[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35894-35900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-15084]
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Part III
Department of Education
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Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2009
Funds; Smaller Learning Communities Program; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 75 , No. 120 / Wednesday, June 23, 2010 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Overview
Information; Smaller Learning Communities Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Funds
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215L.
Dates: Applications Available: June 23, 2010.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: July 15, 2010.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: The application package on the
Smaller Learning Communities Web site at http://www.ed.gov/programs/slcp/index.html includes specific dates and times for technical
assistance webinar events that will instruct applicants in completing
the application package.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 6, 2010.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program
awards discretionary grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to
support the restructuring of large public high schools (i.e., schools
with enrollments of 1,000 or more students) into smaller units for the
purpose of improving academic achievement in large public high schools.
These smaller units include freshman academies, multi-grade academies
organized around career interests or other themes, ``houses'' in which
small groups of students remain together throughout high school, and
autonomous schools-within-a-school. These structural changes are
typically complemented by other personalization strategies, such as
student advisories, family advocate systems, and mentoring programs.
Priorities: There are four priorities in this notice; two are
absolute priorities and two are competitive preference priorities.
Absolute priority one is from the notice of final priorities (NFP) for
this program, published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2007 (72 FR
28426) (the 2007 SLC NFP). Absolute priority two and the competitive
preference priorities are from the NFP for this program, published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Absolute Priorities: For this competition using FY 2009 funds 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 these priorities.
These priorities are:
Preparing All Students to Succeed in Postsecondary Education and
Careers.
This priority supports projects that create or expand SLCs that are
part of a comprehensive effort to prepare all students to succeed in
postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation. In
order to meet this priority an applicant must demonstrate that, using
SLC grant funds or other resources, it will--
(1) Provide intensive interventions to assist students who enter
high school with reading/language arts or mathematics skills that are
significantly below grade level to ``catch up'' quickly and attain
proficiency by the end of 10th grade;
(2) Enroll students in a coherent sequence of rigorous English
language arts, mathematics, and science courses that will equip them
with the skills and content knowledge needed to succeed in
postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation;
(3) Provide tutoring and other academic supports to help students
succeed in rigorous academic courses;
(4) Deliver comprehensive guidance and academic advising to
students and their parents that includes assistance in selecting
courses and planning a program of study that will provide the academic
preparation needed to succeed in postsecondary education, early and
ongoing college awareness and planning activities, and help in
identifying and applying for financial aid for postsecondary education;
and
(5) Increase opportunities for students to earn postsecondary
credit through Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate
courses, or dual credit programs.
Common Planning Time for Teachers.
This priority supports projects that increase the amount of time
regularly provided to teachers who share the same students or teach the
same academic subject for common planning and collaboration during or
immediately following the school day without decreasing the amount of
time provided to teachers for individual planning and preparation
during the school day. To meet this priority, the common planning time
must be used for one or more of the following activities:
(1) Structured examination of student work and outcome data.
(2) Collaborative professional development and coaching, including
classroom observation.
(3) Identifying instructional and other interventions for
struggling students.
(4) Curriculum and assessment development.
An applicant that proposes to meet this priority by regularly
scheduling common planning time immediately following the school day
must provide a description of how it will ensure that the teachers who
will be included are able to and will participate regularly in the
common planning time activities.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For this competition using FY
2009 funds and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the
list of unfunded applicants from this competition, these priorities are
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award an additional 4 points to an application that meets Competitive
Preference Priority 1--Projects in which Fifty Percent or More of the
Included Schools are Low-Achieving and an additional 2 points to an
application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2--Projects in
which at Least One, but Less than Fifty Percent, of the Included
Schools are Low-Achieving.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Projects in which Fifty Percent
or More of the Included Schools are Low-Achieving.
This priority supports projects in which 50 percent or more of the
schools to be served by the SLC grant are in any of the following
categories:
(a) Persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in the final
requirements for the School Improvement Grants program (see 74 FR
65618, 65652)).
(b) Title I schools that are in corrective action or restructuring
under section 1116 of the ESEA.
(c) Schools that are eligible for, but do not receive Title I funds
provided that, if the schools received Title I funds, they would be in
corrective action or restructuring under section 1116 of the ESEA.
(d) Title I schools and schools that are eligible for, but do not
receive Title I funds that have a graduation rate, as defined in the
State's approved accountability plan for Part A of Title I of the ESEA,
that is less than 60 percent.
