CMO Application Package

Grants to Charter Management Organizations for Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools Program

FY-2020-CSP-CMO-forSCC_1102020(1855-0032)

Grants to Charter Management Organizations for Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools

OMB: 1855-0032

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U.S. Department of Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program

Washington, D.C. 20202-5970

Fiscal Year 2020 Application for New Grants Under the

Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP) – Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools

CFDA 84.282M

Dated Material - Open Immediately

Closing Date: January 10, 2020

Approved OMB Number: 1855-0032 Expiration Date: 1/31/2021

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 1855-0032. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 40 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 or retain a benefit (EDGAR). 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 Melanie Byrd, (202)453-7001, Charter Schools Program, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington D.C. 20202-5970. [Note: Please do not return the completed application to this address.]

Table of Contents

Dear Applicant 4

Program Background Information 6

Program Overview 6

Competition Highlights 7

Application Submission Procedures 10

Application Transmittal Instructions 10

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants 12

Submission Problems – What should you do? 15

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov 15

Dial-Up Internet Connections 16

Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software 17

Application Instructions 19

Electronic Application Format 19

Electronic Application Submission Checklist 20

Part 1: Preliminary Documents 21

Part 2: Budget Information 28

Part 3: ED Abstract Form 31

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form 32

Page Limits 33

FY 2020 Priorities 34

Selection Criteria for Program Narrative 37

FY20 Charter Management Organization Competition Rubric 37

Application Requirements 53

Part 5: Budget Narrative 56

Important Information Regarding Indirect Costs 61

Part 6: Other Attachment Form 63

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications 66

Part 8: Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (Executive Order 12372) 69

Reporting and Accountability 70

Legal and Regulatory Information 72

Notice Inviting Applications 72

Program Statute 73

Dear Applicant:

United States Department of Education

OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOLS PROGRAM

Thank you for your interest in applying for a fiscal year (FY) 2020 Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CMO competition) under the United States Department of Education (Department’s) Expanding Opportunity Through High-Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP). For FY 2020, up to $440 million is available to support the continued development of high-quality charter schools and the dissemination of charter school best practices throughout the nation. Approximately $66 million of these funds are dedicated to this grant competition. The CSP is authorized under Title IV, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (20 U.S.C. 7221–7221j).

The purpose of the CMO competition is to support charter schools that serve early childhood, elementary school, or secondary school students by providing grant funds to eligible applicants for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools (CFDA number 84.282M).

Please read the document in the attached application package entitled Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants, which describes the submission procedures to ensure that your application is received in a timely and acceptable manner. Applications for funds under the FY 2020 CMO competition (CFDA 84.282M) must be submitted electronically using the governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov on or before the deadline date. The electronic submission of applications is required; therefore, you must submit an electronic application unless you follow the procedures in the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs that was published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR- 2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

Please note that the deadline for submission of a grant application under this competition is 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on January 10, 2020. Applications submitted late will not be accepted. The Grants.gov site works differently than the U.S. Department of Education’s e- Application System. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with Grants.gov and strongly recommend that you register and submit several days before the deadline. Please note that prospective applicants must register with Grants.gov and the System for Award Management (SAM) as well as obtain several authorizations in order to submit an application. This registration process can take several weeks, so we recommend that you begin the process well in advance of the application deadline date.

A CSP program officer is available to provide technical assistance to applicants. If you have any questions about the program after reviewing the application package, please call or e-mail Katherine Cox at (202) 453-6886, or Katherine.Cox@ed.gov. For questions or problems in navigating the Grants.gov system, please call the Grants.gov helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726.

We look forward to receiving your application and appreciate your efforts in increasing the national understanding of the charter school model and expanding the number of high-quality charter schools across the Nation.

Sincerely,

Ellen Safranek

Charter Schools Program Director

Program Background Information

Program Overview

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

Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP), Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools

CFDA Number: CFDA number 84.282M (Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools)

Program Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grants

Also Known As: Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for Replication and Expansion, CMO Grants

Program Description: The purpose of the Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CMO Grants) is to support charter schools that serve early childhood, elementary school, or secondary school students by providing grant funds to eligible applicants for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools (CFDA number 84.282M).

This notice invites applications from eligible applicants for: Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CFDA number 84.282M). The Secretary intends to award grants under this CFDA number for applications that are of sufficient quality. Information pertaining to this grant is provided in subsequent sections of this notice. Charter schools that receive financial assistance through CMO Grants provide programs of elementary or secondary education, or both, and may also serve students in early childhood education programs or postsecondary students. Please see the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) and the CSP website for full information.

The CSP CMO grants are used to support one or more of the following activities:

Preparing teachers, school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel, including through paying costs associated with--

Providing professional development; and

Hiring and compensating, during the applicant’s planning period specified in the application for funds, one or more of the following:

Teachers.

School leaders.
Specialized instructional support personnel.

Acquiring supplies, training, equipment (including technology), and educational materials (including developing and acquiring instructional materials).

Carrying out necessary renovations to ensure that a new school building complies with applicable statutes and regulations, and minor facilities repairs (excluding construction).

Providing one-time, startup costs associated with providing transportation to students to and from the charter school.

Carrying out community engagement activities, which may include paying the cost of student and staff recruitment.

Providing for other appropriate, non-sustained costs related to the opening of new charter schools, or the replication or expansion of high-quality charter schools, as applicable, when such costs cannot be met from other sources.

Eligible Applicants: CMOs. Eligible applicants may apply individually or as part of a group or consortium.

To review previously successful applications, go to: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of- discretionary-grants-support-services/charter-school-programs/charter-schools-program-grants- for-replications-and-expansion-of-high-quality-charter-schools/awards/

To review the legislation authorizing the use of federal funds under the Charter Schools Program, in addition to guidance documents, go to: https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of- discretionary-grants-support-services/charter-school-programs/charter-schools-program-grants- for-replications-and-expansion-of-high-quality-charter-schools/funding-and-legislation/

Competition Highlights

Purpose: To support charter schools that serve early childhood, elementary school, or secondary school students by providing grant funds to eligible applicants for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools (CFDA number 84.282M).

Application available: November 26, 2019

Webinar for potential applicants: December 5, 2019, 1:00 p.m., Eastern Time

Deadline for transmittal of applications: January 10, 2020

Awards expected to be announced by: March 31, 2020

FY 2020 CSP Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CMO Grants)

The full text of the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for new awards for the FY 2020 CMO Grants competition can be found on the Federal Register website at the following URLs: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-11-26/pdf/2019-25739.pdf (PDF)

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/11/26/2019-25739/applications-for-new- awards-expanding-opportunity-through-quality-charter-schools-program-csp-grants (Text)

Applicants should be sure to review the full text of the NIA as they complete their applications, as additional information, which is not included in this application package and is necessary for submission is included in the NIA.

Electronic Submission:

All applications for grants under this competition must be received on or before 11:59:59 p.m. on January 10, 2020, Eastern Time. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline date. Late applications will not be accepted. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time.

An applicant may check the status of its application(s), any time after submission, by using the "Track My Application" feature available from the upper navigation on the Grants.gov site.

Applicants may also check the status of a submission by logging into their Grants.gov account using the Applicant Login. After logging in, an applicant should click on the "Check Application Status" link on the left-hand menu. Applicants should be careful that they download the correct application package for FY 20 CSP Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (84.282M). Your application will be reviewed for the competition under which it is submitted, and only applications that are successfully submitted by the established deadline will be peer reviewed.

FY 2020 CSP CMO Grants Application Package

Please note that the application package for FY 2020 CSP Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CFDA 84.282M) is for applicants to download and use as a guide only. Applicants should reference the NIA for complete information.

The Department will hold a pre-application webinar: Thursday, December 5, 2019, 1:00

p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Eastern time. We encourage you to pre-register for this meeting by emailing your name, organization, and contact information with the subject heading “PRE- APPLICATION MEETING FOR CMO GRANTS” to charterschools@ed.gov. There is no registration fee to attend this meeting. Presentation materials may be requested by contacting the CSP office at charterschools@ed.gov. To register to attend this meeting, please click here, or go to: https://doed.webex.com/doed/j.php?MTID=m7f09ac8645ac7586c924e04c9da499c4.

Apply: All applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov.

To submit an application on the Grants.gov website, hover over the “Applicant” tab. Select the “Apply for Grants” option, then click on “Download a Grant Application Package.” Type in the CFDA (84.282) or the Funding Opportunity Number (ED-GRANTS- 112619-001). Click “Download Package.” For assistance with the use of the Grants.gov system, please contact the Grants.gov help desk, at (800) 518-4726, or email support@grants.gov. Unless the applicant

follows the procedures outlined in the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs that was published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019- 02206.pdf, all applications for this competition must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov.

Application Submission Procedures

The deadline for submission of Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools Program applications through Grants.gov is January 10, 2020 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Application Transmittal Instructions

Attention Applicants: This program requires the electronic submission of applications. Specific requirements and instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice announcing this grant competition. Please note that you must follow the Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register notice for this competition.

We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described in the Federal Register notice for this competition, you follow the procedures outlined for a paper submission, which includes submission of a written statement to the Department no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.

Applications Submitted Electronically

Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.

Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in Federal Register notice for this competition, we will not consider your application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline date.

You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in this application package to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.

On December 31, 2017, Grants.gov retired the Legacy PDF format for submitting grant applications. A Grants.gov applicant must apply online using Workspace, a shared environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. An applicant can create an individual Workspace for each application notice and establish for that application a collaborative application package that allows more than one person in the applicant’s organization to work concurrently on an application. The Grants.gov system also enables the applicant to reuse forms from previous submissions, check them in and out to complete them, and submit the application package. For access to further instructions on how to apply using Grants.gov, refer to: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for- grants.html.

You may access the electronic grant applications at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number’s alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.282 not 84.282M).

Please note the following:

You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in either .pdf (Portable Document Format) 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. If you choose to submit your application in Microsoft Word, you may do so using any version of Microsoft Word (i.e., a document ending in a .doc or

.docx extension).

Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters. The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.

If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

According to the instructions found in the Federal Register notice, only those that follow the procedures for an exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application via mail, commercial carrier or by hand delivery.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:

If you follow the procedures for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center

Attention: (CFDA Number 84.282M) LBJ Basement Level 1

400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202-5970

You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service.
A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.
Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

A private metered postmark.
A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office.

Note for Mail Delivery of Paper Applications:

If you mail your application to the Department--

You must indicate on the envelope and in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and
The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

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 of Education.

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 Required

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 it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

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.

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

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.

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 of Education has prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html

SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it 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. Eastern 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 of Education 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 Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern 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 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., Eastern Time, unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice for an exception 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 intend to submit a paper application. 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 note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. Please be sure to note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer. You will need to logon to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. You must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov.

Please go to 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 found at this Grants.gov link: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant- faqs.html

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, especially the requirement that applicants only include read-only, flattened .PDF files or Microsoft Word documents in their application:

Ensure that you attach .PDF files only or Microsoft Word files for any attachments to your application, and any PDFs must be in a read-only, flattened format (meaning any fillable documents must be saved and submitted as non-fillable PDF files). PDF files and Microsoft Word files are the only Education approved file type accepted as detailed in the common instructions. 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 are password protected files will not be read.
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.

Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software

The Department of Education, working with Grants.gov, is currently using Adobe Reader software exclusively and applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted using Adobe forms.

Please note: The compatible version of Adobe Reader is required for viewing, editing and submitting PDF forms through Grants.gov. Applicants should confirm the compatibility of their Adobe Reader version before downloading the application. To ensure applicants have a version of Adobe Reader on their computer that is compatible with Grants.gov, applicants are encouraged to use the test package provided by Grants.gov that can be accessed at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

Important issues to consider:

If the applicant opened or edited the application package with any software other than a compatible version of Adobe Reader, the application package may contain errors that will be transferred to the new package even if you later download the compatible Adobe Reader version.
Applicants cannot copy and paste data from a package initially opened or edited with an incompatible version of Adobe Reader and will need to download an entirely new package using the compatible version of Adobe Reader.
Some applicants using an incompatible version of Adobe Reader may have trouble opening and viewing the application package while others may find they can open, view and complete the application package but may not be able to submit the application package through Grants.gov.
Grants.gov does not guarantee to support versions of Adobe Reader that are not compatible with Grants.gov.
Any and all edits made to the Adobe Reader application package must be made with a compatible version of Adobe Reader.
If more than one person is entering text into a Workspace PDF form, the same version of Adobe Reader software should be used by each person. Check the version number of the Adobe software on each user's computer to make sure the versions match. Using different versions of Adobe Reader may cause submission and/or save errors – even if each version is individually compatible with Grants.gov.

For your convenience, a compatible version of Adobe Reader is available for free download at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

We strongly recommend that you review the information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-

software-compatibility.html before downloading, completing or submitting your application.

Applicants are reminded that they should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed in the Federal Register Notice. If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518- 4726.

Application Instructions

Electronic Application Format

Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted electronically, unless you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement in accordance with the instructions in this application package.

In accordance with EDGAR §75.216 (b) and (c), an application will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with all of the procedural rules that govern the submission of the application or the application does not contain the information required under the program.

Important note: Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download a compatible version of Adobe reader (see Grants.gov for compatible versions).

Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and links to download the latest version is available on Grants.gov. Also, please review the Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software and Education Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants forms found within this package for further information and guidance related to this requirement.

We strongly recommend that you review these details on www.Grants.gov before completing and submitting your application. In addition, applicants should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed below. If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518- 4726.

