Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Transition to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, 4442-4449 [06-763]
Download as PDF
4442
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement;
Overview Information; Transition to
Teaching Grant Program; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.350A, 84.350B, and
84.350C.
Dates: Applications Available:
January 27, 2006. Deadline for Notice of
Intent to Apply: February 21, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 20, 2006. Deadline
for Intergovernmental Review: May 19,
2006.
Eligible Applicants: A State
educational agency (SEA); a high-need
local educational agency (LEA); a forprofit or nonprofit organization that has
a proven record of effectively recruiting
and retaining highly qualified teachers,
in a partnership with a high-need LEA
or an SEA; an institution of higher
education (IHE), in a partnership with a
high-need LEA or an SEA; a regional
consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of
high-need LEAs. For further information
on whether an LEA qualifies as a ‘‘highneed LEA,’’ see section III. 1. Eligible
Applicants in this notice.
Estimated Available Funds: $5–6
million. The Department has established
separate funding categories for projects
of different scope. These categories are:
(1) National/regional projects
(84.350C) that serve eligible high-need
LEAs in more than one State;
(2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that
serve eligible high-need LEAs statewide
or eligible high-need LEAs in more than
one area of a State; and
(3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve
one eligible high-need LEA or two or
more eligible high-need LEAs in a single
area of a State.
Estimated Range of Awards: National/
regional projects—$300,000–$1,000,000
per year; Statewide projects—$150,000–
$600,000 per year; and Local projects—
$100,000–$400,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
National/regional projects—$750,000
per year; Statewide projects—$375,000
per year; and Local projects—$225,000
per year.
Estimated Number of Awards:
National/regional projects—2; Statewide
projects—5; and Local projects—10.
erjones on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES3
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 Transition to
Teaching program encourages (1) the
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jan 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
development and expansion of
alternative routes to full State teacher
certification, as well as (2) the
recruitment and retention of highly
qualified mid-career professionals,
recent college graduates who have not
majored in education, and highly
qualified paraprofessionals as teachers
in high-need schools operated by highneed LEAs, including charter schools
that operate as high-need LEAs.
Priorities: The Department has
established three competitive preference
priorities and one invitational priority
that are explained in the following
paragraphs. One competitive preference
priority is from the statute for this
program and the other two competitive
preference priorities are from the notice
of final priorities and requirements for
this program, published in the Federal
Register on April 30, 2004 (69 FR
24002, 24005)(NFP).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For
FY 2006, these priorities are competitive
preference priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), we award 5 additional
points to an application that meets
Competitive Preference Priority 1, and
up to an additional 20 points to an
application, depending on how well the
application meets either Competitive
Preference Priority 2 or 3. These points
are in addition to any points the
application earns under the program’s
selection criteria.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1—
Partnerships or Consortia That Include
a High-Need LEA or a High-Need SEA
In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from
section 2313(c) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6683(c)).
This priority supports projects that are
designed and implemented in active
partnerships or consortia that include at
least one high-need LEA or high-need
SEA.
Competitive Preference Priority 2—State
Projects To Create or Expand, and Then
Implement, Alternative Pathways to
Teacher Certification
This priority is from the NFP (69 FR
24002, 20005). This priority supports
projects designed and implemented by
an SEA or a consortium of SEAs and the
respective teacher certification agency
of each State (if different from the SEA)
to create or expand, and then
implement, alternative pathways to
certification. The project period is up to
five years. Grantees will need to
conduct both of the following activities:
(a) Create alternatives to the State’s
traditional certification requirements. In
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
conducting this activity, States are
encouraged to develop a variety of
alternative pathways to certification as
important options in their menu of
State-approved procedures for teacher
certification and licensure. For example,
competency-based alternative routes
would permit talented individuals
interested in teaching to become fully
certified through rigorous assessments
of their content and professional
teaching competence, thereby enabling
LEAs to recruit from a larger and more
talented pool of prospective teachers.
(b) Use the alternative routes to
recruit individuals from groups eligible
to participate in the Transition to
Teaching program. Funded projects also
would, among other things, need to
work with participating high-need LEAs
to—
(1) Increase the number and quality of
mid-career changers, recent college
graduates who have not majored in
education, and qualified
paraprofessionals recruited to teach
high-need subjects (such as
mathematics, science, and special
education) in identified high-need LEAs
(which may include LEAs that are
charter schools), particularly those in
urban and rural areas; and
(2) Provide these newly hired teachers
with the support they need to become
certified and effective teachers who will
choose to make teaching their new longterm profession.
In particular, SEAs receiving project
funds must—
(i) Target recruitment efforts on, and
rigorously screen, candidates in areas
where participating high-need LEAs
have documented teacher shortages
(e.g., mathematics, science, and special
education);
(ii) Place prospective teachers only in
high-need schools operated by highneed LEAs;
(iii) Prepare individuals for specific
positions in specific LEAs and place
them in these positions early in the
training process;
(iv) Ensure that recruited teachers
receive the specific training they need to
become fully certified or licensed
teachers; and
(v) Have recruited teachers participate
in a well-supervised induction period
that may include the support of
experienced, trained mentors.
Note: Applicants that choose to respond to
Competitive Preference Priority 2 may do so
however they choose. Those who respond to
this priority may want to consider addressing
such key factors as: (1) The data and other
information the State has used to assess how
and the extent to which current State
certification requirements inhibit talented
individuals from entering teaching; (2) the
E:\FR\FM\26JAN3.SGM
26JAN3
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 / Notices
erjones on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES3
level of commitment of State leaders and
policymakers to developing new or enhanced
alternative certification requirements; (3) the
State’s statutory and regulatory authority to
implement alternative pathways to
certification; (4) how the SEA and other
participating State agencies will actively
involve all stakeholders with responsibility
or authority for teacher preparation, hiring,
and retention; and (5) a timeline for major
actions that the SEA and other participating
State agencies intend to implement to
develop new or improved alternative
pathways to teacher certification.
