Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Charter School Program (CSP); Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, 3494-3499 [E6-755]
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Washington, DC 20202–6200.
Telephone: (202) 260–1091 or by e-mail:
beth.fine@ed.gov or Francisco Ramirez,
U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Ave., SW., room 3W225,
Washington, DC 20202–6200.
Telephone: (202) 260–1541 or by e-mail:
francisco.ramirez@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.
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Note: The official version of this document
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Register. Free Internet access to the official
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of Federal Regulations is available on GPO
Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
Dated: January 17, 2006.
Henry L. Johnson,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and
Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. E6–750 Filed 1–20–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement;
Overview Information; Charter School
Program (CSP); Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2006
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.282A.
Applications Available: January
23, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 10, 2006.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: May 9, 2006.
Eligible Applicants: State educational
agencies (SEAs) in States with a State
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DATES:
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statute specifically authorizing the
establishment of charter schools.
Note: Non-SEA eligible applicants in states
in which the SEA elects not to participate in
or does not have an application approved
under the CSP may apply for funding directly
from the Department. The Department plans
to hold a separate competition for non-SEA
eligible applicants under CFDA Nos. 84.282B
and 84.282C.
Estimated Available Funds:
$36,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards:
$500,000–$20,000,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$3,000,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10–12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to three years.
Note: Planning and implementation
subgrants awarded by an SEA to non-SEA
eligible applicants will be awarded for a
period of up to three years, no more than 18
months of which may be used for planning
and program design and no more than two
years of which may be used for the initial
implementation of a charter school.
Dissemination subgrants are awarded for a
period of up to two years.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the CSP is to increase national
understanding of the charter school
model and to expand the number of
high-quality charter schools available to
students across the Nation by providing
financial assistance for the planning,
program design, and initial
implementation of charter schools, and
to evaluate the effects of charter schools,
including their effects on students,
student academic achievement, staff,
and parents. The Secretary awards
grants to SEAs to enable them to
conduct charter school programs in
their States. SEAs use their CSP funds
to award subgrants to non-SEA eligible
applicants for planning, program design,
and initial implementation of a charter
school and to support the dissemination
of information about, including
successful practices in, charter schools.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv), these priorities are from
section 5202(e) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965
(ESEA), as amended by the No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), 20
U.S.C. 7221a(e).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For
FY 2006 these priorities are competitive
preference priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an
additional 40 points to an application,
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depending on how well the application
meets these priorities.
In awarding grants to SEAs under this
competition, the Secretary gives priority
to States to the extent that the State
meets the statutory criterion described
in paragraph (a) of this section and one
or more of the statutory criteria
described in paragraphs (b) through (d)
of this section. In order to receive
preference, an applicant must identify
the priorities that it believes it meets
and provide documentation supporting
its claims.
An SEA that meets priority (a) but
does not meet one or more of the other
priorities will not receive any priority
points.
An SEA that does not meet priority (a)
but meets one or more of the other
priorities will not receive any priority
points.
These priorities are:
(a) Periodic Review and Evaluation
(10 points). The State provides for
periodic review and evaluation by the
authorized public chartering agency of
each charter school at least once every
five years, unless required more
frequently by State law, to determine
whether the charter school is meeting
the terms of the school’s charter, and is
meeting or exceeding the student
academic achievement requirements
and goals for charter schools as
provided under State law or the school’s
charter.
(b) Number of High-Quality Charter
Schools (10 points). The State has
demonstrated progress in increasing the
number of high-quality charter schools
that are held accountable in the terms of
the schools’ charters for meeting clear
and measurable objectives for the
educational progress of the students
attending the schools, in the period
prior to the period for which an SEA
applies for a grant under this
competition.
(c) One Authorized Public Chartering
Agency Other than a Local Educational
Agency (LEA), or an Appeals Process
(10 points). The State:
(1) Provides for one authorized public
chartering agency that is not an LEA,
such as a State chartering board, for
each individual or entity seeking to
operate a charter school pursuant to
State law; or
(2) In the case of a State in which
LEAs are the only authorized public
chartering agencies, allows for an
appeals process for the denial of an
application for a charter school.
(d) High Degree of Autonomy (10
points). The State ensures that each
charter school has a high degree of
autonomy over the charter school’s
budgets and expenditures.
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Note: The Secretary encourages applicants
to provide citations and examples from their
State charter law in responding to each of the
competitive preference priorities.