Note: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to any forms unless it is specifically required by the instructions for the individual section of the application. Although several forms accept attachments, the Department of Education will only review materials/files attached in accordance with the instructions provided within this application package.

Electronic Application Submission Checklist

It is recommended that your electronic application be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process. Instructions for all parts and forms of the application are found either on the following pages of the application package or individually for each form on Grants.gov.

Review your electronic application to ensure you have completed the following forms and sections:

Part 1: Preliminary Documents

Application for Federal Assistance (form SF 424)
ED Supplemental Information for SF 424

Part 2: Budget Information

ED Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)

Part 3: ED Abstract Form

Project Abstract

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

Application Narrative

Part 5: Budget Narrative Attachment Form

Budget Narrative

Part 6: Other Attachments Form

Attachment A CSP Assurances
Attachment B Individual Resumes for Project Directors & Key Personnel
Attachment C Letters of Support
Attachment D Proof of Non-Profit Status, or not for-profit status
Attachment E Schools Operated by Applicant and Student Academic Achievement
Attachment F Supplemental Organizational Budgets and Financial Information
Attachment G Additional Information (if applicable)

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications

Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B Form)
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL)
Grants.gov Lobbying Form
General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427 (ED GEPA427 form)

Part 8: Intergovernmental Review (Executive Order 12372)

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) List

Part 1: Preliminary Documents

Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF 424)
ED Supplemental Information for SF 424

These forms require basic identifying information about the applicant and the application. Please provide all requested applicant information (including name, address, e-mail address and organization’s DUNS number).

When applying electronically via Grants.gov, you will need to ensure that the organization DUNS number you enter on your application is the same as the DUNS number your organization used when it registered with the System for Award Management.

Applicants are advised to complete the Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF 424) first. Grants.gov will automatically insert the correct CFDA and program name automatically wherever needed on other forms.

NOTE: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF 424). Although this form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will only review materials/files attached in accordance with the instructions provided within this application.

Part 3: ED Abstract Form

This section should be attached as a single document to the ED Abstract Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov and should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the Federal Register application notice (read-only, non-modifiable .pdf files). Also, do not upload any password- protected files to your application.

Please note that Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

Project Abstract

The project abstract should not exceed two double spaced pages and should include a concise description of the following information:

Project objectives and activities
Applicable priorities
Proposed project outcomes
Number of participants to be served
Locations of proposed sites

Note: Grants.gov may include a note that indicates that the project abstract may not exceed one page; however, an abstract of more than one page may be uploaded.

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

This section should be attached as a single document to the Project Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov and should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the common instructions. Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

Table of Contents

The Table of Contents shows where and how the important sections of your proposal are organized and should not exceed one double spaced page.

Application Narrative

The Application Narrative responds to the selection criteria found in this application package and should follow the order of the selection criteria.

Applicants applying for CSP grant funds must choose to submit their applications under one of two absolute priorities (Absolute Priority 1--Rural Community or Absolute Priority 2--Low- Income Demographic), address the application requirements, and the selection criteria. In addition, they may respond to one or all of the competitive preference priorities. An applicant may choose to respond to the application requirements in the context of its responses to the selection criteria but should note its location accordingly.

Priorities

The FY 2020 Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (84.282M) includes two absolute priorities and five competitive preference priorities. Applicants must choose to submit their applications under one of two absolute priorities—Absolute Priority 1--Rural Community or Absolute Priority 2--Low- income Demographic. All of the Priorities are explained in detail in the NIA.

Selection Criteria

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 maximum possible score for each criterion is indicated in the NIA.

Requirements

The FY 2020 CMO Grants Competition NIA includes numerous application requirements. Applicants are required to respond to all application requirements within the project narrative. These Application Requirements are explained in detail in the NIA.

Formatting

A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and an identifier may be within the 1” margin. Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, and references. Use a font size that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch. Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

Page Limits

Eligible applicants are recommended to limit the Project Narrative to 50 pages, double-spaced, and number the pages consecutively. Please provide any charts, graphs, citations, or examples in the project narrative. Refer to the Federal Register Notice for additional application submission requirements. The Table of Contents and attachments do not count against the page limit. To facilitate the review of the application, please organize your Project Narrative in the following order and include a Table of Contents.

Absolute Priority (mandatory, applicants must choose one)
Competitive Preference Priorities (optional)
Selection Criteria
Application Requirements

FY 2020 Absolute Priorities

For FY 2020 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 of these priorities.

Each of these absolute priorities constitutes its own funding category. The Secretary intends to award grants under each absolute priority for which applications of sufficient quality are submitted.

The priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1--Rural Community.

Under this priority, applicants must propose to replicate or expand one or more high-quality charter schools in a rural community.

Absolute Priority 2--Low-Income Demographic.

Under this priority, applicants must demonstrate that at least 40 percent of the students across all of the charter schools the applicant operates or manages are individuals from low-income families, and that the applicant will maintain the same, or a substantially similar, percentage of such students across all of its charter schools during the grant period.

While the information above is provided for applicants’ convenience, applicants should be sure to review the full NIA for this competition in the Federal Register.

FY 2020 Competitive Preference Priorities

The FY 2020 Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (84.282M) identifies five Competitive Preference Priorities. These priorities will apply to grants awarded under this competition in FY 2020 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition. The information below is provided for applicants’ convenience; applicants should be sure to review the full Notice Inviting Applications for this competition in the Federal Register.

Competitive Preference Priorities

In order to receive preference under these competitive preference priorities, the applicant must identify the priority or priorities that it believes it meets and provide documentation supporting

its claims. The maximum total competitive preference points an application can receive for this competition under 84.282M is twenty.

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Spurring Investment in Qualified Opportunity Zones (Up to 7 points)

Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate one or both of the following:

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--

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

Describe how the applicant will provide services in the Qualified Opportunity Zone(s) (Up to 4 points).

Note: [In order to meet this priority, one or more charter schools included in the application must be located in a Qualified Opportunity Zone.] If the area in which the applicant proposes to provide services overlaps with a Qualified Opportunity Zone by—

25% or less, then the applicant will receive 1 point;

26%-50%, then the applicant will receive 2 points;

51-75%, then the applicant will receive 3 points; or

76%-100%, then the applicant will receive 4 points.

The applicant has received, or will receive by [January 10, 2020], an investment, including access to real property, from a Qualified Opportunity Fund under section 1400Z-2 of the IRC for a purpose directly related to its proposed project. An applicant must--

Identify the Qualified Opportunity Fund from which it has received or will receive an investment; and

Describe how the investment is or will be directly related to its proposed project (0 or 3 points).

Competitive Preference Priority 2--Number of Charter Schools Operated or Managed by the Eligible Applicant (0 or 5 points)

Under this priority, applicants must demonstrate that they currently operate or manage two to five charter schools.

Competitive Preference Priority 3--High School Students (Up to 2 points)

Under this priority, applicants must propose to—

Replicate or expand high-quality charter schools to serve high school students, including educationally disadvantaged students;

Prepare students, including educationally disadvantaged students, in those schools for enrollment in postsecondary education institutions through activities such as, but not limited to, accelerated learning programs (including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses and programs, dual or concurrent enrollment programs, and early college high schools), college counseling, career and technical education programs, career counseling, internships, work-based learning programs (such as apprenticeships), assisting students in the college admissions and financial aid application processes, and preparing students to take standardized college admissions tests;

Provide support for students, including educationally disadvantaged students, who graduate from those schools and enroll in postsecondary education institutions in persisting in, and attaining a degree or certificate from, such institutions, through activities such as, but not limited to, mentorships, ongoing assistance with the financial aid application process, and establishing or strengthening peer support systems for such students attending the same institution; and

Propose one or more project-specific performance measures, including aligned leading indicators or other interim milestones, that will provide valid and reliable information about the applicant's progress in preparing students, including educationally disadvantaged students, for enrollment in postsecondary education institutions and in supporting those students in persisting in and attaining a degree or certificate from such institutions. An applicant addressing this priority and receiving a CMO grant must provide data that are responsive to the measure(s), including performance targets, in its annual performance reports to the Department.

For purposes of this priority, postsecondary education institutions include institutions of higher education, as defined in section 8101(29) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, and one-year training programs that meet the requirements of section 101(b)(1) of the HEA.

Competitive Preference Priority 4--Replicating or Expanding High-Quality Charter Schools To Serve Native American Students (Up to 4 points)

Under this priority, applicants must—

Propose to replicate or expand one or more high-quality charter schools that—

Utilize targeted outreach and recruitment in order to serve a high proportion of Native American students, consistent with nondiscrimination requirements contained in the U.S. Constitution and Federal civil rights laws;
Have a mission and focus that will address the unique educational needs of Native American students, such as through the use of instructional programs and teaching methods that reflect and preserve Native American language, culture, and history; and

Have a governing board with a substantial percentage of members who are members of Indian Tribes or Indian organizations located within the area to be served by the replicated or expanded charter school;

Submit a letter of support from at least one Indian Tribe or Indian organization located within the area to be served by the replicated or expanded charter school; and

Meaningfully collaborate with the Indian Tribe(s) or Indian organization(s) from which the applicant has received a letter of support in a timely, active, and ongoing manner with respect to the development and implementation of the educational program at the charter school.

Competitive Preference Priority 5--Reopening Academically Poor-Performing Schools as Charter Schools. (Up to 2 points)

Under this priority, applicants must—

Demonstrate past success working with one or more academically poor-performing public schools or schools that previously were designated as persistently lowest-achieving schools or priority schools under the former School Improvement Grant program or in States that exercised ESEA flexibility, respectively, under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; and

Propose to use grant funds under this program to restart one or more academically poor- performing public schools as charter schools during the project period by—

Replicating one or more high-quality charter schools based on a successful charter school model for which the applicant has provided evidence of success; and

Targeting a demographically similar student population in the replicated charter schools as was served by the academically poor-performing public schools.

Selection Criteria for Program Narrative

The maximum score for all selection criteria under CFDA number 84.282M is 100 points. The points or weights assigned to each criterion are indicated in parentheses. Non-Federal peer reviewers will review each application. They will be asked to evaluate and score each program narrative against the following selection criteria below. Applicants should review the NIA for the full text of each criterion.

Selection Criteria for Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CFDA number 84.282M)

Quality of the Eligible Applicant and Adequacy of Resources (NFP and 34 CFR 75.210) (up to 40 points).
Significance of Contribution in Assisting Educationally Disadvantaged Students (NFP) (up to 20 points).

Quality of the Project Design and Evaluation Plan for the Proposed Project (NFP and 34 CFR 75.210) (up to 30 points).

(v) Quality of the Project Personnel and Management Plan (34 CFR 75.210) (up to 10 points).

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 of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

Risk Assessment and Special Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may impose special conditions and, 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.

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

$150,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(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.

Suggested Point Ranges for Rating Applicant Responses to the Selection Criteria

**This document will be provided to peer reviewers to assist in the reviewing and scoring of the eligible applicant’s response to the Selection Criteria. It is included here for the applicants’ reference.

All applicants are required to respond to each of the Selection Criteria published in the NIA published in the Federal Register on November 26, 2019. Please assess applications based on the Selection Criteria. No outside factors, such as personal knowledge of past performance, or subjective judgments about what an application should contain may be considered. The application should be a comprehensive design for the proposed project and desired outcomes. Therefore, it is imperative that reviewers read the application in its entirety to determine the overall quality of the proposed project and the quality of the applicant’s response to each Selection Criterion.

The numerical scores assigned to an applicant’s response to the Selection Criteria must be consistent with the comments written. Comments and scores should reflect the same overall assessment of the quality of the response. It is important that you do not pair a negative comment with a positive score and vice versa. Comments indicate why the applicant’s response to each Selection Criterion is exemplary, adequate, poor, or not addressed. Scores indicate how well or poorly the applicant responded to a Selection Criterion. Shown below are suggested point ranges for an evaluation of exemplary, adequate, poor, or not addressed, for each of the Selection Criteria.

FY20 Charter Management Organization – 84.282M Competition Rubric

Quality of the Eligible Applicant and Adequacy of Resources (up to 40 points)

The applicant’s ability to demonstrate academic achievements. (10 points)

Category

Points Earned

Indicators of Quality of Response

Exemplary

8-10

Applicant provides student academic achievement results for all students and for subgroups that clearly show strong academic achievement, including annual student performance on statewide assessment four year and five year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) (where applicable), student attendance and retention rates, and student academic growth; applicant clearly explains academic achievement presented in application; applicant shows student growth over time, including the narrowing of the achievement gap; multiple measures to demonstrate student success presented and explained. Applicant should offer comparison of CMO’s student achievement, including subgroups with other public schools in the state to clearly indicate academic achievement.

