PKG00251718-instructions.doc

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Office of Safe and Supportive Schools Washington, D.C. 20202-6450 Fiscal Year 2019 Application for New Grants Under the Project Prevent Grant Program

CFDA 84.184M

Dated Material - Open Immediately

Closing Date: July 15, 2019 Approved OMB Number: 1894-0006 Expiration Date: 11/30/2019 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 28 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 a benefit EDGAR (34 CFR 75.104(a)).

If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Nicole White, Project Prevent Grant Program, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room #3E326, Washington D.C. 20202-6450. [Note: Please do not return the completed application to this address.] Table of Contents

5Project Prevent Grant Fast Facts

6Program Information

6Background: Effects of Children’s Exposure to Violence and the Federal Response

17Frequently Asked Questions

25Technical Assistance Workshops for Prospective Applicants

26Tips for Preparing and Submitting an Application

28Application Submission Procedures

28Application Transmittal Instructions

31Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software

31Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

36Application Instructions

36Electronic Application Format

37Electronic Application Submission Checklist

38Part 1: Preliminary Documents

45Part 2: Budget Information

48Part 3: ED Abstract Form

53Part 5: Budget Narrative

56Important Information Regarding Indirect Costs

57Part 6: Other Attachment Form

58Part 7: Assurances and Certifications

61Part 8: Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (Executive Order 12372)

62Reporting and Accountability

67Legal and Regulatory Information

67Notice Inviting Applications

92Authorizing Legislation

United States Department of Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Office of Safe and Supportive Schools Dear Colleague:

Thank you for your interest in the Project Prevent Grant Program, administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education (Department). This grant competition will provide funds to local educational agencies (LEAs) to increase their capacity to help schools in communities with pervasive violence to better address the needs of affected students and to break the cycle of violence.

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)). This competition has three priorities - one absolute priority, and two competitive preference priorities. The absolute priority and competitive preference priorities are being established in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).

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 Department’s e-Application System. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with Grants.gov and strongly recommend that you register and submit early. Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department will now be posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download the latest version of Adobe reader (Grants.gov recommends Adobe Reader 10.1.14). 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 this requirement.

Using fiscal year 2019 funds, the Department expects to award approximately $10,000,000 for new grants under this competition. We will award discretionary grants on a competitive basis for a project period of up to 60 months. Grants are expected to be awarded by September 30, 2019.

Please visit our program website at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/projectprevent/index.html for further information. If you have any questions about the program after reviewing the application package, please contact Nicole White by telephone at (202) 453-6729 or via email at Project.Prevent@ed.gov

Paul Kesner, Director Office of Safe and Supportive Schools Project Prevent Grant Fast Facts Eligible Applicants: Local educational agencies (LEAs), i.e., public school districts including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law.

Purpose: The purpose of the Project Prevent Grant Program is to provide grants to LEAs to increase their capacity to help schools in communities with pervasive violence to better address the needs of affected students and to break the cycle of violence.

Application Deadline Date: July 15, 2019 Application Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov (www.grants.gov)

Project Period: Up to 60 months

Estimated Available Funds: $10,000,000 Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000 to $1,000,000 Estimated Average Size of Awards: $487,500 (for each year of funding requested) Estimated Number of Awards: 20 Competition Manager:

· Nicole White at Project.Prevent@ed.gov or (202) 453-6729 Program Information

Background: Effects of Children’s Exposure to Violence and the Federal Response Children’s exposure to violence, whether as victims or witnesses, is often associated with long-term physical, psychological, and emotional harms. These harms include, among others, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic disorders; failing or having difficulty in school; and delinquency or criminal behavior, including violent acts.

In December 2018, the Federal Commission on School Safety (FCSS) released its final report.

The report offers several recommendations for States, local communities, and the Federal government to improve school safety. The Project Prevent grant program supports activities directly linked with recommendations identified in the FCSS. Under this program, grantees may use funds to address some of those FCSS recommendations in their local districts as they develop approaches to improving school engagement, school safety, and the school environment for all students.