To meet this priority, the applicant must provide evidence that its
proposed project includes 50 percent or more of schools from one of the
categories (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this priority. This evidence must be
based upon data from the current school year or the most recently
completed school year and must consist of a signed and dated
certification from the Superintendent of the LEA in which the schools
are located. This certification must identify the specific category of
the priority (i.e.,
[[Page 35895]]
the categories of schools described in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and
(d) of this priority) that applies to each school included in the
application.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Projects in which at Least One,
but Less than Fifty Percent, of the Included Schools are Low-Achieving.
This priority supports projects in which at least one, but less
than 50 percent of the schools to be served by the SLC grant are in any
of the following categories:
(a) Persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in the final
requirements for the School Improvement Grants program (see 74 FR
65618, 65652)).
(b) Title I schools that are in corrective action or restructuring
under section 1116 of the ESEA.
(c) Schools that are eligible for, but do not receive Title I funds
provided that, if the schools received Title I funds, they would be in
corrective action or restructuring under section 1116 of the ESEA.
(d) Title I schools and schools that are eligible for, but do not
receive Title I funds that have a graduation rate, as defined in the
State's approved accountability plan for Part A of Title I of the ESEA,
that is less than 60 percent.
To meet this priority, the applicant must provide evidence that at
least one, but less than 50 percent of schools that are included in its
application is in one of the categories (a), (b), (c), or (d) of this
priority. This evidence must be based upon data from the current school
year or the most recently completed school year and must consist of a
signed and dated certification from the Superintendent of the LEA in
which the school or schools are located. This certification must
identify the specific category of the priority (i.e., the categories of
schools described in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this
priority) that applies to each school included in the application.
Application Requirements: All applicants must include in their
applications the information required by the program statute in title
V, part D, subpart 4, section 5441(b) of the ESEA. Applicants also must
meet the following requirements:
(a) Student Placement: We require applicants for SLC grants to
include a description of how students will be selected or placed in an
SLC and an assurance that students will not be placed according to
ability or any other measure, but will be placed at random or by
student/parent choice and not pursuant to testing or other judgments.
(2005 SLC NFP, 70 FR 22233, 22236)
(b) Including All Students: We require applicants for grants to
create or expand an SLC project that will include every student within
the school by no later than the end of the fifth school year of
implementation. Elsewhere in this notice, we define an SLC as an
environment in which a group of teachers and other adults within the
school knows the needs, interests, and aspirations of each student
well, closely monitors each student's progress, and provides the
academic and other support each student needs to succeed. (2005 SLC
NFP, 70 FR 22233, 22236)
(c) Indirect Costs: Eligible applicants that propose to use SLC
grant funds for indirect costs must include, as part of their
applications, a copy of their approved indirect cost agreement. (2007
SLC NFP, 72 FR 28426, 28430)
(d) Use of Funds for Equipment: A grantee may not use more than one
percent of the grant award in any single budget period during the
project period for the acquisition of equipment (as that term is
defined in this notice). The first budget period of the SLC project
period is 24 months in length and each of the three subsequent budget
periods is 12 months in length, for a total of four budget periods.
(NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register)
(e) Grant Award Administration: Grantees must designate a single
project director who will be principally responsible for managing and
providing leadership for the implementation of the practices, programs,
and strategies the grantee identified in its application and for
communicating with the Department.
Each grantee must ensure that its designated project director--for
a grant that includes one school--be not less than fifty percent of a
full-time equivalent (FTE) position and that the time commitment of a
project director for a grant that includes more than one school be not
less than one FTE. (NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this
issue of the Federal Register)
(f) Required Meetings Sponsored by the Department: Applicants must
set aside adequate funds within their proposed budget to send their
project director and at least two individuals from each school included
in the application to a two-day technical assistance meeting in
Washington, DC, in each year of the project period. The Department will
host these meetings. (2007 SLC NFP, 72 FR 28426, 28430)
(g) Collection of Performance Data: Refer to the Performance
Measures section of this notice.
