PKG00251880-instructions.docx

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 School Climate Transformation Grant— Local Educational Agency Grants

CFDA 84.184G

Dated Material - Open Immediately Closing Date: July 22, 2019

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

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 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: Carlette KyserPegram, School Climate Transformation Grant—Local Educational Agency Grants, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 3E257 Washington D.C. 20202-6450. [Note: Please do not return the completed application to this address.] ii Table of Contents Dear Colleague Letter 1

Program Background and Overview 2

Frequently Asked Questions 10

Preparing and Submitting an Application 16

Electronic Application Submission Checklist 30

Standard Form Instructions and Information 32 -56

Notice Inviting Applications 57

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 School Climate Transformation Grant—Local Educational Agency (SCTG-LEA) program, administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education (Department), Office of Safe and Supportive Schools (OSSS). OSSS acknowledges that school climate plays a critical role in the potential success and school experiences of a student, and we are dedicated to helping keep students safe and improving their learning environments. Administering the SCTG-LEA grant program is just one example of how we support that effort. This program provides competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to develop, enhance, or expand systems of support for, and technical assistance to, schools implementing a multi-tiered system of support, for improving school climate.

In addition to administering this grant program, the Department supports two technical assistance centers that offer free assistance on improving school climate: (1) the National Center of Safe and Supportive Learning Environments (www.safesupportivelearning.ed.gov), and (2) the Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports(www.pbis.org). We encourage applicants to visit the websites of these technical assistance providers to learn more about school climate and available resources.

Please take the time to carefully and thoroughly review the application package, including the applicable priorities, selection criteria, and all the application instructions. An application will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with all 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)).

For this competition it is mandatory for applicants to use the government-wide website, Grants.gov (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 strongly recommend that you register and submit early.

Please visit our program website at https://www2.ed.gov/programs/schoolclimatelea/index.html for further information. If you have any questions about the program after reviewing the application package, please contact Carlette KyserPegram by telephone at (202) 453-6732 or via e-mail at LEA.SCTG19@ed.gov.

Paul Kesner, Director Office of Safe and Supportive Schools

Program Background and Overview School climate plays a critical role in the potential success and school experiences of a student. In 2014, the Department developed a school climate survey resource, called the ED School Climate Survey tool (EDSCLS), to assist States, local districts, and schools to collect and access data related to their school climate. This tool focuses on three content domains: (1) engagement (which encompasses cultural and linguistic competence, relationships, and school participation), (2) safety (which encompasses emotional safety, physical safety, bullying/cyberbullying, substance abuse, and emergency readiness/management), and (3) environment, including physical environment, instructional environment, physical health, mental health, and discipline.

Implementing a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework is one strategy schools can use to address their school climate concerns. MTSS frameworks are designed to assist schools in providing the appropriate level of instruction and intervention for their students. The successful implementation of an MTSS can support many areas of students’ needs including academic growth and achievement, behavior, and social and emotional needs.

This competition includes three absolute priorities and four competitive preference priorities. We are establishing the absolute priorities and Competitive Preference Priorities 3 and 4 for the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2 are from the Department’s Notice of Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs (Supplemental Priorities), published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096).

Purpose: The School Climate Transformation Grant Program--Local Educational Agency Grants (SCTG-LEA) provides competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to develop, enhance, or expand systems of support for, and technical assistance to, schools implementing a multi-tiered system of support, for improving school climate.

Eligibility: Local Education Agencies (LEAs) or consortia of LEAs, as defined by section 8101(30) of the ESEA. The Secretary limits eligibility under this discretionary grant competition to LEAs that have never received a grant under SCTG-LEA.

Authority: Subpart 3 of Title IV, Part F of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7281).

Official Document Notice: The official document governing this competition is the Notice Inviting Applications published in the Federal Register on June 10, 2019 also included in this application package).

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.

Estimated Award Information: We estimate we will make approximately 80 new awards. Projects will be funded for approximately $100,000 to $750,000 per year for up to 5 years, depending on the scope of work. These figures are only estimates and do not bind 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 (or fund down the approved slate) in future fiscal years based on the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Maximum Award: We will not make an award that exceeds $750,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.

