[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 159 (Thursday, August 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49653-49677]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20037]
[[Page 49653]]
Vol. 77
Thursday,
No. 159
August 16, 2012
Part IV
Department of Education
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Applications for New Awards; Race to the Top--District; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 77 , No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2012 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Race to the Top--District
AGENCY: Office of the Deputy Secretary, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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Overview Information
Race to the Top--District
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2012.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.416.
DATES: Applications Available: August 16, 2012.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: August 30, 2012.
Note: Submission of a notice of intent to apply is optional.
Date of Application Webinar: August 16 and 21, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 30, 2012.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program
The purpose of the Race to the Top--District competition is to
build on the lessons learned from the State competitions conducted
under the Race to the Top program and to support bold, locally directed
improvements in learning and teaching that will directly improve
student achievement and educator effectiveness.
Background
Race to the Top
The Race to the Top program, authorized under the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) (Pub. L. 111-5), is centered on four core
educational reform areas:
(a) Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to
succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global
economy;
(b) Building data systems that measure student growth and success
and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve
instruction;
(c) Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective
teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
(d) Turning around the Nation's lowest-achieving schools.
In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) conducted
Race to the Top State competitions, which provided incentives to States
to adopt bold and comprehensive reforms in elementary and secondary
education and laid the foundation for unprecedented innovation. A total
of 46 States and the District of Columbia put together plans to
implement college- and career-ready standards, use data systems to
guide teaching and learning, evaluate and support teachers and school
leaders, and turn around their lowest-performing schools. The Race to
the Top State competitions provided States with incentives to implement
large-scale, system-changing reforms designed to improve student
achievement, narrow achievement gaps, and increase graduation and
college enrollment rates.
Through the Race to the Top Assessment program, also authorized
under ARRA, the Department is supporting consortia of States in the
development of new and better assessments aligned with high standards.
In 2011, the ARRA was amended by section 1832(b) of the Department
of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (Pub. L.
112-10), which added an additional education reform area: Strengthening
the quality of early learning and development programs and increasing
access to high-quality early learning programs for all children,
including those with high needs. As a result, the Department had the
authority to use a portion of the FY 2011 appropriation for Race to the
Top on the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge program, which is
jointly administered by the Departments of Education and Health and
Human Services. The Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge supports
nine States' efforts to strengthen the quality of their early learning
programs.
Race to the Top--District Competition
On May 22, 2012, the Secretary announced the Race to the Top--
District competition, which is designed to build on the momentum of
other Race to the Top competitions by encouraging bold, innovative
reform at the local level. This district-level FY 2012 competition is
authorized under sections 14005 and 14006 of the ARRA, as amended by
section 1832(b) of the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2011 and the Department of Education Appropriations
Act, 2012 (Title III of Division F of Pub. L. 112-74, the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2012). Congress appropriated approximately $550
million for Race to the Top in FY 2012. Of these funds, the Department
expects to use approximately $383 million for this competition, which
will fund about 15-25 grants in the range of $5 to $40 million. The
amount of an award for which an applicant is eligible to apply depends
upon the number of students who would be served under the application.
The Race to the Top--District competition is aimed squarely at
classrooms and the all-important relationship between educators and
students. This notice invites applicants to demonstrate how they can
personalize education for all students in their schools.
In that regard, the Race to the Top--District competition will
encourage and reward those local educational agencies (LEAs) or
consortia of LEAs that have the leadership and vision to implement the
strategies, structures, and systems needed to implement personalized,
student-focused approaches to learning and teaching that will produce
excellence and ensure equity for all students. The priorities,
definitions, requirements, and selection criteria in this notice are
designed to help LEAs meet these goals.
Under Absolute Priority 1, applicants must design a personalized
learning environment that will use collaborative, data-based strategies
and 21st century tools such as online learning platforms, computers,
mobile devices, and learning algorithms, to deliver instruction and
supports tailored to the needs and goals of each student, with the aim
of enabling all students to graduate college- and career-ready.
Implementation of a personalized learning environment is not achieved
through a single solution or product but rather requires a multi-
faceted approach that addresses the individual and collective needs of
students, educators, and families and that dramatically transforms the
learning environment in order to improve student outcomes.
The Secretary believes that teacher and student classroom
interaction, supported by strong principals and engaged families, is
crucial to educating students. Teacher and student interactions are
strengthened when an effective teacher has useful information about
students' particular needs, support from his or her principal or
leadership team, a quality curriculum aligned with college- and career-
ready standards, and the other tools needed to do the job.
Too often, however, these supportive conditions have not existed in
our schools or districts, and the results are painfully predictable:
students fall behind or drop out, achievement gaps remain or widen,
teachers get frustrated and leave the field, and stakeholders
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become polarized and divided under pressure to perform.
That is why--for more than three years--the Department has
supported bold reforms at the State and local levels that have reduced
barriers to good teaching and helped create better conditions for
learning.
There is no single approach or boutique solution to implementation
of personalized learning environments. An LEA or consortia of LEAs
receiving an award under this competition will build on the lessons
learned from and the progress of States and districts in implementing
reforms in the four core educational assurance areas (as defined in
this notice) through Race to the Top and other key programs. A
successful applicant will provide teachers the information, tools, and
supports that enable them to meet the needs of each student and
substantially accelerate and deepen each student's learning. These LEAs
will have the policies, systems, infrastructure, capacity, and culture
to enable teachers, teacher teams, and school leaders to continuously
focus on improving individual student achievement and closing
achievement gaps. These LEAs will also make equity and access a
priority and aim to prepare each student to master the content and
skills required for college- and career-readiness, provide each student
the opportunity to pursue a rigorous course of study, and accelerate
and deepen students' learning through attention to their individual
needs. As important, they will create opportunities for students to
identify and pursue areas of personal academic interest--all while
ensuring that each student masters critical areas identified in
college- and career-ready standards or college- and career-ready high
school graduation requirements.
Educators want a way to inspire and challenge those students who
are furthest ahead, provide targeted help and assistance to those
furthest behind, and engage fully and effectively with the students in
the middle. To accomplish this objective, educators across the country
have created personalized learning environments and used strategies
that involve such elements as technology, virtual and blended learning,
individual and group tasks, partnering with parents, and aligning non-
school hours with the educational needs of students.
Personalized learning environments allow students to: understand
their individual learning goals and needs; access deep learning
experiences that include individual and group tasks; and develop such
skills and traits as goal setting, teamwork, perseverance, critical
thinking, communications, creativity, and problem solving across
multiple academic domains. If students are to do this successfully,
both students and educators need opportunities to build their
individual and collective capacity to support the implementation of
personalized learning environments and strategies.
The Race to the Top--District competition does not create new
stand-alone programs, or support niche programs or interventions.
Neither is it a vehicle for maintenance of the status quo. Rather, the
Race to the Top--District competition will support LEAs that
demonstrate their commitment to identifying teachers, principals, and
schools who have a vision and the expertise to personalize education
and extend their reach to all of their students. LEAs successfully
implementing an approach to learning and teaching that includes
personalized learning environments will lay a foundation for raising
student achievement, decreasing the achievement gap across student
groups, and increasing the rates at which students graduate from high
school prepared for college and careers.
Through Race to the Top--District, the Department plans to support
high-quality proposals from applicants across a varied set of LEAs to
create diverse models of personalized learning environments for use by
LEAs across the Nation. For this reason, in addition to an absolute
priority on personalized learning environments, the Department is
establishing four additional absolute priorities in this notice; each
applicant will meet one of Absolute Priorities 2 through 5. These
absolute priorities will support efforts to expand the types of reform
efforts being implemented in LEAs in States that have received a Race
to the Top award and to LEAs in other States. Moreover, these absolute
priorities will help ensure that LEAs of varying sizes, both rural and
non-rural, and with different local contexts are able to implement
innovative personalized learning environments for their students that
can serve as models for other LEAs and help improve student achievement
widely.
The competitive preference priority we are establishing will reward
applicants that propose to extend their reforms beyond the classroom
and partner with public or private entities in order to address the
social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students, particularly
students who attend a high-need school.
