oppED-GRANTS-030218-002-cfda84.282-cid84-282E2018-1-instructions.pdf

FY 2018

U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement Washington, DC 20202-5970

APPLICATIONS FOR NEW AWARDS; EXPANDING

OPPORTUNITY THROUGH QUALITY CHARTER

SCHOOLS PROGRAM (CSP)--GRANTS TO CHARTER

SCHOOL DEVELOPERS FOR THE REPLICATION AND

EXPANSION OF HIGH-QUALITY CHARTER

SCHOOLS

CFDA Number: 84.282E Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Competition Approved OMB No. 1855-0032 Expiration Date: January 31, 2020 Closing Date: April 16, 2018

Table of Contents

Contents Introduction

Letter to Applicant

Submission Procedures

I. Program Background Information Program Overview

II. Notice Inviting Applications Competition Highlights

III. Application Submission Procedures Application Tips

DUNS Number Instructions

Electronic Submission Policy

Electronic Notification Option for Grant Awards

IV. Application Instructions Electronic Application Format

Completing and Submitting Your Application

FY 2018 Application Checklist

A. Required Forms Required Forms Instructions

Assurances and Certifications Instructions

B. Application Narrative Instructions Instructions for Project Narrative

FY 2018 Absolute Priorities, Competitive preference priorities, and Invitational Priority

FY 2018 Selection Criteria

Suggested Point Ranges for Rating Applicant Responses to the Selection Criteria

Application Requirements

Instructions for Budget Narrative

Instructions for completing the Budget Narrative

Other Attachments/Appendix

Charter Schools Program Assurances – Grants to charter school developers for the opening of new charter schools and for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schoolsError! Bookmark not defined.

V. Additional Information Executive Order 12372

Paperwork Burden Statement

Introduction

LETTER TO APPLICANT

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Innovation and Improvement

Dear Applicant

Thank you for your interest in applying for a fiscal year (FY) 2018 Grants to Charter School Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools and for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (Developer competition) under the United States Department of Education (Department’s) Expanding Opportunity through High-Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP). The Administration has requested $500,000,000 for the CSP program for FY 2018, of which we intend to use an estimated $15,000,000 for this competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program. The CSP is authorized under Title IV, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) (20 U.S.C. 7221 – 7221j).

The purpose of the Developer competition (CFDA 84.282B and 84.282E) is to support charter schools that serve early childhood, elementary school, or secondary school students by providing grant funds to eligible applicants for the opening of new charter schools (CFDA number 84.282B) and for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools (CFDA number 84.282E). This application package is specifically for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools under CFDA number 84.282E.

Please check grants.gov if you are applying for the opening of new charter schools under CFDA number 84.282B. Applications submitted under each of these two CFDA numbers use different application packages.

Please read the document in the attached application package entitled Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants, which describes the submission procedures to ensure that your application is received in a timely and acceptable manner.

Applications for funds under the FY 2018 Developer competition (CFDA 84.282B and 84.282E) must be submitted electronically using the governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov on or before the deadline date. The electronic submission of applications is required; therefore, you must submit an electronic application unless you follow the procedures in the Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for FY2018 that was published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2018 (Federal Register Vol. 83, No.

42) and qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement. If you think you may need an exception, you are urged to review the requirements promptly in order to obtain prior approval from the Department within the timeline specified in the FY 2018 Notice.

Please note that the deadline for submission of a grant application under this competition is 4:30:00 pm on April 16, 2018 Washington, DC time. Applications submitted late will not be accepted. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. We suggest that you submit your application several days before the deadline, and we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. Please note that prospective applicants must register with Grants.gov and the System for Award Management (SAM) as well as obtain several authorizations in order to submit an application. This registration process can take several weeks, so we recommend that you begin the process well in advance of the application deadline date.

A CSP program officer is available to provide technical assistance to applicants. If you have any questions about the program after reviewing the application package, please call or e-mail Eddie Moat at (202) 401-2266, eddie.moat@ed.gov. For questions or problems in navigating the Grants.gov system, please call the Grants.gov helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726.

We look forward to receiving your application and appreciate your efforts in increasing the national understanding of the charter school model and expanding the number of high quality charter schools across the Nation.

Sincerely, Stefan Huh Charter Schools Program Director Office of Innovation and Improvement

400 MARYLAND AVE. SW, WASHINGTON, DC 20202

www.ed.gov The Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering http://www.grants.gov/

SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

The deadline for submission of all applications for FY 2018 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 competition) through Grants.gov is April 16, 2018, at 4:30p.m., Washington, DC time.

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST

U.S. Department of Education

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of Education.

Browser Support

The latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari are supported for use with Grants.gov. However, these web browsers undergo frequent changes and updates, so we recommend you have the latest version when using Grants.gov. Legacy versions of these web browsers may be functional, but you may experience issues.

For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the Applicant FAQs:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser

ATTENTION – Workspace, Adobe Forms and PDF Files Required

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

1) Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

2) Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The

Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using

Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

a. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

b. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

c. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS Number. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

3) Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

4) Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Helpful Reminders

1) REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov) which may take approximately one week to complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending upon the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant.

You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html [Note: Your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.]

Primary information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov . However, to further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account the Department of

Education has prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet which you can find at:

http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html

2) SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on the deadline date.

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the same number used when your organization registered with the SAM. If you do not enter the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, Grants.gov will reject your application.

3) VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.sam.gov/ http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by

Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with

Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission problems – what should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer

Support at 1-800-518-4726 or email at: mailto:support@grants.gov or access the Grants.gov Self-Service

Knowledge Base web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and 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. If electronic submission is optional and you have problems that you are unable to resolve before the deadline date and time for electronic applications, please follow the transmittal instructions for hard copy applications in the Federal Register notice and get a hard copy application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs found at this Grants.gov link:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html as well as additional information on Workspace at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace.

Dial-Up Internet Connections

When using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application, especially the requirement that applicants only include read-only, flattened .PDF files in their application:

Ensure that you attach .PDF files only for any attachments to your application, and they must be in a read-only, flattened format. PDF files are the only Education approved file type accepted as detailed in the Federal Register application notice. Applicants must submit individual .PDF files only when attaching files to their application. Specifically, the Department will not accept any attachments that contain files within a file, such as PDF Portfolio files, or an interactive or fillable .PDF file. Any attachments uploaded that are not .PDF files or are password protected files will not be read.

Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name.

When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.

Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package with all attachments is less than 5 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

I. Program Background Information

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Program Office: Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII)

Expanding Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP), Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools

CFDA Number: CFDA number 84.282E (Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools, or Developer Grants) are intended to support charter schools that serve early childhood, elementary school, or secondary school students by providing grant funds to eligible applicants for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools.

Program Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grants

Also Known As: Grants to Developers for Replication and Expansion, Developer Grants

Program Description: The purpose of the Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (Developer Grants) is intended to support charter schools that serve early childhood, elementary school, or secondary school students by providing grant funds to eligible applicants for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools (CFDA number 84.282E).

This notice invites applications from eligible applicants for: Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CFDA number 84.282E). Under this competition, CFDA number 84.282E, constitutes its own funding category. The Secretary intends to award grants under this CFDA number for applications that are of sufficient quality. Information pertaining to this grant is provided in subsequent sections of this notice. Eligibility for a grant under this competition is limited to charter school developers in States that do not currently have a CSP State Entity grant (CFDA number 84.282A) under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Eligibility in a State with a CSP State Educational Agency (SEA) grant under the ESEA, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) (CFDA number 84.282A) is limited to charter school developers applying for grants for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools (CFDA number 84.282E) and only if the Department has not approved an amendment to the SEA’s approved grant application authorizing the SEA to make subgrants for replication and expansion. Charter schools that receive financial assistance through Developer Grants provide programs of elementary or secondary education, or both, and may also serve students in early childhood education programs or postsecondary students. Please see the Notice Inviting Applications and the CSP website for full information.

The CSP Developer grants are used to support one or more of the following activities:

(a) Preparing teachers, school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel, including through paying costs associated with--

(i) Providing professional development; and

(ii) Hiring and compensating, during the applicant’s planning period specified in the application for funds, one or more of the following:

(A) Teachers.

(B) School leaders.

(C) Specialized instructional support personnel.

(D) Acquiring supplies, training, equipment (including technology), and educational materials (including developing and acquiring instructional materials).

(E) Carrying out necessary renovations to ensure that a new school building complies with applicable statutes and regulations, and minor facilities repairs (excluding construction).

(F) Providing one-time, startup costs associated with providing transportation to students to and from the charter school.

(G) Carrying out community engagement activities, which may include paying the cost of student and staff recruitment.

(H) Providing for other appropriate, non-sustained costs related to the opening of new charter schools, or the replication or expansion of high-quality charter schools, as applicable, when such costs cannot be met from other sources.

To review previously successful applications, go to: https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/awards/

To review the legislation authorizing the use of federal funds under the Charter Schools Program, in addition to guidance documents, go to: https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/funding-and-legislation/

II. Notice Inviting Applications

COMPETITION H IGHLIGHTS

To support charter schools that serve early childhood, elementary school, or secondary school students by providing grant funds to eligible applicants for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools (CFDA number 84.282E) Application available: March 2, 2018 Webinar for potential applicants: March 8, 2018 1:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time Deadline for transmittal of applications: April 16, 2018 Awards expected to be announced by: October 1, 2018

FY 18 CSP Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (Developer Grants)

The full text of the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for New Awards for FY 2018 under the 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) competition can be found on the Federal Register website at the following URLs:

(PDF)

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-03-02/pdf/2018-04294.pdf (Text)

Applicants should be sure to review the full text of the Notice Inviting Applications as they complete their applications, as additional information, which is not included in this application package and is necessary for submission, is included in the NIA.

https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/awards/ https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/awards/ https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/awards/ https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/funding-and-legislation/ https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/funding-and-legislation/ https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/funding-and-legislation/ https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/08/18/2014-19426/applications-for-new-awards-preschool-development-grants-development-grants https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-03-02/pdf/2018-04294.pdf

Eligibility:

Eligible applicants are developers that have--

(a) Applied to an authorized public chartering authority to operate a charter school; and

(b) Provided adequate and timely notice to that authority. (Section 4310(6) of the ESEA).

Additionally, the charter school must be located in a State with a State statute specifically authorizing the establishment of charter schools (section 4310(2) of the ESEA) and in which a State entity currently does not have a CSP State Entity grant (CFDA number 84.282A) under section 4303 of the ESEA.1 (Section 4305(a)(2) of the ESEA). In accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C.

1232(d)(1), we further establish that eligibility in a State with a CSP SEA grant (CFDA 84.282A) under the

ESEA, as amended by NCLB, is limited to grants for replication and expansion2 (CFDA84.282E) and only if the Department has not approved an amendment to the SEAd)(1) of GEPArant application authorizing the SEA to make subgrants for replication and expansion.3

As a general matter, the Secretary considers charter schools that have been in operation for more than five years to be past the initial implementation phase and, therefore, ineligible to receive CSP funds under CFDA number 84.282B, to support the opening of a new school; however, such schools may receive CSP funds under CFDA number 84.282E for the expansion of a high-quality charter school.

Note: If an applicant has applied to an authorized public chartering agency to operate a new school and has not yet been approved, it should include information in its application addressing the plan and timeline to receive notification from the authorizer on the final decision. Additionally, an applicant should delineate any costs in its proposed budget that are projected to be incurred prior to the date the applicant’s charter school application is approved by the authorized public chartering agency.

Electronic Submission:

1 States in which a State entity currently has an approved CSP State Entity grant application under section 4303 of the ESEA are Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode

Island, Texas, and Wisconsin. We will not consider applications from applicants in these States under either CFDA 84.282B or 84.282E.

2 States in which the SEA currently has an approved CSP SEA grant application under the ESEA, as amended by NCLB (i.e., a grant award made in fiscal year 2016 or earlier), include Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington. We will not consider applications from applicants in these States for grants for the opening of new charter schools submitted under CFDA number 84.282B.

3 The Department is currently reviewing amendment requests from SEAs with grants under the ESEA, as amended by NCLB, that would authorize the SEA to make subgrants for replication and expansion (for more information please see https://innovation.ed.gov/files/2017/12/CSP-ESSA-Flexibilities-FAQ-

2017.pdf). The Department will post the names of SEAs receiving approval for this flexibility on its website at https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/charter-schools/charter-schools-program-non-state-educational-agencies-non-sea-planning-program-design-and-initial-implementation-grant/.

All applications for grants under this competition must be received on or before 4:30:00 P.M. on April

16, 2018, Washington D.C. time. 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. Late applications will not be accepted. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time.

An applicant may check the status of its application(s), any time after submission, by using the "Track My Application" feature available from the upper navigation on the Grants.gov site. Applicants may also check the status of a submission by logging into their Grants.gov account using the Applicant Login.

After logging in, an applicant should click on the "Check Application Status" link on the left-hand menu.

Applicants should be careful that they download the correct application package for FY 18 CSP Grants to Charter School Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools (CFDA 84.282B) or for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (84.282E) and that they submit their applications under the correct CSP grant competition (CFDA 84.282B or 84.282E). Your application will be reviewed for the competition under which it is submitted, and only applications that are successfully submitted by the established deadline will be peer reviewed.

FY 2018 CSP Developer Grants Application Package Please note that the application package for FY 2018 CSP Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CFDA 84.282E)is for applicants to download and use as a guide only. Applicants should reference the Notice Inviting Applications for complete information.

The Department will hold a Pre-application Meeting: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., Thursday, March 8, 2018, Eastern time, Washington D.C. time. We encourage you to pre-register for this meeting by emailing your name, organization, and contact information with the subject heading “PRE-APPLICATION MEETING FOR DEVELOPER GRANTS” to charterschools@ed.gov. There is no registration fee to attend this meeting. Presentation materials may be requested by contacting the CSP office at charterschools@ed.gov. To register to attend this meeting, please click here, or go to:

https://educateevents.webex.com/educateevents/onstage/g.php?MTID=e3493b2e5ffb283c2d29fbc318

9c2cdb6

Apply: All applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov.

To submit an application on the Grants.gov website, hover over the “Applicant” tab. Select the “Apply for Grants” option, then click on “Download a Grant Application Package.” Type in the CFDA (84.282) or the Funding Opportunity Number (ED-GRANTS-030218-002). Click “Download Package.” For assistance with the use of the Grants.gov system, please contact the Grants.gov help desk, at (800)518-4726, or email support@grants.gov. Unless the applicant qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission requirement (see Electronic Submission Policy below and in the FY 2018 Notice), all applications for this competition must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov.

http://grants.gov/applicants/applicant_profile.jsp mailto:charterschools@ed.gov https://educateevents.webex.com/educateevents/onstage/g.php?MTID=e3493b2e5ffb283c2d29fbc3189c2cdb6 https://educateevents.webex.com/educateevents/onstage/g.php?MTID=e3493b2e5ffb283c2d29fbc3189c2cdb6 https://educateevents.webex.com/educateevents/onstage/g.php?MTID=e3493b2e5ffb283c2d29fbc3189c2cdb6 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/home.html mailto:support@grants.gov

III. Application Submission Procedures

APPLICATION T IPS

I. Register or maintain registration on SAM.gov. The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN.

Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. Also note that you will need to update your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.

II. Register early on Grants.gov. The registration process may take up to two weeks to complete.

For additional information on the registration and submission process please review the resources available on the Grants.gov Website.

III. Verify that the person assigned to submit the application has been designated as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Track your AOR status (see page 6). You must be “active” in order to submit an application on behalf of the organization.

IV. Review the submission for clarity. Applications will be read by multiple peer reviewers;

therefore it is important to ensure that the application can be understood by someone who is unfamiliar with your project. It is highly recommended that an applicant clearly state which priority, requirement or selection criterion their application is responding to throughout their submission.

V. Submit all files in .PDF format. While Grants.gov may accept other format types, the Department’s system, which receives the files from Grants.gov, will only accept .PDF files. Files submitted in formats other than .PDF may not convert in a legible manner and, in these instances, cannot be reviewed.

VI. Submit early on Grants.gov. Applications must be finished uploading, and be validated by the Grants.gov system, by 4:30:00 pm, Washington, DC, time on the deadline date. Validation indicates if the submission was successful and may take up to two days. If the submitted application is deemed invalid due to an error, applicants may correct the error and resubmit only if the 4:30:00 pm Washington, DC time deadline has not passed. Applicants are encouraged to review the submission to be sure that the files transmitted correctly. Grants.gov may not catch all errors. Late submissions or modifications to the submitted application will not be accepted after the deadline.

VII. Each application will be reviewed under the competition it was submitted under in the Grants.gov system, and only applications that are successfully submitted by the established deadline will be peer reviewed. Applicants should be careful that they download the intended CSP Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools and that they submit their applications under the correct CSP grant (84.282E).

NOTE: Applicants will receive multiple emails to confirm submission in Grants.gov, validation, and transmission to the Department of Education. Once the application is transmitted to the Department, applicants will receive a final email with a unique identifier called a PR Award Number. Use this number when making inquiries about the submitted application.

*For more information on grants.gov submission procedures and Tips for Applicants please refer back to the submission procedures located at the beginning of this document starting on page 4.

DUNS NUMBER INSTRUCTIONS

All applicants must have a D-U-N-S number in order to apply for federal funds.

NOTE: Check with your fiscal office to see if your institution has an assigned D-U-N-S before contacting Dun & Bradstreet.

Please provide the applicant's D-U-N-S Number. You can obtain your D-U-N-S Number at no charge by calling 1-800-333-0505 or by completing a D-U-N-S Number Request Form. The form can be obtained via the Internet at the following URL:

http://www.dnb.com/US/duns_update/index.html

The D-U-N-S Number is a unique nine digit number that does not convey any information about the recipient. A built-in check digit helps assure the accuracy of the D-U-N-S Number. The ninth digit of each number is the check digit, which is mathematically related to the other digits. It lets computer systems determine if a D-U-N-S Number has been entered correctly.

Dun & Bradstreet, a global information services provider, has assigned D-U-N-S numbers to over 43 million companies worldwide. Live help Monday-Friday 8am-6pm (EST) Dial 1-888-814-1435.

Note: Electronic submission via Grants.gov must use the D-U-N-S number your organization used when it registered in the System for Award Management.

http://www.dnb.com/US/duns_update/index.html

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION POLICY

Electronic Submission is Required

As outlined in the Federal Register notice for this grant competition, applications for grants under the CSP Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools, CFDA number 84.282E, 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.

Under mandatory submission, electronic applications must be received by 4:30:00 pm Washington, DC time on the application deadline date. Under this new policy, Education does not allow for any last minute waiver requests from applications, which is a change from the previous policy for mandatory electronic submission. Consequently, we strongly encourage you to review the registration and submission procedures for the designated electronic application system right away. In addition, we strongly suggest that you do not wait until the deadline date to submit your application.

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 prevents 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 your statement to: Eddie Moat, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W259, Washington, DC 20202- 5970.

Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in the Federal Register notice for this grant competition.

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 84.282E

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.

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.

We will not consider applications postmarked after the application deadline.

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: CFDA Number 84.282E 550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7039, 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 (202) 245-6288.

For detailed information on the electronic submission requirement for this competition, please refer to the Federal Register notice.

ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATION OPTION FOR GRANT AWARDS

If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN); OR we may send you an e-mail containing a link to access G5, the Department’s Grant Management System. The email will be sent to both the project director and certifying representative in order for them to view and print the Adobe Acrobat version of the electronically signed GAN. If neither the project director nor certifying representative is registered in G5, they will immediately be prompted to register once the link is accessed. The electronic signature and issuance of the GAN makes it crucial that your application include correct email addresses for both the project director and certifying representative.

IV. Application Instructions

ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FORMAT

All applicants interested in completing a Developer application should first thoroughly review the NIA for FY 2018 published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2018 (82 FR Doc. 2018–04327). The NIA will orient applicants to the Replication and Expansion program by providing the following information:

Background information and purpose of the program;

Competitive Preference Priorities (optional);

Program Requirements;

Key definitions;

Award Information;

Eligibility Information;

Selection Criteria and assigned points;

Procedural and substantive requirements of the application process, and

Instructions on how to electronically submit the application.

Applicants should pay close attention to the Competitive Preference Priorities and Selection Criteria, as applications will be evaluated and scored against these criteria.

COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

A complete application consists of the following components:

Required Forms (specific instructions are included on page 30 of this document):

ED Standard Forms; and

Assurances and Certifications

Application Narrative (specific instructions are included on page 43 of this document):

The CSP Developer grant application will use the following Grants.gov Narrative Forms.

Abstract Narrative Form;

o The Abstract Narrative Form is where you will attach an abstract of the project that addresses how your application meets the purpose of the CSP as stated in the NIA.

o Applicants should limit the abstract narrative to 1 page. The abstract narrative does not count toward the 60 page limit for the project narrative.

Project Narrative Form;

o The Project Narrative Form is where you will attach the responses to the Priorities, Selection Criteria, and Requirements in the FY 2018 NIA.

o To facilitate the review of the application, please organize your Project Narrative in the following order and include a Table of Contents: Absolute Priorities, Competitive Priorities (optional), Selection Criteria, and Application Requirements.

o Applicants should limit the project narrative to 50 pages. The Table of Contents does not count towards this limit.

Budget Narrative Form:

o The Budget Narrative Form is where you will attach a budget narrative, aligned with the budget included on the ED 524 form. Only one budget should be submitted to represent costs. Specific instructions are included in this application package.

o The budget narrative does not count toward the 50 page limit specified above.

Other Attachments Form (upload appendices here) o The Other Attachments Form is where you will attach the application appendices.

Specific Appendix instructions are included in this document. Applicants should not include substantive, project-related information that they wish peer reviewers to consider anywhere in the application other than in the Project Narrative Form and Budget Narrative Form sections.

o There are seven (7) “Other Attachments” and should be named: Appendix A Charter School Program Assurances; Appendix B Resumes/Curriculum Vitae; Appendix C Letters of Support; Appendix D Proof of Non-Profit Status; Appendix E Schools Operated by the Applicant and Student Academic Achievement; Appendix F Supplemental Organizational Budgets and Financial information; Appendix G Additional Information.

Addressing Your Questions For additional questions, please contact:

Eddie Moat U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., room 4W259 Washington, D.C. 20202-5970

Telephone: (202)401-2266 or by email: eddie.moat@ed.gov.

Applicants may also visit the CSP website at www.ed.gov/programs/charter/index.html. Applicants should keep in mind that the Department cannot provide guidance on specific proposals.

http://www.ed.gov/programs/charter/index.html

FY 2018 APPLICATION CHECKLIST

Applicants may use this checklist once they have completed their CSP Grants to Charter School Developers for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools application. The checklist contains all mandatory parts of the application.

ED Standard Forms

Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) Department of Education Supplemental Information for…