Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 23, 2021 / Notices 32903 

proposing a revision of a currently 

approved collection. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before August 

23, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the 

documents related to the information 

collection listed in this notice, please 

use http://www.regulations.gov by 

searching the Docket ID number ED– 

2021–SCC–0094. Comments submitted 

in response to this notice should be 

submitted electronically through the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://

www.regulations.gov by selecting the 

Docket ID number or via postal mail, 

commercial delivery, or hand delivery. 

If the regulations.gov site is not 

available to the public for any reason, 

ED will temporarily accept comments at 

ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please include the 

docket ID number and the title of the 

information collection request when 

requesting documents or submitting 

comments. Please note that comments 

submitted by fax or email and those 

submitted after the comment period will 

not be accepted. Written requests for 

information or comments submitted by 

postal mail or delivery should be 

addressed to the PRA Coordinator of the 

Strategic Collections and Clearance 

Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W208C, 

Washington, DC 20202–8240. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

specific questions related to collection 

activities, please contact Beth 

Grebeldinger, 202–377–4018. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Department of Education (ED), in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general 

public and Federal agencies with an 

opportunity to comment on proposed, 

revised, and continuing collections of 

information. This helps the Department 

assess the impact of its information 

collection requirements and minimize 

the public’s reporting burden. It also 

helps the public understand the 

Department’s information collection 

requirements and provide the requested 

data in the desired format. ED is 

soliciting comments on the proposed 

information collection request (ICR) that 

is described below. The Department of 

Education is especially interested in 

public comment addressing the 

following issues: (1) Is this collection 

necessary to the proper functions of the 

Department; (2) will this information be 

processed and used in a timely manner; 

(3) is the estimate of burden accurate; 

(4) how might the Department enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (5) how 

might the Department minimize the 

burden of this collection on the 

respondents, including through the use 

of information technology. Please note 

that written comments received in 

response to this notice will be 

considered public records. 

Title of Collection: Health Education 

Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program: 

Forms. 

OMB Control Number: 1845–0128. 

Type of Review: A revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: Private 

Sector; Individuals and Households. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 21. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 4. 

Abstract: The HEAL form 504 is 

required for lenders to make application 

to the HEAL insurance program, to 

report accurately and timely on loan 

actions, including transfer of loans to a 

secondary agent, and to establish the 

repayment status of borrowers who 

qualify for deferment of payments. The 

HEAL form 508 is required for HEAL 

borrowers to request deferment of 

payment of their loan under specific 

conditions. This collection is removing 

the datasets previously included in this 

collection due to the decrease in the 

number of users. 

Dated: June 17, 2021. 

Juliana Pearson, 

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and 

Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, 

Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of 

Planning, Evaluation and Policy 

Development. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13182 Filed 6–22–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Expanding Opportunity Through 

Quality Charter Schools Program 

(CSP)—Grants for Credit Enhancement 

for Charter School Facilities 

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and 

Secondary Education, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

(Department) is issuing a notice inviting 

applications for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for 

CSP—Grants for Credit Enhancement for 

Charter School Facilities (Credit 

Enhancement), Assistance Listing 

Number 84.354A. This notice relates to 

the approved information collection 

under OMB control number 1855–0007. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: June 23, 2021. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: July 23, 2021. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: September 21, 2021. 

Pre-Application Webinar Information: 

The Credit Enhancement program 

intends to hold a webinar designed to 

provide technical assistance to 

interested applicants. Detailed 

information regarding this webinar will 

be provided on the Credit Enhancement 

web page at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/ 

office-of-discretionary-grants-supportservices/charter-school-programs/creditenhancement-for-charter-schoolfacilities-program/applicant-info-andeligibility/. 

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 February 13, 2019 

(84 FR 3768) and available at 

www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019- 

02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Clifton Jones, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 3E211, Washington, DC 20202. 

Telephone: (202) 205–2204. Email: 

Clifton.Jones@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. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The Credit 

Enhancement program provides grants 

to eligible entities to demonstrate 

innovative methods of helping charter 

schools to address the cost of acquiring, 

constructing, and renovating facilities 

by enhancing the availability of loans 

and bond financing. 