As explained more fully elsewhere in this notice, given the tight
timeline for obligating funds and in order to provide districts maximum
time to prepare their applications for this competition, the Department
is waiving notice-and-comment rulemaking for this competition.
Specifically, we are waiving rulemaking for the priorities,
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this new
competition under section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions
Act (GEPA).
However, we solicited public participation as we developed our
approach to this competition. From May 22 to June 8, 2012, we posted on
the Department's Web site and blog a draft Executive Summary of the
competition, which included draft competition priorities, requirements,
definitions, and selection criteria, and we invited public input on
each. We received approximately 475 responses reflecting the viewpoints
of a variety of individuals and organizations, which we considered in
our development of this notice. That Executive Summary and the comments
we received are posted at www.ed.gov/race-top/district-competition.
Priorities: We are establishing these priorities for the FY 2012
grant competition only and any subsequent year in which we make awards
from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, in
accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions
Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
Absolute Priorities: These priorities are absolute priorities.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet
Absolute Priority 1 and one of Absolute Priorities 2 through 5.
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1: Personalized Learning Environments. To meet
this priority, an applicant must coherently and comprehensively address
how it will build on the core educational assurance areas (as defined
in this notice) to create learning environments that are designed to
significantly improve learning and teaching through the personalization
of strategies, tools, and supports for students and educators that are
aligned with college- and career-ready standards (as defined in this
notice) or college- and career-ready graduation requirements (as
defined in this notice); accelerate student achievement and deepen
student learning by meeting the academic needs of each student;
increase the effectiveness of educators; expand student access to the
most effective educators; decrease achievement gaps across student
groups; and increase the rates at which students graduate from
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high school prepared for college and careers.
Absolute Priority 2: Non-Rural LEAs in Race to the Top States. To
meet this priority, an applicant must be an LEA or a consortium of LEAs
in which more than 50 percent of participating students (as defined in
this notice) are in non-rural LEAs in States that received awards under
the Race to the Top Phase 1, Phase 2, or Phase 3 competition.
Absolute Priority 3: Rural LEAs in Race to the Top States. To meet
this priority, an applicant must be an LEA or a consortium of LEAs in
which more than 50 percent of participating students (as defined in
this notice) are in rural LEAs (as defined in this notice) in States
that received awards under the Race to the Top Phase 1, Phase 2, or
Phase 3 competition.
Absolute Priority 4: Non-Rural LEAs in non-Race to the Top States.
To meet this priority, an applicant must be an LEA or a consortium of
LEAs in which more than 50 percent of participating students (as
defined in this notice) are in non-rural LEAs in States that did not
receive awards under the Race to the Top Phase 1, Phase 2, or Phase 3
competition.
Absolute Priority 5: Rural LEAs in non-Race to the Top States. To
meet this priority, an applicant must be an LEA or a consortium of LEAs
in which more than 50 percent of participating students (as defined in
this notice) are in rural LEAs (as defined in this notice) in States
that did not receive awards under the Race to the Top Phase 1, Phase 2,
or Phase 3 competition.
Competitive Preference Priority: This priority is a competitive
preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an
additional 10 points to an application, depending on how well the
application meets this priority.
This priority is:
Competitive Preference Priority: Results, Resource Alignment, and
Integrated Services. The Department will give priority to an applicant
based on the extent to which the applicant proposes to integrate public
or private resources in a partnership designed to augment the schools'
resources by providing additional student and family supports to
schools that address the social, emotional, or behavioral needs of the
participating students (as defined in this notice), giving highest
priority to students in participating schools with high-need students
(as defined in this notice). To meet this priority, an applicant's
proposal does not need to be comprehensive and may provide student and
family supports that focus on a subset of these needs.
To meet this priority, an applicant must--
(1) Provide a description of the coherent and sustainable
partnership that it has formed with public or private organizations,
such as public health, before-school, after-school, and social service
providers; integrated student service providers; businesses,
philanthropies, civic groups, and other community-based organizations;
early learning programs; and postsecondary institutions to support the
plan described in Absolute Priority 1;
(2) Identify not more than 10 population-level desired results for
students in the LEA or consortium of LEAs that align with and support
the applicant's broader Race to the Top--District proposal. These
results must include both educational results and other education
outcomes (e.g., children enter kindergarten prepared to succeed in
school, children exit third grade reading at grade level, and students
graduate from high school college- and career-ready) and family and
community supports (as defined in this notice) results;
(3) Describe how the partnership would--
(a) Track the selected indicators that measure each result at the
aggregate level for all children within the LEA or consortium and at
the student level for the participating students (as defined in this
notice);
(b) Use the data to target its resources in order to improve
results for participating students (as defined in this notice), with
special emphasis on students facing significant challenges, such as
students with disabilities, English learners, and students affected by
poverty (including highly mobile students), family instability, or
other child welfare issues;
(c) Develop a strategy to scale the model beyond the participating
students (as defined in this notice) to at least other high-need
students (as defined in this notice) and communities in the LEA or
consortium over time; and
(d) Improve results over time;
(4) Describe how the partnership would, within participating
schools (as defined in this notice), integrate education and other
services (e.g., services that address social-emotional, and behavioral
needs, acculturation for immigrants and refugees) for participating
students (as defined in this notice);
(5) Describe how the partnership and LEA or consortium would build
the capacity of staff in participating schools (as defined in this
notice) by providing them with tools and supports to--
(a) Assess the needs and assets of participating students (as
defined in this notice) that are aligned with the partnership's goals
for improving the education and family and community supports (as
defined in this notice) identified by the partnership;
(b) Identify and inventory the needs and assets of the school and
community that are aligned with those goals for improving the education
and family and community supports (as defined in this notice)
identified by the applicant;
(c) Create a decision-making process and infrastructure to select,
implement, and evaluate supports that address the individual needs of
participating students (as defined in this notice) and support improved
results;
(d) Engage parents and families of participating students (as
defined in this notice) in both decision-making about solutions to
improve results over time and in addressing student, family, and school
needs; and
(e) Routinely assess the applicant's progress in implementing its
plan to maximize impact and resolve challenges and problems; and
(6) Identify its annual ambitious yet achievable performance
measures for the proposed population-level and describe desired results
for students.
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, definitions,
requirements, and selection criteria. 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. This is the first grant
competition for this program. The competition therefore qualifies for
this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary
has decided to forgo public comment on the priorities, definitions,
requirements, and selection criteria in this notice.
These priorities, definitions, requirements, and selection criteria
will apply to the FY 2012 competition and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition.
Definitions
The definitions are:
Achievement gap means the difference in the performance between
each subgroup (as defined in this notice) within a participating LEA or
school and the statewide average performance of the LEA's or State's
highest-achieving subgroups in reading or language arts
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and in mathematics as measured by the assessments required under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended.
College- and career-ready graduation requirements means minimum
high school graduation expectations (e.g., completion of a minimum
course of study, content mastery, proficiency on college- and career-
ready assessments) that are aligned with a rigorous, robust, and well-
rounded curriculum and that cover a wide range of academic and
technical knowledge and skills to ensure that by the time students
graduate high school, they satisfy requirements for admission into
credit-bearing courses commonly required by the State's public four-
year degree-granting institutions.
College- and career-ready standards means content standards for
kindergarten through 12th grade that build towards college- and career-
ready graduation requirements (as defined in this notice). A State's
college- and career-ready standards must be either (1) standards that
are common to a significant number of States; or (2) standards that are
approved by a State network of institutions of higher education, which
must certify that students who meet the standards will not need
remedial course work at the postsecondary level.
College enrollment means the enrollment of students who graduate
from high school consistent with 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1)(i) and who enroll
in a public institution of higher education in the State (as defined in
section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20
U.S.C. 1001) within 16 months of graduation.
Consortium governance structure means the consortium's structure
for carrying out its operations, including--
(1) The organizational structure of the consortium and the
differentiated roles that a member LEA may hold (e.g., lead LEA, member
LEA);
(2) For each differentiated role, the associated rights and
responsibilities, including rights and responsibilities for adopting
and implementing the consortium's proposal for a grant;
(3) The consortium's method and process (e.g., consensus, majority)
for making different types of decisions (e.g., policy, operational);
(4) The protocols by which the consortium will operate, including
the protocols for member LEAs to change roles or leave the consortium;
(5) The consortium's procedures for managing funds received under
this grant;
(6) The terms and conditions of the memorandum of understanding or
other binding agreement executed by each member LEA; and
(7) The consortium's procurement process, and evidence of each
member LEA's commitment to that process.
