Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program Application Package and TQP Application Instructions Package

Before you begin completing your FY 2020 Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) application, we recommend that all applicants answer the following quesitons:

Question	Yes or No
Have you reviewed the FY 2020 TQP Notice Inviting Applications?
Have you reviewed the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) or at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf ?
Have you completely reviewed the contents of this FY 2020 TQP Application Instructions Package?
Have you reviewed the FY 2020 TQP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) found on the TQP program webpage?
Have you reviewed the instructions for electronic submission of your application found in this FY 2020 TQP Application Instructions Package?
Have you reviewed the REQUIRED TQP Checklists and REQUIRED TQP Budget Worksheet?
Is your project designed to recruit only individuals who have a Bachelor’s degree at the time of admission into the proposed TQP Residency project?
Does your project have an 18-month designed which ensures residents will graduate from your proposed TQP Residency project with a Master’s degree in teaching, receive state licensure and are ready to complete the three-year service requirement?
Have you secured at least 50 percent of the total cost of your proposed TQP project, from nonfederal sources, in order to meet the 100 percent nonfederal cost share or match requirement?

If you answered “YES” to each of the above questions, you are likely ready to begin submitting your application in Grants.gov. If you answered “No” to any of these quesitons, you may want to revisit the areas where you answered “No.” If any of the above questions spark additional quesitons, please contact the TQP program staff at TQPartnership@ed.gov .

Program Overview

Program Office: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE)

Grant Name: Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP)

CFDA Number: 84.336S

Grant Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grant

Purpose of Program:

The purposes of the TQP program are to improve student achievement; improve the quality of prospective and new teachers by improving the preparation of prospective teachers and enhancing professional development activities for new teachers; hold teacher preparation programs at institutions of higher education (IHEs) accountable for preparing teachers who meet applicable State certification and licensure requirements; and recruit highly qualified individuals, including minorities and individuals from other occupations, into the teaching force.

Eligible Applicants:

An eligible applicant must be an "eligible partnership" as defined in Section 200(6) of the Higher Education Act (HEA). The eligible partnership must include all of the following:

One or more high-need local educational agencies (LEAs);
One or more high-need schools or consortium of high-need schools served by the high-need LEAs;
A partner IHE;
A school, department, or program of education within such partner institution; and
A school or department of arts and sciences within such partner institution.

In addition, the “eligible partnership” may include one or more of the entities listed in Section 200(6)(B) of the HEA.

TQP Program Webpage:

https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/effective-educator-development-programs/teacher-quality-partnership/

TQP Program Email:

TQPartnership@ed.gov

FY 2020 TQP FAQs:

FAQs will be available on the TQP program webpage at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/effective-educator-development-programs/teacher-quality-partnership/applicant-info-and-eligibility.

Authorizing Legislation:

The Teacher Quality Partnership program statute is contained in Title II of the HEA, as amended on August 14, 2008, by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (Public Law 110-315). Definitions for the program (including those for components of an eligible partnership) are contained in Section 200 of the HEA, as amended, while the program authority itself is in Title II, Part A of that Act (Sections 201-204). You may view the full version of the HEA, as amended in 2008, at:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2016-title20/html/USCODE-2016-title20-chap28-subchapII.htm.

Notice Inviting Applications

Teacher Quality Partnership (84.336S)

Application available: XXX X, 2020
Pre-Application Information Webinars: Pre-recorded informational webinars can be found on the TQP program Website at https://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-quality-partnership/.

Deadline for submitting Intent to Apply: XXX X, 2020

Deadline for transmitting applications: XXX XX, 2020
Estimated Award Announcement: TBD

FY 2020 TQP Notice Inviting Applications: The full text of the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the FY 2020 TQP grant competition can be found on the Federal Register Website at:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/04/03/2019-06493/applications-for-new-awards-teacher-quality-partnership-grant-program

All TQP applications must be received on or before 11:59:59 p.m. Washington, DC Time, on XXX XX, 2020. Please note that the U.S. Department of Education (Department) grant application deadline is 11:59:59 p.m. Washington, DC Time. Late applications will not be accepted. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. The Department strongly encourages applicants to submit their applications well before the application deadline, as the Grants.gov system may take up to several hours to process and time and date stamp the application. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time.

After successfully submitting a Workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted Workspace.

