Office of Innovation and Improvement Program (OII); Overview Information; Star Schools Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005, 11202-11210 [05-4441]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11202-11210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4441]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Innovation and Improvement Program (OII); Overview 
Information; Star Schools Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.203G.


DATES: Applications Available: March 8, 2005.
    Date of Pre-Application Meeting: March 11, 2005 (webcast).
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 7, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 9, 2005.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 6, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: Eligible entities, which include any one of 
the following

[[Page 11203]]

that is organized on a Statewide or multistate basis:
    (1) A public agency or corporation established for the purpose of 
developing and operating telecommunications networks to enhance 
educational opportunities provided by educational institutions, teacher 
training centers, and other entities, except that any such agency or 
corporation shall represent the interests of elementary schools and 
secondary schools that are eligible to participate in the program under 
part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).
    (2) A partnership that will provide telecommunications services and 
that includes three or more of the following entities, at least one of 
which must be an agency, as described in paragraphs (A) or (B) below:
    (A) A local educational agency (LEA) that serves a significant 
number of elementary and secondary schools that are eligible for 
assistance under part A of title I of the ESEA, or elementary and 
secondary schools operated or funded for Indian children by the 
Department of the Interior eligible under section 1121(d)(1)(A) of the 
ESEA.
    (B) A State educational agency.
    (C) An adult and family education program.
    (D) An institution of higher education or a State higher education 
agency, as that term is defined in section 103 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1003.
    (E) A teacher training center or academy that provides teacher 
preservice and inservice training, and receives Federal financial 
assistance or has been approved by a State agency.
    (F) A public or private entity with experience and expertise in the 
planning and operation of a telecommunications network, including 
entities involved in telecommunications through satellite, cable, 
telephone, or computer; or a public broadcasting entity with such 
experience.
    (G) A public or private elementary or secondary school.

    Note: To receive funding, at least one LEA must participate in 
the proposed project.

    Estimated Available Funds: $14,400,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $1,500,000-$3,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,000,000.
    Maximum Award: An award granted under this competition cannot, in 
any single fiscal year, exceed $10,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 5-7.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Star Schools program is to--
    (A) Encourage improved instruction in mathematics, science, and 
foreign languages, as well as other subjects (such as literacy skills 
and vocational education); and
    (B) Serve underserved populations, including disadvantaged, 
illiterate, limited English proficient populations, and individuals 
with disabilities through grants to eligible telecommunications 
partnerships to enable the partnerships to--
    (i) Develop, construct, acquire, maintain and operate 
telecommunications audio and visual facilities and equipment;
    (ii) Develop and acquire educational and instructional programming; 
and
    (iii) Obtain technical assistance for the use of such facilities 
and instructional programming.
    Priorities: This competition includes two absolute priorities and 
six competitive preference priorities.
    Absolute Priorities: We are establishing these priorities for the 
FY 2005 grant competition only, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of 
the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). For FY 2005 these 
priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we 
consider only applications that meet one or more of these priorities.
    The priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1--Supplemental Educational Services (SES) Using 
Emerging Mobile Technologies in Urban and Rural Communities To Enhance 
Reading and Mathematics Achievement

    The Secretary establishes an absolute priority for applications 
that propose SES using emerging mobile technologies for students 
attending schools in urban and rural communities that have not achieved 
Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) in two or more years. Student achievement 
must be evaluated using online assessment strategies.

Absolute Priority 2--Educational Gaming and Simulations Applications 
for Emerging Mobile Technologies To Enhance Literacy Skills and 
Mathematics at Any Grade Level or Span of Grade Levels