Core educational assurance areas means the four key areas
originally identified in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act
(ARRA) to support comprehensive education reform: (1) Adopting
standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college
and the workplace and to compete in the global economy; (2) building
data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform
teachers and principals with data about how they can improve
instruction; (3) recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining
effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed
most; and (4) turning around lowest-achieving schools.
Digital learning content means learning materials and resources
that can be displayed on an electronic device and shared electronically
with other users. Digital learning content includes both open source
and commercial content. In order to comply with the requirements of the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, any digital learning content
used by grantees must be accessible to individuals with disabilities,
including individuals who use screen readers. For additional
information regarding the application of these laws to technology,
please refer to www.ed.gov/ocr/letters/colleague-201105-ese.pdf and
www.ed.gov/ocr/docs/dcl-ebook-faq-201105.pdf.
Discipline means any disciplinary measure collected by the 2009-
2010 or 2011-2012 Civil Rights Data Collection (see http://ocrdata.ed.gov).
Educators means all education professionals and education
paraprofessionals working in participating schools (as defined in this
notice), including principals or other heads of a school, teachers,
other professional instructional staff (e.g., staff involved in
curriculum development, staff development, bilingual/English as a
Second Language (ESL) specialists, or instructional staff who operate
library, media, and computer centers), pupil support services staff
(e.g., guidance counselors, nurses, speech pathologists), other
administrators (e.g., assistant principals, discipline specialists),
and education paraprofessionals (e.g., assistant teachers, bilingual/
ESL instructional aides).
Effective principal means a principal whose students, overall and
for each subgroup, achieve acceptable rates (e.g., at least one grade
level in an academic year) of student growth (as defined in this
notice) as defined in the LEA's principal evaluation system (as defined
in this notice).
Effective teacher means a teacher whose students achieve acceptable
rates (e.g., at least one grade level in an academic year) of student
growth (as defined in this notice) as defined in the LEA's teacher
evaluation system (as defined in this notice).
Family and community supports means--
(1) Child and youth health programs, such as physical, mental,
behavioral, and emotional health programs (e.g., home visiting
programs; Head Start; Early Head Start; programs to improve nutrition
and fitness, reduce childhood obesity, and create healthier
communities);
(2) Safety programs, such as programs in school and out of school
to prevent, control, and reduce crime, violence, drug and alcohol use
and gang activity; programs that address classroom and school-wide
behavior and conduct; programs to prevent child abuse and neglect;
programs to prevent truancy and reduce and prevent bullying and
harassment; and programs to improve the physical and emotional security
of the school setting as perceived, experienced, and created by
students, staff, and families;
(3) Community stability programs, such as programs that: (a)
Provide adult education and employment opportunities and training to
improve educational levels, job skills, and readiness in order to
decrease unemployment, with a goal of increasing family stability; (b)
improve families' awareness of, access to, and use of a range of social
services, if possible at a single location; (c) provide unbiased,
outcome-focused, and comprehensive financial education, inside and
outside the classroom and at every life stage; (d) increase access to
traditional financial institutions (e.g., banks and credit unions)
rather than alternative financial institutions (e.g., check cashers and
payday lenders); (e) help families increase their financial literacy,
financial assets, and savings; and (f) help families access
transportation to education and employment opportunities; (g) provides
supports and services to students who are homeless, in foster care,
migrant, or highly mobile; and
(4) Family and community engagement programs that are systemic,
integrated, sustainable, and continue through a student's transition
from K-12 schooling to college and career. These programs may include
family literacy
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programs and programs that provide adult education and training and
opportunities for family members and other members of the community to
support student learning and establish high expectations for student
educational achievement; mentorship programs that create positive
relationships between children and adults; programs that provide for
the use of such community resources as libraries, museums, television
and radio stations, and local businesses to support improved student
educational outcomes; programs that support the engagement of families
in early learning programs and services; programs that provide guidance
on how to navigate through a complex school system and how to advocate
for more and improved learning opportunities; and programs that promote
collaboration with educators and community organizations to improve
opportunities for healthy development and learning.
Four intervention models means the turnaround model, restart model,
school closure, and transformational model as defined by the final
requirements for the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program, published
in the Federal Register on October 28, 2010 (75 FR 66363).
Graduation rate means the four-year or extended-year adjusted
cohort graduation rate as defined by 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1).
High-need students means students at risk of educational failure or
otherwise in need of special assistance and support, such as students
who are living in poverty, who attend high-minority schools (as defined
in this notice), who are far below grade level, who have left school
before receiving a regular high school diploma, who are at risk of not
graduating with a diploma on time, who are homeless, who are in foster
care, who have been incarcerated, who have disabilities, or who are
English learners.
High-minority school is defined by the LEA in a manner consistent
with its State's Teacher Equity Plan, as required by section
1111(b)(8)(C) of the ESEA. The LEA must provide, in its Race to the
Top--District application, the definition used.
Highly effective principal means a principal whose students,
overall and for each subgroup, achieve high rates (e.g., one and one-
half grade levels in an academic year) of student growth (as defined in
this notice) as defined under the LEAs principal evaluation system (as
defined in this notice).
Highly effective teacher means a teacher whose students achieve
high rates (e.g., one and one-half grade levels in an academic year) of
student growth (as defined in this notice) as defined under the LEAs
teacher evaluation system (as defined in this notice).
Interoperable data system means a system that uses a common,
established structure such that data can easily flow from one system to
another and in which data are in a non-proprietary, open format.
Local educational agency is an entity as defined in section
9101(26) of the ESEA, except that an entity described under section
9101(26)(D) must be recognized under applicable State law as a local
educational agency.
Low-performing school means a school that is in the bottom 10
percent of performance in the State, or that has significant
achievement gaps, based on student academic performance in reading/
language arts and mathematics on the assessments required under the
ESEA, or that has a graduation rate (as defined in this notice) below
60 percent.
Metadata means information about digital learning content such as
the grade or age for which it is intended, the topic or standard to
which it is aligned, or the type of resource it is (e.g., video,
image).
On-track indicator means a measure, available at a time
sufficiently early to allow for intervention, of a single student
characteristic (e.g., number of days absent, number of discipline
referrals, number of credits earned), or a composite of multiple
characteristics, that is both predictive of student success (e.g.,
students demonstrating the measure graduate at an 80 percent rate) and
comprehensive of students who succeed (e.g., of all graduates, 90
percent demonstrated the indicator). Using multiple indicators that are
collectively comprehensive but vary by student characteristics may be
an appropriate alternative to a single indicator that applies to all
students.
Open data format means data that are available in a non-
proprietary, machine-readable format (e.g., Extensible Markup Language
(XML) and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)) such that they can be
understood by a computer. Digital formats that require extraction, data
translation such as optical character recognition, or other
manipulation in order to be used in electronic systems are not machine-
readable formats.
Open-standard registry means a digital platform, such as the
Learning Registry, that facilitates the exchange of information about
digital learning content (as defined in this notice), including (1)
alignment of content with college- and career-ready standards (as
defined in this notice) and (2) usage information about learning
content used by educators (as defined in this notice). This digital
platform must have the capability to share content information with
other LEAs and with State educational agencies.
Participating school means a school that is identified by the
applicant and chooses to work with the applicant to implement the plan
under Absolute Priority 1, either in one or more specific grade spans
or subject areas or throughout the entire school and affecting a
significant number of its students.
Participating student means a student enrolled in a participating
school (as defined in this notice) and who is directly served by an
applicant's plan under Absolute Priority 1.
