Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; Comprehensive School Reform Quality Initiatives Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards, 5972-5977 [05-2225]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
5972
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 23 / Friday, February 4, 2005 / Notices
A. Purpose
If it is in the best interest of the
Government, the contracting officer may
authorize cost-reimbursement
contractors to obtain, for official
purposes only, interagency motor pool
vehicles and related services.
Contractors’ requests for vehicles must
obtain two copies of the agency
authorization, the number of vehicles
and related services required and period
of use, a list of employees who are
authorized to request thevehicles, a
listing of equipment authorized to be
serviced, andbilling instructions and
address.
A written statement that the
contractor will assume, without the
right of reimbursement from the
Government, the cost or expense of any
use of the motor pool vehicles and
services not related to the performance
of the contract is necessary before the
contracting officer may authorize costreimbursement contractors to obtain
interagency motor pool vehicles and
related services.
The information is used by the
Government to determine that it is in
the Government’s best interest to
authorize a cost-reimbursement
contractor to obtain, for official
purposes only,interagency motor pool
vehicles and related services, and to
provide those vehicles.
B. Annual Reporting Burden
Respondents: 70.
Responses Per Respondent: 2.
Annual Responses: 140.
Hours Per Response: .5.
Total Burden Hours: 70.
Obtaining Copies of Proposals:
Requesters may obtain a copy of the
information collection document from
the General Services Administration,
FAR Secretariat (VIR), Room 4035, 1800
F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20405,
telephone (202) 501–4755. Please cite
OMB Control No. 9000–0032, Contractor
Use of Interagency Motor Pool Vehicles,
in all correspondence.
Dated: January 28, 2005
Julia B. Wise
Acting Director, Contract Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 05–2199 Filed 2–3–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–EP–S
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education; Overview Information;
Comprehensive School Reform Quality
Initiatives Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.332B.
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:52 Feb 03, 2005
Jkt 205001
Note: This notice describes two separate
competitions—one competition for Category
1 grant awards and one competition for
Category 2 grant awards. Applicants must
specify in their application whether they are
applying for Category 1 or Category 2 grant
awards.
DATES: Applications Available: February
4, 2005.
Notification of Intent To Apply:
March 7, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: April 5, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: June 6, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: Public or private
organizations that provide educational
services to public elementary or
secondary schools.
Estimated Available Funds: A total of
approximately $12 million for the two
categories of grants described in this
notice. (Of this amount, approximately
$5 million is from the fiscal year FY
2004 Comprehensive School Reform
(CSR) Quality Initiatives appropriation
and approximately $7 million is from
the FY 2005 CSR Quality Initiatives
appropriation.)
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the receipt of a sufficient
number of high-quality applications, we
may make additional awards in FY 2006
from the rank-ordered list of unfunded
applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: Please
see the chart (chart) elsewhere in this
notice under section II, Award
Information.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
See chart.
Estimated Number of Awards: At least
one award in each of the two categories
described in this notice. Any additional
awards will be distributed between
Category 1 and Category 2 grants based
on the quality of the applications.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the CSR Quality Initiatives program,
authorized under section 1608 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), is to
provide discretionary grants to support
activities that will enhance the Stateadministered CSR program and to
enable schools that have been identified
for improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring under Part A of Title I of
the ESEA to meet their State’s definition
of adequate yearly progress (AYP).
Under this program, the Secretary
awards funds to support two specific
categories of activities:
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Category 1—The grantee provides
technical assistance to States, school
districts, and schools in making
informed decisions regarding approving
or selecting providers of comprehensive
school reform, and
Category 2—The grantee supports
capacity building for comprehensive
school reform providers to expand their
work in more schools, ensure quality,
and promote financial stability.
The Category 1 and Category 2
competitions announced in this notice
are independent competitions. The
Department will evaluate and fund the
Category 1 and Category 2 applications
separately.
Priorities: These priorities are from
the notice of final priorities for this
program, published elsewhere in this
issue of the Federal Register.
