Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 27 / Tuesday, February 10, 2015 / Notices 7423 

Department’s information collection 

requirements and provide the requested 

data in the desired format. ED is 

soliciting comments on the proposed 

information collection request (ICR) that 

is described below. The Department of 

Education is especially interested in 

public comment addressing the 

following issues: (1) Is this collection 

necessary to the proper functions of the 

Department; (2) will this information be 

processed and used in a timely manner; 

(3) is the estimate of burden accurate; 

(4) how might the Department enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (5) how 

might the Department minimize the 

burden of this collection on the 

respondents, including through the use 

of information technology. Please note 

that written comments received in 

response to this notice will be 

considered public records. 

Title of Collection: Program for 

International Student Assessment 2012 

(PISA:2012) Validation Study 2015 

Field Test and Main Study. 

OMB Control Number: 1850–0900. 

Type of Review: A revision of an 

existing information collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Individuals or households. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 6,260. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 2,086. 

Abstract: PISA (Program for 

International Student Assessment) is an 

international assessment of 15-year-olds 

designed to evaluate, at the end of 

compulsory education, how well 

students are prepared for the challenges 

of further education and the workforce 

(OMB# 1850–0755). To date, in the 

United States, PISA has been 

administered only as a cross-sectional 

study, and thus it has not been possible 

to evaluate how well it assesses key 

competencies of 15-year-olds for their 

later success. NCES proposes to conduct 

a follow-up study with students who 

participated in PISA 2012 to learn how 

performance on PISA relates to 

subsequent outcomes and skills of 

young adults. The follow-up study— 

referred to in materials to potential 

respondents as the PISA Young Adult 

Follow-Up Study, and in this request as 

the PISA Validation Study—will 

provide information about how 

students’ skills and experiences at age 

15, collected through PISA, relate to 

subsequent literacy, numeracy, and 

problem-solving skills, as well as 

educational attainment, education and 

work experiences, skills used in daily 

life, career intentions, and aspects of 

well-being. In fall 2015, when these 

students will be around 18 years of age, 

they will be asked to take the web-based 

version of the OECD’s Program for the 

International Assessment of Adult 

Competencies (PIAAC) assessment and 

background questionnaire—the 

Education and Skills Online (ESO). In 

fall 2013, students in the United States 

who participated in PISA 2012 and 

supplied contact information were 

contacted and invited to update their 

contact information in preparation for 

the follow-up study (OMB 1850–0900 

v.1). This request is to (1) recruit the 

PISA 2012 sample respondents who 

have been successfully located; (2) 

administer ESO to a field test sample in 

the summer of 2015; and (3) administer 

ESO to a main study sample in the fall 

of 2015. 

Dated: February 5, 2015. 

Stephanie Valentine, 

Acting Director, Information Collection 

Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and 

Records Management Services, Office of 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2015–02661 Filed 2–9–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Supporting Effective Educator 

Development Grant Program 

AGENCY: Office of Innovation and 

Improvement, Department of Education 

ACTION: Notice. 

Overview Information: 

Supporting Effective Educator 

Development (SEED) Grant Program 

Notice inviting applications for new 

awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

(CFDA) Number: 84.367D 

Dates: 

Applications Available: February 10, 

2015. 

Deadline for Notice of Intent To 

Apply: March 12, 2015. 

Dates of Informational Webinars: The 

SEED program intends to hold Webinars 

designed to provide technical assistance 

to interested applicants. Detailed 

information regarding these meetings 

will be provided on the SEED Web site 

at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/

edseed/index.html. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: April 13, 2015. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: June 10, 2015. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The SEED 

program provides funding for grants to 

National Not-for-Profit Organizations for 

projects that support teacher or 

principal training or professional 

enhancement activities and that are 

supported by at least Moderate Evidence 

of Effectiveness. The purpose of the 

program is to increase the number of 

Highly Effective Teachers and 

Principals by developing or expanding 

the implementation of practices that are 

demonstrated to have an impact on 

improving student achievement or 

Student Growth. These grants will allow 

eligible entities to develop, expand, and 

evaluate practices that can serve as 

models of best practices that can be 

sustained and disseminated. 

Priorities: This competition includes 

four absolute priorities, one of which is 

required for all applicants, and four 

competitive preference priorities. 

Absolute Priority 1 and Competitive 

Preference Priority 1 are from 34 CFR 

75.226. Absolute Priorities 2 through 4 

and Competitive Preference Priorities 2 

and 3 are from the notice of final 

priorities, requirements, definitions, and 

selection criteria for this program, 

published in the Federal Register on 

February 12, 2013 (78 FR 9815) (‘‘SEED 

NFP’’). Competitive Preference Priority 

4 is from the Department’s notice of 

final supplemental priorities and 

definitions, published in the Federal 

Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 

73425) (‘‘Supplemental Priorities’’). 

Absolute Priorities: For FY 2015 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applicants from this competition, these 

priorities are absolute priorities. Under 

34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only 

applications that meet Absolute Priority 

1 and meet one or more of Absolute 

Priorities 2 through 4. 

These priorities are: 

Absolute Priority 1: Supporting 

Practices and Strategies for Which 

There Is Moderate Evidence of 

Effectiveness. 

Projects that are supported by 

Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness. 

Note: The Department has updated the 

Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness 

definition since the previous SEED 

competition. 

Absolute Priority 2: Teacher or 

Principal Recruitment, Selection, and 

Preparation. 

This priority funds projects that will 

create or expand practices and strategies 

that increase the number of Highly 

Effective Teachers or Highly Effective 

Principals by recruiting, selecting, and 

preparing talented individuals to work 

in schools with high concentrations of 

High-need Students. Projects must 

include activities that focus on creating 


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7424 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 27 / Tuesday, February 10, 2015 / Notices 

or expanding high-performing teacher 

preparation programs, principal 

preparation programs, or both. 

Activities may include but are not 

limited to expanding clinical 

experiences, redesigning and 

implementing program coursework to 

align with State standards and district 

requirements for P–12 teachers, 

providing induction and other support 

for program participants in their 

classrooms and schools, and developing 

strategies for tracking the effect program 

graduates have on the achievement of 

their students or the performance of 

their schools. 

In addition, an applicant must 

propose a plan demonstrating a 

rigorous, competitive selection process 

to determine which aspiring teachers or 

principals participate in the applicant’s 

proposed activities. 

Absolute Priority 3: Professional 

Development for Teachers of Academic 

Subjects. 

This priority funds projects that will 

create or expand practices and strategies 

that increase the number of Highly 

Effective Teachers by providing 

professional development opportunities 

to teachers, including special education 

teachers, in schools with high 

concentrations of High-need Students. 

Projects must focus on increasing 

Student Achievement in academic 

subjects by providing high-quality 

professional development to teachers. 

