These grants are intended to enable State educational agencies to design, develop, and implement statewide, longitudinal data systems to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, disaggregate, and use individual student data, consistent with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and to

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facilitate analyses and research to improve student academic achievement and close achievement gaps.

In 2015, grants were awarded to carry out projects to address up to two of the following data use priorities: 1) Financial Equity and Return on Investment; 2) Educator Talent Management; 3) Early Learning; 4) College and Career; 5) Evaluation and Research; 6) Instructional Support.

In addition, funds are used to support contracts to improve data quality, coordination, and use.

The eligible entities for contract awards are public or private organizations or entities.

Selected Recipients for this Program

Fiscal Year 2016: No new competition was administered in 2016. Funds supported continuation costs of FY 2015 awards, as well as activities to improve data quality, coordination, and use. Fiscal Year 2017: No new competition will be administered in 2017. Funds will support continuation costs of FY 2015 awards, as well as activities to improve data quality, coordination, and use. Fiscal Year 2018: No new competition will be administered in 2018. Pending availability of funds, funds will support continuation costs of FY 2015 awards, as well as activities to improve data quality, coordination, and use.

Uses and Use Restrictions

Grants may support salaries, travel, equipment, and supplies as required to carry out design and implementation efforts.

Grant funds shall be used to supplement and not supplant other State or local funds used for developing State data systems.

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Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

State educational agencies.

Beneficiary Eligibility

State educational agencies, local educational agencies, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and individuals involved with education will benefit.

Credentials/Documentation

Applicants for these data systems projects must present a plan and furnish evidence that the scientific competence, facilities, equipment, and supplies are appropriate to carry out the project. Applicants must ensure technical quality; provide for the generation of accurate data, and provide for the timely use of such data needed by State and local educational agencies both to comply with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and to facilitate research to improve student academic achievement and close achievement gaps; and, meet voluntary standards and guidelines for linking individual student data. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.

Aplication and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is not applicable.

Environmental impact information is not required for this program.

This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.

12372.

Application Procedures

2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Application notices (available on http://ies.ed.gov/funding) describe the substantive requirements for applications and provide information on how to prepare and submit applications electronically through Grants.gov. The Application Packages provide of the required forms and are available on http://www.grants.gov. Grant applications to Institute of Education Sciences (IES) competitions must be submitted via the Grants.gov government-wide portal that allows potential applicants to find grant opportunities and apply for grants. The Grants.gov registration process can take several weeks. Interested applicants should begin the registration process well in advance of application deadlines.

Award Procedures

Grant applications that are responsive and compliant to the Requests for Applications are evaluated by expert reviewers for scientific and technical merit. Scientific reviews are conducted in accordance with the review criteria stated in the Request for Applications and the review procedures posted on the IES website, http://ies.ed.gov/director/sro/peer_review/application_review.asp, by a panel of scientists who have substantive and methodological expertise appropriate to the program of research and Request for Applications. Awards are competitive, with the following criteria considered in making award decisions for responsive and compliant applications: Scientific merit as determined by peer review, performance and use of funds under a previous federal award, contribution to the overall program of research described in the Request for Applications, and availability of funds. Official notice of an approved application is made through issuance of a Notice of Grant Award.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Authorization

Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002, Title II, Section 208, Public Law 107-279.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

The range of approval/disapproval time is approximately 120 to 180 days following the application deadline.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Recipients of multi-year grants must submit an annual performance report for each year funding has been approved. A review of the annual performance report is used to determine whether substantial progress has been made toward meeting the project objectives. Renewals are subject to the availability of appropriations.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program. Matching requirements are not applicable to this program. MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Projects usually are supported for four years. All grantee obligations shall be liquidated within 90 days following the end of the project period. Payments may be made according to a predetermined schedule or by way of reimbursement. Renewals are subject to the availability of appropriations. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Electronic transfer.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

As required by the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) for direct grant programs (34 CFR 75).

Generally, financial reports and program reports must be submitted as required by grant terms and conditions.

Cash reports are not applicable.

Progress reports are required.

Annual performance reports are required as part of the submittal of form ED 524B.

Expenditure reports are required.

Annual expenditure reports are required as part of the submittal of form ED 524B.

Staff also monitor drawdowns using agency financial reports.

Performance monitoring is required.

Reporting on performance measures is required as part of the submittal of form ED 524B.

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The Department has established performance measures for the program that include: 1) the number of States linking K-12 with early childhood data; 2) the number of States linking K-12 with postsecondary data, and 3) the number of States linking K-12 and postsecondary data with workforce data.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503. All expenditures by state governments will be audited by the grantee or at the grantee's direction with reasonable frequency, usually once a year but not less than once every two years. The Secretary of Education, the Director of the Institute, and the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, shall have access, for the purpose of audit and examinations, to all applicable records and to any other pertinent books, documents, papers, and records of the grantee.

Records

Each grantee will keep intact, and accessible, records relating to the receipt and expenditure of Federal funds and the expenditures of the grantee's contribution to the cost of the project, if any. Records will normally be retained for 3 years after the date of the submission of the final expenditure report, or for grants that are reviewed annually, 3 years after the date of the award.

Financial Information

Account Identification

91-1100-0-1-503.

Obigations

(Project Grants) FY 16 $30,042,803; FY 17 est $27,287,085; and FY 18 est $22,757,781. (Project Grants (Contracts)) FY 16 $6,000,000; FY 17 est $4,852,801; and FY 18 est $6,000,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

The 2015 grant awards ranged in size from approximately $3.5 million to $7 million for 4-year projects.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

This program is subject to the provisions of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. In addition 34 CFR part 75 is applicable, except for the provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b), 75.102, 75.103, 75.105, 75.109(a), 75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211, 75.217, 75.219, 75.220, 75.221, 75.222, and 75.230. For more information, see specific Request for Applications available on Institute website http://ies.ed.gov/funding.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Nancy Sharkey Department of Education, IES, National Center for Education Statistics, 550 12th St., SW, Room 9101, Washington, District of Columbia 20006 Email: nancy.sharkey@ed.gov Phone: (202) 245-7689

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

The criteria for selecting applications are contained in the Request for Applications that announces the competition. The Request for Applications is posted on the Funding Opportunities home page of the Institute web site: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/.