Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/12/28/2018-28284/applications-for-new-awards-expanding-opportunity-through-quality-charter-schools-program-csp-grants?utm_campaign=Monthly%20Newsletter&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--0FKYqp1NyZEPXwqJ5xWdEEtgU3jEKQu3wY3i58UOZ5uEaQ1yOQMGeu_QfnQba1o85cslZ
Timestamp: 2019-02-22 22:59:16
Document Index: 684395786

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 75', 'art 180', 'art 3485', 'art 200', 'art 3474', 'art 200', 'art 200', 'art 200']

A Notice by the Education Department on 12/28/2018
Applications Available: December 28, 2018.
67241-67250 (10 pages)
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-28284 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-28284
The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for CSP—Grants to State Entities, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.282A.
Date of Pre-Application Webinar: January 3, 2019, 2 p.m., Eastern Time.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 12, 2019.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 15, 2019.
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 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003), and available at www.govinfo.gov/​content/​pkg/​FR-2018-02-12/​pdf/​2018-02558.pdf.
Ashley Gardner, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4W216, Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 453-6787. Email: ashley.gardner@ed.gov.
Through the CSP Grants to State Entities (CSP State Entities) competition (CFDA number 84.282A), the Department awards grants to State entities that, in turn, award subgrants to eligible applicants for the purpose of opening and preparing for the operation of new charter schools and replicated high-quality charter schools, and expanding high-quality charter schools. Grant funds may also be used to provide technical assistance to eligible applicants and authorized public chartering agencies in opening and preparing for the operation of new charter schools and replicating and expanding high-quality charter schools; and to work with authorized public chartering agencies in the State to improve authorizing quality, including developing capacity for, and conducting, fiscal oversight and auditing of charter schools.
Background: The CSP State Entities program provides financial assistance to State entities (SEs) to support charter schools that serve elementary and secondary school students in a given State. Charter schools receiving funds under the CSP State Entities program also may serve students in early childhood education programs or postsecondary students.
The CSP State Entities program is authorized under Title IV, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7221-7221j).[2] This notice contains information regarding eligibility, priorities, definitions, application requirements, and selection criteria under the CSP State Entities program.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2019 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 16 points to an application that meets one or more of competitive preference priorities 2 through 6, depending on how well the application addresses the priorities.Start Printed Page 67242
An application may receive a total of up to 18 additional points under the competitive preference priorities.
Competitive Preference Priority 2—Equitable Financing (up to 3 points).
Competitive Preference Priority 3—Charter School Facilities (up to 4 points).
Competitive Preference Priority 4—Best Practices to Improve Struggling Schools and LEAs (up to 2 points).
Competitive Preference Priority 6—Best Practices for Charter School Authorizing (up to 4 points).
For purposes of this competition, “best practices for charter school authorizing” includes, but is not limited to, the practices for monitoring charter schools described in Assurance E below.
Under selection criterion (b) Objectives, the Secretary considers the ambitiousness of the State entity's objectives for its quality charter school program. An applicant may choose to respond to some or all of the elements of application requirement (I) Description of Program in the context of its response to selection criterion (b) Objectives, and should note the locations and page numbers of the responses accordingly.
(c) Meet the needs of students served under such programs, including students with disabilities [3] and English learners;
(b) Supporting all students once they are enrolled to promote retention, including by reducing the overuse of discipline practices that remove students from the classroom;Start Printed Page 67243
(1) Is able to meet and carry out competitive preference priorities 1 through 6; [4]
(2) Reviewing the schools' independent, annual audits of financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting Start Printed Page 67244principles and ensuring that any such audits are publically reported; and
(a) A child (1) with intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments (including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including blindness), serious emotional disturbance (referred to as “emotional disturbance”), orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities; and (2) who, by reason Start Printed Page 67245thereof, needs special education and related services.
(b) For a child aged 3 through 9 (or any subset of that age range, including ages 3 through 5), may, at the discretion of the State and the LEA, include a child (1) experiencing developmental delays, as defined by the State and as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following areas: Physical development; cognitive development; communication development; social or emotional development; or adaptive development; and (2) who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services (ESEA section 8101(4)).