    The Secretary establishes an absolute priority for applications 
that propose to develop partnerships with technology-based research 
centers, entertainment companies, or other high-technology entities to 
produce and deliver educational gaming and simulations applications to 
improve mathematics and reading literacy through scientifically based 
research strategies as appropriate. The applicant must ensure that no 
less than 50 percent of the schools participating in this activity 
include a high concentration of low-income children who attend schools 
in urban or rural communities. Student achievement must be evaluated 
using online assessment strategies.
    The term low-income children is defined on the basis of the poverty 
criteria in section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA. Under those criteria, low-
income children are children ages 5 through 17 who are: (i) Living in 
poverty (as counted in the most recent census data approved by the 
Secretary); (ii) eligible for free or reduced priced lunches under the 
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; (iii) living in families 
receiving funding under the State program funded under part A of title 
IV of the Social Security Act; or (iv) eligible to receive medical 
services under the Medicaid program. This definition applies to all 
uses of the term low-income children in this notice.
    Competitive Preference Priority 1: This priority is from the notice 
of final priority for Scientifically Based Evaluation Methods, 
published in the Federal Register on January 25, 2005 (70 FR 3586). For 
FY 2005 this priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 
CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an additional 25 points to an 
application, depending on the extent to which the application meets 
this priority.

    Note: In awarding additional points to applications that address 
this competitive preference priority, we will consider only those 
applications that have top-ranked scores on the basis of the 
Selection Criteria in Section V of this notice.

    This priority is:

Competitive Preference Priority 1

    The Secretary establishes a priority for projects proposing an 
evaluation plan that is based on rigorous scientifically based research 
methods to assess the effectiveness of a particular intervention. The 
Secretary intends that this priority will allow program participants 
and the Department to determine whether the project produces meaningful 
effects on student achievement or teacher performance.
    Evaluation methods using an experimental design are best for 
determining project effectiveness. Thus, when feasible, the project 
must use an

[[Page 11204]]

experimental design under which participants--e.g., students, teachers, 
classrooms, or schools--are randomly assigned to participate in the 
project activities being evaluated or to a control group that does not 
participate in the project activities being evaluated.
    If random assignment is not feasible, the project may use a quasi-
experimental design with carefully matched comparison conditions. This 
alternative design attempts to approximate a randomly assigned control 
group by matching participants--e.g., students, teachers, classrooms, 
or schools--with non-participants having similar pre-program 
characteristics.
    In cases where random assignment is not possible and participation 
in the intervention is determined by a specified cutting point on a 
quantified continuum of scores, regression discontinuity designs may be 
employed.
    For projects that are focused on special populations in which 
sufficient numbers of participants are not available to support random 
assignment or matched comparison group designs, single-subject designs 
such as multiple baseline or treatment-reversal or interrupted time 
series that are capable of demonstrating causal relationships can be 
employed.
    Proposed evaluation strategies that use neither experimental 
designs with random assignment nor quasi-experimental designs using a 
matched comparison group nor regression discontinuity designs will not 
be considered responsive to the priority when sufficient numbers of 
participants are available to support these designs. Evaluation 
strategies that involve too small a number of participants to support 
group designs must be capable of demonstrating the causal effects of an 
intervention or program on those participants.
    The proposed evaluation plan must describe how the project 
evaluator will collect--before the project intervention commences and 
after it ends--valid and reliable data that measure the impact of 
participation in the program or in the comparison group.
    If the priority is used as a competitive preference priority, 
points awarded under this priority will be determined by the quality of 
the proposed evaluation method. In determining the quality of the 
evaluation method, we will consider the extent to which the applicant 
presents a feasible, credible plan that includes the following:
    (1) The type of design to be used (that is, random assignment or 
matched comparison). If matched comparison, include in the plan a 
discussion of why random assignment is not feasible.
    (2) Outcomes to be measured.
    (3) A discussion of how the applicant plans to assign students, 
teachers, classrooms, or schools to the project and control group or 
match them for comparison with other students, teachers, classrooms, or 
schools.
    (4) A proposed evaluator, preferably independent, with the 
necessary background and technical expertise to carry out the proposed 
evaluation. An independent evaluator does not have any authority over 
the project and is not involved in its implementation.
    In general, depending on the implemented program or project, under 
a competitive preference priority, random assignment evaluation methods 
will receive more points than matched comparison evaluation methods.

