[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 27, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25221-25234]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-12180]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information;
Teacher Quality Partnership Grants Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.405A.
Dates:
Applications Available: May 27, 2009.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 26, 2009.
Dates of Pre-Application Meeting: There will be two pre-application
meetings for prospective applicants on June 8, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to
12:00 p.m. and on June 8, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 23, 2009.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 21, 2009.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purposes of the Teacher Quality Partnership
(TQP) Grants Program are to: Improve student achievement; improve the
quality of new and prospective teachers by improving the preparation of
prospective teachers and enhancing professional development activities
for new teachers; hold teacher preparation programs at institutions of
higher education (IHEs) accountable for preparing highly qualified
teachers; and recruit highly qualified individuals, including
minorities and individuals from other occupations, into the teaching
force.
More specifically, the TQP Grants Program seeks to improve the
quality of new teachers by creating partnerships among IHEs, high-need
school districts (local educational agencies (LEAs)) their high-need
schools, and/or high-need early childhood education (ECE) program.
These partnerships would create model teacher preparation programs at
the pre-baccalaureate level through the implementation of specific
reforms of the IHE's existing teacher preparation programs, and/or
model teaching residency programs for individuals with strong academic
and/or professional backgrounds but without teaching experience. The
TQP Grants Program may also support school leadership programs to train
superintendents, principals, ECE program directors, and other school
leaders in high-need or rural LEAs.
General Application Requirements: All applicants must meet the
following general application requirements in order to be considered
for funding. Except as specifically noted in this section, the general
application requirements are from section 202 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965, as amended in 2008 by the Higher Education Opportunity Act
(HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1022(a)).
Each eligible partnership desiring a grant under this program must
submit an application that contains--
(a) A needs assessment of the partners in the partnership, for the
preparation, ongoing training, professional development, and retention
of general education and special education teachers, principals, and,
as applicable, early childhood educators;
(b) A description of how the partnership will--
(1) Prepare prospective and new general education and special
education teachers to understand and use research and data to modify
and improve classroom instruction and prepare prospective and new
teachers with strong teaching skills;
(2) Support in-service professional development strategies and
activities;
(3) Engage faculty at the partner institution to work with highly
qualified teachers in the classrooms of high-need schools served by the
high-need LEA in the partnership in order to--
(i) Provide high-quality professional development to strengthen the
content knowledge and teaching skills of elementary school and
secondary school teachers; and
(ii) Train other classroom teachers to implement literacy programs
that incorporate the essential components of reading instruction;
(4) Design, implement, or enhance a year-long and rigorous teaching
preservice clinical program component;
(5) Prepare general education teachers to teach students with
disabilities, including training related to participation as a member
of individualized education program teams, as defined in section
614(d)(1)(B) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);
(6) Prepare general education and special education teachers to
teach limited English proficient students; and
(7) Collect, analyze, and use data on the retention of all teachers
and early childhood educators in high-need schools and high-need ECE
programs located in the geographic area served by the partnership to
evaluate the effectiveness of the partnership's teacher and educator
support system;
(c) A description of the induction program activities that
demonstrates--
(1) That the schools and departments within the IHE that are part
of the induction program will effectively prepare teachers, including
providing content expertise and expertise in teaching, as appropriate;
(2) The eligible partnership's capability and commitment to, and
the accessibility to and involvement of faculty in, the use of
empirically-based practice and scientifically valid research on
teaching and learning;
(3) How faculty involved in the induction program will be able to
substantially participate in a high-need ECE program or a high-need
elementary school or high-need secondary school classroom setting, as
applicable, including release time and receiving workload credit for
such participation; and
(4) How the teacher preparation program will support, through not
less than the first two years of teaching, all new teachers who are
prepared by the teacher preparation program in the partnership and who
teach in the high-need LEA in the partnership, and, to the extent
practicable, all new teachers who teach in such high-need LEA, in the
further development of the new teachers' teaching skills, including the
use of mentors who are trained and compensated by the program for the
mentors' work with new teachers;
(d) A description of how the partnership will--
(1) Coordinate strategies and activities with other teacher
preparation or professional development programs, including programs
funded under the
[[Page 25222]]
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), and
the IDEA, and through the National Science Foundation; and how those
activities will be consistent with State, local, and other education
reform activities that promote teacher quality and student academic
achievement; and
(2) Align the teacher preparation program with the--
(i) State early learning standards for ECE programs, as
appropriate, and with the relevant domains of early childhood
development; and
(ii) Student academic achievement standards and academic content
standards under section 1111(b)(2) of the ESEA, established by the
State in which the partnership is located;
(e) An assessment that describes the resources available to the
partnership, including--
(1) The integration of funds from other related sources;
(2) The intended use of the grant funds; and
(3) The commitment of the resources of the partnership to the
activities assisted under this program, including financial support,
faculty participation, and time commitments, and to the continuation of
the activities when the grant ends;
(f) A description of the partnership's evaluation plan that
includes strong and measurable performance objectives, including
objectives and measures for increasing--
(1) Achievement for all prospective and new teachers and their
students, as measured by the eligible partnership. The HEA permits the
Secretary to establish additional requirements for applications under
this program. In that regard, in addition to the statutory requirement
that each application describe in its evaluation plan the objectives
and measures for increasing the achievement for prospective and new
teachers, we also require the application to describe objectives and
measures for increasing the achievement of students taught by teachers
who have participated in the projects. As one of the key statutory
purposes of the TQP Grants Program is to improve student achievement
(section 201(1) of the HEA) we believe that any evaluation of the
performance of the projects funded under this program should include an
assessment of the impact of the project on student achievement and that
applicants should describe the objectives and measures for doing so in
their evaluation plan;
(2) Teacher retention in the first three years of a teacher's
career;
(3) Improvement in the pass rates and scaled scores for initial
State certification or licensure of teachers;
(4) The percentage of highly qualified teachers hired by the high-
need LEA participating in the eligible partnership, including the
percentage of those teachers--
(i) Who are members of underrepresented groups;
(ii) Who teach high-need academic subject areas (such as reading,
mathematics, science, and foreign language, including less commonly
taught languages and critical foreign languages);
(iii) Who teach in high-need areas (including special education,
language instruction educational programs for limited English
proficient students, and ECE); and
(iv) Who teach in high-need schools, disaggregated by the
elementary school and secondary school levels;
(5) As applicable, the percentage of ECE program classes in the
geographic area served by the eligible partnership taught by early
childhood educators who are highly competent; and
(6) As applicable, the percentage of teachers trained--
(i) To integrate technology effectively into curricula and
instruction, including technology consistent with the principles of
universal design for learning; and
(ii) To use technology effectively to collect, manage, and analyze
data to improve teaching and learning for the purpose of improving
student academic achievement; and
(g) A description of--
(1) How the partnership will meet the purposes of the TQP Grants
Program as specified in section 201 of the HEA;
(2) How the partnership will carry out the activities required
under section 202(d) of the HEA (Partnership Grants for Pre-
Baccalaureate Preparation of Teachers) and/or section 202(e) of the HEA
(Partnership Grants for the Establishment of Teaching Residency
Programs); and
(3) If the partnership chooses to use funds under the TQP Grants
Program for a project or activities under section 202(f) of the HEA
(Partnership Grants for the Development of Leadership Programs) or
section 202(g) of the HEA (Partnership with Digital Education Content
Developer), how the partnership will carry out the project or required
activities based on the needs identified in the needs assessment
described in paragraph (a), with the goal of improving student academic
achievement.
