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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5845-5856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01275]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Supporting Effective Educator 
Development Program

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the Supporting 
Effective Educator Development (SEED) program.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: January 17, 2025.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: Applicants are strongly 
encouraged, but not required, to submit a notice of intent to apply by 
February 18, 2025.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 18, 2025.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 19, 2025.
    Pre-Application Webinars: The Office of Elementary and Secondary 
Education intends to conduct informational webinars designed to provide 
technical assistance to interested applicants for grants under the 
Academies Program. These informational webinars occur approximately 2 
weeks after the publication of this notice in the Federal Register at 
https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/teacher-prep/supporting-effective-educator-development-grant-program#Applicant-Info.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to 
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the 
Federal Register on December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/23/2024-30488/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Orman Feres, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,

[[Page 5846]]

Washington, DC 20222-5960. Email: [email protected] or [email protected]. 
Phone: (202) 219-1764.
    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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The SEED program, authorized under section 2242 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended 
(ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6672), provides funding to increase the number of 
highly effective educators by supporting the implementation of 
evidence-based practices that prepare, develop, or enhance the skills 
of educators. These grants will allow eligible entities to develop, 
expand, and evaluate practices that can serve as models to be sustained 
and disseminated.
    Assistance Listing Number: 84.423A.
    OMB Control Number: 1894-0006.
    Background: The SEED program is designed to foster the use of 
rigorous evidence-based practices in selecting and implementing 
strategies and interventions that support educators' development across 
the continuum of their careers (e.g., in preparation, recruitment, 
professional learning, and leadership development). The Biden-Harris 
Administration has made a commitment to supporting targeted efforts 
that will provide comprehensive, high-quality pathways, such as 
residency, Grow Your Own, and registered apprenticeship programs, for 
educator preparation and development programs focused on building a 
more diverse educator pipeline, and increasing the retention of a 
diverse educator workforce. For example, research shows that teachers 
who have access to pathways such as residencies into the profession are 
more likely to stay in the profession and have effectiveness compared 
to teachers who received less comprehensive preparation.\1\
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    \1\ Silva, T., McKie, A., and Gleason, P. (2015). New Findings 
on the Retention of Novice Teachers from Teaching Residency 
Programs. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation 
and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20154015/pdf/20154015.pdf.
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    This competition includes several areas of particular interest to 
the Department. Studies suggest that all students benefit from having 
teachers of color. Students of color being exposed to teachers of their 
race or ethnicity has a positive effect on their academic and social 
achievement, and increases their attendance, high school graduation 
rates, and college attendance. In addition to student academic 
performance, a diverse educator workforce can lead to improved student 
behavior and classroom environments for all students.2 3 
However, only around one in five teachers \4\ are people of color, 
compared to more than half of K-12 public school students.\5\ The 
Department recognizes that a diverse educator workforce plays a 
critical role in ensuring equity in our schools, while also supporting 
intercultural experiences and competencies in our education system that 
will benefit and improve the opportunities for all students.
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    \2\ Cherng, H.-Y. S., & Davis, L.A. (2019). Multicultural 
Matters: An Investigation of Key Assumptions of Multicultural 
Education Reform in Teacher Education. Journal of Teacher Education, 
70(3), 219236. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487117742884.
    \4\ www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm.
    \5\ nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cge.asp.
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    Access to educational resources and opportunities such as rigorous 
coursework and dual enrollment can have positive impacts on underserved 
students. For example, a December 2020 brief from the National Center 
for Education Statistics \6\ revealed that there is a correlation 
between the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-
price lunch in a school and the likelihood that those students will 
have access to dual enrollment opportunities. The study showed that 
schools with a higher percentage of students who were approved for free 
or reduced-price lunch were less likely to offer dual enrollment than 
schools with a lower rate of participation in free or reduced-price 
lunch programs. Such examples of inadequate or inequitable access to 
educational resources can lead to the students from higher poverty 
schools having fewer opportunities for educational enrichment.
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    \6\ nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2020125.
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    Additionally, the Department recognizes the importance of ensuring 
that children and youth learn, grow, and achieve in safe and supportive 
environments, and in the care of responsive adults they trust.\7\ In 
addition to allowing applicants to propose a project designed to 
promote educational equity and adequacy in resources and opportunity, 
applicants are encouraged to prepare teachers to create inclusive, 
supportive, equitable, unbiased, and identity-safe learning 
environments for their students that meet their social emotional and 
academic needs.
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    \7\ Reyes, M.R., Brackett, M.A., Rivers, SE, White, M., & 
Salovey, P. (2012). Classroom Emotional Climate, Student Engagement, 
and Academic Achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(3), 
700.
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    Consistent with the Department's Raise the Bar: Lead the World call 
to action,\8\ a diverse educator workforce plays an essential role in 
ensuring equity in our education system, and strengthening pathways 
into the profession and supporting teacher professional development are 
critical elements. In addition to implementing strong induction and 
mentoring programs and improving workplace culture by creating 
inclusive environments and reducing job-related stress, studies show 
that building and maintaining strong relationships with organizations 
that prepare teachers of color, including Historically Black Colleges 
and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and 
Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions, is another high-yield 
strategy to recruit and retain diverse educators.\9\ HBCUs, for 
example, have been a strong pipeline for educators and leaders of 
color. Although they make up only 3 percent of the Nation's colleges 
and universities, HBCUs prepare nearly 50 percent of the Nation's 
African American teachers.\10\ HBCUs are indispensable to producing and 
advancing educational opportunities for students of color, first-
generation students, and other underrepresented students who are 
interested in the teaching profession.\11\ In many urban and rural 
communities, HBCUs produce high numbers of teachers who work in the 
local school divisions.\12\ Leveraging the HBCU network to recruit 
effective teachers of color is a high-impact strategy to diversify the 
educator pipeline and, in turn, advance student achievement.
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    \8\ www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/raise-the-bar/executive-summary.pdf.
    \9\ See id.
    \10\ See id.
    \11\ Fenwick, L. (2016). Teacher preparation innovation and 
historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Teaching Works 
working papers. University of Michigan. https://www.teachingworks.org/images/files/TeachingWorks_Fenwick.pdf.
    \12\ See id.
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    Registered apprenticeships are another pathway into the profession 
that have the potential to be an effective, high-quality. The ``earn 
and learn'' apprenticeship model allows candidates to earn their 
teaching credential while earning pay by combining structured, paid, 
on-the-job learning experiences with a mentor teacher, with coursework 
and other components of an evidence-

