4000-01-U
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Promise Neighborhoods (PN)
Program
AGENCY:

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education,

Department of Education.
ACTION:
SUMMARY:

Notice.
The Department of Education (Department) is

issuing a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY)
2024 for the PN program.
DATES:
Applications Available:

[INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE

FEDERAL REGISTER].
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply:

[INSERT DATE 30

DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
Date of Pre-Application Meetings:

The Department will hold

pre-application meetings via webinar for prospective
applicants.

Detailed information regarding pre-application

webinars will be provided on the PN website at
https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grantssupport-services/school-choice-improvementprograms/promise-neighborhoods-pn/.
Deadline for Transmittal of Application:

[INSERT DATE 75

DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:

[INSERT DATE 135

DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

ADDRESSES:

For the addresses for obtaining and submitting

an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for
Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant
Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7,
2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/
common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-ofeducation-discretionary-grant-programs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rich Wilson, U.S.

Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room
3W101, Washington, DC 20202.
Email:

Telephone:

(202)453-6709.

PromiseNeighborhoods@ed.gov.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech
disability and wish to access telecommunications relay
services, please dial 7-1-1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I.

Funding Opportunity Description
1.

Purpose of Program:

The PN program is authorized

under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended (ESEA).

The purpose of the PN program is to

significantly improve the academic and developmental
outcomes of children and youth living in the most
distressed communities of the United States, including
ensuring school readiness, high school graduation, and
access to a community-based continuum of high-quality

services.

The program serves neighborhoods with high

concentrations of individuals with low incomes; multiple
signs of distress, which may include high rates of poverty,
childhood obesity, academic challenges, and juvenile
delinquency, adjudication, or incarceration; and adverse
childhood experiences; and also serves schools implementing
comprehensive support and improvement activities or
targeted support and improvement activities under section
1111(d) of the ESEA.

All strategies in the continuum of

solutions must be accessible to children with disabilities
and English learners.
Assistance Listing Number:
OMB Control Number:
2.

84.215N.

1894-0006.

Award Information:

Type of Award:

Discretionary grant.

Estimated Available Funds:

$4,000,000.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the
quality of applications, we may make additional awards in
FY 2025 or in subsequent years from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards:

$400,000 to $500,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards:
Maximum Award:

$450,000.

We will not make an award exceeding

$500,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.

The

Department plans to fully fund awards made under this
notice with FY 2024 funds.

Estimated Number of Awards:
Note:

4-5.

The Department is not bound by any estimates in this

notice.
Project Period:

Up to 24 months.

Under section 4623 of the ESEA, a grant awarded under
this competition will be for a period of not more than 2
years.
3.

Eligible Applicants:

Under section 4622 of the

ESEA, an eligible entity must be one of the following:
(a)

An institution of higher education (IHE), as

defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965,
as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1002);
(b)

An Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, as

defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304); or
(c)

One or more nonprofit entities working in formal

partnership with not less than one of the following
entities:
(i)
(ii)

A high-need local educational agency (LEA).
An IHE, as defined in section 102 of the HEA (20

U.S.C. 1002).
(iii)

The office of a chief elected official of a

unit of local government.
(iv)

An Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, as

defined under section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

Note:

If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR

75.51, you may demonstrate your nonprofit status by
providing:

(1) proof that the Internal Revenue Service

currently recognizes the applicant as an organization to
which contributions are tax deductible under section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement
from a State taxing body or the State attorney general
certifying that the organization is a nonprofit
organization operating within the State and that no part of
its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private
shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the
applicant's certificate of incorporation or similar
document if it clearly establishes the nonprofit status of
the applicant; or (4) any item described above if that item
applies to a State or national parent organization,
together with a statement by the State or parent
organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit
affiliate.
4.

Background:

A Promise Neighborhood is a place-

based, collective impact approach to improving results for
children and families.

The transformative vision of the

Promise Neighborhoods initiative is that all children and
youth growing up in Promise Neighborhoods have access to
great schools and strong systems of family and community
support.

Promise Neighborhoods weave together people,

services, and organizations to create a seamless cradle-to-

career pipeline, along which community members have access
to high-quality early care and education, smooth and
effective transition to kindergarten, excellent K–12
schools, and pathways to achieve postsecondary and career
success.
The PN program’s successes in helping communities
respond to the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the importance
of ensuring place-based supports for children and families.
When the pandemic hit, Promise Neighborhoods became an
important source of funding for local governments to
quickly respond to community needs and have confidence that
available resources would benefit the hardest hit community
members.
Promise Neighborhoods is particularly apt for
addressing issues that worsened during the pandemic, such
as chronic absenteeism and community violence, due to three
key characteristics:

(1) a strong backbone organization to

support families, which can take years to build; (2)
flexible funding targeted for year-round K-12
interventions; and (3) networks of partnerships that draw
on the internal resources of the community, such as local
organizers, trusted elders, and youth leaders, to guide
services to those who need them most.

Those with deep

community relationships can inform practice, act nimbly,
and respond to community needs as they arise.

Importantly,

the PN program also allows grantees to use the first two

years of funding for both implementation and planning
activities.

Planning activities have been particularly

important for organizations that have not previously had a
Federal PN grant and are working to establish a foundation
to implement the program.
One recent study of chronic absenteeism found that the
number of public school students who are chronically
absent--meaning they miss at least 10 percent of days in a
school year, whether excused or unexcused--nearly doubled
between the 2018-19 and 2021-22 school years,1 from about 15
percent to around 30 percent. The greatest increase has
been in kindergarten, with the rate of chronic absenteeism
now as high as 40 percent in some communities.2

Research

suggests that children who are chronically absent for
multiple years between preschool and second grade are much
less likely to read at grade level by the third grade.3

As

of the 2021-22 school year, over 14 million students
nationwide were chronically absent, missing crucial
instructional time and posing serious implications for
students' overall academic success and wellbeing.4

Dee, T. S. (2023, August 10). Higher Chronic Absenteeism Threatens
Academic Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic.
https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/bfg3p.
2 https://edsource.org/2023/reaching-kindergarten-parents-is-key-toaddressing-dramatic-post-pandemic-rise-in-chronic-absenteeism-panelsays/696511.
3 Ehrlich, Stacy B., et al. (May 2014).
Preschool Attendance in Chicago
Public Schools. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/preschoolattendance-chicago-public-schools-relationships-learning-outcomes-andreasons.
4 See note 2.

The Biden-Harris Administration has made addressing
chronic absenteeism one of the focal points of
its Improving Student Achievement Agenda5 and is using
several strategies to help schools and communities address
this issue.