Program Evaluation Requirements: All applicants must cooperate with
the national evaluation contractor selected by ED to evaluate the TQP
Grants Program. This will include responding to modest data requests by
the evaluation contractor (for example, requested program information
and program participant information such as GRE or SAT scores and
contact information).
Priorities: This notice contains two absolute priorities, four
competitive preference priorities, and one invitational priority that
are explained in the following paragraphs.
Absolute Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv),
Absolute Priority 1 is from section 202(d) of the HEA and Absolute
Priority 2 is from section 202(e) of the HEA. For FY 2009 and any
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded
applicants from this competition, these priorities are absolute
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications
that meet one or both of these absolute priorities. These priorities
are:
Absolute Priority 1: Partnership Grants for Pre-Baccalaureate
Preparation of Teachers. Under this priority, an eligible partnership
must carry out an effective program for the pre-baccalaureate
preparation of teachers that includes all of the following:
(a) Program Accountability. Implementation of reforms, described in
paragraph (b) of this priority, within each of the partnership's
teacher preparation programs and, as applicable, each of the
partnership's preparation program for ECE programs, to hold each
program accountable for--
(1) Preparing--
(i) New or prospective teachers to be highly qualified (including
teachers in rural school LEAs who may teach multiple subjects, special
educators, and teachers of students who are limited English proficient
who may teach multiple subjects);
(ii) Such teachers and, as applicable, early childhood educators,
to understand empirically-based practice and scientifically valid
research related to teaching and learning and the applicability of such
practice and research, including through the effective use of
technology, instructional techniques, and strategies consistent with
the principles of universal design for learning, and through positive
behavioral interventions and support strategies to improve student
achievement; and
(iii) As applicable, early childhood educators to be highly
competent; and
(2) Promoting strong teaching skills and, as applicable, techniques
for early
[[Page 25223]]
childhood educators to improve children's cognitive, social, emotional,
and physical development.
(b) Specific reforms. The reform of the quality of each teacher
preparation program, or each ECE program, by--
(1) Implementing teacher preparation program curriculum changes
that improve, evaluate, and assess how well all prospective and new
teachers develop teaching skills;
(2) Ensuring collaboration with departments, programs, or units of
a partner institution outside of the teacher preparation program in all
academic content areas to ensure that prospective teachers receive
training in both teaching and relevant content areas in order to become
highly qualified (which may include training in multiple subjects to
teach multiple grade levels as may be needed for individuals preparing
to teach in rural communities and for individuals preparing to teach
students with disabilities as described in section 602(10)(D) of the
IDEA);
(3) Developing admission goals and priorities aligned with the
hiring objectives of the high-need LEA in the eligible partnership;
(4) Implementing program and curriculum changes, as applicable, to
ensure that prospective teachers have requisite content knowledge,
preparation, and degree to teach Advanced Placement or International
Baccalaureate courses successfully;
(5) Developing and implementing an induction program for new
teachers, or in the case of an ECE program, providing mentoring or
coaching for new early childhood educators as described in paragraph
(f) of this priority; and
(6) Using empirically based practice and scientifically valid
research, where applicable, about teaching and learning so that all
prospective students, and as applicable, early childhood educators--
(i) Understand and can implement research based teaching practices
in classroom instruction;
(ii) Can successfully employ effective strategies for reading
instruction using the essential components of reading instruction;
(iii) Possess skills to analyze student academic achievement data
and other measures of student learning, and use such data and measures
to improve classroom instruction;
(iv) Can effectively participate as a member of the individualized
education program team, as defined in section 614(d)(1)(B) of the IDEA;
(v) Have knowledge of student learning methods; and
(vi) Possess teaching skills and an understanding of effective
instructional strategies across all applicable content areas that
enable general education and special education teachers and early
childhood educators in order to--
(A) Meet the specific learning needs of all students, including
students with disabilities, students who are limited English
proficient, students who are gifted and talented, students with low
literacy levels, children in ECE programs; and
(B) Differentiate instruction for these students.
(c) Literacy training. Strengthening the literacy teaching skills
of prospective and, as applicable, new elementary and secondary school
teachers to--
(1) Implement literacy programs that incorporate the essential
components of reading instruction;
(2) Use screening, diagnostic, formative and summative assessments
to determine students' literacy levels, difficulties, and growth in
order to improve classroom instruction and improve student reading and
writing skills;
(3) Provide individualized, intensive, and targeted literacy
instruction for students with deficiencies in literacy skills; and
(4) Integrate literacy skills in the classroom across subject
areas.
(d) Clinical experience. Development and implementation (or
improvement) of a sustained and high-quality preservice clinical
education program, offered over the course of a program of teacher
preparation, to further develop the teaching skills of all prospective
teachers, and as applicable, early childhood educators involved in the
project. This preservice clinical education program must--
(1) Incorporate year-long opportunities for enrichment, including--
(i) Clinical learning in classrooms in high-need schools served by
the high-need LEA in the eligible partnership, and identified by the
eligible partnership; and
(ii) Closely supervised interaction between prospective teachers
and faculty, experienced teachers, principals, other administrators,
and school leaders at ECE programs (as applicable), elementary schools,
or secondary schools, and providing support for such interaction;
(2) Integrate pedagogy and classroom practices and effective
teaching skills in academic content areas;
(3) Provide high-quality teacher mentoring;
(4) Be tightly aligned with course work (and may be developed as a
fifth year of a teacher preparation program);
(5) Where feasible, allow prospective teachers to learn to teach in
the same LEA in which the teachers will work, learning the
instructional initiatives and curriculum of that LEA; and
(6) As applicable, provide training and experience to enhance the
teaching skills of prospective teachers to better prepare such teachers
to meet the unique needs of teaching in rural or urban communities.
(e) Support for program participation. The provision of support and
training for individuals participating in an activity for prospective
or new teachers, whether in the teacher preparation program (or program
for early childhood educators), the clinical experience, or in the
LEA's induction program for new teachers, and for individuals who serve
as mentors for these teachers, based on each individual's experience.
This support and training may include--
(1) With respect to a prospective teacher or a mentor, release time
for such individual's participation;
(2) With respect to a mentor, a stipend, which may include bonus,
differential, incentive, or performance pay, based on the mentor's
extra skills and responsibilities; and
(3) With respect to a faculty member, the receipt of course
workload credit and compensation for time teaching in the eligible
partnership's activities.
(f) Participants in an ECE program. Where a project focuses on
preparation of early childhood educators, implementation of initiatives
that increase compensation for early childhood educators who attain
associate or baccalaureate degrees in ECE.