Absolute Priorities
(1) Absolute priority applicable to
both Category 1 and Category 2
applicants.
For FY 2004 and FY 2005 and any
subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded
applicants from this competition, this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we only consider
Category 1 and Category 2 applicants
that meet this priority. This priority is:
The grantee will assist local
educational agencies (LEAs) in more
than one State.
(2) Absolute priority applicable to
Category 1 applicants only.
For FY 2004 and FY 2005 and any
subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded
applicants from this competition, this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we only consider
Category 1 applicants that meet this
priority. This priority is:
The applicant must demonstrate, in
its grant application, that its CSR
Quality Initiatives award will be
matched with funds from one or more
private organizations. For each year that
a grantee receives a CSR Quality
Initiatives award, the match, including
any in-kind contributions, must total at
least 10 percent of the award.
Competitive Preference Priorities
(1) Competitive preference priority
applicable to Category 1 applicants
only.
For FY 2004 and FY 2005 and any
subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded
applicants from this competition, this
priority is a competitive preference
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i),
we award up to 10 additional points to
a Category 1 applicant, depending on
E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM
04FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 23 / Friday, February 4, 2005 / Notices
the extent to which the applicant meets
this priority. This priority is:
The grantee will provide assistance to
States, LEAs, and schools in approving
or selecting a comprehensive school
reform provider or in developing
comprehensive school reforms, for
schools that are identified as being in
need of improvement, corrective action,
or restructuring under section 1116 of
the Elementary and Secondary Act of
1965, as amended. The applicant will
provide a plan for providing States,
LEAs and schools with information
tools and technical assistance in such
areas as using data to identify the
instructional needs of students and to
clarify the technical assistance and
professional development needs of
teachers and administrators.
(2) Competitive preference priority
applicable to Category 2 applicants
only.
For FY 2004 and FY 2005 and any
subsequent year in which we make
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:52 Feb 03, 2005
Jkt 205001
awards from the list of unfunded
applicants from this competition, this
priority is a competitive preference
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i),
we award up to 10 additional points to
a Category 2 applicant, depending on
the extent to which the applicant meets
this priority. This priority is:
The applicant will implement
activities to develop and field-test
specific strategies to: (1) Meet the needs
of students who have been traditionally
underserved by comprehensive school
reform providers, such as students with
disabilities and students with limited
English proficiency and to integrate
those strategies into scientifically
research-based comprehensive school
reforms, or (2) increase the capacity of
comprehensive reform providers to
serve students in rural areas. These
strategies could be additions or
enhancements to existing CSR models
or services already being provided.
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
5973
Applicable Regulations: (a) 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; (b) the Notice
of Final Priorities for the program
published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6518.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
Estimated Available Funds:
Approximately $12 million.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the receipt of a sufficient
number of high-quality applications, we
may make additional awards in FY 2006
from the rank-ordered list of unfunded
applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards,
Estimated Size of Awards, and Funding
Cycle:
BILLING CODE 4001–01–P
E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM
04FEN1
5974
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 23 / Friday, February 4, 2005 / Notices
Estimated Number of Awards: At least
one award under both Category 1 and
Category 2. Additional funds will be
distributed between Category 1 and
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:52 Feb 03, 2005
Jkt 205001
Category 2 grants based on the quality
of the applications.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM
04FEN1
EN04FE05.000</GPH>
BILLING CODE 4001–01–C
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 23 / Friday, February 4, 2005 / Notices
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Public or
private organizations that provide
educational services to public
elementary or secondary schools.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: The
following matching requirement is for
Category 1 (technical assistance in
making informed decisions) applicants
only. For each year that a Category 1
grantee receives a CSR Quality
Initiatives award, the match, including
any in-kind contributions, must total at
least 10 percent of the award. Please
refer to the Category 1 absolute
priorities for more information.
