Every Student Succeeds Act/Preschool Development Grants

The Preschool Development Grants (PDG) program seeks to assist states (including territories) in helping low-income and disadvantaged children enter Kindergarten prepared and ready to succeed in school and to help improve the transitions from the ear

These awards allow states and territories to assess their statewide early childhood birth through five system and service needs, to create a strategic plan that identifies statewide goals for future years, and, if awarded, to begin implementing their statewide system and service goals and activities described in their strategic plan.

Each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa are eligible to apply for a 1-year early childhood birth through five systems-building award, per our Notice of Funding Opportunity's (NOFO) eligibility criteria.

Beneficiaries are the children birth through 5 and their families in states and territories.

The PDG B-5 System-Building Grant: A State, acting through the State agency appointed by the Governor, which receives a PDG B-5 Grant shall use the funds for all of the following activities: (1) Conducting a periodic statewide needs assessment of- (A) the availability and quality of existing programs in the State, including such programs serving the most vulnerable or underserved populations and children in rural areas; (B) to the extent practicable, the unduplicated number of children being served and (C) awaiting service in such programs. (2) Developing a strategic plan that recommends collaboration, coordination, and quality improvement activities among existing programs in the State and local educational agencies, including activities to improve children's transition from early childhood education programs into elementary schools. The strategic plan must include information that- (A) identifies opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and coordination among existing programs in the State, responsible for administering such programs; (B) recommends partnership opportunities among Head Start providers, local educational agencies, State and local governments, Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and private entities (including faith- and community-based entities) that would improve coordination, program quality, and delivery of services; (C) builds on existing plans and goals with respect to early childhood education programs; (D) describes how accomplishing these activities will better serve children and families in existing programs and how such activities will increase the overall participation of children in the State. (3) Maximizing parental choice and knowledge about the State's mixed delivery system of existing programs and providers by- (A) ensuring that parents are provided information about the variety of early childhood education programs for children from birth to kindergarten entry in the State's mixed delivery system; and (B) promoting and increasing involvement by parents and family members, including families of low-income and disadvantaged children, in the development of their children and the transition of such children from an early childhood education program into an elementary school. (4) Sharing best practices among early childhood education program providers in the State to increase collaboration and efficiency of services, including to improve transitions from such programs to elementary school. (5) Improving the overall quality of early childhood education programs in the State, including by developing and implementing evidence-based practices to improve professional development for early childhood education providers and educational opportunities for children.

Recipients must obligate all discretionary funds in the fiscal year in which they are awarded or in the succeeding fiscal year. PDG B-5 System Building Grants have a 12-month budget and project period.

Coordination is expected at the state level among all state departments involved in providing supportive early childhood services to children birth through age 5 and their families prior to the submission of a formal application to the Federal funding agency.

The criteria for selecting proposals will be published in the NOFOs.

Each application is reviewed against four factors: eligibility, the application deadline, required electronic submission or waiver requested and approved, and the Award Ceiling. If the application does not meet all of these factors, then it is disqualified from the merit review process. After the initial review, applications are reviewed and evaluated by merit review panels using only the criteria described in the Application Review section of the NOFO. Each panel is composed of experts with knowledge and experience in the area under review. Generally, review panels include three reviewers and one chairperson. While merit review scores and their ranking are not binding, ACF does consider them when selecting projects for funding. Scores and rankings are only one element used in the award decision-making process. Other criteria are explained in the Program Description section and in the Application Review section of the NOFO. For example, ACF reserves the right to evaluate applications in the larger context of the overall portfolio by considering the geographic distribution of federal funds (e.g., ensuring coverage of states, counties, or service areas) in its pre-award decisions. ACF may elect not to fund applicants with management or financial problems that would indicate an inability to successfully complete the proposed project. In addition, ACF may elect to not allow a prime recipient to subaward if there is any indication that they are unable to properly monitor and manage subrecipients. Applications may be funded in whole or in part. Successful applicants may be funded at an amount lower than requested.

Awards for states and territories is dependent upon annual congressional appropriation to enable states to carry out activities identified in their award application. Renewal is not automatic but is dependent upon the eligibility criteria identified in each annual funding announcement.

There is no appeal process for unsuccessful applicants. For existing recipients, appeals in regards to disputes may take place in accordance with 45 CFR Part 16, subject to the limitations in Appendix A.