Project Prevent grants will enable LEAs to increase their capacity to identify, assess, and serve students exposed to pervasive violence, helping LEAs to offer affected students mental health services for trauma or anxiety; support conflict resolution programs; and implement other school–based violence prevention strategies in order to reduce the likelihood that these students will later commit violent acts.

Eligibility This competition limits eligibility to LEAs, including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law.

Authority

This competition is authorized under 20 U.S.C. 7131; the U.S. Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2019, Title III of Division H of P.L. 113-76.

Official Documents Notice The official document governing this competition is the Notice Inviting Applications published in the Federal Register on June 5, 2019 (See Section III -- [Legal and Regulatory Documents] of this application package), hereafter referenced as the Notice Inviting Applications. This notice also is available electronically at the following Web sites: www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister and www.gpoaccess.gov/nara.

Project Period

The project period for these grants is up to 60 months (5 budget periods of 12 months each). The exact start date is not known at this time. We estimate awards will be announced by late September 2019. Projects will be funded for the first year with an option for four additional years contingent upon demonstration of substantial progress by the grantee and the availability of future funds. Note: Applicants must submit ED Form 524 and a detailed budget narrative for each budget period that funding is requested (see instructions and sample following in this application package).

Estimated Award Information We estimate we will make approximately 20 new awards. Projects will be funded for approximately $250,000 to $1,000,000 depending on the scope of work. These figures are only estimates and do not bind the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) to a specific number of grants or amount of any grant. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in fiscal year (FY) 2020 from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Matching Funds

This program does not require a matching contribution from the grantee, however, if it proposes matching funds, we will monitor the grant to ensure the match is met and the grantee will be expected to report annually on the matching funds as well as Federal funds.

Private School Participation

In order to ensure that grant program activities address the needs of private school children, the applicant must engage in timely and meaningful consultation with appropriate private school officials during the design and development of the proposed grant project. This consultation must take place before the applicant makes any decision that affects the opportunities of eligible private school children, teachers, and other educational personnel to participate. Administrative direction and control over grant funds must remain with the grantee (See section 9501, Participation by Private School Children and Teachers, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended).

Project Director Time Commitment

Applicants are requested to provide the percent of the Project Director’s time that will be dedicated to the grant project if funded. For example, if the Project Director works 40 hours per week and spends 20 hours of that week working on grant activities, then the time commitment for the Project Director would be 50 percent. We suggest that applicants include this information in the budget narrative or that they add this information to the Project Director line on the Supplemental Information for Standard Form 424 Travel Budget

Applicants must budget funds for the Project Director and one additional staff member to attend the Office of Safe and Supportive Students National Conference each year of the grant. For planning purposes, applicants should include funds for transportation, lodging for two nights and three days, and per diem costs. If this conference is not held, the funding budgeted for this activity may be used for another professional development opportunity. Also, applicants must budget funds for one person to attend the Project Director’s Meeting, only required in Year 1of the grant. Applicants should include funds for transportation, lodging for one night, and per diem costs. There are no meeting or registration costs for our grantees. Both meetings will most likely be held in Washington, DC.

E-Mail Addresses

As part of our review of the application, we may need to contact the applicant with questions for clarification. Please be sure your application contains valid e-mail addresses for the Project Director and Authorized Representative (or another party designated to answer questions in the event the Project Director and Authorized Representative are unavailable).

Application Due Date

All applications must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov portal and must be submitted before 11:59:59 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date for applications.

Applications may not be emailed or faxed.

Note: Under very extraordinary circumstances, the Department may change the closing date for a competition. When this occurs, we announce such a change in a notice published in the Federal Register. Waivers for individual applications failing to meet the deadline will not be granted, except in the circumstances described in the section under electronic submission of applications.

Review of Applications and Notification of Award The review of applications and notification of awards for this grant competition requires approximately 8 to 10 weeks depending on the number of applications we receive. We expect to notify successful applicants of their grant awards by late September 2019. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified within 60 days after awards are announced.