Persistently lowest-achieving school means, as determined by the
State, consistent with the requirements of the SIG program authorized
by section 1003(g) of the ESEA,\1\ (1) any Title I school in
improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that (a) is among the
lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools in improvement,
corrective action, or restructuring or the lowest-achieving five Title
I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the
State, whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) is a high school
that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is
less than 60 percent over a number of years; and (2) any secondary
school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that
(a) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools or
the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are
eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of
schools is greater; or (b) is a high school that has had a graduation
rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a
number of years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Department considers schools that are identified as Tier
I or Tier II schools under the School Improvement Grants Program
(see 75 FR 66363) as part of a State's approved FY 2009 or FY 2010
applications to be persistently lowest-achieving schools. A list of
these Tier I and Tier II schools can be found on the Department's
Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/index.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To identify the lowest-achieving schools, a State must take into
account both (1) the academic achievement of the ``all students'' group
in a school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under
section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading or language arts and in
mathematics combined; and (2) the school's lack of progress on those
assessments over a number of years in the ``all students'' group.
Principal evaluation system means a system that: (1) Is used for
continual improvement of instructional
[[Page 49659]]
leadership; (2) meaningfully differentiates performance using at least
three performance levels; (3) uses multiple valid measures in
determining performance levels, including, as a significant factor,
data on student growth (as defined in this notice) for all students
(including English learners and students with disabilities), as well as
other measures of professional practice (which may be gathered through
multiple formats and sources, such as observations based on rigorous
leadership performance standards, teacher evaluation data, and student
and parent surveys); (4) evaluates principals on a regular basis; (5)
provides clear, timely, and useful feedback, including feedback that
identifies and guides professional development needs; and (6) is used
to inform personnel decisions.
Rural local educational agency means an LEA, at the time of the
application, that is eligible under the Small Rural School Achievement
(SRSA) program or the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program
authorized under Title VI, Part B of the ESEA. Eligible applicants may
determine whether a particular LEA is eligible for these programs by
referring to information on the Department's Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligible12/index.html.
School leadership team means a team that leads the implementation
of improvement and other initiatives at the school and is composed of
the principal or other head of a school, teachers, and other educators
(as defined in this notice), and, as applicable, other school
employees, parents, students, and other community members. In cases
where statute or local policy, including collective bargaining
agreements, establishes a school leadership team, that body shall serve
as the school leadership team for the purpose of this program.
Student growth means the change in student achievement for an
individual student between two or more points in time, defined as--
(1) For grades and subjects in which assessments are required under
ESEA section 1111(b)(3): (a) A student's score on such assessments; and
(b) may include other measures of student learning, such as those
described in (2) below, provided they are rigorous and comparable
across schools within an LEA.
(2) For grades and subjects in which assessments are not required
under ESEA section 1111(b)(3): Alternative measures of student learning
and performance, such as student results on pre-tests, end-of-course
tests, and objective performance-based assessments; performance against
student learning objectives; student performance on English language
proficiency assessments; and other measures of student achievement that
are rigorous and comparable across schools within an LEA.
Student-level data means demographic, performance, and other
information that pertains to a single student.
Student performance data means information about the academic
progress of a single student, such as formative and summative
assessment data, information on completion of coursework, instructor
observations, information about student engagement and time on task,
and similar information.
Subgroup means each category of students identified under section
1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the ESEA, as well as any combined subgroup used
in the State accountability system and approved by the Department in a
State's request for ESEA flexibility.
Superintendent evaluation means a rigorous, transparent, and fair
annual evaluation of an LEA superintendent that provides an assessment
of performance and encourages professional growth. This evaluation must
reflect: (1) The feedback of many stakeholders, including but not
limited to educators, principals, and parents; and (2) student
outcomes.
Teacher evaluation system means a system that: (1) Is used for
continual improvement of instruction; (2) meaningfully differentiates
performance using at least three performance levels; (3) uses multiple
valid measures in determining performance levels, including, as a
significant factor, data on student growth (as defined in this notice)
for all students (including English learners and students with
disabilities), as well as other measures of professional practice
(which may be gathered through multiple formats and sources, such as
observations based on rigorous teacher performance standards, teacher
portfolios, and student and parent surveys); (4) evaluates teachers on
a regular basis; (5) provides clear, timely, and useful feedback,
including feedback that identifies and guides professional development
needs; and (6) is used to inform personnel decisions.
Teacher of record means an individual (or individuals in a co-
teaching assignment) who has been assigned the lead responsibility for
a student's learning in a subject or course.
Application Requirements
The application requirements are:
(1) State comment period. Each LEA included in an application must
provide its State at least 10 business days to comment on the LEA's
application and submit as part of its application package-
(a) The State's comments or, if the State declined to comment,
evidence that the LEA offered the State 10 business days to comment;
and
(b) The LEA's response to the State's comments (optional).
(2) Mayor (or city or town administrator) comment period. Each LEA
included in an application must provide its mayor or other comparable
official at least 10 business days to comment on the LEA's application
and submit as part of its application package--
(a) The mayor or city or town administrator's comments or, if that
individual declines to comment, evidence that the LEA offered such
official 10 business days to comment; and
(b) The LEA's response to the mayor or city or town administrator
comments (optional).
(3) Consortium. For LEAs applying as a consortium, the application
must-
(a) Indicate, consistent with 34 CFR 75.128, whether--
(i) One member of the consortium is applying for a grant on behalf
of the consortium; or
(ii) The consortium has established itself as a separate, eligible
legal entity and is applying for a grant on its own behalf;
(b) Be signed by-
(i) If one member of the consortium is applying for a grant on
behalf of the consortium, the superintendent or chief executive officer
(CEO), local school board president, and local teacher union or
association president (where applicable) of that LEA; or
(ii) If the consortium has established itself as a separate
eligible legal entity and is applying for a grant on its own behalf, a
legal representative of the consortium; and
(c) Include, consistent with 34 CFR 75.128, for each LEA in the
consortium, copies of all memoranda of understanding or other binding
agreements related to the consortium. These binding agreements must--
(i) Detail the activities that each member of the consortium plans
to perform;
(ii) Describe the consortium governance structure (as defined in
this notice);
(iii) Bind each member of the consortium to every statement and
assurance made in the application; and
(iv) Include an assurance signed by the LEA's superintendent or CEO
that--
[[Page 49660]]
(A) The LEA, at a minimum, will implement no later than the 2014-
2015 school year--
(1) A teacher evaluation system (as defined in this notice);
(2) A principal evaluation system (as defined in this notice); and
(3) A superintendent evaluation (as defined in this notice);
(B) The LEA is committed to preparing students for college or
career, as demonstrated by--
(1) Being located in a State that has adopted college- and career-
ready standards (as defined in this notice); or
(2) Measuring all student progress and performance against college-
and career-ready graduation requirements (as defined in this notice);
(C) The LEA has a robust data system that has, at a minimum--
(1) An individual teacher identifier with a teacher-student match;
and
(2) The capability to provide timely data back to educators and
their supervisors on student growth (as defined in this notice);
(D) The LEA has the capability to receive or match student-level
preschool through 12th grade and higher education data; and
(E) The LEA ensures that any disclosure of or access to personally
identifiable information in students' education records complies with
the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); and
(iv) Be signed by the superintendent or CEO, local school board
president, and local teacher union or association president (where
applicable).
Program Requirements
The program requirements are:
(1) An applicant's budget request for all years of its project must
fall within the applicable budget range as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Award range in
Number of participating students (millions)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2,000-5,000 or Fewer than 2,000, provided those students $5-10
are served by a consortium of at least 10 LEAs and at
least 75 percent of the students served by each LEA are
participating students (as defined in this notice).....
5,001-10,000............................................ $10-20
10,001-25,000........................................... 20-30
25,001+................................................. 30-40
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Department will not consider an application that requests a
budget outside the applicable range of awards, not including any
optional budget supplements included in the application.
(2) A grantee must work with the Department and with a national
evaluator or another entity designated by the Department to ensure that
data collection and program design are consistent with plans to conduct
a rigorous national evaluation of the program and of specific solutions
and strategies pursued by individual grantees. This commitment must
include, but need not be limited to--
(i) Consistent with 34 CFR 80.36 and State and local procurement
procedures, grantees must include in contracts with external vendors
provisions that allow contractors to provide implementation data to the
LEA, the Department, the national evaluator, or other appropriate
entities in ways consistent with all privacy laws and regulations.
