|
 |
Select a link below to jump to the relevant page section. |
|
 |
- FAQs for Turnaround School Leaders Program (TSLP)
- PROGRAM OVERVIEW: A-1. What is the authorizing statute for the TSLP?
- PROGRAM OVERVIEW: A-2. What is the purpose of the TSLP?
- PROGRAM OVERVIEW: A-3. What is a leadership pipeline as defined by the TSLP? What are the components of a leadership pipeline required under the TSLP?
- PROGRAM OVERVIEW: A-4. What are the TSLP program requirements?
- ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: B-1. Who is eligible to apply for a Turnaround School Leaders Program grant?
- ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: B-2. If an eligible consortium applies for a TSLP grant, who is the applicant and what are the responsibilities of members of the consortium?
- TSLP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: C-1. What is required of an applicant under the TSLP?
- TSLP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: C-2. How does an applicant demonstrate its capacity to develop and implement or enhance and implement a leadership pipeline? What evidence of capacity is required as a part of the application?
- TSLP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: C-3. What must an applicant include in its sustainability plan?
- TSLP DEFINITIONS: D-1. What do locally adopted competencies mean?
- TSLP DEFINITIONS: D-2. What is a school leader for the purpose of the TSLP?
- TSLP DEFINITIONS: D-3. What is a SIG school?
- DEFINITIONS: D-4. What is a SIG-eligible school?
- TSLP DEFINITIONS: D-5. What does strong theory mean?
- ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: E-1. What is an absolute priority? What is a competitive priority?
- ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: E-2. How many and what are the absolute priorities in the TSLP Notice?
- ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: E-3. How would an applicant qualify under Absolute Priority 2?
- ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: E-4. How many and what are the competitive priorities in the TSLP Notice?
- ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: E-5. How many points will be awarded under the competitive priorities?
- SELECTION CRITERIA: F-1. Will an applicant receive its scores and reviewer comments after the competition is completed?
- SELECTION CRITERIA: F-2. Will the reviewers be asked to read every part of each application?
- SELECTION CRITERIA: F-3 May the Department consider an applicant’s past performance during the selection process?
- PROGRAM REVIEW AND EVALUATION: G-1. Must a grantee of the TSLP use an outside evaluator?
- PROGRAM REVIEW AND EVALUATION: G-2. Are grantees required to submit an annual performance report?
- FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR TSLP PROJECTS: H-1. What are allowable costs under the TSLP?
- FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR TSLP PROJECTS: H-2. Must an applicant selected for a TSLP grant have an approved indirect cost rate to charge indirect costs to programs?
- FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR TSLP PROJECTS: H-3. May TSLP funds be used to pay stipends, bonuses, and scholarships?
- FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IAL PROJECTS: H-4. Is there a cost share requirement for the TSLP?
- APPLICATION SUBMISSION: I-1. Is TSLP subject to Executive Order 12372?
- APPLICATION SUBMISSION: I-2. Must submission of charts and tables be double-spaced in a TSLP grant application?
- APPLICATION SUBMISSION: I-3. Is there a page limit for the application?
- APPLICATION SUBMISSION: I-4. What is the required font for this application submission?
1. FAQs for Turnaround School Leaders Program (TSLP)
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) developed these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Turnaround School Leaders Program (TSLP) to assist potential applicants in developing high-quality proposals by providing guidance on the TSLP Notice Inviting Applications (Notice), which is authorized under the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program, as authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), section 1003(g) (20 U.S.C. 6303(g)), as well as other requirements governing the fiscal year (FY) 2014 TSLP competition. The FAQs do not create any rights for, or confer any rights on, any person or institutions.
The Department will provide additional or updated program guidance, as necessary, on its TSLP Web site, http://www2.ed.govhttps://www2.ed.gov/programs/turnaroundschlldr/index.html. If you have further questions that are not answered here, please e-mail leadership.pipeline@ed.gov.