There is no matching requirement for
Category 2 (development and capacity
building) applicants.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: You may obtain an application
package for this program via the Internet
at the following address: https://
www.ed.gov/programs/qualinits/
applicant.html.
You also may request an application
package by mail at: 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 you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD), you may call (toll free): 1–877–
576–7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its
Web site: https://www.ed.gov/pubs/
edpubs.html or you may contact ED
Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED
Pubs, be sure to identify this
competition as follows: CFDA number
84.332B
Individuals with disabilities may
obtain a copy of the application package
in an alternative format (e.g., Braille,
large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) by contacting the program
contact person listed elsewhere in this
notice under section VII. Agency
Contact.
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. An applicant must indicate
whether it is applying for funding from
Category 1 or Category 2.
Notification 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 entities that intend to apply
for funding.
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:52 Feb 03, 2005
Jkt 205001
Therefore, we strongly encourage each
potential applicant to send a
notification of its intent to apply for
funding to the following address:
compreform@ed.gov. Please indicate
which category the potential applicant
intends to apply under. The notification
of intent to apply for funding is optional
and should not include information
regarding the proposed application.
Page Limit: Applicants are strongly
encouraged to limit their application to
40 pages.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: February 4,
2005.
Notification of Intent to Apply: March
7, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: April 5, 2005.
Applications for grants under this
program may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application)
accessible through the Department’s eGrants system, or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery. For information
(including dates and times) about how
to submit your application
electronically, or by mail or hand
delivery, please refer to section IV. 6.
Other Submission Requirements in
this notice.
We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: June 6, 2005.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
program 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
program.
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
program may be submitted
electronically or in paper format by mail
or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of
Applications.
If you submit your application to us
electronically, you must use eApplication available through the
Department’s e-Grants system,
accessible through the e-Grants portal
page at: https://e-grants.ed.gov.
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.
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
5975
Please note the following:
• Your participation in e-Application
is voluntary.
• You must complete the electronic
submission of your grant application by
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. The eApplication system will not accept an
application for this program after 4:30
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 regular hours of operation of
the e-Grants Web site are 6 a.m. Monday
until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m.
Thursday until midnight Saturday,
Washington, DC time. Please note that
the system is unavailable on Sundays,
and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and
6 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington, DC
time, for maintenance. 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 submit your
application in paper format.
• You must submit all documents
electronically, including the
Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information—Non-Construction
Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
• Any narrative sections of your
application should be attached as files
in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text),
or .PDF (Portable Document) format.
• 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 ED 424 to the
Application Control Center after
following these steps:
1. Print ED 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 hardcopy signature page of the ED 424.
4. Fax the signed ED 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 System Unavailability: If you
E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM
04FEN1
5976
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 23 / Friday, February 4, 2005 / Notices
are prevented from electronically
submitting your application on the
application deadline date because the eApplication system is unavailable, we
will grant you an extension of one
business day in order to transmit your
application electronically, by mail, or by
hand delivery. We will grant this
extension if—
1. You are a registered user of eApplication and you have initiated an
electronic application for this
competition; and
2. (a) The e-Application system 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) The e-Application system is
unavailable for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 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 the system is down and
therefore the application deadline is
extended, an e-mail will be sent to all
registered users who have initiated an eApplication.
Extensions referred to in this section
apply only to the unavailability of the
Department’s e-Application system. If
the e-Application system is available,
and, for any reason, you are unable to
submit your application electronically
or you do not receive an automatic
acknowledgement of your submission,
you may submit your application in
paper format by mail or hand delivery
in accordance with the instructions in
this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications
by Mail.
If you submit your application in
paper format by mail (through the U.S.
Postal Service or a commercial carrier),
you must mail the original and two
copies of your application, on or before
the application deadline date, to the
Department at the applicable following
address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service:
U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center,
Attention: 84.332B, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20202–4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier:
U.S. Department of Education,
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:52 Feb 03, 2005
Jkt 205001
Application Control Center—Stop
4260, Attention: 84.332B, 7100 Old
Landover Road, Landover, MD
20785–1506.