Invitational Priority: Under this
competition we are particularly
interested in applications that address
the following priority. For FY 2006 this
priority is an invitational priority.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not
give an application that meets this
invitational priority a competitive or
absolute preference over other
applications.
The priority is:
The applicant proposes to plan,
design, and implement one or more
high-quality charter high schools in
geographic areas, including urban and
rural areas, in which a large proportion
or number of public schools has been
identified for improvement, corrective
action, or restructuring under Title I,
Part A of the ESEA.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7221–7221j.
Applicable Regulations: The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds:
$36,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards:
$500,000–$20,000,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$3,000,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10–12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to three years.
Note: Planning and implementation
subgrants awarded by an SEA to non-SEA
eligible applicants will be awarded for a
period of up to three years, no more than 18
months of which may be used for planning
and program design, and no more than two
years of which may be used for the initial
implementation of a charter school.
Dissemination subgrants are awarded for a
period of up to two years.
III. Eligibility Information
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1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs in States
with a State statute specifically
authorizing the establishment of charter
schools.
Note: Non-SEA eligible applicants in states
in which the SEA elects not to participate in
or does not have an application approved
under the CSP may apply for funding directly
from the Department. The Department plans
to hold a separate competition for non-SEA
eligible applicants under CFDA Nos. 84.282B
and 84.282C.
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2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: Dean Kern, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 4W227, FB6, Washington, DC
20202–5970. Telephone: (202) 260–1882
or by e-mail: dean.kern@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 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 in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission: Requirements concerning
the content of an application, together
with the forms you must submit, are in
the application package for this
competition. Page Limit: The
application narrative (Part III of the
application) is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your
application. The Secretary strongly
encourages applicants to limit Part III to
the equivalent of no more than 50 pages,
using the following standards:
• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″ on one side
only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, and captions, 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).
The suggested page limit does not
apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the
narrative budget justification; Part IV,
the assurances and certifications; or the
one-page abstract, the resumes, the
bibliography, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the
application narrative in Part III.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: January 23,
2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 10, 2006.
Applications for grants under this
competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site (Grants.gov). For information
(including dates and times) about how
to submit your application
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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. We do not consider an
application that does not address the
application requirements, selection
criteria, and other required information
outlined in the application package.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: May 9, 2006
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
competition is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372
is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions:
Use of Funds for Post-Award Planning
and Design of the Educational Program
and Initial Implementation of the
Charter School. A non-SEA eligible
applicant receiving a subgrant under
this program may use the subgrant
funds only for:
(a) Post-award planning and design of
the educational program, which may
include (i) refinement of the desired
educational results and of the methods
for measuring progress toward achieving
those results; and (ii) professional
development of teachers and other staff
who will work in the charter school;
and
(b) Initial implementation of the
charter school, which may include (i)
informing the community about the
school; (ii) acquiring necessary
equipment and educational materials
and supplies; (iii) acquiring or
developing curriculum materials; and
(iv) other initial operational costs that
cannot be met from State or local
sources.
Use of Funds for Dissemination
Activities. An SEA may reserve not
more than 10 percent of its grant funds
to support dissemination activities. A
charter school may use those funds to
assist other schools in adapting the
charter school’s program (or certain
aspects of the charter school’s program)
or to disseminate information about the
charter school through such activities
as:
(a) Assisting other individuals with
the planning and start-up of one or more
new public schools, including charter
schools, that are independent of the
assisting charter school and the assisting
charter school’s developers and that
agree to be held to at least as high a level
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of accountability as the assisting charter
school;
(b) Developing partnerships with
other public schools, including charter
schools, designed to improve student
academic achievement in each of the
schools participating in the partnership;
(c) Developing curriculum materials,
assessments, and other materials that
promote increased student achievement
and are based on successful practices
within the assisting charter school; and
(d) Conducting evaluations and
developing materials that document the
successful practices of the assisting
charter school and that are designed to
improve student achievement.
Award Basis
In determining whether to approve a
grant award and the amount of such
award, the Department will consider,
among other things, the amount of any
carryover funds the applicant has under
an existing grant under the program.
We reference regulations outlining
additional funding restrictions in the
Applicable Regulations section of this
notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements.
Applications for grants under this
competition must be submitted
electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in
accordance with the instructions in this
section.
a. Electronic Submission of
Applications.
Applications for grants under the
Charter School Program, CFDA Number
84.282A must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site at: https://www.grants.gov.
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 Charter School
program at: https://www.grants.gov. You
must search for the downloadable
application package for this program by
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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, and must be date/time
stamped by the Grants.gov system no
later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date.