Definitions

    As used in this notice--
    Scientifically based research (section 9101(37) of the ESEA, 20 
U.S.C. 7801(37)):
    (A) Means research that involves the application of rigorous, 
systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid 
knowledge relevant to education activities and programs; and
    (B) Includes research that--
    (i) Employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation 
or experiment;
    (ii) Involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the 
stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn;
    (iii) Relies on measurements or observational methods that provide 
reliable and valid data across evaluators and observers, across 
multiple measurements and observations, and across studies by the same 
or different investigators;
    (iv) Is evaluated using experimental or quasi-experimental designs 
in which individual entities, programs, or activities are assigned to 
different conditions and with appropriate controls to evaluate the 
effects of the condition of interest, with a preference for random-
assignment experiments, or other designs to the extent that those 
designs contain within-condition or across-condition controls;
    (v) Ensures that experimental studies are presented in sufficient 
detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, offer the 
opportunity to build systematically on their findings; and
    (vi) Has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a 
panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, 
and scientific review.
    Random assignment or experimental design means random assignment of 
students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to participate in a project 
being evaluated (treatment group) or not participate in the project 
(control group). The effect of the project is the difference in 
outcomes between the treatment and control groups.
    Quasi experimental designs include several designs that attempt to 
approximate a random assignment design.
    Carefully matched comparison groups design means a quasi-
experimental design in which project participants are matched with non-
participants based on key characteristics that are thought to be 
related to the outcome.
    Regression discontinuity design means a quasi-experimental design 
that closely approximates an experimental design. In a regression 
discontinuity design, participants are assigned to a treatment or 
control group based on a numerical rating or score of a variable 
unrelated to the treatment such as the rating of an application for 
funding. Eligible students, teachers, classrooms, or schools above a 
certain score (``cut score'') are assigned to the treatment group and 
those below the score are assigned to the control group. In the case of 
the scores of applicants' proposals for funding, the ``cut score'' is 
established at the point where the program funds available are 
exhausted.
    Single subject design means a design that relies on the comparison 
of treatment effects on a single subject or group of single subjects. 
There is little confidence that findings based on this design would be 
the same for other members of the population.
    Treatment reversal design means a single subject design in which a 
pre-treatment or baseline outcome measurement is compared with a post-
treatment measure. Treatment would then be stopped for a period of 
time, a second baseline measure of the outcome would be taken, followed 
by a second application of the treatment or a different treatment. For 
example, this design might be used to evaluate a behavior modification 
program for disabled students with behavior disorders.
    Multiple baseline design means a single subject design to address 
concerns about the effects of normal development, timing of the 
treatment, and amount of the treatment with treatment-reversal designs 
by using a varying time schedule for introduction of the treatment and/
or treatments of different lengths or intensity.
    Interrupted time series design means a quasi-experimental design in 
which

[[Page 11205]]

the outcome of interest is measured multiple times before and after the 
treatment for program participants only.
    Competitive Preference Priorities 2-6: In accordance with 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(iv), these priorities are from section 5474(c)(2) of the 
ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7255c(c)(2). Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii), we give 
preference to an application that meets one or more of these priorities 
over an application of comparable merit that does not meet the 
priorities.
    These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 2

    To meet this priority, an application must describe a program that 
proposes high-quality plans, will provide instruction consistent with 
State academic content standards, or will otherwise provide significant 
and specific assistance to States and LEAs undertaking systemic 
education reform.

Competitive Preference Priority 3

    To meet this priority, an application must describe a program that 
will provide services to programs serving adults, especially parents, 
with low levels of literacy.

Competitive Preference Priority 4

    To meet this priority, an application must describe a program that 
will serve schools with significant numbers of children counted for the 
purposes of part A of title I of the ESEA.

Competitive Preference Priority 5

    To meet this priority, an application must describe a program that 
ensures that the eligible entity will--
    (1) Serve the broadest range of institutions, programs providing 
instruction outside of the school setting, programs serving adults, 
especially parents, with low levels of literacy, institutions of higher 
education, teacher training centers, research institutes, and private 
industry;
    (2) Have substantial academic and teaching capabilities, including 
the capability of training, retraining, and inservice upgrading of 
teaching skills and the capability to provide professional development;
    (3) Provide a comprehensive range of courses for educators to teach 
instructional strategies for students with different skill levels;
    (4) Provide training to participating educators in ways to 
integrate telecommunications courses into existing school curriculum;
    (5) Provide instruction for students, teachers, and parents;
    (6) Serve a multistate area; and
    (7) Give priority to the provision of equipment and linkages to 
isolated areas.