Adequate

4-7

Applicant provides student academic achievement results for most students and subgroups across schools managed by CMO; includes

statewide assessment data and one or two additional data points;

		minimal narrative to explain academic achievement presented in application; some comparison of student achievement data to other public schools in the state; minimal information about whether or not the achievement gap is being narrowed.
Poor	1-3	Applicant provides some student academic achievement results, but not for all subgroups or for all schools managed by CMO; data does not clearly show academic achievement or academic growth of students; the applicant does not provide a comparison against other public school student achievement data; narrative does not provide additional context of minimal data provided.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

The applicant’s ability to demonstrate they have had no charter schools closed, or charters revoked. (November 30, 3018 NFP) (10 points)

Category	Points Earned	Indicators of Quality of Response
Exemplary	8-10	Applicant clearly states that no charter school has closed or been revoked by an authorizer for academic, financial mismanagement or noncompliance reasons. Clear data with a narrative that show the number of schools the CMO has had approved and opened.
Adequate	4-7	Applicant discloses that a singular charter school has closed but includes a rationale as to why and lessons learned.
Poor	1-3	Applicant does not show clear evidence that no charter schools have been closed or revoked for academic, financial mismanagement, or noncompliance reasons. Narrative provided does not allow the reader to definitively conclude that no schools have closed. Or, applicant discloses that a singular school has closed but does not include a rationale as to why and lessons learned. Or, applicant discloses that multiple charter schools have closed or had their charter revoked and no adequate explanation is provided.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

The applicant’s ability to assert they have had no significant financial issues. (November 30, 3018 NFP) (10 points)

Category	Points Earned	Indicators of Quality of Response
Exemplary	8-10	Applicant clearly states, with evidence, that they have had no significant financial issues. Applicant provides a summary of their current financial position that aligns with their Form 990 and copies of their most recent audit. Other data points that could be included to show a strong financial position are: a multi-year budget that demonstrates sound financial planning, enrollment trends over the years, facilities costs, and operating expenses.

Adequate	4-7	Applicant states, with some evidence provided, that they have had minor financial issues. Applicant provides a summary explaining their minor financial issues, when they began, and what the plan is to address them, with any update to their financial position, that aligns with their Form 990 and most recent audit.
Poor	1-3	Applicant has had significant financial issues and they are explained in the narrative. A simple plan to address the issues was provided without detail or a status update. OR the applicant provided little detail or data, so it is unclear whether the applicant has had any financial issues.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

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(f)(2)(iv) and see November 30, 3018 NFP) (10 points)

Category	Points Earned	Indicators of Quality of Response
Exemplary	8-10	Applicant provides detailed summary of how they will support new or expanded charter schools after the grant ends. The summary will include a multi-year financial and operating model for the schools. The level of support by the applicant is reasonable and sufficient. Applicant provides documentation of commitment from other entities for continued support.
Adequate	4-7	Applicant provides some information as to how they will support new or expanded charter schools after the grant ends. There is a basic plan to ensure strong financial support and the level of support seems reasonable and sufficient.
Poor	1-3	Applicant provides minimal information as to how the new or expanded schools will be supported after the funding ends. There is no specific information about how the applicant will maintain strong academic achievement or ensure fiscal and operational compliance. The level of support raises concern that the project could not be maintained.

Not Addressed

Applicant did not address the question.

Significance of Contribution in Assisting Educationally Disadvantaged Students (up to 20 points)¹

Extent to which serving educationally disadvantaged particularly children with disabilities and ELL students. (November 30, 3018 NFP) (10 points)

Category	Points Earned	Indicators of Quality of Response
Exemplary	8-10	Applicant details how they are currently serving educationally disadvantaged students. Applicant provides percentage of students that are educationally disadvantaged across and within all schools. Applicant also provides academic data, attendance and retention, and Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) data (where applicable) to show how these students are being served by schools as compared to the state and/or surrounding public schools. The applicant explains how their curriculum or school environment addresses the needs of these students, with a focus on children with disabilities and ELL students. The applicant also explains how they will continue to support educationally disadvantaged in new or expanded high-quality charter schools.
Adequate	4-7	Applicant provides a plan of how they are serving educationally disadvantaged students, specifically ELL and children with disabilities. Basic achievement data of subgroups is provided with some comparable data to surrounding public schools. The applicant provides some details about how the school environment addresses the needs of these students, and some detail as to how they will continue these practices at new school locations. It is unclear whether the applicant is focused on serving disadvantaged populations.
Poor	1-3	Applicant provides some basic information about how they are serving educationally disadvantaged students. Applicant provides minimal statistics about the student population, but no academic achievement data. The applicant does not address how the curriculum or school

Shape5

¹This is defined as students in the following categories: economically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, migrant students, English learners, neglected or delinquent, homeless students, and students in foster care.

		environment addresses the needs of these students. It is clear the applicant’s focus is not on serving educationally disadvantaged students.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

Quality of the plan to replicate or expand will recruit, enroll and effectively serve educationally disadvantaged particularly children with disabilities and ELL students. (November 30, 3018 NFP) (10 points)

Category	Points Earned	Indicators of Quality of Response
Exemplary	8-10	Applicant provides a detailed, clear plan to recruit, enroll and effectively serve educationally disadvantaged students. The plan includes enrollment targets. The applicant explains how they will engage parents and the community in the implementation of the replicated or expanded charter school. The applicant includes a detailed recruitment plan, including marketing strategies, activities and outreach, that targets educationally disadvantaged families to enroll in the school. The applicant will explain in detail how they will ensure that all disadvantaged children will receive the services they need to receive a free appropriate public education.
Adequate	4-7	Applicant provides an adequate plan to recruit, enroll and serve educationally disadvantaged students, including enrollment targets. Some details are provided about activities or recruitment tactics that the applicant will deploy to engage with the community and enroll underserved students. The applicant does discuss how the school will ensure services are provided for all students in need.
Poor	1-3	Applicant provides a basic plan to recruit educationally disadvantaged students. The plan does not include any specific tactics or activities to reach out to families with educationally disadvantaged students. The applicant briefly mentions how they will ensure services will be provided to students.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

Quality of the Project Design and Evaluation Plan (up to 30 points)

The extent to which there is a conceptual framework underlying the proposed research or demonstration activities and the quality of that framework. (34 CFR Section 75.210(c)(2)(iii)) (5 points)

Category	Points Earned	Indicators of Quality of Response
Exemplary	5	Applicant presents a comprehensive conceptual framework that includes a clear theory of actions and results, backed by high-quality, appropriately documented and relevant literature and evidence. The applicant includes either high-quality evidence of effectiveness related to the program presented in the application, or strong evidence of promise backed by strong evidence of effectiveness of comparable interventions with similar student populations.
Adequate	3-4	Applicant presents a conceptual framework that includes a clear theory of action and results but does not provide adequate documentation of the evidence used to develop this framework. The applicant presents evidence of questionable relevance, insufficient evidence, or evidence of unknown quality.
Poor	1-2	Applicant presents a conceptual framework that is not high-quality. Either the applicant presents a conceptual framework in which the theory of action and results is not clear or is not justified by evidence or literature.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the proposed project, as articulated in the applicant’s logic model, and that will produce quantitative and qualitative data by the end of the grant period. (November 30, 3018 NFP and see 34 CFR 75.210(h)(2)(iv)) (10 points)

Category

Points Earned

Indicators of Quality of Response

Exemplary	8-10	The logic model provided is clear and comprehensive, listing inputs, activities, outputs, and short- and long-term results of the project. The evaluation methods proposed are thorough, feasible, and appropriately aligned to the performance measures. Performance measures provided in the logic model are objective, measurable and clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project. The evaluation will produce high- quality quantitative and qualitative data by the end of the project and the applicant provides examples of the data.
Adequate	4-7	The logic model provided is comprehensive, however not all the project’s activities or outcomes are clear. The evaluation methods proposed are thorough and feasible. It is unclear or not explained how the evaluation methods align with the proposed performance measures. The evaluation will produce high-quality quantitative and qualitative data by the end of the project, but the applicant does not provide examples of the collected data.
Poor	1-3	The logic model is not comprehensive, and the intended outcomes are unclear. The evaluation methods are unclear or not aligned to the performance measures. Performance measures are not appropriate for the proposed outcomes. The evaluation will not produce both quantitative and qualitative data, or the data produced will be of questionable relevance or quality.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(i)) (5 points)

Category

Points Earned

Indicators of Quality of Response

Exemplary

All goals, objectives and outcomes are clearly identified within the application. Each goal is specific and measurable. Each goal is achievable and realistic/relevant for the grant period (up to five years) and there is evidence throughout the grant application to support that.

Adequate

3-4

All goals, objectives and outcomes are clearly identified within the

application. Some of the goals are specific and measurable, but some

		may be more general. Not all goals are realistic or relevant and there are questions as to whether all goals can be achieved by the end of the grant period.
Poor	1-2	The goals, objectives and outcomes are not clearly identified within the application. The goals are not specific or measurable. Some goals seem unrealistic to be achieved by the end of the grant period.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating the proposed project will result in information to guide possible replication of project activities or strategies, including information about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the project. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(x)) (10 points)

Category	Points Earned	Indicators of Quality of Response
Exemplary	8-10	The design for project implementation and evaluation includes clear and thorough plans for documenting both outcome evidence and lessons learned throughout a continuous improvement cycle. The applicant explicitly states how data and lessons learned will be incorporated into the replication process and how both programmatic and strategy-level data will be incorporated into decision-making throughout project implementation. The applicant includes a plan for disseminating results and lessons learned from the project implementation and evaluation with a broad audience.
Adequate	4-7	The design for project implementation and evaluation includes some plans for documenting outcome evidence and lessons learned. The applicant has some plans for incorporating evidence into decision- making but specific activities and structure for data-driving decision- making in the replication process is unclear. The applicant includes some actions for disseminating results and lessons learned from the project implementation and evaluation.
Poor	1-3	The design for project implementation does not include specific plans for documenting evidence or lessons learned beyond the formal evaluation. It is unclear how the applicant will document, learn from, or incorporate into decision-making evidence on project activities or

		strategies. It is unclear how data will be used in the decision to replicate. The applicant does not present a plan for disseminating results or for sharing lessons learned.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

Quality of Project Personnel and Management Plan (up to 10 points)

Qualifications of key project personnel. (34 CFR 75.210(e)(3)(ii)) (5 points)

Category	Points Earned	Indicators of Quality of Response
Exemplary	5	Applicant lists key project personnel and provides a summary of their qualifications, including training and experience relevant to the opening, operation, and management of charter schools with an explanation of why they are essential to the success of the project. Resumes of key personnel are also provided.
Adequate	3-4	Applicant lists key project personnel and some qualifications relevant to the opening, operation, and management of charter schools. Resumes of key personnel are provided.
Poor	1-2	Applicant lists the key project personnel but does not list their qualifications or include documentation such as resumes. Or, the applicant includes key project personnel and qualifications or resumes but it is not clear that there is adequate expertise and personnel capacity to maintain the project.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (34 CFR 75.210(g)(2)(ii)) (5 points)

Category

Points Earned

Indicators of Quality of Response

Exemplary	5	Applicant provides a detailed plan on how they will receive and document feedback and collect outcome data to make improvements to the project. The plan will include a comprehensive list of what type of data they will collect (student performance data, attendance records, teacher evaluations, etc.), how they will receive and collect feedback and data, and how the project personnel will use this feedback and data to make improvements. The applicant will explain how they will use a variety of data sources to gain real-time feedback and make course corrections to the project’s processes and document lessons learned.
Adequate	3-4	Applicant provides a plan on how they will receive and document feedback and collect outcome data to make improvements to the project. The plan lacks significant details about the steps to collect data feedback, the type of data and feedback collected, and how it will be analyzed and used to make adjustments to the proposed project. The applicant briefly explains how the data will be used to make course corrections to the project.
Poor	1-2	Applicant provides little information about their plan to collect, analyze and use data and feedback for continuous improvement to their proposed project. It is unclear whether the applicant will use any real- time data to course correct the project.
Not Addressed	0	Applicant did not address the question.

Competitive Preference Priority 3 – High School Students (up to 2 points)

1. The extent to which the applicant proposes to replicate or expand high-quality charter schools to serve high school students, including educationally disadvantaged students.

Category

Points Earned

Indicators of Quality of Response

Exemplary

51%-100% of schools applicant proposes to replicate or expand are high schools. And, applicant presents a comprehensive plan that includes thoughtful actions to replicate or expand high-quality charter schools to serve high school students including educationally disadvantaged students. The plan includes research-based strategies that prepare

students, including educationally disadvantaged students, to enroll and

succeed in postsecondary education institutions (such as providing Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate courses, dual enrollment programs, college/career counseling, and internships and work-based programs). And, applicant provides a plan to support students who graduate from the replicated or expanded schools who enroll in postsecondary education institutions through activities such as mentorship, ongoing assistance with the financial aid process, and establishing peer systems. And, applicant proposes multiple performance measures that will provide valid and reliable information about the applicant’s progress in preparing students, including educationally disadvantaged students, for enrolling and persisting in postsecondary education institutions.

Adequate

1%-50% of schools applicant proposes to replicate or expand are high schools. And, applicant presents a plan that includes actions to replicate or expand high-quality charter schools to serve high school students including educationally disadvantaged students. The plan includes strategies that prepare students, including educationally disadvantaged students, to enroll and succeed in postsecondary education institutions (such as providing Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate courses, dual enrollment programs, college/career counseling, and internships and work-based programs). And/or, applicant provides a plan to support students who graduate from the replicated or expanded schools who enroll in postsecondary education institutions through activities such as mentorship, ongoing assistance with the financial aid process, and establishing peer systems. And, applicant proposes one or more performance measures that will provide valid and reliable information about the applicant’s progress in preparing students, including educationally disadvantaged students, for enrolling and persisting in postsecondary education institutions.

Not Addressed/No Strengths

Applicant did not address the question. Or, applicant proposes to replicate or expand one or more schools to serve high school students but does not present a plan that includes specific actions to prepare students, including educationally disadvantaged students, to enroll and succeed in postsecondary education institutions or a plan to support students who graduate from the replicated or expanded schools who enroll in postsecondary education institutions. And, applicant does not include any performance measures that will provide valid and reliable

information about the applicant’s progress in preparing students,

including educationally disadvantaged students, for enrolling and persisting in postsecondary education institutions.

Competitive Preference Priority 4 – Replicating or Expanding High-Quality Charter Schools to Serve Native American Students (up to 4 points)

1. The extent to which the applicant proposes to replicate or expand high-quality charter schools to serve a high proportion of Native American students. (2018 NFP)

Category

Points Earned

Indicators of Quality of Response

Exemplary

3-4

51%-100% of schools applicant proposes to replicate or expand will serve Native American students. And, applicant presents a comprehensive plan, with specific steps, for targeted outreach and recruitment in order to serve a high proportion of Native American students. And, the replicated or expanded schools have a mission and focus that will address the unique needs of Native American students, including specific instructional programs and teaching methods that reflect and preserve Native American language, culture, and history. And, applicant provides documentation (such as a Certificates of Degree of Indian or Alaskan Blood (CDIB) or Tribal identification cards) that the governing board has at least 50% of members who are members of Indian Tribes or Indian organizations located within the area to be served by the replicated or expanded charter school. And, applicant provides a letter of support from at least one Indian Tribe or Indian organization located within the area to be served by the replicated or expanded charter schools. And, applicant provides comprehensive plan for ongoing, meaningful collaboration regarding the development and implementation of the educational program at the charter schools with the Indian Tribe or Indian organization from which the applicant received a letter of support, including strategies and plans for timely, active and ongoing collaboration.

Adequate

1-2

1%-50% of schools applicant proposes to replicate or expand will serve Native American students. And, applicant presents a plan for targeted outreach and recruitment in order to serve a high proportion of Native American students. And, the replicated or expanded schools have a

mission or focus that will address the unique needs of Native American

		students. And, the governing board has one or more members who are members of Indian Tribes or Indian organizations located within the area to be served by the replicated or expanded charter school. And, applicant provides a letter of support from at least one Indian Tribe or Indian organization located within the area to be served by the replicated or expanded charter schools. And, applicant provides a plan for meaningful collaboration regarding the development and implementation of the educational program at the charter schools with the Indian Tribe or Indian organization from which the applicant received a letter of support, including strategies and plans for timely, active and ongoing collaboration.
Not Addressed/No Strengths	0	Applicant did not address the question. Or, schools applicant proposes to replicate or expand may serve Native American students however applicant does not present a plan for targeted outreach and recruitment in order to serve a high proportion of Native American students. And, the replicated or expanded schools do not have a mission or focus that will address the unique needs of Native American students. And, the governing board does not have any members who are members of Indian Tribes or Indian organizations located within the area to be served by the replicated or expanded charter school. And, applicant did not provide a letter of support from at least one Indian Tribe or Indian organization located within the area to be served by the replicated or expanded charter schools. And, applicant did not provide a plan for ongoing, meaningful collaboration regarding the development and implementation of the educational program at the charter schools with the Indian Tribe or Indian organization from which the applicant received a letter of support.

Competitive Preference Priority 5 – Re-opening Poor Performing Schools (up to 2 points)

1. The extent to which the applicant proposes to use grant funds to restart one or more academically poor-performing public schools as charter schools.

Category

Points Earned

Indicators of Quality of Response

Exemplary	2	Applicant provides documentation, from a State or authorizing authority, that it worked with two or more schools that were previously designated as persistently lowest-achieving schools or priority schools and successfully transformed the schools into high-quality charter schools; and applicant proposes to use grant funds to restart three or more academically poor-performing public schools by replicating high- quality charter schools based on its charter school model, under which the previous schools were successfully transformed, and provides a letter from the State, LEA, or other cognizant organization that confirms the applicant’s intent to restart the schools; and applicant provides documentation that a similar student population that was served by the academically poor-performing public school will be targeted for the replicated charter schools.
Adequate	1	Applicant provides documentation that it worked with one or more schools that was previously designated as a persistently lowest- achieving school or priority school and successfully transformed the school into high-quality charter school; and applicant proposes to use grant funds to restart one or more academically poor-performing public schools by replicating a high-quality charter school based on its charter school model, under which the previous schools were successfully transformed; and applicant provides documentation that a similar student population that was served by the academically poor- performing public school will be targeted for the replicated charter school.
Not Addressed/No Strengths	0	Applicant did not address the question. Or, applicant does not provide documentation that it worked with a school that was previously designated as a persistently lowest-achieving school or priority school, and applicant does not provide documentation that it successfully transformed the school into a high-quality charter school; or applicant does not propose to use grant funds to restart an academically poor- performing public school.

Application Requirements

Applications for CSP CMO Grant funds must address the following application requirements. These requirements are from the NFP and section 4303(3) and 4305 of the ESEA. The source of each requirement is provided in parentheses following each requirement. Except as otherwise provided,

an applicant may choose to respond to each requirement separately or in the context of the applicant’s responses to the selection criteria.

Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CFDA number 84.282M).

Applicants for funds under this program must address the following application requirements. An applicant must respond to the requirements in paragraph (a) in a stand-alone section of the application or in an appendix.

Describe the applicant’s objectives in running a quality charter school program and how the program will be carried out, including--

A description of how the applicant will ensure that charter schools receiving funds under this program meet the educational needs of their students, including children with disabilities and English learners. (Section 4303(f)(1)(A)(x) of the ESEA);

A description of how the applicant will ensure that each charter school receiving funds under this program has considered and planned for the transportation needs of the school's students. (Section 4303(f)(1)(E) of the ESEA)

For each charter school currently operated or managed by the applicant, provide—

Student assessment results for all students and for each subgroup of students described in section 1111(c)(2) of the ESEA;

Attendance and student retention rates for the most recently completed school year and, if applicable, the most recent available four-year adjusted cohort graduation rates and extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rates; and

Information on any significant compliance and management issues encountered within the last three school years by any school operated or managed by the eligible entity, including in the areas of student safety and finance. (Section 4305(b)(3)(A) of the ESEA)

Describe the educational program that the applicant will implement in each charter school receiving funding under this program, including--

Information on how the program will enable all students to meet the challenging State academic standards;

The grade levels or ages of students who will be served; and

The instructional practices that will be used. (Section 4305(b)(3)(B)(ii) of the ESEA)

Demonstrate that the applicant currently operates or manages more than one charter school. For the purposes of this program, multiple charter schools are considered to be separate schools if each school –
1. Meets each element of the definition of “charter school” under section 4310(2) of the ESEA; and

Is treated as a separate school by its authorized public chartering agency and the State in which the charter school is located, including for purposes of accountability and reporting under title I, part A of the ESEA. (NFP)

Provide information regarding any compliance issues, and how they were resolved, for any charter schools operated or managed by the applicant that have—

Closed;

Had their charter(s) revoked due to problems with statutory or regulatory compliance, including compliance with sections 4310(2)(G) and (J) of the ESEA; or

Had their affiliation with the applicant revoked or terminated, including through voluntary disaffiliation. (NFP)

Provide a complete logic model (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) for the grant project. The logic model must include the applicant’s objectives for replicating or expanding one or more high-quality charter schools with funding under this program, including the number of high-quality charter schools the applicant proposes to replicate or expand. (NFP)

If the applicant currently operates, or is proposing to replicate or expand a single-sex charter school or coeducational charter school that provides a single-sex class or extracurricular activity (collectively referred to as a “single-sex educational program”), demonstrate that the existing or proposed single-sex educational program is in compliance with title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681, et seq.) and its implementing regulations, including 34 CFR

106.34. (NFP)

Describe how the applicant currently operates or manages the high-quality charter schools for which it has presented evidence of success and how the proposed replicated or expanded charter schools will be operated or managed, including the legal relationship between the applicant and its schools. If a legal entity other than the applicant has entered or will enter into a performance contract with an authorized public chartering agency to operate or manage one or more of the applicant's schools, the applicant must also describe its relationship with that entity. (NFP)

Describe how the applicant will solicit and consider input from parents and other members of the community on the implementation and operation of each replicated or expanded charter school, including in the area of school governance. (NFP)

Describe the lottery and enrollment procedures that will be used for each replicated or expanded charter school if more students apply for admission than can be accommodated, including how any proposed weighted lotteries comply with section 4303(c)(3)(A) of the ESEA. (NFP)

Describe how the applicant will ensure that all eligible children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education in accordance with Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (NFP)
Describe how the proposed project will assist educationally disadvantaged students in mastering challenging State academic standards. (NFP)

Provide a budget narrative, aligned with the activities, target grant project outputs, and outcomes described in the logic model, that outlines how grant funds will be expended to carry out planned activities. (NFP)

Provide the applicant's most recent independently audited financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. (NFP)

Describe the applicant's policies and procedures to assist students enrolled in a charter school that closes or loses its charter to attend other high-quality schools. (NFP)

Provide--

A request and justification for waivers of any Federal statutory or regulatory provisions that the eligible entity believes are necessary for the successful operation of the charter school to be opened or to be replicated or expanded; and

A description of any State or local rules, generally applicable to public schools, that will be waived, or otherwise not apply, to such schools. (NFP)

Part 5: Budget Narrative

This section should be attached as a single document to the Budget Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov. It should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the common instructions. Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

Before preparing the budget narrative, applicants should review the Federal Register notice inviting applications, the instructions for ED 524 Section C, Budget Narrative and the program statute for specific guidance and requirements. Note that applications will be evaluated according to the specific selection criteria specified in the Federal Register notice. Attachments must be in

.PDF format.

The Budget Narrative Form should include the eligible applicant’s itemized budget breakdown, and justification by project year, aligned with the budget included on the ED 524 form. If applicable to this program, provide the rate and base on which fringe benefits are calculated. Please check all figures and combined totals in the budget narrative and compare the amounts with those reflected on the ED 524.

The budget should include only costs that are allowable, reasonable, and necessary for carrying out the objectives of the grant project. Rules about allowability of costs are contained both in EDGAR and in the Uniform Guidance (2 C.F.R. § 200). The Uniform guidance streamlines and consolidates government requirements for receiving and using federal awards so as to reduce administrative burden and improve outcomes. It was published in the Federal Register (79 Fed. Reg. 75871) on December 19, 2014, and became effective for new and continuation awards issued on or after December 26, 2014. Additional Information can be found in the following link: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/guid/uniform-guidance/index.html

Applicants must complete ED 524 (in the standard forms section) for all budget years of the proposed project. Applicants must also provide a budget narrative that describes their proposed multiyear project activities and the costs associated with those activities as well as all costs associated with carrying out the proposed project. Section 75.112(b) of EDGAR requires applicants to present “a narrative that describes how and when, in each budget period of the project, the applicant plans to meet each objective of the project.” EDGAR may be accessed at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.html

For each line item of Sections A (federal costs) of the Budget Form (ED 524), provide detailed costs (in dollars) accompanied by a narrative justification to support your request.

Note: There is no matching requirement under this program. If an applicant shows funding in Section B, they must meet this voluntary match if awarded.

Please check all figures and combined totals in the budget narrative and compare the amounts with those reflected on the ED 524.

Funding Restrictions: Grantees must use the grant funds to replicate or expand the charter school model or models for which the applicant has presented evidence of success. Grant funds must be used to carry out allowable activities, described in section 4305(b)(1) of the ESEA, which are described fully in the NIA. Please review the NIA for complete information.

Each application must also provide a Budget Narrative (which serves to meet the requirements of ED Form 524, Section C) for requested Federal funds. The Budget Narrative for requested Federal funds should provide a justification of how the money requested for each budget item will be spent.

This section requires an itemized budget breakdown for each project year and the basis for estimating the costs of personnel salaries, benefits, project staff travel, materials and supplies, consultants and subcontracts, indirect costs and any other projected expenditures. Be sure to complete an itemized budget breakdown and narrative for each year of the proposed project (up to 60 months).

The Budget Narrative provides an opportunity for the applicant to identify the nature and amount of the proposed expenditures. The applicant should provide sufficient detail to enable reviewers and project staff to understand how requested funds will be used, how much will be expended, and the relationship between the requested funds and project activities and outcomes.

Suggested Guidelines for the Budget Narrative

In accordance with 34 CFR 75.232, Department of Education staff perform a cost analysis of each recommended project to ensure that costs relate to the activities and objectives of the project, are reasonable, allowable and allocable. We may delete or reduce costs from the budget during this review.

To facilitate the review of your Budget Narrative, we encourage each applicant to include the following information for each year of the project:

Personnel
- Provide the title and duties of each position to be compensated under this project.
- Provide the salary for each position under this project.
- Provide the amounts of time, such as hours or percentage of time to be expended by each position under this project.
- Explain the importance of each position to the success of the project.
- Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Fringe Benefits
- Give the fringe benefit percentages of all personnel included under Personnel.
- Provide the rate and base on which fringe benefits are calculated.
- Leave this line blank if fringe benefits applicable to direct salaries and wages are treated as part of the indirect costs.

Travel
- Explain the purpose of the travel, how it relates to project success, how it aligns with the project goals and objectives and which program participants or staff will participate.
- Submit an estimate for the number of trips, points of origin and destination, and purpose of travel.
- Submit an itemized estimate of transportation and/or subsistence costs for each trip.
- Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.
- Include costs for at least one project staff person (project director) to attend an annual 2- day project directors meeting in Washington, DC.

