National Professional Development Program

Program Description - NPD Program 
 

2024 NPD Grantees PDF (63 KB)

2024 NPD Summary Abstracts PDF (148 KB)

Frequently Asked Questions

 

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1. What is the purpose of the NPD Program?
2. Who is eligible to apply for a grant under the NPD Program?
3. Who is an eligible public or private entity that could apply to the NPD Program?
4. What activities are allowable under the NPD Program?
5. Is there a Cost Sharing or Matching requirement?
6. How are indirect costs calculated for the NPD Program?
7. Are grantees permitted to use funds for a planning period?
8. What are the reporting requirements for NPD grantees?
9. What is the estimated number and range of awards for the NPD 2017 Competition?
10. If awarded a grant, may a grantee count on receiving funding for the full period of five years?
11. What are the differences between an absolute, a competitive and an invitational priority?
12. What are the absolute, competitive and invitational priorities for the NPD 2016 Competition?
13. Are applicants required to address all of the Competitive and Invitational Priorities in the NPD 2017 Notice Inviting Application?
14. What is the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)?
15. How should an applicant address the GPRA measures in its application?
16. What are the GPRA measures for the FY2017 NPD Competition?
17. How are performance targets set for the GPRA measures?
18. What information should be included in the project abstract?
19. How are applications selected for funding?
20. Is an applicant's past performance a factor in the application review process?
21. Is there a page-limit to the NPD application?
22. How long does it take the Department of Education to complete the review process and when will funds be available?
23. How does an applicant comply with Executive Order 12372, the Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs?
24. How do I get a copy of the NPD grant application?
25. Why is it helpful for a potential applicant to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply?
26. Is a proof of partnership a required part of the application?
27. Do I need to register to apply electronically for the NPD Program?
28. Where does a potential applicant locate resources, information, on the NPD Program and the application support?
29. In what format can an application be submitted under the FY 2017 NPD Program competition?
30. May applicants submit personnel resumes as an appendix to the application?
31. How much time does it take to upload an application?
32. What should an applicant do in order to submit an electronic application on time?
33. How would an applicant know that the application has been successfully submitted?
34. What is the definition of a ‘local educational agency' (LEA)?
35. What is the definition of an ‘institution of higher education' (IHE)?
36. What is the definition of Ambitious?
37. What is the definition of a Baseline?
38. What is the definition of Community engagement?
39. What is the definition of an English learner?
40. What is the definition of Essential Domains of School Readiness?
41. What is the definition of immigrant children and youth?
42. What is the definition of a Language instruction educational program?
43. What is the definition of a Large sample?
44. What is the definition of Logic model?
45. What does moderate evidence of effectiveness mean?
46. What is the definition of a Multi-site sample?
47. What is the definition of Parent and family engagement?
48. What is definition of a recently arrived limited English proficient student?
49. What does relevant outcome mean?
50. What is the definition of strong theory?
51. What is the definition of student achievement?
52. What does a sustained partnership mean?
53. What does a systemic initiative mean?
54. What are the What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards?
55. Are current NPD grantees eligible to apply for the 2017 NPD grant award?
56. Can the same institution submit more than one application?
57. Can other organizations partner with an institution of higher education (IHE) to provide training under the NPD program to LEA and SEA partners?
58. Must a National Professional Development program grant recipient provide for the equitable participation of private school teachers and other educational personnel in programs and activities?
59. Would sending letters to private schools inviting their teachers or other educational personnel to participate in the program fulfill the requirements of private school consultation?
60. Why are you suggesting that we work with our LEA partners in conducting the consultation process?
61. If there are no private schools that serve English Learners within our LEA consortium service areas should we consult with private schools in other LEAs that may serve English Learners?
62. Our program serves pre-service teachers only. Are we obligated to meet the requirements for equitable participation?
63. If we are paying public school teachers a stipend for participating in professional development activities would we be required to pay participating private school teachers a stipend as well?
64. Are charter schools private schools?
65. Can an IHE partner with multiple LEAs or SEAs?
66. Can districts partner with more than one IHE on separate submissions?
67. What is the start date for projects?
68. Should we budget for an annual project director's meeting?
69. Are Co-PIs or Co-Project Directors allowed?
70. Where can I find information on citations for Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness?
71. Where do we include our logic model?
72. What is the relationship between GPRA outcomes, WWC standards with reservations and project-specific outcomes?
73. Are external evaluators required?
74. How much funding is required for project evaluation?
75. Where can I get help with the project evaluation design?
76. Is this a research or a professional development grant?