Competitive Preference Priority 6

    To meet this priority, an application must describe a program that 
involves a telecommunications entity (such as a satellite, cable, 
telephone, computer, or public or private television stations) 
participating in the eligible entity and donating equipment or in-kind 
services for telecommunications linkages.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. Section 437(d)(1) of 
GEPA, however, exempts from this requirement rules that apply to the 
first competition under a new or substantially revised program 
authority. This is the first competition under the reauthorized Star 
Schools program, which was revised by the NCLB, and therefore qualifies 
for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the 
Secretary has decided to forego public comment on the absolute 
priorities in this notice under section 437(d)(1). These absolute 
priorities will apply to the FY 2005 grant competition only.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7255-7255f.

    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 priority for Scientifically Based 
Evaluation Methods, published in the Federal Register on January 25, 
2005 (70 FR 3586).

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except Federally recognized Indian tribes.



    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $14,400,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $1,500,000-$3,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,000,000.
    Maximum Award: An award granted under this competition cannot, in 
any single fiscal year, exceed $10,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 5-7.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    Eligible Applicants: Eligible entities, which include any one of 
the following that is organized on a Statewide or multistate basis:
    (1) A public agency or corporation established for the purpose of 
developing and operating telecommunications networks to enhance 
educational opportunities provided by educational institutions, teacher 
training centers, and other entities, except that any such agency or 
corporation shall represent the interests of elementary schools and 
secondary schools that are eligible to participate in the program under 
part A of title I of the ESEA.
    (2) A partnership that will provide telecommunications services and 
that includes three or more of the following entities, at least one of 
which must be an agency, as described in paragraphs (A) or (B) below:
    (A) A LEA that serves a significant number of elementary and 
secondary schools that are eligible for assistance under part A of 
title I of the ESEA, or elementary and secondary schools operated or 
funded for Indian children by the Department of the Interior eligible 
under section 1121(d)(1)(A) of the ESEA.
    (B) A State educational agency.
    (C) An adult and family education program.
    (D) An institution of higher education or a State higher education 
agency, as that term is defined in section 103 of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 
1003.
    (E) A teacher training center or academy that provides teacher 
preservice and inservice training, and receives Federal financial 
assistance or has been approved by a State agency.
    (F) A public or private entity with experience and expertise in the 
planning and operation of a telecommunications network, including 
entities involved in telecommunications through satellite, cable, 
telephone, or computer; or a public broadcasting entity with such 
experience.
    (G) A public or private elementary or secondary school.

    Note: To receive funding, at least one LEA must participate in 
the proposed project.

    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: The Star Schools program requires a 
matching commitment on the part of the applicant. The Federal share of 
the cost of the grants funded under this program shall not exceed 75 
percent for the first and second years, 60 percent for the third and 
fourth years, and 50 percent for the fifth year. The Secretary may 
reduce or waive this matching

[[Page 11206]]