The academic subjects that may be 

addressed through professional 

development under this priority include 

foreign languages, civics and 

government, economics, arts, history, 

physical education, geography, 

environmental education, and financial 

literacy. 

Applicants are required to describe 

the need of the proposed districts to be 

served for teacher professional 

development in the selected high-need 

academic subjects and to demonstrate 

alignment of the proposed projects with 

State standards. 

In addition, applicants must describe 

how they plan to measure the impact 

the professional development has on 

teacher effectiveness. Applicants must 

determine teacher effectiveness through 

a rigorous, transparent, and fair 

evaluation in which performance is 

differentiated using multiple measures 

of effectiveness and based in significant 

part on Student Growth. 

Note: The list of subjects provided in this 

priority is illustrative. Applicants may 

propose to address other academic subjects 

or areas, such as writing, reading, or 

mathematics, which partner schools and 

districts have demonstrated to be high-need. 

Absolute Priority 4: Advanced 

Certification and Advanced 

Credentialing. 

This priority funds projects that will 

create or expand practices and strategies 

based on advanced certification or 

advanced credentialing that increase the 

number of Highly Effective Teachers, 

Highly Effective Principals, or both, 

who work in schools with high 

concentrations of High-need Students. 

Applicants are required to focus their 

proposed projects on encouraging and 

supporting teachers, principals, or both, 

who seek a nationally recognized, 

standards-based advanced certificate or 

advanced credential through highquality professional enhancement 

projects designed to improve teaching 

and learning for teachers who may take 

on Career Ladder Positions, principals, 

or both who would serve as models, 

mentors, and coaches for other teachers, 

principals, or both working in schools 

with high concentrations of High-need 

Students. 

In addition, the effectiveness of 

teachers or principals who receive 

advanced certification or credentialing 

must be determined through a rigorous, 

transparent, and fair evaluation in 

which performance is differentiated 

using multiple measures of effectiveness 

and based in significant part on Student 

Growth. 

Finally, an applicant must propose a 

plan demonstrating a rigorous, 

competitive selection process to 

determine which teachers or principals 

participate in the applicant’s proposed 

activities. 

Competitive Preference Priorities: For 

FY 2015 and any subsequent year in 

which we make awards from the list of 

unfunded applicants from this 

competition, these priorities are 

competitive preference priorities. Under 

34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an 

additional five points to an application 

that meets Competitive Preference 

Priority 1. We award an additional one 

point to an application that meets 

Competitive Preference Priority 2. We 

award an additional two points to an 

application that meets Competitive 

Preference Priority 3. We award up to an 

additional four points to an application, 

depending on how well the application 

meets Competitive Preference Priority 4. 

The total number of points an 

application may receive for addressing 

the competitive preference priorities is 

12. These points are in addition to any 

points the application earns under the 

selection criteria. Addressing these 

competitive preference priorities is 

optional, and applicants may choose to 

respond to none, one, two, three, or all 

four of the competitive preference 

priorities for this competition. 

These priorities are: 

Competitive Preference Priority 1: 

Supporting Practices and Strategies for 

Which There Is Strong Evidence of 

Effectiveness (0 or 5 points). 

Projects that are supported by strong 

evidence of effectiveness (as defined in 

this notice). 

Note: The Department has updated the 

Strong Evidence of Effectiveness definition 

since the previous SEED competition. 

Competitive Preference Priority 2: 

Improving Efficiency (CostEffectiveness) (0 or 1 point). 

Projects that will identify strategies 

for providing cost-effective, high-quality 

services at the State, regional, or local 

level by making better use of available 

resources. Such projects may include 

innovative and sustainable uses of 

technology, modification of school 

schedules and teacher compensation 

systems, use of Open Educational 

Resources, or other strategies. 

Competitive Preference Priority 3: 

Promoting Science, Technology, 

Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) 

Education (0 or 2 points). 

This priority funds projects that 

address one or both of the following 

priority areas: 

(a) Increasing the opportunities for 

high-quality preparation of, or 

professional development for, teachers 

of STEM subjects. 

(b) Increasing the number of 

individuals from groups traditionally 

underrepresented in STEM, including 

minorities, individuals with disabilities, 

and women, who are teachers of STEM 

subjects and have increased 

opportunities for high-quality 

preparation or professional 

development. 

In addition, applicants must describe 

how they plan to measure the impact 

the proposed project activities have on 

teacher effectiveness. Applicants must 

determine teacher effectiveness through 

a rigorous, transparent, and fair 

evaluation in which performance is 

differentiated using multiple measures 

of effectiveness and based in significant 

part on Student Growth. 

Note: The Department encourages 

applicants to provide a thoughtful, in-depth 

response to the priority area(s) under 

Competitive Preference Priority 3 to which 

they are well-suited to respond. Applicants 

may choose to respond to one or both of the 

priority areas and are not required to respond 

to each priority area in order to receive the 

maximum available points under this 

competitive preference priority. 

Competitive Preference Priority 4: 

Supporting High-Need Students (0 to 4 

points). 


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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 27 / Tuesday, February 10, 2015 / Notices 7425 

This priority funds projects that are 

designed to improve: 

(a) Academic outcomes; 

(b) Learning environments; or 

(c) Both, 

For one or more of the following 

groups of students: 

(i) Students served by Rural Local 

Educational Agencies. 

(ii) Students with disabilities. 

(iii) English learners. 

(iv) Students in Lowest-performing 

Schools. 

(v) Students who are living in poverty 

and are served by schools with high 

concentrations of students living in 

poverty. 

(vi) Disconnected Youth or migrant 

youth. 

(vii) Students who are members of 

federally recognized Indian tribes. 

Note: The Department encourages 

applicants to provide a thoughtful, in-depth 

response to the priority area(s) under 

Competitive Preference Priority 4 to which 

they are well-suited to respond. Applicants 

may choose to respond to one or more of the 

priority areas and are not required to respond 

to each priority area in order to receive the 

maximum available points under this 

competitive preference priority. 

Definitions 

The following definitions are from the 

SEED NFP, the Supplemental Priorities, 

and 34 CFR 77.1. The source of each 

definition is noted in parentheses 

following the text of the definition. 