Matching Funds: This program does not require a matching contribution from the grantee; however, if you propose matching funds, we will monitor the grant to ensure the match is met, and you will be expected to report annually on the matching funds as well as federal funds.

Travel Budget: Applicants should budget funds for the project director and one additional staff member to attend the Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, School Climate Transformation Project Directors Meeting 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. There are no meeting or registration costs for our grantees. These meetings will usually be held in Washington, DC.

Email Address: As part of our review of your application, we may need to contact you 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 11:59:59p.m., Eastern Time, on July 22, 2019. Please note that 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 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 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 ED’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.

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.

Reports: Each grantee is required to submit annual and a final report to demonstrate progress toward GPRA 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: This competition includes four absolute priorities. For FY 2019 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are absolute priorities.

Absolute Priority 1--Improving School Climate. Projects designed to develop, enhance, or expand systems of support for, and technical assistance to, schools implementing a multi-tiered system of support for improving school climate, which may include a multi-tiered behavioral framework, by using evidence-based efforts that are designed to foster safety; promote supportive academic, disciplinary, and physical environments; and/or encourage and maintain respectful, trusting, and caring relationships throughout the school community.

Absolute Priority 2--LEAs that are rural LEAs or serve a federally recognized Tribe. An LEA, including a BIE-funded school, meets this absolute priority if it provides evidence that it meets one of the following criteria: (1) it is a rural LEA, as defined in this notice; or (2) it predominantly serves members of one federally recognized Tribe. In determining whether a charter school LEA meets criteria (1) of this absolute priority, we consider where the school is located, regardless of where the students it serves live.

Absolute Priority 3--LEAs that include a Qualified Opportunity Zone. An LEA meets this priority if it includes, as a portion of the area served by the LEA, a Qualified Opportunity Zone under section 1400Z-1 of the Internal Revenue Service Code, as amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as defined in this notice. In determining whether a charter school LEA meets this absolute priority, we consider where the school is located, regardless of where the students it serves live.

Absolute Priority 4--LEAs that are not rural LEAs, do not include Qualified Opportunity Zones, and do not serve a Tribe. An LEA meets this absolute priority if it indicates in its application that it is not a rural LEA, as defined in this notice, does not serve a Qualified Opportunity Zone, and does not predominantly serve members of one federally recognized Tribe.

Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2019 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities.

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Protecting Freedom of Speech and Encouraging Respectful Interactions in a Safe Educational Environment (0 to 2 points). Projects that are designed to develop positive learning environments that promote strong relationships among students and school personnel to help prevent bullying, violence, and disruptive actions that diminish the opportunity for each student to receive a high-quality education.

Competitive Preference Priority 2--Fostering Knowledge and Promoting the Development of Skills That Prepare Students To Be Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens (0 to 3 points). Projects that are 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:

Competitive Preference Priority 3--Opioid Abuse and Prevention (0 to 5 points). Applications that propose a high-quality plan to implement opioid abuse prevention and mitigation strategies. The plan must describe how the LEA will use funds to implement evidence-based strategies for preventing opioid abuse by students, and/or address the mental health needs of students who are negatively impacted by family or community members who are (or have been) abusers. The plan may also include providing technical assistance to, or support for, schools that implement or plan to implement high-quality approaches to opioid abuse prevention such as the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) approach supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Applicants that receive competitive preference points under this priority and are ultimately awarded an SCTG-LEA grant will finalize and implement the high-quality plan described in response to this priority post-award.

Program Requirements: We are establishing these program requirements for the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).

Each grantee must implement a project that builds LEA capacity for supporting schools implementing evidence-based efforts to improve school climate by--

(a) Developing, enhancing, or expanding systems of support for, and technical assistance to, schools implementing a multi-tiered system of support for improving school climate by using evidence-based efforts that are designed to foster safety; promote supportive academic, disciplinary, and physical environments; and/or encourage and maintain respectful, trusting, and caring relationships throughout the school community;

(b) Improving the skills of LEA personnel to assist schools’ efforts to improve school climate through, for example, policies, funding, professional development, coaching, and coordination of providing services and implementing programs;

(c) Improving the quality, accessibility, and usefulness of any relevant districtwide data collection and analysis related to data-based decision making in areas related to improved school climate;

(d) Defining what it means to implement the multi-tiered system of support with fidelity and determining annually the extent to which the impacted schools are implementing such model with fidelity, for example, by using a tool or rubric to review implementation;

(e) Encouraging the use of evidence-based practices and reliable and valid tools and processes for evaluating the fidelity of efforts related to improved school climate; and

(f) Coordinating LEA efforts with appropriate Federal, State, and local resources.

Application Requirements: The applicant must--

(a) Describe the current efforts by the LEA to support schools implementing evidence-based efforts that are designed to foster safety; promote a supportive academic, disciplinary, and physical environment; and/or encourage and maintain respectful, trusting, and caring relationships throughout the school community;

(b) Describe how the LEA used the EDSCLS or similar assessment tool to help determine program needs and will use the EDSCLS or similar assessment tool for program decision making and improvements;

(c) Describe its plan to build, improve, or enhance LEA capacity to provide effective training, technical assistance, and support to schools related to implementing evidence-based efforts that are designed to foster safety; promote a supportive academic, disciplinary, and physical environment; and/or encourage and maintain respectful, trusting, and caring relationships throughout the school community, including--

(d) Describe how the proposed project will address the needs of schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement under section 1111(d)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), and schools identified for targeted support and improvement under section 1111(d)(2) of the ESEA.

Definitions:

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

Evidence-based means the proposed project component is supported by one or more of strong evidence, moderate evidence, promising evidence, or evidence that demonstrates a rationale.

Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as students) that are otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment group receiving a project component or a control group that does not. Randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity design studies, and single-case design studies are the specific types of experimental studies that, depending on their design and implementation (e.g., sample attrition in randomized controlled trials and regression discontinuity design studies), can meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards without reservations as described in the WWC Handbook:

(i) A randomized controlled trial employs random assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to receive the project component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to receive the project component (the control group).

(ii) A regression discontinuity design study assigns the project component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of outcomes.

(iii) A single-case design study uses observations of a single case (e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the treatment.

Local educational agency (LEA) means (i) 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; (ii) Any other public institution or agency having administrative control and direction of a public elementary school or secondary school; (iii) An elementary school or secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education 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 Local Educational Agency other than the Bureau of Indian Education; (iv) Educational service agencies and consortia of those agencies; or (v) The Local Educational Agency in a State in which the Local Educational Agency is the sole educational agency for all public schools.

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

Moderate evidence means that there is evidence of effectiveness of a key project component in improving a relevant outcome for a sample that overlaps with the populations or settings proposed to receive that component, based on a relevant finding from one of the following: (i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook reporting a “strong evidence base” or “moderate evidence base” for the corresponding practice guide recommendation; (ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook reporting a “positive effect” or “potentially positive effect” on a relevant outcome based on a “medium to large” extent of evidence, with no reporting of a “negative effect” or “potentially negative effect” on a relevant outcome; or (iii) A single experimental study or quasi-experimental design study reviewed and reported by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, or otherwise assessed by the Department using version 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, as appropriate, and that—

(A) Meets WWC standards with or without reservations;

(B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive (i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome;

(C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook; and

(D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (e.g., State, county, city, school district, or postsecondary campus) and includes at least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies of the same project component that each meet requirements in paragraphs (iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may together satisfy this requirement.

Multi-tiered system of support means a comprehensive continuum of evidence-based, systemic practices to support a rapid response to students’ needs, with regular observation to facilitate data-based instructional decision making.

Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention, process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).

Promising evidence means that there is evidence of the effectiveness of a key project component in improving a relevant outcome, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:

(i) A practice guide prepared by WWC reporting a “strong evidence base” or “moderate evidence base” for the corresponding practice guide recommendation;

(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC reporting a “positive effect” or “potentially positive effect” on a relevant outcome with no reporting of a “negative effect” or “potentially negative effect” on a relevant outcome; or

(iii) A single study assessed by the Department, as appropriate, that (A) Is an experimental study, a quasi-experimental design study, or a well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias (e.g., a study using regression methods to account for differences between a treatment group and a comparison group); and (B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive (i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome.

Qualified Opportunity Zone means a Qualified Opportunity Zone, as designated by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 1400Z-1 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 115-97). To demonstrate that it meets Absolute Priority 2 by being located in a Qualified Opportunity Zone, an applicant must provide the census tract number of the Qualified Opportunity Zone(s) in which it proposes to provide services. A list of Qualified Opportunity Zones is available at: www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/Opportunity-Zones.aspx .

Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that attempts to approximate an experimental study by identifying a comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation (e.g., establishment of baseline equivalence of the groups being compared), can meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet WWC standards without reservations, as described in the WWC Handbook.

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

Rural local educational agency means a local educational agency that is eligible under the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program or the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program authorized under Title V, Part B of the ESEA. Eligible applicants may determine whether a particular district is eligible for these programs by referring to information on the Department’s website at https://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html . Note: For the purposes of this competition, in order to qualify as a rural LEA under this definition, an LEA must have been eligible for fiscal year 2018 or 2019 SRSA or RLIS funds.

Strong evidence means that there is evidence of the effectiveness of a key project component in improving a relevant outcome for a sample that overlaps with the populations and settings proposed to receive that component, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:

(i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook reporting a “strong evidence base” for the corresponding practice guide recommendation;

(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook reporting a “positive effect” on a relevant outcome based on a “medium to large” extent of evidence, with no reporting of a “negative effect” or “potentially negative effect” on a relevant outcome; or

(iii) A single experimental study reviewed and reported by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, or otherwise assessed by the Department using version 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, as appropriate, and that (A) Meets WWC standards without reservations; (B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive (i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome; (C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook; and (D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (e.g., State, county, city, school district, or postsecondary campus) and includes at least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies of the same project component that each meet requirements in paragraphs (iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may together satisfy this requirement.

What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (WWC Handbook) means the standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version 2.1 (incorporated by reference, see 34 CFR 77.2). Study findings eligible for review under WWC standards can meet WWC standards without reservations, meet WWC standards with reservations, or not meet WWC standards. WWC practice guides and intervention reports include findings from systematic reviews of evidence as described in the Handbook documentation.

School Climate Transformation Grant Technical Assistance Centers:

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://www.safesupportivelearning.ed.gov Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is established by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to define, develop, implement, and evaluate a multitiered approach to Technical Assistance that improves the capacity of states, districts and schools to establish, scale-up and sustain the PBIS framework. Emphasis is given to the impact of implementing PBIS on the social, emotional and academic outcomes for students with disabilities. http://www.pbis.org Frequently Asked Questions Administrative

1. What is the deadline date for this competition?

The deadline for this competition is July 22, 2019.

2. May I get an extension of the deadline date?

Waivers for individual applications failing to meet the deadline will not be granted, regardless of the circumstances. 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.

3. 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 (NIA), you must submit your application electronically.

4. How do I submit my application electronically?

You must submit your application electronically via Grants.gov. For more information on using Grants.gov, please refer to the “Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs” published in the Federal Register on June 10, 2019. The Grants.gov “Submission Procedures and Tips” document found in this application package; and/or visit www.grants.gov .

5. What information do I enter in box 4 Applicant Identifier, box 5a Federal Entity Identifier, and box 5b Federal Award Identifier on the SF-424 form?

These boxes are not applicable for this competition. Please leave boxes 4, 5a, and 5b blank. You may input “NA” in each box but be sure not to include a slash (i.e., “N/A”), the system will not allow you to input special characters.

6. 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 Freedom of Information Act, visit http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/foiatoc.html.

7. For my GEPA 427 statement 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.

8. 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 ED and check the appropriate line on the SF 424 form.

9. 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 information provided in the grant application is true and complete 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 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.

10. What should I include in the “Table of Contents”?

The Table of Contents shows where and how the important sections of your proposal are organized and should not exceed one double spaced page. The application package shows the “Table of Contents” falling within the “Project Narrative,” but the “Table of Contents” should be comprehensive, covering all application content.

Eligibility

11. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are LEAs, or consortia of LEAs, as defined by section 8101(30) of the ESEA. Any LEA that has ever received a grant under SCTG-LEA is not eligible for this grant.

12. Are colleges or universities eligible to apply for this grant?

No. Colleges and universities are not considered LEAs and thus are not eligible for this grant. Only entities that meet the definition of an LEA may receive funding under this program.

Priorities

13. Must all applicants address Absolute Priority 1 to be eligible for funding?

Yes, all applications must address the Absolute Priority 1 - Improving School Climate to be eligible for funding. Projects designed to develop, enhance, or expand systems of support for, and technical assistance to, schools implementing a multi-tiered system of support for improving school climate by using evidence-based efforts that are designed to foster safety; promote supportive academic, disciplinary, and physical environments; and/or encourage and maintain respectful, trusting, and caring relationships throughout the school community.

14. Does the Department require a particular multi-tiered system of support framework to be used in order to meet Absolute Priority 1?

No. The Department neither requires nor endorses any particular multi-tiered system of support framework to be used in order to meet Absolute Priority 1. However, the applicant chosen multi-tiered system of support framework must be intended to improve school climate by using evidence-based efforts that are designed to foster safety; promote supportive academic, disciplinary, and physical environments; and/or encourage and maintain respectful, trusting, and caring relationships throughout the school community

15. Are applicants required to meet Absolute Priorities 2, 3, and 4?

No. In addition to meeting Absolute Priority 1, applicants must identify if they meet absolute priority 2, 3, or 4. Applicants should indicate under which priorities they are applying in the abstract section of the proposal.

16. Are applicants required to meet address all three competitive priorities?

No. Applicants are not required to address all of the competitive preference priorities. Applicant may elect to address one, two, three, or none of the competitive priorities.

17. If we decide to apply for the competitive preference priority, are we required to state our intention to do so in the abstract section of the application?

Yes. In order to be eligible for earning competitive preference priority points, an applicant must state in the abstract section of its application that it is seeking points under the competitive preference priority, and we encourage you to specifically identify your response to the competitive preference priority to assist reviewers. Applications that fail to clearly state in the abstract section that they are seeking to earn points under the competitive preference will not be reviewed against the competitive preference priority and will not be awarded competitive preference priority points.

18. Where should we provide supporting information to address the competitive preference priority for purposes of earning competitive preference priority points?

Applicants should discuss in more detail how you will be addressing the competitive preference priority as part of the overall proposed project goals and objectives in the application narrative.

Requirements

19. What Assurances and Certifications are required?

Be certain to complete all required assurances and certifications in Grants.gov and include all required information in the appropriate place on each form. The assurances and certifications required for this application are:

· Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B Form)

· Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF LLL Form)

· Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-0013 Form)

· General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427

20. What are the Project Performance Measures for this program?

The Department has established the following performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the School Climate Transformation Grant Program:

(a) The number of training and/or technical assistance events to support implementation with fidelity provided annually by LEAs to schools implementing a multi-tiered system of support.

(b) Number and percentage of schools annually that report an improved school climate based on the results of the EDSCLS or similar tool.

(c) Number and percentage of schools annually that are implementing a multi-tiered system of support framework with fidelity.

(d) Number and percentage of schools annually that are implementing opioid abuse prevention and mitigation strategies.

(e) Number and percentage of schools that report an annual decrease in suspensions and expulsions related to possession or use of alcohol.

(f) Number and percentage of schools that report an annual decrease in suspensions and expulsions related to possession or use of other drugs.

21. What technical assistance is available for applicants?

The Office of Safe and Supportive Schools plans to conduct a technical assistance (TA) conference call designed to assist applicants who might have questions related to the application process and procedure for this grant program. Applicants are encouraged to read through the entire application package before participating in this TA call. The tentative date and time is June 25, 2019 at 2:00pm Eastern Time. Applicants should reference our website at: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/schoolclimatelea/index.html for follow-up information related to this call.

22. Where in my proposal should I address the four application requirements that are in the NIA?

Applicants will inherently address the four application requirements throughout the narrative under the relevant selection criterion. However, for screening purposes, applicants should clearly identify where the narrative is addressing one of the four application requirements.

23. What is EDSCLS, and how do I access it?

ED School Climate Survey tool (EDSCLS) is a school climate survey resource developed by the Department in 2014. The resource is intended to assist States, local districts, and schools collect and access data related to their school climate. It focuses on three content domains: (1) engagement (which encompasses cultural and linguistic competence, relationships, and school participation), (2) safety (which encompasses emotional safety, physical safety, bullying/cyberbullying, substance abuse, and emergency readiness/management), and (3) environment, including physical environment, instructional environment, physical health, mental health, and discipline. Applicants can learn more about EDSCLS and download it for free by visiting https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/edscls .

Application Review

24. How will applications be reviewed?

The Department will first screen applications to determine which applications should be forwarded to reviewers based on the adequacy of the applications’ response to the absolute priorities, eligibility, and other requirements published in the NIA.

The Department intends to use non-federal reviewers from various backgrounds and professions with relevant expertise. These reviewers will use their professional judgment to evaluate and score each application based on the selection criteria.

25. Will an applicant receive its scores and reviewer comments after the competitions are completed?

Yes. Both funded and unfunded applicants will receive a copy of the technical review form completed by the peer reviewers. Individual reviewer names are deleted from the forms to preserve confidentiality.

26. Will the reviewers have access to every part of each application?

Yes. Reviewers will have access to every part of the application (including the budget narrative, and project narrative, among others). For this reason and 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.

Budget

27. Is there a maximum award amount for this competition?

Yes. We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $750,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

28. What is an indirect cost?

An indirect cost is an expense that you incur that is necessary for 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.

29. Does this program use a restricted or unrestricted indirect cost rate?

This program uses an unrestricted indirect cost rate.

30. If an applicant intends to charge indirect costs to the grant, what documentation should it submit with its application?

If an applicant has a current indirect cost rate, it should submit a copy of its current indirect cost rate agreement, including its current rate.

If an applicant does not have a current indirect cost rate agreement, applicants should submit a provisional indirect cost rate. Applicants may choose not to submit indirect cost rate information at the time of application; however, in order to charge indirect costs to the grant, this applicant will need to submit an indirect cost rate agreement. The applicant should include any proposed indirect costs in its proposed budget and budget narrative.

31. If a grantee fails to propose indirect costs in the budget section of the application, may it charge indirect costs to the grant once awarded?

During the Department’s budget review process, which occurs prior to grant award, the Department reviews each applicant’s requested budget. If the requested budget does not include estimated indirect costs, they will not be included in the budget approved by the Department that forms the basis of the grant award. This means that, after award, a grantee would only have funds with which to charge indirect costs to the grant if the approved direct costs of the grantee’s project for any budget period exceed the grantee's actual direct costs. Where this occurs, the grantee may submit a requested budget revision to the Department program office to use the excess funds budgeted for direct costs to cover its indirect costs.

32. If, at the time it receives a grant award, a grantee does not have an approved indirect cost agreement, may it still charge indirect costs to the grant?

A grantee that does not have an indirect cost agreement at the time of application may still be able to charge indirect costs until it receives an approved rate, if the Secretary approves the grantee's request to use a temporary rate of ten percent of budgeted direct salaries and wages. However, after the grant award is issued, the grantee must receive an indirect cost rate within 90 calendar days of the start of the grant to continue to charge indirect costs to the grant.

For additional information about obtaining an approved indirect cost rate or applying for an indirect cost rate, contact the Department’s indirect cost group at IndirectCostGroup@ed.gov.

33. 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. Costs associated with a consultant must be reasonable, allocable, and allowable.

34. What are the funding restrictions?

Program funds may be used for costs related to training, technical assistance, and capacity building, in addition to other allowable, allocable, and reasonable costs.

35. When direct costs include equipment and large contracts, how are these costs treated in the calculation of a grantee’s indirect costs?

The terms of the applicable indirect cost agreement govern this issue. In general, the indirect cost rate is applied to direct costs to calculate the indirect costs that can be charged to a grant. However, many indirect cost rate agreements exclude from the direct costs used for this calculation equipment costs. Additionally, contractual costs that exceed the first $25,000 of each contract are excluded from the indirect calculation unless otherwise explicitly indicated int the indirect cost rate agreement.

36. Are applicants required to secure cost sharing or matching funds?

No. The applicants are not required to secure cost sharing or matching funds under this grant program.

37. When an applicant commits non-Federal funds to the proposed project, does this create a legal obligation to fulfill the commitment?

Yes. Section 75.700 of the Education Department General Administrative regulations (EDGAR) (34 C.F.R.