Except as otherwise noted in this
section, we will not consider your
application if it is date/time stamped by
the Grants.gov system later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, 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 date/time stamped by the
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
• 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 submission
process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow with
Education Submission Procedures for
submitting an application through
Grants.gov that are included in the
application package for this program to
ensure that you submit your application
in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education
Submission Procedures pertaining to
Grants.gov at https://e-Grants.ed.gov/
help/
GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
• To submit your application via
Grants.gov, you must complete all of the
steps in the Grants.gov registration
process (see https://www.Grants.gov/
GetStarted). These steps include (1)
registering your organization, (2)
registering yourself as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR), and
(3) getting authorized as an AOR by
your organization. Details on these steps
are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step
Registration Guide (see https://
www.grants.gov/assets/
GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf).
You also must provide on your
application the same D–U–N–S Number
used with this registration. Please note
that the registration process may take
five or more business dates to complete,
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and you must have completed all
registration steps to allow you to
successfully submit an application via
Grants.gov.
• 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—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all
necessary assurances and certifications.
You must attach any narrative sections
of your application as files in a .DOC
(document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF
(Portable Document) format. If you
upload a file type other than the three
file types specified above or submit a
password protected file, we will not
review that material.
• Your electronic application must
comply with any page limit
requirements described in this notice.
• After you electronically submit
your application, you will receive an
automatic acknowledgment 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.
Application Deadline Date Extension
in Case of Technical Issues with the
Grants.gov System: If you are prevented
from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline
date because of technical programs with
the Grants.gov system, we will grant you
an extension until 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, the following
business day to enable you to transmit
your application electronically, or by
hand delivery. You also may mail your
application by following the mailing
instructions as described elsewhere in
this notice. If you submit an application
after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the deadline date, please contact the
person listed elsewhere in this notice
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT, and provide an explanation of
the technical problem you experienced
with Grants.gov, along with the
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number
(if available). We will accept your
application if we can confirm that a
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technical problem occurred with the
Grants.gov system and that that problem
affected your ability to submit your
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington,
DC time, on the application deadline
date. The Department will contact you
after a determination is made on
whether your application will be
accepted.
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Note: Extensions referred to in this section
apply only to the unavailability of or
technical problems with the Grants.gov
system. We will not grant you an extension
if you failed to fully register to submit your
application to Grants.gov before the deadline
date and time or if the technical problem you
experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov
system.
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: Dean Kern, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., room 4W227, FB6,
Washington, DC 20202–5970. FAX:
(202) 205–5630.
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
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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 84.282A, 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 84.282A, 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 84.282A, 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 Application for Federal
Education Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA
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3497
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
Selection Criteria: Applicants
applying for CSP grant funds must
address both the statutory application
requirements and the selection criteria
described in the following paragraphs.
Each applicant applying for CSP grant
funds may choose to respond to the
application requirements in the context
of its responses to the selection criteria.
(a) Application Requirements. (i)
Describe the objectives of the SEA’s
charter school grant program and
describe how these objectives will be
fulfilled, including steps taken by the
SEA to inform teachers, parents, and
communities of the SEA’s charter school
grant program;
(ii) Describe how the SEA will inform
each charter school in the State about
Federal funds the charter school is
eligible to receive and Federal programs
in which the charter school may
participate;
(iii) Describe how the SEA will ensure
that each charter school in the State
receives the school’s commensurate
share of Federal education funds that
are allocated by formula each year,
including during the first year of
operation of the school and a year in
which the school’s enrollment expands
significantly;
(iv) Describe how the SEA will
disseminate best or promising practices
of charter schools to each local
educational agency (LEA) in the State;
(v) If an SEA elects to reserve part of
its grant funds (no more than 10
percent) for the establishment of a
revolving loan fund, describe how the
revolving loan fund would operate;
(vi) If an SEA desires the Secretary to
consider waivers under the authority of
the CSP, include a request and
justification for any waiver of statutory
or regulatory provisions that the SEA
believes is necessary for the successful
operation of charter schools in the State;
and
(vii) Describe how charter schools that
are considered to be LEAs under State
law and LEAs in which charter schools
are located will comply with sections
613(a)(5) and 613(e)(1)(B) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act.
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(b) Selection Criteria. The following
selection criteria are from the
authorizing statute for this program and
34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR.
