2024-08729.pdf

31158 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 24, 2024 / Notices

1 Terms defined in this notice are italicized the first time each term is used.

(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: Personal Authentication Service (PAS) for FSA

ID.

OMB Control Number: 1845–0131.

Type of Review: Extension without chnage of a currently approved ICR.

Respondents/Affected Public:

Individuals or households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual

Responses: 6,671,000.

Total Estimated Number of Annual

Burden Hours: 1,667,750.

Abstract: Federal Student Aid (FSA) requests extension without change of the Person Authentication Service (PAS) which creates an FSA ID, a standard username and password solution. In order to create an FSA ID to gain access to certain FSA systems (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFAFSA) on the Web, National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), StudentLoans.gov, etc.) a user must register on-line for an FSA ID account.

The FSA ID allows the customer to have a single identity, even if there is a name change or change to other personally identifiable information. The information collected to create the FSA ID enables electronic authentication and authorization of users for FSA web-based applications and information and protects users from unauthorized access to user accounts on all protected FSA sites.

Dated: April 18, 2024.

Kun Mullan, PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.

[FR Doc. 2024–08678 Filed 4–23–24; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards;

Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP)—Grants to Charter School Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools and for the Replication and Expansion of High- Quality Charter Schools (Developer Grants)

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 two types of grants: CSP Developer Grants, Assistance Listing Numbers 84.282B (for the opening of new charter schools) and 84.282E (for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools). This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1810–0767.

DATES:

Applications Available: April 24, 2024.

Notice of Intent to Apply: Applicants are strongly encouraged but not required to submit a notice of intent to apply by May 24, 2024. Applicants that do not meet this deadline may still apply.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 24, 2024.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 22, 2024.

Pre-Application Webinar Information:

The Department will hold a pre-application meeting via webinar to provide technical assistance to prospective applicants. Detailed information regarding this webinar will be provided at https://oese.ed.gov/ offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/charter-schools-program/charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/.

Note: For prospective new applicants unfamiliar with grantmaking at the Department, please consult our funding basics resource at https://www2.ed.gov/ fund/grant/about/discretionary/ index.html.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at https:// www.federalregister.gov/documents/ 2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephanie S. Jones, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202–5970.

Telephone: (202) 453–5563. Email:

DeveloperCompetition2024@ed.gov.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7–1–1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The major purposes of the CSP are to expand opportunities for all students, particularly for children with disabilities,1 English learners, and other traditionally underserved students, to attend charter schools and meet challenging State academic standards;

provide financial assistance for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools;

increase the number of high-quality charter schools available to students across the United States; evaluate the impact of charter schools on student achievement, families, and communities; share best practices between charter schools and other public schools; aid States in providing facilities support to charter schools;

support efforts to strengthen the charter school authorizing process; and support quality, accountability, and transparency in the operational performance of all authorized public chartering agencies, including State educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) (section 4301 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act

(ESEA)).

The CSP Developer Grant program (Assistance Listing Numbers 84.282B and 84.282E) is authorized under Title IV, Part C of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221– 7221j). Through CSP Developer Grants, the Department provides financial assistance to charter school developers to enable them to open and prepare for the operation of new or replicated charter schools or to expand high-quality charter schools in States that do not currently have a CSP State Entity grant under the ESEA. Charter schools that receive financial assistance through CSP Developer Grants provide elementary or secondary education

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31159 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 24, 2024 / Notices

2 https://www.ed.gov/raisethebar/.

3 The six strategies of Raise the Bar include:

accelerating learning, developing a well-rounded education, eliminating the educator shortage, investing in mental health, ensuring every student has a postsecondary pathway, and a pathway to multilingualism.

4 Kotok, Stephen, and David DeMatthews.

‘‘Challenging School Segregation in the Twenty- First Century: How Districts Can Leverage Dual Language Education to Increase School and Classroom Diversity.’’ Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas 91.1 (2018):

1–6.

programs, or both, and may also serve students in early childhood education programs or postsecondary students, consistent with the terms of their charter.