The Department looks forward to 

working with stakeholders to ensure 

that future competitions best advance 

the Administration’s priorities in this 

space. 

Definitions: The following definitions 

are from section 4310 of the ESEA (20 

U.S.C. 7221i(2)) and 34 CFR 77.1. 

Baseline means the starting point 

from which performance is measured 

and targets are set. (34 CFR 77.1) 

Charter school means a public school 

that— 

(a) In accordance with a specific State 

statute authorizing the granting of 

charters to schools, is exempt from 

significant State or local rules that 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
32904 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 23, 2021 / Notices 

inhibit the flexible operation and 

management of public schools, but not 

from any rules relating to the other 

requirements in section 4310 of the 

ESEA; 

(b) Is created by a developer as a 

public school, or is adapted by a 

developer from an existing public 

school, and is operated under public 

supervision and direction; 

(c) Operates in pursuit of a specific set 

of educational objectives determined by 

the school’s developer and agreed to by 

the authorized public chartering agency; 

(d) Provides a program of elementary 

or secondary education, or both; 

(e) Is nonsectarian in its programs, 

admissions policies, employment 

practices, and all other operations, and 

is not affiliated with a sectarian school 

or religious institution; 

(f) Does not charge tuition; 

(g) Complies with the Age 

Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 

6101 et seq.), title VI of the Civil Rights 

Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), 

title IX of the Education Amendments of 

1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), section 

504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 

U.S.C. 794), the Americans with 

Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 

et seq.), section 444 of the General 

Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 

1232g) (commonly referred to as the 

‘‘Family Educational Rights and Privacy 

Act of 1974’’), and part B of the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Act (20 U.S.C. 1411 et seq.); 

(h) Is a school to which parents 

choose to send their children, and 

that— 

(i) Admits students on the basis of a 

lottery, consistent with section 

4303(c)(3)(A) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 

7221b(c)(3)(A)), if more students apply 

for admission than can be 

accommodated; or 

(ii) In the case of a school that has an 

affiliated charter school (such as a 

school that is part of the same network 

of schools), automatically enrolls 

students who are enrolled in the 

immediate prior grade level of the 

affiliated charter school and, for any 

additional student openings or student 

openings created through regular 

attrition in student enrollment in the 

affiliated charter school and the 

enrolling school, admits students on the 

basis of a lottery as described in 

paragraph (h)(i); 

(i) Agrees to comply with the same 

Federal and State audit requirements as 

do other elementary schools and 

secondary schools in the State, unless 

such State audit requirements are 

waived by the State; 

(j) Meets all applicable Federal, State, 

and local health and safety 

requirements; 

(k) Operates in accordance with State 

law; 

(l) Has a written performance contract 

with the authorized public chartering 

agency in the State that includes a 

description of how student performance 

will be measured in charter schools 

pursuant to State assessments that are 

required of other schools and pursuant 

to any other assessments mutually 

agreeable to the authorized public 

chartering agency and the charter 

school; and 

(m) May serve students in early 

childhood education programs or 

postsecondary students. (20 U.S.C. 

7221i(2)) 

Performance measure means any 

quantitative indicator, statistic, or 

metric used to gauge program or project 

performance. (34 CFR 77.1) 

Performance target means a level of 

performance that an applicant would 

seek to meet during the course of a 

project or as a result of a project. (34 

CFR 77.1) 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7221c. 

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) 

The regulations for this program in 34 

CFR part 225. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 

apply to all applicants except federally 

recognized Indian Tribes. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 

apply to institutions of higher education 

only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 

Estimated Available Funds: 

$43,000,000. 

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: 

$4,000,000 to $12,000,000. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$11,000,000. 

Maximum Award: We will not award 

a grant for more than $12,000,000 for a 

grant project. The Department may 

change the maximum amount through a 

notice published in the Federal 

Register. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 4. 

Note: The Department is not bound by 

any estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: From the start date 

indicated on the grant award document 

until the Federal funds and earnings on 

those funds have been expended for the 

grant purposes or until financing 

facilitated by the grant has been retired, 

whichever is later. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: 

(a) A public entity, such as a State or 

local governmental entity; 

(b) A private, nonprofit entity; or 

(c) A consortium of entities described 

in (a) and (b). 