Competitive Preference Priority 3—
District Projects to Streamline Teacher
Hiring Systems, Timelines, and
Processes
This priority is from the NFP (69 FR
24002, 20005). The priority supports
projects by one or more LEAs to
streamline their hiring systems,
timelines, and processes. The project
period is up to five years. A
participating high-need LEA will need
to conduct both of the following
activities:
(a) Examine its current hiring system,
processes, and policies to identify the
critical barriers to hiring highly
qualified teachers. The lack of highly
qualified teachers in most urban and
rural LEAs has often been attributed to
their difficulty in recruiting interested
and qualified individuals. However,
recent research indicates that the
problem may not be one of recruitment
but may stem from inefficient and
untimely LEA hiring systems and
processes. This is especially true in
high-poverty LEAs and schools—the
very LEAs and schools the Transition to
Teaching program is targeted to serve.
Accordingly, each participating LEA
will need to examine its current hiring
processes and policies and, based upon
that examination, identify the critical
barriers to hiring highly qualified
teachers.
(b) Design and implement efforts to
remove the identified barriers and put
in place systems that streamline and
revamp the hiring process. In
conducting this activity, LEAs are
encouraged to create an efficient and
timely applicant hiring process with a
strong data tracking system and clear
hiring goals. These efforts also should
involve negotiating policy reforms that
remove critical barriers, such as delayed
notification of vacancies and seniority
and retirement rules.
Participating LEAs also will carry out
the requirements of the Transition to
Teaching program by recruiting
nontraditional candidates, using the
streamlined hiring system to hire these
individuals for teaching in high-need
schools, working with them to achieve
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jan 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
full State certification, and retaining
them for at least three years.
Note: Applicants that choose to respond to
Competitive Preference Priority 3 may do so
however they choose. Those that respond to
this priority may want to consider addressing
such key factors as: (1) The existing barriers
to early notification and hiring of new
teachers; (2) the active engagement of LEA
officials, teacher unions, and other
stakeholders in developing a plan to remove
existing barriers and implementing changes;
(3) the actions each participating LEA
intends to undertake to implement policies
and systems for early notification and hiring
of new teachers; and (4) a timeline for major
action steps that each participating LEA
intends to implement to develop the new
hiring policies and systems.
Under this competition, we are
particularly interested in applications
that address the following priority.
Invitational 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.
This priority is:
Invitational Priority—Recruitment and
Retention of Teachers of Mathematics or
Science at the High School Level
This priority supports projects that
focus on the recruitment, preparation,
placement, support, and retention of
mid-career professionals, including
highly qualified paraprofessionals, and
recent college graduates who did not
major in education to serve as
mathematics or science teachers in high
schools that are high-need schools in
high-need LEAs.
Note: Applicants are encouraged to
identify high-need high schools in high-need
LEAs with a shortage of mathematics or
science teachers, and recruit qualified
individuals as teachers for these schools. In
addition, applicants are encouraged to
address how their efforts to recruit and retain
mathematics and science teachers through
the Transition to Teaching program can
support other reform efforts in the high-need
schools and districts to improve the quality
of instruction in mathematics, science, and
high schools in general.
Note: The NFP includes definitions for
terms used in these priorities, including
‘‘highly qualified paraprofessional,’’ ‘‘highneed subject,’’ and ‘‘high-need SEA.’’
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6681–6684.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,
84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. (b) The notice
of final priorities and requirements for
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
4443
this program published in the Federal
Register on April 30, 2004 (69 FR
24002).
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
apply to IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $5–6
million. The Department has established
separate funding categories for projects
of a different scope. These categories
are:
(1) National/regional projects
(84.350C) that serve eligible high-need
LEAs in more than one State;
(2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that
serve eligible high-need LEAs statewide
or eligible high-need LEAs in more than
one area of a State; and
(3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve
one eligible high-need LEA or two or
more eligible high-need LEAs in a single
area of a State.
Estimated Range of Awards: National/
regional projects—$300,000–$1,000,000
per year; Statewide projects—$150,000–
$600,000 per year; and Local projects—
$100,000–$400,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
National/regional projects—$750,000
per year; Statewide projects—$375,000
per year; and Local projects—$225,000
per year.
Estimated Number of Awards:
National/regional projects—2; Statewide
projects—5; and Local projects—10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: An SEA; a
high-need LEA; a for-profit or nonprofit
organization that has a proven record of
effectively recruiting and retaining
highly qualified teachers, in a
partnership with a high-need LEA or an
SEA; an IHE, in a partnership with a
high-need LEA or an SEA; a regional
consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of
high-need LEAs. Each application must
identify participating LEAs that meet
the definition of ‘‘high-need LEA’’ in
section 2102(3) of the ESEA.
Note: Section 2102(3) of the ESEA defines
a high-need LEA as an LEA—
(a) That serves not fewer than 10,000
children from families with incomes below
the poverty line (as that term is defined in
section 9101(33) of the ESEA), or for which
not less than 20 percent of the children
served by the LEA are from families with
incomes below the poverty line; and
(b) For which there is (1) a high percentage
of teachers not teaching in the academic
subjects or grade levels that the teachers were
trained to teach, or (2) a high percentage of
E:\FR\FM\26JAN3.SGM
26JAN3
4444
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 / Notices
erjones on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES3
teachers with emergency, provisional, or
temporary certification or licensing.
The NFP describes how applicants
must demonstrate that a participating
LEA meets this statutory definition of
‘‘high-need LEA.’’ (See 69 FR 24002,
24006) Pursuant to the NFP, we provide
the following supplementary
information regarding the data
applicants use to demonstrate eligibility
as a ‘‘high-need LEA’’ under this
competition:
As described in the NFP, absent a
showing of alternative LEA data that
reliably show the number of children
from families with incomes below the
poverty line that are served by the LEA,
the eligibility of an LEA as a ‘‘high-need
LEA’’ under component (a) of the
definition must be determined on the
basis of the most recent U.S. Census
Bureau data. The most recent U.S.
Census Bureau data can be found in the
charts on the Internet at: https://
www.census.gov/housing/saipe/sd03/
The Department examines the eligibility
of any LEA not listed on these charts on
a case-by-case basis.
As discussed in the NFP, with respect
to component (b)(1) of the definition of
‘‘high-need LEA,’’ whether an LEA has
a ‘‘high percentage of teachers not
teaching in the academic subjects or
grade levels that the teachers were
trained to teach’’ is determined on a
case-by-case basis.
In addition, as noted in the NFP, with
respect to component (b)(2) of the
definition of ‘‘high-need LEA,’’ an LEA
has a ‘‘high percentage’’ of teachers with
emergency, provisional, or temporary
certification or licensing if the
percentage of teachers on waivers, as the
LEA reported to the State for purposes
of the State’s latest report to the
Secretary under section 207 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA),
was at least the national average
percentage of teachers on waivers of
State certification for all LEAs. As
outlined in the NFP, the Secretary
determines the national average
percentage of teachers on waivers based
on data contained in the most currently
available HEA section 207 State reports.