Career ladder positions means schoolbased instructional leadership positions 

designed to improve instructional 

practice, which teachers may 

voluntarily accept, such as positions 

described as master teacher, mentor 

teacher, demonstration or model 

teacher, or instructional coach, and for 

which teachers are selected based on 

criteria that are predictive of the ability 

to lead other teachers. (SEED NFP) 

Disconnected youth means lowincome individuals, ages 14–24, who 

are homeless, are in foster care, are 

involved in the justice system, or are not 

working or not enrolled in (or at risk of 

dropping out of) an educational 

institution. (Supplemental Priorities) 

High-minority school means a school 

as that term is defined by a local 

education agency (LEA), which must 

define the term in a manner consistent 

with its State’s Teacher Equity Plan, as 

required by section 1111(b)(8)(C) of the 

Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). The 

applicant must provide the definition(s) 

of ‘‘High-minority Schools’’ used in its 

application. (Supplemental Priorities) 

High-need students means students 

who are at risk of educational failure or 

otherwise in need of special assistance 

and support, such as students who are 

living in poverty, who attend Highminority Schools, who are far below 

grade level, who have left school before 

receiving a Regular High School 

Diploma, who are at risk of not 

graduating with a diploma on time, who 

are homeless, who are in foster care, 

who have been incarcerated, who have 

disabilities, or who are English learners. 

(Supplemental Priorities) 

Highly effective principal means a 

principal whose students, overall and 

for each subgroup as described in 

section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the 

Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act, as amended (ESEA) (i.e., 

economically disadvantaged students, 

students from major racial and ethnic 

groups, students with disabilities, and 

students with limited English 

proficiency), achieve high rates (e.g., 

one and one-half grade levels in an 

academic year) of student growth. 

Eligible applicants may include 

multiple measures, provided that 

principal effectiveness is evaluated, in 

significant part, based on student 

growth. Supplemental measures may 

include, for example, high school 

graduation rates; college enrollment 

rates; evidence of providing supportive 

teaching and learning conditions, 

support for ensuring effective 

instruction across subject areas for a 

well-rounded education, strong 

instructional leadership, and positive 

family and community engagement; or 

evidence of attracting, developing, and 

retaining high numbers of effective 

teachers. (SEED NFP) 

Highly effective teacher means a 

teacher whose students achieve high 

rates (e.g., one and one-half grade levels 

in an academic year) of student growth. 

Eligible applicants may include 

multiple measures, provided that 

teacher effectiveness is evaluated, in 

significant part, based on student 

growth. Supplemental measures may 

include, for example, multiple 

observation-based assessments of 

teacher performance or evidence of 

leadership roles (which may include 

mentoring or leading professional 

development learning communities) 

that increase effectiveness of other 

teachers in the school or LEA. (SEED 

NFP) 

Large sample means an analytic 

sample of 350 or more students (or other 

single analysis units), or 50 or more 

groups (such as classrooms or schools) 

that contain 10 or more students (or 

other single analysis units). (34 CFR 

77.1) 

Lowest-performing schools means— 

For a State with an approved request 

for flexibility under the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (ESEA), Priority Schools or 

Tier I and Tier II Schools identified 

under the School Improvement Grants 

program. 

For any other State, Tier I and Tier II 

schools identified under the School 

Improvement Grants program. 

(Supplemental Priorities) 

Moderate evidence of effectiveness 

means one of the following conditions 

is met: 

(a) There is at least one study of the 

effectiveness of the process, product, 

strategy, or practice being proposed that 

meets the What Works Clearinghouse 

Evidence Standards without 

reservations, found a statistically 

significant favorable impact on a 

Relevant Outcome (with no statistically 

significant and overriding unfavorable 

impacts on that outcome for relevant 

populations in the study or in other 

studies of the intervention reviewed by 

and reported on by the What Works 

Clearinghouse), and includes a sample 

that overlaps with the populations or 

settings proposed to receive the process, 

product, strategy, or practice. 

(b) There is at least one study of the 

effectiveness of the process, product, 

strategy, or practice being proposed that 

meets the What Works Clearinghouse 

Evidence Standards with reservations, 

found a statistically significant favorable 

impact on a Relevant Outcome (with no 

statistically significant and overriding 

unfavorable impacts on that outcome for 

relevant populations in the study or in 

other studies of the intervention 

reviewed by and reported on by the 

What Works Clearinghouse), includes a 

sample that overlaps with the 

populations or settings proposed to 

receive the process, product, strategy, or 

practice, and includes a Large Sample 

and a Multi-site Sample. (Note: Multiple 

studies can cumulatively meet the Large 

and Multi-site Sample requirements as 

long as each study meets the other 

requirements in this paragraph.) (34 

CFR 77.1) 

Note: All studies will be reviewed 

according to existing WWC review protocols 

in their appropriate topic area (see examples 

of Protocols by Topic Area: http://ies.ed.gov/ 

ncee/wwc/Publications_

Reviews.aspx?f=All%20Publication%20

and%20Review%20Types,5;#pubsearch). 

Protocols outline the specific processes that 

are used to determine whether a study meets 

WWC Evidence Standards. If a given study 

does not fit an existing topic-specific 

protocol, the WWC will use one of two Single 

Study Review protocols to guide the review 

(For K–12 Studies: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/

wwc/documentsum.aspx?sid=234 and for 


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7426 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 27 / Tuesday, February 10, 2015 / Notices 

Postsecondary Studies: (http://ies.ed.gov/

ncee/wwc/documentsum.aspx?sid=242). 

Multi-site sample means more than 

one site, where site can be defined as an 

LEA, locality, or State. (34 CFR 77.1) 

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). (SEED NFP) 

National not-for-profit organization 

means an entity that meets the 

definition of ‘‘nonprofit’’ under 34 CFR 

77.1(c) and is of national scope, 

meaning that the entity provides 

services in multiple States to a 

significant number or percentage of 

recipients and is supported by staff or 

affiliates in multiple States. (SEED NFP) 

Open educational resources means 

teaching, learning, and research 

resources that reside in the public 

domain or have been released under an 

intellectual property license that 

permits their free use or repurposing by 

others. (SEED NFP) 

Persistently lowest achieving school 

means, as determined by the State— 

(a)(1) Any Title I school that has been 

identified for improvement, corrective 

action, or restructuring under section 

1116 of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act of 1965, as amended 

(ESEA) and that— 

(i) Is among the lowest-achieving five 

percent of Title I schools in 

improvement, corrective action, or 

restructuring or the lowest-achieving 

five Title I schools in improvement, 

corrective action, or restructuring in the 

State, whichever number of schools is 

greater; or 

(ii) Is a high school that has had a 

graduation rate, as defined in 34 CFR 

200.19(b), that is less than 60 percent 

over a number of years; and 

(2) Any secondary school that is 

eligible for, but does not receive, Title 

I funds that— 

(i) Is among the lowest-achieving five 

percent of secondary schools or the 

lowest-achieving five secondary schools 

in the State that are eligible for, but do 

not receive, Title I funds, whichever 

number of schools is greater; or 

(ii) Is a high school that has had a 

graduation rate, as defined in 34 CFR 

200.19(b), that is less than 60 percent 

over a number of years. 