Human Subjects Research Activities

Please see Item 3 of the instructions for Supplemental Information for Standard Form 424 in Section IV of this application package. Projects funded under this grant program may be subject to protection of human subjects research requirements. If you have any questions about your responsibilities under these requirements, please contact the Department’s Protection of Human Subjects Coordinator at 202-245-8090.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Expectations

By submitting an application for this program, applicants agree to fully cooperate with any evaluation efforts conducted by the Department and its contractors. At a minimum, grantees are expected to maintain records on how their program is operating; maintain records on the extent to which their program objectives are being met; include specific performance measures in their evaluation plan; and make ongoing project information, findings, and products available to ensure the dissemination of knowledge gained from this effort during the grant period.

Reports

Each grantee is required to submit an annual and final report to demonstrate progress toward meeting program performance measures and project objectives. For multiple-year projects, these reports are also evaluated to determine whether substantial progress has been made to justify a continuation award. For projects funded for one year, only a final report is required.

Absolute Priority

For FY 2019 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only those applications that meet this priority.

· Expand the capacity of LEAs to assist schools in communities with pervasive violence to break the cycle of violence by better meeting the needs of affected students.

Under this priority, we provide funding for projects to expand the capacity of LEAs to more effectively assist impacted schools in communities with pervasive violence to better meet the needs of students directly or indirectly exposed to pervasive violence.

Applicants must address each of the following four subparts of this absolute priority. Projects must offer students: (1) access to school-based counseling services, or referrals to community-based counseling services, for assistance in coping with trauma or anxiety; (2) school-based social emotional and behavioral supports for students to help address the effects of violence; (3) conflict resolution and other school-based strategies to prevent future violence; and (4) activities designed to promote a safer and improved school environment, which may include activities designed to decrease the incidence of harassment, bullying, fighting, gang participation, sexual assault, and substance abuse.

Note: Applicants that fail to meet the absolute priority will be considered ineligible and not considered for funding.

Projects funded under this priority may use up to 12 months during the first year of the project period for program planning. Applicants that propose to use this option must provide sufficient justification for why this program planning time is necessary, provide the intended outcomes of program planning in Year 1, and include a description of the proposed strategies and activities to be supported, such as developing baseline Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 data as described in the Performance Measures section of this notice.

Competitive Preference Priorities For FY 2019 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105.(c)(2)(i), we award an additional eight points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1 and an additional two points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2.

Note: Applicants may address either of the competitive preference priorities or both. An applicant must identify in the abstract section of its application the competitive preference priority or priorities it wishes the Department to consider. The Department will not review or award points under any competitive preference priority for any application that fails to do so.

These priorities are:

· Competitive Preference Priority 1 - - Collaboration with a Local Mental Health Agency (0 or 8 points).

An application that includes a memorandum of agreement (MOA) or memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the authorized representative of a local mental health agency that agrees to collaborate with the applicant on the proposed project and provide resources and/or administer services that are likely to substantially contribute to positive outcomes for the proposed project.

· Competitive Preference Priority 2 - - Fostering Knowledge and Promoting the Development of Skills that Prepare Students to be Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens (up to 2 points).

Supporting projects likely to improve student academic performance and better prepare students for employment, responsible citizenship, and fulfilling lives, including by preparing children or students to do one or more of the following:

· Develop positive personal relationships with others.

· Develop determination, perseverance, and the ability to overcome obstacles.

· Develop self-esteem through perseverance and earned success.

· Develop problem-solving skills.

· Develop self-regulation in order to work toward long-term goals.

Application Requirements

The following requirements apply to all applications submitted under this competition:

(1) Description of the severity and magnitude of the problem and identification of schools to be served by the proposed project.