Background: This notice invites applications from eligible applicants for two types of grants: (1) Grants to Charter School Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools (Assistance Listing Number 84.282B) and (2) Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and Expansion of High- Quality Charter Schools (Assistance Listing Number 84.282E). Under this competition, each Assistance Listing Number constitutes its own funding category. The Secretary intends to award grants under each Assistance Listing Number for applications that are sufficiently high quality.

‘‘Raise the Bar: Lead the World’’ (RTB) is the Department’s call to action to all stakeholders to transform pre-kindergarten through postsecondary education and unite around evidence-based strategies that advance educational equity and excellence for all students.2 When we raise the bar in education, all our Nation’s students will be able to build the skills to thrive inside and outside of school. As part of the RTB initiative, the Department is focusing on six strategies aimed at promoting academic excellence and wellness for every learner and better preparing our Nation for global competitiveness.3 The competitive preference and invitational priorities selected for this program are intended to help advance several RTB strategies, most notably those intended to deliver a comprehensive and rigorous education for every student and provide every student with a pathway to multilingualism.

Further, in July 2022, the Department published in the Federal Register a notice of final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this program (87 FR 40406) (2022 NFP), which supplements the program statute and notice of final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for CSP Developer Grants published in the Federal Register on July 3, 2019 (84 FR 31726) (2019 NFP).

The 2022 NFP is intended to support the creation, replication, and expansion of high-quality charter schools.

This notice includes one competitive preference priority and two invitational priorities. The first invitational priority is designed to encourage collaboration between charter schools and traditional public schools or traditional school districts that benefit students and families across schools and was taken from the 2022 NFP. The types of collaborations sought under this priority can support improved opportunities and outcomes for students in both charter schools and traditional public schools, including by sharing instructional materials, creating joint professional learning opportunities, and developing principal pipeline programs. The second invitational priority for this competition encourages high-quality charter schools to create pathways to multilingualism for students, particularly underserved students. High-quality multilingual programming provides English learners and native English speakers with the opportunity to become bilingual and biliterate and may support Native American language education and preservation. It also celebrates the assets of English learners while supporting English language acquisition and promoting academic excellence, and may support efforts to promote school and classroom diversity.4 Using invitational priorities allows the Department to encourage beneficial collaborations and pathways to multilingualism that can better prepare all students for a global society and economy without giving applications that meet this priority preference over other applications.

The priorities, application requirements, assurances, selection criteria, and definitions in this notice are designed to increase access to high-quality, diverse, and equitable learning opportunities, which is consistent with the RTB initiative and the Department’s goals for all public schools.

Priorities: This competition includes one competitive preference priority and two invitational priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), the competitive preference priority is from the 2022

NFP.

Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority.

For Assistance Listing Numbers 84.282B and 84.282E, under 34 CFR

75.105(c)(2)(i), we will award up to an additional 5 points to an application that meets the competitive preference priority, depending on how well the application meets the priority.

The priority is:

Promoting High-Quality Educator-and Community-Centered Charter Schools to Support Underserved Students (up to 5 points).

(a) Under this priority, an applicant must propose to open a new charter school, or to replicate or expand a high-quality charter school, that is developed and implemented—

(1) With meaningful and ongoing engagement with current or former teachers and other educators; and

(2) Using a community-centered approach that includes an assessment of community assets, informs the development of the charter school, and includes the implementation of protocols and practices designed to ensure that the charter school will use and interact with community assets on an ongoing basis to create and maintain strong community ties.

(b) In its application, an applicant must provide a high-quality plan that demonstrates how its proposed project would meet the requirements in paragraph (a) of this priority, accompanied by a timeline for key milestones that span the course of planning, development, and implementation of the charter school.

(2022 NFP)

Invitational Priorities: For FY 2024, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets an invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

These priorities are:

Invitational Priority 1—Collaborations between Charter Schools and Traditional Public Schools or Districts that Benefit Students and Families across Schools.

(a) The Secretary is particularly interested in learning more about how applicants propose a new collaboration, or the continuation of an existing collaboration, with at least one traditional public school or traditional school district that is designed to benefit students or families served by at least one member of the collaboration, is designed to lead to increased or improved educational opportunities for students served by at least one member of the collaboration, and includes implementation of one or more of the following—

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31160 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 24, 2024 / Notices

5 The Department will apply this element of the definition of ‘‘charter school’’ consistent with applicable U.S. Supreme Court precedent, including Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia,

(1) Co-developed or shared curricular and instructional resources or academic course offerings.