These efforts include:

disseminating grants

that can fund interventions and supports in schools;
offering technical assistance to States and districts,
including the Department's Student Engagement and
Attendance Center,6 which supports States and schools in
designing and implementing evidence-based strategies to
improve student attendance and engagement, and the
Department's National Center on Safe Supportive Learning
Environments,7 which provides technical assistance focused
on improving school climate; investing in comprehensive
mental health programs for students, including through the
transformational investments of the Bipartisan Safer
Communities Act;8 and establishing and strengthening the
National Partnership for Student Success,9 which marshals
evidence-based supports such as tutoring and mentoring to
help keep students engaged and on-track.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statementsreleases/2024/01/17/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announcesimproving-student-achievement-agenda-in-2024/.
6 https://oese.ed.gov/student-engagement-and-attendance-technicalassistance-sea-center/.
7 https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/school-climate-improvement
8 https://oese.ed.gov/bipartisan-safer-communities-act/.
https://www.partnershipstudentsuccess.org/?utm_content&utm_medium=email
&utm_name&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term.

Additionally, the Promise Neighborhoods incorporates
the unique insights of young people to better address their
needs and circumstances.

PN grantees and like-minded

cross-sector initiatives have been successful in engaging
children and young people in K-12, college students, recent
college graduates, and young adults pursuing employment.
Youth engagement is used to improve school climate,
consistent attendance, college preparedness, and leadership
development among older youths.

Because such engagement

activities directly address the youth populations they
involve, they can be adapted and applied to many contexts.
In this instance, program grantees are encouraged to engage
young people in the planning and implementation of these
two-year grants.
Promise Neighborhoods also provide a unique
opportunity for communities to create a comprehensive
approach to help prevent and address violence in their
neighborhoods.

Funds can support a broad approach that

allows grantees to coordinate mental health professionals,
the criminal justice system, economic or workforce
development organizations, and community leaders to
intervene in areas with high rates of violence.

Current

grantees have engaged with Parks Departments, Departments
of Justice, and local community organizations to focus on
creating safe public spaces such as parks and more walkable
communities, improving both safety and wellness in their

neighborhoods, and creating a safe passage for students to
get to school.

Grantees have also focused on increasing

attendance and graduation rates as well as community
mentoring to mitigate violence among teens.
5.

Priorities:

This notice includes three absolute

priorities, three competitive preference priorities, and
one invitational priority.

Absolute Priorities 1 and 3 are

from the Final Priorities, Requirements, Definitions, and
Selection Criteria for this program published in the
Federal Register on January 19, 2021 (86 FR 5009) (PN NFP).
Absolute Priority 2 is from the Administrative Priorities
for Discretionary Grant Programs published in the Federal
Register on March 9, 2020 (85 FR 13640) (Administrative
Priorities).

Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 3 are

from the Secretary's Supplemental Priorities and
Definitions for Discretionary Grants Programs published in
the Federal Register on December 10, 2021 (86 FR 70612)
(Supplemental Priorities).

Competitive Preference Priority

2 is from the Administrative Priorities.
Absolute Priorities:

For FY 2024 and any subsequent year

in which we make awards from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition, these priorities are
absolute priorities.

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we

consider only applications that meet one or more of these
priorities.

Absolute Priorities 1, 2, and 3 each

constitute separate funding categories.

The Secretary

intends to award grants under each of these absolute
priorities provided that applications submitted are of
sufficient quality.

An applicant may address no more than

one absolute priority in its application.

To ensure that

applicants are reviewed under the absolute priority most
relevant to their proposed project, applicants must clearly
identify the specific absolute priority that the proposed
project addresses.
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1—Non-Rural and Non-Tribal
Communities.
To meet this priority, an applicant must propose to
implement a PN strategy that serves one or more non-rural
or non-Tribal communities.
Absolute Priority 2—Rural Applicants.
Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate one
or more of the following:
(a)

The applicant proposes to serve an LEA that is

eligible under the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA)
program or the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program
authorized under Title V, Part B of the ESEA.
(b)

The applicant proposes to serve a community that

is served by one or more LEAs with a locale code of 32, 33,
41, 42, or 43.

(c) The applicant proposes a project in which a
majority of the schools served have a locale code of 32,
33, 41, 42, or 43.
(d)

The applicant is an IHE with a rural campus

setting, or the applicant proposes to serve a campus with a
rural setting.

Rural settings include any of the

following: Town-Fringe, Town-Distant, Town-Remote, RuralFringe, Rural-Distant, Rural-Remote, as defined by the
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) College
Navigator search tool.
Note: To determine whether a particular LEA is eligible for
SRSA or RLIS, refer to the Department’s website at
https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-formula-grants/ruralinsular-native-achievement-programs/rural-educationachievement-program/.

Applicants are encouraged to

retrieve locale codes from the NCES School District search
tool (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/), where LEAs
can be looked up individually to retrieve locale codes, and
the Public School search tool (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/
schoolsearch/), where individual schools can be looked up
to retrieve locale codes.

Applicants are encouraged to

retrieve campus settings from the NCES College Navigator
search tool (https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/), where
IHEs can be looked up individually to determine the campus
setting.
Absolute Priority 3—Tribal Communities.

To meet this priority, an applicant must propose to
implement a PN strategy that serves one or more Indian
Tribes (as defined in this notice).
Competitive Preference Priorities:

For FY 2024 and any

subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of
unfunded applications from this competition, these
priorities are competitive preference priorities.

Under 34

CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 15 points
to an application, depending on how well the application
meets one or more of these priorities; the total possible
points for each competitive preference priority are noted
in parentheses.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1—Strengthening CrossAgency Coordination and Community Engagement to Advance
Systemic Change (up to 5 points).
Projects that are designed to take a systemic
evidence-based approach to improving outcomes for
underserved students in coordinating efforts with Federal,
State, or local agencies, or community-based organizations,
that support students, to address community violence
prevention and intervention.
Competitive Preference Priority 2—Applications From
New Potential Grantees (0 or 5 points).
Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate
that the applicant has never received a grant, including

through membership in a group application submitted in
accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, under the program
from which it seeks funds.
Competitive Preference Priority 3—Promoting Equity in
Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities
(up to 5 points).
Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate
that the applicant proposes a project designed to promote
educational equity and adequacy in resources and
opportunity for underserved students—
(1)

In one or more of the following educational

settings:
(i)

Early learning programs.

(ii)

Elementary school.

(iii)

Middle school.

(iv)
(v)

High school.
Career and technical education programs.

(vi)

Out-of-school-time settings.

(vii)

Alternative schools and programs.