Applicants must describe how pervasive violence in the community is specifically affecting students in schools to be served by project activities. Applicants must describe the nature of the problem for a specific geographic area, based on information such as, but not limited to, incidents of community domestic violence or violent crime; rates of child abuse and neglect; school crime and safety data; student mental health screenings or assessments; surveys of school climate; surveys of student engagement; or other relevant data and information as appropriate. The description may also include demographic data provided by U.S. Census surveys. In order to assess the magnitude of the problem and ensure the schools selected have the greatest need, data cited must be compared to similar data at the State or local level, and on a per capita basis (such as homicides per 100,000 persons) when available.

(2) Collaboration and coordination with related Federal, State, and local initiatives.

Applicants must describe how they intend to work collaboratively with Federal, State and local juvenile justice, mental health, public health, child welfare, and other community agencies to achieve project goals and objectives. Applicants must also describe proposed coordination with existing federally funded efforts related to youth violence prevention and mental health promotion (such as the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, Defending Childhood, and other violence prevention-related grants administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), if applicable. Evidence of collaboration and coordination must be provided through letters of support from local or state agencies and other federally funded projects, if applicable. Finally, applicants must describe how they will use Project Prevent Grant Program funds to complement, rather than duplicate, existing, ongoing, or new efforts to reduce youth violence and mitigate the effects of pervasive violence on students.

(3) Expand and improve LEA capacity to serve students exposed to pervasive violence and ensure affected students receive mental health services, as appropriate.

Applicants must describe the specific activities they will conduct to expand and improve LEA capacity to serve students exposed to pervasive violence, ensure that affected students receive appropriate mental health services, and break the cycle of violence. To meet this requirement, the applicant must propose three or more of the following:

a) Professional development opportunities for LEA and school mental health staff (e.g., counselors, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists) on how to screen for and respond to violence-related trauma and implement appropriate school-based mitigation strategies.

b) Improving the range, availability, and quality of school-based mental health services by hiring qualified school psychologists, school counselors, or school social workers with expertise or training in violence prevention and responding to the mental health needs of students who have experienced trauma as a result of exposure to violence.

c) Providing training to select school staff (e.g., teachers, administrators, and support staff), community partners, youth, and parents on the problem of student exposure to pervasive violence, as well as the importance of screening students and providing interventions to help students cope with traumatic events.

d) Addressing the needs of students in affected schools by developing or improving processes to better target services to these students and developing or improving processes to assess students who are exposed to pervasive violence and who may be experiencing resulting mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders.

e) Enhancing linkages between LEA mental health services and community mental health systems to ensure affected students receive referrals to treatment as appropriate, including linkages that leverage new opportunities under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, such as the expansion of mental health and substance use disorder coverage.

(4) Delivery of a continuum of evidenced-based programs and practices in selected schools to promote conflict resolution, improve school climate and safety, and other school-based strategies to break the cycle of violence.

Applicants must provide a description of the continuum of the evidence-based programs and practices that will be implemented at the school level to break the cycle of violence. The threshold for evidence-based programs is those that, at a minimum, are supported by evidence of promise (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)). These programs and practices must include all of the following:

a) Interventions and activities that serve all students in a school, regardless of risk level, with the goal of preventing negative or violent behavior (such as bullying, fighting, gang participation, and sexual assault) and enhancing student knowledge and skills regarding positive behavior (such as conflict resolution and other skills);

b) Interventions and activities (such as those related to anger management, conflict resolution, promotion of positive behavior, and development of protective factors) that target individual students or a sub-group of students whose risk of developing mental or behavioral disorders is significantly higher than average; and

c) Interventions and services that target individual students who are at risk for, and have shown signs of, mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders; exhibit aggressive, violent, or disruptive behavior; or participate in gangs.

To meet this requirement, applicants must discuss the research and evidence supporting the proposed programs and practices and the estimated effects on the target population. Applicants may use the Federal registries listed in the application package for identifying such programs and practices.