(g) Teacher recruitment. Development and implementation of
effective mechanisms (which may include alternative routes to State
certification of teachers) to ensure that the eligible partnership is
able to recruit qualified individuals to become highly qualified
teachers through the activities of the eligible partnership. These
mechanisms may include an emphasis on recruiting into the teaching
profession--
(1) Individuals from under represented populations;
(2) Individuals to teach in rural communities and teacher shortage
areas, including mathematics, science, special education, and the
instruction of limited English proficient students; and
(3) Mid-career professionals from other occupations, former
military personnel, and recent college graduates with a record of
academic distinction.
Absolute Priority 2: Partnership Grants for the Establishment of
Effective Teaching Residency Programs. Under this priority, an eligible
partnership
[[Page 25224]]
must carry out a teaching residency program for high-need subjects and
areas, as determined by the needs of the high-need LEA in the
partnership. The program must ensure that teaching residents who
participate in the teaching residency program receive the preparation
and support described in the following required program components:
(a) Establishment and design. The teaching residency program must
be based upon models of successful teaching residencies that serve as a
mechanism to prepare teachers for success in the high-need schools in
the eligible partnership, and be designed to include the following
characteristics of successful programs:
(1) Integration of pedagogy, classroom practice, and teacher
mentoring.
(2) Engagement of teaching residents in rigorous graduate-level
course work to earn a master's degree while undertaking a guided
teaching apprenticeship.
(3) Grouping of teaching residents in cohorts to facilitate
professional collaboration among such residents.
(4) The development of admissions goals and priorities--
(i) That are aligned with the hiring objectives of the high-need
LEA partnering with the program, as well as the instructional
initiatives and curriculum of the high-need LEA, in exchange for a
commitment by the high-need LEA to hire qualified graduates from the
teaching residency program; and
(ii) Which may include consideration of applicants who reflect the
communities in which they will teach as well as consideration of
individuals from underrepresented populations in the teaching
profession.
(5) Experience and learning opportunities alongside a trained and
experienced mentor teacher--
(i) Whose teaching complements the residency program so that
classroom clinical practice is tightly aligned with coursework;
(ii) Who has been given extra responsibilities--
(A) As a teacher leader of the teaching residency program;
(B) As a mentor for residents;
(C) As a teacher coach during the induction program for new
teachers; and
(D) For establishing, within the program, a learning community in
which all individuals are expected to continually improve their
capacity to advance student learning; and
(iii) Who may be relieved, if appropriate, from teaching duties as
a result of these additional responsibilities.
(6) The establishment of clear criteria for the selection of mentor
teachers based on measures of teacher effectiveness and the appropriate
subject area knowledge. For purposes of this section, evaluation of
teacher effectiveness must be based on, but not limited to,
observations of the following:
(i) Planning and preparation, including demonstrated knowledge of
content, pedagogy, and assessment, including the use of formative and
diagnostic assessments to improve student learning.
(ii) Appropriate instruction that engages students with different
learning styles.
(iii) Collaboration with colleagues to improve instruction.
(iv) Analysis of gains in student learning, based on multiple
measures that are valid and reliable and that, when feasible, may
include valid, reliable, and objective measures of the influence of
teachers on the rate of student academic progress.
(v) In the case of mentor candidates who will be mentoring new or
prospective literacy and mathematics coaches or instructors,
appropriate skills in the essential components of reading instruction,
teacher training in literacy instructional strategies across core
subject areas, and teacher training in mathematics instructional
strategies, as appropriate.
(7) Support for teaching residents, once they are hired as teachers
of record, through an induction program, professional development, and
networking opportunities to support the residents through not less then
the residents' first two years of teaching.
(b) Additional support for residents after completing the program.
In addition to the services described in paragraph (a)(7) of this
priority, a partnership must place graduates of the teaching residency
program in cohorts that facilitate professional collaboration, both
among graduates of the teaching residency program and between such
graduates and mentor teachers in the receiving school.
(c) Selection of individuals as teacher residents.
(1) In order to be eligible to be a teacher resident in a teaching
residency program, an individual must be a recent graduate of a four-
year IHE or a mid-career professional from outside the field of
education possessing strong content knowledge or a record of
professional accomplishment, and submit an application to the teaching
residency program.
(2) An eligible partnership must establish criteria for the
selection of eligible individuals to participate in the teaching
residency program based on the following characteristics--
(i) Strong content knowledge or record of accomplishment in the
field or subject area to be taught;
(ii) Strong verbal and written communication skills, which may be
demonstrated by performance on appropriate tests; and
(iii) Other attributes linked to effective teaching, which may be
determined by interviews or performance assessments, as specified by
the eligible partnership.
(d) Provision of stipends or salaries.
(1) A teaching residency program must provide a one-year living
stipend or salary during the one-year teaching residency program to any
teacher resident candidate accepted into the program who requests the
stipend or salary and submits the application described in paragraph
(d)(2) of this priority.
(2) Each teaching residency candidate desiring a living stipend or
salary during the one-year period of the residency must submit an
application to the eligible partnership at such time, and containing
such information and assurances, as the eligible partnership may
require.
(3) Each application submitted under paragraph (d)(2) of this
priority, must contain or be accompanied by an agreement that the
applicant will--
(i) Serve as a full-time teacher for a total of not less than three
academic years immediately after successfully completing the one-year
teaching residency program;
(ii) Fulfill the requirement under paragraph (d)(3)(i) of this
priority by teaching in a high-need school served by the high-need LEA
in the eligible partnership and teach a subject or area that is
designated as high need by the partnership;
(iii) Provide to the eligible partnership a certificate, from the
chief administrative officer of the high-need LEA in which the teacher
resident is employed, documenting the employment required under
paragraph (d)(3)(i) and (ii) of this priority at the beginning of, and
upon completion of, each year or partial year of service;
(iv) Meet the requirements to be a highly qualified teacher, as
defined in section 9101 of the ESEA, or section 602 of the IDEA, when
the applicant begins to fulfill the service obligation under the
program; and
(v) Comply with the requirements established by the eligible
partnership under paragraph (e) of this priority if the
[[Page 25225]]
applicant is unable or unwilling to complete the service obligation
required by the paragraph.
(e) Repayments.
(1) Each grantee carrying out a teaching residency program must
require a recipient of a stipend or salary under paragraph (d)(1) of
this priority who does not complete, or who notifies the partnership
that he or she intends not to complete, the service obligation required
by paragraph (d)(3) of this priority to repay the stipend or salary to
the eligible partnership--
(i) Together with interest at a rate specified by the partnership
in the agreement; and
(ii) In accordance with such other terms and conditions specified
by the eligible partnership, as necessary.
(2) Other terms and conditions specified by the eligible
partnership may include, among other things, reasonable provisions for
pro-rata repayment of the stipend or salary described in paragraph
(e)(1) of this priority, or for deferral of a teaching resident's
service obligation required by paragraph (d)(3) of this priority, on
grounds of health, incapacitation, inability to secure employment in a
school served by the eligible partnership, being called to active duty
in the Armed Forces of the United States, or other extraordinary
circumstances.
(3) An eligible partnership must use any repayment received under
paragraph (e) to carry out additional activities that are consistent
with the purposes of the Teaching Residency program.