1. What is the purpose of the NPD Program? 
 

The NPD Grant Program supports professional development activities that are designed to improve classroom instruction for English learners (ELs) and assist educational personnel working with such children to meet high professional standards, including standards for certification and licensure as teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve ELs.

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2. Who is eligible to apply for a grant under the NPD Program? 
 

Entities eligible to apply for NPD grants are institutions of higher education (IHEs) or public or private entities with relevant experience and capacity, in consortia with local educational agencies (LEAs) or State educational agencies (SEAs).

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3. Who is an eligible public or private entity that could apply to the NPD Program?
 

Entities with relevant capacity and experience could include private for profit entities, which could also include private for profit LEAs.

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4. What activities are allowable under the NPD Program? 
 

Grants awarded under this program may be used for one or more of the following activities: (1) Pre-service professional development programs that will assist schools and IHEs to upgrade the qualifications and skills of educational personnel who are not certified or licensed, especially educational paraprofessionals; (2) The development of program curricula appropriate to the needs of the consortia participants involved; and (3) Financial assistance to pay for costs of tuition, fees, and books for enrolling in courses required to complete the degree involved, to meet certification or licensing requirements for teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve ELs.

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5. Is there a Cost Sharing or Matching requirement? 
 

This program does not require cost sharing or matching.

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6. How are indirect costs calculated for the NPD Program?
 

If you are requesting reimbursement for indirect costs, this information is to be completed by your Business Office: 1) indicate whether your organization has an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement that was approved by the Federal government 2) indicate the beginning and ending dates covered by the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. In addition, indicate whether ED or another Federal agency issued the approved agreement. An applicant must specify the name of the Federal agency that issued the approved agreement. If your proposal under the National Professional Development program is a training grant, as described in 34 CFR 75.562, then your reimbursement for indirect costs is limited to “actual indirect costs, as determined in its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever amount is less.” You should review your proposal closely, to determine whether it is a training grant, and determine the amount you can claim for indirect costs accordingly.

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7. Are grantees permitted to use funds for a planning period? 
 

Grantees are permitted to use funds for a planning period. An applicant that proposes a planning period should describe the activities it proposes to conduct during the planning period. A grantee may, or may not, serve participants during a planning period.

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8. What are the reporting requirements for NPD grantees? 
 

All NPD grantees must submit an annual performance report (APR) that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information. The APR must include information on performance outcomes related to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) as well as project-specific performance measures. The Department will consider this data in making annual continuation awards. At the end of the project period, grantees must submit a final performance report, including financial information, goal attainment, and program evaluation.

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9. What is the estimated number and range of awards for the NPD 2017 Competition? 
 

The total estimated available fund for the NPD 2017 Competition is $20,000,000. The estimated range of awards is $350,000 - $550,000 annually and the estimated average size of the award is $450,000. The estimated number of awards is 44. However, The Department is not bound by any estimates in the notice.

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10. If awarded a grant, may a grantee count on receiving funding for the full period of five years? 
 

The actual level of program funding, if any, depends on final Congressional action each fiscal year. In making continuation awards under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether the grantee has made substantial progress toward meeting the project objectives and program performance measures; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner consistent with its approved application; and whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application.

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11. What are the differences between an absolute, a competitive and an invitational priority? 
 

All applicants must address the absolute priority in order for their applications to be eligible for review. Applications that satisfactorily address how a competitive priority would be met in their proposal narrative may receive additional points. Applications that address and meet an invitational priority receive no additional points or preference over other applications.

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12. What are the absolute, competitive and invitational priorities for the NPD 2016 Competition? 
 

• Absolute Priority: Providing Professional Development to Improve Instruction for English Learners
• Competitive Preference Priority 1: Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness (0 or 5 points)
• Competitive Preference Priority 2: Improving Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (0 to 5 points)
• Invitational Priority 1: Dual Language Approaches
• Invitational Priority 2: Supporting the Early Learning Workforce to serve ELs

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13. Are applicants required to address all of the Competitive and Invitational Priorities in the NPD 2017 Notice Inviting Application?
 

Applicants are not required to address all of the competitive and invitational priorities. Submitting an application that addresses all priorities may result in an unfocused program design. Applicants should address only the priorities for which they can demonstrate strong capacity to implement and which would directly apply to their LEA/SEA partner(s).

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14. What is the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)? 
 

Under GPRA, Federal departments and agencies must clearly describe the goals and objectives of programs, identify resources and actions needed to accomplish goals and objectives, develop a means of measuring progress made, and regularly report on achievement.