Note: 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: This 

competition does not require cost 

sharing or matching. 

b. Administrative Cost Limitation: 

Consistent with section 4304(g) of the 

ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221c(g)), an eligible 

entity may use not more than 2.5 

percent of the funds received under this 

program for the administrative costs of 

carrying out its responsibilities under 

this program. 

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this 

competition may not award subgrants to 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 23, 2021 / Notices 32905 

entities to directly carry out project 

activities described in its application. 

4. Other: The charter schools that a 

grantee selects to benefit from this 

program must meet the definition of 

charter school in section 4310 of the 

ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221i). 

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 

February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and 

available at www.govinfo.gov/content/ 

pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, 

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 Credit Enhancement competition, 

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 post on our 

website the application narrative 

sections of successful applications, 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: 

(a) Reserve accounts. An eligible 

entity receiving a grant must, in 

accordance with State and local law, 

directly or indirectly, alone or in 

collaboration with others, deposit the 

funds received, other than funds used 

for administrative costs, in a reserve 

account established and maintained by 

the eligible entity. Amounts deposited 

in such account must be used by the 

eligible entity for one or more of the 

following purposes: 

(1) Guaranteeing, insuring, and 

reinsuring bonds, notes, evidences of 

debt, loans, and interests therein. 

(2) Guaranteeing and insuring leases 

of personal and real property. 

(3) Facilitating financing by 

identifying potential lending sources, 

encouraging private lending, and other 

similar activities that directly promote 

lending to, or for the benefit of, charter 

schools. 

(4) Facilitating the issuance of bonds 

by charter schools, or by other public 

entities for the benefit of charter 

schools, by providing technical, 

administrative, and other appropriate 

assistance (including the recruitment of 

bond counsel, underwriters, and 

potential investors and the 

consolidation of multiple charter school 

projects within a single bond issue). 

Funds received and deposited in the 

reserve account must be invested in 

obligations issued or guaranteed by the 

United States or a State, or in other 

similarly low-risk securities. Any 

earnings on funds received must be 

deposited in the reserve account and 

used in accordance with this program 

per ESEA section 4304(f). 

(b) Charter school objectives. An 

eligible entity receiving a grant must use 

the funds deposited in the reserve 

account to assist one or more charter 

schools to access private-sector capital 

to accomplish one or more of the 

following objectives: 

(1) The acquisition (by purchase, 

lease, donation, or otherwise) of an 

interest (including an interest held by a 

third party for the benefit of a charter 

school) in improved or unimproved real 

property that is necessary to commence 

or continue the operation of a charter 

school. 

(2) The construction of new facilities, 

or the renovation, repair, or alteration of 

existing facilities, necessary to 

commence or continue the operation of 

a charter school. 

(3) The predevelopment costs 

required to assess sites for purposes of 

paragraph (1) or (2) and that are 

necessary to commence or continue the 

operation of a charter school per ESEA 

section 4304(e). 

(c) Other. Grantees must ensure that 

all costs incurred using funds from the 

reserve account are reasonable. Under 

20 U.S.C. 7221c(g), an eligible entity 

may use not more than 2.5 percent of 

the funds received under this grant for 

the administrative costs of carrying out 

its project responsibilities. We specify 

unallowable costs in 34 CFR 225.21. 

No financial obligation of a grantee 

under this program (such as an 

obligation under a guarantee, bond, 

note, evidence of debt, or loan) shall be 

an obligation of, or guaranteed in any 

respect by, the United States. The full 

faith and credit of the United States are 

not pledged to the payment of funds 

that may be required to be paid under 

any obligation made by a grantee under 

this program. In the event of a default 

on any debt or other obligation, the 

United States has no liability to cover 

the cost of the default. 

Applicants that are selected to receive 

an award must enter into a written 

Performance Agreement with the 

Department prior to drawing down 

funds, unless the grantee receives 

written permission from the Department 

in the interim to draw down a specific 

limited amount of funds. 

Grantees must maintain and enforce 

standards of conduct governing the 

performance of their employees, 

officers, directors, trustees, and agents 

engaged in the selection, award, and 

administration of contracts or 

agreements related to this grant. The 

standards of conduct must mandate 

disinterested decision-making. 