(viii)

Juvenile justice system or correctional

facilities.
(ix)
(2)

Adult learning;
That examines the sources of inequity and

inadequacy and implements responses, and that includes
establishing, expanding, or improving the engagement of
underserved community members (including underserved

students and families) in informing and making decisions
that influence policy and practice at the school, district,
or State level by elevating their voices, through their
participation and their perspectives and providing them
with access to opportunities for leadership (e.g.,
establishing partnerships between civic student government
programs and parent and caregiver leadership initiatives).
Invitational Priority:

For FY 2024 and any subsequent year

in which we make awards from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition, this priority is an
invitational priority.

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not

give an application that meets this invitational priority a
competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
This priority is:
Addressing Chronic Absenteeism.
Projects designed to increase regular student
attendance and engagement and reduce chronic absenteeism
through evidence-based strategies such as—
(1)

Developing and implementing family- and child-

centered effective engagement, messaging, and communication
plans with parents, families, and students;
(2)

Strengthening relationships with families,

including through strategies such as home visits;
(3)

Using multitiered systems of support and

intervention, including through strategies such as an early
warning system; or

(4)

Creating and sustaining positive and inclusive

school climates, including those designed to build strong,
trusting relationships.
6.

Requirements:

For FY 2024 and any subsequent year

in which we make awards from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition, applicants must meet
the following application and program requirements from
section 4624 of the ESEA and the PN NFP.
Application Requirements:

The application requirements are

as follows:
(a)

A plan to significantly improve the academic

outcomes of children living in the geographically defined
area (neighborhood) that is served by the eligible entity
by providing pipeline services that address the needs of
children in the neighborhood, as identified by the needs
analysis, and that is supported by effective practices.
(b)

A description of the neighborhood the eligible

entity will serve.
Note:

Applicants may propose to serve multiple, non-

contiguous geographically defined areas.

In cases where

target areas are non-contiguous, the applicant should
explain its rationale for including non-contiguous areas.
(c)

An applicant must demonstrate that its proposed

project—
(1)

Is representative of the geographic area proposed

to be served (as defined in this notice); and

(2)

Would provide a majority of the solutions from

the applicant's proposed pipeline services in the
geographic area proposed to be served.
(d)

An analysis of the needs and assets of the

neighborhood, including:
(1)

The size and scope of the population affected;

(2)

A description of the process through which the

needs analysis was produced, including a description of how
parents, families, and community members were engaged in
such analysis;
(3)

An analysis of community assets and collaborative

efforts (including programs already provided from Federal
and non-Federal sources) within, or accessible to, the
neighborhood, including, at a minimum, early learning
opportunities, family and student supports, local
businesses, LEAs, and IHEs;
(4)

The steps that the eligible entity is taking at

the time of the application to address the needs identified
in the needs analysis; and
(5)

Any barriers the eligible entity, public

agencies, and other community-based organizations have
faced in meeting such needs.
(e)

A description of all information the entity used

to identify the pipeline services to be provided, which
shall not include information that is more than three years
old.

This description should address how the eligible

entity plans to collect data on children served by each
pipeline service and increase the percentage of children
served over time.
(f)

A description of how the pipeline services will

facilitate the coordination of the following activities:
(1)

Providing early learning opportunities for

children, including by:
(i)

Providing opportunities for families to acquire

the skills to promote early learning and child development;
and
(ii)

Ensuring appropriate diagnostic assessments and

referrals for children with disabilities and children aged
3 through 9 experiencing developmental delays, consistent
with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
(20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), where applicable.
(2)

Supporting, enhancing, operating, or expanding

rigorous, comprehensive, effective educational
improvements, which may include high-quality academic
programs, expanded learning time, and programs and
activities to prepare students for postsecondary education
admissions and success.
(3)

Supporting partnerships between schools and other

community resources with an integrated focus on academics
and other social, health, and familial supports.
(4)

Providing social, health, nutrition, and mental

health services and supports, for children, family members,

and community members, which may include services provided
within the school building.
(5)

Supporting evidence-based programs that assist

students through school transitions, which may include
expanding access to postsecondary education courses and
postsecondary education enrollment aid or guidance, and
other supports for at-risk youth.
(g)

Each applicant must submit, as part of its

application, a preliminary memorandum of understanding,
signed by each organization or agency with which it would
partner in implementing the proposed PN program.

Within

the preliminary memorandum of understanding, all applicants
must detail each partner's financial, programmatic, and
long-term commitment with respect to the strategies
described in the application.

Under section 4624(c) of the

ESEA, applicants that are nonprofit entities must submit a
preliminary memorandum of understanding signed by each
partner entity or agency, which must include at least one
of the following:

A high-need LEA; an IHE, as defined in

section 102 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1002); the office of a
chief elected official of a unit of local government; or an
Indian Tribe or Tribal organization as defined in section 4
of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).10

The original citation in ESEA section 4622 was to 25 U.S.C. 450b, but
25 U.S.C. 450b was editorially reclassified as 25 U.S.C. 5304. We use
the updated citation throughout this notice.

(h)

A description of the process used to develop the

application, including the involvement of family and
community members.

In addressing this paragraph, an

applicant must provide a description of the process used to
develop the application, which must include the involvement
of an LEA(s) (including but not limited to the LEA's or
LEAs' involvement in the creation and planning of the
application and a signed Memorandum of Understanding) and
at least one public elementary or secondary school that is
located within the identified geographic area that the
grant will serve.
(i)

A description of the strategies that will be used

to provide pipeline services (including a description of
which programs and services will be provided to children,
family members, community members, and children within the
neighborhood) to support the purpose of the PN program.
(j)

An explanation of the process the eligible entity

will use to establish and maintain family and community
engagement, including:
(1)

Involving representative participation by the

members of such neighborhood in the planning and
implementation of the activities of each grant awarded;
(2)

The provision of strategies and practices to

assist family and community members in actively supporting
student achievement and child development;

(3)

Providing services for students, families, and

communities within the school building; and
(4)

Collaboration with IHEs, workforce development

centers, and employers to align expectations and
programming with postsecondary education and workforce
readiness.
(k)

Measurable annual objectives and outcomes for the

grant, in accordance with the metrics described in the
Promise Neighborhoods Performance Indicators for each year
of the grant.
(l)

An explanation of how the eligible entity will

continuously evaluate and improve the continuum of highquality pipeline services to provide for continuous program
improvement and potential expansion.
(m)

In addressing the application requirements in

paragraphs (d), (e), and (f), an applicant must clearly
demonstrate needs, including a segmentation analysis, gaps
in services, and any available data from within the last 3
years to demonstrate needs.

The applicant must also

describe proposed activities that address these needs and
the extent to which these activities are evidence-based (as
defined in this notice).

The applicant must also describe

its experience, or its partner organizations’ experience,
if applicable, providing these activities, including any
data demonstrating effectiveness.