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15. How should an applicant address the GPRA measures in its application? 
 

Applicants should develop a thorough understanding of the NPD program GPRA measures and propose an annual and a final measurable target for each of the GPRA measures based on the first year baseline data. Applicants should include information on how these targets will be met in their application narrative.

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16. What are the GPRA measures for the FY2017 NPD Competition? 
 

The Department has developed the following GPRA performance measures for evaluating the overall effectiveness of the NPD program:

• Measure 1: The number and percentage of program participants who complete the preservice program. Completion is defined by the applicant in the submitted application.
• Measure 2: The number and percentage of program participants who complete the inservice program. Completion is defined by the applicant in the submitted application.
• Measure 3: The number and percentage of program completers, as defined by the applicant under measures 1 and 2, who are State certified, licensed, or endorsed in EL instruction.
• Measure 4: The percentage of program completers who rate the program as effective in preparing them to serve EL students.
• Measure 5: The percentage of school leaders, other educators, and employers of program completers who rated the program as effective in preparing their teachers, or other educators, to serve ELs or improve their abilities to serve ELs effectively.
• Measure 6: For projects that received competitive preference points for Competitive Priority 2, the percentage of program completers who rated the program as effective, as defined by the grantees, in increasing their knowledge and skills related to parent, family, and community engagement.

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17. How are performance targets set for the GPRA measures? 
 

First, applicants must identify the baseline data for each of the GPRA measures in their project based on existing circumstances. Next, applicants must state proposed annual performance outcome targets for each of the GPRA measures. The proposed targets must be ambitious yet achievable.

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18. What information should be included in the project abstract? 
 

The project abstract is a one-page, single-spaced summary of your project. It should include the following: 1) Name of applicant 2) Partners: Include applicable LEAs or SEAs 3) Title of the proposed project, if applicable 4) Priorities: Indicate which, if any, of the competitive and invitational priorities your project is addressing * If addressing competitive preference priority 1, moderate evidence of effectiveness, you must include the links for the citations that meet this evidence criteria 5) Brief Project Description: Include major project activities 6) Number and type of participants projected to be served by the project (i.e. preservice teachers, inservice teachers, school administrators, other school personnel, parents, community members) * Type and Number of Participants served each year * Type and Number of Participants served by the end of the project 7) Project goals, objectives, and performance outcomes 8) Contact: Project Director's name, telephone and e-mail

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19. How are applications selected for funding? 
 

Peer reviewers will review all eligible applications for NPD grants that are submitted by the established deadline. For the FY 2017 NPD grant applications, the Department intends to conduct a two-part review process to review and score all eligible applications. 
Part one: content reviewers will review and score all eligible applications on the following three selection criteria: a) The quality of the project design; b) the quality of project personnel; and c) the quality of the management plan. These reviewers will also review and score the second competitive preference priority. Peer reviewers with evaluation expertise will review and score criterion d) the quality of the project evaluation plan. 
Part two: the Department will review the studies cited by the applicants to determine if they meet the requirements for Competitive Preference Priority 1, Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness. Only the top-rated applications from part-one will be considered for a second-level review under Competitive Preference Priority 1. Applicants seeking to address Competitive Preference Priority 1 should identify no more than two citations for the second-level review. Any other citations included beyond the two identified or the first two citations listed in the application, will not receive a second-level review. The total points assigned in the two-part review process will be used to determine the final ranking of applicants eligible for an award.

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20. Is an applicant's past performance a factor in the application review process? 
 

Yes. The Department will take into consideration the potential applicant's past performance in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The Department may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality. 34 CFR 75.217(d)

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21. Is there a page-limit to the NPD application? 
 

No. However; NPD grant program applicants are strongly encouraged to limit the application proposal narrative to no more than 35 double-spaced pages. Applicants are also strongly encouraged not to include lengthy appendices that contain information that they were unable to include within the page limits for the narrative.

In addition to the proposal narrative, applicants must submit all required documents including the following forms: the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications.

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22. How long does it take the Department of Education to complete the review process and when will funds be available? 
 

Most review processes takes about six months from the application deadline to the issuance of the signed Grant Award Notification. The list of grantees will be published at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nfdp/index.html and http://www.ncela.us/.

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23. How does an applicant comply with Executive Order 12372, the Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs? 
 

This competition is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition.

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24. How do I get a copy of the NPD grant application? 
 