SEAs that propose to use a portion of
their grant funds for dissemination
activities must address each selection
criterion (i) through (v) individually and
title each accordingly. SEAs that do not
propose to use a portion of their grant
funds for dissemination activities must
address selection criteria (i) through (iv)
only, and need not address selection
criterion (v). SEAs that do not address
criterion (v) because they are not
proposing to use a portion of their grant
funds for dissemination activities will
not be penalized.
The maximum possible score is 120
points for SEAs that do not propose to
use grant funds to support
dissemination activities and 150 points
for SEAs that propose to use grant funds
to support dissemination activities.
The maximum possible score for each
criterion is indicated in parentheses
following the criterion.
In evaluating an application, the
Secretary considers the following
criteria:
(i) The contribution the charter
schools grant program will make in
assisting educationally disadvantaged
and other students to achieve State
academic content standards and State
student academic achievement
standards (30 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants
to provide a description of the objectives for
the SEA’s charter school grant program and
how these objectives will be fulfilled,
including steps taken by the SEA to inform
teachers, parents, and communities of the
SEA’s charter school grant program and how
the SEA will disseminate best or promising
practices of charter schools to each LEA in
the State.
(ii) The degree of flexibility afforded
by the SEA to charter schools under the
State’s charter school law (30 points).
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Note: The Secretary encourages the
applicant to include a description of how the
State’s law establishes an administrative
relationship between the charter school and
the authorized public chartering agency and
exempts charter schools from significant
State or local rules that inhibit the flexible
operation and management of public schools.
The Secretary also encourages the
applicant to include a description of the
degree of autonomy charter schools
have achieved over such matters as the
charter school’s budget, expenditures,
daily operation, and personnel in
accordance with their State’s law.
(iii) The number of high-quality
charter schools to be created in the State
(30 points).
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Note: The Secretary considers the SEA’s
reasonable estimate of the number of new
charter schools to be authorized and opened
in the State during the three year period of
this grant.
The Secretary also considers how the
SEA will inform each charter school in
the State about Federal funds the charter
school is eligible to receive and ensure
that each charter school in the State
receives the school’s commensurate
share of Federal education funds that
are allocated by formula each year,
including during the first year of
operation of the school and during a
year in which the school’s enrollment
expands significantly.
(iv) The quality 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 (30 points).
Note: In addition to describing the
proposed objectives of the SEA charter
school grant program and how these
objectives will be fulfilled, the Secretary
encourages applicants to provide
descriptions of the steps to be taken by the
SEA to award subgrant funds to eligible
applicants desiring to receive these funds,
including descriptions of the peer review
process the SEA will use to review
applications for assistance, the timelines for
awarding such funds, and how the SEA will
assess the quality of the applications.
(v) In the case of SEAs that propose
to use grant funds to support
dissemination activities under section
5204(f)(6) of the ESEA, the quality of the
dissemination activities (15 points) and
the likelihood that those activities will
improve student academic achievement
(15 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants
to describe the steps to be taken by the SEA
to award these funds to eligible applicants,
including descriptions of the peer review
process the SEA will use to review
applications for dissemination, the timelines
for awarding such funds, and how the SEA
will assess the quality of the applications.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we will 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
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Fmt 4703
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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. For
specific requirements on grantee
reporting, please go to the ED
Performance Report Form 524B at
https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/
appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The goal of
the CSP is to support the creation and
development of a large number of highquality charter schools that are free from
State or local rules that inhibit flexible
operation, are held accountable for
enabling students to reach challenging
State performance standards, and are
open to all students. The Secretary has
set three performance indicators to
measure this goal: (1) The number of
States, including the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico, with charter
school laws, (2) the number of charter
schools in operation around the Nation,
and (3) the percentage of charter school
students who are achieving at or above
the proficient level on State
examinations in mathematics and
reading. Additionally, the Secretary has
established the following measure to
examine the efficiency of the CSP:
Federal cost per student in
implementing a successful school
(defined as a school in operation for
three or more years).
All grantees will be expected to
submit an annual performance report
documenting their contribution in
assisting the Department in meeting
these performance measures.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dean Kern, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 4W227, FB6, Washington, DC
20202–5961. Telephone: (202) 260–1882
or by e-mail: dean.kern@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.
E:\FR\FM\23JAN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 14 / Monday, January 23, 2006 / Notices
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: January 18, 2006.
Christopher J. Doherty,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of
Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E6–755 Filed 1–20–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education;
Overview Information; Gaining Early
Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards
for Fiscal year (FY) 2006
organizations, philanthropic
organizations, State agencies,
institutions or agencies sponsoring
programs authorized under subpart 4 of
part A of Title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended, or
other public or private agencies or
organizations.