At the time of publication of this notice,
the Department has received all 2005
State HEA section 207 reports and those
reports reflect a national average
percentage of teachers on waivers of
State certification in all LEAs of 2.5
percent.
Because the Department is in the
process of certifying all data received in
the 2005 State HEA section 207 reports,
the data in these reports, including the
national average of teachers on waivers
of State certification, are still
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jan 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
provisional. However, to provide
adequate time for the preparation and
review of project applications and
award of new grants before FY 2006
program funds lapse on September 30,
2006, the Department will use the 2.5
percent national average for purposes of
this competition. Accordingly, an LEA
will be considered to have met
component (b)(2) of the definition of
‘‘high-need LEA’’ if the data that it
provided to the State for purposes of the
State’s October 2005 HEA section 207
report demonstrate that at least 2.5
percent of its teachers were on waivers
of State certification requirements.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
program does not involve cost sharing
or matching but does involve
supplement-not-supplant funding
provisions. In accordance with section
2313(h)(2) of the ESEA, funds made
available under this section shall be
used to supplement, and not supplant,
State and local public funds expended
for teacher recruitment and retention
programs, including programs to recruit
the teachers through alternative routes
to certification.
3. Other: The NFP describes eligibility
restrictions for individuals participating
in this program.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package
Education Publications Center (ED
Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD
20794–1398. Telephone (toll free): 1–
877–433–7827. FAX: (301) 470–1244. If
you use a telecommunications device
for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll
free): 1–877–576–7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its
Web site: https://www.ed.gov/pubs/
edpubs.html or you may contact ED
Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED
Pubs, be sure to identify this
competition as follows: CFDA number
84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C.
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 under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of
this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission
Requirements concerning the content
of an application, together with the
forms you must submit, are in the
application package for this
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
competition. Additional information
concerning application content
requirements is in the NFP.
Notice of Intent to Apply: February
21, 2006.
The Department will be able to
develop a more efficient process for
reviewing grant applications if it has a
better understanding of the number of
entities that intend to apply for funding
under this competition. Therefore, the
Secretary strongly encourages each
potential applicant to notify the
Department by sending a short e-mail
message indicating the applicant’s
intent to submit an application for
funding. The e-mail need not include
information regarding the content of the
proposed application, only the
applicant’s intent to submit it. The
Secretary requests that this e-mail
notification be sent to Thelma
Leenhouts at:
transitiontoteaching@ed.gov. Applicants
that fail to provide this e-mail
notification may still apply for funding.
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. Applicants must 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, except 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 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,
curriculum vitae, or the bibliography of
literature cited. However, you must
include all of the application narrative
in Part III.
Our reviewers will not read any pages
of your application that—
• Exceed the page limit if you apply
these standards; or
• Exceed the equivalent of the page
limit if you apply other standards.
2. Submission Dates and Times
Applications Available: January 27,
2006.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to
Apply: February 21, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 20, 2006.
E:\FR\FM\26JAN3.SGM
26JAN3
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 / Notices
erjones on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES3
Applications for grants under this
competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site (https://www.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: May 19, 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: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice and in
the NFP.
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
Transition to Teaching Competition–
CFDA Number 84.350A, 84.350B, and
84.350C 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 Transition to Teaching
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jan 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
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 the
Education Submission Procedures for
submitting an application through
Grants.gov that are included in the
application package for this competition
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://eGrants.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
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
4445
used with this registration. Please note
that the registration process may take
five or more business days 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—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 problems 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
E:\FR\FM\26JAN3.SGM
26JAN3
4446
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 / Notices
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number
(if available). We will accept your
application if we can confirm that a
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.
erjones on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES3
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: Thelma Leenhouts, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., room 4W302,
Washington, DC 20202–5960. FAX:
(202) 401–8466.
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
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jan 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
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: 84.350A, 84.350B, or
84.350C, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20202–4260. or
By mail through a commercial carrier:
U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center—Stop
4260, Attention: 84.350A, 84.350B, or
84.350C, 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.
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.
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.
The Secretary considers the
significance of the proposed project. In
determining the significance of the
proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(1) The significance of the problem or
issue to be addressed by the proposed
project.
(2) The likelihood that the proposed
project will result in system change or
improvement.
(3) The extent to which the proposed
project involves the development or
demonstration of promising new
strategies that build on, or are
alternatives to, existing strategies.
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:
84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C, 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
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection
criteria for this competition are from the
statute for this program and § 75.210 of
EDGAR and are listed in this section.
The maximum score for all the selection
criteria is 100 points. The maximum
score for each criterion is indicated in
parentheses. Each criterion also
includes the factors that the reviewers
will consider in determining how well
an application meets the criterion. In
addressing each criterion, applicants are
encouraged to make explicit
connections to relevant aspects of
responses to other selection criteria.
The Notes we have included after
each criterion are guidance to assist
applicants in understanding the
criterion as they prepare their
applications and are not required by
statute or regulation.
A. Significance of the Project (20 Points)
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants
to address this criterion by identifying
specific gaps and weaknesses in the services
and infrastructure currently in place for the
recruitment, preparation, placement, and
retention of teachers and by stating how the
proposed project will address these gaps and
weaknesses. The Secretary encourages
applicants to identify (1) current barriers that
the high-need LEAs to be served by the
project face in meeting their teacher
E:\FR\FM\26JAN3.SGM
26JAN3
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 / Notices
recruitment needs, including, if relevant,
barriers caused by existing State certification
or licensure requirements, (2) why these
barriers exist, and (3) how the project would
significantly help those LEAs overcome these
barriers.