Equipment
- Indicate the estimated unit cost for each item to be purchased that 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.
- Identify each type of equipment.
- Provide adequate justification of the need for items of equipment to be purchased.
- Explain the purpose of the equipment, and how it relates to project success.
- Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Supplies
- Provide an itemized estimate of materials and supplies by nature of expense or general category (e.g., instructional materials, office supplies, etc.).
- Explain the purpose of the supplies and how they relate to project success.
- Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.
Contractual
- Provide the purpose and relation to project success. 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 who is being contracted with, 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.
- Describe the products to be acquired, and/or the professional services to be provided.
- Provide a brief justification for the use of the contractors selected.
- Identify the name(s) of the contracting party, including consultants, if available.
- Provide the cost per contractor.
- Provide the amount of time that the project will be working with the contractor(s).
- For professional services contracts, provide the amounts of time to be devoted to the project, including the costs to be charged to this proposed grant award.
- Provide a brief statement that you have followed the procedures for procurement under 2 CFR 200.317-200.326.
- Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Construction
- Not applicable.

Other
- Indicate all direct costs not covered on lines 1-6. This includes a breakdown of number of subgrants per year as well as the amount of each award or range, if applicable, per year. In addition, this line also could include costs such as space rental, required fees, training, and communication and printing costs. Do not include costs that are included in the indirect cost rate.
- List and identify items by major type or category (e.g., communications, printing, postage, equipment rental, etc.).
- Provide the cost per item (printing = $500, postage = $750).
- Provide the purpose for the expenditures and relation to project success.
- Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Total Direct Costs
- The amount that is the sum of expenditures, per budget category, of lines 1-8.

Indirect Costs
- Identify indirect cost rate (if the applicant will charge indirect costs to the grant)
- Note: remember to provide a copy of the most recent approved indirect cost agreement in the Other Attachments form section of the application.

Training Stipends
- Indicate the amount of stipend, the number of grant participants receiving 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.”
Total Costs
- Sum total of direct costs, indirect costs, and stipends.
- Please provide total costs for each year of the project as well as grand total cost for the entire project (up to 60 months).

Important Information Regarding Indirect Costs

The Department of Education (ED) reimburses grantees for its portion of indirect costs that a grantee incurs in projects funded by the Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter schools (CFDA number 84.282M). Any grantee charging indirect costs to a grant from this program must use the indirect cost rate negotiated with its cognizant agency for indirect costs.

Note: Applicants should pay special attention to specific questions on the application budget form (U.S. Department of Education Budget Information Non-Construction Programs Form 524 Sections A, B and C) about their cognizant agency and the indirect cost rate they are using in their budget.

If an applicant selected for funding under this program has not already established a current indirect cost rate with its cognizant agency, ED generally will authorize the grantee to use a temporary rate of 10 percent of budgeted direct salaries and wages, or a de minimis rate of 10 percent of MTDC, as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

Use of the temporary rate of 10 percent of budgeted direct salaries and wages is subject to the following limitations:

The grantee must submit an indirect cost rate proposal to its cognizant agency within 90 days after ED issues the GAN.
If after the 90-day period, the grantee has not submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to its cognizant agency, the grantee may not charge its grant for indirect costs (except when ED finds exceptional circumstances) until it has negotiated an indirect cost rate agreement with its cognizant agency.
The grantee may only recover indirect costs incurred on or after the date it submitted its indirect cost rate proposal to its cognizant agency or at the start of the of the project period, whichever of the two occurs later.
The total amount of funds recovered by the grantee under the federally recognized indirect cost rate is reduced by the amount of indirect costs previously recovered under the temporary indirect cost rate.
The grantee must obtain prior approval from the Secretary to shift direct costs to indirect costs in order to recover indirect costs at a higher negotiated indirect cost rate.
The grantee may not request additional funds to recover indirect costs that it cannot recover by shifting direct costs to indirect costs.

Use of the de minimis rate of 10 percent of MTDC is subject to the following limitations:

In accordance with 2 CFR 200.414(f), State and local governments may not use the de minimis rate; thus, this rate may only be used by institutions of higher education (IHE) and non-profit organizations.
A grantee that decides to use the de minimis rate of 10 percent of MTDC must use the rate for at least one fiscal year for all of its Federal awards, and may continue to use the rate indefinitely thereafter until it decides to negotiate an agreement with its cognizant agency. MTDC consists of all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits,

materials and supplies, services, travel, and subawards and subcontracts up to the first

$25,000 of each subaward (i.e., subgrant or subcontract). Once a grantee obtains a federally recognized indirect cost rate that is applicable to its grant, the grantee may use that indirect cost rate to claim indirect cost reimbursement; however, the grantee is subject to the same recovery limitations identified for the 10 percent temporary rate in items (3) through (6) of this grant attachment.

Applicants should be aware that ED is very often not the cognizant agency for its own grantees. Rather, ED accepts, for the purpose of funding its awards, the current indirect cost rate established by the appropriate cognizant agency.

Applicants are encouraged to have an accountant calculate a proposed indirect cost rate using current information from its audited financial statements, actual cost data, or IRS Form 990. Applicants should use this proposed rate in their application materials and describe which of these methods they used to calculate the rate. Guidance related to calculating an indirect cost rate can be found on ED’s website at:

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/fipao/icgindex.html.

Applicants with questions about using indirect cost rates under this program should contact the program contact person shown elsewhere in this application package or in the Federal Register application notice of 07/03/2019, (84 FR 31852).

Part 6: Other Attachment Form

Attach one or more documents to the Other Attachments Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov. You may provide all of the required information in a single document, or in multiple documents.

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the common instructions. Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

Please note that Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission.

Appendix A—Charter Schools Program Assurance: Include a signed copy of the Charter School Program Assurances – Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools included on page 65 of this document.
Appendix B—Resumes/Curriculum Vitae: Provide resumes/curriculum vitae for the project director as well as any key personnel identified in the application.
Appendix C—Letters of Support: If applicable, provide letters of support for the project.
Appendix D—Proof of Non-Profit Status, or Not For-Profit Status

According to EDGAR 75.51(b), an applicant may show that it is a nonprofit organization by any of the following means:

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;
A statement from a State taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that:
1. The organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State; and
2. 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 previously 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.

Appendix E—Schools Operated by Applicant: Provide information to show that the applicant operates more than one charter school, therefore meeting (d) of the Application Requirements. Information should include school name, grade levels, location, whether the school holds a separate charter, and authorizer for each charter school operated by the applicant. If the applicant holds only one charter but operates multiple schools under the

same charter, provide documentation demonstrating that they are separate and distinct schools, including, but not limited to:

A copy of the charter agreement;
Documentation of whether the charter schools were established and are recognized as separate schools under state law (i.e., the applicable state statute or unique school identification number issued by the state);
A copy of the performance agreements with the authorized public chartering agency, if different from the charter agreement;
Physical locations of the schools;
Documentation of whether the schools have separate facilities, staffs, and student bodies;
Documentation of whether day to day operations at the separate schools are carried out by different administrators, and of whether schools are run by separate principals.

Appendix F—Student Academic Achievement: Provide documentation on the student academic achievement for each charter school operated or managed by the applicant. Such information should contain performance data both school-wide and by subgroup, and should include comparisons to all students in the State at the same grade level, and, to the extent available, as compared with other schools serving similar demographics of students.
Appendix G—Supplemental Organizational Budgets and Financial Information

Appendix H—Additional Information: Provide any additional information needed and label Appendix G Additional Information when uploading.

Charter Schools Program Assurances – Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for The Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools

Pursuant to Title IV, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), applications for Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools must provide the assurances described below.

As the duly authorized representative of the applicant, I ensure that:

The eligible applicant will support charter schools in meeting the educational needs of their students, as described in section 4303(f)(1)(A)(x) of the ESEA (Section 4303(f)(2)(B) of the ESEA);
Each charter school receiving funds under this program makes publicly available, consistent with the dissemination requirements of the annual State report card under section 1111(h) of the ESEA, including on the website of the school, information to help parents make informed decisions about the education options available to their children, including—

Information on the educational program;
Student support services;
Parent contract requirements (as applicable), including any financial obligations or fees;
Enrollment criteria (as applicable); and
Annual performance and enrollment data for each of the subgroups of students, as defined in section 1111(c)(2) of the ESEA, except that such disaggregation of performance and enrollment data shall not be required in a case in which the number of students in a group is insufficient to yield statically reliable information or the results would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student. (Section 4303(f)(2)(G) of the ESEA)

The eligible entity has sufficient procedures in effect to ensure timely closure of low-performing or financially mismanaged charter schools and clear plans and procedures in effect for the students in such schools to attend other high-quality schools. (Section 4305(b)(3)(C) of the ESEA).

NAME OF AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL, TITLE

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL

APPLICANT ORGANIZATION DATE SUBMITTED

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications

Be certain to complete all required assurances and certifications in Grants.gov, and include all required information in the appropriate place on each form. The assurances and certifications required for this application are:

Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B Form)
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF LLL Form)
Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-0013 Form)
General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427

Reporting and Accountability

Successful applicants with multi-year grants must submit an annual performance report demonstrating their progress in meeting approved project objectives. Grantees must also provide the most current financial and performance measure data for each year of the project.

At the end of the project period, applicants will also be required to submit a final performance report.

Reporting:

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).

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 http://www.ed.gov/fund/grat/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

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.

Performance Measures:

The Secretary has two performance indicators to measure progress toward achieving the purposes of the program, which are discussed in the NIA. The performance indicators are: (1) the number of charter schools in operation around the Nation and (2) the percentage of fourth- and eighth-grade charter school students who are achieving at or above the proficient level on State assessments in mathematics and reading/language arts. Additionally, the Secretary has established the following measure to examine the efficiency of the CSP: the Federal cost per student in implementing a successful school (defined as a school in operation for three or more consecutive years).

Project-Specific Performance Measures. Applicants must propose project-specific performance measures and performance targets consistent with the objectives of the proposed project. Applications must provide the following information as directed under 34 CFR 75.110(b) and (c):
1. Performance measures. How each proposed performance measure would accurately measure the performance of the project and how the proposed performance measure would be consistent with the performance measures established for the program funding the competition.

Baseline data. (i) Why each proposed baseline is valid; or (ii) if the applicant has determined that there are no established baseline data for a particular performance measure, an explanation of why there is no established baseline and of how and when, during the project period, the applicant would establish a valid baseline for the performance measure.

Performance targets. Why each proposed performance target is ambitious yet achievable compared to the baseline for the performance measure and when, during the project period, the applicant would meet the performance target(s).

Data collection and reporting. (i) The data collection and reporting methods the applicant would use and why those methods are likely to yield reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data; and (ii) the applicant’s capacity to collect and report reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data, as evidenced by high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in other projects or research.

All grantees must submit an annual performance report with information that is responsive to these performance measures.

Legal and Regulatory Information

Notice Inviting Applications

The full text of the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the FY 2020 CSP Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter schools (CFDA number 84.282M) competition can be found on the federal register at the following url: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/11/26/2019-25739/applications- for-new-awards-expanding-opportunity-through-quality-charter-schools-program-csp-grants.

Program Statute

Title IV, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) (20 U.S.C. 7221-7221j).

Part C – EXPANDING OPPORTUNITY THROUGH QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOLS SEC. 4301. PURPOSE.

It is the purpose of this part to --

improve the United States education system and education opportunities for all people in the United states by supporting innovation in public education in public school settings that prepare students to compete and contribute to the global economy and a stronger Nation;
provide financial assistance for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools;
increase the number of high-quality charter schools available to students across the United States; and
evaluate the impact of charter schools on student achievement, families, and communities, and share best practices between charter schools and other public schools;
encourage States to provide support to charter schools for facilities financing in an amount more nearly commensurate to the amount States typically provide for traditional public schools;
expand opportunities for children with disabilities, English learners, and other traditionally underserved students to attend charter schools and meet the challenging State academic standards;
support efforts to strengthen the charter school authorizing process to improve performance management, including transparency, oversight and monitoring (including financial audits), and evaluation of such schools; and
support quality, accountability, and transparency in the operational performance of all authorized public chartering agencies, including State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and other authorizing entities.

SEC. 4302. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

IN GENERAL- The Secretary may carry out a charter school program that supports charter schools that serve early childhood, elementary school, or secondary school students by—
1. supporting the startup of new charter schools, the replication of high-quality charter schools, and the expansion of high-quality charter schools;
2. assisting charter schools in accessing credit to acquire and renovate facilities for school use; and
3. carrying out national activities to support—

the activities described in paragraph (1);

the dissemination of best practices of charter schools for all schools;

the evaluation of the impact of the charter school program under this part on schools participating in such program; and
stronger charter school authorizing practices.

FUNDING ALLOTMENT- From the amount made available under section 4311 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall—

reserve 12.5 percent to support charter school facilities assistance under section 4304;

reserve 22.5 percent to carry out national activities under section 4305; and

use the remaining amount after the reservations under paragraphs (1) and (2) to carry out section 4303.

PRIOR GRANTS AND SUBGRANTS- The recipient of a grant or subgrant under part B of title V (as such part was in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act) shall continue to receive funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of such grant or subgrant.

SEC. 4303. GRANTS TO SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOLS.

STATE ENTITY DEFINED.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘‘State entity’’ means—

a State educational agency;

a State charter school board;

a Governor of a State; or

a charter school support organization.

PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From the amount available under section 4302(b)(3), the Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis, grants to State entities having applications approved under subsection (f) to enable such entities to—

award subgrants to eligible applicants to enable eligible applicants to—

open and prepare for the operation of new charter schools;

open and prepare for the operation of replicated high-quality charter schools; or

expand high-quality charter schools; and

provide technical assistance to eligible applicants and authorized public chartering agencies in carry out the activities described in paragraph (1), and work with authorized public chartering agencies in the state to improve authorizing quality, including developing capacity for, and conducting, fiscal oversight and auditing of charter schools.

