FR Doc E6-21842

[Federal Register: December 21, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 245)]
[Notices]
[Page 76889-76895]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21de06-130]

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Part VI

Department of Education

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Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007;
Notice

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information;
Charter School Program (CSP); Notice Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.282A.

DATES: Applications Available: December 21, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 16, 2007.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 17, 2007.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs) in States
with a State statute specifically authorizing the establishment of
charter schools.

Note: Non-SEA eligible applicants in states in which the SEA
elects not to participate in or does not have an application
approved under the CSP may apply for funding directly from the
Department. The Department plans to hold a separate competition for
non-SEA eligible applicants under CFDA Nos. 84.282B and 84.282C.

Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$72,000,000 for new awards under this program for FY 2007. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends on final Congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process in a timely manner, if Congress appropriates funds
for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$20,000,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $5,000,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10-12.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.

Project Period: Up to three years.

Note: Planning and implementation subgrants awarded by an SEA to
non-SEA eligible applicants will be awarded for a period of up to
three years, no more than 18 months of which may be used for
planning and program design and no more than two years of which may
be used for the initial implementation of a charter school.
Dissemination subgrants are awarded for a period of up to two years.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The purpose of the CSP is to increase national
understanding of the charter school model and to expand the number of
high-quality charter schools available to students across the Nation by
providing financial assistance for the planning, program design, and
initial implementation of charter schools, and to evaluate the effects
of charter schools, including their effects on students, student
academic achievement, staff, and parents. The Secretary awards grants
to SEAs to enable them to conduct charter school programs in their
States. SEAs use their CSP funds to award subgrants to non-SEA eligible
applicants for planning, program design, and initial implementation of
a charter school, and to support the dissemination of information
about, including information on successful practices in, charter
schools.
Priorities: This competition includes five competitive preference
priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(1) and 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv), priority 1 is from the notice of final priorities for
discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on
October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046), and priorities 2 through 5 are from
section 5202(e) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), 20
U.S.C. 7221a(e).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2007 these priorities are
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we give
preference to and will award up to an additional fifty (50) points to
an application, depending on how well the application meets these
priorities. In order to receive preference, an applicant must identify
the priorities that it believes it meets and provide documentation
supporting its claims. In order to receive points for priority 2 or to
receive points for priorities 3 through 5, an application must meet
priority 2 and must meet one or more of priorities 3 through 5.
An SEA that meets priority 2 but does not meet one or more of
priorities 3 through 5 will not receive any points for priorities 2
through 5.
An SEA that does not meet priority 2 but meets one or more of
priorities 3 through 5 will not receive any points for priorities 2
through 5.
These priorities are:
Priority 1--Secondary Schools (10 points). Projects that support
activities and interventions aimed at improving the academic
achievement of secondary school students who are at greatest risk of
not meeting challenging State academic standards and not completing
high school.
Priority 2--Periodic Review and Evaluation (10 points). The State
provides for periodic review and evaluation by the authorized public
chartering agency of each charter school at least once every five
years, unless required more frequently by State law, to determine
whether the charter school is meeting the terms of the school's
charter, and is meeting or exceeding the student academic achievement
requirements and goals for charter schools as provided under State law
or the school's charter.
Priority 3--Number of High-Quality Charter Schools (10 points). The
State has demonstrated progress in increasing the number of high-
quality charter schools that are held accountable in the terms of the
schools' charters for meeting clear and measurable objectives for the
educational progress of the students attending the schools, in the
period prior to the period for which an SEA applies for a grant under
this competition.
Priority 4--One Authorized Public Chartering Agency Other than a
Local Educational Agency (LEA), or an Appeals Process (10 points). The
State--
(a) Provides for one authorized public chartering agency that is
not an LEA, such as a State chartering board, for each individual or
entity seeking to operate a charter school pursuant to State law; or
(b) In the case of a State in which LEAs are the only authorized
public chartering agencies, allows for an appeals process for the
denial of an application for a charter school.
Priority 5--High Degree of Autonomy (10 points). The State ensures
that each charter school has a high degree of autonomy over the charter
school's budgets and expenditures.

Note: In responding to each of the competitive preference
priorities, the Secretary encourages applicants to provide
documentation, including citations and examples from their State's
charter school law.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7221-7221j.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 79,
80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final priorities
for discretionary grant programs published in the Federal Register on
October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046).

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$72,000,000 for new awards under this program for FY 2007. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends on final Congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process in a timely manner, if Congress appropriates funds
for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$20,000,000 per year.

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Estimated Average Size of Awards: $5,000,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10-12.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.

Project Period: Up to three years.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs in States with a State statute
specifically authorizing the establishment of charter schools.