You may access the electronic grant application for the NPD program 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 84.365, not 84.365Z.) 
You can also obtain an application package via the Internet using the following address: www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs) at its website www.EDPubs.gov; at its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov or contacting ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting Samuel Lopez, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5C152, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 401-4300. FAX: (202) 205-1229 or by email at NPD2016@ed.gov.

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25. Why is it helpful for a potential applicant to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply? 
 

A Notice of Intent to Apply from potential applicants informs the Department of the approximate number of applications the program may receive so that the grant review process can be more efficiently planned. We strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us of the applicant's intent to submit an application by emailing NPD2017@ed.gov with the subject line: Intent to Apply and include in the content of the email the following information: (1) the entities' name and address, and (2) any competitive preference priority or priorities and invitational priority or priorities the applicant is addressing in the application. Applicants that do not complete this form may still submit an application.

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26. Is a proof of partnership a required part of the application?
 

Yes. Applicants are required to work in partnership with one or more LEAs or SEAs. Applicants should include letters of support or a Memorandum of Understanding with each of their LEA or SEA partner(s) that clearly identifies the roles, responsibilities, and obligations that each institution agrees to commit in order to meet the project goals, objectives and the NPD GPRA outcome measures.

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27. Do I need to register to apply electronically for the NPD Program?
 

Yes. To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete the SAM registration process which may take seven or more business days. 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. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp [Note: Your organization will need to update its' SAM registration annually (formerly Central Contractor Registry (CCR).]

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28. Where does a potential applicant locate resources, information, on the NPD Program and the application support?
 

Potential applicants may obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. 
For guidance on ED's discretionary grant process and the laws and regulations that govern it, please refer to “Grant making at ED: Answers to Your Questions about the Discretionary Grants Process” at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/about/grantmaking/index.html 
Additional resources can be found at the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition website: http://www.ncela.us/ 
The NPD program office intends to hold Webinars designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants.  Detailed information regarding these trainings will be provided on the NPD Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nfdp/applicant.html
In addition, we invite applicants to view two Webinar recordings that were hosted by the Institute of Education Sciences. The first Webinar addresses strategies for designing and executing well-designed quasi-experimental design studies. This Webinar is available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Multimedia.aspx?sid=23. The second Webinar focuses on more rigorous evaluation designees, including strategies for designing and executing randomized controlled trials. This Webinar is available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Multimedia.aspx?sid=18.

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29. In what format can an application be submitted under the FY 2017 NPD Program competition? 
 

Applications for grants under the NPD program must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov in Portable Document Format (PDF). Through this site, applicants will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload to submit the application. Applicants may not email an electronic copy of a grant application to the Department. An application submitted in paper format will be rejected unless the applicant qualifies for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement as described in the NPD Notice Inviting Applications. To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

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30. May applicants submit personnel resumes as an appendix to the application? 
 

Applicants should address qualifications of personnel in the narrative response to the key personnel criterion. In addition applicants may want to describe relevant training and experience of key personnel who are current employees, which may include, for example, the project director, the project coordinator, project evaluators, and LEA and SEA partner staff. Applicants are requested not to submit resumes, but can instead provide position descriptions for key personnel, including current staff, as well as those it expects to recruit as an attachment.

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31. How much time does it take to upload an application?
 

The amount of time it takes to upload an application varies 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. Applicants must upload any narrative sections and all other application attachments as files in a read-only, non-modifiable Portable Document Format (PDF).

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 (formerly CCR -Central Contractor Registry). If you do not enter the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, Grants.gov will reject your application.

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32. What should an applicant do in order to submit an electronic application on time?
 

You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for the NPD Program to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on April 24, 2017 to be eligible for reviewing. For specific guidance and procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please refer to the Grants.gov Web site at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.

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33. How would an applicant know that the application has been successfully submitted? 
 

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 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, on April 24, 2017, 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.

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34. What is the definition of a ‘local educational agency' (LEA)?
 

The term ‘local educational agency' means: (a) A public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control of or direction of, or to perform service functions for, public elementary or secondary schools in: (1) A city, county, township, school district or other political subdivision of a state; or (2) Such combination of school districts or counties a State recognizes as an administrative agency for its public elementary or secondary schools; or (b) Any other public institution or agency that has administrative control and direction of a public elementary or secondary school. (c) As used in 34CFR parts 400, 408, 525, 526 and 527 (vocational education programs), the term also includes any other public institution or agency that has administrative control and direction of a vocational education program. (34 CFR 77.1)

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35. What is the definition of an ‘institution of higher education' (IHE)?
 

Institution of higher education has the meaning given that term in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

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36. What is the definition of Ambitious?
 