STATE ENTITY USES OF FUNDS.—

IN GENERAL. —A State entity receiving a grant under this section shall—

use not less than 90 percent of the grant funds to award subgrants to eligible applicants, in accordance with the quality charter school program described in the State entity's application pursuant to subsection (f), for the purposes described in subsection (b)(1);
reserve not less than 7 percent of such funds to carry out the activities described in subsection (b)(2); and
reserve not more than 3 percent of such funds for administrative costs, which may include technical assistance.

CONTRACTS AND GRANTS.—A State entity may use a grant received under this section to carry out the activities described in subsection (b)(2) directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.
RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. —

USE OF LOTTERY. —Nothing in this Act shall prohibit the Secretary from awarding grants to State entities, or prohibit State entities from awarding subgrants to eligible applicants, that use a weighted lottery to give slightly better chances for admission to all, or a subset of, educationally disadvantaged students if—

the use of weighted lotteries in favor of such students is not prohibited by State law, and such State law is consistent with laws described in section 4310(2)(G); and
such weighted lotteries are not used for the purpose of creating schools exclusively to serve a particular subset of students.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. — Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prohibit schools from specializing in providing specific services for students with a demonstrated

need for such services, such as students who need specialized instruction in reading, spelling, or writing.

PROGRAM PERIODS; PEER REVIEW; DISTRIBUTION OF SUBGRANTS; WAIVERS.

—

PROGRAM PERIODS. —;

GRANTS. —A grant awarded by the Secretary to a State entity under this section shall be for a period of not more than 5 years.
SUBGRANTS. —A subgrant awarded by a State entity under this section shall be for a period of not more than 5 years, of which an eligible applicant may use not more than 18 months for planning and program design.

PEER REVIEW. The Secretary, and each State entity awarding subgrants under this section, shall use a peer-review process to review applications for assistance under this section.
GRANT AWARDS. —

IN GENERAL. —The Secretary—

shall for each fiscal year for which funds are appropriated under section 4311—

award not less than 3 grants under this section; and

fully obligate the first 2 years of funds appropriated for the purpose of awarding grants under this section in the first fiscal year for which such grants are awarded; and

prior to the start of the third year of the grant period and each succeeding year of each grant awarded under this section to a state entity—

shall review—

(aa) whether the State entity is using the grant funds for the agreed upon uses of funds; and

(bb) whether the full amount of the grant will be needed for the remainder of the grant period; and

may, as determined necessary based on that review, terminate or reduce the amount of the grant and reallocate the remaining grant funds to other state entities—

(aa) by using such funds to award grants under this section to other State entities; or

(bb) in a fiscal year in which the amount of such remaining funds is insufficient to award grants under item (aa), in accordance with subparagraph (B).

REMAINING FUNDING. —For a fiscal year for which there are remaining grant funds under this paragraph, but the amount of such funds is insufficient to award a grant to a State entity under this section, the Secretary shall use such remaining grants funds—

to supplement funding for grants under section 4305(a)((2), but not to supplant—

The funds reserved under section 4305(a)(2); and

funds otherwise reserved under section 4302(b)(2) to carry out national activities under section 4305;

to award grants to State entities to carry out the activities described in subsection (b)(1) for the next fiscal year; or
to award one year of a grant under subsection (b)(1) to a high-scoring State entity, in an amount at or above the minimum amount the State entity needs to be successful for such year.

DIVERSITY OF PROJECTS. —Each State entity awarding subgrants under this section shall award subgrants in a manner that, to the extent practicable and applicable, ensures that such subgrants—

are distributed throughout different areas, including urban, suburban, and rural areas; and

will assist charter schools representing a variety of educational approaches.

WAIVERS. —The Secretary may waive any statutory or regulatory requirement over which the Secretary exercises administrative authority, except any such requirement relating to the elements of a charter school described in section 4310(2), if—

(A) the waiver is requested in an approved application under this section; and

(b) the Secretary determines that granting such waiver will promote the purpose of this part.

LIMITATIONS. —

GRANTS. —No State entity may receive a grant under this section for use in a State in which a State entity is currently using a grant received under this section.
SUBGRANTS. —An eligible applicant may not receive more than 1 subgrant under this section for each individual charter school for a 5-year period, unless the eligible applicant demonstrates to the State entity that such individual charter school has at least 3 years of improved educational results for students enrolled in such charter school with respect to the elements described in subparagraphs (A) and (D) of section 4310(8).

APPLICATIONS. —A State entity desiring to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. The application shall include the following:
1. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM. —A description of the State entity's objectives in running a quality charter school program under this section and how the objectives of the program will be carried out, include—

a description of how the State entity will—

support the opening of charter schools through the startup of new charter schools and, if applicable, the replication of high-quality charter schools, and the expansion of high-quality charter schools (including the proposed number of new charter schools to be opened, high- quality charter schools to be opened as a result of the replication of a high-quality charter school, or high-quality charter schools to be expanded under the State entity’s program);
inform eligible charter schools, developers, and authorized public chartering agencies of the availability of funds under the program;
work with eligible applicants to ensure that the eligible applicants access all Federal funds that such applicants are eligible to receive, and help the charter schools supported by the applicants and the students attending those charter schools—

participate in the Federal programs in which the schools and students are eligible to participate;
receive the commensurate share of Federal funds the schools and students are eligible to receive under such programs; and
meet the needs of students served under such programs, including students with disabilities and English learners;

ensure that authorized public chartering agencies, in collaboration with surrounding local educational agencies where applicable, establish clear plans and procedures to assist students enrolled in a charter school that closes or loses its charter to attend other high-quality schools;
in the case of a State entity that is not a State educational agency—

work with the State educational agency and charter schools in the State to maximize charter school participation in Federal and State programs for which charter schools are eligible; and
work with the State educational agency to operate the State entity's program under this section, if applicable;

ensure that each eligible applicant that receives a subgrant under the State entity’s program—

is using funds provided under this section for one of the activities described in subsection (b)(1); and
is prepared to continue to operate charter schools funded under this section in a manner consistent with the eligible applicant’s application for such subgrant once the subgrant funds under this section are no longer available;

support—

charter schools in local educational agencies with a significant number of schools identified by the State for comprehensive support and improvement under section 1111(c)(4)(D)(i); and
the use of charter schools to improve struggling schools, or to turn around struggling schools;

work with charter schools on—

recruitment and enrollment practices to promote inclusion of all students, including by eliminating any barriers to enrollment for educationally disadvantaged students (who include foster youth and unaccompanied homeless youth); and
supporting all students once they are enrolled to promote retention, including by reducing the overuse of discipline practices that remove students from the classroom;

share best and promising practices between charter schools and other public schools;

ensure that charter schools receiving funds under the State entity’s program meet the educational needs of their students, including children with disabilities and English learners;
support efforts to increase charter school quality initiatives, including meeting the quality authorizing elements described in paragraph (2)(D);

(xii)(I) in the case of a State entity not described in subclause (II), a description of how the State entity will provide oversight of authorizing activity, including how the State will help ensure better authorizing, such as by establishing authorizing standards that may include approving, monitoring, and re-approving or revoking the authority of an authorized public chartering agency based on the performance of the charter schools authorized by such agency in the areas of student achievement, student safety, financial and operational management, and compliance with all applicable statutes and regulations; and

(II) in the case of a State entity described in subsection (a)(4), a description of how the State entity will work with the State to support the State’s system of technical assistance and oversight,

as described in subclause (I), of the authorizing activity of authorized public chartering agencies; and

(xiii) work with eligible applicants receiving a subgrant under the State entity’s program to support the opening of new charter schools or charter school models described in clause (i) that are high schools;

a description of the extent to which the State entity—

is able to meet and carry out the priorities described in subsection (g)(2);

is working to develop or strengthen a cohesive statewide system to support the opening of new charter schools and, if applicable, the replication of high-quality charter schools, and the expansion of high-quality charter schools; and
is working to develop or strengthen a cohesive strategy to encourage collaboration between charter schools and local educational agencies on the sharing of best practices;

a description of how the State entity will award subgrants, on a competitive basis, including—

a description of the application each eligible applicant desiring to receive a subgrant will be required to submit, which application shall include—
1. a description of the roles and responsibilities of eligible applicants, partner organizations, and charter management organizations, including the administrative and contractual roles and responsibilities of such partners;
2. a description of the quality controls agreed to between the eligible applicant and the authorized public chartering agency involved, such as a contract or performance agreement, how a school’s performance in the State’s accountability system and impact on student achievement (which may include student academic growth) will be one of the most important factors for renewal or revocation of the school’s charter, and how the State entity and the authorized public chartering agency involved will reserve the right to revoke or not renew a school’s charter based on financial, structural, or operational factors involving the management of the school;
3. a description of how the autonomy and flexibility granted to a charter school is consistent with the definition of a charter school in section 4310;
4. a description of how the eligible applicant will solicit and consider input from parents and other members of the community on the implementation and operation of each charter school that will receive funds under the State entity’s program;
5. a description of the eligible applicant’s planned activities and expenditures of subgrant funds to support the activities described in subsection (b)(1), and how the eligible applicant will maintain financial sustainability after the end of the subgrant period; and
6. a description of how the eligible applicant will support the use of effective parent, family, and community engagement strategies to operate each charter school that will receive funds under the State entity’s program; and
a description of how the State entity will review applications from eligible applicants;

in the case of a State entity that partners with an outside organization to carry out the State entity’s quality charter school program, in whole or in part, a description of the roles and responsibilities of the partner;
a description of how the State entity will ensure that each charter school receiving funds under the State entity’s program has considered and planned for the transportation needs of the school’s students;
a description of how the State in which the State entity is located addresses charter schools in the State’s open meetings and open records laws; and
a description of how the State entity will support diverse charter school models, including models that serve rural communities.

ASSURANCES.—Assurances that—

each charter school receiving funds through the State entity’s program will have a high degree of autonomy over budget and operations, including autonomy over personnel decisions;
the State entity will support charter schools in meeting the educational needs of their students, as described in paragraph (1)(A)(x);
the State entity will ensure that the authorized public chartering agency of any charter school that receives funds under the State entity’s program adequately monitors each charter school under the authority of such agency in recruiting, enrolling, retaining, and meeting the needs of all students, including children with disabilities and English learners;
the State entity will provide adequate technical assistance to eligible applicants to meet the objectives described in clause (viii) of paragraph (1)(A) and subparagraph (B) of this paragraph;
the State entity will promote quality authorizing, consistent with State law, such as through providing technical assistance to support each authorized public chartering agency in the State to improve such agency's ability to monitor the charter schools authorized by the agency, including by—
1. assessing annual performance data of the schools, including, as appropriate, graduation rates, student academic growth, and rates of student attrition;
2. reviewing the schools’ independent, annual audits of financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and ensuring that any such audits are publically reported; and
3. holding charter schools accountable to the academic, financial, and operational quality controls agreed to between the charter school and the authorized public chartering agency involved, such as through renewal, non-renewal, or revocation of the school’s charter;
the State entity will work to ensure that charter schools are included with the traditional public schools in decisionmaking about the public school system in the State; and
the State entity will ensure that each charter school receiving funds under the State entity’s program makes publicly available, consistent with the dissemination requirements of the annual State report card under section 1111(h), including on the website of the school, information to help parents make informed decisions about the education options available to their children, including—

information on the educational program;

student support services;

parent contract requirements (as applicable), including any financial obligations or fees;

enrollment criteria (as applicable); and

annual performance and enrollment data for each of the subgroups of students, as defined in section 1111(c)(2), except that such disaggregation of performance and enrollment data shall not be required in a case in which the number of students in a group is insufficient to yield statically reliable information or the results would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student.

REQUESTS FOR Information about waivers, including—

a request and justification for waivers of any Federal statutory or regulatory provisions that the State entity believes are necessary for the successful operation of the charter schools that will receive funds under the State entity’s program under this section or, in the case of a State entity defined in subsection (a)(4), a description of how the State entity will work with the State to request such necessary waivers, where applicable; and
a description of any State or local rules, generally applicable to public schools, that will be waived, or otherwise not apply to such schools.

SELECTION CRITERIA; PRIORITY.—

SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall award grants to State entities under this section on the basis of the quality of the applications submitted under subsection (f), after taking into consideration—
1. the degree of flexibility afforded by the State’s charter school law and how the State entity will work to maximize the flexibility provided to charter schools under such law;
2. the ambitiousness of the State entity’s objectives for the quality charter school program carried out under this section;
3. the likelihood that the eligible applicants receiving subgrants under the program will meet those objectives and improve educational results for students;
4. the State entity’s plan to—

adequately monitor the eligible applicants receiving subgrants under the State entity’s program;
work with the authorized public chartering agencies involved to avoid duplication of work for the charter schools and authorized public chartering agencies; and
provide technical assistance and support for—

the eligible applicants receiving subgrants under the State entity’s program; and

quality authorizing efforts in the State; and

the State entity’s plan to solicit and consider input from parents and other members of the community on the implementation and operation of charter schools in the State.

PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to a State entity to the extent that the entity meets the following criteria:

The State entity is located in a State that—

allows at least one entity that is not a local educational agency to be an authorized public chartering agency for developers seeking to open a charter school in the State; or
in the case of a State in which local educational agencies are the only authorized public chartering agencies, the State has an appeals process for the denial of an application for a charter school.

The State entity is located in a State that ensures equitable financing, as compared to traditional public schools, for charter schools and students in a prompt manner.
The State entity is located in a State that provides charter schools one or more of the following:

Funding for facilities.

Assistance with facilities acquisition.

Access to public facilities.

The ability to share in bonds or mill levies.

The right of first refusal to purchase public school buildings.

Low- or no-cost leasing privileges.

The State entity is located in a State that uses best practices from charter schools to help improve struggling schools and local educational agencies.
The State entity supports charter schools that serve at-risk students through activities such as dropout prevention, dropout recovery, or comprehensive career counseling services.
The State entity has taken steps to ensure that all authorizing public chartering agencies implement best practices for charter school authorizing.

LOCAL USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible applicant receiving a subgrant under this section shall use such funds to support the activities described in subsection (b)(1), which shall include one or more of the following activities:
1. Preparing teachers, school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel, including through paying the costs associated with—

providing professional development; and

hiring and compensating, during the eligible applicant’s planning period specified in the application for subgrant funds that is required under this section, one or more of the following:

Teachers.

School leaders.
Specialized instructional support personnel.

Acquiring supplies, training, equipment (including technology), and educational materials (including developing and acquiring instructional materials).
Carrying out necessary renovations to ensure that a new school building complies with applicable statutes and regulations, and minor facilities repairs (excluding construction).
Providing one-time, startup costs associated with providing transportation to students to and from the charter school.
Carrying out community engagement activities, which may include paying the cost of student and staff recruitment.
Providing for other appropriate, non-sustained costs related to the activities described in subsection (b)(1) when such costs cannot be met from other sources.
1. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—Each State entity receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary, at the end of the third year of the 5-year grant period (or at the end of the second year of the grant period if the grant is less than 5 years), and at the end of such grant period, a report that includes the following:
  1. The number of students served by each subgrant awarded under this section and, if applicable, the number of new students served during each year of the period of the subgrant.
  2. A description of how the State entity met the objectives of the quality charter school program described in the State entity’s application under subsection (f), including—
    1. how the State entity met the objective of sharing best and promising practices described in subsection (f)(1)(A)(ix) in areas such as instruction, professional development, curricula development, and operations between charter schools and other public schools; and
    2. if known, the extent to which such practices were adopted and implemented by such other public schools.
  3. The number and amount of subgrants awarded under this section to carry out activities described in each of subparagraphs (A) through (C) of subsection (b)(1).
  4. A description of—

how the State entity complied with, and ensured that eligible applicants complied with, the assurances included in the State entity’s application; and
how the State entity worked with authorized public chartering agencies, and how the agencies worked with the management company or leadership of the schools that received subgrant funds under this section, if applicable.

SEC. 4304. FACILITIES FINANCING ASSISTANCE.

GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—

IN GENERAL.—From the amount reserved under section 4302(b)(1), the Secretary shall use not less than 50 percent to award, on a competitive basis, not less than 3 grants to eligible entities that have the highest-quality applications approved under subsection (d), after considering the

diversity of such applications, to demonstrate innovative methods of helping charter schools to address the cost of acquiring, constructing, and renovating facilities by enhancing the availability of loans or bond financing.

ELIGIBLE ENTITY DEFINED.—For the purposes of this section, the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means—

a public entity, such as a State or local governmental entity;

a private nonprofit entity; or

a consortium of entities described in subparagraphs (A) and (B).

GRANTEE SELECTION.—The Secretary shall evaluate each application submitted under subsection (d), and shall determine whether the application is sufficient to merit approval.
GRANT CHARACTERISTICS.—Grants under subsection (a) shall be of sufficient size, scope, and quality so as to ensure an effective demonstration of an innovative means of enhancing credit for the financing of charter school acquisition, construction, or renovation.
APPLICATIONS.—

IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity desiring to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary in such form as the Secretary may reasonably require.
CONTENTS.—An application submitted under paragraph (1) shall contain—

a statement identifying the activities that the eligible entity proposes to carry out with funds received under subsection (a), including how the eligible entity will determine which charter schools will receive assistance, and how much and what types of assistance charter schools will receive;
a description of the involvement of charter schools in the application’s development and the design of the proposed activities;
a description of the eligible entity’s expertise in capital market financing;

a description of how the proposed activities will leverage the maximum amount of private- sector financing capital relative to the amount of government funding used and otherwise enhance credit available to charter schools, including how the eligible entity will offer a combination of rates and terms more favorable than the rates and terms that a charter school could receive without assistance from the eligible entity under this section;
a description of how the eligible entity possesses sufficient expertise in education to evaluate the likelihood of success of a charter school program for which facilities financing is sought; and
in the case of an application submitted by a State governmental entity, a description of the actions that the eligible entity has taken, or will take, to ensure that charter schools within the State receive the funding that charter schools need to have adequate facilities.

CHARTER SCHOOL OBJECTIVES.—An eligible entity receiving a grant under subsection

shall use the funds deposited in the reserve account established under subsection (f) to assist one or more charter schools to access private-sector capital to accomplish one or more of the following objectives:
1. The acquisition (by purchase, lease, donation, or otherwise) of an interest (including an interest held by a third party for the benefit of a charter school) in improved or unimproved real property that is necessary to commence or continue the operation of a charter school.
2. The construction of new facilities, or the renovation, repair, or alteration of existing facilities, necessary to commence or continue the operation of a charter school.
3. The predevelopment costs required to assess sites for purposes of paragraph (1) or (2) and that are necessary to commence or continue the operation of a charter school.

RESERVE ACCOUNT.—

USE OF FUNDS.—To assist charter schools in accomplishing the objectives described in subsection (e), an eligible entity receiving a grant under subsection (a) shall, in accordance with State and local law, directly or indirectly, alone or in collaboration with others, deposit the funds received under subsection (a) (other than funds used for administrative costs in accordance with subsection (g)) in a reserve account established and maintained by the eligible entity for this purpose. Amounts deposited in such account shall be used by the eligible entity for one or more of the following purposes:
1. Guaranteeing, insuring, and reinsuring bonds, notes, evidences of debt, loans, and interests therein, the proceeds of which are used for an objective described in subsection (e).
2. Guaranteeing and insuring leases of personal and real property for an objective described in subsection (e).
3. Facilitating financing by identifying potential lending sources, encouraging private lending, and other similar activities that directly promote lending to, or for the benefit of, charter schools.
4. Facilitating the issuance of bonds by charter schools, or by other public entities for the benefit of charter schools, by providing technical, administrative, and other appropriate assistance (including the recruitment of bond counsel, underwriters, and potential investors and the consolidation of multiple charter school projects within a single bond issue).
INVESTMENT.—Funds received under subsection (a) and deposited in the reserve account established under paragraph (1) shall be invested in obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States or a State, or in other similarly low-risk securities.
REINVESTMENT OF EARNINGS.—Any earnings on funds received under subsection (a) shall be deposited in the reserve account established under paragraph (1) and used in accordance with this subsection.

LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—An eligible entity may use not more than

2.5 percent of the funds received under subsection (a) for the administrative costs of carrying out its responsibilities under this section (excluding subsection (k)).

AUDITS AND REPORTS.—

FINANCIAL RECORD MAINTENANCE AND AUDIT.—The financial records of each eligible entity receiving a grant under subsection (a) shall be maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and shall be subject to an annual audit by an independent public accountant.
REPORTS.—

GRANTEE ANNUAL REPORTS.—Each eligible entity receiving a grant under subsection

(a) shall submit to the Secretary an annual report of the entity’s operations and activities under this section (excluding subsection (k)).

CONTENTS.—Each annual report submitted under subparagraph (A) shall include—

a copy of the most recent financial statements, and any accompanying opinion on such statements, prepared by the independent public accountant reviewing the financial records of the eligible entity;
a copy of any report made on an audit of the financial records of the eligible entity that was conducted under paragraph (1) during the reporting period;
an evaluation by the eligible entity of the effectiveness of its use of the Federal funds provided under subsection (a) in leveraging private funds;
a listing and description of the charter schools served during the reporting period, including the amount of funds used by each school, the type of project facilitated by the grant, and the type of assistance provided to the charter schools;
a description of the activities carried out by the eligible entity to assist charter schools in meeting the objectives set forth in subsection (e); and
a description of the characteristics of lenders and other financial institutions participating in the activities carried out by the eligible entity under this section (excluding subsection (k)) during the reporting period.

SECRETARIAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall review the reports submitted under subparagraph (A) and shall provide a comprehensive annual report to Congress on the activities conducted under this section (excluding subsection (k)).

(i) NO FULL FAITH AND CREDIT FOR GRANTEE OBLIGATION.—No financial obligation of an eligible entity entered into pursuant to this section (such as an obligation under a guarantee, bond, note, evidence of debt, or loan) shall be an obligation of, or guaranteed in any respect by, the United States. The full faith and credit of the United States is not pledged to the payment of funds that may be required to be paid under any obligation made by an eligible entity pursuant to any provision of this section.

RECOVERY OF FUNDS.—

IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in accordance with chapter 37 of title 31, United States Code, shall collect—(A) all of the funds in a reserve account established by an eligible entity under subsection (f)(1) if the Secretary determines, not earlier than 2 years after the date on which the eligible entity first received funds under subsection (a), that the eligible entity has failed to make substantial progress in carrying out the purposes described in subsection (f)(1); or

(B) all or a portion of the funds in a reserve account established by an eligible entity under subsection (f)(1) if the Secretary determines that the eligible entity has permanently ceased to use all or a portion of the funds in such account to accomplish any purpose described in subsection (f)(1).

EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY.—The Secretary shall not exercise the authority provided in paragraph (1) to collect from any eligible entity any funds that are being properly used to achieve one or more of the purposes described in subsection (f)(1).
PROCEDURES.—The provisions of sections 451, 452, and 458 of the General Education Provisions Act shall apply to the recovery of funds under paragraph (1).
CONSTRUCTION.—This subsection shall not be construed to impair or affect the authority of the Secretary to recover funds under part D of the General Education Provisions Act (20

U.S.C. 1234 et seq.).

PER-PUPIL FACILITIES AID PROGRAM.—

DEFINITION OF PER-PUPIL FACILITIES AID PROGRAM.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘per-pupil facilities aid program’’ means a program in which a State makes payments, on a per- pupil basis, to charter schools to provide the schools with financing—

that is dedicated solely to funding charter school facilities; or

a portion of which is dedicated for funding charter school facilities.

GRANTS.—

IN GENERAL.—From the amount reserved under section 4302(b)(1) and remaining after the Secretary makes grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall make grants, on a competitive basis, to States to pay for the Federal share of the cost of establishing or enhancing, and administering, per-pupil facilities aid programs.
PERIOD.—The Secretary shall award grants under this subsection for periods of not more than 5 years.
FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost described in subparagraph (A) for a per- pupil facilities aid program shall be not more than—

90 percent of the cost, for the first fiscal year for which the program receives assistance under this subsection;
80 percent for the second such year;

60 percent for the third such year;

40 percent for the fourth such year; and

20 percent for the fifth such year.

STATE SHARE.—A State receiving a grant under this subsection may partner with 1 or more organizations, and such organizations may provide not more than 50 percent of the State share of the cost of establishing or enhancing, and administering, the per-pupil facilities aid program.
MULTIPLE GRANTS.—A State may receive more than 1 grant under this subsection, so long as the amount of total funds provided to charter schools increases with each successive grant.

USE OF FUNDS.—

IN GENERAL.—A State that receives a grant under this subsection shall use the funds made available through the grant to establish or enhance, and administer, a per-pupil facilities aid program for charter schools in the State of the applicant.
EVALUATIONS; TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE; DISSEMINATION.—

From the amount made available to a State through a grant under this subsection for a fiscal year, the

State may reserve not more than 5 percent to carry out evaluations, to provide technical assistance, and to disseminate information.

SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds made available under this subsection shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, State and local public funds expended to provide per-pupil facilities aid programs, operations financing programs, or other programs, for charter schools.

REQUIREMENTS.—

VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION.—No State may be required to participate in a program carried out under this subsection.
STATE LAW.—

IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, a State shall establish or enhance, and administer, a per-pupil facilities aid program for charter schools in the State, that—

is specified in State law; and

provides annual financing, on a per-pupil basis, for charter school facilities.

SPECIAL RULE.—A State that is required under State law to provide its charter schools with access to adequate facility space, but that does not have a per-pupil facilities aid program for charter schools specified in State law, is eligible to receive a grant under this subsection if the State agrees to use the funds to develop a per-pupil facilities aid program consistent with the requirements of this subsection.

APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

SEC. 4305. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

IN GENERAL.—From the amount reserved under section 4302(b)(2), the Secretary shall—

use not more than 80 percent of such funds to award grants in accordance with subsection (b);
use not more than 9 percent of such funds to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible applicants for the purpose of carrying out the activities described in section 4303(h) in a State that did not receive a grant under section 4303; and
after the uses described in paragraphs (1) and (2), use the remainder of such funds to—

disseminate technical assistance to—

State entities in awarding subgrants under section 4303(b)(1); and

eligible entities and States receiving grants under section 4304;

disseminate best practices regarding charter schools; and

evaluate the impact of the charter school program carried out under this part, including the impact on student achievement.

