Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Preschool Development Grants: Expansion Grants CFDA Number 84.419B

performance measures, priorities and program contact information.Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Preschool Development Grants program, which is jointly administered by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services (Departments), is to support State and local efforts to build, develop, and expand High-Quality Preschool Programs \1\ so that more children from low- and moderate-income families enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and in life. All States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are eligible to apply for either a Preschool Development Grants--Development Grant or a Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant.--------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ Defined terms are used throughout the notice and are indicated by capitalization.--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants will support States that have robust State Preschool Programs or that have been awarded a Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge grant. These grants will be awarded to States to implement and sustain High-Quality Preschool Programs that reach and serve additional Eligible Children in two or more High-Need Communities. States will also be able to use a portion of their funds to make preschool program infrastructure and quality improvements needed to deliver High-Quality Preschool Programs. The States eligible to apply for a Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grant are Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Preschool Development Grants--Development Grants will support States with either small or no State Preschool Programs. These grants will be awarded to States to develop or enhance preschool program infrastructure and capacity to deliver High-Quality Preschool Programs. These States will be expected to implement and sustain High-Quality Preschool Programs to reach and serve additional Eligible Children in one or more High-Need Communities. The States eligible to apply for a Preschool Development Grants--Development Grant are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Background and Program Overview:Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants Strong and consistent evidence demonstrates that participation in high-quality early learning programs can lead to both short- and long-term positive outcomes for all children, but especially children from low-income families.\2\ Research has shown the multiple benefits of attending preschool programs that are of high-quality, including increased school readiness, lower rates of grade retention and special education placements, improved high school graduation rates, reduced interaction with law enforcement, and higher rates of college attendance and completion.\3\Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.419B.Applications for grants under the Preschool Development Grants--Expansion Grants, CFDA number 84.419B, must be submitted electronically using the Government wide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant application to us.You may access the electronic grant application for Preschool Development Grants_Expansion Grants at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program [competition] by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.419, not 84.419B). In the Federal Register of August 18, 2014 (79 FR 48874), on page 48884, in the left-hand column under the selection criterion (A)(7)(b), the text of the selection criterion refers to ``one or more'' High-Need Communities. In order to align Selection Criterion (A)(7)(b) with Absolute Priority 1 and the introductory text to Selection Criterion (D), we correct the paragraph to read ``two or more'' High-Need Communities, as follows: (b) Subgrants to Early Learning Providers to implement voluntary, High-Quality Preschool Programs for Eligible Children in two or more High-Need Communities, including how it will-- Program Authority: Sections 14005 and 14006 of the ARRA, as amended by section 1832(b) of division B of the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (Pub. L. 112-10), the Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2012 (title III of division F of Pub. L. 112-74, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012), and the Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2014 (title III of division H of Pub. L. 113-76, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014).