Competitive Preference Priorities: Within these absolute
priorities, we give competitive preference to applications that address
one or more of the following priorities. For FY 2009 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from
this competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities.
Competitive Preference Priority 1: We are establishing Competitive
Preference Priority 1 in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the
General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an additional 10 points to an
application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1, depending on
how well the application meets the priority. We will add any
competitive preference priority points only to highly rated
applications on one or both of the absolute priorities.
This priority is:
Competitive Preference Priority 1: Student Achievement and
Continuous Program Improvement. The Secretary gives priority to
applications from an eligible partnership that would use appropriate
means to--
(1) Collect and use data on student achievement to assess the
effect of teachers prepared through the pre-baccalaureate teacher
preparation and/or teaching residency program on student learning in
the classrooms of the high-need schools in which they work; to be
eligible to receive the maximum number of points, applicants must
demonstrate their capacity to include longitudinal data capturing
student achievement by teacher from year to year, and
(2) Provide for continuous improvement of the participating
teachers, and of the pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation program and/
or teaching residency program based on these data.
Our purpose in establishing this priority is to support the
collection and use of data showing the effect of teachers on student
learning and achievement. The relevant data would include both teachers
in the program and teachers not in the program. As noted earlier, a key
statutory purpose of this program is to improve student achievement.
Having these data will enable grantees both to assess the effectiveness
of their projects and to use the data to improve the project's impact
on student achievement.
Competitive Preference Priority 2: Competitive Preference Priority
2 is from section 202(f) of the HEA. As used in this priority, the
definition of ``LEA located in a rural area'' is established in
accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions
Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award
up to an additional 5 points to an application that meets Competitive
Preference Priority 2, depending on how well the application meets the
priority. We will add any competitive preference priority points only
to highly rated applications on one or both of the absolute priorities.
This priority is:
Competitive Preference Priority 2: Partnership Grants for the
Development of Leadership Programs. Under this competitive preference
priority the Secretary gives priority to applications from eligible
partnerships that propose to carry out an effective school leadership
program that will prepare individuals enrolled or preparing to enroll
in those programs for careers as superintendents, principals, ECE
program directors, or other school leaders (including individuals
preparing to work in LEAs located in rural areas who may perform
multiple duties in addition to the role of a school leader). An
eligible partnership may carry out the school leadership program either
in the partner high-need LEA or in further partnership with an LEA
located in a rural area.
The school leadership program carried out under this priority must
include the following activities:
(a) Preparation of school leaders. In preparing school leaders, the
school leadership program must include the following activities:
(1) Promoting strong leadership skills and, as applicable,
techniques for school leaders to effectively--
(i) Create and maintain a data-driven, professional learning
community within the leader's schools;
(ii) Provide a climate conducive to the professional development of
teachers, with a focus on improving student achievement and the
development of effective instructional leadership skills;
(iii) Understand the teaching and assessment skills needed to
support successful classroom instruction and to use data to evaluate
teacher instruction and drive teacher and student learning;
(iv) Manage resources and school time to improve student academic
achievement and ensure a safe school environment;
(v) Engage and involve parents, community members, the LEA,
businesses, and other community leaders, to leverage additional
resources to improve student academic achievement; and
(vi) Understand how students learn and develop in order to increase
academic achievement for all students.
(2) Developing and improving a sustained and high-quality
preservice clinical education program to further develop the leadership
skills of all prospective school leaders involved in the program. This
clinical education program must do the following:
(i) Incorporate year-long opportunities for enrichment, including--
(A) Clinical learning in high-need schools served by the high-need
LEA or an LEA located in a rural area in the eligible partnership and
identified by the eligible partnership; and
(B) Closely supervised interaction between prospective school
leaders and faculty, new and experienced teachers, and new and
experienced school leaders, in those high-need schools.
(ii) Integrate pedagogy and practice and promote effective
leadership skills, meeting the unique needs of urban, rural, or
geographically isolated communities, as applicable.
(iii) Provide for mentoring of new school leaders.
(3) Creating an induction program for new school leaders.
[[Page 25226]]
(4) Ensuring that individuals who participate in the school
leadership program receive--
(i) Effective preservice preparation as described in paragraph
(a)(2) of this priority;
(ii) Mentoring; and
(iii) If applicable, full State certification or licensure to
become a school leader.
(5) Developing and implementing effective mechanisms to ensure that
the eligible partnership is able to recruit qualified individuals to
become school leaders through activities that may include an emphasis
on recruiting into school leadership professions--
(i) Individuals from underrepresented populations;
(ii) Individuals to serve as superintendents, principals, or other
school administrators in rural and geographically isolated communities
and school leader shortage areas; and
(iii) Mid-career professionals from other occupations, former
military personnel, and recent college graduates with a record of
academic distinction.
(b) Selection of Participants. In order to be eligible for the
school leadership program, an individual must--
(i) Be enrolled in or preparing to enroll in an IHE;
(ii) Be a--
(A) Recent graduate of an IHE;
(B) Mid-career professional from outside the field of education
with strong content knowledge or a record of professional
accomplishment;
(C) Current teacher who is interested in becoming a school leader;
or
(D) School leader who is interested in becoming a superintendent;
and
(iii) Submit an application to the school leadership program
containing such information as the eligible partnership may require.
Section 202(g) of the HEA, like this priority, permits an eligible
partnership to implement a school leadership program in an LEA that is
not a high-need LEA provided the LEA is located in a rural area.
However, the statute does not define the phrase ``LEA located in a
rural area,'' for the purpose of this priority. The National Center for
Educational Statistics (NCES), which has established locale codes based
on geographic location, and assigned codes to all LEAs, considers an
LEA with an assigned locale code of 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43 as
located in a rural area. (Codes 41-43 correspond with former locale
codes 7 and 8 used to determine eligibility for the Small Rural School
Achievement program; while codes 31-33 correspond to former locale code
6 used to help determine eligibility for the Rural Low Income Schools
program.) In order to extend the potential benefits of the TQP School
Leadership program to as many rural LEAs as possible, we have
determined that any LEA assigned any of these six locale codes may
qualify under this TQP program as an ``LEA located in a rural area.''
Prospective applicants may determine whether a particular LEA has
one of these six locale codes by referring to the following Web site:
http://[email protected] and using the following procedures:
a. From the options listed across the top of this Web page, select
``School, & College Library Search.''
b. From the menu that appears, select ``Search for School
Districts.''
c. On the ``Search for Public School Districts'' page, type in the
LEA or school district name (do not include phrases like ``School
District'' or ``Public Schools'' that follow the name, and the State in
which it is located. Then select ``Search.''
d. From the list of LEAs shown, select the appropriate LEA. On the
``District Information'' page, the NCES locale code for the district is
shown under the subheading ``District Details'', next to ``Locale.''
Competitive Preference Priorities 3 and 4: Competitive Preference
Priorities 3 and 4 are from section 203(b)(2) of the HEA. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(ii) we give preference to an application that meets one or
both of these priorities over an application of comparable merit that
does not meet the priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 3: Rigorous Selection Process.