FY 2020 TQP Application Instructions Package:

Please note that the TQP Application Instructions Package is for applicants to download and use as a guide only. Unless the applicant qualifies for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, all TQP grant applications must be submitted online using Workspace in Grants.gov.

Intent to Apply:

The Secretary strongly encourages each potential applicant to notify the Department of its intent to submit an application for TQP funding by sending an email to TQPartnership@ed.gov by XXX XX, 2020. Applicants that do not indicate their intent to apply may still apply for funding.

How to Apply:

A Grants.gov applicant must apply online using Workspace. Instructions on getting started on your Workspace Application can be found on the Grants.gov website here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html. For access to complete instructions on how to apply, refer to: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.

Funding Opportunity Number: ED-GRANTS-040319-001

Each application will be reviewed under the competition for which it was submitted in the Grants.gov system, and only applications that are successfully submitted by the established deadline will be reviewed.

Grants.gov Submission Procedures

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST

U.S. Department of Education

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department.

Browser Support:

The latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari are supported for use with Grants.gov. However, these web browsers undergo frequent changes and updates, so we recommend you have the latest version when using Grants.gov. Legacy versions of these web browsers may be functional, but you may experience issues.

For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the Applicant FAQs: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser.

ATTENTION – Workspace, Adobe Forms and PDF Files:

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html.

Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete the application online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

2) Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

a. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

b. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

c. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS Number. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html.

Helpful Reminders:

REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov) which may take approximately one week to complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending upon the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html [Note: Your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.]

Primary information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov. However, to further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account the Department has prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.

SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it only after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 11:59:59 p.m. Washington, DC Time on the deadline date.

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the same number used when your organization registered with the SAM. If you do not enter the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, Grants.gov will reject your application.

VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on the Grants.gov Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Washington, DC Time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or email at: mailto:support@grants.gov or access the Grants.gov Self-Service Knowledge Base web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants.

If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 11:59:59 p.m. Washington, DC Time, unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. If electronic submission is optional and you have problems that you are unable to resolve before the deadline date and time for electronic applications, please follow the transmittal instructions for hard copy applications in the Federal Register notice and get a hard copy application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please visit http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html. Additional information is available on Workspace at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace.

Dial-Up Internet Connections

When using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g., cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application:

When you submit your application electronically, you must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in either Portable Document Format (PDF) or Microsoft Word. Although applicants have the option of uploading any narrative sections and all other attachments to their application in either PDF or Microsoft Word, we recommend applicants submit all documents as read-only flattened PDFs, meaning any fillable PDF files must be saved and submitted as non-fillable PDF files and not as interactive or fillable PDF files, to better ensure applications are processed in a more timely, accurate, and efficient manner.
Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name.
When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.
Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package with all attachments is less than 5 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

Grants.gov System Maintenance

Please be reminded that the Grants.gov system will not be available for use during the times listed below.

Date	Scope	Details
April 18-20, 2020	Server Maintenance	Scheduled Maintenance Outage: Production System will go Offline Saturday April 18, 2020 at 12:01 AM ET. Production System will go Online Monday April 20, 2020 at 6:00 AM ET.

D-U-N-S Number Instructions

All applicants must have a D-U-N-S number in order to apply for Federal funds.

NOTE: Check with your fiscal office to see if your institution has an assigned DUNS number before contacting Dun & Bradstreet to obtain a D-U-N-S number.

Please provide the applicant’s DUNS number. You can obtain your DUNS number at no charge by calling 1-800-333-0505 or by completing a D-U-N-S Number Request Form. The form can be obtained via the internet at the following URL:

http://www.dnb.com/US/duns_update/index.html.

The DUNS number is a unique nine-digit number that does not convey any information about the recipient. A built-in check digit helps assure the accuracy of the DUNS number. The ninth digit of each number is the check digit, which is mathematically related to the other digits. It lets computer systems determine if a DUNS number has been entered correctly. Dun & Bradstreet, a global information services provider, has assigned DUNS numbers to over 43 million companies worldwide. For live help Monday-Friday 9am-6pm (EST), dial 1-888-814-1435.

NOTE: Electronic submission via Grants.gov must use the DUNS number your organization used when it registered in the Central Contractor Registry.