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based program.\13\ Registered apprenticeship programs for K-12 teachers 
can be used to establish, scale, and build on existing high-quality 
pathways into teaching that emphasize classroom-based experience, such 
as Grow Your Own and teacher residency programs. By reducing the cost 
of earning a license and offering flexible scheduling, registered 
apprenticeship programs are designed to open the doors to the 
profession to those who may otherwise face barriers, including people 
of color, people from low-income backgrounds, and individuals such as 
paraprofessionals who may already have decades of experience in the 
classroom but previously could not afford to become a teacher. Once 
registered with the U.S. Department of Labor or their State 
apprenticeship agency (requirements vary by State), these programs can 
access Federal workforce funding, such as Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act and Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act 
(Perkins V) funding, in addition to other Federal, State, and local 
education and workforce funds, bringing additional resources to help 
address educator shortages.
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    \13\ https://www.aprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-industries/education.
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    In August of 2022, Secretary Cardona and then-Labor Secretary Marty 
Walsh issued a joint Dear Colleague Letter \14\ calling on all States 
to establish registered apprenticeship programs for K-12 teachers to 
help eliminate educator shortages and outlining how States and other 
interested parties can learn more about this approach. Applicants are 
encouraged to explore resources on registered apprenticeship programs 
for teachers on the Department's Raise the Bar web page on eliminating 
educator shortages; \15\ at the Department of Labor's apprenticeship 
website focused on the education industry; \16\ through the Department 
of Labor funded Educator Registered Apprenticeship Intermediary; \17\ 
and through the resources of the Pathways Alliance, including National 
Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards for K-12 Teacher 
Apprenticeships, approved by the Department of Labor and previously 
highlighted by the Department, to support high-quality programs.\18\
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    \14\ https://www.apprenticeship.gov/sites/default/files/22-0119-joint-dcl-signed-ed.pdf.
    \15\ https://www.ed.gov/raisethebar/educators.
    \16\ https://www.apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-industries/education.
    \17\ https://www.educatorapprenticeships.com/.
    \18\ https://www.thepathwaysalliance.org/reports; https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/education-labor-departments-announce-new-efforts-to-advance-teacher-preparation-programs-and-expand-registered-apprenticeships-educators.
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    Finally, the Department seeks to strengthen professional 
development for early elementary educators and school leaders. Given 
the opportunity and achievement gaps for students from low-income 
backgrounds that are present as they enter kindergarten and widen 
during the kindergarten year, and the cumulative gap that persists into 
and through the early grades,\19\ the early elementary grades are 
foundational for improving 3rd grade outcomes, 4th grade National 
Assessment of Educational Progress scores, and laying the path for 
early and later school success.\20\ Moreover, gains from attending 
high-quality preschool are not currently being sustained for these same 
students,\21\ reinforcing the need for pre-service and ongoing 
professional learning and development opportunities for both early 
grade educators and school leaders.\22\ Young learners benefit from 
having educators who implement early grade instructional supports that 
are inclusive and developmentally informed, culturally and 
linguistically responsive, and consistent with an understanding of the 
science of learning and development and who work with parents and 
families as partners.\23\ Family engagement is associated with higher 
early literacy and math skills and leads to better student 
outcomes.\24\ Yet, teachers report needing more professional 
development on family engagement.\25\ Research has also shown that 
instructional alignment across K-3 mitigates the challenges many 
students face as they move through the early grades.\26\ Training and 
supports for teachers and principals should elevate both pre-service 
and ongoing professional learning opportunities for collaboration 
across K-3 and effective partnerships with parents and families to meet 
rigorous 3rd grade reading and math standards.
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    \19\ THE EARLY ACHIEVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT GAP (hhs.gov), THE 
PERSISTENCE OF PRESCHOOL EFFECTS FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH 
ADOLESCENCE--PMC (nih.gov).
    \20\ AECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010.pdf, Closing 
Achievement Gaps Through Preschool-To-Third-Grade Programs--PMC 
(nih.gov).
    \21\ THE CHALLENGE OF SUSTAINING PRESCHOOL IMPACTS Introducing 
ExCEL P-3, a Study from the Expanding Children's Early Learning 
Network.
    \22\ P-3TeacherEffectiveness2.pdf (americanprogress.org).
    \23\ P-3TeacherEffectiveness2.pdf (americanprogress.org).
    \24\ Sheridan, S.M., Knoche, L.L., Kupzyk, K.A., Edwards, C.P., 
& Marvin, C.A. (2011). A randomized trial examining the effects of 
parent engagement on early language and literacy: The Getting Ready 
intervention. Journal of school psychology, 49(3), 361-383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2011.03.001 13. Sheldon, S.B., & Epstein, J.L. 
(2005). Involvement counts: Family and community partnerships and 
mathematics achievement. The Journal of Educational Research, 98(4), 
196-207. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.98.4.196-207.
    \25\ Engaging First: Supporting Young Learners Through Family 
Engagement. Engaging-First-V8.pdf (edtrust.org).
    \26\ Results in Brief: Preschool Through Third Grade Alignment 
and Differentiated Instruction: A Literature Review--August 1, 2016 
(PDF).
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    To advance these critical areas of focus, this competition includes 
two absolute priorities. Absolute Priority 1, Supporting Effective 
Teachers and Absolute Priority 2, Supporting Effective Principals or 
Other School Leaders are from section 2242 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6672) 
and 34 CFR 75.226. This competition also includes three competitive 
preference priorities. Competitive Preference Priority 1 focuses on 
increasing educator diversity in classrooms across the Nation. 
Competitive Preference Priority 2 encourages applicants to develop 
programs that promote equity in student access to educational resources 
and opportunities and that prepare teachers to create inclusive, 
supportive, equitable, unbiased, and identity-safe learning 
environments for students. Competitive Preference Priority 3 addresses 
the critical need to support a diverse educator workforce.
    In addition, this competition includes two invitational priorities. 
Invitational Priority 1 promotes registered apprenticeship programs for 
K-12 teachers as a method to build on existing high-quality educator 
preparation pathways into teaching while reducing the cost of earning a 
teaching license. Invitational Priority 2 encourages applicants to 
explore professional learning supports for early elementary teachers 
and school leaders.
    Priorities: This notice contains two absolute priorities and three 
competitive preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priority 1, which requires moderate 
evidence, and Absolute Priority 2, which requires promising evidence, 
are from section 2242 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6672) and 34 CFR 75.226. 
Competitive Preference Priority 1 is from the Effective Educator 
Development (EED) notice of final priorities published in the Federal 
Register on July 9, 2021 (86 FR 36217) (EED NFP). Competitive 
Preference Priorities 2 and 3 are from the Secretary's notice of final 
supplemental priorities and definitions published in the Federal 
Register on December 10, 2021 (86 FR 70612) (Supplemental Priorities).