Note: For State grants, the fiscal agent/
applicant must be a single State agency as
designated by the State’s governor. For
partnership grants, the fiscal agent/applicant
must be either an institution of higher
education that is not pervasively sectarian or
a local educational agency.
Estimated Available Funds:
$24,500,000 for partnership grants and
$12,000,000 for State grants.
Estimated Range of Awards:
$100,000–$7,000,000 for partnership
grants and $500,000–$3,000,000 for
State grants.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$1,200,000 for partnership grants and
$3,000,000 for State grants.
Maximum Award: We will reject any
application for a State grant that
proposes a budget exceeding $3,000,000
for a single budget period of 12 months.
We will reject any application for a
partnership grant that proposes a budget
exceeding $800 per student for a single
budget period of 12 months. We also
will reject any State or partnership grant
application that proposes an increase in
its budget after the first 12-month
budget period. The Assistant Secretary
for Postsecondary Education may
change any of these maximum amounts
through a notice published in the
Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 4 State
grants and 20 partnership grants.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 72 months.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Numbers: 84.334S (State grants) and
84.334A (Partnership grants).
Full Text of Announcement
Applications Available: January
23, 2006. Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 9, 2006. Deadline
for Intergovernmental Review: May 2,
2006.
Eligible Applicants: (1) A State; or (2)
a partnership consisting of (A) one or
more local educational agencies acting
on behalf of (i) one or more elementary
schools or secondary schools, and (ii)
the secondary schools that students
from the schools described in (i) would
normally attend; (B) one or more degree
granting institutions of higher
education; and (C) at least two
community organizations or entities,
such as businesses, professional
associations, community-based
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the Gaining Early Awareness and
Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
(GEAR UP) is to support early college
preparation and awareness activities for
low-income students.
Priority: Under this competition we
are particularly interested in
applications that address one or both of
the following priorities.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2006
these priorities are invitational
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we
do not give an application that meets
these invitational priorities a
competitive or absolute preference over
other applications.
These priorities are:
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DATES:
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I. Funding Opportunity Description
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3499
Invitational Priority 1
Applicants are encouraged to include
plans to develop and administer an
assessment in the tenth and/or eleventh
grade to determine whether GEAR UP
students are adequately prepared for
postsecondary education. Assessments
would include math and language skills,
and other content areas or skills the
applicant believes are sound indicators
of preparedness for college-level work.
The results of such an assessment
would then be used as a substitute for
placement tests that members of the
cohort who are admitted to a partner
institution of higher education would
otherwise be required to take, and to
guide intervention strategies that focus
on the needs of individual GEAR UP
students to help ensure that, by the time
they graduate from high school, they are
prepared for college.
The Secretary will review the results
of this invitational priority (including
the number of applicants who include
information responsive to this priority
and whether any grantees develop and
administer an assessment), and may
propose to modify the regulations for
the GEAR UP program (34 CFR part 694)
to require that grantees conduct this
type of an assessment of the students
receiving services through GEAR UP
partnership or State grants.
Invitational Priority 2
Partnership applicants are encouraged
to include plans to establish and
maintain a financial assistance program
that awards college scholarships to
GEAR UP students consistent with the
requirements governing GEAR UP
scholarships that State grantees must
meet in section 404E of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended.
That provision includes requirements
regarding the amounts of the
scholarships and student eligibility.
Applicants proposing plans that include
this priority should be sure to consider
how the financial assistance program
will be administered after Federal
funding for the grant has ended. Since
any Federal funds or non-Federal
matching contributions to be used for
scholarships in future years must be
obligated during the appropriate budget
period, the requirement of an obligation
requires that these funds be placed in a
trust or other irrevocable instrument for
the benefit of the GEAR UP students
until such time as the funds are
awarded to individual students.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-21.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,
E:\FR\FM\23JAN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3494-3499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-755]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information;
Charter School Program (CSP); Notice Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.282A.
DATES: Applications Available: January 23, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 10, 2006.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 9, 2006.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs) in States
with a State statute specifically authorizing the establishment of
charter schools.
Note: Non-SEA eligible applicants in states in which the SEA
elects not to participate in or does not have an application
approved under the CSP may apply for funding directly from the
Department. The Department plans to hold a separate competition for
non-SEA eligible applicants under CFDA Nos. 84.282B and 84.282C.