Application Tips

Register or maintain registration on SAM.gov. The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to update in the system.
Register early on Grants.gov. The registration process may take up to two weeks to complete. For additional information on the registration and submission process please review the resources available on the Grants.gov Website.
Verify that the person assigned to submit the application has been designated as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). You must be “active” in order to submit an application on behalf of the organization.
Carefully review the FY 2020 NIA for eligibility requirements. Clearly state which absolute priority under which you are submitting an application.
Review the submission for clarity. Applications will be read by multiple peer reviewers; therefore it is important to ensure that the application can be understood by someone who is unfamiliar with your project.
Submit all files in .PDF format. While Grants.gov may accept other format types, the Department’s system, which receives the files from Grants.gov, will only accept .PDF files. Files submitted in formats other than .PDF may not convert in a legible manner and, in these instances, cannot be reviewed. Ensure that you attach .PDF files only for any attachments to your application, and they must be in a read-only, flattened format. PDF files are the only Department approved file type accepted as detailed in the Federal Register application notice. Applicants must submit individual .PDF files only when attaching files to their application. Specifically, the Department will not accept any attachments that contain files within a file, such as PDF Portfolio files, or an interactive or fillable .PDF file. Any attachments uploaded that are not .PDF files or password protected files will not be read.
Submit early on Grants.gov. Applications must be finished uploading, and be validated by the Grants.gov system, by 11:59:59 p.m. Washington, DC time on XXX XX, 2020. Validation indicates if the submission was successful and may take up to two days. If the submitted application is deemed invalid due to an error, applicants may correct the error and resubmit only if the 11:59:59 p.m. Washington, DC Time deadline has not passed. Applicants are encouraged to review the submission to be sure that the files transmitted correctly. Grants.gov may not catch all errors. Late submissions or modifications to the submitted application will not be accepted after the deadline.
Each application will be reviewed under the competition for which it was submitted in the Grants.gov system, and only applications that are successfully submitted by the established closing date will be reviewed.

NOTE: Applicants will receive multiple emails to confirm submission in Grants.gov, validation, and transmission to the Department. Once the application is transmitted to the Department, applicants will receive a final email with a unique identifier called a PR Award Number. Use this number when making inquiries about the submitted application. Please review the email carefully to ensure that you submitted the application under the intended competition.

Instructions for Completing an Application

Please carefully read the entire application instructions package, the Federal Register notice, and the authorizing legislation before submitting your TQP application.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICATION

Applicants applying for the TQP program will use the following Grants.gov and ED narrative forms:

ED Abstract Narrative Attachment Form

Project Narrative Attachment Form

Budget Narrative Attachment Form

Other Attachments Form

ED Required forms, found on page 18 of this document, should also be uploaded into Grants.gov

The ED Abstract Narrative Attachment Form is where the applicant will attach the one-page project abstract.

The Project Narrative Attachment Form is where the applicant will attach the narrative sections addressing the Selection Criteria, the Absolute Priority and, if relevant, the Competitive Preference Priority(ies) and Invitational Priority.

The Budget Narrative Attachment Form is where the applicant will attach a detailed line-item budget and any supplemental budget information. Remember to include a matching budget of 50% of the total project cost, which is 50% of the Federal funds request.

The Other Attachments Form is where the applicant will attach proposal appendices. This is where the applicant will include information such as resumes/curriculum vitae of key personnel, high-need LEA and high-need school documentation, letters of support, waiver request form, etc. The Grants.gov system will allow applicants to attach as many as ten separate appendices in this section.

Please complete the SF 424 first. Grants.gov will automatically insert the correct CFDA (84.336s) and program name wherever needed thereafter.

NOTE: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF 424).

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ED ABSTRACT NARRATIVE

The abstract narrative must not exceed one page and should use language that will be understood by a range of audiences. The abstract should include the following items: priorities addressed, project goals and expected outcomes, brief project description, target number of project participants to be served each year, and members of the eligible partnership and any other key partner organizations. It is a summary of your project.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROJECT NARRATIVE

The Project Narrative should describe the project that an applicant would carry out if funded and include the eligible applicant’s response to the selection criteria since the application will be evaluated and scored against these criteria.

The NIA provides applicants with instructions for preparing and submitting the application, information describing the absolute priorities and competitive preference priorities that have been established for this competition, the selection criteria that will be used to evaluate the application, and other pertinent information concerning the competition for awards.