Applicants are also encouraged to address
this criterion by identifying the specific
teacher-shortage areas faced by the
participating high-need LEAs on which their
proposed projects would focus. These may
include such high-need subject areas as
mathematics, science, special education, and
English as a second language and particular
grade levels, including middle and high
schools. Applicants should understand that a
project’s strategy for helping participating
high-need LEAs to identify and hire highly
qualified individuals to fill teaching
positions in high-need subjects may rely on
existing alternative routes to certification,
expansions of them into new areas, or
creation of wholly new alternative routes.
erjones on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES3
B. Quality of the Project Design (35
Points)
The Secretary considers the quality of
the project design for the proposed
project by considering how well the
applicant describes a plan—
(1) To develop a program to recruit
and retain highly qualified mid-career
professionals (including highly
qualified paraprofessionals) and recent
graduates of an IHE as teachers in highneed schools operated by high-need
LEAs; and
(2) To enable individuals to become
eligible for teacher certification under
State-approved alternative routes to
certification programs within a reduced
period of time, relying on such factors
as experience, expertise, and academic
qualifications in lieu of traditional
course work in education.
In considering the quality of the
project design and the applicant’s plan,
the Secretary considers the following
factors:
(a) The extent to which the goals,
objectives, and outcomes to be achieved
by the proposed project are clearly
specified and measurable.
(b) The extent to which the design of
the proposed project reflects up-to-date
knowledge from research and effective
practice.
(c) The extent to which the design of
the proposed project is appropriate to,
and will successfully address, the needs
of the target population or other
identified needs.
(d) The extent to which the proposed
project is designed to build capacity and
yield results that will extend beyond the
period of Federal financial assistance.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants
to address this criterion by discussing the
overall project model and its key
components, and the degree to which the
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jan 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
model’s key components are based on sound
research and practice. Applicants may want
to address such key components of project
design as:
(1) Recruitment and selection, including
identifying the target group(s) on which the
program will focus and why and how the
program is designed to rigorously select
participants with the requisite content
knowledge, skills, and commitment to teach
in high-need LEAs and schools.
(2) Training and preparation, including
how the project provides a route to
certification that is accelerated, integrates
coursework and field experience, and is
adapted to participants’ learning needs.
(3) Mentoring and support, including
services that are designed to meet the target
participants’ needs in terms of length,
content, and means of delivery in order to be
successful in high-needs schools and LEAs.
(4) Teacher placement, including evidence
that the proposed project will meet the needs
of high-need LEAs and is developed in
coordination with appropriate partners, that
the timing of placements will be appropriate
to the needs of program participants, and that
the project includes a system of tracking to
meet statutory requirements.
(5) Certification, including consideration of
how the timeline for achieving full
certification will meet the needs of
participants, LEAs, and partners, as well as
the ‘‘Highly Qualified Teacher’’ requirements
established in section 9101(23) of the ESEA.
In addition, applicants are encouraged to
clarify the means by which the project’s
specified outcomes and benefits may be
sustained once Federal funding has ended.
C. Quality of Project Services (20 Points)
In determining the quality of the
services to be provided by the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the
following factors:
(1) The extent to which the services
to be provided by the proposed project
are appropriate to the needs of the
intended recipients or beneficiaries of
those services.
(2) The extent to which the training or
professional development services to be
provided by the proposed project are of
sufficient quality, intensity, and
duration to lead to improvements in
practice among the recipients of those
services.
(3) The extent to which the training or
professional development services to be
provided by the proposed project are
likely to alleviate the personnel
shortages that have been identified or
are the focus of the proposed project.
(4) The extent to which the services
to be provided by the proposed project
involve the collaboration of appropriate
partners for maximizing the
effectiveness of project services.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants
to address this criterion by discussing how
the proposed project services will meet the
needs both of the high-need LEAs identified
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
4447
in the application and of the program
participants they would recruit to become
teachers. Applicants are encouraged to
consult the list of authorized activities in
section 2313(g) of the ESEA in describing the
specific services to be delivered to recruit,
prepare, and retain participants that will
increase the number of highly qualified
teachers in high-need schools in high-need
LEAs. In addition, the Secretary encourages
applicants to consider carefully the breadth
of activities that section 2313(g) of the ESEA
authorizes and then to address how the
project will:
(1) Provide training that meets the learning
needs of the participants and makes use of
appropriate media (such as face-to-face and
Web-based instruction, and distance
learning) to provide them with the skills
needed to be highly qualified and effective
teachers in the identified high-need subject
areas and high-needs schools and LEAs.
(2) Support project participants’ success in
high-need schools and LEAs during the
period of their service obligation through
individual mentoring, support of participants
as a group, use of technology, or other
appropriate means.
(3) Encourage the participation of all
project partners, including school leaders, in
providing services related to the recruitment,
preparation, and retention of project
participants and ensuring lasting benefits or
outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to
clarify the roles of partners in each phase of
the project and the extent of coordination
that will occur with similar efforts at the
State and district levels. In addition,
applicants are encouraged to consider how
they might demonstrate (e.g., through
narrative discussion, letters of support, or
formal memoranda of understanding) the
commitment of partners to the project and
the partners’ understanding of
responsibilities they have agreed to assume
in service delivery.
D. Quality of the Management Plan (10
Points)
In determining the quality of the
management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers 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.
Note: Section 75.112 of EDGAR requires an
applicant for a multiyear grant to include a
narrative that describes how and when, in
each budget period of the project, the
applicant plans to meet each project
objective. The Secretary encourages
applicants to address this criterion by
including in this narrative a schedule of
activities with sufficient time for developing
an adequate implementation plan, as well as
timelines for providing program participants
the support they need in their initial years as
teachers.
E:\FR\FM\26JAN3.SGM
26JAN3
4448
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 / Notices
E. Quality of the Project Evaluation (15
Points)
The Secretary considers the quality of
the evaluation to be conducted of the
proposed project. In determining the
quality of the evaluation to be
conducted, 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 methods
of evaluation will provide performance
feedback and permit periodic
assessment of progress toward achieving
intended outcomes.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants
to address this criterion by including
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. (The specific
performance measures established for the
overall Transition to Teaching program are
discussed under Performance Measures in
section VI of this notice. Section 2314 of the
ESEA also requires grantees to submit both
an interim evaluation of the first three years
of the grant and a final evaluation at the end
of the grant.)
The Secretary also encourages applicants
to identify the individual or organization that
has agreed to serve as evaluator for the
project and describe the qualifications of that
evaluator. Finally, applicants are encouraged
to indicate: (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 about both the success at the
initial site or sites and effective strategies for
replication in other settings. Applicants are
encouraged to devote an appropriate level of
resources to project evaluation.
2. Review and Selection Process:
Additional information concerning our
review and selection of grant
applications in this competition are
contained in the NFP.
erjones on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES3
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.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jan 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
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: The Secretary requires
successful applicants to submit annual
performance reports and, after the last
year of the project, a final report. The
annual performance report documents
the grantee’s yearly progress toward
meeting expected programmatic
outcomes. These outcomes must be
based on measurable performance
objectives including, but not limited to,
the performance measures described in
paragraph 4 of this section. These
reports must evaluate—
(1) The grantee’s progress in meeting
the application’s objectives;
(2) The project’s effectiveness in
meeting the purposes of the Transition
to Teaching program; and
(3) The project’s effect on the specific
LEAs the project serves.
Among other things, the Department
uses the annual performance reports to
determine whether a grantee has
demonstrated substantial progress in
meeting the goals and objectives (as
described in its approved application),
and thereby merits a continuation award
(for years 2–5). See § 75.118 of EDGAR.
Grantees also will be required to
submit a final performance report, due
no later than 90 days after the end of the
project period.
In addition, section 2314 of the ESEA
requires grantees to submit to the
Department and to the Congress interim
and final evaluations at the end of the
third and fifth years of the grant period,
respectively. These evaluations must
describe the extent to which high-need
LEAs that received funds through the
grant have met their goals relating to
teacher recruitment and retention as
described in the project application.
Additional requirements pertaining to
these reports are in the NFP.
For specific requirements on grantee
reporting, please go to https://www/ed/
gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The
Secretary has established one
performance indicator for assessing the
effectiveness of the Transition to
Teaching program: the percentage of
new, highly qualified Transition to
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
Teaching teachers who teach in highneed schools in high-need LEAs for at
least three years. We will track this
indicator through the use of the
following three performance measures.
We will gather the data for these
measures from the grantees.
Measure One: The percentage of all
Transition to Teaching participants who
become teachers of record in high-need
schools in high-need LEAs.
Measure Two: The percentage of
Transition to Teaching participants
receiving certification/licensure within
three years.
Measure Three: The percentage of
Transition to Teaching teachers of
record who teach in high-need schools
in high-need LEAs for at least three
years.
VII. Agency Contacts
For Further Information Contact:
Thelma Leenhouts, Gillian CohenBoyer, Beatriz Ceja, or Anthony
Sepulveda, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 4W318, Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: (202) 260–0223 (Thelma
Leenhouts); (202) 401–2159 (Gillian
Cohen-Boyer); (202) 260–3548 (202)
205–5009 (Beatriz Ceja); or (202) 260–
0464 (Anthony Sepulveda). By e-mail:
transitiontoteaching@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/
index.html.
E:\FR\FM\26JAN3.SGM
26JAN3
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 / Notices
Dated: January 20, 2006.
Christopher J. Doherty,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for
Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 06–763 Filed 1–25–06; 8:45 am]
erjones on PROD1PC68 with NOTICES3
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jan 25, 2006
Jkt 208001
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
E:\FR\FM\26JAN3.SGM
26JAN3
4449
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4442-4449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-763]
[[Page 4441]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Part III
Department of Education
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Transition
to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 /
Notices
[[Page 4442]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information;
Transition to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.350A,
84.350B, and 84.350C.
Dates: Applications Available: January 27, 2006. Deadline for
Notice of Intent to Apply: February 21, 2006. Deadline for Transmittal
of Applications: March 20, 2006. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:
May 19, 2006.
Eligible Applicants: A State educational agency (SEA); a high-need
local educational agency (LEA); a for-profit or nonprofit organization
that has a proven record of effectively recruiting and retaining highly
qualified teachers, in a partnership with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an
institution of higher education (IHE), in a partnership with a high-
need LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of
high-need LEAs. For further information on whether an LEA qualifies as
a ``high-need LEA,'' see section III. 1. Eligible Applicants in this
notice.
Estimated Available Funds: $5-6 million. The Department has
established separate funding categories for projects of different
scope. These categories are:
(1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one State;
(2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs
statewide or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a State;
and
(3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a State.
Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$300,000-
$1,000,000 per year; Statewide projects--$150,000-$600,000 per year;
and Local projects--$100,000-$400,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local
projects--$225,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--2;
Statewide projects--5; and Local projects--10.
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 Transition to Teaching program encourages
(1) the development and expansion of alternative routes to full State
teacher certification, as well as (2) the recruitment and retention of
highly qualified mid-career professionals, recent college graduates who
have not majored in education, and highly qualified paraprofessionals
as teachers in high-need schools operated by high-need LEAs, including
charter schools that operate as high-need LEAs.
Priorities: The Department has established three competitive
preference priorities and one invitational priority that are explained
in the following paragraphs. One competitive preference priority is
from the statute for this program and the other two competitive
preference priorities are from the notice of final priorities and
requirements for this program, published in the Federal Register on
April 30, 2004 (69 FR 24002, 24005)(NFP).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2006, these priorities
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we
award 5 additional points to an application that meets Competitive
Preference Priority 1, and up to an additional 20 points to an
application, depending on how well the application meets either
Competitive Preference Priority 2 or 3. These points are in addition to
any points the application earns under the program's selection
criteria.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Partnerships or Consortia That
Include a High-Need LEA or a High-Need SEA
In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from
section 2313(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6683(c)). This priority supports projects
that are designed and implemented in active partnerships or consortia
that include at least one high-need LEA or high-need SEA.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--State Projects To Create or Expand,
and Then Implement, Alternative Pathways to Teacher Certification
This priority is from the NFP (69 FR 24002, 20005). This priority
supports projects designed and implemented by an SEA or a consortium of
SEAs and the respective teacher certification agency of each State (if
different from the SEA) to create or expand, and then implement,
alternative pathways to certification. The project period is up to five
years. Grantees will need to conduct both of the following activities:
(a) Create alternatives to the State's traditional certification
requirements. In conducting this activity, States are encouraged to
develop a variety of alternative pathways to certification as important
options in their menu of State-approved procedures for teacher
certification and licensure. For example, competency-based alternative
routes would permit talented individuals interested in teaching to
become fully certified through rigorous assessments of their content
and professional teaching competence, thereby enabling LEAs to recruit
from a larger and more talented pool of prospective teachers.
(b) Use the alternative routes to recruit individuals from groups
eligible to participate in the Transition to Teaching program. Funded
projects also would, among other things, need to work with
participating high-need LEAs to--
(1) Increase the number and quality of mid-career changers, recent
college graduates who have not majored in education, and qualified
paraprofessionals recruited to teach high-need subjects (such as
mathematics, science, and special education) in identified high-need
LEAs (which may include LEAs that are charter schools), particularly
those in urban and rural areas; and
(2) Provide these newly hired teachers with the support they need
to become certified and effective teachers who will choose to make
teaching their new long-term profession.
In particular, SEAs receiving project funds must--
(i) Target recruitment efforts on, and rigorously screen,
candidates in areas where participating high-need LEAs have documented
teacher shortages (e.g., mathematics, science, and special education);
(ii) Place prospective teachers only in high-need schools operated
by high-need LEAs;
(iii) Prepare individuals for specific positions in specific LEAs
and place them in these positions early in the training process;
(iv) Ensure that recruited teachers receive the specific training
they need to become fully certified or licensed teachers; and
(v) Have recruited teachers participate in a well-supervised
induction period that may include the support of experienced, trained
mentors.
Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive
Preference Priority 2 may do so however they choose. Those who
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key
factors as: (1) The data and other information the State has used to
assess how and the extent to which current State certification
requirements inhibit talented individuals from entering teaching;
(2) the
[[Page 4443]]
level of commitment of State leaders and policymakers to developing
new or enhanced alternative certification requirements; (3) the
State's statutory and regulatory authority to implement alternative
pathways to certification; (4) how the SEA and other participating
State agencies will actively involve all stakeholders with
responsibility or authority for teacher preparation, hiring, and
retention; and (5) a timeline for major actions that the SEA and
other participating State agencies intend to implement to develop
new or improved alternative pathways to teacher certification.
Competitive Preference Priority 3--District Projects to Streamline
Teacher Hiring Systems, Timelines, and Processes
This priority is from the NFP (69 FR 24002, 20005). The priority
supports projects by one or more LEAs to streamline their hiring
systems, timelines, and processes. The project period is up to five
years. A participating high-need LEA will need to conduct both of the
following activities:
(a) Examine its current hiring system, processes, and policies to
identify the critical barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers. The
lack of highly qualified teachers in most urban and rural LEAs has
often been attributed to their difficulty in recruiting interested and
qualified individuals. However, recent research indicates that the
problem may not be one of recruitment but may stem from inefficient and
untimely LEA hiring systems and processes. This is especially true in
high-poverty LEAs and schools--the very LEAs and schools the Transition
to Teaching program is targeted to serve. Accordingly, each
participating LEA will need to examine its current hiring processes and
policies and, based upon that examination, identify the critical
barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers.
(b) Design and implement efforts to remove the identified barriers
and put in place systems that streamline and revamp the hiring process.
In conducting this activity, LEAs are encouraged to create an efficient
and timely applicant hiring process with a strong data tracking system
and clear hiring goals. These efforts also should involve negotiating
policy reforms that remove critical barriers, such as delayed
notification of vacancies and seniority and retirement rules.
Participating LEAs also will carry out the requirements of the
Transition to Teaching program by recruiting nontraditional candidates,
using the streamlined hiring system to hire these individuals for
teaching in high-need schools, working with them to achieve full State
certification, and retaining them for at least three years.
Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive
Preference Priority 3 may do so however they choose. Those that
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key
factors as: (1) The existing barriers to early notification and
hiring of new teachers; (2) the active engagement of LEA officials,
teacher unions, and other stakeholders in developing a plan to
remove existing barriers and implementing changes; (3) the actions
each participating LEA intends to undertake to implement policies
and systems for early notification and hiring of new teachers; and
(4) a timeline for major action steps that each participating LEA
intends to implement to develop the new hiring policies and systems.
Under this competition, we are particularly interested in
applications that address the following priority. Invitational
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.
This priority is:
Invitational Priority--Recruitment and Retention of Teachers of
Mathematics or Science at the High School Level
This priority supports projects that focus on the recruitment,
preparation, placement, support, and retention of mid-career
professionals, including highly qualified paraprofessionals, and recent
college graduates who did not major in education to serve as
mathematics or science teachers in high schools that are high-need
schools in high-need LEAs.
Note: Applicants are encouraged to identify high-need high
schools in high-need LEAs with a shortage of mathematics or science
teachers, and recruit qualified individuals as teachers for these
schools. In addition, applicants are encouraged to address how their
efforts to recruit and retain mathematics and science teachers
through the Transition to Teaching program can support other reform
efforts in the high-need schools and districts to improve the
quality of instruction in mathematics, science, and high schools in
general.
Note: The NFP includes definitions for terms used in these
priorities, including ``highly qualified paraprofessional,'' ``high-
need subject,'' and ``high-need SEA.''
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6681-6684.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. (b) The notice of final priorities
and requirements for this program published in the Federal Register on
April 30, 2004 (69 FR 24002).
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $5-6 million. The Department has
established separate funding categories for projects of a different
scope. These categories are:
(1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one State;
(2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs
statewide or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a State;
and
(3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a State.
Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$300,000-
$1,000,000 per year; Statewide projects--$150,000-$600,000 per year;
and Local projects--$100,000-$400,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local
projects--$225,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--2;
Statewide projects--5; and Local projects--10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: An SEA; a high-need LEA; a for-profit or
nonprofit organization that has a proven record of effectively
recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, in a partnership
with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an IHE, in a partnership with a high-
need LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of
high-need LEAs. Each application must identify participating LEAs that
meet the definition of ``high-need LEA'' in section 2102(3) of the
ESEA.
Note: Section 2102(3) of the ESEA defines a high-need LEA as an
LEA--
(a) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families
with incomes below the poverty line (as that term is defined in
section 9101(33) of the ESEA), or for which not less than 20 percent
of the children served by the LEA are from families with incomes
below the poverty line; and
(b) For which there is (1) a high percentage of teachers not
teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels that the teachers
were trained to teach, or (2) a high percentage of
[[Page 4444]]
teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or
licensing.
The NFP describes how applicants must demonstrate that a
participating LEA meets this statutory definition of ``high-need LEA.''
(See 69 FR 24002, 24006) Pursuant to the NFP, we provide the following
supplementary information regarding the data applicants use to
demonstrate eligibility as a ``high-need LEA'' under this competition:
As described in the NFP, absent a showing of alternative LEA data
that reliably show the number of children from families with incomes
below the poverty line that are served by the LEA, the eligibility of
an LEA as a ``high-need LEA'' under component (a) of the definition
must be determined on the basis of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau
data. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau data can be found in the
charts on the Internet at: https://www.census.gov/housing/saipe/sd03/ The Department examines the eligibility of any LEA not listed on these
charts on a case-by-case basis.
As discussed in the NFP, with respect to component (b)(1) of the
definition of ``high-need LEA,'' whether an LEA has a ``high percentage
of teachers not teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels that
the teachers were trained to teach'' is determined on a case-by-case
basis.
In addition, as noted in the NFP, with respect to component (b)(2)
of the definition of ``high-need LEA,'' an LEA has a ``high
percentage'' of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary
certification or licensing if the percentage of teachers on waivers, as
the LEA reported to the State for purposes of the State's latest report
to the Secretary under section 207 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(HEA), was at least the national average percentage of teachers on
waivers of State certification for all LEAs. As outlined in the NFP,
the Secretary determines the national average percentage of teachers on
waivers based on data contained in the most currently available HEA
section 207 State reports. At the time of publication of this notice,
the Department has received all 2005 State HEA section 207 reports and
those reports reflect a national average percentage of teachers on
waivers of State certification in all LEAs of 2.5 percent.
Because the Department is in the process of certifying all data
received in the 2005 State HEA section 207 reports, the data in these
reports, including the national average of teachers on waivers of State
certification, are still provisional. However, to provide adequate time
for the preparation and review of project applications and award of new
grants before FY 2006 program funds lapse on September 30, 2006, the
Department will use the 2.5 percent national average for purposes of
this competition. Accordingly, an LEA will be considered to have met
component (b)(2) of the definition of ``high-need LEA'' if the data
that it provided to the State for purposes of the State's October 2005
HEA section 207 report demonstrate that at least 2.5 percent of its
teachers were on waivers of State certification requirements.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost
sharing or matching but does involve supplement-not-supplant funding
provisions. In accordance with section 2313(h)(2) of the ESEA, funds
made available under this section shall be used to supplement, and not
supplant, State and local public funds expended for teacher recruitment
and retention programs, including programs to recruit the teachers
through alternative routes to certification.
3. Other: The NFP describes eligibility restrictions for
individuals participating in this program.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package
Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD
20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
(toll free): 1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: https://www.ed.gov/
pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C.
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 under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of
this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Requirements concerning the content of an application, together
with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this
competition. Additional information concerning application content
requirements is in the NFP.
Notice of Intent to Apply: February 21, 2006.
The Department will be able to develop a more efficient process for
reviewing grant applications if it has a better understanding of the
number of entities that intend to apply for funding under this
competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each
potential applicant to notify the Department by sending a short e-mail
message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an application for
funding. The e-mail need not include information regarding the content
of the proposed application, only the applicant's intent to submit it.
The Secretary requests that this e-mail notification be sent to Thelma
Leenhouts at: transitiontoteaching@ed.gov. Applicants that fail to
provide this e-mail notification may still apply for funding.
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. Applicants must limit Part
III to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages, using the following
standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5[sec] x 11[sec], on one side only, with
1[sec] margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, except 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 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,
curriculum vitae, or the bibliography of literature cited. However, you
must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that--
Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other
standards.
2. Submission Dates and Times
Applications Available: January 27, 2006.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: February 21, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 20, 2006.
[[Page 4445]]
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (https://www.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: May 19, 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: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
in the NFP.
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 Transition to Teaching
Competition-CFDA Number 84.350A, 84.350B, and 84.350C 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 Transition to
Teaching 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 the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition 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 days
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 problems 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
[[Page 4446]]
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your
application if we can confirm that a 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: Thelma Leenhouts, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W302,
Washington, DC 20202-5960. FAX: (202) 401-8466.
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: 84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C,
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: 84.350A, 84.350B, or
84.350C, 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:
84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C, 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 the statute for this program and Sec. 75.210 of EDGAR and are
listed in this section. The maximum score for all the selection
criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is
indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the factors that
the reviewers will consider in determining how well an application
meets the criterion. In addressing each criterion, applicants are
encouraged to make explicit connections to relevant aspects of
responses to other selection criteria.
The Notes we have included after each criterion are guidance to
assist applicants in understanding the criterion as they prepare their
applications and are not required by statute or regulation.
A. Significance of the Project (20 Points)
The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project.
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(1) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the
proposed project.
(2) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system
change or improvement.
(3) The extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on,
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by identifying specific gaps and weaknesses in the
services and infrastructure currently in place for the recruitment,
preparation, placement, and retention of teachers and by stating how
the proposed project will address these gaps and weaknesses. The
Secretary encourages applicants to identify (1) current barriers
that the high-need LEAs to be served by the project face in meeting
their teacher
[[Page 4447]]
recruitment needs, including, if relevant, barriers caused by
existing State certification or licensure requirements, (2) why
these barriers exist, and (3) how the project would significantly
help those LEAs overcome these barriers.
Applicants are also encouraged to address this criterion by
identifying the specific teacher-shortage areas faced by the
participating high-need LEAs on which their proposed projects would
focus. These may include such high-need subject areas as
mathematics, science, special education, and English as a second
language and particular grade levels, including middle and high
schools. Applicants should understand that a project's strategy for
helping participating high-need LEAs to identify and hire highly
qualified individuals to fill teaching positions in high-need
subjects may rely on existing alternative routes to certification,
expansions of them into new areas, or creation of wholly new
alternative routes.
B. Quality of the Project Design (35 Points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the project design for the
proposed project by considering how well the applicant describes a
plan--
(1) To develop a program to recruit and retain highly qualified
mid-career professionals (including highly qualified paraprofessionals)
and recent graduates of an IHE as teachers in high-need schools
operated by high-need LEAs; and
(2) To enable individuals to become eligible for teacher
certification under State-approved alternative routes to certification
programs within a reduced period of time, relying on such factors as
experience, expertise, and academic qualifications in lieu of
traditional course work in education.
In considering the quality of the project design and the
applicant's plan, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(a) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(b) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
(c) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target
population or other identified needs.
(d) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of
Federal financial assistance.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by discussing the overall project model and its key
components, and the degree to which the model's key components are
based on sound research and practice. Applicants may want to address
such key components of project design as:
(1) Recruitment and selection, including identifying the target
group(s) on which the program will focus and why and how the program
is designed to rigorously select participants with the requisite
content knowledge, skills, and commitment to teach in high-need LEAs
and schools.
(2) Training and preparation, including how the project provides
a route to certification that is accelerated, integrates coursework
and field experience, and is adapted to participants' learning
needs.
(3) Mentoring and support, including services that are designed
to meet the target participants' needs in terms of length, content,
and means of delivery in order to be successful in high-needs
schools and LEAs.
(4) Teacher placement, including evidence that the proposed
project will meet the needs of high-need LEAs and is developed in
coordination with appropriate partners, that the timing of
placements will be appropriate to the needs of program participants,
and that the project includes a system of tracking to meet statutory
requirements.
(5) Certification, including consideration of how the timeline
for achieving full certification will meet the needs of
participants, LEAs, and partners, as well as the ``Highly Qualified
Teacher'' requirements established in section 9101(23) of the ESEA.
In addition, applicants are encouraged to clarify the means by
which the project's specified outcomes and benefits may be sustained
once Federal funding has ended.
C. Quality of Project Services (20 Points)
In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or
beneficiaries of those services.
(2) The extent to which the training or professional development
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice
among the recipients of those services.
(3) The extent to which the training or professional development
services to be provided by the proposed project are likely to alleviate
the personnel shortages that have been identified or are the focus of
the proposed project.
(4) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by discussing how the proposed project services will meet
the needs both of the high-need LEAs identified in the application
and of the program participants they would recruit to become
teachers. Applicants are encouraged to consult the list of
authorized activities in section 2313(g) of the ESEA in describing
the specific services to be delivered to recruit, prepare, and
retain participants that will increase the number of highly
qualified teachers in high-need schools in high-need LEAs. In
addition, the Secretary encourages applicants to consider carefully
the breadth of activities that section 2313(g) of the ESEA
authorizes and then to address how the project will:
(1) Provide training that meets the learning needs of the
participants and makes use of appropriate media (such as face-to-
face and Web-based instruction, and distance learning) to provide
them with the skills needed to be highly qualified and effective
teachers in the identified high-need subject areas and high-needs
schools and LEAs.
(2) Support project participants' success in high-need schools
and LEAs during the period of their service obligation through
individual mentoring, support of participants as a group, use of
technology, or other appropriate means.
(3) Encourage the participation of all project partners,
including school leaders, in providing services related to the
recruitment, preparation, and retention of project participants and
ensuring lasting benefits or outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to
clarify the roles of partners in each phase of the project and the
extent of coordination that will occur with similar efforts at the
State and district levels. In addition, applicants are encouraged to
consider how they might demonstrate (e.g., through narrative
discussion, letters of support, or formal memoranda of
understanding) the commitment of partners to the project and the
partners' understanding of responsibilities they have agreed to
assume in service delivery.
D. Quality of the Management Plan (10 Points)
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers 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.
Note: Section 75.112 of EDGAR requires an applicant for a
multiyear grant to include a narrative that describes how and when,
in each budget period of the project, the applicant plans to meet
each project objective. The Secretary encourages applicants to
address this criterion by including in this narrative a schedule of
activities with sufficient time for developing an adequate
implementation plan, as well as timelines for providing program
participants the support they need in their initial years as
teachers.
[[Page 4448]]
E. Quality of the Project Evaluation (15 Points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the
evaluation to be conducted, 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 methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by including 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. (The specific performance measures established
for the overall Transition to Teaching program are discussed under
Performance Measures in section VI of this notice. Section 2314 of
the ESEA also requires grantees to submit both an interim evaluation
of the first three years of the grant and a final evaluation at the
end of the grant.)
The Secretary also encourages applicants to identify the
individual or organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for
the project and describe the qualifications of that evaluator.
Finally, applicants are encouraged to indicate: (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 about both the success at the initial
site or sites and effective strategies for replication in other
settings. Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level
of resources to project evaluation.
2. Review and Selection Process: Additional information concerning
our review and selection of grant applications in this competition are
contained in the NFP.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: The Secretary requires successful applicants to
submit annual performance reports and, after the last year of the
project, a final report. The annual performance report documents the
grantee's yearly progress toward meeting expected programmatic
outcomes. These outcomes must be based on measurable performance
objectives including, but not limited to, the performance measures
described in paragraph 4 of this section. These reports must evaluate--
(1) The grantee's progress in meeting the application's objectives;
(2) The project's effectiveness in meeting the purposes of the
Transition to Teaching program; and
(3) The project's effect on the specific LEAs the project serves.
Among other things, the Department uses the annual performance
reports to determine whether a grantee has demonstrated substantial
progress in meeting the goals and objectives (as described in its
approved application), and thereby merits a continuation award (for
years 2-5). See Sec. 75.118 of EDGAR.
Grantees also will be required to submit a final performance
report, due no later than 90 days after the end of the project period.
In addition, section 2314 of the ESEA requires grantees to submit
to the Department and to the Congress interim and final evaluations at
the end of the third and fifth years of the grant period, respectively.
These evaluations must describe the extent to which high-need LEAs that
received funds through the grant have met their goals relating to
teacher recruitment and retention as described in the project
application. Additional requirements pertaining to these reports are in
the NFP.
For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please go to http:/
/www/ed/gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established one
performance indicator for assessing the effectiveness of the Transition
to Teaching program: the percentage of new, highly qualified Transition
to Teaching teachers who teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs
for at least three years. We will track this indicator through the use
of the following three performance measures. We will gather the data
for these measures from the grantees.
Measure One: The percentage of all Transition to Teaching
participants who become teachers of record in high-need schools in
high-need LEAs.
Measure Two: The percentage of Transition to Teaching participants
receiving certification/licensure within three years.
Measure Three: The percentage of Transition to Teaching teachers of
record who teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs for at least
three years.
VII. Agency Contacts
For Further Information Contact: Thelma Leenhouts, Gillian Cohen-
Boyer, Beatriz Ceja, or Anthony Sepulveda, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W318, Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: (202) 260-0223 (Thelma Leenhouts); (202) 401-2159 (Gillian
Cohen-Boyer); (202) 260-3548 (202) 205-5009 (Beatriz Ceja); or (202)
260-0464 (Anthony Sepulveda). By e-mail: transitiontoteaching@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/.
[[Page 4449]]
Dated: January 20, 2006.
Christopher J. Doherty,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 06-763 Filed 1-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P