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 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 Start Printed Page 67246regulations 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.
Estimated Available Funds: $108,000,000.
Maximum Award: See section III.4.(a) of this notice, Reasonable and Necessary Costs, for information regarding the maximum amount of funds that SEs may award for each charter school receiving subgrant funds.
The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. The estimated range and average size of awards are based on a single 12-month budget period. We may use FY 2019 funds to support multiple 12-month budget periods for one or more grantees.
1. Eligible Applicants: SEs in States with a specific State statute authorizing the granting of charters to schools.
Under section 4303(e)(1) of the ESEA, no SE may receive a grant under this competition for use in a State in which an SE has a current CSP State Entities grant. The Department awarded new CSP State Entities grants under section 4303 of the ESEA in FY 2017 and FY 2018.
Accordingly, no SE may receive a grant under this competition for use in a State in which an SE received a CSP State Entities grant in FY 2017 or FY 2018, and is currently using the grant; these States are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, and Wisconsin. SEs in States in which an SEA has a current CSP grant for SEAs that was awarded prior to FY 2017, under the ESEA, as amended by the NCLB, are eligible to apply for a CSP State Entities grant under this competition, so long as no other SE in the State has a current CSP State Entities grant.
An eligible applicant (i.e., charter school developer or charter school) in a State in which no SE has an approved grant application under section 4303 of the ESEA may apply for funding directly from the Department under the CSP Grants to Developers (CFDA number 84.282B or 84.282E) competition. Additional information about the CSP Grants to Developers program and any upcoming competitions is available at https://innovation.ed.gov/​what-we-do/​charter-schools/​charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/​.
4. Other: (a) Reasonable and Necessary Costs: The Secretary may elect to impose maximum limits on the amount of subgrant funds that an SE may award to an eligible applicant per new charter school created or replicated, per charter school expanded, or per new school seat created.
For this competition, the maximum amount of subgrant funds an SE may award to a subgrantee per new charter school, replicated high-quality charter school, or expanding high-quality charter school over a five-year subgrant period is $1,500,000.
Applicants must ensure that all costs included in the proposed budget are necessary and reasonable to meet the goals and objectives of the proposed project. Any costs determined by the Secretary to be unreasonable or unnecessary will be removed from the final approved budget.
(b) Audits: (i) A non-Federal entity that expends $750,000 or more during the non-Federal entity's fiscal year in Federal awards must have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year in accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR part 200. (2 CFR 200.501(a)).
4. Funding Restrictions: In accordance with section 4303(c) of the ESEA, an SE receiving a grant under this program shall: (a) Use not less than 90 percent of the grant funds to award subgrants to eligible applicants, in accordance with the quality charter school program described in the SE's application pursuant to section 4303(f), for activities Start Printed Page 67247related to opening and preparing for the operation of new charter schools and replicated high-quality charter schools, or expanding high-quality charter schools; (b) reserve not less than 7 percent of the grant funds to provide technical assistance to eligible applicants and authorized public chartering agencies in carrying out such activities, and to work with authorized public chartering agencies in the State to improve authorizing quality, including developing capacity for, and conducting, fiscal oversight and auditing of charter schools; and (c) reserve not more than 3 percent of the grant funds for administrative costs, which may include technical assistance. An SE may use a grant received under this program to provide technical assistance and to work with authorized public chartering agencies to improve authorizing quality under section 4303(b)(2) of the ESEA directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.
A subgrant awarded by an SE under this program shall be for a period of not more than five years, of which an eligible applicant may use not more than 18 months for planning and program design. An eligible applicant may not receive more than one subgrant under this program for each individual charter school for a five-year period, unless the eligible applicant demonstrates to the SE that such individual charter school has at least three years of improved educational results for students enrolled in such charter school, with respect to the elements described in section 4310(8)(A) and (D) of the ESEA.[5]
Other CSP Grants: A charter school that previously received CSP funds for opening or preparing to operate a new charter school, replication, or expansion under this program, the CSP Grants to Charter Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CMO) program (CFDA number 84.282M), or the CSP Grants to Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools and for the Replication and Expansion of High-quality Charter Schools (Developer) program (CFDA numbers 84.282B and 84.282E) may not use funds under this program to carry out the same activities. However, such charter school may be eligible to receive funds under this competition to expand the charter school beyond the existing grade levels or student count.