(ii) Developing, in consultation with the national evaluator, a
plan for identifying and collecting reliable and valid baseline data
for program participants.
(3) LEAs must share metadata about content alignment with college-
and career-ready standards (as defined in this notice) and use through
open-standard registries.
(4) LEAs in which minority students or students with disabilities
are disproportionately subject to discipline (as defined in this
notice) and expulsion (according to data submitted through the
Department's Civil Rights Data Collection, which is available at http://ocrdata.ed.gov/), must conduct a district assessment of the root
causes of the disproportionate discipline and expulsions. These LEAs
must also develop a detailed plan over the grant period to address
these root causes and to reduce disproportionate discipline (as defined
in this notice) and expulsions.
(5) Each grantee must make all project implementation and student
data available to the Department and its authorized representatives in
compliance with FERPA, as applicable.
(6) Grantees must ensure that requests for information (RFIs) and
requests for proposal (RFPs) developed as part of this grant are made
public, and are consistent with the requirements of State and local
law.
(7) Within 100 days of award, each grantee must submit to the
Department--
(i) A scope of work that is consistent with its grant application
and includes specific goals, activities, deliverables, timelines,
budgets, key personnel, and annual targets for key performance
measures; and
(ii) An individual school implementation plan for participating
schools (as defined in this notice).
(8) Within 100 days of award, each grantee must demonstrate that at
least 40 percent of participating students (as defined in this notice)
in participating schools (as defined in this notice) are from low-
income families, based on eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch
subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, or
other poverty measures that LEAs use to make awards under section
1113(a) of the ESEA.
Program Authority: Sections 14005 and 14006 of the ARRA (Pub. L.
111-5), as amended by section 1832(b) of Division B of the
Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act,
2011 (Pub. L. 112-10), and the Department of Education
Appropriations Act, 2012 (Title III of Division F of Pub. L. 112-74,
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012).
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department suspension
and debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 3485.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
Note: Nothing in this notice shall be construed to alter or
otherwise affect the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded
school or school district employees under Federal, State, or local
laws (including applicable regulations or court orders) or under the
terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of
understanding, or other agreements between such employees and their
employers.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $383,000,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2013 or subsequent
fiscal years from the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition.
The Department may use any unused funds from Phase 2 of the Race to
the Top Early Learning Challenge program in the Race to the Top--
District competition. Phase 2 of the Race to the Top Early Learning
Challenge competition will be announced in a separate notice published
in the Federal Register. Conversely, the Department of Education may
use any unused FY 2012 funds from the Race to the Top--District
competition under Phase 2 of the Race
[[Page 49661]]
to the Top Early Learning Challenge competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $5,000,000--$40,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards and Maximum Awards: The following chart
illustrates the range for awards by the number of participating
students:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Award range in
Number of participating students (millions)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2,000-5,000 or Fewer than 2,000, provided those students $5-10
are served by a consortium of at least 10 LEAs and at
least 75 percent of the students served by each LEA are
participating students (as defined in this notice).....
5,001-10,000............................................ 10-20
10,001-25,000........................................... 20-30
25,001+................................................. 30-40
------------------------------------------------------------------------
We will not consider an application that requests a budget outside
the applicable range of awards, not including any optional budget
supplements included in the application. The Department may change the
maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 15-25.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
III. Eligibility Information
(1) Eligible applicants: To be eligible for a grant under this
competition:
(a) An applicant must be an individual LEA (as defined in this
notice) or a consortium of LEAs from the 50 States, the District of
Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(i) LEAs may apply for all or a portion of their schools, for
specific grades, or for subject-area bands (e.g., lowest-performing
schools, secondary schools, schools connected by a feeder pattern,
middle school math, or preschool through third grade).
(ii) Consortia may include LEAs from multiple States.
(iii) Each LEA may participate in only one Race to the Top--
District application.
(b) An applicant must serve a minimum of 2,000 participating
students (as defined in this notice) or may serve fewer than 2,000
participating students (as defined in this notice) provided those
students are served by a consortium of at least 10 LEAs and at least 75
percent of the students served by each LEA are participating students
(as defined in this notice).
(c) At least 40 percent of participating students (as defined in
this notice) across all participating schools (as defined in this
notice) must be students from low-income families, based on eligibility
for free or reduced-price lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act, or other poverty measures that LEAs use to
make awards under section 1113(a) of the ESEA. If an applicant has not
identified all participating schools (as defined in this notice) at the
time of application, it must provide an assurance that within 100 days
of the grant award it will meet this requirement.
(d) An applicant must demonstrate its commitment to the core
educational assurance areas (as defined in this notice), including, for
each LEA included in an application, an assurance signed by the LEA's
superintendent or CEO that--
(i) The LEA, at a minimum, will implement no later than the 2014-
2015 school year--
(A) A teacher evaluation system (as defined in this notice);
(B) A principal evaluation system (as defined in this notice); and
(C) A superintendent evaluation (as defined in this notice);
(ii) The LEA is committed to preparing all students for college or
career, as demonstrated by--
(A) Being located in a State that has adopted college- and career-
ready standards (as defined in this notice); or
(B) Measuring all student progress and performance against college-
and career-ready graduation requirements (as defined in this notice);
(iii) The LEA has a robust data system that has, at a minimum--
(A) An individual teacher identifier with a teacher-student match;
and
(B) The capability to provide timely data back to educators and
their supervisors on student growth (as defined in this notice);
(iv) The LEA has the capability to receive or match student-level
preschool-through-12th grade and higher education data; and
(v) The LEA ensures that any disclosure of or access to personally
identifiable information in students' education records complies with
FERPA.
(e) Required signatures for the LEA or lead LEA in a consortium are
those of the superintendent or CEO, local school board president, and
local teacher union or association president (where applicable).
(2) Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require
cost sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet or from the Department of
Education. To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following
address: www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-district. To obtain a copy
from the Department of Education, write, fax, or call the following:
Meredith Farace, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
room 7e208, Washington, DC 20202-4260. Telephone: (202) 453-6800. FAX:
(202) 401-1557.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in
this section.
2.a. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Notice of Intent to Apply: August 30, 2012. We will be able to
develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we
know the approximate number of applicants that intend to apply for
funding under this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly
encourages each potential applicant to notify us of the applicant's
intent to submit an application for funding by completing a Web-based
form. When completing this form, applicants will provide (1) the
applicant's name and address; (2) whether the applicant is applying as
an individual LEA or as a consortium of LEAs; (3) expected budget
request; and (4) contact person (and phone number and email).
Applicants may access this form online at http://www2.ed.gov/surveys/intent-rttd.html. Applicants that do not complete this form may still
apply for funding.
Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria and the competitive preference priority
that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend you limit
the application narrative to no more than 70 pages, using the following
standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Each page has a page number.
[[Page 49662]]
Line spacing for the narrative is set to 1.5 spacing, and
the font used is 12 point Times New Roman.
The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; Parts
X and XI, the budget sections, including the narrative budget
justification; Parts IV-VII, the assurances and certifications; the
resumes, the letters of support, or other appendices. However, the
recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative
section.
b. Submission of Proprietary Information:
Given the types of projects that may be proposed in applications
for the Race to the Top--District, an application may include business
information that the applicant considers proprietary. The Department's
regulations define ``business information'' in 34 CFR 5.11.
Following the process used with our previous Race to the Top
competitions, we plan to post funded applications on our Web site and
you may wish to request confidentiality of business information.
Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your
application any information that you feel is exempt from disclosure
under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act. In an attachment
in the Appendix, titled ``Disclosure Exemption,'' 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. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: August 16, 2012.
Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: August 31, 2012. Submission
of a notice of intent to apply is optional.
Date of Application Webinar: August 16 and 21, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 30, 2012.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted in
electronic format on a CD or DVD, with CD-ROM or DVD-ROM preferred, by
mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and times)
about how to submit your application by mail or hand delivery, please
refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
4. 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 program.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition must be submitted in electronic format on a CD or DVD,
with CD-ROM or DVD-ROM preferred, by mail or hand delivery. Individual
LEA applicants must submit signed originals of Parts IV, V, and VII of
the application and the applicant LEAs for a consortium application
must submit signed originals of Parts IV, VI, VII of the application
and a signed memorandum of understanding from each member LEA of the
consortia (as described in Part XIII of the application).
