California Department of Education
Request for Applications
Public Charter Schools Grant Program
2010–2015
Planning and Implementation Grants
Charter Schools Division
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 5401
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
E-mail:
Phone: 916-322-6029
Table of Contents
I. General Information 4
Introduction 4
2010–2015 PCSGP Planning and Implementation (P/I) Grants 4
Permissible Use of the Grant Award 4
Submitting an Application 4
Technical Assistance 5
Application Periods 5
Selection of Awards 5
Re-Application 6
End of 2010–2015 Grant Cycle Funding 6
Appeal Process 6
Waivers 6
Grant Monitoring 7
II. Planning and Implementation (P/I) Grant Application Process 8
Application Timeline 8
Length of Grant Award and Maximum Funding Level 8
Implementation (Two-Year) Funding Model 9
Planning and Implementation (Three-Year) Funding Model 10
Eligibility for Higher Grant Award 11
Eligible Applicants 11
Application Instructions 13
Submitting the Application 15
Approval Process 15
P/I Grant Scoring Criteria 16
Grant Award Notification 17
III. Post-Award Requirements 18
Project Timeline 18
General Requirements 20
Grant Monitoring Requirements 22
Grant Payment Schedule 25
IV. Appendices 26
Appendix A: Definitions of PCSGP Terms 26
Appendix B: PCSGP Allowable Expenses 30
Appendix C: Procurement 38
Appendix D: Equipment and Supplies Standards 47
Appendix E: Financial Management Standards 51
Appendix F: No Child Left Behind Title 1, Part A 53
Appendix G: Assurances and Certifications 54
Appendix H: Federal Legislation, Regulations and Guidance (Link) 57
Appendix I: Planning and Implementation Grant Scoring 58
Appendix J: Matrix of Exemptions and Preferences in the Public Random Drawing (Lottery) 69
Appendix K: Definition of a New School 84
Appendix L: PCSGP Work Plan for High Quality Charter Schools 85
Public Charter Schools Grant Program
Request for Applications
Page 21 of 94
I. General Information
Introduction
The federal Charter Schools Program (CSP), authorized by 20 U.S. Code sections 7221–7221j, is administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). It is a discretionary grant program, and each state is required to compete for available funding every three years. States that are awarded these federal funds distribute them in grants to charter school developers to assist in the development and initial operations of newly established or conversion charter schools. California was awarded $300 million in grant funds for 2010–2015.
The California Department of Education (CDE) will award approximately 100 Planning and Implementation (P/I) grants each year through fiscal year 2014–2015, pending annual allocations from the ED.
The purpose of the grant is to provide developers with an incentive to open high-quality charter schools in the attendance areas of the state’s lowest-performing schools, thereby offering choice and options to parents and students for a higher quality education
2010–2015 Public Charter Schools Grant Program Planning and Implementation (P/I) Grants
A newly established or conversion charter school may apply for a P/I grant. If open, the school must not have been serving students for more than one school year at the time of application. Grant funds are intended to support the final planning and initial operation of the charter school. A developer is limited to a maximum of three P/I grants in each year, although exceptions may be granted by the CDE based on the developer’s capacity, location of the applicant’s school, students served, or the availability of funds.
Permissible Use of the Grant Award
Grantees may only use grant funds for allowable grant project expenditures during the grant project period. Any unspent funds remaining at the end of the grant project period must be returned to the CDE. Refer to Appendix B for a description of allowable costs.
Submitting an Application
The application is posted at http://www3.cde.ca.gov/PublicCharterGrant/RFALogin.aspx and must be completed and submitted online.
Costs of preparing and submitting applications are the responsibility of the applicant and may not be charged to the grant.
Technical Assistance
Prior to submitting an application, grant applicants may obtain technical assistance by telephone at 916-322-6029 or by e-mail at .
Application Periods
Applications for P/I funding may be submitted only after the charter has been approved by the authorizing entity through the first year of the school’s operation. CDE will accept applications during two filing periods each year:
· August–October with funds distributed the following April
· January–March with funds distributed the following October
The last filing period will be August–October 2014.