Applicants must address the Absolute Priority. Should an applicant choose to apply and meet the requirements of one or both of the two competitive preference priority(ies), the application can earn up to 106 points. After review of the Absolute Priority, only applicants for which competitive preference points could enable them to be funded will have their competitive preference priorities applied to their final score. It is expected that applicants will use the selection criteria to frame their project narratives.

Formatting

We strongly encourage applicants to limit the project narrative to the equivalent of no more than 50 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.

Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, except 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. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be reviewed.

Priorities

All applicants are required to address the Absolute Priority (Partnership Grants for the Establishment of Effective Teaching Residency Programs). Applicants that do not address the Absolute Priority will be deemed ineligible.

Clear headings should be provided to indicate an applicant's response to the Absolute Priority and competitive preference priority(ies) under which the proposal is submitted, as applicable.

Absolute Priority

For the purpose of this application, the Department has established one Absolute Priority under the Teacher Quality Partnership grant program for the FY 2019 grant competition. Under Title II, Part A of the HEA (section 201 - 204), we consider only applications that meet the Absolute Priority.

Absolute Priority: Partnership Grants for the Establishment of Effective Teaching Residency Programs. Under this Absolute Priority, eligible partnerships would: (1) create model teaching residency programs for individuals with strong academic and/or professional backgrounds but without teaching experience; (2) ensure that participants are able to receive a Master’s degree and full teaching certification or licensing within 18 months; and (3) provide participants with a living stipend or salary for 12 months in exchange for an agreement to serve in a high-need school of a partner high-need LEA for not less than three years.

Competitive Preference Priorities:

For the purpose of this application, the Department has established two OPTIONAL competitive preference priorities and one invitational priority under the TQP grant program for the FY 2019 grant competition. If applicants choose to address one or both of these competitive preference priorities, they may earn up to 106 total points on their application. After review of the Absolute Priority, only applicants for which competitive preference points could enable them to be funded will have their competitive preference priorities points applied to their final score.

Competitive Preference Priority 1 ( 3 points). Spurring Investment in Opportunity Zones.

Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate the following:

(a) The area in which the applicant proposes to provide services overlaps with a Qualified Opportunity Zone, as designated by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 1400Z-1 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). An applicant must--

(i) Provide the census tract number of the Qualified Opportunity Zone(s) in which it proposes to provide services; and

(ii) Describe how the applicant will provide services in the Qualified Opportunity Zone(s).

Competitive Preference Priority 2 (3 points).

Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate that it has never received a grant, including through membership in a group application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, under the TQP program.

Selection Criteria

The selection criteria outlined below will be used to evaluate the quality of applications submitted for funding. The full description of the selection criteria is contained in the NIA. Within each criterion, there are specific factors that will be used in evaluating that criterion. In addition, applicants should keep in mind that there is a lot of overlap between the TQP General Program requirements and the TQP Absolute Priority requirements. For this reason, you may address the TQP general program requirements as part of your project narrative when addressing the selection criteria.

The maximum score that an applicant can earn for the selection criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses following that criterion.

Quality of the Project Design (30)

Quality of the Project Evaluation (20)

Adequacy of Resources (30)

Quality of the Management Plan (20)

NOTE: We refer you to the NIA for a full description of each selection criterion and its sub factors. Applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully read each criterion and its sub factors when preparing their applications. These are the criteria that will be used to review and score applications.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BUDGET NARRATIVE

Before preparing the budget narrative, applicants should review the Federal Register notice and the authorizing legislation for specific guidance and requirements. Note that applications will be evaluated according to the specific selection criteria specified in the Federal Register notice.

The budget should include only costs that are allowable, reasonable, and necessary for carrying out the objectives of the TQP project. Rules about allowable costs are set out in 2 CFR Part 200^¹, as adopted by the Department at 2 CFR Part 3474.^²

Provide an itemized budget breakdown narrative, by project year, for each budget category using the EED Applicant _Grantee Budget Worksheet. . The project period is 60 months (5 years). Applicants must include a budget for all five years being requested. Applicants must provide a budget narrative for both Federal and Non-Federal costs.