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. (34 CFR 77.1)

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37. What is the definition of a Baseline?
 

Baseline means the starting point from which performance is measured and targets are set. (34 CFR 77.1)

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38. What is the definition of Community engagement?
 

Community engagement means the systematic inclusion of community organizations as partners with State educational agencies, local educational agencies, or other educational institutions, or their school or program staff to accomplish activities that may include developing a shared community vision, establishing a shared accountability agreement, participating in shared data-collection and analysis, or establishing community networks that are focused on shared community level outcomes. These organizations may include faith-and community based organizations, institutions of higher education (including minority serving institutions eligible to receive aid under Title III or Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965), businesses and industries, labor organizations, State and local government entities, or Federal entities other than the Department. (Supplemental Priorities)

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39. What is the definition of an English learner?
 

(A) Who is aged 3 through 21; (B) Who is enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school or secondary school; (C)(i) Who was not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other than English; (ii)(I) Who is a Native American or Alaska Native, or a Native resident of the outlying areas; and (II) Who comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on the individual's level of English language proficiency; or (iii) Who is migratory, whose native language is a language other than English, and who comes from an environment where a language other than English is dominant; and (D) Whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the individual--

(i) The ability to meet challenging State academic standards; (ii) The ability to successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English; or (iii) The opportunity to participate fully in society. (Section 8101 of the ESEA)

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40. What is the definition of Essential Domains of School Readiness?
 

Essential Domains of School Readiness means the domains of language and literacy development, cognition and general knowledge (including early mathematics and early scientific development), approaches toward learning (including the utilization of the arts), physical well-being and motor development (including adaptive skills), and social and emotional development. (Supplemental Priorities)

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41. What is the definition of immigrant children and youth?
 

Immigrant children and youth means individuals who (A) Are aged 3 through 21; (B) Were not born in any State; and (C) Have not been attending one or more schools in any one or more States for more than 3 full academic years. (Section 3301 of the ESEA)

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42. What is the definition of a Language instruction educational program?
 

Language instruction educational program means an instruction course-- (A) In which a limited English proficient child is placed for the purpose of developing and attaining English proficiency, while meeting challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards, as required by section 1111(b)(1); and

(B) That may make instructional use of both English and a child's native language to enable the child to develop and attain English proficiency, and may include the participation of English proficient children if such course is designed to enable all participating children to become proficient in English and a second language. (Section 3301 of the ESEA)

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43. What is the definition of a Large sample?
 

Large sample means an analytic sample of 350 or more students (or other single analysis units), or 50 or more groups (such as classrooms or schools) that contain 10 or more students (or other single analysis units).

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44. What is the definition of Logic model?
 

Logic model (also referred to as Theory of Action) means a well-specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e. the active "ingredients" that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the relationships among the key components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally. (34 CFR 77.1.)

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45. What does moderate evidence of effectiveness mean?
Moderate evidence of effectiveness means one of the following conditions is met: 

(A) There is at least one study of the effectiveness of the process, product, strategy, or practice being proposed that meets the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations, found a statistically significant favorable impact on a relevant outcome (with no statistically significant and overriding unfavorable impacts on that outcome for relevant populations in the study or in other studies of the intervention reviewed by and reported on by the What Works Clearinghouse), and includes a sample that overlaps with the populations or settings proposed to receive the process, product, strategy, or practice.

(B) There is at least one study of the effectiveness of the process, product, strategy, or practice being proposed that meets the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations, found a statistically significant favorable impact on a relevant outcome (with no statistically significant and overriding unfavorable impacts on that outcome for relevant populations in the study or in other studies of the intervention reviewed by and reported on by the What Works Clearinghouse), includes a sample that overlaps with the populations or settings proposed to receive the process, product, strategy, or practice, and includes a large sample and a multi-site sample. (34 CFR 77.1)

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46. What is the definition of a Multi-site sample?
 

Multi-site sample means more than one site, where site can be defined as an LEA, locality, or State. (34 CFR 77.1)

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47. What is the definition of Parent and family engagement?
 

Parent and family engagement means the systematic inclusion of parents and families, working in partnership with SEAs, State lead agencies (under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or the State's Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant), LEAs, or other educational institutions, or their staff, in their child's education, which may include strengthening the ability of (A) parents and families to support their child's education; and (B) school or program staff to work with parents and families. (Supplemental Priorities)

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48. What is definition of a recently arrived limited English proficient student? 
 

Recently arrived limited English proficient student is a student with limited English proficiency who has attended schools in the United States for less than twelve months. The phrase "schools in the United States" includes only schools in the 50 States and the District of Columbia. (34 CFR 200.6(b)(4)(iv))

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49. What does relevant outcome mean?
 

Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) (or the ultimate outcome if not related to students) the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice is designed to improve; consistent with the specific goals of a program. (34 CFR 77.1)

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50. What is the definition of strong theory?
 

Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice that includes a logic model (as defined in this notice). (34 CFR 77.1)

Note:  Applicants may use resources such as the Pacific Education Laboratory’s Education Logic Model Application (http://relpacific.mcrel.org/resources/elm-app) to help design their logic models.

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51. What is the definition of student achievement?
 

Student achievement means

For grades and subjects in which assessments are required under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA: (1) a student's score on such assessments; and, as appropriate (2) other measures of student learning, such as those described in the subsequent paragraph, provided that they are rigorous and comparable across schools within an LEA.

For grades and subjects in which assessments are not required under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA: (1) alternative measures of student learning and performance, such as student results on pre-tests, end-of-course tests, and objective performance-based assessments; (2) student learning objectives; (3) student performance on English language proficiency assessments; and (4) other measures of student achievement that are rigorous and comparable across schools within an LEA. (Supplemental Priorities). Note: The ESEA's provisions on required academic assessment are, as a result of the ESEA's amendment by the Every Student Succeeds Act, found at section 1111(b)(2) rather than 1111(b)(3).

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52. What does a sustained partnership mean?
 

Sustained partnership means a relationship that has demonstrably adequate resources and other support to continue beyond the funding period and that consist of community organizations as partners with an LEA and one or more of its schools. These organizations may include faith- and community-based organizations, IHEs (including minority-serving institutions eligible to receive aid under title III or title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965), businesses and industries, labor organizations, State and local government entities, or Federal entities other than the Department. (Supplemental Priorities)

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53. What does a systemic initiative mean?
 

Sustained partnership means a relationship that has demonstrated adequate resources and other support to continue beyond the funding period and that consist of community organizations as partners with an LEA and one or more of its schools. These organizations may include faith- and community-based organizations, IHEs (including minority-serving institutions eligible to receive aid under title III or title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965), businesses and industries, labor organizations, State and local government entities, or Federal entities other than the Department. (Supplemental Priorities)

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54. What are the What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards?
 

What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards means the standards set forth in the What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook (Version 3.0, March 2014), which can be found at the following link: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19. (34 CFR 77.1)

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55. Are current NPD grantees eligible to apply for the 2017 NPD grant award?
 

Current NPD grantees are not prohibited from applying for a new grant in the 2017 NPD grant competition. However, any institution with more than one grant award must have the resources to fully implement both projects. In addition, the projects must be implemented separately and stand on their own. Department grant funds cannot be used to pay for the same cost twice. All applicants are encouraged to review the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) in detail. There are significant changes from previous NPD competitions

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56. Can the same institution submit more than one application?
 

Any institution with more than one grant award must have the resources to fully implement both projects.   In addition, the projects must be implemented separately and stand on their own.  Department grant funds cannot be used to pay for the same cost twice. 

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57. Can other organizations partner with an institution of higher education (IHE) to provide training under the NPD program to LEA and SEA partners?
 

Entities eligible to apply for NPD grants are institutions of higher education or public or private entities with relevant capacity and experience, in consortia with LEAs or SEAs. However, eligible applicants can involve other partners to support the work of the NPD program. Those ‘other partners' can be compensated with NPD grant funds for goods and services they provide to implement the grant if those costs are reasonable and necessary. Grantees must comply with the procurement requirements set out in the Uniform Guidance in accordance with appropriate procurement procedures outlined in the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR 200.317 through 200.326. Applicants may also find it useful to review 34 CFR 75.135, which provides certain limited competition exceptions that they may find relevant.

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58. Must a National Professional Development program grant recipient provide for the equitable participation of private school teachers and other educational personnel in programs and activities?
 

Yes. Section 9501of theElementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), regarding the equitable participation of private school children, teachers, and other educational personnel, applies to this program. Among other things, this means that the grant recipient receiving financial assistance under the National Professional Development Program must, after timely and meaningful consultation with officials of private schools located in the areas served by the grant, provide to staff of those private schools professional development that is equitable to professional development provided with program funds to public school teachers (and other public school staff whom the program serves).

To meet its responsibilities for timely and meaningful consultation, applicants must consult with appropriate private school officials during the design and development of the program application on issues such as:

(a) how the professional development needs of private school teachers will be identified; 
(b) what services will be offered; 
(c) how, where, and by whom the services will be provided;
(d) how the services will be assessed and how the results of the assessment will be used to improve those services;
(e) the size and scope of the equitable services to be provided to the eligible private school staff and the amount of funds available for those services; and,
(f) how and when the grant recipient will make decisions about the delivery of services, including a thorough consideration and analysis of the views of the private school officials on the provision of contract services through potential third-party providers.

At all times, administrative direction and control over grant funds must remain with the grantee.

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59. Would sending letters to private schools inviting their teachers or other educational personnel to participate in the program fulfill the requirements of private school consultation?
 

One way to accomplish the consultation process is for the grantee’s LEA partners to extend an invitation to officials of the private schools and convene a meeting with them during which the grantee and LEA officials describe the program and allowable activities available to private school teachers and other educational personnel, explain the roles of public and private school officials, address the specific needs of private school teachers and other educational personnel, and provide opportunities for the private school officials to ask questions and offer suggestions. A consultation process that involves the grantee and its LEA partner simply sending a letter to private school officials explaining the purpose of federal education programs and the grantee’s and LEA’s intent to apply for funds is not adequate consultation. Likewise, a letter describing the services that a grantee and LEA intends to provide for private school students, without any prior consultation, is not sufficient to meet the consultation requirement.

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60. Why are you suggesting that we work with our LEA partners in conducting the consultation process?
 

In general LEAs have experience in consulting with private schools for a variety of ESEA programs. Their experience is valuable in helping to identify private schools with English Learners whose teachers and other educational personnel may benefit from the NPD program and in conducting the consultation process. The IHE, as the grantee and fiscal agent, has the responsibility for ensuring that appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that an effective consultation process has taken place, even if its LEA partner plays an important role in that process.

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61. If there are no private schools that serve English Learners within our LEA consortium service areas should we consult with private schools in other LEAs that may serve English Learners? 
 

If there are no private schools that serve English Learners within your LEA consortium service areas you would not be required to consult with private schools in LEAs that are not part of your consortium.

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62. Our program serves pre-service teachers only. Are we obligated to meet the requirements for equitable participation?
 

Your institution would not be obligated to meet the requirements for equitable participation if your program is designed to provide pre-service professional development to prepare teachers or other educational personnel and does not provide professional development for teachers or other educational personnel employed in LEAs. Working with your LEA partners, however, you can make private school representatives aware of the pre-service training being provided under your grant.

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63. If we are paying public school teachers a stipend for participating in professional development activities would we be required to pay participating private school teachers a stipend as well?
 

Yes, under the equitable services provision you would be required to ensure that the programs and benefits that you are offering to public school teachers, to the extent appropriate, would also be offered to private school teachers. In addition, compensation to private school teachers must be provided directly to the teachers themselves, and not to the private school.

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64. Are charter schools private schools?
 

Charter schools that operate under a public charter are not private schools.
Private schools referred to in the equitable participation requirement are private, non-profit elementary and secondary schools, including religiously affiliated schools.

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65. Can an IHE partner with multiple LEAs or SEAs?
There is no limit on the number of LEA or SEA partners an IHE may collaborate with to submit an NPD grant application. However, applicants will want to be sure that whatever is proposed in that regard is manageable. Also note that applicants should include letters of support or a Memorandum of Understanding with each of their LEA or SEA partner(s) that clearly identifies the roles, responsibilities, and obligations that each institution agrees to commit in order to meet the project goals, objectives and the NPD GPRA outcome measures. TOP


66. Can districts partner with more than one IHE on separate submissions?
There are no rules applicable to the NPD competition that limits LEAs to partner with just one applicant. However, it is advisable for an LEA that decides to partner with more than one applicant to consider whether it would have that capacity to meet all the commitments it made to all the applicants it partners with if all those proposals are funded. TOP


67. What is the start date for projects?
 

Applications for the NPD program are due April 24th. Afterwards, the Department will conduct the review of applications. We anticipate making grant awards in August/September 2017. Your project can begin after awards have been announced.

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68. Should we budget for an annual project director's meeting?
As a general matter, the cost of attendance of a reasonable number of grant personnel at the annual project director's meeting is an allowable cost that can be charged to a grant. TOP


69. Are Co-PIs or Co-Project Directors allowed?
Reasonable and necessary personnel cost can be charged to a grant. It is up to a grantee to determine how to structure its staffing for a grant, and to determine whether Co-PI's or co-project directors are appropriate.  TOP


70. Where can I find information on citations for Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness?
 

There is useful information located in the Application Package. You can access the Application Package at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nfdp/2017npdappkg.pdf Below is some information: * Applicants seeking to address Competitive Preference Priority 1 should identify no more than two citations for studies that meet the definition of Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness. The Department will review up to two studies cited by the applicants to determine if they meet the requirements for Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness. Cited studies may include those already listed in the Department's What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Reviewed Studies Database (see http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ReviewedStudies.aspx) or those that are not included in that database. Applicants can also use the Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School Practice Guide to identify studies from Appendix D but should not cite the Practice Guide in its entirety. Studies listed in the WWC Reviewed Studies Database and the aforementioned Practice Guide do not necessarily satisfy any or all of the criteria needed to meet the Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness standard, and therefore it is important that applicants themselves ascertain the suitability of a study for the evidence priority. Cited studies must be included in both the application narrative section of the application and the application abstract.

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71. Where do we include our logic model?
 

Specifically, strong theory is defined in the NIA as "Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice that includes a logic model (as defined in this notice). (34 CFR 77.1)" Selection Criteria A: Quality of the Project Design, subfactor 3 refers to "The extent to which the proposed project is supported by strong theory (as defined in this notice)." The application narrative should respond to the selection criteria found in the application package and should follow the order of the selection criteria.

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72. What is the relationship between GPRA outcomes, WWC standards with reservations and project-specific outcomes?
 

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) measures are distinct from the WWC standards. Using data to track completion rates and program implementation is an aspect of grant performance management, which is a separate issue from the impact evaluation. Please refer to the NIA for the specific performance measures that must be reported as part of this grant: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nfdp/2017npdappkg.pdf. While reporting these performance measures is not a direct requirement of the WWC, they are useful for providing information about the nature of program implementation and can help explain the presence or absence of program impacts.

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73. Are external evaluators required?
There is no requirement to use an external evaluator. The department cannot comment or provide an opinion or advice on the strengths or weaknesses of a particular approach including the use of an external or an internal evaluator. Applicants, in devising their evaluation plan, should determine what the most appropriate way is of obtaining a quality evaluation.  TOP


74. How much funding is required for project evaluation?
The Department does not prescribe a percent or amount of funding that a grantee must use to design and implement its evaluation. Applicants, in devising their evaluation plan, should determine the amount of funding necessary for obtaining a quality evaluation.  TOP


75. Where can I get help with the project evaluation design?
Thank you for your question and for your interest in the National Professional Development program. The Office of English language acquisition cannot provide direct technical assistance on designing evaluations prior to application submission. However, several resources are available to assist applicants. In addition to our three pre-application Webinars, IES, the Institute of Education Sciences, has two prerecorded Webinars on designing and executing rigorous studies. You may want to view those as you prepare to write your application narrative. The first Webinar addresses strategies for designing and executing well-designed quasi-experimental design studies. This webinar is available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Multimedia.aspx?sid=23. The second Webinar focuses on more rigorous evaluation designees, including strategies for designing and executing randomized controlled trials. This Webinar is available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Multimedia.aspx?sid=18 Also, The WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/documentsum.aspx?sid=19) provides a detailed description of the standards and procedures that guide WWC reviews. The WWC Reporting Guide for Study Authors (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/documentsum.aspx?sid=235) provides guidance about how to describe studies and report their findings in a way that is clear, complete, and transparent. The Designing Strong Studies Webinar (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/news.aspx?) describes how to design strong studies which test the effectiveness of interventions in schools and classrooms. An additional resource from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) program, might be able to direct you to local resources for assistance with designing and conducting a study. The REL program is a network of 10 laboratories that provides access to high quality, scientifically valid education research and offers technical assistance. To contact the REL in your region, please visit the REL website (http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/) and look at the map provided to identify your region's REL. Below the map, you'll see a list of the regions with each REL's email address and telephone number. If you would like assistance in identifying the REL that serves your state, please contact us through the WWC Help Desk at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/contactus.aspx) Specifically, REL Southwest recently conducted a series of five Webinars specifically focused on professional development program evaluations. You may find these particularly helpful as they focus exclusively on designing evaluation of professional development. rel-se.fsu.edu/events  TOP


76. Is this a research or a professional development grant?
The primary purpose of the NPD grant is to provide professional development. The fact that the selection criteria, in scoring the quality of an applicant's evaluation plan takes considers, among other things, the extent to which that plan, if well implemented, would meet WWC standards with reservations does not alter the fact that the grant's primary purpose is to provide professional development services. TOP