Program Requirements:

Each applicant that receives a grant

award for the PN competition must use the grant funds to
implement the pipeline services and continuously evaluate
the success of the program and improve the program based on
data and outcomes.

Section 4624(d) of the ESEA.

Applicants may use not less than 50 percent of grant funds
in year one, and not less than 25 percent of grant funds in
year two, for planning activities to develop and implement
pipeline services.
Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this
program must prepare and submit an annual report to the
Secretary that includes the following:

(1) information

about the number and percentage of children in the
neighborhood who are served by the grant program, including
a description of the number and percentage of children
accessing each support service offered as part of the
pipeline of services; and (2) information relating to the
metrics established under the Promise Neighborhood
Performance Indicators.
In addition, grantees must make these data publicly
available, including through electronic means.

To the

extent practicable, and as required by law, such
information must be provided in a form and language
accessible to parents and families in the neighborhood
served under the PN grant.

Data on academic indicators

pertinent to the PN program already will be, in most cases,
part of statewide longitudinal data systems.
7.

Selection Criteria:

The selection criteria are

from 34 CFR 75.210, the PN NFP, and the notice of final
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection
criteria published in the Federal Register on July 6, 2011
(76 FR 39589) (2011 PN NFP).

Each selection criterion

includes the factors that reviewers will consider in
determining the extent to which an applicant meets the
criterion.

The maximum score for each criterion is

included in parentheses following the title of the specific
selection criterion.

Points awarded under these selection

criteria are in addition to any points an applicant earned
under the competitive preference priorities in this notice.
The maximum score that an application may receive on the
selection criteria is 100 points.
The selection criteria are as follows:
(a)

Need for project (up to 20 points).

In determining the need for the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(1)

The magnitude or severity of the problem to be

addressed by the proposed project (34 CFR 75.210).
(2)

The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses

in services, infrastructure, or opportunities have been
identified and will be addressed by the proposed project,

including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or
weaknesses (34 CFR 75.210).
(b)

Quality of project services (up to 30 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the services to
be provided by the proposed project.

In determining the

quality of the project services, the Secretary considers:
(1)

The quality and sufficiency of strategies for

ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project
participants who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color,
national origin, gender, age, or disability (34 CFR
75.210).
(2)

The extent to which the proposed project involves

the development or demonstration of promising new
strategies that build on, or are alternatives to, existing
strategies (34 CFR 75.210).
(3)

The likelihood that the proposed project will

result in system change or improvement (34 CFR 75.210).
(4)

The extent to which the services to be provided

by the proposed project involve the collaboration of
appropriate partners for maximizing the effectiveness of
project services (34 CFR 75.210).
(c)

Quality of project design (up to 20 points).

In determining the quality of project design for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following
factors:

(1)

The extent to which the applicant describes a

plan to create a complete pipeline of services, without
time and resource gaps, that is designed to prepare all
children in the neighborhood to attain a high-quality
education and successfully transition to college and a
career (PN NFP).
(2)

The potential and planning for the incorporation

of project purposes, activities, or benefits into the
ongoing work of the applicant beyond the end of the grant
(34 CFR 75.210).
(3)

The extent to which the proposed project will

integrate with or build on similar or related efforts to
improve relevant outcomes (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1€),
using existing funding streams from other programs or
policies supported by community, State, and Federal
resources (34 CFR 75.210).
(d)

Quality of the management plan (up to 15 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the management
plan for the proposed project.

In determining the quality

of the management plan for the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(1)

The adequacy of the management plan to achieve

the objectives of the proposed project on time and within
budget, including clearly defined responsibilities,
timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks
(34 CFR 75.210).

(2)

The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback

and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed
project (34 CFR 75.210).
(3)

The experience, lessons learned, and proposal to

build capacity of the applicant’s management team and
project director in collecting, analyzing, and using data
for decision making, learning, continuous improvement, and
accountability, including whether the applicant has a plan
to build, adapt, or expand a longitudinal data system that
integrates student-level data from multiple sources in
order to measure progress while abiding by privacy laws and
requirements (2011 PN NFP).
(e)

Adequacy of resources (up to 15 points).

The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for
the proposed project.

In determining the adequacy of

resources for the proposed project, the Secretary
considers:
(1)

The potential for continued support of the

project after Federal funding ends, including, as
appropriate, the demonstrated commitment of appropriate
entities to such support (34 CFR 75.210).
(2)

The extent to which the applicant identifies

existing neighborhood assets and programs supported by
Federal, State, local, and private funds that will be used
to implement a continuum of solutions (2011 PN NFP).

(3)

The applicant’s capacity (e.g., in terms of

qualified personnel, financial resources, or management
capacity) to further develop and bring to scale the
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice, or to
work with others to ensure that the proposed process,
product, strategy, or practice can be further developed and
brought to scale, based on the findings of the proposed
project (34 CFR 75.210).
8.

Performance Measures:

The Secretary has

established performance indicators (i.e., performance
measures) for the PN program under section 4624(h) of the
ESEA and 34 CFR 75.110.

Performance indicators established

by the Secretary include improved academic and development
outcomes for children, including indicators of school
readiness, high school graduation, postsecondary education
and career readiness, and other academic and developmental
outcomes.

These outcomes promote data-driven decision-

making and access to a community-based continuum of highquality services for children living in the most distressed
communities of the United States, beginning at birth.

All

grantees will be required to submit data annually against
these performance measures as part of their annual
performance report.
The Secretary establishes, in Table 1, the following
performance indicators under section 4624(h) of the ESEA
and 34 CFR 75.110:

Table 1—Promise Neighborhoods Performance Indicators
Result

Indicator

Recommended Source

1. Number and
percentage of children
in kindergarten who
demonstrate at the
beginning of the
1. Children enter program or school year
kindergarten ready age-appropriate

Administrative

to succeed in

functioning across

data from LEA.

school

multiple domains of
early learning as
determined using
developmentally
appropriate early
learning measures
2.1 Number and
percentage of students
at or above grade

2. Students are

level according to

proficient in core State mathematics
academic subjects assessments in at
least the grades
required by the ESEA
(third through eighth

Table 1—Promise Neighborhoods Performance Indicators
Result

Indicator
grades and once in
high school)
2.2 Number and
percentage of students
at or above grade
level according to
State English language
arts assessments in at
least the grades
required by the ESEA
3.1 Attendance rate of
students in sixth,

3. Students
successfully
transition from
middle school
grades to high
school

seventh, eighth, and
ninth grade as defined
by average daily
attendance
3.2 Chronic
absenteeism rate of
students in sixth,
seventh, eighth, and
ninth grades

4. Youth graduate 4. 4-year adjusted
from high school

cohort graduation rate

Recommended Source

Table 1—Promise Neighborhoods Performance Indicators
Result

Indicator

Recommended Source

5.1 Number and
percentage of Promise
Neighborhood students
who enroll in a 2-year
or 4-year college or
5. High school

university after

graduates obtain a graduation

Third party data

postsecondary

5.2 Number and percent such as the

degree,

of Promise

certification or

Neighborhood students Clearinghouse.

credential

who graduate from a 2-

National Student

year or 4-year college
or university or
vocational
certification
completion
6. Number and
percentage of children
6. Students are

who consume five or

healthy

more servings of
fruits and vegetables
daily

Neighborhood
survey, school
climate survey or
other reliable
data source for
population level
data collection.