Restricted Indirect Cost Rate Program

The TQP program requires a restricted indirect cost rate. If an applicant does not have a negotiated restricted rate, they may use a place holder rate unless their approved restricted rate is likely to be lower than 8%. See 34 CFR §§ 75.563 and 76.564 – 76.569 for additional guidance on how to calculate a restricted indirect cost rate. (https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=34:1.1.1.1.22&rgn=div5)

2% Administrative Cost Cap

Under section 203(d) of the HEA, an eligible partnership that receives a grant under this part may use not more than two percent of the funds provided to administer the grant. Applicants are encouraged to review the TQP budget webinar to ensure they understand how to correctly apply this cost principle to their budgets. IMPORTANT NOTE: This cost principle may result in your indirect cost rate being reduced to a rate lower than the restricted 8 percent rate. Please refer to the TQP pre-application webinar on budget and cost share/match requirement for additional discussion of this administrative cost cap.

Non-Federal Cost Share or Match Requirement

The TQP grant program has a 100% non-Federal cost share or match requirement. Applicants must use the Required TQP Cost Share Worksheet to describe where cost share funds will come from and how they will be used. Cost share funds may be cash or in-kind contributions to carry out the activities supported by the grant. All project costs must be allowable for both federal and nonfederal funds. The Secretary does not, as a general matter, anticipate waiving this requirement for recipients of grants under this competition given the importance of matching funds to the long-term success of the project.

Supplement-not-Supplant Requirement

Under section 202(k) of the HEA, the TQP grant program has a Supplement-not-Supplant requirement. This means that costs may not be charged to TQP funds or to cost share funds if, in the absence of TQP funds, these costs would be borne by the applicant anyway. Both Federal and cost share funds must supplement, not supplant, existing funds used to carry out activities supporting the grant.

ED 524 LINE ITEM DESCRIPTIONS

Provide an itemized budget breakdown, using the TQP budget narrative template, to justify costs for each project year, for each budget category. Applicants must complete Sections A (federal funds) and B (nonfederal funds) of the ED 524.

Personnel (Line 1): Provide each project personnel’s base salary or wages, as well as the percentage full time equivalency (FTE) each individual is projected to work on the TQP project.

Fringe Benefits (Line 2): The institution’s or agency’s normal contributions for fringe benefits may be charged to TQP funds or contributed as cost share. If you are including fringe benefits, please explain how the fringe rate was calculated and identify the staff members who would receive the benefits. Leave this line blank if fringe benefits applicable to direct salaries and wages are included in indirect costs.

Travel (Line 3): Indicate the proposed travel costs of employees and participants only. Provide a breakdown of the costs associated with each proposed trip and justification for the costs. In addition, applicants should include costs for up to three project staff persons to attend an annual project directors’ meeting in Washington, D.C.

Equipment (Line 4): Describe all equipment to be purchased for the TQP project, i.e., all tangible, non-expendable personal property that would be purchased to support the TQP project. In this regard, equipment has usefulness greater than one year and acquisition costs that are the lesser of the capitalization level established by the applicant entity for financial statement purposes or $5,000 per article. An applicant may establish a lower limit to maintain consistency with its general policies. Also provide, for each piece of equipment to be purchased, the amount to be purchased, the cost per unit and how this cost was determined, and the justification for these purchases.

Supplies (Line 5): Describe all supplies to be purchased for the TQP project, i.e., all tangible, expendable personal property to be purchased to support the TQP project. Supplies (which include materials) differ from equipment in that they are consumable, expendable, and have a unit cost below that of equipment. For each kind of supply, provide the amount to be purchased, the projected cost and how this cost was determined, and a justification for these purchases.

Contractual (Line 6): The contractual category should include all costs specifically incurred with actions that the applicant takes in conjunction with an established procurement system. Include consultant fees, expenses, and travel costs in this category if the consultant’s services are obtained through a written binding agreement or contract. Identify the contractor, the amount of the contract (this should include a breakdown of the major service components of the contract and the costs of each portion) and an explanation of what the services are being provided by the contractor. In addition, if applicant proposes to select a contractor before receiving a TQP award, please see 34 CFR 75.135(a) - (c) (section 75.135(a) - (c) of EDGAR) on how the requirements for competitive procurements that normally apply may be avoided by naming the contractors in the application.

Construction (Line 7): Not applicable.

Other (Line 8): Describe all direct costs not covered on lines 1-6. For example describe costs such as space rental, required fees, honoraria and travel (where a contract is not in place for services), training, and communication and printing costs. Do not include any costs that are included in calculations of indirect costs.

Total Direct Costs (Line 9): The sum of lines 1-8.