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; or
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, or
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 submit your application in
paper format by hand delivery, you (or
a courier service) 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:
84.332B, 550 12th Street, SW., Room
7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–4260.
The Application Control Center
accepts hand deliveries daily between 8
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC
time, except Saturdays, Sundays and
Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of
Paper Applications: If you mail or hand
deliver your application to the
Department:
1. You must indicate on the envelope
and—if not provided by the
Department—in Item 4 of the ED 424 the
CFDA number—and suffix letter, if
any—of the competition under which
you are submitting your application.
2. The Application Control Center
will mail a grant application receipt
acknowledgment to you. If you do not
receive the grant application receipt
acknowledgement 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: We will use
different selection criteria for the
Category 1 and Category 2 applications.
These criteria are from the regulations at
34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the
application package.
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 also notify you
informally.
If your application is not evaluated or
not selected for funding, we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy
requirements in the application package
and reference these and other
requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining
the terms and conditions of an award in
the Applicable Regulations section of
this notice and include these and other
specific conditions in the GAN. The
GAN also incorporates your approved
application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your
project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial
information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year
award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the
most current performance and financial
expenditure information as specified by
the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: Under the
Government Performance and Results
Act (GPRA), the program objective for
the Comprehensive School Reform
program is to increase the number of
CSR program schools that will be
removed from school improvement
status under Title I of the ESEA.
Specifically for the CSR Quality
Initiatives program, one performance
indicator and related measure for each
category have been developed for
evaluating the overall effectiveness of
the CSR Quality Initiatives program.
For Category 1 (technical assistance in
making informed decisions) projects,
the performance indicator is ‘‘the
usefulness of products and services
developed through technical assistance
addressed through a survey of target
audience members.’’ With respect to
this indicator, the measure that the
Department will specifically look at is
‘‘the percentage of all products and
services that receive target audience
ratings for usefulness of high and
above.’’
E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM
04FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 23 / Friday, February 4, 2005 / Notices
For Category 2 (model development
and capacity building) projects, the
indicator is ‘‘the relevance of the
projects funded by this program.’’ With
respect to this indicator, the
performance measure is the ‘‘percentage
of new research projects funded by the
CSR Quality Initiatives program that are
deemed to be of high relevance to
education practice.’’
All Category 1 and Category 2
grantees will be expected to submit an
annual performance report addressing
these performance measures. Data from
the performance measures are included
in the yearly report to Congress, key
stakeholders, and the public.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sheila Sjolseth, U.S. Department of
Education, OESE/AITQ, 400 Maryland
Ave, SW., FB–6, Room 3W237,
Washington, DC 20202–6200.
Telephone (202) 260–5619 or by email
compreform@ed.gov or by Internet at the
following Web site: https://www.ed.gov/
programs/qualinits/.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
the Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339.
Individuals with disabilities may
obtain this document in an alternative
format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the program contact person
listed in this section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document:
You may view this document, as well as
all other documents of this Department
published in the Federal Register, in
text or Adobe Portable Document
Format (PDF) on the Internet at the
following site: https://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: https:// www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
Dated: February 1, 2005.
Raymond Simon,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and
Secondary, Education.
[FR Doc. 05–2225 Filed 2–3–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–C
VerDate jul<14>2003
18:52 Feb 03, 2005
Jkt 205001
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Comprehensive School Reform Quality
Initiatives
Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priorities.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary
announces priorities under the
Comprehensive School Reform (CSR)
Quality Initiatives program. The
Assistant Secretary may use one or more
of these priorities for competitions for
fiscal year (FY) 2004 and subsequent
years’ funds. These priorities focus on
schools that are in need of
improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring and on student groups that
have been traditionally underserved,
such as students with disabilities,
limited English proficient students, and
students in rural areas.
EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities are
effective March 7, 2005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sheila Sjolseth, U.S. Department of
Education, OESE/AITQ, 400 Maryland
Ave, SW., FB–6, room 3W237,
Washington, DC 20202–6200.
Telephone: (202) 260–5619 or by e-mail
at compreform@ed.gov or by the Internet
at the following Web site: https://
www.ed.gov/programs/qualinits/
index.html.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
the Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339.
Individuals with disabilities may
obtain this document in an alternative
format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
The
purpose of the CSR Quality Initiatives
program, authorized under section 1608
of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended
(ESEA), is to provide discretionary
grants to support activities that will
enhance the State-administered CSR
program and to enable schools that have
been identified as in need of
improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring under Part A of Title I of
the ESEA to meet their State’s definition
of adequate yearly progress (AYP).
Under this program, the Assistant
Secretary awards funds to support two
specific categories of activities. Grantees
under Category 1 will assist States, local
educational agencies (LEAs), and
schools in making informed decisions
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
5977
regarding approving or selecting
providers of comprehensive school
reform or in developing comprehensive
school reforms. Category 2 projects will
foster the development of
comprehensive school reform models
and support development of capacity for
comprehensive school reform providers
to expand their work in more schools
and ensure quality.
We published a notice of proposed
priorities for this program in the Federal
Register on December 1, 2004. (69 FR
69898). In the notice we proposed four
priorities—two priorities specific to
Category 1 applications, one priority
specific to Category 2 applications, and
one priority for both Category 1 and
Category 2 applications. Except for a
change in the priority for Category 2
applications to clarify the intent of the
priority, and other technical changes,
there are no differences between the
notice of proposed priorities and this
notice of final priorities.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to our invitation in the
notice of proposed priorities, one party
submitted comments on the proposed
priorities. This commenter suggested
that there be no matching requirement
for Category 1 applicants. However,
section 1608(1) of the ESEA requires a
match for Category 1 applications, and
we believe that a 10 percent match,
which may include in-kind
contributions, is reasonable.
Accordingly, we have not made a
change to this matching requirement.
Note: This notice does not solicit
applications. In any year in which we choose
to use one or more of these priorities, we
invite applications through a notice in the
Federal Register. When inviting applications
we designate each priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational. The
effect of each type of priority follows.
Absolute priority: Under an absolute
priority we consider only applications
that meet the priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority:
Under a competitive preference priority
we give competitive preference to an
application by either (1) awarding
additional points, depending on how
well or the extent to which the
application meets the competitive
priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2)
selecting an application that meets the
competitive priority over an application
of comparable merit that does not meet
the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an
invitational priority we are particularly
interested in applications that meet the
invitational priority. However, we do
not give an application that meets the
E:\FR\FM\04FEN1.SGM
04FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 23 (Friday, February 4, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5972-5977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2225]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview
Information; Comprehensive School Reform Quality Initiatives Program;
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.332B.
Note: This notice describes two separate competitions--one
competition for Category 1 grant awards and one competition for
Category 2 grant awards. Applicants must specify in their
application whether they are applying for Category 1 or Category 2
grant awards.
DATES: Applications Available: February 4, 2005.
Notification of Intent To Apply: March 7, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 5, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 6, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: Public or private organizations that provide
educational services to public elementary or secondary schools.
Estimated Available Funds: A total of approximately $12 million for
the two categories of grants described in this notice. (Of this amount,
approximately $5 million is from the fiscal year FY 2004 Comprehensive
School Reform (CSR) Quality Initiatives appropriation and approximately
$7 million is from the FY 2005 CSR Quality Initiatives appropriation.)
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a
sufficient number of high-quality applications, we may make additional
awards in FY 2006 from the rank-ordered list of unfunded applications
from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: Please see the chart (chart) elsewhere
in this notice under section II, Award Information.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: See chart.