[[Page 5848]]

    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2025 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet one of these 
absolute priorities.
    Under this competition, each of the two absolute priorities 
constitutes its own funding category. Applicants may address only one 
absolute priority and must clearly indicate the specific absolute 
priority their project addresses.
    These priorities are:
    Absolute Priority 1--Supporting Effective Teachers.
    This priority is for projects that will implement activities that 
are supported by moderate evidence. Applicants under this priority may 
propose one or more of the following activities:
    (1) Providing teachers from nontraditional preparation and 
certification routes or pathways to serve in traditionally underserved 
local educational agencies (LEAs);
    (2) Providing evidence-based professional development activities 
that address literacy, numeracy, remedial, or other needs of LEAs and 
the students the agencies serve;
    or
    (3) Providing teachers with evidence-based professional enhancement 
activities, which may include activities that lead to an advanced 
credential.
    Absolute Priority 2--Supporting Effective Principals or Other 
School Leaders.
    This priority is for projects that will implement activities that 
are supported by promising evidence. Applicants under this priority may 
propose one or more of the following activities:
    (1) Providing principals or other school leaders from 
nontraditional preparation and certification routes or pathways to 
serve in traditionally underserved LEAs;
    (2) Providing principals or other school leaders with evidence-
based professional development activities that address literacy, 
numeracy, remedial, or other needs of LEAs and the students the 
agencies serve; or
    (3) Providing principals or other school leaders with evidence-
based professional enhancement activities, which may include activities 
that lead to an advanced credential.
    Note on Meeting Evidence Requirements: An applicant must identify 
at least one, but no more than two, citations for the purposes of 
meeting the evidence requirements under either Absolute Priority 1 or 
Absolute Priority 2. An applicant should clearly identify these 
citations in the Evidence form. The Department will not review a 
citation that an applicant fails to clearly identify for review. 
Studies included for review may have been conducted by the applicant or 
by a third party.
    In addition to including up to two citations, an applicant must 
provide a description of (1) the positive outcome(s) and practice(s) 
the applicant intends to replicate under its SEED grant and (2) the 
relevance of the outcome(s) and practice(s) to the SEED program. For 
those applicants seeking to address Absolute Priority 1, to meet the 
definition of moderate evidence the applicant must describe how the 
population it proposes to serve overlaps with the population or 
settings in the citations.
    An applicant must ensure that all evidence is available to the 
Department from publicly available sources and provide links or other 
guidance indicating where it is available. If the Department determines 
that an applicant has provided insufficient information, the applicant 
will not have an opportunity to provide additional information at a 
later time. However, if the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) \27\ 
determines that a study does not provide enough information on key 
aspects of the study design, such as sample attrition or equivalence of 
intervention and comparison groups, the WWC will submit a query to the 
study author(s) to gather information for use in determining a study 
rating. Authors are asked to respond to queries within 10 business 
days. Should the author query remain incomplete within 14 days of the 
initial contact to the study author(s), the study will be deemed 
ineligible under the grant competition. After the grant competition 
closes, the WWC will continue to include responses to author queries 
and will make updates to study reviews as necessary, but no additional 
information will be taken into account after the competition closes and 
the initial timeline established for response to an author query 
passes.
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    \27\ ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/.
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    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2025 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications 
from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 
13 points to an application, depending on how well the application 
addresses the competitive preference priorities.
    If an applicant chooses to address one or more competitive 
preference priorities, the project narrative section of its application 
must identify its response to the competitive preference priorities it 
chooses to address.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Increasing Educator Diversity 
(up to 5 points).
    Under this priority, applicants must develop projects that are 
designed to improve the recruitment, outreach, preparation, support, 
development, and retention of a diverse educator workforce through 
adopting, implementing, or expanding high-quality, comprehensive 
teacher preparation programs that have a track record of attracting, 
supporting, graduating, and placing underrepresented teacher 
candidates, and that include one year of high-quality clinical 
experiences (prior to becoming the teacher of record) in high-need 
schools.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2--Promoting Equity in Student 
Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities; Meeting Student 
Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs (up to 3 points).
    Under this priority, an applicant must develop projects that 
address one or more of the following--
    (a) Projects designed to promote educational equity and adequacy in 
resources and opportunity for underserved students--
    (1) In one or more of the following educational settings:
    (i) Early learning programs.
    (ii) Elementary school.
    (iii) Middle school.
    (iv) High school.
    (v) Career and technical education programs.
    (vi) Out-of-school-time settings.
    (vii) Alternative schools and programs.
    (viii) Juvenile justice system or correctional facilities;
    (2) That examines the sources of inequity and inadequacy and 
implements responses that include pedagogical practices in educator 
preparation programs and professional development programs that are 
inclusive with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, and 
disability status so that educators are better prepared to create 
inclusive, supportive, equitable, unbiased, and identity-safe learning 
environments for their students.
    (b) Projects that are designed to improve students' social, 
emotional, academic, and career development, with a focus on 
underserved students, through developing and supporting educator and 
school capacity to support social and emotional learning and 
development that--

[[Page 5849]]

