State Tribal Education Partnership (STEP)

Grant Program CFDA No.: 84.415

Pre-Application WorkshopDraft as of 5/30/2012

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AgendaWelcome/IntroductionsProgram OverviewApplication ProcessReview ProcessSelection Criteria

Budget InformationGrants.gov

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STEP Program Overview

• Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations included in Indian Education National Activities of Title VII of ESEA approximately $2 million for a tribal education agency (TEA) pilot

– TEAs would enter into agreements with State educational agencies (SEA) to administer State-level functions for State-administered ESEA programs in school districts on Indian reservations (or former reservations in OK)

– Funds must be obligated by September 30, 2012

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STEP Program Overview

Example activities: Title I-A: A TEA could apply to the Department to develop a

reservation-wide Title I-A plan in collaboration with the SEA. A TEA could also choose to provide technical assistance to LEAs, assist with school improvement activities, or provide or coordinate other services. A TEA could assist LEAs and an SEA with data collection and reporting for students who are Tribal members, and could use the data for program improvement.

Title II-A: TEAs could apply to the Department to work with the SEA on developing teacher evaluation systems and effective teacher definitions, providing training and support to teachers and school leaders, providing technical assistance to LEAs, and other activities.

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STEP Program Objectives

Further the Obama Administration’s policy of promoting tribal self-determination by

Providing meaningful opportunities for tribes to participate in the education of their children Increase tribal/State collaboration Build TEA capacity to effectively administer SEA-level

functions

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Flow of FundsED will distribute only the appropriated STEP pilot

funds (~$2 million) to grant recipients

Note:All State-administered formula funds (Titles I, II,

III etc.) will continue to go to SEAs (there is no statutory authority to change the ESEA grantees)SEAs will continue to give sub-grants to districts

(LEAs)TEA and SEA could agree to share STEP fundsTEA and SEA could agree to share the SEA’s

administrative set-aside funds under ESEA (e.g. under contract or MOA consistent with State law)

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Major Grant Activities

Year one Develop the final agreement between the TEA or TEA

consortium and the SEA Develop final list of participating LEAs and schools Conduct capacity-building and technical assistance

activities to prepare the TEA’s administration of State-level functions

By month 9 of year one, the TEA begins to administer State-level functions for agreed upon ESEA State-administered programs

Years two and three Successful TEA continues to administer State-level

functions

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Questions

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STEP Application Process

Submit Notice of Intent to ApplyRegister in CCRSubmit applications through

Grants.Gov.Submit applications by 4:30 PM EDT on

July 13, 2012.9

STEP Application Components

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

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications

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STEP Application Components

Parts 1-3Part 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)

Project Abstract (Part 3)Brief (1-2 paragraph) description of the project, including

Project Goals and Objectives Participating LEAs and eligible schools State administered formula grant programs State-level administrative functions Capacity-building activities11

Application NarrativeNarrative must explain how the terms of the

preliminary agreement between the TEA and SEA will be met:

a)Vision: goals, objectives and timeline for accomplishment over the project period

b)Demographics of the participating LEAs and schoolsc)The ESEA State-administered programs to be includedd)The State-level functions the TEA will performe)How the TEA’s performance of these functions

improves services and outcomes for studentsf) TEA performance of functions by year of the grantg)Use of STEP pilot grant funds to build TEA capacity

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Application Narrative, cont.Narrative must explain how the terms of the

preliminary agreement between the TEA and SEA will be met:

h)Actions in first 9 months to develop final agreements

i) Applicant team members roles and responsibilitiesj) Project team qualifications and time allotted to

projectk)SEA contacts and role in the projectl) (If applicable) TEA consortium members roles and

activitiesm)(If applicable) Consultants role and qualificationsn)Organizational structure to manage projecto)Schedule of tasks and timelinesp)Documentation of activities, progress and

effectivenessq)(If applicable) FERPA compliance

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FormattingInclude a Table of ContentsDouble space all text in the

narrative Single spacing of text in charts,

graphs, and tables is acceptable

1 inch margin for top, bottom, and sides of narrative

Use no less than a 12 point fontAll documents must be PDF

files in order to upload them to Grants.gov

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Page LimitApplicants should adhere

to a 50 page limit of the Project Narrative

Project Narrative includes applicant’s response to the Selection Criteria

50 page limit does not include abstract, budget narrative, or mandatory forms

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STEP Selection Criteria

SignificanceQuality of project

design and servicesQuality of the

management plan and personnel

Adequacy of resources

20 points30 points

20 points

30 points

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SignificanceMaximum 20 Points

1. Significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the proposed project 2. The potential replicability of the

proposed project or strategies3. The likelihood that the proposed project

will result in system change or improvement

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Quality of Project Design & Services

Maximum 30 Points

1. The goals, objectives and outcomes to be achieved are clearly specified and

measurable2. The design of the proposed project is

appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population

3. The proposed project is designed to build capacity and yield results that will extend

beyond the project period4. The services to be provided involve the

collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing effectiveness

The extent to which:

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Management Plan Maximum 20 Points

1. The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives on time

and on budget2. Qualifications of key project personnel3. Qualifications of project consultants or

subcontractors

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Adequacy of Resources Maximum 30 Points

1. The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, supplies and other resources from

the applicant organization2. The extent to which costs are reasonable in

relation to the objectives, design and potential significance of the project

3. The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the project

4. The potential for continued support of the project after the project period

5. The potential for the incorporation of project purposes, activities or benefits into the

ongoing program of the agency at the end of Federal funding20

Questions

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BudgetEstimated available funds: $1,977,000Contingent upon the quality of applications, we

anticipate making 3-5 awards for FY 2012Estimated range of awards: $400,000 - $500,000

(single TEA in partnership with a single SEA). $500,000 - $750,000 (consortium of TEAs in partnership with a single SEA)

All STEP grants will have a October 1, 2012 start date.

Grant year will be 12 monthsGrant period is 3 (grant) years or 36 monthsContinuation Awards dependent upon availability of

funds to grantees who have made substantial progress

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BudgetFor each year of the project period, applicants must

submit a plan for grant activities and a detailed budget narrative

Applicants should complete one budget summary using ED Form 524 for all 3 budget years

Budget narratives and Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if your budget includes indirect costs) should be attached to the Budget Narrative Attachment Form, under Optional Budget Narrative Forms

All costs must be reasonable and necessary to complete project activities and meet project objectives

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Allowable/Unallowable CostsAll project costs must meet the following

criteria:Necessary 

Needed for proper and efficient performance and administration of the grant

Reasonable Costs that would be incurred by a prudent person; costs generally recognized as ordinary and necessary for the grant

Authorized  Permitted by Circular A-87 (2 CFR Part 225, Appendix A) or not prohibited by State or local law

Allocable Chargeable to this grant; not an indirect cost to be shared among programs/projects

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Sample Allowable Costs Compensation of

employees (be specific about % of time for each to work on this project)

Transportation, meals, and lodging for travel between TEA and SEA for project reps to work on project activities

Consultants or contractors to provide specified activities under the project

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Sample Allowable Costs (cont.)

Cost of materials, supplies necessary for this project (under $5,000 per item are classified as supplies, not equipment), including software, hardware to be used solely for this project (must compensate ED at end of grant for unused portion of equipment)

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Sample Unallowable Costs Technology purchases that are

not directly related to the implementation of the proposed project or administering the grant, such as computers and other equipment for general office use

Construction or renovation of building space to house STEP project

Books, educational materials, and texts purchased for teachers and related program activities not a part of the grant project

Meals and refreshments, if excessive, exorbitant, or not serving grant purpose

Student activities Travel costs for trips that the

SEA would incur in the absence of this grant (e.g., to monitor the LEA)

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Allowable and Unallowable Cost

If you have questions about allowable or unallowable costs please consult OMB Circular A-87 or EDGAR

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_a087_2004/http://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.pdf

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Questions

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Indirect Costs RatesThe applicant must attach an ICR Agreement.If your tribe or TEA does not have an ICR, it must

obtain an ICR Agreement from its cognizant agency.

