[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 33 (Friday, February 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7459-7463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3164]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview
Information; Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.364A.
DATES: Applications Available: February 19, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 20, 2010.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 21, 2010.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Improving Literacy through
School Libraries program is to improve student reading skills and
academic achievement by providing students with increased access to up-
to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically
advanced school library media centers; and well-trained, professionally
certified school library media specialists.
Eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) may use funds for the
following activities: Purchasing up-to-date school library media
resources, including books; acquiring and using advanced technology
that is integrated into the curricula of the school in order to develop
and enhance the information literacy, information retrieval, and
critical-thinking skills of students; facilitating Internet links and
other resource-sharing networks; providing professional development for
school library media specialists and providing activities that foster
increased collaboration among library specialists, teachers, and
administrators; and providing students with access to school libraries
during non-school hours, including before and after school, weekends,
and summer vacations. (20 U.S.C. 6383(g)).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6383.
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 clarification of
eligible local activities, published in the Federal Register on April
5, 2004 (69 FR 17894).
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $18,570,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY
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2011 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$600,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $350,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 53.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 12 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs, including charter schools and State-
administered schools that are considered LEAs under State law, in which
at least 20 percent of the students served by the LEA are from families
with incomes below the poverty line based on the most recent
satisfactory data available from the U.S. Census Bureau at the time
this notice is published. These data are Small Area Income and Poverty
Estimates for school districts for income year 2008. A list of LEAs
with their family poverty rates (based on these Census Bureau data) is
posted on our Web site at http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html.
Note: Charter schools and State-administered schools must
include documentation from their State educational agency (SEA)
confirming eligibility for this program.
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Funds made available under this program
must be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and
local funds expended to carry out activities relating to library,
technology, or professional development activities (20 U.S.C. 6383(i)).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet, or from the Education
Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use
the following address: http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/applicant.html.
To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following:
Education Publications Center, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398.
Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If 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 from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.364A.
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 or team listed 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 competition.
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
15 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 budget
section, including the narrative budget justification; the one-page
abstract; the other attachments, including the resumes and the
endnotes, if applicable; and the assurances and certifications.
However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative
section. The SEA documentation of eligibility is not counted toward the
page limit.
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that
exceed the page limit. Appendices to the narrative are not permitted,
with the exception of resumes and endnotes. None of the material sent
as appendices to the narrative, with the exception of resumes and
endnotes, will be sent to the reviewers.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: February 19, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 20, 2010.
Applications for grants under this competition 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. 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: June 21, 2010.
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 regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Improving Literacy Through School
Libraries program, CFDA Number 84.364A, 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
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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 forms:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications. 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 acknowledgement 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 acknowledgement 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: Pilla Parker, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3E244,
Washington, DC 20202-6200. FAX: (202) 260-8969.
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 84.364A), 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.
[[Page 7462]]
(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 84.364A), 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 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
1. Selection Criteria: The maximum score for all of these criteria
is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in
parentheses. The selection criteria for this competition are from
section 1251 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6383) and 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
(a) Meeting the purpose of the statute (10 points). How well the
proposed project addresses the intended outcome of the statute to
improve student reading skills and academic achievement by providing
students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials;
a well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media center;
and well-trained, professionally certified school library media
specialists.
(b) Need for school library resources (10 points). How well the
applicant demonstrates the need for school library media improvement,
based on the age and condition of school library media resources,
including: book collections; access of school library media centers to
advanced technology; and the availability of well-trained,
professionally certified school library media specialists in schools
served by the applicant.
(c) Use of funds (50 points). How well the applicant will use the
funds made available through the grant to carry out one or more of the
following activities that meet its demonstrated needs:
(1) Acquiring up-to-date school library media resources, including
books.
(2) Acquiring and using advanced technology, incorporated into the
curricula of the school, to develop and enhance students' skills in
retrieving and making use of information and in critical thinking.
(3) Facilitating Internet links and other resource-sharing networks
among schools and school library media centers, and public and academic
libraries.
(4) Providing professional development (as described in the notice
of final clarification of eligible local activities published April 5,
2004, in the Federal Register (69 FR 17894)), for school library media
specialists that is designed to improve literacy in grades K-3, and for
school library media specialists as described in section 1222(d)(2) of
the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6383), and providing activities that foster
increased collaboration between school library media specialists,
teachers, and administrators.
(5) Providing students with access to school libraries during non-
school hours, including the hours before and after school, during
weekends, and during summer vacation periods.
(d) Use of scientifically based research (10 points). How well the
applicant will use programs and materials that are grounded in
scientifically based research, as defined in section 9101(37) of the
ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7801(37)), in carrying out one or more of the
activities described under criterion (c).
(e) Broad-based involvement and coordination (5 points). How well
the applicant will extensively involve school library media
specialists, teachers, administrators, and parents in the proposed
project activities and effectively coordinate the funds and activities
provided under this program with other literacy, library, technology,
and professional development funds and activities.
(f) Evaluation of quality and impact (5 points). How well the
applicant will collect and analyze data on the quality and impact of
the proposed project activities, including data on the extent to which
the availability of, the access to, and the use of up-to-date school
library media resources in the elementary schools and secondary schools
served by the applicant increase and on the impact of the project on
improving the reading skills of students.
(g) Quality of project personnel (10 points). The quality of the
personnel who will carry out the proposed project, including the
following factors: (1) The extent to which the applicant encourages
applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that
have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability. (2) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal
investigator.
2. Review and Selection Process: An additional factor we consider
in selecting an application for an award is the equitable distribution
of grants across geographic regions and among LEAs serving urban and
rural areas (20 U.S.C. 6383(e)(3)).
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.
[[Page 7463]]
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. 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: In response to the Government Performance
and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department developed three measures
for evaluating the overall effectiveness of the Improving Literacy
Through School Libraries program. These measures gauge improvement in
student achievement and resources in the schools and LEAs served by the
program by assessing: (1) The percentage of students in schools served
by the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program who are
proficient in reading; (2) the number of books and media resources
purchased per student, pre- and post-grant, compared to the national
average; and (3) the difference in the number of purchases of school
library materials (books and media resources) between schools
participating in the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries
program and the national average. The Department will collect data for
these measures from grantees' final performance reports and other data
sources.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Pilla Parker, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E244, Washington, DC 20202-
6200. Telephone: (202) 260-3710 or by e-mail: [email protected].
If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), 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: February 5, 2010.
Thelma Mel[eacute]ndez de Santa Ana,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2010-3164 Filed 2-18-10; 8:45 am]
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