(b) To identify the lowest-achieving 

schools, a State must take into account 

both— 

(i) The academic achievement of the 

‘‘all students’’ group in a school in 

terms of proficiency on the State’s 

assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of 

the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act of 1965, as amended 

(ESEA), in reading/language arts and 

mathematics combined; and 

(ii) The school’s lack of progress on 

those assessments over a number of 

years in the ‘‘all students’’ group. 

(Supplemental Priorities) 

Priority schools means schools that, 

based on the most recent data available, 

have been identified as among the 

lowest-performing schools in the State. 

The total number of Priority Schools in 

a State must be at least five percent of 

the Title I schools in the State. A 

priority school is— 

(a) A school among the lowest five 

percent of Title I schools in the State 

based on the achievement of the ‘‘all 

students’’ group in terms of proficiency 

on the statewide assessments that are 

part of the SEA’s differentiated 

recognition, accountability, and support 

system, combined, and has 

demonstrated a lack of progress on those 

assessments over a number of years in 

the ‘‘all students’’ group; 

(b) A Title I-participating or Title Ieligible high school with a graduation 

rate that is less than 60 percent over a 

number of years; or 

(c) A Tier I or Tier II school under the 

School Improvement Grant (SIG) 

program that is using SIG funds to 

implement a school intervention model. 

(Supplemental Priorities) 

Relevant outcome means the student 

outcome(s) (or the ultimate outcome if 

not related to students) the proposed 

process, product, strategy, or practice is 

designed to improve; consistent with 

the specific goals of a program. (34 CFR 

77.1) 

Regular high school diploma means 

the standard high school diploma that is 

awarded to students in the State and 

that is fully aligned with the State’s 

academic content standards or a higher 

diploma and does not include a General 

Education Development (GED) 

credential, certificate of attendance, or 

any alternative award. (Supplemental 

Priorities) 

Rural local educational agency means 

a LEA that is eligible under the Small 

Rural School Achievement (SRSA) 

program or the Rural and Low-Income 

School (RLIS) program authorized under 

Title VI, Part B of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (ESEA). Eligible applicants 

may determine whether a particular 

LEA is eligible for these programs by 

referring to information on the 

Department’s Web site at www2.ed.gov/ 

nclb/freedom/local/reap.html. 

(Supplemental Priorities) 

Strong evidence of effectiveness 

means one of the following conditions 

is met: 

(a) There is at least one study of the 

effectiveness of the process, product, 

strategy, or practice being proposed that 

meets the What Works Clearinghouse 

Evidence Standards without 

reservations, found a statistically 

significant favorable impact on a 

Relevant Outcome (with no statistically 

significant and overriding unfavorable 

impacts on that outcome for relevant 

populations in the study or in other 

studies of the intervention reviewed by 

and reported on by the What Works 

Clearinghouse), includes a sample that 

overlaps with the populations and 

settings proposed to receive the process, 

product, strategy, or practice, and 

includes a Large Sample and a Multisite Sample. (Note: Multiple studies can 

cumulatively meet the Large and Multisite sample requirements as long as each 

study meets the other requirements in 

this paragraph.) 

(b) There are at least two studies of 

the effectiveness of the process, product, 

strategy, or practice being proposed, 

each of which: Meets the What Works 

Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with 

reservations, found a statistically 

significant favorable impact on a 

Relevant Outcome (with no statistically 

significant and overriding unfavorable 

impacts on that outcome for relevant 

populations in the studies or in other 

studies of the intervention reviewed by 

and reported on by the What Works 

Clearinghouse), includes a sample that 

overlaps with the populations and 

settings proposed to receive the process, 

product, strategy, or practice, and 

includes a Large Sample and a Multisite Sample. (34 CFR 77.1) 

Student achievement means— 

(a) For tested grades and subjects: (1) 

A student’s score on the State’s 

assessments under the ESEA; and, as 

appropriate, (2) other measures of 

student learning, such as those 

described in paragraph (b) of this 

definition, provided they are rigorous 

and comparable across schools. 

(b) For non-tested grades and subjects: 

alternative measures of student learning 

and performance, such as student scores 

on pre-tests and end-of-course tests; 

student performance on English 

language proficiency assessments; and 

other measures of student achievement 

that are rigorous and comparable across 

schools. (SEED NFP) 

Student growth means the change in 

student achievement (as defined in this 

notice) for an individual student 

between two or more points in time. An 


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applicant may also include other 

measures that are rigorous and 

comparable across classrooms. (SEED 

NFP) 

Tier I schools means— 

(a) A Title I school that has been 

identified as in improvement, corrective 

action, or restructuring under section 

1116 of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act of 1965, as amended 

(ESEA) and that is identified by the SEA 

under paragraph (a)(1) of the definition 

of ‘‘persistently lowest achieving 

school.’’ 

(b) An elementary school that is 

eligible for Title I, Part A funds that— 

(1)(i) Has not made adequate yearly 

progress for at least two consecutive 

years; or 

(ii) Is in the State’s lowest quintile of 

performance based on proficiency rates 

on the State’s assessments under section 

1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (ESEA) in reading/language 

arts and mathematics combined; and (2) 

Is no higher achieving than the highestachieving school identified by the SEA 

under paragraph (a)(1)(i) of the 

definition of ‘‘persistently lowest 

achieving school.’’ (Supplemental 

Priorities) 

Tier II schools means— 

(a) A secondary school that is eligible 

for, but does not receive, Title I, Part A 

funds and is identified by the State 

educational agency (SEA) under 

paragraph (a)(2) of the definition of 

‘‘persistently lowest achieving schools.’’ 

(b) A secondary school that is eligible 

for Title I, Part A funds that— 

(1)(i) Has not made adequate yearly 

progress for at least two consecutive 

years; or 

(ii) Is in the State’s lowest quintile of 

performance based on proficiency rates 

on the State’s assessments under section 

1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (ESEA), in reading/language 

arts and mathematics combined; and 

(2)(i) Is no higher achieving than the 

highest-achieving school identified by 

the SEA under paragraph (a)(2)(i) of the 

definition of ‘‘persistently lowest 

achieving school;’’ or 

(ii) Is a high school that has had a 

graduation rate, as defined in 34 CFR 

200.19(b), that is less than 60 percent 

over a number of years. (Supplemental 

Priorities) 

Quasi-experimental design study 

means a study using a design that 

attempts to approximate an 

experimental design by identifying a 

comparison group that is similar to the 

treatment group in important respects. 

These studies, depending on design and 

implementation, can meet What Works 

Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with 

reservations (but not What Works 

Clearinghouse Evidence Standards 

without reservations). 

What Works Clearinghouse Evidence 

Standards means the standards set forth 

in the What Works Clearinghouse 

Procedures and Standards Handbook 

(Version 3.0, March 2014), which can be 

found at the following link: http://

ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.

aspx?sid=19. (34 CFR 77.1) 

Program Authority: Pub. L. 113–76, 

Division H, Title III. 