Definitions

The following definitions apply to this competition:

Ambitious means promoting continued, meaningful improvement for program participants or for other individuals or entities affected by the grant, or representing a significant advancement in the field of education research, practices, or methodologies. When used to describe a performance target, whether a performance target is ambitious depends upon the context of the relevant performance measure and the baseline for that measure.

Baseline data means the starting point from which performance is measured and targets are set.

Evidence of promise means there is empirical evidence to support the theoretical linkage(s) between at least one critical component and at least one relevant outcome presented in the logic model for the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice. Specifically, evidence of promise means the conditions in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section are met:

(i) There is at least one study that is a—

(A) Correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias;

(B) Quasi-experimental study that meets the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations;

(C) Randomized controlled trial that meets the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations.

(ii) The study referenced in paragraph (a) found a statistically significant or substantively important (defined as a difference of 0.25 standard deviations or larger), favorable association between at least one critical component and one relevant outcome presented in the logic model for the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice.

High-poverty school means a school in which at least 50 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or in which at least 50 percent of students are from low-income families as determined using one of the criteria specified under section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA, as amended. For middle and high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty school under this definition is determined on the basis of the most currently available data.

Local educational agency (LEA) means:

(1) A public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or of or for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or secondary schools.

(2) The term includes any other public institution or agency having administrative control and direction of a public elementary school or secondary school.

(3) The term includes an elementary school or secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs but only to the extent that including the school makes the school eligible for programs for which specific eligibility is not provided to the school in another provision of law and the school does not have a student population that is smaller than the student population of the local educational agency receiving assistance under this Act with the smallest student population, except that the school shall not be subject to the jurisdiction of any State educational agency other than the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

(4) The term includes educational service agencies and consortia of those agencies.

(5) The term includes the State educational agency in a State in which the State educational agency is the sole educational agency for all public schools.

School engagement means participation in school-related activities, and the quality of school relationships, which may include relationships between and among administrators, teachers, parents and students.

Project Prevent Grant Program Resource List

American Counseling Association provides counseling professionals and educators with resources, services, and information. http://www.counseling.org/ American School Counselor Association provides resources suggested by school counselors. http://www.schoolcounselor.org MentalHealth.gov is a website created to educate and guide those interested in mental health issues. http://www.mentalhealth.gov National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) is a not-for-profit association representing more than 25,000 school psychologists from across the United States and abroad. www.nasponline.org The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) provides training and support to state administrators, school and district administrators, institutions of higher education, teachers, support staff at schools, communities and families, and students. It also seeks to improve schools' conditions for learning through measurement and program implementation, so that all students have the opportunity to realize academic success in safe and supportive environments. http://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) the mission of NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suicide-in-the-us-statistics-and-prevention/index.shtml School Social Worker Association of America (SSWAA) is dedicated to promoting the profession of school social work and the professional development of school social workers in order to enhance the educational experience of students and their families. http://www.sswaa.org/ The National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC) is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s technical assistance center dedicated to building awareness of trauma-informed care and promoting the implementation of trauma-informed practices in programs and services. http://www.samhsa.gov/nctic/ Youth.gov was created by the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP), which is composed of representatives from 18 federal government agencies that support programs and services focusing on youth. Through the Youth Topics series on the website, the IWGYP provides information, strategies, tools, and resources for youth, families, schools and community organizations related to a variety of cross-cutting topics that affect youth, such as: youth violence prevention, gang prevention, school climate, youth mental health, and more.

Project Prevent Grant Program Resource List: Federal Registries Useful for Selecting Evidenced-based Programs and Practices What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is an initiative of the Institute for Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of the WWC is to be a resource for informed education decision making. To reach this goal, the WWC identifies studies that provide credible and reliable evidence of the effectiveness of a given practice, program, or policy (referred to as “interventions”), and disseminates summary information and reports on the WWC website at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/default.aspx Youth.gov is a Federal government resource that allows website users to search for youth focused evidence-based programs. It allows for a search by risk and protective factor or using a keyword search. Finally, it contains information about selecting, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based and innovative strategies and programs to support youth.