Eligible partnerships that include an IHE whose teacher preparation
program has a rigorous process for selecting students entering the
program to ensure the highest quality of students entering the program.
Competitive Preference Priority 4: Broad-based Partners.
Applications from broad-based eligible partnerships with significant
involvement of businesses or community organizations.
Invitational Priority: Within Absolute Priorities 1 and 2, we are
particularly interested in applications that address the following
invitational priority. For FY 2009 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition,
this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we
do not give an application that meets this invitational priority a
competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
This priority is:
Partnership with Digital Education Content Developer. Consistent
with section 202(g) of the HEA, we are interested in receiving
applications that propose to use grant funds to carry out one or both
of the absolute priorities, through partnerships with a television
public broadcast station, as defined in section 397(6) of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended (47 U.S.C. 397(6)), or another
entity that develops digital educational content, for the purpose of
improving the quality of pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation programs
or to enhance the quality of preservice training for prospective
teachers.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, selection
criteria, definitions, and other requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of
GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking
requirements, regulations governing the first grant competition under a
new or substantially revised program authority. This is the first grant
competition for the TQP Grants Program authorized by section 202 of the
HEA, and it therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure
timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forego public comment
on (a) the requirement that grantees include in their evaluations
objectives and measures for improving student achievement; (b)
Competitive Preference Priority 1; (c) the definition of ``LEA located
in a rural area'' in Competitive Preference Priority 2, (d) the
requirement that a required member of the eligible partnership be the
fiscal agent for the grant; (e) the Teacher Need component of the
definition of ``high-need LEA''; and (f) the selection criteria,
Quality of the Project Design and Significance, under section 437(d)(1)
of GEPA. These priorities, definitions, and selection criteria will
apply to the FY 2009 grant competition and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1021-1022(c).
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except Federally recognized Indian Tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
[[Page 25227]]
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $143,000,000: $43,000,000 from the
Department of Education's FY 2009 appropriation and $100,000,000 from
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, Public Law
No. 111-5. The purposes of the ARRA include the following:
(1) To preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery;
(2) To assist those most impacted by the recession;
(3) To provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency
by spurring technological advances in science and health;
(4) To invest in transportation, environmental protection, and
other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefit; and
(5) To stabilize State and local government budgets in order to
minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and
counterproductive State and local tax increases.
Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000-$2,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,500,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 25-35.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice. The Department will first fund applications with FY 2009
appropriations. If the Department does not receive enough quality
applications, the Department may re-open the competition.
Project Period: 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: An eligible applicant must be an ``eligible
partnership'' as defined in section 200(6) of the HEA. The fiscal agent
of the grant must be one of the required partners in the eligible
partnership, as described in section 200 of the HEA. We are
establishing this requirement in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of
GEPA to ensure that a required member of the partnership is responsible
for the administration of the grant. The eligible partnership means an
entity that--
(1) Must include each of the following:
(i) A high-need LEA.
(ii) A high-need school or consortium of high-need schools served
by the high-need LEA, or, as applicable, a high-need ECE program.
(iii) A partner institution.
(iv) A school, department, or program of education within such
partner institution, which may include an existing teacher professional
development program with proven outcomes within a four-year IHE that
provides intensive and sustained collaboration between faculty and LEAs
consistent with the requirements of Title II of the HEA.
(v) A school or department of arts and sciences within such partner
institution; and
(2) May include any of the following:
(i) The Governor of the State.
(ii) The State educational agency.
(iii) The State board of education.
(iv) The State agency for higher education.
(v) A business.
(vi) A public or private nonprofit educational organization.
(vii) An educational service agency.
(viii) A teacher organization.
(ix) A high-performing LEA, or a consortium of high-performing
LEAs, that can serve as a resource to the partnership.
(x) A charter school (as defined in section 5210 of the ESEA).
(xi) A school or department within the partner institution that
focuses on psychology and human development.
(xii) A school or department within the partner institution with
comparable expertise in the disciplines of teaching, learning, and
child and adolescent development.
(xiii) An entity operating a program that provides alternative
routes to State certification of teachers.
Definitions: For purposes of the definition of ``eligible
partnership,'' the following definitions are from section 200 of the
HEA, as amended.
(1) High-Need Local Educational Agency: To be eligible as a ``high-
need LEA,'' an LEA must establish that it meets one of the criteria for
requisite poverty or geographic location in component (i), below, and
one of the requisite criteria for teacher need in component (ii). Thus,
under section 200(10) of the HEA, the term ``high-need LEA'' means an
LEA--
(i)(A) For which not less than 20 percent of the children served by
the agency are children from low-income families;
(B) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from low-income
families;
(C) That meets the eligibility requirements for funding under the
Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Program under section 6211(b) of
the ESEA, or
(D) That meets eligibility requirements for funding under the Rural
and Low-Income School Program under section 6221(b) of the ESEA;
(ii) And--
(A) For which there is a high percentage of teachers not teaching
in the academic subject areas or grade levels in which the teachers
were trained to teach; or
(B) There is a high teacher turnover rate or a high percentage of
teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or
licensure.
So that the Department may be able to confirm the eligibility of
the LEAs participating in the partnership as ``high-need LEAs,''
applicants will need to include information in their applications that
demonstrates that each participating LEA in the partnership meets the
above definition of ``high-need.'' This information must be based on
the most recent data available.
Poverty Data. Under component (i)(A) or (i)(B) of the definition of
``high-need LEA,'' an LEA must show that not less than 20 percent of
the children served by the LEA are children from low-income families or
that the LEA serves fewer than 10,000 children from low-income
families. Under section 200(2) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1021(2)), the term
``children from low-income families'' means children described in
section 1124(c)(1)(A) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6333(c)(1)(A)). Consistent
with that provision, the eligibility of an LEA as a ``high-need LEA''
under component (i)(A) or (i)(B) must be determined on the basis of the
most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, which is currently for 2007. U.S.
Census Bureau data are available for all LEAs with geographic
boundaries that existed when the U.S. Census Bureau collected its
information. The link to the most recent census data is: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe/district.html. The Department also makes
these data available at its Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html.
Some LEAs, such as newly formed LEAs or charter schools in States
that accord them LEA status, are not included in Census Bureau poverty
data. Eligibility of these particular LEAs will be determined on a
case-by-case basis after review of information in the application that
addresses, as well as possible, the number or percentage of children
from low-income families these LEAs serve.
Eligibility under the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Program
or Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) Program. Under component (i)(C)
or (i)(D) of the definition of ``high-need LEA,'' an LEA may show that
it is eligible for the SRSA or RLIS programs authorized in the ESEA.
Prospective applicants may determine whether a particular LEA is
eligible for these programs by referring to information available on
the following Department Web sites. For the SRSA: http://
[[Page 25228]]
www.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligible08/index.html.
For the RLIS: http://www.ed.gov/programs/reaprlisp/eligibility.html.
Teacher Need. Under component (ii)(A) or (ii)(B) of the definition
of a ``high-need LEA,'' to be a ``high-need'' LEA, an LEA must have (A)
a high percentage of teachers not teaching in the academic subject
areas or grade levels in which the teachers were trained to teach, or
(B) either a high teacher turnover rate, or a high percentage of
teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or
licensure.
Under component (ii)(A) of Teacher Need, for purposes of the TQP
Grants Program, and in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, an
LEA has ``a high percentage of teachers not teaching in the academic
subject areas or grade levels in which the teachers were trained to
teach'' if either:
(1) The percentage of its classes taught by teachers of core
academic subjects who are not highly qualified exceeds the average
percentage for the State in which the LEA is located; or
(2) The applicant submits other information, which the Department
accepts, that the percentage of the LEA's teachers who lack training in
the academic subject areas or grade levels in which the teachers were
trained to teach perhaps because of the short amount of training that
many highly qualified teachers may have received before becoming
teachers of record, is ``high.'' Assuming that the Department accepts
the applicant's information, the Department will determine eligibility
under this test on a case-by-case basis if the percentage of teachers
who lack training in the subject area or grade levels they were trained
to teach is below five percent.
Section 1119 of the ESEA requires that all of an LEA's teachers of
core academic subjects be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-2006
school year, and we know that most LEAs are relatively close to meeting
this goal. Because highly qualified teachers are generally teachers
with sufficient knowledge or training in the subject they teach, we
believe the percentage of an LEA's classes taught by teachers who are
not highly qualified (data that SEAs and LEAs must publicly report
under section 1111(h)(1)(C)(vii) and (h)(2)(B) of the ESEA,
respectively), is a reasonable proxy for the ``percentage of teachers
not teaching in the academic subject areas or grade levels in which the
teachers were trained to teach.'' In order to extend eligibility to as
many LEAs as possible we provide that an LEA has a ``high percentage''
of these teachers if the percentage of its classes taught by teachers
who are not highly qualified exceeds the State's average.
At the same time, we recognize that LEAs that do not meet this test
may also have a high percentage of teachers not teaching in the
academic subject areas or grade levels in which the teachers were
trained to teach. For example, an LEA might (1) be in a State with a
very high average for LEAs statewide, or (2) have many teachers who,
while highly qualified in one or more academic subject areas, are
teaching an academic subject or grade level for which they are not
highly qualified or have little training. In order to accommodate these
other situations, we will determine on a case-by-case basis, and based
on the data a partnership submits with its application, whether other
LEAs also have a ``high percentage'' of such teachers.
Regarding component (ii)(B) of Teacher Need, an LEA is considered
to meet this component of ``high-need'' if it demonstrates that it has
either a high teacher turnover rate or a high percentage of teachers
with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or licensure.
In determining what is a ``high teacher turnover rate'' for purposes of
this program, pursuant to section 437(d)(1) of GEPA we adopt, with one
minor difference, the same interpretation of this phrase that the
Department used under the HEA Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow (TCT)
Baccalaureate and Master's programs. For reasons explained in the
notice inviting applications for new FY 2008 awards under the
baccalaureate program (see 73 FR 31835, 31837, June 4, 2008), we thus
determine that a ``high teacher turnover rate'' means an annual
attrition rate of 16 percent among classroom teachers who did not
return to the same school in the LEA, i.e., those teachers who moved
the following year to a different school as well as those who left
teaching altogether. We adopt this 16 percent rate rather than the 15
percent rate used in the previously authorized HEA Teacher Quality
Enhancement Grants program regulations referenced in the TCT notice
because the higher rate better reflects the more current data on which
ED relied. Consistent with the discussion in the TCT notice, an LEA may
calculate this attrition rate by averaging data over the last three
years.
The alternative criterion in component (ii)(B) of the definition of
``high-need LEA'' provides that the LEA must have a high percentage of
teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or
licensure. In accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, and for
reasons the Department discussed in the April 30, 2004 notice
announcing requirements for the Transition to Teaching Program (69 FR
24001, 24003), the Department adopts the same standard used in that
program authorized in Title II, Part C of the ESEA. This standard
relies on data that States collect for each LEA on the percentage of
teachers in the LEA who are teaching on waivers of State certification,
for inclusion in the reports on the quality of teacher preparation that
the States provide to the Department in October of each year as
required by section 207 of the HEA, as previously authorized.
Consistent with the approach the Department has taken in the
Transition to Teaching program, which includes this same criterion in
its eligibility requirements, the Department will consider an LEA as
meeting the teacher need component of the definition of ``high-need
LEA'' if LEA data the State used for purpose of the State's October
2008 HEA, section 207 report on teachers teaching on waivers of State
certification demonstrate that at least 1.37 percent of its teachers
(the national average for all 2008 HEA, State reports submitted under
section 207 of the HEA, as previously authorized) were on waivers of
State certification requirements.
(2) High-Need School: Under section 200(11) of the HEA, the term
``high-need school'' means a school that, based on the most recent data
available, meets at least one of the following:
(i) The school is in the highest quartile of schools in a ranking
of all schools served by an LEA, ranked in descending order by
percentage of students from low-income families enrolled in such
schools, as determined by the LEA based on one of the following
measures of poverty:
(A) The percentage of students aged 5 through 17 in poverty counted
in the most recent census data approved by the Secretary;
(B) The percentage of students eligible for a free or reduced price
school lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act;
(C) The percentage of students in families receiving assistance
under the State program funded under Part A of Title IV of the Social
Security Act;
(D) The percentage of students eligible to receive medical
assistance under the Medicaid program; or
(E) A composite of two or more of the measures described in
paragraphs (A) through (D).
(ii) If the school is--
(A) An elementary school, not less than 60 percent of its students
are
[[Page 25229]]
eligible for a free or reduced price school lunch under the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act; or
(B) Not an elementary school, not less than 45 percent of its
students are eligible for a free or reduced price school lunch under
the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
Note: For criterion (i)(A), the only school-level data for these
criteria of which the Department is aware are those that concern
eligibility for free and reduced price school lunches (paragraph
(i)(B)). In addition criterion (ii)(A) does not itself permit an LEA
to determine that a middle school or high school is a ``high-need
school'' on the basis of the percentage of students attending its
feeder schools that are eligible for free and reduced price school
lunch subsidies. However, the Special Rule found in Section
200(11)(B)(i) of the HEA allows the Secretary, upon approval of an
application submitted by an eligible partnership, to designate a
school as a high-need school for purposes of this program even
though that school does not meet the definition of ``high need''
under the above definition. Specifically, section 200(11)(B)(i)
permits the Secretary to approve an eligible partnership's
application to designate any school as a high-need school based on
consideration of the specific information identified in section
200(11)(B)(ii) and, at the Secretary's option, any other information
the eligible partnership submits.
The need that middle and high schools located in high-poverty
areas served by high-need LEAs have for more able, higher quality
teachers is abundantly clear. However, while criterion (i)(A)
requires a high-need school to have a minimum percentage of its
students eligible for free and reduced price school lunch subsidies,
it is common knowledge that, as students get older, the percentage
of them choosing to apply for these lunch subsidies decreases.