requirement upon a showing of financial hardship.
    3. Indirect Cost Recovery: Grants under this program are subject to 
``supplement, not supplant'' requirements of the authorizing statute. 
Projects may recover indirect costs only on the basis of a restricted 
indirect cost rate, according to the requirements found at 34 CFR 
75.563 and 34 CFR 76.564-569. As soon as they decide to apply, 
applicants are urged to contact the ED Indirect Cost Group on (202) 
377-3833 for guidance about obtaining a restricted indirect cost rate 
to use on the Budget Information form (ED Form 524) included with the 
application package.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: You may obtain an 
application package via Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via Internet use the following 
address: https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index. To obtain 
a copy from ED Pubs, write 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), 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 84.203G.
    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 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contacts).
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: a. Allowable 
Activities and Application Requirements: As set forth in statute, to 
receive a grant under this program, applicants may propose support for 
one or more of the following:
    (1) The development, construction, acquisition, maintenance and 
operation of telecommunications facilities and equipment.
    (2) The development and acquisition of live, interactive 
instructional programming.
    (3) The development and acquisition of preservice and inservice 
teacher training programs based on established research regarding 
teacher-to-teacher mentoring, and ongoing, in-class instruction.
    (4) The establishment of teleconferencing facilities and resources 
for making interactive training available to teachers.
    (5) Obtaining technical assistance.
    (6) The coordination of the design and connectivity of 
telecommunications networks to reach the greatest number of schools.
    Applications must--
    (1) Describe how the proposed project will assist all students to 
have an opportunity to meet challenging State academic achievement 
standards, how the project will assist State and local educational 
reform efforts, and how the project will contribute to creating a high 
quality system of educational development;
    (2) Describe the telecommunications facilities and equipment and 
technical assistance for which assistance is sought which may include--
    (A) The design, development, construction, acquisition, maintenance 
and operation of State or multistate educational telecommunications 
networks and technology resource centers;
    (B) Microwave, fiber optics, cable, and satellite transmission 
equipment or any combination thereof;
    (C) Reception facilities;
    (D) Satellite time;
    (E) Production facilities;
    (F) Other telecommunications equipment capable of serving a wide 
geographic area;
    (G) The provision of training services to instructors who will be 
using the facilities and equipment for which assistance is sought, 
including training in using such facilities and equipment and training 
in integrating the proposed program into the classroom curriculum; and
    (H) The development of educational and related programming for use 
on a telecommunications network;
    (3) In the case of an application for assistance for instructional 
programming, describe the types of programming that will be developed 
to enhance instruction and training and provide an assurance that such 
programming will be designed in consultation with professionals 
(including classroom teachers) who are experts in the applicable 
subject matter and grade level;
    (4) Describe how the eligible entity has engaged in sufficient 
survey and analysis of the area to be served to ensure that the 
services offered by the eligible entity will increase the availability 
of courses of instruction in English, mathematics, science, foreign 
languages, arts, history, geography, or other disciplines;
    (5) Describe the professional development policies for teachers and 
other school personnel to be implemented to ensure the effective use of 
the telecommunications facilities and equipment for which assistance is 
sought;
    (6) Describe the manner in which historically underserved students 
(such as students from low-income families, limited English proficient 
students, students with disabilities, or students who have low literacy 
skills) and their families will participate in the benefits of the 
telecommunications facilities, equipment, technical assistance, and 
programming;
    (7) Describe how existing telecommunications equipment, facilities, 
and services, where available, will be used;
    (8) Provide an assurance that the financial interest of the United 
States in the telecommunications facilities and equipment will be 
protected for the useful life of such facilities and equipment;
    (9) Provide an assurance that a significant portion of any 
facilities and equipment, technical assistance, and programming for 
which assistance is sought for elementary and secondary schools will be 
made available to schools or LEAs that have a high number or percentage 
of children eligible to be counted under part A of title I of the ESEA;
    (10) Provide an assurance that the applicant will use the funds 
provided under this program to supplement and not supplant funds 
available for the purposes of the program;
    (11) Describe how funds received under this program will be 
coordinated with funds received for educational technology in the 
classroom;
    (12) Describe the activities or services for which assistance is 
sought, such as--
    (A) Providing facilities, equipment, training services, and 
technical assistance;
    (B) Making programs accessible to students with disabilities 
through mechanisms such as closed captioning and descriptive video 
services;
    (C) Linking networks around issues of national importance (such as 
elections) or to provide information about employment opportunities, 
job training, or student and other social service programs;
    (D) Sharing curriculum resources between networks and development 
of