    (1) Fosters skills and behaviors that enable academic progress;
    (2) Identifies and addresses conditions in the learning 
environment, that may negatively impact social and emotional well-being 
for underserved students, including conditions that affect physical 
safety; and
    (3) Is trauma-informed, such as addressing exposure to community-
based violence and trauma specific to military- or veteran-connected 
students.
    Competitive Priority 3--Supporting a Diverse Educator Workforce and 
Professional Growth to Strengthen Student Learning (up to 5 points).
    Projects that are designed to increase the proportion of well-
prepared, diverse, and effective educators serving students, with a 
focus on underserved students, through building or expanding high-
poverty school districts' capacity to hire, support, and retain an 
effective and diverse educator workforce, through adopting or expanding 
comprehensive, strategic career and compensation systems that provide 
competitive compensation and include opportunities for educators to 
serve as mentors and instructional coaches, or to take on additional 
leadership roles and responsibilities for which educators are 
compensated.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2025 and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets these 
invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications.
    These priorities are:
    Invitational Priority 1--Partnership Grants for the Establishment 
of Registered Apprenticeship Programs for K-12 Teachers.
    A project implementing a new or enhanced registered apprenticeship 
program for K-12 teachers that--
    (a) Is developed with the partner LEA (Local educational agency) to 
address the needs of its students and teachers;
    (b) Uses data-driven strategies and evidence-based approaches to 
increase recruitment, successful completion, and retention of teachers 
supported by the project;
    (c) Provides standards for participants to enter into and complete 
the program;
    (d) Is aligned to evidence-based practices for effective educator 
preparation, and includes practice-based learning opportunities linked 
to coursework that address State requirements for full certification, 
professional standards for teacher preparation, culturally and 
linguistically sustaining pedagogies, and the established knowledge 
base for education, including the science of learning and development; 
\28\
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    \28\ See, for example, for registered apprenticeship programs 
for teachers, the National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards 
for K-12 Teacher Apprenticeships, drafted by the Pathways Alliance 
and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor https://www.thepathwaysalliance.org/reports.
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    (e) Has little to no financial burden for program participants, or 
provides for loan forgiveness;
    (f) Requires completion of a bachelor's degree either before 
entering or as a result of the certification program;
    (g) Results in the satisfaction of all requirements for full State 
teacher licensure or certification, excluding emergency, temporary, 
provisional, or other sub-standard licensure or certification; and
    (h) Provides increasing levels of responsibility for the apprentice 
during at least one year of paid on-the-job learning/clinical 
experience, during which a mentor teacher is the teacher of record.
    Invitational Priority 2--Supporting Early Elementary Educators and/
or School Leaders.
    Projects and initiatives that include early elementary teacher and/
or school leader preparation programs, professional development and 
training, professional learning communities, coaching, peer learning 
collaboratives, and resources to support K-3 early elementary educators 
and/or school leaders in instructional practices that meet the wide 
range of developmental and linguistic strengths, needs, and experiences 
of students at kindergarten entry through the early grades with a focus 
on one or more of the following:
    (a) Instruction informed by the science of learning and development 
in kindergarten through 3rd grade.
    (b) Instruction that is inclusive and developmentally, culturally, 
and linguistically responsive.
    (c) Intentional and effective transitions into kindergarten and 
through the early grades.
    (d) Partnerships with parents, families, and caregivers and 
successful family engagement, into kindergarten and through 3rd grade.
    (e) Intentional collaboration to support inclusive, linguistically 
responsive, and developmentally informed instructional alignment in K-
3, including continuity of services, supports, assessments, 
relationships, and data sharing across K-3.
    Definitions: The definition of ``evidence-based'' is from section 
2242 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6672) and section 8101 of the ESEA (20 
U.S.C. 7801). The definitions of ``English learner,'' ``institution of 
higher education,'' which incorporates by reference section 101(a) of 
the Higher Education Opportunity Act (20 U.S.C. 7801(a)), ``local 
educational agency,'' ``professional development,'' ``school leader,'' 
and ``State educational agency'' are from section 8101 of the ESEA (20 
U.S.C. 7801). The definitions of ``continuous improvement,'' 
``evaluation,'' ``evidence-building,'' ``experimental study,'' ``logic 
model,'' ``moderate evidence,'' ``project component,'' ``promising 
evidence,'' ``quasi-experimental design study,'' ``relevant outcome,'' 
and ``What Works Clearinghouse Handbooks'' are from 34 CFR 77.1. The 
definitions of ``children or students with disabilities,'' 
``disconnected youth,'' ``early learning,'' ``educator,'' ``military- 
or veteran-connected student,'' and ``underserved student'' are from 
the Supplemental Priorities. The definition of ``national nonprofit 
entity'' is from the notice of final definition published in the 
Federal Register on April 4, 2022 (87 FR 19388) (Final Definition).
    Children or students with disabilities means children with 
disabilities as defined in section 602(3) of the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1401(3)) and 34 CFR 300.8, 
or students with disabilities, as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973 (29 U.S.C. 705(37), 705(202)(B)).
    Continuous improvement means using plans for collecting and 
analyzing data about a project component's implementation and outcomes 
(including the pace and extent to which project outcomes are being met) 
to inform necessary changes throughout the project. These plans may 
include strategies to gather ongoing feedback from participants and 
stakeholders on the implementation of the project component.
    Disconnected youth means an individual, between the ages 14 and 24, 
who may be from a low-income background, experiences homelessness, is 
in foster care, is involved in the justice system, or is not working or 
not enrolled in (or at risk of dropping out of) an educational 
institution.
    Early learning means any--
    (1) State-licensed or State-regulated program or provider, 
regardless of setting or funding source, that provides early care and 
education for children from birth to kindergarten entry, including, but 
not limited to, any program operated by a child care center or in a 
family child care home;
    (2) Program funded by the Federal Government or State or local