Likewise, a charter school that receives funds from an SE under this program is ineligible to receive funds to carry out the same activities under the CMO program (CFDA number 84.282M) or Developer program (CFDA numbers 84.282B and 84.282E), including for opening or preparing to operate a new charter school, replication, or expansion.
Applications must be in English, and peer reviewers will only consider Start Printed Page 67248supporting documents submitted with the application that are in English.
6. Pre-Application Webinar Information: The Department will hold a pre-application meeting via webinar for prospective applicants on January 3, 2019, 2 p.m., Eastern Time. Individuals interested in attending this meeting are encouraged to pre-register by emailing their name, organization, and contact information with the subject heading “STATE ENTITIES GRANTS PRE-APPLICATION MEETING” to CharterSchools@ed.gov. There is no registration fee for attending this meeting.
For further information about the pre-application meeting, contact Ashley Gardner, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4W216, Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 453-6787. Email: ashley.gardner@ed.gov.
In response to this criterion, an applicant may address (or cross-reference) some or all of the components of application requirements (I)(A)-(G) in this notice, which require the applicant to provide a description of the State entity's objectives in running a quality charter school program and how the objectives of the program will be carried out.
(1) Adequately monitor the eligible applicants receiving subgrants under the State entity's program (up to 5 points);
(2) Work with the authorized public chartering agencies involved to avoid duplication of work for the charter schools and authorized public chartering agencies (up to 5 points); and
(ii) Quality authorizing efforts in the State (up to 10 points).
(g) Flexibility (up to 5 points): The degree of flexibility afforded by the State's charter school law and how the State entity will work to maximize the flexibility provided to charter schools under such law.
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.Start Printed Page 67249
(a) The Secretary has established two performance indicators to measure annual progress towards achieving the purposes of the program, which are discussed elsewhere in this notice. The performance indicators are: (1) The number of new charter schools and charter school campuses in operation around the Nation; (2) the number of States that demonstrate annual increases in the percentage of fourth- and eighth-grade charter school students who are achieving at or above the proficient level on State assessments in mathematics and reading/language arts; (3) the number of States that demonstrate annual decreases in the percentage of charter schools that are identified as a comprehensive support and improvement school. Additionally, the Secretary has established the following measure to examine the efficiency of the CSP: The Federal cost per student in implementing a successful school (defined as a school in operation for three or more consecutive years).
All grantees must submit an annual performance report with information that is responsive to these performance measures. Start Printed Page 67250
2. Prior to enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the ESEA, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), authorized the Secretary to make awards to State educational agencies (SEAs) to enable them to conduct charter school subgrant programs in their States. State entities, which include SEAs, are eligible applicants under the ESSA. In December 2015, Congress enacted the ESSA, which reauthorized the ESEA, as amended by NCLB.
3. For purposes of this competition, “students with disabilities” or “student with a disability” has the same meaning as children with disabilities or child with a disability.
4. In accordance with 34 CFR 105(c)(2)(i), applications are not required to address competitive preference priorities but may receive additional points if they do so. However, to meet this application requirement, the State entity must describe the extent to which it is able to meet and carry out competitive preference priorities 1 through 6. If the State entity is unable to meet and carry out one or more of these competitive preference priorities, the description for that priority should state that the State entity is unable to meet or carry out the priority.
5. Section 4303(e)(2) of the ESEA prescribes the circumstances under which an eligible applicant may be eligible to apply to an SE for a second subgrant for an individual charter school for a five-year period. The eligible applicant still would have to meet all program requirements, including the requirements for replicating or expanding a high-quality charter school.
[FR Doc. 2018-28284 Filed 12-27-18; 8:45 am]