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 OMB 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, and 

the Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles, and 

Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 

in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and 

amended in 2 CFR part 3474. (c) the 

SEED NFP (78 FR 9815), and (d) the 

Supplemental Priorities (79 FR 73425). 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 

apply to institutions of higher education 

only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 

Estimated Available Funds: 

$24,125,169. 

Estimated Range of Awards: 

$3,000,000–$8,000,000 per year. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$5,000,000 per year. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 3–6 

awards. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 36 months. 

Note: In subsequent fiscal years, the 

Department may decide to extend SEED 

projects’ evaluations beyond the 36 month 

project period, and provide additional 

funding, for the purposes of data collection, 

analysis, and reporting (34 CFR 75.250(b)). 

This flexibility is not guaranteed and is 

contingent on available funding in 

subsequent fiscal years. The Department has 

discretion in deciding which, if any, SEED 

projects will receive additional time and 

funding for the purposes of data collection, 

analysis, and reporting. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: As established 

in the SEED NFP (78 FR 9815), to be 

eligible for a SEED program grant, an 

entity must be a National Not-for-profit 

Organization. Each applicant must 

provide in its application 

documentation that it is a National Notfor-Profit Organization. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

program does not require cost sharing or 

matching. 

3. Evidence Standards: To meet 

Absolute Priority 1: Supporting 

Practices and Strategies for Which 

There Is Moderate Evidence of 

Effectiveness, each applicant must 

provide in its application 

documentation that its proposed project 

is supported by at least Moderate 

Evidence of Effectiveness. All 

applicants must respond to Absolute 

Priority 1, and one or more of Absolute 

Priorities 2 through 4, in order to be 

eligible to receive funding. An applicant 

that also responds to Competitive 

Preference Priority 1: Supporting 

Practices and Strategies for Which 

There Is Strong Evidence of 

Effectiveness must provide 

documentation that its proposed project 

is supported by Strong Evidence of 

Effectiveness. An applicant must ensure 

that all evidence is available to the 

Department from publically available 

sources and provide links or references 

to, or copies of, the evidence in the 

application. If the Department 

determines that an applicant has 

provided insufficient evidence that its 

proposed project meets the definition of 

‘‘Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness’’ or 

‘‘Strong Evidence of Effectiveness,’’ the 

applicant will not have an opportunity 

to provide additional evidence to 

support its application. 

4. Evaluations: As established in the 

SEED NFP, an applicant receiving funds 

under this program must comply with 

the requirements of any evaluation of 

the program conducted by the 

Department. In addition, an applicant 

receiving funds under this program 

must make broadly available through 

formal (e.g., peer-reviewed journals) or 

informal (e.g., newsletters) mechanisms, 

in print or electronically, the results of 

any evaluations it conducts of its 

funded activities. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package: Richard Wilson, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW., Room 4W237, 

Washington, DC 20202–5960 or by 

email: SEED@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

Individuals with disabilities can 

obtain a copy of the application package 


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in an accessible format (e.g., braille, 

large print, audiotape, or compact disc) 

by contacting the program contact 

person listed in this section. 

2.a. Content and Form of Application 

Submission: Requirements concerning 

the content of an application, together 

with the forms you must submit, are in 

the application package for this 

competition. 

Notice of Intent to Apply: March 12, 

2015. The Department will be able to 

develop a more efficient process for 

reviewing grant applications if it has a 

better understanding of the number of 

entities that intend to apply for funding 

under this competition. Therefore, the 

Department strongly encourages each 

potential applicant to notify the 

Department by sending a short email 

message indicating the applicant’s 

intent to submit an application for 

funding. The email need not include 

information regarding the content of the 

proposed application, only the 

applicant’s intent to submit it. The 

Department requests that this email 

notification be sent to the SEED program 

inbox at: SEED@ed.gov. 

Eligible entities that fail to provide 

this email notification may still apply 

for funding. 

Page Limit: The application narrative 

(Part III of the application) is where you, 

the applicant, address the selection 

criteria that reviewers use to evaluate 

your application. We suggest you limit 

the application narrative to the 

equivalent of no more than 50 pages, 

using the following standards: 

• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5′′ x 11′′, on one side 

only, with 1′′ margins at the top, bottom, 

and both sides. 

• Double space (no more than three 

lines per vertical inch) all text in the 

application narrative, except for titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, 

references, captions, 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 page limit does not apply to Part 

I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget 

section, including the narrative budget 

justification; Part IV, the assurances and 

certifications; or the one-page abstract, 

the resumes, or letters of support. 

However, the page limit does apply to 

all of the application narrative section 

[Part III]. 

b. Submission of Proprietary 

Information: Given the types of projects 

that may be proposed in applications for 

the SEED program, an application may 

include business information that the 

applicant considers proprietary. The 

Department’s regulations define 

‘‘business information’’ in 34 CFR 5.11. 

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 

feel is exempt from disclosure under 

Exemption 4 of the Freedom of 

Information Act. 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. Submission Dates and Times: 

Applications Available: February 10, 

2015. 

Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: 

March 12, 2015. 

Dates of Informational Webinars: The 

SEED program intends to hold webinars 

designed to provide technical assistance 

to interested applicants. Detailed 

information regarding these meetings 

will be provided on the SEED Web site 

at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/

edseed/index.html. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: April 13, 2015. 

Applications for grants under this 

competition must be submitted 

electronically using the Grants.gov 

Apply site (Grants.gov). For information 

(including dates and times) about how 

to submit your application 

electronically, or in paper format by 

mail or hand delivery if you qualify for 

an exception to the electronic 

submission requirement, please refer to 

section IV. 7. Other Submission 

Requirements of this notice. 

We do not consider an application 

that does not comply with the deadline 

requirements. 

Individuals with disabilities who 

need an accommodation or auxiliary aid 

in connection with the application 

process should contact the person listed 

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If 

the Department provides an 

accommodation or auxiliary aid to an 

individual with a disability in 

connection with the application 

process, the individual’s application 

remains subject to all other 

requirements and limitations in this 

notice. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: June 10, 2015. 

4. 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. 

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 

restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

6. Data Universal Numbering System 

Number, Taxpayer Identification 

Number, and System for Award 

Management: To do business with the 

Department of Education, you must— 

a. Have a Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer 

Identification Number (TIN); 

b. Register both your DUNS number 

and TIN with the System for Award 

Management (SAM) (formerly the 

Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the 

Government’s primary registrant 

database; 

c. Provide your DUNS number and 

TIN on your application; and 

d. Maintain an active SAM 

registration with current information 

while your application is under review 

by the Department and, if you are 

awarded a grant, during the project 

period. 

You can obtain a DUNS number from 

Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 

can be created within one to two 

business days. 

If you are a corporate entity, agency, 

institution, or organization, you can 

obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue 

Service. If you are an individual, you 

can obtain a TIN from the Internal 

Revenue Service or the Social Security 

Administration. If you need a new TIN, 

please allow 2–5 weeks for your TIN to 

become active. 

The SAM registration process can take 

approximately seven business days, but 

may take upwards of several weeks, 

depending on the completeness and 

accuracy of the data entered into the 

SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you 

think you might want to apply for 

Federal financial assistance under a 

program administered by the 

Department, please allow sufficient time 

to obtain and register your DUNS 

number and TIN. We strongly 

recommend that you register early. 

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, 

you will need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the 

information to be available in Grants.gov and 

before you can submit an application through 

Grants.gov. 

If you are currently registered with 

SAM, you may not need to make any 

changes. However, please make certain 

that the TIN associated with your DUNS 

number is correct. Also note that you 

will need to update your registration 

annually. This may take three or more 

business days. 


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Information about SAM is available at 

www.SAM.gov. To further assist you 

with obtaining and registering your 

DUNS number and TIN in SAM or 

updating your existing SAM account, 

we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet, 

which you can find at: http://

www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/samfaqs.html. 

In addition, if you are submitting your 

application via Grants.gov, you must (1) 

be designated by your organization as an 

Authorized Organization Representative 

(AOR); and (2) register yourself with 

Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these 

steps are outlined at the following 

Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/

web/grants/register.html. 

7. Other Submission Requirements: 

Applications for grants under this 

competition must be submitted 

electronically unless you qualify for an 

exception to this requirement in 

accordance with the instructions in this 

section. 

a. Electronic Submission of 

Applications. 

Applications for grants under the 

SEED program, CFDA number 84.367D, 

must be submitted electronically using 

the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply 

site at www.Grants.gov. Through this 

site, you will be able to download a 

copy of the application package, 

complete it offline, and then upload and 

submit your application. You may not 

email an electronic copy of a grant 

application to us. 

We will reject your application if you 

submit it in paper format unless, as 

described elsewhere in this section, you 

qualify for one of the exceptions to the 

electronic submission requirement and 

submit, no later than two weeks before 

the application deadline date, a written 

statement to the Department that you 

qualify for one of these exceptions. 

Further information regarding 

calculation of the date that is two weeks 

before the application deadline date is 

provided later in this section under 

Exception to Electronic Submission 

Requirement. 

You may access the electronic grant 

application for the SEED program at 

www.Grants.gov. You must search for 

the downloadable application package 

for this competition by the CFDA 

number. Do not include the CFDA 

number’s alpha suffix in your search 

(e.g., search for 84.367, not 84.367D). 

Please note the following: 

•When you enter the Grants.gov site, you 

will find information about submitting an 

application electronically through the site, as 

well as the hours of operation. 

• Applications received by Grants.gov are 

date and time stamped. Your application 

must be fully uploaded and submitted and 

must be date and time stamped by the 

Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 p.m., 

Washington, DC time, on the application 

deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in 

this section, we will not accept your 

application if it is received—that is, date and 

time stamped by the Grants.gov system—after 

4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 

application deadline date. We do not 

consider an application that does not comply 

with the deadline requirements. When we 

retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we 

will notify you if we are rejecting your 

application because it was date and time 

stamped by the Grants.gov system after 

4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 

application deadline date. 

• The amount of time it can take to upload 

an application will vary depending on a 

variety of factors, including the size of the 

application and the speed of your Internet 

connection. Therefore, we strongly 

recommend that you do not wait until the 

application deadline date to begin the 

submission process through Grants.gov. 

• You should review and follow the 

Education Submission Procedures for 

submitting an application through Grants.gov 

that are included in the application package 

for this competition to ensure that you 

submit your application in a timely manner 

to the Grants.gov system. You can also find 

the Education Submission Procedures 

pertaining to Grants.gov under News and 

Events on the Department’s G5 system home 

page at http://www.G5.gov. 

• You will not receive additional point 

value because you submit your application in 

electronic format, nor will we penalize you 

if you qualify for an exception to the 

electronic submission requirement, as 

described elsewhere in this section, and 

submit your application in paper format. 

• You must submit all documents 

electronically, including all information you 

typically provide on the following forms: the 

Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), 

the Department of Education Supplemental 

Information for SF 424, Budget Information— 

Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all 

necessary assurances and certifications. 

• You must upload any narrative sections 

and all other attachments to your application 

as files in a PDF (Portable Document) readonly, non-modifiable format. Do not upload 

an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you 

upload a file type other than a read-only, 

non-modifiable PDF or submit a passwordprotected file, we will not review that 

material. 

• Your electronic application must comply 

with any page-limit requirements described 

in this notice. 

• After you electronically submit your 

application, you will receive from Grants.gov 

an automatic notification of receipt that 

contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This 

notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov 

only, not receipt by the Department.) The 

Department then will retrieve your 

application from Grants.gov and send a 

second notification to you by email. This 

second notification indicates that the 

Department has received your application 

and has assigned your application a PR/

Award number (an ED-specified identifying 

number unique to your application). 

• We may request that you provide us 

original signatures on forms at a later date. 

Application Deadline Date Extension 

in Case of Technical Issues with the 

Grants.gov System: If you are 

experiencing problems submitting your 

application through Grants.gov, please 

contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, 

toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must 

obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case 

Number and must keep a record of it. 

If you are prevented from 

electronically submitting your 

application on the application deadline 

date because of technical problems with 

the Grants.gov system, we will grant you 

an extension until 4:30:00 p.m., 

Washington, DC time, the following 

business day to enable you to transmit 

your application electronically or by 

hand delivery. You also may mail your 

application by following the mailing 

instructions described elsewhere in this 

notice. 

If you submit an application after 

4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on 

the application deadline date, please 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in 

section VII of this notice and provide an 

explanation of the technical problem 

you experienced with Grants.gov, along 

with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case 

Number. We will accept your 

application if we can confirm that a 

technical problem occurred with the 

Grants.gov system and that that problem 

affected your ability to submit your 

application by 4:30:00 p.m., 

Washington, DC time, on the 

application deadline date. The 

Department will contact you after a 

determination is made on whether your 

application will be accepted. 

Note: The extensions to which we refer in 

this section apply only to the unavailability 

of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov 

system. We will not grant you an extension 

if you failed to fully register to submit your 

application to Grants.gov before the 

application deadline date and time or if the 

technical problem you experienced is 

unrelated to the Grants.gov system. 