Consortia Partners may charge indirect cost but those should be included in the partner contract

Applicants should submit a copy of their approved ICR Agreement with its application (Other Narrative Attachment Form)

ED’s Indirect Cost Group Office http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/fipao/icgindex.ht

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How Can Indirect Cost Be Used?

Indirect costs are any costs incurred that may not be directly attributable to the project,

such as:

Utilities Maintenance feesRentInternet Fees

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Part 6 : Other Attachments

Individual Resumes for Project Directors & Key Personnel

Preliminary AgreementCertification by the tribe that the applicant

is an eligible TEACertification by the tribe that its

reservation is eligibleConfirmation by the SEA that the schools

are eligible

Part 7: AssurancesAssurances 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 427Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for

Applicants (Form 1890-0014)

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA Section 427)

All applicants seeking federal funding must submit a GEPA statement

Applicants must identify one or more of the six (6) types of barriers that may prevent participation in this grant and how they will overcome the barrier(s): race, gender, national origin, color, disability and age

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General Education Provisions Act (GEPA Section 427)

Carefully read the GEPA instructions included in the STEP application instructions

Include GEPA statement in the Table of Contents

GEPA statement should be presented as a separate narrative

GEPA statement should be 1-2 succinct and clearly identifiable paragraphs

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OH NO… They DID NOT Read My Application!

Applications will not be read if:Application is not time and date stamped

by Grants.gov on or before 4:30:00 PM on July 13, 2012, Wash, D.C. time (EDT)

Applicant is not a TEA or consortium of TEAs supported by required certifications

Applicant does not include a preliminary agreement with application

Applicant submits a paper copy of an application without obtaining a waiver

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Questions

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www.Grants.gov

All FY 2012 STEP applications MUST be submitted electronically

via Grants.gov on or before July 13, 2012 at 4:30:00 pm,

Washington, D.C. time. !38

Exceptions for Electronic Submission

You may qualify for an electronic submission waiver if:-You do not have Internet access-You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov system

If you are submitting a waiver, you must:-Mail or fax a written statement to the Department of

Education explaining your need for a waiver-If mailing, your letter must be postmarked no later

than two weeks (14 calendar days) before the application deadline date July 13 2012

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Exceptions for Electronic Submission

Submit all Electronic Submission Waivers to:

Mia HowertonUS Department of Education

400 Maryland Ave., SW, Room 4C123Washington, DC 20202-5960

202-401-8466 fax

Deadline: 14 calendar days prior to July 13, 2012

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Get RegisteredThe Grants.gov registration process

Includes five (5) basic steps.1. Obtain a DUNS#2. Register with CCR3. Set up your Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) profile4. Get authorized as an AOR by your LEA’s e-Biz POC5. Track your AOR status

The Grants.gov registration process takes 3-14 business days to complete.

You do not have to register with Grants.gov if you only want to find grant opportunities or to download application packages.

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Step 1: Register Your TEA1. To register, your TEA will need to obtain a DUNS#.

If your TEA doesn’t have a DUNS#, you can call 1-866-705-5711. Check with your TEA grants office before obtaining a DUNS#

Use the same DUNS# used on the SF 424 form. Step 2: CCR Registration

2. Your TEA must register with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) at http://www.ccr.gov. Your TEA must have a DUNS# to register with CCR. CCR registration takes 3-14 days to complete. CCR requires an annual registration.

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Step 3: AOR Registration3. Create your Authorized Organization

Representative (AOR) registration to obtain your username and password. You will need your DUNS# to complete the profile.

Step 4: Confirm AOR Registration

4. Your E-Business Point of Contact will receive your registration from Grants.gov. The E-Biz POC will then authorize you as an AOR. The E-Biz POC is usually someone in your grants office. Only an AOR may submit an application.

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Step 5: Track AOR Registration5. Track your AOR status. The length of time is

contingent upon how long it takes your E-Biz POC to authorize you as an AOR. The tribe may have more than one AOR.

Once all registration steps are COMPLETE, you are GOOD TO GO!

All 5 registration steps can be found on the Grants.gov website.

