Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grant Program: Enhanced Assessment Instruments CFDA Number 84.368A | ED GRANTS 080816 001

Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grant Program (EAG) - FAQs

1. What is the Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grant Program (EAG)?

The Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grant Program (also referred to as the Enhanced Assessment Grants, or EAG) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). Its purpose is to strengthen the quality of state assessment tools and broader assessment systems used in elementary and secondary education.

2. What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?

The stated purpose is to enhance assessment instruments (tests and related tools) and assessment systems (the larger structures and processes used to develop, administer, score, and use assessments) that states rely on to measure academic achievement for K-12 students.

3. What does the program aim to improve in practice?

In practical terms, the program focuses on helping states improve how they measure student academic achievement, with the goal of producing assessments that are more effective, higher quality, and better able to support accountability and instructional decision-making.

4. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to state educational agencies (SEAs), as defined in section 9101(41) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), as well as consortia made up of such SEAs.

5. Can school districts apply directly?

Based on the information provided, individual school districts would generally not apply on their own under this notice because eligibility is limited to SEAs and SEA consortia.

6. Can universities, nonprofits, or vendors apply directly?

Based on the information provided, institutions of higher education, nonprofits, or vendors would generally not apply on their own. If participation by these entities is allowed, it would typically occur through partnerships or contracting arrangements led by an SEA or an SEA consortium, subject to any additional conditions in the Federal Register notice.

7. What kind of projects or activities does this grant support?

The summary does not list specific project activities. It does make clear that the intended work is assessment-focused and state-centered, aimed at improving the technical and practical quality of how student learning is measured at scale. Applicants are expected to consult the Federal Register notice for the full set of requirements and any specific encouraged or required activities.

8. Where are the official requirements and rules for applying?

The synopsis notes that the official, controlling details come from the Federal Register application notice. Applicants are expected to consult that notice for the complete requirements, priorities, performance measures, and application instructions.

9. What is the CFDA number for this program?

The program is associated with CFDA number 84.368, and the competition itself is listed as CFDA 84.368A.

10. What Funding Opportunity Number is associated with this competition?

The opportunity is identified as FundingOpportunityNumber ED GRANTS 080816 001.

11. How do applicants submit an application?

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov using the governmentwide "Apply" process. Applicants are expected to download the application package from Grants.gov, complete required forms and narratives offline, and upload and submit the full package through Grants.gov.

12. Can an application be submitted by email?

No. The notice explicitly states that applications cannot be submitted by emailing an electronic copy to the Department.

13. How should applicants search for the opportunity on Grants.gov?

The notice highlights that when searching in Grants.gov, applicants should search by the CFDA number without the letter suffix. For example, search for 84.368 rather than 84.368A to find the correct downloadable application package.

14. What type of grant is this?

This competition is categorized as a discretionary grant within the education funding activity area.

15. What was the application closing date listed in the source data?

The posting lists an original closing date of 2016-09-22.

16. How many awards were expected?

The source data indicates an expectation of three awards.

17. Is there an award ceiling listed?

The award ceiling is not specified in the excerpt provided.

18. Are funding levels, project periods, and priorities included in the summary?

No. Key parameters such as funding levels, project periods, absolute or competitive priorities, and evaluation criteria are not included in the synopsis provided. The Federal Register notice is described as the essential reference for those details.

19. What information should applicants confirm in the Federal Register notice?

Applicants should use the Federal Register notice to confirm what activities are encouraged or required, how proposals will be scored, what reporting or performance measures apply, and whether there are any pre-application steps or submission rules that could affect eligibility or compliance.

20. What does "state-centered" mean in the context of this grant?

Based on the description provided, the work is intended to be led by states (through SEAs or SEA consortia) and focused on improving statewide assessment instruments and the systems used to administer and use those assessments.