Indirect Costs (Line 10): Indicate the applicant’s approved restricted indirect cost rate, per sections 75.563 and 76.564 – 75.569 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 74.563 and 76.654 -569). Please note, a member of an eligible partnership that is not an LEA or State agency may charge indirect costs to its TQP project funds at a default rate of 8 percent if the eligible partnership is awarded a TQP grant (and unless the Secretary determines that it would have a lower negotiated rate). See 34 CFR 76.563(c). Alternatively, the member of the eligible partnership that is not an LEA or State agency may use its restricted indirect cost rate, or apply for one and use the 8% rate until it receives one.

*LEAs (and any State agency optional partners) must use their own established restricted indirect cost rates; they are not eligible to use this 8% rate.

* Under section 203(d) of the HEA, an eligible partnership that receives a grant under this part may use not more than two percent of the funds provided to administer the grant. This cost principle may result in your indirect cost rate being reduced to a rate lower than the restricted 8 percent rate.

NOTE: If you have questions about how to obtain an approved restricted indirect cost rate or how to apply that rate, you may contact a cost negotiator using the information provided at: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/fipao/icgreps.html. If you have further questions about restricted indirect cost rates, please refer to the TQP FAQs. Applicants may also contact the Department’s Indirect Cost Rate Group at IndirectCostGroup@ed.gov.

Training Stipends (Line 11): If your project is to implement a teaching residency program under the Absolute Priority, indicate the amount of the living wage stipend, the number of grant participants to receive the stipends and the justification for the stipend. Please make sure that training stipends are placed under this line item and not under “Personnel” or “Other.” Living Wage stipends are the only allowable participant stipend for this program.

Total Cost (Line 12): This should equal to sum of lines 9-11 (total direct costs + indirect + training stipends).

INSTRUCTIONS FOR OTHER ATTACHMENTS (APPENDICES)

Applicants will attach any appendices they may have to the Grants.gov Other Attachments Form. Use the outline below to know which document to place in each appendix. The Grants.gov system will allow applicants to attach up to ten separate appendices in this section.

Appendix A: Demonstrates Rationale: (Logic Model)

Appendix B: Resumes of Key Personnel

Appendix C: Letters of Support and Memorandum of Understanding from TQP project partners

Appendix D: Current Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

Appendix E: TQP Waiver Request of 100% Cost Share or Match Requirement, if applicable

Applicants should include a written request and justification in order to be considered for a waiver from the cost share requirement, if applicable. IMPORTANT NOTE: The Secretary does not, as a general matter, anticipate waiving this requirement for recipients of grants under this competition given the importance of matching funds to the long-term success of the project.

Appendix F: Other documents, as applicable

Appendix G: Proprietary Information

Eligible Applicants should identify any specific proprietary information and page numbers

in the application where it can be found

Eligibility Resources

Sample TQP High-Need Data Resources

Eligible applicants must meet the definition of a high-need LEA and high-need schools as found in section 200(10) and 200(11) of the HEA by providing documentation that it has at least 20 percent of, or at least 10,000, children from low-income families, providing documentation that the LEA(s) meets the eligibility requirements for funding under the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Program under section 6211(b) of the ESEA or meets the eligibility requirements for funding under the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) Program under section 6221(b) of the ESEA and a high-percentage teachers not teaching in the academic subject areas or grade levels in which the teachers were trained to teach.

Poverty/Rural Area Requirement

Section 200(2) of the HEA defines the term “children from low-income families” to have the meaning described in section 1124(c)(1)(A) of the ESEA, as amended. That ESEA provision requires use of the most recent poverty data issued by the US Census Bureau. These data may be found at:

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe.html

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligibility.html

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/reaprlisp/eligibility.html

If the Census Bureau data do not include poverty data for a particular LEA, such as a charter school with LEA status, a newly created LEA, and most if not all Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools, the eligible partnership should include in its application documentary support for a conclusion that the level of its students’ family poverty as measured by data it does have, such as eligibility for free or subsidized lunches, is comparable to 20 percent of, or at least 10,000, children from low income families as presented in the most recent Census Bureau data. The Department will then review these submissions on a case-by-case basis.

Teacher Need

The Department is not able to provide a definitive threshold on what constitutes a high percentage of teachers not teaching in the academic subject areas or grade levels in which the teachers were trained to teach, or a high teacher turnover rate or a high percentage of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or licensure. Therefore, eligible applicants should include in their application documentation to support the conclusion that any LEA they would identify as a high-need LEA has one of these teacher need characteristics. The Department will then review these submissions on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants should present their best case with the documentation of poverty among the target population proposed in their TQP applications. The Websites listed above may be used to help document poverty data, however, other reliable data sources may be used as well. Please make sure your data sources are properly documented and are the most recent data available.