All electronic application files must be in a .DOC (document),
.DOCX (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format.
Each file name should clearly identify the part of the application it
contains. If an applicant submits a file type other than the four file
types specified in this paragraph, the Department will not review that
material. Applicants should not password-protect these files. The CD or
DVD containing the application should be clearly labeled with the
applicant's name, city, State, and any other relevant information.
We strongly recommend the applicant to submit a CD or DVD of its
application that includes the following files: (1) A single file that
contains the body of the application, including required budget tables,
that has been converted into a .PDF format so that the .PDF is
searchable. Note that a .PDF created from a scanned document will not
be searchable. (2) A single file in a .PDF format that contains all of
the required signature pages. The signature pages may be scanned and
turned into a PDF. (3) Copies of the completed electronic budget
spreadsheets with the required budget tables, which should be in a
separate file from the body of the application. The spreadsheets will
be used by the Department for budget reviews. Each of these items must
be clearly labeled with the LEA's name, city, state, and any other
relevant identifying information. Applicants also should not password-
protect these files.
The Department must receive the application by 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on or before the application deadline date.
a. Submission of Applications by Mail
If you submit your application by mail (through the U.S. Postal
Service or a commercial carrier), we must receive your application
(i.e., the CD or DVD, and the signed originals of Parts IV-VII and
memoranda of understanding, as applicable) on or before the application
deadline date. Therefore to avoid delays, we strongly recommend sending
the application via overnight mail. Mail the original and two copies of
the application to the Department at the following address: U.S.
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA
Number 84.416, LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
[[Page 49663]]
If we receive an application after the application deadline, we
will not consider that application.
b. Submission of Applications by Hand Delivery
If you submit your application by hand delivery, you (or a courier
service) must deliver the original and two copies of your application
by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department
at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application
Control Center, Attention: CFDA Number 84.416, 550 12th Street SW.,
Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Applications: When you mail or
hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
as follows:
A. Vision
(1) The extent to which the applicant has set forth a comprehensive
and coherent reform vision that builds on its work in four core
educational assurance areas (as defined in this notice) and articulates
a clear and credible approach to the goals of accelerating student
achievement, deepening student learning, and increasing equity through
personalized student support grounded in common and individual tasks
that are based on student academic interests.
(2) The extent to which the applicant's approach to implementing
its reform proposal (e.g., schools, grade bands, or subject areas) will
support high-quality LEA-level and school-level implementation of that
proposal, including--
(a) A description of the process that the applicant used or will
use to select schools to participate. The process must ensure that the
participating schools (as defined in this notice) collectively meet the
competition's eligibility requirements;
(b) A list of the schools that will participate in grant activities
(as available); and
(c) The total number of participating students (as defined in this
notice), participating students (as defined in this notice) from low-
income families, participating students (as defined in this notice) who
are high-need students (as defined in this notice), and participating
educators (as defined in this notice). If participating schools (as
defined in this notice) have yet to be selected, the applicant may
provide approximate numbers.
(3) The extent to which the application includes a high-quality
plan describing how the reform proposal will be scaled up and
translated into meaningful reform to support district-wide change
beyond the participating schools (as defined in this notice), and will
help the applicant reach its outcome goals (e.g., the applicant's logic
model or theory of change of how its plan will improve student learning
outcomes for all students who would be served by the applicant).
(4) The extent to which the applicant's vision is likely to result
in improved student learning and performance and increased equity as
demonstrated by ambitious yet achievable annual goals that are equal to
or exceed State ESEA targets for the LEA(s), overall and by student
subgroup (as defined in this notice), for each participating LEA in the
following areas:
(a) Performance on summative assessments (proficiency status and
growth).
(b) Decreasing achievement gaps (as defined in this notice).
(c) Graduation rates (as defined in this notice).
(d) College enrollment (as defined in this notice) rates.
Optional: The extent to which the applicant's vision is likely to
result in improved student learning and performance and increased
equity as demonstrated by ambitious yet achievable annual goals for
each participating LEA in the following area:
(e) Postsecondary degree attainment.
B. Prior Record of Success and Conditions for Reform
The extent to which each LEA has demonstrated evidence of--
(1) A clear record of success in the past four years in advancing
student learning and achievement and increasing equity in learning and
teaching, including a description, charts or graphs, raw student data,
and other evidence that demonstrates the applicant's ability to--
(a) Improve student learning outcomes and close achievement gaps
(as defined in this notice), including by raising student achievement,
high school graduation rates (as defined in this notice), and college
enrollment (as defined in this notice) rates;
(b) Achieve ambitious and significant reforms in its persistently
lowest-achieving schools (as defined in this notice) or in its low-
performing schools (as defined in this notice); and
(c) Make student performance data (as defined in this notice)
available to students, educators (as defined in this notice), and
parents in ways that inform and improve participation, instruction, and
services.
(2) A high level of transparency in LEA processes, practices, and
investments, including by making public, by school, actual school-level
expenditures for regular K-12 instruction, instructional support, pupil
support, and school administration. At a minimum, this information must
include a description of the extent to which the applicant already
makes available the following four categories of school-level
expenditures from State and local funds:
(a) Actual personnel salaries at the school level for all school-
level instructional and support staff, based on the U.S. Census
Bureau's classification used in the F-33 survey of local government
finances (information on the survey can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency.asp);
(b) Actual personnel salaries at the school level for instructional
staff only;
(c) Actual personnel salaries at the school level for teachers
only; and
(d) Actual non-personnel expenditures at the school level (if
available).
(3) Successful conditions and sufficient autonomy under State
legal, statutory, and regulatory requirements to implement the
personalized learning environments described in the applicant's
proposal;
(4) Meaningful stakeholder engagement in the development of the
proposal and meaningful stakeholder support for the proposal,
including--
(a) A description of how students, families, teachers, and
principals in participating schools (as defined in this notice) were
engaged in the development of the proposal and, as appropriate, how the
proposal was revised based on their engagement and feedback,
including--
(i) For LEAs with collective bargaining representation, evidence of
direct engagement and support for the proposals from teachers in
participating schools (as defined in this notice); or
[[Page 49664]]
(ii) For LEAs without collective bargaining representation, at a
minimum, evidence that at least 70 percent of teachers from
participating schools (as defined in this notice) support the proposal;
and
(b) Letters of support from such key stakeholders as parents and
parent organizations, student organizations, early learning programs,
tribes, the business community, civil rights organizations, advocacy
groups, local civic and community-based organizations, and institutions
of higher education; and
(5) A high-quality plan for an analysis of the applicant's current
status in implementing personalized learning environments and the logic
behind the reform proposal contained within the applicant's proposal,
including identified needs and gaps that the plan will address.