Estimated Available Funds: $36,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$20,000,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $3,000,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10-12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to three years.
Note: Planning and implementation subgrants awarded by an SEA to
non-SEA eligible applicants will be awarded for a period of up to
three years, no more than 18 months of which may be used for
planning and program design and no more than two years of which may
be used for the initial implementation of a charter school.
Dissemination subgrants are awarded for a period of up to two years.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the CSP is to increase national
understanding of the charter school model and to expand the number of
high-quality charter schools available to students across the Nation by
providing financial assistance for the planning, program design, and
initial implementation of charter schools, and to evaluate the effects
of charter schools, including their effects on students, student
academic achievement, staff, and parents. The Secretary awards grants
to SEAs to enable them to conduct charter school programs in their
States. SEAs use their CSP funds to award subgrants to non-SEA eligible
applicants for planning, program design, and initial implementation of
a charter school and to support the dissemination of information about,
including successful practices in, charter schools.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), these
priorities are from section 5202(e) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind
Act of 2001 (NCLB), 20 U.S.C. 7221a(e).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2006 these priorities are
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award up to an additional 40 points to an application, depending on how
well the application meets these priorities.
In awarding grants to SEAs under this competition, the Secretary
gives priority to States to the extent that the State meets the
statutory criterion described in paragraph (a) of this section and one
or more of the statutory criteria described in paragraphs (b) through
(d) of this section. In order to receive preference, an applicant must
identify the priorities that it believes it meets and provide
documentation supporting its claims.
An SEA that meets priority (a) but does not meet one or more of the
other priorities will not receive any priority points.
An SEA that does not meet priority (a) but meets one or more of the
other priorities will not receive any priority points.
These priorities are:
(a) Periodic Review and Evaluation (10 points). The State provides
for periodic review and evaluation by the authorized public chartering
agency of each charter school at least once every five years, unless
required more frequently by State law, to determine whether the charter
school is meeting the terms of the school's charter, and is meeting or
exceeding the student academic achievement requirements and goals for
charter schools as provided under State law or the school's charter.
(b) Number of High-Quality Charter Schools (10 points). The State
has demonstrated progress in increasing the number of high-quality
charter schools that are held accountable in the terms of the schools'
charters for meeting clear and measurable objectives for the
educational progress of the students attending the schools, in the
period prior to the period for which an SEA applies for a grant under
this competition.
(c) One Authorized Public Chartering Agency Other than a Local
Educational Agency (LEA), or an Appeals Process (10 points). The State:
(1) Provides for one authorized public chartering agency that is
not an LEA, such as a State chartering board, for each individual or
entity seeking to operate a charter school pursuant to State law; or
(2) In the case of a State in which LEAs are the only authorized
public chartering agencies, allows for an appeals process for the
denial of an application for a charter school.
(d) High Degree of Autonomy (10 points). The State ensures that
each charter school has a high degree of autonomy over the charter
school's budgets and expenditures.
[[Page 3495]]
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to provide citations
and examples from their State charter law in responding to each of
the competitive preference priorities.
Invitational Priority: Under this competition we are particularly
interested in applications that address the following priority. For FY
2006 this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets this
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other
applications.
The priority is:
The applicant proposes to plan, design, and implement one or more
high-quality charter high schools in geographic areas, including urban
and rural areas, in which a large proportion or number of public
schools has been identified for improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring under Title I, Part A of the ESEA.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7221-7221j.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 79,
80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $36,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$20,000,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $3,000,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10-12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to three years.
Note: Planning and implementation subgrants awarded by an SEA to
non-SEA eligible applicants will be awarded for a period of up to
three years, no more than 18 months of which may be used for
planning and program design, and no more than two years of which may
be used for the initial implementation of a charter school.
Dissemination subgrants are awarded for a period of up to two years.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs in States with a State statute
specifically authorizing the establishment of charter schools.
Note: Non-SEA eligible applicants in states in which the SEA
elects not to participate in or does not have an application
approved under the CSP may apply for funding directly from the
Department. The Department plans to hold a separate competition for
non-SEA eligible applicants under CFDA Nos. 84.282B and 84.282C.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Dean Kern, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W227, FB6,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 260-1882 or by e-mail:
dean.kern@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 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 in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Page
Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where
you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use
to evaluate your application. The Secretary strongly encourages
applicants to limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 50
pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, 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).
The suggested page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet;
Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of
support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in
Part III.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: January 23, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 10, 2006.