Estimated Number of Awards: At least one award in each of the two
categories described in this notice. Any additional awards will be
distributed between Category 1 and Category 2 grants based on the
quality of the applications.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the CSR Quality Initiatives
program, authorized under section 1608 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), is to provide discretionary
grants to support activities that will enhance the State-administered
CSR program and to enable schools that have been identified for
improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under Part A of Title
I of the ESEA to meet their State's definition of adequate yearly
progress (AYP).
Under this program, the Secretary awards funds to support two
specific categories of activities:
Category 1--The grantee provides technical assistance to States,
school districts, and schools in making informed decisions regarding
approving or selecting providers of comprehensive school reform, and
Category 2--The grantee supports capacity building for
comprehensive school reform providers to expand their work in more
schools, ensure quality, and promote financial stability.
The Category 1 and Category 2 competitions announced in this notice
are independent competitions. The Department will evaluate and fund the
Category 1 and Category 2 applications separately.
Priorities: These priorities are from the notice of final
priorities for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register.
Absolute Priorities
(1) Absolute priority applicable to both Category 1 and Category 2
applicants.
For FY 2004 and FY 2005 and any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we only
consider Category 1 and Category 2 applicants that meet this priority.
This priority is:
The grantee will assist local educational agencies (LEAs) in more
than one State.
(2) Absolute priority applicable to Category 1 applicants only.
For FY 2004 and FY 2005 and any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we only
consider Category 1 applicants that meet this priority. This priority
is:
The applicant must demonstrate, in its grant application, that its
CSR Quality Initiatives award will be matched with funds from one or
more private organizations. For each year that a grantee receives a CSR
Quality Initiatives award, the match, including any in-kind
contributions, must total at least 10 percent of the award.
Competitive Preference Priorities
(1) Competitive preference priority applicable to Category 1
applicants only.
For FY 2004 and FY 2005 and any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this
priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to 10 additional points to a Category 1
applicant, depending on
[[Page 5973]]
the extent to which the applicant meets this priority. This priority
is:
The grantee will provide assistance to States, LEAs, and schools in
approving or selecting a comprehensive school reform provider or in
developing comprehensive school reforms, for schools that are
identified as being in need of improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring under section 1116 of the Elementary and Secondary Act of
1965, as amended. The applicant will provide a plan for providing
States, LEAs and schools with information tools and technical
assistance in such areas as using data to identify the instructional
needs of students and to clarify the technical assistance and
professional development needs of teachers and administrators.
(2) Competitive preference priority applicable to Category 2
applicants only.
For FY 2004 and FY 2005 and any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this
priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to 10 additional points to a Category 2
applicant, depending on the extent to which the applicant meets this
priority. This priority is:
The applicant will implement activities to develop and field-test
specific strategies to: (1) Meet the needs of students who have been
traditionally underserved by comprehensive school reform providers,
such as students with disabilities and students with limited English
proficiency and to integrate those strategies into scientifically
research-based comprehensive school reforms, or (2) increase the
capacity of comprehensive reform providers to serve students in rural
areas. These strategies could be additions or enhancements to existing
CSR models or services already being provided.
Applicable Regulations: (a) 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; (b) the Notice of Final Priorities
for the program published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6518.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
Estimated Available Funds: Approximately $12 million.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a
sufficient number of high-quality applications, we may make additional
awards in FY 2006 from the rank-ordered list of unfunded applications
from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards, Estimated Size of Awards, and Funding
Cycle:
BILLING CODE 4001-01-P
[[Page 5974]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN04FE05.000
BILLING CODE 4001-01-C
Estimated Number of Awards: At least one award under both Category
1 and Category 2. Additional funds will be distributed between Category
1 and Category 2 grants based on the quality of the applications.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
[[Page 5975]]
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Public or private organizations that
provide educational services to public elementary or secondary schools.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: The following matching requirement is
for Category 1 (technical assistance in making informed decisions)
applicants only. For each year that a Category 1 grantee receives a CSR
Quality Initiatives award, the match, including any in-kind
contributions, must total at least 10 percent of the award. Please
refer to the Category 1 absolute priorities for more information.