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/organization_registration.jsp

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IMPORTANT NOTE: CCR RegistrationThe Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system has been

experiencing performance issues. While these issues have been resolved, there remains a potential delay in processing both new CCR registrations and updates to existing CCR registrations

This may or may not effect you as a perspective STEP applicant, however, please check the status of your new or updated CCR registrations

If you think the submission of your STEP application may be adversely effected by the CCR delays, please email your concerns to Mia.Howerton@ed.gov as soon as possible

Once we know more about these CCR delays, the Department will make adjustments, if necessary

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Adobe Reader 8.1.1-9.4

• Applicant must download the correct version of Adobe in order to read any Grants.gov application packages• Using Adobe, applicants must move all mandatory forms from left to right, in order to open each form• Once form is on the right side, applicant can complete each form and SAVE• There is a final SAVE & SUBMIT button to be used before the final submission of the application

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FIND the STEP ApplicationUse the following steps to find the STEP application: Log onto www.Grants.gov Find Grant Opportunities (on the left)Advanced Search In the key word search, type State Tribal Education Partnership and select Department of Education under Agency search. The STEP application will be the only one listed. Select that title.

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FIND the STEP ApplicationClick Application (across the top of the page) Click Download (towards the bottom of the page) At the bottom of the page, you will find the Application Package AND the Application Instructions. These are two separate folders and you should download BOTH folders. The Application Package is a complete PDF file of the entire package. The Application Instructions contain all the mandatory forms you will need to submit and the forms you will use to upload your application narrative.You may download both folders to your desktop or some other place on your computer. You may then work offline and save and submit the application when you are finished.

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Grants.gov Helpful HintsIMPORTANT: Grants.gov will TIME and

DATE stamp all applications when the upload is FINISHED! The time it takes to upload an application may vary.IMPORTANT: Late applications will not be reviewed for funding. IMPORTANT: All documents uploaded to Grants.gov must be PDF files.

Submit EARLY!!53

Grants.gov Helpful Hints

IMPORTANT: Start NOW, preparing your application so you can submit before July 13, 2012.IMPORTANT: Slow internet connections and/or network outages could lead to longer than normal downloads or uploads.

Submit EARLY!54

Grants.gov EmailsYes, we are Good to Go! Applicants should receive a

confirmation email with a time and date stamp and an assigned tracking number from Grants.gov

Applicants should receive a validation email from Grants.gov. This means the application is ready for Department pickup

Applicant should receive an email with their assigned PR Award # (U215X11….)

Houston, We have a problem… Applicants will still receive

a confirmation email with a time and date stamp and an assigned tracking number from Grants.gov

However, If the application is

received after 4:30:00 pm on July 13, 2012 or validation is not successful, applicant should receive an error email

Email may list the error, or applicant can use their tracking number to find the submission error

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Problems with Grants.gov

• If you have technical difficulties that are the fault of Grant.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk• Please keep all tracking numbers, emails, and complaints filed with Grants.gov• If the problem is really a Grants.gov problem, your application may be accepted, but you must provide proof for resolution

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On-line support is available at:http://www.grants.gov/

CustomerSupport

For phone assistance call:1-800-518-4726

www.Grants.gov

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DON’T WAITUntil the closing

date…It might be too late!

Submit EARLY!

www.Grants.gov

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Questions

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What Happens Next? ED Staff screen each application to make sure that all

program eligibility requirements are met and that all forms are included and signed. (Estimated dates – could change)

Panel Review - Mid AugustED Budget Review – Early to Mid SeptemberED Staff submit recommended award slate to the

Secretary – Mid SeptemberSuccessful candidates will receive a Grant Award

Notification – Late September, Start project October 1

Unsuccessful applicants will receive a notification letter – Early October

Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will receive peer reviewers’ comments – November

STE

P Re

sour

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STEP Websitehttp://www2.ed.gov/programs/step/index.html

STEP FAQs http://www2.ed.gov/programs/step/faq.html

STEP Federal Register Noticehttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-05-29/pdf/2012-

12835.pdf

OMB Circularswww.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index.html

Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/

FOIA Reading Roomhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/readingroom_oii.html

Questions?: Email them to the STEP Staff atstep@ed.gov

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Thank You

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