[[Page 5850]]

educational agencies (including any IDEA-funded program);
    (3) Early Head Start and Head Start program;
    (4) Non-relative child care provider who is not otherwise regulated 
by the State and who regularly cares for two or more unrelated children 
for a fee in a provider setting; and
    (5) Other program that may deliver early learning and development 
services in a child's home, such as the Maternal, Infant, and Early 
Childhood Home Visiting Program; Early Head Start; and Part C of IDEA.
    Educator means, for the purposes of Competitive Preference 
Priorities 2 and 3, an individual who is an early learning educator, 
teacher, principal or other school leader, specialized instructional 
support personnel (e.g., school psychologist, counselor, school social 
worker, early intervention service personnel), paraprofessional, or 
faculty.
    English learner means, when used with respect to an individual, an 
individual--
    (1) Who is aged 3 through 21;
    (2) Who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school 
or secondary school;
    (3)(i) Who was not born in the United States or whose native 
language is a language other than English;
    (ii)(A) Who is a Native American or Alaska Native, or a native 
resident of the outlying areas; and
    (B) Who comes from an environment where a language other than 
English has had a significant impact on the individual's level of 
English language proficiency; or
    (iii) Who is migratory, whose native language is a language other 
than English, and who comes from an environment where a language other 
than English is dominant; and
    (4) Whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or 
understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the 
individual--
    (i) The ability to meet the challenging
    State academic standards;
    (ii) The ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the 
language of instruction is English; or
    (iii) The opportunity to participate fully in society.
    Evaluation means an assessment using systematic data collection and 
analysis of one or more programs, policies, practices, and 
organizations intended to assess their implementation, outcomes, 
effectiveness, or efficiency.
    Evidence-based, when used with respect to a State, LEA, or school 
activity, means an activity, strategy, or intervention that 
demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving student 
outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on--
    (1) Strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-
implemented experimental study;
    (2) Moderate evidence from at least one well designed and well-
implemented quasi-experimental study; or
    (3) Promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-
implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection 
bias.
    Evidence-building means a systematic plan for identifying and 
answering questions relevant to programs and policies through 
performance measurement, exploratory studies, or program evaluation.
    Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare 
outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as students) that are 
otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment 
group receiving a project component or a control group that does not. 
Randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity design studies, 
and single-case design studies are the specific types of experimental 
studies that, depending on their design and implementation (e.g., 
sample attrition in randomized controlled trials and regression 
discontinuity design studies), can meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) 
standards without reservations as described in the WWC Handbooks:
    (1) A randomized controlled trial employs random assignment of, for 
example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to receive the 
project component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to 
receive the project component (the control group).
    (2) A regression discontinuity design study assigns the project 
component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning 
students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental 
education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of 
outcomes.
    (3) A single-case design study uses observations of a single case 
(e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in 
the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to 
determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the 
treatment.
    Institution of higher education (IHE) means an educational 
institution in any State that--
    (1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of 
graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the 
recognized equivalent of such a certificate, or persons who meet the 
requirements of section 484(d) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA);
    (2) Is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of 
education beyond secondary education;
    (3) Provides an educational program for which the institution 
awards a bachelor's degree or provides not less than a 2-year program 
that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree, or awards a 
degree that is acceptable for admission to a graduate or professional 
degree program, subject to review and approval by the Secretary;
    (4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution; and
    (5) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or 
association, or if not so accredited, is an institution that has been 
granted pre-accreditation status by such an agency or association that 
has been recognized by the Secretary for the granting of pre-
accreditation status, and the Secretary has determined that there is 
satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the accreditation 
standards of such an agency or association within a reasonable time.
    Local educational agency (LEA) means:
    (1) In General. A public board of education or other public 
authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative 
control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public 
elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, 
school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or of or 
for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in 
a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools 
or secondary schools.
    (2) Administrative Control and Direction. The term includes any 
other public institution or agency having administrative control and 
direction of a public elementary school or secondary school.
    (3) Bureau of Indian Education Schools. The term includes an 
elementary school or secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian 
Education but only to the extent that including the school makes the 
school eligible for programs for which specific eligibility is not 
provided to the school in another provision of law and the school does 
not have a student population that is smaller than the student 
population of the LEA receiving assistance under the ESEA with the 
smallest student population, except that the school shall not be 
subject to the jurisdiction of any SEA other than the Bureau of Indian 
Education.

[[Page 5851]]