The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is a searchable online database of mental health and substance abuse interventions. All interventions in the registry have met NREPP’s minimum requirements for review and have been independently assessed and rated for Quality of Research and Readiness for Dissemination. www.nrepp.samhsa.gov

CrimeSolutions.gov is an online resource to help practitioners and policymakers understand what works in justice-related programs and practices. Its purpose is to assist in practical decision making and program implementation by gathering information on specific justice-related programs and practices and reviewing the existing evaluation and meta-analysis research against standard criteria. www.crimesolutions.gov U.S. Department of Justice, Listing of Resources on Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. www.bja.gov/evaluation/evidence-based.htm

NOTE: The Department does not endorse any of the programs or practices listed above in the federally supported registries, nor does inclusion in registries mean they meet the minimum threshold for evidenced-based programs and practices as defined in the Notice Inviting Applications. It is also possible that certain programs and practices meet this minimum threshold but, for various reasons, are not included in any of the registries. This resource list is intended for informational purposes only, and to aid applicants in researching appropriate evidenced-based program and practices that respond to the absolute priority and application requirements and meet the unique needs of their target population.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the deadline date for this competition?

· The competition deadline for the Project Prevent Grant Program is July 15, 2019.

May I get an extension of the deadline date?

· Waivers for individual applications failing to meet the deadline will not be granted, except in the circumstances described in the Federal Register notice. Under very extraordinary circumstances the Department may change the closing date for a grant competition. When this occurs, the Department announces such a change in a notice published in the Federal Register.

What is an indirect cost?

· An indirect cost is an expense that you incur that is necessary to implementing the grant, but may be difficult to identify directly with your grant. For example, indirect costs may include money spent for heat, light, rent, telephone, security, accounting, and Internet use.

· See page 17 of this application package and the section “Important Information Regarding Indirect Costs” for further information.

How do I obtain a negotiated, restricted indirect cost rate?

· Your organization may already have a negotiated, restricted indirect cost rate with a Federal government agency. If your organization has not negotiated this rate in the past, please contact the Department’s Indirect Cost Group at Indirectcostgroup@ed.gov.

Who in my organization may be able to provide information about our negotiated, restricted indirect cost rate?

· If you do not know your negotiated, restricted indirect cost rate, please contact your business office. In most cases, State educational agencies (SEAs) calculate and assign indirect cost rates to its LEAs. Please note you will need to submit proof of this cost rate, such as a signed letter or a page from a State Web site. This proof of your cost rate will need to be uploaded to the Other Attachments Form section in Grants.gov.

What is an administrative cost?

Administrative costs are normal and customary expenses of administering the grant. For example, since the project director is responsible for administering the grant, their salary and benefit costs are taken out of the administrative cost threshold, as well as any other costs the applicant may have for carrying out the grant.

For my GEPA 427 statement (see page 59) is it adequate to state that our organization does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, etc.?

· No. An organization’s non-discrimination statement is not sufficient to meet the GEPA requirements. A GEPA statement should outline an entity’s potential barriers and solutions to equal access, specific to the proposed project.

How does the Freedom of Information Act affect my application?

· The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides that any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information. All U.S. Government agencies are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them, except for those records that are protected from disclosure by the nine exemptions listed in the FOIA. All applications submitted for funding consideration under this grant competition are subject to the FOIA. To read the text of the FOIA, visit http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/foiatoc.html.

Is this program covered by Executive Order 12372?

· Yes. This means applicants must submit a copy of their application to their State Single Point of Contact for review and upload the transmittal letter in the Other Attachments Form section in Grants.gov (refer to page 56). On the application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424), you must check box (a) in item 19 and provide the date on which you made your application available for review. Note that the Department is prohibited from making an award to an entity that has not provided an opportunity for its State to review the application. The only exceptions to this requirement are applicants from States that have chosen not to participate or have indicated they do not wish to review applications from this competition. In either of these cases, applicants should check box (b). Do not check box (c) since this grant program is covered by Executive Order 12372. For more information about this requirement, see the Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs section in this application package.