(h) No Evaluation: No applicant is required to provide assurances
that it will support an evaluation of the project that will produce an
annual report for each year of the performance period. (NFP for this
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register)
(i) No School Report Cards: No applicant is required to include in
its application any report card for the schools included in its
application. (NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this issue
of the Federal Register)
Program Definitions: In addition to the definitions in the
authorizing statute and 34 CFR 77.1, the following definitions apply to
this program:
BIE School (formerly referred to as a ``BIA School'') means a
school operated or supported by the Bureau of Indian Education of the
U.S Department of the Interior. (2005 SLC NFP, 70 FR 22233, 22237)
Note: We have updated this definition because BIA schools are
now operated by the U.S. Department's Bureau of Indian Education.
When this definition was originally established for the SLC program,
these schools were operated by the U.S. Department's Bureau of
Indian Affairs and were referred to as ``BIA Schools''.
Equipment means an article of nonexpendable, tangible personal
property that has a useful life of more than one year and that has an
acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the
capitalization level established by the governmental unit for financial
statement purposes, or $500. It includes, but is not limited to, office
equipment and furnishings, modular offices, telephone networks,
information technology equipment and systems, air conditioning
equipment, reproduction and printing equipment, and motor vehicles.
(NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register)
Large High School means an entity that includes grades 11 and 12
and has an enrollment of 1,000 or more students in grades 9 and above.
(2005 SLC NFP, 70 FR 22233, 22237)
Smaller Learning Community (SLC) means an environment in which a
core group of teachers and other adults within the school knows the
needs, interests, and aspirations of each student well, closely
monitors each student's progress, and provides the academic and other
support each student needs to succeed. (2005 SLC NFP, 70 FR 22233,
22236)
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7249.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final
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priorities published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2005 (70 FR
22233). (c) The notice of final priority, requirements, and selection
criteria published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2007 (72 FR
28426). (d) The notice of final priorities, requirements, definition,
and selection criteria published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $32,674,540.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards using FY 2010 funds from
the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
Budget and Performance Periods: Grantees will be awarded grants for
a period up to 60 months, with the initial award to provide funding for
the first 24 months of the performance period. Funding for the
remainder of the performance period will be made annually, contingent
on the availability of funds and each grantee's substantial progress
toward accomplishing the goals and objectives of the project as
described in its approved application.
In its application, the applicant must provide detailed, yearly
budget information for the total grant period requested. (NFP for this
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register)
Estimated Range of Awards: $800,000-$5,000,000 for the first 24
months of the project period.
Maximum Award Amounts and Number of Schools: An eligible LEA may
receive, on behalf of a single school, up to $2,500,000 of SLC grant
funds, depending upon student enrollment in the school, for the entire
60-month project period.
The following chart provides the ranges of awards per high school
size:
SLC Award Ranges
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student enrollment Award ranges per school
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1,000-2,000 Students............... $1,750,000-$2,000,000
2,001-3,000 Students............... 1,750,000-2,250,000
3,001 and Up....................... 1,750,000-2,500,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
An LEA may include up to five schools in a single application for a
SLC grant. Therefore, an LEA applying on behalf of a group of eligible
schools would be able to receive up to $12,500,000 for its SLC grant
for the entire 60-month project period.
Applications requesting more funds than the maximum amounts
specified for any school or for the total grant will not be read as
part of the regular application process. However, if, after the
Secretary selects applications to be funded, it appears that additional
funds remain available, the Secretary has the option of reviewing
applications that requested funds exceeding the maximum amounts
specified. Under this requirement, if the Secretary chooses to fund any
of the additional applications, selected applicants will be required to
work with the Department to revise their proposed budgets to fit within
the appropriate funding range. (NFP for this program, published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register).
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,400,000 for the first 24
months of the 60-month project period.
Estimated Number of Awards: 14.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants:
Evidence of Eligibility: LEAs, including schools funded by the
Bureau of Indian Education and educational service agencies, applying
on behalf of large public high schools, are eligible to apply for a
grant. We will not accept applications from LEAs applying on behalf of
schools that are being constructed and do not have an active student
enrollment at the time of application. LEAs may apply on behalf of no
more than five schools. Along with its application, each applicant must
provide for each school included in its application:
(a) The school's name, postal mailing address, and the 12-digit
identification number assigned to the school by the National Center for
Education Statistics.