Applications for grants under this competition 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. We do not consider an application that does not
address the application requirements, selection criteria, and other
required information outlined in the application package.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 9, 2006
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions:
Use of Funds for Post-Award Planning and Design of the Educational
Program and Initial Implementation of the Charter School. A non-SEA
eligible applicant receiving a subgrant under this program may use the
subgrant funds only for:
(a) Post-award planning and design of the educational program,
which may include (i) refinement of the desired educational results and
of the methods for measuring progress toward achieving those results;
and (ii) professional development of teachers and other staff who will
work in the charter school; and
(b) Initial implementation of the charter school, which may include
(i) informing the community about the school; (ii) acquiring necessary
equipment and educational materials and supplies; (iii) acquiring or
developing curriculum materials; and (iv) other initial operational
costs that cannot be met from State or local sources.
Use of Funds for Dissemination Activities. An SEA may reserve not
more than 10 percent of its grant funds to support dissemination
activities. A charter school may use those funds to assist other
schools in adapting the charter school's program (or certain aspects of
the charter school's program) or to disseminate information about the
charter school through such activities as:
(a) Assisting other individuals with the planning and start-up of
one or more new public schools, including charter schools, that are
independent of the assisting charter school and the assisting charter
school's developers and that agree to be held to at least as high a
level
[[Page 3496]]
of accountability as the assisting charter school;
(b) Developing partnerships with other public schools, including
charter schools, designed to improve student academic achievement in
each of the schools participating in the partnership;
(c) Developing curriculum materials, assessments, and other
materials that promote increased student achievement and are based on
successful practices within the assisting charter school; and
(d) Conducting evaluations and developing materials that document
the successful practices of the assisting charter school and that are
designed to improve student achievement.
Award Basis
In determining whether to approve a grant award and the amount of
such award, the Department will consider, among other things, the
amount of any carryover funds the applicant has under an existing grant
under the program.
We reference regulations outlining additional funding restrictions
in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements. Applications for grants under
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Charter School Program, CFDA
Number 84.282A must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site at: https://www.grants.gov. 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 Charter
School 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, and
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, 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 date/time stamped by the
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
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 submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow with Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to
Grants.gov at https://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/
GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see
https://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted). These steps include (1) registering
your organization, (2) registering yourself as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting authorized as an AOR
by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see https://www.grants.gov/assets/
GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf). You also must provide on your
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please
note that the registration process may take five or more business dates
to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to
allow you to successfully submit an application via Grants.gov.
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. You
must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a
.DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format.
If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified
above or submit a password protected file, we will not review that
material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment 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.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are prevented from electronically
submitting your application on the application deadline date because of
technical programs with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an
extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business
day to enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by
hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the
mailing instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you
submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
deadline date, please contact the person listed elsewhere in this
notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an
explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov,
along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We
will accept your application if we can confirm that a
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technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department
will contact you after a determination is made on whether your
application will be accepted.
Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system.
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to
the Grants.gov system.
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: Dean Kern, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W227, FB6,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. FAX: (202) 205-5630.
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 84.282A,
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 84.282A,
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 84.282A, 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 Application for Federal Education
Assistance (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
Selection Criteria: Applicants applying for CSP grant funds must
address both the statutory application requirements and the selection
criteria described in the following paragraphs. Each applicant applying
for CSP grant funds may choose to respond to the application
requirements in the context of its responses to the selection criteria.
(a) Application Requirements. (i) Describe the objectives of the
SEA's charter school grant program and describe how these objectives
will be fulfilled, including steps taken by the SEA to inform teachers,
parents, and communities of the SEA's charter school grant program;
(ii) Describe how the SEA will inform each charter school in the
State about Federal funds the charter school is eligible to receive and
Federal programs in which the charter school may participate;
(iii) Describe how the SEA will ensure that each charter school in
the State receives the school's commensurate share of Federal education
funds that are allocated by formula each year, including during the
first year of operation of the school and a year in which the school's
enrollment expands significantly;
(iv) Describe how the SEA will disseminate best or promising
practices of charter schools to each local educational agency (LEA) in
the State;
(v) If an SEA elects to reserve part of its grant funds (no more
than 10 percent) for the establishment of a revolving loan fund,
describe how the revolving loan fund would operate;
(vi) If an SEA desires the Secretary to consider waivers under the
authority of the CSP, include a request and justification for any
waiver of statutory or regulatory provisions that the SEA believes is
necessary for the successful operation of charter schools in the State;
and
(vii) Describe how charter schools that are considered to be LEAs
under State law and LEAs in which charter schools are located will
comply with sections 613(a)(5) and 613(e)(1)(B) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act.