(2) Professional development opportunities for teachers and other educators, which may include professional learning communities, opportunities for teachers to earn additional certifications, such as in a high-need area or national board certification, and partnerships with educator preparation programs to support teaching residencies.

(3) Evidence-based practices to improve academic performance for underserved students.

(4) Policies and practices to create safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments, such as systems of positive behavioral intervention and support.

(5) Transparent enrollment and retention practices and processes that include clear and consistent disclosure to families of policies or requirements (e.g., discipline policies, purchasing and wearing specific uniforms and other fees, or family participation), and any services that are or are not provided, that could impact a family’s ability to enroll or remain enrolled in the school (e.g., transportation services or participation in the National School Lunch Program).

(6) A shared transportation plan and system that reduces transportation costs for at least one member of the collaboration and takes into consideration various transportation options, including public transportation and district-provided or shared transportation options, cost-sharing or free or reduced-cost fare options, and any distance considerations for prioritized bus services.

(7) A shared special education collaborative designed to address a significant barrier or challenge faced by participating charter schools or traditional public schools in improving academic and developmental outcomes and services for students with disabilities (as defined in section 8101 of the ESEA).

(8) A shared English learner collaborative designed to address a significant barrier or challenge faced by participating charter schools or traditional public schools in providing educational programs to improve academic outcomes for English learners.

(9) Other collaborations, such as the sharing of innovative and best practices, designed to address a significant barrier or challenge faced by participating charter schools or traditional public schools in providing educational programs to improve academic outcomes for all students served by members of the collaboration.

(b) In its application, an applicant must provide a description of the collaboration that—

(1) Describes each member of the collaboration and whether the collaboration would be a new or existing commitment;

(2) States the purpose and duration of the collaboration;

(3) Describes the anticipated roles and responsibilities of each member of the collaboration;

(4) Describes how the collaboration will benefit one or more members of the collaboration, including how it will benefit students or families affiliated with a member and lead to increased educational opportunities for students, and meet specific and measurable, if applicable, goals;

(5) Describes the resources members of the collaboration will contribute; and

(6) Contains any other relevant information.

(c) Within 120 days of receiving a grant award or within 120 days of the date the collaboration is scheduled to begin, whichever is later, the grantee provides evidence of participation in the collaboration (which may include, but is not required to include, a memorandum of understanding).

Invitational Priority 2—Promoting Pathways to Multilingualism.

The Secretary is particularly interested in learning more about how applicants propose to replicate or expand high-quality charter schools with multilingual programming that is centered on the needs and assets of the community the schools serve and is designed to provide students, particularly underserved students, with pathways to multilingualism through any of the following—

(a) Dual language programs that offer academic instruction in two languages and are designed to enroll both English learners and native English speakers on an equitable basis and ensure all students become bilingual and biliterate in both languages.

(b) A mission and focus on supporting Native American language education and development, such as through dual language programs or other instructional models and teaching methods that reflect and preserve Native American language, culture, and history.

(c) A mission and focus on meeting the unique educational needs and celebrating the assets of English learners using evidence-based practices to support English language acquisition and promote academic excellence.

(d) Other innovative or evidence-based strategies to promote multilingualism, including approaches to recruit, support, and retain multilingual educators.

Definitions:

The following definitions are from sections 4310 (20 U.S.C. 7221i) and 8101 (20 U.S.C. 7801) of the ESEA, 34 CFR 77.1, and the 2019 and 2022 NFPs.

Ambitious means promoting continued, meaningful improvement for program participants or for other individuals or entities affected by the grant or representing a significant advancement in the field of education research, practices, or methodologies.

When used to describe a performance target, whether a performance target is ambitious depends upon the context of the relevant performance measure and the baseline for that measure. (34 CFR 77.1)

Authorized public chartering agency means a State educational agency, local educational agency, or other public entity that has the authority pursuant to State law and approved by the Secretary to authorize or approve a charter school.

(Section 4310(1) of the ESEA)

Baseline means the starting point from which performance is measured and targets are set. (34 CFR 77.1)

Charter management organization means a nonprofit organization that operates or manages a network of charter schools linked by centralized support, operations, and oversight.

(Section 4310(3) of the ESEA)

Charter school means a public school that—

(1) In accordance with a specific State statute authorizing the granting of charters to schools, is exempt from significant State or local rules that inhibit the flexible operation and management of public schools, but not from any rules relating to the other requirements of this definition;

(2) 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;

(3) 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;

(4) Provides a program of elementary or secondary education, or both;

(5) Is nonsectarian in its programs, admissions policies, employment practices, and all other operations, and is not affiliated with a sectarian school or religious institution; 5

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Inc. v. Comer, 582 U.S. 449 (2017), Espinoza v.

Montana Department of Revenue, 140 S. Ct. 2246 (2020), and Carson v. Makin, 142 S. Ct. 1987 (2022).

(6) Does not charge tuition;

(7) Complies with the Age

Discrimination Act of 1975, title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), section 444 of GEPA (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 (IDEA);

(8) 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, 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 clause (i);

(9) 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;

(10) Meets all applicable Federal, State, and local health and safety requirements;

(11) Operates in accordance with State law;

(12) 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

(13) May serve students in early childhood education programs or postsecondary students. (Section 4310(2) of the ESEA)

Note: Pursuant to section 4310(1) of the ESEA, for a school to qualify as a charter school under this definition and receive Federal CSP funds, the authorized public chartering agency that issues the charter or performance contract must be an SEA, LEA, or other public entity with authority pursuant to State law to approve a charter school.

Under 34 CFR 77.1, public, ‘‘as applied to an agency, organization, or institution, means that the agency, organization, or institution is under the administrative supervision or control of a government other than the Federal Government.’’

Child with a disability means—

(1) A child (i) 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, specific learning disabilities, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities; and (ii) who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services.

(2) 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

(i) 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 (ii) who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services.

(Section 8101(4) of the ESEA)

Community assets means resources that can be identified and mobilized to improve conditions in the charter school and local community. These assets may include—

(1) Human assets, including capacities, skills, knowledge base, and abilities of individuals within a community; and

(2) Social assets, including networks, organizations, businesses, and institutions that exist among and within groups and communities. (2022 NFP)

Demonstrates a rationale means a key project component included in the project’s logic model is informed by research or evaluation findings that suggest the project component is likely to improve relevant outcomes. (34 CFR 77.1)

Developer means an individual or group of individuals (including a public or private nonprofit organization), which may include teachers, administrators and other school staff, parents, or other members of the local community in which a charter school project will be carried out. (Section 4310(5) of the ESEA)

Disconnected youth means an individual, between the ages of 14 and 24, who may be from a low-income background, experiences homelessness, is in foster care, is involved in the justice system, or is not working or not enrolled in (or at risk of dropping out of) an educational institution. (2022 NFP)

Early childhood education program means—

(1) A Head Start program or an Early Head Start program carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), including a migrant or seasonal Head Start program, an Indian Head Start program, or a Head Start program or an Early Head Start program that also receives State funding;

(2) A State licensed or regulated child care program;

(3) A program that—

(i) Serves children from birth through age 6 that addresses the children’s cognitive (including language, early literacy, and early mathematics), social, emotional, and physical development;

and

(ii) Is (A) a State prekindergarten program; (B) a program authorized under section 619 (20 U.S.C. 1419) or part C of the IDEA; or (C) a program operated by an LEA. (ESEA section 8101(16))

Educationally disadvantaged student means a student in one or more of the categories described in section 1115(c)(2) of the ESEA, which include children who are economically disadvantaged, students who are children with disabilities, migrant students, English learners, neglected or delinquent students, homeless students, and students who are in foster care.

(2019 NFP)

Educator means an individual who is an early learning educator, teacher, principal or other school or district leader, specialized instructional support personnel (e.g., school psychologist, counselor, school social worker, early intervention service personnel), paraprofessional, or faculty. (2022 NFP)

English learner, when used with respect to an individual, means an individual—

(1) Who is aged 3 through 21;

(2) Who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school or secondary school;

(3)(i) Who was not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other than English;

(ii)(A) Who is a Native American or Alaska Native, or a native resident of the outlying areas; and

(B) Who comes from an environment where a language other than English has

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6 Under section 4305(c) of the ESEA, CSP Developer Grants must have the same terms and conditions as grants awarded to State entities under section 4303. For clarity, with respect to requirements that derive from section 4303, the Department has, as applicable, omitted the term ‘‘State entity’’ or replaced it with ‘‘eligible applicant.’’ In addition, the Department has replaced ‘‘State entity’s program’’ and ‘‘subgrant,’’ respectively, with ‘‘program’’ and ‘‘grant.’’ had a significant impact on the individual’s level of English language proficiency; or

(iii) Who is migratory, whose native language is a language other than English, and who comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; and

(4) Whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the individual—

(i) The ability to meet the challenging State academic standards;

(ii) The ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English; or

(iii) The opportunity to participate fully in society. (Section 8101(20) of the

ESEA)

Evidence-based means—

(1) In general.—The term ‘evidence-based’, when used with respect to a State, local educational agency, or school activity, means an activity, strategy, or intervention that—

(i) Demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on—

(A) Strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental study;

(B) Moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study;

or

(C) Promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias; or

(ii)(A) Demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research findings or positive evaluation that such activity, strategy, or intervention is likely to improve student outcomes or other relevant outcomes; and

(B) Includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of such activity, strategy, or intervention. (Section 8101(21) of the ESEA)

Expand, when used with respect to a high-quality charter school, means to significantly increase enrollment or add one or more grades to the high-quality charter school. (Section 4310(7) of the

ESEA)

High-quality charter school means a charter school that—

(1) Shows evidence of strong academic results, which may include strong student academic growth, as determined by a State;

(2) Has no significant issues in the areas of student safety, financial and operational management, or statutory or regulatory compliance;

(3) Has demonstrated success in significantly increasing student academic achievement, including graduation rates where applicable, for all students served by the charter school; and

(4) Has demonstrated success in increasing student academic achievement, including graduation rates where applicable, for each of the subgroups of students, as defined in section 1111(c)(2) of the ESEA, except that such demonstration is not required in a case in which the number of students in a group is insufficient to yield statistically reliable information or the results would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student. (Section 4310(8) of the ESEA)

Logic model (also referred to as theory of action) means a framework that identifies key project components of the proposed project (i.e., the active ‘‘ingredients’’ that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the theoretical and operational relationships among the key project components and relevant outcomes. (34 CFR 77.1)

Parent includes a legal guardian or other person standing in loco parentis (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare). (Section 8101(38) of the ESEA)

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)

Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, process, product, practice, or policy included in a project.

Evidence may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers). (34 CFR 77.1)

Public as applied to an agency, organization, or institution, means that the agency, organization, or institution is under the administrative supervision or control of a government other than the Federal government. (34 CFR 77.1)

Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the specific goals of the program. (34 CFR 77.1)

Replicate, when used with respect to a high-quality charter school, means to open a new charter school, or a new campus of a high-quality charter school, based on the educational model of an existing high-quality charter school, under an existing charter or an additional charter, if permitted or required by State law. (Section 4310(9) of the ESEA)

Underserved student means a student in one or more of the following subgroups:

(1) A student who is living in poverty or is served by schools with high concentrations of students living in poverty.

(2) A student of color.

(3) A student who is a member of a federally recognized Indian Tribe.

(4) An English learner.

(5) A child or student with a disability.

(6) A disconnected youth.

(7) A migrant student.

(8) A student experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.

(9) A student who is in foster care.

(10) A pregnant, parenting, or caregiving student.

(11) A student impacted by the justice system, including a formerly incarcerated student.

(12) A student performing significantly below grade level. (2022

NFP)

Application Requirements:

Applications for CSP Developer Grant funds must address the following application requirements. These requirements are from section 4303(f) 6 of the ESEA and the 2019 and 2022 NFPs. The source of each requirement is provided in parentheses following each requirement. The Department will not fund an application that does not meet each applicable application requirement.

In addressing the application requirements, applicants must clearly identify which application requirement they are addressing. Except as otherwise provided, an applicant may choose to respond to each requirement separately or in the context of the applicant’s responses to the selection criteria in section V.1 of this notice.

Grants to Charter School Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools (Assistance Listing Number 84.282B) and for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (Assistance Listing Number 84.282E).

Applicants for grants under Assistance Listing Numbers 84.282B or 84.282E must address the following

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31163 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 24, 2024 / Notices application requirements. An applicant must respond to the requirements in paragraph (a) in a stand-alone section of the application or in an appendix.

(a) Describe the eligible applicant’s objectives in running a quality charter school program and how the objectives of the program will be carried out, including—

(1) How the eligible applicant will ensure that charter schools receiving funds under this program meet the educational needs of their students, including children with disabilities and English learners (Section 4303(f)(1)(A)(x) of the ESEA);

(2) A description of the roles and responsibilities of eligible applicants, partner organizations, and charter management organizations, including the administrative and contractual roles and responsibilities of such partners (Section 4303(f)(1)(C)(i)(I) of the ESEA);

(3) A description of the quality controls agreed to between the eligible applicant and the authorized public chartering agency involved, such as a contract or performance agreement, how a school’s performance in the State’s accountability system and impact on student achievement (which may include student academic growth) will be one of the most important factors for renewal or revocation of the school’s charter, and how the authorized public chartering agency involved will reserve the right to revoke or not renew a school’s charter based on financial, structural, or operational factors involving the management of the school (Section 4303(f)(1)(C)(i)(II) of the ESEA);

(4) A description of how the autonomy and flexibility granted to a charter school is consistent with the definition of a charter school in section 4310 of the ESEA (Section 4303(f)(1)(C)(i)(III) of the ESEA);

(5) A description of how the eligible applicant will solicit and consider input from parents and other members of the community on the implementation and operation of each charter school that will receive funds under the grant (Section 4303(f)(1)(C)(i)(IV) of the

ESEA);

(6) A description of the eligible applicant’s planned activities and expenditures of grant funds to support the activities described in section 4303(b)(1) of the ESEA, and how the eligible applicant will maintain financial sustainability after the end of the grant period (Section 4303(f)(1)(C)(i)(V) of the ESEA);

(7) A description of how the eligible applicant will support the use of effective parent, family, and community engagement strategies to operate each charter school that will receive funds under the grant (Section 4303(f)(1)(C)(i)(VI) of the ESEA); and

(8) A description of how the eligible applicant will ensure that each charter school receiving funds under this program has considered and planned for the transportation needs of the school’s students (Section 4303(f)(1)(E) of the

ESEA).

(b) Describe the educational program that the applicant will implement in the charter school receiving funding under this program, including—

(1) Information on how the program will enable all students to meet the challenging State academic standards;

(2) The grade levels or ages of students who will be served; and

(3) The instructional practices that will be used. (2019 NFP)

(c) Describe how the applicant will ensure that the charter school that will receive funds will recruit, enroll, and retain students, including educationally disadvantaged students, which include children with disabilities and English learners. (2019 NFP)

(d) Describe the lottery and enrollment procedures that the applicant will use for the charter school if more students apply for admission than can be accommodated and, if the applicant proposes to use a weighted lottery, how the weighted lottery complies with section 4303(c)(3)(A) of the ESEA. (2019 NFP)

(e) Provide a complete logic model (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) for the grant project. The logic model must include the applicant’s objectives for implementing a new charter school or replicating or expanding a high-quality charter school with funding under this competition. (2019 NFP)

(f) Provide a budget narrative, aligned with the activities, target grant project outputs, and outcomes described in the logic model, that outlines how grant funds will be expended to carry out planned activities. (2019 NFP)

(g) If the applicant proposes to open a new charter school (Assistance Listing Number 84.282B) or proposes to replicate or expand a high-quality charter school (Assistance Listing Number 84.282E) that provides a single-sex educational program, demonstrate that the proposed single-sex educational programs are in compliance with the title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681, et seq.) (‘‘Title IX’’) and its implementing regulations, including 34 CFR 106.34. (2019 NFP)

(h) Provide the applicant’s most recent available independently audited financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. (2019 NFP)

(i) Provide—

(1) A request and justification for waivers of any Federal statutory or regulatory provisions that the eligible entity believes are necessary for the successful operation of the charter school to be opened or to be replicated or expanded; and

(2) A description of any State or local rules, generally applicable to public schools, that will be waived or otherwise not apply to the school that will receive funds. (2019 NFP)

(j) Describe how each school that will receive funds meets the definition of charter school under section 4310(2) of the ESEA. (2019 NFP)

(k) Provide a needs analysis and describe the need for the proposed project, including how the proposed project would serve the interests and meet the needs of students and families in the communities the charter school intends to serve. The needs analysis, which may consist of information and documents previously submitted to an authorized public chartering agency to address need, must include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following—

(1) Descriptions of the local community support, including information that demonstrates interest in, and need for, the charter school;

benefits to the community; and other evidence of demand for the charter school that demonstrates a strong likelihood the charter school will achieve and maintain its enrollment projections. Such information may include information on waiting lists for the proposed charter school or existing charter schools or traditional public schools, data on access to seats in high-quality public schools in the districts from which the charter school expects to draw students, or evidence of family interest in specialized instructional approaches proposed to be implemented at the charter school.

(2) Information on the proposed charter school’s projected student enrollment, and evidence to support the projected enrollment based on the needs analysis and other relevant data and factors, such as the methodology and calculations used.

(3) An analysis of the proposed charter school’s projected student demographics and a description of the demographics of students attending public schools in the local community in which the proposed charter school would be located and the school districts from which students are, or would be, drawn to attend the charter school; a description of how the applicant plans to establish and maintain a racially and socioeconomically diverse student body, including proposed strategies

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31164 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 24, 2024 / Notices

(that are consistent with applicable legal requirements) to recruit, admit, enroll, and retain a diverse student body. An applicant that is unlikely to establish and maintain a racially and socioeconomically diverse student body at the proposed charter school because the charter school would be located in a racially or socioeconomically segregated or isolated community, or due to the charter school’s specific educational mission, must describe—

(i) Why it is unlikely to establish and maintain a racially and socioeconomically diverse student body at the proposed charter school;

(ii) How the anticipated racial and socioeconomic makeup of the student body would promote the purposes of the CSP, including to provide high-quality educational opportunities to underserved students, which may include a specialized educational program or mission; and

(iii) The anticipated impact of the proposed charter school on the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the public schools and school districts from which students would be drawn to attend the charter school.

(4) A robust family and community engagement plan designed to ensure the active participation of families and the community that includes the following—

(i) How families and the community were, are, or will be engaged in determining the vision and design for the charter school, including specific examples of how families’ and the community’s input was, is, or is expected to be incorporated into the vision and design for the charter school.

(ii) How the charter school will meaningfully engage with both families and the community to create strong and ongoing partnerships.

(iii) How the charter school will foster a collaborative culture that involves the families of all students, including underserved students, in ensuring their ongoing input in school decision-making.

(iv) How the charter school’s recruitment, admissions, enrollment, and retention policies and practices will engage and accommodate students and families from diverse backgrounds, including English learners, students with disabilities, and students of color, including holding enrollment and recruitment events on weekends or during nonstandard work hours, making interpreters available, and providing enrollment and recruitment information in widely accessible formats (e.g., hard copy and online in multiple languages;

as appropriate, large print or braille for visually impaired individuals) through widely available and transparent means (e.g., online and at community locations).

(v) How the charter school has engaged or will engage families and the community to develop an instructional model to best serve the targeted student population and their families, including students with disabilities and English learners.

(5) How the plans for the operation of the charter school will support and reflect the needs of students and families in the community, including consideration of district or community assets and how the school’s location, or anticipated location if a facility has not been secured, will facilitate access for the targeted student population (e.g., access to public transportation or other transportation options, the demographics of neighborhoods within walking distance of the school, and transportation plans and costs for students who are not able to walk or use public transportation to access the school).

(6) A description of the steps the applicant has taken or will take to ensure that the proposed charter school

(1) would not hamper, delay, or negatively affect any desegregation efforts in the local community in which the charter school would be located or in the public school districts from which students are, or would be, drawn to attend the charter school, including efforts to comply with a court order, statutory obligation, or voluntary efforts to create and maintain…