We do not believe that Congress intended to erect such a barrier to
the ability of middle and high schools located in high-poverty areas to
be able to benefit from teachers trained through the pre-baccalaureate
teacher preparation program or teaching residency program. Therefore,
the Secretary will identify a middle or high school as ``high-need''
if--
(a) The aggregate level of poverty of the school's feeder schools,
based on the aggregate percentage of their students eligible for free
and reduced price school lunch subsidies, yields the percentage
provided in section 200(11)(A)(ii); and
(b) The eligible applicant provides in its application the
information identified in section 200(11)(B)(ii).
(3) High-Need Early Childhood Education Program: Under section
200(9) of the HEA, the term ``high-need ECE program'' means an ECE
program serving children from low-income families that is located
within the geographic area served by a high-need LEA.
(4) Partner Institution: Under section 200(17) of the HEA, the term
``partner institution'' means an IHE, which may include a two-year IHE
offering a dual program with a four-year IHE, participating in an
eligible partnership that has a teacher preparation program--
(i) Whose graduates exhibit strong performance on State-determined
qualifying assessments for new teachers through--
(A) Demonstrating that 80 percent or more of the graduates of the
program who intend to enter the field of teaching have passed all of
the applicable State qualification assessments for new teachers, which
shall include an assessment of each prospective teacher's subject
matter knowledge in the content area in which the teacher intends to
teach; or
(B) Being ranked among the highest-performing teacher preparation
programs in the State as determined by the State using criteria
consistent with the requirements for the State report card under
section 205(b) of the HEA before the first publication of the report
card.
(ii) And that requires--
(A) Each student in the program to meet high academic standards or
demonstrate a record of success, as determined by the institution
(including prior to entering and being accepted into a program), and
participate in intensive clinical experience;
(B) Each student in the program preparing to become a teacher to
become ``highly qualified'' (as defined in section 9010(23) of the
ESEA); and
(C) Each student in the program preparing to become an ``early
childhood educator'' to meet degree requirements, as established by the
State, and become ``highly competent.''
Note: For purposes of paragraph (ii)(C) of this definition, the
term ``highly competent,'' under section 200(12) of the HEA, means
the early child educator has--
(a) Specialized education and training in development and education
of young children from birth up to entry into kindergarten; and
(b)(i) A baccalaureate degree in an academic major in the arts and
sciences; or
(ii) An associate's degree in a related educational area; and
(c) Demonstrated a high level knowledge and use of content and
pedagogy in the relevant areas associated with quality ECE.
(5) Additional Definitions: Definitions for the following terms
that apply to this program are in section 200 of the HEA: ``arts and
sciences,'' ``early childhood educator,'' ``highly qualified,''
``induction program,'' ``limited English proficient,'' ``professional
development,'' ``scientifically valid research,'' ``teacher mentoring''
and ``teaching residency program.''
2. Cost Sharing or Matching:
(1) Under section 203(c) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1022(b)), each grant
recipient must provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to
100 percent of the amount of the grant, which may be provided in cash
or in-kind, to carry out the activities supported by the grant.
Grantees must budget their matching contributions on an annual basis
relative to each annual award of Teacher Quality Partnership Program
funds.
However, the HEA also authorizes the Secretary to waive this
matching requirement for any partnership for any fiscal year if the
Secretary determines that ``applying the matching requirement to the
eligible partnership would result in serious hardship or an inability
to carry out the authorized activities described in'' the law. In view
of the impact of the Nation's current economic difficulties on the
fiscal situation of so many LEAs and IHEs, for purposes of this
competition the Secretary will waive up to 100 percent of the required
match for each of the first two years of the grant based on a
certification of serious hardship from the applicant that is included
in the application. The Department will not at this time entertain a
request for a waiver of the matching requirement for project years
three through five, and applicants must provide a proposed non-Federal
budget for these project years. Applicants who do not request a waiver
or who request a waiver for only a portion of the matching amount in
years one and two must provide a non-Federal budget for the required
portion of their years one and two match that they intend to provide.
(2) Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. In accordance with section 202(k) of the
HEA funds made available under this program must be used to supplement,
and not supplant other Federal, State, and local funds that would
otherwise be expended to carry out activities under this program.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone, toll
free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If
[[Page 25230]]
you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll
free: 1-877-576-7734.
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: [email protected].
If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to
identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.405A.
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.
Notice of Intent To Apply: June 26, 2009.
The Department will be able to develop a more efficient process for
reviewing grant applications if it has a better understanding of the
number of entities that intend to apply for funding under this
competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each
potential applicant to notify the Department by sending a short e-mail
message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an application for
funding. The e-mail need not include information regarding the content
of the proposed application, only the applicant's intent to submit it.
The Secretary requests that this e-mail notification be sent to Peggi
Zelinko at [email protected]. Applicants that fail to provide this
e-mail notification may still apply for funding.
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. It is recommended that the
application narrative (Part III) be no more than 50 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. However, you may
single space 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).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
The 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, the page
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section (Part
III).
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: May 27, 2009.
Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: June 26, 2009.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: There will be two pre-application
meetings for prospective applicants: (1) June 8, 2009, from 10:00 a.m.
to 12:00 p.m. in the LBJ Auditorium at the U.S. Department of Education
headquarters, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202; and (2)
June 8, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the LBJ Auditorium at the
U.S. Department of Education headquarters, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20202. The Department is accessible by Metro on the
Blue, Orange, Green, and Yellow lines at the 7th Street and Maryland
Avenue exit of the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station. Please contact the
U.S. Department of Education contact persons listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT if you have any questions about the details of the
pre-application meetings.
Individuals interested in attending this workshop are encouraged to
pre-register by e-mailing their name, organization, and contact
information to [email protected]. There is no registration fee for
this workshop.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities at the Pre-Application
Meeting: The meeting site is accessible to individuals with
disabilities, and a sign language interpreter will be available. If you
will need an auxiliary aid or service other than a sign language
interpreter in order to participate in the meeting (e.g., other
interpreting service such as oral, cued speech, or tactile interpreter;
assistive listening device; or materials in alternate format), notify
the contact person listed in this notice at least two weeks before the
scheduled meeting date. Although we will attempt to meet a request we
receive after this date, we may not be able to make available the
requested auxiliary aid or service because of insufficient time to
arrange it.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 23, 2009.
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site. For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or in paper format 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 of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
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 in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 21, 2009.
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: We reference additional regulations
outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of
this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in
this section.
(a) Electronic Submission of Applications. Applications for grants
under the Teacher Quality Partnership--CFDA Number 84.405A must be
submitted electronically using e-Application, accessible through the
Department's e-Grants Web site at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
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.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
[[Page 25231]]
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this
program after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait
until the application deadline date to begin the application process.
The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m.
on Thursdays, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are
posted on the e-Grants Web site.
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: The
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. 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.
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number
(an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
(4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by
hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
(1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
(2)(a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date; or
(b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users
who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this
section apply only to the unavailability of e-Application.
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 e-Application because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
e-Application; 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
prevents 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: Peggi Zelinko, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W306,
Washington, DC 20202-5960. Fax: (202) 401-8466.
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 following address: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.405A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington,
DC 20202-4260.