There is no matching requirement for Category 2 (development and
capacity building) applicants.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You may obtain an
application package for this program via the Internet at the following
address: https://www.ed.gov/programs/qualinits/applicant.html.
You also may request an application package by mail at: 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 you use
a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll
free): 1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: https://www.ed.gov/
pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.332B
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed elsewhere in this notice under section VII. Agency
Contact.
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. An
applicant must indicate whether it is applying for funding from
Category 1 or Category 2.
Notification 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 entities that intend to apply for
funding.
Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to send a
notification of its intent to apply for funding to the following
address: compreform@ed.gov. Please indicate which category the
potential applicant intends to apply under. The notification of intent
to apply for funding is optional and should not include information
regarding the proposed application.
Page Limit: Applicants are strongly encouraged to limit their
application to 40 pages.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: February 4, 2005.
Notification of Intent to Apply: March 7, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 5, 2005.
Applications for grants under this program may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6.
Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 6, 2005.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program 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 program.
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 program may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail
or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
If you submit your application to us electronically, you must use
e-Application available through the Department's e-Grants system,
accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: https://e-grants.ed.gov.
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:
Your participation in e-Application is voluntary.
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application
for this program after 4:30 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 regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. 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 submit your application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
Any narrative sections of your application should be
attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF
(Portable Document) format.
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 ED 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
1. Print ED 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 ED 424.
4. Fax the signed ED 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 System
Unavailability: If you
[[Page 5976]]
are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the
application deadline date because the e-Application system is
unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in
order 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) The e-Application system 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) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 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 the system is down 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 the Department's e-Application system. If the e-
Application system is available, and, for any reason, you are unable to
submit your application electronically or you do not receive an
automatic acknowledgement of your submission, you may submit your
application in paper format by mail or hand delivery in accordance with
the instructions in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the
original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center,
Attention: 84.332B, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-
4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center--Stop
4260, Attention: 84.332B, 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-
1506.
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; or
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, or
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 submit your application in paper format by hand delivery,
you (or a courier service) 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: 84.332B, 550 12th
Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-
4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
1. You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
Department--in Item 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter,
if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your
application.
2. The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgement 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: We will use different selection criteria for
the Category 1 and Category 2 applications. These criteria are from the
regulations at 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
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 also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA), the program objective for the Comprehensive School
Reform program is to increase the number of CSR program schools that
will be removed from school improvement status under Title I of the
ESEA. Specifically for the CSR Quality Initiatives program, one
performance indicator and related measure for each category have been
developed for evaluating the overall effectiveness of the CSR Quality
Initiatives program.
For Category 1 (technical assistance in making informed decisions)
projects, the performance indicator is ``the usefulness of products and
services developed through technical assistance addressed through a
survey of target audience members.'' With respect to this indicator,
the measure that the Department will specifically look at is ``the
percentage of all products and services that receive target audience
ratings for usefulness of high and above.''
[[Page 5977]]
For Category 2 (model development and capacity building) projects,
the indicator is ``the relevance of the projects funded by this
program.'' With respect to this indicator, the performance measure is
the ``percentage of new research projects funded by the CSR Quality
Initiatives program that are deemed to be of high relevance to
education practice.''
All Category 1 and Category 2 grantees will be expected to submit
an annual performance report addressing these performance measures.
Data from the performance measures are included in the yearly report to
Congress, key stakeholders, and the public.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila Sjolseth, U.S. Department of
Education, OESE/AITQ, 400 Maryland Ave, SW., FB-6, Room 3W237,
Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone (202) 260-5619 or by email
compreform@ed.gov or by Internet at the following Web site: https://
www.ed.gov/programs/qualinits/.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this
section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: https://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: https://
www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/.
Dated: February 1, 2005.
Raymond Simon,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary, Education.
[FR Doc. 05-2225 Filed 2-3-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-C