(b) A signed and dated certification from the Superintendent of the
LEA in which the school is located that, based upon data from the
current school year or the most recently completed school year, the
school is a large public high school as that term is defined in the
2005 SLC NFP (see Definitions section elsewhere in this notice).
Consortium Applications and Educational Service Agencies: In an
effort to encourage systemic, district-level reform efforts, we permit
an individual LEA to submit only one grant application in a
competition, specifying in each application which high schools the LEA
intends to fund. In addition, we require that an LEA applying for a
grant under this competition apply only on behalf of a high school or
high schools for which it has governing authority, unless the LEA is an
educational service agency that includes in its application evidence
that the entity that has governing authority over the eligible high
school supports the application. An LEA, however, may form a consortium
with another LEA and submit a joint application for funds. The
consortium must follow the procedures for group applications described
in 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 in EDGAR. An LEA is eligible for only
one grant whether the LEA applies independently or as part of a
consortium. (2005 SLC NFP, 70 FR 22233, 22236)
Previous Grantees: An LEA may only apply on behalf of a school or
schools that are not included in an SLC implementation grant that has a
performance period that extends beyond the current fiscal year (i.e.,
September 30, 2010). (2007 SLC NFP, 72 FR 28426, 28430)
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet or from the program office.
To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/slcps/index.html.
To obtain a copy from the program office, contact: Lynyetta
Johnson, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room
3E332, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 260-1990 or by
e-mail: [email protected].
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or computer diskette) by contacting the person under Accessible Format
in section VIII of this notice.
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 program.
Notice of Intent to Apply: July 13, 2010.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: The application package on the
Smaller Learning Communities Web site at http://www.ed.gov/programs/slcp/index.html includes specific dates and times for technical
assistance webinar events that will instruct applicants in completing
the application package.
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Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your
application. You must limit the application narrative to no more than
40 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
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 the cover sheet; the table of
contents; the budget section, including the narrative budget
justification; the assurances and certifications; the one page
abstract; the resumes; the indirect cost agreement; or letters of
support. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application
narrative section. You must also limit each resume to no more than
three pages. We further encourage applicants to limit all other
attachments or appendices to no more than 20 pages.
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application narrative
that exceed the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: June 23, 2010.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: We will be able to develop
a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we have a
better understanding of the number of applications we will receive.
Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to send an
email notice of its intent to apply for funding by July 13, 2010. The
notice of intent to apply is optional; you still may submit an
application if you have not notified us of your intention to apply.
Send the e-mail to: [email protected].
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 9, 2010.
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.
4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
5. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, (1) you must have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); (2)
you must register both of those numbers with the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database; and (3)
you must provide those same numbers on your application.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Smaller Learning Communities
Program--CFDA Number 84.215L 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
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
competition 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
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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: Angela Hernandez-
Marshall, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room
3E308, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-6200. FAX: (202) 205-4921.
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 84.215L), 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 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 84.215L), 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.
[[Page 35899]]
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
from the NFP, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register, and are as follows:
The maximum points assigned to each criterion are indicated in
parentheses next to the criterion. Applicants may earn up to a total of
100 points for these selection criteria.
(a) Quality of the Project Design. In determining the quality of
the design of the proposed project, we will consider the extent to
which--
(1) Teachers, school administrators, parents, and community
stakeholders support the proposed project and have been and will
continue to be involved in its development and implementation (5
points);
(2) The applicant has carried out sufficient planning and
preparatory activities to enable it to implement the proposed project
during the school year in which the grant award will be made (5
points);
(3) School administrators, teachers, and other school employees
will receive effective, ongoing technical assistance and professional
development in implementing structural and instructional reforms and
providing effective instruction (5 points); and
(4) The applicant demonstrates that the proposed project is aligned
with and advances a coordinated, district-wide strategy to improve
student academic achievement and preparation for postsecondary
education and careers without need for remediation (5 points).
