oppED-GRANTS-041818-001-cfda84.215-cid84-215GA2018-1-instructions.pdf

U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Office of Academic Improvement Programs Washington, D.C. 20202-6200

Fiscal Year 2018

Application for New Grants Under the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Program

CFDA 84.215G

Dated Material - Open Immediately

Closing Date: May 18, 2018

Approved OMB Number: 1894-0006 Expiration Date: 01/31/2021 ii

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is: 1894-0006. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 24 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data resources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit.

If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Beth Yeh, Innovative Approaches to Literacy program, U.S.

Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 3E230, Washington, DC 20202- 6200. Note: Please do not return the completed application to this address.

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Table of Contents Dear Colleague Letter

Program Background Information

Program Overview Frequently Asked Questions Applicant Guide…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13 Technical Assistance Workshops for Prospective Applicants

Application Submission Procedures

Application Transmittal Instructions Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants Submission Problems – What should you do?

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Application Instructions

Electronic Application Format Electronic Application Submission Checklist Part 1: Preliminary Documents Part 2: Budget Information Part 3: ED Abstract Form Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

Important Information Regarding Indirect Costs Part 6: Other Attachment Form Part 7: Assurances and Certifications Part 8: Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (Executive Order 12372)

Reporting and Accountability

Legal and Regulatory Information

Notice Inviting Applications Program Statute

Dear Colleague Letter Dear Colleague:

Thank you for your interest in the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program, administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education (Department). The IAL program supports high-quality programs designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through 12th grade in high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools. The IAL program is authorized by the section 2226 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended (20 U.S.C.

6646).

Please take the time to review the applicable priorities, selection criteria, and all of the application instructions thoroughly. An application will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with all of the procedural rules that govern the submission of the application or the application does not contain the information required under the program (EDGAR §75.216 (b) and (c)).

The fiscal year (FY) 2018 competition contains one absolute and two competitive preference priorities. The application must address the absolute priority for this competition, high-quality plan for Innovative Approaches to Literacy that includes book distribution, childhood literacy activities, or both, and that, at a minimum, demonstrates a rationale as defined in the notice inviting applications. Applicants must meet the absolute priority for consideration. Details concerning the absolute priority are found within the application package.

The two competitive preference priorities for this program are: (1) promoting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, with a particular focus on computer science; and (2) serving rural local educational agencies (LEAs). Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), the Department will award an additional 5 points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1 and an additional 3 points to the application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2. The maximum number of competitive preference points an application can receive for this competition is 8.

For this competition it is mandatory for applicants to use the government-wide website, Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov), to apply. Please note that the Grants.gov site works differently than the U.S. Department of Education’s e-Application System. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with Grants.gov and recommend that you register and submit early.

Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will now be posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download a compatible version of Adobe reader (Grants.gov supports Adobe Reader versions 9 through 11). Please review the Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software and Education Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants forms found within this package for further information and guidance related to

United States Department of Education

OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

OFFICE OF ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT

http://www.grants.gov/ this requirement.

Using FY 2018 funds, the Department expects to award $26,730,000.00 for new grants under this competition. We will award discretionary grants on a competitive basis for a project period of 36 months. Grants are expected to be awarded in September 2018.

Please visit our program website at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovapproaches-literacy/index.html for further information. If you have any questions about the program after reviewing the application package, please contact Beth Yeh, (202) 205-5798, Beth.Yeh @ed.gov.

Sincerely, Sylvia E. Lyles, Director Office of Academic Improvement http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovapproaches-literacy/index.html http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovapproaches-literacy/index.html

Program Background Information

Program Overview

The IAL program supports high-quality programs designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through 12th grade in high-need local educational agencies (high-need LEAs, as defined in the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) and schools.

Many schools and districts across the Nation do not have school libraries that deliver high-quality literacy programming to children and their families. Additionally, many schools do not have qualified library media specialists and library facilities. Where facilities do exist, they often lack adequate books and other materials and resources. In many communities, high-need children have limited access to appropriate age- and grade-level reading material in their homes.

The IAL program supports the implementation of high-quality plans for childhood literacy activities and book distribution efforts that demonstrate a rationale (as defined in the NIA).

Proposed projects under the IAL program, based on those plans, may include, among other things, activities that—

(1) develop and enhance effective school library programs, which may include providing professional development for school librarians, books, and up-to-date materials to high-need schools;

(2) provide early literacy services, including pediatric literacy programs through which, during well-child visits, medical providers trained in research-based methods of early language and literacy promotion provide developmentally appropriate books and recommendations to parents to encourage them to read aloud to their children starting in infancy; and

(3) provide high-quality books on a regular basis to children and adolescents from low-income communities to increase reading motivation, performance, and frequency.

The IAL program is authorized by the section 2226 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended (20 U.S.C. 6646).

Frequently Asked Questions

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) developed the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program to assist potential applicants in developing high-quality proposals. The FAQs are intended to provide applicants with guidance on the requirements governing the fiscal year (FY) 2018 IAL program competition. The FAQs do not create any rights for, or confer any rights on, any person or institutions.

The Department will provide additional or updated program guidance, as necessary, on its IAL Web site, http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovapproaches-literacy/index.html. If you have further questions that are not answered here, please e-mail Beth.Yeh@ed.gov.

1. Program Overview: A-1. What is the authorizing statute for the IAL program?

The IAL program is authorized by the section 2226 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended (20 U.S.C. 6646).

2. Program Overview: A-2. What is the purpose of the IAL program?

The IAL program supports high-quality programs designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through 12th grade in high-need local educational agencies (high-need LEAs, as defined in the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) and schools.

Many schools and districts across the Nation do not have school libraries that deliver high-quality literacy programming to children and their families. Additionally, many schools do not have qualified library media specialists and library facilities. Where facilities do exist, they often lack adequate books and other materials and resources. In many communities, high-need children have limited access to appropriate age- and grade-level reading material in their homes.

The IAL program supports the implementation of high-quality plans for childhood literacy activities and book distribution efforts that demonstrate a rationale (as defined in the NIA).

Proposed projects under the IAL program, based on those plans, may include, among other things, activities that—

(1) develop and enhance effective school library programs, which may include providing professional development for school librarians, books, and up-to-date materials to high-need schools;

(2) provide early literacy services, including pediatric literacy programs through which, during well-child visits, medical providers trained in research-based methods of early language and literacy promotion provide developmentally appropriate books and recommendations to parents to encourage them to read aloud to their children starting in infancy; and

(3) provide high-quality books on a regular basis to children and adolescents from low-income communities to increase reading motivation, performance, and frequency.

3. Eligibility Requirements: B-1. Who is eligible to apply for an IAL grant?

To be considered for an award under this competition, an applicant must coordinate with school libraries in developing project proposals.

In addition, to be considered for an award under this competition, an applicant must be one of the following:

http://preview.ed.gov/programs/innovapproaches-literacy/index.html

1. a high-need LEA (as defined in the NIA);

2. an National not-for-profit (NNP) (as defined in the NIA) that serves children and students within the attendance boundaries of one or more high-need LEAs;

3. a consortium of high-need LEAs; or

4. the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).

A national not-for-profit organization that applies for an IAL grant is required to submit documentation of its nonprofit 501(c)(3) status with the grant application.

To determine the eligibility of an LEA, we use the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for school districts for the most recent income year. A list of LEAs by State with family poverty rates (based on the SAIPE data) is posted on the Department’s Web site at the address below.

Some LEAs such as some charter school LEAs, State-administered schools, and regional education service agencies are not included in the SAIPE data for school districts. In such cases, LEA eligibility is based on a determination by the State educational agency (SEA), consistent with the manner in which the SEA determines the LEA’s eligibility for the Title I allocations, that 25 percent of the students aged 5-17 in the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line. Applicants must submit documentation from the State certifying official verifying that the SEA has determined this eligibility requirement is met for each LEA not listed in the SAIPE data. The IAL eligibility form is available in the IAL instructions package and on our Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/ial/eligibility.html.

4. Eligibility Requirements: B-2. Can an individual school receive an IAL grant?

No. Individual schools are not eligible to apply for a grant. However, applicants are required to coordinate with school libraries in developing project proposals. See question B-1 for a definition of eligible entities.

5. Eligibility Requirements: B-3. If an eligible consortium applies for an IAL grant, who is the applicant and what are the responsibilities of members of the consortium?

The members of an eligible consortium are one or more high-need LEAs. The members of each consortium shall either 1) designate one member of the group to apply for the grant; or 2) establish a separate, eligible legal entity to apply for the grant. If the consortium decides to designate one member of the group to apply for the grant, the applicant for the group is the grantee and is legally responsible for: (a) the use of all grant funds; (b) ensuring that the project is carried out by the group in accordance with Federal requirements; and (c) ensuring that indirect cost funds are determined as required under Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) at 34 CFR § 75.564(e). Members of the consortium shall also enter into an agreement that details the activities each member plans to perform and that binds each member to every statement and assurance made by the applicant in the application.

The applicant shall submit the agreement with its application (See the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards “Uniform Guidance” (2 CFR 200) at the following link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_docs.).

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/ial/eligibility.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_docs

6. Eligibility Requirements: B-4. Are private schools eligible to apply for an IAL grant?

No, private schools are not eligible to apply for this grant nor are they eligible to receive services through an eligible LEA for this program.

7. Eligibility Requirements: B-5. How is eligibility for the IAL program determined for LEAs that are not included in SAIPE for school districts?

An LEA that is not included on the SAIPE list, such as a charter school LEA, is considered a high-need LEA if the SEA determines, consistent with the manner in which the SEA determines that LEA’s eligibility for the Title I allocations, that 20 percent of the students aged 5-17 in the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line.

States may use one of two methods of estimating poverty data that involve equating another source of poverty data, such as free and reduced price lunch (FRPL) student eligibility data, to census poverty data and thereby deriving census poverty data for these “special” LEAs. These methods are consistent with the Department's guidance for calculating Title I and Class-Size Reduction program allocations for special LEAs. The first method, using FRPL data as an example, is as follows:

1. Determine the number of children eligible for the FRPL program in each special LEA.

The special LEA should use the direct certification data that the SEA described and then use a 1.6 multiplier described in question 5 of the guidance available here http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SP19-2014os.pdf. If the result is larger than enrollment just use the enrollment # to derive the census count.

2. Divide the total census poverty number of children for the State by the total FRPL number for the State (the result is a "State equating factor").

3. For each special LEA, multiply the number of FRPL children in the special LEA by the State equating factor. The result is the census poverty estimate for that special LEA.

4. The State now has census poverty figures for all LEAs.

We believe this is a straightforward approach that involves minimal burden for States. However, some States may wish to use a second method, which tracks children who attend special LEAs back to the sending LEA in order to determine the appropriate census poverty figure for the special LEA. This second method uses the proportion of FRPL children from a regular district or districts who are attending a special LEA or LEAs and applies that proportion to the census poverty data figure for the regular LEAs, to determine: 1) an estimated census poverty data figure for the special LEAs; and 2) an adjusted census poverty data figure(s) for the regular LEAs. In order to use this method, the State must be able to identify the resident LEA of each student attending a special LEA.

Applicants are required to submit documentation from the State certifying official verifying that the SEA has determined this eligibility requirement is met for each LEA not included on the SAIPE list.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SP19-2014os.pdf

8. IAL PROGRAM DEFINITIONS: C-1. What is the definition of an eligible national not-for-profit organization?

The NIA defines National not-for-profit (NNP) organization as an agency, organization, or institution owned and operated by one or more corporations or associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully benefit, any private shareholder or entity. In addition, it means, for the purposes of this program, an organization of national scope that is supported by staff or affiliates at the State and local levels, who may include volunteers, and that has a demonstrated history of effectively developing and implementing literacy activities.

To demonstrate that an organization is a national not-for-profit entity, factors include, but are not necessarily limited to:

1. whether the organization's charter, articles of incorporation, or other documents establishing the organization describe its mission as being national in scope;

2. proof that the organization has staff or affiliates at the State and local levels, who may include volunteers, as evidenced by the geographic scope of its activities;

3. legal evidence of a current 501(c) (3) (not-for-profit) designation by the Internal Revenue Service;

4. a certified copy of the applicant's certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly establishes the not-for-profit status of the applicant; or

5. a statement from a State taxing body or the State Attorney General certifying that:

(i) The organization is a not-for-profit organization operating within the State, and

(ii) No part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private shareholder or individual.

Note: A local affiliate of an NNP does not meet the definition of NPP. Only a national agency, organization, or institution is eligible to apply as an NPP.

9. IAL PROGRAMS AND LITERACY EDUCATION: D-1. Must IAL projects specifically address English and language arts as opposed to other academic content-areas?

We recognize the need to strengthen literacy development across academic content areas to effectively support reading and writing. Applicants may therefore propose projects that include many strategies to improve and enhance literacy development from birth to 12th grade across academic content areas. The NIA provides an overview of what types of projects the IAL program will support to strengthen literacy development in children.

10. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IAL PROJECTS: E-1. What are allowable costs under the IAL program?

Costs must be allowable, allocable, reasonable, and necessary according to the Federal cost principles found in The Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200). A cost is allocable to a grant award if it is consistently treated like other costs incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances and is considered to be reasonable, in its nature and amount, by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision is made to incur the cost. Generally, IAL grant funds can be used to support high-quality projects designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through 12th grade. This includes innovative programs that promote early literacy for young children and motivate older children to read and programs that increase student achievement by using school libraries, distributing free books to children and their families, and offering high-quality literacy activities.

12. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IAL PROJECTS: E-2. Must an applicant selected for an IAL grant have an approved indirect cost rate to charge indirect costs to programs?

Yes. ED requires grantees charging indirect costs to programs to obtain a Federally-approved indirect cost rate. An applicant that does not have an approved indirect cost rate at the time it is selected for an IAL grant award may request approval from the Department for a temporary indirect cost rate of 10% of the expended amount of the entity’s direct salaries and wages.

However, a grantee must submit an indirect cost rate proposal to its cognizant agency within 90 days of receiving its grant award notice. Those applicants who plan to charge indirect costs should include a copy of the indirect cost rate agreement as an attachment when submitting their application.

Note: IAL is not subject to a “supplement-not-supplant” requirement. Unless otherwise noted in a grantee’s indirect cost rate agreement, applicants are generally permitted to use the normal “indirect cost rate” rather than the “restricted indirect cost rate” when applying for IAL funds.

Grantees who use a restricted rate will recover fewer indirect costs than those who use the unrestricted rate.

13. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IAL PROJECTS: E-3. May IAL funds be used to pay stipends, bonuses, scholarships, and direct teacher support such as salaries for specialists or new teachers?

These expenses may be allowable in certain circumstances if necessary and reasonable to accomplish the program's and project’s objectives, consistent with applicable sections of the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR200).

14. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IAL PROJECTS: E-4. May IAL funds be used for paying rent?

Applicants should focus their proposed activities on high-quality literacy activities. To the extent that the leasing of some additional space is necessary and reasonable for meeting the purposes and objectives of the program, rent may be an allowable cost. (See the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards “Uniform Guidance” (2 CFR 200) at the following link:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_docs.)

15. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IAL PROJECTS: E-5. May IAL funds be used for construction?

No. A grantee may not use its grant for acquisition of real property or for construction unless specifically permitted by the authorizing statute or implementing regulations for the program.

(See the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards “Uniform Guidance” (2 CFR 200) at the following link:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_docs.)

16. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IAL PROJECTS: E-6. Is there a cost share requirement for the IAL program?

No. The IAL program does not have a cost share requirement; however, applicants are encouraged to leverage grant resources by aligning other Federal, State, local, and private funds to support the project or by engaging in meaningful partnerships to increase the potential effectiveness and sustainability of the project.

17. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IAL PROJECTS: E-7. May applicants include the cost of food in their budgets?

No. Costs for entertainment (including food) are not allowable costs. (See Uniform Guidance 2

CFR 200).

18. PROGRAM REPORTING: F-1. Are grantees required to submit an annual performance report?

Yes. Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed performance measures to determine the overall effectiveness of programs funded with Federal dollars, including the IAL program. The GPRA performance measures for the IAL program are:

(1) The percentage of four-year-old children participating in the project who achieve significant gains in oral language skills;

(2) the percentage of fourth graders participating in the project who demonstrated individual student growth (i.e., an improvement in their achievement) over the past year on State reading or language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA, as amended by NCLB;

(3) the percentage of eighth graders participating in the project who demonstrated individual student growth (i.e., an improvement in their achievement)over the past year on State reading or language arts assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA, as amended by NCLB;

(4) the percentage of schools participating in the project whose book-to-student ratios increase from the previous year; and

(5) the percentage of participating children who receive at least one free, grade- and language-appropriate book of their own.

All grantees will be expected to submit an annual performance report that includes data addressing these performance measures, to the extent that they apply to the grantee’s project.

19. PROGRAM REPORTING: F-2. Must an applicant use an outside evaluator?

No. However, applications submitted for the IAL program will be evaluated based on the quality of the project evaluation (See the IAL application package, Selection Criterion F). As such, applicants will be responsible for carrying out the evaluation plan/activities that are outlined in the application package.

20. APPLICATION SUBMISSION: G-1. Is IAL subject to Executive Order 12372?

Yes. Executive Order 12372 concerns the Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, and, among other things, gives States the opportunity to review and provide comments to Federal agencies on applications for Federal discretionary (competitive) grants. Applicants can find more details in the Appendix for the Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs in the IAL application package. However, potential applicants should not delay the timely submission of their applications in Grants.gov pending the outcome of the State’s review.

21. APPLICATION SUBMISSION: G-2. Must submission of charts and tables be double-spaced in an IAL grant application?

Yes. Charts and tables must be prepared in double space format.

22. APPLICATION SUBMISSION: G-3. Is there a page limit for the application?

No, however we recommend that the application narrative be limited to no more than 25 pages.

The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; eligibility information; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; the one to two-page abstract; the resumes; the bibliography; the logic model, or the letters of support.

23. APPLICATION SUBMISSION: G-4. What is the recommended font for this application submission?

It is recommended that a submitted application use a font size that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). The following fonts are recommended: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

24. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: H-1. What is an absolute priority?

What is a competitive preference priority?

Under EDGAR at 34 CFR § 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary may give absolute preference to applications that meet a priority. For the IAL FY 2018 competition, all applicants must meet the absolute priority established in the NIA. Applicants that do not meet the absolute priority will not be considered for funding.

Under EDGAR at 34 CFR § 75.105(c)(2), the Secretary may award some or all bonus points to an application depending on the extent to which the application meets each competitive preference priority. These points are in addition to any points the applicant earns under the selection criteria (see 34 CFR § 75.200(b)).

In accordance with the NIA, the maximum number of additional points the Secretary may award to an application depends upon whether the application meets each competitive preference priority. Additionally, the Secretary may select an application that meets a priority over an application of comparable merit that does not meet the priority. Competitive priorities are not requirements in that applicants do not need to address them to be considered for funding.

Applications that meet one or more competitive priorities will be awarded additional points.

25. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: H-2. How many absolute and competitive preference priorities are in the IAL NIA?

The IAL NIA contains one absolute priority and two competitive preference priorities. For FY 2018, the following absolute priority has been established:

• Absolute Priority—High-quality plan for Innovative Approaches to Literacy that includes book distribution, childhood literacy activities, or both, and that, at a minimum, demonstrates a rationale as defined in the notice inviting applications.

For the FY 2018 IAL program, the following two competitive priorities have been established:

• Competitive Preference Priority 1—Promoting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, with a particular focus on computer science (5 points); and

• Competitive Preference Priority 3—Serving Rural Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) (3 points).

Applicants are strongly encouraged to identify, in the project abstract section of their applications, any competitive preference priority they intend to meet with the application, and to include a brief description of how they are qualified to meet each priority.

Please refer to the NIA under Priorities for more information on absolute and competitive priorities under the IAL program.

26. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: H-3. How many points will be awarded under the competitive priorities?

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), the Department will award an additional 5 points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1 and an additional 3 points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2. The maximum number of competitive preference points an application can receive for this competition is 8.

27. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PREFERENCEPRIORITIES: H-4. How does an applicant meet the absolute priority?

To meet the absolute priority, applicants must submit a high-quality plan for Innovative Approaches to Literacy that includes book distribution, childhood literacy activities, or both, and that, at a minimum, demonstrates a rationale as defined in the notice inviting applications

28. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITIES: H-5. What is a logic model?

The NIA uses the definition of logic model (also referred to as theory of action) in 34 CFR 77.1(c), which defines logic model as a well-specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active “ingredients” that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the relationships among the key components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally.

29. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: H-6. How would an LEA qualify for additional points under the rural competitive preference?

An applicant qualifies for competitive preference points under the rural competitive preference if the applicant’s proposed project is designed to provide high-quality literacy programming, or distribute books, or both, to students served by a rural LEA. A rural LEA, for the purposes of the IAL program, is an LEA that is eligible under the Small Rural School Achievement program or the Rural and Low-Income School program authorized under Title VI, Part B of the ESEA.

Applicants may determine whether a particular LEA is eligible for these programs by referring to information on the Department’s Web site at: http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/reap.html.

30. SELECTION CRITERIA: I-1. On what authority are the selection criteria based?

The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR § 75.210 and are listed in the NIA. The maximum score for all criteria is 100 points. The maximum possible score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses next to each criterion listed in the selection criteria section of the NIA.

31. SELECTION CRITERIA: I-2. How will applications be reviewed?

The Department will use peer reviewers to review and score applications on the selection criteria. The Department has sought independent reviewers from various backgrounds and professions with relevant expertise, whom we will ask to use their professional judgment to evaluate and score each application based on the selection criteria.

Following the peer-review, Department staff will determine whether the application meets the absolute priority, and will also assign competitive preference priority points to applications meeting the competitive priorities, up to a total of 8 additional points.

32. SELECTION CRITERIA: I-5. Will an applicant receive its scores and reviewer comments after the competitions are completed?

http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/reap.html

Applicants may request a copy of the technical review forms completed by the peer reviewers on their applications. Individual reviewer names are deleted from the forms to preserve confidentiality.

33. SELECTION CRITERIA: I-6. Will the reviewers be asked to read every part of each application?

Yes. To facilitate the review, the Department encourages applicants to carefully follow the directions in the application package. Applicants should pay particular attention to the flow of the narrative and correctly label all attachments.

34. SELECTION CRITERIA: I-7 Does a grantee’s past performance count as part of the overall selection process?

The Department reminds potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under EDGAR, 34 CFR § 75.217(d)(3)(ii), the applicant’s past performance and use of funds under a previous grant award. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality.

35. APPLICABLE REGULATIONS: J-1. What are the applicable regulations that apply to the IAL program?

A) The following sections of EDGAR apply to the IAL program:

Part 75 Direct Grant Programs Part 77 Definitions Part 79 Intergovernmental Review Part 81 General Education Provision Act - Enforcement Part 82 Lobbying Part 84 Debarment Part 97 Protection of Human Subjects Part 98 Student Rights in Research, Experimental Programs, and Testing Part 99 Family Educational Rights

B) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards “Uniform Guidance” (2 CFR 200)

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

D) The notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096).

E) The notice of final priorities, requirement, and definitions for the IAL program published in the Federal Register on June 17, 2014.

Applicant Guide

The IAL program is a competitive grant program that is directly administered by the Department.

The Department will award grants based on the quality of the applications and the selection https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/83-FR-9096 criteria published in the Federal Register notice included in the application package.

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis for a project period of 36 months. Contingent upon the availability of future funds and quality of applications, additional awards may be made from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition. The Department expects to award grants no later than September 30, 2018.

The deadline for submitting an application is Monday, May 18, 2018 at 4:30:00 PM, Washington, DC time. Applicants are expected to review the Federal Register notice inviting applications and the instructions provided in this application package for additional information on meeting this deadline. Written requests for a waiver of the electronic submission requirement must be mailed or faxed to the Department no later than May 6, 2018.

Technical Assistance Workshops for Prospective Applicants

To assist applicants in preparing the application, and to respond to questions applicants may have about the application process, the Department will host two technical assistance webinars, currently scheduled to occur during the following dates and times:

Technical Assistance Webinars

April 25, 2018 from 9:00am – 10:30am Eastern Time

April 26, 2018 from 1:00pm – 2:30pm Eastern Time

Application Submission Procedures

The deadline for submission of IAL applications through Grants.gov is Friday, May 18, 2018 at 4:30:00 PM Washington, DC time.

Application Transmittal Instructions

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After your request has been approved, you'll receive instructions for joining the meeting.

Register

After your request has been approved, you'll receive instructions for joining the meeting.

https://educate.webex.com/educate/j.php?RGID=r674d2b8129cd77c0289a97d2cafc36aa https://educate.webex.com/educate/j.php?RGID=r6030596d54104bd6291e9ed8f6c6eacc

Attention Electronic Applicants: This program requires the electronic submission of applications--specific requirements and instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice.

Please note that you must follow the Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register notice announcing the grant competition.

We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described in the Federal Register notice for this competition, 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.

Applications Submitted Electronically Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http://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 e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.

Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in the Federal Register notice for this competition, we will not consider your application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.

You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in this application package to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.

Please note the following:

• You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .pdf (Portable

Document) format. If you upload a file type other than a .pdf file, or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.

• Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission.

• When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters. The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.

• If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

According to the instructions found in the Federal Register notice, only those requesting and qualifying for an Exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application via mail, commercial carrier or by hand delivery.

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:

Application Control Center Attention: CFDA Number 84.215G LBJ Basement Level 1 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.

Washington, DC 20202-4260

You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

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

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

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

(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

(1) A private metered postmark.

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

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

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

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:

Application Control Center Attention: CFDA Number 84.215G 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.

Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software

The Department of Education, working with Grants.gov, is currently using Adobe Reader software exclusively and applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department will be posted using Adobe forms

Please note: The compatible version of Adobe Reader is required for viewing, editing and submitting a complete grant application package for the Department through Grants.gov.

Applicants should confirm the compatibility of their Adobe Reader version before downloading the application. To ensure applicants have a version of Adobe Reader on their computer that is compatible with Grants.gov, applicants are encouraged to use the test package provided by Grants.gov that can be accessed at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

Important issues to consider:

• If the applicant opened or edited the application package with any software other than the compatible version of Adobe Reader, the application package may contain errors that will be transferred to the new package even if you later download the compatible Adobe Reader version.

• Applicants cannot copy and paste data from a package initially opened or edited with an incompatible version of Adobe Reader and will need to download an entirely new package using the compatible version of Adobe Reader.

• Some applicants using an incompatible version of Adobe Reader may have trouble opening and viewing the application package while others may find they can open, view and complete the application package but may not be able to submit the application package through Grants.gov.

• Grants.gov does not guarantee to support versions of Adobe Reader that are not compatible with Grants.gov.

• Any and all edits made to the Adobe Reader application package must be made with the compatible version of Adobe Reader.

For your convenience, a compatible version of Adobe Reader is available for free download at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

We strongly recommend that you review the information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html before downloading, completing or submitting your application.

Applicants are reminded that they should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed in the Federal Register Notice. If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518- 4726.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html mailto:support@grants.gov

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.

ATTENTION – Adobe Forms and PDF Files Required Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department will be posted using Adobe forms.

Therefore, applicants will need to download latest compatible version of Adobe reader (Adobe Reader versions 9 through 11 and Adobe Reader DC version 2015.010.20060 or later). (Please note that in early 2016, Grants.gov discovered an issue with the latest major version of Adobe Reader, Adobe Reader DC, and versions of Adobe Reader DC prior to 2015.010.20060 have been deemed incompatible with Grants.gov). Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and links to download an appropriate version are available on Grants.gov. We strongly recommend that you review these details on www.Grants.gov before completing and submitting your application. In addition, applicants should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed below. Also, applicants are required to upload their attachments in .pdf format only. (See details below under “Attaching Files – Additional Tips.”) If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518-4726.

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 (formerly Central Contractor Registry (CCR)*.]

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 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.

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov 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

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative…