Notice2025-08766
Applications for New Awards; Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP)-Model Development and Dissemination Grants
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 16, 2025
Issuing agencies
Education Department
Abstract
The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for CSP--Model Development and Dissemination Grants.
Full Text
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 94 (Friday, May 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21021-21027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08766]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Expanding Opportunity Through
Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP)--Model Development and
Dissemination Grants
AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for CSP--Model
Development and Dissemination Grants.
DATES:
Applications Available: May 16, 2025.
Application Deadline: July 14, 2025.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 12, 2025.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to the Application Submission Instructions
section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sareeta Schmitt, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-5970.
Telephone: (202) 205-0730. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#493a283b2c2c3d28673a2a2124203d3d092c2d672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="780b190a1d1d0c19560b1b1015110c0c381d1c561f170e">[email protected]</span></a>.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Purpose of Program: The CSP--Model Development and Dissemination
(MDD) Grant Program offers competitive grants to eligible organizations
to develop and broadly disseminate essential information about
implementing innovative and effective practices of high-quality charter
school \1\ models.
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\1\ Defined terms are italicized the first time they are used.
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Charter schools supported under the CSP provide elementary or
secondary education, or both, and may also serve students in early
childhood education programs or postsecondary students.
Assistance Listing Number: 84.282G.
OMB Control Number: 1894-0006.
Background: The CSP--Model Development and Dissemination (MDD)
Grant Program offers competitive grants to eligible organizations to
develop and broadly disseminate information about innovative and
effective practices of high-quality charter school models. The
Department is establishing this program under the authority to
disseminate best practices regarding charter schools in section
4305(a)(3)(B) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended (ESEA). This program supports the Department's efforts to
expand access to high-quality education options for our Nation's
students and families, ultimately leading to better student outcomes.
The program helps
[[Page 21022]]
accomplish this goal by spreading awareness among teachers, school
leaders, and other stakeholders of key strategies of high-performing
charter schools and promoting their collaborative adoption in
additional school communities.
Charter schools are a key pillar in providing access to education
choice, empowering parents and families to seek the best learning
environment for their children and fostering innovation in education
models that address the unique needs of students across the country.
Through this program, the Department is particularly interested in
information about strategies and practices of high-quality charter
schools that use innovative education models designed to meet the needs
of students and provide parents and families with high-quality options
for their children. Unique and innovative school models include charter
schools that focus on one or more of the following: classical and
civics education; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) education, including computer science; career and technical
education; or other innovative educational practices with evidence of
success; or serving students with unique needs, such as students with
disabilities or receiving special education or related services,
military-connected students, students living in rural areas, or Native
American students.
Proposed projects under this program must focus on at least one
stage of the lifecycle of a charter school, which typically involves
design and planning, securing authorization, preparing to open
(including obtaining a facility), enrollment and operations, achieving
and sustaining student success, and potentially replication or
expansion.\2\ Projects must also address key implementation challenges,
including how these challenges were overcome. Potential challenges may
include obtaining authorizer approval, securing support from parents
and the community, enrolling and retaining students, finding suitable
facilities, recruiting and retaining a high-quality educator workforce,
and improving student outcomes.
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\2\ For more information on the lifecycle of a charter school,
visit the National Charter School Resource Center's What is a
Charter School? page: <a href="https://charterschoolcenter.ed.gov/what-charter-school#cycle">https://charterschoolcenter.ed.gov/what-charter-school#cycle</a>.
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Note: The table below highlights key aspects of the funding
opportunity in this NIA. Applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review
this notice for a detailed listing and description of all competition
requirements before submitting an application.
Table 1--Funding Opportunity At-a-Glance
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Topic Notes
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Application Deadline......... All interested applicants must submit
applications in <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> no later than
11:59 p.m. Eastern time on July 14,
2025. Complete instructions on how to
register and apply can be found at
<a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a>.
Eligibility.................. Entities eligible to apply include:
charter schools (as defined in this
notice); charter management
organizations (as defined in this
notice); State educational agencies;
State charter school boards; State
Governors; charter school support
organizations (as defined in this
notice); authorized public chartering
agencies (as defined in this notice);
and other public and private nonprofit
organizations that operate, manage, or
support charter schools.
Entities that apply for this competition
may apply as a partnership or consortium
and if so applying, must comply with the
requirements for group applications set
forth in 34 CFR 75.127-129.
Funding and Project Period... Estimated Available Funds: $4,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $350,000 to
$500,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$425,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8-10.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Absolute Priority (AP)....... This notice includes one AP. We consider
for funding only applications that meet
the AP.
The full text of the AP is in AP: Development and Dissemination of
the Priority section below. Information on Innovative and Effective
Practices of High-Quality Charter School
Models.
Selection Criteria........... We evaluate applications using selection
criteria. The maximum score for
addressing all selection criteria is 100
points.
The full text of the Selection Criteria:
selection criteria is in the (a) Significance (up to 30 points).
Selection Criteria section (b) Quality of the Project Design (up to
below. 30 points).
(c) Quality of the Management Plan and
Adequacy of Resources (up to 40 points).
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2. Award Information.
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $4,000,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $350,000 to $500,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $425,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8-10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
The estimated range and average size of awards are based on a single
12-month budget period. We may use FY 2025 funds to support multiple
12-month budget periods for one or more grantees.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
3. Eligible Applicants for Grants: We are establishing the eligible
entities for this competition in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of
GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Eligible entities include: Charter schools
(as defined in this notice); charter management organizations (as
defined in this notice); State educational agencies (SEAs); State
charter school boards; State Governors; charter school support
organizations (as defined in this notice); authorized public chartering
agencies (as defined in this notice); and other public and private
nonprofit organizations that operate, manage, or support charter
schools.
Entities that apply for this competition may apply as a partnership
or consortium and if so applying, must comply with the requirements for
group
[[Page 21023]]
applications set forth in 34 CFR 75.127-129.
Note: Under 34 CFR 75.51, you may demonstrate your nonprofit status
by providing: (1) proof that the Internal Revenue Service currently
recognizes the applicant as an organization to which contributions are
tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
(2) a statement from a State taxing body or the State attorney general
certifying that the organization is a nonprofit organization operating
within the State and that no part of its net earnings may lawfully
benefit any private shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of
the applicant's certificate of incorporation or similar document if it
clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any
item described above if that item applies to a State or national parent
organization, together with a statement by the State or parent
organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.
4. Priority: We are establishing this priority for the FY 2025
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). This priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this
priority. An application must address all parts of the absolute
priority to be considered for funding.
The absolute priority is:
Development and Dissemination of Information on Innovative and
Effective Practices of High-Quality Charter School Models.
Projects designed to develop and broadly disseminate information on
strategies and practices of high-quality charter school models,
including challenges in implementing such strategies and practices and
how such challenges were overcome. Projects under this priority must
disseminate such information by creating a variety of tools and
resources (e.g., guides, frameworks, and/or other publications) and
sharing them through a variety of formats (e.g., traditional and
digital media, workshops) to promote widespread adoption.
To meet this priority, eligible applicants must include the
following in their applications.
(1) A description of the strategies and practices of the high-
quality charter school model, including--
(a) A description of the specific high-quality charter school
model;
(b) Evidence that the model meets requirements for a high-quality
charter school under section 4310(8) of the ESEA; and
(c) A description of one or more specific selected strategies or
practices of the model to be covered by the proposed project,
including--
(i) An identification of the stage(s) of the lifecycle of a charter
school (e.g., the design and planning stage) the strategy or practice
addresses; and
(ii) A description of how the strategy or practice was developed
and implemented, including key challenges in implementing the strategy
or practice and how these challenges were overcome.
(2) A description of how the applicant will develop and disseminate
information on the selected strategies or practices of the high-quality
charter school model, including--
(a) A description of the tools and resources the applicant will
create, including how these tools and resources will facilitate
replication of the strategies or practices in other charter schools,
traditional public schools, or non-public schools, as appropriate; and
(b) A description of the dissemination mechanisms the applicant
will use to broadly share these tools and resources, including how the
dissemination mechanisms are unique and distinct from what currently
exists in the field, as well as the intended reach.
5. Application Requirement: Applications for CSP MDD Grants funds
must address the following application requirements, which we establish
for FY 2025 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). An applicant may
choose to respond to these requirements in the context of its responses
to the absolute priority and selection criteria.
(a) Provide a project plan that includes: a specific timeline for
implementing each component of the absolute priority identified in this
notice and all proposed grant activities; a logic model that describes
the purpose of the project based on the absolute priority; clearly
specified, measurable project objectives that are aligned with the
project purpose; and the specific strategies, behaviors, and
initiatives that will be implemented to accomplish project objectives.
For each project objective, the project plan must include--
(i) Inputs and Resources: Identification of the specific costs that
will be allocated to the proposed project. These costs must represent
the inputs and resources (e.g., personnel, contracted services,
supplies, and equipment) that are necessary to generate and support
grant project activities and are necessary to produce project outputs.
Applicants must ensure that the total project costs, as identified in
this section, are consistent with the ED 524B budget form and response
to selection criteria;
(ii) Project Activities: Identification of the specific activities
proposed to be funded under the grant; the estimated cost of those
activities under the grant project; and how these activities are linked
to the target grant project outputs and outcomes;
(iii) Project Outputs: Identification of the specific project
deliverables, work products, and other outputs of the proposed project,
including the cost of those outputs. Examples of outputs include--
(1) Publications (e.g., best practice guides, toolkits, evaluation
reports, etc.);
(2) Workshops or presentations at stakeholder conferences; and,
(3) Other forms of traditional and digital media (e.g., videos,
webinars, podcasts, blogs, vlogs).
(iv) Project Outcomes: Identification of the anticipated project
outcomes or effects as a result of the proposed project.
(b) Provide a management plan that describes clearly defined
responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for executing the project
and achieving project outcomes.
(c) Provide a dissemination plan based on the absolute priority in
this notice that includes the number and description of target audience
and entities for which best-practices information will be disseminated,
as well as a description of the mechanisms the applicant will use to
disseminate information on its proposed projects.
(d) Provide an evaluation plan that includes performance measures
that are aligned to the project purpose, project objectives, and
project outcomes as well as to the intended outcomes of the proposed
project.
Applications submitted must be for activities related to and
consistent with the absolute priority.
5. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative
Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers
interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities,
selection criteria, definitions, and requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of
GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking
requirements regulations governing the first grant competition under a
new or substantially revised program authority.
[[Page 21024]]
This is the first grant competition for this program under section
4305(a)(3)(B) of the ESEA, and, therefore, this competition qualifies
for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the
Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the priority and
requirements in this notice in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of
GEPA. This priority and requirements will apply to grants awarded under
this competition in FY 2025 and any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
6. Definitions: The following definitions are from section 4310 of
the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221i) and 34 CFR part 77.
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 (as defined in this notice), whether a performance
target is ambitious depends upon the context of the relevant
performance measure (as defined in this notice) and the baseline (as
defined in this notice) for that measure. (34 CFR 77.1)
Authorized public chartering agency means an SEA, LEA, or other
public entity that has the authority pursuant to State law and approved
by the Secretary to authorize or approve a charter school (ESEA section
4310(1)).
Baseline means the starting point from which performance is
measured and targets are set. (34 CFR 77.1)
Charter management organization means a nonprofit organization that
operates or manages a network of charter schools linked by centralized
support, operations, and oversight (ESEA section 4310(3)).
Charter school means a public school that--
(1) In accordance with a specific State statute authorizing the
granting of charters to schools, is exempt from significant State or
local rules that inhibit the flexible operation and management of
public schools, but not from any rules relating to the other
requirements of this definition;
(2) Is created by a developer as a public school, or is adapted by
a developer from an existing public school, and is operated under
public supervision and direction;
(3) Operates in pursuit of a specific set of educational objectives
determined by the school's developer and agreed to by the authorized
public chartering agency;
(4) Provides a program of elementary or secondary education, or
both;
(5) Is nonsectarian in its programs, admissions policies,
employment practices, and all other operations, and is not affiliated
with a sectarian school or religious institution; \[1]\
(6) Does not charge tuition;
(7) Complies with the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), section 444 of
General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232g) (commonly
referred to as the ``Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of
1974''), and part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA);
(8) Is a school to which parents choose to send their children, and
that--
(i) Admits students on the basis of a lottery, consistent with
section 4303(c)(3)(A) of the ESEA, if more students apply for admission
than can be accommodated; or
(ii) In the case of a school that has an affiliated charter school
(such as a school that is part of the same network of schools),
automatically enrolls students who are enrolled in the immediate prior
grade level of the affiliated charter school and, for any additional
student openings or student openings created through regular attrition
in student enrollment in the affiliated charter school and the
enrolling school, admits students on the basis of a lottery as
described in paragraph (8)(i) of this definition;
(9) Agrees to comply with the same Federal and State audit
requirements as do other elementary schools and secondary schools in
the State, unless such State audit requirements are waived by the
State;
(10) Meets all applicable Federal, State, and local health and
safety requirements;
(11) Operates in accordance with State law;
(12) Has a written performance contract with the authorized public
chartering agency in the State that includes a description of how
student performance will be measured in charter schools pursuant to
State assessments that are required of other schools and pursuant to
any other assessments mutually agreeable to the authorized public
chartering agency and the charter school; and
(13) May serve students in early childhood educational programs or
postsecondary students. (ESEA section 4310(2))
Charter school support organization means a nonprofit,
nongovernmental entity that is not an authorized public chartering
agency and provides, on a statewide basis--
(1) Assistance to developers during the planning, program design,
and initial implementation of a charter school; and
(2) Technical assistance to operating charter schools. (ESEA
section 4310(4))
High-quality charter school means a charter school that--
(1) Shows evidence of strong academic results, which may include
strong student academic growth, as determined by a State;
(2) Has no significant issues in the areas of student safety,
financial and operational management, or statutory or regulatory
compliance;
(3) Has demonstrated success in significantly increasing student
academic achievement, including graduation rates where applicable, for
all students served by the charter school; and
(4) Has demonstrated success in increasing student academic
achievement, including graduation rates where applicable, for each of
the subgroups of students, as defined in section 1111(c)(2) of the
ESEA, except that such demonstration is not required in a case in which
the number of students in a group is insufficient to yield
statistically reliable information or the results would reveal
personally identifiable information about an individual student. (ESEA
section 4310(8)).
Logic model (also referred to as 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. (34 CFR 77.1)
Performance measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or
metric used to gauge program or project performance. (34 CFR 77.1)
Performance target means a level of performance that an applicant
would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a
project. (34 CFR 77.1)
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). (34
CFR 77.1)
[[Page 21025]]
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. (34 CFR 77.1)
7. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum possible total score an application
can receive for addressing the selection criteria is 100 points. The
maximum possible score for addressing each criterion is indicated in
parentheses following the criterion.
(a) Significance (up to 30 points).
The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project.
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the resources, tools, and implementation
lessons of the proposed project will be disseminated in ways to the
target population and local community that will enable them and others
(including practitioners, researchers, education leaders, and partners)
to implement similar strategies.
(b) Quality of the project design (up to 30 points).
The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified, measurable, and
ambitious yet achievable within the project period, and aligned with
the purposes of the grant program (up to 5 points).
(ii) The quality of the logic model or other conceptual framework
underlying the proposed project, including how inputs are related to
outcomes (up to 15 points).
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach to any absolute priority or absolute priorities
used in the competition (up to 10 points).
(c) Quality of the management plan and adequacy of resources (up to
40 points).
The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan and
adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the
quality of the management plan and adequacy of resources for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project
objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks (up to 15 points).
(ii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project, and the costs are reasonable in relation to the
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project
(up to 10 points).
(iii) The extent to which the project director or principal
investigator, when hired, has the qualifications required for the
project, including formal training or work experience in fields related
to the objectives of the project and experience in designing, managing,
or implementing similar projects for the target population to be served
by the project (up to 10 points).
(iv) The extent to which the time commitment of the project
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project
(up to 5 points).
8. Performance Measures: Applicants must propose project-specific
performance measures and performance targets consistent with the
objectives of the proposed project and the project outcomes identified
in the logic model. The project-specific performance measures should be
sufficient to gauge progress throughout the grant period, at least on
an annual basis, and to show results by the end of the grant period.
Applicants must provide the following information as directed under 34
CFR 75.110(b) and (c):
(a) Project-Specific Performance Measures. How each proposed
performance measure would: accurately measure the performance of the
project; be consistent with the performance measures established for
the program funding the competition; and be used to inform continuous
improvement of the project.
(b) Baseline Data. Why each proposed baseline is valid and
reliable, including an assessment of the quality data used to establish
the baseline; or, if the applicant has determined that there are no
valid, established baseline data for a particular performance measure,
an explanation of why there is no established baseline and of how and
when, during the project period, the applicant would establish a valid
baseline for the performance measure.
(c) Performance targets. Why each proposed performance target is
ambitious yet achievable compared to the baseline for the performance
measure and when, during the project period, the applicant would meet
the performance target(s).
(d) Data collection and reporting. (i) The data collection and
reporting methods the applicant would use for the project-specific
performance measures and why those methods are likely to yield
reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data; and (ii) The
applicant's capacity to collect and report reliable, valid, and
meaningful performance data, as evidenced by high-quality data
collection, analysis, and reporting in other projects or research.
All grantees must submit an annual performance report with
information that is responsive to these performance measures.
9. Program Authority and Applicable Regulations:
Program Authority: 4305(a)(3)(B) of the ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7221d.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal
civil rights laws.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86,
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension
(Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements
for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200 (Uniform Guidance), as adopted and
amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian Tribes.
II. Supplemental Requirements
1. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program does not involve
supplement-not-supplant funding requirements.
c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an
unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding
indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please
see <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo#Indirect-Cost-Division">https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo#Indirect-Cost-Division</a>.
d. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform
Guidance.
2. Subgrantees: A grantee under this program may not award
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities
described in its application.
[[Page 21026]]
3. Reasonable and Necessary Costs: In accordance with 2 CFR
200.404, applicants must ensure that all costs included in the proposed
budget are reasonable and necessary in light of the goals and
objectives of the proposed project. Any costs determined by the
Secretary to be unreasonable or unnecessary will be removed from the
final approved budget.
4. Funding Restrictions: Grant funds may be used only for
activities that are related to the development and broad dissemination
of information on strategies and practices of high-quality charter
school models regarding the absolute priority and that are included in
the grantee's approved application. Grantees are expected to identify
the specific costs associated with each included activity.
Grantees may not use grant funds to conduct charter school
authorizing activities, or to open new charter schools. Grantees may
not use grant funds to acquire or finance the acquisition of a charter
school facility, including through credit enhancement, direct lending,
or subgrants.
Grantees may not use grant funds for general organizational
operating support beyond the costs associated with this grant project.
In accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1), we
establish that no more than 5 percent of grant funds may be used for
direct administration of the grant project.
5. Audits: (i) A non-Federal entity that expends $1,000,000 or more
during the non-Federal entity's fiscal year in Federal awards must have
a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year in
accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR part 200. (2 CFR 200.501(a))
(ii) A non-Federal entity that expends less than $1,000,000 during
the non-Federal entity's fiscal year in Federal awards is exempt from
Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR
200.503 (Relation to other audit requirements), but records must be
available for review or audit by appropriate officials of the Federal
agency, pass-through entity, and Government Accountability Office. (2
CFR 200.501(d)).
III. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528), and available at <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-30488">https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-30488</a>, which contain requirements and
information on how to submit an application.
2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of
projects that may be proposed in applications for this competition,
your application may include business information that you consider
proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11, we define ``business information'' and
describe the process we use in determining whether any of that
information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under
Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as
amended).
Because we plan to make successful applications available to the
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business
information.
Consistent with Executive Order 12600 (Predisclosure Notification
Procedures for Confidential Commercial Information), please designate
in your application any information that you believe is exempt from
disclosure under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of
your application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the
page number or numbers on which we can find this information. For
additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
3. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
4. Pre-Application Webinar Information: The Department will hold a
pre-application meeting via webinar to provide technical assistance to
prospective applicants. Detailed information regarding this webinar
will be provided at What's New at CSP: <a href="https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/charter-schools-program">https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/charter-schools-program</a>.
For further information about the pre-application meeting, contact
Sareeta Schmitt, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 205-0730. Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#deadbfacbbbbaabff0adbdb6b3b7aaaa9ebbbaf0b9b1a8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="04776576616170652a77676c696d70704461602a636b72">[email protected]</span></a>.
IV. Application Review Information
1. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3)(ii), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, completion of grant activities,
achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant
conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant
failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of
unacceptable quality. In assessing the applicant's performance and use
of funds under a previous or existing award, the Secretary will
consider, among other things, the outcomes the applicant has achieved
and the results of any Departmental grant monitoring, including the
applicant's progress in remedying any deficiencies identified in such
monitoring.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
2. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR
3474.10, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant
if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not
responsible.
3. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently
$250,000), we must make a judgment about your integrity, business
ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards--that is, the
risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make an award. In doing
so, we must consider any information about you that is in the System
for Award Management's (SAM) Responsibility/Qualification reports
(formerly referred to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity
Information System (FAPIIS)). You may review and comment on any
information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and
that is currently in the Responsibility/Qualification reports in SAM.
If the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative
agreements, and procurement contracts from the Federal Government
exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200,
appendix XII, require
[[Page 21027]]
you to report certain integrity information to SAM semiannually. Please
review these requirements if this grant plus all the other Federal
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
V. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your GAN. We also may notify you
informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must
have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. This
dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. See the standards in
2 CFR 170.105 to determine whether you are covered by 2 CFR part 170.
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to <a href="http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html">www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html</a>.
(c) Under 34 CFR 75.254, the Secretary may provide a grantee with
additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In this
case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance
targets in the grantee's approved application.
In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
6. Project Directors' Meeting: Applicants approved for funding
under this competition must attend a meeting for project directors
during each year of the project. The meeting may be held virtually or
in person at a location to be determined in the continental United
States. Applicants may include, if applicable, the cost of attending
these meetings in their proposed budgets as allowable administrative
costs.
7. Technical Assistance: Applicants approved for funding under this
competition must participate in a learning community for all funded
projects. This participation includes attending all technical
assistance sessions offered by the CSP Office, including project
directors' meetings and other on-site and virtual gatherings sponsored
by the Department and its contracted technical assistance providers and
partners throughout the performance period.
VI. Other Information
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print,
audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format.
Hayley B. Sanon,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary,
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2025-08766 Filed 5-15-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.