TOP
2. PROGRAM OVERVIEW: A-1. What is the authorizing statute for the TSLP?
The TSLP program is carried out under the SIG program, as authorized under the ESEA section 1003(g) (20 U.S.C. 6303(g)).</p TOP
3. PROGRAM OVERVIEW: A-2. What is the purpose of the TSLP?
The Turnaround School Leaders Program supports efforts to develop and implement or enhance and implement a leadership pipeline (as defined in the Notice) for SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools in a local educational agency (LEA) or consortium of LEAs. Grantees under this program will: (a) recruit and select promising current and prospective school leaders, using locally adopted competencies (as defined in the Notice) identified by the applicant as necessary to turn around a SIG school or SIG-eligible school; (b) provide high-quality training to selected school leaders to prepare them to successfully lead turnaround efforts in SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools; (c) place school leaders in SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools and provide them with ongoing professional development and other support that focuses on instructional leadership and school management and is based on individual needs consistent with the LEA’s plan for turning around its SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools; and (d) retain effective school leaders, using financial or other incentives, and replace ineffective school leaders.
TOP
4. PROGRAM OVERVIEW: A-3. What is a leadership pipeline as defined by the TSLP? What are the components of a leadership pipeline required under the TSLP?
The Notice defines leadership pipeline as a system through which an LEA or consortium of LEAs is able to select, prepare, place, support, and retain school leaders, including leadership teams, for SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools.
For the purposes of the TSLP, a leadership pipeline must: (a) select school leaders using locally adopted competencies identified by the applicant as necessary to turn around a SIG school or SIG-eligible school; (b) provide comprehensive and differentiated professional development to selected school leaders to prepare them to successfully lead turnaround efforts in SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools; (c) place school leaders in SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools, and provide them with ongoing individualized support based on the LEA’s plan for turning around its SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools; and (d) retain effective school leaders, using financial or other incentives, and replace ineffective school leaders.
TOP
5. PROGRAM OVERVIEW: A-4. What are the TSLP program requirements?
Under the TLSP, a grantee must develop and implement or enhance and implement a leadership pipeline that implements the four components identified in question A-3 above. Further, the grantee must identify and use data to inform continuous improvement of its leadership pipeline during the project. Finally, school leaders placed in the SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools that the applicant proposes to serve must have decision-making autonomy (with regard to staffing, school schedules, and budgeting).
TOP
6. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: B-1. Who is eligible to apply for a Turnaround School Leaders Program grant?
The following entities are eligible for a grant under this competition: (a) an LEA or consortium of LEAs with at least five SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools; (b) a State educational agency (SEA) in partnership with an LEA or consortium of LEAs with at least five SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools; (c) an institution of higher education (IHE) in partnership with an LEA or consortium of LEAs with at least five SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools; (d) another public or private nonprofit or for-profit organization in partnership with an LEA and/or consortium of LEAs with at least five SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools; and (e) a combination of the above eligible applicants in partnership. Eligible applicants seeking to apply as a consortium or partnership must comply with the regulations in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) at 34 CFR § 75.127-75.129, which address group applications.
TOP
7. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: B-2. If an eligible consortium applies for a TSLP grant, who is the applicant and what are the responsibilities of members of the consortium?
The members of each consortium shall either (1) designate one member of the group to apply for the grant or (2) establish a separate, eligible legal entity to apply for the grant. If the consortium decides to designate one member of the group to apply for the grant, the applicant for the group is the grantee and is legally responsible for: (a) the use of all grant funds; (b) ensuring that the project is carried out by the group in accordance with Federal requirements; and (c) ensuring that indirect cost funds are determined as required under EDGAR at 34 CFR § 75.564(e). Members of the consortium shall also enter into an agreement that details the activities each member plans to perform and that binds each member to every statement and assurance made by the applicant in the application. The applicant shall submit the agreement with its application (See EDGAR at 34 CFR § 75.127-129 found at http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.html.
TOP
8. TSLP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: C-1. What is required of an applicant under the TSLP?
The applicant must demonstrate: (a) its capacity to develop and implement or enhance and implement a leadership pipeline for SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools and (b) a sustainability plan for the leadership pipeline it proposes to develop and implement or enhance and implement.
TOP
9. TSLP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: C-2. How does an applicant demonstrate its capacity to develop and implement or enhance and implement a leadership pipeline? What evidence of capacity is required as a part of the application?
In its application, an applicant must demonstrate such capacity by providing evidence of each of the following: (a) an existing evaluation system that measures teacher and leader effectiveness; (b) commitment to implement and sustain the proposed plan by the applicant, demonstrated by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or, if the applicant is an LEA, a letter of commitment, signed by the superintendent and (if applicable) school board president of each LEA to be served by the project and by an appropriate representative of the applicant (if not an LEA) and any other partner entity, outlining the terms and conditions of the partnership; and (c) a reasonable opportunity for the public, including teachers and school leaders, to provide feedback on the applicant’s proposed leadership pipeline plan as demonstrated by evidence, for instance, that forums designed to inform and engage school staff and community stakeholders have been held.
TOP
10. TSLP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: C-3. What must an applicant include in its sustainability plan?
The sustainability plan must include: (a) a description of the data that the applicant will use, and how the applicant will use the data, to inform its continuous improvement of the leadership pipeline after the grant award period ends; (b) a description of the actions that the applicant will undertake to continue to select, prepare, place, support, and retain school leaders in SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools after the grant award period ends; and (c) a budget narrative that identifies and aligns resources to sustain the system after the grant award period ends.
TOP
11. TSLP DEFINITIONS: D-1. What do locally adopted competencies mean?
The Notice defines locally adopted competencies as the knowledge, skills, and abilities, developed by an LEA or school, which are associated with effective performance as a turnaround leader and supported by research-based evidence.
In the SIG Frequently Asked Questions, dated November 01, 2010, B-4 addresses locally adopted competencies for staff in turnaround schools. http://www2.ed.govhttps://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/sigguidance11012010.pdf
TOP
12. TSLP DEFINITIONS: D-2. What is a school leader for the purpose of the TSLP?
The Notice defines school leader as a school’s principal and may also include other members of a school’s leadership team.
TOP
13. TSLP DEFINITIONS: D-3. What is a SIG school?
The Notice defines a SIG school as either: (1) a Tier I or Tier II school as defined in the SIG final requirements published in the Federal Register on October 28, 2010 (75 FR 66363) http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2010-10-28/pdf/2010-27313.pdf) that is, as of the date of the application, implementing a SIG model, or (2) for a State that has received approval of its ESEA flexibility request, a priority school that is, as of the date of the application, implementing a SIG model.
TOP
14. DEFINITIONS: D-4. What is a SIG-eligible school?
The Notice defines a SIG-eligible school as either: (1) a school that meets the definition of a Tier I or Tier II school as defined in the SIG final requirements published in the Federal Register on October 28, 2010 (75 FR 66363) (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2010-10-28/pdf/2010-27313.pdf), or (2) for States that have received approval of their ESEA flexibility requests, a priority school identified by an SEA in the list of schools in the SEA’s approved FY 2013 SIG application.
TOP
15. TSLP DEFINITIONS: D-5. What does strong theory mean?
Strong theory, as defined in the Notice and 34 CFR § 77.1(c), means a rationale for the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice that includes a logic model. Logic model (also referred to as theory of action), as defined in the Notice and 34 CFR § 77.1(c), 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 (as defined below) and describes the relationships among the key components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally.
Relevant outcome, as defined in the Notice and 34 CFR § 77.1(c), 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.
TOP
16. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: E-1. What is an absolute priority? What is a competitive priority?
Under EDGAR at 34 CFR § 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary may give absolute preference to applications that meet a priority. For the TSLP FY 2014 competition, all applicants must meet the absolute priority established in the Notice. Applicants that do not meet the absolute priority will not be considered for funding.
Under EDGAR at 34 CFR § 75.105(c)(2), the Secretary may award some or all bonus points to an application depending on the extent to which the application meets each competitive priority. These points are in addition to any points the applicant earns under the selection criteria (see 34 CFR § 75.200(b)).
In accordance with the Notice, the maximum number of additional points the Secretary may award to an application depends upon the extent to which the application meets each competitive priority. Additionally, the Secretary may select an application that meets a priority over an application of comparable merit that does not meet the priority. Competitive preference priorities are not requirements in that applicants do not need to address them to be considered for funding. Applications that meet one or more competitive priorities will be awarded additional points.
TOP
17. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: E-2. How many and what are the absolute priorities in the TSLP Notice?
There are two absolute priorities in the TSLP Notice.
For FY 2014, the following two absolute priorities have been established. An applicant may apply under only one absolute priority and must indicate in its abstract the priority under which it is applying as well as the schools, and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) identification numbers of those schools, the applicant intends to serve. Applicants that fail to clearly identify in the abstract section the absolute priority for which it is seeking to apply will have its application reviewed with all other applications submitted for funding that under Absolute Priority 1.
Absolute Priority 1: To meet Absolute Priority 1, an applicant must submit a plan to develop and implement or enhance and implement a leadership pipeline for at least one LEA with no fewer than five SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools.
Absolute Priority 2: To meet Absolute Priority 2, an applicant must submit a plan to develop and implement or enhance and implement a leadership pipeline for at least one LEA with no fewer than five SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools designated as rural by the NCES.
TOP
18. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: E-3. How would an applicant qualify under Absolute Priority 2?
An applicant qualifies for Absolute Priority 2 if the applicant’s proposed project is designed to develop and implement or enhance and implement a leadership pipeline for at least one LEA with no fewer than five SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools designated as rural by the NCES. Applicants may determine whether a LEA or consortium of LEAs serves eligible schools by accessing the NCES public school database at http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/ and locating the locale code of any school to be served by the proposed project.
A school is designated as rural if it is assigned a locale code of 41 (located in a census-defined rural territory less than 5 miles from an urban cluster), a locale code of 42 (located in a census-defined rural territory more than 5 miles but less than or equal to 25 miles from an urban cluster), or a locale code of 43 (located in a census-defined rural territory that is more than 25 miles from an urban cluster) by the NCES.
If an otherwise eligible applicant applying under Absolute Priority 2 is determined not to have met the priority because it has misidentified the designation of one or more schools as rural, the Department reserves the authority to review the applicant’s submission with all other applications submitted for funding that meet Absolute Priority 1.
TOP
19. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: E-4. How many and what are the competitive priorities in the TSLP Notice?
There are two competitive priorities in the TSLP Notice.
For the FY 2014 TSLP competition, the following two competitive priorities have been established. Applicants may address either of the competitive preference priorities, both, or neither. In order to be eligible for earning competitive preference priority points, an applicant must identify in the abstract section of its application the competitive preference priority or priorities for which it is seeking points. Applicants that fail to clearly identify in the abstract section the competitive preference priority or priorities for which it seeking to earn points will not have its application reviewed against the competitive preference priority and will not be awarded competitive preference priority points.
Competitive Preference Priority 1: To meet Competitive Preference Priority 1, an applicant must provide documentation that the LEA or consortium of LEAs already has in place policies that provide school leaders with decision-making autonomy (with regard to staffing, school schedules, and budgeting) and provide the LEA or consortium of LEAs with flexibility in the selection, preparation, placement, support, and retention of school leaders to successfully turn around SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools.
Competitive Preference Priority 2: To meet Competitive Preference Priority 2, an applicant must provide documentation of previous success in preparing and supporting school leaders or leadership teams in SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools as demonstrated by increased graduation rates and academic growth on State assessments in reading/language arts and in mathematics for the “all students” group and for each subgroup, as specified in section 1111(b)(3)(C)(xiii), 20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)(C)(xiii).
Please refer to the Notice under Priorities for more information on absolute and competitive priorities under the TSLP.
TOP
20. ABSOLUTE AND COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: E-5. How many points will be awarded under the competitive priorities?
An applicant will receive an additional 3 points for an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1, listed in question H-2. An applicant will receive an additional 5 points for an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2 listed in question H-2. A total of up to 8 additional points may be awarded.
TOP
21. SELECTION CRITERIA: F-1. Will an applicant receive its scores and reviewer comments after the competition is completed?
Yes. Both funded and unfunded applicants will receive a copy of the technical review forms completed by the peer reviewers on their applications. Individual reviewer names are deleted from the forms to preserve confidentiality.
TOP
22. SELECTION CRITERIA: F-2. Will the reviewers be asked to read every part of each application?
Yes. To facilitate the review, the Department encourages applicants to carefully follow the directions in the application package. Applicants should pay particular attention to the order of the narrative and correctly label all attachments.
TOP
23. SELECTION CRITERIA: F-3 May the Department consider an applicant’s past performance during the selection process?
Yes. In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under EDGAR, 34 CFR § 75.217(d)(3), the applicant’s past performance and use of funds under a previous grant award. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
TOP
24. PROGRAM REVIEW AND EVALUATION: G-1. Must a grantee of the TSLP use an outside evaluator?
TSLP grantees will not be required to use an outside evaluator. The Department will conduct an evaluation of projects over the course of the life of the grant. All grantees are required to comply with all evaluation activities conducted by the Department.
TOP
25. PROGRAM REVIEW AND EVALUATION: G-2. Are grantees required to submit an annual performance report?
Yes. Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed performance measures to determine the overall effectiveness of programs funded with Federal dollars, including the IAL program. The GPRA performance measures for the TSLP are:
(a) the number and percent of school leaders placed in SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools who have increased graduation rates and academic growth on State assessments in reading/language arts and in mathematics for the “all students” group; (b) the teacher attendance rate for each school for every year through the 2018–2019 school year for the SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools in which school leaders are placed and retained by the LEA or consortium of LEAs; (c) the student attendance rate for each school for every year through the 2018–2019 school year for the SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools in which school leaders are placed and retained by the LEA or consortium of LEAs; (d) the graduation rate, as applicable, for each school for every year through the 2018–2019 school year for the SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools in which school leaders are placed and retained by the LEA or consortium of LEAs; (e) the number and percent of school leaders selected, from all applicants for the project, to begin professional development to prepare for placement in SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools; (f) the number and percent of school leaders that complete the preparation component of the pipeline for every year through the 2017–2018 school year; (g) the number and percent of school leaders placed in SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools for every year through the 2017–2018 school year; and (h) the leadership pipeline cost per school leader who increased graduation rates and academic growth on State assessments in reading/language arts and in mathematics, by grade, for the “all students” group and for each subgroup served by the project.
TOP
26. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR TSLP PROJECTS: H-1. What are allowable costs under the TSLP?
Costs must be allowable, allocable, reasonable, and necessary according to the Federal cost principles found in the applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars, the statute, and governing regulations. A cost is allocable to a grant award if it is consistently treated like other costs incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances and is considered to be reasonable, in its nature and amount, by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision is made to incur the cost. Generally, TSLP grant funds can be used to support high-quality projects designed to select, prepare, place, support, and retain school leaders, including leadership teams, for SIG schools and/or SIG-eligible schools. (See OMB Circular A-21 (Cost Principles for Educational Institutions), A-87 (Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments), and Circular A-122 (Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations)).
TOP
27. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR TSLP PROJECTS: H-2. Must an applicant selected for a TSLP grant have an approved indirect cost rate to charge indirect costs to programs?
Yes. ED requires grantees charging indirect costs to programs to obtain a Federally-approved indirect cost rate. An applicant that does not have an approved indirect cost rate at the time it is selected for a TSLP grant award may request approval from the Department for a temporary indirect cost rate of 10% of the expended amount of the entity’s direct salaries and wages. However, a grantee must submit an indirect cost rate proposal to its cognizant agency within 90 days of receiving its grant award notice.
TOP
28. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR TSLP PROJECTS: H-3. May TSLP funds be used to pay stipends, bonuses, and scholarships?
These expenses generally would be allowable if necessary and reasonable to accomplish the program’s and project’s objectives, consistent with applicable OMB Circulars and EDGAR.
TOP
29. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR IAL PROJECTS: H-4. Is there a cost share requirement for the TSLP?
No. The TSLP does not have a cost share requirement; however, applicants are encouraged to leverage grant resources by aligning other Federal, State, local, and private funds to support the project or by engaging in meaningful partnerships to increase the potential effectiveness and sustainability of the project.
TOP
30. APPLICATION SUBMISSION: I-1. Is TSLP subject to Executive Order 12372?
Yes. Executive Order 12372 concerns the Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, and, among other things, gives States the opportunity to review and provide comments to Federal agencies on applications for Federal discretionary (competitive) grants. Applicants can find more details in Part 8: Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs of the TSLP application package.
TOP
31. APPLICATION SUBMISSION: I-2. Must submission of charts and tables be double-spaced in a TSLP grant application?
Yes. Charts and tables must be prepared in double space format.
TOP
32. APPLICATION SUBMISSION: I-3. Is there a page limit for the application?
Yes. The application narrative must be limited to no more than 40 pages. The application narrative is where the applicant addresses the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate the grant application. The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; the one-page abstract; the resumes; the bibliography; or the letters of support. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section. Please note that applications that exceed this page limit will not be reviewed.
TOP
33. APPLICATION SUBMISSION: I-4. What is the required font for this application submission?
A submitted application should use a font size that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). The application should be in one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
TOP