B. ED Forms AND TQP Required Checklists

Applicants must submit along with their project narratives the ED required standard forms, assurances, and certifications. Below is a list of the standard forms, assurances, and certifications that are required.

SF 424 Application Form for Federal Assistance
ED Supplemental Form for SF 424
EED Applicant _ Grantee Budget Worksheet
Grant Application Form for Project Objectives and Performance Measures
SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements - Section 427
Grants.gov Certification Regarding Lobbying (formerly ED 80-0013)
SF 424B Form - Assurances, Non-Construction Programs

Electronic copies of the required forms can be found at http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html; on the Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html; and in the Grants.gov submission package.

Applicants must also submit the REQUIRED TQP Program Checklists and TQP Grantee Budget Worksheet. If the applicant does not submit the required TQP program checklists at the time of applications, the application will be considered incomplete and may not be reviewed. Below is a list of the TQP Required Checklists.

Required TQP Absolute Priority Checklist
Required TQP Application and General Program Requirements
Required TQP Eligibility Checklist
Required EED Applicant _ Grantee Budget Worksheet (replaces the ED 524)

The TQP Required Checklists are found in the Grants.gov submission package and should be submitted via Grants.gov at the time of application. Copies of the required TQP program checklists are also found on the TQP webpage at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/effective-educator-development-programs/teacher-quality-partnership/ .

C. FY 2020 Application Checklist

Applicants should review this checklist once they believe they have completed their TQP application. The checklist contains all mandatory parts of the application.

ED Standard Forms

Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424

EED Applicant/Grantee Budget Worksheet (Replaces ED 524 Summary Budget Sheet)

Grant Application Form for Project Objectives and Performance Measures

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

Assurances and Certifications

GEPA Section 427

Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B)

Grants.gov Lobby form (formerly ED 80-0013 form)

Required TQP Program Checklists and TQP Budget Worksheet.

Required TQP Absolute Priority Checklist

Required TQP Application and General Program Requirements

Required TQP Eligibility Checklist

Required EED Applicant _Grantee Budget Worksheet (Replaces the ED 524 Summary Budget Sheet)

Application Narrative

ED Abstract Narrative Form

Project Narrative Form

Budget Narrative Form

Other Attachments Form (Upload Appendices here)

NOTE: Eligible applicants should attach all appendices to the Other Attachments Form. The Grants.gov system will allow applicants to attach up to ten separate appendices in this section; however, applicants are encouraged to limit the number of appendix entries. The entire application package should be no larger than 8MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

Appendix A: Demonstrates Rationale: (Logic Model)

Appendix B: Resumes of Key Personnel

Appendix C: Letters of Support and Memorandum of Understanding from TQP project partners

Appendix D: Current Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

Appendix E: TQP Waiver Request of 100% Cost Share or Match Requirement, if applicable

Appendix F: Other documents, as applicable

Appendix G: Proprietary Information

Shape2 Shape1 TQP Closing Date: TBD, 2020

Additional Information

Executive Order 12372

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

This program is subject to the requirement of the Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the Executive Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and to strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for State and local government coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance. Applicants must contact the appropriate State Single Point of Contact to find out about, and to comply with, the State’s process under Executive Order 12372.

You may locate the name and contact information of State Single Point of Contact at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1894-0006. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 87 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain benefits under 20 U.S.C. 1021-1022c. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact the Effective Educator Development (EED) Division, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Rm. 3C152, Washington, DC 20202, mia.howerton@ed.gov, directly.

Note: Please do not return the completed 1894-0006 TQP application to this address.

1 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a00c8ef91d397f640d8c236871fe5eef&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl

2http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a00c8ef91d397f640d8c236871fe5eef&node=pt2.1.3474&rgn=div5

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File Title	Investing in Innovation (i3) 2014 Development Full Application Application Package.doc
Subject	CFDA Number: 84.411A
Author	OPA@ed.gov
File Modified	0000-00-00
File Created	2021-01-14

Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program Application Package and TQP Application Instructions Package

Generic Application Package for Departmental Generic Grant Programs

TQP 2020 Application Package Instructions