Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/02/23/2015-03620/applications-for-new-awards-district-of-columbia-opportunity-scholarship-program
Timestamp: 2017-09-23 04:30:10
Document Index: 723375386

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

Federal Register :: Applications for New Awards; District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program
Applications for New Awards; District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program
A Notice by the Education Department on 02/23/2015
9448-9453 (6 pages)
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-03620 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-03620
Applications Available: February 23, 2015.
Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: March 25, 2015.
Date of Informational Meeting: The OSP intends to hold a webinar designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. Detailed information regarding this webinar will be provided on the OSP Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/​programs/​dcchoice/​index.html.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 24, 2015.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 23, 2015.
Purpose of Program: The OSP provides low-income students residing in the District of Columbia (DC) an opportunity to receive a scholarship to attend a DC private school of their parents' choice.
Background: The OSP was established in 2004 under the DC School Choice Incentive Act of 2003 (School Choice Incentive Act) (Title III of Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004; Pub. L. 108-199 Stat. 3 (2004)). In 2011, Congress reauthorized the OSP under the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (SOAR Act, Division C of the Pub. L. 112-10).
For FY 2015, the Department will award one grant to an eligible applicant to administer the OSP. The grant will be awarded in the form of a cooperative agreement between the Department and the grantee. This grantee is expected to explain in its application, among other things, how it would recruit and select eligible scholarship applicants in years that scholarships are awarded, serve scholarship students and families in a timely manner, identify and work with participating schools, monitor compliance of participating schools with program and reporting requirements, maintain reliable data regarding the operation of the program, and ensure appropriate coordination with the other entities that conduct activities related to this program.
(A) How the entity will address the priorities described in section 3006 of the SOAR Act;
(B) How the entity will ensure that if more eligible students seek admission in the program of the entity than the program can accommodate, eligible students are selected for admission through a random selection process which gives weight to the priorities described in section 3006 of the SOAR Act;
(E) The activities that the entity will carry out to provide parents of eligible students with expanded choice opportunities through the awarding of Start Printed Page 9449scholarships under section 3007(a) of the SOAR Act;
(F) How the entity will determine the amount that will be provided to parents under section 3007(a)(2) of the SOAR Act for the payment of tuition, fees, and transportation expenses, if any;
(G) How the entity will seek out private elementary schools and secondary schools in District of Columbia to participate in the program;
(H) How the entity will ensure that each participating school will meet the reporting and other program requirements under the SOAR Act;
(J) How the entity will ensure that participating schools are financially responsible and will use the funds received under section 3007 of the SOAR Act effectively;
(L) How the entity will ensure that a majority of its voting board members or governing organization are residents of District of Columbia.
The entity must also provide in its application an assurance that the entity will comply with all requests regarding any evaluation carried out under section 3009(a) of the SOAR Act.
The definitions for the terms “Elementary school”, “Parent”, “Poverty line”, and “Secondary school” are from section 3013 of the SOAR Act. The definition for the term “nonprofit” is from 34 CFR 77.1(c).
Program Authority: SOAR Act (Division C of the P.L. 112-10, the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, April 15, 2011; 125 Stat. 38, 199-212), as amended by Pub. L. 112-92.
Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474.
Estimated Available Funds: $13,200,000.
A total award of $13,200,000 will include $12,000,000 to be spent on scholarships and up to $600,000 to be spent on administrative expenses, up to $400,000 to be spent on parental assistance, and up to $200,000 to be spent on student academic assistance.
3. Coordination: An eligible entity must be willing and able to work with other entities affiliated with the Federal and DC governments, as well as with other organizations that might conduct activities integral to the success of the program, including, as appropriate, determining the household income of scholarship recipients and ensuring the ongoing eligibility of schools participating in the program. Additionally, an eligible entity must demonstrate how it will communicate and coordinate with the current grantee, as needed, to ensure a seamless and smooth transition between the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years for families and schools participating in the OSP.
1. Address to Request Application Package: Jeanne Gilroy, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W227, Washington, DC 20202-5960 or by email: DCOSP2015@ed.gov.
Notice of Intent to Apply: March 25, 2015. The Department will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if it has a better estimate of the number of entities that intend to apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, the Department strongly encourages each potential applicant to notify the Department by sending a short email message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an application for funding. The email need not include information regarding the content of the proposed application, only the applicant's intent to submit it. The Department requests that this email notification be sent to DCOSP2015@ed.gov.
Eligible entities that fail to provide this email notification may still apply for funding. Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the application requirements and selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We suggest you limit the application narrative to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages, using the following standards:
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, except for titles, Start Printed Page 9450headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions, charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
b. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of projects that may be proposed in applications for the OSP, an application may include business information that the applicant considers proprietary. The Department's regulations define “business information” in 34 CFR 5.11.
Applications for grants under the OSP, CFDA number 84.370A, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written Start Printed Page 9451statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the OSP at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.370, not 84.370A).
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Jeanne Gilroy, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W227, Washington, DC 20202-5960.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.Start Printed Page 9452
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.370A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.370A), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
A. Quality of project services (20 points).
B. Quality of project personnel (25 points).
C. Adequacy of resources (20 points).
D. Quality of the management plan (35 points).
3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may impose special conditions and, in appropriate Start Printed Page 9453circumstances, 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. Performance Measures: The long-term performance indicator for this program is whether, at the end of the program, the student achievement gains of participants are greater than those of students in control or comparison groups. Data for the performance measure will be collected through the program evaluation.
Jeanne Gilroy, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W227, Washington, DC 20202-5960. Telephone: (202) 453-6474, or by email: DCOSP2015@ed.gov.
[FR Doc. 2015-03620 Filed 2-20-15; 8:45 am]