[[Page 11207]]

program guides which demonstrate cooperative, cross-network listing of 
programs for specific curriculum areas;
    (E) Providing teacher and student support services, including 
classroom and training support materials which permit student and 
teacher involvement in the live interactive distance learning 
telecasts;
    (F) Incorporating community resources, such as libraries and 
museums, into instructional programs;
    (G) Providing professional development for teachers, including, as 
appropriate, training to early childhood development and Head Start 
teachers and staff and vocational education teachers and staff, and 
adult and family educators;
    (H) Providing programs for adults to maximize the use of 
telecommunications facilities and equipment;
    (I) Providing teacher training on proposed or established models of 
exemplary academic content standards in mathematics and science and 
other disciplines as such standards are developed; and
    (J) Providing parent education programs during and after the 
regular school day which reinforce a student's course of study and 
actively involve parents in the learning process;
    (13) Describe how the proposed project as a whole will be financed 
and how arrangements for future financing will be developed before the 
project expires;
    (14) Provide an assurance that a significant portion of any 
facilities, equipment, technical assistance, and programming for which 
assistance is sought for elementary and secondary schools will be made 
available to schools in LEAs that have a high percentage of children 
counted for the purpose of part A of title I of the ESEA; and
    (15) Provide an assurance that the applicant will provide such 
information and cooperate in any evaluation that the Secretary may 
conduct under this program.
    b. Other Requirements: Additional 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: Applicants that plan to apply for 
funding under this program are encouraged to indicate an intent to 
apply via e-mail notification sent to starschoolsintent@ed.gov no later 
than April 7, 2005. Applicants that fail to supply this e-mail 
notification may still apply for funding under this program.
    Page Limit for Program Narrative: The program narrative is where 
you, the applicant, address the selection criteria (i.e., within the 
context of the absolute priorities) 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 program 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).
     Although no page limit is required, applicants are 
encouraged to confine the program narrative to no more than 50 pages.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: March 8, 
2005.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 7, 2005.
    Date of Pre-Application Meeting: March 11, 2005 (webcast).
    The Department intends to hold a live webcast to permit potential 
applicants to pose questions about this grant competition and other 
technology grant competitions being held by OII. Following the live 
presentation, the webcast will be archived and remain online until the 
application deadline date. Interested applicants should link to the 
following site to participate in or access the web cast: https://
www.kidzonline.org/tepwebcast. You may submit your intent to 
participate in the webcast to tepwebcast@ed.gov.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 9, 2005.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify 
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer 
to section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 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 the regulations outlining 
funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this 
notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an 
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in 
this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications. Applications for grants 
under the Star Schools program--CFDA Number 84.203G must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site. Through this site, you 
will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it 
offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-
mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Star 
Schools program at: https://www.grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. 
Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search.
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted with a 
date/time received by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will not 
consider your application if it was received by the Grants.gov system 
later than 4:30 p.m. on the application deadline date. When we retrieve 
your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are 
rejecting your application because it was submitted after 4:30 p.m. on 
the application deadline date.

[[Page 11208]]

     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this program to ensure that 
your application is submitted timely to the Grants.gov system.
     To use Grants.gov, you, as the applicant, must have a D-U-
N-S Number and register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You 
should allow a minimum of five business days to complete the CCR 
registration.
     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 typically included on 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.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you 
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax 
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed 
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Donald Fork, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W219, 
Washington, DC 20202-5900. FAX: (202) 205-5720.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail. If you qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail 
(through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), your 
application to the Department. You must mail the original and two 
copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, 
to the Department at the applicable following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.203G), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
    By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.203G), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark;
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service;
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier; 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 
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 
84.203G), 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 acknowledgment 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 selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210. These selection criteria apply to the absolute 
priorities and allowable activities only. The maximum score for all of 
the selection criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each 
criterion is indicated in parentheses with the criterion. The maximum 
number of points an application may earn based on Competitive 
Preference Priority 1 and the selection criteria is 125 points.

[[Page 11209]]

    The Notes we have included after certain of the criteria are 
guidance to help applicants in preparing their applications and are not 
required by statute or regulation. The criteria are as follows:
    (a) Need for the project (20 points). The Secretary considers the 
need for the proposed project. In determining the need, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project will provide services 
or otherwise address the needs of students at risk of educational 
failure.
    (2) The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving 
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals.
    (3) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses.