What is required from an applicant whose State Single Point of Contact indicates that they are not reviewing applications for this grant competition?

· Applicants should include a copy of such a response from the State Single Point of Contact in their application package submitted to the Department and check the appropriate line on the SF 424 form.

By what date do applicants have to submit their application to their State Single Point of Contact, if participating?

· Applicants must submit their application to the State Single Point of Contact by the deadline date for transmitting their application to the Department.

What steps should the applicant’s Authorized Representative take before signing a grant application?

· The standard form that serves as a cover sheet for grant applications includes a certification statement that accompanies the authorized representative’s signature. That certification indicates that the authorized representative’s signature means that the information provided in the grant application is true, complete, and to the best of the authorized representative’s knowledge, and that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may subject the authorized representative to administrative, civil, or criminal penalties. As a result, an authorized representative should carefully review a grant application before signing in order to be sure that all of the information contained in the application package is correct. Additionally, an authorized representative should be sure that the application describes a project that has the organization’s support and reflects an approach that the organization is committed to implementing.

What kinds of activities are likely to be “human subject research”?

· The Department’s regulations for the protection of human subjects, 34 CFR Part 97, defines research as a systematic investigation (including program evaluation) designed to develop or contribute to general knowledge. A “systematic” investigation typically uses scientific methods (such as adequate sample sizes, surveys, control groups, and/or randomization). Research becomes “human subjects” research when the researcher obtains data about an individual through an intervention or otherwise obtains identifiable private information about individuals for research purposes. For additional information on human subjects research go to: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/humansub.html.

Are there guidelines for how much money can be spent on consultants?

· No. Under EDGAR 75.515, a grantee must use its general policies and practices when it hires, uses, and pays a consultant as part of the project staff. However, grant funds may not be used to pay a consultant unless there is a need in the project for the services of that consultant and the grantee cannot meet that need by using an employee rather than a consultant.

Are there any restrictions related to external entities or individuals (who are not LEA employees) who assist the LEA in writing the grant application and who wish to potentially work on grant activities if an award is made?

· All procurement transactions by grantees using federal funds must be conducted in a manner providing full and open competition, consistent with the standards in Section 80.36 (for SEAs and LEAs) of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR). This section requires that grantees use their own procurement procedures (which reflect State and local laws and regulations) to select contractors or other vendors, provided that those procedures meet certain standards described in EDGAR.

EDGAR is available online at: www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.html If a vendor or individual not employed by the applicant assists in preparing an application for a Department grant, and subsequently is interested in providing contract services after the applicant receives a grant award, a close examination of all activities may be warranted to ensure the above procurement procedures were followed, consistent with fair and open competition, and other restrictions not violated.

What is the project and budget period for these grants?

· The project period for this grant is up to five years (60 months). Each grant year is considered its own budget period. The application should include a description of the proposed activities for all five years, as well as a budget narrative that includes information about Federal and non-Federal funds for each budget year. Continuation awards are made based on an applicant’s ability to demonstrate substantial progress in their required annual performance reports.

An applicant may propose a project period of less than five years (60 months) if the goals and objectives of the project can be achieved in that time.

Projects funded under this priority may use up to 12 months during the first year of the project period for program planning. Applicants that propose to use this option must provide sufficient justification for why this program planning time is necessary, provide the intended outcomes of program planning in Year 1, and include a description of the proposed strategies and activities to be supported, such as developing baseline Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 data as described in the Performance Measures section of this notice.

What priority and application requirements must all applicants address to be considered?

· Applicants must address the absolute priority: Expand the Capacity of LEAs to Assist Schools in Communities with Pervasive Violence to Break the Cycle of Violence by Better Meeting the Needs of Affected Students.

· Applicants must also address the application requirements: (1) Description of the severity and magnitude of the problem and identification of schools to be served by the proposed project; (2) Collaboration and coordination with related Federal, State, and local initiatives; (3) Expand and improve LEA capacity to serve students exposed to pervasive violence and ensure affected students receive mental health services, as appropriate; and (4) Delivery of a continuum of evidenced-based programs and practices in selected schools to promote conflict resolution, improve school climate and safety, and other school-based strategies to break the cycle of violence.

Who is eligible to apply?

· This competition limits eligibility to LEAs, as defined in the notice inviting application.

· NOTE: Only entities that meet the definition of LEA may receive funding under this program. If the definition of LEA is based on special considerations under state law (such as charter schools, charter management organizations, area educational districts, educational service center, or other similar entities) proof of LEA status should be uploaded as an attachment with the application. If possible, this should take the form of a letter from the applicable SEA verifying the status of the entity as an LEA.

May I submit an application as a school or on behalf of my local school?

· No. The only eligible recipients are LEAs (school districts) including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law. An application submitted by an individual school, or on behalf of the school by education foundations, consultants, and community-based organizations, will not be considered unless it meets the definition of an LEA. See the note above under who is eligible to apply.

Are colleges or universities eligible to apply for this grant?

· No. Colleges and universities are not considered as LEAs and thus are not eligible for this grant. Only entities that meet the definition of an LEA may receive funding under this program. See the note above under who is eligible to apply.

Are charter schools eligible for this program?

· Charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law are eligible to apply for funding under this program. If funded, the administration of the project must be maintained at the Charter school. Charter schools should provide proof of LEA status. See the note above under who is eligible to apply.

Are Area Educational Districts, Educational Service Centers or other similar entities eligible for this program?

· If these entities are considered LEAs under State law, they are eligible to apply for funding under this program. See the note above under who is eligible to apply.

May an LEA submit multiple applications — each proposing to serve different schools?

· No. LEAs may only submit one application. If multiple applications are submitted, we will ask for clarification prior to reviewing them about which application the LEA wishes to be considered.

Do I have to submit my application electronically?

· Yes. Unless you qualify for an exception in accordance with the instructions found in the Notice Inviting Applications, you must submit your application electronically.

How do I submit my grant electronically?

For more information on using Grants.gov, please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications for this competition published in the Federal Register; the Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips document found in this application package; and/or visit www.grants.gov.

How do I register to submit my grant electronically?

· If you are a new user, you will need to register to use Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps see the Grants.gov Submission Tips and Procedures for Applicants on pages 32-35 of this document or please go to: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.

How should I submit forms with signatures?

· We strongly encourage you to scan and upload signed versions of the forms, in a .PDF format, to the Other Attachments Form section of the application package on Grants.gov or you may fax the signed forms to the Department.

· These documents may be faxed to the attention of Nicole White at 202-453-6742 and must be received within three days of your application submission.

Are there any compatibility restrictions?

· You must submit your application in a .PDF (Portable Document) format in order for your application to submit successfully to the Department. If you submit your application in any other format, we will not be able to access your document. 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. If you need assistance converting your files to a .PDF format, please refer to this Grants.gov webpage with links to conversion programs: http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp#pdf_conversion_programs What should I use as the project start date?

· Should you receive a grant, the start date for a project may have to be flexible, depending on when funds can be awarded, and funds obligated. If necessary, your proposed project start date will be modified to a date shortly after the award date.

Can grant funds be used to support professional development activities?

· Yes. Grant funds may be used to support professional development activities, as long as the activities directly support the purposes and intent of this grant program. See application Requirement 3.

Can grant funds be used to hire mental health professionals?

· Yes. Under application Requirement 3 the applicant must propose three or more activities which may include: improving the range, availability, and quality of school-based mental health services by hiring qualified school psychologists, school counselors, or school social workers with expertise or training in violence prevention and responding to the mental health needs of students who have experienced trauma as a result of exposure to violence.

Are we required to identify in the abstract section of the application the competitive preference priority (or…