Exception to Electronic Submission 

Requirement: You qualify for an 

exception to the electronic submission 

requirement, and may submit your 

application in paper format, if you are 

unable to submit an application through 

the Grants.gov system because–– 

• You do not have access to the 

Internet; or 

• You do not have the capacity to 

upload large documents to the 

Grants.gov system; and 

• No later than two weeks before the 

application deadline date (14 calendar 

days or, if the fourteenth calendar day 

before the application deadline date 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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falls on a Federal holiday, the next 

business day following the Federal 

holiday), you mail or fax a written 

statement to the Department, explaining 

which of the two grounds for an 

exception prevent you from using the 

Internet to submit your application. 

If you mail your written statement to 

the Department, it must be postmarked 

no later than two weeks before the 

application deadline date. If you fax 

your written statement to the 

Department, we must receive the faxed 

statement no later than two weeks 

before the application deadline date. 

Address and mail or fax your 

statement to: Richard Wilson, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW., Room 4W237, 

Washington, DC 20202–5960. 

FAX: (202) 401–8466. 

Your paper application must be 

submitted in accordance with the mail 

or hand delivery instructions described 

in this notice. 

b. Submission of Paper Applications 

by Mail. 

If you qualify for an exception to the 

electronic submission requirement, you 

may mail (through the U.S. Postal 

Service or a commercial carrier) your 

application to the Department. You 

must mail the original and two copies 

of your application, on or before the 

application deadline date, to the 

Department at the following address: 

U.S. Department of Education, 

Application Control Center, Attention: 

(CFDA Number 84.367D), LBJ Basement 

Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20202–4260. 

You must show proof of mailing 

consisting of one of the following: 

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service 

postmark. 

(2) A legible mail receipt with the 

date of mailing stamped by the U.S. 

Postal Service. 

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or 

receipt from a commercial carrier. 

(4) Any other proof of mailing 

acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. 

Department of Education. 

If you mail your application through 

the U.S. Postal Service, we do not 

accept either of the following as proof 

of mailing: 

(1) A private metered postmark. 

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by 

the U.S. Postal Service. 

If your application is postmarked after 

the application deadline date, we will 

not consider your application. 

Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not 

uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before 

relying on this method, you should check 

with your local post office. 

c. Submission of Paper Applications 

by Hand Delivery. 

If you qualify for an exception to the 

electronic submission requirement, you 

(or a courier service) may deliver your 

paper application to the Department by 

hand. You must deliver the original and 

two copies of your application by hand, 

on or before the application deadline 

date, to the Department at the following 

address: U.S. Department of Education, 

Application Control Center, Attention: 

(CFDA Number 84.367D), 550 12th 

Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center 

Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260. 

The Application Control Center 

accepts hand deliveries daily between 

8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, 

DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, 

and Federal holidays. 

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper 

Applications: If you mail or hand deliver 

your application to the Department— 

(1) You must indicate on the envelope 

and—if not provided by the Department—in 

Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, 

including suffix letter, if any, of the 

competition under which you are submitting 

your application; and 

(2) The Application Control Center will 

mail to you a notification of receipt of your 

grant application. If you do not receive this 

notification within 15 business days from the 

application deadline date, you should call 

the U.S. Department of Education 

Application Control Center at (202) 245– 

6288. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from the 

SEED NFP and from 34 CFR 75.210, and 

are as follows: 

The maximum score for all the 

selection criteria is 100 points. The 

maximum score for each criterion is 

indicated in parentheses. Each criterion 

also includes the factors that reviewers 

will consider in determining the extent 

to which an applicant meets the 

criterion. 

In addressing each criterion, 

applicants are encouraged to make 

explicit connections to relevant aspects 

of responses to other selection criteria. 

A. Significance (10 points). The 

Secretary considers the significance of 

the proposed project. In determining the 

significance of the proposed project, the 

Secretary considers: 

(1) The significance of the proposed 

project on a National Level. 

(2) The potential contribution of the 

proposed project to the development 

and advancement of teacher and school 

leadership theory, knowledge, and 

practices. 

(3) The importance or magnitude of 

the results or outcomes likely to be 

attained by the proposed project, 

especially improvements in teaching 

and student achievement. 

B. Quality of the Project Design and 

Services (35 points). The Secretary 

considers the quality of the design and 

services of the proposed project. In 

determining the quality of the design 

and services of the proposed project, the 

Secretary considers: 

(1) The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified, aligned, and measurable. 

(2) The extent to which the proposed 

project is part of a comprehensive effort 

to improve teaching and learning and 

support rigorous academic standards for 

students. 

(3) The extent to which the training or 

professional development services to be 

provided by the proposed project will 

be of sufficient quality, intensity, and 

duration to lead to improvements in 

practice among the recipients of those 

services. 

(4) The extent to which the proposed 

project will prepare personnel for fields 

in which shortages have been 

demonstrated. 

(5) The extent to which the proposed 

project will focus on serving or 

otherwise addressing the needs of 

disadvantaged individuals. 

C. Quality of the Management Plan 

and Personnel (20 points). The 

Secretary considers the quality of the 

management plan for the proposed 

project and of the personnel who will 

carry out the proposed project. In 

determining the quality of the 

management plan and the project 

personnel, the Secretary considers: 

(1) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of the 

project director, key project personnel, 

and project consultants or 

subcontractors. 

(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. 

(3) The extent to which the proposed 

management plan includes sufficient 

and reasonable resources to effectively 

carry out the proposed project, 

including the project evaluation. 

D. Sustainability (15 points). The 

Secretary considers the adequacy of 

resources to continue the proposed 

project after the grant period ends. In 

determining the adequacy of resources 

and the potential for utility of the 

proposed project’s activities and 

products by other organizations, the 

Secretary considers: 

(1) The extent to which the proposed 

project is designed to build capacity and 


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yield results that will extend beyond the 

period of Federal financial assistance. 

(2) The extent to which the proposed 

project is likely to yield findings and 

products (such as information, 

materials, processes, or techniques) that 

may be used by other agencies and 

organizations. 

(3) The extent to which the applicant 

will disseminate information about 

results and outcomes of the proposed 

project in ways that will enable others, 

including the public, to use the 

information or strategies. 

E. Quality of the Project Evaluation 

(20 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: 

(1) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and 

appropriate to the goals, objectives, and 

outcomes of the proposed project. 

(2) The extent to which the evaluation 

includes the use of objective 

performance measures that are clearly 

related to the intended outcomes of the 

project and will produce quantitative 

and qualitative data. 

(3) The extent to which the evaluation 

will provide performance feedback and 

permit periodic assessment of progress 

toward achieving intended outcomes. 

(4) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation will, if well-implemented, 

produce evidence about the project’s 

effectiveness that would meet What 

Works Clearinghouse Evidence 

Standards without reservations. 

