Mental Health Demonstration grant program

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.184X. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1894-0006.

DATES:

Applications Available: [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: [INSERT DATE 60 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: [INSERT DATE 120 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Earl Myers, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 3E244, Washington, DC 20202-6450. Email: [email protected].

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program provides competitive grants to test and evaluate innovative partnerships to train school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals qualified to provide school-based mental health services, with the goal of expanding the pipeline of these workers into high-need local educational agencies in order to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in such schools served by such educational agencies. The partnerships will be between one or more high-need local educational agencies and one or more participating eligible institutions of higher education (IHE); or a partnership between a State educational agency (SEA) on behalf of one or more participating high-need LEAs and one or more participating eligible IHEs in areas where local educational agencies (LEAs) may not have a sufficient elementary and secondary student population to support the placement of all participating graduate students in the related mental health professional career.

Background:

Children spend most of their time in school. For many children, teachers and school counselors are the only professionals they have access to throughout the day. School counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals are critical in helping students balance mental health issues in healthy and productive ways. Research has shown that lack of adequate treatment to address mental health needs can have serious implications for children, including greater difficulty in academic performance and vulnerability to various negative behavioral outcomes. Recent violent acts in schools have shown that there are not enough school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals to meet the needs of children in our schools. The reasons for the shortages include an inability to retain school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals; the lack of faculty qualified to teach graduate education programs; shortages in the number of approved internships and limited access to approved graduate programs.

In December 2018, the Federal Commission on School Safety released its final report on school safety. The report offers several recommendations for leaders at the local, state and federal levels on ways and strategies for improving school safety. The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program is one of several Federal programs consistent with the recommendations made by the Federal Commission on School Safety that intends to make schools safer, improve mental health services for students and young adults, and create an overall improved school climate. Furthermore, the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program lends itself to allowable activities that may be directly linked with recommendations identified in the final report of the Federal Commission on School Safety. Under this program, grantees may use funds to address several of the recommendations as they develop approaches to address shortages in the number of school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals qualified to provide school-based mental health services.

The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grants will enable SEAs or high-need LEAs in partnerships with one or more participating eligible IHEs to expand the pipeline of school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals into high-need public elementary schools and secondary schools in order to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in such schools.

Priorities: We are establishing the absolute priority for the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the competitive preference priorities are from the Department’s notice of Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs (Supplemental Priorities), published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096).

Absolute Priority: For FY 2019 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.

This priority is:

Expand the Capacity of High-Need LEAs to Train School Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, or Other Mental Health Professionals Qualified to Provide School-Based Mental Health Services, With the Goal of Expanding the Pipeline of These Workers Into High-Need Public Elementary Schools and Secondary Schools in Order to Address the Shortages of Mental Health Service Professionals in Such Schools.

Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2019 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(1) we award up to an additional five points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1, and up to an additional five points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2, and up to an additional five points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 3. Applicants may address any one or more of the competitive preference priorities. An applicant must clearly indicate in the abstract section of its application that it is applying for one, two, or three of the competitive preference priorities. The Department may not review or award points under these competitive preference priorities for any application that fails to do so.

These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Fostering Knowledge and Promoting the Development of Skills That Prepare Students To Be Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens (zero to five points).

An application that proposes projects that are designed to ensure children or students with disabilities (as defined in this notice) are offered the opportunity to meet challenging objectives and receive educational programs that are both meaningful and appropriately ambitious in light of each child’s or student’s circumstances by improving one or more of the following:

(i) Develop positive personal relationships with others.

(ii) Develop determination, perseverance, and the ability to overcome obstacles.

(iii) Develop self-esteem through perseverance and earned success.

(iv) Develop problem solving skills.

Competitive Preference Priority 2--Meeting the Unique Needs of Students and Children With Disabilities and/or Those With Unique Gifts and Talents (zero to five points).

An application that proposes projects that are designed to ensure children or students with disabilities (as defined in this notice) are offered the opportunity to meet challenging objectives and receive educational programs that are both meaningful and appropriately ambitious in light of each child’s or student’s circumstances by improving one or more of the following:

(i) Academic outcomes.

(ii) Functional outcomes.

(iii) Development of skills leading to postsecondary education, competitive integrated employment, or independent living.

(iv) Social or emotional development.

Competitive Preference Priority 3--Protecting Freedom of Speech and Encouraging Respectful Interactions in a Safe Educational Environment (zero to five points).

Developing positive learning environments that promote strong relationships among students and school personnel to help prevent bullying, violence, and disruptive actions that diminish the opportunity for each student to receive a high-quality education.

Requirements: We are establishing these application requirements for the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).

Application Requirements: Applications that fail to meet any one of these requirements will not be read or scored. An applicant must include the following in its application:

(1) Description of the severity and magnitude of the problem and identification of schools to be served by the proposed project.

Applicants must describe how the lack of school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals is specifically affecting students in schools to be served by project activities. Applicants must describe the nature of the problem for a specific geographic area, based on information such as, but not limited to an assessment of the existing (as of date of application) ratios of school-based mental health service providers (in the aggregate and disaggregated by profession) to students enrolled in schools in each high-need LEA that is part of the eligible partnership. The description may also include demographic data provided by U.S. Census surveys. In order to assess the magnitude of the problem and ensure the LEAs or SEAs selected have the greatest need, data cited must be compared to similar data at the State or local level, and on a per capita basis when available.

(2) Collaboration and coordination with related Federal, State, and local initiatives.

Applicants must describe how they intend to partner with high-need local educational agencies and one or more participating eligible IHEs, Federal, State and local mental health, public health, child welfare, and other community agencies to achieve project goals and objectives of establishing a pipeline program to train, place and retain school-based mental health service providers in high-need local educational agencies. Applicants must also describe proposed coordination with existing federally funded efforts related to elementary and secondary school counseling and mental health promotion, if applicable. Evidence of collaboration and coordination must be provided through letters of support or MOAs/MOUs from local or State agencies and other federally funded projects, if applicable. Finally, applicants must describe how they will use The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program funds to complement, rather than duplicate, existing, ongoing, or new efforts to expand the pipeline of school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals qualified to provide school-based mental health services.

(3) Expand and improve LEA capacity to ensure students receive mental health services, as appropriate.

Applicants must describe the specific activities they will conduct to expand and improve LEA capacity to serve students in high-need LEAs and ensure that students receive appropriate mental health services. To meet this requirement, the applicant must propose an eligible partnership that results in the placement of graduate students of programs in school-based mental health fields placed in schools served by the participating high-need LEAs to complete required field work, credit hours, internships, or related training as applicable for the degree, license, or credential program of each student.

The applicant must also propose three or more of the following:

1. Professional development opportunities for LEA and school mental health staff (e.g., counselors, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists) on how to screen for and implement appropriate school-based mitigation strategies.

(b) Improving the range, availability, and quality of school-based mental health services by training, placing, or incentivizing school psychologists, school counselors, or school social workers with expertise or training in responding to the mental health needs of students.

(c) Providing training to select school staff (e.g., teachers, administrators, and support staff), community partners, youth, and parents on available school-based mental health services.

(d) Addressing the needs of students in high-need by developing or improving processes to better target services to these students and developing or improving processes to assess students who may be in need of school-based mental health services.

(e) Enhancing linkages between LEA mental health services and community mental health systems to ensure affected students receive referrals to treatment as appropriate, including linkages that leverage new opportunities due to recent expansion of mental health and substance use disorder coverage.

Definitions: We are establishing the definitions of “eligible partnership,” “eligible Institution of Higher Education,” “school engagement,” and “high-need school” in this notice for the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). The definition of “high-need LEA” is from the Department’s notice of Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs (Supplemental Priorities), published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096). The definition of “LEA” is from 20 U.S.C. 7801(30), and is included for the convenience of the reader. The definition of “Institution of Higher Education” is from 20 U.S.C. 1002. The definition of “State Educational Agency” is from 20 U.S.C. 7801. The definitions of “ambitious” and “baseline,” are from 34 CFR 77.1.

These definitions are:

Ambitious means promoting continued, meaningful improvement for program participants or for other individuals or entities affected by the grant, or representing a significant advancement in the field of education research, practices, or methodologies. When used to describe a performance target, whether a performance target is ambitious depends upon the context of the relevant performance measure and the baseline for that measure.

Baseline means the starting point from which performance is measured and targets are set.

Eligible Institution of Higher Education means an institution of higher education that offers a program of

study that leads to a masters or other graduate degree—

(A) In school psychology that is accredited or approved by the National Association of School Psychologists’ Program Approval Board or the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association and that prepares students in such program for the State licensing or certification examination in school psychology;

(B) In school counseling that prepares students in such program for the State licensing or certification examination in school counseling;

(C) In school social work that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education and that prepares students in such program for the State licensing or certification examination in school social work;

(D) In another school-based mental health field that prepares students in such program for the State licensing or certification examination in such field, if applicable; or

(E) In any combination of study described in subparagraphs (A) through (D).

Eligible Partnership means:

(A) The partnerships will be between one or more high-need local educational agencies and one or more participating eligible institutions of higher education (IHE); or

(B) In any region in which local educational agencies may not have a sufficient elementary school and secondary school student population to support the placement of all participating graduate students, a partnership between a State educational agency, on behalf of one or more high-need local educational agencies, and one or more eligible institutions of higher education (IHE).

High-Need Local Educational Agency means a public school district that meets one or more of the following three criteria:

(A) It has at least one school in which 40 percent or more of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced lunch subsidies, or that otherwise is eligible, without receipt of a waiver, to operate as a school-wide program under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act;

(B) It has at least one school in which:

• More than 34 percent of academic classroom teachers overall at the secondary level (across all academic subjects) do not have a major, minor, or significant course work in their main assignment field; or

• More than 34 percent of the main assignment faculty in two of the academic departments do not have a major, minor, or significant work in their main assigned field.

(C) It has at least one elementary or secondary school whose teacher attrition rate has been 15 percent or more over the last three school years.

High-need school means a local educational agency:

1. In which not less than 20 percent of the students

served by such agency are from families with incomes below the poverty line as determined by the Bureau of the Census on the basis of the most recent satisfactory data available; and

2. That, as of the date of application for a grant under this Act, has ratios of school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists to students served by the agency that are not more than 1 school counselor per 275 students, not more than 1 school psychologist per 770 students, and not more than 1 school social worker per 250 students.

Institution of Higher Education has the meaning given to such a term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002), but excludes any institution of higher education described in section 102(a)(1)(C) of such Act.

Local Educational Agency means:

(A) a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or of or for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or secondary schools.

(B) The term includes any other public institution or agency having administrative control and direction of a public elementary school or secondary school.

(C) The term includes an elementary school or secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education but only to the extent that including the school makes the school eligible for programs for which specific eligibility is not provided to the school in another provision of law and the school does not have a student population that is smaller than the student population of the local educational agency receiving assistance under this chapter with the smallest student population, except that the school shall not be subject to the jurisdiction of any State educational agency other than the Bureau of Indian Education.

(D) The term includes educational service agencies and consortia of those agencies.

(E) The term includes the State educational agency in a State in which the State educational agency is the sole educational agency for all public schools.

School Engagement means participation in school-related activities, and the quality of school relationships, which may include relationships between and among administrators, teachers, parents, and students.

State Educational Agency has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, definitions, and requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or substantially revised program authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under Title IV, Part F, Subpart 3 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7281) and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the priorities, definitions, and requirements under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. These priorities, definitions, and requirements will apply to the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Program Authority: Subpart 3 of Title IV, Part F of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7281), and Title III of Division B of the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The Supplemental Priorities.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $9,900,000.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2020 and subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from the competition announced in this notice.

Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000 to $500,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $300,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 30.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Partnerships that include IHEs, State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching.

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities described in its application.

4. Limitation on Applications: The Department will accept only one application per LEA.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Application Submission Instructions: For information on how to submit an application please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

2. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.

3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum score for all selection criteria is 100 points. The points or weights assigned to each criterion are indicated in parentheses. Non-Federal peer reviewers will evaluate and score each application program narrative against the following selection criteria:

(a) Need for the Project (25 points).

The Secretary considers the need for the project. In determining the need for the project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (15 points)

(ii) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses. (10 points)

(b) Significance (15 points).

The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factor:

The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the needs of the target population. (15 points)

(c) Quality of the Project Design (30 points).

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

(i) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs. (10 points)

(ii) The extent to which the proposed project will integrate with or build on similar or related efforts to improve relevant outcomes (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)), using existing funding streams from other programs or policies supported by community, State, and Federal resources. (10 points)

(iii) The extent to which the proposed project is supported by promising evidence (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1 (c)). (10 points)

(d) Quality of the Management Plan (15 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factor:

The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (15 points)

(e) Quality of the Project Evaluation (15 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factor:

The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (15 points)

2. 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 also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

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

4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this competition to receive an award that over the course of the project period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(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.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, also.

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

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.

3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 3474.20.

4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

5. Performance Measures: The Department has established the following Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 performance measures for the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program:

(a) Annual increase in the number of students served by the grant receiving school-based and community mental health services.

(b) Annual increase in the number of counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals trained, placed or incentivised by the grant to provide school-based mental health services.

(c) Annual increase in the number of counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals retained by a high-need local educational agency to provide school-based mental health services.

(d) Annual increase in the school engagement (as defined in this notice) of students served by the grant.

These measures constitute the Department’s indicators of success for this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for a grant under this program to give careful consideration to these measures in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation for its proposed project. Each grantee will be required to provide, in its annual performance and final reports, data about its progress in meeting these measures. This data will be considered by the Department in making continuation awards.

Consistent with 34 CFR 75.591, grantees funded under this program shall comply with the requirements of any evaluation of the program conducted by the Department or an evaluator selected by the Department.

Baseline data: Applicants must provide baseline data (as defined in this notice) for each of the performance measures listed above and explain why each baseline is valid; or, if the applicant has determined that there are no established baseline data for a particular performance measure, explain why there is no established baseline and explain how and when, during the project period, the applicant will establish a valid baseline for the performance measure.

Performance measure targets: In addition, the applicant must propose annual targets for the measures listed in above in their application. Applications must also provide the following information as directed under 34 CFR 75.110(b) and (c):

(1) Why each proposed performance target is ambitious (as defined in this notice) yet achievable compared to the baseline for the performance measure.

(2) (a) 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 (b) 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.

Note: If the applicant does not have experience with collection and reporting of performance data through other projects or research, the applicant should provide other evidence of capacity to successfully carry out data collection and reporting for its proposed project.

The reviewers of each application will score related selection criteria on the basis of how well an applicant has considered these measures in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation of the project.

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

6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the performance targets in the grantee’s approved application.

In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Other Information

Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations at: www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.

You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at: www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.

Dated:

________________________________

Frank T. Brogan,

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.

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