Document Headings

                    Document headings vary by document type but may contain                    the following:                  
                -                       the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document                    
                -                       the number of the CFR title and the number of each part                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly                      related to                    
                -                       the agency docket number / agency internal file number                    
                -                       the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory                      Actions                    

                    See the                                          Document Drafting Handbook                                        for more details.                  

###### Department of Education

# AGENCY:

Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education.

# ACTION:

Notice.

*Overview Information:*

District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP)

Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.370A.

*Dates:*

*Applications Available:*                     February 23, 2015.                

*Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply:*                     March 25, 2015.                

*Date of Informational Meeting:*                     The OSP intends to hold a webinar designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. Detailed information regarding this webinar will be provided on the OSP Web site at                     *http://www2.ed.gov/​programs/​dcchoice/​index.html.*

*Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*                     April 24, 2015.                

*Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:*                     June 23, 2015.                

## Full Text of Announcement

## I. Funding Opportunity Description

*Purpose of Program:*                     The OSP provides low-income students residing in the District of Columbia (DC) an opportunity to receive a scholarship to attend a DC private school of their parents' choice.                

*Background:*                     The OSP was established in 2004 under the DC School Choice Incentive Act of 2003 (School Choice Incentive Act) (Title III of Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004; Pub. L. 108-199 Stat. 3 (2004)). In 2011, Congress reauthorized the OSP under the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (SOAR Act, Division C of the Pub. L. 112-10).                

For FY 2015, the Department will award one grant to an eligible applicant to administer the OSP. The grant will be awarded in the form of a cooperative agreement between the Department and the grantee. This grantee is expected to explain in its application, among other things, how it would recruit and select eligible scholarship applicants in years that scholarships are awarded, serve scholarship students and families in a timely manner, identify and work with participating schools, monitor compliance of participating schools with program and reporting requirements, maintain reliable data regarding the operation of the program, and ensure appropriate coordination with the other entities that conduct activities related to this program.

*Application Requirements:*                     The following requirements are from section 3005(b) of the SOAR Act and apply to all applications submitted by eligible entities under this competition. Each entity's application must include a detailed description of—                

(A) How the entity will address the priorities described in section 3006 of the SOAR Act;

(B) How the entity will ensure that if more eligible students seek admission in the program of the entity than the program can accommodate, eligible students are selected for admission through a random selection process which gives weight to the priorities described in section 3006 of the SOAR Act;

(C) How the entity will ensure that if more participating eligible students seek admission to a participating school than the school can accommodate, participating eligible students are selected for admission through a random selection process;

(D) How the entity will notify parents of eligible students of the expanded choice opportunities in order to allow the parents to make informed decisions;

                    (E) The activities that the entity will carry out to provide parents of eligible students with expanded choice opportunities through the awarding of                           ( print page 9449)                        scholarships under section 3007(a) of the SOAR Act;                

(F) How the entity will determine the amount that will be provided to parents under section 3007(a)(2) of the SOAR Act for the payment of tuition, fees, and transportation expenses, if any;

(G) How the entity will seek out private elementary schools and secondary schools in District of Columbia to participate in the program;

(H) How the entity will ensure that each participating school will meet the reporting and other program requirements under the SOAR Act;

(I) How the entity will ensure that participating schools submit to site visits by the entity as determined to be necessary by the entity, except that a participating school may not be required to submit to more than 1 site visit per school year;

(J) How the entity will ensure that participating schools are financially responsible and will use the funds received under section 3007 of the SOAR Act effectively;

(K) How the entity will address the renewal of scholarships to participating eligible students, including continued eligibility; and

(L) How the entity will ensure that a majority of its voting board members or governing organization are residents of District of Columbia.

The entity must also provide in its application an assurance that the entity will comply with all requests regarding any evaluation carried out under section 3009(a) of the SOAR Act.

### Definitions

The definitions for the terms “Elementary school”, “Parent”, “Poverty line”, and “Secondary school” are from section 3013 of the SOAR Act. The definition for the term “nonprofit” is from 34 CFR 77.1(c).

*Elementary school*                     means an institutional day or residential school, including a public elementary charter school, that provides elementary education, as determined under District of Columbia law.                

*Nonprofit,*                     as applied to an agency, organization, or institution, means that it is owned and operated by one or more corporations or associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully benefit, any private shareholder or entity.                