Note: We encourage applicants to review 

the following technical assistance resources 

on evaluation: (1) WWC Procedures and 

Standards Handbook: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/

wwc/references/idocviewer/

doc.aspx?docid=19&tocid=1; and (2) IES/

NCEE Technical Methods papers: http://

ies.ed.gov/ncee/tech_methods/. In addition, 

we encourage applicants to participate in an 

optional Webinar hosted by the Institute of 

Education Sciences on March 6, 2015. This 

Webinar will discuss strategies for designing 

and executing well-designed Quasiexperimental Design Studies. Applicants 

interested in participating in this Webinar 

may find more information at the following 

Web site: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

event.aspx?sid=37. 

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 also 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 of 

Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 

108.8, and 110.23). 

3. Special Conditions: Under current 

2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may 

impose special conditions and, 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. 

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. 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 multi-year 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. 

4. Performance Measures: The overall 

purpose of the SEED program is to 

support projects by national not-forprofit organizations (as defined in this 

notice) that are supported by at least 

moderate evidence of effectiveness (as 

defined in this notice) to recruit, select, 

and prepare or provide professional 

enhancement activities for teachers, 

principals, or both. We have established 

the following performance measures for 

the SEED program: (a) The percentage of 

teacher and principal participants who 

serve concentrations of High-need 

Students; (b) the percentage of 

participants who serve concentrations of 

High-need Students and are Highly 

Effective; (c) the percentage of 

participants who serve concentrations of 

High-need Students, are Highly 

Effective, and serve for at least two 

years; and (d) the cost per such 

participant. Grantees will report 

annually on each measure. 

5. 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, the performance targets in 

the grantee’s approved application. In 

making a continuation grant, 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. Agency Contact 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Richard Wilson, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

Room 4W237, Washington, DC 20202– 

5960. Telephone: (202) 453–6709, or by 

email: SEED@ed.gov. 

If you use a TDD or TTY, call the FRS, 

toll free, at 1–800–877–8339. 

VIII. Other Information 

Accessible Format: Individuals with 

disabilities can obtain this document 

and a copy of the application package in 

an accessible format (e.g., braille, large 

print, audiotape, or compact disc) on 

request to the program contact person 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
7432 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 27 / Tuesday, February 10, 2015 / Notices 

1Capitalized terms are defined in the Definitions 

section of this notice. 

listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT in section VII of this notice. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the 

official edition of the Federal Register 

and the Code of Federal Regulations is 

available via the Federal Digital System 

at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. 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 Adobe 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. 

Dated: February 5, 2015. 

Nadya Chinoy Dabby, 

Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and 

Improvement. 

[FR Doc. 2015–02710 Filed 2–9–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; Arts in 

Education National Program 

AGENCY: Office of Innovation and 

Improvement, Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Overview Information: Arts in 

Education National Program (AENP). 

Notice inviting applications for new 

awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.351F. 

Dates: 

Applications Available: February 10, 

2015. 

Deadline for Notice of Intent to 

Apply: March 12, 2015. 

Date of Informational Webinar: The 

AENP intends to hold a Webinar 

designed to provide technical assistance 

to interested applicants. Detailed 

information regarding this Webinar will 

be provided on the AENP Web site at 

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/

artsnational/index.html. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: April 13, 2015. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: June 10, 2015. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The AENP 

supports national-level, high-quality 

Arts 1 education activities and services 

for children and youth, with special 

emphasis on serving Children from 

Low-income Families and Children with 

Disabilities. 

Priorities: This notice includes one 

absolute priority, two competitive 

preference priorities, and one 

invitational priority. The absolute 

priority is from the notice of final 

priority, requirements, definitions, and 

selection criteria for this program, 

published in the Federal Register on 

June 15, 2012 (77 FR 35953) (2012 NFP). 

The competitive preference priorities 

and invitational priority are from the 

notice of final supplemental priorities 

and definitions for discretionary grant 

programs, published in the Federal 

Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 

73425) (Supplemental Priorities). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2015 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applicants from this competition, this 

priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 

CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only 

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

Absolute Priority: Model Projects. 

One or more high-quality projects that 

are designed to develop and implement, 

or expand, initiatives in Arts education 

and Arts Integration on a national level 

for pre-kindergarten-through-grade-12 

children and youth, with special 

emphasis on serving Children from 

Low-income Families and Children with 

Disabilities. In order to meet this 

priority, an applicant must demonstrate 

that the project for which it seeks 

funding will provide services and 

develop initiatives in multiple schools 

and school districts throughout the 

country, including in at least one urban, 

at least one rural, and at least one Highneed Community. 

Competitive Preference Priorities: For 

FY 2015 and any subsequent year in 

which we make awards from the list of 

unfunded applicants from this 

competition, these priorities are 

competitive preference priorities. Under 

34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to 

an additional five points to an 

application, depending on how well the 

application meets Competitive 

Preference Priority 1. We award up to an 

additional five points to an application 

that meets Competitive Preference 

Priority 2. The total number of points an 

application may receive for addressing 

the competitive preference priorities is 

10. 

These priorities are: 

Competitive Preference Priority 1: 

Supporting High-Need Students (0 to 5 

points). 

(a) Projects that are designed to 

improve: 

(i) Academic outcomes; 

(ii) Learning environments; or 

(iii) Both, 

(b) For one or more of the following 

groups of students: 

(i) High-need Students. 

(ii) Students served by Rural Local 

Educational Agencies. 

(iii) Students with disabilities. 

(iv) English learners. 

(v) Students in Lowest-performing 

Schools. 

(vi) Students who are living in 

poverty and are served by schools with 

high concentrations of students living in 

poverty. 

(vii) Disconnected Youth or migrant 

youth. 

(viii) Low-skilled Adults. 

(ix) Students who are members of 

federally recognized Indian tribes. 

Competitive Preference Priority 2: 

Promoting Science, Technology, 

Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) 

Education (0 to 5 points). 

Projects that are designed to improve 

Student Achievement or other related 

outcomes by addressing one or both of 

the following: 

(a) Increasing the preparation of 

teachers or other educators in STEM 

subjects through activities that may 

include building content knowledge and 

pedagogical content knowledge, and 

increasing the number and quality of 

Authentic STEM Experiences. 

(b) Providing students with increased 

access to rigorous and engaging STEM 

coursework and Authentic STEM 

Experiences that may be integrated 

across multiple settings. 

Invitational Priority: For FY 2015 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applicants from this competition, this 

priority is an invitational priority. 

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not 

give an application that meets this 

invitational priority a competitive or 

absolute preference over other 

applications. 

This priority is: 

Invitational Priority: Improving 

Parent, Family, and Community 

Engagement. 

Projects that are designed to improve 

student outcomes through 

implementing initiatives that improve 

Community Engagement or the 

relationships between parents or 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES