Preschool Development Grants Competition

Development Grants (84.419A)

Expansion Grants (84.419B)

General Overview for State Applicants

August 20, 2014

Welcome

 

U.S. Department of Education

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
Presenters

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• Libby Doggett, Deputy Assistant Secretary, ED

• Chrisanne Gayl, Senior Policy Advisor, ED

• Richard Gonzales, Senior Policy Advisor, HHS

• Steven Hicks, Senior Policy Advisor, ED
Housekeeping

• You should have downloaded and read the application, 

Executive Summary, Notice Inviting Applications, and FAQs.

• During the presentation all phone lines will be placed on mute to 

avoid feedback during the presentation. 

• Please use the “Chat” feature to submit questions which we will 

answer after the presentation.

• Any unanswered questions today may be followed up with 

additional guidance. 

• The slides, transcript and recording from today’s presentation will 

be posted at the Preschool Development Grants Web site at: 

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/resources.html

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Agenda

• Big Picture Overview

• Competition Priorities

• Selection Criteria

• Select Application Requirements

• Select Program Requirements

• Definitions

• Next Steps

• Contact Information

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The Big Picture

• Competition will support State efforts to:

▫ Develop or enhance capacity to deliver High-Quality 

Preschool Programs, and

▫ Implement and sustain High-Quality Preschool Programs for 

Eligible Children in High-Need Communities.

• Two types of grants: Development or Expansion

• All States eligible to apply for one type of grant based on:

▫ Percentage of children served in state-funded preschool, and 

▫ Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge status

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The Big Picture (cont.)

• Funding bands based on population of four-year old 

children from families at 200% FPL and below

• Governor applies and designates a Lead Agency; also 

identifies high-need communities to be served 

• Grant period: Up to four-years 

• Annual continuation awards, subject to Congressional 

appropriations

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Development Grants

• $80M

• Award range: $5M-$20M/year ($20M-$80M/4 years)

• Eligibility:

▫ Currently serves less than 10% of four-year olds or not 

have a State Preschool Program; and

▫ Not have received an RTT-ELC grant

• Number of States eligible: 16

▫ Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, 

Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, 

North Dakota, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Utah, and 

Wyoming 

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Expansion Grants

• $160M

• Award range: $10M-$35M/year ($40M-$140M/ 4 years)

• Eligibility:

▫ Currently serves 10% or more of four-year olds in state-funded 

preschool; or

▫ Have received an RTT-ELC grant

• Number of States eligible: 36

▫ 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 

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Development Grants – Absolute Priority 1

Building Capacity to Deliver, and Increasing Access to, High-Quality 

Preschool Programs 

An applicant must demonstrate how it will build capacity to deliver, and increase 

access to High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children by proposing a 

plan to:

1) Begin serving Eligible Children no later than year two of the grant period;

2) Subgrant at least 65 percent of its Federal grant funds received over the grant 

period to one or more Subgrantees to implement and sustain voluntary, HighQuality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children in one or more High-Need 

Communities in the State; and

3) Use no more than 35 percent of its Federal grant funds received over the 

grant period to develop or enhance State Preschool Program infrastructure 

and make quality improvements at the State level, such as those described in 

selection criterion (C)(1), and build the capacity to deliver High-Quality 

Preschool Programs.

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Expansion Grants - Absolute Priority 1

Increasing Access to High-Quality Preschool Programs in High-Need 

Communities

An applicant must demonstrate how it will build capacity to deliver, and increase 

access to High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children by proposing a 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).

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Expansion Grants – 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. 

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Expansion Grants – 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. 

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Competitive Preference Priority 1

Contributing Matching Funds 

• Non-Federal matching funds comprised of State, local, and 

philanthropic funds 

• Evidence of a credible plan

• May also include increased State funding appropriated beginning in 

the State fiscal year prior to the first year of the grant period 

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

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Competitive Preference Priority 2

Supporting a Continuum of Early Learning and 

Development

• A seamless progression of supports and interventions from birth 

through third grade, such as 

▫ High-quality infant and toddler 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.

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Competitive Preference Priority 3

Creating New High-Quality State Preschool Program 

Slots

• 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.

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Selection Criterion A 

Executive Summary

1) The State’s progress to date 

2) Provide High-Quality Preschool Programs in one/two or 

more High-Need Communities

3) Increase the number and percentage of Eligible Children 

served in High-Quality Preschool Programs

4) Characteristics of High-Quality Preschool Programs

5) Set expectations for school readiness 

6) Supported by a broad group of stakeholders

7) Allocate funds between–

 (a) Activities to build or enhance infrastructure using no 

 more than 35%/5% of funds; and 

 (b) Subgrants using at least 65%/95% of funds

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Selection Criterion B 

Development: Commitment to High-Quality 

 Preschool Programs 

Expansion: Commitment to State Preschool 

 Programs

1) Early Learning and Development Standards

2) Financial investment in preschool programs 

3) Enacted and pending legislation, policies, and/or practices 

4) Development: Quality of existing early learning programs 

Expansion: Quality of State Preschool Programs

5) Coordination of preschool programs and services

6) Promoting coordination of preschool programs with other 

sectors

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Selection Criterion C

Ensuring Quality in Preschool Programs 

1) State-level infrastructure and quality improvements

2) Monitoring preschool services

3) Measure the outcomes of participating children

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Selection Criterion D

1) Development: State selected/will select the High-

 Need Communities served 

Expansion: State selected each Subgrantee and 

 each High-Need Community

2) How each High-Need Community is underserved

3) Outreach conducted 

4) State will subgrant 65%/ 95% of its Federal grant 

award to its Subgrantee or Subgrantees to implement 

and sustain voluntary, High-Quality Preschool 

Programs in one/ two or more High-Need Communities

5) Sustain Preschool Programs after the grant period 

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Expanding High-Quality Preschool Programs in Each 

High-Need Community
Selection Criterion E

Collaborating with Each Subgrantees and Ensuring 

Strong Partnerships

1) Roles and responsibilities of the State and each Subgrantee

2) Implementing High-Quality Preschool Programs 

3) Minimizing local administrative costs

4) Monitoring Early Learning Providers

5) Coordinating State and the Subgrantee plans

6) Coordinating, but not supplanting, the delivery of programs 

7) Integrating programs in economically diverse, inclusive settings

8) Delivering programs to children in need of additional supports

9) Outreach to enroll isolated or hard-to-reach families; helping 

families build protective factors; and engaging families 

10) Ensuring strong partnerships between each Subgrantee and 

LEAs or other Early Learning Providers

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Selection Criterion F

Budget and Sustainability

1) Funds from grant and any matching contributions to serve 

the number of Eligible Children each year

2) Coordinate the use of existing Federal funds

3) Sustain the High-Quality Preschool Programs provided by 

this grant after the grant period

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Alignment within a Birth through Third Grade 

Continuum

1) Birth through age-five program

2) Kindergarten through third grade

Selection Criterion G
Application Requirements

(a) Signed by the Governor/authorized representative and Lead Agency.

(b) Letter of support from an operational State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or 

a similar State council

(c) Budget narrative that details how it will use grant funds and other Federal, State, private, and local 

sources, to achieve—

1) Goals outlined in its ambitious and achievable plan; and 

2) Targets for increasing the number and percentage of Eligible Children enrolled in High-Quality 

Preschool Programs

(d) Complete the Excel spreadsheets 

(e) Provide, for each selection criterion or priority in this notice that solicits and ambitious and achievable 

plan, a description of the following elements--

(1) Key goals 

(2) Key activities and the rationale, where implemented, and how they will be scaled up over time

(3) Timeline, including key milestones

(4) Parties responsible for implementing each activity and other key personnel 

(5) Appropriate financial resources to support implementation and sustain

(6) Supporting evidence

(7) Information requested in performance measures

(8) How the State will address the needs of Eligible Children, including those in need of additional 

supports

(f) Expansion: Provide a letter of support or preliminary binding agreement, 

 such as a preliminary MOU

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Program Requirements

A State that receives a grant must—

a) Participate in other early childhood programs

b) Supplement, not supplant

c) Participate in ED/HHS TA – reserve $25,000 per year

d) Participate in ED/HHS evaluation

e) Comply with privacy laws

f) Implemented in accordance with Federal, State, and local laws/regulations

g) Provide researchers with access to data

h) Make work developed under its grant freely available to the public

i) Have a longitudinal data system linking early childhood and K-12 data by the end of 

the grant period

j) Ensure State Advisory Council includes additional members

k) Collaboration with Part B, section 619 of IDEA and ensure that the percentage of 

Eligible Children with disabilities served is not less than the statewide or national 

average

l) Prohibition on construction, renovation, modernization, or related activities

m) Funds spent on improving slots may only be for activities listed

n) Within 180/90 days submit a signed MOU with each Subgrantee

o) Submit scopes of work for the State within 90 days and 

 for each Subgrantee within 180/90 days

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Definitions

• Defined terms are used throughout the notice and are 

indicated by capitalization.

• Please review all definitions before completing your 

application.

• Some key definitions you may want to review are:

▫ Eligible Children

▫ High-Need Community

▫ High-Quality Preschool Programs

▫ Subgrantee

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Next Steps

• Register on grants.gov

• August 25th: Development Grants Technical Assistance Webinar

• August 26th: Expansion Grants Technical Assistance Webinar

• September 11th: Intent to Apply due

• October 14th: Applications due

• December 2014: Announce awards 

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Contact Information

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• Preschool Development Grants Program Web site: 

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/preschooldevelopmentgrants/index.html

• E-mail: PreschoolDevelopmentGrants@ed.gov

Thank you for joining us 

for today’s webinar!