C. Preparing Students for College and Careers
The extent to which the applicant has a high-quality plan for
improving learning and teaching by personalizing the learning
environment in order to provide all students the support to graduate
college- and career-ready. This plan must include an approach to
implementing instructional strategies for all participating students
(as defined in this notice) that enable participating students to
pursue a rigorous course of study aligned to college- and career-ready
standards (as defined in this notice) and college- and career-ready
graduation requirements (as defined in this notice) and accelerate his
or her learning through support of his or her needs. The quality of the
plan will be assessed based on the extent to which the applicant
proposes an approach that includes the following:
(1) Learning: An approach to learning that engages and empowers all
learners, in particular high-need students, in an age-appropriate
manner such that:
(a) With the support of parents and educators, all students--
(i) Understand that what they are learning is key to their success
in accomplishing their goals;
(ii) Identify and pursue learning and development goals linked to
college- and career-ready standards (as defined in this notice) or
college- and career-ready graduation requirements (as defined in this
notice), understand how to structure their learning to achieve their
goals, and measure progress toward those goals;
(iii) Are able to be involved in deep learning experiences in areas
of academic interest;
(iv) Have access and exposure to diverse cultures, contexts, and
perspectives that motivate and deepen individual student learning; and
(v) Master critical academic content and develop skills and traits
such as goal-setting, teamwork, perseverance, critical thinking,
communication, creativity, and problem-solving;
(b) With the support of parents and educators, there is a strategy
to ensure that each student has access to--
(i) A personalized sequence of instructional content and skill
development designed to enable the student to achieve his or her
individual learning goals and ensure he or she can graduate on time and
college- and career-ready;
(ii) A variety of high-quality instructional approaches and
environments;
(iii) High-quality content, including digital learning content (as
defined in this notice) as appropriate, aligned with college- and
career-ready standards (as defined in this notice) or college- and
career-ready graduation requirements (as defined in this notice);
(iv) Ongoing and regular feedback, including, at a minimum---
(A) Frequently updated individual student data that can be used to
determine progress toward mastery of college- and career-ready
standards (as defined in this notice), or college- and career-ready
graduation requirements; and
(B) Personalized learning recommendations based on the student's
current knowledge and skills, college- and career-ready standards (as
defined in this notice) or college- and career-ready graduation
requirements (as defined in this notice), and available content,
instructional approaches, and supports; and
(v) Accommodations and high-quality strategies for high-need
students (as defined in this notice) to help ensure that they are on
track toward meeting college- and career-ready standards (as defined in
this notice) or college- and career-ready graduation requirements (as
defined in this notice); and
(c) Mechanisms are in place to provide training and support to
students that will ensure that they understand how to use the tools and
resources provided to them in order to track and manage their learning.
(2) Teaching and Leading: An approach to teaching and leading that
helps educators (as defined in this notice) to improve instruction and
increase their capacity to support student progress toward meeting
college- and career-ready standards (as defined in this notice) or
college- and career-ready graduation requirements (as defined in this
notice) by enabling the full implementation of personalized learning
and teaching for all students such that:
(a) All participating educators (as defined in this notice) engage
in training, and in professional teams or communities, that supports
their individual and collective capacity to--
(i) Support the effective implementation of personalized learning
environments and strategies that meet each student's academic needs and
help ensure all students can graduate on time and college- and career-
ready;
(ii) Adapt content and instruction, providing opportunities for
students to engage in common and individual tasks, in response to their
academic needs, academic interests, and optimal learning approaches
(e.g., discussion and collaborative work, project-based learning,
videos, audio, manipulatives);
(iii) Frequently measure student progress toward meeting college-
and career-ready standards (as defined in this notice), or college- and
career-ready graduation requirements (as defined in this notice) and
use data to inform both the acceleration of student progress and the
improvement of the individual and collective practice of educators; and
(iv) Improve teachers' and principals' practice and effectiveness
by using feedback provided by the LEA's teacher and principal
evaluation systems (as defined in this notice), including frequent
feedback on individual and collective effectiveness, as well as by
providing recommendations, supports and interventions as needed for
improvement.
(b) All participating educators (as defined in this notice) have
access to, and know how to use, tools, data, and resources to
accelerate student progress toward meeting college- and career-ready
graduation requirements (as defined in this notice). Those resources
must include--
(i) Actionable information that helps educators (as defined in this
notice) identify optimal learning approaches that respond to individual
student academic needs and interests;
(ii) High-quality learning resources (e.g., instructional content
and assessments), including digital resources, as appropriate, that are
aligned with college- and career-ready standards (as defined in this
notice) or college- and career-ready graduation requirements (as
defined in this notice), and the tools to create and share new
resources; and
(iii) Processes and tools to match student needs (see Selection
Criterion
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(C)(2)(b)(i)) with specific resources and approaches (see Selection
Criterion (C)(2)(b)(ii)) to provide continuously improving feedback
about the effectiveness of the resources in meeting student needs.
(c) All participating school leaders and school leadership teams
(as defined in this notice) have training, policies, tools, data, and
resources that enable them to structure an effective learning
environment that meets individual student academic needs and
accelerates student progress through common and individual tasks toward
meeting college- and career-ready standards (as defined in this notice)
or college- and career-ready graduation requirements (as defined in
this notice). The training, policies, tools, data, and resources must
include:
(i) Information, from such sources as the district's teacher
evaluation system (as defined in this notice), that helps school
leaders and school leadership teams (as defined in this notice) assess,
and take steps to improve, individual and collective educator
effectiveness and school culture and climate, for the purpose of
continuous school improvement; and
(ii) Training, systems, and practices to continuously improve
school progress toward the goals of increasing student performance and
closing achievement gaps (as defined in this notice).
(d) The applicant has a high-quality plan for increasing the number
of students who receive instruction from effective and highly effective
teachers and principals (as defined in this notice), including in hard-
to-staff schools, subjects (such as mathematics and science), and
specialty areas (such as special education).
D. LEA Policy and Infrastructure
The extent to which the applicant has a high-quality plan to
support project implementation through comprehensive policies and
infrastructure that provide every student, educator (as defined in this
notice), and level of the education system (classroom, school, and LEA)
with the support and resources they need, when and where they are
needed. The quality of the plan will be determined based on the extent
to which--
(1) The applicant has practices, policies, and rules that
facilitate personalized learning by--
(a) Organizing the LEA central office, or the consortium governance
structure (as defined in this notice), to provide support and services
to all participating schools (as defined in this notice);
(b) Providing school leadership teams in participating schools (as
defined in this notice) with sufficient flexibility and autonomy over
factors such as school schedules and calendars, school personnel
decisions and staffing models, roles and responsibilities for educators
and noneducators, and school-level budgets;
(c) Giving students the opportunity to progress and earn credit
based on demonstrated mastery, not the amount of time spent on a topic;
(d) Giving students the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of
standards at multiple times and in multiple comparable ways; and
(e) Providing learning resources and instructional practices that
are adaptable and fully accessible to all students, including students
with disabilities and English learners; and
(2) The LEA and school infrastructure supports personalized
learning by--
(a) Ensuring that all participating students(as defined in this
notice), parents, educators (as defined in this notice), and other
stakeholders (as appropriate and relevant to student learning),
regardless of income, have access to necessary content, tools, and
other learning resources both in and out of school to support the
implementation of the applicant's proposal;
(b) Ensuring that students, parents, educators, and other
stakeholders (as appropriate and relevant to student learning) have
appropriate levels of technical support, which may be provided through
a range of strategies (e.g., peer support, online support, or local
support);
(c) Using information technology systems that allow parents and
students to export their information in an open data format (as defined
in this notice) and to use the data in other electronic learning
systems (e.g., electronic tutors, tools that make recommendations for
additional learning supports, or software that securely stores personal
records); and
(d) Ensuring that LEAs and schools use interoperable data systems
(as defined in this notice) (e.g., systems that include human resources
data, student information data, budget data, and instructional
improvement system data).
E. Continuous Improvement
Because the applicant's high-quality plan represents the best
thinking at a point in time, and may require adjustments and revisions
during implementation, it is vital that the applicant have a clear and
high-quality approach to continuously improve its plan. This will be
determined by the extent to which the applicant has--
(1) A strategy for implementing a rigorous continuous improvement
process that provides timely and regular feedback on progress toward
project goals and opportunities for ongoing corrections and
improvements during and after the term of the grant. The strategy must
address how the applicant will monitor, measure, and publicly share
information on the quality of its investments funded by Race to the
Top--District, such as investments in professional development,
technology, and staff;
(2) Strategies for ongoing communication and engagement with
internal and external stakeholders; and
(3) Ambitious yet achievable performance measures, overall and by
subgroup, with annual targets for required and applicant-proposed
performance measures. For each applicant-proposed measure, the
applicant must describe--
(a) Its rationale for selecting that measure;
(b) How the measure will provide rigorous, timely, and formative
leading information tailored to its proposed plan and theory of action
regarding the applicant's implementation success or areas of concern;
and
(c) How it will review and improve the measure over time if it is
insufficient to gauge implementation progress.
The applicant must have a total of approximately 12 to 14
performance measures.
The chart below outlines the required and applicant-proposed
performance measures based on an applicant's applicable population.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applicable population Performance measure
------------------------------------------------------------------------
All.................................... (a) The number and percentage
of participating students, by
subgroup (as defined in this
notice), whose teacher of
record (as defined in this
notice) and principal are a
highly effective teacher (as
defined in this notice) and a
highly effective principal (as
defined in this notice); and
(b) The number and percentage
of participating students, by
subgroup (as defined in this
notice), whose teacher of
record (as defined in this
notice) and principal are an
effective teacher (as defined
in this notice) and an
effective principal (as
defined in this notice).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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PreK-3................................. (a) Applicant must propose at
least one age- appropriate
measure of students' academic
growth (e.g., language and
literacy development or
cognition and general
learning, including early
mathematics and early
scientific development); and
(b) Applicant must propose at
least one age-appropriate non-
cognitive indicator of growth
(e.g., physical well-being and
motor development, or social-
emotional development).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4-8.................................... (a) The number and percentage
of participating students, by
subgroup, who are on track to
college- and career-readiness
based on the applicant's on-
track indicator (as defined in
this notice);
(b) Applicant must propose at
least one grade-appropriate
academic leading indicator of
successful implementation of
its plan; and
(c) Applicant must propose at
least one grade-appropriate
health or social-emotional
leading indicator of
successful implementation of
its plan.
9-12................................... (a) The number and percentage
of participating students who
complete and submit the Free
Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) form;
(b) The number and percentage
of participating students, by
subgroup, who are on track to
college- and career-readiness
based on the applicant's on-
track indicator (as defined in
this notice);
(c) Applicant must propose at
least one measure of career-
readiness in order to assess
the number and percentage of
participating students who are
or are on track to being
career-ready;
(d) Applicant must propose at
least one grade-appropriate
academic leading indicator of
successful implementation of
its plan; and
(e) Applicant must propose at
least one grade-appropriate
health or social-emotional
leading indicator of
successful implementation of
its plan.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(4) Plans to evaluate the effectiveness of Race to the Top--
District funded activities, such as professional development and
activities that employ technology, and to more productively use time,
staff, money, or other resources in order to improve results, through
such strategies as improved use of technology, working with community
partners, compensation reform, and modification of school schedules and
structures (e.g., service delivery, school leadership teams (as defined
in this notice), and decision-making structures).
F. Budget and Sustainability
The extent to which--
(1) The applicant's budget, including the budget narrative and
tables--
(a) Identifies all funds that will support the project (e.g., Race
to the Top--District grant; external foundation support; LEA, State,
and other Federal funds); and
(b) Is reasonable and sufficient to support the development and
implementation of the applicant's proposal; and
(c) Clearly provides a thoughtful rationale for investments and
priorities, including--
(i) A description of all of the funds (e.g., Race to the Top--
District grant; external foundation support; LEA, State, and other
Federal funds) that the applicant will use to support the
implementation of the proposal, including total revenue from these
sources; and
(ii) Identification of the funds that will be used for one-time
investments versus those that will be used for ongoing operational
costs that will be incurred during and after the grant period, as
described in the proposed budget and budget narrative, with a focus on
strategies that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the
personalized learning environments; and
(2) The applicant has a high-quality plan for sustainability of the
project's goals after the term of the grant. The plan should include
support from State and local government leaders and financial support.
Such a plan may include a budget for the three years after the term of
the grant that includes budget assumptions, potential sources, and uses
of funds.
G. Optional Budget Supplement
An eligible applicant may apply for additional funding (beyond the
applicable maximum level provided) up to a maximum of $2 million for
each optional budget supplement to address a specific area that is
supplemental to the plan for addressing Absolute Priority 1. The
request for additional funding must be designed as a separate project
that, if not funded, will not adversely affect the applicant's ability
to implement its proposal and meet Absolute Priority 1.
Applications for this funding will be judged on the extent to which
the applicant has a clear, discrete, and innovative solution that can
be replicated in schools across the Nation. In determining the extent
to which the request for an optional budget supplement meets this
standard, the Department will consider--
(1) The rationale for the specific area or population that the
applicant will address (e.g., strategies to assess hard to measure
skills and traits such as perseverance, critical thinking, and
communication; strategies for increasing diversity across schools and
LEAs and within schools and classrooms; data systems; predictive
algorithms; content-tagging schemes; new curriculum and online supports
for students re-entering school from the juvenile justice system; or a
credit recovery program design to support English learners newly
entering into secondary school and the quality and feasibility of the
proposal for addressing that area);
(2) A high-quality plan for how the applicant would carry out
activities that would be co-developed and implemented across two or
more LEAs (either participating in the full Race to the Top--District
application, or not participating in the full Race to the Top--District
application); and
(3) The proposed budget (up to $2 million) for each budget
supplement, and the extent to which the proposed budget will be
adequate to support the development and implementation of activities
that meet the requirements of this notice, including the reasonableness
of the costs in relation to the objectives, design, and significance of
the proposed project activities and the number of students to be
served.
Note, an optional budget supplement may include a proposal to
utilize, across two or more districts, robust measures of student
status and growth that assess hard to measure skills and traits such as
goal-setting, teamwork, perseverance, critical thinking, communication,
[[Page 49667]]
creativity, and problem-solving across multiple academic domains and
enable evaluation of group and individual learning experiences. The
Department believes that utilizing these measures will contribute to
the continuous improvement of personalized learning experiences and the
tools and resources that support their implementation.
Peer reviewers will use the scoring rubric that can be found in
Appendix A of this notice when scoring the selection criteria.
2. Review and Selection Process: In selecting grantees, the
Secretary may consider high-ranking applications meeting Absolute
Priorities 2 through 5 separately to ensure that there is a diversity
of winning LEA applications from within States that have and have not
previously received awards under Race to the Top, and from both non-
rural and rural LEAs (as defined in this notice).
We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in
any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under
34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying
out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, 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 addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also 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
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special 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 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. 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). We also may notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we will 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. Reporting: Each grantee receiving Race to the Top--District
funds must submit to the Department an annual report that must include
a description of its progress to date on its goals, timelines,
activities, deliverables, and budgets, and a comparison of actual
performance to the annual targets the grantee established in its
application for each performance measure. Further, a grantee receiving
funds under this program is accountable for meeting the goals,
timelines, activities, deliverables, budget, and annual targets
established in the application; adhering to an annual fund drawdown
schedule that is tied to meeting these goals, timelines, activities,
deliverables, budget, and annual targets; and fulfilling and
maintaining all other conditions for the conduct of the project. The
Department will monitor a grantee's progress in meeting its goals,
timelines, activities, deliverables, budget, and annual targets and in
fulfilling other applicable requirements. In addition, the Department
may collect additional data as part of a grantee's annual reporting
requirements.
To support a collaborative process between the grantee and the
Department, the Department may require that applicants that are
selected to receive an award enter into a written performance agreement
or cooperative agreement with, or complete a scope of work to be
approved by, the Department. If the Department determines that a
grantee is not meeting its goals, timelines, activities, deliverables,
budget, or annual targets or is not fulfilling other applicable
requirements, the Department will take appropriate action, which could
include a collaborative process between the Department and the grantee,
or enforcement measures with respect to this grant, such as placing the
grantee in high-risk status, putting it on reimbursement payment
status, or delaying or withholding funds.
An LEA that receives a Race to the Top--District grant must also
meet the reporting requirements for the Federal Funding Accountability
and Transparency Act (FFATA) for subaward and executive compensation
data. Grantees, referred to as ``prime awardees,'' must report using
the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS), and must, therefore,
register in FSRS. More specific information regarding the FFATA
reporting requirements will be provided after the grants are awarded.
4. Continuation Awards: The Department may provide full funding for
the entire project period to successful applicants from the FY 2012
funds currently available or may provide funding for an initial budget
period from the FY 2012 funds. Depending upon the amount of funding
provided in the initial awards and the availability of funds, the
Department may make continuation awards for subsequent fiscal years in
accordance with 34 CFR 75.253. In making such continuation awards, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and
budget. In making a continuation grant, 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).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meredith Farace, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 7e280, Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: (202) 453-6800 or by email: racetothetop.district@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
in section VII of this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal
[[Page 49668]]
Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal
Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available via the
Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view
this document, as well as all other documents of this Department
published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document
Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: August 10, 2012.
Arne Duncan,
Secretary of Education.
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[FR Doc. 2012-20037 Filed 8-15-12; 8:45 am]
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