2012-14732. Applications for New Awards; Arts in Education National Program

AGENCY:

Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education.

ACTION:

Notice.

Overview Information; Arts in Education National Program; Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2012.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.351F.

Dates: Applications Available: June 15, 2012.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 30, 2012.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 28, 2012.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The Arts in Education National Program (AENP) supports national-level high-quality arts education activities and services for children and youth, with special emphasis on serving children from low-income families (as defined in this notice) and children with disabilities (as defined in this notice).

Priorities: This notice includes one absolute priority and four competitive preference priorities.

The absolute priority is from the notice of final priority, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

Absolute Priority: For FY 2012 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.

This priority is:

Model Projects.

One or more high-quality projects that are designed to develop and implement, or expand, initiatives in arts education and arts integration (as defined in this notice) on a national level for pre-kindergarten-through-grade-12 children and youth, with special emphasis on serving children from low-income families (as defined in this notice) and children with disabilities (as defined in this notice). In order to meet this priority, an applicant must demonstrate that the project for which it seeks funding will provide services and develop initiatives in multiple schools and school districts throughout the country, including in at least one urban, at least one rural, and at least one high-need community (as defined in this notice).

Competitive Preference Priorities: These four priorities are from the notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637). For FY 2012 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Applicants may choose to address one or more of these competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 20 points to an application, depending on how well the application meets one or more of these priorities.

These priorities are:

Turning Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools (up to an additional 5 points).

Projects that are designed to address one or more of the following priority areas:

(a) Improving student achievement (as defined in this notice) in persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in this notice).

(b) Providing services to students enrolled in persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in this notice).

Note:

For the purposes of this priority, the Department considers schools that are identified as Tier I or Tier II schools under the School Improvement Grants Program (see 75 FR 66363) as part of a State's approved FY 2009 or FY 2010 applications to be persistently lowest-achieving schools. A list of these Tier I and Tier II schools can be found on the Department's Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/​programs/​sif/​index.html.

Technology (up to an additional 5 points).

Projects that are designed to improve student achievement (as defined in this notice) or teacher effectiveness through the use of high-quality digital tools or materials, which may include preparing teachers to use the technology to improve instruction, as well as developing, implementing, or evaluating digital tools or materials.

Note:

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Department's regulations implementing Section 504 at 34 CFR part 104, prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the Department. They require recipients to provide an equal opportunity to individuals with disabilities to participate in, and receive the benefits of, the educational program, and to provide accommodations or modifications when necessary to ensure equal treatment. In particular, they apply to a recipient's use of technology, including digital tools and equipment. For additional information regarding their application to technology, please refer to the May 26, 2011, Dear Colleague Letter available at http://www2.ed.gov/​about/​offices/​list/​ocr/​letters/​colleague-201105-ese.pdf, and attached Frequently Asked Questions about the June 26, 2010, Dear Colleague Letter available at http://www2.ed.gov/​about/​offices/​list/​ocr/​docs/​dcl-ebook-faq-201105.pdf.

Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making (up to an additional 5 points).

Projects that are designed to collect (or obtain), analyze, and use high-quality and timely data, including data on program participant outcomes, in accordance with privacy requirements (as defined in this notice) in one or more of the following priority areas:

(a) Improving instructional practices, policies, and child outcomes in early learning settings.

(b) Improving instructional practices, policies, and student outcomes in elementary or secondary schools.

(c) Providing reliable and comprehensive information on the implementation of Department of Education programs, and participant outcomes in these programs, by using data from State longitudinal data systems or by obtaining data from reliable third-party sources.

Building Evidence of Effectiveness (up to an additional 5 points).

Projects that propose evaluation plans that are likely to produce valid and reliable evidence in one or more of the following priority areas:

(a) Improving project design and implementation or designing more effective future projects to improve outcomes.

(b) Identifying and improving practices, strategies, and policies that may contribute to improving outcomes. Under this priority, at a minimum, the outcome of interest is to be measured multiple times before and after the treatment for project participants and, where feasible, for a comparison group of non-participants.

Application Requirements:

The following eligibility and application requirements are from the AENP notice of final priority, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, and apply to this competition. We may use one or more of these requirements in any year in which we award grants for the AENP.

1. To be eligible for an award, an applicant must be a national nonprofit arts education organization (as defined in this notice).

2. An applicant must describe in its application how it would serve children from low-income families (as defined in this notice) and children with disabilities (as defined in this notice).

3. An applicant must describe in its application how it would implement the following activities and services at the national level:

(i) Professional development based on State or national standards for pre-kindergarten-through-grade-12 arts educators (as defined in this notice).

Note:

National standards are the arts standards developed by the Consortium of National Arts Education Associations or another, comparable set of national arts standards. The standards developed by the Consortium outline what students should know and be able to do in the arts. These are not Department standards. To view the standards, please go to www.menc.org/​resources/​view/​the-national-standards-for-arts-education-a-brief-history.

(ii) Development and dissemination of instructional materials, including online resources, in music, dance, theater, media arts, and visual arts, including folk arts, for arts educators (as defined in this notice).

(iii) Arts-based educational programming in music, dance, theater, media arts, and visual arts, including folk arts, for pre-kindergarten-through-grade-12 students and arts educators (as defined in this notice).

(iv) Community and national outreach activities and services that strengthen and expand partnerships among schools, school districts, and communities throughout the country.

Definitions:

All of the definitions, except the definitions of “persistently lowest-achieving schools,” “privacy requirements,” and “student achievement” are from the notice of final priority, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. The definitions of “persistently lowest-achieving schools,” “privacy requirements,” and “student achievement” are from the notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637). We may use one or more of these definitions in any year in which we award grants for the AENP.

Arts means music, dance, theater, media arts, and visual arts, including folk arts.

Arts educator means a teacher or other instructional staffer who works in music, dance, theater, media arts, or visual arts, including folk arts.

Arts integration means (i) using high-quality arts instruction within other academic content areas, and (ii) strengthening the arts as a core academic subject in the school curriculum.

Child from low-income family means a child who is determined by a State educational agency or local educational agency to be a child, in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, from a low-income family, on the basis of (a) The child's eligibility for free or reduced-price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, (b) the child's eligibility for medical assistance under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act, (c) the family having an income that meets the poverty criteria established by the U.S Department of Commerce, or (d) the family's receipt of assistance under Part A of title IV of the Social Security Act.

Children with disabilities means children who meet the definition of “individual with a disability” applicable to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which definition is set out at 29 U.S.C. 705(20)(B).

High-need community means (i) a political subdivision of a State or portion of a political subdivision of a State, in which at least 50 percent of the children are from low-income families; or (ii) a political subdivision of a State that is among the 10 percent of political subdivisions of the State having the greatest numbers of such children. For the purposes of determining if a community meets this definition, the term “low-income families” means families that have an income that meets the poverty criteria established by the U.S. Department of Commerce for the most recent fiscal year for which satisfactory data are available.

National non-profit arts education organization means an organization of national scope that is supported by staff or affiliates at the State and local levels and that has a demonstrated history of advancing high-quality arts education and arts integration for arts educators, education leaders, artists, and students through professional development, partnerships, educational programming, and supporting systemic school reform.

Persistently lowest-achieving schools means, as determined by the State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years; and (ii) any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that: (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.

To identify the persistently lowest-achieving schools, a State must take into account both: (i) The academic achievement of the “all students” group in a school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), in reading/language arts and mathematics combined; and (ii) the school's lack of progress on those assessments over a number of years in the “all students” group.

Privacy requirements means the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its implementing regulations in 34 CFR part 99, the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, as well as all applicable Federal, State and local requirements regarding privacy.

Student achievement means—

(a) For tested grades and subjects: (1) A student's score on the State's assessments under the ESEA; and, as appropriate, (2) other measures of student learning, such as those described in paragraph (b) of this definition, provided they are rigorous and comparable across schools.

(b) For non-tested grades and subjects: Alternative measures of student learning and performance, such as student scores on pre-tests and end-of-course tests; student performance on English language proficiency assessments; and other measures of student achievement that are rigorous and comparable across schools.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7271.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

(b) The Education Department suspension and debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 3485.

(c) The notice of final priority, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this program, published elsewhere in this Federal Register.

(d) The notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637).

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: $6,640,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 1-2.

Note:

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

Budget Period: 12 months.

Project Period: Up to 36 months (subject to availability of funds).

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: A national non-profit arts education organization (as defined in this notice).

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

b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-supplant funding requirements. Under section 5551(f)(2) of the ESEA, the Secretary requires that assistance provided under this program be used only to supplement, and not to supplant, any other assistance or funds made available from non-Federal sources for the activities assisted under the program.

c. Coordination Requirement: Under section 5551(f)(1) of the ESEA, the Secretary requires that each entity funded under this program coordinate, to the extent practicable, each project or program carried out with funds awarded under this program with appropriate activities of public or private cultural agencies, institutions, and organizations, including museums, arts education associations, libraries, and theaters.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: Diane Austin, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 4W245, Washington, DC 20202-5950. Telephone: [phone] or by email: [e-mail].

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in this section.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this competition.

Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We suggest you limit the application narrative (Part III) to no more than 50 pages, using the following standards:

• A “page” is 8.5″ × 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.

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: June 15, 2012.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 30, 2012.

Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission Requirements of this notice.

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 28, 2012.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition.

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the Department of Education, you must—

a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);

b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database;

c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and

d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information while your application is under review by the Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period.

You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number can be created within one business day.

If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.

The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update your registration annually. This may take three or more business days to complete.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/​applicants/​get_​registered.jsp.

7. Other Submission Requirements:

Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications.

Applications for grants under the Arts in Education National Program, CFDA number 84.351F, 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 statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.

You may access the electronic grant application for the Arts in Education National Program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.351, not 84.351F).

Please note the following:

• When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation.
• Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if it is received—that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
• The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this program to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home page at www.G5.gov.
• You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your application in paper format.
• You must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: The Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications.
• You must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.
• Your electronic application must comply with any page-limit requirements described in this notice.
• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department). The Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by email. This second notification indicates that the Department has received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
• We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions described elsewhere in this notice.

If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

Note:

The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system because—

• You do not have access to the Internet; or
• You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov system; and
• No later than two weeks before the application deadline date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.

If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.

Address and mail or fax your statement to: Diane Austin, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W245, Washington, DC 20202-5950. Fax: [phone].

Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.

b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.351F), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.

(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service.

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.

(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

(1) A private metered postmark.

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

Note:

The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office.

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (84.351F), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:

If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department—

(1) You must indicate on the envelope and—if not provided by the Department—in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at [phone].

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: We will use four selection criteria to evaluate applications for this competition. Selection criteria (1) Significance, (2) Quality of the project design, and (3) Quality of project services are established in the notice of final priority, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. Selection criterion (4) Quality of the project evaluation is from 34 CFR 75.210.

The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. The maximum score for all of the selection criteria is 100 points. The total maximum score of an application is 120 points (up to 100 points under the selection criteria and up to an additional 20 points under the competitive preference priorities in this notice). Each criterion also includes the factors that the reviewers will consider in determining how well an application meets the criterion. The notes following the selection criteria are provided as guidance to help applicants in preparing their applications, and are not required by statute or regulations.

The selection criteria are as follows:

(1) Significance (20 points). The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which—

(a) The proposed project is likely to build State and local capacity to provide, improve, or expand arts education and arts integration that address the needs of children and youth, with special emphasis on serving children from low-income families and children with disabilities; and

(b) The applicant has a history of three or more years of demonstrated excellence in the areas of arts education and arts integration on a national scale.

(2) Quality of the project design (40 points). The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which—

(a) The design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the arts education needs of pre-kindergarten-through-grade-12 children and youth, with special emphasis on children from low-income families and children with disabilities;

(b) The proposed project will provide high-quality professional development for pre-kindergarten-through-grade-12 arts educators who provide instruction in music, dance, drama, media arts, or visual arts, including folk arts;

(c) The proposed project will develop and disseminate instructional materials, including online resources, in multiple arts disciplines for arts educators and other instructional staff;

(d) The proposed project will support arts-based educational programming; and

(e) The proposed project will provide community and national outreach that strengthens and expands partnerships among schools, school districts, and communities throughout the country.

(3) Quality of project services (20 points). In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the extent to which—

(a) The services to be provided by the proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners in order to maximize the effectiveness of project services; and

(b) The proposed project will provide services and initiatives that will reach students and arts educators in multiple schools and school districts in urban, rural, and high-need communities throughout the country.

(4) Quality of the project evaluation (20 points). The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers one or more of the following factors:

(a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible.

(b) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes.

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

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may impose special 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 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.

If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.

3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​appforms/​appforms.html.

4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Secretary has established four performance measures to assess the effectiveness of this program. Projects funded under this competition will be expected to collect and report to the Department data related to these measures. Applications should, but are not required to, discuss in the application narrative how they propose to collect these data. The four GPRA performance measures are: (1) The total number of students who participate in standards-based arts education sponsored by the grantee; (2) the number of teachers participating in the grantee's program who receive professional development that is sustained and intensive; (3) the total number of students from low-income families who participate in standards-based arts education sponsored by the grantee; and (4) the total number of students with disabilities who participate in standards-based arts education sponsored by the grantee.

5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a grantee has made “substantial progress toward meeting the objectives in its approved application.” This consideration includes the review of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Diane Austin, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4W245, Washington, DC 20202-5950. Telephone: [phone] or by email: [e-mail].

If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.

Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/​fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.

You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at: www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.

Dated: June 12, 2012.

James H. Shelton, III,

Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.