Table 1—Promise Neighborhoods Performance Indicators
Result

Indicator
7. Number and
percentage of children

7. Students feel

who feel safe at

safe at school and school and traveling
in their community to and from school as
measured by a school
climate survey
8. Students live

8. Student mobility

in stable

rate (as defined in

communities

the notice)
9.1 Number and
percentage of parents
or family members that
read to or encourage
their children to read

9. Families and

three or more times a

community members week or reported their
support learning

child reads to

in PN schools

themselves three or
more times a week
(birth-eighth grade)
9.2 Number and
percentage of
parents/family members

Recommended Source

Table 1—Promise Neighborhoods Performance Indicators
Result

Indicator

Recommended Source

who report talking
about the importance
of college and career
(ninth-12th grade)
10. Number and
10. Students have
access to 21st
century learning
tools

percentage of students
who have school and
home access to
broadband internet and
a connected computing
device

Note:

The indicators in Table 1 are not intended to limit

an applicant from collecting and using data from additional
Family and Community Support indicators proposed to the
Department.

Applicants are strongly encouraged, but not

required, to propose additional performance indicators
aligned to the specific pipeline services proposed in their
application.
Please see the Program Requirements section of this
notice for the reporting requirements associated with the
PN program performance indicators.
9.

Definitions:

For FY 2024 and any subsequent year

in which we make awards from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition, the following

definitions apply.

The definitions for “eligible entity”

and “pipeline services” are from section 4622 of the ESEA.
The definitions of “graduation rate,” “Indian Tribe,”
“indicators of need,” “regular high-school diploma,”
“representative of the geographic area to be served,”
“segmentation analysis,” “student achievement,” and
“student mobility rate” are from the PN NFP.

The

definitions of “children or students with disabilities,”
“community college,” “disconnected youth,” “early
learning,” “English learner,” and “underserved student” are
from the Supplemental Priorities.

The remaining

definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1.
Children or students with disabilities means children
with disabilities as defined in section 602(3) of the IDEA
(20 U.S.C. 1401(3)) and 34 CFR 300.8, or students with
disabilities, as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(29 U.S.C. 705(37), 705(202)(B)).
Community college means “junior or community college”
as defined in section 312(f) of the HEA.
Disconnected youth means an individual, between the
ages 14 and 24, who may be from a low-income background,
experiences homelessness, is in foster care, is involved in
the justice system, or is not working or not enrolled in
(or at risk of dropping out of) an educational institution.
Early learning means any (a) State-licensed or Stateregulated program or provider, regardless of setting or

funding source, that provides early care and education for
children from birth to kindergarten entry, including, but
not limited to, any program operated by a child care center
or in a family child care home; (b) program funded by the
Federal Government or State or LEAs (including any IDEAfunded program); (c) Early Head Start and Head Start
program; (d) non-relative child care provider who is not
otherwise regulated by the State and who regularly cares
for two or more unrelated children for a fee in a provider
setting; and (e) other program that may deliver early
learning and development services in a child's home, such
as the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting
Program; Early Head Start; and Part C of IDEA.
Eligible entity means (1) an IHE, as defined in
section 102 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1002); (2) an Indian
tribe or tribal organization, as defined in section 4 of
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
(25 U.S.C. 5304); or (3) one or more nonprofit entities
working in formal partnership with not less than 1 of the
following entities:
(i)
(ii)

A high-need LEA.
An IHE, as defined in section 102 of the HEA (20

U.S.C. 1002).
(iii)

The office of a chief elected official of a

unit of local government.

(iv)

An Indian tribe or tribal organization, as

defined under section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
English learner means an individual who is an English
learner as defined in section 8101(20) of the ESEA, or an
individual who is an English language learner as defined in
section 203(7) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act.
Evidence-based means the proposed project component is
supported by one or more of strong evidence, moderate
evidence, or promising evidence.
Experimental study means a study that is designed to
compare outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as
students) that are otherwise equivalent except for their
assignment to either a treatment group receiving a project
component or a control group that does not.

Randomized

controlled trials, regression discontinuity design studies,
and single-case design studies are the specific types of
experimental studies that, depending on their design and
implementation (e.g., sample attrition in randomized
controlled trials and regression discontinuity design
studies), can meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards
without reservations as described in the WWC Handbooks:
(i)

A randomized controlled trial employs random

assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms,
or schools to receive the project component being evaluated

(the treatment group) or not to receive the project
component (the control group).
(ii)

A regression discontinuity design study assigns

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

A single-case design study uses observations of

a single case (e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral
intervention) over time in the absence and presence of a
controlled treatment manipulation to determine whether the
outcome is systematically related to the treatment.
Graduation rate means the four-year adjusted cohort
graduation rate or extended-year adjusted cohort graduation
rate as defined in section 8101(25) and (23) of the ESEA.
Indian Tribe means an Indian Tribe or Tribal
organization as defined in section 4 of the Indian Selfdetermination Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)).
Indicators of need means currently available data that
describe—
(a)

Education need, which means—

(1)

All or a portion of the neighborhood includes or

is within the attendance zone of a low-performing school
that is a high school, especially one in which the
graduation rate (as defined in this notice) is less than 60
percent or a school that can be characterized as low-

performing based on another proxy indicator, such as
students' on-time progression from grade to grade; and
(2)

Other indicators, such as significant achievement

gaps between subgroups of students (as identified in
section 1111(b)(2)(B)(xi) of the ESEA), within a school or
LEA, high teacher and principal turnover, or high student
absenteeism; and
(b)

Family and community support need, which means—

(1)

Percentages of children with preventable chronic

health conditions (e.g., asthma, poor nutrition, dental
problems, obesity) or avoidable developmental delays;
(2)

Immunization rates;

(3)

Rates of crime, including violent crime;

(4)

Student mobility rates;

(5)

Teenage birth rates;

(6)

Percentage of children in single parent or no-

parent families;
(7)

Rates of vacant or substandard homes, including

distressed public and assisted housing; or
(8)

Percentage of the residents living at or below

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

(i)