[[Page 3498]]
(b) Selection Criteria. The following selection criteria are from
the authorizing statute for this program and 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR.
SEAs that propose to use a portion of their grant funds for
dissemination activities must address each selection criterion (i)
through (v) individually and title each accordingly. SEAs that do not
propose to use a portion of their grant funds for dissemination
activities must address selection criteria (i) through (iv) only, and
need not address selection criterion (v). SEAs that do not address
criterion (v) because they are not proposing to use a portion of their
grant funds for dissemination activities will not be penalized.
The maximum possible score is 120 points for SEAs that do not
propose to use grant funds to support dissemination activities and 150
points for SEAs that propose to use grant funds to support
dissemination activities.
The maximum possible score for each criterion is indicated in
parentheses following the criterion.
In evaluating an application, the Secretary considers the following
criteria:
(i) The contribution the charter schools grant program will make in
assisting educationally disadvantaged and other students to achieve
State academic content standards and State student academic achievement
standards (30 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to provide a
description of the objectives for the SEA's charter school grant
program and how these objectives will be fulfilled, including steps
taken by the SEA to inform teachers, parents, and communities of the
SEA's charter school grant program and how the SEA will disseminate
best or promising practices of charter schools to each LEA in the
State.
(ii) The degree of flexibility afforded by the SEA to charter
schools under the State's charter school law (30 points).
Note: The Secretary encourages the applicant to include a
description of how the State's law establishes an administrative
relationship between the charter school and the authorized public
chartering agency and exempts charter schools from significant State
or local rules that inhibit the flexible operation and management of
public schools.
The Secretary also encourages the applicant to include a
description of the degree of autonomy charter schools have achieved
over such matters as the charter school's budget, expenditures, daily
operation, and personnel in accordance with their State's law.
(iii) The number of high-quality charter schools to be created in
the State (30 points).
Note: The Secretary considers the SEA's reasonable estimate of
the number of new charter schools to be authorized and opened in the
State during the three year period of this grant.
The Secretary also considers how the SEA will inform each charter
school in the State about Federal funds the charter school is eligible
to receive and ensure that each charter school in the State receives
the school's commensurate share of Federal education funds that are
allocated by formula each year, including during the first year of
operation of the school and during a year in which the school's
enrollment expands significantly.
(iv) The quality 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 (30 points).
Note: In addition to describing the proposed objectives of the
SEA charter school grant program and how these objectives will be
fulfilled, the Secretary encourages applicants to provide
descriptions of the steps to be taken by the SEA to award subgrant
funds to eligible applicants desiring to receive these funds,
including descriptions of the peer review process the SEA will use
to review applications for assistance, the timelines for awarding
such funds, and how the SEA will assess the quality of the
applications.
(v) In the case of SEAs that propose to use grant funds to support
dissemination activities under section 5204(f)(6) of the ESEA, the
quality of the dissemination activities (15 points) and the likelihood
that those activities will improve student academic achievement (15
points).
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to describe the steps
to be taken by the SEA to award these funds to eligible applicants,
including descriptions of the peer review process the SEA will use
to review applications for dissemination, the timelines for awarding
such funds, and how the SEA will assess the quality of the
applications.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we will 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. For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please
go to the ED Performance Report Form 524B at https://www.ed.gov/fund/
grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The goal of the CSP is to support the
creation and development of a large number of high-quality charter
schools that are free from State or local rules that inhibit flexible
operation, are held accountable for enabling students to reach
challenging State performance standards, and are open to all students.
The Secretary has set three performance indicators to measure this
goal: (1) The number of States, including the District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico, with charter school laws, (2) the number of charter
schools in operation around the Nation, and (3) the percentage of
charter school students who are achieving at or above the proficient
level on State examinations in mathematics and reading. Additionally,
the Secretary has established the following measure to examine the
efficiency of the CSP: Federal cost per student in implementing a
successful school (defined as a school in operation for three or more
years).
All grantees will be expected to submit an annual performance
report documenting their contribution in assisting the Department in
meeting these performance measures.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dean Kern, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W227, FB6, Washington, DC
20202-5961. Telephone: (202) 260-1882 or by e-mail: dean.kern@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.
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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: January 18, 2006.
Christopher J. Doherty,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Innovation and
Improvement.
[FR Doc. E6-755 Filed 1-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P