    (4) Educational Service Agencies. The term includes educational 
service agencies and consortia of those agencies.
    (5) State Educational Agency. The term includes the SEA in a State 
in which the SEA is the sole educational agency for all public schools.
    Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a 
framework that identifies key project components of the proposed 
project (i.e., the active ``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be 
critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the 
theoretical and operational relationships among the key project 
components and relevant outcomes.
    Military- or veteran-connected student means one or more of the 
following:
    (a) A child participating in an early learning program, a student 
enrolled in preschool through grade 12, or a student enrolled in career 
and technical education or postsecondary education who has a parent or 
guardian who is a member of the uniformed services (as defined by 37 
U.S.C. 101), in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, 
Space Force, National Guard, Reserves, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, or Public Health Service or is a veteran of the 
uniformed services with an honorable discharge (as defined by 38 U.S.C. 
3311).
    (b) A student who is a member of the uniformed services, a veteran 
of the uniformed services, or the spouse of a service member or 
veteran.
    (c) A child participating in an early learning program, a student 
enrolled in preschool through grade 12, or a student enrolled in career 
and technical education or postsecondary education who has a parent or 
guardian who is a veteran of the uniformed services (as defined by 37 
U.S.C. 101).
    Moderate evidence means evidence of effectiveness of a key project 
component in improving a relevant outcome for a sample that overlaps 
with the populations or settings proposed to receive that component, 
based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
    (i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1, 3.0, 
4.0, 4.1, or 5.0 of the WWC Handbooks reporting ``strong evidence'' or 
``moderate evidence'' for the corresponding practice guide 
recommendation;
    (ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1, 
3.0, 4.0, 4.1, or 5.0 of the WWC Handbooks reporting ``Tier 1 strong 
evidence'' of effectiveness or ``Tier 2 moderate evidence'' of 
effectiveness or a ``positive effect'' on a relevant outcome based on a 
sample including at least 20 students or other individuals from more 
than one site (such as a State, county, city, LEA, school, or 
postsecondary campus), or a ``potentially positive effect'' on a 
relevant outcome based on a sample including at least 350 students or 
other individuals from more than one site (such as a State, county, 
city, LEA, school, or postsecondary campus), with no reporting of a 
``negative effect'' or ``potentially negative effect'' on a relevant 
outcome; or
    (iii) A single experimental study or quasi-experimental design 
study reviewed and reported by the WWC most recently using version 2.1, 
3.0, 4.0, 4.1, or 5.0 of the WWC Handbooks, or otherwise assessed by 
the Department using version 5.0 of the WWC Handbook, as appropriate, 
and that--
    (A) Meets WWC standards with or without reservations;
    (B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive 
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome;
    (C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative 
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a 
corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under version 2.1, 3.0, 
4.0, 4.1, or 5.0 of the WWC Handbooks; and
    (D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (such as a State, 
county, city, LEA, school, or postsecondary campus) and includes at 
least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies 
of the same project component that each meet the requirements in 
paragraphs (iii)(A) through (C) of this definition may together satisfy 
the requirement in this paragraph (iii)(D).
    National nonprofit entity means an entity that--
    (1) Meets the definition of ``nonprofit'' under 34 CFR 77.1(c); and
    (2) Is of national scope, which requires that the entity--
    (i) Provides services in three or more States; and
    (ii) Demonstrates a proven record of serving or benefitting 
teachers, principals, or other school leaders across these States.
    Professional development means activities that--
    (1) Are an integral part of school and LEA strategies for providing 
educators (including teachers, principals, other school leaders, 
specialized instructional support personnel, paraprofessionals, and, as 
applicable, early childhood educators) with the knowledge and skills 
necessary to enable students to succeed in a well-rounded education and 
to meet the challenging State academic standards; and
    (2) Are sustained (not stand-alone, 1-day, or short term 
workshops), intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and 
classroom-focused, and may include activities that--
    (i) Improve and increase teachers'--
    (A) Knowledge of the academic subjects the teachers teach;
    (B) Understanding of how students learn; and
    (C) Ability to analyze student work and achievement from multiple 
sources, including how to adjust instructional strategies, assessments, 
and materials based on such analysis;
    (ii) Are an integral part of broad schoolwide and districtwide 
educational improvement plans;
    (iii) Allow personalized plans for each educator to address the 
educator's specific needs identified in observation or other feedback;
    (iv) Improve classroom management skills;
    (v) Support the recruitment, hiring, and training of effective 
teachers, including teachers who became certified through State and 
local alternative routes to certification;
    (vi) Advance teacher understanding of--
    (A) Effective instructional strategies that are evidence-based; and
    (B) Strategies for improving student academic achievement or 
substantially increasing the knowledge and teaching skills of teachers;
    (vii) Are aligned with, and directly related to, academic goals of 
the school or LEA;
    (viii) Are developed with extensive participation of teachers, 
principals, other school leaders, parents, representatives of Indian 
Tribes (as applicable), and administrators of schools to be served 
under the ESEA;
    (ix) Are designed to give teachers of English Learners, and other 
teachers and instructional staff, the knowledge and skills to provide 
instruction and appropriate language and academic support services to 
those children, including the appropriate use of curricula and 
assessments;
    (x) To the extent appropriate, provide training for teachers, 
principals, and other school leaders in the use of technology 
(including education about the harms of copyright piracy), so that 
technology and technology applications are effectively used in the 
classroom to improve teaching and learning in the curricula and 
academic subjects in which the teachers teach;
    (xi) As a whole, are regularly evaluated for their impact on 
increased teacher effectiveness and improved student academic 
achievement, with the findings of the evaluations used to

[[Page 5852]]

improve the quality of professional development;
    (xii) Are designed to give teachers of children with disabilities 
or children with developmental delays, and other teachers and 
instructional staff, the knowledge and skills to provide instruction 
and academic support services, to those children, including positive 
behavioral interventions and supports, multi-tier system of supports, 
and use of accommodations;
    (xiii) Include instruction in the use of data and assessments to 
inform and instruct classroom practice;
    (xiv) Include instruction in ways that teachers, principals, other 
school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, and school 
administrators may work more effectively with parents and families;
    (xv) Involve the forming of partnerships with IHEs, including, as 
applicable, Tribal Colleges and Universities as defined in section 
316(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)), to establish school-based 
teacher, principal, and other school leader training programs that 
provide prospective teachers, novice teachers, principals, and other 
school leaders with an opportunity to work under the guidance of 
experienced teachers, principals, other school leaders, and faculty of 
such institutions;
    (xvi) Create programs to enable paraprofessionals (assisting 
teachers employed by an LEA receiving assistance under part A of title 
I of the ESEA) to obtain the education necessary for those 
paraprofessionals to become certified and licensed teachers;
    (xvii) Provide follow-up training to teachers who have participated 
in activities described in paragraph (2) of this definition that are 
designed to ensure that the knowledge and skills learned by the 
teachers are implemented in the classroom; and
    (xviii) Where practicable, provide jointly for school staff and 
other early childhood education program providers, to address the 
transition to elementary school, including issues related to school 
readiness.
    Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, 
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence 
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of 
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices 
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
    Promising evidence means evidence of the effectiveness of a key 
project component in improving a relevant outcome, based on a relevant 
finding from one of the following:
    (i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC reporting ``strong 
evidence'', ``moderate evidence'', or ``promising evidence'' for the 
corresponding practice guide recommendation;
    (ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC reporting ``Tier 1 
strong evidence'' of effectiveness, or ``Tier 2 moderate evidence'' of 
effectiveness, or ``Tier 3 promising evidence'' of effectiveness, or a 
``positive effect,'' or ``potentially positive effect'' on a relevant 
outcome, with no reporting of a ``negative effect'' or ``potentially 
negative effect'' on a relevant outcome; or
    (iii) A single study assessed by the Department, as appropriate, 
that--
    (A) Is an experimental study, a quasi-experimental design study, or 
a well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with 
statistical controls for selection bias (such as a study using 
regression methods to account for differences between a treatment group 
and a comparison group);
    (B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive 
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome; and
    (C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative 
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a 
corresponding WWC intervention report. An intervention report prepared 
by the WWC reporting ``Tier 1 strong evidence'' of effectiveness, or 
``Tier 2 moderate evidence'' of effectiveness, or ``Tier 3 promising 
evidence'' of effectiveness, or a ``positive effect,'' or ``potentially 
positive effect'' on a relevant outcome, with no reporting of a 
``negative effect'' or ``potentially negative effect'' on a relevant 
outcome; and
    (iii) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative 
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a 
corresponding WWC intervention report.
    Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that 
attempts to approximate an experimental study by identifying a 
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important 
respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation 
(e.g., establishment of baseline equivalence of the groups being 
compared), can meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet 
WWC standards without reservations, as described in the WWC Handbooks.
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) 
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the 
specific goals of the program.
    School leader means a principal, assistant principal, or other 
individual who is--
    (1) An employee or officer of an elementary school or secondary 
school, LEA, or other entity operating an elementary school or 
secondary school; and
    (2) Responsible for the daily instructional leadership and 
managerial operations in the elementary school or secondary school 
building.
    State educational agency (SEA) means the agency primarily 
responsible for the State supervision of public elementary schools and 
secondary schools.
    Underserved student means a student (which may include children in 
early learning environments, students in K-12 programs, students in 
postsecondary education or career and technical education, and adult 
learners, as appropriate) in one or more of the following subgroups:
    (a) A student who is living in poverty or is served by schools with 
high concentrations of students living in poverty.
    (b) A student of color.
    (c) A student who is a member of a federally recognized Indian 
Tribe.
    (d) An English learner.
    (e) A child or student with a disability.
    (f) A disconnected youth.
    (g) A technologically unconnected youth.
    (h) A migrant student.
    (i) A student experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
    (j) A lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or 
intersex (LGBTQI+) student.
    (k) A student who is in foster care.
    (l) A student without documentation of immigration status.
    (m) A pregnant, parenting, or caregiving student.
    (n) A student impacted by the justice system, including a formerly 
incarcerated student.
    (o) A student who is the first in their family to attend 
postsecondary education.
    (p) A student enrolling in or seeking to enroll in postsecondary 
education for the first time at the age of 20 or older.
    (q) A student who is working full-time while enrolled in 
postsecondary education.
    (r) A student who is enrolled in or is seeking to enroll in 
postsecondary education who is eligible for a Pell Grant.
    (s) An adult student in need of improving their basic skills or an 
adult student with limited English proficiency.

[[Page 5853]]

    (t) A student performing significantly below grade level.
    (u) A military- or veteran-connected student.
    For the purposes of this definition only, ``English learner'' means 
an individual who is an English learner as defined in section 8101(20) 
of the ESEA, or an individual who is an English language learner as 
defined in section 203(7) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act.
    What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Handbooks (WWC Handbooks) means the 
standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Procedures and Standards 
Handbook, Version 5.0, or in the WWC Standards Handbook, Version 4.0 or 
4.1, or in the WWC Procedures Handbook, Version 4.0 or 4.1, the WWC 
Procedures and Standards Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version 2.1 (all 
incorporated by reference; see Sec.  77.2). WWC practice guides and 
intervention reports include findings from systematic reviews of 
evidence as described in the WWC Handbooks documentation.
    Program Authority: Section 2242 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6672).
    Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner 
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal 
civil rights laws.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 
part 3474. (d) EED NFP. (e) The Supplemental Priorities. (f) The Final 
Definition.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
    Note: As of October 1, 2024, grant applicants must follow the OMB 
Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance provisions stated in the OMB 
Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance (89 FR 30046, April 22, 2024) 
when preparing an application. For more information about these 
regulations please visit: https://www.cfo.gov/resources-coffa/uniform-guidance/.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration requested $90,000,000 
for SEED for FY 2025, of which we intend to use an estimated 
$75,000,000 for this competition. The actual level of funding, if any, 
depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting 
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if 
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from 
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000-$6,000,000 per project year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $3,500,000 per project year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 16-20.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants:
    (a) An IHE that provides course materials or resources that are 
evidence-based in increasing academic achievement, graduation rates, or 
rates of postsecondary education matriculation;
    (b) A national nonprofit entity with a demonstrated record of 
raising student academic achievement, graduation rates, and rates of 
higher education attendance, matriculation, or completion, or of 
effectiveness in providing preparation and professional development 
activities and programs for teachers, principals, or other school 
leaders;
    (c) The Bureau of Indian Education; or
    (d) A partnership consisting of--
    (i) One or more entities described in paragraph (a) or (b); and
    (ii) A for-profit entity.
    If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you may 
demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof that the 
Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an 
organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a State 
taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the 
organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and 
that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private 
shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the applicant's 
certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly 
establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any item 
described above if that item applies to a State or national parent 
organization, together with a statement by the State or parent 
organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: Under section 2242 of the ESEA, 
each grant recipient must provide, from non-Federal sources, at least 
25 percent of the total cost for each year of the project activities. 
These funds may be provided in cash or through in-kind contributions. 
Grantees must include a budget showing their matching contributions on 
an annual basis relative to the annual budget amount of SEED grant 
funds and must provide evidence of their matching contributions for the 
first year of the grant in their grant applications.
    Note: The combination of Federal and non-Federal funds should equal 
the total cost of the project. Therefore, grantees are generally 
required to support no less than 25 percent of the total cost of the 
project with non- Federal funds. Grantees are strongly encouraged to 
take this requirement into account when requesting Federal funds and 
limit their request appropriately and should verify that their budgets 
reflect the costs allocations appropriately. (Cost share formula: total 
program cost (the amount of the Federal grant + the amount of the non-
Federal match) x .75 = Federal award amount).
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Under section 2301 of the ESEA (20 
U.S.C. 6691), funds made available under title II of the ESEA must be 
used to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that would 
otherwise be used for activities authorized under this title.
    c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses a restricted 
indirect cost rate. For more information regarding indirect costs, or 
to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
    d. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include 
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All 
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to 
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 
Guidance.
    3. Subgrantees: (a) Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) a grantee under 
this competition may award subgrants--to directly carry out project 
activities described in its application--to the following types of 
entities: LEAs, IHEs, State and local governments, and other