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
[[Page 25232]]
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
84.405A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 grant 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
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria governing this
competition are listed in the following paragraphs. The selection
criterion, Quality of Project Evaluation, is from 34 CFR 75.210 in the
Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) and
section 204 of the HEA. The selection criterion, Quality of the
Management Plan, is from 34 CFR 75.210 in EDGAR. The selection
criterion, Quality of the Project Design, includes a combination of the
factors under that criterion in 34 CFR 75.210(c) EDGAR and the
criterion, Quality of Project Services in 34.210(d); specifically,
factor (2)(i) is from 34 CFR 75.210(c) and factors (2)(ii), (iii) and
(iv) are from 34 CFR 75.210(d). The selection criterion, Significance,
includes a combination of the factors under that criterion in 34 CFR
75.210(b) and the criterion, Quality of Project Personnel, in 34 CFR
75.210(e); specifically, factors (2)(i), (ii) and (iii) are from
section 34 CFR 75.210(b) and factor (2)(iv) is from section 34 CFR
75.210(e). We are combining these factors under these specific criteria
to provide greater clarity on how applicants should address the
criteria in their applications.
The maximum score for all of the selection criteria is 100 points.
The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses with
the criterion. These criteria are for the FY 2009 grant competition and
any subsequent year in which we make awards based on the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition only.
(a) Quality of the Project Design (up to 40 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the proposed
project consists of a comprehensive plan that includes a description
of--
(i) The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for this
competition;
(ii) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services;
(iii) The extent to which the training or professional development
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice
among the recipients of those services; and
(iv) The extent to which the services to be provided by the
proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by discussing the overall project design and its key
components, and the degree to which the design's key components are
based on sound research and practice. Applicants are also encouraged
to address this criterion by connecting the project design to the
intended impact of the project and how the project will affect the
participants, including preparation, placement, retention, and
effect on improved student achievement. Finally, applicants are
encouraged to discuss the role and commitment of each partner and
document each partner's responsibilities and commitment to the
project.
(b) Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 25 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers--
(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to intended
outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative
data to the extent possible;
(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation address the
evaluation requirements in section 204(a) of the HEA; and
(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to include a plan of
how the project's evaluation will address the TQP Grants Program
performance measures established by the Department under the
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). (The specific
performance measures established for the overall TQP Grants Program
are discussed under Performance Measures in section VI of this
notice.) Further, each applicant is encouraged to describe how the
applicant's evaluation plan will be designed to collect both output
data and outcome data including benchmarks to monitor progress.
Finally, each applicant is encouraged to select an independent,
objective evaluator who has experience in evaluating educational
programs and who will play an active role in the design and
development of the project. For resources on what to consider in
designing and conducting project evaluations, go to
www.whatworkshelpdesk.ed.gov/.
(c) Significance (up to 20 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors--
(i) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system
change or improvement;
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the
needs of the target population;
(iii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in
teaching and student achievement; and
(iv) The potential for continued support of the project after
Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated
commitment of appropriate entities to such support.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to describe the use of
a needs assessment to determine the specific needs of project
participants and how the project will address these needs.
Applicants are also encouraged to indicate how the project will
affect teaching and student achievement in the proposed service
area. Finally, applicants are encouraged to include a description of
the commitment to build local capacity for the
[[Page 25233]]
project and how this capacity building will be achieved.
(d) Quality of the Management Plan (up to 15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors--
(i) 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;
(ii) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and
continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project; and
(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products
and services from the proposed project.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address these
criteria by including in the application narrative a clear, well
thought-out implementation plan that includes annual timelines, key
project milestones, and a schedule of activities with sufficient
time for developing an adequate implementation plan, as well as a
description of the personnel who would be responsible for each
activity and the level of effort each activity entails.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
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.
Applicants are encouraged to include in their budgets funds for at
least two project staff members to attend two meetings of the TQP
Grants Program in Washington DC during each year of the project.
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 directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements
on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
Some of the funds awarded through this program were appropriated
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, Public
Law 111-5, and are subject to additional accountability and
transparency reporting requirements, which are described in section
1512(c) of the ARRA. Grantees receiving funds provided by the ARRA must
be able to distinguish these funds from any other funds they receive
through this program. Recipients of ARRA funds will be required to
submit quarterly reports on the expenditure of these funds no later
than ten days after the end of each calendar quarter through a
centralized reporting Web site administered by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB): http://www.federalreporting.gov. The information
reported at this Web site will be available to the Department, the
White House, OMB and the public on http://www.Recovery.gov. Additional
guidance providing further detail on the quarterly report will be
provided at a later time.
4. Performance Measures: The objective of the TQP Grants Program is
to increase student achievement in K-12 schools by developing highly
qualified teachers. Under GPRA, the following measures will be used by
the Department in assessing the performance of this program:
(a) Performance Measure 1: Graduation. The percentage of program
completers who--
(1) Attain initial certification/licensure by passing all necessary
certification/licensure assessments and attain a bachelor's degree
(pre-baccalaureate program) within six years of beginning the program
or a master's degree (residency program) within two years of beginning
the program; or
(2) Attain Highly Competent Early Childhood Educator status by
earning a bachelor's degree within six years of beginning the program
or an associate's degree within three years of beginning the program.
(b) Performance Measure 2: Employment Retention. The percentage of
beginning teachers who are retained in teaching in the partner high-
need LEA or high-need ECE program three years after being hired by the
high-need LEA or high-need ECE program;
(c) Performance Measure 3: Improved Scores. The percentage of
grantees that report improved scaled scores on assessments for initial
State certification or licensure of teachers;
(d) Efficiency Measure: Employment Retention. The cost of a
successful outcome where success is defined as retention of the teacher
in the partner high-need LEA or high-need ECE program three years after
the teacher is hired by the high-need LEA or high-need ECE program;
(e) Short-Term Performance Measures. Because the performance
measures already listed would not provide data for a number of years,
the Department has also established the following two measures that
will provide data in a shorter timeframe--
(1) Short-Term Performance Measure 1: Persistence. The percentage
of program participants, who were not scheduled to graduate in the
previous reporting period, and persisted in the postsecondary program
in the current reporting period; and
(2) Short-Term Performance Measure 2: Employment Retention. The
percentage of beginning teachers who are retained in teaching in the
partner high-need LEA or high-need ECE program one year after being
hired by the LEA or high-need ECE program.
Note: If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data on
these measures in your project's annual performance report (EDGAR,
34 CFR 75.590).
Applicants are also advised to consider these measures in
conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation of their
proposed projects because of their importance in the application
review process. Collection of data on these measures should be a
part of the evaluation plan, along with measures of progress on
goals and objectives that are specific to your project.
All grantees will be expected to submit an annual performance
report documenting their success in addressing these performance
measures.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Teacher Quality Partnership Grants
Program, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room
4W320, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 260-0563 or by e-mail:
[email protected].
If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
[[Page 25234]]
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the program contact person listed under For Further
Information Contact in section VII of this notice.
Electronic Access to this Document: You can 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: May 20, 2009.
James H. Shelton, III,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E9-12180 Filed 5-26-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P