GRANTS FOR THE REPLICATION AND EXPANSION OF HIGHQUALITY CHARTER SCHOOLS.—
1. IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities having applications approved under paragraph (3) to enable such entities to open and prepare for the operation of one or more replicated high-quality charter schools or to expand one or more high-quality charter schools.
2. DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means a charter management organization.
3. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—An eligible entity desiring to receive a grant under this subsection shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. The application shall include the following:
  1. EXISTING CHARTER SCHOOL DATA.—For each charter school currently operated or managed by the eligible entity—

student assessment results for all students and for each subgroup of students described in section 1111(c)(2);
attendance and student retention rates for the most recently completed school year and, if applicable, the most recent available 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rates and extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rates; and
information on any significant compliance and management issues encountered within the last 3 school years by any school operated or managed by the eligible entity, including in the areas of student safety and finance.

DESCRIPTIONS.—A description of—

the eligible entity’s objectives for implementing a high-quality charter school program with funding under this subsection, including a description of the proposed number of high-quality charter schools the eligible entity proposes to open as a result of the replication of a high-quality charter school or to expand with funding under this subsection;
the educational program that the eligible entity will implement in such charter schools, including—
1. information on how the program will enable all students to meet the challenging State academic standards;
2. the grade levels or ages of students who will be served; and

the instructional practices that will be used;

how the operation of such charter schools will be sustained after the grant under this subsection has ended, which shall include a multi-year financial and operating model for the eligible entity;
how the eligible entity will ensure that such charter schools will recruit and enroll students, including children with disabilities, English learners, and other educationally disadvantaged students; and
any request and justification for any waivers of Federal statutory or regulatory requirements that the eligible entity believes are necessary for the successful operation of such charter schools.

ASSURANCE An assurance that the eligible entity has sufficient procedures in effect to ensure timely closure of low-performing or financially mismanaged charter schools and clear plans and procedures in effect for the students in such schools to attend other high-quality schools.

SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall select eligible entities to receive grants under this subsection, on the basis of the quality of the applications submitted under paragraph (3), after taking into consideration such factors as—
1. the degree to which the eligible entity has demonstrated success in increasing academic achievement for all students and for each of the subgroups of students described in section 1111(c)(2) attending the charter schools the eligible entity operates or manages;
2. a determination that the eligible entity has not operated or managed a significant proportion of charter schools that—

have been closed;
have had the school’s charter revoked due to problems with statutory or regulatory compliance; or
have had the school’s affiliation with the eligible entity revoked or terminated, including through voluntary disaffiliation; and

a determination that the eligible entity has not experienced significant problems with statutory or regulatory compliance that could lead to the revocation of a school’s charter.

PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that—
1. plan to operate or manage high-quality charter schools with racially and socioeconomically diverse student bodies;
2. demonstrate success in working with schools identified by the State for comprehensive support and improvement under section 1111(c)(4)(D)(i);
3. propose to use funds—

to expand high-quality charter schools to serve high school students; or

to replicate high-quality charter schools to serve high school students; or

propose to operate or manage high-quality charter schools that focus on dropout recovery and academic reentry.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Except as otherwise provided, grants awarded under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) shall have the same terms and conditions as grants awarded to State entities under section 4303.

SEC. 4306. FEDERAL FORMULA ALLOCATION DURING FIRST YEAR AND FOR SUCCESSIVE ENROLLMENT EXPANSIONS.

IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the allocation to schools by the States or their agencies of funds under part A of title I, and any other Federal funds which the Secretary allocates to States on a formula basis, the Secretary and each State educational agency shall take such measures as are necessary to ensure that every charter school receives the Federal funding for which the charter school is eligible not later than 5 months after the charter school first opens, notwithstanding the fact that the identity and characteristics of the students enrolling in that charter school are not fully and completely determined until that charter school actually opens. The measures similarly shall ensure that every charter school expanding its enrollment in any subsequent year of operation receives the Federal funding for which the charter school is eligible not later than 5 months after such expansion.
ADJUSTMENT AND LATE OPENINGS.—

IN GENERAL.—The measures described in subsection (a) shall include provision for appropriate adjustments, through recovery of funds or reduction of payments for the succeeding year, in cases where payments made to a charter school on the basis of estimated or projected enrollment data exceed the amounts that the school is eligible to receive on the basis of actual or final enrollment data.
RULE.—For charter schools that first open after November 1 of any academic year, the State, in accordance with guidance provided by the Secretary and applicable Federal statutes and regulations, shall ensure that such charter schools that are eligible for the funds described in subsection (a) for such academic year have a full and fair opportunity to receive those funds during the charter schools’ first year of operation.

NEW OR SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDING CHARTER SCHOOLS.— For purposes of implementing the hold harmless protections in sections 1122(c) and 1125A(g)(3) for a newly opened or significantly expanded charter school under this part, a State educational agency shall calculate a hold-harmless base for the prior year that, as applicable, reflects the new or significantly expanded enrollment of the charter school.

SEC. 4307. SOLICITATION OF INPUT FROM CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATORS.

To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that administrators, teachers, and other individuals directly involved in the operation of charter schools are consulted in the development of any rules or regulations required to implement this subpart, as well as in the development of any rules or regulations relevant to charter schools that are required to implement part A of title I, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or any other program administered by the Secretary that provides education funds to charter schools or regulates the activities of charter schools.

SEC. 4308. RECORDS TRANSFER.

State educational agencies and local educational agencies, as quickly as possible and to the extent practicable, shall ensure that a student's records and, if applicable, a student's individualized education program as defined in section 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, are transferred to a charter school upon the transfer of the student to the charter school, and to another public school upon the transfer of the student from a charter school to another public school, in accordance with applicable State law.

SEC. 4309. PAPERWORK REDUCTION.

To the extent practicable, the Secretary and each authorized public chartering agency shall ensure that implementation of this subpart results in a minimum of paperwork for any eligible applicant or charter school.

SEC. 4310. DEFINITIONS.

In this part:

AUTHORIZED PUBLIC CHARTERING AGENCY.—The term ‘‘authorized public chartering agency’’ means a State educational agency, local educational agency, or other public entity that has the authority pursuant to State law and approved by the Secretary to authorize or approve a charter school.
CHARTER SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘charter school’’ means a public school that—

in accordance with a specific State statute authorizing the granting of charters to schools, is exempt from significant State or local rules that inhibit the flexible operation and management of public schools, but not from any rules relating to the other requirements of this paragraph;
is created by a developer as a public school, or is adapted by a developer from an existing public school, and is operated under public supervision and direction;
operates in pursuit of a specific set of educational objectives determined by the school’s developer and agreed to by the authorized public chartering agency;
provides a program of elementary or secondary education, or both;

is nonsectarian in its programs, admissions policies, employment practices, and all other operations, and is not affiliated with a sectarian school or religious institution;
does not charge tuition;

complies with the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g) (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Family Educational Rights and Privacy

Act of 1974’’), and part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;

is a school to which parents choose to send their children, and that—

admits students on the basis of a lottery, consistent with section 4303(c)(3)(A), if more students apply for admission than can be accommodated; or
in the case of a school that has an affiliated charter school (such as a school that is part of the same network of schools), automatically enrolls students who are enrolled in the immediate prior grade level of the affiliated charter school and, for any additional student openings or student openings created through regular attrition in student enrollment in the affiliated charter school and the enrolling school, admits students on the basis of a lottery as described in clause (i);
1. agrees to comply with the same Federal and State audit requirements as do other elementary schools and secondary schools in the State, unless such State audit requirements are waived by the State;

meets all applicable Federal, State, and local health and safety requirements;

operates in accordance with State law;

has a written performance contract with the authorized public chartering agency in the State that includes a description of how student performance will be measured in charter schools pursuant to State assessments that are required of other schools and pursuant to any other assessments mutually agreeable to the authorized public chartering agency and the charter school; and (M) 7 may serve students in early childhood education programs or postsecondary students.

CHARTER MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘charter management organization’’ means a nonprofit organization that operates or manages a network of charter schools linked by centralized support, operations, and oversight.
CHARTER SCHOOL SUPPORT ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘charter school support organization’’ means a nonprofit, nongovernmental entity that is not an authorized public chartering agency and provides, on a statewide basis— (A) assistance to developers during the planning, program design, and initial implementation of a charter school; and (B) technical assistance to operating charter schools.
DEVELOPER.—The term ‘‘developer’’ means an individual or group of individuals (including a public or private nonprofit organization), which may include teachers, administrators and other school staff, parents, or other members of the local community in which a charter school project will be carried out.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANT.—The term ‘‘eligible applicant'' means a developer that has—

applied to an authorized public chartering authority to operate a charter school; and

provided adequate and timely notice to that authority.

EXPAND.—The term ‘‘expand’’, when used with respect to a high-quality charter school, means to significantly increase enrollment or add one or more grades to the high-quality charter school.
HIGH-QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘high-quality charter school’’ means a charter school that—
1. shows evidence of strong academic results, which may include strong student academic growth, as determined by a State;
2. has no significant issues in the areas of student safety, financial and operational management, or statutory or regulatory compliance;
3. has demonstrated success in significantly increasing student academic achievement, including graduation rates where applicable, for all students served by the charter school; and
4. has demonstrated success in increasing student academic achievement, including graduation rates where applicable, for each of the subgroups of students, as defined in section 1111(c)(2), except that such demonstration is not required in a case in which the number of students in a group is insufficient to yield statistically reliable information or the results would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student.
REPLICATE.—The term ‘‘replicate’’, when used with respect to a high-quality charter school, means to open a new charter school, or a new campus of a high-quality charter school, based on the educational model of an existing high-quality charter school, under an existing charter or an additional charter, if permitted or required by State law.

File Type	application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
File Title	Application_Package_Template_March_2019
Author	Katherine Cox
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File Created	2021-01-14

CMO Application Package

Grants to Charter Management Organizations for Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools Program

FY-2020-CSP-CMO-forSCC_1102020(1855-0032)

Grants to Charter Management Organizations for Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools

OMB: 1855-0032

U.S. Department of Education

Closing Date: January 10, 2020

Approved OMB Number: 1855-0032 Expiration Date: 1/31/2021

United States Department of Education

Program Background Information

Program Overview

Competition Highlights

FY 2020 CSP Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CMO Grants)

Applicants should be sure to review the full text of the NIA as they complete their applications, as additional information, which is not included in this application package and is necessary for submission is included in the NIA.

FY 2020 CSP CMO Grants Application Package

The Department will hold a pre-application webinar: Thursday, December 5, 2019, 1:00

Apply: All applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov.

Application Submission Procedures

The deadline for submission of Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools Program applications through Grants.gov is January 10, 2020 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Application Transmittal Instructions

Please note the following:

According to the instructions found in the Federal Register notice, only those that follow the procedures for an exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application via mail, commercial carrier or by hand delivery.

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

Browser Support

ATTENTION – Workspace, Adobe Forms and PDF Files Required

Helpful Reminders

Submission Problems – What should you do?

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Dial-Up Internet Connections

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Submitting Applications with Adobe Reader Software

Important issues to consider:

Application Instructions

Electronic Application Format

Electronic Application Submission Checklist

Part 1: Preliminary Documents

Part 2: Budget Information

Part 3: ED Abstract Form

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

Part 5: Budget Narrative Attachment Form

Part 6: Other Attachments Form

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications

Part 8: Intergovernmental Review (Executive Order 12372)

Part 1: Preliminary Documents

When applying electronically via Grants.gov, you will need to ensure that the organization DUNS number you enter on your application is the same as the DUNS number your organization used when it registered with the System for Award Management.

Part 3: ED Abstract Form

Project Abstract

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

Priorities

Selection Criteria

Requirements

Formatting

Page Limits

FY 2020 Absolute Priorities

Absolute Priority 1--Rural Community.

Absolute Priority 2--Low-Income Demographic.

While the information above is provided for applicants’ convenience, applicants should be sure to review the full NIA for this competition in the Federal Register.

Competitive Preference Priorities

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Spurring Investment in Qualified Opportunity Zones (Up to 7 points)

Competitive Preference Priority 2--Number of Charter Schools Operated or Managed by the Eligible Applicant (0 or 5 points)

Competitive Preference Priority 3--High School Students (Up to 2 points)

Competitive Preference Priority 4--Replicating or Expanding High-Quality Charter Schools To Serve Native American Students (Up to 4 points)

Competitive Preference Priority 5--Reopening Academically Poor-Performing Schools as Charter Schools. (Up to 2 points)

Selection Criteria for Program Narrative

Selection Criteria for Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CFDA number 84.282M)

Suggested Point Ranges for Rating Applicant Responses to the Selection Criteria

FY20 Charter Management Organization – 84.282M Competition Rubric

Quality of the Eligible Applicant and Adequacy of Resources (up to 40 points)

Significance of Contribution in Assisting Educationally Disadvantaged Students (up to 20 points)1

Quality of the Project Design and Evaluation Plan (up to 30 points)

Quality of Project Personnel and Management Plan (up to 10 points)

Competitive Preference Priority 3 – High School Students (up to 2 points)

Competitive Preference Priority 4 – Replicating or Expanding High-Quality Charter Schools to Serve Native American Students (up to 4 points)

Competitive Preference Priority 5 – Re-opening Poor Performing Schools (up to 2 points)

Application Requirements

Grants to Charter School Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CFDA number 84.282M).

Part 5: Budget Narrative

.PDF format.

Note: There is no matching requirement under this program. If an applicant shows funding in Section B, they must meet this voluntary match if awarded.

Suggested Guidelines for the Budget Narrative

Significance of Contribution in Assisting Educationally Disadvantaged Students (up to 20 points)¹