Annual Application Filing Periods / Application Scoring / Posting of P/I Grant Awards on CDE Web SiteAugust–October 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 / January–February 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 / April 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015
January–March 2012, 2013, and 2014 / April–June 2012, 2013, and 2014 / October 2012, 2013, and 2014
Selection of Awards
Federal law (ESEA, Title V, Part B, Section 5204) requires a peer review of Public Charter Schools Grant Program (PCSGP) applications. California recruits national and state charter school developers, governing board members, operators, and authorizers to participate in this process. Reviewers are required to recuse themselves from the evaluation of any application for which they have a perceived or real conflict of interest.
Each element of the application and charter will be scored using a 4-point rubric. A score of 3 or 4 is required for every element in order for the application to be approved. A score of 1 or 2 in any one area will result in the application being denied. See Appendix I for all scoring documents. Awards will be posted on the CDE Web site under the Funding Results page.
Re-Application
If the applicant is denied a grant award for any reason, the applicant may continue to seek technical assistance from CDE staff, and may reapply for funding in a subsequent period, provided that the applicant remains eligible for funding. There is no limit to the number of times an applicant may reapply for funding.
End of 2010–2015 Grant Cycle Funding
The CDE shall accept applications in the fall and spring of each year through 2014. If the CDE projects that available funds will be exhausted before the October 2014 deadline, a new deadline for submitting applications will be established and posted on the CDE website.
Appeal Process
If an application is not approved, applicants may request the readers’ comments and final scores. An applicant may request a hearing by filing a written request within 30 days of receiving official notification from the CDE that the application was not approved. The request must identify a violation by the CDE. Did the CDE fail to follow a state or federal statute or regulation in not approving the grant application? Did the CDE fail to award funds in amounts in accordance with the requirements of statutes and regulations, or to comply with California’s approved 2010–2015 CSP application?
A request to appeal the denial of a grant award should be addressed to:
Public Charter Schools Grant Program
Charter Schools Division
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 5401
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
Waivers
If an applicant believes that a waiver is necessary for the successful operation of the charter school, the applicant must have an approved waiver for any state or local laws, regulations, or policies that are generally applicable to charter schools prior to submitting a PCSGP application.
If the school previously received a PCSGP planning grant or requires a waiver of any federal statutory or regulatory provisions, the applicant must submit a written request to waive specific statute or regulations, including an explanation or justification for the request, concurrently with or prior to submitting the PCSGP application.
Grant Monitoring
The CDE will monitor grantees by reviewing and approving quarterly and/or annual monitoring reports, and the CDE may conduct site visits, contingent on travel restrictions and the availability of funds. All information in monitoring reports is subject to verification. The CDE may require additional information from the grantee, verify information with the authorizing entity, require the submission of invoices and receipts, or use any other appropriate and legal means to obtain such verification. Prior to a site visit, the grantee may be required to submit additional relevant information that will allow the CDE to conduct a useful, efficient, and effective visit.
II. Planning and Implementation Grant Application Process
Application Timeline
The following is a truncated timeline for the process of submission, review, and approval of a PCSGP application. Information pertaining to post-award requirements and the distribution of grant funds can be found in section III: Post-Award Requirements.
1. During the application filing period, the applicant fills out and submits the PCSGP application, and the first-year budget report.
2. PCSGP staff screens the application for completeness. If any errors are identified in the information provided, the applicant will be contacted and asked to revise the application.
3. The application is forwarded to an external peer reviewer for processing. The peer reviewer scores the contents of the application, PCSGP Work Plan, (see Appendix L), and charter petition to assess the proposed activities and their alignment with PCSGP objectives for opening high-quality charter schools (approximately 2-3 months).
4. Once results from the peer review panel have been received, the CDE will notify awardees of their approval and post results to the CDE website.
5. A Grant Award Notification (GAN) is drafted and issued to the grantee. The grantee must sign and return the GAN (approximately 1-2 weeks). Once the signed GAN is received by the CDE, PCSGP staff schedule the first payment. The first payment is received within 3-4 weeks.
Length of Grant Award and Maximum Funding Level
The grant project period is broken down into two phases: the planning phase, not to exceed 18 months, and the implementation phase, not to exceed 24 months. The duration of the grant project period cannot exceed 36 months; if the planning phase exceeds 12 months in duration, then the implementation phase will be shortened by a commensurate number of months.
The planning phase begins when funds are awarded and ends on the day prior to the first day of instruction (including summer school programs). Once the school begins serving students, the grantee will enter the implementation phase. Schools that fit this timeline are awarded a “three-year grant.”
If the grant recipient’s school is operational when the grant is awarded, then the grant immediately enters its 24-month implementation phase. The school is awarded a “two-year grant,” and will not have a planning phase.
P/I grant awards made in the 2010–2015 cycle cannot be placed into inactive status. Interruptions in the grant project period may warrant termination of the grant award. For example, if a school is unable to open due to the inability to secure facilities by the close of its planning phase, the grant for the school will be terminated.
In the application, the applicant does not have to identify whether they are applying for a two-year or a three-year grant. The online application system will automatically determine the length of the grant award based on the start date of the school and the submission date of the application.
The total funding levels for both two-year and three-year grants are the same; schools receiving a two-year grant do not receive less funding than schools receiving a three-year grant. However, the maximum per-phase allocations for each grant will be different.
All P/I grantees are eligible for the maximum grant award allowable as determined by type of school and the justification provided during the application process for a higher funding level, discussed below.
Implementation (Two-Year) Funding Model
The following funding model applies to new or conversion, classroom based or non-classroom based charters that are in operation on the date the grant award begins.
It is important to note that any unspent funds from a previous phase will be added to the subsequent phase, but all grant funds must be spent by the end of the grant project period.
Conversion schools that receive Title I School Improvement Grant (SIG) funds are not eligible for the PCSGP grant.
Two-Year Funding Model, Base Award AmountType of School / Year 1 Maximum Allocation / Year 2 Maximum Allocation / Total Funds Awarded
Non-Classroom Based / $162,500 / $87,500 / $250,000
Classroom Based / $225,000 / $150,000 / $375,000
The following two-year funding model applies to schools approved for a higher grant award amount. The eligibility criteria for the higher grant award amount is discussed below.
Type of School / Year 1 Maximum Allocation / Year 2 Maximum Allocation / Total Funds Awarded
Non-Classroom Based / $225,000 / $150,000 / $375,000
Classroom Based / $325,000 / $250,000 / $575,000
Planning and Implementation (Three-Year) Funding Model
The following funding model applies to new or conversion, classroom based or non-classroom based charters that are not in operation on the date the grant award begins. The planning phase is the time between the beginning date of the grant award and the date when the school begins serving students.
It is important to note that any unspent funds from a previous phase will be added to the subsequent phase, but all grant funds must be spent by the end of the grant project period.
Conversion schools that receive Title I School Improvement Grant (SIG) funds are not eligible for the PCSGP grant.
Three-Year Funding Model, Base Award AmountType of School / Planning Maximum Allocation / Year 1 Maximum Allocation / Year 2 Maximum Allocation / Total Funds Awarded
Non-Classroom Based / $125,000 / $75,000 / $50,000 / $250,000
Classroom Based / $175,000 / $100,000 / $100,000 / $375,000
The following three-year funding model applies to schools approved for a higher grant award amount. The eligibility criteria for the higher grant award is discussed below.
Type of School / Planning Maximum Allocation / Year 1 Maximum Allocation / Year 2 Maximum Allocation / Total Funds Awarded
Non-Classroom Based / $175,000 / $100,000 / $100,000 / $375,000
Classroom Based / $225,000 / $200,000 / $150,000 / $575,000
Eligibility for Higher Grant Award
A higher grant award is available to P/I applicants who submit an application that includes an approved charter that clearly identifies that the charter school will:
· Be located in the attendance area of a school that is either eligible for Title 1 SIG funding or chronically low performing, or