*Parent*                     includes a legal guardian or other person standing in loco parentis (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child's welfare).                

*Poverty line*                     means the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget and revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act) applicable to a family of the size involved.                

*Secondary school*                     means an institutional day or residential school, including a public secondary charter school, that provides secondary education, as determined under District of Columbia law, except that the term does not include any education beyond grade 12.                

Program Authority: SOAR Act (Division C of the P.L. 112-10, the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, April 15, 2011; 125 Stat. 38, 199-212), as amended by Pub. L. 112-92.

*Applicable Regulations:*                     (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 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. (c) 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.                

## II. Award Information

*Type of Award:*                     Discretionary grants.                

*Estimated Available Funds:*                     $13,200,000.                

# Note:

 A total award of $13,200,000 will include $12,000,000 to be spent on scholarships and up to $600,000 to be spent on administrative expenses, up to $400,000 to be spent on parental assistance, and up to $200,000 to be spent on student academic assistance.

*Estimated Number of Awards:*                     1.                

# Note:

 The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

*Project Period:*                     Up to 36 months.                

## III. Eligibility Information

                    1.                     *Eligible Applicants:*                     To be eligible for an OSP grant, an entity must be either a nonprofit organization or a consortium of nonprofit organizations.                

                    2.                     *Cost Sharing or Matching:*                     This program does not require cost sharing or matching.                

                    3.                     *Coordination:*                     An eligible entity must be willing and able to work with other entities affiliated with the Federal and DC governments, as well as with other organizations that might conduct activities integral to the success of the program, including, as appropriate, determining the household income of scholarship recipients and ensuring the ongoing eligibility of schools participating in the program. Additionally, an eligible entity must demonstrate how it will communicate and coordinate with the current grantee, as needed, to ensure a seamless and smooth transition between the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years for families and schools participating in the OSP.                

## IV. Application and Submission Information

                    1.                     *Address to Request Application Package:*                     Jeanne Gilroy, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W227, Washington, DC 20202-5960 or by email:                     *DCOSP2015@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 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 25, 2015. The Department will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if it has a better estimate 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                     *DCOSP2015@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 application requirements and 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,       ( print page 9450)                          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.

                    b.                     *Submission of Proprietary Information:*                     Given the types of projects that may be proposed in applications for the OSP, 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 23, 2015.                

*Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply:*                     March 25, 2015.                

*Date of Informational Meeting:*                     The OSP intends to hold a webinar designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. Detailed information regarding this webinar will be provided on the OSP Web site at                     *http://www2.ed.gov/​programs/​dcchoice/​index.html.*

*Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*                     April 24, 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 23, 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.

                    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/​sam-faqs.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 OSP, CFDA number 84.370A, 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                           ( print page 9451)                        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 OSP 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 84.370, not 84.370A).                

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 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) read-only, 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 password-protected 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 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: Jeanne Gilroy, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W227, Washington, DC 20202-5960.

FAX: (202) 205-5630.

                    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.                          ( print page 9452)    

                    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 84.370A), 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 84.370A), 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 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.                     *Quality of project services*                     (20 points).                

(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project.

(2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or beneficiaries of those services.

                    B.                     *Quality of project personnel*                     (25 points).                

(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project.

(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

(3) In addition, the Secretary considers:

(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator.

(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel.

                    C.                     *Adequacy of resources*                     (20 points).                

(1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project.

(2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the lead applicant organization.

(ii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project.

                    D.                     *Quality of the management plan*                     (35 points).                

(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project.

(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(i) 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.

(ii) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project.

(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products and services from the proposed project.

                    2.                     *Review and Selection Process:*                     We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality.                

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 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 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may impose special conditions and, in appropriate                           ( print page 9453)                        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 long-term performance indicator for this program is whether, at the end of the program, the student achievement gains of participants are greater than those of students in control or comparison groups. Data for the performance measure will be collected through the program evaluation.                

                    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:

                         Jeanne Gilroy, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W227, Washington, DC 20202-5960. Telephone: (202) 453-6474, or by email:                         *DCOSP2015@ed.gov.*

If you use a TDD or a 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 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 18, 2015.

Nadya Chinoy Dabby,

Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.

[FR Doc. 2015-03620 Filed 2-20-15; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P