[[Page 5854]]

public or private entities suitable to carry out the activities 
proposed in the application.
    (b) The grantee may award subgrants to entities it has identified 
in an approved application or under procedures established by the 
grantee.
    4. Certification: Pursuant to section 2242 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 
6672), applicants must include a certification that the services 
provided by an eligible entity under the grant to an LEA or to a school 
served by the LEA will not result in direct fees for participating 
students or parents.
    5. Renewal: Under section 2242(b)(2) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6672), 
the Secretary may renew a grant awarded under this section for one 
additional two-year period.
    Note: During the course of the third year of the project period for 
grants awarded under this competition, we will provide details on the 
potential renewal process. In making decisions on whether to award a 
two-year renewal award, we will review performance data submitted in 
regularly required reporting, as well as potentially request narrative 
information to be assessed using selection criteria from 34 CFR 75.210.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to 
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of 
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/23/2024-30488/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to 
submit an application.
    2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the SEED program, 
your application may include business information that you consider 
proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define ``business information'' and 
describe the process we use in determining whether any of that 
information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under 
Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as 
amended).
    Because we plan to make successful applications available to the 
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business 
information.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your 
application any information that you believe is exempt from disclosure 
under Exemption 4. In the appropriate appendix section of your 
application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the page 
number or numbers on which we can find this information. For additional 
information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
    3. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    5. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, 
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the 
application narrative to 40 pages and (2) use the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, 
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the recommended 
page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.
    6. Notice of Intent to Apply: 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, we strongly 
encourage each potential applicant to notify us of their intent to 
submit an application for funding by sending an email to [email protected] 
with FY 2025 SEED Intent to Apply in the subject line, by February 18, 
2025. Applicants that do not send a notice of intent to apply may still 
apply for funding.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210. An applicant may earn up to a total of 100 
points based on the selection criteria. The maximum score for each 
criterion is indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the 
factors that the reviewers will consider in determining how well an 
application meets the criterion. The criteria are as follows:
    (a) Quality of the Project Design (35 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services. (9 points)
    (2) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build 
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of 
Federal financial assistance. (8 points)
    (3) The quality of the logic model or other conceptual framework 
underlying the proposed project, including how inputs are related to 
outcomes. (8 points)
    (4) The extent to which the design of the proposed project 
demonstrates meaningful community engagement and input to ensure that 
the project is appropriate to successfully address the needs of the 
target population or other identified needs and will be used to inform 
continuous improvement strategies. (8 points)
    (b) Significance (25 points).
    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project, especially contributions toward 
improving teaching practice and student learning and achievement. (7 
points)
    (2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
number of persons to be served, the depth and intensity of services, 
and the anticipated results and benefits. (6 points)
    (3) The potential for the purposes, activities, or benefits of the 
proposed project to be institutionalized into the ongoing practices and 
programs of the applicant, agency, or organization and continue after 
Federal funding ends. (6 points)

[[Page 5855]]

    (4) The extent to which the resources, tools, and implementation 
lessons of the proposed project will be disseminated in ways to the 
target population and local community that will enable them and others 
(including practitioners, researchers, education leaders, and partners) 
to implement similar strategies. (6 points)
    (c) Quality of the Management Plan (20 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. 
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified, measurable, and 
ambitious yet achievable within the project period, and aligned with 
the purposes of the grant program. (10 points)
    (2) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project 
objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks. (10 points)
    (d) Quality of the Project Evaluation or Other Evidence-Building. 
(20 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation or other 
evidence-building of the proposed project. In determining the quality 
of the evaluation or other evidence-building, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well 
implemented, produce evidence about the effectiveness of the project on 
relevant outcomes that would meet the What Works Clearinghouse 
standards without reservations, as described in the What Works 
Clearinghouse Handbooks. (5 points)
    (2) The extent to which performance feedback and formative data are 
integral to the design of the proposed project and will be used to 
inform continuous improvement. (5 points)
    (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other 
evidence-building include the use of objective performance measures 
that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and 
will produce quality data that are quantitative and qualitative. (5 
points)
    (4) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating 
the proposed project will result in information to guide possible 
replication of project activities or strategies, including valid and 
reliable information about the effectiveness of the approach or 
strategies employed by the project. (5 points)
    Note: Applicants may wish to review technical assistance resources 
on Evaluation relevant to the SEED program available at https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/teacher-prep/supporting-effective-educator-development-grant-program.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    Under section 2242 of the ESEA, we consider the following 
additional factors in selecting an application for an award:
    (a) The Secretary must ensure that, to the extent practicable, 
grants are distributed among eligible entities that will serve 
geographically diverse areas, including urban, suburban, and rural 
areas.
    (b) The Department must not award more than one grant under this 
program to an eligible entity during a grant competition. If an entity 
submits multiple applications for this competition, only the highest 
rated application will be considered for an award.
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR 
3474.10, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant 
if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of 
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system 
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your 
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal 
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make 
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that 
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as 
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may 
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal 
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the

[[Page 5856]]

terms of any licenses or other legal restrictions on the use of pre-
existing works. Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded 
competitive grant funds must have a plan to disseminate these public 
grant deliverables. This dissemination plan can be developed and 
submitted after your application has been reviewed and selected for 
funding. For additional information on the open licensing requirements 
please refer to 2 CFR 3474.20.
    4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    5. Performance Measures: For the purpose of Department reporting 
under 34 CFR 75.110, we have established the following performance 
measures for the SEED program: (a) the percentage of teacher, 
principal, or other school leader participants who serve concentrations 
of high-need students; (b) the percentage of teacher and principal 
participants who serve concentrations of high-need students and are 
highly effective; (c) the percentage of teacher and principal 
participants who serve concentrations of high-need students, are highly 
effective, and serve for at least two years; (d) the cost per such 
participant; and (e) the number of grantees with evaluations that meet 
the WWC standards without reservations. Grantees will report annually 
on each measure.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether 
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance 
targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an 
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an 
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text 
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, 
audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this 
document, as well as all other Department documents published in the 
Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access Department documents published in the Federal 
Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

Adam Schott,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Programs, Delegated the 
Authority to Perform theFunctions and Duties of the Assistant 
Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2025-01275 Filed 1-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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