Note: Non-SEA eligible applicants in States in which the SEA
elects not to participate in or does not have an application
approved under the CSP may apply for funding directly from the
Department. The Department plans to hold a separate competition for
non-SEA eligible applicants under CFDA Nos. 84.282B and 84.282C.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: Dean Kern, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W227, FB6,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 260-1882 or by e-mail:
dean.kern@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application)
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application. The Secretary strongly
encourages applicants to limit Part III to the equivalent of no more
than 60 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The suggested page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet;
Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of
support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in
Part III.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: December 21,
2006. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 16, 2007.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer
to section IV.6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements. We do not consider an application that does not
address the application requirements, selection criteria, and other
required information outlined in the application package.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 17, 2007.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions:
Use of Funds for Post-Award Planning and Design of the Educational
Program and Initial Implementation of the Charter School. A non-SEA
eligible applicant receiving a subgrant under this program may use the
subgrant funds only for--
(a) Post-award planning and design of the educational program,
which may include (i) Refinement of the desired educational results and
of the methods for measuring progress toward achieving those results;
and (ii) professional development of teachers and other staff who will
work in the charter school; and
(b) Initial implementation of the charter school, which may include
(i) Informing the community about the school; (ii) acquiring necessary
equipment and educational materials and supplies; (iii) acquiring or
developing curriculum materials; and (iv) other initial operational
costs that cannot be met from State or local sources.
Use of Funds for Dissemination Activities. An SEA may reserve not
more than 10 percent of its grant funds to support dissemination
activities. A charter school may use those funds to assist other
schools in adapting the charter school's program (or certain aspects of
the charter school's program) or to disseminate information about the
charter school through such activities as--
(a) Assisting other individuals with the planning and start-up of
one or more new public schools, including charter schools, that are
independent of the assisting charter school and the assisting charter
school's developers and that agree to be held to at least as high a
level of accountability as the assisting charter school;
(b) Developing partnerships with other public schools, including
charter schools, designed to improve student academic achievement in
each of the schools participating in the partnership;
(c) Developing curriculum materials, assessments, and other
materials that promote increased student achievement and are based on
successful practices within the assisting charter school; and
(d) Conducting evaluations and developing materials that document
the successful practices of the assisting charter school and that are
designed to improve student achievement.
Award Basis. In determining whether to approve a grant award and
the amount of such award, the Department will consider, among other
things, the amount of any carryover funds the applicant has under an
existing grant under the program.
We reference regulations outlining additional funding restrictions
in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements. Applications for grants under
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.

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a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Charter School Program, CFDA
Number 84.282A must be submitted electronically using the
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http://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 e-mail an electronic copy of a grant
application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Charter
School Program at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the

downloadable application package for this program or competition by the
CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your
search (e.g., search for 84.282, not 84.282A).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your
application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system
later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline
date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify
you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to
Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf
.

To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp
). These steps include (1)

Registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2)
registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative
(AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization.
Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step
Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf
). You also must provide on your

application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please
note that the registration process may take five or more business days
to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to
allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the
Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424--have
replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).
You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files
in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document)
format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types
specified in this paragraph or submit a password-protected file, we
will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date. Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of
Technical Issues with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing
problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact
the Grants.gov Support Desk at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed
elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT and
provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will
accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your
ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after
a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

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Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Dean Kern, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W227, FB6,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. FAX: (202) 205-5630.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.282A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.
or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.282A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.

Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.282A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

Applicants applying for CSP grant funds must address both the
statutory application requirements and the selection criteria described
in the following paragraphs. An applicant may choose to respond to
these application requirements in the context of its responses to the
selection criteria.
(a) Application Requirements. (i) Describe the objectives of the
SEA's charter school grant program and describe how these objectives
will be fulfilled, including steps taken by the SEA to inform teachers,
parents, and communities of the SEA's charter school grant program;
(ii) Describe how the SEA will inform each charter school in the
State about Federal funds the charter school is eligible to receive and
Federal programs in which the charter school may participate;
(iii) Describe how the SEA will ensure that each charter school in
the State receives the school's commensurate share of Federal education
funds that are allocated by formula each year, including during the
first year of operation of the school and a year in which the school's
enrollment expands significantly;
(iv) Describe how the SEA will disseminate best or promising
practices of charter schools to each local educational agency (LEA) in
the State;
(v) If an SEA elects to reserve part of its grant funds (no more
than 10 percent) for the establishment of a revolving loan fund,
describe how the revolving loan fund would operate;
(vi) If an SEA desires the Secretary to consider waivers under the
authority of the CSP, include a request and justification for any
waiver of statutory or regulatory provisions that the SEA believes is
necessary for the successful operation of charter schools in the State;
and
(vii) Describe how charter schools that are considered to be LEAs
under State law and LEAs in which charter schools are located will
comply with sections 613(a)(5) and 613(e)(1)(B) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act.
(b) Selection Criteria. The following selection criteria are from
the authorizing statute for this program and 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR.
SEAs that propose to use a portion of their grant funds for
dissemination activities must address each selection criterion (i)
through (vi) individually and title each accordingly. SEAs that do not
propose to use a portion of their grant funds for dissemination
activities must address selection criteria (i)

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through (iv) and (vi), and need not address selection criterion (v).
SEAs that do not address criterion (v) because they are not proposing
to use a portion of their grant funds for dissemination activities will
not be penalized.
The maximum possible score is 150 points for SEAs that do not
propose to use grant funds to support dissemination activities and 180
points for SEAs that propose to use grant funds to support
dissemination activities.
The maximum possible score for each criterion is indicated in
parentheses following the criterion.
In evaluating an application, the Secretary considers the following
criteria:
(i) The contribution the charter schools grant program will make in
assisting educationally disadvantaged and other students to achieve
State academic content standards and State student academic achievement
standards (30 points).

Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to provide a
description of the objectives for the SEA's charter school grant
program and how these objectives will be fulfilled, including steps
taken by the SEA to inform teachers, parents, and communities of the
SEA's charter school grant program and how the SEA will disseminate
best or promising practices of charter schools to each LEA in the
State.

(ii) The degree of flexibility afforded by the SEA to charter
schools under the State's charter school law (30 points).

Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to include a
description of how the State's law establishes an administrative
relationship between the charter school and the authorized public
chartering agency and exempts charter schools from significant State
or local rules that inhibit the flexible operation and management of
public schools.

The Secretary also encourages the applicant to include a
description of the degree of autonomy charter schools have achieved
over such matters as the charter school's budget, expenditures, daily
operation, and personnel in accordance with their State's law.
(iii) The number of high-quality charter schools to be created in
the State (30 points).

Note: The Secretary considers the SEA's reasonable estimate of
the number of new charter schools to be authorized and opened in the
State during the three year period of this grant.

The Secretary also considers how the SEA will inform each charter
school in the State about Federal funds the charter school is eligible
to receive and ensure that each charter school in the State receives
the school's commensurate share of Federal education funds that are
allocated by formula each year, including during the first year of
operation of the school and during a year in which the school's
enrollment expands significantly.
(iv) The quality of the management plan for the proposed project.
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the adequacy of the management plan to
achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within
budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and
milestones for accomplishing project tasks (30 points).

Note: In addition to describing the proposed objectives of the
SEA charter school grant program and how these objectives will be
fulfilled, the Secretary encourages applicants to provide
descriptions of the steps to be taken by the SEA to award subgrant
funds to eligible applicants desiring to receive these funds,
including descriptions of the peer review process the SEA will use
to review applications for assistance, the timelines for awarding
such funds, and how the SEA will assess the quality of the
applications.

(v) In the case of SEAs that propose to use grant funds to support
dissemination activities under section 5204(f)(6) of the ESEA, the
quality of the dissemination activities (15 points) and the likelihood
that those activities will improve student academic achievement (15
points).

Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to describe the steps
to be taken by the SEA to award these funds to eligible applicants,
including descriptions of the peer review process the SEA will use
to review applications for dissemination, the timelines for awarding
such funds, and how the SEA will assess the quality of the
applications.

(vi) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the
evaluation, the Secretary considers the extent to which the methods of
evaluation include the use of objective performance measures that are
clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will
produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible (30
points).

Note: A strong evaluation plan should be included in the
application narrative and should be used, as appropriate, to shape
the development of the project from the beginning of the grant
period. The plan should include benchmarks to monitor progress
toward specific project objectives and also outcome measures to
assess the impact on teaching and learning or other important
outcomes for project participants. More specifically, the plan
should identify the individual and/or organization that has agreed
to serve as evaluator for the project and describe the
qualifications of that evaluator. The plan should describe the
evaluation design, indicating: (1) What types of data will be
collected; (2) when various types of data will be collected; (3)
what methods will be used; (4) what instruments will be developed
and when; (5) how the data will be analyzed; (6) when reports of
results and outcomes will be available; and (7) how the applicant
will use the information collected through the evaluation to monitor
progress of the funded project and to provide accountability
information both about success at the initial site and effective
strategies for replication in other settings. Applicants are
encouraged to devote an appropriate level of resources to project
evaluation.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we will notify
your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118. For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please
go to the ED Performance Report Form 524B at http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html
.

4. Performance Measures: The goal of the CSP is to support the
creation and development of a large number of high-quality charter
schools that are free from State or local rules that inhibit flexible
operation, are held accountable for enabling students to reach
challenging State performance standards, and are open to all students.
The Secretary has set three performance indicators to

[[Page 76895]]

measure this goal: (1) The number of States, including the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico, with charter school laws, (2) The number of
charter schools in operation around the Nation, and (3) The percentage
of charter school students who are achieving at or above the proficient
level on State examinations in mathematics and reading. Additionally,
the Secretary has established the following measure to examine the
efficiency of the CSP: Federal cost per student in implementing a
successful school (defined as a school in operation for three or more
years).
All grantees will be expected to submit an annual performance
report documenting their contribution in assisting the Department in
meeting these performance measures.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dean Kern, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W227, FB6, Washington, DC
20202-5961. Telephone: (202) 260-1882 or by e-mail: dean.kern@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this
section.

VIII. Other Information

Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.

To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.

Dated: December 18, 2006.
Morgan S. Brown,
Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E6-21842 Filed 12-20-06; 8:45 am]

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