    Note: Applicants should provide information concerning the 
current gap in the quality and quantity of curriculum-based and 
scientifically based reading, mathematics, science or foreign 
language research (as applied to the specific absolute priority 
identified) for the targeted population and propose strategies 
designed to close that gap. Furthermore, applicants should describe 
how scientifically based research will be linked to the project and 
how academic content will be incorporated into the proposed activity 
to encourage success in school for low-income children. In 
responding to the priorities, applicants should note that low-income 
children are a target population under this program. For example, 
under Absolute Priority 1, applicants should identify the current 
status of SES programs that are using emerging mobile technologies 
and describe the gaps in such services for students attending 
schools in urban and rural communities. Under Absolute Priority 2, 
applicants should discuss the status and nature including the 
quality and quantity of online content currently used in elementary 
and middle schools including virtual schools, charter schools and 
virtual charter schools serving elementary and middle school 
students, particularly low-income children. Under Absolute Priority 
2, applicants should discuss the extent of existing research on 
educational gaming and simulations applications to enhance academic 
achievement and their expectations for use with low-income children.

    (b) Quality of the project design (25 Points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project will establish 
linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing 
services to the target population.
    (2) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.

    Note: Applicants should include a thorough, high-quality review 
of the relevant literature, a high-quality plan for project 
implementation, and a description of how appropriate methodological 
tools will be used to assess the impact of the proposed activities 
on enhancing the reading, mathematics, science or foreign language 
achievement of the targeted audience as measured against rigorous 
academic standards.

    (c) Quality of project personnel (10 Points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers 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. In addition, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel.
    (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of project consultants or subcontractors.
    (d) Adequacy of resources (10 Points). The Secretary considers the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project.
    (2) The potential for continued support of the project after 
Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated 
commitment of appropriate entities to such support.
    (e) Quality of the management plan (10 Points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. 
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    (2) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
    (f) Quality of the project evaluation (25 Points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible.
    (2) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about 
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other 
settings.

    Note: A strong evaluation plan should be included in the 
application narrative and should be used, as appropriate, to shape 
the development of the project from the beginning of the grant 
period. The plan should include benchmarks to monitor progress 
toward specific project objectives and also outcome measures to 
assess the impact on teaching and learning or other important 
outcomes for project participants. More specifically, the plan 
should identify the individual and/or organization that has agreed 
to serve as evaluator for the project and describe the 
qualifications of that evaluator. The plan should describe the 
evaluation design, indicating: (1) What types of data will be 
collected; (2) when various types of data will be collected; (3) 
what methods will be used; (4) what instruments will be developed 
and when; (5) how the data will be analyzed; (6) when reports of 
results and outcomes will be available; and (7) how the applicant 
will use the information collected through the evaluation to monitor 
progress of the funded project and to provide accountability 
information both about success at the initial site and effective 
strategies for replication in other settings. Applicants are 
encouraged to devote 25-30% of the grant funds to project 
evaluation.

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

[[Page 11210]]

application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.
    3. Grant Administration: Applicants approved for funding under this 
competition may be required to attend a one- or two-day Grants 
Administration meeting in Washington, DC during the first year of the 
grant. In addition, applicants should budget for one Project Directors 
meeting to be held in Washington, DC in each subsequent year of the 
grant. The cost of attending these meetings may be paid from Star 
Schools program grant funds or other resources.
    4. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118. For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please 
go to https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    5. Performance Measures: The Department is currently developing 
measures that will be designed to yield information on the 
effectiveness of grant-supported activities. If funded, applicants will 
be expected to participate in collecting and reporting data for these 
measures. We will notify grantees of the performance measures once they 
are developed.

VII. Agency Contacts

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald Fork or Jean Tolliver, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20202-5900. Telephone: (202) 205-5633 (Donald Fork) or (301) 925-8402 
(Jean Tolliver) or by e-mail: Donald.Fork@ed.gov or 
Jean.Tolliver@ed.gov.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the program contact persons 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: March 3, 2005.
Michael J. Petrilli,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 05-4441 Filed 3-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P