(b) Quality of Project Services. In determining the quality of the
services to be provided by the proposed project, we will consider the
extent to which the proposed project is likely to be effective in--
(1) Creating an environment in which a core group of teachers and
other adults within the school know the needs, interests, and
aspirations of each student well, closely monitor each student's
progress, and provide the academic and other support each student needs
to succeed (10 points);
(2) Equipping all students with the reading/English language arts,
mathematics, and science knowledge and skills they need to succeed in
postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation (8
points);
(3) Helping students who enter high school with reading/English
language arts or mathematics skills that are significantly below grade-
level to ``catch up'' and attain, maintain and exceed proficiency by
providing supplemental instruction and supports to these students
during the ninth grade and, to the extent necessary, in later grades (8
points);
(4) Increasing the amount of time regularly provided to teachers
for common planning and collaboration during the school day, without
decreasing the amount of time provided to teachers for individual
planning and preparation during the school day (9 points);
(5) Ensuring, through technical assistance, professional
development, and other means, that teachers use opportunities for
common planning and collaboration effectively to improve instruction
and student academic achievement (9 points);
(6) Increasing the participation of students, particularly low-
income students, in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or
dual credit courses that offer students the opportunity to earn
simultaneously both high school and college credit (8 points); and
(7) Increasing the percentage of students who enter postsecondary
education in the semester following high school graduation by
delivering comprehensive career guidance and academic advising to
students and their parents that includes assistance in selecting
courses and planning a program of study that will provide the academic
preparation needed to succeed in postsecondary education and careers,
early and ongoing career and college awareness and planning activities,
and help in identifying and applying for financial aid for
postsecondary education (8 points).
(c) Support for Implementation. In determining the adequacy of the
support the applicant will provide for implementation of the proposed
project, we will consider the extent to which--
(1) The management plan is likely to achieve the objectives of the
proposed project on time and within budget and includes clearly defined
responsibilities and detailed timelines and milestones for
accomplishing project tasks (7 points); and
(2) The project director and other key personnel are qualified and
have sufficient authority to carry out their responsibilities, and
their time commitments are appropriate and adequate to implement the
SLC project effectively (7 points).
(d) Need for the Project. In determining the need for the proposed
project, we will consider the extent to which the applicant has
identified specific gaps and weaknesses in the preparation of all
students for postsecondary education and careers without need for
remediation, the nature and magnitude of those gaps and weaknesses, and
the extent to which the proposed project will address those gaps and
weaknesses effectively (6 points).
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.
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.
4. Performance Measures: Each applicant must identify in its
application the following specific performance indicators as well as
the annual performance objectives to be used for each of these
indicators. Specifically, each applicant must use the following
performance indicators to measure the progress of each school included
in its application:
(a) The percentage of students who score at or above the proficient
level on the reading/language arts and mathematics assessments used by
the State to determine whether a school has made adequate yearly
progress under part A of title I of the ESEA, as well as these
percentages disaggregated by subject matter and the following
subgroups:
(1) Major racial and ethnic groups.
(2) Students with disabilities.
(3) Students with limited English proficiency.
[[Page 35900]]
(4) Economically disadvantaged students.
(b) The school's graduation rate, as defined in the State's
approved accountability plan for part A of title I of the ESEA, as well
as the graduation rates for the following subgroups:
(1) Major racial and ethnic groups.
(2) Students with disabilities.
(3) Students with limited English proficiency.
(4) Economically disadvantaged students.
(c) The percentage of all graduates who enroll in postsecondary
education in the semester following high school graduation, as well as
the percentage disaggregated by the following subgroups:
(1) Major racial and ethnic groups.
(2) Students with disabilities.
(3) Students with limited English proficiency.
(4) Economically disadvantaged students.
Each applicant must identify in its application its performance
objectives for each of these indicators for each year of the project
period and provide baseline data for the third indicator (postsecondary
enrollment). The Department will obtain baseline data for the first and
second performance indicators (student performance on reading/language
arts and mathematics assessments and the graduation rate) and data on
the extent to which each school included in a grant achieves its annual
performance objectives for each year of the project period from the
data that are now reported to the Department by SEAs using the EDEN
Submission System (ESS). Grantees are not required to provide these
data. However, each grantee must report to the Department annually on
the extent to which each school in its grant achieves its performance
objectives for the third indicator (postsecondary enrollment).
Finally, grantees must use administrative records maintained by
State, national, or regional entities that already collect data on
student enrollment in postsecondary education as the principal source
of data for this performance indicator. These administrative records
include, for example, data available through State longitudinal
databases or other sources. Grantees may supplement these records with
data collected through surveys administered to students or parents
after graduation. (NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this
issue of the Federal Register).
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Angela Hernandez-Marshall, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E308,
Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: 202-205-1909 or by e-mail:
[email protected].
If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
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.
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: June 17, 2010.
Thelma Mel[eacute]ndez de Santa Ana,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2010-15084 Filed 6-22-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P