The Secretary, in accordance with 

chapter 37 of title 31 of the United 

States Code, will collect all or a portion 

of the funds in the reserve account 

established with grant funds (including 

any earnings on those funds) if the 

Secretary determines that: (1) The 

grantee has permanently ceased to use 

such funds to accomplish the purposes 

described in the authorizing statute and 

the Performance Agreement; or (2) not 

earlier than two years after the date on 

which it first receives these funds, the 

grantee has failed to make substantial 

progress in undertaking the grant 

project. 

(d) We reference additional 

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 no 

more than 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. 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
32906 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 23, 2021 / Notices 

• 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. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 225.11 and are as follows: 

(a) Quality of project design and 

significance (35 points): 

In determining the quality of project 

design and significance, the Secretary 

considers— 

(1) The extent to which the grant 

proposal would provide financing to 

charter schools at better rates and terms 

than they can receive absent assistance 

through the program; 

(2) The extent to which the project 

goals, objectives, and timeline are 

clearly specified, measurable, and 

appropriate for the purpose of the 

program; 

(3) The extent to which the project 

implementation plan and activities, 

including the partnerships established, 

are likely to achieve measurable 

objectives that further the purposes of 

the program; 

(4) The extent to which the project is 

likely to produce results that are 

replicable; 

(5) The extent to which the project 

will use appropriate criteria for 

selecting charter schools for assistance 

and for determining the type and 

amount of assistance to be given; 

(6) The extent to which the proposed 

activities will leverage private or publicsector funding and increase the number 

and variety of charter schools assisted 

in meeting their facilities needs more 

than would be accomplished absent the 

program; 

(7) The extent to which the project 

will serve charter schools in States with 

strong charter laws, consistent with the 

criteria for such laws in section 

4303(g)(2) of the ESEA; and 

(8) The extent to which the requested 

grant amount and the project costs are 

reasonable in relation to the objectives, 

design, and potential significance of the 

project. 

(b) Quality of project services (15 

points): 

In determining the quality of the 

project services, the Secretary 

considers— 

(1) The extent to which the services 

to be provided by the project reflect the 

identified needs of the charter schools 

to be served; 

(2) The extent to which charter 

schools and chartering agencies were 

involved in the design of, and 

demonstrate support for, the project; 

(3) The extent to which the technical 

assistance and other services to be 

provided by the proposed grant project 

involve the use of cost-effective 

strategies for increasing charter schools’ 

access to facilities financing, including 

the reasonableness of fees and lending 

terms; and 

(4) The extent to which the services 

to be provided by the proposed grant 

project are focused on assisting charter 

schools with a likelihood of success and 

the greatest demonstrated need for 

assistance under the program. 

(c) Capacity (35 points): 

In determining an applicant’s 

business and organizational capacity to 

carry out the project, the Secretary 

considers— 

(1) The amount and quality of 

experience of the applicant in carrying 

out the activities it proposes to 

undertake in its application, such as 

enhancing the credit on debt issuances, 

guaranteeing leases, and facilitating 

financing; 

(2) The applicant’s financial stability; 

(3) The ability of the applicant to 

protect against unwarranted risk in its 

loan underwriting, portfolio monitoring, 

and financial management; 

(4) The applicant’s expertise in 

education to evaluate the likelihood of 

success of a charter school; 

(5) The ability of the applicant to 

prevent conflicts of interest, including 

conflicts of interest by employees and 

members of the board of directors in a 

decision-making role; 

(6) If the applicant has co-applicants 

(consortium members), partners, or 

other grant project participants, the 

specific resources to be contributed by 

each co-applicant (consortium member), 

partner, or other grant project 

participant to the implementation and 

success of the grant project; 

(7) For State governmental entities, 

the extent to which steps have been or 

will be taken to ensure that charter 

schools within the State receive the 

funding needed to obtain adequate 

facilities; and 

(8) For previous grantees under the 

charter school facilities programs, their 

performance in implementing these 

grants. 

Note: The 35 available points under this 

selection criterion will be allocated evenly 

among the factors applicable to a particular 

applicant. For example, for an applicant for 

which none of factors (6)–(8) apply, the 35 

available points will be allocated among the 

first five factors. Similarly, for an applicant 

that is a State governmental entity that is a 

previous grantee under the charter school 

facilities programs, the 35 available points 

will be allocated evenly among factors (1)– 

(5), (7), and (8). 

