee on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young Children, C.E. Snow 

and S.B. Van Hemel, Editors. Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Board on Testing and Assessment, Division 

of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Available at: www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446.

13 www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Early-Childhood-Obesity-Prevention-Policies/Recommendations.aspx.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 19

(a) Describes what all children from birth to kindergarten entry should know and be able 

to do and their disposition toward learning; 

(b) Is appropriate for each age group (e.g., infants, toddlers, and preschoolers); for 

English learners; and for children with disabilities or developmental delays; 

(c) Covers all Essential Domains of School Readiness; and 

(d) Is universally designed and developmentally, culturally, and linguistically 

appropriate.

 

Early Learning Intermediary Organization means a national, statewide, regional, or 

community-based organization that represents one or more networks of early learning and 

development programs in the State and that has influence or authority over them. Such Early 

Learning Intermediary Organizations include, but are not limited to, child care resource and 

referral agencies; State Head Start associations; family child care associations; State affiliates of 

the National Association for the Education of Young Children; State affiliates of the Council for 

Exceptional Children’s Division of Early Childhood; statewide or regional union affiliates that 

represent early childhood educators; affiliates of the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start 

Association; the National Tribal, American Indian, and Alaskan Native Head Start Association; 

the National Indian Child Care Association; and the National Indian Education Association.

 

Early Learning Provider means an entity that carries out an early childhood education 

program, including an LEA, charter school, educational service agency, Head Start program, 

licensed child care provider, municipality or other local government agency, tribe or Indian 

organization, institution of higher education, library, museum, or other eligible licensed provider 

as defined by the State, or a consortium thereof.

 

Eligible Children means four-year-old children from families whose income is at or 

below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.

Eligible Children with Disabilities means Eligible Children who have been determined by 

the local educational agency to be eligible for special education and related services under 

section 619 of the IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.)

 

Essential Data Elements means the critical child, program, and workforce data elements 

of a coordinated early learning data system, including--

(a) A unique statewide child identifier or another highly accurate, proven method to link 

data on that child, including Kindergarten Entry Assessment data, to and from the 

Statewide Longitudinal Data System and the coordinated early learning data system 

(if applicable);

(b) A unique statewide early childhood educator identifier;

(c) A unique program site identifier;

(d) Child and family demographic information;

(e) Early childhood educator demographic information, including data on educational 

attainment and State credentials or licenses held, as well as professional development 

information;

(f) Program-level data on the program’s structure, quality, child suspension and 

expulsion rates, staff retention, staff compensation, work environment, and all 
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 20

applicable data reported as part of the State’s Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement 

System; and

(g) Child-level program participation and attendance data.

 

Essential Domains of School Readiness means the domains of language and literacy 

development, cognition and general knowledge (including early mathematics and early scientific 

development), approaches toward learning (including the utilization of the arts), physical wellbeing and motor development (including adaptive skills), and social and emotional development.

 

Federal Poverty Line means a measure of income level issued annually by the 

Department of Health and Human Services and used to determine eligibility for certain programs 

and benefits. 14

Formative Assessment (also known as a classroom-based or ongoing assessment) means 

assessment questions, tools, and processes--

(a) That are--

(1) Specifically designed to monitor children’s progress in meeting the Early 

Learning and Development Standards; 

(2) Valid and reliable for their intended purposes and their target populations; and

(3) Linked directly to the curriculum; and 

(b) The results of which are used to guide and improve instructional practices.

 

Full-Day means a day that is--

(a) Equivalent to a full school day at the public elementary schools in the State; and

(b) Not fewer than five hours a day.

 

High-Need Community means a geographically defined area, such as a city, town, 

county, neighborhood, district, rural or tribal area, or consortium thereof, with a high level of 

need as determined by the State.

 

High-Quality Preschool Program means an early learning program that includes structural 

elements that are evidence-based and nationally recognized as important for ensuring program 

quality, including at a minimum--

(a) High staff qualifications, including a teacher with a bachelor’s degree in early 

childhood education or a bachelor’s degree in any field with a State-approved 

alternate pathway, which may include coursework, clinical practice, and evidence of 

knowledge of content and pedagogy relating to early childhood, and teaching 

assistants with appropriate credentials; 

(b) High-quality professional development for all staff; 

(c) A child-to-instructional staff ratio of no more than 10 to 1;

(d) A class size of no more than 20 with, at a minimum, one teacher with high staff 

qualifications as outlined in paragraph (a) of this definition;

(e) A Full-Day program;

 

14 The 2014 Federal Poverty Line, also known as poverty guidelines or “Federal poverty level” (FPL), can be found 

at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/14poverty.cfm.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 21

(f) Inclusion of children with disabilities to ensure access to and full participation in all 

opportunities;

(g) Developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and 

evidence-based curricula, and learning environments that are aligned with the State 

Early Learning and Development Standards, for at least the year prior to kindergarten 

entry; 

(h) Individualized accommodations and supports so that all children can access and 

participate fully in learning activities; 

(i) Instructional staff salaries that are comparable to the salaries of local K-12 

instructional staff; 

(j) Program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement; 

(k) On-site or accessible Comprehensive Services for children and community 

partnerships that promote families’ access to services that support their children’s 

learning and development; and

(l) Evidence-based health and safety standards. 

 

Kindergarten Entry Assessment means an assessment that--

(a) Is administered to children during the first few months of their admission into 

kindergarten;

(b) Covers all Essential Domains of School Readiness;

(c) Is used in conformance with the recommendations of the National Research Council 

reports on early childhood;15 and

(d) Is valid and reliable for its intended purposes and for the target populations and 

aligned to the Early Learning and Development Standards. 

 

Results of the assessment should be used to inform efforts to close the school-readiness 

gap at kindergarten entry, to inform instruction in the early elementary school grades, 

and to inform parents about their children’s status and involve them in decisions about 

their children’s education. This assessment must not be used to prevent children’s entry 

into kindergarten or as a single measure for high-stakes decisions.

 

Lead Agency means a State-level agency that administers public funds related to early 

learning and development and is participating in the State’s ambitious and achievable plan; this 

agency is designated by the Governor for the administration of the Preschool Development 

Grants funds and is the fiscal agent for the grant. 

 

Local Educational Agency (LEA) has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the 

ESEA. 

 

 

15 One example of these reports is referenced here. National Research Council (2008). Early Childhood 

Assessment: Why, What, and How. Committee on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young Children, 

C.E. Snow and S.B. Van Hemel, Editors. Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Board on Testing and 

Assessment, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies 

Press.

Available at: www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 22

Measures of Environmental Quality means valid and reliable indicators of the overall 

quality of the early learning environment.

 

Measures of the Quality of Adult-Child Interactions means the measures obtained 

through valid and reliable processes for observing how teachers and caregivers interact with 

children, where such processes are designed to promote child learning and to identify strengths 

of and areas for improvement for early learning professionals. 

 

Program Standards means the standards that serve as the basis for a TQRIS and define 

differentiated levels of quality for Early Learning and Development Programs. Program 

Standards must measure, at a minimum, the extent to which--

(a) Early Learning and Development Standards are implemented through evidence-based 

activities, interventions, or curricula that are appropriate for each age group of 

infants, toddlers, and preschoolers;

(b) Comprehensive Early Learning Assessment Systems are used routinely and 

appropriately to improve instruction and enhance program quality by providing robust

and coherent evidence of--

(1) Children’s learning and development outcomes; and

(2) Program performance;

(c) A qualified workforce improves young children’s health, social, emotional, and 

educational outcomes;

(d) Culturally and linguistically responsive strategies are successfully used to engage 

families, help them build protective factors, and strengthen their capacity to 

support their children’s development and learning. These strategies may include, 

but are not limited to, parent access to the program, ongoing two-way 

communication with families, parent education in child development, outreach to 

fathers and other family members, training and support for families as children 

move to preschool and kindergarten, social networks of support, intergenerational 

activities, linkages with community supports, adult and family literacy programs, 

parent involvement in decision making, and parent leadership development;

(e) Health promotion practices include health and safety requirements; 

developmental, behavioral, and sensory screening, referral, and follow up; the 

promotion of physical activity, healthy eating habits, oral health, and behavioral 

health; and health literacy of parents; and

(f) Data practices are effective and include gathering Essential Data Elements and 

entering them into the State’s Statewide Longitudinal Data System or other early 

learning data system, using these data to guide instruction and program 

improvement, and making this information readily available to families.

 

Screening Measures means age and developmentally appropriate, valid, and reliable 

instruments that are used to identify children who may need follow-up services to address 

developmental, learning, or health needs in, at a minimum, the areas of physical health, 

behavioral health, oral health, child development, vision, and hearing.

 

State means any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

 
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 23

State Preschool Program means a preschool program predominately supported with State 

funds that provides services to four-year-old children, including a State Head Start program.

 

Statewide Longitudinal Data System means the State’s longitudinal education data 

system that collects and maintains detailed, high-quality, student- and staff-level data that are 

linked across entities and that over time provide a complete academic and performance history 

for each student. The Statewide Longitudinal Data System is typically housed within the State 

educational agency but includes or can be connected to early childhood, postsecondary, and 

labor data.

 

Subgrantee means an Early Learning Provider serving at least one High-Need 

Community that is receiving a subgrant from the State, and is participating in the State’s 

ambitious and achievable plan.

 

Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS) means the system through 

which the State uses a set of progressively higher Program Standards to evaluate the quality of an 

early learning and development program and to support program improvement. A Tiered 

Quality Rating and Improvement System consists of four components: 

(a) Tiered Program Standards with multiple rating categories that clearly and 

meaningfully differentiate program quality levels. 

(b) Monitoring to evaluate program quality based on the Program Standards. 

(c) Supports to help programs meet progressively higher standards (e.g., through training, 

technical assistance, financial support). 

(d) Program quality ratings that are publicly available and include a process for 

validating the system.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 24

8BELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible to compete for funding under this program a State must--

 (a) Serve 10 percent or more of four-year-old children in a State Preschool Program; 16 or

 (b) Have received an award under a Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge competition.

Therefore, only the States of Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of 

Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North 

Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, 

Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin are eligible to apply for 

Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The following requirements apply to all applications submitted under this competition:

(a) The State’s application must be signed by the Governor or an authorized representative and 

an authorized representative from the Lead Agency.

(b) The application must include a letter of support from an operational State Advisory Council 

on Early Childhood Education and Care that meets the requirements described in section 

642B(b) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837(b)) and in paragraph (l) of the Program 

Requirements. If the State does not have an operational State Advisory Council, the 

application must include a letter of support from a similar State council on early childhood 

education and care established by the State’s legislature or assigned the duties of the State 

Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care by the State’s Governor that 

meets the requirements described in section 642B(b) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 

9837(b)) and in paragraph (l) of the Program Requirements. The letter must describe the 

council’s level of support and, if applicable, participation in the grant. 

(c) The State must include a budget narrative that details how it will use Federal grant funds 

awarded under this competition, and, if applicable, funds from other Federal, State, private, 

and local sources, to achieve--

(1) The goals outlined in its ambitious and achievable plan; and 

(2) Its ambitious and achievable targets for increasing the number and percentage of 

Eligible Children who are enrolled in High-Quality Preschool Programs through, as 

applicable, newly created and improved State Preschool Program slots as described 

in selection criterion (D)(4)(b).

(d) The State must complete the Excel spreadsheets that are provided on the Preschool 

Development Grants Website at www.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants and 

upload to the Other Attachments Form in Grants.gov as explained in Part 5 of the 

application. 

 

16 Based on current data from: Barnett, W.S., Carolan, M.E, Squires, J.H., and Clarke-Brown, K. (May 2014). State 

of Preschool 2013: First Look (NCES 2014-078). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center 

for Education Statistics. Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 25

(e) The State must provide, for each selection criterion or priority in this notice that solicits an 

ambitious and achievable plan, a description of the following elements, at a minimum--

(1) The key goals of the plan;

(2) The key activities to be undertaken; the rationale for the activities; and, if applicable, 

where in the State the activities will be initially implemented, and where and how 

they will be scaled up over time;

(3) A realistic timeline, including key milestones, for implementing each key activity;

(4) The party or parties responsible for implementing each activity and other key 

personnel assigned to each activity;

(5) Appropriate financial resources to support successful implementation and 

sustainment of the plan;

(6) The information requested as supporting evidence, if any, together with any 

additional information the State believes will be helpful to peer reviewers in judging 

the credibility of the plan;

(7) The information requested in the performance measures, where applicable; and

(8) How the State will address the needs of Eligible Children, including those who may 

be in need of additional supports, such as children who have disabilities or 

developmental delays; who are English learners; who reside on “Indian lands” as that 

term is defined by section 8013(7) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 

of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) (ESEA); who are migrant; who are 

“homeless,” as defined in subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless 

Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. §11434a(2)) (McKinney-Vento Act); whose families are 

involved in the child welfare system; who reside in rural areas; who are from military 

families; and other children as identified by the State, if applicable.

(f) The State must provide a letter of support or preliminary binding agreement, such as a 

preliminary memorandum of understanding (MOU), from each Subgrantee attesting to the 

Subgrantee’s participation (a model MOU is provided in the Appendix B of this notice). 

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS 

States and each Subgrantee that receive funds under this grant program must meet the following 

requirements for, at a minimum, the duration of the grant period:

(a) The State must continue to participate in--

(1) The programs authorized by part C and section 619 of part B of IDEA;

(2) The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program (pursuant to the Child Care 

and Development Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.));

(3) The program authorized under section 418 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 618); 

(4) The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program (section 511 of 

title V of the Social Security Act, as amended by section 2951 of the Affordable Care 

Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-148)); and

(5) Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act. 

(b) The State and each Subgrantee must use funds made available under this grant to 

supplement, not supplant, any Federal, State, or local funds (e.g., IDEA, title I, Head Start, 

CCDF, and any matching funds included as part of Competitive Preference Priority 2) that, 

in the absence of the funds awarded under this grant, would be available for improving the 
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 26

quality of State Preschool Programs and increasing access to High-Quality Preschool 

Programs.

(c) The State must participate in grantee technical assistance activities facilitated by ED or HHS, 

individually or in collaboration with other State grantees, to share effective program 

practices and solutions and collaboratively solve problems, and must set aside a minimum of 

$25,000 annually from its grant funds for this purpose.

(d) The State and each Subgrantee must participate in any evaluation of the State's High-Quality 

Preschool Program, including any cross-State evaluation, if funded by ED or HHS.

(e) The State and each Subgrantee must comply with the requirements of all applicable Federal, 

State, and local privacy laws, including the requirements of the Family Educational Rights 

and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g), the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act 

(Pub. L. 104-191), and IDEA.

(f) The State and each Subgrantee must ensure that the grant project is implemented in 

accordance with all applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, including the 

provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II and Title III of the 

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 that prohibit discrimination on the basis of 

disability and require that individuals with disabilities be served in the most integrated 

setting appropriate to their needs.

(g) The State and each Subgrantee must provide researchers with access, consistent with the 

requirements of all applicable Federal, State, and local privacy laws, to available data 

regarding the enrollment and school readiness of Eligible Children in State Preschool 

Programs.

(h) Unless otherwise protected as proprietary information by Federal or State laws or a specific 

written agreement, the State and each Subgrantee must make any work (e.g., materials, tools, 

processes, systems) developed under its grant freely available to the public. Any Web sites 

developed under this grant must meet government or industry-recognized standards for 

accessibility.

(i) The State must have a Statewide Longitudinal Data System that links early childhood data 

with the State’s kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) data system by the end of the grant 

period.

(j) The State must ensure that the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and 

Care includes, in addition to the members of the State Advisory Council described in section 

642B(b) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837(b)), the State’s CCDF administrator, State 

agency coordinators from both part C and section 619 of part B of IDEA, the State Title I 

Director, the State Coordinator of Education for Homeless Children and Youth, State agency 

representatives responsible for health and mental health, and parent representatives.

(k) The State must establish policies and procedures that ensure--

(1) Collaboration between each Subgrantee and programs authorized by section 619 of 

part B of IDEA so that Eligible Children with disabilities in the High-Need 

Community are being appropriately identified and served in the least restrictive 

environment; and

(2) Ensure that the percentage of Eligible Children with disabilities served by the HighQuality Preschool Programs is not less than either the percentage of four-year-old 
Preschool Development Grants—Expansion Grants Executive Summary Page 27

children served statewide through part B, section 619 of IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1400 et 

seq.), or the current national average,17 whichever is greater. 

(l) The State and each Subgrantee are prohibited from spending grant funds, including any 

matching funds, if applicable, on construction, renovation, modernization, or related 

activities.

(m)For activities involved in improving existing State Preschool Program slots to meet the 

definition of High-Quality Preschool Programs, the State and each Subgrantee may only 

spend grant funds, including any matching funds, if applicable, on activities listed in 

selection criterion (D)(4)(b)(ii). 

(n) Within 90 days of receipt of an award, the State must submit to the Departments a signed 

MOU (a model MOU is provided in Appendix B of this notice) or other binding agreement 

between the State’s Lead Agency and each Subgrantee that, at a minimum --

(1) Includes a scope of work describing the portions of the State's plan that the 

Subgrantee will implement;

(2) Incorporates the State's ambitious and achievable plan, in particular the sections that 

the Subgrantee is responsible for implementing; 

(3) Is signed by an authorized representative of the State’s Lead Agency and the 

Subgrantee;

(4) Describes the roles and responsibilities of the State’s Lead Agency and Subgrantee in 

implementing the project plan;

(5) Describes the method and process for making different types of decisions (e.g., 

policy, operational); 

(6) Describes how the State and Subgrantee will exchange data; and

(7) Describes how the MOU can be amended. 

(o) The State must submit scopes of work for the State and each Subgrantee within 90 days of 

the grant award notification date. These scopes of work must contain detailed work plans 

and budgets that are consistent with the State's grant application, and must include the State’s 

and each Subgrantee’s specific goals, activities, timelines, budgets, key personnel, and 

annual targets for key performance measures for the portions of the State's proposed plans 

that the Subgrantee is agreeing to implement.

 

17 Note: The current national percentage of four year-old-children receiving services through part B, section 619 of 

IDEA is 6.4%. Source: 2012 IDEA Part B Child Count (www.ideadata.org).