A practice guide prepared by the WWC using

version 2.1, 3.0, 4,0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks
reporting a “strong evidence base” or “moderate evidence
base” for the corresponding practice guide recommendation;
(ii)

An intervention report prepared by the WWC using

version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks
reporting a “positive effect” or “potentially positive
effect” on a relevant outcome based on a “medium to large”
extent of evidence, with no reporting of a “negative
effect” or “potentially negative effect” on a relevant
outcome; or
(iii)

A single experimental study or quasi-

experimental design study reviewed and reported by the WWC
using version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks,
or otherwise assessed by the Department using version 4.1
of the WWC Handbooks, as appropriate, and that—
(A)

Meets WWC standards with or without reservations;

(B)

Includes at least one statistically significant

and positive (i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant
outcome;
(C)

Includes no overriding statistically significant

and negative effects on relevant outcomes reported in the
study or in a corresponding WWC intervention report
prepared under version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC
Handbooks; and

(D)

Is based on a sample from more than one site

(e.g., State, county, city, school district, or
postsecondary campus) and includes at least 350 students or
other individuals across sites.

Multiple studies of the

same project component that each meet requirements in
paragraphs (iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may
together satisfy this requirement.
Pipeline services means a continuum of coordinated
supports, services, and opportunities for children from
birth through entry into and success in postsecondary
education, and career attainment.

Such services shall

include, at a minimum, strategies to address through
services or programs (including integrated student
supports) the following:
(a)

High-quality early childhood education programs.

(b)

High-quality school and out-of-school-time

programs and strategies.
(c)

Support for a child's transition to elementary

school, from elementary school to middle school, from
middle school to high school, and from high school into and
through postsecondary education and into the workforce,
including any comprehensive readiness assessment determined
necessary.
(d)

Family and community engagement and supports,

which may include engaging or supporting families at school
or at home.

(e)

Activities that support postsecondary and work-

force readiness, which may include job training, internship
opportunities, and career counseling.
(f)

Community-based support for students who have

attended the schools in the area served by the pipeline, or
students who are members of the community, facilitating
their continued connection to the community and success in
postsecondary education and the workforce.
(g)

Social, health, nutrition, and mental health

services and supports.
(h)

Juvenile crime prevention and rehabilitation

programs.
Project component means an activity, strategy,
intervention, process, product, practice, or policy
included in a project.

Evidence may pertain to an

individual project component or to a combination of project
components (e.g., training teachers on instructional
practices for English learners and follow-on coaching for
these teachers).
Promising evidence means that there is evidence of the
effectiveness of a key project component in improving a
relevant outcome, based on a relevant finding from one of
the following:
(i)

A practice guide prepared by WWC reporting a

“strong evidence base” or “moderate evidence base” for the
corresponding practice guide recommendation;

(ii)

An intervention report prepared by the WWC

reporting a “positive effect” or “potentially positive
effect” on a relevant outcome with no reporting of a
“negative effect” or “potentially negative effect” on a
relevant outcome; or
(iii)

A single study assessed by the Department, as

appropriate, that—
(A)

Is an experimental study, a quasi-experimental

design study, or a well-designed and well-implemented
correlational study with statistical controls for selection
bias (e.g., a study using regression methods to account for
differences between a treatment group and a comparison
group); and
(B)

Includes at least one statistically significant

and positive (i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant
outcome.
Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a
design that attempts to approximate an experimental study
by identifying a comparison group that is similar to the
treatment group in important respects.

This type of study,

depending on design and implementation (e.g., establishment
of baseline equivalence of the groups being compared), can
meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet WWC
standards without reservations, as described in the WWC
Handbooks.

Regular high school diploma has the meaning set out in
section 8101(43) of the ESEA.
Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other
outcome(s) the key project component is designed to
improve, consistent with the specific goals of the program.
Representative of the geographic area proposed to be
served means that residents of the geographic area proposed
to be served have an active role in decision-making and
that at least one-third of the applicant's governing board
or advisory board is made up of—
(a)

Residents who live in the geographic area

proposed to be served, which may include residents who are
representative of the ethnic and racial composition of the
neighborhood's residents and the languages they speak;
(b)

Residents of the city or county in which the

neighborhood is located but who live outside the geographic
area proposed to be served, and who earn less than 80
percent of the area's median income as published by the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development;
(c)

Public officials who serve the geographic area

proposed to be served (although not more than one-half of
the governing board or advisory board may be made up of
public officials); or
(d)

Some combination of individuals from the three

groups listed in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this
definition.

Segmentation analysis means the process of grouping
and analyzing data from children and families in the
geographic area proposed to be served according to
indicators of need or other relevant indicators to allow
grantees to differentiate and more effectively target
interventions based on the needs of different populations
in the geographic area.
Strong evidence means that there is evidence of the
effectiveness of a key project component in improving a
relevant outcome for a sample that overlaps with the
populations and settings proposed to receive that
component, based on a relevant finding from one of the
following:
(i)

A practice guide prepared by the WWC using

version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks
reporting a “strong evidence base” for the corresponding
practice guide recommendation;
(ii)

An intervention report prepared by the WWC using

version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks
reporting a “positive effect” on a relevant outcome based
on a “medium to large” extent of evidence, with no
reporting of a “negative effect” or “potentially negative
effect” on a relevant outcome; or
(iii)

A single experimental study reviewed and

reported by the WWC using version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of
the WWC Handbooks, or otherwise assessed by the Department

using version 4.1 of the WWC Handbooks, as appropriate, and
that—
(A)

Meets WWC standards without reservations;

(B)

Includes at least one statistically significant

and positive (i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant
outcome;
(C)

Includes no overriding statistically significant

and negative effects on relevant outcomes reported in the
study or in a corresponding WWC intervention report
prepared under version 2.1, 3.0, 4.0, or 4.1 of the WWC
Handbooks; and
(D)

Is based on a sample from more than one site

(e.g., State, county, city, school district, or
postsecondary campus) and includes at least 350 students or
other individuals across sites.

Multiple studies of the

same project component that each meet requirements in
paragraphs (iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may
together satisfy this requirement.
Student achievement means—
(a)

For tested grades and subjects—

(1)

A student's score on the State's assessments

under the ESEA; and
(2)

As appropriate, other measures of student

learning, such as those described in paragraph (b) of this
definition, provided they are rigorous and comparable
across classrooms and programs; and

(b)

For non-tested grades and subjects, alternative

measures of student learning and performance, such as
student scores on pre-tests and end-of-course tests;
student performance on English language proficiency
assessments; and other measures of student achievement that
are rigorous and comparable across classrooms.
Student mobility rate is calculated by dividing the
total number of new student entries and withdrawals at a
school, from the day after the first official enrollment
number is collected through the end of the academic year,
by the first official enrollment number of the academic
year.
Underserved student means a student (which may include
children in early learning environments, students in K-12
programs, students in postsecondary education or career and
technical education, and adult learners, as appropriate) in
one or more of the following subgroups:
(a)

A student who is living in poverty or is served

by schools with high concentrations of students living in
poverty.
(b)

A student of color.

