https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=328156

https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-indian-education/demonstration-grants-for- indian-children/resources/

In addition, one of the selection criteria for this year’s competition is “the quality of the plan to ensure that the services to be offered are evidence-based, where applicable, or are based on existing evidence-based programs that have been modified to be culturally appropriate for Indian students.”

Both the requirement and the selection criterion refer to using evidence-based programs where applicable and allow for modification to be culturally appropriate for Indian students.

“Evidence-based means the proposed project component is supported by one or more of strong evidence, moderate evidence, promising evidence, or evidence that demonstrates a rationale.”

For this competition, we will accept a project that meets any of the four levels of evidence-based, including the lowest level, which is “demonstrates a rationale.”

The application requirements for the ACE grant competition require certain types of applicants to submit documentation of a partnership with a Tribe or Indian organization (in the NIA, see Application Requirement 2, “Requirements for Non- Tribal Applicants”). This documentation can be a letter of support, memorandum of understanding, or similar document that describes how the partner will be involved in the proposed project. It does not have to be a consortium agreement. A partnership means coordination or collaboration between the applicant and another entity, through an agreement to work with that applicant to support the grant project. A partner is not necessarily a co-applicant.

A consortium of eligible applicants, on the other hand, is itself eligible to apply for a grant. Each member of a consortium must be one of the entities eligible to apply for the ACE grant program. A consortium must meet the legal requirements listed in 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129. Although a consortium of eligible applicants can apply for this program, a consortium is not required.

Other types of applicants that are required to partner with a Tribe have more flexibility to determine how their partnership will work. In general, the plan for your partnership should include how the partner will support the overall project over the life of the project period.

High school students can receive services such as dual enrollment under this program, but the project cannot serve college students. In addition, the project should be designed to serve Native American students in the area, rather than only members of one Tribe; the grantee must ensure that each contract for services includes a provision by which the service provider commits to not discriminating based on affiliation with a particular Tribe.

Regarding charter schools, if the charter school is part of an LEA, then the LEA must be the applicant. If the charter school is an LEA under State law, then it is eligible to apply as an LEA.

(1)  Is legally established—

(i)  By Tribal or inter-Tribal charter or in accordance with State or Tribal law; and

(ii)  With appropriate constitution, by-laws, or articles of incorporation;

(2) Includes in its purposes the promotion of the education of Indians;

(3)  Is controlled by a governing board, the majority of which is Indian;

(4)  If located on an Indian reservation, operates with the sanction or by charter of the governing body of that reservation;

(5)  Is neither an organization or subdivision of, nor under the direct control of, any institution of higher education or TCU; and

(6)  Is not an agency of State or local government.

Indian organization is defined in the regulations at 34 CFR 263.20 and this definition is also listed in the NIA. The definition can be found in the NIA at the link below.

https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2020-15542/p-100

Please make sure you read the NIA for this year’s competition carefully. We would expect that an entity with a current NYCP grant that also applies for ACE may need to use a different structure and must meet all of the requirements for this year’s ACE competition. If you intend to have the same key personnel on the ACE grant that you have on the NYCP grant, the combined budgets must reflect no more than a 100% FTE for that employee.

https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-formula-grants/rural-insular-native- achievement-programs/rural-education-achievement-program/small-rural-school- achievement-program/

Competitive Preference Priority 2 awards points for an application in which the Tribal entity is not the lead applicant. Note that an application cannot receive points for both Priorities 1 and 2.

Under the ACE priority, services are provided by service providers that the grantee contracts with, not by the grantee itself (although the grantee can be one of the service providers). It is possible that a service provider could include transportation to and from the service location, if it is supplemental, and include the cost of that transportation as part of the per-pupil cost of the services.

For the proposed per-pupil amount, there are selection criteria regarding the extent to which the per pupil amounts are transparent to the public and the extent to which the per-pupil cost is reasonable in relation to the project objectives. An applicant should address those selection criteria in the project narrative along with all other selection criteria; it would also be helpful to include the per-pupil amount in the budget narrative.

First, the general application requirement for each applicant to include in its application “a description of how Indian Tribes and parents and families of Indian children and youth have been, and will be, involved in developing and implementing the proposed activities.” This information is required as part of an application.

Second, Program Requirement 4 for a “parent involvement and feedback process” that includes “a way for parents to request services or providers that are not currently offered and provide input on services provided through the project, and describes how the grantee will” respond and may include a parent liaison. If an application includes a planning period, this program requirement for a parent involvement and feedback process is something that can be developed during the planning period. It needs to be put into operation when the planning period ends, and the grantee begins providing direct services. If an application does not include a planning period, the program requirement for a parent involvement and feedback process needs to be included in the application and needs to be put into operation as soon as the project begins.

Services funded by the grant must be supplemental to the education program provided by local schools attended by the students to be served. Support for in- home learning could be a service option for parents. Please note that “home education expenses” are one of the specific options listed under Program Requirement 2.

In addition, the grantee must ensure that each contract for services includes a provision by which the service provider commits to not discriminating based on affiliation with a particular Tribe.

Please note that the ACE grant cannot be used to provide services college students.

Please note that a grantee cannot begin direct services until it has completed the planning period activities and submitted the following required documents to the Department: a description of the operational service selection process, a description of the operational parent involvement and feedback process, a sample written agreement and a list of service providers with which the grantee has signed written agreements, and a description of the process that will be used to choose students to be served. These processes are integral to each project and direct services cannot begin until they are developed and operational.

Keep in mind there is a supplement-not-supplant requirement, so a grant may not use grant funds to pay the salary of an existing school counselor but could add an additional counseling service that parents or students could select.