OESE/CSP: Grants to Charter School Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools

The Department of Education is requesting applications for Charter School Program (CSP): Grants to Charter School Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools.

Donor Name: Department of Education

State: All States

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 06/30/2023

Size of the Grant: $200,000 – $400,000

Grant Duration: 60 months

Details:

The major purposes of the CSP are to expand opportunities for all students, particularly for children with disabilities, English learners, and other traditionally underserved students, to attend charter schools and meet challenging State academic standards; provide financial assistance for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools; increase the number of high-quality charter schools available to students across the United States; evaluate the impact of charter schools on student achievement, families, and communities; share best practices between charter schools and other public schools; aid States in providing facilities support to charter schools; and support efforts to strengthen the charter school authorizing process (section 4301 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA)).

The CSP Developer Grant program (Assistance Listing Numbers 84.282B and 84.282E) is authorized under Title IV, Part C of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221-7221j). Through CSP Developer Grants, the Department provides financial assistance to charter school developers to enable them to open and prepare for the operation of new or replicated charter schools or to expand high-quality charter schools in States that do not currently have a CSP State Entity grant under the ESEA. Charter schools that receive financial assistance through CSP Developer Grants provide programs of elementary or secondary education, or both, and may also serve students in early childhood education programs or postsecondary students.

Grant Priorities

This competition includes one competitive preference priority and one invitational priority.

The invitational priority is intended to encourage collaborations between charter schools and traditional public schools or traditional school districts that benefit students and families across schools. Some of the most successful charter schools have collaborated with traditional schools and districts. They believe that these types of collaborations may improve outcomes for students in both charter schools and traditional public schools, including by sharing instructional materials, creating joint professional learning opportunities, and developing principal pipeline programs. Using an invitational priority allows the Department to encourage beneficial collaborations without giving applications that meet this priority preference over other applications.
Competitive Preference Priority: For 2023 and any subsequent year in which they make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority. The priority is:
- Promoting High-Quality Educator and Community-Centered Charter Schools to Support Underserved Students
- Under this priority, an applicant must propose to open a new charter school, or to replicate or expand a highquality charter school, that is developed and implemented—
  - With meaningful and ongoing engagement with current or former teachers and other educators; and
  - Using a community-centered approach that includes an assessment of community assets, informs the development of the charter school, and includes the implementation of protocols and practices designed to ensure that the charter school will use and interact with community assets on an ongoing basis to create and maintain strong community ties
- In its application, an applicant must provide a high-quality plan that demonstrates how its proposed project would meet the requirements in paragraph (a) of this priority, accompanied by a timeline for key milestones that span the course of planning, development, and implementation of the charter school
Invitational Priority: For 2023 and any subsequent year in which they make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an invitational priority. The priority is:
- Collaborations between Charter Schools and Traditional Public Schools or Districts that Benefit Students and Families across Schools
- The Secretary is particularly interested in funding applications that propose a new collaboration, or the continuation of an existing collaboration, with at least one traditional public school or traditional school district that is designed to benefit students or families served by at least one member of the collaboration, is designed to lead to increased or improved educational opportunities for students served by at least one member of the collaboration, and includes implementation of one or more of the following—
  - Co-developed or shared curricular and instructional resources or academic course offerings
  - Professional development opportunities for teachers and other educators, which may include professional learning communities, opportunities for teachers to earn additional certifications, such as in a high-need area or national board certification, and partnerships with educator preparation programs to support teaching residencies
  - Evidence-based practices to improve academic performance for underserved students
  - Policies and practices to create safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments, such as systems of positive behavioral intervention and support
  - Transparent enrollment and retention practices and processes that include clear and consistent disclosure to families of policies or requirements (e.g., discipline policies, purchasing and wearing specific uniforms and other fees, or family participation), and any services that are or are not provided, that could impact a family’s ability to enroll or remain enrolled in the school (e.g., transportation services or participation in the National School Lunch Program)
  - A shared transportation plan and system that reduces transportation costs for at least one member of the collaboration and takes into consideration various transportation options, including public transportation and district-provided or shared transportation options, cost-sharing or free or reduced-cost fare options, and any distance considerations for prioritized bus services
  - A shared special education collaborative designed to address a significant barrier or challenge faced by participating charter schools or traditional public schools in improving academic and developmental outcomes and services for students with disabilities
  - A shared English learner collaborative designed to address a significant barrier or challenge faced by participating charter schools or traditional public schools in providing educational programs to improve academic outcomes for English learners
  - Other collaborations, such as the sharing of innovative and best practices, designed to address a significant barrier or challenge faced by participating charter schools or traditional public schools in providing educational programs to improve academic outcomes for all students served by members of the collaboration
- In its application, an applicant must provide a description of the collaboration that—
  - Describes each member of the collaboration and whether the collaboration would be a new or existing commitment;
  - States the purpose and duration of the collaboration;
  - Describes the anticipated roles and responsibilities of each member of the collaboration;
  - Describes how the collaboration will benefit one or more members of the collaboration, including how it will benefit students or families affiliated with a member and lead to increased educational opportunities for students, and meet specific and measurable, if applicable, goals;
  - Describes the resources members of the collaboration will contribute; and
  - Contains any other relevant information
- Within 120 days of receiving a grant award or within 120 days of the date the collaboration is scheduled to begin, whichever is later, the grantee provides evidence of participation in the collaboration (which may include, but is not required to include, a memorandum of understanding).