(c)

A student who is a member of a federally

recognized Indian Tribe.
(d)

An English learner.

(e)

A child or student with a disability.

(f)

A disconnected youth.

(g)

A migrant student.

(h)

A student experiencing homelessness or housing

insecurity.
(i)

A lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or

questioning, or intersex (LGBTQI+) student.
(j)

A student who is in foster care.

(k)

A student without documentation of immigration

status.
(l)

A pregnant, parenting, or caregiving student.

(m)

A student impacted by the justice system,

including a formerly incarcerated student.
(n)

A student who is the first in their family to

attend postsecondary education.
(o)

A student enrolling in or seeking to enroll in

postsecondary education for the first time at the age of 20
or older.
(p)

A student who is working full-time while enrolled

in postsecondary education.
(q)

A student who is enrolled in or is seeking to

enroll in postsecondary education who is eligible for a
Pell Grant.
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Handbooks (WWC
Handbooks) means the standards and procedures set forth in
the WWC Standards Handbook, Versions 4.0 or 4.1, and WWC
Procedures Handbook, Versions 4.0 or 4.1, or in the WWC
Procedures and Standards Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version

2.1 (all incorporated by reference, see §77.2).

Study

findings eligible for review under WWC standards can meet
WWC standards without reservations, meet WWC standards with
reservations, or not meet WWC standards.

WWC practice

guides and intervention reports include findings from
systematic reviews of evidence as described in the WWC
Handbooks documentation.
Note:

The What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and

Standards Handbook (Version 4.1), as well as the more
recent What Works Clearinghouse Handbooks released in
August 2022 (Version 5.0), are available at
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks.
10.

Program Authority and Applicable Regulations:

Program authority:

20 U.S.C. 7273-7274.

Applicable regulations:

(a)

The Education Department

General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts
75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

(b)

The

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension
(Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended
as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485.

(c)

The Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the
Department in 2 CFR part 3474.
2011 PN NFP.

(f)

(d) The PN NFP.

The Administrative Priorities.

(e)

Supplemental Priorities.

(g)

The
The

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 IHEs

only.
Note:

The Department will implement the changes included

in the OMB final rule, OMB Guidance for Federal Financial
Assistance
(www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/22/202407496/guidance-for-federal-financial-assistance), formerly
called, Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants
and Agreements, which amends 2 CFR part 200, on October 1,
2024.

When preparing an application, grant applicants who

anticipate a performance period start date on or after
October 1, 2024, should follow the requirements in the
updated 2 CFR part 200.

For more information about these

updated regulations please visit:
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/guid/uniformguidance/index.html.
Note:

Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a

manner consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements
contained in Federal civil rights laws.
II.

Supplemental Requirements
1.

a.

Cost Sharing or Matching:

Under section

4623(d)(1)(A) of the ESEA, to be eligible for a grant under
this competition, an applicant must demonstrate a
commitment from one or more entities in the public or

private sector, which may include Federal, State, and local
public agencies, philanthropic organizations, and private
sources, to provide matching funds.
An applicant proposing a project that meets Absolute
Priority 1—Non-Rural and Non-Tribal Communities must obtain
matching funds or in-kind donations equal to at least 100
percent of its grant award.

Section 4623(d)(1)(A) of the

ESEA.
An applicant proposing a project that meets Absolute
Priority 2—Rural Applicants or Absolute Priority 3—Tribal
Communities must obtain matching funds or in-kind donations
equal to at least 50 percent of its grant award.

Section

4623(d)(1)(C) of the ESEA.
Eligible sources of matching funds include sources of
funds used to pay for solutions within the pipeline
services, initiatives supported by the LEA, or public
health services for children in the neighborhood.

At least

10 percent of an applicant’s total match must be cash or
in-kind contributions from the private sector, which may
include philanthropic organizations or private sources.
Section 4623(d)(1)(B) of the ESEA.
Applicants must demonstrate a commitment of matching
funds in the application.

Applicants must specify the

source of the funds or contributions and, in the case of a
third-party in-kind contribution, describe how the value
was determined for the donated or contributed goods or

service.

Section 4623(d)(1)(B) of the ESEA.

Applicants

must demonstrate the match commitment by including letters
in their applications explaining the type and quantity of
the match commitment with original signatures from the
executives of organizations or agencies providing the
match.
The Secretary may consider decreasing the matching
requirement in the most exceptional circumstances, on a
case-by-case basis.

Section 4623(d)(1)(C) of the ESEA.

An

applicant that is unable to meet the matching requirement
must include in its application a request to the Secretary
to reduce the matching requirement, including the amount of
the requested reduction, the total remaining match
contribution, and a statement of the basis for the request.
The Secretary will grant this request only if an applicant
demonstrates a significant financial hardship.

Section

4623(d)(1)(D) of the ESEA.
An applicant should review the Department’s costsharing and cost matching regulations, which include
specific limitations, in 2 CFR 200.306, and the cost
principles regarding donations, capital assets,
depreciations, and allowable costs, in subpart E of 2 CFR
part 200.
b.

Indirect Cost Rate Information:

uses an unrestricted indirect cost rate.

This program
For more

information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a

negotiated indirect cost rate, please see
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
c.

Administrative Cost Limitation:

This program does

not include any program-specific limitation on
administrative expenses.

All administrative expenses must

be reasonable and necessary and conform to Cost Principles
described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E.
2.

Subgrantees:

The grantee may award subgrants to

entities it has identified in an approved application or
that it selects through a competition under procedures
established by the grantee.
III.

Application and Submission Information
1.

Recommended Page Limit:

The application narrative

is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria
that reviewers use to evaluate your application.

We

recommend that you (1) limit the application narrative to
no more than 50 pages and (2) use the following standards:
•

A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1"

margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
•

Double-space (no more than three lines per

vertical inch) all text in the application narrative,
including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, and captions, as well as all text in charts,
tables, figures, and graphs.
•

Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or

no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

•

Use one of the following fonts:

Times New Roman,

Courier, Courier New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover
sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget
justification; the assurances and certifications; or the
one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the
letters of support.

However, the recommended page limit

does apply to all of the application narrative.
2.

Notice of Intent to Apply:

The Department will be

able to review grant applications more efficiently if we
know the approximate number of applicants that intend to
apply.

Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential

applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an
application.

To do so, please email the program contact

person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT with
the subject line “Intent to Apply,” and include the
applicant's name and a contact person’s name and email
address.

Applicants that do not submit a notice of intent

to apply may still apply for funding; applicants that do
submit a notice of intent to apply are not bound to apply
or bound by the information provided.
3.

Funding Restrictions:

Applicants that operate a

school in a neighborhood served by a PN grant must provide
such school with the operational flexibility, including
autonomy over staff, time, and budget, needed to
effectively carry out the activities described in this

notice.

Grantees cannot, in carrying out activities to

improve early childhood education programs, use PN funds to
carry out the following activities:

(1) Assessments that

provide rewards or sanctions for individual children or
teachers; (2) A single assessment that is used as the
primary or sole method for assessing program effectiveness;
or (3) Evaluation of children, other than for the purposes
of improving instruction, classroom environment,
professional development, or parent and family engagement,
or program improvement.
We reference additional regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this
notice.
4.

Application Submission Instructions:

Applicants

are required to follow the Common Instructions for
Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant
Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7,
2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/202226554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-ofeducation-discretionary-grant-programs.
5.

Submission of Proprietary Information:

Given the

types of projects that may be proposed in applications for
the PN competition, your application may include business
information that you consider proprietary.

In 34 CFR 5.11

we define “business information” and describe the process

we use in determining whether any of that information is
proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under
Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C.
552, as amended).

Because we plan to make successful

applications available to the public, you may wish to
request confidentiality of business information.
Consistent with Executive Order 12600 (Predisclosure
Notification Procedures for Confidential Commercial
Information), please designate in your application any
information that you believe is exempt from disclosure
under Exemption 4.

In the appropriate Appendix section of

your application, under ”Other Attachments Form,” please
list the page number or numbers on which we can find this
information.

For additional information please see 34 CFR

5.11(c).
6.

Intergovernmental Review:

This program is subject

to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part
79.

Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application
package for this competition.
IV.

Application Review Information
1.

Review and Selection Process:

We remind potential

applicants that in reviewing applications in any
discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may
consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), 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 requires various assurances, including those
applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit
discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal
financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4,
104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
2.

Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions:

Consistent with 2 CFR 200.206, before awarding grants under
this program the Department conducts a review of the risks
posed by applicants.

Under 2 CFR 200.208, the Secretary

may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR 3474.10, in
appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant
if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has
a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or
other management system that does not meet the standards in
2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions
of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
3.

Integrity and Performance System:

If you are

selected under this competition to receive an award that
over the course of the project period may exceed the
simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000),

under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about
your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance
under Federal awards—that is, the risk posed by you as an
applicant—before we make an award.

In doing so, we must

consider any information about you that is in the integrity
and performance system (currently referred to as the
Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information
System (FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award
Management.

You may review and comment on any information

about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and
that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of your currently
active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement
contracts from the Federal Government exceeds
$10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200,
Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually.

Please review the

requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant
plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed
$10,000,000.
4.

In General:

In accordance with the Guidance for

Federal Financial Assistance located at 2 CFR part 200, all
applicable Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance,
the Department will review and consider applications for
funding pursuant to this notice inviting applications in
accordance with—

(a)

Selecting recipients most likely to be successful

in delivering results based on the program objectives
through an objective process of evaluating Federal award
applications (2 CFR 200.205);
(b)

Prohibiting the purchase of certain

telecommunication and video surveillance services or
equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National
Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 115—232) (2
CFR 200.216);
(c)

Providing a preference, to the extent permitted

by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials
produced in the United States (2 CFR 200.322); and
(d)

Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the

greatest extent authorized by law if an award no longer
effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR
200.340).
V. Award Administration Information
1.

Award Notices:

If your application is successful,

we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and
send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN); or we may send
you an email containing a link to access an electronic
version of your GAN.

We also may notify you informally.

If your application is not evaluated or not selected
for funding, we notify you.

2.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements:

We identify administrative and national policy requirements
in the application package and reference these and other
requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this
notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and
conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations
section of this notice and include these and other specific
conditions in the GAN.

The GAN also incorporates your

approved application as part of your binding commitments
under the grant.
3.

Open Licensing Requirements:

Unless an exception

applies, if you are awarded a grant under this competition,
you will be required to openly license to the public grant
deliverables created in whole, or in part, with Department
grant funds.

When the deliverable consists of

modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends
only to those modifications that can be separately
identified and only to the extent that open licensing is
permitted under the terms of any licenses or other legal
restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded
competitive grant funds must have a plan to disseminate
these public grant deliverables.

This dissemination plan

can be developed and submitted after your application has
been reviewed and selected for funding.

For additional

information on the open licensing requirements please refer
to 2 CFR 3474.20.
4.

Reporting:

(a)

If you apply for a grant under

this competition, you must ensure that you have in place
the necessary processes and systems to comply with the
reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
funding under the competition.

This does not apply if you

have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b)

At the end of your project period, you must

submit a final performance report, including financial
information, as directed by the Secretary.

If you receive

a multiyear award, you must submit an annual performance
report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the
Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118.

The Secretary may also

require more frequent performance reports under
34 CFR 75.720(c).

For specific requirements on reporting,

please go to
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
(c)

Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide

a grantee with additional funding for data collection
analysis and reporting.

In this case the

Secretary establishes a data collection period.
5.

Continuation Awards:

In making a continuation

award under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary considers, among
other things: whether a grantee has made substantial

progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the
project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner
that is consistent with its approved application and
budget; and, if the Secretary has established performance
measurement requirements, whether the grantee has made
substantial progress in achieving the performance targets
in the grantee’s approved application.
In making a continuation award, the Secretary also
considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance
with the assurances in its approved application, including
those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit
discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal
financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4,
104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
Also, in making continuation awards for years four and
five, the Department will consider whether the grantee is
achieving the intended goals and outcomes of the grant and
shows substantial improvement against baseline data on
performance indicators and performance measures.
VI.

Other Information

Accessible Format:

On request to the program contact

person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT,
individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and
a copy of the application package in an accessible format.
The Department will provide the requestor with an
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF)

or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille,
large print, audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible
format.
Electronic Access to This Document:

The official version

of this document is the document published in the Federal
Register.

You may access the official edition of the

Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations at
www.govinfo.gov.

At this site you can view this document,

as well as all other Department documents published
in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document
Format (PDF).

To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat

Reader, which is available free at the site.
You may also access Department documents 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.
Adam Schott,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Delegated the
Authority to Perform the Functions and Duties of the
Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education.
[FR Doc. 2024-14054 Filed: 6/26/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/27/2024]