(d) Quality of project personnel (15 

points): 

In determining the quality of project 

personnel, the Secretary considers— 

(1) The qualifications of project 

personnel, including relevant training 

and experience, of the project manager 

and other members of the project team, 

including consultants or subcontractors; 

and 

(2) The staffing plan for the grant 

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 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). 

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 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 23, 2021 / Notices 32907 

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. 

5. In General: In accordance with the 

Office of Management and Budget’s 

guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all 

applicable Federal laws, and relevant 

Executive guidance, the Department 

will review and consider applications 

for funding pursuant to this notice 

inviting applications in accordance 

with— 

(a) Selecting recipients most likely to 

be successful in delivering results based 

on the program objectives through an 

objective process of evaluating Federal 

award applications (2 CFR 200.205); 

(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain 

telecommunication and video 

surveillance services or equipment in 

alignment with section 889 of the 

National Defense Authorization Act of 

2019 (Pub. L. 115–232) (2 CFR 200.216); 

(c) Providing a preference, to the 

extent permitted by law, to maximize 

use of goods, products, and materials 

produced in the United States (2 CFR 

200.322); and 

(d) Terminating agreements in whole 

or in part to the greatest extent 

authorized by law if an award no longer 

effectuates the program goals or agency 

priorities (2 CFR 200.340). 

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 

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. 

5. Performance Measures: 

(a) Program Performance Measures. 

Under the Government Performance and 

Results Modernization Act of 2010 

(GPRA 2010), the performance measures 

for this program are: (1) The amount of 

funding grantees leverage for charter 

schools to acquire, construct, and 

renovate school facilities; and (2) the 

number of charter schools served. 

Grantees must provide information that 

is responsive to these measures as part 

of their annual performance reports. 

(b) Project-Specific Performance 

Measures. Applicants must propose 

project-specific performance measures 

and performance targets consistent with 

the objectives of the project and 

program. Applicants must provide the 

following information as directed under 

34 CFR 75.110(b): 

(1) Project Performance Measures. 

How each proposed project-specific 

performance measure would accurately 

measure the performance of the project 

and how the proposed project-specific 

performance measure would be 

consistent with the performance 

measures established for the program 

funding the competition. 

(2) Project Performance Targets. Why 

each proposed performance target is 

ambitious yet achievable compared to 

the baseline for the performance 

measure and when, during the project 

period, the applicant would meet the 

performance target(s). 

Note: The Secretary encourages applicants 

to consider measures and targets tied to their 

grant activities during the grant period. The 

measures should be sufficient to gauge the 

progress throughout the grant period and 

show results by the end of the grant period. 

(3) Data Collection and Reporting. (i) 

The data collection and reporting 

methods the applicant would use and 

why those methods are likely to yield 

reliable, valid, and meaningful 

performance data; and 

(ii) The applicant’s capacity to collect 

and report reliable, valid, and 

meaningful performance data, as 

evidenced by high-quality data 

collection, analysis, and reporting in 

other projects or research. 

Note: If applicants do not have experience 

with collection and reporting of performance 

data through other projects or research, they 

should provide other evidence of their 

capacity to successfully carry out data 

collection and reporting for their proposed 

project. 

VII. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
32908 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 23, 2021 / Notices 

1Please note that the Institute of Education 

Sciences (IES) uses different peer review processes 

and procedures than those described in this notice. 

More information on the IES peer review process 

can be found at: https://ies.ed.gov/director/sro/ 

application_review.asp. IES also administers its 

research grant competitions on a different timeline 

from other offices in the Department. 

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, or 

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 

documents of this Department 

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 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. 

Ruth Ryder, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and 

Programs, Office of Elementary and 

Secondary Education. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13322 Filed 6–22–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Peer Review Opportunities With the 

U.S. Department of Education’s Office 

of Elementary and Secondary 

Education (OESE), Office of 

Postsecondary Education (OPE), and 

Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) 

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and 

Secondary Education, Office of 

Postsecondary Education, and Office of 

Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services, U.S. Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Education (Department) announces 

opportunities for individuals to 

participate in its peer review process by 

reviewing applications for competitive 

grant funding under the programs 

administered by OESE, OPE, and 

OSERS. 

DATES: Requests to serve as a peer 

reviewer for fiscal year 2021 will be 

accepted on an ongoing basis, aligned 

with this year’s grant competition 

schedule. Requests to serve as a peer 

reviewer should be submitted at least 

four weeks prior to the program’s 

application deadline noted on the 

Department’s website under ‘‘Forecast 

of Funding Opportunities’’ at 

www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edliteforecast.html. This notice highlights the 

specific needs of OESE, OPE, and 

OSERS. 

ADDRESSES: An individual interested in 

serving as a peer reviewer must register 

and upload his or her resume in the 

Department’s grants management 

system known as ‘‘G5’’ at www.g5.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

OESE: Richard Wilson, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW, Room 3W101, Washington, 

DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 453–6709. 

Email: richard.wilson@ed.gov. 

OPE: Tonya Hardin, U.S. Department 

of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue 

SW, Room 2C205, Washington, DC 

20202. Telephone: (202) 453–7694. 

Email: tonya.hardin@ed.gov. 

OSERS: Kate Friday, U.S. Department 

of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue 

SW, Room 5081B, Potomac Center 

Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–5076. 

Telephone: (202) 245–7605. Email: 

kate.friday@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. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

mission of the Department is to promote 

student achievement and preparation 

for global competitiveness by fostering 

educational excellence and ensuring 

equal access. The Department pursues 

its mission by funding programs that 

will improve access to high-quality 

educational opportunities and programs 

that pursue innovations in teaching and 

learning with a focus on underserved 

students. The Department also funds 

programs in other areas as authorized by 

statute. Grant funds are awarded to State 

educational agencies; local educational 

agencies (i.e., school districts); State, 

local, or Tribal governments; nonprofit 

organizations; institutions of higher 

education (IHEs), including IHEs that 

have experience in the operation of 

American Indian Vocational 

Rehabilitation Service programs; and 

other entities through a competitive 

process referred to as a grant 

competition. 

Each year the Department convenes 

panels of external education 

professionals and practitioners to serve 

as peer reviewers.1 Peer reviewers 

evaluate and score submitted 

applications against program-specific 

criteria and announced priorities. 

Application scores are then used to 

inform the Secretary’s funding 

decisions. 

Executive Order 13985, Advancing 

Racial Equity and Support for 

Underserved Communities Through the 

Federal Government, directs Federal 

agencies to ‘‘assess whether 

underserved communities and their 

members face systemic barriers in 

accessing benefits and opportunities 

available pursuant to those policies and 

programs.’’ We believe that increasing 

the diversity of peer reviewers is an 

important element of the Department’s 

efforts to implement this Executive 

order. As a result, the Department is 

particularly interested in peer reviewers 

who represent diverse experiences and 

perspectives and whose expertise 

pertains to OESE, OPE, and OSERS 

grant competitions. 

This year, OESE is managing nearly 

15 grant competitions to fund a range of 

projects that support education 

innovation and research; educator 

growth and diversity; magnet, 

community, and charter schools; 

literacy; arts education; history and 

civics education; and American Indian/ 

Alaska Native education. 

Similarly, OPE is conducting over 20 

grant competitions to fund a wide range 

of projects, including projects to support 

improvements in educational quality, 

management, and financial stability at 

colleges and universities that enroll 

high numbers of underserved students; 

projects to provide high-quality support 

services to improve retention and 

graduation rates of students who are low 

income or first-generation college 

students or individuals with disabilities; 

projects designed to strengthen foreign 

language instruction, area and 

international studies teaching and 

research, professional preparation and 

development for educators, and 

curriculum development at the K–12, 

graduate, and postsecondary levels; and 

other innovative projects designed to 

improve postsecondary education. OPE 

grant competitions will take place 

between now and the end of the 

calendar year. 

OSERS is managing nearly 20 grant 

competitions that will take place 

between now and September 2021. The 

competitions in OSERS’ Office of 

Special Education Programs (OSEP) 

include those under the following 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES